We’ve all heard of bands and artists that took extraordinary amounts of time to follow up a record. Be it the 5 years it took The Stone Roses to return with Second Coming or the 15 years that Gun ‘N’ Roses spent pissing around before they made the frankly pretty terrible Chinese Democracy. But until today I’ve never heard of a band that took 8 years to put out their debut song. However, that is exactly how long it has taken Lights On Moscow to release material, having first created an online presence in 2010. Thankfully this is no Guns ‘N’ Roses tale of time wasting, egos and artistic differences; the two members of the project, Hazel Wilde of Lanterns on the Lake and Justin Lockey of Editors and Minor Victories have been pretty busy with their own respective bands, and it’s only now that they have pit out the captivating and atmospheric Lord Let Me Know, the first song from a forthcoming EP called Aorta Songs Part 1 which will be released on October 12th. Describing the project as ‘an almost band like a really sad Roxette’ the duo said that they had talked off and on for a long time about putting the music out and now felt like the right time. Ironically, given the talk about the right time, Lord Let Me Know feels pretty timeless. It certainly could have been released at any point over the last decade or two and sounded right. A gorgeous mix of Hazel’s instantly recognisable soothing tones and some languorously beautiful music, it does indeed sound sad to its very core. It's a magnificent record that fans of the likes of Mazzy Star will undoubtedly appreciate. Lights On Moscow - Lord Let Me Know
Lanterns on the Lake and their songs pretty much encapsulate why we love writing a music blog. Starting with that point of early discovery (in our case back in January 2010) and then following the bands progression, with a number of blog posts, falling deeper and deeper in love with their music. Then an album is released and it fully lives up to expectations (in this case we named Gracious Tide Take Me Home as our 5th favourite of 2011). For us this is what Breaking More Waves and some of its peer group blogs do best; getting behind a band, celebrating them and generating a genuine enthusiasm that motivates others to investigate. It feels so much more natural and organic than websites and magazines that are often led by the PR machine and sales / hits / income streams.
However, we now have to admit to a failure. Last month Lanterns on the Lake returned to the fray with new song Another Tale From Another English Town and we didn’t even make a whimper about it. So much for our undying love. However, today we’re making amends and turning up very late to the party, because ultimately good music lasts for way longer than a ‘must be relevant / got to keep up’ rushed post on a music blog. So even if you’ve heard it before, press play again. “We don’t want to fight, we want the quiet life,” Hazel coos over and over. Oh, it’s gorgeous; both weighty and delicate this song is as close as most of us will get to a languidly sad heaven today.
Another Tale From Another English Town is taken from the band’s 2nd long player Until The Colours Run, which according to the group's website ‘was recorded during a time of financial and personal adversity, and as a result, Until The Colours Run is more soulful and dynamic than its predecessor.’ Lanterns On The Lake embark on a short tour which started yesterday in Southampton with the album being released on 9thSeptember through Bella Union.
Lanterns On The Lake - Another Tale From Another English Town
Gracious Tide Take Me Home by Lanterns on the Lake seems to have a watery connection with Breaking More Waves. Our coast loving persuasion is drawn to an album whose songs feature titles of Ships in the Rain, Not Going Back To The Harbour and on If I’ve Been Unkind lyrics that gently intone ‘when I sailed the seas, you were never even there’. However even if the band had been singing about steel-toe capped booted builders painting and decorating a castle we suspect we would have fallen head over heels with this album anyway.
Gracious Tide Take Me Home is the musical equivalent of a walk in winter, through frosty fresh air and red-brown scrunching fallen leaves with visible breath punctuating your steps, then returning home to crackling warmth created by the calming glow of a fire in the corner and hot steaming coffee served from chunky china mugs.
Gracious Tide Take Me Home is a sensual, near spiritual record that picks the fibres from post-rock, ambient, acoustic pop and folk and creates something blissfully calming and toughly rousing at the same time. Its gliding moods, set by unhurried piano, delicate glockenspiel, sweeping soaring strings and sad sounding guitars are cinematic and intimate, the kind of music that grabs you inside and pulls slowly and gently at your heartstrings.
Gracious Tide Take Me Home is a record to put on auto-repeat, lay back and swim in, floating around in its celestial beauty.
Gracious Tide Take Me Home is one of our favourite albums of the year.
