Review: Japanese Voyeurs – Milk Teeth
Moody, backward gazing new wave spirited femme provocation with the odd nod, wink and snarl at Queen Adreena and Siouxsie and the Banshees, encapsulates the spirit of the gruelling and sometimes reflective, ‘Milk Teeth’. The rumbling bass-lines of Johnny Seymour and gritty percussion of Steve Wilson that touches Metallica level at times, matching the occasional grizzly vocal injection from Romily Alice. Spasms of Kitty pitched spewing of the term “Fresh Meat”, adds to the potency on show in this advert for the pending debut album, ‘Yolk’.
Some soul backing, heart and wandering guitar led instrumental touches, provides for a change of pace and focus for the racing indie/alt rocking, ‘Godzilla’. It sees Romily Alice giving this sub-two minute teaser oodles of playful spirit and the odd foxy nudge. Japanese Voyeurs mingle the lurid with the salacious, the paranoid and the sordid. Providing for an alternative to your run-of-the-mill rock, indie and alt’ music.
Ida Maria – Club Academy, Manchester 20/11/08
High profile support slots can either promote you to a similar platform as the main act stands upon, or it can leave you feeling like a Guantanamo Bay detainee; judged without a full and proper trial. Unfortunately, for the quirky Norwegian, Ida Maria the lairy and expectant crowds that gathered to see The Courteeners when she last visited the UK, had expectations that weren’t compatible with her hollow, well crafted pop/new wave Bjork and Amy Studt merging pitch. Tonight is her night, as the glamorously glad females and slick males make it known that Ida can do no wrong. The carefully promoted starlet shuffles briskly and surely onto the stage at one of her biggest UK headline shows. Then sticks rigidly to the script that is her debut album, ‘Fortress Around My Heart’.
Her giddy, alcohol fuelled demeanour gives reality to the rugged, acoustic trickling ‘Louie’. Authenticity is given to the words;
“Louie, I’m always drunk, as drunk as can be.”
A crowd enhanced delivery of the above line gives this Thursday evening occasion more life, as it runs into a Friday feeling. This impetus increase is something that benefits the clatter pop parading, ‘Oh My God’. Ida’s stage presence flits from humble bewilderment, to carefully rehearsed self promotion and usually culminates in a little alcohol inspired frivolity. Some super-confidence of the Oasis lyrical vein is gushed forth in the old style, new wave reviving previous single, ‘Queen of the World’.
Satisfied, is the look on attendees faces as they head towards the exit. Although, for the impartial judgement reserving amongst us questions still linger, due to the lack of new material on show. The main one being whether or not Ida will remain a haven for the adventurous, Bjork spirited folk, or if she and her well oiled backing band will look to impart a bit of universal strut to the material? That is in order to be able to hob-know with the likes of The Courteeners again.
By Dave Adair