I guess that if you're not from Leeds right now there is a good chance that you will be getting moderately pissed off with people telling you how brilliant the place has become. It’s not even a very big city.
But it does happen to have the two biggest universities in the country. Statistics show this is true by a long long way. Geography has the two beasts right next door to each other and within easy walking distance of all the major venues. And tonight (a Thursday) www.leedsgigs.co.uk has 15 shows listed. That sort of number (mostly local artists) is common these days. I haven’t even mentioned the fabulous Music College.
So, when we raved about the DANCE TO THE RADIO compilation that launched ¡FORWARD, RUSSIA! onto a fragile world earlier this year, we already knew there was a lot more where that came from.
Promoters and (now) label owners THE ENGINE ROOM have lined up 18 of the guitar-centred acts who have played their gigs in recent months and the crafty blighters have persuaded them to part with a track a piece.
The result is everything you would hope. It’s eclectic, high quality, adventurous and utterly collectable. We can't be sure that every name will survive the year ahead, but I can’t see this collection being topped for utterly fresh and exhilarating music. Throw away your NME cover CDs and seek this one out.
VATICAN JET do the reckless introduction with one minute 56 of nitro assisted rock and pummel. And the next track, the sublime Rickenbacker perfectionism of THE SOMATICS doing "Can't Believe It’s Not True is such a strong contrast that it works perfectly. Fast rising SUNSHINE UNDERGROUND do their bouncy, catch-voiced infection thing with bravura style. And on and on it goes.
Have I got space for eighteen hymns of praise? No? Several names are already W&H regulars. ILiKETRAiNS provide one of their mahogany panelled specials, SAMSA, THIS ET AL, and O FRACAS are making serious inroads with distinct varieties of great guitar music. SAMSA line up with The SOMATICS and iLiKETRAiNS for sounds of emotional rescue, while bratfaced tempo-dexterity does cranial readjustment with O FRACAS and ITCH.
|
THE ACUTES and BUEN CHICO do raw catchy jerk-dancing pop gems. NEW MINDS EYE and BAD BEAT BEVIEW and THE SMOKETACKS do very respectable tunes in more traditional (but different) moulds. THE BREECH are a so far unrecognised gold mine of tunefulness. Their track has more hooks than an Amish crochet expert. THE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS do a fresh take on TALKING HEADS sophistication with their cunning "Nth Degree".
The final triumph of this compilation is in its reaching out beyond the indie chart threatening stuff mentioned so far. DOWNDIME have a lovely mournful song that seems to combine the best of PLACEBO and MERCURY REV. Veterans BILGE PUMP throw in the sarcy thrilling nonsense of "5ft Freebird" and the whole CD ends on the ethereal riskiness of DAVID THOMAS BROUGHTON. Broughton is a one-off, who inspires awed reverence among his admirers and appalled confusion in teh hearts of bar staff at gigs.
Single copies of the DANCE TO THE RADIO CD are going for silly prices on eBay these days. The Engine Room's LEEDS:2005 CD would be a shrewd move. And loads of fun too.
www.theengineroom.org.uk
|