End of the Road Festival is one of the success stories in another year that has seen many smaller UK festivals cancelled or run at large loses due to poor ticket sales. It has managed to buck the trend, keeping to a modest capacity and selling out several months in advance. It takes place on the 2-4 Septrember and if you're going you can find a handy clashfinder to determine what bands to see using this link.
The reasons? Probably because the festival has grown a dedicated niche fan base who return year after year knowing that End of the Road will supply the type of music they like (folk, country, indie and rock are heavy on the line up – there’s only a small amount of electronic music and the likes of hip hop or dubstep don't get a look in), in a setting they like (the lovely Larmer Tree Gardens in Dorset – complete with roaming peacocks and pretty woodland), with an audience of a similar mind set to themselves, with plenty of attention to detail in the festivals design – there are little surprises round every corner that delight and enthral. End of the Road is the antithesis of the likes of V Festival in every respect and is all the better for it.
The festival sets out some of its key objectives on its website, namely that:
*You won't get all the over hyped bands headlining.
*Most bands play longer sets than usual.
*You can eat a range of quality food.
*You can drink a range of quality beers.
*The staff and security care about everyone and show respect.
*The festival takes pride in being an independent festival.
*The crowd will be there for the MUSIC.
It is this last point that is the most important. Breaking More Waves has been attending festivals for nearly 20 years and in that time one of the most noticeable changes as more and more festivals appear on the market is the behaviour of people who go. With a few exceptions, in the past people chose to go to festivals because of the music. These days an increasing number go because of the ‘experience’, ‘their friends are going’, ‘it will be a laugh’ or ‘to get wasted’. Sure these things have always happened at festivals, but in the past they’ve been secondary to the music. In the last few years there have been times when bands have played at festivals whilst a small but significant proportion of the audience stand there chatting, completely ignoring the performers, seemingly oblivious to the fact that they’re even playing. One suggestion for these changes in behaviour is the mass media coverage that festivals now get – these days it seems that as part of your summer routine it is imperative that you go to a festival – it’s as much about ‘being there’ than the music for some. Thankfully you won’t see Zane Lowe or Jo Whiley sitting in a commentary box proclaiming how amazing everything is at End of the Road Festival, which maintains a low mass media profile.
So, to the music. For this is the most important thing. End of the Road is very much a serious music lovers festival. 'Serious music lovers' is a phrase which can sound rather stuck-up and worthy, suggesting that such people are chin-stroking disdainful intellectuals who look-down on anything that isn't full of deep complexity. This isn't what we mean. Serious music lovers, real serious music lovers, will appreciate all forms of music and understand that music can be full of fun and a great source of entertainment - it doesn't all have to be weighty or have heavier connotations. One of the characteristics of serious music lovers is that they will always give a performer their full attention and respect - irrespective of if they like it or not. Thankfully End of the Road's audience is full of serious music lovers.
If you’re going here are Breaking More Waves 6 recommendations of acts to see in both audio and audio / visual form (2 for each day), although frankly we could have chosen at least 20 for this list with ease, and besides if you’re the sort of person that’s going to End of the Road you probably know all the bands on the bill anyway.
Dry The River (Friday 14.15-15.15 Woods Stage)
Fresh from slots at Reading and Leeds festivals expect edgy and rousing alt. folk rock from this London based band who are blessed with melodies, energy, delicate violins and growling walls of noise.
tUnE-yArDs is the inventive and quirky musical project of Merrill Garbus - an absolute must see at End of the Road as she hasn't bombarded the UK festival scene this summer. Mixing tribal afro-pop, funk-folk and a bold chaos of ideas to create something utterly unique her second album Whokill has been one of Breaking More Waves highlights of the year so far and we fully expect it to appear on a lot of end of year lists.
Austra (Saturday 16.00-16.45 Big Top)
Pulsing beaty synths, operatic vocals and songs that get under your skin. Like tUnE-yArDs, Austra is effectively a one woman project - that of Katie Stelmanis, but the songs are fleshed out in the live arena by an ensemble of other musicians.
We make no apology for stating that The Unthanks are one of our favourite bands of the last few years, possibly with all things considered our absolute favourite. They have now managed to produce not one, not two, but three of our most listened to albums, the latest of which - Last is an incredibly downbeat yet gorgeous folk album. Probably the only time you'll ever get to hear a band sing songs about children being buried in a mining slag heap burial disaster and enjoy it and even if you don't it will probably still be the only time you get to hear a band sing about children being buried in a mining slag heap burial disaster. The Unthanks make sadness sound utterly beautiful, but watch out for their in between song banter is often surprisingly humorous.
