2023: 23 Highlights (pt. 3)

Just in case you're even remotely interested, here's a few more of my fave albums of 2023.

We Are Scientists - 'Lobes'
Me and We Are Scientists go waaay back. I won't pretend I've been with them since the start, but when they broke through in the UK with their debut album in 2005 I took them in and have followed them ever since. They've been up and down in my affections ever since, but have now put out two successive records that I have loved for the first time in a while. 'Lobes' is a lot more synth-heavy than its immediate predecessor, but it's been done exceptionally well - those tunes really do sparkle.

The Keening - 'Little Bird'
The Keening is the new solo project of Rebecca Verson, former frontwoman of doom metal merchants SubRosa. She's very much keeping with the doomy feel, but it feels more expansive and broad than her previous band's work. Her label describes 'Little Bird' thus: "A web of lush orchestration, American Gothic sensibilities and wintry murder ballads set against a backdrop of dark, shimmering folk [...] flowing with flute, strings, harp, French horn, piano, organ and hammered dulcimer." It is as good as that sounds.

Teleman - 'Good Time/Hard Time'
I like this one as MrsRobster loves Teleman and if she's happy, I'm happy. The album's theme of facing challenges and overcoming them, as well as the way various aspects of nature intertwine in order to survive, grow and evolve, may have been inspired by the loss of founder member Jonny Sanders who left the band in 2020. It's their first record as a trio, but they appear to be doing OK, as Trees Grow High (MrsRobster's fave track) illustrates.

Amber Arcades - 'Barefoot On Diamond Road'
PJ Harvey - 'I Inside The Old Year Dying'
I've lumped these two together as I already mentioned them back in my summer trio of posts. Well, in the case of Polly Jean, I posted the first single and my thinly-veiled excitement for her first new proper record in seven years. It took a while to grow on me, but naturally it's brilliant with some wonderfully original flourishes and imbued with some old Dorset dialect in the lyrics. Annelotte de Graaf took five years to deliver her latest record as Amber Arcades, but it was worth the wait. Another grower with, as you would expect, some really good songs on it.

Final post next week.

Memories of 2016 gigs #8

#8: Teleman
The Globe, Cardiff – 17 October 2016
Support: The Hearts

The scene: Two 20-something blokes who looked like they just walked off the set of Made In Chelsea, talking loudly throughout the support band, throughout the interval and through the first three songs of the main act, paying no attention to the show whatsoever. Cue large, burly guy stood near them who butts in and, very politely, asks: "Excuse me guys, but are you going to talk all the way through this?"

My question: What would you do if you were said annoying talkative blokes?
  a) Apologise and stay quiet for the rest of the show?
  b) Apologise and leave because you're not interested in the band and don't want to cause annoyance to anyone else? Or
  c) Say "Yeah, we are," and show utter astonishment when advised that your loud obnoxious attitude is spoiling the show for those around you and that it might be better to either pipe down or go outside to have the conversation?

Think about this for a moment. If you answered c), you were probably one of those two utter pricks at the Teleman show in Cardiff on Thursday night. They did keep the noise down somewhat afterwards and spent occasional spells of up to one whole minute at a time actually watching the band between continual (quieter) conversations and looking at stuff on their phones, but you have to wonder what the fuck they were doing there. The burly geezer and his mate (who looked a little bit like Heston Blumenthal) were staggered at the pair of them and I couldn't help but congratulate them afterwards for stepping in and saying something while remaining calm and polite.

Anyway, the gig. The Globe was busier than I thought it would be, a near sell-out. Supporting were The Hearts from Newport. They sound like The Killers. Oh my god, do they sound like The Killers. Second album-era Killers, with a touch more 80s thrown in for good measure. One of their songs seems to steal the melody of Somewhere In My Heart by Aztec Camera. Clearly very good musicians with a very clearly defined sound, but with an excitement level only everso slightly higher than a magnolia-painted wall.

As for Teleman, well musically they sound a little more humble than The Hearts, but their often-understated pop can still hook you and have you humming their songs out loud without warning. Both albums have some splendid tunes on them, and it seems for their set they decided to play the best tracks from both.

While MrsRobster thought the sound was a little bass-heavy in places, the sound was far better than the last show I saw at the Globe. If anything, I thought it was just a tad quiet. Which kind of sums Teleman up really - nothing overblown, nothing unnecessary. No gimmicks, no glam, no bombast. Just bloody good tunes, one after another for an hour or so. They played MrsRobster's fave songs (Fall In Time and Tangerine), and left mine right to the end. In fact, their two-song encore seemed to epitomise what you get from Teleman - the melancholic debut single Cristina, followed by the outrageously catchy Glory Hallelujah from the current album.

