POSTS TAGGED : Miles Kane

The Last Shadow Puppets Return With New Single ‘Bad Habits’

 

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Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner and Miles Kane have returned to their Last Shadow Puppets guise to release a second album, surely among the year’s most anticipated releases.

The pair’s last album together was 2008’s The Age Of The Understatement and like it, the new one is once again produced by Simian Mobile Disco’s James Ford and Owen Pallett returns on arrangement duties. ‘Bad Habits’ is the first single from the album, and it’s loud, brash and urgent, with a spiky aggression to its slithering groovy core and insistent bassline, matched with Owen Pallett’s swirling Bond-esque string flourishes. It’s a pretty fiery return, alright.

An official release date for the so far unnamed second album has yet to be revealed, but so far all signs have pointed to a Spring 2016 release. The band are also playing Coachella so expect more live dates throughout the year. For now, check out ‘Bad Habits’ below.

 

Miles Kane – ‘Don’t Forget Who You Are’

MilesKane

Miles Kane‘s 2011 debut solo album, Colour of the Trap, was not only a hugely enjoyable record but it announced him as an artist in his own right for the first time.

Kane is set to release his second solo LP Don’t Forget Who You Are on June 3rd. Title track ‘Don’t Forget Who You Are’ follows on from ‘Give Up‘, providing further insight to what we can expect from the LP. With ‘Don’t Forget Who You Are’ we discover Kane in a lively, upbeat and remarkably positive mood. It is a lean sing-along indie classic complete with a cracking melody, hop-skip-and-a-jump kind of rhythm, spooky feedback and an athemic chorus. Kane keenly continues to express a deep and abiding love for the ’60s but in a different manner than before from the Wirral man.    

You can give ‘Don’t Forget Who You Are’ a spin for yourself below & the album of the same name is out on June 3rd.

Miles Kane – Give Up

Miles-Kane (1)

Miles Kane announced himself as a artist in his own right in 2011 with debut solo album, Colour of the Trap, an intrepid adventure through a spooky ’60s parallel universe done with style, swagger and poise.

Kane has unveiled a brand new single ‘Give Up’, which is taken from his forthcoming second album, due for release later this year. ‘Give Up’ is a gritty rocker of a tune with his recognizable powerful scouse rasp and dirty guitars ensuring little or no quarter is given. It does certainly suggest we can perhaps expect a heavier side to Kane’s music in the near future. Either way it is a top tune which will keep us entertained until details of the new album arrive.

‘Give Up’ is set to be released on February 24th, along with ‘Woman’s Touch’ and ‘The Competition’ on a brand new EP before releasing the follow-up to Colour Of The Trap.

Miles Kane – ‘First Of My Kind’

Miles Kane is quite the class act, something he proved with his debut record, Colour of the Trap, last year.

He is continuing his intrepid adventures through a spooky ’60s parallel universe with ‘First Of My Kind’, the lead song brand new EP (for Record Store Day on April 21). Kane’s characteristic charismatic charm, cheek and swagger is oozing from ‘First Of My Kind’ but it is the flamboyant, sumptuous brass that really excites.

A perfect three-minute pop song, check it below.

Miles Kane – First On My Mind

Miles Kane – Come Closer EP

Miles Kane has been one of the finest talents to emerge in 2011. Standing alone for the first time his debut solo album Colour of the Trap is sublime, as it swaggers through a whirlwind of ’60s psych-soul swathed in twangs and spooky feedback and pulse-raising rock’n’roll riffs.

Things have been going so well lately he’s decided to re-release ‘Come Closer’, this time as an EP. It includes two new original songs ‘Do I Want You’ and the hell-raising ‘KaKa Boom’, as well as a great cover of Jacques Dutronc’s ‘The Responsible’.

Miles Kane’s Come Closer EP is out now.

Miles Kane – Come Closer

Mp3: Miles Kane – KaKa Boom [audio http://dl.soundowl.com/1rmc.mp3] via Attmusic

Arctic Monkeys – Little Illusion Machine (Wirral Riddler) (Feat. Miles Kane & The Death Ramps)

Arctic Monkeys released ‘The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala’ today. The package includes is a b-side titled ‘Little Illusion Machine (Wirral Riddler)’, featuring lead vocals from Miles Kane.

‘Little Illusion Machine (Wirral Riddler)’ is dark, grimey and basked in fury, which suits Kane’s distinctive Merseyside croon.

