the sandells
Tim Lyons: Bass guitars, Trumpet, vocals.
Johann Kloos: Guitars, keyboards.
Brian Benson: Drums, percussion.
Tuesday, 23 February 2010
The Sandells - In Session on Reformation (on Salford City Radio 94.4fm)
Review by Bob Osborne.
1 Cowboys don't have brollies
2 Hell in Heaven
3 The Girl from Iphigenia
4 Jewels #7
"It's not often you get the chance to listen to a band one on one, but I
suppose one of the added values of being a DJ is you do get the
opportunity to watch musicians at their craft close up as it were.
When Tim Lyons suggested to me that The Sandells would like to do an
electric set for the Reformation show my initial reaction was - we can't
do that. The studios at Salford City Radio are somewhat limited size
wise, and the accepted norm is that we can do Acoustic with maybe one
electric instrument. But Tim is a persistent kind of chap and after
several e-mails and a visit to the station we decided to go for it.
I'm glad we did.
With Dave Thom from Calvin Party sitting in with the band on this
occasion we got the chance to hear The Sandells plus keyboards - which
was a bonus and perhaps suggests that a fourth instrument might be a
good future direction for the band.
Starting with the epic "Cowboys don't have brollies" the band
immediately create a sense of style and drive not normally seen these
days. Tim's paean to recording legend Joe Meek is replete with imagery
and backed with a soundtrack that Ennio Morricone would die for. The
bands motorik approach to rhythm is a huge hook, and the echoes of 60s
star John Leyton are their, if you are old enough to remember!
The muscular "Hell in Heaven" is pure kraut-punk - an appellation that I
think the band use with some degree of mischief. There's Neu! and Can in
here but also a Manchester sound which carries it past all that to
something new. With a very catchy riff from Kloos and dynamic drumming
from Benson here is a song which is a key part of the live set.
Next up is a bossa nova, with Brian Benson's punning title "The Girl
from Iphigenia" (she is the daughter of Agamenon and Clytemnestra). This
is a fantastic slower piece, starting with a simple picked riff, which
builds into huge wall of phased sound from Johann Kloos's array of
pedals. This band know how to write and there is clear form and
structure here worth checking out.
Finally the mammoth 8 minute version of "Jewels". Starting off as a
rehearsal jam some months ago this has morphed into a fantastic piece of
post-rock psychedelia. Again building from a slowly descending
guitar/bass figure with chittering percussion sounds into a great wall
of sound leading to an echo laden close, with Dave Thom adding layers of
Korg to make this a memorable closer to a memorable session.
Watch our for The Sandells they have all the ingredients to create music
of great substance."
Hell in Heaven by The Sandells live at Yorkshire House, Lancaster. 12.02.10.
Useful Sandells links: