A Classic Education – Epic, Innit.
Epic indie rock. Epic indie rock that is very good. And that, my friends, is about it. I have two songs by A Classic Education which they have kindly sent me to pass on to you lovely people, but apart from some very basic facts I know nothing else about them whatsoever. Here’s what I know:
1. They sound a little bit like Band of Horses at times, but without the Americana flavours.
2. They appear to be quite good pals with Jeremy Warmsley who wrote the superb song Dirty Blue Jeans last year.
3. They’re from Italy, although Johnathan Clancy is the name of the chap who wrote to me and that sounds suspiciously English.
4. I think they may be looking for a label actually, and seem to have a ready-made 7″ ready to go. This sounds like a bit of an opportunity for someone as I reckon the songs they sent should go down well with an inde 7″-buying audience.
5. They’ll be playing Twee as Fuck in London on the 11th April. Londoners: worth making an effort for I’d say.
What can I say? The music’s quite dark and broody, and there’s an unironic, honestly-ambitious quality to the sound which I find myself enjoying. People who cover their artistic insecurities with layers of protective irony are starting to get on my tits a bit and I don’t hear any of that here – a bit like The Twilight Sad in that sense, although the music is not at all alike.
Either way, I like what I hear from these fellas so have a listen and say hello if you can.
A Classic Education – Stay, Son
A Classic Education – Lover’s Barricade
Ah yes that’s quite good. Ed posted about these fellers a week or so ago and he posted another tune called “Victories At Night.” Epic indeed, but the singer sounds Yank to me rather than British. In fact, his voice reminds me a lot of the guy from Band of Horses, or maybe the other guy from Grandaddy. Kind of nasal, but in a good way.
Canadaian actually, C&B. I saw Ed’s post about the same time I got their email. I guess they were doing a wee marketing campaign, just I am really fucking slow these days.
What’s your take on The Bobby McGees? Festival alt.folk field novelty band for fire eaters, jugglers & modern parents & their Tarquin/Tabula-named kids? Or??
Are you implying something unkind about A Classic Education, Mr. Country?
Not in the slightest… just, you know, observing the crowd, so to speak, at these types of affairs, what are drawn to the ‘odd’ & ‘eccentic’ & ‘earthy’ for reasons I’m sure have nothing to do with credibility or being hip.
But, seriously, have they crossed your radar &, if so, how do they rate? I think they’re a kind of one trick pony local town festival curio.
Twee, I fear, throws up such endeavours but falls down on the limitations of the in-jokiness of it as an insular movement.
& where did all this come from, I pretend you ask? Well, I’m bored (read jetlagged) &, being not one for gambling, have little to really do for the next few hours while I wait for my chum to check in at the hotel. So’ve been going through the mp3s on my laptop & found their Star Wars song. It got me a-thinking about the whole TWEE AS FUCK, ahem, movement. I think I’m bored with it. What say you?
You could always write your Tom Waits soundtrack piece while you wait.
O I knew you’d bring that up…
Snigger. Actually, the two from Ian and Nate look really good. So you don’t actually have to do one at all – it should be pretty good. Mind you, no-one’s brought up Tom Waits yet.
I done it, okay mom? Can I go play in the fucking mud now?
Yes you may. Good dog. Biscuit.
If I could phonetically interpret a Scooby Doo noise right now, I would.
He he! Will send Natural Born Killers soundtrack piece through soon. How many words, Matthew?
Few hundred? I trust you guys to shut up once it gets boring