Maxïmo Park at The Mod Club - Concert Pictures

Maxïmo Park got started in Newcastle upon Tyne back in 2000. They came to my attention with the release of A Certain Trigger in 2005 thanks to some friends from Manchester who were plugged into the scene across the pond. I loved the frantic energy in the propulsive songs and the album remains an all-time favourite. 2007's Our Earthy Pleasures continued the trend of powerful tunes with angular riffs and almost-off-the-rails intensity that remain classics so many years later.

Someone said it had been ten years since the band has been to Toronto and the web backs this up. A friend told me that they played the same venue back then and the web backs this up, too. The length of time since their last local tour stop would explain why this is the first time I’ve photographed them or seen them live. That's really a shame because I love the music and would have very much liked to hear them play those first couple of albums when they were fresh and filled the set list.

No band should have to stick to the sound that gave them initial fame, and Maxïmo Park have certainly evolved over the years. Singer Paul Smith told us about how they like to add different things to their songs and break rules from album to album. One tune had a succinct guitar solo and new tune "The Hero" from their latest release Risk to Exist features their first-ever keyboard solo and sees the band getting funky in ways they’ve never been funky before.

Paul also told us about how "Alchemy" is their second disco song, "Sandblasted and Set Free" being the first, apparently, and about the local connection of the aforementioned tune. "Alchemy" is named after a bar in Toronto that they saw when they were here last time and wired on Red Bull. We also got to tighten up our already well used dancing shoes for "What Equals Love".

Of course, songs like "Books from Boxes", "The Coast is Always Changing", "Going Missing", "Our Velocity", "Girls Who Play Guitar" and final tune of the night "Apply Some Pressure" were highlights and personal dreams come true to hear live.

I don’t know if you could characterize me as young when A Certain Trigger came out but I’m definitely older now so I look back fondly on that album and many others I discovered at that time. It was amazing to see the band live and experience a number of the classics rocketing from the stage along with many great new tunes.

Let a bunch of highlights from the band's set list spend some time with your ears.

"Risk to Exist"

"Books from Boxes"

"The Hero"

"The Coast is Always Changing"

"The Kids are Sick Again"

"Going Missing"

"Our Velocity"

"What Equals Love?"

"Girls Who Play Guitar" closed out the main set

Encore tune "Get High (No, I Don't)"

"Apply Some Pressure" was the perfect song to close out the show.

Maximo Park - A Certain Trigger is 10

A Certain Trigger came out 10 years ago today. It marked the début full-length from Newcastle's Maxïmo Park. The band quickly became a favourite of mine based on this incredibly strong album.

I love the frantic energy, bitterly spat lyrics, rough and ready guitars, urgent drums and driving bass. Sit back and crank up some great songs from a recent classic.

"Apply Some Pressure"

"Graffiti"

"Going Missing"

"I Want You To Stay"

"The Coast Is Always Changing"

"Once, A Glimpse"

"Now I'm All Over The Shop"

Pic from Wikipedia.

New Maxïmo Park

Maxïmo Park has new music on the way! They've just announced the release of Too Much Information which comes out February 3. Here's a tune to check out called "Brain Cells". It's a fun, danceable tune that I can really see growing on me.

And you can get the tune by trading in your email on their site.

Now, to see them live!

Five-by-Five: Great UK bands

Why does the UK have such a stronghold on freaking awesome bands? I was grooving to a playlist of 5-star songs and I heard Radiohead, The Kooks, Biffy Clyro, Hard-Fi, and Maxïmo Park. Rule Britannica!

"High And Dry" by Radiohead from 1995's The Bends

"Naive" by The Kooks from 2006's Inside In Inside Out

"Saturday Superhouse" by Biffy Clyro from 2007's Puzzle

"Hard to Beat" by Hard-Fi from 2005's Stars of CCTV

"Graffiti" by Maxïmo Park from 2005's A Certain Trigger

Maxïmo Park video for Write This Down

The newest video from The National Health from Maxïmo Park. The song is "Write This Down". It's another powerful piece of music.