Lanterns On The Lake (Sunday 13.30-14.15 Big Top)
The words 'eagerly anticipated' are often used with no real justification. Eagerly anticipated by who we wonder ? Well let's be clear, the debut album by Lanterns On The Lake, released through Bella Union next month is eagerly anticipated by Breaking More Waves. The live experience of Lanterns On The Lake is like having all of your emotions crushed into a tiny box and then exploding it with everything that is life affirming.
In between two further must see acts - Laura Marling and closing headliner Joanna Newsom why not get a little bit of fuzzy C-86 indie guitar pop into your life with Jack Tatum aka Wild Nothing. His music may pay hommage to 80's bedsit indie in bucketfuls, but its well executed and has more than a sprinkling of melody.
Ghostly piano and unforced female vocals mean that it’s time to welcome Lanterns On The Lake back into our world. With a period of nearly two years from when the band first featured on Breaking More Waves till their album Gracious Tide, Take Me Home is released on September 19, it has been a long wait. Certainly in this camp the words ‘eagerly anticipated’ cannot be over used.
The first taster from the record is You’re Almost Therean intoxicatingly beautiful piece of work, the most peaceful and perfect sound you will hear this week. Listen to this slow burning celestial music with your eyes shut and images of churches, desolate buildings and candlelight may float into your brain. Sombre, calming and demanding to be played over and over You’re Almost There raises expectation for this Bella Union release even further.
Lanterns On The Lake will be playing at both End Of The Road and Bestival later this year, events which unquestionably have the best line ups of the UK festivals for 2011. The video for the single, together with a free download both stream below.
For yet another weekend in May the streets and seafront of Brighton were adulterated not only with the usual mix of hedonistic clubbers, party people and intoxicated hen parties, but with several thousand wristband wearing gig goers coming together in an orgy of multi-venue musical mayhem. Breaking More Waves was of course in the thick of it. Here is our school report of all the essential ingredients of what makes a festival succeed or not.
Tickets
Tickets for The Great Escape ranged from a 3 day pass at £49.50 (+ booking fee) to a variety of day and 2 day combinations. Those on the smart money book months in advance though, with the early bird catching the worm at only £35 for a three day pass – the same as what a Saturday only ticket was on the door. Tickets allow access to all venues and gigs, except for shows by Friendly Fires, DJ Shadow and Sufjan Stevens at the Dome, for which extra payment was required. Alongside the main festival a variety of ‘Alternative Escape’ shows run, which non-wristband holders can also attend for free or a small charge.
Accommodation
No camping in messy, muddy fields thank you very much. The Great Escape is an urban festival, so if you don’t live there or travel in each day there’s a plethora of hotels, apartments and B&B’s. We stayed in the sexily swish Feng Shui ambience of My Hotel, right in the throbbing heart of Brighton which provided an ideal base for the event being only a short stagger home each night after the partying had finished. For those on a more restricted budget, a variety of campsites exist just outside Brighton, but if considering using those beware the potential risk of high public transport costs if travelling back late at night when only taxis are available.
The Site
It’s a city, by the sea. Without a portaloo anywhere. The venues that hosted this year’s festival ranged from pubs, clubs, and concert halls to a hotel lobby, a seafront pier, outdoor street gigs and even a vintage clothes store, of which you can see footage of Treetop Flyers playing in below.
The Punters
A mix of indie kids and older music veterans, with everyone being there for the same reason – to enjoy the music. During the weekend we saw several acoustic / folk sets and were impressed with how quietly appreciative the crowds were, but likewise when it was time to rock / dance, everyone seemed prepared to up the tempo and party.
The Toilets
A good festival has good toilets, so being indoors you’d probably expect the Great Escape to have remarkably clean loos compared with outdoor portaloos or compost toilets. Yet unfortunately it seems that the users of the facilities and the owners of clubs and pubs in Brighton pay little attention to keeping the things spotless whilst in use. Here’s an example (click here) of one such offender from one of Brighton’s leading clubs. Could do much better.
