Song, by Toad

Hopping – hopping! D’you get it, d’you ge.. oh alright alright, simmer down. It wasn’t that bad. What else was I supposed to use for a flighty post with no real cohesion? Exactly, so pipe down in the cheap seats.

Well I was all set to pop along to the GoodBooks gig at Cabaret Voltaire on Sunday when I discovered that Down the Tiny Steps were playing in the T-Break heats down at The Liquid Rooms the very same night. I really didn’t want to miss the Tinies, especially not to see a group I was basically just taking a chance on, so I thought I’d try and do both. The result – a wholly unsatisfactory evening seeing bits and pieces of shows and never quite managing to get into anything. My mistake, but I’ve learned my lesson.

Down the Tiny Steps – T-Break Heats, Liquid Rooms Well you’ve already heard me rave about these guys, and they were no less excellent here than I expected them to be. The problem? Well they had the shitty opening slot that meant the venue was still half empty, and everyone at the gig only got to play about four or five songs, so just as I was getting into it, they were done. Live, their amalgam of mellow acoustica and playful electronica is cranked up a notch or two, and I am really looking forward to seeing how this progresses as they work towards a new album, because it works brilliantly live. They’ll be at Octopus Diamond (the old Left Banke) towards the end of May, so keep an eye out – they’re really worth seeing.

Down the Tiny Steps – Handstand

Broken Records – T-Break Heats, Liquid Rooms Not a group I’ve heard of before, but one you’ll be hearing plenty of in time to come. It’s always a good sign to see a cello, accordion and a fiddle when a band is setting up, and these fellows didn’t disappoint. They also brought a hefty crowd of fans with them who only stayed for their gig, so presumably they’re a little more organised than their ramshackle American indie-folk might suggest.

The crowd was good news though, because there was a great atmosphere for their set, helped considerably by the energy of the music itself which can most lazily be described as Zach Condon’s Beirut playing contemporary, folk-tinged Americana. They seemed pretty comfortable together as a group of musicians, in that at various times the piano, then the accordion, then the cello and occasionally the xylophone would slip into prominence, and I think this may be what I liked best about their songs.

If they can maintain the sort of musical sprightliness they showed last night, and on their homemade CD-R I managed to get hold of after the gig, then they are most definitely ones to keep an eye on as they really could go places. There is an EP being put together for release, hopefully shortly, and I will certainly be buying a copy, so stay tuned.

Broken Records – Lies
Broken Records – The Russian Song

GoodBooks – Cabaret Voltaire Well, I knew I was always taking a chance with this gig because I haven’t been overly smitten with their releases thus far and didn’t bother to buy the album. I thought I might as well give the gig a bash, given it was only a fiver, but it hasn’t really changed my opinion of their stuff. They give a really good live performance though. There’s plenty of energy and the songs all come through well, so if you are a fan then they’re definitely worth catching. I, however, am still not especially taken with them.

GoodBooks – Turn it Back