I don’t know what it is about Brighton that makes it such a breeding ground for dark cabaret acts. Maybe it’s something in the water, but it’s just about the only image that comes to mind when I think about Brighton – well, dark cabaret and Julia Sawalha as Lydia Bennet. Then again, maybe it has more to do with the fact that I spend so much time listening to Bitter Ruin and Birdeatsbaby (I’ve been especially keen on Birdeatsbaby the last few weeks) that I never have time to explore what else the city has to offer. And today is no different, especially in light of the new videos both bands have release in the last fortnight.
You probably know about the Bitter Ruin video. Tim Minchin shared it over the weekend. Then Stephen Fry tweeted it (and I’m pretty sure 93% of the people who read this blog also follow the Marvelous Mr. Fry), so feel free to skip down to the next paragraph if you’ve heard this one before. After all, they pop up here from time to time – and this particular video is for “Trust”, which is basically the quintessential Bitter Ruin song (it was old the first time I featured them here 18 months ago). But still I can’t get enough of it. There’s something almost Shakespearean about watching Ben and Georgia trade jabs like some sort of sadistic Beatrice and Benedick that adds a degree of vitality to the visceral sensuality that is so indicative of their music.
Then there’s Birdeatsbaby whose “Through Ten Walls” gives us a Gothic glimpse into their upcoming album Feast of Hammers – and I mean “Gothic” in the Revival sense. Recorded in Boston this past spring with Jason Rubal (Dresden Dolls; The Cure), Feast of Hammers promises more of the rich instrumental textures and metric modulations that marked their 2009 debut Here She Comes-a-Tumbling and made their single “The Trouble” a YouTube hit. Combined with Mishkin’s endearingly bleak and cynical lyrics and wry wit, it’s pretty easy to see why Birdeatsbaby would have been Mary Shelley’s favourite band (were it not for that pesky 200-year generation gap).
So maybe you know something about what’s going on over there that I don’t. If you do, please enlighten me. Why are they so good at this? Or perhaps I’ll just have to swing by this fall and check it out for myself. Who knows, maybe some of it will rub off on me. In the meantime, if you’re geographically inclined, catch Birdeatsbaby with the ubiquitous Jason Webley in Brighton on Friday (26th August). [tickets]
I feel as if I’ve read through innumerable Best Of lists this month, as, I suspect, do you (especially if you’ve managed to make it far enough down your googling results to reach my little bit webspace). And, as is usually the case, most of them probably read as a tidy summation of what began the year as the most anticipated releases of 2010 with a few surprises thrown in for good measure. But, as hard as I try, no list I can pull together could hope to effectively encapsulate the music of 2010. Of course, there are the usual gaps in my listening, as there are with anyone. But, more importantly, I think the legacy of this past year, at least in my experience, will be an idea. ‘Beauty is back‘.
With it’s near-flawless litany of releases, the genre-bending and earth-shattering work of New Amsterdam Records is proof enough that beauty is a priority once again. But add to that the utter sweetness of The Secret Sisters, rampant sexual tension of Bitter Ruin, the raw power of My Gold Mask and Dimbleby & Capper, and the sheer joy of Super Desserts and Allo Darlin’, and our rediscovery of the visceral impact of technique and execution is impossible to ignore.
I haven’t ranked the albums and EPs on this list. Their very appearance here will attest to my attachment to them (if you want more details—well, that’s what the rest of this blog is for). Still, despite the ironic egalitarianism of my Best Ofs, there is one album which stands out in my mind as the landmark achievement of 2010. This one.
That ashcloud over Iceland has been wreaking havoc on a lot of people’s lives lately–and a lot of bands’ tour plans. However, some bands, like Bitter Ruin, have actually managed to benefit from it. They’ve managed to land support slots in the first few shows of Amanda Palmer’s current tour–all thanks to Twitter. I thought it only fitting, then, to catch up with them and conduct my first ever all-Twitter interview–a Twinterview (ok, so we’re still working on the name). Also, they’re in the UK right now, set to open for Amanda again in London on Thursday night–Twitter is cheaper and easier than long-distance phone calls.
The nice thing about Twitter is that people can follow the interview as it happens. Also, the transcription process is way easier. Let me know what you think of this format. I may do this again. Enjoy.
TheIndieHandbk: Sorry about the late hour. How are you guys tonight?
BitterRuin: We’re good, busy, tired, but still buzzing from the gigs
TheIndieHandbk: I should say so. You’ve had something of an exciting last few days. How has the @amandapalmer tour experience been?
BitterRuin: Incredible, we still can’t believe it happened
TheIndieHandbk: I believe that. How exactly *did* it happen, anyway?
BitterRuin: Well, we’ve contacted Amanda in several ways before, but we have the ashcloud to thank, she needed support and we tweeted
TheIndieHandbk: Every ashcloud has a silver lining, I suppose. So have you convinced AFP to keep you on tour beyond tomorrow night yet?
BitterRuin: We’ll deffo be making an appearance, but she does have another act lined up too, so we’ll be cut short 😦
TheIndieHandbk: Well, for the record, @amandapalmer, I think you should take @bitterruin with you everywhere, and bring them back to the States with you.
BitterRuin: OH GOD, we do too, we just wanna stay on tour now! But, she has plans and I think we’ve gone as far as we can go 😦
TheIndieHandbk: Maybe for this slice of serendipity, but judging by the activity on your Facebook page, I’d say you have a ways to go yet.
