Triptych Round-Up

It says a lot about the passion of Kling Klang, that they contributed one of the best performances of this year's Triptych Festival. From out of nowhere, the Liverpool four-piece stole the show from their more illustrious counterparts with a performance that was equal parts invention and energy. There was something novel about their set-up, consisting of 3 synthesizers and drums, while their sound is a unique mix of stoner rock sludge and Kraftwerk style electro. The drummer was, quite frankly, fantastic while some of the monsterous guitar riffs had the walls rattling. Most impressive, though, was the sheer passion of this young band as their label boss, Stuart Braithwaite, looked on proudly.

65 Days of Static are unbelievebly talented musicians, there can be no doubting that. Some of the rythmns the drummer was pounding out were outrageoeus. An inventive blend of glitch electronica and precise post-rock, they sound something like a collaboration between Mogwai and Aphex Twin. It was all remarkably impressive at the start. Things, however, got a bit tedious towards the end with the band relying on the same formula throughout the whole set. Not a particularly bad thing, but a little more variety could have propelled this performance to a higher standard. Having said that, they certainly know how to channel the enormous amounts of energy they project and I can see why people swear by 65 DOS. They are certainly a different kettle of fish, but perhaps they suffer from trying to cram too much of a good thing into the one set.

While both 65 DOS and Kling Klang were certainly exciting, the same cannot be said about The Cinematic Orchestra. A performance that would cure even the most extreme cases of insomnia, everything was carefully measured and, therefore, soulless. The musicianship was impeccable, but this was a problem. It left you almost praying for a mistake, a sense of a human touch. But at £18 per ticket, I left feeling that listening to the CD rather than going to see The Cinematic Orchestra live, would have been a better option. Considering they have a new album to promote, this was one lacklustre (and boring) show.

120 Minutes

Before last night, I can't remember the last time I sat down to watch MTV. Gone are the glory days of shows like Ray Cokes, Alternative Nation and Headbangers Ball. Instead, we are lumped with Zane Lowe and his annoying accent (and questions) and NME charts. Even the institution that is 120 Minutes has shunted to the small hours of the morning on MTV2. Easily the best show MTV has to offer, last night's viewing offered songs by Minotaur Shock, Juana Molina, M83 and Schneider TM. Not exactly media-freindly music, but far more interesting nontheless. A couple of videos caught my attention and are definitely worth checking out.

Kling Klang : "Heavydale" (Rock Action Records)



First up, is Liverpool based 'future rockers', Kling Klang. Signed to the Mogwai owned Rock Action Records, I love this mix of Black Sabbath guitars and psychedelic Kraftwerk synths. I always remember Mogwai saying they would only sign bands that didn't sound like them, well Kling Klang sound like no-one else. I'll be checking them out during the Triptych Festival.


Cornelius : "Fit Song" (Warner)



I've actually heard better from Japanese virtuoso, Cornelius, than "The Fit Song", especially on his colourful 2001 album "Point". But the promo video for this is tremendous and definitely the product of having a major label budget at his disposal.


Kings Of Leon : "On Call" (RCA)



You may find this is a surprising inclusion, considering what I normally listen to. But, you can't beat a bit of classic, melodic rock'n roll, especially when it is done in such a perfect way. This Kings of Leon track reminds me slightly of The Pixies, especially that thumping bassline and is taken from their new album "Because Of The Times"