Throwaway Style

A Very Civil People

2007-06-22T21:41:00.000+01:00

It's been literally ages since I or any of us updated the site, and seemingly for no good reason either other than being desperately lazy. Especially in the light of all the wonderful sounds that are floating around in our collective ears in 2007, so in a genuine attempt to redress the balance, without further ado, etc etc.....

Dan Heywood's New Hawks are one of those instantly familiar bands whose songs seem to strike a chord almost immediately when I saw way back in the frozen arctic months earlier this year. It was a weekend centered around a very special Panda Bear performance in a frankly quite tiny little venue somewhere in wildest Manchester, but that's another story altogether one which you can read about HERE. Anyway back to the point the following evening there was a big choice to be made enjoy the hospitality of Dunk Le Chunk and his fireside warmth down at the Red Deer Club or venture further out risk not being able to find a venue deep in the heart of Salford (not that deep as it actually turns out). So in the end after much coin flipping, it was decided to take a trip into 'the other city'. After a few wrong turns and some rather worryingly poor advice from a passer-by the venue was found and everything was ok.

Anyway back to the point of sorts, Dan Heywood's New Hawks are a semi fluid gathering of like minded wanderers led by Heywood himself. Who far from curating in a Billy Shears mentor way actually directs the the flow of the music through his West Midlands meets Lancastrian vocal stylings. Dan formerly a member of aspiring alterna-rockers The Puma Sutras, is originally from Stourbridge but relocated oop north because circumstances wanted him to, and that's as good a reason as any really isn't it? Drawing from Hebridean folk music and putting it through the cosmik mangler by way of the seventies commune led Krauts is what this bunch of fluid artists do best. Sometimes when you see them you might hit on a seven piece at other times more or less dependent on who is free to play. The time I saw them supporting Starless & Bible Black and The Lightshines we were subject to the aforementioned seven piece show. A band featuring amongst others Trish Stanish on Violin, Paddy Steer on wayward Timpani, legendary Nashville player Gary "GT" Thistlewaite on Lap Steel and Heywood himself leading from the front.

Currently enjoying a symbiotic relationship with host label Timbreland Recordings DHNH are said to be possibly considering recording an album, rumored to be an epic 29 tracks long and possibly in the great tradition of commune styled bands released only on gatefold double vinyl. Or possibly not, the one constant thing about Dan Heywood is that more often than not you'll be able to find both him and the New Hawks somewhere in Lancaster. Meanwhile enjoy something direct from them,,,

Kopper Kettle (MP3)
New Wool (MP3)

The Phonographers Union: The Preserving Machine

2007-04-07T13:29:00.000+01:00

I've decided that 2007 is going to be a year of firsts for the venerable monks here at Throwaway Style. By way of validating that let me introduce you to the first in a (possible) series of compilations for your aural satisfaction. Mix-tapes and compilations have been the bed rock of my listening tastes and its quite often through that process we are introduced to musics that excite us enough to warrant writing about them and sharing them with you. The last few years in music have seen a rich and fertile land of music develop in the knotholes and crags of the surface of popular culture and its there where often the best noise come from.

So ahem yes on with the show or something; where possible I will provide links to the artists in question for your further investigation:-

Pink Mountaintops - Lord Let Us Shine
Raccoo-oo-oon - Diamonds In The Dune
The Polkadot Sunflower Bed Orchestra - The Sun Reflects Straight Off Your Eyes, To My Heart. How Enchanting.
Animal Collective/Kocani Orkesta - Oi Bori Sujie
Drakkur Sauna - Very Much Alone, Part 4: Oh Fuck, I'm Fucked, Fuck
Maths & Physics Club - La La La Lisa
Miracle Fortress - Hanky Panky Nowhow
Elephant Micah - Saint Lucy
Feathers - To Earth His Own
Flying Saucer Attack - Come & Close My Eyes
Wood & Wires - Canes Venatici
Eric's Trip - Blinded
Faraquet - Sea Song
Treepeople - No Doubt
Dragon Or Emperor - Your Success
Jah Division - Heart & Soul Dub
Handsome Furs - Dead & Rural
Mort Garson - Symphony For A Spiderplant
Plants - The Mind
Flying Canyon - In The Reflection

The Phonographers Union: The Preserving Machine

*please support the artists where possible

Disfunctional Elements

2007-03-31T13:45:00.000+01:00

Brooklyn seems to have it all in terms of music output, having spawned countless armies of the most critically lauded bands/musicians in the last seven years. A direct line which can be traced backwards through all and any mutation of music you or I can possibly imagine be that the twisted folk cum electro freak punk of Animal Collective or the sepia tinged bedroom symphonia of Grizzly Bear. Blues Control are the newest band in this lineage to have gathered already in their short lifespan an exited air of expectation. A nom de plume for Lea Cho and Russ Waterhouse of established outer limits explorers Watersports. By no means is Blues Control's oeuvre a completely unexplored subject (Royal Trux have been there done that in all its faded day-glo glory already) but the panache with which they move around in the sphere of lo-fi splattered blues exploration is something to behold.

To term this 'blues' in the traditional sense is perhaps a little bit misleading, the tag instead comes from the band's choice of instrumentation. Guitar, keys, harmonica and vocals (treated) are the traditional elements that sit quite well alongside less obvious drum loops and found sounds. Sometimes sludgy loping rock sitting neatly alongside more intricate detailing allowing the project to almost plot a direct line of ascendency between drone lords The Dead C and more open experimentation of the likes of No Neck Blues Band or Mouthus.

With one self released and now out of print cassette to their name, Blues control aim to completely take over the known world this year with a new cassette "Riverboat Styx" on Fuck-It Tapes and a limited vinyl release on offshoot Woodsist to date. A release heavy schedule to follow this year with a début proper due on Holy Mountain in May and further releases on Not Not Fun and American Grizzly to follow later still. All fit together to make Blues Control one of, if not the most interesting prospects to pile-drive its way into the collective concious this year. File under interested definitely...

Purchase Blues Control merchandise from Fusetron or direct from the labels listed above.

Losing Game (MP3)

Designed To Float On....

2007-02-24T20:16:00.000Z

Often when it comes to writing these blogs I find myself musing for some time looking for inspiration and quite often a central focus to an article. Sometimes that inspiration can be drawn from seemingly inconsequential sources. Anyway enough psychoanalysis as it gets me nowhere really other than a couple of sentences into this and besides that's not what's on my mind. Right now I'm thinking about the forthcoming All Tomorrows Parties curated by Dirty Three. The festival widely acknowledged as one of the best events on the Uk festival circuit this year has swapped its old home of Camber Sands in Rye and relocated to a newer facility in Minehead. As previously mentioned the first of this years bi annual (not counting the Nightmare Before X-Mas) is set to be curated by Australian trio Dirty Three. Artists already booked for their weekend include a rare solo show from Nick Cave, Joanna Newsom, Yann Tierson, Einsturzende Neubauten and the début performance from Grinderman (described as dirty, hairy and damn well old enough to know better on their website.)

Anyway to the point along with all the more well known names there are also a peppering of the less well known, even a selection plucked from the relative obscurity of the Australian independent scene. Which got me around to thinking what else is going on over there, that doesn't often pierce the outside world beyond the odd good word in select publishing in the later otherwise rest of the world.

The Boats are an instrumental rock trio from Melbourne who formed in mid 2003 when a meeting of minds took place between two old school friends and two prospective drummers. Within 15 minutes of the ensuing jam, Paul Guseli (Drums), Jona Byron (Guitar/Loops/Bass) and Nick Connelly(Guitar/Bass/Piano) knew that they were at the beginning of something quite special. Over the course of the next six months the trio formalized both recorded and improv material into a collection of demo's, which were released as four track CD EP. The boats played their first show at Good Morning Captain in early 2004, with long improvisational jams that captured the ears and curiosity of many punters. The good press garnered off the back of these live shows opened up the bands profile to radio airplay and interviews and a second independently pressed three track EP of material entitled "Live & Rare". Around the time of recording this EP work also began on laying the foundations for their début long player (due for release in 2007). Reference points for the band as they enter into their forth year of being and after a period of self imposed hiatus range from looped phased guitar/bass quiet loud dynamics of Mogwai to the deep brooding of Godspeed You! Black Emperor to the dustbowl dramatics of composer Ennio Morricone whilst at the same time stamping their own definitive stamp on proceedings. Often being described as surf-rock, punk, alt country, indie alternative, post-rock and even 'the new jazz'. Quite simply put they could be one of the most interesting instrumental rock bands to rise in recent years and should be listened to as suggested in the liner notes of their "Perennial Love" EP should be listened to in a darkened room preferably with a plentiful supply of tobacco and red wine on hand!

Warmth From A Window (MP3)
Perennial Love [live improv jam May 2006] (MP3)

International Karate formed way back in the ether of 1997 in the shadow Calder Park Thunderdrome (which their handy bio informs me is in the flat wastelands of North West Melbourne.) Initially a two piece but grew to four piece over the ensuing years, beginning in the garage of core members Andrew "Poly" Polydorou (Guitar) and Mark Mascia (Bass). A year later the line up was bolstered with the addition of drummer Aaron Pepper and then later on again by Callan Fox (Guitar/Keyboards). The four piece as was drifted in and out of a hectic live schedule, culminating in an opening slot for revered post rockers Labradford in 2001. Sometime in early 2002 IK decided it was time to record an album. An interminably staggered recording process began and stretched out over 12 months, with dates booked here and there over a whole year. 2003 saw the release of "Weapons Of Mass Protection" on Sensory Projects
records. Featuring the collaborative vocal talents of Daniel Brownrigg the album garnered pleasing reviews focussing on the bands ability to draw deeply from the twin wells of Krautrock past and Post Rock present. The generally pleasant reaction to this album spurred the band into immediately returning to studio to record the follow-up. "Monster In The Soul" released in September of 2004 again on Sensory Projects. In February 2007 the band are set to release their third album of ambient blurred post rock, this time with the addition of vocal talents from folk singer Laura Jean. Extracts from the new album can be sampled at the band's Myspace page.

I Will Hurt You (MP3)
Aries (MP3)

MAU! MAU! DIDI MAU!

2007-01-21T14:18:00.000Z

Deerhunter the band (not the film) began in 2001 with a simple manifesto one which saw them attempt to fuse the freedom of ambient and minimalist music with the claustrophobic klang of garage punk. The central core of the band being Atlanta based songwriter Bradford Cox; who has over the years weathered numerous chaotic line up changes, the death of a band member and general discouragement from the public at large. Throughout this though a line up for the band has been shaped and shaped again. Eventually settling as a five piece comprised of Moses Archuleta, Josh Fauver, Colin Mee, Lockett Pundt and Bradford Cox. The band released two limited press records on local Atlanta based record label Rob's House Records.

2004 the band retreated to the rural hinterland of GA to record their debut self titled LP, released and promoted locally. In 2005 the band began work on their second full length release, one which would take nearly two years to record and in the process drive the band to point of near bankruptcy. The first half of the album was recorded first unsuccessfully. These recordings were a blur at best, wordless and bordering on psychological atrophy. The sessions failed to provide anything tangible, and were racked with technical and personal problems, including out-of-tune pianos, panic attacks, and a tape machine that seemed to fail to capture the full spectrum of ambience the band was exploring. Down trodden the band returned home and considered giving altogether. In an attempt to give it one last go they again decamped to that same rural studio that had bourne their first full length.

This session was far more succesful than earlier attempts, nailing the entire first half of what was to become their major label debut "Cryptograms" for Kranky Records. The second half of the record, also recorded in a day was put to tape in late November 2005. An exaustive calender of promotion began in 2006 during which they were voted critics choice for "Best Local Experimental Music Act" at Creative Loafing, 2006. Culminating in the band signing to the aforementioned label and agreeing to a distribution deal which would see their album released in late January 2007. The album shows a more coherent sound from that of the miasma and chaos generally showcased in earlier incarnations balancing earth-rattling drones with angelic cadences that dwell on the borders of coherent song structure. Utilizing the blank spaces inside the notes, which leaves plenty of room to roam around a wash of graceful guitar noise, clutter and kraut-rock rhythms. A competent take on less-than-orthodox sounds blossomed in only a few short years from lo-fi, "kitchen avant-garde" home recordings to a viable tenant of the pop avant-garde that gives a nod to everyone from Rhys Chatham to Stereolab. One to watch in 2007 with a busy calender to match, from support slots for both Grizzly Bear and Sparklehorse in March to an invite to the SWSX festival further into the year.

Deerhunter - Spring Hall Convert (MP3)

Hidden Pathways

2007-01-12T20:35:00.000Z

There are many names in music today who are unfairly or otherwise not known; a lot of the time for no good reason other than word of mouth hasn't passed along the grape vine fast enough. When WIRE magazine's David Keenan coined the phrase 'New Weird America' back in August 2003 who could've known what was destined to happen to the fledgling movment (despite its hidden roots in just about every form of popular music since the late 60s.). Who could've forseen the rise of Animal Collective, the dissolution of The Tower Recordings into a million brilliant shards or Devandra Banhart becoming the figurehead of the offshoot bastardisation 'Freak Folk' movement?!? Then the the Finnic equivelent of vikings invaded and brought with them a whole load of wonderful feral folk, the likes of which is still wowing people three years later!

Back to the point though! One of those names that is passed around in hushed circles who really does deserve far more recognition is Matthew De Gennaro. A search of the intetnet reveals very little about this man, most often passing references as a footnote to one of New Zealand's underground lynchpins Alaistar Galbraith. Matt has thus far released a couple of collaborative affairs with the aformentioned in differing press runs on small run labels. These in themselves reveal that he is a consumate finger pick guitarist who can happily count Jack Rose and James Blackshaw as contemporaries. His style recalling at times that of John Renbourn/Burt Jansch as much aluding to the beloved American primative of John Fahey.

Away from his collaborative work he has also found the time to produce three albums of solo material; "Under The Sun" a limited pressing of 50 on Epigonic Recordings, followed by a second release "5" on the same label. Finally thus far at least "Humbled Down" on the Last Visible Dog imprint in 2005.

Matthew De Gennaro - Ross Creek Wander

Mainline To Hell

2007-01-09T20:19:00.000Z

2006 was a good year for music a really good year in fact. One that brought us triumphant returns from old favourites, self assured sophmore releases from relative newcomers and more than its fair share of surprise additions along the way. Among those surprises is the London based ten strong collective The Flowers Of Hell, who have been gently plugging away since they drifted together in 2005 over the course of a series of releases for the Shifty Disco singles club. The band counts within its number a glut of talent, side players from bands the likes of The Tindersticks, British Sea Power and newcomers The Early Years.

The group blend a majestic storm of drone and guitar into orchestral arrangements that call to mind The Velvet Underground & Nico and Spiritualized circa "Laser Guided Melodies." Which makes it fairly ironic that that the band found their mentor in Gary 'Sonic Boom' Kember the very man who acrimoniously split with the laters Jason 'Spaceman' Pierce after a fruitful career together as Spaceman 3.

The self titled debut album was released in November 2006 on Earworm records was produced by Tim Holmes of Death In Vegas at the Contino Rooms. Mastering for the record was done Dennis Blackman whose previous credits include Kraftwerk's "Autobahn" and raft of classic releases from the likes of T-Rex, Elvis and Led Zeppelin. Along with mentoring the group in the earlier incarnation Sonic Boom also collaborated with the band on the track "Through The F Hole" one of several standouts on the album along with the lenghty song that forms the backbone of the album "Opt Out." A swirling monster of understated guitars and violins that ebbs and flows like Spiritualized at their most incandescent and Godspeed You! Black Emperor at their most apocalyptic.

The Flowers From Hell - Opt Out

Sustained Spectral Harmonics

2007-01-03T19:26:00.000Z

Formed in the recent past in Baton Rouge, Louisana; Wilderness Pangs started out life as a Creedance Clearwater Revival tribute act. Originally a duo comprised of Randy Faucheux (Guitar, Percusion, Feedback, Anything Else) and Brandon White (Guitar) who shared vocal duties. Between those faltering early steps and the place we call now, they have evolved into a slightly more incandescant beast. in the process and in the words of the band themselves this process began when they took a journey to the centre of the earth and discovered a breed of fire breathing animal called gigantodons. A realm where rap music doesn't exist. Hokey stories aside what they did find at the centre of the earth was a more cohesive playing style one which takes notes from the overlords of the current psychedlic scene: Animal Collective.

Fast forward a couple of years and the duo were joined by full time bassist and drummer Jeremy Baptiste. The pallette of influences was extended further to include leftfield rap collective cLOUDEAD and the introverted psyche canvases of Spaceman 3 and the outsider acolyte of New York's Tower Recordings; James Toth (Wooden Wand). This enabled the unit to begin playing live and to flesh out those ideas collated over the embryonic stage of their development into a self pressed CD-R release. In late 2006 they also signed to German label Broken Ear with a view to releasing a fully realised version of the now out of print early material.

The Elephant Ghost Saga Part 3 (By Night)
Parallel Gigantadons

Awake Again

2006-12-17T23:19:00.000Z

Three months since this place was last updated, what have we been doing? Listening to copious amounts of music mainly probably compiling lists as is the wont for lots of Rob Gordon wannabees this time of year and just generally bumming around. So anyway Throwaway Style will be back more alive than ever in the new year (hell I might even do something before then....) with more insight into the less travelled paths of contemporary music and popular culture.

The year to date has been rich with discoveries for all of us involved in this little thing we call a blog. I've personally had more than my fair share of epithanies and I'm sure that the other contributors have been there done that too. Greenman was definitely a high for me with a rich seam of music being transported to and then mined in the lush greenery of the foot of Brecon Beacons. A wander upto the front room like Red Deer Club in Manchester too was another revelation; how music at grass roots level can be put on and not feel like some closed environment.

So looking forward to 2007 you bet I am whatever it might hold....

Merry X-mas

CC

Alchemy Reimagined

2006-09-18T20:31:00.000+01:00

Mat Sweet aka Boduf Songs has had quite a year, getting picked up by Kranky Records on the strength of a collection demo recordings he sent out, releasing those demos untouched as a mini album in March 2006 and now to round things out an album proper. Mat Sweet wasn't a stranger to recording though having released numerous private press limited CD-R runs on his Baby Blue Recordings; ranging from glitch heavy electronics to straight heavy rock featuring a close knit group of friends in a revolving line-up. Boduf Songs was Sweet's first attempt at recording his own songs, recorded using accoustic guitar, violin bow, toy piano and computed manipulated field sounds. The resulatant recordings released as a self titled LP not only secured a deal with Kranky but also began garnering alot of interest in many high places. Described in equal measures as dark psychedelia and melancolic lament, it still manages to avoid being labelled overtly obscure.

Puke A Pitch Black Rainbow [taken from "Boduf Songs", Krank 085]

The new record "Lion Devours The Sun" due for release October 30th builds on the foundations built up on the self titled EP. The album title a nod to alchemical imagery, the sun representing consciousness and the lion symbolizing emotion. More fully formed than its former self if there was relative self restraint or a humbleness evident on the the first record it is blown away righteous bitterness of the new material.

27th Raven's Head (Darkness Showing Through The Head Of The Raven) [taken from "Lion Devours The Sun", Krank 099]

Please Check Your Emotional Baggage At the Door........

2006-08-29T18:16:00.000+01:00

This is it the final day, and its been such a pleasure to get here, two days of fantastic music already gone and a whole day's worth of music to go before we reach the proverbial fat lady singing moment. But what a moment it's going to be, and before today is out, there will be krautrock, folk and an improvised drum circle and none of it will feel contrived. It will in fact be the perfect end to my highlight of the summer, so before I get anymore drippy and splurge even more on praise lets get on with it!

Sunday.....

11:30am and for some reason I think I can hear a medieval marching band, if I was hungover or suffering from the effects of drink, but its far too early for that. I haven't even had breakfast yet, so its something of a relief when I spot Michael Tyack and some of the other Circulus band members have become a marching band and merrily wandering the campsite spreading their happy message. Even taking the time i'm sure to show some of the younger campsite members how to use the crumhorn they've brought along with them. A short while later Woodcraft Folk are pleasing the crowd with their folktronic take on krautrock like motorik rythyms. Gentle if slightly rigid vignettes bookended by chiming xylophones, bells and if they could get away with it a kitchen sink too. It's actually really hard to track down even the merest smidgen of infomation about this unit of likeminded folk, other than glowing reviews of their debut album which is currently enjoying a second limited pressing run on Earworm Records complete with a limited 5x5 hand screened print. We wander away just before the end of their set in order to make our way over to the DJ tent where James Yorkston hot off his almost epochal stint in the Folkey Dokey stage the night before. As we approach the tent there is an ominous sound being produced from inside it, a grinning Yorkston is tucked away behind his chosen weapon of mass sound production, bathing the gathered crowd and an undercover Adem in the gothic tones of Scott Walker's "Farmer In The City".

Back to the mainstage then for Juana Molina, anyone not familar with Juana by now should be locked away and made to listen to those "Panpipe Moods" compilations for the indefinite future. Anyway for anyone not currently on her wavelength I'll save you the above horror and explain that back in her native Argentina, Juana was a cause celebré for many year she was a ratings winning comedienne with her own weekly primetime sitcom. She gave all that up though to return to her first love music. Her fusion of traditional Argentinian folk music and gently lilting electronica, bring the sun to the mountains for a while and gets an appreciative crowd swaying like a Brazillian cantina. Currently promoting her third domestically available album "Son" on Matador records she has been hailed as a South American Bjork and will probably continue to earn plaudits with every new record. From one solitary figure on a huge stage coping really well to another and argueably one of the most sintillating acts of the weekend.

Marissa Nadler cuts a very unassuming figure as she nervously soundchecks a special mic effect in front of the assembled crowd. It's mostly to everyones surprise when she subsequently strolls back on a stage filled with guitars a few minutes later and informs us that she has left her band back home. She takes alot of time to thank the warm crowd reaction to material from both her previous releases and mixes in a number of new tracks taken from as the yet untitled new LP due January 2007 on Peacefrog Records. She finishes the set with a spectral reading of an Edgar Allen Poe poem backed by one of her own compositions, to say it was spinetingling would be at this juncture something of an understatement.

Marissa Nadler - Lily Henry & The Willow Tree

There's some time to kill for me until the next act I want to see, so I decide to have a wander about the minature village green on site where all sorts of odd craft stalls are gathered, selling anything from hand fashioned tunics to stalls selling postcards of "picturesque Britain" and oddly enough a coconut shy. I didn't hang around too long though because I was mindful of the popularity of a oppotunity to watch Sunburned Hand Of The Man peform a live soundtrack to the experimental film "Invasion Of The Thunderbolt Pagoda" by 60 counter culture figure and avant garde director Ira Cohen. The film itself is largely albeit very incoherent is not without its charms, a melange of the kaledoscopic fisheye lensed shots combined with examples of Cohen's own mylar photographry. For this performance SBHOTM are joined by Keith Woods of the band Hush Arbors. Its here that I meet up with the Steve & Sandro' two amiable Austrailians who seem to be operating on the same wavelength. I actually met them the night before during the Jack Rose set albeit briefly. Which is a handy segue into the next act as its him that we stood two feet away from during Bert Jansch's turn on the main stage. It's also safe to point out at this time that the normally quite rerved (I'd imagine) Jack Rose is whooping and hollering like a fan boy all the way through the three songs we hang around for.

On the way back to the Folkey Dokey stage to get a good spot for later we are distracted by a rabble rowsing incident around the Cafe stage. Turns out its Brandon Massei otherwise known as Viking Moses, a self possesed poet come folk Kurt Cobain. Also joining Massei as his own personal choir put together an hour earlier and very much learning the words as they went along are James Yorkston, Adrian Crowley and Marissa Nadler, there are also sugestions that Nancy Elizabeth Cunliffe is on bass and a random crowd member is on percusion. Being short I can't substantiate this though, so I'll take their word for it! As an aside this is very definitely a highlight of the weekend and truely a sight to behold, its almost as if someone has transposed that spirit that permeated the Newport Jazz Festivals of the late 60's and 70's and plonked it down in mid Wales. Back then it wasn't uncommon to see the greats getting up on stage and performing heart stopping sets together regardless of colour, class or creed.

It also serves as the best apertif to the dark laden gothic murder and folk ballards that Alaisdair Roberts has brought with him this weekend. Scottish based singer/songwriter Roberts was raised in Callander, but has since relocated to Glasgow where he has operated from for the last ten years. His earliest recording being produced under the moniker Appendix Out, he made the switch to using his name in 2001 on "The Crook Of The Arm" a collection of traditional Scottish and English folk songs released on the Secretly Canadian imprint. The followup "Farewell Sorrow" to this came two years later produced by the High Llamas member Rian Murphy and was succeeded again in 2005 by the Will Oldham helmed "No Earthly Man" both on Drag City records. The set he plays this evening draws on all three albums as well as unveiling new material from his forthcoming album "The Amber Gatherers" and one or two Duncan Williamson covers thrown in for good measure. A fact that doesn't go unoticed by the Scottish contingent present in the tent.

