Neil Pennycook Archives - Various Small Flames https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/tag/neil-pennycook/ New and independent music Fri, 29 Jul 2016 10:44:30 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://i0.wp.com/varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/cropped-finalwhite-e1490809629909-1.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Neil Pennycook Archives - Various Small Flames https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/tag/neil-pennycook/ 32 32 88787050 Meursault – The Organ Grinder’s Monkey https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2014/03/11/meursault-the-organ-grinders-monkey/ Tue, 11 Mar 2014 19:00:52 +0000 http://www.wakethedeaf.co.uk/?p=262 Edinburgh’s Meursault released their debut album, Pissing On Bonfires/Kissing With Tongues back in 2008, and have since released two more brilliant albums, All Creatures Will Make Merry and Something For The Weakened. Despite this impressive back catalogue, and heaps of critical acclaim, the band have never toured America. Well all that is about to change thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign which has helped fund a trip to SXSW and subsequent east coast tour. That’s all very exciting for American fans or those braving […]

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]]> Edinburgh’s Meursault released their debut album, Pissing On Bonfires/Kissing With Tongues back in 2008, and have since released two more brilliant albums, All Creatures Will Make Merry and Something For The Weakened. Despite this impressive back catalogue, and heaps of critical acclaim, the band have never toured America. Well all that is about to change thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign which has helped fund a trip to SXSW and subsequent east coast tour.

That’s all very exciting for American fans or those braving the trip to Texas, but why should the rest of us take notice? The answer lies in the ingenious method of fundraising that the band used along with the good folks over at Song, by Toad Records. The basic premise was that anyone who pledged support to the Kickstarter campaign was asked to vote for up to five songs that they would like to hear the band play on a specially produced album. And they weren’t limited to Meursault songs, suggestions of covers were welcomed.

The result is a pseudo-covers album (pseudo as there are a couple of re-imagined Meursault tracks thrown in too, such as the re-worked version of ‘Dearly Distracted’ in the player below), which has been wonderfully captured and produced. It must also be said that Meursault fans have great taste, with some of my all-time favourite songs making it onto the album (see ‘No Children’ by Mountain Goats and Wolf Parade’s ‘I’ll Believe In Anything’ in particular).

Each track has its merits, and I really don’t think there’s a dud amongst the fourteen strong collection. A personal favourite is the cover of Chad VanGaalen’s ‘Rabid Bits of Time’, which is perfectly suited to Neil Pennycook’s emotive vocals.

You can get the album now via Song, by Toad Records.

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]]> 262 Meursault https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2011/01/18/scotland-is-home-to-some-of-my-favourite-artists/ Tue, 18 Jan 2011 17:43:00 +0000 http://www.wakethedeaf.co.uk/?p=882 Scotland is home to some of my favourite artists. The Twilight Sad and Frightened Rabbit are probably in my top ten bands of the last 5 years or so and there seems to be new stuff drifting down from across the northern border all the time. Edinburgh, while not as popular for visiting muscians as Glasgow, has some real talent emerging. Meursault aren’t exactly new, they released their debut album, Pissing on Bonfires/Kissing With Tongues, in 2008 (with local label Song, By Toad) and released […]

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]]> Scotland is home to some of my favourite artists. The Twilight Sad and Frightened Rabbit are probably in my top ten bands of the last 5 years or so and there seems to be new stuff drifting down from across the northern border all the time. Edinburgh, while not as popular for visiting muscians as Glasgow, has some real talent emerging.

Meursault aren’t exactly new, they released their debut album, Pissing on Bonfires/Kissing With Tongues, in 2008 (with local label Song, By Toad) and released another, All Creatures Will Make Merry, to critical acclaim in 2010. Neil Pennycook’s grand-sounding voice is equally suited to the acoustic folky songs, the quicker electronic numbers and the fuzzy lo-fi efforts. Neil and Co. have what it takes to become huge, at least to the audience that listens to honest, well-crafted music.

“Bury me face down. Bury me so I might see the ground.”

*Video by Song, By Toad. Read Matthew’s blog for some hidden gems and brutally honest reviews.

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