Former Utopia/Michael L. Clamp/The Philanthropists

Our review
Customer reviews
Press release

4...according to our Dave on Thu 19 Nov, 2009.

The split 7inch from Former Utopia/Michael L. Clamp/The Philanthropists is a corker and is well worth a listen. MJC offers a rendition of the classic Cole Porter song Don't Fence Me In. It's an earnest enough version, just a voice and guitar... both sound great, The Philanthropists song is called I Love Mickey and lasts about 2 seconds. It's an ode to someone who is dearly missed... I think his name is Ozric... it's kind of spoken word, with a bit of instrumentation thrown in for good measure... Very interesting indeed... The flipside duties are capably taken care of by Former Utopia, who offer a slice of bittersweet indie rock, this track is also great and well produced, it caressed my ears!! It's on Damnably and it comes with a bonus 20 track CD by the aforementioned bands.

George plays Guitar and Rama drums. Rama is from East Seoul, Korea and played in Slowcore bands and supported Steve Malkmus. George is from East London and played bass in Lazarus Clamp from 99-2003 and toured with Giant Sand, Laura Cantrell, Mice Parade, Herman Dune and at SXSW in 2001.
Former Utopia began in 2006 when George and Rama met at the first UK Silver Jews gig. Since then they gigged with many of their favourite bands including: Shonen Knife, Moon Mama (Afrirampo), Chris Brokaw, Thalia Zedek Band, PW Long, Julie Doiron, Swell, Thee More Shallows, Mick Turner (Dirty Three) and David Grubbs.
Rama is an artist and photographer who works for Elle/Dazed and Confused and has exhibited all around the world. Russ and George met at a Magnolia Electric Company gig. Russ recently joined on bass and is a Photographer from Romford, Essex. He has his own band called ‘Russell and the Wolf Choir’.
They have played over 70 gigs in the last 2 years, toured with Julie Doiron and won many fans including Shonen Knife, Bellini and David Grubbs!.
Their genre-defying literate sound is intense, melodic and darkly comic. Think post punk, alt folk, slowcore and pop combined. Think Joy Division. Karate, Shellac, Codeine and (smog) all rolled into one arty three piece.

5...according to Damnably.

This 3 Track 7' is the first release from Damnably (Shonen Knife/Chris Brokaw & Geoff Farina/Smallgang/American Werewolf Academy) and festures George from Former Utopia and Micky from Lazarus Clamp solo and together covering a couple of 1920's classics and creating an original song about friendship.

Ltd to 250 copies with Artwork by George Gargan and Stanley Spencer (thanks to the Tate Gallery). 'I love Micky' was mastered by Matthew Barnhart (Sound Tech to Silkworm/The New Year/Bottomless Pit/Superchunk and many others) at his Echolab Studio in Denton TX.

It's a complex release about a dead and living best friend and whatever micky said his cover of Cole Porter's 'Don't Fence Me In' was about? he doe have chickens fenced in his garden though.

Probably worth a lot of money when Former Utopia and Lazarus Clamp and indeed Damnably become a bit bigger.

FORMER UTOPIA

"Radio 6/Resonance FM featured East London born, X-Lazarus Clamp bassist is a genre defying intelligent edgy song smith that producing the kind of mortally sad, black humoured alt. folk that reminiscent of Lambchop, Mountain Goats and on occasion Shellac." Silver Rocket
"like (smog) on holiday in shellac" Drowned in Sound
"a gentleman blessed with an imposing baritone halfway between Bill Callahan and Absentee." The Line of Best Fit
"ramshackle, yet melodic Alt. Folk" Time Out

Michael L. Clamp

Michael sings and plays guitar in Lazarus Clamp, whose 5th long-player, Against Entitlement, is released in October on 180g vinyl, by Little Red Rabbit Records.

This UK alt. folk/post-punk institution have played with Giant Sand, Chris Brokaw, The New Year, Laura Cantrell, Richard Buckner, David Grubbs, Herman Dune, and at SXSW in 2001. Lazarus Clamp are magically inventive, and capable of producing muscular post-punk as heavy as Silkworm or Shellac, intricately textured post-rockers, and deceptively purty pop songs in the tradition of the Go-Betweens or Palace.

"Lazarus Clamp are one of the minor, undiscovered, rough-cut gems of British independent music" Drowned In Sound
"Rather wonderful" The Big Issue
"Lazarus Clamp post-rock triumphantly" NME
"Delicate and subtle dynamic" The Guardian

“their fifth album lays articulate and considered lyrics, softly but precisely intoned, over unexpectedly experimental textures and deconstructed skinny guitar licks, with folksy banjo flourishes and gently lowing strings.”Sunday Times

www.myspace.com/lazarusclamp
www.myspace.com/elclamp

So, what do you think? Best reviewer each month gets £10 off their next order!