Tough Love are 4...

A favourite label of mine Tough Love Records are having their 4th Birthday celebrations this weekend coming.

It takes place at Old Blue Last, London on Saturday 25th July. The soon to split Favours For Sailors will headline an all dayer that also sees William, Munch Munch The Bridge Gang and Gold Panda playing live.

The event will also included Zineswap Workshops downstairs at the venue and DJ's mixing it up until late.

Tickets are £5 and can be bought here.

Mind Without Maths - Name Change

Mind Without Maths have had a name change, now playing as The Bela Lugosi Blues.

Was never a fan of the name....and er this one isn't much better. However don't let it put you off at all, they are a really good up and comer as i said here

Favours For Sailors Split

Yup it's all official and on proper websites, Favours For Sailors have split. I booked the band earlier this month and they said it was on the cards, a real shame. I will remember the band for their indie pop tunes, just real fun, day brightening stuff!

Tough Love are releasing a tape of demos that never saw the light of day, only 100 copies at £3 and can be bought here.

Bombay Bicycle Club - Review coming soon...

...Promise! For now here is the new video for Dust On The Ground, not as good as Magnets but a pretty tune (oh how that review is coming along!)

Blur!!

To avoid gushing i will keep this one short...Was at Hyde Park on Friday for Blur, a band who i never thought i would get the chance to see live but thankfully i was proved wrong with this years reunion tour.

The band were on top form on the evening, even in the vast and potentially inpersonal surroundings of Hyde Park it was a really electric night. The band tore through loads of tracks from the obvious Song 2, Park Life, There's No Other Way style material to the less so like a personal fave Oily Water.

Track of the night goes to Out Of Time, amazing vocals, tender guitar and touching sentiment. It just summed up the nights precious feel - you really are seeing one of the best bands ever!...Ok a bit of gushing there!

Club KKBB last night...

I wasn't there but it looked like a dandy! Thanks to Attack/Switch/Attack, The Males and Team Waterpolo.

Check out 30th June for our next gig at Bull and Gate in Kentish Town. Favours For Sailors, Kids Love Lies and a TBA playing! Tickets are dirt cheap! Check us out here

Graham Coxon

I think i was talking about Banquet Records a week ago on the blog and then this week i was looking at a few bits and pieces and saw this up for grabs...

It is a print by Graham Coxon limited to a 1000 copies and a bargain at just £10!

I really like the artwork on all of Coxon's stuff and i am happy to say that i have my copy pride of place in the flat. Will be picking up the new album In The Morning sometimes soon and will leave my feed back on the blog.

The Answering Machine @ Great Escape

Nice little video from The Fly @ Great Escape. The Answering Machine playing Oklahoma.


The Fly - The Answering Machine 'Oklahoma' FlyTV In The Courtyard on MUZU.

Quicken The Heart

So the Maximo Park album Quicken The Heart has been receiving some mixed reviews and having picked the album up yesterday i though i'd throw my thoughts out there...blog style!

After four or five listens i've come to the conclusion that this is A) a good album, certainly better then Our Earthly Pleasures (An album i hold in high regard) and B) An album that needs (and deserves) a bit of time invested into listening (A conclusion i came to with album two as well). I think alot of the reviews that you'll see in magazines and the web will probably stumble with that fact that it will need a week to get a proper prospective on the album as a whole, and many hacks will bang out 800 words of a listen or three (but hey i'm doing the same and writing less words too lol!)

But anyway back to the album Calm is a banging track, classic Maximo Park that feels a little like a harder faster Books From Boxes, a great keyboard outro as well. Questing, Not Coasting has some of Paul Smith's best vocals, which hit their peak during the albums best chorus (Can't wait for this one live!) The Kids Are Sick Again is a track i heard a while ago and wasn't too sure on but it has grown on me in a huge way. In Another World and Overland, West of Suez also deserve a mention as strong album tracks.

So for me the album is a winner, it flows really well and the tempo and pacing are spot on. Paul Smiths reputation as a great lyrasist will be done no harm by this effort either, with some great brewding numbers like “I don’t mind losing self respect, I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again” This album is also some of their best produced work, i found especially when DJing that the first two albums are a wee bit quiet but this one is razor sharp and with all the layers of sound that are going on its just as well!

i'm seeing the band in a few weeks so i'll pop my live thoughts up then..

'Em Are I - Jeffrey Lewis

Bought the new Jeffrey Lewis album 'Em Are I this week, nice to see that his profile seems to be on the up in the UK with his album readily available in a number of highstreet stores.

The album itself is very good, maybe not to the level of City and Eastern Songs but certainly a very strong record. City and Easterns more neurotic side has been toned down with laid back tracks like Roll Bus Roll and To Be Objectified seeping through. Jeffrey Lewis very reflective style of lyricism and humour is still very evident with If Life Exists 'girlfriend' lyrics being a great example (have a listen and you'll see what i mean) and as always it this charm that makes his album very listenable.

Broken Broken Heart is one of Jeffrey Lewis's most mainstream efforts to date, a real happy summery feel (albeit still very DIY) and even considering the subject matter it is still very upbeat.

Having seen a few reviews for the album so far i know one of the major critisicms is that this isn't much of departure from previous releases and in a way i can undertand that. However i think that as a) a one man band and b) having the..er vocal range of Jeffrey Lewis you are never going to see any radical changes in the formula (and why would you want that anyway?) So overall i'd say very nice....go and have a listen!

The Mind Without Maths

Have a listen to The Mind Without Maths a coming together of a few bands namely Cherubs a band i held in high regard for their album Uncovered By Heartbeat (they were also responsible for my favourite live gig at The Barfly)

Pretty dark and very sharp, seems like they are just getting on their feet at the moment with gigs thin on the ground but have a listen to track What You Advertise, not a bad tune at all..

Video Nasties - On All Fours

I have to say i am very impressed with the new Video Nasties album On All Fours.

Really captivating guitar led stuff here and even though my favourite track Hearts And Bones is MIA (Though mysterisouly a track called HNB with the same instrumental appears) it is a winner. Track Jellybean is a great bit of fun with the kind of chorus that you will be irritating your flatmates with all week. HNB is an epic piece with an eyebrow raising chorus of "memories of happiness, with my hands, down my pants) and tracks like Kaiser, Albatross and Rolling keep things ticking over nicely too.

Have a listen here, will catch these guys live soon i hope!

Banquet Records...

I buy a majority of my 'physical' music from Banquet Records and having just received some bits recently i thought i would convey my approval via the blog...

The thing i love about this independent over so many others is a) friendly, knowledgeable staff b) Decent prices (take note Puregrove and Rough Trade) and c) Over a period of 4 or 5 years they have put Kingston on the map by looking after a great shop, putting on some crazy instore gigs, showcasing a whole host of the biggest bands about at numerous venues in town (as well as nurturing the up and comers too...)

So, if you are in South London sometime soon go check them out or pop over to their site and support a real independent!

The Slow Blade

I had a wee tip off from a friend about a band called The Slow Blade, a nice little piece of dark indie electronica this one! A number of bands you could compare these too...but i don't do that so i'll leave it as a less shit version of White Lies. Make of that what you will.....and have a listen to She Burns

Emmy The Great Freebie

Click it for a live version of We Almost Has a Baby....free stuff is good.

Come to the Bull and Gate....

Club KKBB in london! lol.....

The Bridge Gang

After the pretty poor news that Situationists would be splitting i hear some very good news in return. The Bridge Gang have reformed and are giving their brand of indie/pop another go! The band released some stuff on Brille Records a few years ago and i was (and still am) a big fan of track Blue Sky Grey. I love the gruff vocals and the simple, honest but amazingly catchy sound! Go and check it out!

The Kids are Sick Again...Growing on me more and more

My musings on the album will come....as soon as i buy it lol!

We have a Situation here....

..see even my attempt at some cheap punnery falls flat under the news that angular guitar gems Situationists are to split. I have had the pleasure of showcasing the band a few times at my night and am a big fan of both their EP releases under Tough Love Records. Such a shame, i shall play Whisky and Water when i get home and shed a tear (inside) I might even jump up to their last London gig supporting label mates William on 1st May at The Lexington. Maybe you should come along to....

Super Tennis - Super Tennis Theme Song

Very Tennis Related...i like in a fun Good Shoes kind of way (that isn't a comparison in sounds, just er...fun levels) . Catch them at Puregroove 1st May! Super Tennis

To lazy to write well constructed opinions on a blog?....Youtube!

Here is a video by Oxford Collapse for the track Please Visit Your National Parks

Jeffrey Lewis..

Renewing my love affair with Jeffrey Lewis lol, watch some video!

Offical Secrets Act...In Milton Keynes...

The first gig i have been to in Milton Keynes (aside from nights i promote) since The Victorian English Gentlemens Club in 2004-odd! I went down to The Pitz (mecca for the underaged/metal community in MK) and caught one of my favourite bands at the moment The Official Secrets Act. So nice having this kind of gig on my front door!

Caught Northamptons New Cassettes playing main support just before the headliners. I belive this band have been kicking about for 30 odd years and regardless of how many times i have seen them (and them being written off by many 'in the know' around 2005) they are still a great live band and alot of their new material is very good - Huey Lewis in particular. Some of the old classics like Hearts Don't Beat Right, Recover/Retreat and You Won't Stop are still sounding pretty good now but to be honest alot of the new stuff really did impress. Album on the way, a track on The Inbetweeners tv show...good luck to them!

Sooo to the headliners! Unlike when they played my night a few months ago they were back up to full strength, as drummer Alex MacKenzie has recovered from injuries suffered after a road accident in Feb. Since the gig at Club KKBB (Plug #1 this month) the band have also released album Understanding Electricity, which has fast become one of my favourite releases this year (i celebrated this fact by not writing any sort of reveiw...was too busy) So in front of a respectable audience of about 70 people the band ripped through the likes of So Tomorrow, Victoria and a really good rendition of Mainstream. When comparing tonights performance with the first time i saw the band at Artrocker Festival in 2007 it is clear they have become more comfortable on stage and as a result are now a more interesting band to watch. The band ended with the fantastic Girl From The BBC to close a very enjoyable gig, i hope there is more to come both the band and the venue (Metal is shit afterall)

Camden Crawl...The bargain of the century...

Great news that Camden Crawl is being sponsored by Gaymers cider! With all that sponsorship money i bet that ticket will be right down to £30 odd quid this year...oh yeh i can't wait! That's the best thing about London, you can see all these great bands and you hardly pay anythi..WHAT THE FUCK! £59.21 A TICKET!

I dunno if it is spiraling costs or just pure greed but i shall not be attending for that money! Plus the whole 'day festival' idea is a bit like Communism, in theory its pretty wicked but in reality it is just a bit shit. Can't move venues to 'catch another band' cos the next venue down is rammed so you have to pick your one or two venues and like the bill or lump it! Plus how many of these bands can you see for next to nothing anyother week in London?

I had an alright time at Great Escape last year and caught some cool bands but are they really worth the money when you see 6 or 7 odd bands over two days?

I think not...

Plus Gaymers is shit cider!

Me My Head, Calories, Dananananaykroyd

So for my first gig in a while i popped over to Oxford's Bullingdon Arms to catch Me My Head, Calories and Dananananaykroyd.

Having enjoyed the music of The Moths! i was looking forward to checking out Me My Head, a band that has many of the aforementioned Moths personnel. The formula has been fairly untouched with the Me My Head maybe being a little harder with the guitars and less over the top with the syths live. In my opinion they sound far better for these small changes. Tracks Damage Is Done, Night Is On Fire and Tumbling Down are my picks from the bunch, if you get the chance have a listen, or even better catch them live!

Calories were another band that i'd heard a few tracks from and wanted to check out, unfortunately live it doesn't work for me. The three piece possed little in the way of presence, had poor vocals and some terrible sounding bass. Seemed to unable to re-produce any of the promise they showed in recordings. Shame.

So it was down to Dananananaykroyd to save the night and luckily enough for me they managed to do just that! The band play with a great intensity and have the chat between between tracks to keep everyone smiling. The first time i've seen the band live so i assume the mini-disco, playing in the crowd and talking to individual audience members are all part of the deal, but it was entertaining none the less. The tracks were played really well, especially The Greater Than Symbol and Black Wax i love the bands slightly off tilt style, playing something fairly timid and dare i say poppy one moment then crashing about screamo style the next. Good stuff!

oh blog...

Been quite busy working so no blogging for a while, but i have been reading the new issue of Bearded which has a front cover drawn by Jeffrey Lewis. Off to see Dananananan(anana?)kroyd, Me My Head and Calories tonight so expect bloggings soon.

Whats that? A shameless promotion opportunity...

Tuuunes...

Been listening to a few bands just recently, some new some not so but i like these tracks and would urge all to have a wee listen.

Bombay Bicycle Club's new track Always Like This has been on the i-pod pretty much all this week. The progression from tracks like Pedestal, Boy I Used To Be and How Are You is quite something. Showing a whole new side to the bands sound the track is maturer and certainly more polished but still as catchy and enjoyable as everything that has come before it. Great vocals, some great bass and imaginative chorus, i have the feeling that Bombay are really close to being the total package (and obviously i'm not the only one!) Can see this becoming a track of the summer!

Two Door Cinema Club have track Hands Off My Cash Monty on their website as a free download. A nice little track this, a little bit of repition on the chorus goes a long way but in all fairness as a pop-guitar bit of fun its quite good really. Vocals are really sharp and the guitars sound great, i would certainly be on the look out for more on the back of this.

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Your Twenties Caught Wheel is a funky, and to be honest slightly bewildering little track by this London based outfit. With a guitar/keyboard intro and verses it sounds like it's coming out of a 1990's GameBoy! Add some bizarre duel vocals into the mix and it makes for a pretty compelling if slightly head scratching sound. Through the verse its a little more sensible but when the 'caught wheeeeeel' vocals of the chorus kick back in you can't really help but fall in love with the bands charm and this track.

Guildean Gang - Dennis Bergkamp

How great is Guildean Gangs recent release Dennis Bergkamp? Haunted guitars and distant lo-fi vocals are an interesting contrast to the bold crashing chorus the track posseses. Quite what it all has to do with Dennis Bergkamp i don't know...regardless it's great to hear something that is just a little bit different at the moment, so have a listen (from the Youtube news of this week it may not be there much longer!) and maybe check out their upcoming tour, i hope to be!

Maximo Park - Free MP3 on their site...

Get yourself over to the Maximo Park website and download new track Wraithlike, taken from the upcoming album Quicken The Heart. A punchy little track with typically brilliant guitars and as always Paul Smiths voice is superb. Looking forward to the albums May release and the gig i'll be attending in London that very month.

Silent Disco @ Club KKBB

Where would a (my?) blog be without the unashamed promotion of ones own events...so come to Club KKBB in MK on 10th April for our Silent Disco! It's over at the SNO!bar in Xscape and should be a huge spot of fun! Tickets will go on sale pretty soon and its certainly worth ordering one as recent gigs like The Rakes and The Holloways have sold out! We'll be playing different tracks and genres (Indie/Alt/Electro) on different channels so there should be a little something for everyone! Keeping checking the website for all the latest news, we have some guest DJ stuff lined up which should be pretty exciting!

The Nacional

I've enjoyed the few tracks i heard by The Nacional in the last week or so. They have a really cool urgent sound, somewhere between Good Shoes and Idiot Savant i guess and some charming Northern Vocals to go with all the crashing guitar and drums. Have a listen to Telephone and Yorkshire, the former in particular is an impressive listen.

Emmy The Great - First Love

Being a fan of Jeffrey Lewis, Lightspeed Champion and the like i was looking forward to hearing Emmy The Great's album First Love. If ever there was an example of 'less is more' its in this record. Its grounded, very modest style emphasises the fantastic melodic vocals and quirky but often endearing songwriting skills that Emmy possesses.

If any track brings all of Emmys aforementioned traits together it is First Love. Its vulnerable, intelligent and ultimately optimistic nature is complimented brilliantly by some great string arrangements and vocals.

Although it may be a bit too laconic for some it holds it own against the likes of Let's Go Sailing, Laura Marling and any other lazy female singer comparisons you could care to make...Also check out MIA, We Almost Had A Baby and Dylan.

The Answering Machine - Cliffer

The Answering Machine have released some pretty good singles, so latest offering Cliffer had to scrap it against indie pop nuggets like Oklahoma, Lightbulbs and Silent Hotels if it wanted the bands 'Best Single' accolade. And after more then a few listens i've come to the conclusion that it could be prising said accolade from the dead fingers of the bands previous efforts as you read this.

Not only is Cliffer a progression musically from earlier singles it is also the first time the band have showed an ambition to write something bigger, dare i say something epic! The track crashes along at a ferousicous tempo especially through the chorus and the guitars and 'ah ah' backing vocals sound as if they've been ripped straight from Johnny Foreigner's debut last year.

It seems The Answering Machine are making their intentions clear and with an album out later this year i for one will be waiting less than patiently.

New Art Brut album on the way...

Canny wait like! One of my favourite bands, i don't think i will ever get tired of Modern Art. Emily Kane is very cool too....Are you ready Art Brut?

Art Brut - Emily Kane
Uploaded by Joukos

Favours For Sailors - Furious Sons

Favours For Sailors debut mini album Furious Sons is out on Tough Love Records at the moment. A catchy, tight and very accomplished little release that i have barely stopped listening to this week. Think Making Dens era Mystery Jets with just a little more pop rock.

Check out I Dreamt That I Dreamt You Loved Me In Your Dreams, The Nihilist Prays and the brilliant Erode My Empire. You get the feeling the album was made with alot of love and a few smiles on faces too.

Just the ticket during these cold March days and nights.

Official Secrets Act @ Club KKBB

A little perk of the job having Official Secrets Act come and support The Rakes at my club night yesterday. Not only have the band come on leaps and bounds since the last time i saw them (at Artrocker Festival last year) but i was impressed by a set that didn't include their soon to be re-released Girl From The BBC.

It seemed their participation at the gig was in doubt after drummer Alexandra was in a pretty nasty road accident whist out on his bike, luckily the band pulled together and managed to make it to MK. A truly exciting young band who are really worth a moment of your time (there is some stuff on I Tunes now i believe) not only that but nice chaps to boot!