I Am Kloot

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I Am Kloot
left to right: Pete, Andy, John
left to right: Pete, Andy, John
Background information
Origin Flag of England Manchester, England
Genre(s) Alternative Rock, Indie Rock
Years active 1999–present
Label(s) Wall of Sound

Echo

Skinny Dog
Website www.iamkloot.com
Members
John Bramwell
Peter Jobson
Andy Hargreaves

I Am Kloot is an English band formed in Manchester, in 1999 by John Bramwell (guitar/vocals), Peter Jobson (bass) and Andy Hargreaves (drums), notable for their twisted, witty lyrics.

Debut album Natural History was released in the UK in March 2001 on Wall of Sound offshoot We Love You, followed by I Am Kloot in September 2003 on the Echo label. Disputes and issues with the label began to arise towards the end of the promotional campaign for their sophomore album, when Echo said that "Proof" would be a single. Artwork had been agreed and a track listing too, they had even gone so far to commission a video by Krishna Stott featuring Christopher Eccleston (who would later star in the new Doctor Who television series). But Echo shelved these ideas and ended up issuing the single as a download only, although a few copies were issued in Europe on the PIAS imprint.

Their third LP Gods and Monsters was released in November 2005, again on the Echo label but issues with the label again cancelling a single at short notice, this time "I Believe", leading to the band leaving the label, citing a lack of financial support. Later that year they issued a limited edition single entitled "Maybe I Should" released November 21st, following some of their biggest ever headlining gigs in the UK, culminating in a show at the famous London Astoria venue. In April 2006 they made a brand new song available for free download to their fanbase titled "Only Role in Town". The band released an album of John Peel Session tracks, recorded over two sessions in 2001 and 2004, and featuring a previously unheard, early version of "Coincidence", a track from their Gods and Monsters album.

The next scheduled release will be am album of all-new material early in 2007, potentially including material played live in November 2006 - song titles include;

  • "Asleep At The Wheel"
  • "Down At The Front"
  • "Even The Stars"
  • "Fingerprints"
  • "Glimmer"
  • "Only Role In Town"
  • "Ship To Shore"
  • "Someone Like You"
  • "Suddenly Strange"
  • "You've Gotta Go"

The band are also working on the soundtrack to director Danny Boyle's latest film, Sunshine, contributing the track "Avenue of Hope"[1] and potentially other material.

Contents

[edit] Musicians

[edit] Band members

[edit] Contributing Musicians


[edit] Additional Live Performers

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] Singles

  • "To You"/"Titanic" (1999, only 1000 vinyl copies released)
  • "Twist"/"86 TV's" (2000, double A-side on CD and red vinyl)
  • "Dark Star" (2001, #90 UK, CD and vinyl)
  • "Morning Rain" (2001, #94 UK, CD and vinyl)
  • "Untitled #1" (2003, #101 UK, limited edition vinyl)
  • "Life in a Day" (2003, #43 UK, 2x CD and vinyl)
  • "3 Feet Tall" (2003, #46 UK, 2x CD and vinyl)
  • "From Your Favourite Sky" (2004, numbered CD and download)
  • "Over My Shoulder" (2005, #38 UK, CD and 2x vinyl)
  • "Maybe I Should" (2005, #128 UK, limited CD, vinyl and download)

[edit] Key songs

  • "No Fear of Falling", "Storm Warning", "Twist", "86 TV's" from the album Natural History.
  • "Life in a Day", "Proof", "From Your Favourite Sky", "The Same Deep Water as Me" from the album I Am Kloot.
  • "This House Is Haunted" from the single "Life in A Day" (CD1)
  • "Over My Shoulder", "Sand and Glue", "Avenue of Hope", "The Stars Look Familiar" from the album Gods and Monsters.
  • "Maybe I Should" from the self titled single.
  • "Only Roll in Town" available to the mailing list.

[edit] Music press

  • "Of the bands Manchester has spawned recently (Doves, Elbow), the warm and spiky Kloot pack the most clout, despite being the smallest. The big-sounding little trio make the everyday epic and the epic human, smuggling chip-shop cheek into songs of dark wit, grainy texture and often startling emotional power. As dark as they can get, too, their live shows are often joyous, communal affairs, goaded on by the dry wit of frontman Johnny Bramwell." Taken from The Independent newspaper in Britain as one of the 50 best arts events of the autumn 2005.
  • "Lyrically, the record's great. Explicit and honest and a master of metaphor, Bramwell is, in his own way, as fine a wordsmith as Morrissey or Stuart Murdoch. There are oddly poetic phrases here, shrouded in a multiplicity of possible meanings, that will nag at you forever. "There's blood on your legs", presses Bramwell in 'Twist'. "I love you". The album's pinnacle, 'Because', suggests this lyrical obscurity is essential. Strip the obscure, imagistic couplets from this meditative, rolling-ocean ballad and it'd be nothing. They help form a mystical, rapturous, staggering declaration of love. And a fitting end to an album that, while not flawless, will stir you into a rare, joyous fervour." An extract of a review in the NME for the debut album Natural History. NME went on to rate the album 8/10.
  • "The band's move away from their acoustic sound has given extra depth to their songs and an added dimension to their live performance. Live, they've always been about Bramwell's charisma but the new direction now highlights Peter Jobson and Andy Hargreaves' essential contributions. The new album had only been out for three weeks prior to this gig, but such is Bramwell's ability with a tune that they all sounded like old favourites - 3 Feet Tall and Not A Reasonable Man sitting perfectly well alongside 86 TV's and Because. But it wasn't until the second half that the band let rip, belting out an aptly brooding version of Storm Warning, a lovelorn To You, and a heart-stirringly beautiful Proof. I Am Kloot have been on the brink of greatness for a good while now - if they carry on like this it should be assured." Taken from a BBC review of I Am Kloot playing at The Shepherd's Bush Empire, London 2003.

[edit] Quotes

  • "It's only in the context of the bleakness and the quite filthy passion at the core of us, that when we present something that naïve and that simple that it really gets its charm and finds its beauty." - John Bramwell
  • "There’s a bit of schadenfreude in our stuff, black humour. I hope it gives a feeling of wanting to embrace life, to carry on life, that life is a great thing, and that love is a great thing. It’s just that it comes with some baggage. I feel that we’re optimistic." - John Bramwell (2005)

[edit] Trivia

"Bramwell" is former Granada Television presenter Johnny Dangerously, known for fronting a local Saturday morning magazine programme that gave one of the first TV outings for KFM Radio personality Caroline Aherne in her Mrs. Merton role. In this guise he also released the lost classic mini LP You Me And the Alarm Clock, named in The Guardian newspaper as one of "greatest albums you've never heard".

Actor Matthew Fox who plays Doctor Jack Shepherd in TV show Lost has named I Am Kloot as one of his favourite bands in the official podcast for the show.

The B-side "Great Escape", released on the "Over My Shoulder" single, appears a few times in an episode of Early Doors, a BBC sitcom written by Craig Cash.

Coincidentally, Kloot is the Dutch word for 'ball', referring to the male genitals.

[edit] External links

[edit] Source material

[edit] References

  1. ^ Official website news
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../i/_/a/I_Am_Kloot_3307.html"
In other languages