Reviews:
THE CRACK
LAKE ME
NORMAN RECORDS
LAKE
ME UP BEFORE YOU GO GO
Lake Me | Solace
The Newcastle based duo's first
album is a thing of beauty and delight. They've managed to wring a hugely
impressive clutch of songs from a musical palette made up of the bluesy end of
rock and folk and skillfully slide around an impressive range of moods and styles
from bone-jangling rock outs by way of hypnotic poundings and acoustic fancies.
Time to take a dip into this Lake.
THE TREMULA, LAKE ME, CHIPPEWA FALLS
- HEAD OF STEAM
by: Adam - 10.10.05
Where there's a Will there's a way. Well
there aint' no Will but there certainly was a way! This cryptic bollocks refers
to the fact that The Tremula (featuring Will Sartain) decided to perform a
disappearing act on Monday night at the Head of Steam. Well, actually you
couldn't really call it a disappearing act as such, more of a completely failed
to turn up let alone even provide the Double Down (promoter) lads a reason as to
why they didn't grace us with an appearance act.
Anyway, the 'way' in this case was the
original line up of Chippewa Falls and Lake Me now being pushed as the main show
of the night, and what's more, it ended up being £2 cheaper, which makes things
even better, i dare say many people would have still paid the full price after
tonight's show, but I'm not one to complain of saving two English pounds.
Tonight we are treat with some new songs
from Chippewa Falls along with tracks from their four track ep. 'Valentine' is, as always a misleading five minutes of hypnotic
guitar until - bang, a sudden burst of intense drums and guitar to completely
wake everyone up and snap them out of their trance. Their new tracks compliment
their set well, keeping with the build up of hypnotic and atmospheric guitars,
but now with an introduction of heavier drum lines throughout. 'Wolfy' is my
favourite track right now. Lovely distorted guitar, heavier and faster drums
kick straight in, a really driving song. They finish with a new song, or new to
me at least, all i can remember is that I loved it and that it was a perfect set
closer. That'll teach me to wait 2 days before writing a review.
Lake Me took to the stage a little later
to compensate for the lack of whereabouts of 'The Tremula' and made everyone
forget all about what was then later referred to "that band that didn't
show up".
We've been somewhat spoilt as of late
with Lake Me. Now with their new self released album; 'Solace' available, we're hearing more and more of the Lake Me girls. This is
definately a good thing I'm sure you'll all cry, and tonight is a damn good set.
Nathalie's voice is so powerful, and just cuts right through everything in the
room, along with her pounding guitar riffs that makes you wonder if there is
someone hidden round back playing away at a bass. Thick PJ Harvey style riffs
over Lucy's pounding bass drum matches the rhythm of every heartbeat. 'Sister's
Song' is just something else, the drums starting their marching pace, I swear
they have something almost spiritual creating another sound along with them.
They close their set with an instrumental track which breaks with a fantastic
burst of drums only to have the guitar come driving back in.
Who the fuck is 'The Tremula' again?!
http://www.futurekilledcassettes.co.uk/gigs/october/10_10.htm
Solace
by: Jeff - 03.10.05
When i
purchased 'Solace', the latest release from the Lake Me girls, I knew
instantly that between the two layers of recycled cardboard, would lie an
absolute stunner of an album. And god was i right. Bringing every ounce of the
raw, pure, and powerful adrenalin from Lake Me's live performances, this album
will rip out your heart and really make you bleed. With classics like
"Sisters Song" and "Hit and Run", combined with some of
their newer material, there is a selection which will accommodate every
emotion known to man.
I find myself amazed that one
guitarist/singer and a drummer can compile such a full and unique sound, both
on the stage and in the studio. Nathalie (Guitarist/Singer) has jumped at the
chance to show off the astonishing range, depth, and quality of her voice by
adding some perfect harmonies throughout each of their songs, and Lucy
(Drummer) is an equal match, providing some tight and edgy beats that will send
shivers down your spine.
Often you will hear a second,
subordinate melodic line driving through the weeping riffs of Lake Me's music.
No, this is not a second guitar, or a bass. This is simply the style that
Nathalie treats her rather attractive Fender Jaguar to. Amazing.
This album will teach you a lot
about yourself, it truly is tailor made, perfect music.
http://www.futurekilledcassettes.co.uk/music/l/lakeme.htm
Got a CD
in by Lake Me that reminds me of Snowpony
from the word go. It's got a cyclic, minimal feel to it, simplistic &
primal. There's hints of PJ Harvey here, even old Yank rock such as Seam or
Bitch Magnet in places. The drums have that dense Albini sound with the whole
album by these two talented ladies spilling with all kinds of wholesome rock
goodness. If you like raw, alt-Americana with some cracking female vocal
harmonies then go for this.
http://www.normanrecords.com
::
Lake Me :: Retisonic :: 09 June 2004 / Star and Garter / Manchester By Dave
Himelfield
One tiny young lady cradles her Fender Jaguar as if it were her offspring. She
resembles a more petite Emma Pollock (yes, this is possible) looking distinctly
out of proportion with her large bodied instrument. To her left a slightly
intimidating heavily tattooed lady sits behind her trapset, tapping away with
grace and syncopated inspiration. At the back something like a Zoom rhythm
master is making bass noises. This is the inscrutably titled 'Lake Me', a
tender, bare and modest combo from again Newcastle. Somewhere between the most
tender of folk rock (Low, Mazzy Star), off-beat rhythmic femme indie (Autoclave,
Sleater Kinney) and post-rock expansionism, Lake Me are painfully honest,
intimate and above all captivating. Earnest songs of heartbreak (one in
particular being dedicated to a particularly upsetting visit to Manchester) are
dealt with an almost shy sincerity and refreshingly evolved musical backing. The
Tyneside's Job Centres, it appears should become increasingly congested with
lame-arsed Weller/Stone Roses copyists, forced into redundancy by a burgeoning
breed of Geordie modernists (No, not mods!). The marching machines show no sign
of faltering either with Lake Me symbolising another fine example of plausible
and truly individual rock.
http://www.music-dash.co.uk/live/archivelive.asp?item=422
Anyone that hasn't seen these do so, their songs are just effortless
layers of lush! First time I saw these I was a tad hammered and was absolutely
mesmerised by the swirling guitar and the voice the singer has. I wasn't
expecting to see anything that night but I went home feeling uplifted and hungry
for alot more than what I saw. They played at the
http://forum.insangel.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=10256