XOYO – AmeliasMagazine

Amelia’s Magazine | Joe Worricker at XOYO: Live Review

Joe Worricker by Karina Yarv.

Joe Worricker was indeed wearing stars on his face, generic as declared on twitter twenty minutes before I arrived at his gig. I could hear Joe’s idiosyncratic voice even as I raced into this industry thick showcase at new venue XOYO, buy located just behind the main Old Street thoroughfare. He was also wearing the same clothes that he sports in his Finger-Waggers video (digital download out this week, sales though as Joe was only too happy to admit, easily downloadable somewhere online for free.)

Joe Worricker-XOYO-Photo by Amelia Gregory
Joe Worricker at XOYO. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Joe Worricker by Sarah Ushurhe.

A whole 45 minutes later I was still somewhat struggling to describe Joe, who sings with a session-type band that wouldn’t look out of place on the X Factor – but then this is the lad who auditioned for that very show… and was turned down. “I think they were scared of my voice” he told me in our earlier interview. And he does indeed have an almighty set of curiously old-fashioned lungs, somewhat at odds with his outwardly trendy demeanour.

Joe Worricker by Fay Morrow.

He swung through a set which included some slow tempo tales of weddings and fairytales, before returning to his trademark upbeat tracks. “We’ve got two fun ones now, don’t worry,” he told his many friends in the audience, including what I can only presume was his granny sat pride of place in the front row, and another relative who was doing his best impression of the funky chicken.

Joe Worricker at XOYO. All photography by Amelia Gregory.
Joe Worriker by Sarah Ushurhe
Joe Worricker by Sarah Ushurhe.

Joe Worricker is an intriguing proposition for Rough Trade. He’s poppy – he fronts a band without an instrument – dance-y, and a whole lot of soulful. Who knows where he fits into the current market place, but that distinctive voice paired with some jaunty tunes could well make him the next big thing. One thing’s for sure, anyone who puts their granny in the front row at their debut gig gets my vote. And bless, being the polite lad he is, he even thanked me on twitter.

Joe Worricker XOXO granny

Go check him out. And read my interview with him here.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Wednesday November 17th, 2010 2:07 pm

Categories ,Fay Morrow, ,Finger-Waggers, ,Joe Worricker, ,Karina Yarv, ,Live Review, ,pop, ,Rough Trade, ,Sarah Ushurhe, ,Session band, ,Showcase, ,soul, ,X Factor, ,XOYO

Amelia’s Magazine | Joe Worricker and his Finger-Waggers

Joe Worricker_by_Renato Pequito
Joe Worricker by Renato Pequito.

Joe Worricker was turned away from X Factor but that didn’t prevent him from being snapped up by the coolest of labels Rough Trade. He’s just released single Finger Waggers so I thought I’d catch up with him on twitter and find out what gets Joe ticking…

You’ve just released Finger Waggers. What’s this song about and why the name?
I wrote Finger Waggers when my hair was so shockingly large people used to pull at it in clubs and take the piss. It’s about the importance of self-love and not letting people tell you how to be. Each of us are only here for a short time and we should be whatever we want to be

What’s the idea behind the video?
It’s set at a tupperware party with posh ladies who are the finger-waggers. The director Lily Smith did a fantastic job, viagra order she has made it look amazing.

Your sound is a pretty unique combination of pop, indie and soul. How would you describe it and why?
The songs are Beatles, The Marvelettes, Debussy and Kate Bush mixed and the vocal is a weird soul voice I suppose.

You’ve already been hailed as a new soul sensation – how does this feel? What do your mates mates say to you on the subject?
It’s an amazing feeling when someone appreciates your work. What’s important is how you feel about it. For my first album I’m proud and think I’ve set good starting ground for future things to come. My friends are really supportive and always come to my gigs.

When did you start singing, and how did you end up signed to Rough Trade?
I started singing to Disney songs when I was a baby and haven’t stopped since. When I was gigging round London some music peeps got talking, Rough Trade heard about me and came to watch me in Soho. They then invited me in and offered me a deal

What was it like growing up in Essex – did you live the life of a typical “essex boy”? PS what do you think of the new real life soap The Only Way is Essex – is this the Essex you knew? is it an apt representation of life in Essex?! or not at all….
I probably lived the Essex girl life more. Went out every weekend to binge drink underage with my girl mates and wore and still wear excessive amounts of fake tan. Although I get St Tropez now which is the best in the business, where then it was very cheap rub on tan; I’ve matured. I haven’t seen the show yet, but everyone has been banging on about it. Yes, there are people like the people you see on the programme for sure

X Factor: what’s your opinion? Did you ever enter any talent competitions as a teenager?
Talent competitions can be amazing platforms for people. Jennifer Hudson being the best example, who is totally sensational and may have never been discovered otherwise. I entered the X-Factor when I was 18. I didn’t get through though, I think they were scared of my voice.