It may only be a b-side but who cares? Arctic Monkeys team up with Miles Kane, it was always going to be a winner.

The Arctic Monkeys – Little Illusion Machine (Wirral Riddler) (Feat. Miles Kane & The Death Ramps)

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Oxegen 2011 – Saturday – Cashier No.9, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, Miles Kane & Arctic Monkeys

After an impressive but sparse Friday, Saturday had a lot to live up to but spirits were raised as Punchestown basked in glorious sunshine, a rare occurrence in recent years.

Away from the sunshine was Belfast 5-piece Cashier No.9 who were wooing  punters in the Heineken Green Energy tent with their brand of shimmering indie. The set which opened with EP title track ‘Goldstar’ was cheerful and charming and also included ‘Oh Pity’ and latest single ‘Lost at Sea’. A really enjoyable set and there’s little doubt these guys are ones to keep and eye on.

Over on the Main Stage fellow Northerners Two Door Cinema Club drew the biggest crowd of the weekend so far. The Bangor trio’s cheery and energetic indie-pop perfect complementing the mood of the crowd, buoyed by the sun, they lapped up tracks like ‘Something Good Can Work’ and ‘Undercover Martyn’. It was a performance full of energy and confidence as they continue to grow in stature, they seemed perfectly at home with the Main Stage billing. They also announced we can expect an album in early 2012.

London trio Kitty, Daisy & Lewis have already carved out a niche as fine purveyors of genre-hopping retro sounding music. A sound molded from a mixture of R&B, Swing, Country and Western, Rockabilly, Blues and Rock ‘n’ Roll filled the 2FM Hotpress Academy. A wonderfully charming set full of feel good, toe-tapping infectious rhythm.

Next up was Miles Kane, who is probably best known for his role in The Last Shadow Puppets alongside Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys. This boys got skills, confidence, swagger and supreme stage presence. He swaggered through a set of whirlwind of ’60s psych-soul swathed in twangs and spooky feedback and pulse-raising rock’n’roll riffs, including ‘Inhaler’, ‘Rearrange’, ‘My Fantasy’ and ‘Quicksand’ while the live ‘Kingcrawler’ almost makes the neck hairs stand on end. As the set progressed, for the first time all weekend the symbiotic relationship between artist and crowd was exploited to the full as each goes for it, pushing the other further and further. Kane’s blistering show is Saturday’s high point so far but there is still the small matter of a certain band from Sheffield to come.

For me Saturday’s main attraction was always going to be Arctic Monkeys who somehow I had never seen live. Four great albums in and they have solidified into one of the most formidable bands on the planet, surely they couldn’t let me down? They were in no mood to mess around launching into ferocious performances of ‘Brianstorm’, ‘Still Take You Home’ and ‘This House Is A Circus’. As the rolled through their set much like The Strokes the previous night, it is real drilled home how good they really are.

The new material sounded fantastic even if some of the momentum ebbed away somewhat as the rump of the crowd seemed unfamiliar with tracks like ‘Brick By Brick’, ‘Suck It And See’, ‘She’s Thunderstorms’ and to a lesser extent ‘Library Pictures’.  ‘Don’t Sit Down Because I’ve Moved Your Chair’ in particular was glorious with Turner’s voice sounding fantastic. 

The punters played their part too and when ‘When The Sun Goes Down’ and ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’ got an airing all hell broke loose throughout the crowd. ‘Teddy Picker’, ‘Florescent Adolescent’ and ‘Crying Lightening’ sounded great too before Miles Kane joined them on stage to close a memorable set with ‘505’. The performance was a glorious success if a little distant at times, the next time they announce their own Irish dates I’m there.

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Oxegen ’11 Preview

This weekend (8th – 10th of July) Oxegen rolls into Punchestown for the festivals annual appearance in Kildare.

Normally what it lacks in class it makes up with quality acts but this year I’m not so sure. Apart from other issues, I feel this is one of the most uninspiring Oxegen lineups for sometime and I don’t know if I can bring myself to shell out the cash for a ticket.

Now that bit is over I’m sure plenty of you have no such dilemma and can’t wait for the festival to kick off. Whether or not I make an appearance is irrelevant and there’s still quite a lot music worth catching over the 3 days (full stage times etc over on State.ie.

Here’s some personal selections for the weekend and feel free to post your own recommendations in the comments below, it is always greatly appreciated.

Friday:

Tame Impala (17:50 2FM Hotpress Academy Stage)

Australian psychedelic rockers Tame Impala’s stunning debut album, Innerspeaker stole many hearts last year. Expect a dazzling dose of warm fuzzy psychedelia brimming with feel good vibes, raw fuzzed up hooks and riffs. This is just the thing to set the weekend in motion.

Tame Impala – Desire Be Desire Go via Tim Bretantrum

The Strokes (21:30, Vodafone Stage)

What to say about The Strokes that hasn’t already been said? Ten years ago they helped rescue guitar music from the doldrums. A decade on, following a lengthy hiatus they returned with Angles, a record which proved the are still relevant musical force today. This should be one of the highlights of the weekend with a set full with old favourites, ‘Last Nite’ & ‘Take it or Leave It’ and new, ‘Under Cover of Darkness’ & ‘Machu Picchu’.

The last time I saw them (2004?) they were awful, Casablancas was a state but hopefully both he and the band have got their house in order.

The Strokes – Machu Picchu via smithblogsatalanta

Leftfield (23:30 Heineken Green Spheres)

Dance pioneers Leftfield (albeit minus Paul Daley) return to our shores for yet another show. These guys revolutionised dance music throughout the 90′s, pushing it to new and daring levels with two seminal albums Leftism and Rhythm & Stealth. Their show at Electric Picnic last year was disappointing with much of the atmosphere being lost in the cold night air.

Hopefully playing in a tent will suit them better along with a bit more from the Rhythm & Stealth era , perhaps the once proclaimed ‘loudest live act in the world’ can win me over again.

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Other recommendations: Maverick Sabre (18:00), The Shit Robot Show (20:15), Tiga (21:15 ) – all in Red Bull Electric Ballroom.

Saturday:

Cashier No.9 (15.55 Heineken Green Spheres)

Belfast 5-piece Cashier No.9 have been a mainstay of the Irish music scene for a number of years now. 2011 is fast becoming ‘their year’ with the release of the scintillating Goldstar EP and their debut album, To The Death Of Fun to rave reviews. Gloriously catchy, infectious and shimmering indie ahoy.

 Cashier No.9 – Goldstar via SnipeLondon

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Arctic Monkeys – Colour Of The Trap (Miles Kane Cover)

Arctic Monkeys were on French radio station OuiFM recently to record a live session as they continue to promote their latest album, Suck It And See.

While at the station the band played a number of tracks before Alex Turner decided to cover his good friend and fellow Last Shadow Puppet Miles Kane’s ‘Colour Of The Trap’. It’s a mellow acoustic cover and Turner’s distinctive croon takes centre stage a la ‘Piledriver Waltz’ and ‘Love Is a Laserquest’.

Don’t forget both Arctic Monkeys and Miles Kane play Oxegen (Saturday) in less than two weeks.

Mp3: Arctic Monkeys – Colour of the Trap (Miles Kane Cover)

via weallwantsomeone

Miles Kane – Colour of the Trap

Miles Kane seems to have been with us for an age. Surprisingly Colour of the Trap is Kane’s debut solo LP having already released records with The Little Flames, The Rascals and grandiose ’60s side-project, The Last Shadow Puppets, alongside Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys.

It was with the later that the Wirral-born musician really discovered a deep and abiding love for the ’60s. Turner’s help is enlisted again with Gruff Rhys and Noel Gallagher also lending a hand as we are whisked on a whirlwind trip through a spooky ’60s parallel universe.

Not since the emergence of The Bees has ’60s psych-soul sounded so fresh; authentically swathed in twangs and spooky feedback and atmospheres. It is a record of juxtaposition, finding a balance between the ladish swagger and pulse-raising rock’n’roll riffs of ‘Come Closer’and ‘Inhaler’ with swooning heartfelt love songs ‘Take The Night From Me’ and ‘My Fantasy’.

One of the albums highlights ‘Quicksand’, is a happy-go-lucky indie-pop freak out, of the ilk of The Coral or Echo & The Bunnymen. Like these one of Kane’s greatest assets is his distinctive Merseyside drawl, which dictates the pace ‘Rearrange’ ‘Kingcrawler’ and ‘Colour of the Trap’.

While his musical vision resides firmly in the ’60s Colour of the Trap it is fresh and full of wit, charisma and charm. It isn’t a masterpiece but it is an enjoyable record with equal measures of brilliantly executed explosive indie rock, cheery pop and touching love songs. A great combination.

Miles Kane – Come Closer

Miles Kane – Inhaler