Jude Clarke report on the Birmingham-based alterno-noise-dance-avant-garde-rock-festival, now in its ninth year and with a selection of music that’s inspiring, challenging, entertaining and baffling in equal parts.
Author Jude Clarke
Supersonic Festival countdown begins
The mighty, arty, noisy, experimental, genre-bending delight that is Supersonic is now into its 9th year. Once again based at the Custard Factory in Birmingham, this year’s line-up once again looks likely to contain much to delight, confront, challenge and hopefully inspire.
Hanni El Khatib – Will The Guns Come Out
Straight-up, straightforward garage rock, with a side of blues and a touch of rock ‘n’ roll; lacking the kind of distinctive voice that is needed to make the singer more than simply “the one who did that Nike ad song”.
CSS – La Liberación
Their combination of joie de vivre and knowingness, worldliness and innocence is still an appealing one, and when it shines through it feels good to have them, in all their entertainingly contradictory nature, back with us again.
Cat’s Eyes – Cat’s Eyes
This side-project from The Horrors’ Faris Badawan and opera singler Rachel Zaffira brings us an album that purrs like the cats in question, slinky and frequently seductive, but with the occasional unsettling curveballs.
Alexander Tucker – Dorwytch
Tucker weaves together elements that have been around for hundreds of years into something fresh, original and inspired. This album of beauty, gravity and inventive musicianship is as impressive as it is arresting.
Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
7th studio album from the curmudgeonly Scottish instrumentalists, which – whilst not up there with their very highest peaks – is still a well crafted and emotionally coherent offering that merits a place in their canon. Jude Clarke reviews.
Sic Alps – Napa Asylum
An overlong, indulgent and sketchy album, yet one that is still strewn with enough lo-fi-pop-gold to make for simple, uncomplicated enjoyment. Sic Alps return with a collection of 22 tracks, with themes including re-incarnation, magic and schizophrenia. Jude Clarke reviews.
Supersonic Festival – The Custard Factory, Birmingham 22/10 – 24/10/2010
Jude Clarke gets to experience the fantastic festival that is Supersonic, probably one of the most interesting and diverse line-ups in the UK festival circuit.
Barn Owl – Ancestral Star
Sounding almost literally hewn from “the elements”, this is curious and compelling work, rich in texture and mystery and unafraid of taking its time.
F*>k Dance, Let’s Art – Sounds from a New American Underground
“Fuck dance”? Only in the carnal sense, perhaps. Better to do as this compilation has, and combine dance with art and a whole bunch of other good stuff (atmosphere, joy, mystery, electronics). This new American Underground is an interesting place to visit according to Jude Clarke.
K.I.T. – Invocation
Freshness, spontaneity and the Joy Of Making Loud Noise abound on this chaotic, shambolic second release from LA’s K.I.T.
TLOBF Interview // Kevin Barnes [Of Montreal]
From the middle of the band’s world tour, Kevin Barnes from of Montreal found the time to answer a few questions from Jude Clarke, sharing his thoughts on lyric writing, album packaging and his major influences and favourite collaborations. There’s also news of an exciting new project for early next year.
Envy – Recitation
Despite being signed in Europe to Mogwai’s Rock Action label, this is not a band that can be simply filed away under Post-Rock, nor indeed Hardcore – Jude Clarke tries to describe the majesty of Envy.
Supersonic Festival 2010 announces late lineup additions
Birmingham’s mighty urban noisefest Supersonic has now put the finishing touches to its lineup. As well as headliners Napalm Death, Swans, Godflesh, Hallogallo and Melt-Banana, the organisers have just announced the addition of Chrome Hoof, Ruins, Dethscalator and new Daniel O’Sullivan project Moth Lite.
The Posies – Blood/Candy
An album demonstrating just how varied, diverse, beautiful crafted and deceptively complex a band can become while still producing songs that lift the heart.
