WE HAVE MOVED! PLEASE CLICK HERE

FAMEmagazine.co.uk

ARCADE FIRE
No Cars Go
July 23, 2007

Review by Stephen Murray

NO Cars Go is the third single from Neon Bible, Arcade Fire’s second album. They sound like a bit of a slow version of The Killers in my opinion.
But having little knowledge of their other music, I won’t be too critical of them.

ARCADE FIRE FACT FILE
* The band were founded in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 2003 by husband and wife team Win Butler and Régine Chassagne.
* Their first album, Funeral, debuted in September 2004 in Canada and in February 2005 in the UK, and was highly acclaimed by critics. The title of the debut album was chosen because of the deaths of several relatives of band members during recording.
* Arcade Fire count David Bowie, Bono and U2 as fans.

www.myspace.com/arcadefireofficial

www.arcadefire.com

BRIAN HOUSTON
Days Of Pearly Spencer
Released: July 23, 2007

Review by Stephen Murray
Photo by Fabrizio Belluschi

I LOVED Marc Almond’s version of this song. Written by Ballymena man David McWilliams (RIP) this song is celebrating it’s 40th anniversary.
Keeping McWilliams spirit alive are his grandchildren on backing vocals and with Brian’s distinctive voice, this is a good cover of a classic song.

BRIAN HOUSTON FACT FILE
* Brian used to be in a band called The Mighty Fall. They played around pubs and clubs and came close to getting a record deal before splitting in 1992.
* The east Belfast singer has toured with Van Morrison and Elvis Costello.
* His album Sugar Queen is the singer’s biggest seller to date and he calls it “the most honest and representative album” he’s made to date.

www.myspace.com/brianhouston

www.brianhouston.com

FALL OUT BOY - The Take Over, The Breaks Over
Currently on sale

Review by Stephen Murray

THIS is the third single from the Fall Out Boy’s number one album Infinity On High.
It’s a good song, not ground breaking but definitely one to blast out from the car stereo.

FALL OUT BOY FACT FILE
* Fall Out Boy was formed in early 2001 by friends Joe Trohman and Pete Wentz. The two had played in various hardcore punk bands in the Chicago area. They decided they wanted to start a band that was more similar to bands they listened to growing up such as Green Day and Descendants.
* The band was nameless for their first two shows. At the end of their second show, they asked the audience to yell out their ideas for a name. Someone suggested "Fallout Boy", a reference to the sidekick of the Simpsons cartoon character Radioactive Man.
* Bassist and primary lyricist Pete Wentz appeared in the hit American show One Tree Hill. Playing himself, Pete had a brief romance with lead character Peyton Sawyer (former MTV VJ Hilarie Burton).

TOUR INFO
20 Jul The Coca-Cola Dome Johannesburg, South Africa
7 Aug Sports Palace Mexico City, Mexico
11 Aug Marine Stadium1 Mihama Tokyo, Japan
12 Aug Maeshima Osaka, Japan
19 Aug Decaydance Fest @ E-Werk Koln, Germany
21 Aug Decaydance Fest @ Olympia Paris, France
22 Aug SOLD OUT: Hammersmith Apollo London, UK
24 Aug Carling Festival Leeds, UK
25 Aug SOLD OUT: Corn Exchange Edinburgh, Scotland
26 Aug Carling Festival Reading, UK
21 Sep Araneta Coliseum Manila, Philippines
26 Sep Acer Arena Sydney, Australia
27 Sep Riverstage Brisbane, Australia
28 Sep Festival Hall Melbourne, Australia
29 Sep Challenge Stadium Perth, Australia
1 Oct Trusts Arena Auckland, New Zealand
26 Oct Voodoo Island City Park New Orleans, Louisiana
27 Oct Voodoo Island City Park New Orleans, Louisiana
28 Oct Voodoo Island City Park New Orleans, Louisiana

www.myspace.com/falloutboy

www.falloutboyrock.com

BRIGHT EYES - Hot Knives
Currently on sale

Review By Stehen Murray

HOT Knives is the second single from the album Cassadaga.
Lead singer Conor Oberst has a very distinctive voice, but of a Del Amitri feel to this one – it should do well.

BRIGHT EYES FACT FILE
* Singer-songwriter and guitarist Conor Oberst named the band in honour of his favourite character from the Pound Puppies TV series.
* In 2004, the singles Lua and Take It Easy (Love Nothing) took the top two spots of America’s Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart within two weeks of their simultaneous release.
* Bright Eyes played at Oxegen, Co Kildare earlier this month.

