Illustration of Peggy Sue by Antonia Parker.
Peggy Sue have been around in various incarnations – previously accompanied by the Pirates – for sometime. So already engrained in the indie consciousness as they are, viagra sale it comes as a real surprise to discover that their first long player has only just come out. A true band of our internet led times.
Released at the end of April on Wichita Recordings, visit web Fossils and Other Phantoms therefore finds the work of an already mature band with a strongly identifiable sound of their own. A combination of indie and folk with a strong streak of the blues and even doo-wop, and husky vocalists Katy Klaw and Rosa Rex take turns to lead the tunes against a firm rhythmic backbone courtesy of drummer Olly Joyce, who comes crashing in halfway into opening track Long Division Blues after a slowly spiralling build up. His presence is never far away, even when the girls resort to the glorious simplicity of a simple guitar, kazoo or uke to back their playfully tumbling harmonies – I Read It In The Paper, Green Grow The Rushes and The Shape We Made soon grow into bigger songs with the addition of percussion.
Single Watchman is a tuneful favourite that is accompanied by a gorgeously surreal animated video by Betsy Dadd. Soulful lyrics sound heavily influenced by complicated love lives (though I discovered this is not quite the case when I interviewed the band) and render this album the perfect heartbreak sound track, but the point when you most definitely feel it’s time to pick yourself up and stand proudly independent again. Yo Mama sees them stand defiant “I’m gonna go downtown and find myself someone,” they assure us.
The album was launched with a free gig at Rough Trade East, which also happened to fall on Katy’s birthday. Accompanied by extra violin and cello “the one who bought me the cake is my favourite out of our string section” the trio powered through an energetic set in front of a clearly adoring though somewhat coy crowd. Despite problems with feedback and tuning “normally we tune up properly before a gig but we drank beer instead cos it’s my birthday” it was a great showcase for these talented and very individual multi-instrumentalists.
Illustration of the Peggy Sue string section by Antonia Parker.
Read my in-depth interview with Peggy Sue here.
Categories ,album review, ,Antonia Parker, ,Betsy Dadd, ,ep, ,Fossils and Other Phantoms, ,gig, ,Katy Klaw, ,Launch, ,Lover Gone, ,Olly Joyce, ,Peggy Sue, ,Rosa Rex, ,Rough Trade East, ,Wichita Recordings
Similar Posts:
- A meeting with indie folk blues rockers Peggy Sue.
- London Fashion Week A/W 2014: Fashion Illustrations from the Catwalk
- Tindersticks
- Vampire Weekend – Contra – Album Review
- Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration launch party illustrations: meet Antonia Parker