Category Archives: Today I Stumbled upon

Today I Stumbled Upon: French for Rabbits

New Zealand bound for my next adventure in Bandcamp and hazy days in Christchurch where I found French for Rabbits who released their EP Claimed by the Sea in January 2012. The EP is a gorgeous assortment of 6 reflective, sad and haunting day-dreams and a remix of the title track. This offering provided me with my first opportunity to purchase a physical (CD) copy, which comes with the usual download through Bandcamp purchases. One week later a brown envelope arrived from the other side of the earth.

It’s a whopper!

Baring a hand drawn mouse on the outside of the envelope and a hand written note with a cat drawn on the inside you get the feeling these guys have a sense of humour kicking away, which may offset their material. The CD also came with a pullout lyric sheet, which is bad going for $10 NZD (£5 plus £3 postage), in fact excellent value.

Strange voodoo from exotic parts of the world

Before writing this blog I made contact with Brooke Singer, who with John Fitzgerald make up FFR and asked the obligatory Old Man questions:

JK: What was the main influences behind the album?
Brooke Singer: This album was written at a time when I had just started teaching myself to sing and play the guitar, previously I had always written songs for others on the piano. At the same time I started collaborating with John while we were living by the seaside near Christchurch – I think this comes through a lot in the atmosphere of the record, which is all hazy and dreamy and soft. I’m sitting in the same house now, and I can hear the ocean quietly roaring, and children screaming over by the flying fox down at the park.
JK: Which is favourite track and why?
Brooke Singer: I still love ‘Claimed by the Sea’. It is the first one we wrote on the EP, and it just came out fully formed. It’s always such a mysterious thing when that happens.
JK: If you could have a guest artist to appear on your next venture who would it be (dead or alive) and why?
Brooke Singer: I’d love to spend some time hovering over the shoulder (like a ghost) of Leonard Cohen. I’m in love with his lyrics and I’d be intrigued to learn his process of creating them.

Claimed by the Sea EP

FFR are not going to be every bodies cup of tea (as we English say). If you prefer your music club style thumping bass, or metal crunching then I advise you to look elsewhere now. As Brooker Singer suggests Leonard Cohen is a big influence and he haunts this gorgeous EP in such a good way. Yes, his presence can be felt and heard, but so can a mixture of influences to my ear, early Everything but the Girl, Morcheeba, Patsy Cline, Mercury Rev, they are all lurking around but none come to the fore and this is where this EP holds its own. The influences are the platform, the foundations, but not the house.

Extra respect for the dog and playing my favourite vegetarian restaurant.

Wisdom provides a 1.56 minute introduction, which advises the listener to follow their heart. Claimed by the Sea. provides a gentle, but haunting reflection of loss. Marauder Brooke Singers voice fragile and innocent tells a story, “If you suffer for love is it worth twice as much?” the pain for adventure and something different when life restricts possibilities. The Cats offers hope through loves protection, “Hold me tightly my dear I need you now to feel less lonely in this lonely place.” A Ghosts Broken Heart needs no explanation given the title along provides both context and narrative. The EP comes to it’s haunting closure with Two’s Company which is my favourite “..inhabit your dreams so you cannot sleep because you’re so afraid of what you might see….twos company” is simply beautiful. A remix track of the title track Claimed by the Sea (PLAN Remix) is tagged at the end, which is not essential, but a nice addition.

Maybe not the best choice for a dance party

It is a solid collection, which is apt for sharing with a friend, a loved one, a reflective moment or Sunday morning with a coffee and the sun shining down as you sit and rest in the garden. Its also nice to know that this band do not take their audience for granted. I get a real sense of integrity about this duo and it comes through in their music and the thoughtfulness in which put their material together. I highly recommend this EP, as well as the other material on their Bandcamp site.

On a final note of strange coincidence. My home town is Stockton on tees and my favourite restaurant is a small and largely unknown place called the Waiting Rooms (Eaglescliffe). When preparing for this Blog I was pleasantly surprised to find that FFR from Christchurch, New Zealand had played the Waiting Rooms on their last European tour. I was further pleasantly surprised to discover they are due to play my second home city Bristol on Tuesday 20th May 2014 more details here: http://www.songkick.com/concerts/19782669-french-for-rabbits-at-cafe-kino?utm_source=1471&utm_medium=partner

Today I Stumbled Upon: The Warm Hardies

1 Reply

The Warm Hardies are Matt Batey and Tamara Power-Drutis on guitar and vocals, Samuel Anderson on cello, Colin Richey on drums, Corrie Strandjord on French horn, as well as Matt Bishop and Eric Anderson on vocals. With song structures and lyrics that remind me of early Paul Simon the Music for Grown Up EP (released in May 2011) consists of 3 tracks, which gently float between folk and pop. The opening track Fast and Heavy sets the scene for the EP’s lyrical supreme celebration concerning the complications of finding love and relationships. All tracks contain beautiful harmonies and excellent musicianship. Only Someday changes the pace upwards with Tamara Power-Drutis on lead vocals reminding me of Neko Case (but different, if that makes sense). The 3rd and final track I don’t love you is the most instantly catchy of the collection ‘Love isn’t convient and its never on time’ and from the laughter heard towards the end its seems to have been fun to record. I asked The Warm Hardies a few questions about the EP via the magic of email:

JK: What was the main influences behind the EP?
Tamara Power-Druti: Trains, dinosaurs, and rich harmonies.
JK: Which is favourite track and why?
Tamara Power-Druti: Fast and Heavy, because we wrote it about trains but it became a song about something entirely different. We liked that, and loved the way the strings came together with the vocal harmonies.
JK: If you could have a guest artist to appear on your next venture who would it be (dead or alive) and why?
Tamara Power-Druti: The Everly Brothers, and we’d do a mega-harmonied version of Dream.

