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Reviews Thank you and goodnight EP (2004) Short and charming songs from these Glasgow, Scotland natives crooned in the vein of Coldplay, Sea Ray, and at times, The Flaming Lips. The disc evokes an introspective glimpse and memory flickers like an old 8mm movie - this could almost be an excellent soundtrack to a great film. Tracks range from smiling optimism to self-doubt and defeated courage bouts. This is the type of record that, when played, reminds you of the summer you first heard it, in every sunny detail. This is going to be hard to find. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. - JP, Crookedcamera.net Kasino
are a band who have been ploughing their own lonely furrow in the
Scottish music scene for some time now. Too mainstream to fit into
the healthy Scottish Underground and too indie to be accepted by
the major labels that surely should be signing their brand of anthemic
rock, Kasino have been pretty much left to fend for themselves against
what appears to be blanket indifference. Out of this has developed
something quite unexpected: a band that has such a fiercely independent
ethos that they put most of the 'cool' DIY outfits to shame. Where
others merely pay lip service to notions of being independent (whilst
often being at least partly in bed with 'The Man'), Kasino are genuinely
doing things ENTIRELY alone. They don't even have a tiny indie willing
to help them out. After a self-released EP and a well received debut
album Kasino are no closer to that elusive record deal than they
were 4 or 5 years ago, but one gets the feeling they don't care
any more. Their latest step is recording a 5 song ep and releasing
it on the web - for free. That the songs are merely (to my ears)
pleasantly melodic in a way that would please supporters of Bono
and the boys matters very little - this is a band fighting the good
fight with a conviction and dedication rarely seen these days. They
could sell a lot of records if (as they almost sing in Kodachrome)
their 'ship...come[s] in' but I get the feeling that isn't why they
are doing this. And for that they should be applauded. For most
of the '90s, it seemed, you could turn on the radio station and
actually get some good music. Great 'alternative' bands like Weezer
and Pavement became relatively famous. You actually had a choice
between mindless pop and, say, Radiohead. It is this that Kasino
reminds me of, my teenage years. They don't sound exactly like these
bands, but they formed at the same time, and it seems that something
similar informs them. I most want to compare them to the first c.d.
of a particular Swedish band called that also came out in the '90s
(though I doubt that a lot of people other than Swedes know who
they are); Kasino is equally as adept at heart-rending ballads.
On songs like "Miles Away," which features either Gary Marshall
singing to/with himself or someone who sounds exactly like it, it
comes off a little weird and a little too earnest. But the best
song on this EP, the title track, is close to brilliance, especially
when Marshall quietly admits, "I'm giving up./ Thank you and goodnight."
It almost makes me forget what year it is. [more ep reviews to come] Fearless LP (2003) Apart from
having a guitarist that wears a hygiene hat onstage and an apparent
inability to spell 'casino', what have this lot got for us, eh?
Well, 'Turn the Skies Grey' is a bit Radiohead at the youth club
with fabbo guitars, and 'Who Set You Up' is Crowded House meeting
REM in a slinky frame of mind [while] 'Never See' sprints, jogs
and sprints in the approved stadium rocker manner. Even better is
the sarky, snide little rocker 'Microcelebrity', complete with a
non-duelling banjo break: 'I'll do anything,' indeed. I was going
to give Fearless a bad review, but I didn't, for two reasons. 1.
They're bigger than me. 2. It's bloody good. Refreshingly for a
Glasgow band, Kasino have no pretences to the higher echelons of
musical obscurity, focussing instead on creating balls-out-on-the-table
"nu-stadium". Creating their shimmering slices of sonic superiority
(!) whilst avoiding the cliched pitfalls of ladrock, pubrock, and
all its associated genres, is quite an achievement, and it shows
on this record. "Brilliant!
Just fuckin' Brilliant! Gotta have a listen." Kasino
combine the epic sweep of Radiohead or U2 but using distinctively
sparse arrangements. Kasino's
debut album continually put me in mind of all the brazen Full Monty
rip-offs British filmmakers have been foisting on the US since that
male stripper comedy became a Stateside hit. Admittedly, the plot
those movies share is affecting in an inspiration-a-day sort of
way: down-at-heel working class folks find personal redemption in
some quirky, quixotic pursuit, be it ballet dancing, gardening,
or, in Kasino's case, grandiose 1980s arena rock stamped unmistakably
with the letter U and the numeral 2. Kasino could be as down-at-heel
and working class as the Strokes for all I know, but the music they
make is ambitious and endearingly earnest, and like a shameless,
climactic male stripping scene, it makes you want to cheer in spite
of yourself. "'Hello.
