Robyn Writes

ONE READING TICKET FOR SALE!

Hey guys, I have one Reading weekend ticket for sale which so far, isn’t shifting. If you fancy going, I’m offering it for £150 (but am willing to negotiate) with free next day delivery and a fancy shmancy TBO paper zine thrown in for good luck. If you or anyone you want it, email me at ripper@twobeatsoff.co.uk!

Charlie Simpson – Young Pilgrim

When I spotted “Charlie Simpson instore” on Rise Records’ Cheltenham store window, I was kind of taken aback. I realised that Fightstar were on hiatus, but I had no idea that he was bringing out a solo album. When I spotted “Free” in big bold letters, I was similarly surprised and delighted. Not that Charlie himself is driven by the cash – he wouldn’t have left Busted if that was the case – but it’s really awesome that there are independent stores outside of London prepared to put on acoustic sets and signings. So I went down, I queued up, my boyfriend complained, the mob ran in, all I could see was a hat and a set of eyebrows but eventually walked out with a brand new and signed copy of Young Pilgrim.

The first thing that strikes you about Young Pilgrim is its beauty. It’s really easy to slap together an acoustic album that sounds like it should be on The OC, but Young Pilgrim is much more than that. Similar to the intricacies that a lot of the softer Fightstar songs hold, Young Pilgrim simply exudes sweeping melodies and pretty finger picking by the bucketful. Charlie’s vocals fit perfectly, despite often taking the ‘heavier’ role in Fightstar. Imagine Mercury Summer, but even more passionate and delicate. That’s right. It’s simply sublime. However, this isn’t just a soppy affair. There’s a real folk punk feel to many of the songs, particularly opener Down Down Down, which begins as a soft, downbeat beauty but builds up and up until it reaches an incredible climax. A lot of songs drop the punk too and go back to some of Charlie’s earliest influences, such as Jackson Browne and the newer ones like Bon Iver. A lot of songs towards the end of the album have the same dark country feel as Bon Iver’s work, particularly the vocal intro to Hold On, and are wonderfully crafted. Charlie also shows himself to be extremely diverse throughout the course of the album, utilising his talent to introduce a wide number of instruments into the fold. The album is entirely atmospheric and immersive, drawing the listener straight in.

Although every song is impressive, there are certain ones which command more notice. As mentioned, the opener Down Down Down immediately grabs your attention. The following track and new single Parachutes is a simply beautiful and heart-wrenching affair about independence and raw emotion, with some perfectly placed piano in tow. Cemetery, the iTunes single of the week, exhibits that ‘dark country’ aspect but with an uplifting chorus. Suburbs pounds through Charlie’s adolescence with some incredible harmonies. Lyrically, Charlie reveals himself as an intelligent and thoughtful man, with songs approaching topics like love, friendship, the search for God and his fears and hopes for the future. All of the songs here are so more in depth than any of his previous material and Young Pilgrim is a highly personal album. It’s also a very optimistic album – as the chorus from final song Riverbanks proclaims, “Just open your eyes, something beautiful is happening.”

Young Pilgrim may be the result of Fightstar’s extended hiatus and truthfully, a massive departure from their sound, but it shouldn’t deter any Fightstar fans in the slightest. If you were still on the fence regarding Charlie Simpson’s detachment from Busted (although how you’d still be there following One Day Son, All This Will Be Yours, I have no idea) then it could be no clearer now. Charlie Simpson is an accomplished songwriter in his own right and Young Pilgrim is a fantastic example of that.

5 out of 5 high fives!

Lock Up Stage Preview 2011 – Reading and Leeds

And here comes the customary Lock Up preview. Although this preview comes a bit later in the year than usual, it’s perhaps a rather good thing – several bands have dropped out or been added in the time between the announcement and now. In any case, here’s a breakdown of what you’re likely to see at Reading or Leeds Festival this year!… if you’re like me and pretty much stick to this tent alone.

There’s a fundamental difference concerning the Lock Up this year, and that’s the scheduling. Unlike previous years, where the Lock Up ran Friday-Saturday (at Reading), it’s now moved to Saturday-Sunday. Leeds is mostly unaffected, with the Lock Up remaining Sunday-Friday. What this means for me in particular is that I won’t see Muse do their Origin Of Symmetry anniversary set because the Descendents are playing at the same damn time. I’m only sort of okay with that. But for Milo and the guys, I’ll make the sacrifice. But anyway, let’s get down to it – who’s playing and who do you need to see?

Saturday/Sunday (Reading/Leeds)

Sharks
Leamington’s own, Sharks are pretty well known around my area. They supported The Gaslight Anthem on their American Slang tour in the UK and fared rather well amongst the audience. Their particular brand of punk is possibly better suited to the NME stage – a bit like Fucked Up, it’s rather hard to place but it has too much of a universal affair for the Lock Up stage. Nevertheless, they’re sure to be winning openers for the day.

Title Fight
One of my most anticipated bands of the weekend, Title Fight are awesome. I’m a huge fan of the melodic hardcore/pop-punk hybrid a la Lifetime, Set Your Goals and all that. There’s something in there that just screams a bit of 90s emo as well and it’s ace. I’m not entirely sure how their live act is going to pull together, but frequenting the hardcore circuit in the US, they’re more than likely going to deliver.

