Middle Boop Top 25 Albums of 2010

It's been a pretty fantastic year for music and a very good year for the ever growing Middle Boop team, even if I do say so myself... Underneath is a showcase of just why this year has been so great musically.

A few weeks ago I asked each of the 20 or so wonderful and talented writers we have to send us over a small list of their favourite albums and from that I tallied up the results and came up with the list you will read below. Most of the results were very close calls with the winner literally getting to the top spot by one vote and there are so many I would have loved to include but hey, it's a democracy of some sorts.

Enjoy the list, have a great Christmas and we'll catch up with all of you in the new year.

GR.

25. Twin Shadow – Forget (4AD)


24. Sleepy Sun – Fever (ATP)


23. Liars Sisterworld (Mute)


22. Timber Timbre- Timber Timbre (Arts & Crafts)


21. Broken Records - Let Me Come Home (4AD)


20. Warpaint The Fool (Rough Trade)


19. Four Tet - There is Love In You (Domino)


18. Avi Buffalo – Avi Buffalo (Sub Pop)


17. Errors – Come Down With Me (Rock Action)


16. Caribou - Swim (City Slang)

Errors - Celebrity Come Down With Me (Rock Action)

There are normally only two reasons to release a remix album. Either to appeal to a different audience who (hopefully) learn to love you for yourself and finally buy your maudlin un-dance friendly release, or, so you can show off how many cool people you have at hand just chomping at the bit to remix your shitty track. In this case, Glasgow 4-piece Errors seem keener to showcase the talents of their friends, and also possibilities that lie with both the band and their songs. Perhaps they are living vicariously through the dance acts they have employed here to manipulate their sound, or perhaps this is their warning that the indie to dance ratio of their next release may be shifting. But don’t worry, probably not.

Each song is taken far enough away from the original to be worthy of its inclusion here, but the tracks which really push the boundaries of CDWM are from Gold Panda and Wax Stag. Gold Panda’s version of A Rumour In Africa bleaches out the layers of the original track and what is left is a pleasantly primitive, and at times euphoric, effort. Wax Stag’s more immediate, driven take on Germany rejuvenates the song into something that bursts with all the energy of a classic dance track. The Field, however, stay closer to the original melody of Bridge or Cloud, but drain it of much of its’ easy-listening elements to produce a never-ending monotonous dirge, the likes of which most dance fans should enjoy, but others may find a little self indulgent.

The track most people will be eager to hear is Supertribe. Their label bosses Mogwai have taken the already heavily electronic track and (thankfully) lost the pretentious French intro (when will people stop erroneously mistaking French samples for instant cool?). This softer version plucks the track out of the nightclub and injects some awkward synth to make it actually far more listenable. It’s the small changes here combined with layering of each artists’ own signature sound which make it a varied and engaging release.

One could question whether this album might alienate fans of their guitar-based electro, but, as Errors themselves proved with CDWM, in 2010 the barriers separating mainstream indie and dance are virtually non-existent. Similar to Health/Disco (Health) or Everybody Hertz (Air), this should satiate both loyal Errors fans who have already played CDWM enough to warrant a new copy, or people who are new to the band, but just can’t get enough of that electronic indie crossover (seriously, how much do you need?). Just as enjoyable (if not probably more so) for those who didn’t love CDWM, CCDWM is the perfect post club album for people with eclectic friends. It doesn’t have a shit track you’ll need to get up to skip, the artists are all cool enough to embarrass anyone who dares ask “What the fuck is this?”, and it’ll take at least three plays before you realise it’s been on repeat all night.

Words : Maya-Rose Boustany

Twilight Sad - The Wrong Car Ep

From the very beginning of their short existence, Twilight Sad already had that something not a lot of bands do, hence why they were signed to Fatcat after barely playing a handful of gigs but it wasn't until Forget the Night Ahead, released late last year that saw the band grow substantially in confidence and song-writing ability. It was this growth that saw the Glaswegian four piece produce one of the highlight albums of last year resulting in support slots with the likes of Biffy Clyro and Mogwai and headline shows at the Scala and Garage.

The Wrong Car ep carries on where FTNA left off in spectacular style, the self titled track weighing in at just over seven minutes displays everything this band does well, beautiful melodies disguised under heaps of distortion, drone and lord knows what other effects, big beating drums and an insanely catchy sing-along chorus. In the wrong hands, their sort of music could easily sound bad but Twilight Sad have really whittled down their art of bringing order into chaos and manage time and time again to produce something that's so loud and aggressive yet delightful and uplifting all at the same time. With added orchestration and piano parts, this really is the winning formula.

Two bands, both mates of Twilight Sad gave some time to remix tracks from their last album, first up is Mogwai with a more minimalistic, almost techno take on The Room and Errors making their electro based mark on Reflection Of The Television. This four track ep is even further proof that Twilight Sad are without a doubt, one of the most underrated bands going at the moment.

Words : Gordon Reid

XOYO Launch Party Wednesday 15th September

As many of you gig goers in London may already know, there is a new venue opening up later on this month called XOYO, run by the people that bring you FACT Magazine as well as Cymon Eckel with Marcus Weedon, Tom Baker and Johnno Burgess. Situated in the heart of Shoreditch, the venue will play host to a number of wicked gigs over the coming months including the joint headline tour of Boop favourites Errors and Twilight Sad and Dan Deacon to name but a few.

XOYO launches Wednesday 15th September, 7.30pm-12 midnight with a lineup that goes like this:

Everything Everything (Live)
Visions of Trees (Live)
Andrew Weatherall (DJ)
Dan Beaumont (DJ)
Casper C (DJ)
FACT DJ’s
Eat Your Own Ears DJ’s
thisain’tnodisco (DJ)

7.30pm-12 midnight

32-37 Cowper Street
London
EC2A 4AP

Mogwai - ‘Burning‘ Party - The Scala - 3/6/10

Another fine night at the London Scala as tonight is not your ‘usual’ sort of gig with the venue gearing up for the first London showing of Mogwai’s new feature film ‘Burning‘

A DJ set by fellow Rock Action buddy Steve from Errors provided magnetic beats in the foyer, music to subliminally listen to as the seamless changeover with Andrew Hung of Fuck Buttons rocking up to the decks, his electro/ techno mish-mesh provided the perfect appetizer for an eagerly anticipated film.

I managed to catch support act ‘Remember Remember’ who really came through with the musical goodies. An over abundance of layers, progressively engineered into a myriad of sound with xylophone harmonies and delicate samples, anyone who has seen Remember Remember before would have been in for a surprise as this was no mere solo show revolving around acres of loops, James Swinburne appeared with a five strong band along with him allowing tracks such as 'Mountain' to really sound their best. With so much going on I couldn't help but find myself comparing them to a less vintage Arcade fire.

The feature film begins; the impressive piece was filmed in black, white and greyscale tones, however I was one of the lucky few that had a nifty view from behind the main projection screen fabricating a Sepia style illustration, setting the mood as the hundreds of bleary eyed fans vision watched, transfixed upon the imagery before them.

‘Burning’ was filmed at the Music Hall in Williamsburg VA on April 27-29 capturing performances from 3 nights by in house art director Vincent Moon who had clearly taken the time and careful planning to cover almost every angle imaginable over the duration of the shows.

It is an exquisite film, full of dynamic contrast, insightful cadence and conquers the best parts of their live performance. It is a little on the short side at only 8 songs long but quality over quantity each and every time and Mr. Moon’s direction has quality in abundance, cleverly congregating the raw essence and sheer heaviness of classic Mogwai tracks such as ‘Mogwai Fear Satan’ ‘Like Herod’ and ending with the earth shatteringly powerful ‘Batcat’.

Mogwai put you in the moment with affluence and exhilaration and all that were involved in this project must be proud of their effort. I can certainly see more artists doing this sort of collaboration with top directors, a great success and a movie night with a twist enjoyed by all.



Words : Outer Audio Joe

Errors - London Scala – 04.03.10

As I entered the London Scala I immediately felt the hyped buzz filling the venue on this mildly weathered Thursday evening, as an enthusiastic and youthful looking crowd waited in anticipation of Errors biggest London show to date. I can tell you that all the stops were pulled out as a truly tremendous night unfolded, the band looked well rested and finely tuned rehearsal wise as they launched into their progressively layered set ironing out any ironic signs of errors, for the lads from Glasgow sounded tighter than ever.

The layers of guitar riffs and computerised electro fuzz begin to merge and take shape as the group only pause very briefly to thank the crowd for sharing their proudest London headline show. Steven and Simon chop and change instruments throughout their set, even swapping mid-song between Bass, Keyboards, drum machines and guitars.

Errors have this really imaginative way of effortlessly capturing a modern day electro-rock persona, they not only look the part (Greg was donning an African style Mumu) but they create an illustrative way of painting a story for the listener incorporating glitch samples and synthesised beats to the catchy riff melody that instrumentally replaces the vocals. Steven introduces their new single ‘A rumour in Africa’ and the crowd respond well as a few separate groups of students begin shuffling and swaying to one of the bands signature tunes ‘Mr Milk’. The encore capped off a superbly executed performance as the support acts joined Errors on stage for the last song, wielding cow bells, percussive sticks and Tambourines, this gig was special to all who were involved.

Catching up with Simon after the gig he confirmed that it’s the chemistry between him and Steven that is responsible for the main song writing. ‘We come up with the main part of the song then the others add their parts later on’ he went on to mention that Errors hadn’t played a gig since August last year as they currently find themselves a few dates into a non stop 17 day tour.

They have spent months in the studio with their brand spanky new album on offer, the bands career is gaining critical acclaim, having previously earned them support slots with the likes of Mogwai and a main stage performance at Field day last Summer, adding their new title of headlining one of London’s elitist music venues can only mean that these boys have a bright future ahead.

words : Outer Audio Joe
Photos : Francesca Jones

Errors – Come Down With Me (Rock Action)

After their acclaimed debut in 2008 the Glasgow four piece return with ‘Come Down With Me’ a sarcastic pun that suggests the ‘Post Rock’ shackles of the first album are left firmly at the door. This is certainly the case, after nearly two years since the release of ‘It's Not Something But It Is Like Whatever’ things have changed most definitely for the better.

After gaining huge amounts of press to the point where songs were featured on American TV shows and on the Topman playlist sandwiched in between some god awful electro pop nonsense and the latest ‘indie’ hit it could probably be all too easy for these guys to sit back and have a go at writing the next big money spinner, the fact that they haven’t shows the passion and love for their art. (Although I’m sure they could have a fair attempt if they put their minds to it) Instead choosing to go down a much more Krautrock influenced road has certainly helped them evade such pigeon-holing as ‘Post Rock Electro’ or Math Rock and in doing so they have created a niche that along with a confidence in song writing that can only be gained by the success of their previous attempt has made sure that their second album is a benchmark and one that showcases the growth of a very exciting band.

The recording of this album took place over a six month period in their self made studio known as ‘The Freezer’ and you only need to listen to the first song ‘Bridge Or Cloud?’ to see how wisely they have spent their time. Bouncy synths and a much more upbeat tempo really allow the listener to plough through the album with a lot more ease than it’s predecessor whilst their first single ‘A Rumour In Africa’ is a bit more of a hark back to the début with more of a concentration on the jangly guitars but with big beats it delivers a punch that captures your attention straight away and has already had people dancing at their recent gigs rather than standing still and staring.

We are allowed breathing space between such high energy tracks and given a reminder that Errors aren’t just about one single genre or influence with the two back to back tracks ‘Antipode’ and ‘The Erskine Bridge’ which slow things right down giving the listener a bit of a chance for the woozy synths and ambiance to wash over them with the latter reminiscent of Rock Action label mates Remember Remember (to which drummer James Hamilton also plays with.) These two tracks are a welcome break before the tempo is upped somewhat by one of the favourites ‘Sorry About The Mess’ a song which some of you may recognise if you had seen these guys play any of their festival dates over the summer.

The thing that really makes this album stand out is the fact that they have actually solidified a sound that not many others have, there is also a consistency that allows the album to flow so much more easily than before. They have come a long way in a short space of time and with an emphatic live show to boot. Errors are a force to be reckoned with.

Middle Boop interviews Errors

There has always been a steady flow of amazing music coming from Scotland and now it feels more so than ever. Middle Boop caught up with three bands who have been flying the flag recently for their country, Errors, Twilight Sad and We Were Promised Jetpacks, all of which have been producing some of the most original and interesting music around at the moment to talk about how Scotland has influenced them and their music. This week we talk to guitarist Greg Paterson and Drummer James Hamilton from Errors about growing up in Scotland, their influences and the art scene in Glasgow

MB: What bands have you been into recently from back home?

James : There are a lot of cool bands at the moment, there is a big scene with bands like Frightened Rabbit, We Were Promised Jetpacks and Twilight Sad who are all in a league of their own.
Greg : There are a lot of bands who are still underground from when we were growing up, bands like The Ballad of Mable Wong, kind of jazz post rock stuff who I’ve been really into.

James : Actually one of the main bands I’ve been into for some time now is Titus Gein, so metal it’s unbelievable. Also Remember Remember, I’m not biased even though I played drums on their album...

MB : How would you say the Scottish music scene has changed over the last few years?

James: There are a lot more venues now than there were, it’s almost anywhere that has a space and a bar. This isn’t necessarily a good thing as lots of them are ‘pay to play.’ It’s been ever since Franz Ferdinand got big people have been saying things like ‘Glasgow is the new Seattle,’ which also seems to encourage more bands to play.

Greg : There is a huge DIY element to it. There is definitely a backlash against the whole maximum production thing. There is also a DIY element to the gigs, bands will turn up and sell their own tickets, things like that.

MB : When growing up, were you influenced by any Scottish bands? Or was it mainly bands from other countries?

Greg : I was a big Grunge fan back in the day, anything by Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, that sort of thing.
There were a few underground Scottish bands who kind of stayed underground, then obviously people like Mogwai who have gone on and had a pretty decent career, at least I’m sure they’ll say they have.

MB : What do you think to the Scottish arts and music scene compared to other countries?

Greg : There is a great scene that has opened up the last few years or so, if you look beneath the surface there are a lot of DIY galleries and boutiques which have some awesome things going on. A friend of mine just started a night where they do life drawings but in a pub, so you get these people who come in for a beer and end up doing life drawing. Things like this are pretty cool.

MB : Finally, is Errors something you have always wanted to do?

James : It’s something we’ve always been into, the music and stuff, we all got into it around uni which was kind of the wrong time as we were busy with other things but we all really hope to do it for as long as we can, we do it for the fun of it.

Errors and Parts and Labor to play ATP

I am pretty excited about this as my we at Middle Boop voted for both of these guys to play.
Both are awesome and will be amazing live.
Roll on May...