IndiEmo

The end of this blog

2009-09-23T22:09:00.003Z

I've decided that I'm too busy to do the blog justice any more, so I'm afraid this is the end for indiemo.co.uk.

To find out what I'm up to check out the following:

Kiss My Face Music - http://www.kissmyfacemusic.com
Walk The Line festival - http://www.walkthelinefestival.co.uk

Cheese!

2009-06-22T18:46:00.003Z

The music video for the latest Maccabees release features scenes from the famous Gloucester cheese rolling festival. We live just down the road from this and I've been to watch... it's completely mad.

Above: Can You Give It by the Maccabees
Below: Some mad people running down a really big hill after some dairy.

Wychwood festival

2009-06-08T21:34:00.002Z

Here are my favourite bands from last week's Wychwood Festival...

Super Fury Animals

Supergrass

Bellowhead

Red Light Company

Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun

Ten Bears

The Beat

Atilla the Stockbroker

Songs from the radio

2009-03-17T19:38:00.002Z

I've been listening to a lot of BBC 6Music. They have been playing a few tunes which are now stuck in my brain...

Below: Emiliana Torrini - Jungle Drum

Below: Red Light Company - Arts & Crafts

Also check out Hockey - To Fake: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2kVL85X2Fc

And randomly, I wanted to include this because I heard it the other day and it made me smile:

'Florence and the Machine' and 'Fight Like Apes'

2009-01-28T20:54:00.002Z

Above: Florence and the Machine
Below: Fight Like Apes

Florence and the machine on myspace
Fight Like Apes on myspace

Tessellate

2008-12-08T23:35:00.001Z

This song is my latest obsession. Below: Tokyo Police Club - Tessellate

Recently we went to see Show Of Hands in Cardiff. Below: A live video of Cousin Jack.

No posts in ages

2008-10-07T18:00:00.003Z

Sorry it's been so long. I've seen loads of bands since we last spoke. Here's a long list of them with some youtube videos...

Paramore - Emo-pop at it's best and sexiest.

Above: Paramore - Misery Business
Below: Paramore - Emergency

Plain White T's - I will avoid posting the obvious song.

Above: Plain White T's - Take Me Away
Below: Plain White T's - Hate (I Really Don't Like You)

Alkaline Trio - A band I've wanted to see for a long time now.

Above: Alkaline Trio - Mercy Me
Below: Alkaline Trio - Time to Waste

Finch - Only really have one song I like... but I love it lots.

Counting Crows - one of my favourite bands ever.

Above: Counting Crows - Round Here
Below: Counting Crows - Omaha (live)

The Hold Steady - I was really impressed with these guys.

Above: The Hold Steady - Sequestered in Memphis
Below: The Hold Steady - The Swish.

The Duke Spirit - The guys, who are originally from Cheltenham, were fab. Managed to sneak back stage for a chat :-). Below is the video for The Step and the Walk.

Johnny Foreigner - I love these guys so much.

Above: Johnny Foreigner - Salt, Peppa and Spinderella
Below: Johnny Foreigner - Eyes Wide Terrified

Jim Lockey - I've seen Jim play loads of times this summer and he has been excellent every time. Below is Luxembourg

Art Brut - These guys were way better live than I thought they would be. Below is Emily Kane.

Frank Turner - Always stunningly good.

Above: Frank Turner - Photosynthesis
Below: Frank Turner - Long Live The Queen

Flipron - Creepy, melancholic, fantastic.

Above: Flipron - Dogboy vs Monsters
Below: Flipron - Raindrops Keep Falling on the Dead

Chris T-T - Went down well at 2000 Trees festival. We put the world to rights with Chris over a pie after the set. Below is The Huntsman Comes a-Marchin' from that weekend.

Below: Chris T-T - This Gun is Not a Gun

James Yuill - I liked this guy so much I booked him to play a show in Cheltenham.

Above: James Yuill - No Pins Allowed
Below: James Yuill - No Surprise

Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Sherwood

2008-06-12T21:48:00.002Z

A while ago we went to see Red Jumpsuit Apparatus at the Barfly in Birmingham. It was great to see a band who were just out to have fun. This is the video for Your Guardian Angel:

The support band Sherwood were pretty good too. Below is the video for Song in My Head, released on MySpace Records:

RJA myspace
Sherwood myspace

Operator Please

2008-06-02T15:50:00.002Z

Australia produces less than it's fair share of good bands. Maybe that's set to change. This band are young, fiesty and bursting with mad violin based energy! Find out when they are next playing near you and drop everything to make sure you go.

Above: Operator Please - Get What You Want
Below: Operator Please - Leave it Alone

Many thanks to idle hands for bringing this band to Gloucester.

Operator Please Myspace

Dogs die in hot cars... DIY album

2008-04-11T21:30:00.003Z

Dogs Die In Hot Cars' debut album 'please describe yourself' hit the shelves in 2004.

The production of a long awaited second album was underway when the band decided to split on the 18 September 2007, leaving their fans disappointed.

This month, former band member Craig Macintosh has posted a blog asking fans to chip in their ideas to complete the second album. On the blog you can download demo versions and the individual tracks that made up the songs. The band is offering 50% of the royalty incomes to those who contribute towards the song.

Check out the blog

Ida Maria live

2008-04-11T19:29:00.002Z

I just stumbled across some videos on YouTube and realised I was at the show where they were shot :-)

Above: Stella
Below: Queen of the World

Get smashed gate crash

2008-03-28T17:22:00.002Z

It's electro indie at its best. It's the latest Hadouken single.

Check them out on myspace

Searching for the hows and whys

2008-03-04T17:54:00.004Z

Let the journey begin!

So starts the second album from 21-year-old Sam Duckworth, aka Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. And it really is some journey, one that adds a roomful of musicians to the laptop and guitar that populated his critically acclaimed first album, 2006’s The Chronicles Of A Bohemian Teenager and that quantum leaps his sound into musically broad and defiantly joyful new territory. It marries GCWCF’s proven lyrical talent with expansive orchestration, razor-sharp laptop beats, folkish, fervent guitars and even a touch of afro-beat. “I started making it on my computer as we were touring, but the more I got into it, the less I wanted to make a bedroom sounding record. I wanted a tangible step forwards.” So he called in an orchestra and realised a new vision that is both intimate and raw. You can hear the strings emote – but you can also hear ‘em scrape.

It’s a long way from his early teen beginnings as a gig promoter prone to playing agit-emo sets in-between the hardcore punk acts he booked at local scuzz-holes. Since he signed to Atlantic in 2006 zipped up and down the British rail network gigging intensively, had two tracks featured on The O.C, supported The Flaming Lips and Funeral For A Friend, played three riotous shows at 2007's Glastonbury Festival and a show-stealing performance at the Carling Weekend, and picked up a 2007 NME Awards nomination for Best Solo Artist. “We headlined the Astoria on my 21st but I’ve always been more of a punk rock person than anything else and I’d love to headline Brixton Academy. It’s the holy grail.”

Searching For The Hows And Whys contains a mix that reflects a crazy, colourful twelve months for Southend’s favourite musician since acid jazzer Snowboy powered up the local soulsters. Since the last album GCWCF has recorded in a strange Brazilian choir singing grunge songs over beats with Kieran Hebden, ended up in hospital during the Berlin leg of his last tour, and travelled to the Congo as part of Damon Albarn’s Africa Express project – with the last two events being connected by way of an exotic amoeba. And seeing as GCWCF is marking himself out as one of the UK’s most adventurous and interesting artists, it’s no surprise that he’s got a sparky sideline on the go: a hip hop re-telling of American Psycho, featuring as yet-unveiled American artists. There are already a few gigs booked for the summer.

But back to the album in hand. It was written on tour and in London, during a few months of intensive 18 hour sessions. Once the songs had a basic shape, GCWCF began looking for someone to co-produce it with him – and seeing as Beyond Skin was pretty much his favourite record ever, asked Nitin Sawhney if he’d come on board. “If someone had told me three years ago that I would be recording an album with an orchestra, produced by Nitin Sawnhey I would have thought that sounded rubbish,” he says with a smile. “But Nitin’s great at finding the best character to fill the spaces in a song. I couldn’t have trusted him more. I know his records inside out, we were thinking the same things.” The resulting album is powerfully political. “On the last album I danced around things a bit. Some of these songs couldn’t be more direct.” Fundamentalist religion, pointless consumerism, bitter sex – they all get the GCWCF treatment.

Take ‘The Children Are (The Consumers Of) The Future’, which was written around the time of ‘Chronicles…’ and channels one of those “horrible” monologues where Carrie in Sex And The City realises that shoes are the answer to her emotional problems. It’s also a good example of how GCWCF’s musical plan has changed since the first record. “It was one of those songs that were just around. We did an in-store at Pure Groove and sang it for some reason. When we went back to the studio we decided to go as far left as possible with it. We had trumpet players blowing as hard as they could in one key, so it wasn’t really a note. It was just finding new ways of making sounds. Everyone thought we’d lost our minds.” ‘Better Things’ features a duet with long time friend and touring partner, Kate Nash. “It’s a song about that classic thing where people want to talk to you, or want things from you because you’re in a band.”

Listen carefully and you’ll hear a few musical influences making their collective presence felt. There are shadows of The Manics and Fela Kuti on ‘The Children Are (The Consumers Of) The Future’; of Simon and Garfunkel and Elliot Smith on ‘Postcard From Catalunya’ and shades of a mystical, clear-eyed Shaun Ryder and DJ Shadow on ‘Could’ve Seen It All’. By some alchemical combination of hard work, prodigious talent and a determination to push his sound forward, it coheres – beautifully. “The first album was a snapshot in time, but that’s not where I am now. This record is about my ambition, and about where I want to get in the future.”

Of course there are the lyrics too. “I’ve always been into interesting ways of saying things that are very simple. Imagery and old fashioned language is definitely my thing.” Or as he says on ‘Postcards From Catalunya “We talk in circles, but we move in narrow lines.” The album title comes from a lyric in the Orwell-referencing ‘Postcards From Catalunya’. “It was the original track title for that song, but it seemed to encompass what I’m about. Progress happens through trying to find solutions to problems – keep questioning, keep challenging things.”

Which sums it up, really.

The album tracklist is:

1. Let The Journey Begin
2. Waiting For The Monster To Drown - free mp3!

3. Young And Lovestruck
4. Postcards From Catalunya
5. The Children Are (The Consumers Of) The Future
6. Window Of Your Mind
7. I Could Build You A Tower
8. Keep Singing Out
9. Moving Forward
10. Find The Time
11. This Could Be All
12. Better Things
13. Could’ve Seen It All

Buy the album

Okkervil River & Ida Maria

2008-02-01T23:15:00.000Z

The year is a month old and I was starting to wonder where my next musical obsession was going to come from. There seem to be a lot of very average indie bands around at the moment, and most of the bands being shouted about in the media are struggling to live up to the hype.

Luckily my mp3 player did some fine randomising and reminded me of two great bands.

Okkervil River are a dark indie-folk-rock band from Austin, Texas.

Above: Okkervil River - Our life is not a movie or maybe
Below: For real

Ida Maria is riotous indie-pop from Sweden.

Below: Ida Maria - Oh my God

Above: Ida Maria - Drive away my heart
Below: Everyone loves a montage

Okkervil River myspace
Ida Maria myspace

Sam Isaac: stripped!