The Queues
Queues for the toilets and queues for food are two common complaints of outdoor summer festivals. No problem here in Brighton of course. The bane of every muti-venue urban festival is venue capacity. Arrive too late to see a popular act and you risk finding yourself standing outside on the street wondering whether spending £ 49.50 to loiter on the pavement like a loser was such a good idea.The Great Escape is no exception and we heard reports all weekend (particularly on the Friday and Saturday) of over-subscribed shows. However, with careful advance planning it’s possible (as we did) to never see a queue at all and maximise your time watching bands. (Read more about our tips on this here) In our time at Great Escape 2011 we saw everything we wanted to see – that’s 36 full performances.
The Organisation
Generally Great Escape is very well organised with high levels of stewarding and venues running reasonably on time, although inevitably from time to time some schedules slip a little. With festival organisers providing regular updates on what venues are full and what have space via a text message service punters are kept reasonably well informed. We did however hear a number of complaints this year about artists and bands pulling out of shows and no information being given at the venue or via the text service.
The Food
Everything from a cheap sandwich courtesy of a supermarket to some fine restauranteering is available. It’s a city isn’t it? Enough said.
The Weather
If you’ve ever attended an outdoor festival you’ll have probably checked the weather forecast for several days in advance. Forget what people say about muddy festivals bringing out the British fighting spirit and giving people a sense of community. That may be true, but wet festivals are still rubbish. However with the Great Escape there really is no need to worry about the weather. With 99% of gigs being indoors the wettest you’ll get is through a short dash along the seafront as you run between venues. We brought an umbrella and a mac. Wellies were never considered when you’ve got hard landscaping and a permanent drainage system. The umbrella wasn’t required anyway, with it being dry and mainly bright, with just a little cloud.
The Vibe
Just like outdoor summer festivals the vibe of Great Escape goes from one of chilled relaxation during the day to chaotic partying at night. What it lacks in terms of a shared inclusive community spirit that the best outdoor festivals have it makes up for in terms of convenience.
The Music
And before we forget, there’s the music. Great Escape 2011 was arguably the festival's best line up ever in terms of new music and therefore there were always going to be a huge number of line up clashes. So whilst it seemed that the world and his wife (and 95% of all new music bloggers at the festival) were herding themselves into see the likes of Braids, EMA and Gang Gang Dance we took a different route and were rewarded in particular with an incredible performance by Lanterns On The Lake whose bejewelled atmospherics were so gut-wrenchingly beautiful that grown men in the audience were shedding tears. Other highlights over the three days included James Vincent McMorrow who showed the power of simplicity with just an acoustic guitar and the voice of an angel in the Unitarian Church. Providing one of the defining moments of the festival he played If I Had A Boat off-mic to an enraptured and hushed audience, his falsetto-soul creating goose bumps everywhere. On a lighter pop note Rizzle Kicks blend of rap, ska and youthful cheekiness was stripped down acoustically in Beyond Retro vintage clothes store, delighting and putting smiles on faces during their short set. Singer songwriter Rachel Sermanni showed that she could be the next new voice of folk music with mature songcraft and a personable charm that could win her many more fans wherever she plays and Fixers came up trumps with their blend of kaleidoscopic Beach Boys / Animal Collective inspired wig out pop in the faded and tacky seaside glamour of Horatio’s bar on the pier.
Overall
Great Escape 2011 was quite simply the best yet. With a few minor tweaks in terms of information about cancellations it could be pretty much perfect. We’ll certainly be there again next year. Here are a few tracks from some of our music highlights.
On the third day of The Great Escape as an observer you are far less likely to see rough looking and exhausted punters compared with the typical outdoor / camping festival. As a punter unless you’ve had the misfortune to sleep on Brighton beach (a romantic idea in theory – a nightmare in practice) you’ll have experienced a decent amount of sleep - maybe even a lay in - followed by a bath /shower or proper wash and breakfast in comfort. This all sets you up neatly for the final day, so there really is no excuse for not catching some bands early and three of our recommendations for Saturday will enable you to do just that, probably before you’ve even had lunch.
These are our final five acts that we’re recommending for Great Escape 2011. We won’t be at all of these shows, but certainly hope to be at some of them. Check back at Breaking More Waves early the week after the festival to see our Great Escape 2011 review – it won’t be just about the music, but a punters snapshot of everything else that makes the event great or not.
