Why I think you should... Listen To The Kissaway Trail

The Danes have made their mark on the world for sure. Any country that can produce both Hans Christian Anderson and Lars Ulrich deserves at least a cursory glance in their direction from an artistic point of view (I realise describing Ulrich as an artist is like describing Michaelangelo as a decorator). This, in addition to certain porcine products, Peter Schmeichal and high taxation rates (but not, it seems, Great Danes, thus leaving me struggling slightly for suitable puns for this piece) makes Denmark a place of some note.


Now I'd like you to consider an addition to the short and distinguished list of quality Danish exports. The Kissaway Trail carry that all too easy description that a number of bands carry of 'sounding a bit like Arcade Fire'. The friend of mine who introduced me to them says they're like a cheerful Arcade Fire without the understanding of English. Or French, I'd be tempted to add. Either way, and despite the slightly lazy (albeit reasonably accurate) description, it's very much worth you checking them out. I'll now explain why.


Aforesaid friend (we'll call him Dave) first recommended the 'Trail to another friend on Facebook a couple of years ago. I stole this recommendation for my own fiendish purposes, and immediately downloaded the eponymous first album. I was hooked pretty quickly. The stand out song, the nonsensically titled "Smother + Evil = Hurt" (the '=' is pronounced equal rather than equals) immediately grabbed me. The jangly guitars and melodies with a full all round sound is comparable to a few bands, none of which occur to me right now, and the powerful drumming and vocal layering is great to hear. My favourite line is "Our kisses were lost and always windy". It could be evocative if we had any idea what they meant by it...


The rest of the album is along similar, heartening lines and while I don't doubt they fully believe in the sentiments of all the songs, there is also a feeling that they don't take themselves too seriously which allows the album to rattle along on a positive and generally uplifting note, while there is also some genuine craft in much of the songwriting. 


Since moving to Brighton in September I resolved to get to see as much good live music as possible, and was verily delighted to see the Danish doyens of dangle were playing in town (see I can do it too). I tried to persuade others to join me, however Tim Robbins was playing on the same night and had taken the attention of many. So I pitched up to the gig on my own, always a slightly sad act, and was one of a decent crowd of 50-75 I'd say to enjoy a performance of vigour and fun at The Hope.


After I'd bought my advance ticket a fortnight before I had made sure I that investigated their follow up album Sleep Mountain, released earlier this year, on Spotify. It's another album with loads of potential, less raw perhaps, more structure songs and maybe in some way loses that innocent tone of the first, however the songwriting is still of a high quality and there's a few great anthems in there that make for great live material.


So at the gig I had reasonably high expectations. Their sound seemed made for live performances, and indeed it proved. Most if not everyone there knew their songs so it was very much a friendly crowd, a hardcore of which were dancing far too energetically for a Wednesday night, but the guys put in a great deal to please everyone and must have gained some new fans. I came away delighted that I'd made the effort, if slightly disappointed that from what must be close to 2 hours of album material they'd only played for a little over an hour.

To look at they're a slightly strange but reasonably generically Scandinavian looking group of individuals, whilst in action they are really quite an entertaining bunch to observe. In addition to the 5 above they also had another fellow with a ginger bowl haircut whose main role appeared to be bounce up & down with a tambourine occasionally joining in the 6 part harmonies the Trail do love to throw in. They chop & change instruments although they do have generally defined roles. My favourite was the tall bass player chap (4th from left, above) who I think was Rune Pederson, who is totally loving every moment, and occasionally looks entirely surprised to be on stage doing what he clearly always dreamed of doing (albeit maybe not in venues like The Hope, which is quite the pokey shithole).


So, to answer my question - why do I think you should listen to The Kissaway Trail?They write well crafted songs that could make you smile just through their persistent optimism and enthusiasm.

• They do some quite frankly outlandish things with the English language that can't fail to please, if not amuse.
• They sound a bit like Arcade Fire, who you probably love.
• If you have a chance to see them live, you will be able to appreciate them even more by having listened to them, and will be thus heartily pleased by their on stage personas and presence.
• They arguably have more artistic merit than Lars Ulrich.
• They might just save the world.

