Another day and another exciting show to look forward to at The Relentless Garage. With such a steady flow of quality musicians being announced, it’s becoming fairly obvious why the venue embellished it’s name from The Garage.
This time the act in question is Castanets, which comprises Portland-based singer-songwriter-founder-oracle Raymond Raposa, and a roster of supporting players. Raposa offers what TRG calls “a beautiful musical concoction of traditional music styles (folk, country) and modern intuition (avant-garde, psychedelia)”. I couldn’t put it any better myself, other than to suggest there’s a strong element of blues, and to argue that Castanets’ sound is more melancholia than psychedelia – full of considered, sombre melodies and maudlin quietude, along with the odd frenetic, electronic section. The beats may initially underwhelm, but they’ll stick in your head and reward a little more with each listen. Each is a bit different, too. On Good Friend, Yr Hunger, available below, there’s a real country-and-western twang; You Are The Blood is more intense, echoey and deliberate, with rather gothic hooks before a cheerier conclusion using what sounds suspiciously like castanets the percussion instrument.
Live date:
Tues 10 November - The Relentless Garage, Highbury & Islington (tickets here)
Castanets on MySpace
MP3: Castanets – Good Friend, Yr Hunger (zSHARE)
Buy Castanets’ albums here.