Teenage Bottlerocket
Ah, Teenage Bottlerocket. I remember listening to these guys back in the hazy days of middle school, their tracks passed around on mix CDs bearing pretty much entirely Fat Wreck bands with a few Epitaph ones chucked on as an afterthought. Ridiculously fun pop-punk, it’ll definitely lighten the mood if it’s a rainy day (although let’s hope not!).

letlive.
There’s a lot of stuff I could write here, but I’m saving that for next week’s post-hardcore expose. To put it bluntly, letlive. are one of the best things to happen to the alternative music scene in the past ten years. Fake History is an amazing record and I simply cannot wait to see this band live. Behind Hot Water Music and Descendents, letlive. are on my must see list and I won’t be missing this for the world.

Street Dogs
Mike McColgan’s (former Dropkick Murphys singer) band dating back from 2002, for those of you who didn’t know. I don’t think I did. It’s good old honest shouty punk rock with a far less of an Irish feel than Dropkicks. If you like Bouncing Souls, you’ll probably like these guys. More than likely worth a watch, despite their interruption of what could have been the perfect set (come on, letlive., Boysetsfire and Comeback Kid in one go would be like a triple orgasm).

Boysetsfire
It has been a hell of a long time since I’ve heard anything from Boysetsfire. Since their reunion last year, they’ve been touring all over and it looks like Reading and Leeds will be no exception. Their particular brand of post-hardcore is wonderfully melodic and atmospheric, which should bring a touch of epic back to the stage. If you’ve never heard them before, a whole lot of After The Eulogy (which rules) is up on their Myspace for your delectation.

Comeback Kid
We all know how much love I have for Comeback Kid by now. A blinder of a set at Imperial Never Say Die last year has set them up perfectly for this. The new album is pretty damn sweet but I’ll be looking for material from Broadcasting more than anything. Hardcore that in the words of Bill and Ted is ‘excellent!’ Get on this if you like lots of gang shouts.

Leftover Crack
I’ve never been a huge Leftover Crack fan. I enjoy ska, but their kind of skacore just isn’t my thing. Nevertheless, their live presence can’t be denied and will probably be worth a watch. Famously described as anti-everything, there’s going to be a lot of fury, a lot of breakdowns and probably some pretty big moshpits.

Capdown
Ah, Capdown. Yet another reformation to grace the stage. Not that I’m complaining; Capdown are one of my old P-Rock TV staples and should go down a treat. An ideal lead in from Leftover Crack to The Bronx – it’s ska-punk as you know it best.

The Bronx
Here’s a shocking thought for you – this will be my first time catching The Bronx. Unfortunately unable to attend their Coventry show in my first year, I have been left bereft, but no longer! Hardcore legends. If you haven’t heard of The Bronx and you regularly read this website, then something went wrong in your musical education. I’m definitely expecting some violent pits for this one.

The King Blues
The King Blues seemed to fare well enough on the main stage last year, but this is perhaps where they belong and will surely pull a much larger and more dedicated crowd. Punk and Poetry is an ideal summer album, although in my eyes one of their weakest. It still has some great songs on it though and as they won’t be catering to the majority, they’re bound to whip out a few classics.

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Truth be told, I’ve never listened to a lot of Bosstones. They’ve always been there in the background of my ska listening, but no doubt my partners in crime on the radio would be far more excited for this set. Although they don’t measure up to the headliners of the next day, they’re bound to be a lot of fun.

Sunday/Friday (Reading/Leeds)

Fighting Fiction
Fighting Fiction are apparently dudes from Brighton! Cool! On my trawling through the internet, I spy a connection to Xtra Mile, the record company that Frank Turner is also on. Exciting. But enough about details, the songs sound great. Indie tinged punk rock with a lot of balls, this should prove to be pretty damn good on a Sunday morning.

Spy Catcher
From the one song I managed to find out there on the internet, Spy Catcher seem to be a pretty intriguing bunch. My expectations were shot from the beginning with some very interesting synth work, then into a post-hardcore/emo sound as the guitars kicked in. Perhaps this should have been expected, upon discovering they supported The Get Up Kids last year, but I enjoyed being pleasantly surprised. Here’s hoping the set goes just as well.

Your Demise
After spotting Your Demise at the Never Say Die tour, there aren’t enough good things I can say about them. British hardcore has been at an all time low and Your Demise are bringing it back. Brutal stuff. I bloody love them and you should too. More than likely, this is going to be one of the most intense and energetic sets of the entire weekend.

The Menzingers
I love The Menzingers. Chamberlain Waits is a great punk album. If you like The Gaslight Anthem, you’ll probably be on board with The Menzingers, except there’s a lot less Springsteen and a bit more awesome. Should be good stuff.

The Black Pacific
The Black Pacific seems to be a smorgasbord of punk veterans, including members from Pennywise and Dropkick Murphys. It’s catchy, melodic punk rock by numbers… and that’s not exactly a bad thing. Perhaps not my most anticipated act of the weekend, but they should prove to be not too shabby.

Off!
Keith Morris’ newest hardcore project, Off! are once again a mixture of experienced hardcore veterans. Of course, the mere fact that Keith Morris is performing (and that crosses two Black Flag vocalists off my list that weekend with Henry Rollins headlining the Alternative Stage on Friday) will pull some crowds, but is that 80s sound still relevant? I guess we’ll wait and see. It does sound pretty much exactly the same as Black Flag back in the day, but… it isn’t. So I have mixed feelings here.

Bedouin Soundclash
Bedouin Soundclash are an odd choice for the Lock Up, and again may be better suited to the NME tent. There’s no doubt that their ska/reggae influenced rock is pretty popular amongst the scene, but it seems oddly placed on that day and may have fared better on the Saturday. In any case, it might provide a nice chill out segment to the day before Hot Water Music tear it up.

Hot Water Music
When I heard that Hot Water Music were playing Reading, I was ecstatic. When I heard that HWM were playing on the same day as the Descendents, I was over the moon. To this day, Fuel For The Hate Game remains one of my favourite albums. Nevertheless, both the emo and punk rock sides to Hot Water Music are essential and I simply cannot wait until the moment that Chuck and the boys grace the stage.

Face To Face
I was turned onto Face To Face by former writer Soufex who bloody loves them. And I can see exactly why! Now considered to be one of the seminal punk rock bands from the 90s California scene, this is exactly what you think of when you think American punk rock. You just didn’t know it until now.

The secret act!
For once, I’m clueless. There’s usually some decent indication as to who the secret act could be – last year, Gallows and NOFX ended up playing sets which were completely unannounced. In the tradition of the ‘double set’, Taking Back Sunday seem to be the most likely, playing early on the main stage on Sunday and with the original lineup back in place, it’d simply be a waste if they weren’t back where it all began.

Flogging Molly
Flogging Molly. Well. I’d much rather them than Dropkick Murphys. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a bit of Irish flavoured punk but it’s not my favourite. However, I’ll be right at the front, holding my place. A fair few of my friends are up for this one.

Descendents
Best. Headliners. Ever. Descendents have been one of my favourite bands since I was about 15 and very little has changed. Since Milo’s surprise cancellation at London, this has been announced and waaaay ahead of all the other Lock Up announcements. Positively renowned for an awesome live experience, THIS is why I bought a Reading ticket. And to miss this would be ridiculous. Sorry Muse.

Blackout competition is CLOSING soon!

Yo!
I will be closing the Blackout comp a day early due to pissing off for two weeks in the sun, so today is your last chance to enter! If you fancy a pair of sunglasses signed by Sean Smith himself, email us your name and address, along with the subject line ‘This Is The Blackout!’ to ripper@twobeatsoff.co.uk and we’ll enter you into the draw!

Easy.

xoxo – Ripper

New Town Kings – M.O.J.O


New Town Kings are a breath of fresh air. The nine piece reggae/ska act from Colchester have got something wonderful in M.O.J.O, their new album. M.O.J.O, standing for Music Of Jamaican Origin is a highly apt name – the album’s got a great laidback Caribbean feel. It’s catchy chillout kind of stuff and we love it.

First track, Games That People Play hooks you in immediately, with its summery sound and surprisingly sardonic lyrics. Throughout the album, the focus is on the brass, a much stronger influence in their sound than in most British ska at the moment; the scene tending to opt for a harder punk edge. However, the fusion approach works incredibly well for New Town Kings. It’s refreshing and diverse. Following track Stop and in fact, most of the album takes a similar upbeat format to Games That People Play, but there’s some blinders in Dynamite and New Town Hop, both of which take a slightly darker tone to the previous tracks. Dynamite in particular is great for dancing and my favourite track on the album, due to its impressive brass section. New Town Hop is a mostly instrumental affair, or as vocalist Chris Watts professes, ‘this is a ting called ska in a New Town stylee!’ and it most certainly is! New Town Kings are completely individual in a highly dub/punk dominated ska scene at the moment.

The band are great storytellers as well, with songs like Steal For His Bread and Stringalong giving that Jamaican ballad feel. Although it’s easy to just let it play in the background, the lyrics are most definitely worth a listen. This isn’t the most political band of them all, but there’s a definite edge to their lyrics, one which should be taken notice of.

Perhaps my one criticism of the album is that the songs become highly familiar after a while. Although there’s plenty of variety within the album, the track order doesn’t really highlight this too well by putting a lot of similar songs together, hence when a track like Dynamite or New Town Hop comes along, it takes you completely by surprise. This is a virtue in its own right, but this album doesn’t deserve to be background music, though it may provide the perfect summer soundtrack. Nevertheless, if this is your view throughout most of the album, then final track Brighter Days will certainly make you stand up and take notice – a song with a brilliantly positive message and some super sweet key changes. More guitar based than the rest, it rounds the album off perfectly.

The band are on tour right now, and it’d be worth checking them out. The songs on M.O.J.O would surely sound sublime live. This is just the kind of album I’ve been looking for. And it’s out now. Sorted.

4 out of 5 high fives!