Fear Of Men – Shipwrights Yard 12.15 and Green Door Store 19.10
It wouldn’t be right to suggest fifteen bands playing the Great Escape and not name at least one home town act. Our choice is Brighton’s latest fuzzy, jangly indie sensations Fear Of Men. Fear Of Men are very new, very lo-fi and have just a handful of tracks on line one of which Phantom Limb streams below and can be downloaded from Bandcamp (here). Despite their cassette tape aesthetic Fear Of Men have a pop sensibility which reminds us a little of listening to an early demo by The Primitives or The Shop Assistants. If the weathers good then the open space of Shipwrights Yard may be a good place to start your day – but if not there’s always the Green Door Store later.
Lanterns On The Lake – Queens Hotel 15.15 and Komedia (Upstairs) 20.15
If you fancy an afternoon of varied but singularly great music, you could do no better than getting yourself along to the Queens Hotel for a ‘North East Invasion’ run by Generator. The afternoon features four bands all of whom have featured on Breaking More Waves – Polarsets, Let’s Buy Happiness , Mammal Club and the blissful Lanterns On The Lake who we introduced way back in January 2010, describing them as having a ‘flat-out loveliness’ and a sound of ‘subtle fragility.’ Since then the band have inked a deal with Bella Union records and we have a feeling that when an LP arrives it will be endearingly wonderful
Daughter – The Fishbowl 14.30 and Life 20.45 (Also at Latest Music Bar 21.00 Friday 13th)
Another act who will be performing twice on Saturday is Daughter aka Elena Tonra. Elena has already picked up significant coverage from many of our favourite UK music blog peers including The Blue Walrus, Faded Glamour, Flying With Anna and Music Fan’s Mic. “‘I want you so much, but I hate your guts,” sings Elena beautifully over haunting guitar work on her song Landfill which streams below. It’s moving and stirring stuff and we suspect a Daughter live show could be exactly the same.
Hardly the most adventurous choice of recommendation, we’ll agree, but here’s why The Vaccines could be worth a go on Saturday night. Because after the wave of hype that The Vaccines rode in on when they first appeared, they did the right thing and got down to letting the music doing the talking. They played gigs and released an album, a record that will never appeal to indie snobs but, on appraisal, is packed full of decent songs. No, of course these songs are hardly ground breaking, but then how many acts in this day and age can be considered truly original? Nearly everything references something else to a greater or lesser extent. And now The Vaccines find themselves headlining a big venue - the 1200 capacity Corn Exchange. Can they pull it off? Have they got the charisma and personality to work these bigger venues? The Great Escape will be a test for The Vaccines, to see if they can take it to the next level. For this reason we think they may be worth a shot.
Our final choice also plays a late night show that goes head to head with The Vaccines, but musically it’s a polar opposite. D/R/U/G/S first came to many people’s attention, including ours, at last years In The City in Manchester. Since then we’ve featured them a number of times including (again, like The Vaccines) naming them as one of our Ones to Watch for 2011. We say ‘them’ as they used to be a duo but we understand that D/R/U/G/S is now just a solo outfit, or certainly recent live shows have just consisted of one member. Taking house, ambient dance and minimalism as reference points D/R/U/G/S create hypnotic electronica that grows to produce layers of character that’s brutishly intelligent.
Lanterns On The Lake spin out spectral, slow songs that suit the name of the band perfectly. Their music has a flat-out loveliness that blissfully and gradually warms the ears with its countryesque twang, folkish gentleness and moments of transcendent beauty. Slow burning. Flecked with darkness and shadow. It really is rather special.
The group are an unsigned six piece from Newcastle. And whilst the town may have an image as being the ‘lads with shirts off go fighting after drinking’ city of the north, Lanterns On The Lake are as far removed from this as is humanly possible. Theirs is a sound of subtle fragility.
Formed out of another band called Greenspace around 2007, Lanterns On The Lake make haunting pieces that glide snake like into your brain; but when they reach the spot they kiss rather than bite. The band bring multi-instrumentation of banjo, piano, drums, harmonica, guitar, cello, bass, violin, and mandolin all topped off with the dreamy ethereal vocals, both male and female. However, rather than being just another folk band, Lanterns On The Lake have a sound that pulls strands of influence from post-rock, ambient and even acoustic pop.
With two self released EP’s, Starlight and Misfortunes & Minor Victories available to buy directly here, support from BBC Radio including Steve Lamacq and Tom Robinson as well as a recent live slot with The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Lanterns On The Lake are gradually building a name for themselves. Their profile is not constructed on fashionable blog or media hype, but instead built out of something that could easily become a lasting musical romance that touches the heart. Unforced, tranquil and humbly beautiful.
