8-Track Stereo & The La Fontaines

Edinburgh – Cabaret Voltaire – 27/06/09

13 Piece Jig Saw

A last minute addition to the bill, 13 piece Jigsaw is probably not what most of tonight’s crowd were expecting to see tonight. This is music that challenges the conventions of songwriting and is not what you would call radio friendly. With some songs reaching the upwards of 7minutes this band is not afraid to experiment. This is the sound of musicians that are keen to try and do something new and inventive. With occasional flurries of genius 13 piece Jigsaw is a band to watch this year.

The Knight Fire

Although only second on the bill, it was obvious by the crowd’s reaction that most of them were here tonight to see The Knight Fire: and deservedly so. The boys may be young, but their set is delivered with the precision of a seasoned touring band. The guys had everything down, from their sexy guitar licks, to their phat bass grooves, these guys rocked the party. Possibly the most pleasant surprise came from from the drummer, who was testament to the fact that age and skill are not relative: the drums were so tight that a drum machine could not have played the set more perfectly. This is all before I even mention the tunes! Classic old school rock and roll with a modern twist; this is pop heaven (in a good way). If you have not seen this band yet, you will…

The LaFontaines

For anyone who has not heard The LaFontaines yet go and check them out RIGHT NOW at www.myspace.com/thelafontainesmusic then come back and read this review…

Right, now that you have heard how awesome and exciting this band is imagine these songs in a live setting… pure genius. This is a band that have used genre fusion without the music sounding gimmicky and contrived in any sort of way. These are well crafted songs written by extremely talented musicians who rightly deserve the air time they strive for in “Superstar”. While on the subject, “Superstar” is without a doubt this year’s best summer anthem, if this song does not get the band noticed then it will be the industries loss. Finishing the set by getting a gang of kids on the stage (Moan the YMT!) summed up the tone of this performance perfectly; it was an intense performance that was all about keeping the crowd happy, and that The Lafontaines did to a T.

8-Track Stereo

There is no denying that any band following The LaFontaines must be the teeny tiniest bit nervous, but if 8-track are nervous, they are hella good at hiding it! When the band hit the stage they play with such an air of confidence and experience that the crowd is drawn in instantly. Of course confidence is nothing without a tune to back it up, luckily 8-track are full of great tunes, ranging from anthemic rock ballads to catchy indie-esque pop tunes. Every song here was written with care, there are no through away tunes or lazy verses; this is song writing at its finest. By using the contrast between heavy and easy going 8-track stereo keep an already tired crowd going right up to their very last note. If this band could get the right backing their tunes could fill stadiums…