2008-01-17T01:03:00.000Z

Sam Isaac is playing the latest stripped session this Friday at Pitville Studios, Cheltenham, UK.

Below is the video for sideways. Buy this single

Sam Isaac myspace

Support from...

TERRY EMM
Recently dubbed as the king of folk by radio Gloucestershire, an un-sung hero of University talent.
Listen

LEANNE DORMODY & DAVID JONES
More bright talent from the fresher population.

Alcopopular Vol. 2

2008-01-09T23:59:00.000Z

16th June, and amidst free-flowing alcopops – a drunken Northerner was frying a gutted lizard, procured from a bottle of dubious Spanish spirit. Nibbling at the rotting morsel was too much for other parties, who rushed to vomit on a pile of tapes… A pile of tapes earmarked for our upcoming compilation Alcopopular volume 2. Analogue never was easy.

For a moment the fate of this wonderful return to cassette tape tradition hung in the balance – and with a stream of indie poppers already excited about this compilation we were concerned… But after binning a number of the offending articles, we rescued the situation, and Alcopopular 2 was born. Just a matter of days into the new year but we’re already confident enough to proclaim this the best cassette compilation you’ll see in 2008.

But who resides upon it? Here are a few highlights…

Sam Isaac – A Glastonbury appearance, place at the BBC proms plus 100s of shows thrilling pubs, venues and house parties across the land – Sam brings charming UK acoustic storytelling songs to the hearts of a nation. Single ‘Sideways’ was released on Alcopop!/BSM in December 2007

Harry & The Potters – This delicious duo from Boston have toured libraries across the UK and USA, run a wizard singles club and sing solely about J.K. Rowling’s magic series. Entrusting their first non independent outing to Alcopop!, ‘Wizard Chess’ recounts Christmas at Hogwarts – big sweaters and all.

Jeremy Warmsley – Wonderful singer-songwriter currently residing at Transgressive Records, we were delighted when Jeremy agreed to be on the compilation. More so when he presented us with ultra rare b-side ‘ice.river.cold’ from his 2006 ‘I believe in the way you move’ EP.

Johnny Foreigner – Ones to watch in 2008, hailing from Birmingham this band will soon be as big as Ozzy Osbourne’s swimming pool. Their track, the dizzying ‘Cranes And Cranes And Cranes And Cranes’ is a brilliant unreleased demo.

The Honey Brothers - Arguably the biggest unknown residing within this joyous cassette compilation isn't actually as unknown as you might think…..The Honey Brothers and their Weezer-esque indie pop feature Adrian Greenier on drums, the man better known as Vincent Chase, the lead character in the cult US TV show, Entourage. The show, which has seen him pick up Emmy, Bafta and Golden Globe awards, has proved a worldwide smash but that doesn't meant Adrian doesn't have time to produce gorgeous pop music, something music fans in the UK will find out for the first time with this, their debut appearance this side of the Atlantic.

Side A:

1. Arthur - Complications
2. Dave House - Beep Beep (Hi Hi)
3. Kid Carpet - Employee Of The Month
4. Decades - Mary Angel
5. Dartz! - Latin And Greek
6. Harry And The Potters - Wizzard Chess
7. Sky Larkin - One Of Two
8. The Young Playthings - Hot Sex With The Girl I Love

Side B:

1. Sam Isaac - When the Silhouette Drops
2. Wojtek Godzisz - If You Hurt Me
3. Wintermute - Ask A Stupid Question
4. The Honey Brothers - O Dear
5. Jeremy Warmsley - Ice.River.Cold
6. Johnny Foreigner - Cranes And Cranes And Cranes And Cranes
7. Windmill - Fluorescent Lights

Buy it now from alcopop

Disjointed thoughts

2008-01-02T21:32:00.000Z

I was doing some house-keeping tasks in my music collection the other day and had an urge to stop and listen to a few tracks along the way. I thought I would share them.

Above: Little Man Tate - Sexy In Latin
Below: Long Blondes - Once and never again

You know I'm not so young,
I spend an hour getting ready every day,
And still I end up looking more or less the same,
But I could show you,
a thing or two.

Above: The Honorary Title - Bridge and tunnel
Below: The Reindeer Section - Your sweet voice

I can't call you a friend
'Cause when you left me here
You left me here to die
Don't worry I won't call you again
'Cause when I take a hint
I take it pretty hard
And when you broke my heart
you broke it into shards of glass

Above: Tilly & the wall - The freest man. Check out the CSS remix of this song.

So this is the new year

2007-12-31T14:33:00.000Z

Wherever you are in the world, have a great night

We are not the BBC

2007-12-18T21:57:00.000Z

So here is the full uncensored version of the best Christmas song ever written

It was christmas eve babe
In the drunk tank
An old man said to me, wont see another one
And then he sang a song
The rare old mountain dew
I turned my face away
And dreamed about you

Got on a lucky one
Came in eighteen to one
Ive got a feeling
This years for me and you
So happy christmas
I love you baby
I can see a better time
When all our dreams come true

Theyve got cars big as bars
Theyve got rivers of gold
But the wind goes right through you
Its no place for the old
When you first took my hand
On a cold christmas eve
You promised me
Broadway was waiting for me

You were handsome
You were pretty
Queen of new york city
When the band finished playing
They howled out for more
Sinatra was swinging,
All the drunks they were singing
We kissed on a corner
Then danced through the night

The boys of the nypd choir
Were singing galway bay
And the bells were ringing out
For christmas day

Youre a bum
Youre a punk
Youre an old slut on junk
Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
You scumbag, you maggot
You cheap lousy faggot
Happy christmas your arse
I pray God its our last

I could have been someone
Well so could anyone
You took my dreams from me
When I first found you
I kept them with me babe
I put them with my own
Cant make it all alone
Ive built my dreams around you

A Lily

2007-11-22T22:57:00.000Z

A while ago we posted about Yndi Halda. Recently they have been working on side project A Lily. This is the video for 'I am to you'.

Find out what else they have been up to on the BSM blog

Tellison, Tubelord, My First Tooth

2007-11-19T21:50:00.000Z

I have never been this excited about a gig in Cheltenham. The prospect of these three great bands in a 100 capacity venue is a truly irresistible prospect. Buy a ticket now kids or you will regret it later.

Tellison

Tubelord

Free Mp3 Downloads!

My First Tooth

Tellison Myspace
Tubelord Myspace
Tellison Myspace

Wil Deynes

2007-11-14T19:38:00.001Z

Wil Deynes plays happy, melodic, indie-pop.

And the great news is, his new EP is free for download, totally legally...

Free download - myspace | torrent

When you've listened to the music if you like it you can go and pay some money in to his tip jar if you want.

In Rainbows exclusive edition

2007-11-14T19:17:00.000Z

Some would suggest that the box-set of In Rainbows cost enough to make up for the thousands of copies that went for free online! If this is what comes in the box then I'm tempted to say that it's worth it. If you haven't seen the film se7en, I wouldn't bother watching this!

Great work by Adam Buxton

Talking Heads & Bat For Lashes

2007-11-09T17:40:00.000Z

I saw this video last night for the first time in ages. I love it.

Talking heads - Once In A Lifetime

I finally got round to getting the Bat For Lashes album Fur And Gold. It's ace. Here is the video for what's a girl to do.

our own night :-)

2007-11-06T22:46:00.000Z

we're hosting this night in Cheltenham, UK... it's gunnna be ace

House of Brothers

2007-10-11T19:58:00.000Z

No matter how much music you listen to, how many gigs you attend and how many hours you spend chatting about music at the bar, there will always be great musicians out there who you will never hear of. As a music obsessive, this fact is a constant source of trouble to me. I can't stand knowing that musical diamonds exist, longing to be heard, if I only knew where to listen. These missed gems are even more enfuriating when you find out that they were burried in your back garden all along.

I spend a few years living near Nottingham, home of Andrew Jackson without ever really registering who he was. Andrew was formerly a member of The Murder of Rosa Luxemburg, one of the finest post-hardcore bands the UK has seen in recent years. My lack of love for anything hardore (excluding certain 'adult' publications) would explain this gap in my knowledge.

Much like Million Dead front man Frank Turner, Andrew has now embarked upon a solo route which is much more appealing to the ears of mild mannered indie kids such as myself. This solo project is known as House of Brothers. The difference in style is profound, with it's beautifully intecate guitar work and soft vocals which wash over you. I am told that influences include Nick Drake, Vashti Bunyan, Tom Waits, Iron And Wine and Sun Kil Moon. Andrew has also played live with some great names including Loney, Dear, Howling Bells, Jack Penate, Blonde Redhead and Laura Marling.

With the debut EP, 'Deadman', set for release via Big Scary Monsters Records on 26th November, a free MP3 of the title track is available for mp3 download

The EP can be pre-ordered from www.bsmrocks.com and all orders will receive a free, limited edition badge. Buy

House of Brothers Myspace

The least musical city in the UK

2007-10-11T15:45:00.001Z

According to the Guardian online, Gloucester (my home town) is the least musical city in the UK. It's probably a fair comment. The city does have some promising young bands at school level, but they tend to go their separate ways to go to University. The experience of living somewhere other than Gloucester is usually enough to convince them never to return!

Read the Guardian piece here

I am in the process of setting up my own music business. I hope to help local musicians by operating in an ethical way; by putting much of the money earned back in to local music. Check it out at our myspace page

In other news, you can buy the new Matchbox 20 album 'Exile On Mainstream' on USB pen here.

Above: Matchbox 20 - Lets See How Far We've Come

Maritime

2007-10-09T20:43:00.000Z

I like this...

The band are kindly giving away some free mp3s on their website

Future Is Wired mp3
I Used To Be A Singer mp3

And there are more free tracks on their myspace.

CDs are of course available to buy.

A new dawn for music

2007-10-03T18:01:00.000Z

This month will be remembered as an historic turning point for music. Big name bands have finally started to ditch the record labels and go it alone. Radiohead have whipped up a media storm by releasing their album at a price decided by the buyer. Yup that's right, you get to pick the price you want to pay, even if that is £0.00!

Buy it here

Musicians make a very relatively small pecentage of their earnings from CD sales, (which incase you hadn't noticed are in freefall). By releasing tracks for free the band broaden their fan base and generate more cash from ticket sales and merchandise. The band win, the fans win. The only losers are major record labels. At last, those in the industry who refused to allow their outdated business model to be prized from their cold dead fingers, have had the lid of their self made coffins firmly slammed shut. Sorry, got a bit carried away with it all there.

The Charlatans have also decided to release free songs on the xfm website. More details on this story can be found here.

Sweden again!

2007-09-16T18:54:00.000Z

I've spent a lot of time lately going on about Swedish bands and I'm not about to stop now. I've blogged about I'm From Barcelona in the past I think. We were lucky enough to finally get to see them live last Sunday at the Thekla in Bristol. I was excited all day knowing that I was going to a see 13 happy Swedes playin an upbeat gig on a boat. What a night, what a show, what a band. The quality of the songs and energy of every member, combined with showers of tickertape and balloons ensured that the atmosphere was sensational. Below are live versions of 'Treehouse' and 'We're From Barcelona'.

After the gig, the band put on a short DJ set with loads of Electro and some strange dancing. I believe this may have been my first real life experience of Jumpen (originating from Sweden and involving flailing limbs, Jumpen is to Electro what Skanking is to Ska). The video below shows jumpen at its best, as demonstrated by lego men!

On a completely different note, look out for this guy over the next few months. He's been getting loads of online attention. Below is Andy Mckee - Drifting

I'm From Barcelona Myspace
Andy McKee Myspace

Praise the drummer

2007-09-09T12:17:00.000Z

I have no idea how this Cadburys advert relates to the product in any way, but it's still a great advert!

I love it and it motivated me to do a piece on drummers. Since the track on the advert was Genesis the obvious place to start is Phil Collins. Below is an amazing 6 minute duet with Chester Thompson.

Whilst researching this post I looked up a number of drummers from big bands of recent years. I tried to decide upon one to put show a video of. In the end I picked none of them and instead went for Stevie Wonder. Ok, it's not the tightest piece of drumming you will ever hear, but it's pretty damn hot, and it's STEVIE WONDER!

Below are two videos of the 1990s, who were ace at Wireless this summer. The drums are the engine of this band, which combined with some catchy rifts makes for some damn good songs.

Above: You Made Me Like It
Below: See You At The Lights (New single)

1990s Myspace

If you want more drums scroll down and check out Cerians previous piece on Danananakroyd.

odds and ends

2007-08-27T09:22:00.000Z

Sorry for the lack of posts recently, I have been a busy boy. I'm in a massive hurry so I'm going to keep the chat to a minimum and the music to the max.

At the moment I'm mainly loving the discordant joys of the Dresden Dolls. Their songs include every ear jarring chord known to man, but some how manage to combine them in such a way as to end up with enchantingly edgy musical masterpieces.

Above: Dresden Dolls - Girl Anachronism

Like that? Watch Dresden dolls - Backstabber

Moving in a completely different direction, I have been meaning to write about Tellison for ages. I saw them at the Huckster Club in London a while back and was very impressed. Here are a few videos to wet your appetite.

Above: Tellison Tour Montage A La New York
Below: Tellison - Reader

Since I'm here I may as well mention that Scouting For Girls next single 'She's so Lovely' is out next Monday. The video is below, go and buy it!

As if all of this isn't enough, we're sponsoring another event!

Kiss My Face Events

Dresden Dolls Myspace
Tellison Myspace
Scouting For Girls Myspace

funk off, jazz on

2007-08-10T23:09:00.000Z

Firstly, apologies that it’s so long since my last post; I’ve been on holiday, graduated, went on holiday again and been job hunting since we last spoke!

I’m going to jump straight in with tales of the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia. Expectations were high, following a solid performance by Sergio Mendes at last year’s festival. I hadn’t had time to check the lineup, so arrived not knowing what to expect. The band we saw is called Funk Off. Wow, they were sensational. This 15 piece band (verging on full orchestra) is known for playing Jazz on the streets of Italy. On their website it is said that Funk Off are "probably the most exciting street band in Italy at the moment". This is contender for understatement of the year. Unwilling to confine themselves to a stage, the band snuck around the back of the audience in the town square and started the set whist marching through the audience, in to the back stage area, finishing the song on stage to rapturous applause. Carnival atmosphere and spectacular, free flowing jazz followed. This band is a unique visual and aural phenomenon, which you have to experience to appreciate.

Below is a 45 second clip of a street performance at the festival, followed by an 8 minute long full parade for those of you with more stamina!

Check out the band here - Funk Off

Having returned from Italy, my next stop was the equally glamorous Derby, where I was impressed by Komakino and The Strand Arcade. Myspace links are below so you can check them out for yourselves. Derby seems to have a habit at the moment of generating a lot of very good indie bands, all of which seem to struggle in obtaining excellence. Hopefully these bands will have what it takes to break that habit.

Komakino
The Strand Arcade

Dot-To-Dot

2007-07-16T13:10:00.000Z

After a disappointing day of trudging through wind and rain to watch mediocre performances from a bunch of bands currently being hyped to death by Radio One, and staring in boredom at one-hit crazes, unable to sing along, I stumbled into a small, semi-crowded room feeling cold, miserable and in need of pizza. A band I’d not heard of was about to play and I decided to join the other 5 people waiting patiently for them to begin. Expecting more disappointment I began to send a text as they started their set. Poor guys, no-one wants to play to an empty room. But as I began to listen I was hit with a joyous sense of relief, and I’m guessing I wasn’t alone as by the end of the first song all the people who had previously been milling around the bar, ignorant of the band quietly setting up in a dark corner, were now crowded behind me and I was pressed against the barriers. In a thick Glaswegian accent the singer shouted “WE… ARE… THE PHYSIIIIIICS!”

40 minutes of rehearsed, perfectly timed, madness followed. Self described as ‘mutant science punk rock’ their sound leaps from poppy punk to an Interpol-esque darkness, and jumps, stomps and thrashes about along all the stages in between. Lyrically, We Are The Physics aren’t trying to change the world; just simple yet fun and quirky lines delivered among various shouts, screams and Buddy Holly style hiccups. They embrace the catchy riffs and musical make-up of The Futureheads, only to fuse it with the craziness and electronic zaps of guitar reminiscent of Melt Banana and the fast, excited rhythms of Polysics. Their combination of dark guitar, poppy melodies and catchy drumming, with the quality of their performance is sure to set We Are The Physics up for greater things. Rehearsed to perfection and completely in sync with each other as lead singer Michael jumped around the stage, confident but not arrogant, and executed humorous tomfoolery with faultless comic timing. After the gig my companions and I all agreed that these guys had put on such a performance that they alone made up for the festival ticket price, and as students paying £25 that’s some feat.

Above: Vanity. The split single “Fear of Words/Vanity” is currently available to buy.

We Are The Physics are signed to small Glaswegian label One Records, have just finished touring with Art Brut and have also recently supported Vincent Vincent & the Villains and Polysics. With two singles already released and an album in the pipeline all that is left is to wait with anticipation to see where these guys end up, and to support them along the way at as many gigs as possible of course!

Check them out on their myspace (although it doesn’t do their live performance justice):

As for my final thought… for any ladies reading this, I never thought I’d say that guys in school uniform are a turn on, but trust me; lead singer Michael looks undeniably hot! ;-)

Words by Miss Charlotte Emily Bennett

The Needles the Space

2007-06-23T15:40:00.000Z

"The Needles the Space" is the second full-length album form Long Island quartet Straylight Run, following their 2004 debut self-titled LP and 2005 EP "Prepare to Be Wrong".

The album starts off with "The Words We Say", a soft, mid-tempo track that would not be out of place on Radiohead's "The Bends" album, and from the first verse the intertwining harmonies of the Nolan siblings, John and Michelle, which have become one of the hallmarks of Straylight Run's sound, are demonstrated to the listener, with great effect. The album is a progression in many ways for the band, not only in terms of being their first release since parting company with Victory Records, having now signed with the Universal Republic label, but also role-wise within the band, with Michelle now taking a fuller part vocally in the band than in previous Straylight releases - highlighted by her lead performances on the tracks "The Miracle That Never Came", "How Do I fix My Head?", "Cover Your Eyes", "Still Alone" and "This Is The End". This is however not to understate John's impetus in the band and the record. His impressive vocal range and powerful delivery are showcased in many songs on the album, in particular the lead single from the album "Soon We'll Be Living In The Future". This song, sure to become a fan favourite is physically impossible to not tap feet and sing along to after just one listen.

Musically too "Needles The Space" is a progression for Straylight Run, with a wide range of styles, beats and instrumentation, relying less heavily on the piano to drive their songs than on their previous works. For example the album features a polka-like feel in part of the song "Still Alone", as well as various tracks including parts played by cellos, clarinets, mandolins, trombones, saxophones and trumpets, as well as the standard piano, guitar, bass and drum line-up. This is not to say that the album is a an over-produced affair, with some songs, such as "Buttoned Down" and "Cover Your Eyes" being very much stripped down with little more than vocals and acoustic guitar. The lyrical content also is wide-ranging, leaving the listener intrigued to listen over again.

"The Needles the Space" is certainly a more technically advanced record than the band's previous work and many of the songs are significantly differently sounding than a lot of their previous material, whilst at the same time the record should still appeal to the bands existing fan-base as well enable them to gain more new fans. It is also one of those records that is good on a first listen, but is improved by every subsequent play thorough, which reveals new things that had previously not been noted by the listener, which is what turns a good record into a great record.

Straylight Run Website
Straylight Run Myspace

Words by Ben Priest

An End Has A Start

2007-06-22T16:32:00.000Z

I’m a very happy man. Editors are my favourite band of the last couple of years and, with this their second album, have produced the masterpiece of which I knew they were capable. ‘An End Has A Start’ transcends their debut ‘The Back Room’, in all areas. Building on that solid foundation of songcraft, and using the lessons learnt to explore their abilities and reaching out for new clarity and expression.

Editors announced their arrival on the music scene in 2005 with the maxim “we’re misery on the dancefloor”, and it served them brilliantly. The stream of singles which Kitchenware Records kept unleashing in their concerted effort to put Editors’ name on everybody’s lips, were consistent in that intent. Like the very best dance music, Editors are rhythmically complex yet sublimely simple. Tom Smith’s deadpan yet mournful vocal delivery, using much repeat phrasing so reminiscent of that indie-dance granddaddy, New Order’s ‘Blue Monday’, fuses perfectly with the angular, sustain-drenched guitar lines dripping from Chris Urbanowicz’s black Rickenbacker. Everything else serves to drive home this dancefloor message, and like all the best things of outward immediacy, the true complexity behind this band, the swelling choruses, lyrics full of hope in despair, are there to be discovered when you’re intently listening to it at home and away from the club.

For my money, Editors have the same musical juxtaposition that The Smiths possessed – the inspired fusing of soaringly beautiful guitars and morose lyrical subject matter. But here, Morrissey’s Mancunian matter-of-factness gives way to a searching lyricism that sounds like myth being created before your ears. Here are lyrics that seem so profound they might echo through time, even if you’ve only just heard them. This, to me, is perhaps the single biggest reason this band get compared to Joy Division, because outside of a certain similarity to Ian Curtis’ own faux-monumental wordplay, they share little in common. The overall sound is very different, with the sparse claustrophobia of Martin Hannett’s production eclipsed by the overwhelming sound we have here. Where Joy Division were emasculated urban alienation, Editors are entirely at home, gushing with all the emotions of 2007 in every chorus.

Here is truly a band who not only how to write a chorus but show it off too. The skill of arrangement these days often seems like a lost art, the MTV-friendly loud/soft aesthetic being all-pervasive since ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ ruled everything. Instead, here is a band who, with producer Jacknife Lee, sculpt songs with swelling reverb fields of guitars or bass, judicious use of multitrack dubbing or, when required, simple silence. Even the gap between songs sounds measured and intentional.

Above: Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors

The drumming on this album deserves a new paragraph. It’s like this all too easily ignored instrument goes through a journey on each song, building from gently tom-tom pattering to some of the most urgent, driving drumming I’ve heard for years. We might journey from crisp precise Bloc Party-esque beats to a spacious wash to match the build-up of the guitar parts. This is an epic record, with the entire band playing equal parts and the drummer no less equal.

In recent interviews, the band themselves were talking along much the same lines. The debut album had the songs, but this time they’ve managed to somehow bottle more of their incandescent live feel and that unique sculpted wall of sound they project. They sound like they enjoyed every second of making it too – the bastards.

