Tenerife + Esben & The Witch

Ok, so I was in Tenerife. You can make all the jokes about it you want, but at the end of the day (unfortunately for you guys) I didn't stay there. So here I am back again, without sunburn, without tan and without money.

I'm also fairly acquainted with cockroaches now. Cockroaches, those Jeff Probsts of the animal kingdom. You always hear stories of how cockroaches can survive nuclear wars and stuff, and will easily outlive the human race. However they were all dying up there in my bedroom. Honestly sometimes going to the toilet at night was like a scene from Starship Troopers.

Besides all these things I had Esben & The Witch's debut album Violet Cries waiting for me in vinyl for when I got back. I've mentioned the band several times but if you're anything like me you can't get enough of the Brighton trio who were nominated in the top 15 for BBC's sounds of 2011. They didn't win the poll, but with a sound that could be described loosely as "marginal" it's hardly surpising that the title went to the slightly more "club 'n' radio friendly" Jessie J.

You'll have a hard time picking a hot single from the album because the whole thing's about creating an atmosphere that's a bit like Zola Jesus washing Andrew Lloyd Webber's white laundry but sticking in one black sock full of suppressed anger and a quiet growing horror that leaves it's dark stain on everything. But you know, in a great kind of way.

Second single Warpath has a new video. I think the guy in it is supposed to be me after the first cockroach encounter



For being such a good boy and pre-ordering Violet Cries I also got a "bonus super exclusive super bonus CD" with previously released, but incredibly hard to get hands on a physical copy, Lucia, at the Precipice. Yay. Also the 65daysofstatic's electrofying remix of Lucia is well worth having a listen to.



Esben & The Witch - Lucia, At The Precipice (65daysofstatic remix)

Having a serious Esben & The Witch moment

I think I'm a bit obsessed. Obsession often ends up with stalking and then someone getting horrificly mutilated/killed if we're to be believe what the likes of bolly/hollywood keeps telling us. I'm pretty adamant on not getting mutilated. At least not outside the bedroom. Eh Eh.

Er anyway.

Esben & The Witch signed to Matador Records some time this year, making them the first UK band signed to Matador in about a million years. Using their new-fandangle record label the Brightonians have released the Marching Song single also featuring a couple of new tracks.





So that's on its way in the post. But as if that wasn't enough I also found myself pre-ordering their up 'n' coming debut LP Violet Cries. That should hit my postbox sometime in January.





You can download the new track Warpath from here

I guess I really do like this band.

My little breakdown of my little trip. Part 4

Last text of this damn saga. I don't know why I go on these trips.

At the Duke of York cinema, there was a triple bill of: Melodica, Melody & Me, Erland & The Carnival and Esben & The Witch.

None of which I'd seen before and two of which I'd heard of before.

Melodica, Melody & Me are a young little twee sextet. They all looked kinda nervy on stage, but once they started playing their melodica (surprise) centered songs, they shook off all notions of nervousness.



You can download their great cover of Paul Simon's 'Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes' from here.

Download the song fool



Next was Erland & The Carnival. Oddly there were no goats, goatmasks or goatees to be seen anywhere. I don't think I've ever seen anything to do with E&theC without there being some kind of goat theme to it.



The band seemed to be well indulged in their set, but I'm guessing something went awry, as Erland the singer chucked his microphone on the floor and stormed off at the end of the last song. Awesome stuff. I was half expecting something more. Catfight/goatfight/fight in general. But no. Turns out it was just a sulk.



It was Esben & the Witch to end the night. After lots of intensive listening, I'd prioritised this as the artist to see. They're from Brighton, they're dark and they're shit hot.



I felt really let down after the gig. It was ruined by sound/technical problems throughout. Ha, the funniest bit was probably the guitarist struggling to get any sound out of his guitar until the soundguy pointed out that he should turn his amp on. Does the trick. They were loud, odd and reclusive. Fine combo. They didn't manage to wake up the two asian girls next to me though, who apparently didn't really "dig" Erland and the Carnival.



Thanks Great Escape! It was mighty fine, see ya next year then!

Toodles

Esben and the Witch

So another Brighton band from me. Who'd have guessed?
Possibly anyone.

More ace haunting gloom for you. This time from Esben and the Witch.



Named after a Danish fairytale about Esben, a witch and some major family issues, Esben and the Witch perhaps sort of sound like a cross between Florence + the Machine and The XX. Not bad eh?

E&theW will be playing at The Great Escape and E&theW will be supporting Efterklang along their tour.

And I will probably just sit at home being pathetic.