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Ida Maria – Queen Of The World
Reviewed by: David Adair
Reviewed 24 Apr 2008, at 19:20
Building up with a strolling, uncompromising Amy Studt-veined defiance and
self-assurance into a quirky Cat Power chorus, this underlines the promise of 23 year old Norwegian. Ida Maria parades independent minded lyrics through slightly eccentric but endearing vocal lag.
‘Queen Of The World’ is moody yet uplifting and shows an increasing cosmopolitan depth to modern pop music, with an old fashioned guitar lob providing a touch of nostalgia.
Small town rebellion is delivered with hearty abandon and builds upon the promise shown on two singles released through her own label, Nesma Records. Ida is determined to do things her own way and this single shows a certain defiance of current trends.
This summer sees the release of Ida’s debut album, and the signs are there already to suggest that it could be the perfect accompaniment to a balmy summer’s evening in front of the campfire.
Quote: ‘…the perfect accompaniment to a balmy summer’s evening in front of the campfire’
This year’s new favourite band is without a doubt The View: a Scottish foursome who carry all the trimmings of The Libertines mixed with the stories-as-songs nous of the Arctic Monkeys. Muso’s Guide went to Leeds to see them play at The Cockpit and to ask Peter, their guitarist, some searching questions…
Muso’s Guide: So, how’s the tour going? You’re booked up right until the start of December, and you’ve not exactly had a quiet summer either!
The View: We’ve played about twenty shows so far. It’s good, it’s good.
MG: How do you react to certain areas of the media implying that you’ve had an easy ride – only been around two minutes and straight into the limelight?
TV: We don’t really read any of it… It was the single that catapulted us. We’ve been really going for over a year and a half. Obviously, other bands have been around for years, but there’s been two years of work for us before all this. We spent a lot of time learning our instruments and playing in a cover band so it’s not as though we’ve just appeared. We’ve been playing together for about five years, but just not on this kind of level, more like… round pubs and stuff.
MG: You must be one of the few bands who can say that Pete Doherty‘s influence hasn’t been a hindrance… (Doherty asked the band to support Babyshambles, effectively giving them a platform for major label attention)
TV: Well he’s helped The Little ‘Uns and The Paddingtons…
MG: The Paddingtons got a lot of bad press, though. The music was regarded as overhyped – they were just Doherty’s mates, that’s it.
TV: He gave us a leg-up, yeah… A lot of bands can go around for years with the best songs ever, but if they don’t know how to get themselves noticed, spotted or whatever… you know what I mean? But there’ll always be bands like that, like great guitarists who can never get in a band.
MG: Did you ever think of moving down to London to help things along a bit?
TV: I think we might do when we come off this tour.
MG: So what’s the scene like in Dundee? I suppose Edinburgh and Glasgow, in particular, soak up all the attention.
TV: Well there’s a few bands in Dundee, the scene’s starting to get a lot better. The band who are on this tour with us, The Law, they’re Dundee and they’re starting to get a lot of interest from major labels. So I suppose there is quite a scene kicking off – it’s just beginning.
MG: I reckon everyone’s waiting on the album now, to see if you can live up to the hype.
TV: Yeah, it’s half-mixed at the minute – coming out in January. Owen Morris is producing it for us, he’s worked with Oasis, Ash… he did The Verve’s Northern Soul. He’s got a good back catalogue of albums… great to work with as well. He’s a weird character, but he’s a good character too. A good weird! One minute he’ll be like “Oh, brilliant, you’re all geniuses” and then the next minute he’s “ah, you’re all c***s!” He pushes you though, brings out the best in you.
MG: What about your MySpace website, have you found that helpful at all?
TV: That’s a great tool, man. Great. It’s a cool way for people to first find out about you… It’s good to keep in contact with a lot of our friends, as well as to get our music across. It’s just a great website.