Editors Website
Editors Myspace

Words by Charlie at Left Legged Pineapple

Scouting For Girls

2007-06-08T02:20:00.000Z

Last Saturday I took the advice of Cerian (who is swiftly becoming one of my favourite musical genii) and went to see Scouting For Girls in Nottingham. The live show was so good I am now in the process of attempting to book the band. In fact, I liked them so much I even bought a t-shirt (despite being male and therefore already owning over a million t-shirts)!

Above: Airplane Song

I guess it would probably be quite easy for the average indie-scenster to dismiss Scouting For Girls as a forgettable or novelty band. But to do that you would be letting them down, you would be letting me down and most of all you would be letting yourself down...

Here is a band that craft pop songs that are so deeply catchy, they will have you humming along in a matter of moments. The music is light hearted, well written and fun. It’s not trying to be groundbreakingly new or ‘the next big thing’. It’s just immensely enjoyable.

Above: James Bond Song (live)

Live, Scouting For Girls give the kind of tight performances only achieved by a band that have been playing together for years. There's guaranteed to be masses of energy and people grinning and dancing continuously from the start of the set. And that goes for the band too, who’s lack of pretension is welcomed and reciprocated.

Roy, Greg and Pete are (lovely) normal guys ready to take on the world and make them smile. With the popular media jumping on their bandwagon (they’re currently on the playlists of many top radio stations, including Radio 1 and 2) you can count on hearing more from this troop in the not so distant future.

Join the wolf cubs at the website to get free stuff!

Myspace
Website

Content by Cerian.

CDs vs mp3s

2007-06-06T01:49:00.000Z

Ok, the decline in CDs is largely due to internet piracy, but it is also partly because people tend to want mp3s these days and only want the CDs of their favourite artists. Peoples buying habits are changing, just as people wanted CDs instead of tapes in the 90’s. So assuming I want a new album in mp3 format, what’s the easiest way to go about it?

Lets face the issue head on; people can and do steal mp3s. Therefore, the record labels have a very difficult task of trying to sell something which is widely available for free. Luckily there are lots of people out there who are willing to do the right thing and pay for music. "Problem solved" I hear you say; sell the ‘free’ mp3s to those who will buy them. Yes, some people will still steal them, but lots of people will buy them. Sadly the problem was not solved like this. The major record companies decided not to simply sell mp3s. They decided to do something horrendously stupid in making the paid downloads less attractive than the free ones. Welcome to DRM.

Digital rights management software is embedded in the legally downloaded mp3 file. It means that you will be limited in how many times you can copy the file to CDs and to other computers. Some DRM also ties mp3s to particular brands of mp3 player. So if I own two mp3 players (e.g. a 60gb one and a 2gb one for the gym) I can’t put the song on both. And the record labels wonder why people keep stealing downloads instead of buying! The aim of DRM is to stop you buying a track and copying it for all your friends. Maybe a bit of stealing is a good thing. If I steal an mp3 which I wouldn't have otherwise bought and like it so much I buy 3 albums by that band, the record label wins. It doesn't work like that though; by limiting these minor copyright infringements labels are generating larger ones. People don’t like the restrictions on legal mp3s, so are illegally downloading on mass. DRM is fueled by greed and it has backfired horribly.

Apples DRM software is ironically called FairPlay.

An mp3 version of the album (complete with lovely DRM) is likely to cost around £7.99 on iTunes or similar. Selected new release CDs cost from £7.99 on play.com. For the same price you get a physical item, with all the packaging and artwork sleeves. Tracks are of a higher sound quality than mp3. There is no file protection, so you can back-up the CD to unlimited computers, mp3 players etc. You can also lend the CD to your friends. All of these things you won’t always be able to do with a protected mp3 file.

So not only have the labels made legal downloads less attractive than illegal downloads, they’ve also made them less attractive than CDs. It’s an odd decision, given that the costs of distributing CDs are large compared to mp3s. They have managed to make legal download sites the last port of call for music fans. This is yet another example of the music industry attempting to hold on to an outdated business model.

The flow of illegal, free music will be slowed at some point in the next 10 years. Something has to give. Maybe it will be the record labels. Maybe the retailers will persuade them to drop DRM. Personally I think DRM will largely stay, and people will continue to steal because of DRM. Only the death of the CD will signal the decline in illegal downloads. If an track is released ONLY as a DRM protected download there will be no unprotected versions of the files in the public domain and no mass sharing (until someone finds a way around DRM and the next chapter begins!)

At the end of the day, stealing music is wrong. Support the artists you love and pay for their music, but don’t get ripped off; buy it on CD.

The fight against DRM
Time Magazine DRM story

Bush bashing!

2007-06-04T17:33:00.000Z

We had a go at Margaret Thatcher previously (see the Frank Turner post) and thought it was about time that we had a pop at George W Bush. Nathan Asher and the Infantry are the band providing the political commentary. Below is the video and mp3 for 'The Last Election'.

The Last Election mp3 | Buy

If you prefer your music without a political slant, try these songs. Turn up the faders is particularly good, especially considering they are currently an unsigned band.

Turn Up The Faders mp3 | Buy
Animal Instincts mp3 | Buy
A Hole In The Desert mp3 | Buy

An additional track is available at the bands myspace page.

Myspace
Website

Lots of gigs :-)

2007-05-31T17:10:00.000Z

I've not got much time at the moment so it's just a quick gig run down today.

Last week I went on a scouting mission for my record label to see Black Cherry. They were a really good live act, but I'm yet to hear anything recorded which shows how good they were. Below is the video for 'Who's Your Enemy'.

The headliners on the night were The Wombats who put on quite a show. Having started with an acapello rendition of Girls, Boys & Marsupials (which they had rehearsed on the toilet) they continued to use their trio of vocals to stunning effect. Their next single (below) is 'Kill The Director'.

Coming up on Saturday (Nottingham), Scouting For Girls. This band create brillianly innocent sounding love songs; and "I love the way she makes me druel, I think you're beautiful" is a great lyric. Below is the video for 'It's Not About You'.

One gig which I will have to miss (due to needing to do some work towards my finals) is The Films. The video below is for 'Belt Loops'. This is a classic dirty little indie song.

Black Cherry Myspace
The Wombats Myspace
Scouting For Girls Myspace
The Films Myspace

Mercenary Rhymes

2007-05-22T00:52:00.000Z

Mercenary Rhymes are Rob Sandall and Andrew Futral. The easiest way to describe their sound is to give you a brief run down of their history. Rob recently worked on a B side for Dntel, who are a Jimmy Tamborello (Postal Service) side project band. Whilst we're on the subject of Postal Service off-shoots, you may also want to check out Figurine. Whilst not making music with Rob, Andrew plays with The Age Of Rockets. Combine the sounds of all these influences in a big mixing pot and Mercenary Rhymes is what comes out. My slightly interesting, but largely irrelevant, fact of the day is that the artwork for their new EP has been done by Frank Turner (formerly of Million Dead).

Above: Postal Service - Such Great Heights

Mercenary Rhymes Myspace
The Age Of Rockets Myspace
Dntel Myspace
Figurine Myspace
Postal Service Myspace

Ejectorseat

2007-05-19T19:52:00.000Z

A few weeks ago I was hunting for bands to book for a night I'm running in August. With so many bands looking for gigs, it was difficult to know where to start. The main problem faced by a band booker is that a band which sounds great in the studio can be weak live. The actual logistics of running a night are comparatively unimportant; the fate of the night is already designated as a success/failure as soon as you confirm that band. With this in mind, I sought the advice of friends on who they thought I should book. Having investigated a few bands, I decided to go for Ejectorseat, with Penfold Gate as support.

Above: Ejectorseat - What do they care | Buy

Lots of indie kids seem to be drifting in to nu-wave and dirty electro at the moment. Even the emo kids are listening to electro-popified tunes, courtesy of bands such as hellogoodbye. Don't get me wrong, I'm a bit of an electro slut myself on occasion and won't say no to a bit of musical filth on a night out. However, I wish that there were more bands who could integrate these synthy electro beats in to songs more subtly. By doing this bands can produce punchy songs, whilst maintaining the over-riding sound of classic indie-rock. This blend creates memorable, danceable indie classics. Ejectorseat are one such band who play riotous tunes which wake up the dance floor. Next time your out force the DJ to play one of their songs. Think Bloc Party meets Maximo Park and let your dancing shoes do the rest.

Ejectorseat - Attack, Attack, Attack (acoustic) | Download | Buy

Ejectorseat Myspace

Ejectorseat Website

Little Spitfire

2007-05-09T21:29:00.000Z

If you went to a gig having not heard this band play before, you could be forgiven for expecting to hear a bit of pop-punk or emo. Dressed head to toe in black, apart from the odd stripey tie and pair of red shoes, they do look like that kind of band. If you're one of those indie kids who run for the hills at the first mention of emo, don't get your jogging shoes on quite yet. These power-popping guitar wielders actually play rowdy rock tunes with epic bass lines and catchy lyrics.

Below is the video for 'If I Look I See You', which reminds me of the video for Queens of the Stone Age - Go With the Flow.

If I look I see You Download | Buy

Miss You Download | Buy

Say Hello Download | Buy

Silly Girl Download | Buy

Website
Myspace

Anyone up for a good sonic read?

2007-05-08T12:45:00.000Z

I hate genre labelling. I'm not very good at defining them or knowing which bands fit in where. (Guess I'll never work for NME then. Sigh.) Lets face it, all music is open to interpretation - thats what this site is all about. And so I offer up for your consideration, the genre defying GoodBooks.

Part indie, part emo, part pop, this is a band that lets you find in its music whatever you're looking for. For me its different everytime. So far its mostly been about the funk of 'Start/Stop' which includes some lovely dirty bass lines that make me want to dance every single time. However recently I have been fortunate enough to hear a few sample tracks from the forthcoming debut album, "Control" (you heard it here first kids!) and I have a new obsession, namely 'Beautiful To Watch'. Its just awesome. I've heard this track before on early recordings and at gigs and its never really blown me away. The album recording however makes it sound MASSIVE. The layers of this track build gradually and by the time the drums come crashing in, its taken you over. Completely. And the rest of the tracks work similarly, showcasing the considerable talent of each member, talent that is glaringly obvious during GoodBooks live shows. First time I saw them, all four members stepped away from their instruments and mics, and started the next song singing acapella, in harmonies and then in rounds. Brilliant.

However, what I love about this band more than anything is that they seem to appeal to such a variety of people. Pretty much everyone I've played tracks to have loved them. (Currently playing the CD at work and people are looking confused and involuntarily exclaiming 'I love this... Why do I love this?') So do yourself a favour and check them out. I can almost guarantee you'll like at least one song, no matter what you're looking for. Think I'm wrong? Think I'm right? Hit the comment button below. But in my opinion, GoodBooks are going to be best sellers for sure...

The Illness, above, was out yesterday | Buy

Website
Myspace

Content by Cerian.

Frank Turner

2007-05-04T15:49:00.000Z

I had the pleasure of sitting in on Frank Turner recording a set for radio this afternoon. Formerly of Million Dead, Frank's sound has moved towards folk & country since going it alone. When watching Frank play, it is clear he's passionate about writing songs and playing music. It is this passion which flows in to the songs and makes them the masterpieces they are. Below is the video for 'The Real Damage', which is out on Monday.

