Algiers, a band from Georgia, Atlanta released their second album a few days ago. They were known as a very political band speaking and singing about the things that are necessary in these days. Their sound is a crude mixture of gospel/soul with post punk and industrial. I know this sounds to be impossible but it works on this record. Although they are famous for their live performances I saw them last year and I have to say I was disappointed about them. Most of the time I saw pictures in the background of the famous Black Panther leaders from the late 60's but the music and the show didn't touched me at all. So I was surprised how good their latest album is. Intelligent verses on a sound that has influences of Gil Scott Heron on the one side and the impact of early PIL/Throbbing Gristle. It is like they celebrating a black mess. Definitely one of the best records this year so far.
Never thought that once in my life I would listen to a political song by Depeche Mode. A song against Brexit, Trump and right wing populism is not the main thing when we think about the band. This shows once more that many artists think in the right way what happens these days.
This remix was done by Algiers, another political band from Atlanta, Georgia. They make a very unique mixture of different genres like Afrobeat, industrial, no wave and jazz inspired by XTC and PIL
Starting the last day of the festival with a late breakfast in the garden before we prepared to go to the festival again. By the time we went to the bus we saw big dark clouds in the sky and heard thunder. As we arrived to the bus station a massive rain set in and we could see several lightning over the town. Not knowing how the weather will be for the next hours we stepped into the bus and after a short ride we arrived at the festival area. And suddenly the rain stopped and the sun came out again. And it lasted until the festival was over.
First band we could see was Sara Hartman. She is a New York born and now Berlin living singer/songwriter. She impressed with a very deep voice and catchy songs. There is a lot of potential in her songs and I look forward when she will be invited to a duet by any electronic artists.
After this perfect set we moved into the big tent to see Suuns. I really looked forward to see this band from Montreal, Canada, live because I like their sound. The don't make songs in classic style. It is more a collage of sounds. Minimalist instruments generate sounds which come along commonly and gloomily. Here hit disastrous Synthesizer-Bleeps on bagged guitas and hypnotic song. Now and then reeling warm melodies find from time to time between major key and minor the way in the auditory canals.
Julien Baker is another singer-songwriter from Memphis, Tennessee. She is also a member of an alternative rock band called Forrister (I have to admit that they are new to me). She impressed with a clear voice and only an electric guitar to perform her songs. Sometimes the way she sung reminded me to SOAK I saw last year on the festival. If you are ready for some intimate songs you can find yourself home at her.
Between two concerts I listened for a few songs to Algiers. I liked their record released last year and their perfect mixture of industrial, gospel, soul and punk combined with their critics against racism and capitalism. They did a good show but sadly I wasn't in the mood for this kind of music at this day.
So I moved into the small tent to see one of the hottest new German bands. I featured Isolation Berlin a few weeks ago and their appearance was awesome. The tent was strongly overcrowded by young hipsters to see an awesome set of pure punk rooted music.
One of last year's biggest hype was Destroyer. His album was promised too surely. A lot of great songs I played various times and I asked myself how will they work in a big tent. But they did. He appeared with a seven-piece band with extra trombone and saxophone. They made his sound a bit more complex and warm. If you ever get the chance to see him live - go and get yourself a ticket.
Next one on the list was Battles, a New York based experimental band. Their music moves between rock, pop, experimental, electronic and improvisation. Instead of giving up simply the initial renunciation of song, four place on distorted, electronically made unfamiliar song lines. However, these contrast not as such with the musical overall impression, but adapt themselves as a supplement.
Last band for today was Boy, a German based female duo added with a small band. The style of the duet is able Best as catchier, modern, but individual pop described which reminds of the music from Feist. For me a perfect close of a fantastic festival. Of course I missed Dinosaur Jr. because I had to catch my train home and I've seen them years ago supporting Gun Club.
Algiers released their first record these days. A friend recommended it to me and so I searched in the net for it. What I found was a very new and exciting collection of songs. Listening to their songs I thought by myself what a crazy combination of words and music. Franklin James Fisher formed Algiers with some white friends he knew from his childhood in the suburbs of Atlanta. After working in a French investment bank he quit his job to take some time out. In his music he combines the ambient doom of those post-crash days in banking and more recent unrest in Ferguson and Baltimore with a full-throated critique of the system responsible. Algiers puts its politics, Marxism and anti-kapitalism over industrial drum machine and Southern hymns and chants, finding common cause in the shouts and claps of punk and gospel. Sometimes it sounds like The Redskins make today's music. And that's not too bad at all.
