The Phenomenal Handclap Band (live) @ No Bones, Sat 19th Sept!!! ― Tuesday 15, 2009
This is a last minute booking and a truly awesome one too!! The Phenomenal Handclap Band is a tight-knit aggregation of musicians and artists from Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. At the center of it is Daniel Collás, the Witch Doctor, and Sean Marquand, the Medicine Man; who, after years of searching and contemplation, through live performance and the manipulation of recorded music, have finally succeeded in assembling the personification of their holy vision: Patrick Wood, Nicholas Movshon, Luke O’Malley, Laura Marin, Quinn Luke, and Joan Tick, enhanced by the remarkable talents of Aurelio Valle, Carol C, Jaleel Bunton, Bart Davenport, Jon Spencer, and Lady Tigra, among carefully chosen others.
Together they have crafted a sound that is equal parts anthemic, dancefloor-oriented and orchestral, borrowing elements from progressive rock, disco, electro, and psychedelia.
‘An impressive hodge-podge of various accomplished musicians simultaneously channeling the energy of !!!, Tom Tom Club, Can, Cerrone, and Giorgio Moroder in a surreal explosion of sound.’ - XLR8R
‘With their multitudinous influences, blending funk, soul, reggae, dance, hip-hop and Brazilian beat, as well as rock, disco and electro, they encapsulate the spirit of the Brooklyn underground.’ - The Sunday Times Culture UK
‘Musically diverse, incredibly melodic and dance-floor ready. It’s the kind of album that gives cookie-cutter pop the trashing it deserves.’ – New York Post
‘TPHB’s Tardis of a debut encapsulates the nostalgic elements of ESG, ELO, Tom Tom Club and Sly And The Family Stone, applies a gloss of New York cool and then re-packages it with the modern production of the LCD soundsystem, CSS and Beck variety. Forget the handclap, they’ll take a standing ovation.’ 8/10 - - NME
www.myspace.com/phenomenalhandclap www.last.fm/music/The+Phenomenal+Handclap+Band
Dutch Uncles confirmed as support at Tubelord gig on Sat 26th Sept ― Thursday 3, 2009
Above is Dutch Uncles video for ‘face in’ they will be playing No Bones on Sat 26th Sept at 8.30pm, should be a great great gig. They are also playing at In the City in Manchester this October too.
FOREST SWORDS video ‘Glory Gongs’ ― Wednesday 2, 2009
Forest Swords has a new limited cassette (150 copies) due soon on Woven Tones. Dude makes like a modern day, fully submerged/dubbed-out Morricone on title track “Glory Gongs,” showcasing more of the soulful, immersive, and utterly cinematic.
Fryars & Django Djano confirmed for Sat 24th October! ― Wednesday 26, 2009
This is pretty sweet news, the awesome Fryars finally play Leeds after keeping his fans waiting an extremely long time. Not only will this be a pretty amazing gig but the double biller is being filled with Scottish newcomers Django Djano. They recently scored a full page in the NME in the Radar section and I caught them at Latitude in July and they have something quite special going on. This will be an immense night. Tickets are on sale now for £3.00 from Jumbo, Crash and Seetickets.com
www.myspace.com/fryars www.myspace.com/djangotime tinyurl.com/FRYARSLEEDS
New DAN DEACON video with puppets! ― Sunday 23, 2009
I like the idea of Dan Deacon and once had a brief encounter with the gentleman and he was perfectly charming, I love his videos and stage shows and think the whole thing could be amazing, if not for his music. I’m trying to get to grips with and one day I’m sure i’ll understand his genius. But for now I’ll sit back and take in in slowly bit by bit.
Band of Skulls - ‘Fires’ (Acoustic Session) ― Sunday 23, 2009
Band of Skulls are playing Nation of Shopkeepers on Sunday 4th October, here’s a newly recorded acoustic session featuring their song ‘Fires’ from Yours Truly recorded a couple of weeks ago. Enjoy, its a rainy sunday what else you gonna do, go to V? I’d rather burn alive thank you!
50 Cent on some next sh*t ― Saturday 22, 2009
Phillips’ “Carousel” the winner of the Film Grand Prix (and the Cyber Silver Lion) from the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival in 2009 has collaborated with rapper 50 Cent and is prominently featured in his new music video OK You’re Right from his album BEFORE I SELF DESTRUCT which will be in stores September 2009. The music video prominently features footage from the Phillips “Carousel” film, and in fact starts by zooming in on the Phillips TV, taking us directly into the film footage. These scenes are then carried over into other parts of the music video through synergistic images of clowns and other scenes from the film.