TOUR INFO
17 July Piazza Castello, Ferrera
19 July Benicassim Festival, Castello
21 July @ Eden Sessions, Cornwall
11 Aug Summer Sonic, Osaka, Osaka
12 Aug Summer Sonic 2007 Tokyo, Tokyo
22 Sep End Fest 2007 at Quest Field, Seattle, Washington
29 Sep Hollywood Bowl w/ LA Philharmonic Orchestra, Los Angeles, California

www.myspace.com/brighteyes

www.thisisbrighteyes.com

Muck, music and cider – it must be Glastonbury

By Dawn Connor - Photos By Tony McCrory

GLASTONBURY is an incredible experience that nothing can prepare you for. A mud-fest is an understatement and the variety of performances is mind-blowing.
As a Glastonbury virgin I had no idea what to expect as we travelled by coach from London with fellow festival goers who were surprisingly well-behaved.
There is such a vast array of performers at the festival from circus acts, cabaret, well-known and not so well-known bands, to karaoke. It’s impossible to define who a typical Glastonbury goer is; it’s more a hedonistic gathering of likeminded people who just want to have fun! Kids as young as three play in the puddles as pensioners smile as they trudge through the mud, past them. The range of festival goers is as diverse as the acts.
From a festival point of view Glastonbury has so much on offer it’s impossible to see everything. It’s a hard choice between your favourite acts to a particular part of the festival. There is the healing fields, the new addition to Glastonbury the Park, through to trash city. In fact it seems there they might be so much on offer you might leave wanting more but disappointed at the sheer scale of possibilities that you failed to catch a glimpse of.
As each day passes more mud and mucky rivers oozes their way across the festival site as the 177,000 strong crowd at times uncomfortably struggled passed each other around the site.
Camping was better than some other festivals and having pitched near the main stage it was fantastic having the National Youth Orchestra and a little classical music to wake up to on a Sunday morning. There was no urinating on other people’s tents or setting fire to them as at previous festivals, people on the whole were very polite and good humoured. Except for some stall holders who tried to short change drunk or stoned punters and pass off sub standard food at extortionate prices.
Toilets are always entered at your peril at festivals… and there was no exception at Glastonbury… although you have a choice of long drops, she pees, African latrines (the cleanest toilets in Glastonbury) and the traditional portaloos.
As we became more used to the toilets we debated whether they were getting less smelly or if we were just becoming more accustomed to the smell. Either way when listening to the Kaiser Chiefs in a crowd of 70,000 people and needing to find a toilet isn’t ideal either.
There are a severe lack of toilets and bins in certain areas although people leave their rubbish in neat little piles at bins of strewn full of biodegradable paper cups and plates.
A highlight of the festival itself was the summer solstice which was celebrated Glastonbury style at a stone circle on one of the ley lines with a bunch of hippies. As they cheered for sunrise a lone piper played in the middle of the stone circle with a bunch of people dancing along in true Glastonbury style.
Musical highlights would have to be Mika as he stormed the stage with his classics Grace Kelly and Lollipop. And seasoned rockers The Who that closed the festival to a spectacular musical and light show extravaganza.
A random piece of performance was a kazoo playing band who marched through the muddy site playing a variety of rock anthems.
Another side show at Glastonbury that was not organised but instead evolved from the randomness of the festival itself was dubbed ‘The hole’. As Lily Allen played in the background ‘the hole’ became the main attraction as a crowd of over 150 people gathered round a small area of mud silently waiting for their next victim to fall into a muddy knee deep hole.
Anything goes at this festival from chic to very unique as men clad in bikinis to women dressed as fairies complete with wings slowly merge into the melting pot that is Glastonbury.
Festival fashion this year consisted of ponchos, rain proof trousers and the must have item wellies… Forget getting stylish wellies because they will become as brown as the Glastonbury mud that you’re squelching through.
This really is a little city of its own and sometimes feels like a time warp or a weird dream as sleep and decent food deprivation takes hold, they have their own radio called Worthy FM and their own daily newspaper.
This feels sometimes like a big money making machine of the brand name Glastonbury as any visit to eBay will show. As people are selling everything from festival toilet paper to freebies such as souvenir programs.
These are your Glastonbury essentials:
a sense of humour – trudging through mud and bad weather is enough to dampen any mood
wellies – knee high mud (enough said)
rain proof clothes jacket and trousers are a must (forget fashion stay dry and happy)
a strong stomach and bladder
It’s a once in lifetime experience and whether you’ve never been or have been a number of times you’ll agree that it takes a lot to beat this festival.