Pipe Smokers of the world unite and take over

This collection of songs make for a perfect mix for that feel good moment. I have the 3 tracks on a playlist, which also contains tracks from the likes of REM (Automatic for the People), Neil Young (Harvest Moon) and Crosby, Stills and Nash’s first album where these songs more than hold their own. The EP is available on a name your price basis (don’t be a skinflint!).

Today I Stumbled Upon: Bartley Hinson

Leave a reply

It must have been a few days into my adventure, or maybe time had alluded me. After all making your way through a diet of mainly intense punk, metal and electronic scream music your mind does start to play tricks on you. In the midst of this orchestra of noise and anxiety up popped Bartley Hinson and his album Jogging in the Sand. I sighed with delight, my heart flickered and my ears popped open. You see the discipline of my adventure is to listen without prejudice, but to listen to a ukulele Mr Hinson, you are surely testing me?

The ukulele as a credible musical instrument has a dogged history in the UK. Principally associated with the institution that is George Formby (1904-1961) a British singer-songwriter, comedian and actor who sang light comical songs usually playing his ukulele/banjo. Formby was the highest paid entertainer of his time with songs like, ‘When I’m cleaning windows’ and the controversial ‘With my little stick of Blackpool rock’ which was banned by the BBC due to its suggestive lyrics. Formby and his wife travelled throughout the Second World War cheering the allied troops up by creating improvised songs to fit the situation.

Formby – A very naughty boy.

In a similar vain Bartley Hinson took a ukulele backpacking and ended up writing these songs and following a chance encounter with his old friend Devon Cole jump-started the recording of the songs and their release in October 2013. Jogging in the Sand consists of Bartley, lead vocals, ukulele, guitar, bass, organ, keyboard, percussion, kazoo and Devon Cole backing vocals, drums, percussion, guitar, synth. And impressively self recorded in a barn too.

The album opens with I Really Meant to Try (But It’s Too Late) an ode to meaning and drive in a world of awash with apathy. Whilst in contrast the bitter sweet Short-Changed is coated with the lyrics ‘good fucking luck to you and all your schemes.’ Don’t Think I Spent My Money Wisely and the album title Jogging in the Sand are joyous romps about everyday daydreams and life’s frustrations. The tender Here’s What You Remind Me Of brings the traumas of fragile love and regrets. Sittin’ Around returns to the themes running through the album teenage ambition, motivation, apathy and anxiety starting, ‘I put on a new shirt this morning recently that much ambition has been rare.” and ending, “all that is left is the shit.” The album comes to its end with my fav song on the album The Guerilla Radio Won’t Come In! a ukulele Rage Against the Machine infused track about growing up, the dilemmas regards the rites of passage to becoming an adult, selling out, greed and consumerism are all laid bare from a young man perspective. “I wish the car bombs on the news made the TV explode” and the crushing finale and bitter ironic words “this is how a revolution ends”

I caught up with Bartley via email exchange and asked him about the album and the influences behind the songs.

“It’s nice to see people of any age seeking out new music instead of just mindlessly consuming or sticking with what they already know. Last spring/summer when I wrote the songs, I was listening to a lot of Patrick Schneewies (Johnny Hobo & The Freight Trains, Wingnut Dishwasher’s Union, Ramshackle Glory) and Cranford Nix (The Malakas). They’ve both got a great combination of angst and humor/intimacy which inspired me to start writing more honestly than I’d been able to before. My favourite track on the album is I Don’t Think I Spent My Money Wisely It’s fun to play, plus I’m broke as shit. I’m hoping to do another album with Devon (aka Earth Person).”

Not only is this an accomplished album, but it comes from the heart and a level of honesty that is rare. In return I have learned to listen behind the notion of the UK ukulele syndrome thanks to Mr Hinson. Amongst the humour and fun of this album lay profound lyrics, which are not a million miles aways from the punk scene of my teenage years, but what really comes to mind upon reflection is The Who’s classic My Generation – I hope I die before I get old!

Mr Hinson I Love this album.

Buy it on Bandcamp for name your own price (don’t be a skinflint!). You can also find Bartley’s 2013 Strawberitas on the same Bandcamp page under the name Bird Machine (great name), strangely I could not hear much ukulele on this track?

Today I Stumbled Upon: Baron

2 Replies

I first came across Baron purely by accident when they provided support to the band Wolf People at the Exchange venue, Bristol. Personally I thought they stole the show. Originating from Brighton UK the band consist of Nick Whittaker – Clarinet, Horn, Backing Vocals, Luke Foster – Drums, Percussion, Synth, Peter Evans – Electric Bass, Percussion and Alex Crispin -Lead Vocals, Electric Guitar, Synth, Percussion, Producer, Artwork. Highly original and whilst difficult to categorise I hear influences from the likes of Joy Division, Scot Walker and Bowie at his more adventurous, but without the baggage. There is much to enjoy from across their catalogue, but the album Columns is my particular favourite on Bandcamp, which also includes free of charge releases.