Last act and who better to close out an excellent weekend than those Bostonian freaks Sunburned Hand Of The Man and okay so I saw them earlier in the day but this is going to be so much different now they are untethered from any restraints and we are now flying "No Mind" airlines. Our captain for this journey asks us cordially to check our emotional baggage at the door and then dedicates the following hour to the Welsh Pysch rockers Man. This is my first experience of Sunburned live, having avidly followed them on record since their earliest recorded output. Tonight they are in full Krautrock mode locked tightly into a circular groove, complete with shamanic intonations. The crowd is moving as one almost, whilst on stage all manner of mayhem is unfolding guitars are looped at source, a Harmonium is defiled at one point Keith Woods is even seen to be attempting to play his guitar with a drumstick, I think the cider might have been affecting my view for a moment there. They play an encore which lasts a good fifteen minutes and then dissapear leaving an ecstatic crowd demanding more.

The weekend isn't over yet though as its time to wander the stage area, for a while considering whether to go spot the Bluegrass band that haunts the bonfire or join the drumming circle in the main promenade. The later wins out this time and by the time we get there its already packed out and in full flow, Congas, Djembes and Bongo's all being liberally abused, while all manner of other found instrumentation is deployed left right and centre. These guys don't stop either, they keep going slowly the rythyms evolve at one point a Saxophonist joins the throng and an impromptu run through the Specials back catalogue is instigated with everyone in the tent joining the in for the choruses. It's getting on for 3am now and finally my tent is calling I make good my escape and sink into a deep sleep, tomorrow is going to be depressing as its time to vacate the picturesque site of Glanusk but not without saying goodbye to all those people that made the whole thing special in the first place!

*Fin*

I Don't Do Happy Songs!

2006-08-29T09:09:00.000+01:00

Day two and despite the slight rainbow effect that yesterday's cider consumption has caused in my head consolation can be found in the fact that at least its not raining. A couple of headache pills sufficiently dull the aching enough to allow for a wander towards the shower blocks. Mercifully the queues for said attraction haven't reached critical mass by the time I get there and even better there is still masses of hot water. Another tick in the book that is rapidly making this medieval village come festival one of the highlights of the year. Aggghhhhh enough pre-amble on with the show!

Saturday......

The day opens to the not that earth shattering post rock tones of Cardiff's Vito conjouring up images of Explosions In The Sky and Mogwai, its a pleasant enough start to day two. Things can only get better right? So its an air expectation that consumes us as Mancunian two piece Voice Of The Seven Woods take to the stage. Incorparting indian tinged ragas, loops and brain pounding beats; the lads entice a moderatly sized crowd to gather around the main stage. Their hand made CdR's were one of the best selling things on the merchandising stand, luckily those that missed out can still purchase these and the hand silk screened Andy Votel designed t-shirts direct from the boys themselves. Time then for a spot of lunch and as previously mentioned there was such a bredth of choice it was hard to know what to go for; vegetarian paella won out the battle this time as a quick look at the pieminister queue deemed it a little bit long, those are the breaks though for creating something wildly popular and then giving it to the masses.

Vito - Welcome The Lightning

Staying with the main stage seems to be a bit of a theme today so not wishing to break that particular trend I opt to hang around for ex Gorky Zygotic Mynci front man Euros Childs. He cuts a lithe figure on stage leading T to proclaim loudly that he looks as though he could do with a bit of feeding up. But before he can launch into material from his album "Chops" the bass unexpectedly goes tits up, leaving Childs no choice but to improvise and cover up the shortfall. Eventually with everything back on track we're off at a rolicking pace and even dodgy festival sound can't dampen the spirits of the gathered masses. A few new songs are unveilled which if anything sound better than the older material, I make a mental note to get along and see the other ex Mynci onsite; Richard James on Sunday as a result of the set (something I later forget to do.) The rain is back and there is just enough time to catch one or two of Tuungs set and the celebrated Greenman streaker, before heading over to the Folkey Dokey stage to catch hot young hopefuls Bat For Lashes.

Brighton based Bat For Lashes, blending a caberet atmosphere with their mystically tinged nocturnal indie folk. I'm a little disapointed when I get to the stage though as the band are still going through the motions of an extended sound check. Once things get going though and after an apology or three from Natasha Kahn it gets alot better. At times Natasha Khan's troupe of minstrels recall Goldfrapp with perhaps Cat Power's own Chan Marshall fronting them, but this is about as far away from the bestiallity themed electronica of the the former and there are also non of the stage fright that has been known to mar the later's shows. Not bad then for a band who haven't yet released an album proper. The album is due on September 11th fact fans on Echo records; consider this advance warning if the live version is anything to go by this is one to make sure you put in you shopping baskets when doing the weekly shop. The longer than normal soundcheck means I have to make a hasty exit at the end of the fifth song to make the main stage for King Creosote.

Kenny Anderson who has traded under a number of aliases including the KC moniker over the course of his quite impressive 33 albums bursts onto the stage grinning like a madman and proceeds to introduce his sparring partners for proceedings. Not anywhere near the excesses of last years bonanza where he was joined on stage by The Earlies and all of the 30 strong members of his Fence Collective and maybe also a few passing Japanese tourists. Still the cut price version is still pretty good and there are a couple of familiar faces in the shape of The Pictish Trail and Barron Le Rouge on guitar and bass respectively. The bombast of songs like "Twin Tub" and "6,7,8" even coaxes the sun out from its cloudy hideaway. As an encore Anderson enquires as to whether there are any aliens in the crowd and with that he is joined on stage by older brother Gordon (Lone Pidgeon) and some ex members of the Beta Band, appear on cue and they burst into a redition of the Aliens new single "Happy." So energetic is the song that Gordon Anderson briefly forgets where the stage is and fall off mid spin, only to be dumped back on stage a couple of seconds later.

The light is starting to fade now and its almost fitting as up next on the main stage is Micah P Hinson; a man whose enjoyed plenty of "life" in his short 24 years. Drug addiction, serving time in prison and being declared bankrupt all help to inform his take on gothic tinged country. Two albums under his belt so far we get a set encompassing these and peppered liberally with material on his new album "The Opera Cicuit" due on Sketchbook Records in September.

Time then for a switch in pace; over to the so far very reliable GM stage and at the risk of missing the innagral Silver Jews festival appearance, still the thought of watching Jack Rose was too big of a temptation to shake off. Rose who cuts a quite an anonymous figure amongst the masses. Originally from Virginia but relocated to Philidelphia in 2002 rose to the attention of the music media as a founder member of the drone/noise group Pelt whose influences included the recently spotted headed towards ATP; drone lords The Dead C. A sea change in Pelt and Rose's modus operandii saw them leaning more towards the minimalist guitar techniques of the late John Fahey. Releasing his first solo material in 2002 he has released a handful of material since which has garnered him wide acclaim including his 2005 tribute to the late master "Kensington Blues" on VHF recordings. What follows in the next forty five minutes is a studied practice in the art offinger picked guitar which is a marvel to watch, not only was it amazing to watch the sound was almost celestial.

Sticking with the GMC stage I hung around and waited for Malcolm Middleton to start, while it seems everone else was either headed towards Keiren Hebden/Steve Reid in the FD stage, or those who wanted to bored to death went off to see the suitably soporific José Gonzalez on the main stage. Turns out again it was the right choice as the FD tent was packed to the brim and anyone who ventured into the main arena was rendered unconcious in minutes. Malky who also plies his trade most often as member of Scottish misrablists Arab Strap is on form tonight opening his set by asking where everyone had got their "welly boots" from and then reflecting on the more exotic varieties he'd seen wandering around the site! Then we were treated to basically the entire back catalogue including a audience participation version of "1,2,3,4" and boyant versions of"Break My Heart", "Loneliness Shines" and "Autumn" as well as few new songs which aren't quite ready yet and seem to stop abruptly in the middle. It's a herois set and the usually quite dour Middleton puts down a request for a happy song next by quipping "I don't do happy songs!" he seems to almost be having fun. On which note it was time to retire back to tentsville again, making sure to pick our way through the guy lines on the way.

To be continued......

Laughter In The Dark..........

2006-08-26T23:50:00.000+01:00

To think one week ago I was living it up on the Welsh riviera taking in the sights and sounds of Greenman Festival 06. I wasn't really sure what the best method for reviewing the weekend through my eyes would be so I think i'll just blag it and hopefully in the course of the next however how long make a note of those acts that I thought really made the festival for me and hopefully those other wanderers that crossed my path through-out its course. Like a vast percent of the population of the festival I travelled down to the picturesque setting of Crickhowell on Thursday, so as to procure a fairly safe camping spot. Through the drizzle a little temporary village came into being, it was time for a wander around the site where slowly the concessionary stands and the bars were coming to life the sunny glow of a wine and cider powered evening sent me into a peaceful doze ready for all that Brecon could throw at us the next day.

Friday...........

Just what Brecon was going to throw at "us" the next day wasn't entirely unexpected but mercifully the rain was punctuated by at least a small dose of sunshine and some fairly wonderful music. Kicking off the weekend on the Main Stage was Brighton based singer/songwriter/poet and so it would seem Billy Bragg inspired political activist Chris TT. Next up and in the spirit of not moving much The Shortwave Set took to the stage with their blend of Victorian themed folktronica, as it had started to rain me and my other honorary Throwaway Stylers made the decision to have a wander up to Folkey Dokey stage. Although this meant missing one man band extrodinaire Philip Roebuck it did introduce me to the tearjerking slowed down folk baladry of Adrian Crowley. Dublin born Crowley self released his first album in 1999 before going on to record the followup in 2001 with Steve Albini at the helm. These sessions were released the following year on Ba-Da Bing records as "When You Are Here, You Are Family" a beguilling mix of Codeine and Leonard Cohern. A new record is currently in production, however my appalling memory appears to have consigned the title and label to one of the less travelled parts of my brain.

A quick wander later and I found myself just to the left of the main stage for gravel voiced, front porch blues man M.Ward. Backed by Adam Selzer who has worked with him since his early days in Rodriguez, he proceeded to roll through his back catalogue of material before making an unscheduled stop at The Carter Family's "Hey Stranger" and then introducing us to material from his new album "Post War" due on Merge records in September. Time then for a quick comfort break beore medievel psych act Circulus took to the stage and the evening got fully underway. Mike Tyack and his band of merry minstrels roll through their catalogue of material at a heady rate coaxing the sun out from its hiding place. A quick exit was in order though to grab a good spot for San Franciso's Skygreen Leopards.

Skygreen Leopards are yet another outlet for the songcraft of the Jewelled Antler Collective acolyte Glenn Donaldson. Eschewing the field recordings that have come to earmark JA releases, Skygreen is the pairing of Donaldson and Donovan Quinn; a magical psych-folk band with a unique perspective and clever wording ontop of well constructed and whimsical music. They introduce themselves as San Fran's answer to the Family Band before inviting the audience to be their family too! Managing a total of seven encores in the space of their alloted 45 minutes, due to a slight scheduling quandry. In the end its all good though and they leave everyone with a wide smile plastered across their face as they leave the stage for the eighth and final time. Their latest album "Disciples Of California" is due out on Jagjaguwar records in October 2006.

Skygreen Leopards - Disciples Of California

Due to a rather unprecedented number of people showing up to see Gruff Rhys, I made my excuses and had a wander over to catch the start of Teddy Thompson's set on the main stage. Sadly he seemed a little swamped by the size of the stage and I wandered off shortly the third song. Which is how I found myself nestled down the front of the Greenman Cafe stage watching the finger picking skill of the 24 year old Kent based James Blackshaw. Despite some problems with sound and Blackshaw's own self dreciation, he managed to turn out a magical blend of Steffan Basho-Junghans/Ben Chasney inspired song cycle. Currently in the process of recording new material his most recent release "O True Believers" is available now from Bo'weavil recordings.

James Blackshaw - Excerpt from "Transient Life In Twilight"

New Mexico's Hawk And A Hacksaw round out the night on the Greenman Cafe stage; Jeremey Barnes and Heather Trost blend together a mixture of accordian, percusion and violin. Barnes who is noted for being the drummer in the band Neutral Milk Hotel, and a key mover in the production of the Beirut album "Gulag Orkestar" released earlier this year to critical applause. A whirlwind tour of the Slavic regions of mainland europe, including a couple of songs from the new album "The Way The Wind Blows" the title of which is later revealed by Barnes to be a reference the radical revolutionary group the Weather Underground Organization, active during the US's ill fated occupation of Vietnam in the late 60's early 70's. The new LP should be out October on the Leaf Label.

Hawk & A Hacksaw - The Moon Under Water
Hawk & A Hacksaw - Portlandtown

After witnessing Barnes and Trost, Donovan's somewhat comedy take on his back catalogue seems somewhat less polished than normal. Aside from the rather odd Jamaican accent that peppers his on stage banter, he also chooses to preform the ubiquitous Sunshine Superman on three occaisons throughout his headline slot. As I wander back towards my tent I can hear take three, sharply followed by Mello Yellow. My head hits the makeshift pillow and i'm gone dreaming of cider induced klezmar punctuated parties and wishing that the students directly behind me would hurry up and decide exactly which decade was their favourite!

to be continued........

HEY, MR. AIRPLANE MAN!

2006-08-26T11:35:00.000+01:00

Mr. Airplane Man are a female two-piece hailing from Boston, who play stripped down garage rock, with thick distortion heavy guitar and Kinks-esque pop hooks. Formed in early 1999 - and later signed to Sympathy For The Record Industry - the duo have recorded three albums; with their latest, C'mon DJ proclaimed as their greatest yet. Named after a Howlin' Wolf song - and on Moanin' in particular - the band blend dreamy sixties girl-group pop with blues to form a sound that while reminiscent of the Shangri-Las and Thee Headcoatees owes a lot to the raw, punky R&B/pop of bands like The Outsiders and The Seeds.

Mr. Airplane Man - Not Living At All

[WEEEEBBBSIIIITE]

'Tears came raining down/ and ran through the rivers to the sea'

Some context then: Fabulous Foxes is the nom de plume of singer/ songwriter Robert Clueley whose name is doubtless familiar to regular gig goers in his native Leicester and as far abroad as, erm, Nottingham. (“Y’know, Bob?’ “Yeah.”) He has also recently been seen performing percussive duties for Tookie Sherman’s new project, Super Bompers Band - aswell as sporadic performances in Leicester over the summer. The new look website even hints at some dates across the pond in October…

As far as genuine artefacts of his music go, Glaciers is a CDR of Fabulous Foxes’ material, recorded with horns, drums, violins and various brass instruments. Bob has been enthusiastically handing out copies since the beginning of the year, but I’d much prefer to focus one of his new recordings, ‘Being There.’ This time around it's simply Bob and Bob alone on vocals, acoustic guitar, and a bit of piano. The vocals do come across and slightly strained a laboured, but it is an extremely affecting song with definite affinities to Pink Moon era Nick Drake and Jeff Magnum.

Fabulous Foxes - Being There

[WEEEEBBBSIIIITE]

Two Beards Are Better Than One......

2006-08-22T14:26:00.000+01:00

Now in its forth year and rapidly gaining plaudits left, right and centre it was my pleasure to have attended the 2006 Greenman Festival this weekend. Hosted and organised by Brecon based indie folk duo Its Jo & Danny the festival found a new home this year. Namely the picturesque grounds of the Glanusk National Park at the foot of the Sugar Loaf mountain range.

70+ acts on three stages over three days and line-up which transected all sorts of folk from the traditional folk of the vanguards of the genre like Bert Jansch and Wizz Jones. To the electronica based noodlings of Tuung & the folktronica crew all the way through to the no mind wanderings in the free folk leanings of Sunburned Hand Of The Man.

Alongside the musical attractions were a number of other attractions; a literature tent which chaired interviews and discussions by numerous luminaries. Joe Boyd was the subject of one such slot, Joe whose book "White Bicycles: Making Music In 60's" is available in most good bookstores was a leading figure in the folk music industry that sprung up in the UK at the end of the 60's and he oversaw the production of a number of albums by artists such as Vashti Bunyan and The Incredible String Band. A cinema tent which premiered a live sound track to Ira Cohen's avant garde film "Invasion Of The Thunder Pagoda" as performed by Sunburned Hand Of The Man. There was also alot of provisions in place for the younger members of the audience in the form of both a science tent and a puppetry tent where numerous projects could be enrolled upon.

The food on site was to an immensly high standard; suitable concessions were made for both Vegetarians and Vegans being well catered for too. Lebonese, Mexican, Indian and the all conquering Pieminister pie stall which seemed to have a queue all weekend even when it was shut. The bars were both efficiently run by pleasent staff and had a range of alcoholic and non alcoholic beveridges that were again a very pleasing thing to see. The idea of charging a "deposit" on pint glasses meant that litter was kept mercifully limited in comparison to other music festivals i've visited' this in conjuction with a very strong recycling message meant that the campsite come Monday morning was almost completely litter free. A critiscism though aimed at the insular owners of the general store who seemed quite happy to slap very large mark-ups on their produce, which seemed to be in complete opposition to all of the other vendors on site.

So thankyou Jo & Danny for an excellent weekend; for some mindblowing music which i'll be delving into and writing up later in the week......... Oh and see you all next year!

What A Ride!

2006-08-13T20:41:00.000+01:00

Canada a country that has a lot to be proud of right at the moment, with the whole critical praise being lumped on the Arcade Fire debut album way back in 2005! Then there is the whole continuing snowball effect following Spencer Krug, Carey Mercer and Dan Bejar around as we grow ever closer to the November release date of their Swan Lake project. But before all that in fact way back in 1990 those crafty Canadians were doing it for themselves even way back then......

Eric's Trip had the unlikely honour of being the first of a wave of Canadian band's to get themselves picked up by Seattle's Sub Pop. Formed in 1990 the product the very fertile music scene surrounding the small province of Moncton, and named for the track by NY's Sonic Youth. Principly formed by Rick White and Chris Thompson who were working together on a project entitled The Forest they recruited vocalist/bassist Julie Doiron-Claytor and there after were joined by Purple Knight drummer Mark Gaudet before officially taking on the Eric's Trip moniker. They debuted the band shortly after on a self released and self titled cassette release. Between 1990 and their 1993 major label debut "Love Tara" on Subpop they released a string of EP's.

Central to the band's success was the central boy/girl vocal sparrings of White and Doiron-Claytor; a sound which drew immediate comparrisons to Yo La Tengo. Also in key to their sound was a healthy dollop of noise informed pop of Sonic Youth and even further back to The Velvet Underground as well as that of contemporary bands around at that time like Pavement. It was this sound that began the move away from the "Grunge" sound that Subpop was becoming more and more synonomous with. A relationship that carried the band through three full length albums with the label and one which ended only after Doiron-Claytor's pregnancy forced the band onto an extended hiatus, which eventually culminated in their official split in 1996 after the release of their final album "Purple Blue." Since the band split all of the respective parties have kept their hand in the music scene surrounding Moncton.

In 2001 the band reformed for a one off performance, and then again in August 2006 to play the Sappy Records festival in New Brunswick, Canada.

My Bed Is Red
Stove

Spectacular Passages

2006-08-13T15:02:00.000+01:00

From the early seventies, Loren Connors has recorded over thirty albums on over dozens of independent labels: from hazy blissed out meditative guitar pieces, to heartfelt acoustic guitar mantras and duets with artists such as Kath Bloom and his wife, Suzanne Langille. Night Through combines over three and a half hours of Connors' own guitar workouts as well as tracks from Connors' band Haunted House - who released one album in 1999. As a relative newcomer to his music it may seem rather premature to label the Family Vineyard release a ‘classic’ but sheer scope and vision of the music contained within this anthology is of such a quality to make you just as concerned as to why it’s taken so long for this material to surface.

Loren Mazzacane Connors - Trouble in Mind

But while the anthology chiefly draws his work as a solo artist, the guitarist also recorded under the number of pseudonyms. The most well known and instantly recognible of these, was Lorren Mazzacane, and from 1983 - 1984 he recorded three limited edition LP's with Kath Bloom and released them on his own St Joan imprint. Richard Linklater would later popularise the track 'Come Here' when it featured in his film 'Before Sunrise.' Nevertheless, while Kath Bloom has also benefited from a recent resurgence in her music - enough for Chapter Music to release 'Finally' earlier this year - Sand In My Shoe, Restless Faithful Desperate and Moonlight have never been reissued. The latter is spectacular example of depression era folk/blues; and quite literally an acoustic guitar and a voice. Mostly about love, lost love and despair at the human race. Listen to the following track at low volume.

Kath Bloom & Loren Mazzacane - Can You Find Me?

[YOU CAN BUY THE ALBUM HERE]

Loren Connors
Full Discography
Chapter Music
Family Vineyard

It's Our Duty To Go Down With The Ship!

2006-08-05T11:34:00.000+01:00

White Whale hail from landlocked Kansas, but that doesn't stop the high seas imagery that they've fashioned around themselves from flowing willfully through them. Throughout the near fifty minutes of their debut album WW1 they craft stories of wayward admirality, high seas travel, seamanship and an air of the absurdity of the tales often told by those who historically travelled the waves. Our intrepid sailors for this journey are Matt Suggs formerly lead person of the band Butterglory who blazed a trail of indiosyncratic Soft Boys/Pavement inspired indie rock in the early ninites. Bassisit Rob Pope formerly of the emo/indie band The Get Up Kids. Dustin Kinsey, John Anderson and Zach Holland all members of the Kansas based chamber pop inspired band Thee Higher Burning Fire.

The Whales musical identity whilst being anchored in classic rock, still have enough nous about them to embellish this with a sense of experimental accents. For every simply struck chord there is another far more exciting coda waiting around the corner. The central points of their debut album WW1 on Merge Records are two songs which appear early on in the album's cycle. "The Admiral" a wonky mixture of burbling synths and programmed beats, which sets in mind a journey across the high seas. "O' William, O' Sarah" is an epic tale of a gentleman sailors rise up the ranks to the admiralty which breaks down to bubbling bass line and conservative drum beat in the middle, whilst all manner of mechanical and non instrumentation flourish all around. Although these are just the tip of the metaphorical iceberg a self assurededly good record which points to even better things in the future.

White Whale are currently on tour of the US in support of their debut album:-

Jul 28 2006 8:00P Lawrence, KS @ The Granada (record release show)

Aug 2 2006 8:00P Knoxville, TN @ Pilot Light

Aug 3 2006 8:00P Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506

Aug 4 2006 8:00P Athens, GA @ 40 Watt

Sep 8 2006 8:00P Dallas, TX @ Hailey's

Sep 12 2006 8:00P Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland

Sep 13 2006 8:00P Visalia, CA @ Howie's

Sep 14 2006 8:00P San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill

Sep 15 2006 8:00P Portland, OR @ Towne Lounge

Sep 16 2006 8:00P Seattle, WA @ Paradox

Sep 17 2006 8:00P Portland, OR @ Towne Lounge

Sep 18 2006 8:00P Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court

Sep 19 2006 8:00P Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge

Sep 21 2006 8:00P Omaha, NE @ Sokol

Sep 22 2006 8:00P Columbia, MO @ MoJo's

Sep 23 2006 8:00P Lawrence, KS @ The Granada

[Buy White Whale merchandise at Merge Records]

The Admiral

Days Have Gone By

2006-07-30T14:06:00.000+01:00

Jakob Olausson is a Swedish musician that has previously recorded under the moniker of the Joshua Jugband Five; who have a record out on Slippy Town and possibly a lot more in the pipeline. His first ‘solo’ album on DeStijl however, is a beautifully hazy acid folk album with detuned guitars and multi-tracked vocals. Moonlight Farm seamlessly draws on the psych rock improvisations of Keiji Haino the murky electric guitar sounds of Loren Connors and the acoustic drone/raga of Six Organs of Admittance. Other reviewers have likened the album to Skip Spence taking up root in Sweeden, and putting out an album on Fonal records – I’ll leave to you to decide. Moonlight Farm is limited to 800 copies so get hunting.

Jakob Ollausson - Unforgivable Question

[YOU CAN BUY THE ALBUM HERE]

Other places of interest:

Jakob Ollausson
DeStijl
Volcanic Tongue

Dr Livingstone, I Presume?

2006-07-22T10:44:00.000+01:00

Our Brother The Native the latest in probably a long line of bands to get themselves a record deal on the back of the material they put up on myspace. What makes this prospect a little bit better than most of those that have come and gone before, is that the constituent members of this wholly acomplished band are all under the legal drinking age in the US. John Michael Foss and Josh Bertram both attended the same high school in Michigan, formed a friendship based on shared music tastes and eventually began recording their own output. The pair looking for a label to put out their material happened upon the Californian DIY label Delude Records ran by Chaz Knapp who jumped at the chance to put out the band's debut EP "Cheer Up My Dear, the Sun Will Shine Again" in 2005. Knapp another multi-instrumenatalist who's age defied his influences, struck up a geography beating friendship with Bertram via phonecalls and emails. After a stripped back solo release from Bertram put out via Knapp's label under the moniker JSP, the two began to collaborate via email on a project entitled Moses Grandy. The project never came to fruition due to a lack of percursive drive but this turn of event lead to Knapp being asked to augment the two piece OBTM into a three piece.

The debut album "Tooth & Claw" was constructed over the remainder of the 2005, the recording again built up from email colaborations. Often beginning as simple guitar lines for accoustic and/or electric recorded direct into the computer via a 303 sampler. Then passed back and forth and augmented via of found sound, circuit-bent toys ran through FX programs and percusion. A mixture of meta-folk as perveyed by Akron Family/Animal Collective/cocorosie, the sunshine drenched 70's pop psychedlia of Ariel Pink and the haunted American gothic revery as provided by bands the likes of The Handsome Family. It was at this point Fat Cat records spotted the band's Myspace and promptly signed them, it was this turn of events which also led to the band actually finally meeting each other after many months of email based colaboration. At the 2006 Open Circuit Festival in Belgium the band had just one day to meet, greet and rehearse their debut set. The show was well recieved and proved that the album was not a fluke as they put together a self assured if only slightly embrionic version of the recorded material. In the process it won over the opinions of some of the more well known attendees in the audience; and hopefully bodes well for a full UK/Europe tour in the near future.