Seek them out. They're on Spotify, Myspace, Facebook and even exist in real life or through the purchase of something call a "Compact Disk".

JAMES: Musical magic from Elliott J Brown

It's been a while since the last update, saving the world is a pretty hectic affair it seems...

Anyway, what better way to get going again than recommending some super-duper music by TBTSTW buddy Mr Elliott J Brown.

Check his website and his tunes. If you dig it, sign him. If you don't have a record company, start one. And sign him.

elliottjbrown.co.uk

- James

JAMES: Practical Android Apps...

I'm a bit of a geek. I love Star Trek, motorcycles, gadgets; you name it, I dig it. While I can't claim to be even nearly expert at any of these things, I just can't get enough of them. If it's shiny, I want to touch it, if it beeps I want to hold it, if it does more, I want one. Badly.

After feeling slightly envious, but also disdainful of the iPhone crowd (or iDiots as I like to chuckle to myself) I finally succumbed and bought an Android smartphone - namely an HTC Desire, though I prefer the company's codename "Bravo". It sounds marginally more... macho, in my not especially macho opinion.

I've left out certain apps that are useful, because they're almost standard: Social networks like Facebook and Twitter have brilliant apps available, same as YouTube and Google Maps etc.

Here are some of the best practical after-market applications you may not know of that I've downloaded and been using for the past few months. Yeah that's right, lists of things you never knew you needed. A fun and pointless app. list will be coming soon.

1) ShapeWriter / Swype keyboards

I can't say enough about swipe style keyboards. To enter text, for example "hello" you simply put a digit on "H" and drag your finger through the letters of the word until "O". Simply lift your finger or thumb from the screen to start a new word. It takes a few days to get used to but, honestly, it's so fast and intuitive I challenge anyone to get to grips with this style of character input and go back to tap-tapping. The QWERTY keyboard was designed to be used with all your fingers, people, not just thumbs. Get swiping and come join me up here on my pedestal.

Bum thing is, I don't think they're on the Android Market Place any more, but if you Google for the .apk files, they will be floating around the interweb somewhere.

2) Handcent SMS

- The stock HTC/Android SMS app works, but but it's boring to use and look at, and surprisingly limited in its functionality. Handcent SMS really lets you customise your SMS experience (Jesus, did I really just type that?) down to the tiniest detail. Like the iPhone text message set-up? Boom, you can have it on your Android phone. Everything from font to font size and text colour can be altered. You can also choose a notification tone and icon for different contacts, even what vibration pattern a contact might be associated with and how long it vibrates for. Down to a hundredth of a second.

If you're happy just playing around with something that works ok-ish, stick with the stock option. If you don't mind spending time messing around in menus and settings to get it perfect, I can't recommend Handcent enough.

3) HomePipe

This basically allows you to access your computer hard-drive from your phone via WiFi or 3G, so great for when you want to get hold of a photo or music album, or especially if you've forgotten to take documents with you.

It works surprisingly well and with ease. The only downside is that your computer, wherever it is, must be switched on and connected to the internet. There are cloud-based alternatives, such as Dropbox, but you must upload stuff to it, and there is a storage limit, unless you want to pay.

4) Places Directory

The name almost says it all. Type in the name of a place, type of place or business and this little gem brings up the nearest ones to you. It tells you how far away each place is and even provides a tiny arrow pointing in the direction it lies. Not only that, but it provides a button to dial the place directly if available or displays a map of the location. Further still, it provides user uploaded photos and reviews. I'm surprised it's not standard, it's that useful.

5) SpringPad

There are a million and one note-taking apps available, and I've tried a fair few, but SpringPad is the only one I've kept. You can take text notes, photographic notes, shopping lists that you can check-off as you go along, scan barcodes on things from books to wine. Easy peasy and very useful. Also has a couple of widgets to choose from.

6) Astro File Manager

Simply lets you explore and move the files on your phone and SD card, including data and apps, much as you might do on your computer at home. Very straightforward and very, very useful.