The Real Damage - EP | Buy

Sleep is for the Week - Album | Buy

I couldn't write a post on Frank without mentioning this song. Below is a live version of 'Thatcher Fucked the Kids'.

Anyone who has known me for more than a week has probably had to listen to a rant about Margaret Thatcher at some point. The lyric "blame the folks who sold the future for the highest bid, that's right, Thatcher fucked the kids" perfectly summarises my feelings on the iron lady.

The set will be broadcast on 2 Hours BC, on LCR next Wednesday at 9pm. You can listen to the radio station live here or on 1350am.

Frank Turner Myspace

2 Hours BC

2007-05-03T15:35:00.000Z

Last night I had the honour of picking a few tracks to play on Barry and Charlotte's radio show 2 Hours BC. These guys play a blend of post-rock and indie tunes, specialising in new & underground music.

My song choices were:

Data.select.party - she's an eyeful on the alley | Myspace
David & The Citizens - New Direction | Myspace
The Diggs - Everyone's Starting Over (Cassettes Won't Listen Remix) | Myspace

I've blogged about Data.select.party and David & The Citizens in the past but haven't mentioned The Diggs, so here's a live video to feast your eyes upon.

The show is on the old wireless at 1350AM and online at lcr1350.co.uk every Wednesday from 9pm.

LCR 1350 Website

2 Hours BC Myspace

Azwel

2007-04-25T23:04:00.000Z

Having slaved at my computer all day today, I was after some melodic indie-pop to listen to this evening. My needs were met by the soft sounds of Azwel. This one man and his guitar act is New Yorker Jason Perrillo. Since 2003, Jason already has independantly produced 7 albums and has a load of b-sides under his belt too!

Make It Known - MP3 Download

The songs strongly reflect a number of brit-pop influences, to the extent that at times it feels like the notes got lost on their way to that 80's/90's era. I promised myself never to use the word 'nice' in a review, but Azwel is nice. Unfortunately for Azwel, nice is a word people use to describe things which they like, but aren't sufficiently interested in to merit thinking of more advanced adjectives.

Most of Aswell's music can be downloaded, completely free and legally from his official website.

Azwell Website
Azwell Myspace

Thou Shalt not read NME

2007-04-22T19:24:00.000Z

Dan le sac VS scroobius pip - Thou Shalt always Kill

We like this. We like this a lot. Mr.DJ, please play this at your disco!

Thou shalt not steal if there is direct victim.
Thou shalt not worship pop idols or follow lost prophets.
Thou shalt not take the names of Johnny Cash, Joe Strummer, Johnny Hartman, Desmond Decker, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix or Syd Barret in vain.
Thou shalt not think that any male over the age of 30 that plays with a child that is not their own is a peadophile… Some people are just nice.
Thou shalt not read NME.
Thall shalt not stop liking a band just because they’ve become popular.
Thou shalt not question Stephen Fry.
Thou shalt not judge a book by it’s cover.
Thou shalt not judge Lethal Weapon by Danny Glover.
Thall shalt not buy Coca-Cola products. Thou shalt not buy Nestle products.
Thou shalt not go into the woods with your boyfriend’s best friend, take drugs and cheat on him.
Thou shalt not fall in love so easily.
Thou shalt not use poetry, art or music to get into girls’ pants. Use it to get into their heads.
Thou shalt not watch Hollyoakes.
Thou shalt not attend an open mic and leave as soon as you're done just because you’ve finished your shitty little poem or song you self-righteous prick.
Thou shalt not return to the same club or bar week in, week out just ’cause you once saw a girl there that you fancied but you’re never gonna fucking talk to.
Thou shalt not put musicians and recording artists on ridiculous pedestals no matter how great they are or were.
The Beatles - Were just a band.
Led Zepplin - Just a band.
The Beach Boys - Just a band.
The Sex Pistols - Just a band.
The Clash - Just a band.
Crass - Just a band.
Minor Threat - Just a band.
The Cure - Just a band.
The Smiths - Just a band.
Nirvana - Just a band.
The Pixies - Just a band.
Oasis - Just a band.
Radiohead - Just a band.
Bloc Party - Just a band.
The Arctic Monkeys - Just a band.
The next big thing - Just a band.
Thou shalt give equal worth to tragedies that occur in non-English speaking countries as to those that occur in English speaking countries.
Thou shalt remember that guns, bitches and bling were never part of the four elements and never will be.
Thou shalt not make repetitive generic music
Thou shalt not make repetitive generic music
Thou shalt not make repetitive generic music
Thou shalt not make repetitive generic music
Thou shalt not pimp my ride.
Thou shalt not scream if you wanna go faster.
Thou shalt not move to the sound of the wickedness.
Thou shalt not make some noise for Detroit.
When I say “Hey” thou shalt not say “Ho”.
When I say “Hip” thou shalt not say “Hop”.
When I say "he say, she say, we say, make some noise" - kill me.
Thou shalt not quote me happy.
Thou shalt not shake it like a polaroid picture.
Thou shalt not wish your girlfriend was a freak like me.
Thou shalt spell the word “Pheonix” P-H-E-O-N-I-X not P-H-O-E-N-I-X, regardless of what the Oxford English Dictionary tells you.
Thou shalt not express your shock at the fact that Sharon got off with Bradley at the club last night by saying “Is it”.
Thou shalt think for yourselves.
And thou shalt always kill.

You break my heart, I’ll break your arms

2007-04-21T00:00:00.000Z

Someone recently said to me “the only good band to come out of Loughborough is the Young Knives”. This isn’t true; the Young Knives are technically from Ashby-de-la-Zouch. However, the statement may soon be inaccurate on a second count. Penfold Gate (a misspelling of a street in the town) are getting plenty of local attention and are surely soon destined to break free from the overcrowded Loughborough music scene. The fact that they haven't been signed already is baffling.

'Here It Is' - Download

I challenge anyone to listen to ‘Here It Is’ and resist the temptation to tap their foot. The song opens with a snappy, danceable drum beat and bass line. The guitar builds charmingly, moving in to an anthemic chorus which longs for the listener to sing along. This infectious tune will one day be belted out at indie discos across the land. My personal favourite ‘Alive In Years’ shows both lyrical and musical maturity which you don’t expect from such a new band. The new songs show considerable promise too. As if this wasn't enough, as a live act Penfold Gate exhibit technical ability (provided they're sober) to match their chemistry and enthusiasm.

Penfold Gate Myspace

Kiss My Face reviews

2007-04-18T14:51:00.000Z

Last night was Kiss My Face, in my home town of Gloucester, in the Shire. The night kicked off with a dose of hard rock, courtesy of Twisted Wings. This was followed up by the melodic indie stylings of JC's Revenge. Sadly I didn't get a chance to see much of their sets, but I managed to escape my duties on the door just in time to catch the second half of Glow Down's set (by which time Bradbury had already misplaced his shirt)!

Glow Down came with a reputation as crowd pleasers, and they certainly didn't disappoint. Shimmering drums and echoing guitar 'waa' create an eerie atmosphere in 'Apologies'. This band are masters of carefully crafted, slow building songs, which develop in to choruses which send the crowd reeling. Who knows what this band could achieve; but whatever they do, they are sure to have a load of fun along the way. If you live locally these lads are must see live act.

The headline act was The Syndicate. Damn these guys are good. The band played a varied set, showcasing their rock, metal and folk influences. The guitars seemed a little busy at times, but came in useful for powerful rock fueled choruses. 'Ghostdance' is a beautifully chilling, edgy song which is perfected by stunning vocals. It's also catchy enough to have been on constant repeat in my head for the last 24 hours. If you need any more convincing that these guys are cool, they have an accordion and they know how to use it!

Many thanks to all of the bands, staff at Crackers and everyone who came for making it a great night.

The Syndicate
Glow Down
JC's Revenge
Twisted Wings

Kiss My Face

2007-04-13T15:33:00.000Z

IndiEmo DJs will be spinning records between the bands at this event.

Tickets are £4 on the door.

The bands are as follows:

The Syndicate
JC's Revenge
Glow Down
The Washingline Defence
Twisted Wings

Its pronounced Dana -nana -naykroyd...

2007-04-12T14:29:00.000Z

Dananananaykroyd have two drummers. Two. This automatically makes them pretty damn exciting in my book. But there is much more to this band than just their number of members and unusual name. The music is (unsurprisingly) loud and fast and raw. It is aggressive but not angry, unpretentious but not bland. With shouty vocals, crushing guitar sounds and relentless beats, it is music to uninhibitedly jump around to. It demands to be played at maximum volume to a room crammed with sweaty people ready to go nuts from the very first note. And the Danannananaykroyd live show does not disappoint. This is a band that is explosive on stage and importantly, seem to enjoy every minute of it. Their energy and sense of fun is as infectious as their tunes. Because of this I was instantly converted into a fully fledged fan after seeing them perform, despite having no real prior knowledge of their music.

I finally managed to get my hands on their 'Japan only' release EP (cue much school girl like excitement) and 'Some Dresses' is the track that I keep playing over and over - check it out if you like shout-a-long intros and songs that seem to implode and then rebuild themselves in their duration. And did I mention they have TWO drummers? What's not to love?!

Website
Myspace

Content by Cerian.

There's nothing more entertaining than men in drag!

2007-04-11T22:06:00.000Z

Yesterday we went to see the Rocky Horror Show; how much fun is that! The cast, audience and whole experience were fantastic, if a little surreal. I've dressed in drag a number of times in the past (don't ask!) On this occasion I decided it was about time I looked damn cool instead, so I went as Eddie (played by Meatloaf in the film version). This costume also offered the bonus of being able to aquire a free leather jacket.

Everyone who has seen this photo has said I look like Gerard Way. Hmm, maybe. The whole experience has re-opened a question which has troubled me for a number of years... can I get away with wearing 'guy-liner' on a more frequent basis!? Any comments on this deeply troubling issue are welcome!

Whilst we're on the subject of dancing in dodgy clothes, I can't help posting this music video. It's just like being in the 80's again. It's the Wombats - Backfire at the Disco.

In between trips to the theatre this week I've been trying to prepare for a DJ set I'm doing next Tuesday (more details to follow soon). I'm trying to avoid allowing myself to listen to any stupidly obscure music and been digging out songs which people are more likely to be able to sing along to. One song which has been playfully bashing at my eardrums over the last few days is Charlotte by Air Traffic. The forthcoming tour with The Pigeon Detectives should be pretty damn hot. I was pleased to see that they've created a music video which is worthy of acompanying the song.

Great news, there's more eye candy today! We have some new art work.

Many thanks to Cerian for this aesthetic beauty. Check out her website.

The Wombats Website
The Wombats Myspace
Air Traffic Website
Air Traffic Myspace

How do you manage a turtle?

2007-04-05T15:04:00.001Z

I have no new bands to showcase today I'm afraid, so I thought I would do a post on general music issues. This is a class in band management.

New bands beware!

This link was brought to my attention in todays Lefsetz letter.

Subscribe to the Lefsetz Letter.

The Gig Party!

2007-04-02T23:20:00.000Z

Lets face it, most of us have been to a house party where, at silly o'clock in the morning after most of the (cheap) beer has been drunk, some joker will whip out an acoustic guitar and start serenading the remaining conscious revellers with poor indie covers. (I grew up in the age of Brit Pop. Painful.) But these days, the humble party is floundering and giving rise to a new entertainment phenomenon - the 'GigParty'.