[buy Tooth & Claw from Fat-Cat records]

Falconiformes
Quecusfalcata

From one lot of young great debutantes to another slightly older but similarly talented bunch of misfits this time from the centre of art/glitch/tribal techno fusion New Yawk. First Nation a trio of NY living ladies and the first to capture that sound first sampled on the most early incarnation of Animal Collective and not make it sound incredibly cheesey or worn; fitting then really that both their debut EP and LP should be put out on AC's Paw-Tracks imprint. Taking one part Animal Collective, some elements of The Social Registry's Gang Gang Dance, mixing in the odd squawking electronica go freejazz of Brooklyn based Stars Like Fleas, and bringing to the boil with a healthy slap dash of ESG in to taste.

The self titled album released in June this year has already gathered a healthy amount of praise from many points of the music media; the beguiling blend of slack blues meets skeletal psychdelical tribal jams which at first can seem unfocused reveals a well acomplished mix on repeated listens. An impressive debut which points to even greater things in the future.....

[buy First Nation releases from Paw-Tracks]

You Can Be
Monkey

Here Come the Rome Plows

2006-07-17T20:19:00.000+01:00

Photo: Mark Beemer
Since Haram feature ex members of Majority Rule, Pg. 99, and the Out_Circuit, expectation for their debut full length was always going to be high. And while their first release for Lovitt Records does not fail to disappoint, it does seem far more steeped in musical heritage of post hardcore that spawned such band as: Circle Takes The Square, Drive Like Jehu and Skull Control. For me at least: it’s a quantum leap forward. The band present an orgy of intricate guitar riffs that are rooted in hardcore and played with such blistering intensity, as to almost make any form of labelling redundant. Almost.

It's fortunate then, that the album has nothing to do with originality ('Scar Chest' is the Drive Like Jehu song that never was. And that's a GOOD thing) and all to do with attack. It never lets up, and word is that their live shows are every bit a chaotic. We'll soon find out of course, as the band are due to embark on a European tour in August which will take them as far an wide as Iceland, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary and the UK. It might also be worthwhile to mention at this point that the band take their name the Islamic word meaning "immoral and forbidden." Notice I said, worthwhile and not relevant as I haven’t noticed a political stance to their music, and I doubt it will appear to me anytime soon.

Haram - Fade Away

31 Reykjavik ICELAND @Kaffi Hljomalind
AUGUST
2 Copenhagen DK @Ungdomshuset
3 Fredericia DK @HC Festival*
4 Hamburg Ger. @Flora*
5 Bielefeld Ger. @AJZ*
6 Wurzburg Ger. @Cafe Cairo*
7 Vienna Austria @Movimento*
8 Munchen Ger. @Kafe Kult*
9 Saarlouis Ger. @Juz*
10 Geel Bel. @Youth Centre*
11 Brighton UK @Hobgoblin*
12 Leeds UK @Common Place*
13 Nottingham UK @Old Angel* (FLYER, FLYER)
14 Bristol UK @The Junction*
15 London UK @Grosvenor*
16 Edinburgh UK @Subway Cowgate
18 Belfast IR @The Bunker
19 Cork IR @Tikki Lounge
20 Limerick IR @Boat Club
21 Dublin IR @Eamonn Dorans
22 Coventry UK @Jailhouse
23 Caen FR @Bar Laplace
24 Metz FR @Le Tunnel
25 Lyon FR @Sonic
26 Milano Italy @Leonkavallo
27 Italy @TBA
28 Zagreb HR @Club Mochvara
29 Budapest HU @Suess Fel Nap
30 Brno CZ @Yacht Club
31 Prag CZ @007

Haram
Lovitt Records

A Space To Think........

2006-07-13T21:29:00.000+01:00

Ekkehard Ehlers, has cut a polymathic path across the German electronic music scene since his early forays into music with friend and collaborator Sebastian Meissner as one half of the band Autopoieses. 1998 saw them release a well received debut in which they explored the philosophies of Aesthetic Theory, on the Ritornell imprint. Further collaborative efforts have seen Ehlers working in the IDM/Post Rock group März with Albrecht Kunz. It is however in his solo output that he has seen the most success though; in 2000 he released two EPs under the umbrella of Auch before releasing the full length album "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" stylistically this was the most easily accessible work to date, a techno album at heart but imbued with his own sense of minimalism and rhythm.

Whilst recording as Auch, Ehlers also tended towards releasing material under his own name, 2000's Betrieb released on the Frankfurt based Mille Plateaux label. This was followed by a series of single releases where again the Aethetic Theory that drove his early work was again explored. Each record was based around an abstract informed by one of five selected personalities. Those selected for this project included free jazz impressario Albert Ayler, film maker John Cassavettes, and delta blues legend Robert Johnson. Though not based directly on the works of these auteurs, they were informed by their singular output. The Albert Ayler record was based around a funeral march paced cello drone, which owes alot to the drone based post rock of early Cul De Sac releases. In 2002 these recordings were drawn together in a single cd release on Staubgold, the compilation brought him a new found notoriety outside of the electronic circles he already travelled in. He followed it with the far more abstract Politik Braucht Keinen Feind in 2003.

2006 sees the release of his forth solo album "A Life Without Fear" never one to go over ground already covered in his career, this album sees a delta blues inflected cycle of nine songs for viola, trumpet, mouth harp and guitar; replete with nihlistic lyrics and washed over with a sea of fuzzed up computer crackles and glitches. A cover of the traditional blues standard "Ain't No Grave" and haunting rendition of "O'Death" could well soundtrack a journey through the destroyed landscape of hurricane ravaged New Orleans. The album serves as a reminder of how fragile the human condition can really be in the face of adversity.

[Buy Ekkehard Ehlers releases from Staubgold]

Ain't No Grave

Eggstock, Phoenix Arts Theatre, Leicester

2006-07-10T07:19:00.000+01:00

Photo: Grethe Kielland Jenssen
This was the second annual showcase of the weird and wonderful talents put out by Leicester's Pickled Egg Records. Nine bands and two films graced the two floors of the Phoenix.

The day opened with a 30 minute film, The Seance, which told the story of a travelling freakshow and the joys and woes of their enigmatic bandleader. This was all soundtracked by the quite wonderful pastoral psychedelic pop of Oddfellows Casino. The film was beautifully surreal in its monochromatic blood coloured simplicity.

First on upstairs were Black Carrot, an improv trio comprising the distinctive bass and vocals of Dragon Or Emperor's Stewart Brackley with drums, tenor sax, and harmonium (amongst other things). This works splendidly in a krautjazz kind of way, and sets the tone for the day; fiercely creative, smile inducing, engaging, and highly watchable.

Downstairs saw James Green take to the stage, joined sporadically by other Big Eyes Family Band players. Solo acoustic opener 'Donkeys Disturbed By Meteor Shower' is wonderful, mixing tempos and possessing a dynamism and energy lacking in other parts of the set. Generally the most interesting parts were those where loops and additional instrumentation (clarinet, harmonium, drums) gave the sound a bit more depth, although this may have been down to the Phoenix's acoustics than James Green's.

Photo: Grethe Kielland Jenssen

From the relatively sombre, we went upstairs, for the Super Bompers Band, comprising Tookie Sherman of Need New Body plus on this occasion a couple of Leicester's own Fabulous Foxes on percussive duties. The show starts with the band wrapping up the stage and various pillars and suchlike with foil, before Bob and Euan take to their drums and pound out hypnotic beats. Tookie wanders the stage, pounding occasionally at a battered gold spray-painted Casio keyboard on the floor, occasionally shouting somewhat randomly. Later on he picks up what appears to be a two string prehistoric guitar and strums at this. It is unclear whether it is audible or not. For the first 20 minutes, this was awesome, but towards the end it all went to pieces somewhat.

After that chaos, the moving documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston is a welcome counterbalance. Absolutely heartbreaking, but totally awe-inspiring.

At this point, some old friend arrive for the evening sets, and I accidentally miss the excellent Dragon Or Emperor and am by then a little too beered up to appreciate the delicate low-key torch song laments of George. Upstairs Zukanican are an interesting mix of krautmotorik percussion and free jazz. When they take wholesale the drums from Can's 'Oh Yeah' it's a little too obvious though, and the free jazz element isn't quite to my taste so I listen to the rest of the set as background from the outside whilst continuing reacquainting with people.

Next up were the superb Nalle, a Glasgow-based trio who are also part of the excellent Scatter. A bowed bouzouki provides the haunting drone, while Hanna Tuulikki's Newsomesque warble sings of things of nature and man. Occasionally the three harmonise, and it's perfect. Three voices, one manly and deeper, one feminine and midrange, and Tuulikki's icing to the cake..it's spellbinding.

Photo: Grethe Kielland Jenssen

Unfortunately the lure of booze kept me from going upstairs to witness Now, although I heard positive murmurs from several people. Ooops. And so, lastly but not leastly, it was into the theatre to experience Volcano the Bear. And what an experience it is. Commencing with a teatowel being tossed between the various members as they trade chants before assuming their positions. Which naturally fluctuate frequently. here's such a fantastic humour in what they do, the whole feel of it being a theatrical perfomance as much as a gig; the communication between the group, the whole feeling of it. Drummer Aaron Moore marches about the stage, spinning cymbals around, hugging bandmates, whilst other members fritter around between instruments. They're always engaging, always interesting, they always sound good, and they make you laugh out loud. And that's what Eggstock is all about, the joy of creativity, the joy of spontaneity. The pureness of a natural reaction to not always knowing what's coming next. There's talk of the festival expanding to a 2-dayer next year, and after this, I can't wait.

Review: Craig Wood.

The following track is taken from Volcano the Bear's latest opus: Class Eramus Fusion. Their best yet? I think so - although i'm no authority on their back catalogue. It's defiantly original, as always; and I very much doubt you will hear a stranger record this year. All in all: Spiritual, surreal and totally mind-blowing. Give up the Nurse with a Wound comparisons people.

Volcano the Bear- Did You Ever Feel Like Jesus?

[BUY THE ALBUM FROM BETA LACTUM RING RECORDS]

Volcano the Bear
Pickled Egg Records

Life In The Undergrowth

2006-07-09T13:08:00.000+01:00

I make no bones about it; the entry today is going to focus on the many varied types of flora and fauna that is hidden beneath the murky mainstream strata of music culture. Well two anyway!

We'll start off with Grizzly Bear who I profiled sometime last year, that's by the by though; as this September 4th marks the release of their second album proper "Yellow House" on Sheffield's own Warp Records. This record has been a long time coming, a fact acknowledged by the band themselves, so much so that they felt inclined to offer a stop gap recording in May this year, the apologetically titled "Sorry For The Delay" on Audraglint Records. "Yellow House" was recorded over the course of the last summer in a makeshift studio in Ed Droste's mother's living room in Cape Cod.

A shift in the band's already quite dynamic sound has taken place now that the once one piece come two piece, has solidified into a quartet. Yellow House all at once manages to sound as before like an etherised version of all those late great folk greats like Nick Drake but with a more modern take on things. There are also some fantastic sounding Beach Boys/Brian Wilson esque sounds that seem to drift in on an almost sonic feeling wind, that flows around inside the listener's mind (or mine) for hours or even days afterwards. By the time you reach the suitably soporific sounding closer "Colorado" you feel every bit as much as you've been on a journey with the band themselves.

On A Neck On A Spit

WOODS Began life as a collaborative project between musicians Jeremy Earl and Christian Derouek, who invited selected friends under the banner of "woodists" to play with them and record the output for human consumption. These early recordings were mostly issued in very limited runs as cassette only on a number of private press labels.

"How To Survive/In The Woods" is one such example of these early recordings originally issued as a double cassette release on Fuck-It Tapes it has now been granted a new lease of life thanks to the punative efforts of Release The Bats in Sweden. The band themselves are at times swathed in gentle bonhomie folkisms whilst at others prone to creating the most amazing burst of terroristic sounding lo-fi madness. A sound that cuts across the divide between the current trend for organic sounding primal folk of bands like Wooden Wand & The Vanishing Voice, to the fuzz laden music of late 90's band Eric's Trip.

Holes

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one

2006-07-06T20:13:00.000+01:00

With the exception of a few writers, I don't normally go in for the whole pantheon of rock critics. I certainly haven't read a lot of stuff by Richard Meltzer for instance, but i'm aware of him - as i'm sure a lot of other people are - through writers like Lester Bangs and Nick Toshes. If you're a regular reader of Perfect Sound Forever, you may have read an interview with Meltzer from a couple of years ago. In this interview, he comes across as fairly bitter and cynical figure who has pretty much given up on music altogether. At first, I didn't know what to make of it; but thinking about it more and more, a lot of what he has to say is relevant now more than ever...

But yeah, I don't want to get drawn into that right now. There is far to much good music to be positive about. And of course, 'good music' is all relative blah blah blaaaah...

The reason I even mention this interview is although Meltzer is disparaging of almost all NEW music (well, certainly the hype), he did have a lot of time for Minutemen; and for some reason - at this point - I had no real idea about SST Records or the Minutemen. Ok, so I was aware of SST as a label, but not their roster of bands - or at least, the extent of it. Eventually I did catch up for lost time and well, as you may already know, the soon to be released: We Jam Econo - The Story of the Minutemen celebrates everything that was so important about this band. For me, their DIY atttitude and poltical stance of this band is just incredible to me. They may have disliked being called a punk band, but their live performances were, in every respect PUNK. Of course, listen to one of their albums now and it's completely at odds with that view. Afterall, this is band that hated the seventies, but covered Creedance Clearwater Revival and Blue Oyster Cult? The also identifed a lot more with Funk (Mike Watt's elasicated bass sounds), Jazz (short, sharp blasts of manic energy) and British Art Rock (Wire etc) than they ever did with Punk, musically speaking.

So what is it about this band? Well they were FUN. And speaking from my own point of view, watching footage of Mike Watt, D. Boon and George Hurley playing in this documentary is one of the most inspiring things I have ever seen. I remember watching it at Camber Sands in May and being completely floored by Mike Watt's contribution; the making of this documentary was clearly cathartic to him - afterall, he lost his best friend aswell as a bandmate. Equally important though, is making sure people hear this band and that their legacy continues. The kids reponsible for this documentary have certainly done that!

Minutemen - Fortunate Son

We Jam Econo - The Story of the Minutemen (Trailer)

BUY at SST Records

Damn Varmits

2006-07-05T20:06:00.000+01:00

Raccoo-oo-oons a free punk noise unit with a decidedly folk attitude are the latest thing to come out of Iowa that is causing a buzz in music circles. The band formed in mists of time in Iowa sometime between 2004 and 2005 when founder members Darren Ho and Shawn Reed moved there to attend college. Whilst there they began creating their own brand of ramshackle music in a shared kitchen with third member and graduatiing film studies student Andy Spore fashioning their own noisy imprint into something they could preform at local venues. After a brief period of playing as a three piece the band was augmented by an old musical aquaintance of Andy and Shawn's; and Ryan Garbes was quickly absorbed into the fold.

The band's sound itself defies categorisation falling somewhere between the no-wave punk of The Fall and the tribal electiscism of Animal Collective or the wide eyed punk grabniks Sun City Girls. The band released their sound collages initially as private press cassette only releases before releasing a CD-R of fully realised material through Time-Lag records in 2005. The 40 minute long song cycle titled "The Cave Of Spirits" marked the band's first foray into the public sphere of recognition. June 2006 see a repressing of one of their early recording on the Swedish imprint Release The Bats, the album pressed in a limited run of 1080 (get it while you can) comes in a lovely looking black and gold inked arigato folded sleeve, and is available direct from source or through Eclipse records in the US or Volcanic Tongue in the UK.

Cave Of Spirits
On The Roof

Don't throw Eggs

2006-06-25T13:59:00.000+01:00

Eggstock came and went yesterday. It was a blast. Black Carrot, James Green (Big Eyes), George, Super Bompers Band (ex Need New Body) Volcano the Bear, Now, Nalle, and Zukanican. Their was also an exclusive screening of The Devil and Daniel Johnston. The documentary was great but I was left with mixed feelings - he seems to have taken control of things over the last couple of years, but the guy still heavily dependent on people around him. For someone who knows absolutely NOTHING about the guy, it was definitely an eye opener. The bands though; the bands were great. Speaking to Nigel (Turner) briefly yesterday, he was even was even talking about making it a weekend event next time around. Why not? It's ambitious - maybe even a red herring - but judging by the turnout today, there is definitely the interest.

Another band that played yesterday, were Dragon or Emperor. DorE are the two-piece side-project of Aaron Moore (Volcano the Bear, Songs of Norway) on Drums/vocals, and Stewart Brackley (Black Carrot, Songs of Norway) on bass guitar/vocals. They've been compared to the bastard offspring of Pere Ubu and Lightning Bolt, but you have your Krautrock and some primal Rockabilly skronk in there too - I'm talking >Howlin Wolf here people. I've seen them countless times over the past year and they've yet to disapoint. In fact, they're getting better all the time. And despite their limitation as crude, lo-fi, drum and bass duo, they have an enourmous sound that marries their intense mixture of fun and chaos; Or at least, Aaron's take on that. I hear there is a album prepped and ready, but it's yet to see the life of day - yet.

Dragon or Emperor - Baby Gravy

And now for something completely different: South Brazilian artist Flávio Basso was born in Porto Alegre City and was in a number of bands before the inception of Júpiter Maçã (Jupiter, as a homage to the planet Jupiter; and Apple, after The Beatles record company). The music itself is heavily influenced by sixties Psychedelia, Krautrock, Tropicália and Bossa Nova and seventies Moog's. But more than that, the band seemlessly reference bands as far and wide at The Kinks, Syd Barret (Pink Floyd), Os Mutantes, The Soft Machine - and of course, The Beatles. The following song is taken from their second album: a self-titled release. Alas, this is one of only and handful of tracks i've heard from various compilations.

Júpiter Maçã - Síndrome De Pânico.mp3

Tunnusteleva frekvenssi kirjo

2006-06-17T17:51:00.000+01:00

Shogun Kunitoki are an instrumental quartet from Helsinki in Finland are the one of the latest additions to the Fonal records stable. A label set up and curated by Sami Sänpäkkilä, member of the band Kiila and also the head behind the musical output of ES. As ES, Sänpäkkilä crafted one of the most original recordings to see a release in recent years, in 2004's Kaikkeuden Kauneus Ja Käsittämättömyys, garnering critical praise from many outlets as it went.

Shogun Kunitoki began life as in the late 1990's as art collective who based their compositions around video media created on Commodore 64 computers, which also the medium for their earliest recordings. By 2003 the band were invited to play at the Helsinki Avanto Festival, the preformance also garned the attention of Fonal and a relationship began in earnest. As time went on the band began to become frustrated by the limitations imposed on them by the 8bit computers and began to experiment with live instrumentation.

2006 sees the band debut release Tasankokaiku marks the culmination of the band search for a coherent sound. The album consists of seven instrumental tracks which borrow motifs from many eras of music; from the 50's electronic pioneers like Karlheinz Stockhausen to the minimalist/psychedelic experiments of his students CAN and in turn their own spiritual brethren NEU! to the revisionist output of bands like Broadcast and Stereolab.

Montezuma

Self-Eating Happy Sad Sing-Along Experimental Pop

2006-06-10T12:41:00.000+01:00

Formed in 2002 in Anacortes, Washington; The Robot Ate Me is an outlet for the sometimes experimental always off kilter pop meanderings of Ryland Bouchard and friends. Being from that part of the musical hinterland there is no way I can get through this entire entry without mentioning that other famous son of that little old place called Anacortes. Yes Philip Whitman Elverum, who once traded as Microphones and more recently as Mount Eerie. Stylistically Bouchard's musings bear some resemblences to the lo-fi dabblings of both the former and the later (although ostensibly the same person!) But also seems to have a slightly more psychedellic feel to proceedings, at times bordering on the weird shores of Of Montreal.

The Robot Ate Me has released to date a total of 5 full length albums and contributed to various other compilations and such. Beginning life on the independent label Swim Slowly, Bouchard released three albums, before being picked up by 5RC a subsiduary of Slim Moon's Washington based label Kill Rock Stars. The first release on 5RC was a repressing of 2003's "The Robot Ate Me On Vacation" a two disc album one featuring the album proper the second disc featuring collected B-sides. This was followed by 2005's "Carousel Waltz" which brings to mind at times the pop sensibilites of Brian Wilson circa "Pet Sounds".

The even better news is that of June 2006 Bouchard is set to release the follow-up to "Carousel Waltz" in the form of the 23 minute long 17 track wurlitzer that is to be christened "Good World." In which Bouchard presents the listener with an imaginative world filled with mythical characters like Dijen ( a monster spider the size of a man whose heart is buried in the ground causing it to the survive the most critical of attacks), the Stone Giants (who are invunerable except on the soles of their feet) and She-Owl (the wife of Bloody Knife.)

Buy The Robot Ate Me Merchendise Here

The Robot Ate Me - Dijen ("Good World", 2006 5RC recordings)

The Robot Ate Me - Bad Feelings ("Carousel Waltz", 2006 5RC recordings)

The Robot Ate Me - They Ate Themselves ("They Ate Themselves", 2002 Swim Slowly Recordings)

I Want To See You Drunk And Dancing Like a Russian

2006-06-08T06:15:00.000+01:00

Lords are from Nottingham and are NOT to be confused with the US band that also go by the name of Lords. Glad we've got that out of the way. Lords are three-piece band with NO bass, two guitarists and a drummer called Elvis (Lord Elvin). Lord Phillipe wails with sorrow, while Lord Chris Gordon Sumlin lays down some down un' dirty (I've been reading Bound for Glory) guitar. The music they play is one of elasticated blues riffery, and Beefheart influenced tomfoolery; a bendy and twisted melodrama that celebrates bands that you pretend to hate but really love: Lords of the twing and the twang, like The Minutemen, ZZ Top, Led Zeppelin blah blah blah.

Their album: This Aint a Hate Thing, It's a Love Thing was released earlier this year on Nottingham's very own imprint (Gringo Records), and it has hardly left my CD player all year. The album linear notes advise you to play their record loud and well, if you don't, you're already missing a point because this is a PARTY record. And you can analyse their music as much as you want but Lords are a PARTY band. Listen out for the clatter of catawalling guitars at the end of of'Show Me Your Palms,' or the inclusion of female backing vocals as Lord Phillipe attempts to slow things down in the middle of 'The Ballad Of The Sightless And Outstretched Hand.'

Lords - Liquer

Buy this. See them. Celebrate. And do all this in any order you see fit.

Spin Spin The Dogs are also from Nottingham, but are on hiatus at the moment. They're namechecked as the most hated band in Derby, which I think is a good as recommendation as any; despite there being a load of great Derby bands at the moment. Described by some as the sound of Beefheart and common sense colliding, this band are exceedingly English - whatever that really means. As i've already said, they're a band known for evoking hate and love; often in equal measure. A lot of this derives from the confrontation and playful ('"Two peanuts are walking down the street, one gets asaulted') antics of their singer, Vincent Larkin. So much so that it often detracts from the contributions of the other members of the band. They were; are; and may well again a great band. .

Spin Spin The Dogs - French Republic

Spin Spin The Dogs left behind one limited edition (500 copies) album (Cats!) on Fancy Paradise, shortly before their last show in January of this year. Watch this video on YouTube

Breakfast: The Most Important Meal Of The Day

2006-06-04T15:32:00.000+01:00

Rob Bidder is Tea & Toast, well actually no, Tea & Toast is Rob Bidder plus a rotating cast of like minded folks and friends. Pitched some where between no-fi and lo-fi electronica they are a ramble down not the often travelled paths of bands like Andrew Broder's Fog or the tapeloop experiments of Sir Paul circa "Revolver" era Beatles.

Tea & Toast have released two limited EP's to date on the South East DIY record label Mentalist Association; "Winter's Journey" which is currently out of print but due a repressing soon and 2004's "Foxholes". Both come with a hand fashioned lithograph inside the packaging. A full length album titled "Moonbeaming" is promised for later in the year, again to be released in conjunction with the aforementioned label.

Tea & Toast play Barden's Boudoir in London on 1st July in support of Portland based indie folk musician Adrian Orange who preforms under the moniker Thanksgiving in association with Undereducated Music. Who may have released one of the best albums this year in the form of "Cave Day's & Moments" on Marriage Records. A follow up of sorts to last year's self titled three LP vinyl set also on Marriage Records.

Tea & Toast Myspace page

This Is Caveman Music For A Crumbling Society

2006-05-27T23:06:00.000+01:00

Hailing from Portland, Oregon three piece avant metal band Under Mountains sound like the slowly shifting tectonic plates that their name suggests. Take the one part The Melvins back masked slow dirge and throw in a liberal sprinkling of the trademark hyper blasts of noise from San Diego's The Locust and you’re somewhere near to describing what UM sound like.

They have one self titled EP of psychedelic aural terror out to date on the indie; Eolian Records and recorded in 2004, which is available direct from the bands website. A split 12” with fellow Portland dwelling spastic metal outfit; Rabbits is due for released on 27th May 2006.