Delphic confirmed for Kitsune Party at Shopkeepers! ― Friday 21, 2009
Manchester’s extra special electro pop act Delphic has been confirmed as the headliner for Octobers Kitsune Maison Tour which will also include Two Door Cinema Club. OMG this will be FAB. WTF? LOL…..TTFN
X
www.myspace.com/delphic www.myspace.com/twodoorcinemaclub www.kitsune.fr/
Happy Birthday Woodstock! ― Saturday 15, 2009
Exactly 40 years ago today on 15th August 1969 tons of hairy guys and topless chicks got totally wasted and watched a few good bands play miles away on a really crap pa system. It pissed it down most of the weekend and the drugs, food and booze ran out on the first day! Brilliant, I personally can’t think of anything worse to be honest, but lets face it, the film is amazing and Canned Heat, Santana, Crosby, Stills and Nash and Richie Havens are all hella good. But seriously think about the repercussions. Festivals are overpriced and full of horrible people who’d most likely cross the street to avoid if you saw them, but to top it off they are all high as hell, drunk and shouting at you, whats so great about this whole festival thing? If you ask me Woodstock has more to answer to than it had to be thankful for. Because of it festival owners, or rather multi-national corporations ram beer advertising down your throat, over charge you for tickets, over pay extremely middle of the road bands and don’t even provide decent toilet facilities for you. As much as I adore the music of Woodstock it wasn’t started up as a need to change the American ideal, it was created in order to make money for a new record label which wanted to move out of New York city into the mountains. There was no discussion of this festival having any impact on the war in Vietnam, that was something that the idiots who smoked too much ‘erb came up with after to make it sound like it was a pre organised demonstration of some kind. So lets just appreciate it for what it was and that it signified a certain time in music, now forget about recreating it or similar festivals, it won’t happen. Try something new and dangerous, go and see MONOTONIX or LOVVERS next week, then have a safe drink and get over it.
KID CUDI annoys me….......but I’ll get over it ― Tuesday 11, 2009
It must the evil side of the right side of my front brain, or whatever, that makes me keep coming back to Kid Cudi. If you watch him and Kanye in this video for his latest single before the album drops, you can tell they f**king love every minute of it, probably sitting around chatting about how many pairs of trainers they have and who they sacked on the way to work that morning. Also doesn’t Cudi look like Jamie Foxxx too? However Common is smooth as ever, I bet he’s a nice guy and would let you push in at Tesco if you only have an apple and he had a full trolley, you know proper big shop for the week and that.
All that aside this track is cool and Cudi can write a mean hook, ‘Man on the Moon’ should be a great Hip hop album, up their with Lupe and the rest I reckon.
SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO + YEASAYER + KATE MOROSS = H.U.G.E!! ― Monday 10, 2009
Probably gonna be the biggest single this year unless JUSTICE end up doing a track with Bradford Cox or Randy from No Age, which is unlikely but not impossible. James Ford and the other one have always had pretty good taste when it comes to music and Chris from Yeasayer has always had pretty good taste in general as you will know just by listening to their album. So put them alongside annoying hipster Kate Moross and you’re bound to have something unspeakably cool, but thats not a bad thing because it tastes so good!
Introducing: Sharon Van Etten ― Monday 10, 2009
This song is so amazing I could listen to it over and over and over. Sharon Van Etten is currently touring Europe with the equally great and underappreciated Great Lake Swimmers. Go and see her, she’s fantastic.
LOVVERS debut album out today!! ― Monday 10, 2009
LOVVERS (LIVE) + MAZES (LIVE)
Wed 19th August - 7.30pm / Free Entry
Finally an actual full length album from Witchita for Shaun and the lads in Lovvers. Their last release was a 7 track mini LP which clocked in at 13 minutes, they don’t f*ck around! This one is a bit longer, not much, but its pretty hectic and you need to listen to it full blast with little or no clothes on. Go and buy it now from your local independent record shop.
drownedinsound.com/releases/14564/reviews/4137542?ticker www.myspace.com/letscommunicate www.myspace.com/mazesmazesmazes
FILTHY DUKES play to play August Bank Holiday BBQ!! ― Saturday 8, 2009
My relentless harassing of their agent and pathetic pleads have paid off, Filthy Dukes will be playing an outdoor set on Sun 30th Aug. Don’t expect their usual brand of dancefloor mixes as they will be doing a very leftfield slight experimental set as it’s kind of a day time thing and you know, people want to hear some interesting records and eat a burger or two, maybe have a pimms or what not, ya get meh! I don’t think you do get me do ya….