Where are you living at the moment and why?
Fitzrovia. I only live in areas where I can walk to Soho in 5 minutes or less.

JoeWorricker_by_Sandra Dufour
Joe Worricker by Sandra Dufour.

You’re a proactive twitter user – what do you use twitter for?
It’s good for letting people who are interested in your music know about gigs, singles and the generally rubbish you are getting up to. Perfect for potential stalkers.

When can people catch you live? What can they expect from a Joe Worricker live performance and why should they come to see you?
My London headline show at XOYO on 16th November in Old Street. They should come see me coz I’m better live and i’m extra gifted at talking rubbish between the songs.

What makes the best kind of party?
Vodka, hilarious music, getting naked in the early hours…

When can we expect a debut album, and have you got a name for it yet? go on… give us a bit of a clue…
It is released in the new year. It is the title of the 1st song I wrote for the album. The song is about a moment of profound beauty and clarity when every fear and worry about life fell out of my head and I could see the world clearly.

Catch Joe soon before he goes massive: X Factor be damned, this Debussy loving Essex boy is going places. Read our gig listing here.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday November 2nd, 2010 1:40 pm

Categories ,Beatles, ,Debussy, ,Disney, ,Essex, ,Finger-Waggers, ,Jennifer Hudson, ,Joe Worricker, ,Kate Bush, ,Old Street, ,Renato Pequito, ,Rough Trade, ,Sandra Dufour, ,Soho, ,soul, ,The Marvelettes, ,The Only Way is Essex, ,Tupperware, ,X Factor, ,XOYO

Amelia’s Magazine | Joe Worricker at XOYO: Live Review

Joe Worricker by Karina Yarv.

Joe Worricker-XOYO-Photo by Amelia Gregory
Joe Worricker at XOYO. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Joe Worricker by Sarah Ushurhe.

Joe Worricker by Fay Morrow.

Joe Worricker at XOYO. All photography by Amelia Gregory.
Joe Worriker by Sarah Ushurhe
Joe Worricker by Sarah Ushurhe.

Joe Worricker XOXO granny

Go check him out. And read my interview with him here.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Wednesday November 17th, 2010 2:07 pm

Categories ,Fay Morrow, ,Finger-Waggers, ,Joe Worricker, ,Karina Yarv, ,Live Review, ,pop, ,Rough Trade, ,Sarah Ushurhe, ,Session band, ,Showcase, ,soul, ,X Factor, ,XOYO

Amelia’s Magazine | Album Review – Gang Gang Dance: Eye Contact

gang-gang-dance-eye-contact-cover

It was probably down to skepticism that it took me some time to get into the latest Gang Gang Dance album. After all, erectile how on earth could they follow 2005′s Saint Dymphna, page in which Lizzie Bougatsos & co managed to mix psych, free form, drone, noise, high-pitched vocals, dance, urban music and more using both analog and digital instruments? What could possibly be left to borrow, crush, mash and cover in gold in order to convey the same sort of amazement that any listener of Saint Dymphna must surely have felt at the moment those drums kicked in around minute two of Bebey?

gang-gang-dance-by-noemi-martinez
Illustration by Noemi Martinez Santiago.

Well here it is: Eye Contact was released on 4AD on the 9th May… think overwhelming motifs, syncopated velocities, spinning rhythms and sidereal vocals. Paint it all in silver and fluorescent pigments from the brightest star in the sky and you’re quite close to what Eye Contact sounds like. Instead of trying to fullfill similar expectations the album cleverly shifts the focus onto different musical frontiers, taking more inspiration from the electronica with hints of Far Eastern melody. Once again Gang Gang Dance manage to surprise.

Bebey from Saint Dymphna:

The tracks perfectly intertwine with each other in an almost endless techno-psych trip that can be listened to over and over again. In fact, with its uplifting beat and at times aggressive mood, it’s the perfect album to have on your iPod while whizzing through the heat wave in a city, thinking of faraway tropical paradises and sparkling Bollywood nights.

gang-gang-dance-by-noemi-martinez_2
Illustration by Noemi Martinez Santiago.

The album starts with Glass Jar, an 11 minute masterpiece of spiralling sidereal melodies and cosmic atmospheres. As a wave it gently carries you to ?, a sonic interlude that leads to the core of Eye Contact: Adult Goth, a hypnotizing lullaby in which the glistening keyboards and pressing beats layer with Lizzie Bougatsos’ otherwordly vocals. Chinese High has a syncopated theme and gold dust coloured clinks that sounds more Bollywood soundtrack than anything Chinese. The pulsating Mind Killa is one of the most ‘pop’ tracks on the album, and it has taken over the blogosphere with its whirling motif and tribal beats.