7) 3G Watchdog

An app with large and small widgets that keeps a track of how much of your mobile internet allowance you have used. You set your download limit (keep in mind that even "unlimited" data plans have a "fair usage" cap, so it's always worth having) and also the start and end dates of the limit. It'll keep you updated with colour-coded text and exactly how many megabytes or gigabytes your phone has gobbled up this month. Invaluable, unless you have money to burn.

8) Remote for iTunes / VLC Remote / Gmote

Lazy? Like the idea of turning the music on and off with your phone? Ditto, get a remote. I've put these into the same category as they're all media player remote controls for your laptop or desktop.

Remote for iTunes connects to your iTunes via the wireless network, just like an iPhone or iPod Touch does. It's very smooth, connects easily and works instantly and easily, providing access to go forward, backward, play, pause, shuffle, loop and change volume. My only minor beef is that you can't scroll down through all the songs individually - rather albums, artists, Playlists and iTunes DJ. You can shuffle them all though.

VLC Remote, as its name suggests, allows you to control VLC Player on your computer. You can't open the program remotely though, and you have to click View > Interface > Web Interface each time you open it, but it works so well beside that, I can't moan. Maybe there's a way around it that I've not found yet...

Gmote is not specific to a particular media player, it lets you browse folders on your computer that you've set up, stream media to your handset, and control players. It also has the ability to make your phone act as a touch-pad mouse / cursor control and keyboard. Awesome.

9) Quick Battery Indicator

A good looking widget, particularly when you compare it to some of the nasty looking battery indicators available, that's easy to read at a glance and can be set to display various power-related bits of information at a tap.

10) GDocs

Not useful to everyone, but it allows you to sync with Google Documents from the cloud, download files and even edit and create them. If you have, say, a blog that saved the world, it's a goodie for jotting down ideas and lengthier files you can then continue on your computer at home.

11) Google Maps

Simply brilliant. Mega. Brilli... oh. You get it. It's Maps as you'd find on most smartphones worth their salt, but with some really nice touches, the biggest of which is probably Google Navigator (apps within apps? Holy mackerel!) which is satnav for free. The lady talks to you and the road comes at you on the screen just as with TomTom et al.

Street View is good fun, as is Latitude if the idea of low-jacking your buddies floats your boat. There are lots of little features that you'll find a use for, one for me is being able to tap points on the map and the app will tell you how far the points are apart. You could measure stuff, or anything.

12) Barcode Scanner

It's so simple, you don't even have to press any buttons, just point the camera at a barcode and boom, you've scanned it. It'll perform searches for scanned items and also scan QR codes for other apps you find on your computer and take you to the Market Place. Everyone needs one.

- James

PEASLEY: Well, I laughed...

What did the zero say to the eight?

Nice belt!

- Austin Peasley

GEORGE ST: The Maladjusted Tourist's Guide To How To Behave In Cornwall Part 2

Apologies for lack of timely follow up to part one. I've been busy. And lovesick. And unable to focus on anything other than my lovesickness. But mostly busy.

ANYWAY

The Maladjusted Tourist's Guide To How To Behave In Cornwall (Part 2 wasn't mean to be more than one part but I rambled on so much about the driving)

Second up, of sorts, The community & how to not annoy it. Keep up!

1. "Ah, isn't this a twee little place!" NO! "Oh, it's like it's been preserved in history" NO IT HASN'T! "It's a shame that man in his van is spoiling the beautiful view of the bay in front of my holiday house" HE'S FIXING THE BLOODY WALL YOU DROVE THROUGH IN YOUR CHELSEA TRACTOR! These are not model villages, they have not been put together for purely your enjoyment, people live here, work here, exist here. Yes, we are lucky enough to live in what is a comparatively attractive area when placed against your concrete stained, gang-warfare strewn hellholes, but it cannot fit every picture postcard you've ever sent to Aunt Freda in Scunthorpe.

So if you stand in the middle of the street bemoaning to your tear-stained family the new development being built on an old disused allotment in the middle of the village (to house the displaced locals having to live with their parents, in skanky bedsits or on the street thanks to all the village housing stock lying empty all bar 2 weeks of the year as its owners, YOU, swank about in your chinos and loafers) don't be surprised if you are shot dead by furious local bystanders' stares.

2. Ok, this is a biggie. We know you don't live here all the time. But, by being financially able to buy property in our villages & towns, you are immediately demonstrating your financial viability to pay tax. Cornwall's a poor area, despite appearances maybe, and needs investment, so surely your social conscience can allow you to at least pay full amounts of council tax on your second homes (yes we know you may have 'switched' your primary residence, politician style, to your seaside retreat, that's even worse - you're not contributing enough to your own locale), and thus make a tangible and discernible contribution to the local economy and council.

100s if not 1000s of Cornwall County Council employees are currently being made redundant. You have that on your conscience.

3. Most local village shops have little capacity and at busy times of day there is likely to be a queue, especially in the peak months. During our packed days of, you know, leading our daily lives, we may pop in to quickly grab a pint of milk for cribtime, a pasty for lunch or a packet of rizlas for all other times, and we still have to queue for hours, thus wasting valuable man hours. So imagine our gall, our outrage, when we are, say, 5th in the queue, have been waiting for around 5 minutes, and you're at the checkout with your basket of caviare and starfruit, and realise you've forgotten the cinnamon sticks. "Tarquin!" you scream to the 10 year old brat currently getting under our feet, "can you run to the back of the shop and find mummy some cinnamon sticks?".

Now, instead of making us all wait for the blazered little idiot to search high and low for 5 more minutes for something he doesn't even understand (we're with him there) whilst you get angrier and angrier holding up the entire shop - why don't you LET US THROUGH, FIND THE BLOODY THINGS YOURSELF (as well as the satin bog roll you'll realise you forgot by the time he gets back, sobbing into the cinnamon) AND GET TO THE BACK OF THE QUEUE. We are not here to watch the gradual dismantling of your parental confidence over something used in some parts of the world to cure diarrhoea. We have things to do, like earning a paltry living.


Ok, so maybe my lovesickness busy nature of late has made me yet more ranty, if it were possible. Essentially, this basically boils to one thing. It's this simple. Next week (or possibly month...), I should get around to "How to ingratiate yourself to local hospitality providers" and possibly some other topics as they occur to me. In the meantime - Happy Holidays!

- George ST

DEADWARD THE DEVIANT: Stagger On

I was blind drunk. Embarrassingly, retardedly drunk.

Technically, I was a year older than I was two days before and, as a consequence, had been forcefully plied with deadly amounts of gin and champagne by my so-called friends; three grown men who should, frankly, have known better.

I awoke in a vortex of psychosis and hyperventilation with my undies around my knees; I think, in my stupor, I'd tried (and failed) to have a wank. I couldn’t have told you my own name, let alone my whereabouts.

"Oh God, I need to go home. I can't die here, I can't."

Wiping away the snot and dribble, I rolled heavily onto the floor and tried to find my clothes. I couldn't find my own fucking face.

“Christ, it's dark. I'm just gonna have to jet and explain the situation tomorrow when I come back for my things."

OK. Homeward bound. I reasoned that if I could just get to the nearest shop, I'd know where I was and how to get to my own bed.

So, on the cusp of delirium, I tried to stand and instantly recognised the (worryingly familiar) effects of alcohol-induced paraplegia. Oh no, now what? Of course: WWRBD (what would Rocky Balboa do)? Man up and stagger on, that's what. And when that inevitably fails, crawl...

Pulling myself along with my arms, my useless spaghetti legs dragging behind me, I wriggled my way to the door like a caterpillar, and out onto wet gravel.

EUGH! RAAARRR! BLUUURRRF!

I opened my eyes a short while later, sobbing and shaking violently with cold, the taste of stomach acid in my mouth and a reeking swamp of vomit beside me.

"Fuck this," I thought, "I'm staying here.” They'll surely understand, after all, you can‘t let a wreck-head into a party and expect anything else. And so I crawled back inside and onto a laundry pile in the corner of the room and fell into a twitching, fevered sleep.

