The Police arrest Fleetwood Mac defended by Crosby Stills and Nash in a Crowded House. If you like well crafted songs with intricate guitar arrangements and vocal harmonies you've come to the right place. ANTIQCOOL REVIEWS For any artist/band to produce two full albums in two years, is a credit to their work ethic, include the quality of each album and you become aware of the passion and belief of the artists involved. The band in question is Antiqcool, their first CD "Digging For Gold" combines smooth and slick guitar-work, with consistent vocals. The influences of Fleetwood Mac and Crosby, Stills and Nash shine throughout, while the band still retain an originality within their music. The recently released second album "Songs Of Hope And Despair" gives a feeling for this reviewer of the late sixties and summer of love harmonies. With the emphasis taken away from the guitar, and handed more to the vocals, this brings a "feel" of a Simon and Garfunkel / The Beach Boys experience, which can never be a bad thing. The strength of their lyrics is shown throughout the CD, especially on the track "I Can See Where You're Coming From" which would be relevant in any decade. Both albums are an ideal antidote to the stressful world we try to survive in, let the harmonious tracks drift you to a better and more welcoming oasis. In a take, take world, it makes a refreshing change to see an up and coming band not losing site of reality, with 100% of artist profits, generated by the sale of "Digging For Gold" and "Songs of Hope and Despair" to be donated to the Great Ormonds Street Childrens Hospital Charity. Their CDs are inspired by the people and places of the north east, the north east should be proud of this band and their music. www.antiqcool.co.uk www.myspace.com/antiqcool Review by Paul from Leeds Music Scene http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=61472460 Antiqcool Album:Songs Of Hope And Despair Label:Sicknote Website: http://www.antiqcool.co.uk The profits from both this album and the band's previous release are going to Great Ormond Street Hospital Chilren's Charity, but don't let that be the only reason you go for "Songs Of Hope And Desire". You might also want to consider the 60s west coast folk sensibilities, the almost Simon and Garfunklesque vocals. This is the second album from Antiqcool in as many years, some 27 songs in total and not a duffer in hearing distance. Modern Americana with a California flavour. It's a bit of summer sun to blow away the chills of winter. Forty years out of time and as fresh as yesterday. http://www.fatea-records.co.uk/ Antiqcool Album:Songs Of Hope And Despair Label:Sicknote Website: http://www.antiqcool.co.uk The profits from both this album and the band’s previous release are going to Great Ormond Street Hospital Chilren’s Charity, but don’t let that be the only reason you go for “Songs Of Hope And Desire”.You might also want to consider the 60s west coast folk sensibilities, the almost Simon and Garfunklesque vocals. This is the second album from Antiqcool in as many years, some 27 songs in total and not a duffer in hearing distance. Modern Americana with a California flavour. It’s a bit of summer sun to blow away the chills of winter. Forty years out of time and as fresh as yesterday.http://www.fatea-records.co.uk/ Featured Artist 2/2008 ANTIQCOOL For this month, we’re taking it down a notch and enjoying some sweet, smooth sounds courtesy of ANTIQCOOL. Kiddies, I can pretty much guarantee your parents will not only like you listening to this music, but they will try to swipe your albums. It’s something to bond over, and no one will scream at you to turn it down; in fact, listening to them on my computer generally gets me requests to turn it up! This group hails from the United Kingdom, and whoever it was that told them to write about what they know did a great thing. All of their songs are meaningful and intelligent, and they all come straight from the heart. Also a credit to the group is the fact that they have released two albums in two years: the first being Digging for Gold; the second being their brand-spanking-new, just-released Songs of Hope and Despair. It is a credit to both their aesthetic and their work ethic that they have done this with absolutely no sacrifice to quality and meaning in their music. If I was a mother to any single one of them, I would be exceptionally proud. The music realm is a very cutthroat business, and you have to admire those in it who not only make it, but make it on merit and hard work like ANTIQCOOL has! As for their sound, it is very reminiscent of the Beatles and Beach Boys, with a slight jazz and reggae along with the classic rock. This group is an aural holiday to the realm of vintage. Just like their name, they are the best of the antique and modern, beautifully blended with a twist and cool! Retro is in, and this group is definitely partaking in full-on musical retro-joy with charmingly (and deceptively) simple melodies that sooth the savage beast and calm the soul. If you’re having a lousy day, if you feel a little blue, if you’re running ragged… take a minute and listen to ANTIQCOOL! Your nerves will soothe, your heart will stop racing, and pretty soon you’ll find a smile on your face and peace in your mind. This is a great band to listen to to prevent road rage, and a wonderful group to meditate to. Your humble web-mistress’ faves? “The Storm” with it’s deep baseline, rock-n-roll top riffs, and Fleetwood Mac sound is at the top of my list! Following close behind that are “Brothers Are Made This Way”, “Beautiful Mind”, and “Oh Mary” from Digging for Gold, and “My Avatar” and “Englishman Out in the Midday Sun” from their new release Songs of Hope and Despair. While we’ve yet to see if ANTIQCOOL will be the next British Invasion, they are well on their way to a shining star of a career! Review by Mousie http://www.angelfire.com/indie/mousie/spooky/deathsong.html Antiqcool CD Review http://bristolrock.co.uk/ By Moose Two full length CD's to review here, 2007's Digging For Gold, and the brand new release Songs Of Hope And Despair. Last years collection of 14 songs is chock full of simple chilled out grooves, jazzy guitar refrains and multi-tracked vocals - the sort of thing that would be perfect while lazing by a pool with a jug of Pimms just trying to forget about work/debt/war (delete as appropriate…..). There's a distinct 60's feel to the vocals on occasions, reminding me from time to time of early period Pink Floyd, or perhaps very early Genesis - but with the dramatic keyboards and pounding drums removed. The guitars drift into Dave Gilmore territory on more than one occasion, while there are a couple of tracks on which Andy Summers-esq arpeggio type runs pop out as well - and that's before the Police-like reggae of Getting On Back To You kicks in. The material has a very personal feel, with themes generally having a very uplifting quality to them, if perhaps lacking a little in the "excitement" department. Songs Of Hope And Despair shifts the focus slightly to the vocals, with a more pronounced harmony to most of the lead parts. There's definitely a Beach Boys influence in there somewhere - especially on Vows Were Made Of Glass, with a couple of the backing vocal arrangements reminding me of Good Vibrations, but again minus the excitement or energy the boys from the West Coast of the USA managed to produce. The Mamas & The Papas increasingly popped into my head too - you know, California Dreaming?? Pearl has a slightly more modern pop feel to it, while I'm Getting Love also departs slightly from the nearly horizontal laid back stuff that makes up the majority of the 13 songs on offer. At the end of an extended listen I'm left kinda feeling that the main Antiqcool man Pete could do with a couple of not quite like minded muso's to collaborate with - someone that could inject a touch of variation to the material, and perhaps a shift of gear or two now and again. Don't get me wrong, there's some quality writing going on here, and the performance and recording can't be faulted either. It just all feels a bit too self indulgent, which I know probably sounds more of a criticism than I'm really intending. If songs to chill out to are your bag, check out either of these CD's. If you need your music to get your heart racing, as I generally do, then look elsewhere…….. Moose. Inspiration diary. In this section I will be discussing individual songs and what inspired me to write them. I tend not to wax lyrical about Antiqcool songs, who wants to hear a self absorbed muso droning on about the minutia of song writing techniques?….Hey ! I have to write something in here but for you non geeky normals I will endeavour to keep it short and sweet. OH MARY One reviewer described this song as a poptastic Beach Boys Simon and Garfunkel nursery rhyme. An interesting comment, being compared to those giants is fine by me but the inspiration for writing this song came from a much darker place. We all have our favourite movies and even though after the first viewing we know the plot and the outcome this does not seem to deter us from watching them over and over again. Braveheart is one of mine, some of you may be yawning at this point (so go and read someone else's blog) I suspect some of you might actually be closet fans who watch, unobserved armed with a big box of Kleenex. Another film which I saw only once (everyone should see it once) affected me so deeply I could not bring myself to watch it a second time I didn't need to the imagery was so powerful it left a lasting impression in my memory. The Passion of the Christ, understandably would not make it on to many peoples favourites list mine included but if after viewing it you remain unmoved my advice would be to get thee to a good shrink! What does all this have to do with a song called Oh Mary ? Watch both those films then listen to the song and maybe you can work it out. ENGLISHMAN OUT IN THE MIDDAY SUN The album is called "Songs of Hope and Despair" so after writing three songs of despair it was time to put my happy hat on and write a song of hope. For many people working jobs that leave them at best uninspired at worst downright miserable their one comfort in life is having something to look forward to. What better way to get you through another mind numbingly boring day at the office than to plan, dream and scheme your next holiday. Having had several mind numbingly boring jobs I know what I'm talking about. This song could indeed be described as poptastic and what's wrong with that I'd like to know. I CAN SEE WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM Here in blighty of late there has been a virtual plague of sleaze infecting our political system which has left many people disillusioned to say the least. I am fortunate to live a democratic society which affords me the freedom to vote, some aren't so lucky but finding a candidate or a party I can believe in is becoming increasingly difficult. My sentiments are echoed throughout this song and shared by a growing number of people. A LEAF THAT IS BORN OF A TREE. For anyone with a big dream living in a small town can stifle creativity, the modern world with it's mobile phones, high speed internet and social media networks can provide a conduit to a more meaningful existence but there in lies the problem. One look on Myspace will give you some idea of how many would be poets, songwriters and musicians there are competing for a piece of a very small pie. My advice to any of them would be to enjoy the journey and not get too hung up over the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. To quote my own lyrics "Many leaves set free, they look just like me". On a more positive note I do believe things are changing for the better and there are many more creative people willing to settle for being able to make a decent living from their dream, fewer starving artists and hyper rich rock stars, sounds good to me.