Soundlounge Festival 2016 review. Feat Mariee, Kemi Suloa, Dorcha, Butternut and Karl Monroe.

Marieè

Kemi Suloa

Project Sound Lounge is run by a group of Birmingham based volunteers between the ages of 18 to 25,  who put on free events in birmingham. The project is in part produced by the Birmingham town hall and Symphony Hall. Each year they put on a free festival in Birmingham's Town Hall,  which showcases some of the best local talent.  This year I got there for around 5 and the first act I got to see was Marieè. (7.2/10) Marieè's set was opened by her DJ duo Phantom, who put together a short set of mashed up trap tunes (including Hudson Mohawke's 'Chimes'). I will admit now that Neo-soul is not really my thing. Usually Neo-soul is the section of the Jools Holland show where I make a cup of tea. Yet the genre was a recurring theme of this years festival. Marieè's take on the genre is incredibly slick and modern sounding. Much like FKA Twigs or Christine and the Queens* she mixes her music with synchronised dance routines. She also has the kind of piercing soulful voice that  would also sound brilliant singing vintage soul as well as R&B. She covered Alunageorge's 'You know you like it' alongside her own very futuristic sounding R&b tunes. I feel that Marieè could easily follow in the steps of other Birmingham diva's such as Jamelia and Laura Mvula. Yet despite the quality of the music, she's yet to craft any songs that have a lasting impact on me. 

Dorcha

Kemi Suloa's (7.2) take on soul is a bit more traditional, but her brilliant band were able to
effortlessly mix the style with hints of funk, and reggae, particularly on her cover of Bob Marley's 'Is this love' and her own song 'people'. Which is about people who hold themselves back. Over all their set was smooth jazzy and soulful, and everyone got their chance to shine. While I have seen countless bands over the years I've never seen anything like Dorcha. (8) Who are Gothic in more of a theatrical sense than stylistic one (they covered Siouxsie & and the Banshees 'Into The Light'). They use keyboards, synths, guitar and shrieking violin to haunting effect. They reminded me a bit of early Arcade Fire, late Joy Division or Bjork, but they don't really sound like any other those bands. Their songs are minimalistic yet grandiose, with a loose and almost jazzy sense of rhythm. If any band was made for the perfect acoustics of the Town Hall it was them. Their final song was a self confessed 'bit of a mad one' which mixed staggered guitar strumming, and screaming to terrifying effect. Dorcha make the soundtracks to your surreal nightmares. 
Butternut (7.2) are the Neo-Soul Project of Stuart Barker. While he claims to be taking a break from jazz with this band. Butternut are definitely very jazzy. Stuart is dryly funny on stage, yet thankfully the band are far better than his crap jokes. They were able to cover Jimi Hendrix (if 6 were 9) with ease and play interpolations of Dizzy Gillespie, Gil Scott Heron and, erm, Skee-lo. Another highlight was 'the pinback'. A dirty slice of Jazz-Funk which was inspired by Stuart's dad having his ears pinned back. Karl Monroe (7.6) are actually a four piece brummie psychedelic rock band rather than just some guy called Karl. They are everything you'd expect from a modern day psych band. From the reverb drowned guitars, inaudible vocals, pounding drums, and shoegazy effects. Karl Monroe, are definitely in the same mould as Tame impala. Yet with a modern take on retro sounds, which reminded me of The Arctic Monkeys are their weirdest. There was a summery, surf-rock style to their guitar work which reminded me of the late great Dick Dale's classic 'Miserlou'**. I'm happy to see that Birmingham is still in no way short of great bands.  


Links
Marieè www.soundcloud.com/ittsmariee

Kemi Suloa www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc4aR8W_n3o

Dorcha www.dorcha.bandcamp.com/releases
Butternut www.facebook.com/buttermeupsugar
Karl Monroe www.karlmonroe.co.uk

* Not bragging, but I've been listening to her for years now. You lot were slow to catch on.  
** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQsKOmdbFq4