Daniel Green of Laish played the Brighton Sofar Sounds gig in January with the full band in somebody’s front room and then went to the London one solo, and played this stunning version of Warm the Wind there. Absolutely beautiful and I defy you not to be moved.
Did we say the new Laish album is out shortly? Are you ready for it?
This week the second ever Brighton Sofar session came to town.
For those who don’t know, Sofar Sounds is a House concert concept that has gone global with connections on four continents. They’ve held concerts in California, Brazil, Australia and across Europe amongst other places. But basically wherever they take place they’re still small intimate gigs featuring local bands and innovative music in people’s homes, which are video’d and photographed and seen globally via their website.
Small is beautiful. And the latest Brighton incarnation took place in the large front room of a flat on West Street, and featured three bands playing four songs each, an artist-in-residence (below) drawing the event along with an array of photographers, videographers, and a room full of pretty young things, all sitting on the floor enjoying the spectacle.
First up was I am Amity, the persona of multi-instrumentalist Amy Forrester, who wound her simple songs around a fascinating array of loops, moving from electronic drums to guitars and back again. She made a joke about her mother liking best her song about one night stands. She was most endearing.
Next came the mighty Laish, who wowed the room with Danny Green’s wry lively lyrics backed by a dynamic four piece band with the original combination of violin, clarinet, bass and drums. They played three songs from their forthcoming new album Obituaries and then ended with We Speak The Mantra from their first album, with the band dropping their instruments to accompany Dan with vocals and hand-claps and knee-slaps. It was enchanting. An excellent band, a favourite of this blog and highly recommended in any body’s living room.
By the end of the night, the packed room was hot and sweaty. Last up were the gypsy folk of Apples and Eve, led by the charming Eve Rose. This five-piece band laid down some excellent funky folk which kept the room chilled and feet-tapping. Eve’s vocals were honey-smooth, and her songs reminiscent of a band like Beirut. Another fine local act that are worth checking out.
And then it was over, until the next one. Sofar sounds have a winning formula – small intimate gigs in people’s homes. This blog for one looks forward to seeing how the Brighton set up progresses. Or maybe the Brazilian one, if we’re lucky eh?
It’s been a strange year for Brighton’s neo-alt-folk-rock collective Willkommen Records. A busy year, but it’s felt like a label that’s been growing up, some of the kids moving on, some of them moving out…
The Willkommen monster band The Sons of Noel and Adrian released their second album ‘Knots‘ in the Spring, and in spite of building beautifully on the frantic neo-folk rock orchestration of the first album managed to stay well under the radar. A shame, as this band deserve to be heard and are a must-see experience on stage.
They also released a stunning compilation of various singles and odd tracks that found their way onto other things with the bizarre title of ‘Your Tunnel That Connects My Arm To A God-Fearing Woman Who Lives In The Dark‘. It’s a terrific introduction to the band who will be back playing in Brighton on March 1st at the Green Door Store after a short European tour early next year, beginning in London on 15th February.
Check out the video for ‘Come Run Fun Stella Baby Mother of the World‘ from the album Knots, below.
The Sons of course aren’t the only child of the collective by far. Most of the band’s members feature in other acts associated with the label, all of whom offer a wild variety of musical treats. Some links to check out follow.
Daniel Green’s Laish was completely remodelled this year, and features the softer playful side of Martha Rose and Emma Gatrill coupled with a more powerful rocking rhythm section, all in support of Dan’s superlative songwriting. Their Obituaries EP this year was a great introduction to their new songs and sound, and judging from their live shows Laish’s second album when it drops early in 2013 should be highly anticipated.
To keep you going until then, Laish have a sweet Christmas song ‘A Poor Man’ Christmas‘ which is free to download over on bandcamp. It was recorded last Christmas, but Christmas is Christmas, right?
Other adventures from the Willkommen clan this year, included the beautiful harp-driven folksongs of Emma Gatrill, who launched her album ‘Chapter 1‘ in the delightful Church of the Annunciation in Hanover.