A GigParty is pretty much what you would expect it to be. Musician(s) turning up at your house, setting up in your living room and playing a show for you and your friends. Sure, it seems scary at first when imagining your house filling up with your (slightly bemused) acquaintances, glancing at the instruments arranged around the edges of the room. To be honest, I never thought it would be an entirely comfortable scenario for anyone - audience and performers alike. In practice however, a GigParty is an amazing experience. It takes the excitement and spectacle of live music and makes it intimate, personal and really rather special. It makes it yours for that brief moment and it creates memories that will survive long after those of your average gig. Because its live music, two foot away from you, in your house. Mental.

Unconventional gig locations are becoming more and more popular with established artists too. Arcade Fire (above) and Get Cape.Wear Cape.Fly are just two examples of bands who've recently performed impromptu sets outside venues before or after shows, and Badly Drawn Boy did a tour of chip shops to promote his new album! I'm all for this kind of performance too - no booking fees or ticket touts, just people that make music and people that enjoy it, having fun together! Whats not to love? Plus it makes great stories to tell your grandkids one day...

My own GigParty (one of the best parties ever if I do say so myself...) involved the ace musical stylings of Luke Leighfield and Sam Isaac who've spent the last few months making the GigParty their own up and down the country, leaving a dedicated following in their wake. How can you not be dedicated when you've had someone play in your house?! Check them out. They'll probably come play at your house if you asked nicely - a BBQ tour is planned for the summer. And they're not the only ones. Check myspace for up and coming bands and acoustic artists to invite to your house - try Dave Hughes for example.

Below: Sam Isaac - Compass Scattered Love

Come on all, be part of the party revolution. It's honestly as cool as it sounds.

Luke Leighfield Myspace

Sam Isaac Myspace

Dave Hughes Myspace

Content by Cerian Absolom

I'm not sure if I'm ready to Uff

2007-03-29T21:48:00.000Z

About 6 months ago I saw pig magazines photo shoot with Uffie. That day, I came as close to falling in love as you possibly can via some coloured dots on a screen.

I listened to a few of her songs and wasn't overly impressed, so I resigned her to my large scrap heap of female artists who's music I don't like but I quite fancy. I'm not really in to the whole internet stalking thing, so I didn't anticipate ever thinking about Uffie again. This plan was going well until recently, when it seems that wherever I turned I was greeted by Uffie enthusiasts. Music bloggers, a girl in a bar, and a random guy in the street, all plugged her to me within a week.

All of this praise sent me scuttling back to the headphones... and back to the Pig photo shoot (purely for research purposes). I have to admit, it did sound a bit better second time around, but I'm still not entirely convinced that my eyes aren't trying to trick my ears!

Pig Photo Shoot

Uffie Myspace

Driving Songs

2007-03-28T11:50:00.000Z

I'm in a hurry and needed a quick post, so there's not many words today. Sorry! In order to create a rapid post, I took a a trip down memory lane. The songs below were all on the first tape I made for my car when I passed my driving test 4 and a bit years ago. The tape has sadly gone missing and I can't remember all the tracks, so there may be more of these posts to follow if my memory allows!

Above: Nine Days - 'Absolutely (Story Of A Girl)'
Below: Lifehouse - 'Hanging by a moment'

Below: Yellowcard - 'Everywhere' (Michelle Branch cover)
Sorry there's no video, it's just audio.

Is it just me....

2007-03-26T19:31:00.000Z

...or does the start of 'Bright Eyes - Four Winds' sound just like 'Santa Claus Is Coming To Town'?

Bright Eyes Myspace

Go ahead, call it a cocoon crash

2007-03-23T19:58:00.000Z

Last summer I toured Europe and the only country which I didn't like was Belgium (although I do like Tin Tin). It was just so dull. However, my opinion of Belgium went up this week when I saw the following piece of news. UEFA are set to investigate allegations that Belgium goalkeeper Stijn Stijnen threatened to deliberately injure Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo a in a qualifier. Usually I would be very against deliberate malice in football, but lets face it, nobody has liked the winking step-over monkey since his world cup antics.

Anyway, this got me thinking about Belgium and reminded me of K's Choice. Sadly the band split up in 2003; but they were a 5 piece rock band from Antwerp. I'm leaving for a gig in about 20 minutes so can't say much more... have a watch of the videos.

Above: Not an Addict
Below: Believe

Sarah and Gert are now both working on Solo projects.

K's Choice Website

SoKoGirl + SoKoBoy = MiaouMiaou

2007-03-22T02:44:00.000Z

I love SoKo. She has a very Bjork-esque innocent voice. If you could heard her voice without understanding the words you would assume she was singing about naive kittens wrapped in candy floss. The fact that she’s actually singing about a cold blooded revenge killing is what makes this song so great. She's like an acoustic Frankee!

Above: SoKo - I’ll kill her. (Only 23 views at the time of writing!)

I couldn't mention the impish Icelander and not show one of her amazing music videos.

Below: Bjork – All is full of love

SoKo Myspace

Bjork Myspace

Lets all move to Sweden

2007-03-21T14:27:00.000Z

I was having a debate with an American recently about who has better music industry, the UK or the US. I argued that all of the best indie and rock in the last few years has come from the UK. Just think of all the recent buzz bands from the UK that have got fans in a frenzy. America still has a long way to go to catch up with British music at the moment. We agreed to disagree on the matter until I said "of course I would put Sweden in second ahead of the US". It was a rash statement I know. I don't even really believe it; but it annoyed an American so it was worth saying!

There is a lot of good music coming out of Sweden at the moment though. Hello Saferide, I'm From Barcelona, Suburban Kids With Biblical Names, Love Is All and The Sounds, just to name a few. My latest Swedish pet is David And The Citizens. It's happy pop rock in places and melancholy in others. It sounds like Bright Eyes would if he ever woke up and decided to take a happy pill! I won't say too much more as I have a load of work to be getting on with. Have a listen and enjoy.

Above: Graycoated Morning
Below: New Direction

Or listen to some mp3s

Download A Heart & a Hand & the Love for a Band - Buy

Download Are You In My Blood? - Buy

David & The Citizens Myspace

I wish I was a lesbian so I could fall in love with you

2007-03-20T12:41:00.001Z

I have a soft spot for girls with guitars, and voices that make you melt. Often these artists lack musical substance and are guilty pleasures in my music collection. However, on this occasion I feel justified in my love for Hello Saferide. Following in the footsteps of ‘I’m From Barcelona’, this band are the latest twee exports from Sweden. So what makes this charmingly upbeat indie-pop band so different from the rest?

Download San Francisco Buy
Download Highschool Stalker Buy
Download Valentine Buy

Every song exhibits clever observations on love and life. The lyrical content of the songs is at times funny, sometimes in a subtly dark way. There is also a serious side though, with the comedy often fronting an emotionally explicit narrative on relationships. Annika Norlin certainly isn't afraid of sharing her vulnerabilities and insecurities with the audience, as seen in the video for ‘2006’. Below is the short for ‘My Best Friend’, a video which is as quaint as the band themselves.

You can catch the band in the UK on the following dates.

May 14: The Monto/Water Rats, London. Also playing: Maia Hirasawa.
May 15: The Monto/Water Rats, London. Also playing: Maia Hirasawa.
May 17: The Great Escape Festival, Brighton.

Hello Saferide Myspace

Villains steal the show

2007-03-18T15:29:00.000Z

I have already blogged about good shoes so wasn't planning on blogging about last nights gig. However, I was so impressed by support act Vincent Vincent and the Villains, I feel I have to. I have listened to the band before but only got hooked after last nights gig. They simply offer good old fashioned rock and roll.

The video above for the song 'Johnny Two Bands' which is about Charlie Waller who left the band to form the Rumble Strips.

VV & The V Myspace

La Blogotheque

2007-03-12T00:03:00.000Z

Advertising other peoples sites is probably a bad move from a marketing point of view, but this is just too good not to share. Many thanks to Stu for pointing me in the direction of La Blogotheque's YouTube profile. They have their own site at blogotheque.net but it's probably best to stick to the videos unless you can read French. Basically they film great bands doing secret gigs in the streets and put them on the internet for free.

Above is the Guillemots using a lamppost as a drum. Tapes 'n Tapes, Spinto Band and I'm From Barcelona are amongst the other highlights. I live in the hope that one day I will stop to listen to a street artist and it will turn out to be Fyfe Dangerfield / Ben Gibbard / Chris Carrabba or someone similar.

La Blogothque Youtube Profile

We love/hate The Horrors!

2007-03-07T14:03:00.000Z

The recipients of praise in Charlie’s last post were The Horrors. It seems that most people either love them or hate them. We can see from Charlie’s review that he likes them; however I’m far from impressed. I’ve listened to the album and have tried to like it, but to no avail. I was left struggling to see how they have gained so much positive attention in certain magazines. I couldn’t help asking myself how they had managed to get on the front cover of NME last year, without having released an album, and only having five songs at the time (of which only three were original material).

As a cynic, I would suggest that they have achieved this because they have been able to infiltrate the pretentious London scene with sickening ease. The band has successfully created an image to make them the 'band of the moment'. It’s amazing that all those skinny jeans haven’t hindered people from jumping on the bandwagon. The clique has spoken and it has said that it’s just too unfashionable to dislike The Horrors. This attitude of musical elitism means that a copy of their debut 7” single will cost you around £50 on EBay. Incase you don’t know it; the title is Sheena is a Parasite. The chorus goes like this:

Sheena is a Parasite
Sheena is a Parasite
Sheena is a Parasite
Sheena is a Parasite

Charlie argues that lyrical simplicity isn’t always a bad thing. Dumb is the word here, hard-wired to a part of the brain that bypasses normality – and the Horrors are a celebration of that. The sheer ridiculousness of rock and roll. Let’s compare their words to Little Richard’s Tutti Frutti, arguably one of the most vital records in the history of rock n roll:

A Wop-bop-a-loo-mop alop-bam-boom
Tutti Frutti, on rootie
Tutti Frutti, on rootie
Tutti Frutti, on rootie
Tutti Frutti, on rootie
Tutti Frutti, on rootie
Awop-bop-a-loo-mop alop bam boom

You see there isn’t much difference here in terms of meaningful content or repetition. The words are nothing more than another instrument on the one hand, and a celebration of sheer exuberance on the other.

I don’t think it’s an accident that legendary director Chris Cunningham chose to break a seven year hiatus in directing music vids to direct the promo for Sheena. He said that he had become somewhat obsessed with the song.

There is a strong PR machine attached to every single band that comes along. Every single artist today has the backing of a PR machine that tries to market that band to a particular demographic. The Horrors visual identity is particularly striking, and I think is just sharper and more ‘obvious’ than many other bands. I don’t even think theirs is an image that is particularly trendy at the moment, just really different. (No-one has used that organ sound since the Inspiral Carpets in the early 1990s) And in a sea of samey bands, many of whom still have that chingchingching Strokes kinda sound, it just really makes them stand out.

I have to agree that there have been many great songs which have been founded upon a simple chorus and often ridiculous lyrics. Similarly, many great bands have relied on PR and image to thrive. The reason I specifically dislike The Horrors is because they get excessive media attention for very little musical talent. If you like the music then the marketing machine is simply good promotion. If you don't like the music, then all of the other stuff appears to be their only merit. It's the people who fall for the marketing (NME readers must be especially singled out here) who create the popular bands with no musical substance to justify their media hype.