Under Mountains Myspace
Rabbits Myspace

Listen to the future now

2006-05-27T16:08:00.000+01:00

HOOKERS GREEN NO. 1 may well be one of the best band names i've heard in a long time. Hailing from Aberdeen, the band started out as a three piece, and gradually progressed to having eleven people in band; at one point last year. In a recent interview with Stevie Chick (LLSS SIX), the band as much as admitted that they went 'too far.' They are now down to a more mangeable five, and are presently recording a follow up to their last album, the "Illustrious Captain Moon Won The War For Us."

Their new Double A Side single: Bloody Great Big Fucking Party/ Everyone In Your Scene Is Dead So Join Ours was enthuastically handed too me at last weeks, ATP festival and i'm glad it made it back with me. It's not often you hear a band with their own brass section; and their percussion heavy, woosy dream of fractured vocals and keyboards; which sound like a cross between the bebop space-jazz of Eric Dolpy ("Out There") and the melodies of French whizz-kids M83, and lo-fi pop hipsters: Ariel Pink.

Their first album might have sounded like 'Blue Note mauled by a brass section', but these new additions really swing with melodic hooks. Yes, hooks!

Hookers Green No. 1 - Bloody Great Big Fucking Party.

[BUY HOOKERS GREEN NO. 1 HERE]

The band are on tour in June.

27.5.06 Sister, Resist! @ the Tunnels - Aberdeen
09.6.06 The Barfly - Glasvegas
10.6.06 The Raigmore - Inverness
11.6.06 "I Fly Spitfires" @ Cabaret Voltaire - Edinburgh
14.6.06 Head of Steam - Newcastle
15.6.06 Kings Arms - Manchester
16.6.06 Oxford
17.6.06 RoTa @ Notting Hill Arts Club - London
19.6.06 The Freebutt - Brighton
21.6.06 Dr. Browns - Middlesborough

I had a point

2006-05-23T21:58:00.000+01:00

Camber, camber oh how I miss thee. Well, it's kinda true: The rain and gale force winds I can live without. And those seagulls man - I'm sure they're not supposed to be that big you know (?). Those things give me the fear. But minor complaints aside (if you can even call them that), i'm definitely going to miss the old place. I spent the last two weekends there, and if we're to believe in the rumours; it may be the last All Tomorrows Parties to be held there.

It goes without saying, that I saw some great bands:

Oneida were mind-blowing and hillarious in equal measure. And if 'Up With the People' is any indication, their new album is going to be another masterpiece of Oneida-like proportions; Joanna Newsom may have looked nervous, but she played - and sang - like an angel. If if hadn't known better, I would have said she was English - 'Stop apologising, you sound great!' was one cry; Comets on Fire were incredible. This band are more than just vital right now, and they have a chemistry that that seems to go beyond intuative. They were born to do this shit, and I could quite literally watch them forever; Magik Markers were a gloriously chaotic mess. I've seen them THREE times this month, and as much as i'm loathed to admit it, they refuse to conform to any miserly structures that my tiny mind can comprehend (Girls ripping up shit with guitars? No no, ignore me); They were almost, ALMOST... as enlightening as the Boredoms in full throttle. A few people may have been left scratching at their early billing, but one look at their stage set-up and all becomes clear - Ok, ok; somebody told me they needed a longer soundcheck too. And apparently only the first and last bands get this (?) They were instense though. It's hard, but try to imagine sustained segues of tribal rhythms, awash with waves of electronic 'sounds'. Yeah, I know, i'm selling all these bands short but i'm under time contraints here people.

More later.

This rest of this 'entry' is adapted from a piece that I wrote some time back. It's still relevant to me though; perhaps now more than ever, since I literally CANNOT stop listening to this band at the moment. You have no idea what i'm talking about though. Well, they were the first band signed to Kill Rock Stars...Look, i'm talking about Unwound I'm too tired to be clever and well, this clearly takes a lot out of me because getting more than a few words out of me nowadays, can only really be achieved at gunpoint.

Unwound then. As far as being a fully functioning band goes, they haven't 'existed' for some time - but believe me, their albums have lost none of their potency. They are loud; they are intricate; they have energy; and I NEVER got to see them live. Damn damn DAMN.

For some reason they exist outside the lineage of bands like Sonic Youth and Fugazi, but they cetainly share they vitality and left a plenty of killer tracks by the way of six studio albums - which I won't go into here. They may owe a lot to the aforementioned bands in a stylistic sense, but that's by the by, and it's too their credit that they didn't rest on these laurels. 'Leaves Turn Inside' You for example, is far removed from the sound that made 'Fake Train' such a classic debut album. But it's still Unwound. Songs matter, and that's why, for me, it's a tragedy that they never really had the oppurtunity to tour their final album, Leaves Turn Inside You.

The following track is taken from their 1996 record, 'Repetition'. A much darker and sinister album, than their final album. The abrasive overtones of this track, never really outshine the melody.

Unwound - Message Recieved

<BUY THE ALBUM HERE>

KRS

Unwound factsheet

Blood On The Motherboard

2006-05-23T20:44:00.000+01:00

The oddly monikered Black Moth Super Rainbow, are a hard bunch to track down information on; some sources say that it’s the work of five like minded souls from Pennsylvania locked away in a wooden cabin in the hinterlands. Other sources suggest that it’s the work of one Tom Fec, who formerly plied his art as the even more hyper unreal sounding Satanstompingcatapillars. If indeed it is the work of one man or twenty its still one of the most intriguing things to come out of modern day America in recent years.

Channelling the lost spirits of Krautrock’s finest and throwing into the mix a whole host of day-glo 60’s references, this is pastoral electronica as filtered through a million breakbeats. Since the dissolution of SSC in 2002, the BMSR crew have unleashed three albums of well received dream beats. Beginning with 2003’s Falling Through A Field which conjures up images of Little Wings’ Kyle Field being slowly electrified, by a tribe of pygmy imps with a Kraftwerk fetish was widely regarded in various circles. This was quickly followed by the even better Start A People on The Seventies Gymnastic Recording Co. in 2004, which kept the kosmische influence bubbling through and added Autchre and Boards Of Canada to the already foot long list of obvious influences.

2006 sees the release of their third album Lost Picking Flowers In The Woods on Graveface Records, a further split EP featuring BMSR and The Octopus Project is due later this year .

Samples from the three BMSR albums:

Boatfriend

Trees And Colours And Wizards

Lost, Picking Flowers In The Woods

Woodland Folk

2006-05-20T22:44:00.000+01:00

Treepeople

Formed in Boise, Idaho of the constituent members of local band State Of Confusion. They enjoyed a notoriety limited to the local scene, which in turn opened up to a wider audience when the Seattle grunge scene reared its head in the early nineties. The band comprised Pat Brown, Wayne Rhino Flower, Doug Martsch and Scott Schmaljohn, eventually disbanded in 1994 after having released three albums and a handful singles.

Martsch and Flowers went on to colaborate in the K records band The Halo Benders, with Beat Happening member and head of label, Calvin Johnson continuing until Matsch moved on again to form the indie band Built To Spill in 1996. Built To Spill remain active releasing albums sporadically to this day. More recently Martsch has released his own solo material on a subsiduary of Warner Brothers ltd.

Treepeople's first LP "Guilt, Regret and Embaressment" is currently available from the K records website

Drop The Melody, Increase The Flange.

2006-05-20T17:40:00.000+01:00

Yume Bitsu formed as a partnership in 1995 in Portland, OR residents and college mates Adam Forkner and Franz Pritchard. Built up of a combined love of avante garde music, psychedelic musics and 365+ days of rain the band initially developed their spaced out sound on a series of cassette only private press releases. Eventually the twosome fleshed out the band roster by enlisting the help of Jason Anderson (Wolf Colonel) on drums and Alex Bundy on Keys/Electronics/Noise and set about recording their first LP. The result of these sessions was to be “Giant Surface Music Falling To Earth Like Jewels From The Sky ” which true to the Yume Bitsu template spent 6 months floating around in the musical hinterland looking for a distribution deal. It was picked up eventually by Ba Da Bing Records(now home to hot young hopeful Beruit) impresario Ben Goldberg and finally given an official release in 1998.

Early 1999 saw the band enter the studio at which Forkner was now working as an engineer, to begin work on the follow-up to their official debut. The much improved equipment in the studio allowed the band to further develop their blissed out sound adding an extra layer of fuzz and reverb to proceedings and bringing vocals further to the fore. In November of 1999 this work was released as a self titled record again on Ba Da Bing Records.
In 2000 the band splintered geographically whilst Forkner pursued sound engineering work in New York and Pritchard to Japan to fulfil a 12 month teaching position. The other members used this hiatus to develop their own side projects Bundy released a series of ambient/musiqué concrete recordings, Anderson meanwhile continued to flesh out his Wolf Colonel persona courtesy of K Records in Washington. It was this relationship with the Dub Narcotic Studio that saw Yume Bitsu reconvene and set about work on their third full length recording. Utilising the huge warehouse like conditions of the studio seemed to effect the musical output of the band the resultant album “Auspicious Winds” had a much more sparse sound than any of their output before.

2002 saw the recording of the final Yume Bitsu album as a unit once again on K Records the recordings pieced together 9 disparate tracks using a variety of new and/or unusual instruments. “The Golden Vessel Of Sound” forged forward sounding bisecting territory previously explored by the likes of MBV, GY!BE and further afield. Since the disbanding each member of the band has continued to work in music, Jason Anderson fully immersed himself in Wolf Colonel, Alex Bundy continues to with his ambient series of music. Forkner and Pritchard have since worked alongside (albeit not in a full time capacity) again in the band Surface Of Eceyon with members of Landing, releasing two full length album's and also recording an albums worth of solo material as [[[VVRSSNN]]] on K Records. Forkner also continues as a tour de force in his own right (with his partner Honey Adams) as White Rainbow and World on his own Yarnlazer webspace.

I Wait For You

Gas Board Under Dog

2006-05-03T19:55:00.000+01:00

Skip Bifferty were an incredible - and short lived - British psychedelic pop band that released one self-titled full length in the mid-sixties before disbanding in 1968. The band later cited difficulties with their label (RCA), who were clearly unsure of how the market the band in the wake of the beat group era; where labels largely relied on hit singles, not album sales. Nevetheless, the album was eventually released and greated as a mini-trimph in the underground community. It was also highly praised in publications such as the now defunct Melody Maker.

The self-titled LP saw the band alternate between a mixture of full-on garage rock homages (On Love) and wistful power pop numbers (Come Around). And while they may have essentially been a guitar-driven band in essence, but they also incorporated various sound effects, loops, bells, and percussion into the mix to create a signature sound that very much trascends their time, and their very obvious influences.

Some frivilious trivia: After the band split, members of the band emerged under the pseudonym Heavy Jelly, cutting an eight-minute single ("I Keep Singing That Same Old Song"). It was the longest forty-five released at the time.

Skip Bifferty - Man in Black

I implore you to buy the recently (well, fairly recent) issued greatest hits package,
here

In other news:

EGGSTOCK! 2006
Sat June 24th
Phoenix Arts Theatre, Leicester
2pm to 11pm. Prompt start!
£13/£11(concs) tickets on sale now!
Pickled Egg

Live performances from: Volcano the Bear, Nalle, George, James Green (Big Eyes), Zukanican, Now, Tookie Sherman (Need New Body), Dragon or Emperor, Black Carrot + other acts tbc. Plus a screening of The Devil and Daniel Johnston documentary film.

Stereo Sanctity has just written a eulogy, to what sounds like the greatest cinema related weekend of all time: The Far-Out Festival (Leicester Phoenix Arts). Ladies an gentleman, if you like your movie going experience a little well, frankly weird and ever so demented; Far Out Film certainly sound like they cater for your *ahem* taste. The general concept of Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter alone, sounds like the basis for the greatest film ever made. From what I was able to make out, it's a Kung-Fu action / comedy /musical surrounding the second coming of Christ and replete with day-walking vampires. Nice.

Oh, and i'd also like to make it clear now that my recent update is in no way linked to this entry on Stereo Sanctity, but i'd glad somebody cares. SOMEBODY CARES!!! Cheers Ben.

The kid in The Omen made this thing, I swear. I accept that it can be done - i've seen it done firsthand. I just can't do it. Believe me i've tried and tried. I WILL BEAT IT.

I'm back

2006-05-01T15:48:00.000+01:00

First of all, apologies for the lack of update. Sadly i've not got any great excuses to give you: It basically boils down to a geniune lack of ideas and motivation. That said, Soul Sides and Said The Gramophone have clearly had no such problems in searching out out and highlighting the cream of this year's releases - so far, of course. One listen of "Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)" - courtesy of Stereogum - was enough to convince me that I had to pre-order the Beirut album. And believe me, you'd be doing yourself a great disservice by not reading Sean's comments on the album, over at Said The Gramophone too. Oliver Wang, over at Soulsides has also managed to bewitch me into getting hold of The Coup's 'Pick a Bigger Weapon'. Damn, I can't be buying albums like this with ATP and Primavera looking over my shoulder.

THE UNIT AMA

Some context then: The Unit Ama are a Newcastle trio consisting of Christian Alderson on drums, Jason Etherington on bass, and Steven Malley on guitar/vocal duties. Their self-titled debut album has recently been 're-released' by Gringo Records and the band have just finished playing a host of gigs in support of it. This culminated in a headlining slot at Chinchillafest (Joeyfat, Charlotefield, Lords, That Fucking Tank) in Leeds yesterday; which I sadly missed. I did however, manage to catch them in Nottingham last month, and yeah, i'm glad to say that they far exceeded my expectations. I overheard someone in the crowd describing them as a 'spiritual Lungfish' - or something to that effect - and to be honest, it was pretty accurate description; especially when it came to their live performance.

MMMMWWWWARRRRRGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

WISDOM IS JUST VANITY! WISDOM IS JUUUUST VANIITTYYYYY!!!!!

In actual fact, I was taken a back at how different they sounded live at first. It didn't take me long to come around though. The band have clearly had time to flex their muscles since originally recording the album, and it shows. Of course, this is not to underestimate their debut; which, incidentally is brilliant example of the many great records Gringo are putting out at the moment. 'Plastique Bertrand' for instance, seems to endlessly ride a crest of lightning fast percussion over a wave of guitars; at once, stretching and pounding guitar riffs into submission. Elsewhere, on tracks like 'Horses (Of Northumberland)', 'Fuck the Critic', and 'Governed' throats are ravaged, strings are pulled and skins are pummelled to the n'th degree. It all holds up to to well to repeat listening - believe me. Highly recommended

The Unit Ama - Plastique Bertrand

I know you're all hip to pay-pal so buy the album from Gringo Records and hear the record in it's majestic glory. Click here to visit The Unit Ama website.

Stereogum
Soul Sides
Said The Gramophone
Lungfish

Fahey Blows His Nose

2006-02-12T18:17:00.000Z

Last night I was fortunate enough to catch Jack Rose on the third night of his brief UK jaunt with drummer Chris Corsano, who has recorded and played with artists such as Ben Chasney, Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, Jim O'Rourke, Daniel Carter, Sunburned Hand Of Man and Matt Valentine etc

First up last night was Last of the Real Hardmen. The line-up for LOTRH varies, but is always centered around the finger picking of Lords guitarist Chris Summerlin. Tonight he is joined by Lucinda Chua and Patch (Designer Babies). Tonights performance is what i've come to expect from LOTRH, but the addition of drummer to the mix, comes off suprisingly well, and to rapturous applause from the Nottingham crowd.

Chris Corsano, had the uneviable repuation of a 'a solo drum show with no parallel' to contend with last night. Fortunately, he was well up to task, and certainly lived up to his live billing. You don't tend to see many drummers using their elbows and cellotape as means of creating drum sounds. If you like your drumming avant guard - or even just a little different - than get yourself to a Chris Corsano show. Last night the crowd were climbing over themselves to see how he was making the sounds he was making; I was closer than most, and i'm still none the wiser.

If you haven't heard Jack Rose he plays steel-stringed acoustic guitar, and blends blues and folk with Eastern and Western elements. He also plays in the Richmond band, Pelt and has spend the last few years tranversing the globe in both projects. He kick starts his set with Kensington Blues - the title track from his most recent album. Much like the late folk intrumentalist, John Fahey, he enjoys pushing the boundaries of what a guitar can achieve and is more than a master at his craft. He takes the time out to thank the crowd; the artists that have played tonight; and to Damn You! collective for making it all possible, before plowing into three Fahey dedications - one of which I think was Orinda-Moraga but i'm not one hundred percent sure. The highlight of the evening is the nine minute opus, Now that I'm a Man Full Grown but of course, this was only a highlight of many. Incredible.

Jack Rose - Kensington Blues

Jack Rose
VHF Records
Beautful Happiness
Honey is Funny

Better than you

2006-02-11T10:47:00.000Z

Do not envy a sinner; you don't know what disaster awaits him.

Fucked Up are from Toronto and feature Jonah from Career Suicide and ex members of Ruination. If you've already heard them you either love them or hate them; they're that sort of band. I read an interview in which Farmer Damien (vocals) claims the band were formed out of a 'pure fluke' and were only ever intended as a 'joke' band. Well, three years have passed, and the joke is on them, or something (?) Deranged Records have put out a slurry of releases by the band, and there isn't really much to analyse and pick apart: they play hardcore/punk in the vain of all your favourite bands of old. They reference bands like Black Flag, Negative Approach and Citizen's Arrest, but end up coming off more LA punk - like the Dils and X.

Fucked Up are a band of instinct; of raw, pent up, in-your-face agression and fast, swinging, amelodic guitar courtesy of 10,000 Marbles and Concentration Camp: kicking out of your stereo at a thousand miles an hour. It's deceptively simple stuff, but they almost nail it down to almost an artform; never straying too far away from verse/ chorus/ bridge framework and never forgetting what makes them such a live force - I can only imagine. Oh, and lest we forget: Father Damian can really wail too. Rumours of a UK Tour in April - if you know details, post them below. 'Hidden World' out soon.

NYC Cops? HAha

Fucked Up - Police

Read a four part interview with the band, here BUY the album from Deranged Records and be five years ahead of the curve.

FUCKIN A

2006-01-31T21:45:00.000Z

Hardly art
Hardly starving
Hardly art
Hardly garbage

-- "No Culture Icons" from More Parts Per Million

Originally hailing from Northampton or London (depending on what review you read), Host are - or at least were, until a short time ago - a terrific scratch post-pop explosion of screeching guitars, three-part harmonies, and synth tabs, that frequently recall new-wave pioneers like XTC, but end up sounding a lot more reminiscent catchy lo-fi rockers, The Thermals - on a sugar and helium high.

Host then, were made up James Host (Drums), Jim Host (Electronics, Vocals), Rob Host (Bass, Vocals) and Stephen Host (Guitar, Vocals)...Yeah, most of the reviews I have read concentrate on their bizarre sense of humour. Nevertheless, they gifted the world one studio album; the aptly titled, Minimum Listening Guarantee (hitBACK Records), and a handful of singles on various like-minded labels. The songs they left behind are a short, erratic cacophony of guitar solos and are tailor made for the listener with a short attention span.

HOST - Mean Streak

HOST - Decisions

<BUY THEIR ALBUMS HERE>

Visit the Host website (largely a historical document of demos etc) and hitBACK Records

I'd let that lonesome whistle blow my blues away

2006-01-30T20:48:00.001Z

I love this band.

Formed in 1992 (Olympia), Lync may have only burned briefly, but they continue to be a major source of inspiration. I can't pretend to have been there from the beginning, but their impact on bands like Built to Spill and Modest Mouse is clear for all to see. They endure, because like Drive Like Jehu, they deserve to. I was indirectly exposed to them through Love As Laughter (as I imagine a lot of people were), but while Greks Bring Love and #1 U.S.A. might hint at the sludgier nature of Sam Jayne's musical vision, Lync were always a glorious mess; albeit a controlled one.

They may have only left behind one studio album ('These Are Not Fall Colors), but this 1994 K Records release accomplishes more than some bands manage in their entire 'career.' Expertly showcasing Sam Jayne's open tunings and frantic/shouty vocals; which combine with James Bertram's own heavy bass sound - we're talking Jesus Lizard here - to create a shitstorm of distortion and background hiss that's undeniably their own. Jayne and Betram fight it out for predominance, while Schneider plays the drums as well as anyone could hope to do under the circumstances. Actually, no, he's controlling things.

In all honesty, tracks like 'Hands and Knees' pretty much exist to disprove any lame comparisons I can muster; and counteract the lo-fi brawl that ensues over the frantic 'Perfect Shot' and the kinetically charged 'Silver Spoon Glasses.'

Lync - Perfect Shot

<BUY THEIR ALBUMS HERE>

Issue Six of Loose Lips Sink Ships is avaliable for purchase online, and in all good record stores. I think it's total triumph and certainly worthy of your attention.

I don't get to see many new films, but Walk the Line is incredible and I can't praise the lead performances enough - Reese Witherspoon is a revelation. Watch it.

The slow burner

2006-01-21T13:15:00.000Z

Love As Laughter have gone through a lot of changes since their original conception. The Greks Brings Gifts is pretty much Sam Jayne (post Lync) playing around with friends and recording lo-fi garage rock; which gradually morphed into their most recent line-up as a three piece: with lead singer/guitarist Sam Jayne, Zeke Howard on Drums and Brandon Angle on Bass. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the 'band' and they're playing a gig in NYC to celebrate. Their last album (Laughter's Fifth) was released in 2005 on Sub Pop and I was fortunate enough to catch them after the Slint ATP in February - shortly before the album was released.

I'd be the first to admit that I didn't really 'get' Laughter's Fifth to begin with. I thought it was a little to prestine and clever; and that it didn't take enough chances. Now i've come to realise it's just loose and they're just having fun with the material. It's brilliant album. A slow burner perhaps, but incredible when it finally comes to together. They'll never make another Sea to Shining Sea because they never rest on their laurels. I remember reading them being described as a cross between The Rolling Stones, The Stooges and even Led Zeppelin. Don't get be wrong, it's these comparisons that attracted me to them, but for me, they never sound contrived or even compromised by their love of the music from the past. I'm not saying that I approve of bands blatently and even fragrantly rehashing old ideas, but I do appreciate genuine homages, and the band make this clear from the onset. They celebrate everything you want to hear in a band.

The following track is a rollicking romping rock stomper of a tune [taken from Destination 2000]

Love As Laughter - Margaritas

Click here to visit the L/A/L Website. You can hear "Miss Direction" and "Temptation Island" on their website too. Buy their album(s) through Subpop. Shiny, shiny vinyl! One day i'll have a few words to say about Lync. Sam Jayne is so underrated it's unreal.

I HAVE A COLD AND NOBODY CARES.

2006-01-14T13:15:00.000Z

It's true.

I have news. If you're unfortunate enough to be in Leicester on Wednesday night (18th January), then get thee to Bar Nova (Granby Street, near the Train Station) to catch Blood Red Shoes and Tera:Tora. Details below:

***Mesage end***

Pre New Year Blues

2005-12-31T15:32:00.000Z

We Jam Econo: The story of the Minutemen. Click here to view the trailer. THIS IS GOING TO BE AMAZING!

God today is going fast. New Years is always so, well, disapointing; I won't tempt fate though.

It's (almost) the end of the year. Apologies if you've read my meanderings about this band previously, but i've re-discovered this album over the last couple of days and thought it warranted a repeat post. Capstan Shafts is alter-ego of Dean Wells, a native of Vermont, who has a gift for making short, DIY produced, skuzzy folk rock songs. Chick Ciggarettes was released on Asaurus Records last year, and was one of those sleeper records that appeared on a lot of people 'best of lists' but never really made a critical impact - whatever that means (Pitchfork! Your end of list plain sucked ass man!) It's a shame because the songs on this album are incredibly catchy, and even border on accessible at times. The following track quite moody, but it also has a lot of energy. Actually, this track is pretty indicative of the album as a whole. Certainly on the Robert Pollard/ Guided by Voices vibe.

Capstan Shafts - Auto Naval.

Oh, and even though I ordered this album on a whim I hope you take to time to browse around Asaurus Records, and to even order yourself a copy if you like what you hear.

He also has a EP that's currently avaliable for download, here.

Some sites far more worthy of your perusal:

Over at Said The Gramaphone Sean has compiled a list of his favourite tracks from this year. Click here and listen to them in all their glory. Also, Songs Illiniois and You Aint No Picasso continue to bring the tunes. Along with, of course 20JFG'S. Juan and Stuart. The NY partee looks like it's going to be a blast! See everyone else next year.

The Wiz

2005-12-30T06:20:00.000Z

Now for some punk ramblings courtesy of Portland underdogs, Wipers. In 1979 Wipers recorded their first “studio” album: Is This Real? It was released on an independent label with lead singer and guitarist Greg Sage, Dave Koupal on bass, and Sam Henry on drums. Their record company insisted that they record everything in a professional studio, but despite the relatively polished outcome, Is This Real? remains a cornerstone for their sound; even if the band would never record another album in a studio again.

Is This Real is crammed with Sage's raging but lively guitar solos; most of which would become his trademark. His song writing style: dealing with extreme isolation, and frustration; with an almost insane awareness of melody, would later go on to have real affect on Kurt Cobain and his band Nirvana – they also covered two of the songs from this album. In 2001, Sage used his own label to release a three-for-one package of Wipers' first three albums. Remastered with plenty of bonus tracks, it's probably best introduction to a band you could ever ask for.