Mind Killa music video:

Separated by the rest by another two whimsical ? (namely, ?? and ???, little evocative aural curtains) are the last 3 tracks of the album. Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor lends his vocals to one of the most accessible tracks of the album, Romance Layers, a luscious nu(est)-disco post-soul piece that would figure well in the playlist of a party on one of the Saturn rings. Sager and Thru and Thru follow the zigzagging sprawling line traced by the first minute of Eye Contact. Think of silver sunsets on purple beaches and parties on yet-to-be-discovered planets. As I get off my bike a voice claims ‘we are forever’ at the very last second of Thru and Thru and already I could play the album all over again. The ride is over but the energy of this record will stay with me all summer.

Gang Gang Dance will be playing at Animal Collective curated ATP on May 13th to 15th and at XOYO on 16th May. For the luckiest ones, not to be missed is their performance at Primavera Sound, Barcelona on May 26th to 28th. Eye Contact is out now on 4AD.

Written by Laura Lotti on Tuesday May 10th, 2011 10:12 am

Categories ,4ad, ,Alexis Taylor, ,Alternative, ,Animal Collective, ,art, ,atp, ,Blogosphere, ,Bollywood, ,Cosmic, ,Eye Contact, ,Gang Gang Dance, ,Hot Chip, ,Lizzie Bougatsos, ,Mind Killa, ,new york, ,Noemi Martinez Santiago, ,Primavera Sound, ,psychedelia, ,Saint Dymphna, ,techno-psych, ,XOYO

Amelia’s Magazine | Album Review – Crystal Stilts: In Love With Oblivion

crystal-stilts In Love With Oblivion cover

I was hoping to be able to stay away from the Joy Division comparisons while writing this review of New York band Crystal Stilt’s new album In Love With Oblivion, visit this site but like many before me I’ve found it basically impossible – the influence of Ian Curtis flows through the band’s second album like a vein of precious metal. It’s singer Brad Hargett’s drone-like vocal that does it, strongly recalling Curtis as well as the similarly enigmatic Jim Reid of The Jesus and Mary Chain. (And now I won’t mention the J D words ever again…promise.)

Crystal Stilts by Stephanie Thieullent
Illustration by Stephanie Thieullent.

In fact quite a lot has been written about Hargett’s singing style, sometimes scathingly, and his vocals are a little monotonous. There are points on this record when I really wanted him to surprise me by stepping out of the echo chamber to give some these songs a bit of extra punch. On Silver Sun for instance, the whole band are doing some pretty great stuff – the guitars and the organs and the jangle of the tambourine but Hargett maintains his monotonal drawl. There are few upbeat tracks on this record and if Hargett switched his style up a bit on some of them, it would lift the whole album.

In Love With Oblivion by Nick Bellhouse.

But perhaps I’m missing the point, this appears to be an album that is more concerned with creating atmospheres or feelings than totally nailing each individual track. Hargett’s obvious attachment to the echo effect and the whole lo-fi approach towards recording and production makes this album sound dreamlike, almost as if you could be listening to it underwater, and to over-produce or clean up the sound would mean losing some of this otherworldly charm.

Departure by Crystal Stilts. From first album Alight of Night.

There’s also a kind of filmic side to the album, thanks to the murky sound and doom-laden lyrics, not forgetting the use of sound effects. Songs open and end with gusts of wind, car crashes, and crickets – it’s totally atmospheric and a big hint that Crystal Stilts aren’t your average Brooklyn-based hipster garage band.

Crystal Stilts by Libby Grace Freshwater.

The band clearly includes some skilful musicians, the Johnny Cash-inspired guitar licks of opening track Sycamore Tree provides as good an introduction as any – this is a track that sounds like it’s been around for the last 50 years. In fact there are clear 1960s influences throughout and pretty convincing in places, like the band went to sleep in 1964 and woke up in 2011 and continued making music like nothing had changed, which for someone like me, who happens to love the music of the 1960s, makes this album a really interesting prospect.

Through the Floor from In Love With Oblivion.

There are peaks and troughs with this record though, the seven minute Alien Rivers is a needless addition but those that follow like stand-out track Flying Into the Sun is a fantastic listen and includes the inspired lyrics “There’s a black hole/ behind these eyes/ takes everything with it/ when it dies.” Like the album title suggests there is a bit of an emo vibe running through much of Hargett’s songwriting.

Crystal Stilts by Hanako Clulow
Illustration by Hanako Clulow.

This is the kind of album then, that may well find itself providing the soundtrack to a whole host of late night gatherings and post-party hangouts, and I suspect could sound even better when you’re burnt out but not ready to go to bed just yet.