You slagged us off ages ago, so here's a chance to slag us off again.
Isn't life grand? :-) Keep smiling, Gary / Kasino,' says the
covering letter. Which is an attitude you've really got to admire.
I checked, and in Fudge #1 we called them 'happy-clappy uninspired
guitar-pop' and suggested they were heading into 'the same
pop nether-world [as Clocker]". And fuck all we've seen
of Aberdeen's ego-rockers recently... but you get the feeling Kasino
might be missed more should they hang their indie-rock coats on
the wall-peg of Calling It A Day. Kasino
are bringing their debut Fearless album out to play, and they do
it proud. Their double guitar attack chugs jangles screams and swoops
its way through a whole swathe of top quality songs: from the moody
and challenging "Pigfear" to the deft pop intelligence of "Shy". Kasino
know exactly who they are: Creators of strong songs, with a good
sense of structure and dynamics. Of course, the ever- cool Scottish
accent went in their favour. The singer/guitarist sounded like a
more earthy, husky Bono - a compliment by anyone's standards. Despite
their obvious superiority, why did they play last tonight? Quality
aside, they are unknown in these parts and it would have made more
sense to appear midway through a line-up, ensuring that fans of
the local headlining act heard at least some of their performance.
The night belonged to Kasino and I hope they enjoyed their brief
stay in Leeds. Glasgow versus Leeds? Glasgow 1, Leeds 0." Here
we have ten diamond white 80s pop songs with mighty swirls of darker
third millennium awareness... Power pop? Stadium rock? Whatever.
It's epic stuff. Glasgow's Kasino seem to invite comparisons with
big names, but they do a great version of themselves. Every track
has a different killer guitar sound and the voice blazes out like
something on fire. The songs are totally convincing, and the mood
charges onwards like all the best drivetime rock and roll albums.
Big in America? It should be. Everyone's
favourite stadium rockers (that's more your Stirling Albion-sized
stadium, mind) finally get their debut out. The band speak for themselves
- freely admitting past comparisons to U2, REM et al, and indeed
they do the mainstream-with-cred rock thing pretty damn well - 'Who
Set You Up' in particular goes for impassioned vocal and Edge-y
guitar. 'Turn the Skies Grey' is notable for starting off as a strummy
anthem Coldplay'd be happy to produce, and then descending into
a ridiculously OTT fretfest. 'Never See' is best here, an atmospheric
piece as close as anything to Talk Talk with a big tune to boot.
'Microcelebrity' is fun, but not as new wave as the band suggest
- live they rock out more, but Gary's probably too good a singer
to carry off punk. 'Shy' sounds like it's going to be the heartfelt
ballad statutory for all bands working in this area, but in fact
its harmonies and really nice guitar is reminiscent of the Durutti
Column. In a world of post rock and Popstars, Kasino indeed have
no fear of being themselves. There's
nothing groundbreaking here. yet it's a fine album. rather than
choosing the "alternative" route favoured by most glasgow
bands, kasino have gone out and made an album that's not trying
to be clever, or namedropping, but is instead a really good listen.
fearless is an album which will grow on you the more you listen
to it. 2002 and earlier See
You Fall (LA Version) [is] one of the album's richest-sounding pop
tunes, a pleasing swirl of Crowded-House melody and intricate vocal
harmonies that ends a little too abruptly. A
little package of joy. Kasino
give the impression of building towards something longer and grander,
only to have the rug pulled from under them when the time is up. Crisp,
Melodic and expertly executed lead lines, interesting and powerful
rythm section and a lead singer capable of soaring from a low growl
to a high, soaring crescendo. It
is difficult to make Big Music without sounding like lecturing tits
(look at Then Jericho) but Kasino are now making the kind of music
that is both brilliant and commercial. Diamond Geezers as well. Kasino:
[the]thundery / boingy intro is eventually overtaken by harmony
drenched vocals and brilliantly restrained yet noticeable U2/travisesque
lead guitar. Which is never a bad thing. Another stand-out track
and possibly a contender for the best song here? Resurfacing
with a new line-up and a new sound, and on the back of their contribution
to the recent Smoke compilation album, Kasino had a fine return
to form, with singer Gary Marshall's lung-busting efforts leading
the way and reflecting the hard-work ethic of the group. the crowd
found the band easy to warm to, particularly during the drum-heavy
rumblings of Who Set You Up? It could be predicted that their
perserverance will lead to future success. What
is your idea of being a success? With
Shine Like The Stars [Kasino] prove that they still rock,
only this time a hell of a lot quieter. This allows the falsetto
vocals to become more folk than rock. Be sure to have plenty of
butane gas handy through, as there are five minutes of lighter waving
to be had on this song... an essential purchase. Not
a household name to be found, but that only adds to the allure of
this compilation... Half a dozen show serious potential... Worth
checking out are Cayto, My Legendary Girlfriend, Kasino, Transaudio
and Mercury Tilt Switch. Lyrics
to break your heart... what an achingly beautiful, supremely wonderful
piece of sound this is. Kasino
really demonstrate they're class with 'Thinking about yesterday'.
