I Am Kloot

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I Am Kloot are an English band formed in Manchester, in 1999 by John Bramwell (guitar/vocals), Peter Jobson (bass) and Andy Hargreaves (drums).

History

The band released their debut album, Natural History, in the UK in March 2001 on the Wall of Sound offshoot 'We Love You', followed by the I Am Kloot album in September 2003, on the Echo imprint.

Echo had originally planned to release "Proof" as a single to promote the second album, but after agreeing on artwork and a track listing (and commissioning a video featuring Christopher Eccleston, directed by Krishna Stott), the label shelved these ideas and subsequently issued the single as a download only (though a few copies were issued in Europe on the PIAS imprint). This action is commonly seen as the start of the dispute that would subsequently see the band leave the label.^{[citation needed]}

The band remained with Echo for their third LP, Gods and Monsters (2005), but left the label citing a lack of financial support after another planned single, "I Believe", was cancelled at short notice. Later that year they issued a limited edition single entitled "Maybe I Should" on November 21st, following some of their biggest headlining gigs in the UK, culminating in a show at the London Astoria.

In April 2006 "Only Role in Town", was made available for free download to their fanbase, followed by the release of an album of John Peel session tracks in October 2006, recorded over two sessions in 2001 and 2004.

I Am Kloot's fourth studio album, I Am Kloot Play Moolah Rouge, was available at gigs in November 2007 as a limited edition of 2000 copies, before going on general release on 14 April 2008.

I Am Kloot are currently in the studio recording their 5th studio album with producers Craig Potter & Guy Garvey from Elbow. Working title The Sky at Night, estimated release date January 2010.

They released a double album compilation of B-sides, rarities and unreleased songs collected under the title of B in October 2009.

Discography

Albums

• Natural History (2001)
• I Am Kloot (2003, #68 UK^[1])
• Gods and Monsters (2005, #74 UK^[1])
• BBC Radio 1 John Peel Sessions (2006)
• I Am Kloot Play Moolah Rouge (2007)
• B (2009)

Singles

From Natural History

• "To You"/"Titanic" (1999, only 1000 vinyl copies released) Ugly Man
• "Twist"/"86 TV's" (2000, double A-side on CD and red vinyl) Ugly Man
• "Dark Star" (2001, CD and vinyl)
• "Morning Rain" (2001, CD and vinyl)

From I Am Kloot

• "Untitled #1" (2003, limited edition vinyl)
• "Life in a Day" (2003, #43 UK,^[1] 2x CD and vinyl)
• "3 Feet Tall" (2003, #46 UK,^[1] 2x CD and vinyl)
• "From Your Favourite Sky" (2004, numbered CD and download)

From Gods and Monsters

• "Over My Shoulder" (2005, #38 UK,^[1] CD and 2x vinyl)

Non-album Single

• "Maybe I Should" (2005, limited CD, vinyl and download)

Musicians

Band members

• John Harold Arnold Bramwell: Songwriter, vocals, guitars.
• Peter Jobson: Bass, Slide Guitar, backing vocals, Piano, Organ.
• Andy Hargreaves: drums, percussion, Glockenspiel.

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 You Me And the Alarm Clock, named in The Guardian newspaper as one of "greatest albums you've never heard".^[2] During his period with Granada Television he was engaged to Tara Newley daughter of Joan Collins and Anthony Newley. After leaving Granada, John spent many years travelling between Athens and North Wales where he continued to write and perform songs solo before giving up music to deliver glue around the U.K. In the early 1990's John formed The Mouth with friend and musician Bryan Glancy (the titular Seldom Seen Kid) that later included members of I Am Kloot - Andy Hargreaves and Peter Jobson. The Mouth first played live at the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles, California and on returning from America, John worked booking bands at Manchester venue Night & Day during the mid to late 1990's. The Mouth subsequently became I Am Kloot - releasing their first single Titanic / To You as a 7" double A side single in 1999 and their debut album Natural History in 2001 - both produced by Guy Garvey from elbow.

Peter Jobson is a co-founder of the "Skinny Dog Records" label, with Guy Garvey.

Contributing musicians

• Guy Garvey: Producer, Engineer, Backing vocals, Percussion, Sound effects, Harmonica, Guacamole, wine glasses
• Mel Wesson: Programming
• Tony Gilfellon: Additional guitar
• Bob Sastry: French horn
• Isabelle Dunn: Cello
• Amanda Drummond: Viola
• Stella Page, Prabjote Osahn: Violin
• Robert Marsh: Trumpet
• Norman McLeod: Pedal steel guitar
• Colin McLeod: Producer
• Craig Potter: Producer

Additional live performers

• Norman McLeod: Pedal steel guitar, Electric guitar
• Colin McLeod: keyboards
• Bob Sastry: French horn
• Guy Garvey: Extra Vocals
• Robert Marsh: Trumpet
• Scott Alexander: Electric guitar played with an ebow

Music press

This article contains too many quotations for an encyclopedic entry. Please help improve the article by removing excessive quotations or transferring them to Wikiquote. Help is available. (September 2008)

• "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.

• "If wishes were horses then beggars would ride, and if critical plaudits were album sales I Am Kloot would be pulled along in carriages made of gold records that would make the Queen literally sh*t with envy. Really special." Time Out

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)

References

External links

• I Am Kloot official web site
• I Am Kloot fansite with comprehensive live dates, discography, lyrics, guitar tabs etc
• "Proof" video, featuring Christopher Eccleston
• Official German web site
• Free video of entire Amsterdam concert (14-11-2006)

Source material

• I Am Kloot discography
• BBC review
• NME album review