Oh Sunny Day! ― Thursday 6, 2009
Finally a beautiful sunny day, some hrow a hot dog on the barbie and come down to Er…Kentucky tonight and enjoy some Will Oldham, Smog and Band of Horses with Calum and Coner. Above is the new Nike SB commercial, its the best way to start the day, some skating, some Ice Cube, some Lance Mountain as a cop and some burning ass heat.
Swell.
DAN MICHAELSON (Live) - For fans of Smog, Will Oldham, Broken Family Band…... ― Tuesday 4, 2009
Dan Michaelson (Live) @ Nation of Shopkeepers
Sunday 11th October / 7.30pm / Free Entry
Happy August everyone! I’m sitting here at 9.09am on a rainy August morning and thinking to myself ‘When did I stop caring about English summers?’ Almost immediately I remembered ‘When I first heard the dulcet tones gentle strumming of Dan Michaelson! Pow!!’. Dan used to sing in Absentee and I recently saw him play with The Broken Family Band. He has a very authentic approach to his Americana and will appeal to people who generally are fascinated with Country singers who have died of cocaine overdoses or women with a mean streak.
www.myspace.com/danmichaelsonandthecoastguards www.freshdeermeat.com/eatmore.php?id=80 www.memphis-industries.com/
DRUMS OF DEATH (LIVE) confirmed for August Bank Holiday Party! ― Friday 31, 2009
What up playas!! Most of you will be getting ready to go to Field Day this weekend so I won’t keep you too long. This morning Drums of Death confirmed that they will be playing a live show at midnight at our Bank Holiday bash with Mumdance, Joker, Casper C and others, this delights me no end as I had the good fortune of putting on a Drums of Death show last year and he fucking ripped it to pieces, I’m stoked about this gig now it gets better by the day.
Back to Field Day quickly, if you’re hitting Victoria Park tomorrow try and see these fine folks:
12.05 - Old Romantic Killer Band (AITBF stage)
12.30 - Fanfarlo (Eat Your Own Ears stage)
13.40 - Sian Alice Group (AITBF stage)
14.00 - Wet Paint (Village Mentality)
14.45 - Final Fantasy (EYOE stage)
16.00 - Stopmakingme DJ set (AITBF stage)
17.45 - Wild Beasts (AITBF stage)
18.30 - Drums of Death (Bloggers Delight stage)
Then just stay in that tent and see Rusko and then Casper C and Skull Juice.
Click the link below to download the legal and free PEACHES vs DRUMS OF DEATH Mixtape, its only 34 minutes long but its neat as hell.
this.bigstereo.net/2009/02/13/drums-of-death-peaches/ www.myspace.com/drumsofdeath4eva
GRAMMATICS vs BLUE ROSES - Monday 3rd August ― Wednesday 29, 2009
Next Monday come down to Nation of Shopkeepers for a special free treat! Blue Roses and Owen from Grammatics will be playing acoustics sets of each others tracks and also doing a few duets. Oh, WILD BEASTS new album ‘Two Dancers’ is also released on that day, so pop to Jumbo or Crash and hand over a tenner or something and listen to it. NME gave it 9/10 but don’t let that put you off it is actually a masterpiece!
The Blue Roses / Grammatics gig starts at 7.30pm, its free in and seated, so get there early.
THE HALLOWEEN COSTUME by Jonathon Yule ― Wednesday 29, 2009
A pretty self explanatory short about a boy dressed like Boba Fett, its a feel good one so get a cup of tea and enjoy.
THE SEED by Johnny Kelly ― Wednesday 29, 2009
A two-minute animated voyage through nature’s life cycle, following the trials and tribulations of a humble apple seed. The film was funded by Adobe, made using their CS4 range of software. It was produced at Nexus Productions and features a soundtrack by Jape. It was made using a mixture of stop motion papercraft and 2D drawn animation.
See making of here: vimeo.com/2425610
vimeo.com/2425610 mickeyandjohnny.com/ nexusproductions.com/