The reason they got on the cover of the NME last year was probably because they had the best haircuts. To underestimate the power of the haircut in pop is a dangerous thing. The haircut is the single most iconic part of image, and it is image that drove mersey-beat, glam, punk, new-romanticism, brit-pop etc etc. No-one took any notice of the Beatles lyrics until Revolver, but their image sold them to the world four years before that. I’m not comparing the Horrors to the Beatles, but you get my point?

It is certainly true that image drove all of those genres, but the engine was still good music. The Horrors lack this engine and are currently freewheeling, having being given a push start by the music press.

Despite my disdain, I do believe that someone in The Horrors has considerable talent. Sadly, I believe that it’s is the guy who runs their PR machine. It is said that any publicity is good publicity. Never is this truer than right now. I should stop writing. I can’t though. The overwhelming sense of the unfairness of popular, fashionable bands fuels my ranting.

The fact that we are having this conversation says much about this band. I wouldn’t be having this discussion over Coldplay, put it that way!

Pop has always depended heavily on the dealings of management. Sex Pistols with Malcom McLaren, The Clash with Bernie Rhodes, Elvis Presley with Tom Parker, The Beatles with Brian Epstein, Kit Lambert with The Who – all are unforgettable artists whose image was just as important, if not more so, than the music. One of my biggest problems with so much modern music is the lack of theatricality that surrounds it. There seems to be so much emphasis on ‘cool’ these days that people seem to forget how much power is derived from the frivolous and the downright silly. I’m not talking about The Darkness here, or any other sort of piss-take music. Every band I mentioned above were deadly serious about their intentions, but never forgot that rock n roll is primarily about entertainment, about forgetting the shit world we inhabit and the day to day drudgery. Pure escapism. Pure rock and roll!

So yeah, musical talent be damned! I never mentioned anything like that in my piece, and I dare say that much of the ‘inventiveness’ I discussed was brought to the table by the producer anyway. It’s only the end result I was listening to. Those are my feelings.

Charlie and I have decided that we respectively do & don't like their music. Having made these judgments we then see the surrounding hype very differently; as a good promotion / as a poor substitute for talent. I take solace in the knowledge that Charlie has made his decision using his ears not a copy of NME. However, many people are not so wise. These people are the ones who see the hype and decide they like a band because it's cool to do so, regardless of the music. Don’t be one of them, throw away your pre-conceptions, click the link below, close your eyes, sit back and make your decisions based on musical talent; or the lack of it.

The Horrors Myspace

Give me The Horrors

2007-03-06T23:57:00.000Z

Before you peruse these next few sentences, please be aware of one thing. In my perhaps twisted opinion, any band which features a Vox/Farfisa organ in their instrumental line-up is automatically in the front ranks of music-making. Forget the brain-bending guitar antics of yer Hendrix, just give me that Vox Continental tone every time; there’s nothing like it.

That said, the much-anticipated debut album ‘Strange House’ from Junk Club impresarios The Horrors doesn’t just excite me in its use of cutting edge 1960s keyboard technology. It is nothing less than a short, sharp assault on the senses. My vinyl copy has been spinning away on the turntable here all day, with me happily turning it over every few minutes for another fix.

Some writers seem to have missed the point of this album. “It’s not serious enough” is one criticism I have seen leveled at the album. Sorry, but if you want to misunderstand the point of rock n roll in all of it’s glorious stupidity and joyous theatricality then you might as well give up and become a Tool fan. The Horrors aren’t doing social commentary. They weren’t borne from the confines of or meant for bedroom analysis, but in a club. They are meant to be good fun. If they get laid lots in the process, then everybody wins, right?

That’s not to say there isn’t plenty of intelligence hidden behind those bowl-cut fringes. The eleven short tracks here roar by with a real ferocity, but they are welded together with something else entirely. Their now infamous 60s garage sound is used here as a basis. Whereas so many bands are purely retro-copyists aping a sound they love with no further creativity, The Horrors use that sound as a basis and then layer it with endless invention. Whether that be in use of feedback, distortion, arrangement, time-signature changes or just general tone, they make each song a sheer thrill to listen to over and over. Unlike many new bands, The Horrors know how to use light and dark in their music, it gives their songs momentum and drive. It’s exciting like a good scary movie; you kinda expect what’s coming next, but it’s the subtle changes to the formula that get you in the end.

’Strange House’ isn’t a mission statement. If we indulge in The Horrors rules and take rock n roll at its most primitive and visceral level, then there can be nothing as pretentious as a mission statement. It’s just a fucking good debut album, with a Vox organ.

Above: Sheena Is A Parasite

The Horrors Myspace

Content by Charlie at left-legged pineapple.

Why not give blood, make love & don't think twice

2007-03-05T19:57:00.000Z

Quick, run to the shops now and get yourself a copy of the album 'A Tale of Two Cities' by Mr Hudson & the Library.

The quieter tracks on the album are melodic masterpieces. However this is much more than an album for a rainy Sunday morning. Mr. Hudson’s silky vocals are a soulful delight. If you like something a little more upbeat, this week’s release ‘Too Late, Too Late’ might make its way to the dance floor, if the mood suits.

Straight talking lyrics have drawn comparisons to The Streets and Plan B. My personal favourite is the lyrically astute Bread & Roses. The half spoken, half sung lyrics sit comfortably along side a tune of gorgeous simplicity.

Everyting about this band exudes class, cool and charisma. You would think it would get boring, being so flash. The album is in record shops today.

Mr Hudson Myspace

Epic Fields

2007-02-22T18:13:00.000Z

From Birmingham to London via Iceland come Fields, five piece purveyors of quality tone, smoochy feedback and plenny-o-harmonies. A healthy slab of synthiness adds layers to an already epic wall of guitars and reverb-heavy drums, a sound which I don't want to pigeonhole at all (that's the job of the NME, not IndiEmo ha!). Let me just say that it's truly staring-in-wonder-at-the-skies type music. Their songs emerging and descending from and into tunnels of reverb and overdubbed vocals that would appear to mark them out as studio experimenters.

Fans of Arcade Fire and Guillemots won't be disappointed here, and neither will fans of Ride, Pale Saints, Slowdive... you get the picture. Newly signed to Atlantic Records, yhey're on tour throughout the UK in April (with a list of gigs on their myspace, they should be essential giggery. If they can cut their sound live, they should be a formidable act for 2007.

Above is the video for 'Song for the fields'.

Fields Website

Fields Myspace

Content by Charlie at left-legged pineapple.

something a bit quieter

2007-02-19T19:20:00.000Z

The first time I saw Richard Walters perform was in a dingy, basement venue in the centre of Oxford awash with the smell of the neighbouring cosmetics shop and packed with pound-a-pint loving students. A slight, un-shaven man quietly crept onto stage whilst everyone obliviously found the bottom of their glasses and held conversations of outside world. Sat upon a rickety stool, legs arched inwards, head down, as close to disappearing into himself as he could muster, fingers gently started plucking and the room fell instantly silent. The way this stranger's delicate voice makes you stop dead in your tracks and the hairs on the back of your neck turn upwards is not too disimilar to the feeling you get when you first fall in love, and that's exactly what this is. Richard Walters is a 23 year old singer-songwriter born and raised in Oxford. He writes beautiful, fragile, acoustic songs which make you fall in love.

From his days in local band Theremin (Shifty Disco Records) to the current times of Oxford's premier solo artist, Richard's story is one of many triumphs and accomplishment. In the last two years he has written and recorded with long-time hero Bernard Butler, played the prestigious SXSW festival in Austin, Texas and toured the UK with Dave Matthews and Gemma Hayes as well as a handful of dates in Hong Kong. He has released an EP which gained much praise from Nic Harcourt on his LA based KCRW radio show, Morning Becomes Eclectic, and had one of his songs featued on the popular TV show CSI: Miami, receiving the biggest response CBS have ever had for a piece of music on their programme. On top of all this, Richard has formed two bands: Monoband with ex-Cranberries man Noel Hogan, and Missing Pieces with ex-22-20's frontman Charly Coombes.

'The Pilot Lights EP', set for release in February 2007 via Big Scary Monsters Records, was recorded in part by David Kosten (producer for Air Traffic, Iain Archer, Bat For Lashes and many more) and in part by Guy Sigsworth (ex-member of Frou Frou (along with Imogen Heap) and producer for Björk, Madonna, Lamb and others).

Download mp3: We Have Your Head - Buy

Richard Walters Myspace

-------------

Yndi Halda, meaning enjoy eternal bliss (which just so happens to be the name of the bands forthcoming debut EP), hail from the most Southern, Eastern tip of the UK. More joyous than Explosions In The Sky, less vocal than Arcade Fire, it's the kind of music which could soundtrack a moden day love story as easily as it could a mid-century war.

The three track demo version of the forthcoming EP was voted number two (above such genre luminaries as Sigur Ros, Explosions In The Sky, Pelican et al) in the top 50 instrumental albums of 2005 by Decoymusic.com, a reward which anyone would struggle to dispute upon listening to the record. With one beatiful soundscape after another, Yndi create something bigger than an emotional rollercoaster, it's more like a full-on mountain assualt through thick blizzards and incredible sunshine.

'Enjoy Eternal Bliss' released in February 2007 through Big Scary Monsters Records (UK), Burnt Toast Vinyl (USA), Xtal Records (Japan) and Avant Garden (Taiwan)

Download mp3 Dash And Blast - Buy

Yndi Halda Myspace

Content courtesy of Kev at Big Scary Monsters Records

data.select.party

2007-02-13T12:49:00.000Z

I've got in to a lot of new bands recently but it's been a while since I've had a full blown obsession with a band. A friend pointed me in the direction of data.select.party last week and from the moment I heard ‘She's An Eyefull On The Alley’ I was hooked. There are occasions when the worlds of indie-rock and dance-pop collide and something beautiful is born. This is one such occasion.

data.select.party myspace

gigtastic

2007-02-12T13:59:00.000Z

I’ve been a busy boy of late. The past four days have involved three successful meetings, three daytime strippers, three gigs, three hundred miles of driving and one transsexual.

The whole surreal experience started on Thursday at Patrick Wolf’s gig in Bristol. The fact that I was at a gig on a boat soon seemed normal in comparison to the bizarre choice of support act. The novelty value of the boob-mustache combo soon wore off and despite some catchy electro beats and charming lyrics; the bafflingly poor standard of vocal ability became clear.

Patrick himself didn’t disappoint. Glinting eyes, cheeky grins and costume changes created a spectacle of showmanship. Despite a forgotten lyric and the complete abandonment of one song the gig was still spectacular, reflected with the crowds’ insistence on a double encore.

Above: Patrick Wolf - Tristan

Saturday and Sunday night saw trips to the Academy in Birmingham, the first to see Bloc Party. It would be harsh to say that they did anything wrong, but it was just very standard. Constant messages from the band asking fans to ease the crush at the front killed the atmosphere somewhat. I’m all for the prevention of broken ribs but “please move back” isn’t a wonderfully motivating interchange between songs.

The stars of the night for me were support act Metric. I have always liked these indie-electro-poppers so it was great to see them for free. The simplicity of the guitar rifts and synth chords make the songs catchy and the lyrics and melody separate Metric from similar bands. By the end of the set the crowd was moving and a few crowd surfers took to the air.

Below is the video for Metric – Dead Disco.