BitterRuin: We’d love to tour immediately, but getting the money/transport/venues and the number of fans will be hard
TheIndieHandbk: So do you have any future tours in the works? I thought I heard rumblings about one earlier today.
BitterRuin: Yes, well, we’ll be gong back to dublin for sure – we’re always in London and Brighton, and Bristol’s not far
TheIndieHandbk: You’ve got a new EP due out next month, don’t you? That should help generate some interest, especially after this week.
BitterRuin: It’s actually our first full length album, recorded in the states with one of AFP’s producers…out 26.05.10
TheIndieHandbk: I didn’t realise it was a full LP. That’s brilliant! How do you think it compares to your other releases?
BitterRuin: Well, it’s been called ‘darker’…It’s so much more dramatic and actually less polished, you know, adds character
TheIndieHandbk: I was going to say. I’ve been reading through the lyric book I bought from you, and they are almost brutal.
BitterRuin: ha ha, the books or the lyrics?
TheIndieHandbk: The lyrics. Though I should add, the books are beautiful. I bought the We’re Not Dancing book as well.
TheIndieHandbk: So, let’s talk about the making of the record. You kept a video diary during the writing process, didn’t you?
BitterRuin: Yes, we tried to, but next time we need someone else to film and edit as we haven’t had enough time to finish them
TheIndieHandbk: I was rather impressed that you even attempted that, actually. What is your songwriting process like?
BitterRuin: Well, we both write seperately and then put the songs through the Bitter Ruin blender, they pop out the other side and TA DA
TheIndieHandbk: Well that Bitter Ruin blender works well. Your songs all have a certain identifiable quality and a definite theatrical streak.
TheIndieHandbk: I suppose that bit of dark cabaret is why you pair so well with AFP. But is that theatrical element intentional?
BitterRuin: It just seems natural for the music. I think our songs would look/sound stupid if we didn’t pull out the theatrics on stage
TheIndieHandbk: Well, your onstage chemistry is brilliant, and it fits the sound perfectly. But how would *you* describe the Bitter Ruin sound?
BitterRuin: Noir beauty! 🙂
TheIndieHandbk: Oh, that’s good. I’ve been thinking “gothic flamenco-soul” all day, but I think the noir reference is essential.
TheIndieHandbk: It certainly captures the look and the photography, which is just intoxicating, by the way.
BitterRuin: Joe Shepherd does all of our shoots. They’re always in bizarre places, latest one, a mental hospital!
BitterRuin: I think gothic tends to put people off, and soul would attract the wrong audience…it’s hard to get it right, suggestions?
TheIndieHandbk: I know, gothic is tough, but it’s gothic in the sense of Lemony Snicket or Northanger Abbey. You know, gothic, but in a fun way.
BitterRuin: Yeah, we mean *actual* gothic not high school gothic
TheIndieHandbk: I’ll let you know if I come up with anything. How does your music compare to the rest of the “Brighton scene” if there is one?
BitterRuin: mmm, brighton is tough, there’s a big music school here, and not much talent in it…ssshh, I’d recommend @birdeatsbaby
TheIndieHandbk: You know, you’re not the first to recommend @birdeatsbaby to me. I suppose I have no choice but to check them out now.
TheIndieHandbk: And, I have to say, I absolutely *love* the mental hospital photo shoot idea. I think it fits your sound perfectly, no offense…
BitterRuin: hahaha, no, it’s ok, we know we’re insane, the madness is what drives the music…it’s the voices, they write all the songs
TheIndieHandbk: Well, I know it’s getting late for you two and you’ve got a show tomorrow, so I’ll let you go in a moment. Where’s the next gig?
BitterRuin: Next gig with Amanda is tomorrow at Koko, we’ll be busking before the show, after that it’s Brighton 26th May/London 22nd May Album Launch
TheIndieHandbk: Well, thanks for chatting. It’s been great fun. I’m looking forward to hearing the new album and seeing you here in the States.
TheIndieHandbk: Though, I have been known to travel a long way for a gig (just ask @theschoolband), so you never know.
BitterRuin: Thanks for having us, see you soon. Night night!
TheIndieHandbk: It’s my pleasure. I’ll get a transcript up tonight for those who missed the live version. Cheers, guys! Good night.
I don’t know what it is about Brighton that makes it such a breeding ground for dark cabaret acts. Maybe it’s something in the water, but it’s just about the only image that comes to mind when I think about Brighton – well, dark cabaret and Julia Sawalha as Lydia Bennet. Then again, maybe it has more to do with the fact that I spend so much time listening to Bitter Ruin and Birdeatsbaby (I’ve been especially keen on Birdeatsbaby the last few weeks) that I never have time to explore what else the city has to offer. And today is no different, especially in light of the new videos both bands have release in the last fortnight.
I feel as if I’ve read through innumerable Best Of lists this month, as, I suspect, do you (especially if you’ve managed to make it far enough down your googling results to reach my little bit webspace). And, as is usually the case, most of them probably read as a tidy summation of what began the year as the most anticipated releases of 2010 with a few surprises thrown in for good measure. But, as hard as I try, no list I can pull together could hope to effectively encapsulate the music of 2010. Of course, there are the usual gaps in my listening, as there are with anyone. But, more importantly, I think the legacy of this past year, at least in my experience, will be an idea. ‘
The Indie Handbook 