Twilight Elevators' demo EP starts off with 'Lost and Found,' a track which is beautifully understated. Light and playful drums waltz around with melodic guitars, creating a relaxed and warming feel. Folk and blues influences blend effortlessly together, and singer Josh Worthington's vocals glide into the mix. It has the same type of complicated sentiment that Scars on 45 achieve; an abstract longing tinged with self deprecation.
The second track, 'Barkisland Bandits' is more upbeat in tempo and instantly catchier, bouncing along with plucky guitars and smooth harmonica. The vocals are sparse and bittersweet, light enough to float along the track and give it a summery feel.
The last two songs are both littered with tenderness and longing, the melancholy tempo gives the songs a much sadder and reflective tone, a Bon Iver reference would not be out of place. It's a pleasant enough EP to listen to, but the politeness restricts them from having the impact they could.
The Good The Bad have forgone the convention to have a singer in the band: instead they are made up of two guitarists and a drummer. In doing so, each track is packed with energetic guitar that provide the illustration, rather than the vocals. With the lyrical aspect stripped bare The Good The Bad indulge the senses with seductive melodies that flirt throughout the EP.
They provide a similar dramatic flare and rawness to The White Stripes with some surf guitar thrown in for good measure. It would not be out of place on a Tarantino soundtrack, but providing the accompaniment for the scene rather than defining it.
It's full on hip swinging, vodka drinking, let's get down and dirty instrumental rock. However, there are points where it sounds a little to close to an Arctic Monkeys recording where Alex Turner has gone to get a pint. Well executed and worth a listen, but could do with a few more individual characteristics to take it up a step.
Following up on the storming success of his first album, 'Hand Built By Robots,' Faulkner has released his second album; an album that nearly didn't happen. A few days before Faulkner was due to start the recording process he fell, badly breaking his wrist and dislocating his right hand, a problem for anyone, let alone a guitarist. At first it looked like Faulkner might have permanent damage but luckily a new treatment was available and after having a metal bolt placed in his wrist, Faulkner made a full recovery, cue the aptly named 'Rebuilt by Humans.'
The first single to be released is 'If This Is It' a "euphoric hymn" about Faulkner's love of gigging. Although the single is steeped in personal sentiment, it's general enough to allow individual interpretation, hence it could easily be a romantic love song. Faulkner's style of using more than just the strings on his guitar is thankfully still present; giving a subtle flow to the single.
'If This Is It' is sparse to begin with, just Faulkner and his guitar, but the track builds with the edition of drums and elegant strings that build into a powerful chorus. It's a dreamy first single, full of promise for another great album.
The venue is practically packed out by the first support act, Back Ted N-Ted, who casts a lonely figure on the stage. Even though it is just one man and a guitar the noise he is making is massive, thanks to the computers and gadgetry that litter the stage. Electro pop rock rushes out the speakers and Back Ted N-Tedputs down his guitar and gives the audience a snippet of beat boxing that he then layers to create his track 'Hookie', which is accompanied by some very interesting dancing. He announces that it is his job to 'warm up the crowd' and he is certainly doing that, getting a great reaction from the audience, even if no one has joined in with the dancing.
Imogen Heap comes on to introduce the second support act, telling us how she spotted him at a gig her friend was playing at and stole him for her tour. She seems instantly adorable, casually chatting to the audience and praising her support acts.
Tim Exile comes out and a member of the audience shouts "you look like Jimmy Carr", Tim Exile deals with it very well, he does look slightly like a more attractive Jimmy Carr even with the horrendously brilliant jumper he is wearing. You can't help but be impressed with this guy, its sounds like New Order gone dark with bass pounding so hard I nearly lose my footing. His voice is quite soft so gets lost among the raging sound graffiti that is coming from the stage. The music he has produced from his computer and gadgets is really impressive for its technical ability. Though some of the tracks aren't particularly cohesive and are missing momentum in places, how he is producing them is technically extraordinary, layering up sounds that by themselves have no musical essence into a crafted track. I get worried at one point when some bit of kit isn't working properly but Tim Exile manages turn it into a comic moment and you can't help but warm to the guy. Considering it is just himself and he is restricted behind a desk containing a computer, wires and enough gadgets to give a music geek an orgasm, he fills the stage and demands attention.
By the time that Imogen Heap floats onto the stage to a chorus of wolf whistles and "We love you Imogen" the audience are at bursting point. It's easy to see why men are shouting out "I want your babies" as she is strikingly beautiful and moves about the stage with a feline presence. Her impossibly tall hair, creative outfit and waterfall necklace fit well with the magical stage design, where a ten foot tree takes centre stage. Off its branches hang and gong and an assortment of bells and percussion, which twinkle from the fairy lights set amongst its branches. Underneath the tree is a Perspex piano which although it looks impressive Imogen tells us it's a bugger to put together. When she asks the audience if she looks ok there is a resounding yes and yet more wolf whistles.