Every time I go to an emo gig I end up feeling more like an old man. Luckily all the mini-emo kids allow me to get a clear view of the band; in this case Brand New. Support came from Philadelphia based mewithoutyou. Singer Aaron Weiss’ at first seemed a little edgy but the performance grew, culminating with a plethora of percussion.

Brand New played a long set, but seem to have left behind some of their older material.

Tonight… Guillemots in Nottingham.

You, Me And Everyone We Know

2007-02-03T00:36:00.000Z

This five piece band from Washington DC hail themselves as "the next somebody else". Their pop-rock sound has an undercurrent which you feel could just as easily stroll towards dance as it could towards punk. The danceable beats are reminiscent of Panic! at the Disco and the edginess of the vocals has led to comparisons with Say Anything.

The band are currently unsigned and have four free mp3s on their myspace page.

Band Myspace

Throw your undies on the stage, no wait, your underage!

2007-01-28T18:24:00.000Z

There are many bands whose name just fits them so perfectly, and Freezepop are one of those bands. They're also one of the most criminally underrated acts around at the moment, carving away at their own little electric heaven for a good few years now whilst the rest of the world swoons to the cult of personality which defines the likes of Goldfrapp.

The deadpan vocals of singer Liz Enthusiasm (yes I know!), harking back to the deliberately emotionally neutral style of the Flying Lizards, hints at Freezepop's mastery of this very new wave sound. And for all their electronic trappings, they come across as true indie-darlings in the making, their videos showcasing a wonderful DIY lo-fi aesthetic.

Due to one of the band-members' day job as an employee of Harmonix, the guys behind Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero, Freezepop are having their tiny profile raised by being included on these videogame soundtracks - but they should be seen on their own merits, as purveyors of unpretentious, fun, plain damn good pop music.

Freezepop Website

Content by Charlie at left-legged pineapple.

Ben Folds

2007-01-28T13:47:00.000Z

Further proof that Ben Folds is a musical genius.

He has also done excellent covers of the Cure, Dr Dre and Elton John.

Ben Folds Myspace

Xfm tips for 2007

2007-01-23T13:46:00.001Z

A friend recently pointed me in the direction of an article on the Xfm website. On the site, weekend breakfast host Marsha Shandur tips the hybrid genre IndiEmo to be the trend of 2007. She goes on to mention Dartz!, One Toy Soldier and Tellison as key bands in this genre.

Dartz! are probably the best known of the three. The instrumental and vocal elements of the songs switch between indie and emo, giving the band a varied sound. The bands wide ranging influences, from Arctic Monkeys to Taking Back Sunday, are reflected in the blend of sounds they create. They have already played with Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. and Hot Club De Paris.

Below is the video for St. Petersburg.

Dartz! can be found here www.myspace.com/darts

Having read Marsha’s comments I checked out the other bands at their myspace pages. Both bands are worth a listen.

Listen to One Toy Soldier here www.myspace.com/onetoysolider
Listen to Tellison here www.myspace.com/tellison

Whilst browsing Tellisons page I noticed that they were friends with Luke Leighfield. I have been meaning to do a post about Luke for a while as I went to school with him and know he’s an excellent pianist. His style of slowly building piano songs is bound to draw comparisons with Ben Folds and Ben Kweller.

Listen to Luke here www.myspace.com/simplylukeleighfield

Luke has also worked with Sam Isaac, who creates songs which strum your ears in the nicest possible way. Watch below or listen on his myspace.

Listen to Sam Isaac here www.myspace.com/samisaac

Jesus H Christ and the Four Hornsmen of the Apocalypse

2007-01-21T13:16:00.000Z

I won't say much about this band. After a minute of listening to them you will have decided if you love or hate them, so my words would be wasted. They're an 8 piece New York band who describe their lyrics as "horny and emotionally-bare". Some will say "not another novelty band", some will call it genius. Have a listen on their myspace and decide for yourself.

JHCatFHotA Myspace
JHCatFHotA Official Site

Best music videos of all time

2007-01-19T18:30:00.000Z

12) U.N.K.L.E (feat Thom Yorke) - Rabbit in Your Headlighs

11) Fat Boy Slim - Weapon of Choice

10) White Stripes - Fell in Love With a Girl

9) Queens of the Stone Age - Go With the Flow

8) Michael Jackson - Thriller

7) Coldplay - The Scientist

6) Ok Go - Here it Goes Again

5) Queen - I Want to Break Free

4) Weezer - Keep Fishin'

3) Aha - Take on me

2) Radiohead - Just

1) Blur - Coffee and TV

Left Legged Pineapples first post

2007-01-17T12:45:00.000Z

The Shins

Monday February 12th sees Sub-Pop's indie-wonders The Shins release their third studio album for the label, "Wincing the Night Away". A firm evolution of their trademark sound, the album thoroughly revels in the beat and folk traditions of the 1960s whilst remaining thoroughly modern and entirely relevant, standing out in today's heavily processed landscape of guitar music.

Sub-Pop, at the heart of the grunge scene of the early 1990s and staunch defenders of the 7" single, is the perfect home for this band and their twin attack of highly melodic songs coupled with no-nonsense technique sees the Shins finally emerge as true torchbearers for Sub-Pop, a label with the rare ability to constantly delight us with a steady supply of three minute gems. A perfect example of such is new single "Phantom Limb" preceding the album on 22 January, a beautiful melding of soaring harmonies and chiming guitars, that shows everyone how it can and should be done.

Shins myspace

Jet

After a three year hiatus, four piece antipodean beard-farmers Jet return into orbit on March 5th with "Shine On", the title track of their impending second album (release date TBA here in the UK, but already out in the states) on the Atlantic label.

If the single gives us any clue (as a single should), it would appear that the band are attempting to distance themselves from the the plain-speaking, unreconstructed Aussies that gave us such songs as "Cold Hard Bitch" from their debut "Get Born", opting instead for a much more laidback, perhaps even sophisticated approach which, coupled with a big new production, results in something not a million miles away from the lighter-waving antics of Embrace. If that statement hasn't stopped you reading this, then you might be pleased to know that the US single, "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is" provides much more of a ballsy crunch and hopefully is more symbolic of this new direction, retaining the hard rock roots of a band having grown up listening to undiluted AC/DC, whilst implanting studio tricks and production calling to mind acts like '70s studio pioneers 10cc. It's crazy but it might just work!

Jet Myspace

Content by Charlie at left-legged pineapple.

Time for some emo

2007-01-12T12:15:00.000Z

I got an email complaining at the lack of emo on the blog so here's an extra big serving. All four bands are from the US. The first three are big in the states but get less airplay than they deserve here on the other side of the pond. The final artist, Juliet Simms is more of a newbie. If you like Hush, have a listen to Unhearted on her myspace.

Above: Sugarcult - She's the Blade
Below: Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Face Down

Above: Hey There Delilah - Plain White T's
Below: Juliet Simms - Hush

Juliet Simms Myspace

Canadian girl indie-pop

2007-01-12T11:26:00.000Z

I've done well to hold back for this long, but it was only a matter of time until I had to write a blog on a Canadian girly rock band. Pony Up is an indie-pop quartet from Montreal. They have been grouped with artists such as Tilly & the Wall and, rather predictably, Tegan and Sarah. The band has been together for four years and released their first album, Make Love to the Judges With Your Eyes, last year. They recently supported Ben Lee, who is a big fan of the band.

Pony Up Myspace

Tip for the top 2007

2007-01-04T16:30:00.000Z

Here's our tip for who will be the biggest risers of 2007. This is the band that we think every NME reading, MTV watching, Kerang listening, teen-rocker will be shouting about by the end of the year.

They're called Good Shoes and have been together for two years. You may have already seen them at Reading/Leeds festival or supporting the Mystery Jets. The band have also been played on XFM, 6 Music and Radio 1.

Their current single "The Photos On My Wall" is in the charts this week and the band have just announced a tour in March.

Good Shoes Website
Good Shoes Myspace

Fierce Panda

2006-12-18T18:50:00.000Z

I feel that it's about time I sang the praises of the London based, Fierce Panda record label. They boast "twelve years of rule-detonating indie dementia". The jewels in their crown are Coldplay, Death Cab For Cutie, Idlewild and Placebo. The label has provided the first stepping stone for these and a number of other highly successful bands. Most recent releases have been with Capdown, ShitDisco and Make Good Your Escape.

There are a few hidden gems to be found on Fierce Panda. One such gem is Easyworld. Despite a few singles on Fierce Panda, and later two albums on Jive, the band never made it big. This video is of the single 'Bleach' by the Eastbourne rockers.

Former Easyworld front man David Ford has gone on to release some promising solo work recently.

Here's a list of some of the bands currently and previously signed to fierce Panda.

(x) is greater than (y), 3 Colours Red, Absent Kid, Agent Blue, Alterkicks, Apartment, Art Brut, Ash, Atlantic Dash, Battle, Blackbud, Boy Kill Boy, Bright Eyes, Cablecar, Capdown, Coldplay, David Ford, Dead Disco, Death Cab for Cutie, Easyworld, Embrace, Further, Gledhill, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Hot Puppies, Hundred Reasons, Idlewild, iLiKETRAiNS, Kari Kleiv, Keane, Lapsus Linguae, Make Good Your Escape, My Architects, Placebo, Polyphonic Spree, Seafood, Shitdisco, Simple Kid, sixbyseven, Supergrass, The Blackout, The Bluetones, The Disappiontments, The Drama, The Features, The Immediate, The Music, The Revelations, The Vacation, This Girl, Winnebago Deal, Wreckless Eric, YMSS.

Fierce Panda website
Fierce Panda myspace
Easyworld Website
David Ford

End of the space race for Bad Astronaut

2006-12-08T16:19:00.000Z

The last six years have been an epic journey for Joey Cape. The singer, who is also a member of Lagwagon, formed Bad Astronaut in 2000. Soon the band released their debut album, Acrophobe. You could sense that the band was still settling with this first record. The album as a whole could not replicate the punchy sound of Unlucky Stuntman, but showed massive promise. The cleverly titled, Houston We Have A Drinking Problem was released a year later and was a much more polished attempt. The drum tracks on the album are what set Bad Astronaut apart from other Indie-Punk bands.

Various members of the seven piece band are involved with Lagwagon, Me First And The Gimme Gimmes, Sugarcult, Nerf Herder, Swinging Utters and The Ataris. Some of these links slowed the creation of the eagerly awaited third album. Despite all the work which had gone in to the album, it remained far from completion. In March 2005 drummer Derrick Plourde took his own life. Joey was working with Lagwagon at the time and the songs on the album ‘Resolve’ reflect his grief. Following his friends death, Joey felt compelled to complete the Bad Astronaut album. He began re-working the songs over the top of Derrick’s drum tracks. It became imperative that songs were perfect, in order to make the album a fitting tribute to Derrick’s life. For this reason, many of the songs were dramatically changed or totally re-written.

The third album finally found its way to the shops last month. The album was named by Derrick: 12 Small Steps, One Giant Disappointment. In retrospect this title was tragically too sincere. The final track is called Thirteenth Step and draws a line under the album and the band. Thanks to Joey and the rest of the band, Derrick Plourdes last musical contributions have not gone to waste. It is clear that the effort has been emotionally draining and it is sadly the last offering from Bad Astronaut.

badastronaut.com
myspace.com/badastronaut
purevolume.com/badastronaut