I'm enjoying the new tunes, boys, but if you could release the album in North America, I'd really appreciate it.

And now, a video for that Maxïmo Park song I posted a few days ago

I seem to be doing a "Garbage" and posting lots of stuff from the new Maxïmo Park album The National Health, which is coming out June 11. In case you missed it, there was the initial announcement and first teaser track, then there was the first single, "Hips and Lips", now there's the video for the first single.

Check it out. It brings fan video to a new level. Cool.

Another new Maximo Park song - Hips and Lips

Yes, indeed, it's another new song from the forthcoming Maxïmo Park album The National Health. It's called "Hips and Lips". Get the album June 11.



Nice one!

New Maxïmo Park on the way!

Maxïmo Park are coming out with a new album called The National Health on June 11 and they've just put out the title track for our listening enjoyment.



Sounds great!  I'm looking forward to this album!

Hard-Fi are back with Killer Sounds

Hard-Fi were one of the British bands that hit me really hard, in a good way, in around 2005. Along with Bloc Party, Maxïmo Park, Editors, The Bravery, and Kaiser Chiefs, among others I'm probably forgetting. They have a new album coming out on August 22. It's called Killer Sounds and they have the second video out.

I featured the first tune, "Good For Nothing", a while back. The second single, "Fire In The House", doesn't have the so much of the pronounced guitars of their previous albums, but it does have a strong chorus, a groovy bass line, and some nice and soulful backup vocals.



They also have another full song and samples of the rest on their audio player. Check it out. Sounds like the band is evolving and I like what they're coming up with.

Hard-Fi - Killer Sounds Sampler by Hard Fi

Arctic Monkeys: New Album On It's Way

Arctic Monkeys is one of those bands that grabbed me. When I first heard Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not when it came out in 2006, I was instantly hooked. The band was tight, the songwriting was instantly appealing while being unique, and the way the stories were told was engaging. I remember their awesome performance on SNL, too. I still love the album and it certainly has one of the largest number of five-star songs from one album in my iTunes library.

In fact, 2006 was a gigantic year in music for me. Many British groups were on heavy rotation that year including Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs, The Kooks, Muse, Kasabian, Maxïmo Park, Klaxons, Lily Allen, The Automatic, and Boy Kill Boy, to name a few. By the way, if you follow the link to Muse's web site today you'll see they're counting down to something exciting. I for one will be checking back tomorrow to see what it is. Their new album The Resistance is due out September 14th. Update: Muse published a major site overhaul July 13.

Favourite Worst Nightmare came out in 2007 and although it had a massive success to follow on, it was a great album, too.



Their new album is called Humbug and the first single is "Crying Lightning". The single's available from iTunes right now and the album is due out August 24th in the UK. Probably means that we'll see it in North America on the 25th.



Check out the tune below.



Arctic Monkeys will be touring North America in September and October. Dates are below.

SEPTEMBER
14th September - Soma, San Diego
15th September - Hollywood Palladium, LA
16th September - Fox Theater, Oakland
18th September - Wonder Ballroom, Portland **FREE SHOW**
19th September - The Showbox @ The Market, Seattle
20th September - Malkin Bowl, Vancouver
22nd September -In The Venue, Salt Lake City - w/Airborne Toxic Event
23rd September - Ogden Theatre, Denver - w/Airborne Toxic Event
25th September - First Avenue, Minneapolis
26th September - Eagles Ballroom, Milwaukee
28th September - Newport Music Hall, Columbus
29th September - Kool Haus, Toronto
30th September - Electric Factory, Philadelphia

OCTOBER
2nd October - House of Blues, New Orleans
3rd October - House of Blues, Houston
4th October - Austin City Limits Festival, Austin
5th October - The Palladium Ballroom

And for your listening and viewing pleasure, here's a gem from the first album - "A View from the Afternoon".



Edit: July 16. I just finished reading a great article on Arctic Monkeys and thought it turned out better than my article, primarily because the writer had access to the band themselves. Enjoy.