That afternoon I woke up again and realised it was my own pile of laundry.

Shit.

- Deadward

GIVERÉ: The Expendables film review

The Expendables prove to be just that!

There has been an undercurrent of excitement building up, mostly among men of a certain age, anticipating the arrival of Sylvester Stallone’s new movie. The Expendables promised to be an unapologetic homage to 80s action beefcakes; low on plot, simple in concept and high in machismo.

It teams Sly with an ensemble of contemporary action heroes: Jet Li and Jason Statham, and cultish lunk-heads of past and present including Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Steve Austin and Randy Couture. The real prize though was the prospect of an on screen partnership to rival De Niro and Pacino in Heat as Stallone shared the screen for the first time with other action super-alumni and Plant Hollywooders Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Surely this should be the greatest action movie of all time?! I think not! It should have been the greatest action movie of all time but for the clusterfuck of improbability that has been left in its wake.

To briefly summarise, Stallone and his crew are a group of mercenaries sent to a tiny Island in the Gulf of Mexico to silence a rogue CIA agent (Eric Roberts) and his army of faceless uzi-fodder.

So what went wrong? Concept is simple and the cast is a fanboy’s wet dream. Script and direction! The film spends so much time finding new ways to mame, murder and humiliate that it loses its grip on reality even for the action genre. Couple this with sub-plots that, although comedic, are out of place or just full blown ridiculous and you have a film that just doesn't make sense.

There are entertaining moments and the scene between the big-three winks towards their personal relationship with each other. There is also a WWE/UFC faceoff between Austin and Couture which will appeal to the wrestling crowd. However, great moments don’t make a great movie if all the parts do not gel. Cohesion is unfortunately lacking and, despite being one of the stars, Jet Li is severely underused and undervalued. Stallone’s use of the camera is claustrophobic castrating the power of the big hand-to-hand battles, mainly involving Statham and the balletic Li.

All in all this could be a million times better, and while it does have some entertainment value you will leave the cinema angry that it wasn’t the greatest action movie ever. Stallone’s boast that they were “gonna smoke the A-Team” may prove to be regretful as modern cinema goers really do require their action heroes to be made of a different stuff, even in an homage flick.

- Giveré

PEASLEY'S Restaurant Review: Nathan Outlaw Seafood & Grill at Rock

You need a car if you live in L.A. It’s big and hard to get around. For good food, you need a car in Cornwall. Forty minute drives for meals are not uncommon and thanklessly our current government’s stance on drinking and driving leaves little room for fun.

A trek to North Cornwall (Rock) feels like a continent away from my Falmouth Bay HQ so I had to be sure it would be worth the visit. The colour of Nathan Outlaw’s sideburns do not match his hair, this was surely reason enough.

My girlfriend at the time enjoyed a delicious cocktail of gin, elderflower and fresh rosemary while I, the designated driver, huffed and puffed over a glass of water – brilliant. The sting of sobriety was, however, lessened as we both enjoyed a very unhealthy bowl of pork scratchings and perused the menu.

Each course was expertly executed with the stand out dish being Sea Bream on cocoa bean casoulet. The precise pan frying resulted in delicate fillets of bream showcasing crisp, crisp skin that ate like seaside-crackling, all set upon powdery pulses and tomato sauce.

Far and away the best dish of the night was my custard tart. Lady friend’s coffee and chocolate mousse was also good but I was smug with my out-ordering. My smugness soon faded as I noticed an air of drunkenness about her and smugness turned to envy.

The food is well worth the drive and the service is full of character. It was nice to get a sense of personality from the waiting staff who collaborated with my, now former, girlfriend in hiding my dessert during a toilet stop. Save for a misleading name – Nathan Outlaw cooks at his flagship restaurant also housed at St. Enodoc – this was one of my favourite dining experiences in Cornwall , a must.

To have enjoyed the wine list fully would have been a treat and perhaps next time a stay in the hotel could facilitate this, just need to find a new companion. Please apply herein.

- Austin Peasley

(You might also fancy a nosey at Peasley's review of Viners at Summercourt)