CD REVIEWS
BY STEPHEN MURRAY

BAND: KLAXONS
SINGLE: It’s Not Over Yet
RELEASED: June 25th

FORMATS: 7” It’s Not Over Yet / The Night (Frankie Valli cover)
7” It’s Not Over Yet etched
CD It’s Not Over Yet / My Love (Justin Timberlake cover)

ONCE you hear this song, you will remember it straight away. It is a cover of a 90’s dance hit by Grace.
I’m not a big fan of dance music, but I think I prefer the original. The Klaxons are playing plenty of festivals this summer – this song will go down well at them.
And meanwhile, currently on a sold-out tour, copies of their debut album Myths Of The Near Future are still flying off the shelves (£250,000 to date).

WHERE TO SEE KLAXONS
Friday August 24, 2007 – Leeds festival
Saturday August 26, 2007 – Reading festival

www.myspace.com/klaxons

BAND: INTERPOL
ALBUM: Our Love To Admire
RELEASED: Currently on sale

I HAVE to admit that I know very little about Interpol. I know they were from New York – but didn’t realise how brilliant they are.
Track three - In The Scale and four – The Heinrich Maneuver are excellent, in fact the whole album is fantastic.
This is Interpol’s third studio album – I will be buying their first two Turn On The Bright Lights (2002) and Antics (2004).
Our Love To Admire is a must have in any music collection.

THE TRACK LISTING
1. Pioneer To The Falls
2. Number 1 In The Threesome
3. The Scale
4. The Heinrich Maneuver
5. Mammoth
6. Pace Is The Trick
7. All Fired Up
8. Rest My Chemistry
9. Who Do You Think
10. Wrecking Bail
11. The Lighthouse

WHERE TO SEE INTERPOL
Monday August 20 – Birmingham Academy
Tuesday August 21 – Newcastle Academy
Wednesday August 22 – Edinburgh Corn Exchange
Friday August 24 – Reading Festival
Saturday August 25 – Leeds Festival
Wednesday November 28 – Blackpool Empress Ballroom
Thursday November 29 – London Alexandra Palace

www.myspace.com/interpol

BAND: BEASTIE BOYS
ALBUM: The Mix Up
RELEASED: Currently on sale

I REMEMBER buying Fight For Your Right on 7” Vinyl. Everybody tried to copy The Beastie Boys style, running round looking for a Mercedes Benz badge to pinch off someone’s car. Thankfully there wasn’t a Merc in a five mile radius – and I went back to my ‘uniform’ of DM Boots and Madness T-Shirt the next day.
This latest album from the ‘boys’ is an all-instrumental album. The music isn’t bad, but the Beastie Boys without lyrics is like my girlfriend without a shopping bag – unthinkable!

THE TRACK LISTING
1. B For My Name
2. 14th St. Break
3. Suco De Tangerina
4. The Gala Event
5. Electric Worm
6. Freaky Hijiki
7. Off The Grid
8. The Rat Cage
9. The Melee
10. Dramatically [SIC] Different
11. The Cousin Of Death
12. The Kangaroo Rat

www.myspace.com/beastieboys

BAND: RAZORLIGHT
SINGLE: Hold On
RELEASED: Currently on sale

This song is a new arrangement of a track from their second album ‘Eponymous’. Not one of my favourite Razorlight songs, but considering their brilliance in the past year, I will give them the thumbs up.
One thing though, considering the money Johnny Borrell has made in the past year, you’d think he would buy a new T-Shirt!

WHERE TO SEE RAZORLIGHT
Friday August 24 – Reading Festival
Saturday August 25 – Leeds Festival
Sunday August 26 – Edinburgh, Murrayfield Stadium

www.myspace.com/razorlight

BAND: JAMES MORRISON
SINGLE: One Last Chance
RELEASED: Currently on sale

JAMES Morrison or James Blunt? I can’t really tell the difference.
Only available on download only this song isn’t really my thing – but it will probably sell really well.
Looks like Bob Dylan – but is that a good or bad thing or is too much expected from him?

JAMES MORRISON – THE FACTS
Number 1 selling male solo artist of 2006
Debut album Undiscovered went straight to Number 1 selling 1.2 million copies
In 2006 he won a Brit Award for best male

www.myspace.com/jamesmorrisonmusic