Haim's Days Are Gone

The three LA Haim sisters grew up with rock n roll and so their sound draws heavily from 70s and 80s pop rock. 
I like that they are playing basketball in their Save Me video and that they look good without having to totter around the stage in enormous heels the way most girl bands do. They actually play instruments too (!)  - Este plays a mean bass guitar, Danielle energetic rocking guitar and Alana dynamic fun rhythms on percussion, drums and keys.  

Their first album title, Days Are Gone, has been receiving mostly good reviews. They are strong vocally and all four singles are quality funky indie rock pop (Don't Save Me, Forever, The Wire, Falling). The track Go Slow shows a bit of an XX influence. The later tracks veer slightly into a poppy sound and with Let Me Go reminiscing for 70s rock. 

  

Otherwise the girls write and produce their own material and do it well. I would prefer that they stuck to the raw rock sound that they play live. I like their fun energy and new sound vibe.

I saw them play an upbeat and cool gig at Glasgow's SW13 venue last May, where they did a rocking version of early Fleetwood Mac's Oh Well. They also played Glastonbury 2013 and other UK festivals and they topped the BBC's Sound of 2013.  I noticed them firstly on the Jools Holland tv show earlier this year and I thought they played a distinctive rhythm that made them stand out.   http://haimtheband.com/

Haim at SW13 Glasgow

The new Glasgow Hydro!

The new Glasgow Hydro! – SSE Hydro Arena

Capacity 13,000

Opened this week with artists Rod Stewart and Fleetwood Mac.

The hope for the new venue is to be one of the world’s top five entertainment venues, only Madison Square Gardens NY and the 02 London are bigger. 

The Hydro is a purpose built concert arena – rather than the SECC’s multi use exhibition and conference centre.  Every seat has a good view and audio. The new venue will attract bigger artists all year round.  

I look forward to gigs here, hopefully soon!  

Mercury Prize 2013

From indie folk John Hopkins, to veteran rocker David Bowie, drum and bass Rudimental, electronic pianist James Blake and rock band Foals. Laura Mvula is there too, although her over predictability is too much for me. And dance, rock, post punk. 
Favourites for the prize may be dance duo Disclosure and respected singer songwriter Laura Marling.  http://www.mercuryprize.com/ 

I saw Marling in concert at the Old Fruitmarket a few years ago when she was barely 19 and she seemed so young – and passed her in a café nearby earlier that evening. She has been living in LA the past year to work on her latest album. I thought there was something fragile and ethereal about her then, and she did have the audience spellbound. 

Laura Marling Old Fruitmarket

I saw James Blake Oran Mor in 2011 - the gig was charged and packed out and I thought his set was engrossing. I love the cover for his second album Overgrown. I enjoyed his cover of Feist's song 'Limit To Your Love.'  In my review I wrote his music was like Unexpected Journeys. 
http://www.musicfootnotes.com/2011/06/james-blake-at-oran-mor-glasgow
 

James Blake Oran Mor

The American music reviewer Mikal Gilmore is concerned at the state of the music industry today however -

Labels sign artists for a certain sound, quirk, style, niche or whatever – and are loathe to allow those artists to expand or develop much beyond that one thing. That is partly why we see so many one hit wonders .. These artists are milked, drained, toured and discarded before they even have a shot at that second round. It’s a new kind of pop hegemony – a blockbuster mentality that has made so many modern films tiresome, predictable and limited.   

Quote, Night Beat, Mikal Gilmore.

PS James Blake was the unexpected yet deserved Mercury prize winner 31st October.

Edinburgh Book festival PHOTOS 2013

Charles Glass

Artemis Cooper

Alan Bissett

Jenny Rooney

Jerome Ferrari

Kengo Kuma

Kevin Maher

Laurie Penny

Sahar Delijan

Shani Boianjiu

Edinburgh International Book Festival photos 2013 - the festival was a great deal of fun and very interesting as it usual.  One of the highlights of my year. Love it! More reviews on this site. Copyrighted.
My EIBF images 2013 gallery - http://pkimage.co.uk/edinburghbookfestival