Oxjam
THERE were warm fuzzy feelings all round on Thursday night at the Deaf Institute as a healthy mid-reading-week crowd helped to put an end to world poverty by drinking Trof lager and listening to some emerging musical talent at this year's Oxjam festival launch party.
There was an inauspicious start with the opening act limping through set of earnest office-rock ballads on an out of tune electric guitar in front of a scant audience, but the mood changed drastically with the arrival of exhilarant alt-rock quartet Everything Everything (pictured).
Weirder territory
Their sublime harmonising, erudite lyrics and ambitious arrangements got a toe-tapping crowd together in no time. This band incorporate the best bits of Foals and British Sea Power but possibly with Peter Gabriel somewhere at the helm forcing them into weirder territory than either plain old indie or math rock will allow.
Next up, Leicester boys Kyte lacked the edgy energy of their predecessors and struck an anachronistic tone in contrast, with their melancholic, tumbling instrumental interludes reminiscent of early Sigur Ros or Maps.
Art-rock extravaganza
Maturity and talent were both in evidence but, it has to be said, a xylophone is one thing; chime bars in a red plastic carry case are just twee. Especially when sitting stop a synth that could in all likelihood kick out a convincing electro-meta-glockenspiel if so called upon.
Puzzlingly, this art-rock extravaganza was followed by a set from Little Volcanoes, a gloriously unreconstructed swaggering indie rock band whose posturing was excruciatingly compelling and whose sound was comfortingly familiar. These guys belong to a bygone era but brought their own crowd with them who know exactly what they like.
Genre-defying
Headliners The British Expeditionary Force closed the bill with their fantastically eclectic, genre-defying sound. Formed from the remnants of acclaimed Newcastle five-piece Your Code Name Is: Milo, BEF served up elegant melodies with enough experimental twists to keep the crowd rapt until the end of their set, if not, sadly, the end of global poverty.
What did you think? Have your say.
Reviewed: Mon, 10 November, 2008
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