Friday 31 December 2010

Favourites of the Year

Friday 31 December 2010
As 2010 is ending within hours, here is a run-down just a few of my favourite tracks of the year:


Nicki Minaj - Your Love - Started out as a guilty pleasure and became a staple on my Creative player (yes, I prefer Creative over iPod or anything else!). It's one of the best pop songs this year.


Crystal Castles feat. Robert Smith - Not In Love The album version of "Not in Love" is nothing spectacular, but throw in vocals by The Cure's Robert Smith and it becomes an epic masterpiece. Hands-down, my favourite track of all of 2010.


Manic Street Preachers feat. Ian McCulloch - Some Kind of Nothingness Probably my favourite off of the Manics' latest album Postcards of a Young Man. It's cheesy, but that's partly what makes it great. I put up this "alternative" Patrick Jones directed video instead of the official one, as it's way more amusing. ;)


Kylie Minogue - Get Outta My Way This will forever remind me of studying in the library with my gay BFF, as our study breaks would turn into parties for 2 when this track came on. It is one of Ms. Minogue's best.


Sky Parade - I Keep Coming Up So catchy, powerful and never fails to put me in a better mood. 2011 should be a great year for this band.

Happy 2011! xoxo

Saturday 25 December 2010

Happy Christmas!!!

Saturday 25 December 2010
Hope that those who celebrate Christmas are having a fun, relaxing day.....enjoy these Christmas-themed videos and eat more sugar cookies and mince pies..






Friday 24 December 2010

The Holidays with....Little Annie

Friday 24 December 2010


During her recent UK tour with Marc Almond, Little Annie answers the Christmas questionarie!

Which holiday do you participate in, Christmas, Chanukah, other?
Celebrate bith along with 3 kings, Kwanza, Russian Orthadox etc...its all one God.

What are your plans for the holidays?
Decorating, making pears in ammaretto and working,doing a bit a visiting, cuddling up with Sparky(thats when the animals talk, I keep telling him that) but mainly a great time for working. Painting ideally, have had so little quality painting time, Its quiet.

I live a block from where all the decorations ect are in NYC so that's my favorite holiday type thing, Im a sucker for the lights. I try to make it to midnight mass, but rarely do, so light a candle for the spirits..or hit my Godson's Irish bar and have a few spirits.

What was the best holiday present you ever received?
Goodness,thats hard to say. A paper mache nativity scene from Mexico and anything with the word Chanel in it....As corney as it sound hearing from loved ones is a gift not to be taken for granted, and the gift of being allowed to serve. Its such a tough time for alot of people. Serviice takes one out of that cell of self.

The best Christmas song is:
Favorite Christmas Songs are Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and This Christmas by Donny Hathaway...and last but not least is What are you doing New Years Eve, gorgeous song. This is maybe the 3rd year in the last God knows how many that I'm not doing a Christmas show, last few times we did a run for the whole month of December. Love those.....

What is on top of your wishlist?
Wishlist....hmmmmmmmm, for people to be safe and happy, healthy, peaceful..from there you could go anywhere.

Share a fond holiday memory from your childhood:
I have a memory of my sister Miriam and I, shes passed on now, lying under the tree as kids, looking up into the lights and decorations my moms used to make. It smelled so wonderful and looked truly magical and endless. Used to love driving around with my family as a kid looking at the lights. Love them lights..

At midnight on 1 January 2011, I will be...
New Years Eve will be working. Its the worst night of the year to be out, think I had two good times out on a New Years Eve in my life. Ideally, fingers crossed, God willing, I like to have the decks cleared of all the last years paper work ect, and make a fresh list of goals and projects for the coming year. Reflect on the tough stuff, be grateful for the good things..I know its just and arbitrary date but
again, while all the liteweights are getting hangovers (it really is ameture night drunk wise New Years Eve is) its a nice quiet time to be working. God I sound boring dont I....Anyway as I live in the Ground Zero of Christmas insainity (near Carnegie Hall, it took me 45 minutes to get from my building entrance to the drugstore two doors down...not cute!