Follow this link for information on the band and on how to purchase their album(s). There is also a revealing interview with Greg Sage avaliable through their official site.

The following song was their first single.

Wipers - Better off Dead

Bored out of my cord

2005-12-29T20:46:00.000Z

Christmas is over: Deal with it. We're now it that strange place of nothingness that exists between Chistmas and New Year.

Well, It could be a lot worse.

I'm still in the midst of a eighties acid flashback I NEVER experienced, but hey, you can't hold that against me. Black Flag, Husker Du, Sonic Youth ('Evol' and 'Sister' really), Wipers, Minutemen, Laughing Clowns, Scientists, Volcano Suns are destroying me. The Minutemen are particuarly blowing my mind. They were just, well, wild. The Pixies might have been wild too, but the Minutemen had absolutely NO respect for well, anything resembling song structure. Of course, on the other end of the spectrum (but there in SST spirit) you have the raw 'fuck you' of early eighties Black Flag. Frequently alternating between the brilliant and the absurdly brilliant. In other news: There is a great Laughting Clowns restrospective masquerading as a review in the most recent issue of Plan B. You haven't got that issue yet? Stop reading this and buy it immediately. I'm being deadly serious.

Charlottefield are native to Brighton and inhabit a place on a disturbing list of bands that i've yet to catch live - for some reason. It's probably not a good reason, i'm just pathetic in that way Their eight track mini album, How Long Are You Staying, shifts through a mix of the dissonantly angular high octane swirl of wall to wall guitars (Again) and astonishingly accurate passages of controlled percussion with bursts of bass and drums (How Long). The reviews I have read seem to focus on way in the which the vocals are recorded low in the mix; this is often viewed in a disparaging light. Not being one to sit on the fence, i'll just get this right out of the way now: I like the way the vocals are recorded. It makes an already angry record more volatile, and it reminds fools like me that they're even more foolish for not witnessing them in their natural habitat; otherwise known as, in a room full of wanabee punkers. Hella yeah.

Charlottefield - Again

[BUY THEIR ALBUM, HERE]

Charlottefield Website

Pigfucker

2005-11-29T21:00:00.000Z

I've gotta keep it brief tonight:

The Volcano Suns were formed by Mission of Burma drummer Peter Prescott and went through various line-up changes and skints on Homestead, SST and Quarterstick during the eighties. Their debut album, Bright Orange Years, was released on Homestead in 1985 and is generally regarded as their finest work. The album itself is a messy sprawl of lo-fi noise, spliced up guitars and tuneful - if not slightly over the top - shouty/souring vocals. Vinyl Mine and 'Buked & Scorned (both far superior to this sorry excuse for a music blog) have already written a more definitive history of the band than I could ever hope to do though; I geniunely had no idea that William Oldham was fan; then again, they do have a ramshackle Chavez vibe about them, so it doesn't come to that much of a suprise.

It's band like this that prompt me to ask that tired old question: Why are music critics are still disparaging of the eighties? It has become more and more convient to write this decade off as a medieval period for music, but labels like Homestead, SST Records; and the music being re-released from this period is becoming increasingly difficult to supress. It's only a matter of time before a writer manages to build on the work of Azerrad in Our Band Could Change Your Life. I'm clearly not the person to do this, but bands like the Volcano Suns are certainly worthy of revisiting - or at least re-issuing. Is it "Pigfuck" music? I'd be more inclined to agree that this term is far too wide from the mark when discussing bands. That's just say that we all like music with a little mud in it.

Vocano Suns - Balancing Act

That muffled sound …

2005-11-26T19:53:00.000Z

If you don't own some of the pre Loveless My Bloody Valentine EP's you're doing yourself I great disservice. Alright, they might be harder to get hold of; but come on people, that's the point! Their 1988's 'You Made Me Realize' is one of four issued after "Isn't Anything" and before Loveless came out in 1991. You could call this one their mission statement. On this release they transformed from lightwight sixties noise mongers to sonic distortionists. These recordings were on a level with anything that Sonic Youth were recording at the time - If you want some context, I know there is a world of difference between these bands.

My Bloody Valentine were almost willing you to be a part of the experience. The textured guitar sounds, softly spoken vocals, other wordly disortionate sounds and effects; All this STILL sounds alien to me. The atmosphere they create on 'You Made Me Realize' for example is so powerful that you still feel transformed into another world when you hear it again - even after a long absence. Sure, their music is challenging; and not everybody wants to be challenged: but ultimately, that's why they were so good. They needed to turn music on it's head. Then again, if you're still with me, you most probably know all this.

My Bloody Valentine - Thorn

You can BUY their back catalogue at Amazon

Click here to view a tonne of My Bloody Valentine videos and click
here to view there website. The old reviews are particularly worth looking at - The NME employed writers once upon a time, honest.

I'm back!

2005-11-21T21:40:00.000Z

Artwork courtesy of Ben Haggar. Ben also writes on Stereo Sanctity More information about the gig can be found below below.

Right, I think i'm back now. Instead of explaining why I haven't been posting for a while I thought i'd just get right back in the thick of it with some music - Incidentally, both of these bands played at the Cabaret on Thursday as part of Damn You! extravaganza. Younogodie are from Derby. They have a sampler out at the moment and they're website hints at a possible full-length in the not too distant future. I really hope they do manage to get it out soon, because they were awesome the other night. Martin, Chris, Baz, Nav play an intelligent uptempo mix of garage/punk rock which is definitely in the same vain as Dischord bands of old. They have track on the new Stressed Records compilation which also includes tracks by other Derby bands such Plans & Apologies, Lardpony, You Slut! - to name a few.

Younogodie - Spanish Fly

Medications hail from Washington DC and have recently released “Your Favorite People All in One" on Dischord. The trio itself consist of Devin Ocampo (ex Faraquet and Smart Went Crazy), Andrew drums. Unsuprisingly then, Medications sound a lot like Faraquet (pronounced fair-a-ket) - two of their members are still on vocals, Ocampo is still shredding those guitar-lines and Molter is still laying down some thick and rubbery basslines. The main difference here is that the songs are more fleshed out and the overall sound is clearer, less discordant and even poppier - Well, there are more than a few of these moments.

That's not to say that these songs are any more accessible than Faraquet: they're still experimenting with and playing around with melodies. The difference here is that each member sounds like their working towards something, well, more. I just hope they're arround long enough to develop tracks like "Suprise!" and "Pill." They're the tracks that best work live. The drums and the guitars are constantly driving and working towards something. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't always work but when it does you want to be there - believe me

Medications - Twine Time

Buy the album here

Also: The following bands are playing in on 7th December at The Original Four, King Street, Leicester. Entry for this gig is £3

It's all over

2005-11-12T13:24:00.000Z

"Ladies and gentleman. Please refrain from jumping onto the stage. The stage is for professional muscians with a valid union card. You wouldn't jump into a bear cage now would you?" - John Reis

Speedo, N.D, Petey X, JC 2000, Apollo 9 and Ruby Mars. God bless you all. San Diego's favourite rock 'n' roll sextet, Rocket from the Crypt played their final show EVER last week. Deciding to end it all on Halloween - their "favourite day of the year" - thousands of adoring fans traversed the globe to worship at their temple of noise. Myself included. It may have been packed, hot and sticky; but it was the perfect send off. Rocket from the Crypt were always more than a band. They were a symbol of artistic integrity; of all age shows; and of ALWAYS putting the fans first wherever possible. They trailblazed their way through the nineties and were one of the few bands to make it out of the other side. I know, I know, you may already know the score, but let me break it out for you all the same:

Tonight, they're rightly celebrated as an insitution, as they gladly hand over a little bit more of themselves for one last time. Our thoughts are with the people who couldn't be there. Soon enough the lights fade and our compere takes to the stage to explain all. The Heataches, The Bronx and Deadbolt have all done an excellent job of warming things up, but I (wisely?) save my energy. We're treated to a slideshow; a history of the band in pictures/videos, before they finally take to the stage to rapturous applause. They treat fans to a two-hour set, including: three encores; video montages, guest appearances - including Jon Wurster playing on "Sturdy Wrists" - and some ridiculous costume changes - from Voodoo men to well, I really don't know. One glance from side to side in the crowd and you can casually observe wrestlers, smurfs, superheroes, babies, draculas, and Wes Anderson film characters (over twenty members of team Zissou) paying tribute in their own unique way. The band always put on a show - they're famous for it - but what's on offer tonight is not only a once in a lifetime experience. It's a shared experience.

I was too young/uncool [delete and appropriate] to see them at Reading back in '98 and I just had to make this trek. Pretty stupid, and irreponsible? YOU'RE JUST JEALOUS! Just because YOU didn't get to hear incendiary ditties like 'Boychucker', 'I'm Not Invisible', 'Don't Darlene, 'Pigeon Eater' 'On a Rope' and 'Glazed' etc ike I heard them. Their slippery exploits of greased up riffary; their heavenly horn section; the lacerating power of their rhythm section; Mario pounding away on the skins; and of course, the secret weapon: the one and only, John 'Speedo' Reis. Make no mistake about it ladies and gentleman, what is on offer tonight is still the band that kickstarted rock 'n' roll for a new generation of fans in the early nineties. Their extended rendition of 'Glazed' tonight is particularly mindblowing and the crowd duly reciprocate by screaming "TAKE THAT" (for what seems like a half an hour) while out bear taming frontman speaks at length about the band and the fans ('Fuck you you doubters and naysayers of Rocket from the Crypt; we rocked for 16 years even though you thought we'd get no where"), until breaking into 'Everybody Smoke Pot,' with the crowd precisely on queue! Some guys in the crowd try to put a dampner on things and the band close on "Come See, Come Saw.' It really does feel like the end.

Rocket from the Crypt - I'm Not Invisible (Live)

Please view the rest of Transmission 3000 for more kick live Rocket' action. For more pictures of the show please views the slideshow at techguy2475. Many thanks

Go Darlene!

2005-09-05T21:10:00.000+01:00

It is with my contention that the formal demise of Rocket From the Crypt brings to to a close another significant era rock history. Granted it might not come as a huge suprise to some people, but honestly John (Reis), this breakup almost feels personal. Sixteen years, nine albums, seven inches, EP's, kickass shows, and "THE DANCE PARTY!!" will live on; well, for at least one more night for those who are lucky enough. Read on:

"On Halloween night in San Diego, Rocket from the Crypt will be playing our farewell show. After 16 years of scars and ear damage all in the name of spreading goodwill and the Rock N Roll doctrine, we will take the stage for the last time on our favorite day of the year. We know that it is very difficult for those around the world to be with us for this celebration, but we invite all that have been a part of this awesome ride to come out one more time and give it up for the band. We will offer those that have supported and fueled us the first opportunity to purchase tickets."

Rocket From The Crypt's last show
Monday, October 31 2005
Westin Horton Plaza Grand Ballroom (910 Broadway Circle . San Diego, CA

It's virtually impossible to choose a favourite, but Circa: Now, Group Sounds, and Scream Dracula Scream are special albums. Visit Swami to salvage any unfortunate oversights on your part; you'll thank me for it...

Anyway, enough of this negativity; or rather, bad news: Crayola (Guitar / Voice), Simon (Drums), Joe (Bass) or Sarandon, are a fun loving three-piece who make short, explosive, manic blasts of pure pop mayhem that references bands as far ranging as The Minutemen, Contortions, The Yummy Fur and XTC. They kind of remind of the Rezillos' lo-fi pop cousins. If you're not interested yet, you should be be! Sarandon have been asked to accompany Melt Banana when they make their whistle-blow stop to our small island in November - not bad for a band who have only played a handful of shows, and practised even less than that (all according to their website).

Sarandon have released two bite sized recording on the Kabukicore label this year, and will soon be following it up with The Feminist Third next month.

Sarandon - Bored

[BUY SARANDON, HERE]

Punk as fuck

2005-08-27T12:27:00.000+01:00

The Jai Alai Savant are singer/ guitarist Ralph Darden (ex Franklin) Jeremy Gowertz (drums) and Michael Ali (bass). Ralph Dearden is more well known in the Philedelphia "scene" as Major Taylor, who is amongst other things a DJ, a producer, and an expert Jijitsu sportfighter. In fact, it was reported earlier this year that when three guys tried to mug him, he not only only asked to take them all on, but he also had the following words to say his would be attackers: "First of all, i'm broke. Second of all, there's a lot easier people to mug in Chicago. Furthermore. I don't have shit to live for right now. Somebody's going to get hurt." Is this something that translates into their music? You better believe it!

The Jai Alai Savant have been described as an amgalm of punk-rock and dub raggae - which recalls at once Fugazi, artists like Lee "Scratch" Perry and even contemporary bands like TV on the Radio. While I certainly wouldn't argue with the plaudits, this band are making vital music that's a lot more than a sum of their influences. Ok, they're not your standard mainstream garage-lite band, but that's not to say that they're songs aren't catchy or even accessible - don't you love that word? It literally means nothing. Also, to use a cliche, we need bands like The Jai Alai Savant - If not only to prove that we're not all "coffee-shop drinkers and Coldplay listeners." I forget where I read that, but that's not important, what is important is you listening to these tracks, and getting your asses down to the ATP Festival which runs December 2, 3 and 4. Check these and whole host of other great bands out. That is, if you live in my neck of the woods. If not, take solace in Thunderstatement. That's out in October.

The Jai Alai Savant - Punk as Fuck

The Jai Alai Savant - Scarlett Johansen Why Don't You Love Me

Celebrated Summer

2005-08-20T12:52:00.000+01:00

Heads up this week go to Silece is a Rhythm Too for well, everything. Plus everyone linked below. We're all great really. Oh yeah, and Sean over at Said the Gramaphone too; because they're not on the list for some unknown reason - God i'm rubbish at internet stuff.

Blood on the Wall are on Social Registry. Social Registry are reponsible for putting out the Gang Gang Dance album, God's Money, and so it goes.. Of course, If you haven't heard Gang Gang Dance yet I expect you're utterly lost and very possibly consider me a fool, but you've read this much so why not read on? This NYC art-noise trio are actually putting finishing touches to follow up of their self -titled album of last year ("Awesomer"). I haven't heard it yet, but hey, that doesn't exactly stop folks passing judgment does it? Only kidding. The first album! Vice magazine considered it "perfect" whereas most, if not all, thought it ultimately lacking after repeat listening Since I love sitting on the fence i'm going to go somewhere inbetween. Courtney Shanks (bass, vocals), Brad Shanks (guitar, vocals) and Miggy Littleton (drums, vocals) have got all the core ingredients going on: a brother/sister/boy/girl vocals splattered over scratchy, stoner, pop hybrid type thing. They also come fully endorsed via French Kiss legends Les Savy Fav. Anyway, while the Sonic Youth and Velvet Underground comparisons are slightly lazy, they do write some damn catchy songs; and what more can you ask for?

Blood on the Wall - Mae Abiline

Blood on the Wall
Social Registry

Blood, Sweat and Tears

2005-08-12T23:19:00.000+01:00

The grinning Swami and his noisy cohorts, played their last gig on these hallowed shores last night, and I feel like I have to say I few words. First of all, this gig was originally billed as a Ted Leo and the Pharmacists show and i'm happy to report that they were in inspired form. You just can't fault enthusiasm like this. And as three-pieces go, it doesn't get much better either. They kicked off with "Dial Up" and proceeded to play a lot of stuff from Shake the Sheets, which was good because it's the only album of theirs that I really know. Of course, under normal circumstances, these guys wouldn't warm up for anyone; but they were extremely gracious of their guests. Ted Leo even proclaimed himself a fan of Hot Snakes, Drive Like Jehu and Rocket From the Crypt - which was nice.

Anyway, moving swiftly on....

It was late when Hot Snakes finally crashed the party, and for a while, it all looked in the balance. Technical difficulties shall we say, came with the inevitable delays and it wasn't good if you trying to get that last train. That aside, when the band finally took to the stage, they quickly got into the swing of things. Opening with "I Hate The Kids" John Reis, Rick Froberg, Gar Wood and Mario Rubalcaba proceeded to career through a host of tracks from tracks from Automatic Midnight, Suicide Invoice and Audit in Progress. The highlights being "If Credit's What Matters I'll Take Credit" "Who Died" "Light up the Stars" "Gar Forgets his Insulin" "Audit in Progress" and "Why Does it Hurt", but all of their songs were a high last night; a slingshot of swaggering hard-guitar-riff rock and roll, these guys age like a fine wine.

Not being known for their on stage banter, they do have a few words to say tonight; the most notable being from Rick whose first words were: "this is our last show, and we're going to suck so fuck you." - He did claim to be drunk though. Apart from this - and a few stupid moments courtesy of the worst stage diver, EVER - it was all business as usual. And if there's one thing that Hot Snakes will be remembered for, it's for not messing around - twenty songs over an hour is not an exception, it's the standard. John Reis and Rick Froberg conjure some seriously powerful riffage, and as Audit in Progress testfies, Mario can't half whack those skins. It's slightly spoiled at then end, but no matter.

Let's hear it for Hot Snakes. And remember: play loud, play fast, and don't look back.

Hot Snakes - Light Up The Stars

[Pick up AUTOMATIC MIDNIGHT, SUICIDE INVOICE and AUDIT IN PROGRESS at Swami Records]
Find out everything you need to know about Hot Snakes here
Listen to Drive Like Jehu, Rocket From the Crypt and Hot Snakes here here at Transmission 3000.

You gotsta be cool

2005-08-11T07:57:00.000+01:00

"I have tasted the maggots in the mind of the universe / I was not offended / For I knew I had to rise above it all / Or drown in my own shit."

The opening lines to Funkadelic's 1972 album Maggot Brain might live in rock infamy, but it aint' got nothing on the craziness that follows. Maggot Brain was, and still is, the definitive funky odyssey. A totally unique, mindblowing listening experience from start to finish; and clearly the work of an authentic genius on the trip of his life. Lord knows what George Clinton was thinking here; and as cliched this is this: nobody makes albums like this anymore. If you don't already know, Westbound are giving all the Funkadelic albums the remixing and deluxe treatment, and unfortunately, you all need Maggot Brain - sorry. This album is like Band of Gypsys era Jimi Hendrix on a psychedelic-soul ride, and Roky Erickson is driving the car. Gospel backing singers, rubbery bass-lines, pounding funk drums, and a frenzy of guitars jams made this album a funk, rock and soul ramala of unearthly proportions - yeah, it's that good. Eddie Hazel's wah wah guitars, Billy Nelson's BASS and George Clinton's vocals are simply, well, I don't know...UH! While these songs are clearly political, they come across as more celebratory than anything else. Fiercely intelligent, quirky and rousing...Do I need to say anymore?

Funkadelic - Hit it and Quit It.

[BUY MAGGOT BRAIN HERE]

Can ya dig it?

2005-08-10T20:36:00.000+01:00

Illuminated by the light

2005-08-06T11:50:00.000+01:00

First things first: The new edition of Plan B hit the shelves on Wednesday (I think) and if you haven't picked up a copy already, remedy this immediately. This issue contains articles on Oneida, Ariel Pink, A Hawk and A Hacksaw; an interview with cover "stars" Sonic Youth;and a whole host of live reviews, media highlights and label run-downs. It's a triumph! And if that weren't enough, reading it has at the very least, encouraged me to post something - you'll have decide if that's a good thing. Stereo Sanctity aka Ben Haggar has also seen his review for the Pickled Egg festival appear on the Plan B site. You can read it in full, here. Oh yeah, err, I took a chance and ordered a few copies of the Arthur magazine recently; and i'm glad I did. Check out the lineup to Arthurfest in September: Sonic Youth, Sleater-Kinney, The Black Keys, Merzbow, T-Model Ford, Sunburned Hand of the Man, Wolfmother, Six Organs of Admittance, Magik Markers, Circle, Josephine Foster and on and on. Comets On Fire, The Olivia Tremor Control, Dead Meadow, Sunn 0))), Vetiver, Growing the day after too...Now that's a festival.

MELT BANANA. Ordinarily, a band of this calibre have no business in post as poorly contructed as this one, but I simply have to do this. This band are just otherwordly. Not a single band in the world come remotely close to oozing the thick, heavy noise that Melt Banana so effortessly harness on Cellscape. Yasuko O.'s ultra-high-pitched screams and Agata's guitar playing is just, unlike anything; and I think I can actually get away with saying that. Then again, I still say that 'Cellscape' is pop music...Noisy pop, but still essentially pop music played upside down and to the nth degree of absurdity. I present "Lost Parts Stinging Me So Cold" as my main case in point. This track just utterly ruins your mind. The complexities, the harmonies (!)...It's just WRONG! Oh, and I have it on good authority that they will be playing gracing our shores in the not to distant future, so stock up those ear plugs!

Melt Banana - Lost Parts Stinging Me So Cold.

[BUY MELT BANANA HERE]

I know for certain everything aint right

2005-07-28T21:05:00.000+01:00

Janette Beckman

My mind, ready to go, it's time/ I gotta gotta know, where I'm going in L-I-F-E/ A constant headache for Charlie B/ But I take an asprin and sleep/ For a bit, then I dream about making more hits/ Wake up, it's not funny / The rent is due and I don't got the money/ The landlord says "Get out"/ Sorry to hear that, no doubt/ I WORK for a jerk that can't understand/ Pride and soul cause I'm a man/ Minimum wage in the age of the future/ Move too slow, damn, it might shoot ya/ Make fools out of me and you/ I sit relax and just continue/ To (to) think (think) that there is/ Just too much on my mind
Where did July go? Anyone know? If you find it, well, I want it back. Damn! Ok ok, i'm going to pipe down; i'm all about keeping things positive today. Honest. Things are starting to get a lot colder, and i'm not just talking about the weather. So then, something positive. I don't think things get much more positive that The Leaders of the New School. NY, rappers MC Charlie Brown, MC Dinco D, MC Busta Rhymes, and Cut Monitor Milo dropped their now seminal album, A Future Without a Past for Elektra back in 1991. While certainly in the vain of their contemporaries (Souls of Mischief, Main Source, A Tribe Called Quest) these guys still struggle to get the recognition. That's not to underestimate their importance though. They were barely out of school when they dropped this album when back when. And while this record might not have the same charm as say, Zevlove and DJ Sub-Roc delivered with "Mr Hood," it's equally as lighthearted and optimistic. Crucially though, The Leaders of the New School are also not a afraid to get serious, and keep the skits to a bare minimum. Kanye West. Yeah, you: Take notes. Anyway, this album is crammed full of choice samples, jazz infused beats and 'who's who' host of guest MC's. Get on this NOW and stuff.

BLASTIN THAT MIC, COLD ROCKIN' THE SCENE! (Also, check out the James Bond sample)

Leaders of the New School - Sound Of The Zeekers @#^**?!.

[BUY THE ALBUM HERE]

Oh yeah, the weekend starts here:

Bullet Union (London)
Bullet Union have toured throughout Europe and the UK with the likes of the Blood Brothers and Q and not U…expect stripped down infectious rock n’ roll punk in the vein of Hot Snakes, Drive like Jehu and Rites of spring. http://www.bulletunion.co.uk.

This Aint Vegas (Sunderland)
Coming from the same thriving DIY Post-Punk scene of Sunderland which gave birth to The Futureheads, This ain’t Vegas add a darker spin on that post-punk style with a sound which draws immediate comparisons to Joy Division and Gang of Four. http://www.thisaintvegas.co.uk and mp3’s at http://www.myspace.com/thisaintvegas

Twinkie (Derby)
Lo-fi indie-rock which is full of hooks, think the cool of The Pixies, the spikiness of Fugazi and Huggy Bear with the guitars turned up to 11..

Friday July 29th @ Green's Mill Old School Hall, Sneinton, Nottingham
£4/5 on the door
8pm start
BYOB

It's not one of their promotions, but go to Damn You! if you want to read more.

Every Midnight Song

2005-07-24T12:35:00.000+01:00

All the time you felt so free / Did you forget how much you once loved me /And if you want something back /All the things that got cracked /When i felt like you lied to me

If you didn't already know, Portland based singer-songwriter Mirah (full name Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn) produced one of the most understated and beautiful records of last year in C'mon Miracle. I was lucky enough to catch her in Nottingham last month; a night which also coincided as the last night on that tour. Support came from Milky Wimpshake and Lardpony, who were similarly brilliant; but Mirah, well, to think that I nearly almost didn't even go. If I remember rightly, it was a Sunday night - not disimilar to how today is going actually - and I had to be at work the next day: you know, all the lame excuses that you always give yourself? Yeah, I had them all to hand. Luckily for me, I went; and it's the reason why I'm writing this. I hadn't heard of any of her stuff before that night. I'd been told I had to go, sure, but I wasn't really sure why. Actually, that's not completely true. I did have some context: I knew that she had some involvement in The Microphones, that she is on K Records , and that her new album was produced by Phil Elvrum. [I would later learn that she's been putting out records and performing since 1996 and that C'mon Miraclerepresents her fourth album - recorded in two studio sessions]

Once Mirah took to the stage that's all that really mattered. You see, once she starts to sing, you're utterly transfixed on her. I certainly don't remember anything else. You know how it is sometimes at a show: You look around to gauge what the crowd reaction is... I can't explain it really, but you're either in disbelief or you're not sure at what your seeing. You're just not sure, and you want somehow to confirm these deepest suspicians. I know those moments well; but it didn't happen on this night. I don't think I was even physically able to look at anything else. I just watched. I witnessed her pour her heart out on stage. On this occasion, Mirah was largely blessed with the luxury of her band; steeped in strings, guitars, xylophones, drums, and accordian and a host of other instruments. But the best moments, the moments which I think captured her best, where when she played unaided. Just Mirah: her body hunched over the microphone, eyes tightly shut, her voice, and the microphone.

If the following song persuades anyone to delve into her back catologue then great. C'mon Miracle strikes with an almost impossible balance of fuzzy rockers, and plaintive tear jerkers; but more than that, if she plays anywhere near you, just go! You won't regret it.

Mirah - Don't Die On Me

[BUY THE ALBUM HERE]

Oh, and before you go: There is an interview with Sam Jayne (Love As Laughter) right here. I was reading it earlier and thought it might appeal to a few people. I've got to admit that I wasn't totally enamoured with Laughter's Fifth, but that records has definitely won me over recently. I suppose I wanted them to record another Sea to Shining Sea, but I don't know why - all of their records are completely different to each other. Anyway, check out the new album is what i'm saying.

Spikes to you

2005-07-19T19:13:00.000+01:00

Berthold Auerbach once said that music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life, and while this is especially true of Part Chimp, the more common side effects in this instance can include hallucinations, and mild nausea. (It doesn't say that in the album linear notes, but you have to wonder if they considered including a health warning to this effect). These guys are ultra-crude, genre-bending crusaders of old testament days. The music they create is a thick viscous frothy mess of bass heavy drones, smashing drums, mind-bending feedback, and plain fuzzed out angst rock. An orchestrated display of virtouso guitar crushing maddess; the non-stop freakout of Evol era Sonic Youth turned up loud loud LOUD and..and...Well, you get the idea.

Part Chimp claim to be getting rather embarassed over the press attention that their album is receiving at the moment, but I can assure you it's well deserved - especially for the self proclaimed hardest working band in the country. The truth is they've been threatening to make an album of this scale ever since they signed to Mogwai's Rock Action Records. If you've been fortunate enough to catch them live you'll know their reputation already proceeds them, but I am Come is were they should truly be judged. Still the rowdy noise-mongers of old, they also demonstrate their musical intracies; the album is jammed full of these moments, and that's what you take away once the noise relents. They might be deserve their "sludge-rock" status, but they certainly don't revel in it; well, not completely.

The follwing track has been released as the first single off the new album, and if you like this then you'll love the album.

"I WAS BORN IN A WITCHES CAULDRON!!!"

Part Chimp - War Machine

In other news: Tickets for Hot Snakes final UK appearance (ever!) are now on sale. They're playing London's Camden Underworld on Thursday 11th August, and joined by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists (I actually think it's the other way around, but who cares?). I've already bagged a couple of tickets.

Part Chimp
Rock Action Records
Buy @ Simiotic

Live the funk

2005-07-16T10:43:00.000+01:00

Mike Watt, dude. Which kinda sounds a bit "Like what, dude?" I squandered the chance to catch the man himself earlier this year. SO VVERY VVERY STOOPID!

Read on...

For those unfamilar with SST Records, it's time stop everything, and join the human race! Sonic Youth, Minutemen, Blag Flag, Meat Puppets, Saccharine Trust, fIREHOSE, Dinosaur Jr, Bad Brains, Husker Du and a whole host of other band's formative years were spent with SST. And more than anyone they seemed happy with their reponsiblity for getting folks 'safely' though the eighties. Well, at least, that's how I see it; I can't profess to have been there at the time, and there is obviously a heck out a lot of good stuff i'm still getting introduced too, but you know what I mean... There is a frankly great write up on the history of the label right here, There is a also a interview of sorts with Joe Carducci here. Carducci comes across as a fairly jaded figure. Well, at least in the articles i've read - I haven't been able to get a copy of Rock and the Pop Narcotic, which goes for extortionate prices over on Amazon marketplace. He was SST's manager from 1981-86 though, and for that alone, he deserves our praise. I think he might write for the Arthur Magazine too, but i'm not sure.

As with most indie labels, some of bands would eventually leave the label to sign to majors (often with varying results), and a lot of other bands would struggle on underneath the radar - even disbanding and forming other projects. fIREHOSE were such a band. They were born from the ashes of Minutemen - after the 1985 death of Minutemen guitarist D. Boon in a car crash. Mike Watt and George Hurley would later be persuaded to return to making music by Minutemen fan Ed Crawford (known as Ed fROMOHIO), and the rest is history. The first album is a celebration of what the Minutemen were all about. The trio blended a seemingly chaotic mix of punk, rock, country, jazz. They were unique in every respect. fIREHOSE, while clearly indebted to the Minutemen sound (two thirds of the band, and their biggest fan will surely do that), were also a great band in their own right. Listen to the following track. You hear EVERYTHING! Mike. George and Ed sound like they've been playing together for years, and you can't deny the chemistry. Fuckin A.

fIREHOSE - Locked-In

For more Mike Watt madness, look to the Hootpage
To read the full SST Story, click here
Buy fIREHOSE @Amazon
Click here to read an early interview with the band

Murky punk rock squawl

2005-07-10T13:48:00.000+01:00

I've been turned onto loads of sites this weekend: Sweet Nothing, Worlds of Possiblity are particularly great, but i've got to give a massive hand to Small Bedroom for further alerting me to the genius of Nisennenmondai. I suppose you could label this Japanesse noise girl collective as 'post-punk', but i'm really at a loss as to how to describe them: maybe Tussle meets Comets on Fire and Sonic Youth on a rollercoaster ride to oblivion? I wouldn't say they were neccesarily that loud on the decibel scale, but it's geniunely ferocious stuff. I recognised the name as having some connotations with Million Tongues Festival compilation - of which you can hear snippets of here. Recommended for fans of Michael Yonkers, Matt Valentine (Tower Recordings), Ben Chasney (Six Organs of Admittance, Comets) Josephine Foster and a ton of Midwestern psychedelia that I know next to nothing about.

Anyway, down to business. Crime are generally regarded as one of key precursors to that 'Swami' sound. If you're a Sonic Youth fan, you'll know they covered "Hot Wire to my Heart" in spectacular style on Sister (God I love that record), but you should also know how important this band were to early nineties punk pioneers, Drive Like Yehu and more recently the powerhouse that is (or was) HOT SNAKES!. We owe it all to this band. And it comes as no suprise that Swami are responsible for the re-release of San Francisco's Still Dead - a reissue that catalogues what little this band did leave behind in their original lineup (two rehearsal sessions (one from March '78, and one from July '79) - 20 tracks in all) As you might expect, the vocals and drums often find themselves suffocated by the sheer power Frankie Fix's lead guitar squawl and biting riffs. Despite the lack of media interest at the time, these guys clearly lived it live; and it comes across really well on this record.

Crime - Piss On Your Dog

Get yourself over to Swami if you want to indulge yourself in some sweet sounding Crime. Following on from this Interview, Swami have plans to re-release some live material aswell as a new studio album and DVD. Bring it!

Thousand Pieces of Gold

2005-07-09T12:55:00.000+01:00

Through his many guises, William Oldham reigns supreme as the most prolific and consistantly brilliant singer/songwriters of this generation. Oldham's voice is a part strained and part moan of rage, loss and despair; his lyrics insightful, and while wildly contested, concievably based on his own personal experiences(?). Oldham actually maintains that his songwriting is a product of his imagination, and that writing in any other way would be an perversion of life (listening to songs like "A Sucker's Evening," you're inclined to agree with him). And without sounding like a manic depressive Dylan fan - they have book deals - what I think i'm trying to say; in a roundabout way, is that I don't think you find a better example of music that's as ramshackle and heartwarming then Viva Last Blues. There.

He abhors the notion of celebrity, but whether he likes it or not he found hipster infamy in I See Darkness(and rightly so), but it's for Viva Last Blues that he earns my eternal respect. Here, he really shines. Viva Last Blues was released under Palace Music on Drag City (a label which he is had long lasting relationship with) and recorded alongside Liam Hayes (piano & organ), Sebadoh's Jason Loewenstein (drums & additional singing) Ned Oldham (bass, slide guitar & additional singing) and Bryan Rich (lead guitar). Steve Albini actually holds production duties on this album, and while his influence isn't immediately apparent, there are some tracks that hang loose and rock on this album, Neil Young style. "Cat Blues" is probably the best example of this, but tracks The Brute Choir" and "New Partner" are just as dark and plaintive as his Bonnie "Prince" Billy recordings.

Palace - Brute Choir

Palace Records for all your Will Oldham recorded needs.
The Royal Stable Stable - William Oldham archive
Will Oldham Interview - Does exactly what it says on the tin
Steve Albini article - For your leisure

Be Sure To Loop

2005-07-03T17:44:00.000+01:00

"While on paper a combination of dub, drum and bass, IDM, the occasional banjo, jazz, chamber strings, and strong guitar fueled melodies seems like it might result in a tangled morass of sounds and styles, the Notwist pull off this combination without so much as a stutter." - Greil Marcus (Dusted)

I don't know how I managed to miss out of The Notwist when they first released Neon Golden. I must have been sleeping, or listening to something else (I don't which is worst really). If you want comparisons they've been described as part indie, krautrock, post-punk, lush electronica, ambient pop and well, is that not enough? It should be enough for any band, but on this, their sixth studio outing, they manage to somehow be as much jazz and oriental in origin than any of those previous descriptions - That could just be me though. If you trawl around the internet for some more information on them, you'll discover that this German band - supposedly indebted Metal and eighties punk - shared bills with Fugazi and The Jesus Lizard in the early nineties, so there certainly a dramatic shift somewhere along the way.

They actually branched out with various side projects such as Lali Puna, Tied + Tickled Trio, Village of Savoonga, and Console; allowing their music to incorporate these different sounds and textures. Of course change, at least on this scale, is normally the death of a band. If you believe this, just don't take Neon Golden as your case in point, because you're liable to get very upset. If I was permitted one adjective, it would be this: Incredible. Unfortunately, you're getting this longwinded mess. "Consequence" is a melting pot of influences, with sporadic bits of horn, guitar, violin, percussion, and electronic noodling. And the whole album is genuinely is one of those records you just pick up and play without thinking about it. Sustained brilliance.

The Notwist - Consequence

The Notwist - One With The Freaks

I find it even more incredible that a band like The Notwist can have label issues and even problems with distribution. Too marginal I expect. If you want information on how to purchase their album then City Slang is your best bet. YOU MUST HUNT THIS ALBUM DOWN. www.notwist.com

The Art Of Easing

2005-07-02T13:38:00.000+01:00

"He's mischievous, he's badly behaved," ponders 'Lib. "He's the reason I don't have to act shit out, huh huh huh." - Lib (Plan B)

Does comedy have a place in music? I'd say yes, but looking at the music I tend to listen to, no would probably be closer to the truth. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. I do know that you can't really answer the question without considering Madlib's incarnation as Quasimoto - you know, Lord Quas, The Loopdigga! The Beat Conductor. And, you get the idea. I read a fantastic Quasimoto interview in the most recent issue of Plan B which has not only forced me into digging out "The Unseen" but also reassess why at one point last year, you couldn't stop me playing this album. It's understating the obvious to say that I have always enjoyed this album, but you know, i've never really broken down why I love it so much. I suppose I was always of the opinion that it has a 'mood' that negates any real attempt to take it seriously. First impressions are that it's funny, and the humour is a really important aspect of the whole album, but I think i'm finally coming around to understanding it's twisted genius too.

You see, it plays at being cloying and overly simplistic, but at the same time it delivers some frankly amazing beats, choice sampling and seemingly inane lyrics: "I'm always lookin' under some girl's dress/ With a vest, cause some ducks wanna put me to rest/ Now I'm a soldier in the town drinkin' Butterfly Snapple/ I walk around the streets passin' out poisoned apples." It's nuts! An oddity then? You're damn right! Quasimoto is an oddity of comic book proportions. In fact, fuck, I loved Sin City but wouldn't it have been cool if they'd done something interesting with the music. I don't want to hear how it's noir, and silence is intergral to plot in offsetting the violent scenes with moments of contenplation. No, Robert Rodriguez should have have had Quasimoto blazing in the background - Well, it's an idea...I think it could've worked. The music though: If you can't get a handle on the vocals (electronically or helium altered, you decide.) then, I doubt I can say anything that will change your mind. It would be wrong to say his music is anything but an acquired taste, but hell, just listen to "Real Eyes" 'caus not only is it a highlight amongst an album of highlights, but it's jazz altered and perverse on the lyrical tip. Lord Quas, for life:

Quasimoto - Real Eyes feat Madlib

Look to Stones Throw Records or Amazon for all your Quasimoto needs.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news (or just telling you news you already know), but Hot Snakes are calling it a day. On brighter note, Breath of Life is fully endorsed this week. Check out the review for "Blowout Comb" because it's spot on. Classic album. Err yeah, I realise this must seem like a afterthought but get thee over to Strange Reaction for all your hard rocking needs. Ifankyou.

Fell, Destroyed.

2005-06-25T21:26:00.000+01:00

First up, apologies for the lack of updates but you know how it is, right? I suppose posting something during the hottest week of the year so far, never really looked that good. First up i've literally been freaking out to the hellish guitar (They don't even have a bassist) sounds of Comanechi this week. Comanechi is the name of a gymnast who won a gold medal in the Montreal Olympic Games (she marked 10.00 for the first time in the Olympic history). The problem at the moment is that "One Pervert Knows Another" is impossible to get hold on any format, so I don't know if it is a perfect ten, and i've had to take solace with their seven inches instead - the second of which was released fairly recently. If you live in London, or generally well up on White Heat and Loose Lips Sink Ships or even your Artrocker news, then you're most probably aware of Comanechi anyway.

Comanechi are Akiko on Drums/Vocals and Simon on Guitar. This raging boy/girl two-piece have been destroying - mostly London - audiences with their screaming no-nonsense DIY punk for what seems like an eternity now, and it's finally time for the rest of us to catch up. Often descibed as a cross between Huggy Bear and Royal Trux, is half garage rock bliss (The Dirtbombs) and half art rock ala Afrirampo; switching between some primal screaming fuzzed up minimalist thing and something far more discernable, even catchy. They also look and play the part on screen, living out some alternative magazines dream band "look." Well, kinda. Actually, if you bare with me for a second i'm probably going to say something of worth now:

There are a lot bands around at the moment that are of their time. Micheal Hagarty has always said that Royal Trux weren't making music to scratch at some cultural stich in time. They were just doing their own thing, regardless of what else was happening. Now, the obvious criticism levelled at Comanechi is that they're just playing at being trendy and ripping off bands Royal Trux; but for while they might not be radiating with originality they're definitely doing their own thing. For me, they are geniune alternatives at the moment, and that's the only way Comanechi and Royal Trux are really the same. They're a band sure, but that's not be lazy here, because you might miss on something special.

Comanechi - Rude

Artrocker for all your Comanechi live reviews
Comanechi - News, up and coming gigs etc
Royal Trux - For all your Royal Trux needs
Pure Groove - Buy at Pure Groove
Loose Lips Sink Ships - Look out for the sixth issue of LLSS

I don't want an electric blanket

2005-06-18T13:06:00.000+01:00

Pete and the Pirates

Damn it's hot. I know I don't really know what hot is, but for me it's hot. Anyway, I have the choice joints for y'all (I can't pull that off, can I?). Incidentally, these tracks are by no means exclusive; I just think they're as hawt as the weather at the moment.

David Gilmour Girls will be joining Juan Maclean and Jason and the Astronauts at the Liars Club in July and it really does promise to showcase some filthy electro tinged ROCK. Dutch electronic mixters, David Gilmour Girls (otherwise known as Robin and Jasper) released "Crackhousewarminparty' as a 12" in January and the Rub n Tug remix is a strong cockail of punk, funk and electro with dashes of angostura bitters and served with flamed orange peel zest. Certainly, in the New Order's club-friendly dance music vain the rumbling basslines, echoey guitars and brooding synthesizers blaze a trail that sounds like Soft Pink Disco Truth doing the Tussle and dancing the tango with Cut Copy. It's mindblowing stuff if you just let yourself go.

David Gilmour Girls - Crackhousewarmingparty (RubnTug Remix)

The following track is courtesy of Pete and the Pirates. Stolen Recordings are releasing an EP of their material next month, but other than that, I don't really know that much about these guys. "Saviour" switches from sounding like everything you love about E6's pechant from sixties San Francisco pyschedelic rock to seventies Krautrock and electronic drone; although it never really sounds as experimental and cutting edge as i'm probably hinting at. Anyway, this track stands in stark contrast to their other material - that are largely more laidback radio friendly affairs - but equally as impressive. If you care about this, they reference VU, Apples in Stereo, Pavementand you know: all the good stuff. Clearly a band to look out for.

Pete and the Pirates - Saviour
Pete and the Pirates - Electric

You can buy David Gilmour Girls at Tigersushi. Go to Stolen Recordings for Pete and Pirates debut limited edition release EP

Nature In Focus

2005-06-17T20:52:00.000+01:00

Grizzly Bear

In recent years Brooklyn, NY, has been garnering a high regard in many music circles, matching its older and wiser upstate cousins almost step for step. Animal Collective are the group seen to have mostly led that charge, mining in their wake a rich seam of psychedelia, folk and art-rock as they go. Their preference for the Lo-Fi aesthetic, when planning and executing a record has slowly dripped down the crag face and landed in the lap of Edward Droste.

Droste envisioned Grizzly Bear as a pet project, created in his bedroom studio, and for distribution amongst friends and family, but it began to take form and spread much further through word of mouth. During the next fifteen months, Droste utilized his home studio to create the bare bones of the album. Before inviting the aptly named Christopher Bear into his mini symphonic world to help him flesh out the project. Combining the existing melancholic tales with spase guitar, a smattering of keybord noise, treated 'found sounds' and his impressionistic drumming. "Horn of Plenty" began to take shap. A gothic psychedelic form of etherized avant folk was captured by the duo, a sound that fans of Sufjan Stevens, Syd Barratt, Nick Drake and The Unicorns eta al would love

It was then time for Droste and Bear to take the album out of the studio and into a plethora of venues. Whilst on their journeys, the duo has bolstered their numbers by adding two new members to the fold. Chris Taylor provides reeds and extra electronic manipulation. Dan Rossen takes up another vocal slot, and adds extra guitar to the music, creating in the process a more dynamic feel to creaky freak folk of the original source material.

Grizzly Bear - Fix It

Grizzly Bear - Owner Of A Lonely Heart

The album is available now direct from http://www.kaninerecords.com
Visit the band’s official website at http://www.grizzly-bear.net

Lost And Lookin'

2005-06-09T21:53:00.000+01:00

If you do get the chance I recommend you check out Songs: Illinois and Domino Rally. Don't go now or anything, but they're generally bringing the noise and I remembered to mention them, so they must be worth it, right? Well...A slight change of pace today; If only to proove that I have soul :

Some events defy logic and reason. The circumstances surrounding the death of Sam Cooke, for instance, have, and continue to astound people. The official line is that he was shot three times in self defence; that he had tried to rape a Lisa Boyer in a hotel room; and was later killed after allegedly trying to attack the manager, Bertha Franklin. Far more likely, and often suggested is that Lisa Boyer - who herself was a well known prostitute and later for jailed for murder - stole his belongings and when Sam Cooke tried to follow her, was attacked by Bertha Franklin. We have to believe that she was either lied to or the two where in collusion with each other... What is certain is that these unbelievable events resulted in the death of Sam Cooke and were never investigated as throughly as they should have been. Like I was saying: It defies logic.

The music industry defies logic, but for an entirely different reason. Willie Hightower has recently been given the deluxe reissue treatment courtesy of London record label, Honest Jons , and as well as being heavily indebted to the music of Sam Cooke is as essential as a thousand essential records you'll hear this year - and all this from a label that has brought us Bettye Swannand Candi Stanton . Anyway, it's long overdue but hardly suprising either. Alabama’s son is one of the many forgotten men of Southern soul, but hopefully the next excerpt should persuade you enough to delve into his this fantastic eighteen song modern masterpiece. It contains his the only three singles he ever released and they alone are worth the price of the record. It's smooth, kids; with a capital "Smoo."

Willie Hightower - It's Too Late

Buy the Willie Hightower reissue at Amazon. You should probably buy all the Astralwerks southern soul series while you're at it. Thanks for reading.

I just don't care.

2005-06-06T21:25:00.000+01:00

The Mae Shi were awesome the other night. Of course, they were modest heroes. They wanted to know why so many people have turned up see them play, only to be jubilantly greated with only really one discernable reply: "THE INTERNET!" They laughed amongst themsevelves, but while the trend is to downplay the appeal, I don't think you can really deny the "internet" influence either. Then again Terra: Torra and Rapider than Horse Power certainly got this hipster crowd worked up; and the people of Nottingham certainly turned out in full force to see these blissfully contented LA underdogs. I was still hungover from the night before, but I just somehow knew it would be worth it. Don't ask me why, but tonight Matthew (Kelly) "He's got the whole world in his hands!" Get that scene out of Con Air out of your minds! Concentrate.

I've mentioned they were great haven't I? Yeah, well let me elaborate. Ezra looks like Tray from The OC and sounds like Mark E Smith in bed with the Blood Brothers and cross breaded with the vocal styling of younger, more wiley, and definitely more angry Quasimoto - I don't know if helium was involved though. I had seen Oneida the night earlier (more tomorrow, If I can find the words to describe that experience), and while they clearly had the energy, The Mae Shi give it everything. This spazz core label is by it's very nature describing a sound that is DIY and "lo-fi" to an extreme, but it just seemed to work even better in a live setting. It worked incredibly well. They like hip-hop, they love Drive Like Yehu and they live to make noise - certainly band of extremities then. It doesn't matter if they spent $120 on the record - Terrorbird if you didn't know. All that matters is that they exist...

They exist to make short and snappy intense noise, and while a ton of people would question their talent, they cetainly make up for it in enthusiasm. Just ask the people on Saturday night if you don't believe me. I saw Joe Punish (Punish The Atom) squeem like Elspet Gray; Jeff made everybody in the front row sit down; and an awful lot of people were left thrashing around on the stage - actively seeking out for anything that made some kind of noise. Brad, who is the drummer, stripped, and took his drum kit apart during the last song until only on the cymbals were left. I don't think it was understating the obvious to say that they were great. GREAT! Oh, sid I mention that they're all brothers!?

Brilliant.

The Mae Shi - You Can't Do That to an Axe

The Mae Shi are signed to 5RC so you can buy their record there. Alternatively you can check out their touring schedule, and pick their stuff up at a show. You might even be able to get them to scrawl over it for you!

And they give you the goat for free!

2005-06-02T22:15:00.000+01:00

Photo:Ricky Adam

I'm now officially a Nottingham resident and the lone-gigging season is in full flow. I've been listening to a lot of Fugazi recently. There might be songs with whistling ("The Kill") and even some Ooohhing ("Full Disclosure"), but the "The Argument" is still Fugazi.. I had a great night at the Cabaret the other night. HOT SNAKES WERE FUCKING AWESOME. The world need more John Reis like characters.. Well, I know it and that's enough. First band on were Metal Gear Solid Madonnas. There were some whisperings in the crowd that this was going to be loud and when I saw a dude from Lords with earplugs I kinda knew I was going to be in for it. Featuring ex members of Mod Fuck Explosion and X-Rays the heavier than Kyuss label is a great pun and certainly a fitting description of this band. Some loud guitar playing married with cutting bass lines and some fantastic vocals - sporadic as they were. They were great. Whenever you get the chance to catch them, do so; you won't regret it. It was certainly a change from Dot to Dot anyway. Dan Sartain was similiarly excellent and while I expected him to be great live he still managed to suprise - and the crowd - by ripping through a set like a musician who has played for three lifetimes. Everybody seemed impressed; I only wish I managed to pick up some of his earlier work while I was there, but I just didn't have the money. That's also my excuse for missing out on the Magic Band playing with Lords the night after, but I know, money is never an excuse when music like that is on offer. Forgive me, for I really did sin on that occasion.

Oh, if you hadn't already guessed, I didn't originally have any ideas for where this was going but since I started talking about Fugazi I might aswell right some more fan drivel about "The Argument". I won't bore you with context but there was some expectation surrounding this album; especially after "End Hits" which a lot of people generally regard as being too experimental. I think I like this because it's kinda all over the place; not overly experimental, but certainly different enough from their earlier "classic" work. Like I said: classic Fugazi. How can you mistake their sound anyway? It's just impossible. 'Full Disclosure', 'Epic Problem', 'The Kill' 'Oh' and 'Ex Spectator' - don't ask me to pick a favourite - rank among their best and the album itself, whilst often changing in tempo never compromises with the material and always makes for seriously atmospheric listening at times. Yes yes, i'm one of those people who think they haven't made a bad record so I suppose you should take what i'm saying with a pinch of salt...Actually, no, just listen to the following song and it rock every part of your being; it is Ian Mackaye. STOP! Listen, and more importantly BUY!

Fugazi - Epic Problem

Buy at Insound and look to the Fugazi Live Series which is fully endorsed by the band - Personally, i'd love to get my hands on some of that stuff myself. Does anybody want to buy it for my birthday tomorrow?

You know you want it, you want it, GET ON IT!