While Teleman may not fill Wembley Stadium or headline Glastonbury, if you pay attention you'll realise what a good band they are. It's difficult to write such consistently good songs and carry them off in such a charmingly unassuming manner. If, however, you choose to go to their gig and talk incessantly like a total nobrot, you will never realise this and forever remain a total nobrot.

MrsRobster's verdict: On The Hearts - "Everything sounds like the songs at the end of 80s movies." This is pretty much EXACTLY what they sound like. After she said that, all I could see in my head were images of Michael J. Fox, Molly Ringwald and Corey Feldman. On Teleman - "They were good. I don't have anything insightful to say about them though." Well, sometimes "They were good" is enough. She was taken by a couple near the front though who spent the set enthusiastically bopping about and singing all the songs to each other: "They were really cute."


Soundtrack:

• Run Free - The Hearts (single) - this is the one that sounds like Aztec Camera.
• Cristina [Marc Riley session] - Teleman (from the BBC 6 Music Marc Riley session)
• Glory Hallelujah - Teleman (from 'Brilliant Sanity')

TheRobster's Top 10 albums of 2014 (part two)

Here's the other five of my top 10 albums of 2014. One or two surprises? Or pretty much what you expected? Have I missed out something you love? Let me know your top picks of the year in the comments section.

'Pe'ahi' - The Raveonettes
Without a doubt the Danish duo's best album to date. It's definitely their angriest with buzzing guitars and wickedly nasty lyrics, yet still dreamy and tuneful in keeping with their previous work. My album of the year - it's that good!

Soundtrack:

• A Hell Below - The Raveonettes (from 'Pe'ahi')

'Indie Cindy' - Pixies
Look, Pixies circa 2014 were never going to be like the Pixies of 1989, even if they had never broken up in the first place. Once you consider that, you realise what a good record 'Indie Cindy' actually is. Although there's two or three songs on here that wouldn't have sounded out of place on 'Bossanova' or 'Trompe Le Monde', I wouldn't want the greatest band of my lifetime to make a record that sounded like one they made before, so good on 'em. Quality!

Soundtrack:

• Blue Eyed Hexe - Pixies (from 'Indie Cindy')

'Breakfast' - Teleman
One of MrsRobster's top picks of the year, and who am I to argue? In fairness, it is a really good record. Melodic and melancholic, it shows off the quality tunes and lyrics that graced the best work  of Pete and the Pirates (of which three-quarters of Teleman were members) while retaining enough originality to stand on its own as a more than worthy debut.

Soundtrack:

• In Your Fur - Teleman (from 'Breakfast')

'Beauty And Ruin' - Bob Mould
It's Bob Mould - it's all you need. Chunky riffs, good tunes, a bit of screaming here and there - yep, all present and correct. Another triumph, and a great album for the car, especially to get you going in the morning.

Soundtrack:

• The War - Bob Mould (from 'Beauty And Rain')

'Soused' - Scott Walker & Sunn O))) 
Bizarre, compelling, difficult and terrifying in equal measures. The very idea of such a collaboration between a legendary 60s crooner and drone metal exponents is intriguing enough, but the fact I found myself gripped from start to finish proves to me it's more than pure folly. Great to listen to on headphones as there are all sorts of things going on in the background - just don't play it around small children or the easily frightened!

Soundtrack:

• Bull - Scott Walker & Sunn O))) (from 'Soused')

And a few honourable mentions...
'Inspiral Carpets' - Inspiral Carpets Really rather good comeback album;
'St. Vincent' - St. Vincent One of the critics' choices of the year, and for good reason;
'World Peace Is None Of Your Business' - Morrissey He's still got it, you know;
'Shelter' - Alcest Symphonic French shoegaze at its finest;

That'll do for now...

Penblwydd Hapus MrsRobster!

Today is MrsRobster's birthday. Of course, I'm far too polite and chivalrous to tell you how old she is - let's just say she's a woman in her prime and still a good few years younger than me!

There is only one proper way to celebrate the occasion and that's to play music. She's a bit of a fan of Teleman's debut album, and fair play to her it is a flippin' good listen. If you didn't know, Teleman were formed following the dissolution of the rather good Pete & the Pirates whose second (and sadly final) album 'One Thousand Pictures' became a bit of a Robster family favourite. Three fifths of the band reformed as Teleman and released the album 'Breakfast' last month on the increasingly brill Moshi Moshi Records.

MrsRobster is particularly fond of the song Steam Train Girl so this one's for her.



Soundtrack:

Steam Train Girl – Teleman (from 'Breakfast')