Kentuckyseven

Young Galaxy
NASA

Feathers and face-paint seems to be a recurring theme here on Airwaves. Last seen on the singer of Young Galaxy sporting the persona of a bird matching their song B.S.E.

Young Galaxy put on a show that the crowd won’t forget anytime soon. With fierce stage presence, excellent execution and great connection with the audience they soon had everyone in the house in extacy. Even the otherwise so stiff press people. The photo pit in front of the stage was filled with photographers singing along, shaking their derrières and smiling like kids in a candy shop – which was a very unusual sight indeed.

There is no wonder even the stiff professionals lost their mask, the entire NASA was over the moon. Jumping, dancing and making the most of the Canadian visit. Whenever you would make eye contact you’d be met with an ear to ear-smile and a face of pure glee.

Young Galaxy’s latest album Shapeshifting is a brutally well made album that leaves you missing nothing. These albums are difficult to come by and to be honest there was this nagging question in my mind wondering if they could live up to my astronomically high expectations of their live show. But they did.

Off venue though they were crowded and slightly uncomfortable. The tiny gig on Reykjavik Downtown Hostel was packed, but not a performance to remember. K7 decides to put that aside and instead continue to be in awe of the full scale gig at NASA.

This is a Kentuckyseven, without a doubt. Magic. Heartfelt. All out.

7/7

/Maja, K7 correspondent

Mammút
NASA

These kids started their music career early and they were no wonderchilds early on but to my surprise, and great joy, they have developed into a force to be reckoned with. The singer has a strong stage presence, mighty voice, bare feet, fur legwarmers and warpaint on her face.

The flirt with the wild and the untamed force of nature is really clear but it’s a fine line to walk between it being a joke and for it to work.

For most of the time it works but much thanks to the fact that they seem to live in the stage show every second of it and never lose character.

The venue looks like a small and quite house from the outside but inside it turns into a big venue that packs a lot of people. And it’s sweaty. The crowd is enjoying the performance for sure and there is no mistaking just how synced Mammút have become over the years but the next big question is if they are ready to be exported abroad.

And will this work outside of Iceland? I’m not entirely sure, it could literally go either way. Though there is nothing wrong with their music, the audience must be ready for Mammút because there is no compromising. Which is good, a band like Mammút should never make compromises.

There is some developing for Mammút to do, at least I don’t think that this is their peak. I’d like to think that there are still more to come from this group.

One problem is that when I walked away, I still had those fur legwarmers and bare feet on my mind, and not the music. Which worries me. Aren’t the songs more memorable than that?

This is a 4/7

/Maja, K7 correspondent

Photo: Maria Gunnesson.

¤ This night was something else. Woody West gathered three bands, all in that crowded, rowdy place called Pusterviksbaren, a small yet beautiful Thursdayfestival. The Head And The Heart started out, and man – you can tell why they were the talk of the town in Austin (SXSW). A band that just made new friends, Kentuckyseven will follow their great path. Then Woods did their folk-psych-thing and killed it. Jeremy Earls voice is from space, intense stuff. And then they entered stage, The Low Anthem.

These Rhode Island-fellas brought everything with them on stage, 14 instruments to choose from. Singer Ben Knox Miller started out with Ticket Taker from their 2009-album Oh My God Charlie Darwin and just rolled with it. We heard Hey All Your Hippies, Boeing 737, Apothecary Love and their most swedish song ever I´ll take out your ashes. The band mixed their folky roots with some aggressive rocktunes and let it all out. The place was packed, I had to lean over on the harmonium just to write these lines.

The Low Anthem is a great liveband. This Bella Union-quartet tours all the way to November and I would enjoy every gig. They lay their hearts out on stage and don´t think twice about it. It´s what they do. Jeff Prystowsky hitting the drums, Jocie Adams with that trumpet, it all makes sense, live music at its core. Before the lights went off they did a couple of a cappella´s and you got that religious, goosebumpy, powerful feeling. You know, just glad to be around when it happened.

Judge says: 6/7 Kentuckyseven´s.

Best song: Charlie Darwin.

They play next: Hamburg, Germany, March 25.

Look out for: Kentuckyseven got an interview with The Low Anthem coming up, stay tuned.

Photo: Maria Gunnesson

Iron & Wine @ Trägår’n, Gothenburg, Sweden 2011-02-04

Crowded with beards and chequered shirts. There is no doubt that this is going to be something special.

When Sam Beam and friends enter the stage, mine and all others heart start to pound. Worth the wait? Indeed.

But there is more than just Iron & Wine tonight, something new. Something else. The crowd is invited to Sam Beams personal musical universe. Jazz-tunes, Funky melodies and Calypso fills the room, and takes the songs to yet another level. This could have been a small, dark and quiet evening with touchy feel, but instead we are given a journey. A journey that leaves no one untouched. Except for those in the back, who apparently did some serious misreading when they bought their tickets. Talking with their backs against the stage, during the most magical extra song right in the end. Sad.

However, this is a new era, a new way to listen to great music, from a great man. I will be there next time too. Me and Lazareus too.

I haven’t had the pleasure of listening that much to the new album, but from this evening and on, it will surely take a place in my heart.

A six out of seven is not too much. That is what it is worth. Play it again, Sam. Please.

A round of applause to the greatest gang in the west. Woody West, who made it happen.