Sunday 28 February 2010

Review - Mouse On The Keys - Sezession

Mouse On The Keys - Sezession

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7 out of 10

Purists beware - this is the kind of record which could turn fans of 'popular' music onto Jazz, in a similar way to those of a more rock and punk persuasion found via Tortoise. Mouse On The Keys appear to be the musical equivalent of being invited into a cosy club in downtown Tokyo, taking your seat in a large, leather armchair and having your brain opened up by polite and precise surgeons wielding grand pianos. Musically, it's the very essence of 'tight, but loose' and each track is a seamless journey, particularly when the soprano sax of Jun Nemoto takes off. It's a rare thing - firmly Jazz but welcoming, rather than elitist. Here's hoping they make it to the UK sometime soon.

Listen: www.myspace.com/mouseonthekeys

Tracklist:
1. Saigo No Bansan
2. Toccatina
3. RaumKrankheit
4. A Sad Little Town

Review - Ice Black Birds - Ears To The Ground (Single)

Ice Black Birds - Ears To The Ground (Single)

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5 out of 10

I think the word we need to take away from listening to this Brighton rock quartet is - potential. They've received plenty of plaudits for their live performance; energy, fun, vigour, startling, etc. etc., none of which comes across in this debut single. Ears to the Ground begins as a reasonable Zep-riffed rocker, before descending into chants and a bit of prog-laced boogie. Its companion track kicks off as a bold attempt at one of those overblown, bluesy ballads popular since the dawn of time, then abruptly opens up into the Kings of Leon wrestling Bloc Party in a tin bath. A miniature Skynyrd solo calms things down, however. And those vocals - who let Joey Ramone loose on Since I've Been Loving You? I laughed, I cried. I didn't hurl, though. Stay positive.

Listen: www.myspace.com/iceblackbirdsuk

Tracklist:
1. Ears To The Ground
2. Heavy Independent Blues

Friday 26 February 2010

News - I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody’s Business Is Back!

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Ace Enders (formerly of The Early November) has resurrected the "band" I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody’s Business and will release new album "The World We Know" on the 23rd of March. You can chekc out a new song from the album at his MySpace page now.

News - Steel Train - Turnpike Ghost

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Steel Train have released their song "Turnpike Ghost" which you can download at the band’s website (www.steeltrain.net). The song is featured on their new album which was produced by Steven McDonald (Be Your Own Pet, The Format, fun.) due out later this year.

News - Hellogoodbye Finally Split From Drive-Thru Records

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Here is a statement from Forrest Kline of Hellogoodbye about ending their relationship with Drive-Thru Records:

"we’ve been unable to do anything for the past year and half as we’ve been locked in a lawsuit with drive thru records. two days ago we finalized the settlement and are officially done with each other. over the course of the past year or so we’ve been slowly recording our record off and on (knowing we had no means to release it at the time, and self funding it). now that we’re free agents it shouldn’t be long before we can be a real band again. we’re going to quickly find a place to release this record, and become active again. us and absolute punk .net in a beautiful partnership.

forrrrrrrest"

Thursday 25 February 2010

Review - Mr Fogg - Keep Your Teeth Sharp EP

Mr Fogg - Keep Your Teeth Sharp EP

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6 out of 10

Electro-wunderkind Mr Fogg (Philip to his mum) is back with the "Keep Your Teeth Sharp" EP. The title track is part grime stomper, part expansive, Icelandic, orchestral post-rock blow out. On initial listens I was oblivious to the sweeping strings and horns in the background, but after time I got it. There is a lot going on in the background and it's obvious that a lot of time has gone into the production carried out by Bjork collaborator Valgeir Sigurdsson no less. In Reykjavik no less. The boy from Berkshire done good.

Gentle vocals on "Whispers" on top of plinky-plonky beeps and squelches have an air of Efterklang about the track. Both this and the ethereal solo piano piece "Keep Your Distance" show progression from the first few songs I made contact with; "Seciov" especially. The remix of the title track by Olafur Arnalds shows the strength of the original song in that it can be stripped down to its bare bones and still have the same effect on the listener. Pop along to the Fogg Shop and get yourself a punnet of tunes.

Listen: www.myspace.com/mrfoggisapopstar

Tracklist:
1. Keep Your Teeth Sharp
2. Whispers
3. Keep Your Distance
4. Keep Your Teeth Sharp (Olafur Arnalds Remix)

Review - Jack Morgan - Sleep In Heavenly Peace

Jack Morgan - Sleep In Heavenly Peace

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7 out of 10

One man, one big sound. The first collection of heartfelt songs from Jack Morgan comes in the shape of the 5 track "Sleep In Heavenly Peace". Intro "Make No Mistake" is something that wouldn't raise an eyebrow if it was on a Pelican record. Gentle swaying guitar is backed by banks of chiming of bass and noise. Always a good thing if the listener is wishing that the intro to an album wouldn't stop.

"Event" is where Jack shows his true colours as an acoustic strum-a-thon, it's very Foo'y, and the haunting background vocals give the song a fuller sound, although it keeps going nowhere and there's the solo and done. "No Strain" is a highlight, and has a definite air of Mr Rice or Miss Hannigan about it, the accompanying cello sounding like a sunken ship creaking inside a whale. "Furtherance" plays out like an Air/Stereolab/Sigur Ros collaboration which sounds unlikely if you knew these songs were in the 21 year olds bedroom...as a solo project.

"Ukul" is covered in shimmering waves of spacey electronics and really takes off at one point, a real shame that it's less than 3 minutes. My only criticism of this disc is that the songs could be double the length and make more of an impact. I'm sure Jack is happy as the leader of his one man band, but these songs could explode if stretched outward and upward. Think Spiritualized. Nonetheless a promising start, look out for Jack Morgan...and friends?

Listen: www.myspace.com/nostrain

Tracklist:
1. Make No Mistake
2. Event
3. No Strain
4. Furtherance
5. Ukul
6. White Wire

News - Simply Red Farewell Tour

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Simply Rede announced their final UK tour dates:

8th November Belfast Arena
8th December London O2 Arena
9th December Nottingham Arena
10th December Glasgow SECC
12th December Manchester MEN Arena
14th December Birmingham NIA
16th December Sheffield Arena
18th December London O2 Arena

Review - Faith No More - Westpac Arena, Christchurch, New Zealand 16/02/2010

Faith No More - Westpac Arena, Christchurch, New Zealand 16/02/2010

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9 out of 10

I had been looking forward to this for months, Faith No More had come to New Zealand and instead of playing the capital Wellington, as was originally planned, they changed the location to Christchurch. Seemingly, this change was to make sure that I, their biggest fan, got the chance to see them whilst on my ’year working holiday’ in this awesome country.

Not only were we to see Faith No More, but the support came from special guests The Eagles of Death Metal. This made my wife particularly happy, as she has been wanting to see them for a while. What made us unhappy was: no Josh Homme on drums. He was probably tied up touring with some super group, but as he was only in NZ a couple of weeks ago you’d think he could have made the effort for us! Also, they decided that they didn’t have to play the one song of theirs I really knew ’I want you so hard (the boys bad news)’. I may actually be being too hard on them as they played well and were entertaining enough, especially with singer Jesse Hughes mincing about the stage like a hillbilly Jagger. They did play fan favourite ’Cherry Cola’ and they had an impressive big end. This entailed the two guitarists taking places at either end of the stage and only the speakers matching their positions played their sound, making it into a sort of duel. Like I said, impressive.

But nothing could stand up to the almighty majesty of Faith No More, they were simply awe inspiring. From start to end I sang along with each and every song, never before have I witnessed singalongability of that magnitude. Just remembering it almost makes me speechless, which would make for a rubbish review, so I’ll just get on with it.

Kicking off with ’Midnight Cowboy’ and then straight into ’The Real Thing’ you could tell that this wasn’t just going to be, ’let’s play the singles and get out of here.’ Of course they played most of them: ’Epic’, ’Ashes to Ashes’, ’Evidence’, ’Easy’ and ’Last Cup of Sorrow’. Plus one of my favourites: ’Midlife Crisis’; towards the end of this one they stopped letting the crowd sing on and just when everyone had faltered singing they jumped straight back in. We heard plenty of songs from the last three albums, including some of the more unusual ones such as ’RV’ and ’The Gentle Art of Making Enemies’ which made for an interesting t-shirt on sale with large words proclaiming ’Happy Birthday F*cker’.

Stand out songs of the evening had to be my own personal favourites; ’Surprise! You’re Dead’, ’Caffeine’, ’Be Aggressive and ’King for a Day’ which was given a creepy Twin Peaks-esque ending. At the end we were treated to not one but two encores, the first saw them playing ’We Care A Lot’, the only song from ’Introduce Yourself’ and the awesome ’Just a Man’. The second encore was only one song and another unusual one, especially to finish with, ’Pristina’. I found this fitting as it’s the last song on the last album and it sounded bloody great. And that was it.

But what a night and even though I could have sang on for another hour, as there were plenty of other songs that they could have played, notably ’A Small Victory’, ’Falling to Pieces’, ’Digging the Grave’ and ’From out of Nowhere’, to name but a few. But we had to go home wanting more, clever really.

Listen: www.myspace.com/faithnomore

Tracklist:

News - Madball Sign To Nuclear Blast

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Madball have just signed a European deal with Nuclear Blast Records. The band’s debut for the new label is planned to be released sometime in 2010 with more info to be announced soon.

Commented bandleader Freddy Cricien: "I’m very proud to announce that we have signed with Nuclear Blast, for Europe and it’s various territories. We are entering a new and very important chapter in our lives/career, and I know this is the right home for us in Europe...without a doubt! I feel that all the folks at NB genuinely understand and respect our history, longevity, legacy, etc. I also know they believe in our future, in what we still have to offer.. Which will manifest itself in our new album coming out this year! Not to mention, it is an honor and privilege to be label mates with the legendary Agnostic Front. We have not shared a label together since our first release on In Effect/Relativity in 1989. Not only are they family, literally, but they are also an inspiration to all of us in the Hardcore world and beyond! Looking forward to a new year, new label, and new record! See you on tour!"