2005-05-30T14:33:00.000+01:00

A few things: Dot to Dot came and went yesterday. What can I say? Punish the Atom, Black Wire, Jason and the Astronauts, Radio 4...The list goes on. The line-up was to die for; and lived up to all expectations. Jason & The Astronauts disco-tinged-punk-rock mayhem stood out in particular - I knew they'd be good. I knew I was looking forward to checking them out (so much so that I had to miss out on Snow White - who are amazing live too! ) but I never expected a set like that. To say they were good was an understatement; they were quite literally on it! Making their Nottingham debut (I think?), and showcasing some new material ("Dancing on the Grave of Mary Whitehouse") - it's not really like they had old material in the first place. Then again, there might be some people who managed to hear "Passe Disco" when I posted it on here, and the album has been out on Unlabel for a while... They need more gigs in the Midlands, so somebody make it happen. You won't regret it.

Right, down to business: If you haven't already hear Gssh! Gssh! Records, I think it's time you became aquainted with each other. This Madrid based label describe themselves as a pretty little underground label, but what they lack in stature they certainly make up in quality. Delorean for instance. This band are probably best described as Jason the Astronauts foreign counterparts - really, these kids from Zarautz could even be related. Of course, they reference all good stuff (PiL, Devo, early Cure, Gang of Four - which rhymes), but they also twist and turn it into more than a camp disco freakout. Dark electronic synths shrowd deep cutting baselines, and looping noises that threaten to consume all; unless we keep on dancing. If you like Cut-Copy, Delorean are a fantasy, the dream. I suspect it won't be too long before they fall under the hype bubble.

Delorean - NYO Gaps

You can make a purchase at the Gssh! Gssh! .

That's right Delorean have an album and it's out RIGHT NOW

Legend in the making

2005-05-24T18:49:00.000+01:00

I'd like to start this next entry by reminding you all that, well, you are welcome to leave comments . I'm as guilty as the next person when it comes to stuff like this; but at the same time I would genuinely like to hear what you have to say, and it won't take up too much of your time.

That said, I feel I might have accidentally put a downer on things and that's not my intention. If you didn't already know, Hot Snakes are gracing our little island for a few days in June. Actually, they're speeding across Europe at the moment and I feel it is my duty to shout it out loud for all to hear. I shouldn't have to do it though. I mean, we're talking about Hot Snakes here. Rick Froberg and John Reis back together again. the same pair that brought you Pitchfork and Drive Like Jehu. Of course, John Reis never stopped; what with his commitments to Swami (The famous San Diego label that he established) and Rocket From the Crypt - should have been huge. Now they're touring everywhere, slaying audiences, bewildering the naysayers and it should be a big fucking deal. A statement on their site claimed that they didn't even have plans to play at this point last year, and most of us thought we'd never get a chance too see them. So where is the press? It's all rather embarassing from where i'm sitting. Actually, i'm not primarily hear to harp on about Hot Snakes this time around. No, this is all for the benefit for one-man wonderkid, Dan Sartain. Who Swami enthuasically describe as "more talented than a thousand talented dudes." If you're intrigued, keep reading.

Alabama-based Dan Sartain has been described the most promising talent to emerge out of, err, Alabama in the last couple of years. His debut, while relatively well known to American audiences, is all set to shake up Swami fans when he flexes his reputation for the first time next month, in support of Hot Snakes. Regularly compared to artists like Johnathan Richman, Hank Williams and Johnny Cash; you can't help feel that his reputation leaves him with a awful lot to live up to. Fortunately, he relishes the opportunity to win over people and if you're expecting a straight laced punk revivalist at work then, think again. While certainly in the mould of the ramshackle rock n roll of old, he fixation on soul music and love hip-hop in general is also apparent. His debut album is an exploration of these ideas; disjointed, although pleasantly interesting. For instance: I doubt anybody would really expect the album to start ("Tryin' to say" is an all out rocker, and relentless at that) and finish ("Got a Feeling" is a slower affair which even incorperates horn sounds) in the way it does, but it's part of the Dan Sartain appeal. Still searching. Still in it's infancy. He is most at home within a live setting; suprising audiences with singer/songwriter performances with an acoustic guitar and generally adding a lot to his own mystique.

Dan Sartain & The Serpientes - Tryin' to say

Anyway, my work is done, other to say that you have to check out Hot Snakes anyway you can. Wherever you live: I don't care. Look to the recent live EP for further evidence. Oh, and did I mention that it's also famous as being the last live John Peel Session...Look to Swami for all Hot Snakes and Dan Sartain releases.

Dance: bitch!

2005-05-21T10:42:00.000+01:00

The Chinese Stars were formed last year from the ashes of Arab on Radar and Six Finger Satellite. While Six Finger Satellite kinda fizzled out a couple of years ago, Craig Kureck and Eric Paul disbanded Arab on Radar during a wave a relative popularity for the band, and a lot of people were suprised. Fortunately, when people first heard The Chinese Stars, all was forgotten. Well, that was until they released their first record. Don't you find it's pretty hard to keep folk interested after you released an EP? The Moving Units are generally regarded as fucking up in this regard. They waited around too long to release their debut after an excellent EP. Of course, this would have been ok if they hadn't just released an extended version of the EP years later. Nobody is interested it that shit. Turbo Mattress for instance, had been greeted with raptuous praise, but the critics either had serious reservations or plain hated A Rare Sensation. It didn't tend to involve a tirade against the band, but it was acknowledged that the variety and spontiety of their live shows - and of Turbo Mattress - just didn't translate to the full length. Which a roundabout way of saying they were lazy and made a run of the mill "dance-punk" record.

THEY SOLD OUT!

I don't agree. The record sounds like Prince fronting Les Savy Fav whilst in bed with The Mae Shi's spazzed out imrovisations. Others would say it's Arab on Radar albeit with a slightly more polished electro sound, and that kinda rings true too, but at least they're not fucking up like The Faint did. Err, so yeah, while they're more accesible, the part filthy and part non sensical lyrics are by no means the standard in any New York-lite band at the moment either. In short: if you want to hear some needle down funk-punk driven mayhem, then The Chinese Stars are clearly the guys for you. They're touring like mad at the moment, so check out their live page to see if they're playing near you anytime soon. I'm going to post a track off the album, and hopefully it will sway you enough to check out either the EP on the album. Hell, if you can catch them live anytime soon you could probably pick up both on the cheap, so do that.

The Chinese Stars- Electrodes in Captivity

Actually, you lucky lucky people, i'm gonna leave you with the fucked up sounds of Arab on Radar. If the photo above doesn't already suggest that these guys might be lunatics, the track below proves it. Prepare yourself for a complete lack of melody, mumbled riffs, fractured vocals and lots of disortion. Woohooo!

Arab on Radar - My Mind is a Muffler

Buy from Insound, kids. Oh, and thanks for reading.

Drink that, it's milk

2005-05-19T20:59:00.000+01:00

Let's try to disregard the mythical status that Oasis seem to occupy in this country for a minute. I was played "This God Thinks i'm Able" the other day and couldn't help think that if someone else had written that - don't ask me who, I don't know - it could be huge. It's exactly the sort of stuff they should be making now. Honestly, if they kept their heads down and wrote music like this then everything else would be forgotten; but since they're clearly not going to do this any time soon, maybe I should just keep my mouth shut.They have a niche in the market, and we'll leave it at that, shall we? I'm far more interested in the Kieran Hebden's work for instance. You listen to Four Tet and you're searching for influences. I mean, you're actively looking for his musical references, and to form an impression of where he gets his ideas and what he could be listening to. Actually, you don't have to do any of this, but if you are a nerd like me then you appreciate the way in which he pushes boundaries and that he's restless in all the right ways. He complained in a recent interview that the "folktronica" moinker even annoys him. Well, the world would be a lot duller without characters like Dan Snaith and Kieran Hebden - even if they are only enjoyed in ever depreciating circles. Or just mine.

Well, down to business. I hear Apples in Stereo are reforming for a few shows in US over the summer and I wanted to write something about them. I didn't actually realise this until the other day, but I probably first heard Robert Schneider and co in The Adventures of Pete and Pete (I should have dedicated a whole week of posts to the show you know). Magnetic Fields and a whole host of other bands and artist contributed music to the show, and you can't comprehend how important music was to these episodes. It really is quite impressive when you think about it. I hear that the OC (I still haven't watched an episode yet) has been given permission to use music from bands like Interpol and The Arcade Fire. They're hoping OC fans will buy the soundtrack and become interested enough to buy their material - Of course, you already know that. I doubt that was the primary motivation in Robert Schneider giving Pete and Pete permission to use their music, but I suppose it all works in the same way and i'm trying to build this into something bigger than it really is. The point is: music. Yes, music. There are a lot of people who could tell you a whole lot more about Elephant Six than me and the other bands on their rosta. Neutral Milk Hotel are synonmous with the label, and everybody has to like "The Aeroplane Over the Sea", don't they? Yeah, it's an unwritten rule to acknowledge that record. The same goes for "Spiderland". If I was going to include an album that Pitchfork and other magazines often leave out of their "lists" i'd have to include "Fun Trick Noisemaker." I just think as first albums go, it's got to up there. An accidental classic if you will. I wouldn't say it was lost or even misunderstood entirely, but I listened to it again recently and honestly can't escape the harmonies and hooks in these songs.

Whether it be the crashing cymbals in "She's just like me/Talking" or the guitar riffs in "Winter Must Be Cold" I defy you to listen to these songs without smiling; you just instantly fall in love with this album - I'm not talking in superlatives here either; Well, if I am, I can't help it. Psych pop might have sounded better, but i'd say Apples in Stereo aim to take it somewhere else here. Slightly garagey in parts; I wish I listened to music like this when I was a kid....I'd also like to say that while I actually kinda like the new Coral track that's playing everywhere at the moment, you should probably just go out and buy the real thing. That's if you don't want to hear the annoying piano sounds - that sound like steel drums?

Pretty much essential, yeah.

Apples in Stereo - Tidal Wave

Visit Apples in Stereo and buy here

Wax my nose hairs!

2005-05-16T19:53:00.000+01:00

If you recognise the picture above you probably already have some kind of idea where this particular post is going; if don't, you're honestly in for a treat. The Adventures of Pete and Pete was a show that Nicolodeon ran in the early nineties which I kinda used to watch off and on, but not when it was first aired. I could go on about how I watched it religiously, but it was honestly a bit too oddball for me at the time. There were some crazy characters and even crazier guest stars...LL Cool J, Iggy Pop, Hunter S Thompson, Micheal Stipe to name a few. Anyway, i'm constantly reminded of the show; whether it be through the characters (Slackers) ; or the music. Oh the music. Music For Robots ran a piece on the band Polaris a while back and obviously referred to the show extensively, but I think it's a subject that warrants more attention. Mark Mulcahy is also playing a few shows in June, so if this can encourage people to check him out then well, this has all been worth something.

Polaris were kinda Miracle Legion (minus one band member)- who despite releasing a couple of albums in the late eighties and early nineties were never really found the commercial success of some of their peers. Actually, none of these bands really found commercial success really; and REM are probably more reverred for their 90's output, but you know what I mean. I could tell you about how their record label screwed them over and they were just basically lucky, but you've heard it all before, right? It's true, but I won't dwell on it. Mark Mulcahy has lamented that Miracle Legion "may have ended up being like R.E.M's 'little brother,' but they were really more influenced by the Gun Club, Mission of Burma, Husker Du - even the Clean." I know i'm mainly talking about Miracle Legion, but Polaris weren't strictly speaking a band in their own right. They were effectively made up for the show, but you can't deny these songs either. Miracle Legion might not have been able to make music but wasn't about to stop Mark Mulcahy from doing something. He is continually suprised how people approach his music from the show, but how can you not like the music? It's timeless wholesome early nineties indie rock (pop?) music with a pulse. Equal parts jangly guitar pop and melacholy. Wonderful stuff! The perfect accompaniment to the summer you had (or never had) as a kid, and definitely not REM.

Polaris - Coronado II

Well, like I said. Mark Mulcahy is over the UK in June and he'll be playing a select few dates to accompany his new solo material:

1st June - Sussex Arts Club (Brighton)
2nd June - Glee Club (Birmingham)
4th June - International Arts Festival (Salisbury)
8th June - Bush Hall (London)

You can buy the Polaris CD from Amazon in all it's glory, and the first Series of The Adventures of Pete and Pete will be avaliable to buy on DVD for the first time later this month. You can read about that here

Stop-start again

2005-05-11T15:31:00.000+01:00

Just a quick post today i'm afraid.

For more information about the image above, click here.

Actually, there isn't that much I tell about DDD (Daryl Wollaston) except for that this recording combines as his first release and as the first official release on British indie label One Hundred Records. His music has come as somewhat of a relevation to me over the past days - I have John Brainlove to thank for that - and is the kind of distorted lo-fi acoustic ramblings that you would have expected to hear from Spoon or Love As Laughter a few years ago. Of course, the vocals are far more warped and strained here, and Daryl Wollaston exuberant manic ramblings and spikey guitars lend themselves more to punk rock than indie, but it's certainly something i'd like to hear more of. Check it out for yourselves. Well, that is if you like short acoustic blasts of raw attitude and undeniable talent. Just nod your head, eh?

DDD - Can't Explain

Buy I Can't Explain for a measily £2 at Rough Trade. C'mon, it's a Bargain!

Want some brain power? Check it: Brainlove Webzine

Ginormous Dirge

2005-05-08T13:10:00.000+01:00

I don't know what to say!!! It's been a really good weekend for gigs. I travelled down to Birmingham on Friday to witness the mighty Arcade Fire. The hype around these guys is incredible at the moment. They might not be household names, - and let's face it, they're never really going to be with their classical arrangments - but since they signed to Rough Trade they've been getting a lot of positive press in all the UK music magazines. Anyway, they were tremendous on Friday night. The album hasn't stayed long stayed out of stereo since I bought it on Merge last year, but they've really have brought "Funeral" alive. Trust me, everything becomes clear when you see them live. An Amazing band. Eggstock or rather Scatter + George + Oddfellows Casino + James Green(Big Eyes)+ Zukanican + Dragon or Emperor AND Fabulous Foxes) came and went yesterday. It was an utterly fantastic day all round really. There were delays and lots of confusion, but the music on offer was at it's most quirky and avant guard best. There was a great knowledgable crowd of people that came to support Leicester's hardest working independent label in action - It's just a pity I had to leave slightly early (FUCK!)

Well, anyway, like i've been saying: I managed to hear some great music at the festival yesterday. The event was held in honour of the new Pickled Egg complilation Jar which professes to somehow catalogue the amazingly diverse selection of music - that Nigel does his best to promote in a musical climate that isn't exactly nuturing to small independent labels. Pickled Egg Records have remained fiercely anti-mainstream ever since their inception in 1998 and well, I see no sign of this changing in the future either. Why fuck around with greatness? Anyway, i'm here to post a track that I hope will get your heart racing and chins well and truly stroked in "Hmmmmmm, very interesting, Mr Bond" admiration. Ladies and gentleman, put your hands, feet and chairs together for the mighty collosus that are:

Dragon Or or mutha fuckin' Emperor, kids.

Dragon or Emperor are the recently formed two-piece of Aaron Moore (Volcano the Bear, Songs of Norway) on Drums/vocals, and Stewart Brackley (Black Carrot, Songs of Norway) on bass guitar/vocals. They've been compared to the offspring of Pere Ubu and Lightning Bolt, but you have your Krautrock and Jesus Lizard-like (albeit more stoned) influences in there despite the miminal dirgy sound they create as a Bass and Drums "duo." I've seen them three times in the past couple of months and they've yet to disapoint. In fact, they're getting better all the time, and to deserve to play wherever there is a bar! An enormous sound that marries their intense mixture of fun and chaos, love the following track and please please please PLEASE buy Jar at Pickled Egg headquarters:

Dragon Or Emperor - Deepened Automatic

The following track isn't avaliable on Jar and as thus is somewhat of a DorE exclusive. Anyway, once again, I implore you to check out the Jar compilation. As a double CD with 40 tracks to it's name there really isn't a risk and it gives you an incredible insight into the work of the label over the past couple of years. Early tracks from The Go! Team (before they signed to Memphis Industries) and the mightly rock and "pop" pioneers, Need New Body are here, but the whole CD is something to savor.

Dragon Or Emperor - I Don't Know What To Say

Post-disco-miseralbilism

2005-05-01T17:28:00.000+01:00

Woah! If you haven't already caved into the hype surrounding the Edan album, then you should check out the article posted on Spoilt Victorian Child earlier this week. I'll tell you now, "Beauty and the Beat" is fast becoming one of my favourite releases of the year - I know, I know, I say that a lot. There was also a great track I heard on Teaching The Indie Kids to Dance Again last week by a band called Midnight Movies (I still have to follow that one up actually..).

The Shocking Pinks sound like The Cure, Joy Division, and Gang of Four, with a slight difference - they're better. Why can't they be better? Alright, they're from New Zealand, so what? You can't blame them for, err, somebody help me out..? I can't remember the name of the band. The NME liked them last year (for a couple of months)...They were that memorable. Anyway, i'm not talking about them. The Shocking Pinks. Yes, them again. Ok, they may or may not be better the aforementioned bands, but they certainly transcend their influences. That is, they at least try to create their own sound. I know, it's inconceivable! That's probably not fair, but i'm not prepared to retract any of that either. I'd take this record over the offering from !!! (Chk Chk Chk) too. It just has that raw sound nailed. Gargantuan, you might say. Sorry, I just gave myself the opportunity to use that word, did you see that?

Dance The Electric Dance gives the impression of a kind of a run of the mill electroclash album - whatever that actually means - but it really isn't. If you read any information about this band on the net (few and far between), although it's their debut album, the members of this band are themselves accomplished musicians; and feature ex-members of The Brunettes and Solaa. What I mean to say is: it doesn't sound like a debut album. They obviously thrive on improvisation, which works extremely well on the album; making it once funky and disco like. But i'd consider it fairly unique, regardless of all the other bands they have been compared to. I'd definitely recommend this to anybody who bought the new DFA Compilation/ Controller.Controller EP, it's more "earthly" but they certainly have that dance-punk mode switched fully on at all times. I've actually heard that the band are either in hiatus or that they've broken up all together; I don't even think they were happy with the sound of the album, but if you ask me, err...Just check out those baselines...

The Shocking Pinks - Lovehate

But for information on how to buy the album click here Hipsters ready. Set. Go (their homepage)

What, Man? Who Are You?!

2005-04-30T15:49:00.000+01:00

I'm writing this and I already feel like a fraud. "School of the Flower," Ben Chasny's fifth album as Six Songs of Admittance - and first for Drag City - has been out for months. If that weren't enough, nearly every single music publication I hold in asteem places it in high regard, while I myself am only just coming to terms with the beauty and influences that his records lays bare. First impressions must center on the artwork. It recalls a Haruki Murakami novel, which really does mean something when your waiting to hear the album for the first time. Yeah yeah, you might not think it does, but it does. Incidentally, there have been some great album covers this year, haven't there? Edan, Panico, Six Songs of Admittance, Carribou...The music! John Fahey springs to mind, but there is also so much more to come to terms with. If you don't already know, Ben Chasny is a fully fledged touring member of sonic terroists Comets on Fire, and if that weren't enough, he is also an extremely prolific artist in his own right; even so, you can't help feel that this, his first release on Drag City has really allowed him so more room to manoever. Well, I say that but I don't think i've ever heard an album that's so understated and so knowing all at once, so go figure. Writers like Michael Crumsho and Brandon Stosuy are far more usefull in communicating how far Ben Chasny's influences reach. I often feel that the word acclectic is too overused a word, but it really is appropriate when describing this artists work. He appropriates the muse of a folk singers like Drake and Fahey, but has obviously been left changed through his time with Comets on Fire and as a great admirer modern folk and pycadelic pioneers, Ghost. Incidentally, "School of the Flower" is this years "Hypnotic Underworld," if you haven't heard either, buy both?

The following track,, as the first track on the album, is pretty indicative of the general sound that washes over you. Acoustic guitars colliding with electric guitars, organ sounds and hushed vocals. Pretty fucking great, basically.

Six Songs of Admittance - Eighth Cognition / All You've Left

(Buy Six Songs of Admittance releases here)

Two more things:

If you're in Nottingham on Sunday it can only be for one reason, but in case you forget (like you ever could): Damn You! excitedly present: WEIRD WAR/ !FORWARD RUSSIA!

You Know Yer Indie. Let's Sub-Categorize.

You're a True Punk. You know that punk isn't all
about studded jackets and mohawks. If you're
political, you're actually informed. Most of
the stuff you love is from before the 80s,
though you know bands like Fugazi kept the
spirit going.

Ear bleeding blues rip-offs

2005-04-23T19:14:00.000+01:00

I actually think that Eric B & Rakim's "Follow the Leader" is more rock and roll than a lot music that claims to be nowadays. Ok, so it's not a new album, and it's officially a hip-hop record, but it's edgy and it takes chances with the material. I don't know. They probably wouldn't be happy with that statement, but it's just something that I felt when I heard it earlier. Anyway, i'd like to preface this entry by thanking Stylus/Stypod for their Austrialian underground article. In effect, I'm really just continuing - or rather, sustaining - what they've already started. I just felt like I had to throw my two cents (pence) in.

They say that good records make you lose all sense of time. Well, the record i've been listening to today makes you lose all semblance of time, place and your own identity; so if you like the idea of that, keep reading. I wouldn't call it genre bending as such, but making music in the vein of Beefheart, "Sister" era Sonic Youth and your more disturbed Delta blues figureheads will never be the standard, will it? Bird Blobs have been around for years and in that time recorded three albums. (even if a lot of the other information i've read seems to suggest that they've only recorded two albums, but you know, investigate further if you wish.) I don't think you can argue that their doing their own thing though. It's music that touches on those childhood nightmares that you think you've forgotten about until they suddenly pop up in your head again - now that would be a cool health warning

The subject matter is dark, the the music is frightening, and well, that's supposedly the idea. Tim Evans (Guitarist/ Vocalist) was quick to explain in a an interview with Australian magazine last year that he sees the band moving away to a fully formed polished sound to something more primal. He actually used the word ugly though. Ugly? Disonant surges of Dinosaur Jr like wall to wall noise. It's repulsive and uncompromising, of course it's ugly. I love it. You can read the full article here. That interview was taken when "Stihl Life" was originally released, a lot of what he talks about still rings true in their new material. There are hooks there if your willing to explore the weird and warped weird of Bird Blobs. Join me. The following track is pretty indicative of the sound they have. Jagged blues inflenced garage rock complete with the drone of Robert Johnson's ghost, or Iggy Pop after a mammoth alcohol and drugs fulled session.

Bird Blobs - Nuthin at All

To visit their website, click here. Take a trip over to Rough Trade to make a purchase.

Greasy fingers strung together

2005-04-21T20:03:00.000+01:00

Oh, if you're in anyway confused as to what that picture above is all about...

Nigel Turner, or rather Pickled Egg records, have a rather fantastic Double CD Compilation which is now avaliable directly from their site, or at Jar. Yes, that's right: Eggstock. Although Summer Sundae isn't shaping up too badly (No, really), Nigel really is spoiling us with his launch party to "Jar". You can read all about it here.

I wake up every day with the intention of updating this site, but either I never get around to it, or I can't think of anything to talk about. Although...Wait for it..Yes, you've guessed it. I have something I want to talk about. You see, in my world, it's the most antipated album of the year; but as you're probably aware already, i'm an utterly hopeless case, in desperate need of help. Shit. I have to be more optimistic than this. Just be thankful that I don't senerade you with tales of "The Office." Unfortunately, i'm talking about my place of world and not the... What can I say that hasn't already been said about Dan Snaith? I could talk about him being forced to change the name of his previous moinker...No, I don't need to waste even more of your time over that. I don't know what it is, but most of the reviews for "The Milk of Human Kindness" seem to be preoccupied with that "threat" of a lawsuit from Hansome Dick Manitoba (of The Dictators fame)...Who cares? Ok, so i'm talking about it, but I don't have a word limit.

Since you probably want to know what i'm blathering about, I think i'll get back to basics. Manitoba/Caribou is essentially, downbeat electronica and i'll be as honest with you as I can, as a general rule, I don't invest too much of my time into the world of abstract sampling and electronic noise. However, Dan Snaith is the exception (despite the fact that i've now totally started to understand the critical interest in Four Tet, but that's a different story)and for that reason alone he demands your attention. Caribou might not have progressed leaps and bounds from the journey that is it's predecesor ("Up in Flames") did, but it does take you on enough twists and turns to the trip worthwhile.

Of course, with records like this, you are presented with the obvious problem: If you obsessed about the previous record, how can you ever think objectively about the new material? Well, it's a good question I suppose. I can't access the sound of this record in the same way that I attempt to break down other records. The music builds up from moments of nothingness only to explode, and shatter into beautifully textured sounds and strange vocal effects. This is particuarly evident in the album's fantastic finale ("Barnowl") but the whole record is geared up in this way. From the military like drumming of "Brahminy Kite" to the lush string arrangments and dream like vocal warblings that characterise, "Hello Hammerheads." This is the soundtrack to a summer running around with reckless abandon, through heavily wooded areas with no clothes on whilst blindfolded, and covered with jam - I'VE NEVER DONE THAT!