Excellent vocals and songwriting combine with a masterful
use of guitar, keyboards and drums to create a real sonic picture
in the mind. It's a lovely piece of work. [Kasino]
know a thing or two about songwriting, and despite having an (almost)
all-new lineup, they've come back if anything stronger than ever.
It's effortless for them to insert the odd acoustic number to the
set such is their skill, but it's the remodelled stuff like 'You
Don't Have To Be Alone' which, with its edgy guitar and stadium-filling
sound, turns the Note's tiny basement, for a short time, into Wembley.
Goal! Perhaps
not one of their best gigs. New
guitarist David Marshall… looks for noises no other guitarist
has found. The rejuvenated Kasino have embarked on a flurry of recording,
with appearances on the recent Glasgow compilation album Smoke and
the forthcoming Littlest Album. They'll also release their own EP
of songs next month… Gary said: "It's rock music that's
not Nu-Metal. It's not big shorts and shouting, or other rock music
which goes on about pixies and elves"… The new material
plays to the band's traditional strengths - strong melodies and
sharp lyrics - but with new walls of effected guitar and dub-influenced
bass. Really old reviews "Awesome.
I immediately fell in love with the singer. His voice, it's perfect!
The lyrics rock, the guitars fit, as does all other instruments,
lead guitar got a cool riff, nifty! I love this song, it's great,
and I STRONGLY urge everyone who takes the time to read my review
to download the song...I just heard a line from a U2 song-"I'm
losing you..." it's from "The Sweetest Thing," isn't
it? Cool. Download NOW!" "Piano-led
melancholia is the name of the game for Scots rockers Kasino on
this four-song EP. Think REM breaking particularly bad news to the
Manics while U2 dolefully stab at a grand piano." "Classy
4-track treat for lovers of a big sound - Eyes leads off
with soaring vocals, crashing chords, and a great shouty call-and-response
chorus of 'we're so cynical/nothing's magical'. For diversity, the
9 minute title track fully deserves the description 'epic' with
searing guitars eventually giving way to subdued piano. Kasino,
then - at a stadium near you soon." "It’s
difficult to dislike this kind of music - it’s epic, radio friendly
and catchy. Four well-crafted, emotive songs with strong vocals.
But I’m a scratchy guitars and shouting kind of girl so this goes
in one ear and straight out again. One for the Travis fans then." "Kasino
are a bit of a revelation live. Describing themselves as 'sub-U2
stadium rock bollocks', this is perhaps unfair... no, not on U2.
Yes, they produce lightly-voiced, almost acoustic numbers, and yes,
singer Gary Marshall's vocals do, yes, soar. But they, perhaps fuelled
by the live experience, love to rock out - and rock they do." "Vocalist
Gary Marshall sings like an angel on angel dust. From wistful and
mellow to angry and downright dirty, his voice is the ideal focal
point for the band's tightly spun tunes... [Mark] Clinton is a revelation.
Pogoing frenetically throughout, he punctuates the songs with jagged,
percussive fretwork... unlike many of his axe-wielding peers his
playing does not overshadow the quality and honesty of the songs
themselves - the best of which are Rise, a gorgeous, soar-away
epic, and Don't Let Me Down, a four-minute parcel of pop
genius... Kasino are one of the few of the current crop of emerging
outfits that are more or less the finished article". "Beautiful
songs build an elaborate structure of emotion and musical textures
that increase with each moment. Deep, resonant guitars and a riveting
voice" "Traces
of Murmur-era REM while frontman Gary's voice bears a passing resemblance
to Thom Yorke... this lot sound like the finished article. [Fall
from grace] manages to soar without breaking into a sweat - so many
bands mistake epic for whacking on the string arrangements... I
can see why Mansun were attracted to them, they seem to share the
same influences without ever resorting to plagiarism" "Kasino
represent the crowning turd in the water pipe that is Glasgow music" "My
only hope for the future is that the entire Kasino line-up fall
suddenly and permenantly [sic] into comas" "Your
band is pure jobby, by the way... why don't you do the world a huge
favour and commit mass suicide?" |