Nuclear Blast A&R representative Jaap Wagemaker states: "Today it is with great honor to announce the signing of NY Hardcore legends MADBALL to the Nuclear Blast roster. They started out as one of the most innovative bands of the scene, became one of the most influential ones and easily stood the test of time. Just like AGNOSTIC FRONT, MADBALL always were and ever will be nothing but a legend and an unstoppable force! We are excited and extremely proud to be working with and for Freddy and the boys in Europe! Be aware, the new album will strike - the knife will get deeper again!"

News - The King Blues Pull Out Of Slam Dunk Festival

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The King Blues have been forced to pull out of Slam Dunk Festival 2010. Here’s the statement:

"We are sorry to announce The King Blues have been forced to pull out of Slam Dunk Festival 2010, due to the birth of frontman Itch's baby. The due date of the baby is now the weekend of the festival. Below is a message from the father-to-be.

"Hi all. We’re very, very sorry to announce that we have had to pull out of this year’s Slam Dunk Festival. It’s not a decision we take lightly but there was genuinely nothing we could do about it. We had an amazing time last year, with some killer bands and a great atmosphere of fantastic kids and we’re gutted we won’t get to see this festival evolve into the 2 day mashup it has now become. Sorry to anyone who was planning on watching us and to all involved. Love, The King Blues."

A replacement for the band will be announced shortly, along with a host of new additions to the lineup, joining the already impressive company of New Found Glory, Four Year Strong, Capdown, Set Your Goals, RX Bandits, The Rocket Summer, Fireworks, Breathe Carolina, Out Of Sight and Every Avenue."

News - The Get Up Kids Are Simple

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The Get Up Kids will release a new EP called "Simple Science" on the 17th of May through Hassle Records.

The EP will be available as a limited edition 10" vinyl as a special release for Independent Record Store Day on the 17th of April.

News - Fake Problems UK Tour Cancellation

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Fake Problems have had to cancel their upcoming UK tour. Read their MySpace blog entry below:

"We are sad to announce that our upcoming April tour of the UK has to be postponed. The writing and recording process of our next album has become more demanding than we originally anticipated, and we are committed to making a great record. Unfortunately, that means putting our overseas plans on hold, for now. We will be working out a way to get back to the UK as soon as we can logistically do so.

Apologies to Sharks, Tim Williams, the promoters, and anyone who bought a ticket to one of these shows.

If you purchased tickets to any of the shows, you can return them at the place of purchase.

- Fake Problems"

News - The Hold Steady - Heaven Is Whenever

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The Hold Steady will release their new album called "Heaven Is Whenever" on the 4th of May through Vagrant Records.

Wednesday 24 February 2010

News - Red Sparowes - New Album Details

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Red Sparowes (current and former members of Isis, Halifax Pier, Pleasure Forever, Angel Hair, Made Out of Babies and The VSS) will release their new album called "The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein Lies The Answer" on the 5th of April through Conspiracy Records.

Track Listing:

1. Truths Arise
2. In Illusions Of Order
3. A Hail Of Bombs
4. Giving Birth To Imagined Saviors
5. A Swarm
6. In Every Mind
7. A Mutiny
8. As Each End Looms And Subsides

News - Grammatics Announce SxSW Warm Up Shows

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Grammatics will be playing a few warm up shows in the UK, before jetting off to Austin, Texas for SxSW.

Here are full dates:

Monday 8th March - Leeds, Joseph’s Well
Tuesday 9th March - York, Stereo
Friday 12th March - London, The Lexington

News - Frank Turner Headlines Brixton Academy

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Frank Turner will be headlining the Brixton 02 Academy in London on the 12th of December.

Frank will also release a live version of his single "Long Live The Queen" digitally and on limited 7" vinyl on the 22nd of March.

Full live dates:

MARCH
15 Northumbria Uni, Newcastle
16 Edinburgh Picture House
17 Manchester Academy
18 Leeds 02 Academy
19 Bristol 02 Academy SOLD OUT
21 Birmingham O2 Academy
22 Norwich Waterfront
23 Portsmouth Pyramids
24 London Roundhouse SOLD OUT

News - Shy Child Postpone UK Tour

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Shy Child have had to postpone their UK tour this February / March due to Pete getting a concussion.

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=52019040&blogId=529675879

News - The Xcerts Begin Work On Album Number Two

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The Xcerts have begun working on their 2nd album which is being produced by Mike Sapone (Crime in Stereo, Brand New, Public Enemy). The forthcoming album will be released on Xtra Mile Recordings later this year.

News - Turn On The Lights, It’s Cold In Here

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Lights will release her debut single "Ice" on the 8th of March through Warner Bros. Records in the UK. Her album "The Listening" will follow in the summer.

News - Here’s Boe Weaver!

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Boe Weaver will release their self-titled debut album on the 22nd of March through their own label VU Records.

News - Time To Make Or Break The Famous Class

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The Famous Class will release their new EP called "Make Or Break" through TFC Records on the 5th of April.

News - Punk Goes Classic Rock

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Fearless Records have announced the list of bands and track listing for Punk Goes Classic Rock which will be out in Europe on the 26th of April.

Track Listing:

1. Hit The Lights "More Than A Feeling" (originally recorded by Boston)
2. Versa Emerge "Paint It Black" (originally recorded by The Rolling Stones)
3. The Almost "Free Fallin’" (originally recorded by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers)
4. Mayday Parade "We Are The Champions" (originally recorded by Queen)
5. The Summer Set "Rock ’n Roll All Nite" (originally recorded by KISS)
6. We The Kings "Caught Up In You" (originally recorded by .38 Special)
7. A Skylit Drive "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" (originally recorded by Journey)
8. I See Stars "Your Love" (originally recorded by The Outfield)
9. Pierce The Veil "(Don’t Fear) The Reaper" (originally recorded by Blue Oyster Cult)
10. Forever The Sickest Kids "Crazy Train" (originally recorded by Ozzy Osbourne)
11. The Maine "Pour Some Sugar On Me" (originally recorded by Def Leppard)
12. Envy On The Coast "All Along The Watchtower" (originally recorded by Jimi Hendrix)
13. Every Avenue "Take Me Home Tonight" (originally recorded by Eddie Money)
14. Never Shout Never "Bohemian Rhapsody" (originally recorded by Queen)
15. blessthefall "Dream On" (originally recorded by Aerosmith)

News - Letter To The Exiles Post New Song

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Letter To The Exiles have posted a song from their upcoming album "The Shadow Line" on their MySpace page. The track is titled "Never Safe To Dream".

"The Shadow Line" will be released on the 13th of April through Strike First Records.

News - Anarbor Add New Track Gypsy Woman Online

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Anarbor have added a new song called "Gypsy Woman" to their website (www.anarbor.net). The track is off their upcoming Hopeless Records debut full length album "The Words You Don’t Swallow" which will be released on the 20th of April.

Track Listing:

1. Contagious
2. Drugstore Diet
3. Gypsy Woman
4. Mr. Big Shot
5. Let The Games Begin
6. Going to Jail
7. The Whole World
8. Carefree Highway
9. I Do What I Do
10. This Can’t Be Healthy
11. Useless

News - Kate Nash: The Blog!

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Here’s a blog by Kate Nash:

"Hello
I’m just writing to tell you some news..
Firstly, there has been a few adjustments to my new website as it wasn’t quite right when it first went up, it’s been fixed now and...
there are some teaser clips in the videos section, basically some cute films showing how the album was made set to about 30 seconds of my new single ’Do Wah Doo’
Another thing I wanted to tell you was that I made a jumper for Binki Shapiro’s Crafts for Causes Charity Auction. The money goes towards those suffering in Haiti.
You can check it out and bid for it, along with many other items donated, here... http://craftsforacause.tumblr.com/
Also wanted to thank those of you who contributed to the Book I’m making with stories and experiences of love, I’m still getting through them, my evenings are filled with tales of romance and heartbreak.
It’s pretty dreamy.
You can also now buy tickets from the website (www.katenash.co.uk ) for a small warm up tour that I’m doing in March, should be a lot of fun, just like the good old days.
And finally, I shot the video for Do Wah Doo last week on thursday and it was so so much fun! The best fun I ever had on a video shoot. It stars a lot of my wonderful friends who are pretty much amazing. I wrote the treatment almost a year ago, it’s a love story set on a plane in the late 50’s, for some reason the idea has always been in my head.
Anyway, I’ll leave you with some pics from the video and I hope you enjoy the short films on the website. ok byeeeeeeeee"

News - Heaven’s Basement - Search For Singer Is On

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Heaven’s Basement have prepared this statement on the departure of former frontman Richie Heavennz:

"Hi guys, writing stuff like this is never easy so we’ll just come right out with it.

Unfortunately, Richie has decided to leave Heaven’s Basement. This will probably come as a surprise to most of you (as it did us) but to be honest we’ve seen signs in Richie over the last few months that suggested there was something wrong. He first told us about how he felt when we regrouped for some writing sessions in the studio last month. Richie was upfront with us all about his doubts in continuing. He feels he can no longer keep up with everything that goes along with being part of Heaven’s Basement. He’s written a message for you all, so here it is.

"After 18 months of amazing highs and amazing experiences, I feel that the lifestyle and constant touring has taken its toll and its time for me to move on to different pastures! In short guys, I’m afraid I will be stepping down as the lead singer of Heaven’s Basement.

I want to thank everyone who has supported me through this amazing time in my life. I also want to thank my brothers in HB for their understanding and friendship! I would like to thank all the fans of Heavens Basement for all their love and support over the last 2 years! You’ve all made my life a brighter place!

I wish the guys all the luck in the world for their future.
Love ya!!"

