Bowlie 2: Friday

Belle & Sebastian largely created the ATP-style festival with the 1998 Bowlie Weekender in Camber Sands. Then in December 2010 they brought us Bowlie 2, this time in Minehead. Read on while I talk about whom I saw there on Friday.

Best Coast featured a former member of Pocahaunted who has left behind the hypnagogic sound for a simulacrum of indiepop music. Not recommended.

Teenage Fanclub played (badly) at the first Bowlie. This time they delivered a more typically high quality performance that reminded us all of why we loved them. Their songwriting skills remain intact, with recent tune 'The Past' tempting me towards buying their latest album.

Saint Etienne started late because heavy traffic (from a funeral, so no booing) had delayed Sarah Cracknell. We therefore got a show with more music and less yap. The set was rather focussed on their first couple of albums, but these are some of the most enjoyable pop tunes ever and left me wondering why I listen to their music so rarely. They also had some nice visuals, especially of some Northern Soul dancing.

I saw and liked The Go! Team some years ago. In the meantime I started wondering if maybe they were not actually that good, but seeing them again reminds me that no, they storm. Their thing is combining samples of brassy stuff and the like with their own playing of instruments and a lady rapper called Ninja (her real name, your honour) shouting over the top. It makes for dance-tastic music. I like it.

The Phenomenal Handclap Band were not doing any handclapping. We filed a complaint under the Trade Descriptions Act.

The last thing I saw on Friday was Steve Mason. He turns out to be the singer from the Beta Band, and he plays music that sounds not unlike that of his former outfit – languid, percussive, daring, inventive, and so on. But I was a bit puppy tired after a long day of travelling and rocking out, so I retired to the chalet rather than force myself to stay up late and wreck myself for the rest of the festival. I hope to investigate Mr Mason's music further in the future.

An inuit panda production

Lady's choice

You know me beour? She bought some records in Nottingham too.

Saint Etienne Finisterre

I think someone in the shop recommended this. I have not listened to it closely but it sounds pretty good. I notice that it has a song on it called ‘B92’ – about the popular Belgrade radio station?

Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan Ballad of the Broken Seas

This is a delightful country-ish record on which Campbell’s thin voice is contrasted with Lanegan’s growl to great effect. Although billed to both of them, this is essentially Isobel’s record, with the songs almost entirely being written by her. She also oversees production, and wisely chooses to hang the tracks on the music rather than her voice. But yeah, this record’s a gem, check it out man.

Sigur Ros ()

Back in the day Sigur Ros seemed very exciting, but when Irene bought their debut album (or what passed for their debut in whiteyland) it seemed a bit boring compared to their singles. So I lost interest in them. But now I am glad that my beloved has bought this, because it is great, delivering on the spectral otherworldliness their singles and early live performances promised. Deadly buzz.