Little Annie's myspace

Thursday 16 December 2010

The Holidays with....Eulogy Inn

Thursday 16 December 2010


David, the man behind psych project Eulogy Inn answers the Holiday questionnaire..

Which holiday do you participate in, Christmas, Chanukah, other?
Christmas on Mars is choice.

What are your plans for the holidays?
Hanging with Friends and family

What was the best holiday present you ever received?
Remco sound efx machine
http://youtu.be/SKMtMe-fyhY

The best Christmas song is:
Spectrum (Sonic Boom) - Santa Claus
It captures how I feel perfectly about this time of year.
http://youtu.be/k1etdqgngAM

What is on top of your wishlist?
Good health for all my friends and family.

Share a fond holiday memory from your childhood:
Sneaking out of bed early to see if I could spy a peek at Santa, but I just missed him, Toys everywhere, Mass Hysteria!

The perfect holiday party consists of:
A good wine, good music surrounded by good people.

At midnight on 1 January 2011, I will be...
Floating in space.

Monday 13 December 2010

Sweet Jane: "Silent Night"

Monday 13 December 2010

I am in love.


x




Saturday 11 December 2010

A few questions with: The Way Down

Saturday 11 December 2010

A Q&A with Ari, the bassist/vocalist from the brilliant Icelandic band The Way Down.

How did The Way Down come about?
That's kind of a long story, we formed the band after our last one quit in 2005. We had been getting increasingly frustrated by not being able to publish our music due to various fuck ups, so the original goal of the band was to finish a record at all costs. We managed that in 2007, put out a record called 'See You In Hell', which was published by Nonni on his Dead Records label. It gave us a starting point and we've kind of been progressing slowly from there.

Where did you get your band name from?
The name comes from line in a song with our old band, which was called California Cheeseburger, the song is called On The Beach. It struck me one day that there was a clever double meaning in the phrase. Most people think our name means something depressing, but it actually means 'the really cool', if you think about it.

Where's your favourite place in Reykjavik?
The downtown area, I grew up in the suburbs and I won't even go there to visit anymore. There's also a really nice museum next to the big church downtown that not many people know about that I sometimes take people to. Other than that, our flat and our rehearsal space are where we spend most of our time and have the most fun.

Where do your rehearse?
We rehearse down by the harbour, we got lucky and teamed up with a guy named Danny Pollock, notorious punk rock fella in Iceland. He's been building himself a studio these last few years and we get to rehearse there, it's rather luxurious, as rehearsal spaces go. We also made our new record there, so now we're officially not a one record band, another goal we made for ourselves.

What was your best gig so far? why?
We've had some good gigs, the one you saw was pretty good by our standards. I guess my favourite gig so far was at a local dive called Monte Carlo, a very seedy bar frequented by people with real alcohol issues and full of slot machines. Nothing nice ever happens there, but we showed up and played for the regulars and had fun shaking up the place. We got a lot of appreciation from people who you wouldn't usually see a rock gigs and it kind of felt like we did something nice that night.

We made a video from that gig (watch it here).

And the worst gig? why?
There's been a couple of those, I guess the worst one for me personally was when I lost my vocal pitch in front of a full house. It went on for the entire night, you could tell people just felt uncomfortable listening to it. Shit happens, I guess. We try to make sure we don't have bad gigs, but sometimes it's out of our hands.

When you guys hang out, what music are you probably listening to?
All kinds of stuff, really. Orri, our drummer, listens to a lot of new bands and is generally on top of what's going on, while we tend to obsess over older stuff. We like a lot of different kinds of music and we enjoy finding new bands or things we've never heard before. Guitar based rock, if I had to choose a genre, The Velvet Underground, if I had to choose a band. Or maybe The Cramps or The Who, we like lots of bands. Old country stuff too, jive, you name it.

What was the first album you ever bought?
'The Kids Are Alright' by The Who, when I was twelve. I still have it. It made me want to be in a band, I still love that record and the movie is great as well.

Any weird phobias and/or band superstitions?
Not band related, no. Riina hates the open water and I'm wary of stuff falling on top of me, personally, but that's neither here nor there. We're pretty easy going, as a band, we try to make the best of any situation we find ourselves in.

