April's Americana Night sees a double dose of Mancunian music from alternative folk rockers Last Harbour and singer/songwriter Garron Frith, sandwiching local boys Lomas who make their Grapes debut. Doors open at 8pm and entry is just £3.
***LAST HARBOUR***
Last Harbour are a Manchester-based band playing rustic, cinematically atmospheric songs that rattle and loom, at once epic and intimate, harsh and beautiful. This is music with a strong emotional content, both bitter and beautiful. The seven-piece band effectively operate as a collective of like-minded musicians, all of whom are involved in other artistic work including illustration, photography, film-making and recording. Singer Kevin Craig's distinctive papercuts illustrate much of the band's own artwork.
Their third album 'Dead Fires & The Lonely Spark' was released on March 3rd 2008 on Little Red Rabbit Records (preceeded by the 'My Knowen Foe' EP in February). 'Dead Fires & The Lonely Spark' follows previous highly-acclaimed releases and recent tours with Willard Grant Conspiracy and Mark Mulcahy.
The seven-piece have returned with their most ambitious record yet, which veers from elegantly orchestrated soundscapes to full-blown electric dramas, encompassing birth, marriage and death along the way. Working with producer Richard Formby (Spacemen 3, Herman Dune, Dakota Suite), Last Harbour have turned their backs on the digital revolution, instead using antique equipment to record in glorious analogue onto 2" tape, creating a warm and atmospheric record.
At first, 'Dead Fires & The Lonely Spark' might appear to be concerned primarily with the quiet disintegration of relationships, and it certainly focuses on the violence and tenderness of simple human fallibility. There are riotous and drunken weddings ('Saint Luminous Bride', 'No-One Ever Said') and lives torn apart by things done and those unsaid ('The Further Field'). And, whilst there is no central narrative or character and each song inhabits its own environment, this collection of songs could thematically be considered a modern 'play for today', concerned as it is with social and moral conscience. But, it is also about how people are dwarfed by things beyond their control, and how they can be held prisoner or set free by circumstance.
Primarily using instrumentation that might traditionally be associated with folk music, Last Harbour hammer and sculpt their sound into unusual and beguiling forms. Understated string arrangements ('Broken Nail') and wheeling pedal steel ('Fires') envelope some songs, whilst the tension in the album's subject matter erupts into occasional bursts of declamatory noise ('Science Song', 'The Accident'). These contradictions in sound propel the album's lyrical concerns with folklore and fire and brimstone imagery into the present day and ensure that 'Dead Fires & The Lonely Spark' is the band's strongest statement to date.
"like Nick Cave fronting The Arcade Fire to soundtrack a doomed
gothic romance, and rather brilliantly done. 4/5." CLASH MAGAZINE
"Well worth investigating." UNCUT
"like Goya's black paintings, often disturbing and more often, compelling." Americana-uk.com
http://www.myspace.com/lastharbour
http://www.lastharbour.co.uk
***LOMAS***
Born from the ashes of Ebb-Tone (
http://www.myspace.com/ebbtone) and Gledhill (
http://www.myspace.com/gledhillmusic), Lomas are set to make their mark on Sheffield where the good things that Ebb-Tone were leading to left off. Combing beautiful three part harmony vocals over a varied backdrop of music, and with a heavy focus on song writing and lyrics, expect every song to tell a story alomg with intricate arrangements to draw the listener in and keep them there. Difficult to pigeonhole this band, their indie roots are nicely augmented with country vibes.
http://www.myspace.com/lomasband
http://www.lomasmusic.co.uk
***GARRON FRITH***
Northwest singer/songwriter Garron Frith is quietly making a name for himself off the back of constant gigging, and not least his stunning self-titled debut album which is available now on Ravine Records. The record was produced by one time member of The Willard Grant Conspiracy Simon Alpin, who also plays on the album. Other great musicians that contributed to the tracks include members of Grand Drive and legendary Green On Red guitarist and singer/songwriter Chuck Prophet.
Garron has opened for many acts such as Glen Tilbrook, Martin Stephenson, Danny George Wilson (Grand Drive), and most recently Southside Johnny and the Asbury Dukes.
Garron has always proved very popular on his previous appearances at our Americana Night and the album is winning him many fans too.
"beautiful country rock gem" 5/5 Sunday Express
"excellent" 4/5 Maverick Magazine
http://www.myspace.com/garronfrith
http://www.garronfrith.co.uk
Facebook Event page:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=1 ... 222&ref=mf