After a number of failed attempts, I finally caught electronic pop group RIVRS in my home city when they supported Foxes at Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms. One of the impressions they left with me was that despite having released a number of songs (most of which have found their way onto Breaking More Waves) they still had plenty in the bag that were just as good, if not better. Today sees the release of one of those. Falling is RIVRS' most unremittingly hooky tune to date that deals with the headlong rush into the world of love (or at least lust) and the questions that go along with that commitment. Falling is fearless with its musical punch, even if lyrically it's more insecure in its nature. Falling is taken from RIVRS forthcoming EP due on the 8th August.
As I continue with a number of 'stuff I didn't feature earlier because I was on holiday' posts, here's a video that I could have posted in early March, but I decided to hold back on it until I had finally seen the band live a few days after the video was released, the idea being that I could then add something extra to the post, and write about the show as well as the video. Alas the gig (supporting Foxes at Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms) got cancelled due to illness, not just once, but twice, and has been rescheduled for May. By the time all the cancellation shenanigans occurred I had, like a true professional (!?!), forgotten about the video, until I was on holiday last week when I watched it again. So here it is. Finally. You might have already seen it. But if you haven't here are the IMPORTANT FACTS that you need to know. 1.The song is called Friend Lover. I'm not sure if that's a friend who you also have sex with or a person who loves your friends or something else entirely. Sorry. Maybe if I'd listened to the lyrics more carefully I would know, but I was carefully studying the visuals instead for lots of deep astute analysis which I will cover in point 2 below. 2.There's lots of slow motion in the video which means plenty of opportunity to shoot things that look good in that form, namely flicking long hair and smashing things. Maybe a penalty kick save could have also been added - that's always good in slow mo - but probably not what RIVRS are really going for. 3.Friend Lover is released through Charli XCX's label Vroom Vroom Recordings, which is nice as I've written about Charli XCX a lot on this blog from when she was just a wee babe with some tracks on vintage social networking site Bebo (remember that?) and I've also written about RIVRS a fair bit, which is good as it gives the blog a certain sort of consistency and makes it look like I know what I'm doing. Which in reality I don't. 4.I will finally (all things being well and no further cancellations occurring) get to see RIVRS supporting Foxes at Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms on May 10th. No doubt you'll find some sort of 'commentary' on the gig on my Twitter feed which you can find and follow here. RIVRS - Friend Lover (Video)
It wasn’t that many years ago when to be young and to admit to liking Fleetwood Mac was seen as deeply unfashionable, but fashion being what it is means that what was once out eventually becomes in again, and the last few years have found not only the return of the Mac themselves (albeit with a largely older audience at their shows), but a number of young bands showing clear influence from their sound as well a slew of artists covering their songs. The latest bunch to pin their colours to the mast is electronic trio RIVRS, who you may remember from an earlier introducing piece we ran in March (here). Since that time there hasn’t been much output from Charlotte, Fin and Fred (except for a remix of Charli XCX’s arm-waving banger Famous), but as the London three piece are now confirmed as having signed to Atlantic records and have been in the studio with producer Mark Ralph (Years & Years) we can surely expect more to come in the next year. First up from the band (who include amongst their number the son of Gary Kemp from Spandau Ballet) is a version of The Chain, which ditches the big guitar solo and instead paints the tune with modernity via a sparse, sullen, silky, synth treatment. It works surprisingly well, but then that shouldn’t be surprising – the band already show great taste by quoting the likes of The Cure, Depeche Mode, Purity Ring and The XX as inspirations. RIVRS - The Chain