It goes without saying that we’ll miss him, Richie will always be an important part of the band’s history as one of the founding members. It’s not even two years yet since the first Heaven’s Basement show but during that time we’ve had some amazing times together which we’ll never forget. We’ve all become great friends over the past few years and he was a very important part of what makes the band chemistry work. We wish him all the best for the future, we’re sure he will go on to do well in what ever path he chooses.

I guess you will all be wondering about what we’re going to do about the upcoming tour dates we have. While we initially thought that Richie would come out and play these tours with us until we found ourselves a new frontman, that’s not going to be the case anymore. As you know, we’re not the kind of guys to let a small thing like not having a singer get in the way, so we’re happy to say that they will all be going ahead as planned! Us guys thrive of being on the road, it’s what HB is about. We pride ourselves on being a live band. We’ve been through our fair share of sticky situations in the past and always managed to pull through, obviously losing your singer a couple of weeks before a two month tour is a new thing for us but if there’s a way to make it work, we’ll find that way. We’re lucky to have met and played alongside some great musicians over the past few years which have fused some great friendships, this has led to our saviour for these dates, our good friend Johnny Fallen. Johnny’s been working hard with us for the past few days on our set, he’s doing a great job at learning the stuff at such sort notice. Learning an hour long headline set in a week is no easy task! Lucky for us his own band theFALLEN have a break in their schedule so he’s able to stand in for us on the upcoming dates. Massive thanks to all the guys in his band....we’re very grateful for this and we owe ya’s one!!

Johnny's really excited about coming out on tour. We’ve told him all good stuff about you guys and we know you will all give him a warm welcome when he takes to the stage with us!
Aside from all this, the search is now on for our future full time singer. Obviously we’re keen to get someone in as soon as we can, as we already have a lot more tours and festivals booked and this year will be our busiest yet. We’re lining up auditions as soon as we return from the Theory Of A Deadman tour. Anyone interested should email us at singers@heavensbasement.com with the subject title "singer", some samples of them singing (either a myspace link or attachment), photos and a bio that covers basic info such as age, location etc..

So, as clichéd as it is, a new chapter begins in our history, one thing you all should know is that us four guys are as fired up as ever, we know people naturally become concerned whenever a band loses a member but we’re not going anywhere! We’re so glad that we’re able to keep on the road despite this situation and we have no doubt that we’ll look back on this in the future as another obstacle that we turned into a positive!

Anyway, its time for us to get back in the rehearsal room with Johnny! We hope you lot have all got our lyrics down to give him a hand over the coming weeks if he needs it! ;)

We’ll see you on tour

Jonny, Sid, Chris, Rob"

News - Abandon All Ships Sign To Velocity Records / Rise Records

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Velocity Records / Rise Records have announced that their first signing together is Abandon All Ships from Toronto, Ontario. The band’s debut full-length album is tentatively set to be released at the end of summer.

Monday 22 February 2010

Review - ...And Stars Collide - ...And Stars Collide

...And Stars Collide - ...And Stars Collide

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7 out of 10

I may be a late bloomer when it comes to the world of instrumental rock, but I’m a quick learner. Having inundated my ears with music from dozens of bands over the last couple of years and quadrupled my vinyl collection (while my wallet looks on helplessly), it’s become apparent that to stand out in this ever-popular genre you really have to make the earth shake. Coupled with living in an age where grabbing peoples’ attention is becoming all the more difficult, ...And Stars Collide certainly have their work cut out.

For a band like this to mention Explosions In The Sky as an influence in their press release is, in a way, almost compulsory. The Texan instrumentalists have certainly done their bit to define modern post-rock and are arguably as much a household name as Sigur Ros or Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Yet the second I spot the name, All Of A Sudden (sic) I sigh heavily. Far too many instrumental bands have tried to mimic what they do, and far too many have come up short. Picking out the diamonds from the mud however, is half the fun.

Some post-rock bands drench themselves in melancholy; others find themselves swamped in euphoria and uplifting major chords. With ...And Stars Collide (whose choice of moniker is making this review appear all the more grammatically incorrect, cheers lads), there is an overlying sense of intrigue within the music; an almost hypnotising aura that draws me in and without effort I find myself helplessly mystified.

The edgy opening to ’Every Step Takes Me Further From Home (Part II)’ (where the bloody hell is part I by the way?) is as joyful to listen to as the ending, albeit with a more generic filling. The subtle Pink Floyd-isms of ’See the Opening Morn’ open up to create a real tour-de-force of a song, standing out like a band on the verge of something quite special, yet it could do with better production to really open up the music.

The songs actually get longer as the EP progresses, but fans of instrumental rock are surely more than accustomed to compositions of similarly epic proportions, so the band has nothing to fear here concerning impatient listeners turning off half way through. The longer numbers don’t quite hold up to the splash of originality contained within their predecessors; ’Your Winter and Night Spent in Disguise’ again starts well, but the middle feels a little like a song being drawn out for the sake of it, never really achieving anything. Its saviour comes in the form of a sudden riff-fest that would give 'If These Trees Could Talk' a run for their money, becoming fiercely tense until its sudden conclusion. ’We Are None of Us Long of This World’ is a pleasure to listen to, although unlike the previous song it's the more inconspicuous moments that shine through, with a great bassline and a wandering, calm-inducing melody to lose yourself within. The distorted guitar sounds almost out of place when it arrives, except when this band really concentrates on delivering a riff, they deliver it with gusto.

The promise that can be heard within the music of ...And Stars Collide is achingly clear. The stronger moments are fantastically edgy, whether it's during an all out aural assault or a plaintive whisper. Certainly one to keep a very close eye on, I urge all fans of instrumental rock to pick up this EP, as there is a huge amount to get out of it. It may leave you wanting a bit more from a production point of view, but for a debut EP this is very promising indeed. A diamond this is, but a diamond in the rough. Time will tell whether they'll find their true potential.

Listen: www.myspace.com/theskyweeps

Tracklist:
1. Every Step Takes Me Further From Home (Part II)
2. See the Opening Morn
3. Your Winter and Night Spent in Disguise
4. We Are None of Us Long of This World

Review - Dag för Dag - Boo

Dag för Dag - Boo

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3 out of 10

Let's put the Raveonettes and Bongwater in a room. No food, no water, only cocaine. Until they die. And record it. Boo could be the result of that very singular and twisted experiment. It brings to mind the age-old reaction to scientific freakery - 'just because you can do it, that doesn't mean you should'. There's no humour, no genuine sparkle. Maybe that's the coke. . . anyway, it all looks the part but the music falls well short. And don't get me started on the lyrics: 'you want to comfort me / like a cat in a tree' ? 'If I had you in front of me / on my back I'd be. . .hands and knees'? Someone's been raiding the Oxford Book of Sixth-Form poetry, again.

Perhaps you're supposed to be taken along by the sexy swing of it all. And well you might, if your concept of sexiness comes from watching American TV shows set in hospitals. Otherwise, you may find it as alluring as a horny traffic warden. Boo-hoo.

Listen: www.myspace.com/dagfordag

Tracklist:
1. Boo
2. I Am The Assassin
3. Hands and Knees
4. Boxed Up In Pine
5. Wouldn't You
6. Silence As The Verb
7. Seven Stories
8. Light On Your Feet
9. Traffic Jam
10. The Leather of Your Boots
11. Animal
12. Came In Like A Knife
13. Ring Me, Elise (Bonus)

News - Carly Simon - Never Been Gone

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Carly Simon will release new album "Never Been Gone" on the 1st of March via Iris Records through Warner Music / Rhino UK.

Track Listing:

1. Right Thing To Do
2. It Happens Every Day
3. Never Been Gone
4. Boys In The Trees
5. Let The River Run
6. You're So Vain
7. You Belong To Me
8. No Freedom*
9. That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be
10. Coming Around Again
11. Anticipation
12. Songbird*

* Denotes brand new songs

News - Fortune Favours The Brave Signs To Transcend Records

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Fortune Favours The Brave have signed to Transcend Records. The band are currently in the studio recording their debut release which will surface sometime around the middle of the year.

For fans of: Darkest Hour, Sikth and Killswitch Engage.

News - Simply Red Love Tesco

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Simply Red are releasing a new album called "Songs Of Love" on the 28th of February exclusively available at Tesco stores.

Purchasers of the CD will be granted priority booking access to the pre-sale of tickets for the Simply Red Farewell tour, that the band will embark upon later this year.

News - Smile, We The Kings Is Coming To The UK Kid

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We The Kings will release their latest album called "Smile Kid" in the UK on the 8th of March through Virgin Records.

Live dates supporting You Me At Six on their UK tour throughout March:

March 9 Birmingham O2 Academy
March 10 Kingsway Newport Centre
March 11 Sheffield O2 Academy
March 12 Manchester Apollo
March 13 Newcastle O2 Academy 2
March 14 Glasgow O2 Academy
March 16 Leeds O2 Academy
March 17 Nottingham Rock City
March 18 Southampton Guildhall
March 19 Norwich UEA
March 20 London Brixton Academy

Friday 19 February 2010

News - All Time Low Release Painting Flowers

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All Time Low’s track "Painting Flowers" which is included on Almost Alice, the inspired by soundtrack to the upcoming Alice in Wonderland movie is currently available for stream on their MySpace page.

The track listing for Almost Alice:

1. Alice (Underground) Performed by Avril Lavigne
2. The Poison Performed by The All-American Rejects
3. The Technicolor Phase Performed by Owl City
4. Her Name Is Alice Performed by Shinedown
5. Painting Flowers Performed by All Time Low
6. Where’s My Angel Performed by Metro Station
7. Strange Performed by Tokio Hotel and Kerli
8. Follow Me Down Performed by 3OH!3 featuring Neon Hitch
9. Very Good Advice Performed by Robert Smith
10. In Transit Performed by Mark Hoppus with Pete Wentz
11. Welcome to Mystery Performed by Plain White T’s
12. Tea Party Performed by Kerli
13. The Lobster Quadrille Performed by Franz Ferdinand
14. Running Out of Time Performed by Motion City Soundtrack
15. Fell Down a Hole Performed by Wolfmother
16. White Rabbit Performed by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

News - Closure In Moscow Kicked Off Soundwave Festival

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Closure In Moscow have been kicked off the Soundwave Festival 2010. Read the festival side of the story here:

"It is amazing how the one band you book on the festival only as a favour to their manager; whom you are paying 10 times what they are worth as a gesture of goodwill; and you bill way above their station, turn out to be the only demanding and rude people amongst a star-studded line up.