Crystal Stilts are playing in XOYO in London on June 21 – their only UK date and by the sounds of it, well worth getting down to. There will be support from The 1990s and the excellent Still Corners (whom we have an interview with here.)

In Love With Oblivion is out now on Fortuna POP!

Written by Emma Barlow on Tuesday May 10th, 2011 1:23 pm

Categories ,album review, ,Brad Hargett, ,brooklyn, ,Crystal Stilts, ,Fortuna Pop, ,Gararge Band, ,Hanako Clulow, ,Ian Curtis, ,In Love With Oblivion, ,Jim Reid, ,Johnny Cash, ,joy division, ,Libby Grace Freshwater, ,new york, ,pop, ,psychedelic, ,rock, ,Stéphanie Thieullent, ,Still Corners, ,The 1990s, ,The Jesus and Mary Chain, ,XOYO

Amelia’s Magazine | Au Revoir Simone at the Garage: Live Review

Au Revoir Simone by Rhi Pardoe

Au Revoir Simone by Rhi Pardoe

It’s that time of year when the NME Awards once again roll into town – a series of gigs showcasing the great and the good of the current and up-and-coming music scene at assorted venues around the capital. Tonight was the turn of Williamsburg’s finest, Au Revoir Simone, currently mid-tour promoting their new album, at the Garage on Highbury Corner.

The Garage was already pretty busy when I got there, darkened and swirling with enough dry ice to prompt flashbacks to student disco nights, but I was just in time to catch some of the opening set, from the intriguing Mariam The Believer.

Au Revoir Simone by Ruth Joyce

Au Revoir Simone by Ruth Joyce

In the decade since they first got together, the trio of Erika Forster, Annie Hart and Heather D’Angelo have produced some shimmering sounds with their keyboards, drum machines and vocal harmonies, picking up a lot of fans along the way including, somewhat improbably, cult film director David Lynch. Au Revoir Simone’s fourth album, Move In Spectrums, has given the band’s already lush synth pop sound an extra sheen, as witnessed on the LP’s lead single, the double A side of Crazy and Somebody Who.

Au Revoir Simone by Sylwia Szyszka

Au Revoir Simone by Sylwia Szyszka

Tonight was the first time I’d seen Au Revoir Simone in a couple of years (I’d caught them play Union Chapel and the Scala a while ago, but missed the sold out show at XOYO last September). Backlit on a darkened stage, the band kicked off with the cascading keyboard riffs of Just Like A Tree, which was followed by another track from the new album, the eerily 80s sounding Gravitron. There were actually quite a few songs from Move In Spectrums dotted throughout the set, but also a number from 2009’s Still Night, Still Light as well – Only You Can Make You Happy made an appearance, as did Knight Of Wands and, amongst others, the insistent Anywhere You Looked. Still Night, Still Light is probably the album that sits best with the band’s new long player, and I’m pretty sure none of their earlier tracks got a look in tonight.

Au Revoir Simone by Calamus YY Chan

Au Revoir Simone by Calamus YY Chan

With their keyboards arranged side by side, and assorted drum pads dotted around, there wasn’t too much room to move on the Garage’s reasonably small stage. Vocal duties were mainly lead by Erika Forster, though Annie Hart took over for a few songs. There was also a bit of bass guitar swapping between the two as well, and Hart also persuaded the lighting guy to brighten the room so she could get a photo of the crowd on her phone! The band finished off with another song from Still Night, Still Light, the crowd pleaser Shadows, before an inevitable encore to the cheers of the throng.

Au Revoir Simone now head off for the final leg of the tour with some North American shows, and we just hope it’s not too long before we see them over here again.

Written by Richard Pearmain on Tuesday March 4th, 2014 6:32 pm

Categories ,Annie Hart, ,Au Revoir Simone, ,Calamus YY Chan, ,David Lynch, ,Erika Forster, ,Heather D’Angelo, ,Mariam The Believer, ,NME Awards, ,Rhi Pardoe, ,Ruth Joyce, ,Sylwia Szyszka, ,The Garage, ,the Scala, ,union chapel, ,XOYO

Amelia’s Magazine | Joe Worricker and his Finger-Waggers

Joe Worricker_by_Renato Pequito
Joe Worricker by Renato Pequito.

Where are you living at the moment and why?
Fitzrovia. I only live in areas where I can walk to Soho in 5 minutes or less.

JoeWorricker_by_Sandra Dufour
Joe Worricker by Sandra Dufour.

What makes the best kind of party?
Vodka, hilarious music, getting naked in the early hours…

Catch Joe soon before he goes massive: X Factor be damned, this Debussy loving Essex boy is going places. Read our gig listing here.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday November 2nd, 2010 1:40 pm

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