It's also great for if you don't do stuff like that. The following track kinda sounds like "Hallogallo" alive and well again after time travelling back to Woodstock and taking some real acid. *ahem*

Caribou - Bees

Oh, and since we all have to stick together in this, i'd like to alert you to another fellow Leicestonian on the blogger network. Ben aka Stereo Sanctity - Yes, after the Sonic Youth track. Although i'm still jealous about him going to ATP this weekend, don't let that stop you reading.....I've only today been reading his interview with Oneida and his various lists, well, we all like lists - as long as they're not of the Channel 4 variety, of course.

Shot Hot Splitter to God

2005-04-16T11:37:00.000+01:00

I've been regressing back into dirge of garage rock this week - if you excuse the Herbie Hancock meanderings - and well, it's been great. Reigning Sound for instance: Unabashadly reverencial and impossibly retro Stones worshipers; they're clearly not the bullprint or the standard; not even Roger Sargent couldn't change that: but what would I know, i'm not a genius like he is. Well, I still think they have something, so here we are. Actually, i'm being rather refrained. No, they have more than something. Why else would I be writing this for you to consume and dismiss? No, they're the crude, the clang and the beating heart - that's better. Never afraid to crank thinks up a notch, the sweet sound of dissonance and the sound of their buzzing guitar riffs is both immediate and long lasting; one spin of their most recent album, "Too Much Guitar" is enough to substaniate they're not just about clever album titles. The album runs in at just under forty minutes, but in that time you listening to some the sweetest stripped down rock and roll, that as just as good as those golden oldies - don't let anybody else tell you different.

Reigning Sound - You've Got Me Hummin

Their website can be found here. Anybody wishing to follow up on the excellent "Too Much Guitar" can do so, here

You're a Cockeyed Cookie Pusher

2005-04-14T20:32:00.000+01:00

A couple of us embarked on a bit of road-trip to Nottingham the other night to catch Fog in a rare UK performance (Damn You!). This time it was based at the downstairs of the Cabaret and what fun we had finding it - well, more fun than finding a parking space let me tell you! So what else did the night have to offer, I hear you cry? FIRE! A BLAZING INFERNO!? No, we all had to be evacuated due to the threat of fire, but there wasn't one. It scored three fire engines though. The guys from Fog took great pride in having their photos taken alongside said fire engines, whilst smoking; they also never tired of mentioning the fire - which never happened - whenever the opportunity arose during their set: "Did you guys check out the fire?"

Yeah, you really had to be there....

Fog aka Andrew Broder, is supposedly grounded in the world of lo-fi, post rock and turntablism, but in reality, well, they don't really have clear allegiences to any musical genre. I was told they they sound like - or have a least been compared - to artists like Will Oldham, Neutral Milk Hotel and Pavement, and you know, that stirs your curiousity but they've got be compared to someone, haven't they? The worlds of electronica, hip-hop and post-rock really are tinkered with to a ridiculous degree; and while that's clearly how it should be, not many bands can pull it off, especially live. Fortunately, these guy do! Something interesting has either happened, or is just around the corner, and i've never seen anybody use a turntable as an instrument quite like Andrew Broder does. Disturbingly different, you might say. Anyway, their new album: "10th Avenue Freakout," is out the US now, and everywhere else in a couple of weeks - they have been selling copies at their shows, but everyone else will have to wait.

Fog - Pneumonia

Visit Fog online. You can actually buy (pre-order) the new album from their site, along with their other releases, of course.

Itchy, restless post-punk-funk spaziness

2005-04-10T12:21:00.000+01:00

I have loads of stuff that I want to talk about. Firstly, the new issue of Plan B is fantastic. Ok, it's getting sold in HMV now, and they're obviously making serious reverbarations in the fickle world of music magazines; but still: i'd just like to support that fact, and maintain that there are some great articles on Nirvana, Arcade Fire and M Ward - to name a few. It's essential stuff, basically. Now the main thrust (I hardly ever get to use that word) of this piece is going to centre on Giant Haystacks (an American band with a Scottish singer) Projections (who include ex members of Cat on Form). Now, I was fortunate enough to catch both of these bands the other night in Nottingham (thanks again, Damn You!), and although they were slightly dwarfed by the scale of Thee More Shallows, they certainly weren't bettered. Are you ready? Then i'll begin.

Now up to this point in time, Projections have only played a handful of shows, but the current "mini - tour" with Oakland's own Giant Haystacks has gone some way to rectify this. Projectons are probably more well known for their past glories; Steve and Jamie used to be in Cat on Form. However, to say that Projections were born out of the ashes of Cat on Form is just a fact; I never actually got to see Cat on Form play live; and consequently, I don't really know what they sounded like live, but if the performance I witnessed on Friday night is any idication, I missed out, I missed out big time. Projections made some seriously intense - and what appeared to be improvised - noise, but you know, make up your own mind about that. Oh, and guys, I saved your mailing list from certain destruction at Bunkers Hill the other night. No need to thank me - Just keep me updated on that 7"

Projections - At a Distance
Cat on Form - Back Off Man, I'm a Scientist

I don't know if instantly warming to Giant Haystacks had something to do with what came before; don't get me wrong, Souvaris are obviously good at what they do, but they literally played what seemed like two tracks (?) and I was staring at the floor by the end of their set. They were certainly "post-rock" in the way that was alluded to me the night before, put it that way....Well, having said all that, the crowd at Bunkers Hill seemed to really appreciate them, so who knows. Anyway, Giant Haystacks are Nate on Drums, Daniel on Bass, and Allan on guitar. They all share vocal duties. During the gig the other night, it actually transpired that Giant Haystacks and Thee More Shallows came from the same town but that's not really an interesting story. What is interesting is how Giant Haystacks - on paper, at least - sound so shamelessly like a Mission of Burma and Minutemen ripoff band, but completely dispel any of that doubt through their live show; and, crucially, allow you to continue your (by which I mean me) obsession with their new album: Blunt Instrument. SO MUCH ENERGY! I was speaking to Daniel after the show, and he was really really pleased with how it turned out. It actually had to be sent by recording delivery to them only last week, and they're were concerns that it wouldn't be ready in time. Anyway, inbetween talking about the record, we had a chat about beer. You know, real beer. It was good.

Giant Haystacks - Catatonic State
Giant Haystacks - New Position

Look out for the Projection 7" when it comes out. Cat on Form released an album which you can buy at Southern Records, and you can buy Giant Haystacks records at their website, here.

Speak ya clout

2005-03-30T21:20:00.000+01:00

I have next to no authority or even crediblity when it comes to this hip-hop game, and long may it continue; because i'm just getting started. I'll take the Polyrhythm Addicts as a case in point. I love Vaudeville Villain. It's probably my most played MF Doom release if you excuse "Mr Hood." Anyway, it was on the Viktor Vaughn album that I was first introduced to Apani B fly emcee. She guests - or rather, takes on - our Vaudeville Villain in "Let Me Watch," and certainly gave me cause to investigate further. Well, not that further. I soon learnt about the Polyrhythm Addicts; their fairly low key following; and spaced out electronically fused Rhyme Related. It ended up being the only album they would make before going on their separate ways, and is quite literally a cornicopia of different influences. Ok, it may not be your modern day critically acclaimed and innovative Hip hop record, but it's smooooth on the lyrical tip and encouraged by some seriously spaced out jazzy beats and scratchin'. Who wants "clever" when you can have music devoid of ego, and complimented with a female emcee that is clearly in a class of her own:

Polyrhythm Addicts - Not Your Ordinary

Drop the neddle down

2005-03-25T20:05:00.000Z

Who else has got that friday feeling? The weekend started early for a lot of people, but Friday is still where it's at. I'll cut to the chase. I wasn't going to post anything today, but as often happens, I came across something great, and since it caught my attention in such a way thought it only right that I should share it with you all as soon as possible - now, basically. No doubt a lot of you have heard of the Coldrice in Birmingham, well, Weird War are playing there on the 30th of April, so I really think you should aquaint yourselves with them, and quick. Basically, they work damn hard - I can't really put it into words - to book the bands that they do, and well, I came across their download section today. You might have already heard of Copter.. Well, i've already written something about how great they are. Anyway, they're from Birmingham and regularly play with The Big Bang, who are also natives of the Coldrice.

According to their website, The Big Bang formed in December 2003, with the line up of one drummer, two vocals and two guitars. Their manifesto was - and still is - to play as many shows, to as many people as possible within your calender year, and as their tour diary confirms they're going someway to fufilling that pledge. Well, no doubt you'd like to know what all the fuss is about? I don't know, I probably get excited about music too easily but The Big Bang just do everything right for me. I've been listening to The New Bomb Turks and The Little Killers today, and well, "Give The Man The Money Honey" is a rave-up on level terms with either of these bands output. Strong words? Listen to the following track for yourselves. It's fiercely full frontal assault of soul, punk and expertly executed squeals that will have your sneakers moving before you do. The Cramps? Pah!

The Big Bang - Give Me All the Money Honey

Their Website, again.

Pel Mel (No clever title today)

2005-03-24T19:30:00.000Z

I'd like to start this post by alerting you all to the wonders of Strange Reaction. Things are shaping up rather nicely over there I have to say. Now, I could apologise forever about not updating this site regularly, but it inevitably boils down to me being lazy and well, there isn't much I can do about that i'm afraid. I'll try harder? Yeah, I won't say "sorry" because it's a word that people no longer take seriously in this country and I already use it a lot....What could that mean? Actually, i'm being unusually hard on myself. I just don't seem to have the time at the moment. Anyway, i'm here now, and you should all be (sort of) thankful.. I have some delightful angular and upfront Aussie based Punk courtesy of Tales from the Australian Underground - Singles 1976-1989. Yaas, it's compilation; it's cheating, but like i've already said: i'm tired. I can't wait for this long weekend you know. Pel Mel sound like an early Cure and Wire mixed with The Buzzcocks and although I can only listen to one track of theirs over and over, it's good and I don't care.

I have some information on Pel Mel that you might find interesting: Although largely unknown even now, they were one of the most easily recognisable inner city bands of the period - even if they never really recieved any further recognition for their music. It might sound crazy after listening to "No Word From China" for the first time, but they also evolved to become even more funk influenced, and despite a relentless amount of touring and hark work they never really broke through to the main stream. Members from Pel Mel went on to form The Limp, but that's another story. Anyway, you should all check out this retrospective. It's not as hit as miss as you might expect, and the compiler obviously put a lot of thought into the track listing. It certainly sounds like they were exciting times anyway. Lots of energy.

Pel Mel - No Word From China

Check out No Nights Sweat for further information on Pel Mel and Australian music.

diet cokehead

2005-03-23T10:30:00.000Z

Eat this sega boy! voila! and thus i present you the products of a Nintendo generation. 2005 and now those killer beeps and bleeps arn't just confined to super mario allstars. sounding like computer game music it may do, but this is far far better than the soundtrack to duck hunt.

signed to moshi moshi records, best fwends are two half-naked bastard spazcore fucks armed with 20 songs in as many minutes and a nasty electronic backdrop of retro classic game boys and a drum machine. nice.

Best Fwends - Cold Drank

I'll Never Forget What's His Name

2005-03-19T15:40:00.000Z

What a strange week. Ok, so was St Patricks Day on Thursday (Guiness makes you do crazy things, kids), but what I do find strange - and slightly unsettling - is the amount of people talking to themselves in the street. I really don't know a lot about Tourette's syndrome, so you'll have to excuse my ignorance, but I was always led to believe that Tourettes was exceptionaly rare? I expect there is some kind of solar enlighmnent specific to my town at moment that i'm not aware of ... Ah well, I should really cheer up, it's the weekend. The Whitey album still isn't out yet, is it? Well, when they finally release "The Light at the End of the Tunnel is a Train," i'm sure the next buzz band on the 1234 Records label, Negative For Francis, will gladly take their fair share of the limelight. This London three – piece, are doing all the right things at the moment. Firstly, they're signed to 1234 Record and secondly, well, the new single was produced by Paul Epsworth (Phones), so you know it has a good chance already. Loud, fast, propulsive and replete with electronic noodlings, this song (their next single) glides, and swoops to kill - or something. It's new-wave influenced surf-rock with hand claps. Listen to it. Buy the single.

Negative For Francis - Love Bug

There we go, short and sweet.

Last of the atom men

2005-03-16T08:45:00.000Z

Over the past few of years, something of an underground musical revolution has taken place in Nottingham. As the city's cultural stature grows, so too does the number of innovative and leftfield bands who call that fine city home. Wolves of Greece, Army of flying robots, Science!Bastard!, Birds of...., all of them subversive noisemongers, astounding and disturbing audiences in equal measure, forming the backbone of Nottingham's scene.

None, however, are quite so incendiary as Punish the Atom. Frankly, it's a pity that all we have for you is an MP3 of a studio recording, because nothing can better their live show. Stage left, strings are snapped and wooden necks abused, stage right electronics are plucked out from an intimidating array of equipment, skins are beaten with unerring accuracy and a total disregard for subtlety at the back, and at the front of it all, centre stage, is Joey Bell, Lord Joey of Bellingham, Nottingham's own Spiderman - baby faced record shop assistant by day, warpainted sergeant banshee by night, like the evil twin of Hank von Helvete placed in charge of a crack squadron of veterans of disorder. Punish's star is rising, and burning brighter and faster as it does. NME reviews, headlining tours, rapturous receptions in London, and a sound that just gets better with every passing month. This track, a ripsnorter though it is, is a pale imitation of the onslaught they provide in the live arena. For your own sake, make the effort to see them.

Punish the Atom - Negative Negative

Punish the Atom's online home can be found here

howard_sioux

Miminalist pop

2005-03-14T18:51:00.000Z

Alice Fox------> Percussion, vocals
Jane Fox-------> Bass
Tracey Thorn---> Guitar, vocals

I'm probably speaking out of turn here, but i've never understood the cult status that Young Marble Giants seem to have. Why do people like "Colossal Youth" so much? Ok, it's different, i'll give you that. clearly that record has got a real do-it-yourself sound, and the music screams with originality, but it just doesn't get interesting. I don't know. It's almost like it's so different, so raw, and so challenging - in an anti-pop sort of way - that people don't want to question how repetitive, simplistic and dull the music really is. To me, that album just says: we can't play our instruments, but look past that, because we're just like you guys; we're really authentically different: we're really new-wave. No, I don't buy into that. Maybe if I was from the same town in Wales that they were from, I could relate to how revolutionary (?) they were for a couple of years? YMG sang about applying for bank loans, loneliness, boyfriends, and Alison Statton really just mumbles her lyrics lazily to the music... Oh, I don't know, "Include me Out" and "Brand New Life " are kinda cool, but a whole album of this stuff...Maybe i'll "get" it one day.

Ah well, I say all that, but the Young Marble Giants did go some way to influence a band that has made an impression on me over the past few weeks: The Marine Girls. In fact, in Stuart Moxham they even share the same producer. They're undoutedly influenced by Young Marble Giants; *ahem* similar in style, tone, and structure, but are a lot more engaging, despite their obvious and often striking musical shortcomings. Don't get me wrong, you could critcize "Lazy Ways" for the same reason that I have criticized "Collosal Youth." It has that same arkwardly melodic sound; most the tracks run at under two minutes long; and err, they're not cool to listen to. I mean, they weren't fashionable then, and they're certainly not now. Nevertheless, I like their sound, and they have the songs to pull it off. As a matter of fact, Kurt Cobain liked both of these bands. Now, while I don't like the mythical status he seems to hold now, but he did like some good bands and was a fan - first and foremost.

The Marine Girls - Falling Again

Buy the Marine Girls albums: Lazy Ways / Beach Party here. They're actually avaliable as a double cd. Ooooh...

Chainsaws and bullwhips

2005-03-09T22:51:00.000Z

Right, it's time to change the tempo. I've been in that sort of mood today. Loads of Husker Du, Naked Raygun and an even stronger dosage of punk (I didn't think it was possible either) courtesy of Cleveland band, Chargers Street Gang. These guys are totally new to me, and while the reviews had hinted at what I letting myself in for, I really wasn't prepared for the sheer power of "Holy The Bop Apocalypse." This album doesn't let up for one second, and it's to it's absolute credit that it successfully celebrates bands like New Bomb Turks, Drive Like Yehu, The Stooges and Fugazi without sounding like a pastiche. Well, maybe they do sound like a pastiche; but they're so loud, so agressive and so fast that you actually begin to wonder if it really matters anyway. They spit and scream their influences and wrestle them into a sound that is different enough to call their own.

Yes, i'm going over the top, but can you really blame me? They clearly make this music for themselves. It's cathartic for them, holy terror for everybody else, but cathertic for them. Chargers Street Gang are a massive fuck you to everything bland, stagnant and plodding. Actually words like restless and wild are probably more apt, but I think i'm trying to live up to some word count now that i'll never be able to fufill. Oh, actually, I can tell you it was produced by Tim Kerr, that they're signed to Get Hip and this album absolutely does not disapoint in any shape or form. It's also more terrifiyingly good music from a decade that even i'm still catching up on: So get on it. Joe Holzheimer, Lachllan Mackinnon , Chris Kulcsar, Matt Fish and Chris Rood do not sound like the sort of guys you want to piss off.

Chargers Street Gang - Omega Bro

I couldn't find a website - at least one that worked - but you can buy the album
here. Thanks for reading.

His Name is Melody

2005-03-08T21:45:00.000Z

Happy Band Of Japan is the heading for London based musician Dan Scott, who along with various guests and instruments - A 1/4 size nylon-string classical, old steel string acoustic, Big Muff Fuzztone pedal, tambourine, Sufi temple bells, various wooden objects, and whatever else they is able to pick up - comprise a musical project that has been several years in the making.

Although sometimes distorted and offbeat, these songs are like a swarm of bees on a rampage, like the once in a lifetime flowering of a wild and exotic orchid...You get the idea. They're painstakingly beautiful songs that are friendly, warm, optimistic and most of all fun. The music itself pays tribute to artists such as Lee Hazlewood, Julian Cope, Beach Boys, Sunburned Hand of the Man, Animal Collective, Serge Gainsbourg, Miles Davis, Boredoms, Syd Barrett and it's obvious that at his core he is still an avid music fan. Anyway, he writes these beautiful and slightly off-kilter songs because more than anything he wants them to be heard:

Happy Band Of Japan - You You You

Dan also plays and writes for the Black Elks so be sure to check them out if they play near you. Black Elks also do a cover of HBOJ's Freudian guitar collapse Have You Ever Been To Her House When It's Raining.

If you want to get in touch with Dan then i'm sure he'll be more than willing to sort you out a CD, and even some homemade artwork:

happybandofjapan@yahoo.co.uk.

Those aching blues

2005-03-07T16:34:00.000Z

I'm listening to "Eternally Yours" [The Saints] at the moment and I can't help feeling impressed, no overwelmed, with the horn sounds that kick start "Know Your Product." Chris Bailey has always said that The Saints side-stepped the punk scene in the UK, and I think it has a lot to do with this album. Don't get me wrong, a lot of the songs on this would have worked on their debut, but they also have more soul and depth than most the punk bands they're forever associated with. Ah well, i've already included the word "punk" twice... I should stop. I actually started this article with a view to writing something about Jackson C. Frank.

Sad music in the night, sings a stream of light, out of chorus/Voices you might hear, appear and disappear in the forest/Short and tall, come throw the ball/ my name is Carnival

I remember reading an article on the life of Jackson C Frank last year, and his story has always stayed with me (You can read the full article here). I think it made more of an impression on me because I'd earlier read a short aricle on Terry Reid who is often given the title: "the unluckiest man in music." He famously turned down the chance to front Led Zeppelin - instead recommending Robert Plant and John Bonham to a young Jimmy Page. Was it a strange twist of fate? Or just bad luck? It often lamented that he never really lived up to his early reputation, but not even Terry Reid's misfortune can compare to the tragedies that shaped the life of Jackson C Frank. He occupies a niche in 60's british folk music, but he in fact an American who travelled to England in 60's when he was still in his early twenties. Artists like Nick Drake, Tom Paxton, Bert Jansch, and Dave Cousins would later go on to cover his songs, and he is known as one of the best singer/songwriters of his period. Unfortunately, he was only able to make scattered recordings, and even they were only able to make small impression of the British music scene in the mid 60's.

Jackson C Frank was found alive in 1995 but as T.J. McGrath reported in a interview with the singer: he is disabled (both of his legs are crippled and he has lost his eyesight in one eye), he has been living on state aid. For many years, especially in the 1980s, he was homeless and roaming the streets of New York City or in the hospital receiving treatment for depression. His life certainly had it's up an downs, and although the article i've already recommended reported Jackson C Frank as still being alive, he sadly passed away in 1999 before being able to make any more music. The recordings he made in the 60's were championed by John Peel upon their release, but they only ever really appear now as footnotes for other artists that he went on to influence. Nevertheless the reissue of "Blues Run the Game" and his other recordings in 2003 have once again given people the opportunity to discover his music: songs that cannot be matched for their honesty; often sparse, always reflective they're beautiful folk songs filled with meaning and hope. You reallycan't afford to not follow this up.

Jackson C. Frank - Just Like Anything.

Read the The Jackson C. Frank Story. There is also a popular fan page dedicated in memory of the singer. You can buy the reissue of "Blues Run the Game" here

I'd also like to recommend the excellent new entries on Smashed Robot! I'd had stopped visiting the site, but I think it's up an running again now for good(?). The Ego-Wrappin track is incredible - i'll definitely be following it up.

This is how he rips shit

2005-03-06T11:13:00.000Z

I'd like to preface this next entry by apologising if this artist has been covered via Soulsides (I'm almost certain that O-dub has covered The Hieroglyphics, and it is his town) or even Cocaine Blunts. I doubt i'll be the last blogger to cover this artist anyway. Casual was a member of the Hieroglyphics crew, and well-known associate of Del and the Souls of Mischief. This Oakland raised emcee has been releasing albums and putting down rappers for over a decade now. His debut ("Fear Itself") was released in 1994 on Jive and while it may not have made the dollar it certainly established him as a heavyweight lyricist (And since I'm-a rhy-mer, I need to take time to give niggaz reminders/ Who's the best, confuse the rest/ Abuse crews with the news they paid dues to my death/ slept on, long enough/So now I pissed the stronger stuff") and mcee. Casual revealed a deftness for trading witty rhymes with other less worthy rappers; and while always done with a a gruff vocal style and unique sense of humour, "Fear Itself" makes for a moody and often confrontational listening experience.

Of course, it's not all about this deep voiced Oakland emcees lyrical wordplay. The production while not too dismilar from other Hieroglyphics albums of the period, is built on deep funk, soul and some lush horns, vibes, guitar sounds. I just hope you don't scare easily:

Casual - We Got it Like That

The Hieroglyphics site has everything you need. Discographies, Biographies, merchandise...Everything.

Genuine Anthems

2005-03-03T16:18:00.000Z

Right, it's time to bring out the big guns. Yes, that's right, The B-52's This really has been a long time coming. Anybody who caught the posts on The The V.C.s and The Long Blondes will testify to this. Their influence is literally everywhere at the moment, and I say that with no exageration. The bands on the Sheffield Phonographic Corporation label exist to prove my point - actually, that's unfair, but if you've heard Chuck, Beachbuggy and The Long Blondes then you'll know where i'm coming from. These new-wavers made the definitive debut album, and i'm sure even they couldn't comprehend how important their 1979 debut would come to come to be.

Yes, that's right, what indie disco wouldn't be complete without 52 Girls. Well, it should be a set in stone playlist special, but it's often ignored, or plainly unheard of - not possible! Really. Anyway, i'm here to change that right now, because this is a genuine new-wave-disco propelled anthem of synchronized sneaker dancing madness. Yes, that good. It's also one of their most accessible tunes, so if you don't like this, then God help us all.

You can buy their records everywhere. NOW. They also have a website, which you can get to by clicking here.

Where's my pen? = Need New Body

2005-03-02T11:27:00.000Z

It's Wednesday, and i've already seen Need New Bodyand Love As Laughter. It almost makes up for missing out on ATP - almost. Anyway, on Monday I caught Need New Body, Dragon or Emperor, Spin Spin The Dogs and the Fabulous Foxes. The support bands were about as great as their band names suggest. *ahem* Spin Dogs: "Two peanuts are walking down the street, one gets asaulted." (The singer also liked to crawl around on the floor?); the Fabulous Foxes' set was literally ten minutes long (I've no idea what happened there, I would have liked more); and Dragon or Emperor were literally "amazing" in a not too uncommon two-piece set up: think Pere Udu/That Fucking Tank. So yeah, a good night to be had by all - I think the plan was to make it a sit down gig, but there were just too many people in the end. Err so yeah, that was Monday night basically. Incidentally, i've had internet problems over the past couple of days, so apologies for the lack of updates.

Hmmm, what can I tell you about Need New Body...This Philadelphia outfit have are the ultimate "disco-punk-cum-Beefheart-nonsense party band." Signed to and doing a fantastic job of representing Pickled Egg Records - in Leicester - They represent the nemesis of everything that claims to be alternative in the world. So much so that they've been namechecked as one of the top fifty live bands in the world today -although I don't really know if this is true or not. Their music is a patchwork of humour, improvisation, madness and catchiness (?)...I'm struggling. Sam Jayne was wearing a NNB t-shirt when I saw L/A/L last night, so what are you waiting for? Listen to the damn track already and stop reading this!

Need New Body - Show Us Your Heart

Support Nigel at Pickled Egg records and buy the NNB records at the label site: Here