Marcus Hamblett has been busy as ever, not least helping out on Emma’s album and in producing and playing on the amazing ‘The Birdschool of Being Human‘ album by Woodpecker Wooliams.
Marcus has also edited together a massive 14 minute ‘Patchwerk’ of music with contributions from pretty much everyone who is associated with the label – it’s very beautiful, sounding a bit like one of the early Mothers of Invention albums to my ears, as well as a dozen other things. You can download it for free via Soundcloud – or listen below.
Cathy Cardin has been writing new songs under the moniker Redwood Red. Some of these songs have begun to emerge quietly unannounced but sound beautiful. There’s a possible album in the pipeline which will be something extraordinary I think judging from a short live set as part of the alternative Great Escape Festival in May and the few songs over on bandcamp.
The wonderful madcap genius of Hamilton Yarns slipped out yet another album – Calm Down Grandad – apparently more pop and less free jazz, but with the Yarns one always knows any album will not be quite like anything else. And that followed their 32-track double-CD compilation/introduction called ‘Are You Still There?’ earlier in the year.
And former Willkommen associate and Brighton resident, but now world-roaming minstrel, Rowan Coupland slipped out an album called ‘Slow Wave of the Future‘ which after a series of intriguing EPs represents his first full-length collection. With no promotion to speak of, you could blink and miss it – but don’t, because it’s a fantastic and highly original achievement, and my album of the year.
Finally, and sadly, at the end of November one of Willkommen’s and Brighton’s finest bands The Miserable Rich announced they were going to hang up their bows and bells. I guess having produced three stunning albums of beautiful lush string-driven pop songs to only modest interest in the UK (a little more in Germany), there’s only so long you can live on praise and kudos alone. Nevertheless, their final gig to a packed house as part of Brighton Source magazine’s new music night in November was a fitting send off, and I am sure we will hear new things from the band members soon enough.
So, you’ve finished with Oxjam and the mass of musical fun this past week? Wondering where the next great sounds are coming from? Look no further because hurrah, this Friday, Laish are back in town.
Laish playing at The Haunt, Brighton
Daniel Green’s band have just completed a European tour and are now on a short home country trek, stopping off at the Hope on Queen’s Road, this Friday 26th October.
They’ll be supported by Maia – a 4-piece alt- folk band from Huddlesfield who have supported the Low Anthem, Anais Mitchell and the Unthanks, as well as playing the Cambridge Folk Festival and No Direction Home – a mix of gigs which pretty well describes their sound.
They’ve also got Nick Edward Harris on the bill, and having seen him support Emma Gatrill (also a Laish band member) at her album launch earlier this year I would highly recommend you get their early to experience his amazing intricate rhythmic guitar playing which is out of this world.
Laish, in case you didn’t know, come out of the excellent Willkommen Collective. Dan plays drums for Sons of Noel and Adrian when he’s not penning some of the most charming, honest and authentic songs to have come out of Brighton or anywhere for many a year. Their first album was released a couple of years ago, and was one of our records of the year – Mojo magazine termed it “Beguiling songs of love”, Line of Best fit “Clever and accomplished”. An excellent EP ‘Obituaries‘ came out earlier this year and a second album is now in the can and this blog for one can’t wait.
Listen to the title track from the Obituaries EP here
Tickets for this Friday’s gig are £6 in advance (£7 on the door) and you can buy them here: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/185957
(Photograph of Laish at the Haunt earlier this year by Jon Southcoasting)
p.s. also recommended this week: Thursday: RESTLESSLIST at the Pavilion theatre
The new video single from Brighton folk band Laish is called She is Clever. It’s really rather good.
The Laish album came out on local Willkommen label earlier this year, and despite a number of very good reviews seems to have gone by largely unnoticed. That’s a shame because it’s really rather brilliant. The lead Laish man Danny Green (the band name translates as ‘Tribe of Dan’) is one of this town’s finest songwriters. He’s now reformed the band, or formed a new one, and is busy recording a second album.
This song’s from that. I can’t wait.
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