She opens with 'First Train Home' the first single from the recently released Ellipse album for which she has just won a Grammy. Her voice is spectacular, even though she fluffs the first verse and starts again she is note perfect and it's endearing. It's a great opening number as she rushes about the stage using various technologies to produce a powerful and emotive sound. The next track 'Wait it out' is a more down beat affair with Imogen and the piano which showcases her breathy voice that she doesn't just use but manipulates. On the next track she starts to layer up the song by blowing on her wrists and making a drumming movement. She explains that she has tiny microphones attached to her wrists so she can just go up to any instrument without it being miced up, and she has plenty to choose from. On stage she is joined by the support acts and a drummer who help her through a magical and mystical set.
For one song she brings on a guy who was interviewing her earlier and let slip that he plays cello. Imogen has been auditioning people to come and play cello on tour with her and had mentioned in the interview she felt bad she hadn't done this for Leeds. It highlights her humble and down to earth nature that she is so inclusive and unpretentiousness with her music. This is confirmed when she is asked about he she felt about Jason DeRulo sampling 'Hide and Seek' for his single 'Watcha Say'. She explains that she thought it was "inventive" and her philosophy that after she has finished a track it takes on a life of its own and doesn't belong to her anymore, she is just happy making the music she loves.
Not only is the music she is producing fascinating but so is how she creates it. I think you could give her some chop sticks and a vacuum cleaner and she could make beautiful sounds from it. The drummer has a device (that was used by pilots to communicate) around his neck that allows him to sing the bass line, Imogen prances around with a Boomwhacker (a hollow, long plastic tube) and for 'Tidal' she rocks sunglasses and a Keytar.
She puts on a great show, she constantly mumbles to herself and people off stage and it all seems a bit chaotic up there, but this only adds to the charm as its tight and organised where it needs to be, the music. The crowd have obviously been waiting for the encore 'Hide and Seek', again with the help of a Keytar, and being able to part of the experience is magical. There is something really enchanting about Imogen Heap, while with some artists you feel like they are baring their soul on the stage, with Imogen it feels like her imagination. She pulls off a captivating and creative performance, she is confident but accessible, funny, engaging and charming, this experimental music at its most beautiful. 
The Sailmakers are an acoustic three piece indie band from Keighley, formed in late 2008. Having started out as an acoustic act; they added a drummer and then went electric.
'Unsteady On His Feet' starts off with gentle guitar which give the track a folky feel from the beginning. The drums come in with a tribal and raw beat giving the song great energy and power. The vocals are a little slow at coming in but when they do the singer's voice has a nice tone and the lyrics are clear, if a little simplistic. The backing vocals continue with the restrained folk feel, which gives the song a rustic texture but sounds very professional with it.
They fit very nicely into the folk / rock genre that began to bubble up in late 2009 and looks set to be big this year. The Sailmakers wouldn't be out of place supporting Mumford and Sons or Bon Iver, but aren't up to surpassing them yet; although I wouldn't rule it out that they will have a bloody good go at it. For a relatively young band, at least with this final line up, it's a really great track that will have you tapping your feet and leave you considering going see them live.
Every once in a while an EP comes along that you just can't get off repeat play, 'Human Nurture' is however as far removed from one of these as you can possibly get.
Loverman promises "a small but perfectly formed clutch of songs, steeped in ominous noise and macabre imagery and a tenderness of the sort you get in half healed flesh wounds." Well I do feel like I have been shot, in the leg, twice; listening to it is physically painful. Perfectly formed translates to breathtakingly horrendous, it sounds like some angst ridden teens taking out their frustrations on some instruments they haven't figured out how to play yet. Everything sounds clumsy and disengaged and any sense of melody or beat seems like an afterthought.
It most closely fits into a hard rock genre and is possibly what System of a Down would sound like if you removed their talent. The problem is they are trying too hard to be shocking, without being intelligent or witty. Starting with 'Crypt Tonight' which includes the line "I'm a sex offender / I'm your children's teacher," which says it all really. The bass and drums aren't bad; they aren't great either but they're probably the best things about the EP.
It's hard to pinpoint what is the worst thing about this EP; the lead singer alternates between screeching and sinister. In the latter moments it doesn't sound too bad and a Nick Cave reference wouldn't be wholly out of place.
Ok, so I'm being quite harsh, 'Barbs' isn't too bad a track, the vocals are smoky, smooth and have lost the stifling quality that scars the other tracks. Its downbeat and shows musicality which is absent in the rest of the EP and portrays emotion as the lyrics aren't distorted by screams.