Here are some tips for other local bands hoping to keep a spot on a national festival:

1.Having a band member call the festival admin manager 2 days out from the festival with a new list of demands and being aggressive, rude and yelling at her only works if you are holding hostages.

2. Don’t demand that festival vehicles and drivers pick band members up from their homes and then drop them off after the festival. Specially if you live on an island off the Gold Coast!

3. Don’t demand that the festival should book and pay for your accommodation on top of the $25,000 you’re being paid to pay for your own lodgings.

I could go on and on. Maybe publish a book some day...

Revised timetables will be posted shortly."

Closure In Moscow’s side of the story is online too and you can read that below:

"It is amazing how the one band you book on the festival only as a favour to their manager; whom you are paying 10 times what they are worth as a gesture of goodwill; and you bill way above their station, turn out to be the only demanding and rude people amongst a star-studded line up.

Here are some tips for other local bands hoping to keep a spot on a national festival:

1.Having a band member call the festival admin manager 2 days out from the festival with a new list of demands and being aggressive, rude and yelling at her only works if you are holding hostages.

2. Don’t demand that festival vehicles and drivers pick band members up from their homes and then drop them off after the festival. Specially if you live on an island off the Gold Coast!

3. Don’t demand that the festival should book and pay for your accommodation on top of the $25,000 you’re being paid to pay for your own lodgings.

I could go on and on. Maybe publish a book some day...

Revised timetables will be posted shortly."

News - Alkaline Trio Full Album Stream

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you can stream Alkaline Trio’s new album "This Addiction" on their MySpace page now.

News - The Glitterati Are Back!

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The Glitterati will release their new album called "Are You One Of Us?" on the 19th of April through Global Music.

Review - Crime In Stereo - I Was Trying To Describe You To Someone

Crime In Stereo - I Was Trying To Describe You To Someone

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8 out of 10

I Was Trying To Describe You To Someone is the follow up to the absurdly good ...Is Dead, from Long Island genre-transcenders Crime in Stereo. While .Is Dead showed them to be capable of moving beyond their hardcore influences, which they demonstrated on their previous two albums, I Was Trying To Describe You To Someone was inevitably a trickier proposition. Have Crime in Stereo progressed, regressed or stayed in the warm comfort of familiarity?

Well to say they haven't progressed would be a travesty. This is another massive step forward in the career path of a band that clearly has the drive, and courage, to constantly reinvent themselves. And I think that importantly, they have the trust of their fans, after the success of .Is Dead, to allow them to do this again. I Was Trying To Describe You To Someone is not the giant gearshift that .Is Dead was away from The Troubled Stateside, but the evolution of this band, while more nuanced, is still impressive.

I suppose when you boil this down it is still a hardcore album, but it is a hardcore album with a brain, and a heart and the ability to disguise itself as something else, something that goes beyond simple genre limitations.

A feeling that I couldn't shake off when I was listening to this album (repeatedly) was that this was the album that Brand New's Daisy should have been. Crime in Stereo's progression, while musically different, has seemingly been done for the same reasons, as every album is released it is reflective of what the band wants to play, not what would be comfortable for the band to release, rehashing a previously successful formula. There is definitely the feeling that the listener is maturing with the band, and while it is always nice to revisit your teenage years, there are always bits you regret, but there is equally no point wishing to be old before your time (dangerously stretched metaphor alert). I guess what I am trying to say is that this album is not a radical departure from anything Crime in Stereo have done before, but rather another step in their musical development.

When I write my reviews, there are times when I feel I am able to write too much, and there are times when I feel I can't write enough - that's inevitable. But usually these feelings come about when thinking of a whole album. For this review I am resisting the urge to dedicate pages and pages to rave about how fantastic the song Drugwolf is. I'm usually not the type of person who can sit with a song on repeat for any length of time, I much prefer to listen to albums through, but Drugwolf deserves repeated listens to a punishing extent. After the album opener Queue Moderns a song purpose-written to begin the album (if that doesn't sound too redundant), in the sense that it would seem out of place at any other point, Drugwolf fires the album straightaway to great heights. The chorus soars, the verses ready and the middle smashes it out of the park. When I heard Kristian Hallbert exclaim: "We're better off alone together" for the first time I knew Drugwolf and me were going to be best friends. I'm a sucker for slightly nonsensical lyrics, especially when they are delivered so passionately.

The album works as a coherent whole, but other stand out's include the Nirvana-ish Not Dead and the eclectic Republica. This album is the sound of a band audibly maturing and growing as song-writers and it has resulted in a fantastic result. If anyone had any doubts before this about Crime in Stereo being one of the most original and talented bands on the punk scene then they can surely possess none now. I Was Trying To Describe You To Someone is, regardless of genre, a great album.

Listen: www.myspace.com/crimeinstereo

Tracklist:
1. Queue Moderns
2. Drugwolf
3. Exit Halo
4. Not Dead
5. Odalisque
6. Young
7. Type One
8. Republica
9. I Am Everything I Am Not
10. Dark Island City
11. I Cannot Answer You Tonight

Review - John Candy - Conversations

John Candy - Conversations

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9 out of 10

For a fledgling record label All Aboard Records are doing a pretty fine job of unearthing and promoting some real talent (see my reviews of Tell it to the Marines and the Chaos Days/All or Nothing split). But more than this, it is difficult to accuse All Aboard Records of nailing their flag to a single mast, and with John Candy's debut album, Conversations, they yet again show that it is talent, and not genre, that they are looking for.

However this isn't a review of a record label, but a review of an album.

Coming from the musical Mecca that is Buckinghamshire, John Candy, look to be the closest thing England is going to get to uncovering a credible alternative to Death Cab For Cutie. Conversations is an intriguing album, at the same time offering a lo-fi slice of indie-pop but, at least to me, containing a huge amount of universal appeal.

While I can stomach some of the more indie orientated rock acts coming out of America, Death Cab, Silversun Pickups.well actually that's about it; I've never been a huge fan of the genre. However, this album had me hooked straight away. The first time I heard it I knew I liked it, I knew it instinctively, the songs had enough about them so that on repeated listens I knew to prick my ears up for the sections I had fallen for first time through. The combo of Like Rivers and When I Was Younger with their careening beauty and understated charm were early stand-outs.

To reiterate an earlier point, John Candy will draw inevitable comparisons to Death Cab For Cutie, and like the shameless bandwagon-er I am, I feel compelled to add to this. It is at times uncanny, though it never sounds like an attempt to rip them off. For a relevant example, Owl City is an utterly shameless rip off of Postal Service (Ben Gibbard was in that, see how I've linked that to this review? Yes I am that damn good at what I do.), but John Candy never seem to be doing more than tipping their hat to DCFC in a respectful way. I admire that. Plus, to add to a comment I made in an earlier review (incidentally one of label-mates Tell it to the Marines), this is idiosyncratically British music. There can be no criticism levelled at John Candy for trying to emulate an American style, they may have influences from our Atlantic cousins, but this is a definitively British album. To elucidate on this point there is an inherent quirkiness or alternative nature to the songs that American bands seem to be unable to convey. Perhaps I am wrong and it something intangible that ties these bands together, and I think I would prefer it if it was, but it is distinctive enough to warrant me harping on about it, alright?

I feel it needs to be mentioned that for this recording John Candy was a duo, with Ant West doing all but drum, which was handled competently by George Lindsay. In this sense, Conversations benefits from West's deft piano work which drives the gorgeous January 1st, interplaying with his own guitar lines. This compulsive approach of masterminding every part of the album from inception to completion has seemingly worked wonderfully on this album.

There are songs on this album that meander along in such a leisurely way that it is hard to keep your focus on what you are doing. John Candy allows you to drift off to wherever it is in your head that you secretly want to go. Conversations could easily be described as the soundtrack to a daydream; it has an ethereal quality that is rarely heard in indie-rock. However, the band know how to pick up the pace when they need to, She Knits Away is probably heavier than the majority of Death Cab songs for instance, and it is the care that has clearly been paid to the playing order, that allows this album to hold your attention for its entire duration.

I enjoy this album more and more on each listen, as someone not a huge fan of the genre I feel John Candy have been able to transcend genre limitations and have the potential to win fans from the entire musical spectrum. On the basis of this album they deserve to. Conversations is full of stand-out songs, I would be at pains to pick out a song that could be classified as filler and if I was allowed I would sit here and list all the things I like about each song, but alas I am not. So just accept my hearty recommendation, regardless of your musical taste, to try John Candy, because this is going to be a contender for my album of 2010.

Listen: www.myspace.com/johncandyband

Tracklist:
1. Raven
2. Conversations
3. Like Rivers
4. When I Was Younger
5. Confession Booths
6. January 1st
7. This Chair
8. She Knits Away
9. People Sink
10. The Long Run
11. Eat Fire

News - Bridge Nine Records Release Underdog Discography

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Bridge Nine Records have announced that they will release a discography of NYHC legends Underdog titled "Matchless" on the 18th of May.

This comprehensive release will include both "The Vanishing Point" and the Demos on CD / double LP. Bassist Russ Iglay said, "This release has been a long time coming. We’re glad that it’s going to see the light of day this Spring on Bridge Nine and we can’t wait to get out there and play more shows this year!"

Thursday 18 February 2010

Review - Kill The Captains - Rummy (Single)

Kill The Captains - Rummy (Single)

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3 out of 10

This single is saved, as is often the way, by one of its B-sides. Title track Rummy lurches around, swinging an annoyingly atonal guitar and homeopathic dose of yelpy, Bloc Party vocals. Supermarket Sweep is written from the point of view of a mindless consumer intent on snagging a sales bargain at all costs - a twiddly acoustic demo where the vox nasally warbles around all the notes. Thank heavens, then, for Reverse Psychiatry. Here we have wonkoid pop to almost justify the mentions of XTC and Television in the PR blurb. There's even a bit of riffage and the vocals don't irritate the bowels. So, one out of three, then. They have an album out in May. . .

Listen: www.killthecaptains.co.uk

Tracklist:
1. Rummy
2. Reverse Psychiatry
3. Supemarket Sweep

Review - North Atlantic Oscillation - Drawing Maps From Memory (Single)

North Atlantic Oscillation - Drawing Maps From Memory (Single)

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6 out of 10

More windswept Progularity from the Edinburgh trio, in advance of their debut album's release at the end of March. It's a wall-of-sound in miniature, which manages to be at once comforting and disturbed. Heavy guitars balanced against subtly soaring vocal harmonies, underpinned by off-kilter (no pun intended) drums. If they're not careful, people will start comparing them to Mogwai. And then where will we be?

Listen: www.myspace.com/naoband

Tracklist:
1. Drawing Maps From Memory (Radio Edit)

Review - Motion Picture Soundtrack - Glass Figures (Single)

Motion Picture Soundtrack - Glass Figures (Single)

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5 out of 10

Still pining for the sound of the first two Coldplay albums? Well, put away your emotional flat-pack, because Motion Picture Soundtrack are here to swoop and swoon all over you with this, their 'huge second single' (it's no bigger than anyone else's, really). All the ingredients are here; chiming guitars, chocky-stomp drums, dum-dum bass and soaring vocals, all rushing to a crescendo which may bring a lump of such size to your throat that you may choke. Go careful, now.

Listen: www.myspace.com/mps

Tracklist:
1. Glass Figures

Review - Bertie Blackman - Black Cats (Single)

Bertie Blackman - Black Cats (Single)

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4 out of 10

Oh good, another 'kooky' girl vocalist. Market saturation, anyone? No, of course not. Heaven forbid. Anyway, Bertie has supported Goldfrapp, you know. On account of the fact that she sounds unnervingly like the horsetail-wearing glitterbug, presumably. Black Cats' flaccid electro stomp has warranted its own tour in March. Seven dates. All in London. Two in Camden. I hope you're getting the picture. She's 'relevant' and 'must-see', though, so what the hell. She might dress as a koala.

Listen: www.myspace.com/bertieblackman

Tracklist:
1. Black Cats

Review - Sergeant Buzfuz - Here Come The Popes (Part Four) (Single)

Sergeant Buzfuz - Here Come The Popes (Part Four) (Single)

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3 out of 10

Oh dear. Plenty of antifolk academia in the lyrics, here, so if you want to know about papal history and can't be bothered to either read a book or fire up Wikipedia, Sergeant Buzfuz are the band for you. You'll have to put up with some weedy, punkalike vocals, though, which you may feel detracts from the loping funk-folk of the tune or any potential education. Here Come The Cops is a remix 'in the style of a '70s cop show', according to the band. Which '70s cop shows they've been watching I have no idea - it sounds more like a bedroom sketch around a Massive Attack-style bass. Track three's cleanliness escapes me, as it still mentions balls, rape and intercourse, but hey ho. That's history for you.

Listen: www.myspace.com/sergeantbuzfuz

Tracklist:
1. Here Come The Popes (Part Four) (Single Mix)
2. Here Come The Cops
3. Here Come The Popes (Part Four) (Clean Radio Mix)

News - Crazy Arm - Still To Keep

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Submitted: "Crazy Arm release their third single 'Still To Keep' on 22nd March as a digital download and very limited 7" vinyl, to coincide with their 21-date UK and European tour with Frank Turner (and Chuck Ragan in the UK only). The 7" vinyl will be released as a split with Frank Turner's live version of 'Long Live The Queen', exclusively for the tour.

Tour dates:

March:
Sat 13th White Rabbit, Plymouth
Mon 15th Northumbria University, Newcastle*
Tues 16th Picture House, Edinburgh*
Weds 17th Academy, Manchester*
Thurs 18th Academy, Leeds*
Fri 19th Academy, Bristol*
Sun 21st Academy, Birmingham*
Mon 22nd UEA, Norwich*
Tues 23rd Pyramids, Portsmouth*
Weds 24th Roundhouse, London*
Sun 28th Exil, Zurich, Switzerland***
Mon 29th Universum, Stuttgart, Germany***
Tues 30th Schlachthof, Wiesbaden, Germany***
Weds 31st Uebel&Gafarhrlich, Hamburg, Germany***

April:
Thurs 1st Zakk, Dusseldorf, Germany***
Sat 3rd Lagerhaus, Bremen, Germany***
Sun 4th AB Club, Brussels, Belgium***
Mon 5th Effenaar, Eindhoven, Netherlands***
Tues 6th Tivoli, Utrecht, Netherlands***
Weds 7th Vera, Groningen, Netherlands***
Thurs 8th La Peniche Du Pianiste, Lille, France***
Fri 9th Boule Noire, Paris, France***

* w/Frank Turner & Chuck Ragan
*** w/Frank Turner only"

News - All Days Are Rufus Wainwright Nights

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Rufus Wainwright’s new album "All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu" will be out on the 5th of April through Polydor Records.

Track Listing:

1. Who Are You New York?
2. So Sad With What I Have
3. Martha
4. Give Me What I Want And Give It To Me Now
5. True Loves
6. Sonnet 43
7. Sonnet 20
8. Sonnet 10
9. The Dream
10. What Would I Ever Do With A Rose?
11. Les Feux D'Artifice T'Appellant
12. Zebulon

Rufus Wainwright UK tour dates are:

April
Tue 13th LONDON, Sadler’s Wells
Thu 15th GLASGOW, Royal Concert Hall
Fri 16th EDINBURGH, Usher Hall
Sat 17th SHEFFIELD, City Hall
Mon 19th GATESHEAD, The Sage
Tue 20th BIRMINGHAM, Symphony Hall
Thu 22nd MANCHESTER, Apollo
Fri 23rd BRISTOL, Colston Hall
Sun 25th NOTTINGHAM, Royal Concert Hall
Mon 26th OXFORD, New Theatre
Thurs 29th IPSWICH Regent Theatre

News - Powerspace Are Over

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Powerspace have called it a day. Here’s the MySpace blog about it:

"This explanation’s been a long time coming, I know. I started making jokes about Powerspace "falling off the face of the planet" over a year ago! So here:

A lot has changed in the last year, and the unfortunate result is that Powerspace is no longer a band. We’ve had to make some heartbreaking decisions and like any breakup, it’s a complicated and private matter.

I set out to write a tl;dr version for anyone that might care to hear more than the standard band breakup letter--thanks for the memories, thanks for the support, that sorta thing--but I’m realizing that there’s not much else I can say. Nothing new and interesting, anyway. It’s true that Powerspace is no more--the name and everything that it signified. And yeah, like I’m sure Tom said elsewhere on the internet, we really are thankful for the memories and the support--it’s a shame that things like this always come off as trite and insincere, that I can’t think of a word that packs more of a punch than "thankful"--but we are, from the bottom of our hearts. The cliches turn out to be true, one by one--that we couldn’t have done it without you, that we wouldn’t have wanted to anyway if it weren’t for you, that most of our memories from the last three years were built on your kindness and generosity and that sorta thing. That you were with us through it all, when we were (it has to be admitted) clumsy, inexperienced chumps. That you bought our tacky t-shirts (and snap bracelets, of course) so we could put enough gas in the van to get to the next city. That you were, in a lot of very subtle ways, wiser than us--again, something that sounds unbearably cheesy, but trust me, I’m thinking about the Kevin that used to have short hair and that tiny gray hoodie and the first of maybe 25 beanies that I lost on tour, and I’ve changed so much in just three years, and most of those three years were spent around you. Seeing all of the states for the first time (having only previously visited, what, like two states?), going to Canada, going to Japan... in short, taking what amounts to a three-year dream vacation (with less frequent showers, maybe) with your best buds--and all because of you. So thank you, a thousand times.

That being said, this isn’t -quite- the teary-eyed goodbye I might’ve made it out to sound. Throughout all of its iterations, there was a lot of talent in Powerspace--prime stuff, really, which I feel like I’m in a privileged position to say, for some reason (my talents don’t really extend past drumming, but one thing I’m -really- good at is respecting and even revering my fellow bandmates--don’t tell them I said that). Powerspace as everyone knows it is 100% gone, and speaking about it in the past tense is still a very new thing for me, but for these guys to give up music entirely would be a crime. And they’re not, and I’m not, and that’s about all I can say. So keep tabs.

But again, and most importantly, thank you. If I kept rambling on, it’d just be a recap of all those cheesy things I said up there, so I’ll just say the two words again and hope that, by virtue of repetition, you’ll believe me this time: thank you! We wish you all the best and hope that we see you all again, in one way or another.

~ Kevin Kane and Powerspace"

News - Congratulations to MGMT

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MGMT’s new album "Congratulations" will be released on the 13th of April.

News - The Friday Night Boys April UK Tour

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The Friday Night Boys will tour the UK in April:

06 April - Wolverhampton, UK - Slade Rooms
07 April - London, UK - Underworld
08 April - Cardiff, UK - Clwb Ifor Bach
09 April - Manchester, UK - Roadhouse
10 April - Glasgow, UK - Ivory Blacks
11 April - Leeds, UK - Cockpit
12 April - Portsmouth, UK - Wedgewood Rooms
13 April - Brighton, UK - Engine Rooms

News - Cancer Bats - Sabotage

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Cancer Bats have filmed a video for their Beastie Boys cover of "Sabotage" and can now be viewed at www.cancerbats.com/sabotage

The track will be released digitally on the 1st of March along with "Scared To Death". This is an early taster of their forthcoming album "Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones" which will be released on the 12th of April through Hassle Records.

News - Young Guns Add Extra Date Due To Public Demand

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Young Guns have added an additional London headline date to their live schedule due to public demand. In addition Outcry Collective and Save Your Breath are now confirmed to support the band on their April / May tour dates.

APRIL
27: COLCHESTER Arts Centre - 01206 500 900 / www.wegottickets.com
28: MANCHESTER Roadhouse - 0161 832 1111 / www.gigsandtours.com
29: GLASGOW King Tuts - 0844 499 9990 / www.gigsinscotland.com
30: NOTTINGHAM Rock City Basement - 0871 310 0000 / www.alt-tickets.co.uk

MAY
01: CARDIFF Clwb Ifor Bach (Matinee) - 029 2023 2199 / www.ticketweb.co.uk
02: YEOVIL Orange Box - 0871 2200 260 / www.gigsandtours.com
04: BRISTOL Academy 2 - 0844 477 2000 / www.gigsandtours.com
05: BIRMINGHAM The Flapper - 0871 230 0010 / www.seetickets.com
06: LONDON Barfly - 0844 847 2424 / www.gigsandtours.com
07: SWINDON Furnace - 01793 534 238 / www.wegottickets.com
08: PORTSMOUTH Wedgewood Rooms - 023 9286 3911 / www.seetickets.com

JULY

16: LONDON Relentless Garage - 0870 150 0044 / www.gigsandtours.com

To download the track "Winter Kiss" for free head to this link: www.musicglue.com/younggunsuk

News - Follow The Trail And It Will Lead You To New Music...

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Trail will release their new album "To the Rest of the World" on the 22nd of February with the single "City" following on the 1st of March through Twistid.

Live dates:

21 Feb Tommy Flynns Camden, London
22 Feb The Luminaire - ALBUM LAUNCH NIGHT! Kilburn, London
26 Feb The Met Lounge (14+) Peterborough, Midlands
3 March The Zanzibar (16+) Liverpool
4 March The Blue Cat Cafe, Stockport
5 March Milo Leeds
10 March Tommy Flynns Camden, London
25 March Bar Music Hall - Shoreditch, London
26 March The Prince Albert Brighton
31 March The Central Nottingham
22 April Cross Kings London, London
29 April The Camden Rock Camden, London

News - Before Their Eyes Are Seriously Untouchable

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Before Their Eyes will release their new album called "Untouchable" on the 9th of March through Rise Records. The band have posted two additional new tracks, "Love is Misery" and "Rick Vs Nick" on their MySpace page.

Wednesday 17 February 2010

Review - The Reveling - 3D Radio

The Reveling - 3D Radio

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7 out of 10

Having Max Weinberg (the drummer of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band) must be pretty damn hard to live up to - as Jay Weinberg of The Reveling must know well. And whilst The Reveling might not have reached those heady heights quite yet this self released debut EP bodes well for the future.

As well as the obvious contemporary comparisons (Social Distortion, Dillinger Four) there’s more than just a hint of The Boss running through the veins of these four songs. Americana tinged rock and roll underlies the melodic, layered guitars and fist pumping choruses, and it has a rough and ready sound that keeps the sound anchored firmly to the earth.

Listen: www.myspace.com/thereveling

Tracklist:
1. Breadline
2. Gift
3. The Faces We Know
4. A Recurrent Rescindment of Self

Review - PJ Bond - You Didn’t Know I Was Alphabetical

PJ Bond - You Didn’t Know I Was Alphabetical

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8 out of 10

Another day another really good solo album by someone I’ve never heard of before... Apparently PJ recorded this whilst spending a year living on the road, sleeping on the floors and sofas of strangers and friends. That’s pretty cool, in my book. It’s also made for a quite varied album, I guess spanning PJs experiences on the road. Skin and Bones is a rather eerie tale about an ex girlfriend’s descent into drug addiction whereas No Theme Summer (Pastro, PA) is an uplifting ditty reminiscent of both Defiance, Ohio and Wilco as well as having hints of Joss Whedon’s theme music to the show Firefly.

Overall it works well, although it does mean the album doesn’t always flow quite as well as perhaps it might - I guess due in part at least to the protracted gestation period this is pretty much inevitable. It’s one of those albums where every song is good enough to feature on a mixtape you’re making, but not necessarily together. Well worth a listen though!

Listen: www.myspace.com/pjbondmusic

Tracklist:
1. You, Too
2. Stop Being Bad
3. Skin and Bones
4. Grow Your Smile Wide
5. Mama I’m a Smoker
6. You Know the Drill
7. Fucking Viv!
8. Quiet or Loud
9. No Theme Summer (Pastro, PA)
10. The Night of the 27th
11. Oh, Hunter

Review - Kyle Bobby Dunn - A Young Person's Guide to Kyle Bobby Dunn

Kyle Bobby Dunn - A Young Person's Guide to Kyle Bobby Dunn

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8 out of 10

Insert CD. Press play. Close eyes. Let us gaze into the universe. Well, that's it. Look, it's a 'minimalist' album, so you get a 'minimalist' review, alright? Forget the rather wanky track titles, just enjoy the trip.

Listen: www.myspace.com/kbdunn

Tracklist:
Disc 1

1. Butel
2. The Tributary (For Voices Lost)
3. There Is No End To Your Beauty
4. Promenade
5. Small Show of Hands

Disc 2

1. Grab (And Its Lost Legacies)
2. Empty Gazing
3. Last Minute Jest
4. The Second Ponderosa
5. Bonaventure's Finest Hour
6. Sets of Four (Its Meaning Is Deeper Than Its Title Implies)
7. The Nightjar

Review - Head Of Light Entertainment - I Am Liberated

Head Of Light Entertainment - I Am Liberated

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6 out of 10

In the grand tradition of English eccentri-pop (don't worry, I shall be shooting myself for typing that term at the end of this review), Carl Green a.k.a. Head of Light Entertainment has crafted an albumic distillation (yes, that one deserves a stabbing, as well) of adenoidally arch popular songsmithery (Jesus). Your aural waypoints are; Sparks and Squeeze, with a sizeable dose of 1970s children's TV tuneage. Nowt wrong with that.

BANG. . .

Listen: www.myspace.com/headoflightentertainment

Tracklist:
1. Only Chase What You Can Catch
2. I Cannot Speak Japanese
3. Lady Godiva's Horse
4. I Am Liberated
5. Audacious Audacity
6. Swan Around
7. Poor Agynes
8. We Share The World With Monsters
9. The Don't Care Home
10. The Face of a Girl
11. Ghastly

Review - The Who - Greatest Hits & More

The Who - Greatest Hits & More

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7 out of 10

Apparently, the remaining pair of the 'orrible 'Oo performed during half time at this year's Superbowl. Hence, then, the release of yet another Greatest Hits package. Obviously. Keep up at the back there - times are hard, even for multi-millionaire rock stars. Cutting-edge topiary around the boundary of your award-winning trout farm doesn't pay for itself, you know. Anyway, pointless financial sniping aside, is this worth shelling out for? Especially as there's a live, iTunes-exclusive double set to snag, as well.

There's no arguing with the studio classics on disc one, clearly. They're some of the most powerful songs ever committed to tape, all present and correct. Another plus point is the omission of Boris the Spider - a track which often scuttles its way onto these collections. We know the Ox was a great bass player - we don't need another reminder of his vocal piss-takes. The live stuff? Wonderful recording quality - no crackly bootleg rubbish, here. Superb playing. Vocally, they're all over the place. Nothing strikes as a definitive, essential addition to the canon. Collecting fans will snap them up but I don't think there's much on offer for the less-devoted. A great band, still in another universe in comparison with 99% of the hooting idiots polluting stages and studios today, but I sense the tape cupboard is getting a bit bare.

Listen: www.thewho.com

Tracklist:
Disc 1

1. I Can't Explain
2. My Generation
3. The Kids Are Alright
4. Substitute
5. Happy Jack
6. Pictures of Lily
7. I Can See For Miles
8. Magic Bus
9. Pinball Wizard
10. Behind Blue Eyes
11. Baba O'Riley
12. Won't Get Fooled Again
13. Love Reign O'er Me
14. Squeeze Box
15. Who Are You
16. You Better You Bet
17. Eminence Front
18. Real Good Looking Boy
19. It's Not Enough

Disc 2

1. I Can't Explain (live at San Francisco Civic, 1971)
2. Substitute (live at San Francisco Civic)
3. Happy Jack (live at Hull City Hall, 1970)
4. I'm A Boy (live at Hull City Hall, 1970)
5. Behind Blue Eyes (live at San Francisco Civic, 1971)
6. Pinball Wizard (live in Swansea, 1976)
7. I'm Free (live in Swansea, 1976)
8. Squeeze Box (live in Swansea, 1976)
9. Naked Eye / Let's See Action / My Generation (medley) (live at Charlton Athletic FC, 1974)
10. 5.15 (live at Largo Capital Centre, 1973)
11. Won't Get Fooled Again (live at Largo Capital Centre, 1973)
12. Magic Bus (live at Leeds University, 1970)
13. My Generation (live at the BBC, 1965)
14. I Can See For Miles (live at Universal Amphitheatre, 1989)
15. Who Are You (live at Universal Amphitheatre, 1989)
16. A Man In A Purple Dress (live at Nassau Coliseum, 2007)

Review - Various - 10 Years Of ATP Festival - 11th - 14th of December 2009

Various - 10 Years Of ATP Festival - 11th - 14th of December 2009

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10 out of 10

Written By: Bruce Goodenough, Tom Moffat and Doug Freeman

j.mascis & the fog were simply fantastic, from the first riff, I was grabbed. With j surrounded by a wall of speakers, it looked really cool, but I was surprised he can still hear. Great gig with the fans very appreciative and the Dinosaur JR track at the end sealed the deal. j and the fog were on top form and formed a great way to kick start the weekend.

After watching J Mascis wig out in spectacular fashion it was time to head over to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. As a recent convert I was really looking forward to seeing their performance of their debut album Fever to Tell, especially after seeing them play a 'normal' gig a few days previously which was brilliant. Coming on over half an hour late (which we have since been told was not their fault, van breakdown or something) they came to face a hostile crowd (or as hostile as an ATP crowd can be!) which seemed to spur lead singer Karen O on. Unfortunately, as I was standing fairly far back the sound was pretty awful and they lacked the punch I was hoping for. Still, 'Maps' rung out around the 'Michael Barrymore My Kind of People' stage with the majority of people getting involved in the sing along. I'm sure it was great; I was just in the wrong place and so left after they had played the album to indulge in some power drinking at the chalet.

This would be my undoing.

Six Organs of Admittance were one of the few bands I hadn't seen and was really looking forward to. Unfortunately due to the aforementioned power drinking I was ruined by the time I got to see them and can't remember it. Still, more sober people than I claim they were brilliant, and as on record they are brilliant I come to the conclusion that they must have been, well, brilliant. I had a marvellous time; that I do know. I'm just livid with myself for being in such a state.

My memory is not too great for Edan either, who I also think is a treat on record. I do remember thinking he was pretty balls though, playing a DJ set which was not like his latest release (which would have been brilliant) but instead a load of funk (which wasn't as good as it sounds.) Sort it out Edan, where's the glitchy hip hop?

Luckily I was coming out of the booze ridden black hole by the time Tortoise hit the stage, and I can say that they were outstanding. Despite starting to feel a bit withered their hypnotic brand of instrumental lounge rock (post rock if you really want I guess) was completely mesmerising. Not being one for song titles I couldn't tell you any particular highlights, but the whole show had me in a trance and completely sorted me out.

After the boozeageddon of Friday night I couldn't think of a better way to start of Saturday than seeing Papa M perform 'Live from a Shark Cage' (that's an album for the uninitiated, not actually David Pajo performing in a shark cage!) Easily one of my favourite albums ever this was a real treat and he completely did it justice. Last time I saw him perform songs from the album he was solo, but this time he was backed by 2 others helping him build some of the tracks up much more into mesmerising soundscapes. 'I Am Lonely With Cricket' was a particular highlight, and even though he didn't actually play the whole album it was still an incredible gig. The aural equivalent of having your balls massaged by Sarah Michelle Gellar while Megan Fox dabs your brow. I can't think of a better way to nurse a hangover.

Afrirampo; this Japanese duo, are as much comical as they are entertaining musically, their set began with a good 10 minute session of shouting in their native tongue, at one point they were definitely performing an elaborate 'happy birthday ' message to ATP but I have no idea about the rest of it. Eventually they decided to play some music, which was nice, and surprisingly brutal. Slamming 2 piece destructo-core with occasional, stereotypically delivered female Japanese yelping. Sadly the sound on the pavilion stage was not great, but in a more intimate setting I bet these would have destroyed the place, and I was proved right by their cameo during lightning bolt on the Sunday night.

Mudhoney started with a slow ’the lucky ones’. I was a bit unsure of what to expect, but straight after they were rocking like no others and are a great live band with energy to boost. The highlight of the night ’touch me, i’m sick’. showed no signs of slowing down and they rocked, leaving you feeling in a party mood.

This period of the day possibly went down as my finest 4 hours ever spent on planet earth, I had just witnessed Shellac destroy the centre stage , followed by the mighty Aston Villa destroy Manchester United on their home turf for the first time in 20 odd years. Then proceeded straight to the pavilion for one of my favorite bands, Battles, with the promise of new material, it does not get any better than that.

Battles started with a couple of new tracks, that sounded not dissimilar to their 'mirrored' material complete with the comedy vocal stylings of Tyondai Braxton, which I admit I am not that keen on. However, some of their new tracks had a definite Dr. Dre feel to them harking back to their golden EPC/BEP period. All in all, an absolute winning performance made better for me by the presence of hot chicks 'getting on down' in my area of the crowd, aaaah yeah! I look forward to this new record dropping at some point in 2010.

The timing of The For Carnation was not ideal, half 12 on a Saturday for something so slow and depressing? Still, as a big fan I couldn't wait to see them as I never thought it would happen. They were brilliant, much like Tortoise the previous night I found them completely entrancing. I was surprised to hear a number of new songs played (I believe) which I hope means they have properly re-formed. The new numbers seemed to have a slight Lambchop feel to them, and dare I say were more upbeat (relatively of course). Another great performance in what was turning out to be a great weekend of bands at the top of their game.

A little note to ATP now - whoever decided that it would be a good idea to put Sunn O))) on at 2am Saturday night/Sunday morning needs to be SHOT. Recent years have seen Aphex Twin & Squarepusher bringing the party in that slot and that is exactly what it needs. 100% fucking party. I am partial to a bit of Sunn O))) but not in the motherfucking party slot of the weekend. Come on Barry Hogan - sort it out. I watched about 5 minutes to reinforce it wasn't what I wanted then walked off and attempted to get my fix from Belle & Sebastian's DJ set. That didn't do it either so it was off to the Crazy Horse which helped but then, well, I can't remember what happened so it was probably a good night.

Shellac are a tough one to review. Much like a wank, it's pretty much always going to be great, then occasionally it's just that little bit better. Well Saturday's performance was just that little bit better. Shellac are just an incredible live band. End of. Each song is delivered with such honesty and passion you can't fail to be moved. Playing songs from throughout their career Shellac are on seriously top form today. The expected Q & A between songs is amusing as ever (although it is disappointing to hear that Bob Weston doesn't masturbate over how great Shellac are - I would) and Todd Trainer hit's the drums like no other man. Steve Albini still always holds my attention the most though, delivering his vocals with such anger he genuinely seems pissed off with you, the listener. I honestly can't fault their performance one bit, much like I imagine having a god cum in your ears would sound like. Oh, and then they went and played again on the Sunday and surprise surprise they were brilliant again. Maybe not quite up to Saturday's standard, but then I am more than willing to lay the blame on me for that in being totally withered by then.

A special mention also goes out to the glorious Arsenal sticking it to Liverpool at Anfield which provided a nice break from watching bands. I know my co-reviewer; the marvellous Doug from Nanook was particularly enjoying that.

Modest Mouse; I was slightly worse for ware during this performance, however I thought they were brilliant. The sound of the live band, complete with 2 drummers, was a lot heavier than on record. I am a massive fan of 'the moon and Antarctica' and the live versions of the handful of tracks from this album were very enjoyable to behold.

I was really looking forward to The Mars Volta as they are possibly my favourite band; well they are definitely responsible for my favourite album at any rate. To my surprise there had been another line up change, I was aware of the departure of Pablo Hinjos , his guitar parts are now been played by the roadie on the side of the stage but to my horror, Thomas Pringden was also absent. As a result of this the Volta played exact album versions of their greatest hits with a minimal 'jacking off' content, making it a very special performance for me. I have never seen Omar Rodriguez actually play his guitar parts before and it was amazing to behold. The downside to this personnel change, however, was that the new drummer was great but is not the drumming behemoth that is Thomas Pringden and as a result he couldn't really cope with some of the 'Bedlam in the Goliath' material he attempted , which was a bit cringe inducing. To his credit though he really slammed through pretty much everything else, particularly Viscera Eyes and Via L'Viaquez. Overall fucking brilliant, best TMV performance I have witnessed to date.

After seeing Lightning Bolt at Release the Bats last year I really wasn't too bothered about watching them again. Fair enough I wasn't at the front "where you really experience it, man" but it did sound like a fucking mess. Imagine my surprise when going to see them again that they were actually incredible. I dunno what they did differently (play songs maybe?) but they were spot on to close the weekend. You know the guy at the end of Robocop who drives into the toxic waste - well that's how it felt watching Lightening Bolt - brilliant. Add to the mix some Japanese Girls in hot pants flinging themselves screaming into the audience (thanks Afrirampo). Relentless, pounding, and just plain silly at times Lightning Bolt are a joy to watch. Well done on closing off a cracking ATP.

Overall Rating: 10/10 best festival ever!

Tracklist:

Review - Various - The Big Day Out Festival, Auckland Leg - 15.01.2010

Various - The Big Day Out Festival, Auckland Leg - 15.01.2010

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8 out of 10

For this review I’ve decided the DSD method needs a little tweaking, I will still give an overall score at the end for the event, but I felt that each act that I was able to give my full attention to also deserved scores of their own. That said, I will do my best to cover all of the others aspects of this most antipodean of festivals.

Now unlike many festivals the Big Day Out is just a one day affair, otherwise the name would sound silly, and as such they need to pack a lot in to that day. Therefore, they have a very interesting method of constant entertainment and that method is: the double stage. This means that when one band finishes, the next start up straight away on the other stage, the only drawback is that if you’re down the front you hear the sound checking at the same time as another band is playing. For an example of this see my photo here - http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=4010042&id=707082018 you can see other pictures from the day in that album too. They have also devised a way to ensure the people at the front don’t get too crushed. It’s not clear on the photo, but they have a D fenced around the stage, and when it gets full, they don’t let any more people in.

However, you don’t want to hear about organisational logistics, but I will say that holding the festival in and around the grounds of a stadium meant seating, which is something that hasn’t always been available at prior festivals I’ve attended. When we got to the fest, we found it was well laid out and with many things to see and do other than the acts. This included fair ground attractions, including one right in the stadium and stalls selling the usual tat which you will find at any festival. There were also fenced off bar areas: for some reason the organisers didn’t want alcohol to get into the main arenas and so a person would have to queue to prove their age, before getting a wrist band which would allow them into one of the bars. The only bar we went into was Lillyworld and by the time we got there the bushes in the area had sprouted cans and bottles of many varieties. Suffice to say, we didn’t stay long, it was quite horrific to look at and the DJ was spinning tunes that weren’t to our taste either.

Anyway, the first band we saw was Karnivool who sounded OK but we didn’t see them for long enough to give them a rating. So onto the first band we saw all the way through, Mastodon. I’ve heard good things about them so was disappointed to get bored half way through their set. I think they had sound issues though which might have contributed to the dullness. I will say though that the singer/guitarist had a very impressive ginger mullet, handle bar moustache and mutton chops. The next band we gave our full attention to and headed down into the D for was Midnight Youth, currently one of the top bands in New Zealand. What I didn’t know was that they all mostly look like they are barely into puberty, which came though in their sound and stage presence. They were entertaining enough but didn’t really cut it for us, plus they murdered War Pigs, which I find hard to forgive them for personally. Then on the adjacent stage Kasabian came on and showed the crowd what a seasoned band could do. It was amusing to see a band on the other side of the planet that are from a City only about 30 minutes from where I live in the UK. They were certainly on form and the only real drawback for me was that they only did one song from their first album.

After Kasabian we went for a wander to see another NZ local, Ladyhawke. However as the area around the stage she’d been put on was totally rammed, we couldn’t see much of her, a poor choice by the organisers. What was good was local TV channel C4 giving out free hats, which I was in desperate need of, as we didn’t realise how hot and sunny it would be that day and my bald patch was burning! We then sampled the delights of the silent disco, which involves dancing to music on head phones, odd to watch when you can’t hear the music yourself. I think that I must mention that the BDO have a local talent stage and while we didn’t actually watch any of the bands on the stage, it is the only big festival, to my knowledge, that really gives up an entire stage for this purpose.

Now back to the main arena and we watched Aussie band Powderfinger, who we found to be a bit lifeless and not at all memorable. However, we put that experience behind us as next up was the UK’s very own Dizzee Rascal and what an experience he turned out to be. Not knowing any of his material wasn’t an issue and he did his level best to whip the crowd into an energized frenzy. His set was extremely enjoyable and quite a departure from the mainly guitar based bands we saw that day.
Another UK act was on next in the form of sexy minx Lily Allen; she did all her hits and well known songs, plus a couple of covers. These filled out her set nicely with some singalongability for those people who didn’t know her own material. The Mars Volta were straight up after Lily and did their utmost, it would seem, to do an uninterrupted hour long set in tribute to Led Zep. While it was impressive that there were no breaks, we simply got a bit bored, not knowing their songs probably didn’t help either. Another hindrance was that we were sat on the other side of the stadium from the stage the Mars Volta were on. The reason for this was because we’d had to get ourselves into a good position four hours prior to watching headline act Muse. The Devonshire rockers gave a magnificent performance, belting out every song we could have wished for them to play. Their visual show was also astounding and did not appear to be lessened by the fact that it was part of a festival rather than one of their own gigs.

After Muse we attempted to see Groove Armada in the Boiler Room, which was a massive tent adjoining a stage at one end. However, it seemed thousands of other festival goers had had the same idea and getting anywhere near it was impossible. So we wandered over to the stage where Fear Factory were playing, though the majority of the band are so big now they should be called Fudge Factory. After Muse though they were a bit of an anti-climax, so we left them to play to the few goths and metallers in attendance. The feeling I got as we walked away was that people wanted more and didn’t want to leave just yet. This festival doesn’t have camping and as I said before it would be silly to have more than one day for an event named the Big DAY Out, but maybe leaving people wanting more will mean they return for next year’s bash and so on.

Performance Scores:

1. Mastodon = 5/10
2. Midnight Youth = 6/10
3. Kasabian = 8/10
4. Powderfinger = 4/10
5. Dizzee Rascal = 9/10
6. Lily Allen = 8/10
7. The Mars Volta = 6/10
8. Muse = 10/10

Overall Event Score = 8/10

Listen: www.myspace.com/bigdayoutofficial

Tracklist:

Review - Chapel Club - O Maybe I (Single)

Chapel Club - O Maybe I (Single)

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6 out of 10

Sons of Gene, without the guitar mastery. Yet. Songwriting heavily indebted to Rossiter / Morrissey, too ('I just can't contain that I care. . .maybe I should take a bite while the fruit's still ripe'). Quality for the future - I foresee 6 Music sessions and Gideon Coe platitudes aplenty. These may have already happened, of course, and the band themselves already consigned to last week's has-beens. Who knows? But a pleasant enough slice of modern nostalgia for fifteen years ago.

Listen: www.chapelclub.com

Tracklist:
1. O Maybe I

Review - Graham Parsnip Liquidiser Torture Think Tank - (Revival) - Business Ducks

Graham Parsnip Liquidiser Torture Think Tank - (Revival) - Business Ducks

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6 out of 10

Listening to this album is like opening the door of an asylum. Strange smells, strange sights, strange sounds. Gibberish, noise. The inmates appear to be the result of genetic experiments with Peter Kay, Jasper Carrott, Frank Zappa, Jarvis Cocker and Half Man Half Biscuit. They sing of octopi with face of Sid James and attempting to pay bills with spiders. And there's the Dadaist masterpiece that is Trout (surely a long-lost Bonzos track). You may discard it within seconds. That's understandable. Stick with it, though, and you may find something. You might discard it as well, mind. File under cheesy listening.

Listen: www.theparsnips.com

Tracklist:
1. Fish & Chips
2. Hairdressing Shop
3. Birmingham Sealife Centre
4. International Non-vacuuming Day
5. The Relaxing Sound. . .
6. Business Ducks
7. Trout
8. Brand New Dog
9. Gas Bill
10. Cheese
11. Botulism
12. Rowley Regis (3.2 on the Richter Scale)
13. Tractor Love (v 20.09)

News - Sweet Apple - Love & Desperation

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Sweet Apple will release their new album "Love & Desperation" on the 19th of April through Tee Pee Records.

News - The Duke & The King Announce UK Tour In April

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The Duke & The King are returning to the UK in spring, for a string of UK and Irish dates:

16th April - Birmingham, Academy
17th April - Portsmouth, Wedgewood
20th April - Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
21st April - Leeds, Hi-Fi
22nd April - Bristol, Thekla
24th April - Norwich, Arts Centre
25th April - Manchester, Ruby Lounge
26th April - Newcastle, Cluny
27th April - Glasgow, Kings Tuts
29th April - Belfast, Auntie Annies
30th April - Dublin, Academy 2
1st May - Kilkenny Festival
2nd May - Kilkenny Festival

News - Soilwork Strike The Panic Button

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Soilwork’s new album "The Panic Broadcast" will be released on the 28th of June through Nuclear Blast Records.

News - Introducing...The Features

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The Features will release their new album "Some Kind Of Salvation" on the 1st of March in the UK through the Kings Of Leon’s newly formed record label.

News - Have You Got Diamond Eyes? Deftones Do!

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Deftones’ new album "Diamond Eyes" will be available on the 18th of May. The first track to be released is called "Rocket Skates" and will be available for free download at www.deftones.com from next Tuesday the 23rd of February.

News - How Furtune-ate

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Fortune will release their new single called "Bully" on the 22nd of March through Distiller Records. Their debut album "Staring At The Ice Melt" will follow on the 5th of April.

Test

The measured tree overflows.

News - Straylight Run Go On Indefinite Hiatus

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Straylight Run have gone on indefinite hiatus:

"Dear friends and fans of Straylight Run,

We are very sad to announce to you that we will be going on an indefinite hiatus. We call it a hiatus and not a break up because the band still enjoys working together and is open to the idea of doing so in the future. If it was up to us we would continue making music throughout this year and the years to come, but the unfortunate reality is that being in a band is a business and when business isn't good you can only keep going for so long.
We are still making plans to release the live album that we recorded at the end of our last tour. As of now there is no release date though, so stay tuned for more information on that.

We would like to thank everyone one of you who ever came to a show, bought one of our records, took us on tour or supported us in any way at all over the nearly seven years that we've been a band. We'd also like to thank everyone that has worked for us, especially Dave Stein, Andrew Buck, Dayna Ghiraldi, Shannon Kimball and everyone at Padell. We have had an amazing time and feel so incredibly grateful to you all for everything we've experienced throughout our years as a band. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Love,
Straylight Run"

News - Circa Survive - Blue Sky Noise

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Circa Survive will release their new album "Blue Sky Noise" on the 20th of April through the Atlantic Recording Group. The album track "Get Out" is up on their official website now.

News - Pennywise Announce New Lead Singer...

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Pennywise have announced that Ignite vocalist Zoli Teglas is now officially the new front man for the band.

Bassist Randy Bradbury explains, "What started out as a temporary position was just too good to put an end to. Zoli brings to the table a tremendous vocal ability, creativity, and a die hard work ethic. There is a bond that makes this change feel like it was simply meant to be, and considering the recent unfortunate events, having Zoli join the band is a well needed shot of positive energy."

Teglas was excited to take the stage with his friends, noting, "I’m stoked to be singing with Pennywise. I’m a huge fan of the band and am super grateful to share the stage with my long time friends Fletcher, Byron and Randy."

News - Bullet For My Valentine: Fever

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Bullet For My Valentine will release their new album "Fever" in the UK on the 26th of April through Columbia Records.

The band are offering album track "Begging For Mercy" as a free download for a limited time only. The track is available now at the newly launched band website - www.bulletformyvalentine.com.

Tuesday 16 February 2010

News - Suicidal Tendancies - Live at the Olympic Auditorium DVD

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Suicidal Tendancies will release their first-ever DVD called "Live at the Olympic Auditorium" on the 29th of March through Suicidal Records.

DVD Track Listing:

1. Intro
2. I Shot Reagan
3. War Inside My Head
4. Subliminal
5. Ain't Gonna Take It
6. Suicidal Failure
7. We Are Family
8. Possessed To Skate
9. I Saw your Mommy
10. Waking the Dead
11. Show some Love...Tear it down
12. Cyco vision
13. Two-Sided Politics
14. Won't Fall in Love Today
15. Institutionalised
16. Pledge Your Allegiance
17. Credits