So, are The View just all fluffy perms and no trousers? Well, the ensuing riotous gig at The Cockpit would seem to suggest not. All the tracks were well-received and occasionally well-known, probably due to the media players on the band’s websites. The performance was boisterous and energetic, very much like a less shabby version of The Libertines. The greatest indication of this was after Peter had dived into the crowd and then returned to share the vocals on one microphone with singer Kyle, in the image of a Pete-and-Carl embrace.
‘Wasted Little DJs’ has been their big success, reaching number fifteen in the charts and followed by a last-minute slot at Reading/Leeds festival. There was certainly evidence of greater things to come, going on the set that was played – a lot of newer songs have a more instant punch than the single. If you listen carefully, tales unfurl in their lyrics – although the Dundee accent mixed with over-exuberance can sometimes make things slightly intelligble!
To listen to more songs from The View, visit their websites:
And catch them on tour at the following dates:
Sep 15 2006 8:00P Night & Day Manichester
Sep 17 2006 8:00A 53 Degrees Preston
Sep 19 2006 8:00P Soul Tree Cambridge
Sep 20 2006 8:00P West End Centre Aldershot
Sep 22 2006 8:00P Strathclyde University Glasgow
Sep 23 2006 8:00P Loopallu Festival Ullapool
Sep 25 2006 8:00P Pointers Stornoway
Sep 26 2006 8:00P Raigmore Inverness
Sep 27 2006 8:00P BA Club Fort William
Sep 29 2006 8:00P Paisley University Paisley
Oct 3 2006 8:00P Sugarmill Stoke
Oct 4 2006 8:00P Engine Rooms Brighton
Oct 5 2006 8:00P Coliseum Coventry
Oct 6 2006 8:00P Ice Factory Perth
Oct 7 2006 8:00P The Warehouse Project, Old Brewery Manichester
Oct 8 2006 8:00P Victoria Inn Derby
Oct 10 2006 8:00P Social Nottingham
Oct 11 2006 8:00P Warwick Uni Warwick
Oct 12 2006 8:00P Esquires Bedford
Oct 13 2006 8:00P Barfly (MTV2 Gonzo Tour) w/ JET Birmingham
Oct 14 2006 8:00P Barfly (MTV2 GonzoTour) w / Peaches Cardiff
Oct 15 2006 8:00P Barfly (MTV2 Gonzo Tour) w / Razorlight Camden, London
Oct 17 2006 8:00P Cluny Newcastle
Oct 18 2006 8:00P Kings College London
Oct 20 2006 8:00P Barfly (MTV2 Gonzo Tour) w / Kooks Liverpool
Oct 21 2006 8:00P Fibbers (MTV2 Gonzo Tour) w / Klaxons York
Oct 22 2006 8:00P Barfly (MTV2 Gonzo Tour) w / Young Knives Glasgow
Oct 24 2006 8:00P Kef Aberdeen
Oct 27 2006 8:00P Lucorum Barnsley
Nov 13 2006 8:00P Academy w / Primal Scream Birmingham
Nov 14 2006 8:00P Academy w / Primal Scream Newcastle
Nov 15 2006 8:00P Music Hall w / Primal Scream Aberdeen
Nov 17 2006 8:00P SECC w / Primal Scream Glasgow
Nov 18 2006 8:00P Apollo w / Primal Scream Manichester
Nov 19 2006 8:00P Apollo w / Primal Scream Manichester
Nov 21 2006 8:00P Academy w / Primal Scream Liverpool
Nov 22 2006 8:00P Rock City w / Primal Scream Nottingham
Nov 24 2006 8:00P Apollo w / Primal Scream Hammersmith
Nov 25 2006 8:00P UEA w / Primal Scream Norwich
Nov 27 2006 8:00P Corn Exchange w / Primal Scream Cambridge
Nov 28 2006 8:00P Academy w / Primal Scream Bristol
Nov 29 2006 8:00P Guild Hall w / Primal Scream Southampton
Dec 2 2006 8:00P Academy w / Primal Scream Brixton
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