Review - Moscow Youth Cult - Happiness Machines

Moscow Youth Cult - Happiness Machines

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7 out of 10

Further electronic mind-bending from erstwhile Love Ends Disaster! string-tickler Jon Dix. Still fond of a spooky synth or three from last release Colours Seep Out, this latest step along the way sees MYC having a serious dally with the 1980s. Check Girls of Boredom, in all its I'm-a-single glory, with its electro-darkness and languid, Oakey vocal. Or Modern Easy, if you've ever wondered how Blur would have sounded had they been influenced by Depeche Mode rather than Pavement.

There's no obvious bandwagon-jumping, however. Pre-Cert Landfill II could be from the soundtrack to an as-yet unmade Linklater film, with harmonies courtesy of Barrett and Yorke. Move Truck with Bitten Leg gets Tortoise drunk before degrading gracefully into hallucinogenic mush. The whole is sprinkled with Boards of Canada dust (MYC's top MySpace friend, of course).

Unlabelled, unreleased and verging on the unparalleled.

Tracklist:
1- .shimmer .star .prefix
2- Girls Of Boredom
3- Passed With Cuts
4- Iris
5- Pet dream with lossy
6- Move Truck With Bitten Leg
7- Pre-Cert Landfill II
8- Phase IV
9- Modern Easy
10- Casa Mia Casio Tua
11- Happiness machines

Review - Distant Guns - The Invisible Observer EP

Distant Guns - The Invisible Observer EP

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7 out of 10

Marching back from the desolate wastes of Norfolk, Distant Guns appear to have bagged a winner with this, their fourth E.P. The pair of openers shimmer like a iron glove around a velvet fist. Paper Lanterns lives up to its name, floating high but without any sign of crashing back to earth and setting fire to a field of wheat.

Captain Birdseye. . . is a water-sodden piece of acoustic wyrd and, perhaps, the nearest this release has to a hole. Thankfully, we are brought back up to trajectory by the Fall-meets-Ballboy-in-the-pub-car-park-for-a-fight bombast of CSI: Nowhere. And is that Pete Postlethwaite chewing his way through a sample from some film or other?

Tracklist:
1- Paper Lanterns
2- Your Plans Are Just Lists Of Things That Won't Happen
3- Captain Birdseye And His Shit Mate
4- CSI: Nowhere

News - Tim Minchin - New DVD - 29th November!

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In his second live DVD, Ready For This?, available on DVD, Blu-ray and iTunes from 29th November 2010, Perrier award winner, uberminstrel and comedy rock super star Tim Minchin confronts the pressing issues of the day: love, truth, dancing bears and ginger body hair.

Following the success of his debut DVD, So F**king Rock, and huge, sold-out tours of the UK and Australia, the piano-bashing, icon-trashing, nerd-brained, rock-voiced, hedgehog-haired, tight-trousered philosopher-comedian is fast becoming known as one of his generation’s most brilliant and unique live performers.

Filmed during a packed 3-night run at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo, Ready For This? features Canvas Bags, Bears Don't Dig On Dancing, Prejudice (Only a Ginger), White Wine In The Sun, a nine minute beat poem: Storm and more from comedy's hottest rock 'n' roll megastar. The DVD contains a 28-page lyrics book and DVD extras include animated internet sensation Pope Song, an interview and performance from Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and a music video made for The Big Fat Quiz.

As well as performing to sell-out crowds around the world, Tim has written the music and lyrics for RSC's new musical version of Roald Dahl's 'Matilda' and his radio sitcom pilot 'Strings' was broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in May this year. Tim also embarks on his first Arena tour, joined by a 55 piece orchestra, in December 2010.

News - Blood Red Shoes are gonna Light it Up

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Steven Ansell and Laura-Mary Carter are pleased to announce the release of new single "Light It Up" on November 8th .

Taken from their sophomore album 'Fire Like This', "Light It Up" is a trademark BRS track and firm live favourite.

Blood Red Shoes are also planning an intimate show at the bands Brighton studio

for 50 lucky fans on November 4th. The band will be exclusively previewing some brand new material.

Fans are to email their name over to competition@bloodredshoes.co.uk. The first 50 names will all eligible for entry into the show.

Fresh from a Summer of gigs and festivals, the duo blew away many a crowd in the UK & Europe, and have been touring heavily since the release of "Fire Like This" back in Spring. The next couple of months see no slowing down in their touring schedule with a stint of shows in the US throughout October, and the same in Europe in November.

With two Radio 1 B-Listed tracks already under their belts, "Light It Up" is set to be another smash hit, the tracks uplifting melodies and blazing guitars create a perfect rock song as Steven explains:

"to me light it up is like our pixies formula song, just groove on the verses then smash the distortion up full on in the chorus. it’s about feeling like everything is about to explode and that you want it to explode as well as craving for chaos, upheaval and destruction because it might actually change something"

The band will be stopping off on our shores next month too play two headline dates in London & Manchester as well as a special homecoming show in Brighton, which will top off yet another incredible year for the duo.

Upcoming live dates -
6 October- Manchester, Club Academy
7 October- London, Electric Ballroom
9th December- Brighton, Concorde 2
Visit Seetickets.com to buy tickets!

News - Carl Barât - Full Album Stream!

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The debut solo record Carl Barât is out next week, but you can listen to it via his website

http://carlbarat.co.uk/

News - Johnny Foreigner - 2 unheard albums on their site!

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Birmingham trio Johnny Foreigner have announced the official digital release of two albums via their website www.johnnyforeignerband.com. Both LPs were recorded before their debut, Waited Up Till It Was Light. which was released in 2008.

The releases, available today, coincide with their previously announced new EP due to be released through Alcopop! Records in November. The band will be touring the UK around that time, with Stagecoach in support. Before that, the band head off on their first ever North American tour, opening up for Los Campesinos! over three weeks in October.

Both ’we left you sleeping, now gone’ and ’everyday is a constant battle’ have been secretively shared amongst fans for years, but the newly released versions come with a slew of new and additional tracks, comprehensive liner notes and photos from the period.

The records chart the band’s progression from their alt-country tinged slow burning origins to the acclaimed furious art pop outfit they’ve become today.

Additionally, the three piece have made available audio and video from their performance at The Garage, London this July as part of the Wichita Recordings 10th anniversary parties, and have also released an expanded tour EP from February 2009.

News - "WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC - First Ever UK Tour!

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PLUS! The Essential "WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC 2CD & Download

Weird Al Yankovic alongside performing at All Tommorrow’s Parities curated by Godspeed You! Black Emperor, will play three headline UK shows. And to celebrate his first ever UK tour "Weird Al’ Yankovic is releasing The Essential "Weird Al" Yankovic on Sony .

"Weird Al" Yankovic, the undisputed king of pop culture parody, has sold more comedy recordings than any other artist in history. In a career spanning nearly three decades, he has sold over 12 million albums , amassed 30 Gold and Platinum albums, 7 Gold and Platinum-certified home videos and won 3 Grammy Awards

Alfred Matthew Yankovic - better known as "Weird Al" - is the foremost song parodist of the MTV era. He has carried the torch of musical humour more proudly and more successfully than any other performer of the last 30 years mocking everything from new wave to gangsta rap.

The Essential "Weird Al" Yankovic is released on October 18th. The album includes his two hit singles in the UK ;Eat It (1984) and Smells Like Nirvana (1992) and which both played on the music phenomenon of their time. However, many other parodies on this 38 track career-spanning collection, personally selected by Al himself, will also be familiar "Another One Rides The Bus" (Queen), "Yoda" (The Kinks' Lola), "Like A Surgeon" (Madonna), Fat (Michael Jackson's Bad and for which the video won a Grammy), "Bedrock Anthem" (a Red Hot Chili Peppers' mash up), "Jurassic Park "(MacArthur Park), "Amish Paradise" (Coolio), It's All About The Pentiums (Puffy), The Saga Begins (American Pie), eBay (Backstreet Boys), Canadian Idiot (Green Day), Trapped in The Drive-Thru (R Kelly) and 2006’s internet in phenomena , "White & Nerdy", will all strike a chord.

Ultimately, much of "Weird Al"'s success has resulted from his skilled use of music video. By the mid-80s, not only could records themselves serve as parody fodder but their video clips were ripe for satire as well. Consequently, MTV firmly established Yankovic’s public persona in North America and now, at the age of 51, he finally brings his show to the UK, in which he will be backed by the four-piece band that have been with him for nearly 30 years.

The Essential "WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC track listing
CD1
1. Another One Rides The Bus
2. Polkas On 45
3. Eat It
4. I Lost On Jeopardy
5. Yoda
6. One More Minute
7. Like A Surgeon
8. Dare To Be Stupid
9. Dog Eat Dog
10. Lasagna
11. Melanie
12. Fat
13. UHF
14. The Biggest Ball Of Twine In Minnesota
15. Trigger Happy
16. Smells Like Nirvana
17. You Don't Love Me Anymore
18. Bedrock Anthem
19. Frank's 2000" TV
20. Jurassic Park

CD2
1. Since You've Been Gone
2. Amish Paradise
3. Gump
4. Everything You Know Is Wrong
5. The Night Santa Went Crazy
6. Your Horoscope For Today
7. It's All About The Pentiums
8. The Saga Begins
9. Albuquerque
10. eBay
11. Bob
12. Hardware Store
13. I'll Sue Ya
14. Canadian Idiot
15. Pancreas
16. Don't Download This Song
17. White & Nerdy
18. Trapped In The Drive- Thru

TOUR DATES
Thursday 2nd - BIRMINGHAM Academy
Friday 3rd - MANCHESTER Academy 1
Sunday 5th - MINEHEAD All Tomorrow's Parties
Monday 6th - LONDON Forum

All shows except All Tomorrow’s Parties
Tickets: £25.00 adv