Wed, 9 May 2012
The halfway point in a frantically busy week. As you’ll hear I’ve been over to Southwold a couple of times since last week’s show and as soon as the red light goes off on SnC 322 I’m off to Brighton, on the south coast of England, for an intensive three days of music, panel sessions and great conversation with interesting people. The Great Escape line-up is pretty extensive. Who should I try to see?
Some bits of Southwold are decidedly retro. Here's the pier building, something of a classic of its time. Stomp - Cab 20 (Los Angeles,CA,USA) Cab 20 is: Bert Hoover, Eric Contreras, and Jason Almanza Bert Hoover - Guitar/Vocals Cab 20's songwriter and frontman, Bert has the duty of not only writing most of the riffs and lyrics, but also representing the band on stage. With a playstyle that manages to be both technically skillfull as well as raw, He uses Sears Roebuck catalog guitars from the '60s to create the band's notoriously gritty sound. If Bert isn't playing music, chances are you can find him either buying more music to put in his extensive vinyl collection, or listening to live music at a concert or music festival. Eric Contreras - Drums Eric is the driving force behind all of of Cab 20's music. Playing a customized drumset that has iconically been a part of rock history for the past half century, he pushes the songs along with an aggressively booming rock n' roll pace while playing complex rhythms and elaborate fills that are typically heard in the bluesey/jazzier side of the musical spectrum. With a scorching sense of humor and a penchant for turning any event into a good time, Eric can always be found either laughing or making others laugh. Jason Almanza - Bass/Keys/Vocals A stoner rock aficionado and borderline metal-head, Jason takes huge musical influences from the desert rock scene. He uses his excessively large bass rig to round out the band's low end with a distorted thump. Citing both Geezer Butler and John Entwistle as bass icons, his influences are easily noticed in the '70s era equipment he uses and the musical flourishes he plays between riffs. When he's not playing bass, he spends most of his time simply relaxing, playing video games, or cooking up a storm. I’ll Drown - Soley (Iceland) It’s difficult to think of Iceland without thinking of superlative music. This remote North Atlantic nation has punched well above its weight over the last two decades. If anything, the island’s incessant soundtrack is growing ever more dynamic, as artists and bands, inspired by the continual international success of their peers, continue to create original, world class music. www.icelandmusic.is Sóley is a passionate piano player and singer who you may know best as a member of indie-collective Seabear. But she has recently been emerging as a solo artist in her own write. In 2010 she released her solo-debut "Theater Island" - a pop record that sounded like a dream: sweet and weird all at the same time. Now she is about to release her full length album, We Sink, via Morr Music -- an album "full of rhythmic makeshift creatures and handclaps hidden in the undergrowth -- think cardigan-folk from the northern hemisphere, an ocean of stained glasses bopping up and down in the shared apartment’s dishwater, leeward in limbo." www.facebook.com/soleysoleysoley Ghost Ship launch There was a rather fun night last week at Southwold when Adnams launched Ghost Ship, their new addition to the range. As Andy Wood (Chief Executive at Adnams) pointed out pronunciation is everything. The Ghost Ship has been spotted a couple of times in the past year or two as a seasonal brew but due to huge demand it is now available all year round. One of the problems with their beers is that they are made out of real, natural products and the particular hop that’s essential to Ghost Ship is only available once a year. This year Fergus has bought lots of lovely fragrant hops which will keep the beer coming. Actually, I think he’s hedging his bets. As well as serving pints at the launch, they had Ghost Ship cocktails which were delicious. Real ale cocktails complete with pineapple slices. How does that work then. Oh, never mind. Take my word for it, it does work! The live music featured former Artist of the Month selector Ruth Goldsmith blowing a mean sax in this romp through a tune which I am assured is called “The Rochdale Coconut Dance”. There are some pictures (including incriminating evidence of me having a good time) and a chance to win a case of Ghost Ship at: http://adnams.co.uk/beer/adnams-ghost-ship-has-returned Take a look at this video of the brewery, as you’ll not have seen it before. It was quite spectacular on a cold drizzly night. Très Impoli - Franco (Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo) The first track from an album of original late 70s recordings which set a direction for the Kinshasa music scene. Described as “A dance machine of incomparable strength : The All-Powerful OK Jazz is conducted by Franco. Re-released on Editions Populaires late last year you can download this track free and legal from the IODA site using this download link.
Yellow Brick Man - Colin McGrath (Brooklyn, NY, USA) Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Colin McGrath has a knack for penning tales of freewheeling characters with a natural tone that is both whimsical and heartbreaking. NPR Music has described him as an "Itinerant folk orchestrator,” who writes “songs that are steeped in storytelling, with characters and images drawn from old Americana.” Colin studied music at Oberlin College—he’s been commissioned to write chamber pieces for The Central Park Brass and The New York Philharmonic’s touring educational performances—but he’s received his real schooling studying the tragically poetic stories unfolding in junkshops and dive bars nationwide. The album’s enigmatic music appropriately underscores Colin’s playfully cryptic lyrics. The Yellow Brick Man album loosely depicts the adventures of a freight-hopping, prison escapee who gets drunk and stranded on a desert island, has a transformational encounter with a Catholic saint who pulls him across a river before he finally finds (near) peace in the arms of a hard-headed woman. Adnams Artist of the Month April 2012 Alex Hemen chose April’s artist of the month from Suffolk ’n’ Cool’s output during the month. A native of Romania, Alex has been in the UK for a few years but and finds some positive parallels between her roots in eastern Europe and her home in eastern England. Given her story, it is, perhaps, not surprising that this song should resonate so strongly with her. I too identified totally with the idea that getting to really know somewhere and even put down roots is good but at the same time you want to cast off and move on. There will shortly be a longer version of the interveiw on the AOTM page for April 2012 Wanderlust - Kim Edwards (Cedar Hill, TX, USA) Kim studied classical piano starting at age four and for a short while was a piano performance major in college. Her grounding in music theory, orchestration, and arrangement is clearly evident on Wanderlust. Kim credits moving from her snug Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania hometown for much of Wanderlust’s lyrical inspiration. "I moved across the country 3 times in the last 2 years: Pennsylvania to Texas to California and then to Texas again to record the album,” she details. Kim is now taking Wanderlust stateside on her first tour. She will be playing coffeehouses and doing intimate living room performances as a duo, with her cello player. Don’t miss this charming and uplifting chamber-pop artist when she hits your local java spot. I make no apology for playing this song again. Its simplicity gives it an almost hymn-like quality. Quite remarkable. Down to the River - Ben Caplan and the Casual Smokers (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada) Rugged, raspy, and roaring with charisma, Halifax's Ben Caplan & The Casual Smokers is to folklore what smoke is to bourbon. Perfectly coupled. Ben's songwriting is as bold in range as it is in ferocity. Fuelled by a quality of melodrama and powerful lyricism, it's the romance and the manhood crashing with his voice that gives Caplan a truly innovative and experimental artistry. A sound that bridges the gap between controlled composition and unruly passion. Breaking between guitar, banjo, piano, and melodica, Caplan's stage show is almost reminiscent of a burly and bearded Freddy Mercury; a raging, strong, and exploratory songwriter, it's the blues in his soul, and the heart in your chest pounding as one that makes Ben Caplan & The Casual Smokers an act not to be missed. I’m pleased to say that Ben is playing The Great Escape Festival in Brighton later this week and I shall be there along with Pete “Codger” Cogle, Paul “The Grumbler” Snelling and (hopefully) Justin Wayne; fine music podcasters every one of them. The latest award winning member of the gang, Ro Cutler is keeping his movements secret since his win of the UK section of the European Podcast Awards for security reasons. I think he’s fed up with buying everyone drinks ;) |
Wed, 2 May 2012
News of the first release of the John Peel record collection coming online together with a selection of interesting tracks from artists around the world. "Maude" spent the day under a brooding grey sky and ended the day in torrential rain while the show was put together. Say Sayonara - JOANovArc (London, UK) Inspired by Saint Joan of Arc, the national heroine of France, the band have performed in the Mediterranean, the Caribbean as well as extensively touring Europe. Most recently, they have become the first European female band to feature on the Xbox 360 for their track Sisters, helping increase their profile even further. Details on how you can purchase their material along with information about forthcoming gig dates can be found on their website and their Facebook site Borderless Connection - SaReGaMa (?) Yes, you’ve heard SaReGaMa on the show before. “If you're curious about my musical tastes and influences these are the artists I listen to more often than others: Vladiswar Nadishana, Bustan Abraham, Abdel Gadir Salim, Prem Joshua, Shastro, Gráda, Michael McGoldrick, Altan, Makis Ablianitis, Yan Tiersen, Don Edwards, Southern Rail, Coyote Old Man, Verdell Primeaux & Johnny Mike, Shulman, Bluetech, Shpongle,Telefon Tel Aviv, Mystery Of The Yeti, Keith Jarret, Michel Petrucciani, Jimmy Smith, Bugge Wesseltoft and the list is still long.” There’s a listening list for you then. www.jamendo.com/en/artist/4812/saregama http://saregama-music.blogspot.com/ Son de maíz - La Barca De Sua (Granada, Spain) La Barca de Sua is an artistic proposal which arose from the musical interests of four people from Granada. In September 2004, Raúl Lucas (spanish guitar, composer), Luigi Ramos (electric guitar), Ignacio García (bass) and Inwit Puntotk (percussion) began to play together, as a pastime, in an old house of Granada´s Albaycín, close to the Elvira´s arch. After a year, with the incorporation of singer Carmen Caballero, the band and its music reached a new level of expectations and they offered their first live performances. From summer 2006 the band was completed with the recruitment of Emilio Parrilla (clarinet, sax). www.jamendo.com/en/artist/2443/labarcadesua Rough Love - Sandman Viper Command (Toronto, Canada) From best friend beginnings in the suburbs of Toronto, Sandman Viper Command emerged with their debut release Everybody See This during a time when typical twenty-somethings are pulling all-nighters cramming for exams. Sandman Viper Command have returned to their Hamilton roots and holed themselves up again in Barn Window Recording Studio; the same studio where their debut release Everybody See This was conceived just a few short years ago. With fresh material laid down the group is anxious to share and will be doing so in the form of a new 7 inch, entitled Feel is Good, which is being released this month to coincide with the tour dates. May 2 @ The Camel, RICHMOND, VA May 3 @ Maxwell's, HOBOKEN, NJ May 6 @ Pianos, NEW YORK, NY May 7 @ Firehouse 13, PROVIDENCE, RI May 8 @ Middle East Upstairs, CAMBRIDGE, MA May 9 @ The Flask, PORTLAND, ME May 10 @ Lucky Dog, WORCHESTER, MA May 11 @ DGBG, BUFFALO, NY May 13 @ Strega Cafe, ST. CATHARINES May 14 @ TBA, LONDON May 15 @ The Casbah, HAMILTON May 16 @ Cafe Deckuf, OTTAWA May 17 @ Le Divan Orange, MONTREAL May 18 @ Michael's, HALIFAX May 19 @ Plan B, MONCTON May 20 @ Fallsbrook Centre, KNOWLESVILLE, NB May 22 @ The Spill, PETERBOROUGH Mar. 23 @ Van Gogh's Ear, GUELPH May 24 @ The Mansion, KINGSTON May 27 @ Mulligans, GRAND RAPIDS, MI http://sandmanvipercommand.com Sweater Weather - The Neighbourhood (Los Angeles, CA, USA) An interesting approach from The Neighbourhood who provide very little information through the usual channels of their website, Facebook page and YouTube. However, I can tell you that they are creating something of a buzz. I have discovered that they are fronted by 20-year-old actor/musician Jesse James Rutherford, who until recently was part of a hip-hop band called The Good Boys. You can get the sense of that influence coming through in Sweater Weather. They are based in Los Angeles and have a few dates in California coming up very soon. May 07 The Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA (w/ The Wombats) May 08 El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles, CA (w/ The Wombats) May 09 The Casbah, San Diego, CA (w/ The Wombats) May 11 The Black Box Cabaret, Monterey Park, CA (w/Gardens & Villa) John Peel’s record collection goes online Well, the first hundred tracks are indexed on a new site at http://thespace.org The initial objective is to present John’s catalogue of the first 100 albums under each letter of the alphabet. Yes, it’s very random but then that’s how, when you put in enough hours, you discover such unexpected treats. There’s a short interview with Sheila at: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-17894985 There were a few teething problems with the site which launched a day or so ago but stick with it, and have fun. Dance To The Radio - Blade of Grass (Los Angeles, CA, USA) Setting is important to the members of Blade of Grass when they seek inspiration. Michael Hurst and Joshua Murphy were tripping through Belize and Guatemala when they wrote two of their most recent tracks “Who You Gonna Run To” and “Belizean Girl.” Michael and Joshua are the primary composers for the band, and the goal of that excursion to Central America was to experience tropical snorkel outings and to seek enlightenment from pre-Columbian Mayan temples. Along the way, with guitars and a tape recorder, songs were written. Blade of Grass has its roots here in LA where the two friends met at UCLA. Michael was studying Ethnomusicology and Joshua was studying acting at the School of Theater, Film, and Television. The two bonded over trips abroad, world music classes, and participating in the vibrant local scene of music and activism. Michael Hurst also took part in the UCLA jazz program, studying with the likes of Kenny Burrel and Herbie Hancock. “Dance to the Radio” is a modern take on a hot French jazz rave up from a bygone era. It sounds like the music that Django Rheinhardt would have made if had Jimi Hendrix’s electric guitar setup. This song is the live crowd’s favorite and always the concert closer – with people shouting “to the RADIO” on cue throughout the song. |
Wed, 25 April 2012
This week's show contains possibly one of the "quietest" tracks I've played and one of the "noisiest". A week or so ago Suffolk was declared to be an official drought area. Today, warnings of flooding and the rain kept on falling. Such a lot of contrast. Also this week is a time for reflection on a good friend who died at the weekend. The world is a porrer place for the passing of Roy Evans. Spring - Radio Nowhere (Oakland, CA, USA) At fairly regular intervals I find myself saying: “It’s a while since Radio Nowhere were on the show and they now have a 5 track EP “Under Strange Skies” available for you. There’s a no strings download of three tracks on Jamendo ( www.jamendo.com/en/album/91320 ) and a higher quality 5 track version available from www.radionowhere.net/uss/ussjamendo in exchange for signing up to their newsletter with an email address. No One’s to Blame - Wolf Larsen (San Francisco, CA,USA) Known for an arresting live performance, Wolf Larsen has become famous for bringing any noisy barroom to a standstill. With total focus, stillness and a gentle approach to playing her nylon string guitar, Larsen invites an audience to lean in closer and feel the quiet as a part of the fabric of her songs. Her unusual name comes from her grandfather, Paul “Wolf” Larsen, for whom she was named. Quiet at the Kitchen Door opens with a poem written and read by her cousin Larsen Bowker, and it is an homage to the original Wolf Larsen. The original Wolf was a Nebraska man who rode the rails across the Depression beaten dustbowl as a young man looking for work. It was Bowker’s poem, specifically the lines, “Nothing left, but belief in possibility / and faith that everything important lay ahead,” that inspired modern-day Wolf, struggling under the weight of her own modern-day problems, to begin writing songs. Heavy Ceiling - Said The Whale (Vancouver, Canada) After uniting in early 2007, the band wasted no time in releasing the EP Taking Abalonia, which was reissued the next year with seven new songs as the debut full-length, Howe Sounds/Taking Abalonia. Said the Whale put out the follow-up LP Islands Disappear in 2009, and quickly won over a legion of new followers when the crunchy power-pop hit "Camilo (The Magician)" became one of the most played Canadian songs on Modern Rock Radio in 2010. Audiences all around the world quickly began to take notice of the fast-rising musicians, who performed at increasingly high-profile gigs including the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and nationally televised Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill. In 2011, the band toured in the U.S. and U.K. and earned international praise from Consequence of Sound, You Ain't No Picasso, and BBC Radio 6. Back home, Said The Whale won a JUNO Award for New Group of the Year. Following the teaser EP New Brighton, all of the band's efforts have culminated in the new full-length Little Mountain, released on March 6, 2012. Named after the band's home neighborhood in Vancouver, the 15-track collection was recorded at the city's Blue Wave Productions studio. The band has been touring extensively in support of the album since the end of February and have remaining dates into early May: 4.25 Edmonton, AB @ Myer Horowitz 4.26 Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall 4.28 Kelowna, BC @ The Habitat 4.29 Kelowna, BC @ The Habitat 5.03 Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre 5.04 Victoria, BC @ Alix Goolden Hall Water - Heypenny (Nashville, TN. USA) Though known mostly for country music royalty—the likes of Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash—Nashville has a flourishing indie-rock scene that along with the neighborhood streets, the hills, and woods—make a perfect place for Heypenny to create their world of indie-pop-fun-rock. Four years ago, Ben Elkins lived about 150 miles south of Nashville in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He experimented with sounds and spaces and new ways of writing songs. Through these efforts, Heypenny was born and an album called Use These Spoons was completed and Elkins relocated to Nashville, TN, recruiting DJ Murphy on bass and Aaron Distler on drums. Although it was never fully distributed, Use These Spoons made waves in the blogosphere and garnered accolades throughout the region/country/Western hemisphere for its pop-infused balance of rhythm, harmony, and DIY brilliance, ultimately selling out of all their pressings. What started out as a quiet, solitary and patient endeavor has over the last year erupted into a staccato-rock band that finds company with contemporaries, while channeling the pop-appeal of Michael Jackson, and the naiveté of Sesame Street. Wanderlust - Kim Edwards (Dallas, TX, USA) Kim studied classical piano starting at age four and for a short while was a piano performance major in college. Her grounding in music theory, orchestration, and arrangement is clearly evident on Wanderlust. Kim credits moving from her snug Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania hometown for much of Wanderlust’s lyrical inspiration. "I moved across the country 3 times in the last 2 years: Pennsylvania to Texas to California and then to Texas again to record the album,” she details. Kim is now taking Wanderlust stateside on her first tour. She will be playing coffeehouses and doing intimate living room performances as a duo, with her cello player. Don’t miss this charming and uplifting chamber-pop artist when she hits your local java spot and check out her heartwarming travelogue Wanderlust on iTunes. It All Began With A Burst - Kishi Bashi (New York, USA) Kishi Bashi's debut full-length album 151a is a bright and soaring avant-pop record written primarily on violin - Kishi Bashi's main instrument which has brought him to record and tour with the likes of Regina Spector, Sondre Lerche, Alexi Murdoch, of Montreal and more. The first two singles "It All Began With a Burst" and "Bright Whites" have already been getting attention from SPIN, Consequence of Sound and more. Kishi Bashi collaborated with of Montreal's Kevin Barnes on that band's new album, Paralytic Stalks. This last endeavor he credits with some of his most recent musical growth, acknowledging that Barnes pushed him to new heights of creativity, forcing him to explore a broader use of his primary instrument: the violin. This experimentation affected his loop-based live show and led to him write more of the new record with violin rather than piano or guitar, loosening him from the grip of habit and expanding his palette. Kishi Bashi uses Japanese singing as another of many layers, doing so without any trace of gimmickry, and achieving what, to Western ears, must sound like an expression of the ineffable. The album really is worth a good listen. You’ll find it on Bandcamp and on Joyful Noise Recordings. It was released on 10th April. He’s on tour right now with a show in Brighton UK tomorrow night.
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Wed, 18 April 2012
Oh, the joy of living with nature. A confused and very angry blackbird has a mate nesting in the end of the barn. He insists on picking fights with everyone else and the noise, quite frankly, annoys. Never mind, I hope you’ll find this weeks mix interesting, we’ve tracks from Spain, Iceland, Hungary, Italy and the USA which is represented by Minnesota, New York, California and Tennessee. Now where’s that shotgun? Seems someone already made a hole in the clouds. Late as Usual - The Freak Fandango Orchestra (Barcelona, Spain) The Freak Fandango Orchestra is a multi-ethnic band from Barcelona (Spain). The band exists since 2006 and is performing live since 2007. You can see them a lot around Barcelona but they also play at international venues, like for example at the New York Gypsy Festival 2011. Their music is a explosive mixture of folk, polka, gypsy music from the Balkans and punk-rock. The band is composed by musicians with lots of different instruments (guitar, bass, drums, violin, saxophone, trumpet, accordion and percussion). They are influenced by artists like "Emir Kusturica And The No Smoking Orchestra", "Goran Bregović" and "Gogol Bordello". In 2009 they published their first EP "Love, Death And A Drunken Monkey" and their second EP "Tales Of A Dead Fish" in 2011. All their song are under Creative Commons License. If you like their music don't forget to join them on Facebook (www.facebook.com/freakfandango) or on Twitter (www.twitter.com/freakfandango) www.jamendo.com/en/album/101727 Where Is The Way - Ourlives (Reykjavik, Iceland) Since the band's formation in Reykjavik in 2005, Ourlives focused on recording as much music as possible in the quest to perfect their sound. With influences ranging from bands like Muse to Radiohead and Coldplay, the band continuously experiments with different sounds, and has refused to release an album until they are satisfied that it feels and sounds exactly the way they intend it to. In 2008, they finally released the first single from what would become their Icelandic debut album, We Lost The Race. The band's debut US EP, Out of Place, is their introduction to the world outside of Iceland. Get ready for Ourlives to take you on a musical journey, with their dynamic song structures, big choruses, and the intense ambition and attitude -- to do the very best you can do, or don’t do it at all. Out of Place is available now on Seattle's Spartan Records. www.facebook.com/Ourlives.Iceland Big Mama's Door - Mississippi Big Beat (Hungary) Csaba Boogie Gal and Andor Olah have been playing together for over ten years, bringing roots-based blues to their audiences and inspiring a younger generation to follow in their footsteps. Mississippi Big Beat‚s line-up mixes this experience with the electronic background of Szabi Maté and Dure to create a fresh effect. In this year of the 100th birthday of the late blues innovator Robert Johnson, Mississippi Big Beat continues to modernize the genre by boosting classic blues beats with electronic loops and effects, building up from the music of the twenties and thirties and arriving at the big beat sound. The Hungarian apostles of the blues beat are now launching into the international seas of nu blues. At this point these track will be released digital. So the only way for your listeners / readers to get them is by downloading them on iTunes or any other legal download platform. http://itunes.apple.com/nl/album/delta-disco/id518042131 www.reverbnation.com/mississippibigbeat Frescante (mazurka) - Fabrizio Klam (Ribordone, Italy) I can find nothing about Fabrizio except that he is from the very north of Italy, just north of Turin and he says: When I think about "bal folk" and especially klandestine mazurkas, I think about open spaces, joy and freedom; so I've decided to edit this little compilation of french mazurka, valzer and scottish under CC license. Free music for free people! www.jamendo.com/en/album/109008 House Been Burnin’ - Chastity Brown (Minnesota, USA) She’ll put a spell on you. Sweet as molasses and woodsmoke, clear and burning as summer sun, Chastity Brown casts magic. Her voice brings you to the crossroads with every turn, warms, comforts and challenges you. She is the inheritor of Leadbelly, Nina Simone, Bonnie Raitt and Roberta Flack. She is past, present and future. She is fire, earth, air and water. She’s a natural. Throw all the genres and hyphenates together you want to describe her – gospel, roots & soul, jazz, blues & country – they are all right, and also not enough. Chastity channels songs that are borne deep in the American bone, the hunger, desperation and confidence that runs through our times. Coming from Tennessee to Minnesota, touring the country, she has had half her own lifetime and million lifetimes gone before to concoct her powerful sound. Ignite it all with love, and the rest is rapture. Casting Shadows - Lila Rose (Berkley, CA, USA) The Canadian singer/songwriter now makes her home in Berkeley, California, a perfect backdrop for her quirky and unusual style. While Lila writes within the boundaries of classic pop song structure, her songs could be called anything but traditional. Heart Machine is an album of great authenticity and maturity. Fist Up - Gramatik (Brooklyn, NYC) Gramatik has always been an early adopter. It began at the age of 3, when his mother would catch him glued to the radio in his older sister’s room, checking out the cassette tapes with American funk, jazz, soul and blues. He started making his first beats on an early PC by the time he was 13, and soon the kid from Portoroz, Slovenia figured out how to harvest the power of free file sharing to build a following throughout the US & Europe. Tracks spread, hype grew, tours followed, and before long his digital persona forged the initial inroads into the US market, landing him both a label and an agency. Gramatik landed on US soil as a fully formed artist who knows how to do things his way. He signed to a label, Pretty Lights Music, that gives all of its music away for free, which went hand in hand with his own philosophy about ”freeing music by making music free”. Soon after, he scooped up his hometown crew and moved to Brooklyn, NY. Alongside Gramatik, the multimedia collective known as Dream Big features guitarist and producer F.A.Q, video director and filmmaker Anze Koron and graphic and web designer Martin Kenjic, with whom he has been friends since they were kids, sitting in a small town on the Adriatic coast, dreaming of breaking out into the wide world beyond. Now’s the time. Don’t Want To See You Till You Go - Tiger High (Memphis, TN, USA) Tiger High is a tight-knit group of musicians all born and raised in the music mecca of Memphis, Tennessee. The group is composed of songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Jake Vest (Jack Oblivian, The Trashed Romeos), drummer Greg Roberson (Reigning Sound, Arthur Lee’s Love, The Trashed Romeos, Jack Oblivian, Compulsive Gamblers) and two of Vest’s longtime musical partners, brother Toby Vest and Greg Faison. Together, Tiger High co-writes and records their material at High/Low Recording, a studio owned and operated by band member Toby Vest. The studio serves as the band's home base of operation as well as the home of their wrecking crew style production team. Myth is This, the debut full length from Tiger High, is available as an eight song cassette or as a limited edition hand-assembled and numbered CD featuring the original eight song cassette release plus four extra tracks and two super sweet stickers. Both offerings from Tiger High are available through the Trashy Creatures Records web store. |
Wed, 11 April 2012
Music from Glasgow, London, Northampton MA, Seattle and Paris this week with a couple of specials including the result of the Adnams Artist of the Month. It was for the AOTM interview that I went over to Southwold this morning. A fabulous day of dramatic clouds, sudden showers and bright sunshine. The beach was awash with kids having a great time digging holes and flying kites. The scale and feel of the Adnams Distribution Centre is quite an eye-opener. A very large building almost entirely concealed in a former gravel pit the environmental qualities have, it seems, dictated a building design with just functions so well on so many levels. To see the roof structure up close is a awe-inspiring. Yorkshire - For Abel (Glasgow, Scotland) The track Yorkshire was released on 5th Nov 2011 as a single. Like the song says, Britain in looks “like a scene from ‘89”. Unemployment figures have hit their highest since 1989. For Abel (formerly known as Nacional) have played Glastonbury, Rockness, SxSW Texas, GoNorth, In The City Manchester and 3 successful U.K tours. For Abel are: Robert Armstrong (voc), Colin Healy (gtr), Jonny McGiffen(bass) and Darron Foy (drums) Jordan Reyne - The Arsonist and Wait (I run too slow) (London, UK) Having just completed a UK tour and played some great shows our good friend Jordan Reyne has lost most of her equipment and all of her CD stock in an unprovoked vandal attack on her home. She is now homeless and, perhaps worst of all, her beloved dog Stinky has had to be fostered out. Her amazing friends in Second Life (where she plays lots of shows) organised a benefit show for her on Saturday which has raised enough money to deal with the immediate crisis. However, she doesn’t want to be a charity case but wants to work her way out of this deep hole. Re-equipping will take more cash and thankfully, download sales are unaffected. If you’ve enjoyed hearing Jordan on SnC, now is a great time to buy an album (or two). Not only will it help her get back on her feet, you’ll also be able to listen to the entirety of Children of a Factory Nation, just as was intended. Believe me, it repays every minute you give it. Across Town - Stone Pony (London, UK) Formed in the hazy summer of 2004 out of a bustling University of Kent music scene, the rock and roll five piece Stone Pony quickly established themselves as crowd favourites to the students and locals in the Canterbury area. Equally at ease bringing the crowd to its feet with stirring guitar driven rock numbers, as tugging at the heartstrings with piano led ballads, the band built up an avid following in their final year of University. When the student days came to an end, the band moved back to southeast London, where they released their first two EPs The Sam Sessions and Chasing Thieves to uniformly excellent reviews. Stone Pony are revving up to release their first full-length album Rabble Rock Radio with No Coward Music on 17th of April. “Across Town” is the Tom Petty inspired second single from the album. Singer/songwriter Robert Batley says, “I wrote this song from the point of view of a man looking out across the Thames river from St. Paul’s Cathedral and imagining the things that were happening in the big city of London.” www.facebook.com/stoneponybandpage While you’re at it check out Justin Wayne’s show Blow The House Down - Darlingside (Northampton, MA, USA) “Adnams Artist of the Month” Rachael Mewse chose the Artist of the Month for March 2012 and deliberated long and hard to select Massachusetts band Darlingside for their single Still. The “string-rock” quintet are currently promoting their innovative 'album subscription' for their debut LP Pilot Machines. The subscription means that until the release date this summer, fans will gain access to a series of digital 7- inches by subscribing at pilotmachines.com The first one, Blow the House Down 7," is available to fans now. Lurid Lounge - Bakelite 78 (Seattle, WA, USA) Bakelite 78′s repertoire is an eclectic mix of swing, Dixieland, blues, proto-country, and cabaret, as well as a plethora of originals in hybrids of these styles. Founding member Robert Rial arrived in Chicago in 2000, eager to engage in the music he loved most: dance orchestra music/swing, country-blues, dixieland, tin pan alley, occasional rock, and American folk. He played his guitar and tenor banjo and took solace in his 78 R.P.M. records (some discs were made from an early form of plastic similar to Bakelite). “Bakelite 78′s” preserved the music of the early 20th Century, and the band was born to keep classic crooner vocals & speak-easy jazz/lounge/cabaret alive. The original lineup of Bakelite 78 performed throughout Chicago from 2003 to 2008. In 2009, Robert departed for Seattle and Bakelite 78 went through a personnel change. Robert sought multi-instrumentalists that preserved and expanded the essence of the group’s original sound. The new lineup of musicians includes Robert Rial on tenor banjo, six string, tenor guitar and voice, Erin Jordan on piano, accordion, and voice, Austin Quist on upright bass and sousaphone, Erik Reed on trumpet, Sabrina Pope on clarinet, and Steve Baz on drums. Within a couple months, the new line-up began performing original compositions (by Rial and Jordan), classic standards and rare gems. The group has performed all around Seattle and recently completed their new album, What The Moon Has Done, to be released April 13, 2012, at The Columbia City Theater in Seattle. Dirty SIde - Caravan Palace (Paris, France) The French gypsy phenomenon is back at it again! Perfecting their trademark “Electroswing”, Caravan Palace returns with their sophomore album “Panic”. The perfect blend of Jazz, Swing and Electropop, alive throughout the album, is guaranteed to keep you on your feet with its bouncy, vivacious tunes. Released on March 5th, “Panic”—the follow-up to their self-titled debut album which went on to sell more than 150,000 copies — is the result of two years worth of writing and recording. A Summer European tour in support of the new album kicks off on April 14th in Switzerland and its 31 dates takes them to France, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Turkey, UK. Belgium and Monaco Here's the mash-up video I mentioned: Ray Charles vs Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP - Ray No Speak Americano - Mashup by FAROFF |
Wed, 4 April 2012
Well, it seemed like spring for a couple of days there. Hey ho. I suppose it will be back. A decent geographical and stylistic spread of music floated to the top again this week with tracks from The USA, Iceland, Germany and Canada. News of The Great Escape Festival in Brighton next month too. Come On Let's Go - Crazy Mary (New York, NY) "Anyone who experienced New York’s gritty, exciting, and gloriously vibrant music scene in the 1970s, ’80s, or ’90s will tell you the same thing: Their city is gone. Wiped out by a Stalin-esque, Disney-driven coup and replaced with a staid world of theme restaurants and karaoke bars. It’s as if when the soul was sucked out of Manhattan by real estate developers the music went along with it. Or so it would seem, however, until you’ve heard the music of New York band Crazy Mary. Formed by veteran Lower East Side guitarist and songwriter Charles Kibel and drummer Nick Raisz, Crazy Mary has been conjuring its refreshingly oddball avant-garage rock since 1998. A bubbling cauldron of chiming and scraping guitars, creepy organ, spacey, experimental sounds, Dada-ish pranksterism, and absurdly danceable rhythms, the band distills it all into a surreal cocktail of post-punk/psychedelic weirdness. And now, with the recent additions of legendary underground violinist Walter Steding and expatriate Australian vocalist Em Z, things have gotten even weirder. In a good way, of course." The Backbone - Lay Low (Reykjavik, Iceland) LAY LOW is the alter-ego of Icelandic singer/songwriter Lovísa Elísabet Sigrúnardóttir. Born in London to a Sri Lankan father and Icelandic mother, LAY LOW’s musical abilities stretch as far as her geographical heritage. Starting out as a pianist and bass guitar player; she has jammed on keyboards and synthesizers with Benny Crespo’s Band, found her voice in blues folk and a little honky tonk bop collaborating with producers such as Liam Watson. Although her new material is taking on a new trip hop twist, LAY LOW’s distinct musical journey can still be felt at its roots, producing a honed yet experimental sound that is all her own. To Live Without Dead Time - Green Tea (Stevens Point, WI, USA) Sonic diversity flows rampant within this group whom originates from New York, Washington State, Illinois, and Wisconsin, yet combining these various wires is the natural fusion of Green Tea. It was at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point that Green Tea formed 10 years ago and with an evolution of members in 2011 and growth of musical roots from Celtic fusion to indie, Green Tea now serves up a powerful brand of original indie roots rock music. The upcoming new album “Wake the Conscious” summarizes this fresh perspective in songwriting and ultimately an energized stage performance. Mixing original indie hooks and lyrics with driving progressions is the band’s modus operandi, catalyzing original inventions on stage with a hint of “live jamming.” Green Tea’s keys are held down by Aaron Scharmer with styles enveloping jazz, rock, classical, and futurama - he’s the melotron phenomenon and improvisational whiz. The bass guitar fills bodies with John Julka behind it, otherwise known as miniFlea, John is SOLID energy. John Coletta, on flutes/whistles, vocals, and hands has been compared to Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull with his flying flute-rock stylings and art rock vocals. Besides being a world-renowned semiotician John is most likely “THE WORLD’S BEST” hands player (it has to be seen to be believed). At the core of Green Tea’s sound is Trevor Roark, vocals/guitars, with his original song arrangements that compliment the post post-modern thoughts of our civilized culture. This fresh sound, with intelligent lyrics, indemnifies him as the heart of the Green Tea’s sonic distinction. Yet, Zach Hubert drives home the band’s power on the drums. With unique percussive patterns, Zach gives each song an edge that fans love. The Great Escape update After three years, a groundbreaking debut, and numerous international award's, The Temper Trap return to The Great Escape. With a second, self-titled, album finished, The Temper Trap are ready to present new music to you, including the first single "Need Your Love." They are due to headline the Brighton Dome on Friday 11th May. A further 141 artists have been announced and, of particular interest to me, the already strong Catalan offerings have been further strengthened with the full line-up of acts from Barcelona and wider Catalunya confirmed to appear at The Great Escape 2012 comprising: Mujeres, Me And The Bees, Seward, Amics del Bosc, Ninette And The Goldfish, Oso Leone, Furguson and The Suicide Of Western Culture. The Catalan Sounds Tour of 2012 has already visited SXSW and Canadian Music Week and will finish this May in sunny Brighton at The Great Escape. Sad Robot - Pornophonique (Darmstadt, Germany) I stumbled upon Pornophonique when I was checking out Jamendo this week. Dating way back to 2007 although it sounds much older than that. The retro references sounded retro when it was new! The appeal of 8 bit obviously endures. The album 8-bit lagerfeuer is still in the Jamendo top 40 for popularity this week. “Listen to two dudes using a western guitar, some vocals, a C64 and a gameboy. They tell you about sad robots, the loneliness in computer dungeons and other heart-breaking geeky sceneries. Feel free to support these guys and buy the album as a real CD in black vinyl-optics within a black tin top. Including variant-covers for each song, made by famous german comic artists. You can get the album as an mp3 download from Jamendo at www.jamendo.com/en/album/7505 or Incidentally I see that Grace Valhalla’s new album, which I played a track from last week, is in at number 42 out of 55,534 albums on the label. Broken Window - Nick Teehan (Toronto, Canada) Growing up in suburban Oshawa, Nick felt most free after dark, whether he was watching rented Charleton Heston movies, wandering the city’s forest paths, or trekking south to yell and throw rocks. Citing inspiration from the likes of Leonard Cohen, Rufus Wainright and Irving Berlin, Teehan’s songs are fresh, energetic and unpredictable; his lyrics imaginative, irreverent and arrestingly insightful. When filtered through Nick’s unconventional imagination, the results are vivid dream-images. Supported by a talented seven-piece band, equal parts brass and electric, whose subtlety and raw power frame the wildness of Nick's compositions and enlisting the help of his brother, JUNO-nominated composer Rob Teehan on sousaphone, There is Not a Snake is a musical redefinition. Nick Teehan debuts There Is Not A Snake LIVE @Tranzac Club, 292 Brunswick Ave, April 20, with openers Dave Clark’s The Uplifters & The Woodshed Orchestra. Doors @ 8 p.m. The album is released on April 20 and is available in stores and on-line. Sun Bird - The Elkcloner (New York, NY, USA) Serbia native, New York resident and acclaimed composer/music producer Filip Mitrovic is The Elkcloner. Having some impressive accolades already on his resume (he co-scored music for several feature films, including ‘Resident Evil: Afterlife,’ ‘The Echo’ – from the makers of ‘The Ring’ and ‘The Grudge’, and a Sundance 2008 Award winner ‘Sleep Dealer’), Mitrovic has just unleashed his genre-redefining blend of experimental/electronic art-jams to the masses. The Elkcloner has chosen to represent his new hybrid experimental electronic project. One of the defining features of The Elkcloner’s eponymous debut effort (released digitally 2/28/2012) is a propensity towards provocative and, by his own admission, visually inspiring and inspired music with an undoubtedly cinematic flair. You’ll find his music on iTunes and at: |
Thu, 29 March 2012
This week marks the conclusion of a project I’ve been working on at home here for the past year. A somewhat confused and frail older relative faced the prospect of being shipped out into a care home or staying on in her own home 80 miles away. Consequently we did the daft thing and set about building her a small home at the back of the house (just over the pond from the Barn). It has been a long process, inevitably delayed by the serious illness of my builder and good friend Roy Evans. At last everything is coming together and her furniture arrives tomorrow. I’ll not bore you with pictures of the building but here’s a bit of it; Suffolk Red bricks and lime mortar. Handsome, though I say it myself! Jeremy and I spent some of the afternoon photographing beer for a local project - what do you know, we couldn’t get it back into the bottles. C’mon, someone’s got to do it. Speak - Vintage Blue (Chicago, IL, USA) Formerly known as Tanglewood, the reformed entity now known as Vintage Blue have followed up their 2010 debut recording, the seven-track California Road, with their first true full-length, Strike The Mics, which finds the band tighter, leaner and more focused on contributing to the Great American Songbook than ever before. The change in name comes at a perfect time for the group, who have only recently evolved into the cohesive unit heard on Strike The Mics. Vintage Blue—which includes Bassett, singer/guitarist Ryan Tibbs, drummer Will Crowden, bassist Cesar Corral, and saxophonist/keyboardist Matt Zimmerman—formed as the band Tanglewood in Chicago several years ago, first as a cover band playing the local circuit. (Crowden, interestingly, is the grandson of the founder and former owner of Ludwig Drums.) And Suddenly - Siôn Russell Jones (Cardiff, Wales) Siôn Russell Jones is a singer/songwriter from Cardiff, Wales - he has a unique and infectious vocal backed up by intricate guitar melodies and cracking choruses. In October 2010, Siôn released his debut album And Suddenly via Still Small Voice Music, which he recorded during his final year at The Atrium School of Creative & Cultural Industries. 2011 proved to be a great year for Siôn... he has been gigging relentlessly on the singer/songwriter circuit and has played many UK Festivals including, The Hay Philosophy Festival, The Acoustic Festival Of Britain, Festival Of The Celts and The Greenman Festival. Unfamiliar Skirts - Teeth and Tongue (Melbourne, Australia) Teeth & Tongue is New Zealand born, Melbourne based musician Jess Cornelius. What a great silky voice, now recovering from SXSW where Jess played the great Aussie BBQ at Maggie May’s. Come to think of it, if the stage was downwind, the voice probably isn’t that silky anymore. After several years performing in rock bands––including Australian Music Week showcase winners Moscow Schoolboy––making a racket and trailing her lipstick-smeared microphone cord across bar-room tables, Jess got her hands on a couple of un-loved drum machines and decided her true path lay in a subtler territory. Now, armed with an old 505 drum machine, keyboards and electric guitar, Jess weaves her haunting vocal melodies through pared-back rhythms, hypnotic guitar lines and layered vocal samples. You can download the track free from the Teeth and Tongue Facebook at www.facebook.com/teethandtongue Weird Sunday - Fresh Body Shop (Nantes, France) Released through Jamendo just last week, this is from Fresh Body Shop’s 11th album on Jamendo. Pedro Rousseau writes everything and you can listen/download his entire back catalogue at www.jamendo.com/en/artist/freshbodyshop Sugar Cube - Will Knox (Brooklyn, New York) I saw that Will’s video for Cog in the Machine (yes, I’ve played it on the show) has been nominated the IMAs (Independent Music Awards) in the short form video category - and deservedly so too. OK, so it’s dead nerdy but I wonder if he literally learnt the song backwards. Find out more here: www.independentmusicawards.com/ima/artist/Will-Knox Dream It Up - Sydney Wayser (Brooklyn , New York, USA) Sydney’s album Bell Choir Coast is released today after two years in the making, so that’s the perfect excuse to play another track. http://sydneywayser.bandcamp.com/ You may call it co-incidence but she won Adnams Artist of the Month for November and tonight she is making her US national TV debut on Last Call with Carson Daly. The physical album release is being marked by live shows in LA (Hotel Cafe - May 17) and in New York (Joe’s Pub May 24th) Gonna Be Sick - The Do (Paris, France) Nothing seems straightforward in this unique band’s history. When meeting French composer/producer Dan Levy in 2005, the French/Finnish vocalist/guitarist had found a partner to score films and dance performances with. Little chance they would have expected their debut album, A Mouthful, to become the first English-speaking record to top the charts in that country. While three years is not exactly overnight, the duo struck a chord with their irresistible pop songs informed from such wide-ranging influences as Björk, Bela Bartok and Finnish choral music. The duo’s cross-disciplinary past immediately surfaces in “Gonna Be Sick!,” which Merilahti wrote in an attempt to translate the physicality of a visceral experience. The slick drum beat and buoyant bass line offer lightness against the subject’s headiness: losing someone, either in a love story or more dramatically, in death. The neurological consequences of sadness and confusion manifest physically, and like a powerful blues number, tragedy is circumvented through the triumph of music. It’s also a damn catchy pop song. Do check out their website. I played Slippery Slope a few weeks back but there is a studio version on video which just blew me away earlier this evening. Find it on their site. Here’s a live session video from Studio Pigalle in Paris. This is a real treat. Smiles - Grace Valhalla (Nancy, France) It has been quite a while since Grace released a new album. You may remember my lamenting that fact back in show 291 last September. Well, it seems that co-incidence has been at work again and I had a really nice email from Grace last week to say, “ … thanking you with all my heart for your support, which enabled me to buy some music instruments. So I dedicate my new album especially to you. Thanks you again and a nice spring to you, Grace“ Ah, karma! Smiles is from her very new Jamendo album Valhalla Rising It is such a relief to know that she is going strong. You’ll find all of Grace’s music on Jamendo at www.jamendo.com/en/artist/grace.valhalla http://gracevalhalla.tumblr.com Quick reminders: Matt Andersen plays the New Crawdaddy Club at Billericay in Essex on Thursday 29th (tomorrow) if you possibly can, get there. www.newcrawdaddyclub.co.uk 45% discounts on badges for CMJ in October, but only until Midnight on Monday |
Thu, 22 March 2012
A bit of a late start this week with the record button being pressed at almost midnight. Actually, it is only just at the point where the environment is quiet enough to focus. There have been helicopters, builders and carpet-fitters around the place all day and then at dusk the frogs took over. This seems to be the week of the manic migration of hundreds of frogs to the pond just outside the studio window. Ahh. Lurv truly is a many splendored thing ! So Close - Scout (NYC, NY, USA) With All Those Relays, the band’s first album since 2003, Ashen Keilyn has deconstructed her band and put it back together piece-by-piece — new players, new producers and, most importantly, the best songs of Keilyn’s career. Scout’s new chapter finds Keilyn simultaneously at her most emotionally raw and her toughest yet, creating an album both empowering and vulnerable — and catchy as hell. “I feel like a big sponge. I take my experiences in life and turn them into music,” she says. “That requires a lot of living. I have to put a lot in to get a little tune out.” To create the 10 tracks of All Those Relays, then, Keilyn could’ve lived 10 lifetimes — each song is a world unto itself, a new driving rhythm, an endlessly melodic hook and lyrics that navigate the soaring highs and devastating lows of love. The new album is released next Tuesday and they have a show at The Living Room on Stanton Street, in the Lower east Side of Manhattan on Thursday. Down on the Lower East Side - Justin Townes Earle (Nashville, Tennessee, USA) On a rainy Nashville Thursday last October, Justin Townes Earle leapt onstage at the famed Ryman Auditorium to accept the 2011 Americana Music Award for Song of the Year. The triumphant evening capped a turbulent twelve months for the gifted young musician categorized by significant hardship as well as notable achievement including debut performances at New York's Carnegie Hall and on The Late Show with David Letterman. Just one week later, Earle retreated to the western mountains of North Carolina to record his next album, Nothing's Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now at Echo mountain Studios in Ashville NC. It’s an intriguing title given the importance of change in Earle's approach to art. "I think it's the job of the artist to be in transition and constantly learning more," he says. "The new record is completely different than my last one, Harlem River Blues. This time I've gone in a Memphis-soul direction." No stranger to this show since his excellent Harlem River Blues album last year. We Lie - Wishes and Thieves (NYC, New York, USA) “As far as fledgling bands go, Wishes and Thieves are more poised and ready to take off than most of their peers. The Brooklyn four-piece is on the verge of releasing their second EP, and has plans for a full-length album in the fall. There is a refreshing focus to the sonic atmospheres that Wishes and Thieves craft in their synth-laden songs. Perhaps it is that focus, and vision for exactly what they’d like the band to be that sets them apart. When we asked them to perform for our cameras, they jumped at the chance to do something a little different. Preparation for an acoustic session to most bands means switching to acoustic guitars and brushed drums, but not to Wishes and Thieves. The band’s guitarist and bassist, Mike MacAllister and Joe Higgins, created entirely new acoustic arrangements for their songs, complete with a string quartet. The band was lucky enough to recruit oft-Sufjan Stevens collaboraters Osso Quartet to accompany them. They tackled the opener from their first EP, Lighthouse, as well as the single and title track of their upcoming Forest Fire EP. The result is something wholly original, monumental and, in typical Wishes and Thieves fashion, intensely focused. “ Wishes and Thieves on Popmatters www.facebook.com/WishesandThieves Missing musician Owain Mon Roberts I had a call from a friend who’s the neighbour of a friend of Cardigan (Wales) musician Owain Mon Roberts. Owain plays guitar with The Reasoning. It seems that he went out for a coastal walk near the town on March 10 but he has not been seen since and police are becoming increasingly concerned for his welfare. Although, I would suggest not as concerned as his friends and family. If by the slimmest of chances, you happen to have seen Owain since March 10 please dial 101 and ask for Cardigan Police Station. Thanks.
Superman - Alex Montanez (Brooklyn, NY, USA) First entering the New York City music scene in early 2008, Alex Montanez quickly gained the approval of audiences with his gift of interpretation. Playing sets consisting mostly of cover tunes, Alex's confidence grew as he graced venue after venue in downtown NYC with the few originals he sprinkled into each set. After performing in the many different stages that New York City has to offer, Alex found a home in a small lounge in West Village called Gizzi's. Packing this lounge show after show, he decided it was time to take his original music more seriously. Having a collection of tunes he wrote over the years, he picked the best of them to re-record into his debut album. Alex has released his debut album Begin Again free of charge. FROTH Our drive to buy and reopen our local pub here in Suffolk. The investor prospectus was launched on Saturday night and so far we have 24 wonderful people pledging investments of £34,500 which is fantastic. Of course we need lots more but that is an amazing start. Physically Spirtually - Junior Toots (Berkeley, California) Jamaican born Junior Toots, son of renowned reggae artist Toots Hibbert of the Toots and the Maytals, is readying his debut album, recorded in California, A Little Bit of Love. Incorporates Ska, dance hall beats, up-tempo and catchy riddims, or 'original roots'. From 1997 until 2004, Junior Toots toured with Toots and the Maytals, opening shows with his original tunes such as Holding Firm and Jah Give Us Victory. He continued touring on and off with Toots and the Maytals, as well as working on compilations with various musicians in California and recording Reggae/Hip Hop singles with Toots in Jamaica.
Whispers In My Mind - Man Bites Dog (Moscow, Russia) Moscow based indie rock band, Man Bites Dog have just released their newest single, “Whispers in My Mind,” the group’s first track to hit U.S. soil. The infectious piece is filled with catchy melodies, and blazing guitars as singer Cyrill Mukhin, takes you on a musical journey. The entirety of the song has a way of capturing noise and chaos while transforming it into a meaningful story. Known for their vibrant and full- force performances, Man Bites Dog have developed into an established band of four seasoned artists. Man Bites Dog is Cyrill Mukhin (Guitars, Vocals), Anna Kostyukova (Keys), Aloha Obozny (Bass) and Oleg Zanin (Drums). With a sound influenced by 80s and 90s American underground rock, Man Bites Dog has dominated the scene in their homeland of Russia. The main keyboard line in "Whispers in My Mind" is actually Angelo Badalamenti's intro to the infamous television show, Twin Peaks. |
Wed, 14 March 2012
OK, so the entire independent music business has migrated to Austin Texas this week. Well, not quite. There are still a few of us suffering good home cooking, a decent pint of beer, grey skies and something of a chill. Plenty of tee-shirts in evidence this lunchtime on www.earthcam.com/usa/texas/austin/ as I record the show this evening. This is all we saw of the sun today. Fearless - Ana Popovic (Amsterdam, Netherlands) Ana Popovic is an incredible guitarist/vocalist who was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia and now resides in The Netherlands. Her career has been meteoric, and shows no signs of slowing down. “People often ask me to describe what I feel on stage. They ask:’ Where are you when you close your eyes on stage, it’s like you’re not even there. That place were I am is simply UNCONDITIONAL. It is MAGICAL. It’s just me and my guitar, notes, sounds and drum grooves. I let the band lift me up, and I feed off of their energy. I HATE TO THINK when playing. I ONLY FEEL. I’m sure anybody could feel the same way in their job, that is if they are doing it with love and passion; if they’re experienced enough and dare to let go and be themselves. UNCONDITIONAL is how I stand towards my music -it’s mine, it’s sacred, and it’s with no boundaries. Absolute, definite. I tend to put everything I have into it and don’t let anything or anyone get in between, except the people that truly inspire me. And so often I hear this question: What is Blues? THIS is how I see the blues: Blues is UNCONDITIONAL. Maybe the most conservative style of all. If you alter it too much, it will no longer be blues. And as vulnerable as it is, it stands the test of time. The beauty of less, don’t make it too tidy kind a thing... What is blues? Is it a feeling? I say: It’s beauty of the basics and an instrument.” Her album Unconditional was recorded in New Orleans with Grammy-award winning producer John Porter along with special guests Sonny Landreth, Jon Cleary and Jason Ricci and finds the fiery guitarist in top form on her most blues oriented recording to date.
Run To The Hills - Bunny West (Los Angeles CA, USA) A pleasingly strong voice emanates from Bunny West - well illustrated in this track. Bunny West was born on a locomotive, raised on a reservation, and steeped in salvation. The spirit of Bunny West comes alive through a style of music all her own. With ten years of playing and writing music under her belt, she has dipped her toes into every style of music and fused all of these to create her own fresh sound. Whether she draws inspiration from Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Etta James or The Black Keys, Bunny West’s distinct, chillingly powerful voice lies at the root of her music. Her hard work and dedication has culminated into a brilliant debut album, to be released later this Spring. After working as a bartender and playing weekly gigs at Piano Bar and Hotel Café in Hollywood, Bunny West was able to pay for sessions out of her own pocket. Friend, engineer and co-producer Geoff Neal lent a hand to get the album done in just four days. The tracks were all recorded live, within three takes and finished with limited overdubbing. Her sound is raw. Her sound is unforgettable. Los Angeles, CA @ Piano Bar (every Monday) 3.14 Austin, TX @ SXSW - The Section 101 Launchpad (12:30 p.m.) 3.16 Austin, TX @ SXSW - Red Shed Tavern (5 p.m.) 3.17 Los Angeles, CA @ The Escondite (12 p.m.) Gliss - I am Oak (Netherlands) In 2010, after releasing their debut melancholic folk LP On Claws to critical acclaim, I Am Oak was invited to be a part of over sixty-five tours and festivals throughout the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and the UK, including a sold out show at the Unitarian Church as part of the Great Escape Festival. Fast forward one year and I Am Oak have released their sophomore LP Oasem to unanimous praise, even earning “Album of the Year” at the prestigious 3VOOR12 Awards. I Am Oak is the folk/experimental project formed around Dutch singer-songwriter Thijs Kuijken. Described by the 3VOOR12 judges as “night songs” and “songs that take you on a journey,” Kuijken’s truly unique sound is created by manipulating minimalistic sounds into complex and gentle sound arrays. I Am Oak will be making their North American debut at this year’s SXSW on March 16, 2012 at 3pm at Bar 96 as part of the Dutch Impact Party presented by FILTER. He will also be performing at the beautiful St. David’s Bethell Hall at 9pm the same evening. For a taste of I Am Oak live, check out this live solo performance of “On Oxen,” the first single from 2010’s On Claws Adnams Artist of the Month The artist of the month for February is selected by folkie, account manager and beer faerie, Ruth Goldsmith. Siren Song - Shayfer James (Cranford, New Jersey, USA) Adnams Artist of the Month Shayfer James illustrating the percussive aspects of his piano. When Shayfer James approaches the piano, there is a certain power and mischievous charm that surrounds him. A bewitching sense of foreboding builds as his fingers touch the piano, and as he begins to sing, we are immersed in his darkly lyrical and evocative stories. His wry poetry is stitched seamlessly to peculiar arrangements that are simultaneously unsettling and familiar. Mr. James lures us into a devious world where the gods tear wings from angels and every man has a siren waiting to devour him. Mr. James'’gift for songwriting is singular. The songs on his first full-length album, The Owl & The Elephant range from beautifully sad to frightening and furious, and his performances are tailored to match. His style is theatrical, but never contrived. Still - Darlingside (Northampton, MA, USA) Darlingside, the “string-rock” quintet from Northampton, MA, is currently promoting their innovative 'album subscription' for their debut LP Pilot Machines. The subscription means that until the release date this summer, fans will gain access to a series of digital 7- inches by subscribing at pilotmachines.com. The first one, Blow the House Down 7," is available to fans now. A creative and innovative group of musicians, Darlingside captures a truly original sound as they carefully weave together genres of rock, classical, and folk music. Their diverse sound can be attributed to the eclectic array of musical origins: a young classical pianist appearing on NPR; a world traveler studying music in Brazil, Turkey, and Ireland; a touring boy alto and cruise songwriter; a Boston street musician; and a drummer drawing on a mix of rock, celtic, and jazz. Their upcoming album is a melodic work that displays the band’s innovative, ambitious style and diverse talents. If I Be wrong - Wolf Larsen (San Francisco, CA,USA) Known for an arresting live performance, Wolf Larsen has become famous for bringing any noisy barroom to a standstill. With total focus, stillness and a gentle approach to playing her nylon string guitar, Larsen invites an audience to lean in closer and feel the quiet as a part of the fabric of her songs. Her unusual name comes from her grandfather, Paul “Wolf” Larsen, for whom she was named. Quiet at the Kitchen Door opens with a poem written and read by her cousin Larsen Bowker, and it is an homage to the original Wolf Larsen. The original Wolf was a Nebraska man who rode the rails across the Depression beaten dustbowl as a young man looking for work. It was Bowker’s poem, specifically the lines, “Nothing left, but belief in possibility / and faith that everything important lay ahead,” that inspired modern-day Wolf, struggling under the weight of her own modern-day problems, to begin writing songs. St Patrick Day - Lord Mayo - SaReGaMa (?) "Self taught, I started making music as a hobby at the age 17 using Yamaha CS1, Cool Edit and FL Studio. I had also been playing flute in the Ethnic Rock band "Igra Rama" and done several solo performances for background music in happenings. I had a big passion for music but not enough means to afford musical instruments, so I learned how to build them. Most of the instruments I have are homemade. The instruments I play are : piano, guitar, different kinds of ethnic flutes, didgeridoo, percussions, kalimba and jews harp. Nowadays my music is being used in films, documentaries, commercials, performances, websites, as background music, music on hold, and more. I am listed amongst the top artist on Jamendo and my albums have hit number one several times. Although I don't limit myself to a particular genre, my music in general can be defined as Organic-Electronic World Fusion. It can be great for background listening but at the same time it's very elaborated and deserves to be listened in a serious manner with full attention. I invest a lot in the sense of ambient 3D space - depth, distances, directions, motions and their dynamics. Some tracks contain up to 80 channels and comprise irregular beats of 1.5 - 2.5 - 3 - 5 - 6 - 7 etc. So listen carefully, try not to miss it." http://saregama-music.blogspot.com/ http://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/saregama |
Wed, 7 March 2012
I’ve been getting a sudden gush of party invitations over the past couple of weeks but I’ve had to turn them down because, by strange coincidence, they are all in Austin, Texas. Yes, SXSW (South By South West) kicks off on Friday, with the music festival from 13-18 March so quite a few tracks this week are from artists that will be playing shows in Austin. OK, so the pic has been “enhanced” a little but it was an amazing sunset. Clean - Allison's Invention (Astoria, New York, USA) Fearless honesty, poignant lyricism and powerful melodies are the textures used to weave singer-songwriter Allison's Invention's (formerly Allison Tartalia) unforgettable music. Her compelling and expressive performances have charmed and thrilled audiences throughout the country. Allison's Invention's new adult-alternative project, Sweet and Vicious, is a lush melodramatic pop EP. The songs feature Allison on piano and a variety of vintage keyboards, with strings and horns creating a lavish soundscape. On Sweet and Vicious, Allison's Invention proves that she is ready to bring her music and her career to new heights. A staple on the New York City music scene, Allison is no stranger to accolades and applause. Last year she was nominated for an Emmy alongside fellow composers for the music that they created for the documentary 5,000 Miles From Home. Her debut CD, Ready, garnered enthusiastic praise from The Village Voice and The New York Times. The Deli Magazine (Brooklyn) said, "Allison Tartalia distinguishes herself for a slightly aggressive songwriting edge and for sophisticated arrangements that range from the orchestral to the electronic." www.reverbnation.com/allisonsinvention Oh Fortune - Dan Mangan (Vancouver, BC, Canada) Heralded as a favorite among Canada’s new breed of independent musicians, Dan Mangan’s travels initially took him everywhere but home. Spending most of the last six years toting guitar and merch-sack, Dan experienced Vancouver as more of a resting place than roost. He toured nearly non-stop in support of his debut album Postcards And Daydreaming, testing his words, honing his craft, and building a dedicated following. Graciously, if un-strategically, Mangan pretty much accepted every gig that came his way. He train’d and plane’d on his own throughout North America, Europe and Australia because he couldn’t afford to bring a band along. When he cobbled together funds to get a second album made, he enlisted Toronto based producer John Critchley and spent weeks at Green Door Studios, bringing in musical collaborators from around the country. By the time that sophomore album, Nice, Nice, Very Nice (named in reference to a Kurt Vonnegut calypso) hit the airwaves across his homeland, Dan had already cut his teeth on the road. Recently signed to Arts & Crafts, the trail-blazing indie label that brought us Broken Social Scene, Feist, and Stars, Dan Mangan is the first on their roster from the Pacific Northwest. Though Vancouverites once envied the thriving music scenes of Montreal and Toronto, Mangan’s rain-soaked hometown has since developed a potent scene of its own – in recent years, its eclectic and supportive musical community has produced the likes of The New Pornographers, Ladyhawk, You Say Party! We Say Die!, Black Mountain, and Japandroids. Mangan is yet another native son of this emergence.
Dieppe - Gadjo (Barcelona, Spain) IODA Yet another track from the wonderful Gadjo who were Adnams Artist of the Month back in October. It looks as though they’ll be in the UK in June so, if that’s where you are, keep an eye open for dates.
Truands de la grammaire - David TMX (Briey, France) Jamendo The most popular track on Jamendo this week is by an old Suffolk ’n’ Cool favourite, David TMX. From his brand new album released just a couple of weeks ago on Jamendo called Le core et l’espirit which you can download free and legal from Jamendo.com although, if you’d like to make a donation to David TMX, you can do so very easily at the site. The album is at www.jamendo.com/en/album/106374 Well, it transpires that this is rather rude (thanks to Yannick at Euterpia Radio for spotting that before it was played on the squeaky clean AMPed show!) Manitoba Music will be back in Austin to host a top talent from the keystone province on March 15 at Maggie Mae’s Gibson Room on east 6th. The line-up features the return of breakout soul/pop duo Imaginary Cities, indie outfits Royal Canoe and Les Jupes, visceral rock singer/songwriter Greg MacPherson, award-winning roots/soul quintet Chic Gamine, and up-and-coming pop/rock duo Cannon Bros. This show is the latest in Manitoba Music’s series of successful market development events highlighting homegrown talent, including three recent industry showcases in Toronto, New York, and Cannes, France. Cherry Blossom Tree - Imaginary Cities (Winnepeg, Manitoba, Canada) Winnipeg is known as the “Heart of the Continent” and in this beating heart on the prairies, there is always new music being made. Imaginary Cities was born in an underground club, in between sets. Founded in a chance meeting between Rusty Matyas (The Waking Eyes, The Weakerthans) and Marti Sarbit (The Solutions), the duo’s debut album, Temporary Resident, is being released across the globe on various labels (Hidden Pony, Turnout, Votiv, Grand Hotel Van Cleef, and Shock) in 2012. After performances at SXSW and NXNE, a spot on the prestigious Polaris Music Prize long list, an opening spot on the Pixies’ North American tour, Canadian dates with Rural Alberta Advantage, a spot on a Paste Magazine music sampler, and a European tour that included a showcase at MIDEM, they are fast becoming one of Canada's most talked about new bands. Exodus of the Year - Royal Canoe (Winnepeg, Manitoba, Canada) Royal Canoe is a group of musicians on a mission to construct ambitious, inventive music; creating samples by running conventional sounds through unconventional pieces of gear, drumming on bathtubs and garbage cans, listening to Big Boi and manipulating bits of old records. The band calls Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada home - the enigmatic prairie city, which has served artists as both an abundant, creative watering hole and a debilitating quagmire. Royal Canoe's songs are an effort to make sense of resentment and romanticism of the city's divergent identities. The band’s debut effort, Co-op Mode, helped win over audiences across Canada as the band toured throughout the country. Royal Canoe releases its latest EP, Extended Play, on February 21, followed by a tour of Canada and the U.S. Coal Mining Blues - Matt Andersen (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia) A superbly constructed and performed song. This is quite a different version to the one that he performed live for us here in the barn a few months ago. This track is at once polished, raw and heart-felt. Matt is back at The New Crawdaddy Blues Club in Essex in a couple of weeks on 29 March. It’s a great club with a wonderful attentive audience of lovely people. I’ll be trying very hard to be there. Join me if you can. Do take a look a the video of a performance which was part of a Suffolk ’n’ Cool Session at the Barn that we recorded last summer. Fired Up - Matt Andersen (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Canada) From Matt’s new album Coal Mining Blues. |
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