What's your band's fashion sense/style? Any favourite clothing shops?
I liked the clothes Nonni was bringing in through his Dead store, April 77, for example. Not a big labels person though and I hardly ever buy clothes. I guess buying clothes is a phobia for me, come to think of it. Riina gets her clothes from second hand shops, mostly. There's a newish shop here called Wildcat, which is pretty good, old school rock'n'roll clothes, she got cool boots from there the other day.

Describe your fanbase in 3 words:
Probably not sober.

What's the best thing about the Icelandic music scene?
I'm not a big fan of it. We're kind of on the outside looking in, we generally play when we feel like it and aren't really looking to make a mainstream impact. I find a lot of the stuff you have to do to get airplay and attention here distasteful and there's so little money in it that we might as well not bother. Maybe that sounds arrogant, but we really are just looking to please ourselves and have a good time playing music we like.

What's better - downloading, still buying CDs, or collecting vinyl?
Vinyl for the sound, no question. Streaming and downloading is useful and that's what we do the most these days, like most people. CDs I don't like so much, especially the standard plastic covered ones, they were a step backwards for music, I think.

Best band you've seen live?
There's so many good bands. The Jesus Lizard in 1991 were pretty great, The Hives in 2004, The Stooges in 2007, those were all great concerts. Lots of obscure bands in between, too many to list. Of newer Icelandic bands, The Caterpillarmen are pretty good, so are Hljómsveitin Ég.

Is there anything (previously unknown) about your band that you'd like to share with the world?
Not really, we feel very uninteresting now.

And what are your plans for the rest of the year?
We just recruited a second guitar player and are starting to think of our third record. The second one Icelandic Democracy is out now on the internet and will be published in the real world by Bad Taste early next year, so we're feeling good this winter.

Download:
The Way Down - Heart Over Soul.mp3
The Way Down - Maybe Tomorrow.mp3

Thanks Ari! x

Friday 10 December 2010

The Holidays with...Hawkeye

Friday 10 December 2010


It's that time of year again...the first up for this year's Christmas questionarie is Nora from the up-and-coming Portland psych band, Hawkeye.


Which holiday do you participate in, Christmas, Chanukah, other?
Well, despite my mixed heritage of Irish Catholic and Russian Jew, my family celebrated Christmas, probably because there were more specials for it on TV. It was and continues to be an excuse to get shit.

What are your plans for the holidays?
Well, there are a few good holiday parties and shows coming up here in Portland. Hawkeye is playing the Fuzzy Ball at the Wonder ballroom with a bunch of amazing bands (Pete International Airport, Go Fever, The Upsidedown, Happy Prescriptions, The Prids, Rick Bain and the Genius Position) Dec 17th. Come December 20th I celebrate my 21st birthday, which is a little known fact. Another show at Langano Lounge on December 23rd and a very special show on December 28th at Bunk Bar with good friends, Go Fever, to welcome our dear friend, Mara Deslauriers, who will be moving from Minneapolis. That's when the real holiday fun begins and we reignite our musical collaboration.

What was the best holiday present you ever received?
Well, as I said my birthday is right around Christmas so I often got one big gift to cover the two. I never minded, especially when I got my Gibson Les Paul Gothic.

The best Christmas song is:
Oh I don't know. One of the Raveonettes ones. I really like modern day Christmas music. The old stuff is good too. "I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus" might be in play as a cover in a future Hawkeye set.

What is on top of your wishlist?
Health insurance and a job with tips, if the two are reconcilable.

Share a fond holiday memory from your childhood:
I'd rather not.

The perfect holiday party consists of:
People you know and care about, good music, and alcohol in that order. Weed is a given.

At midnight on 1 January 2011, I will be...
Probably playing a show at our bar, Langano Lounge.

Thursday 2 December 2010

Dead Skeleton's LJÓSBERINN

Thursday 2 December 2010
Another amazingly wicked track from the Icelandic band Dead Skeletons


And while you're at it, keep watching Nonni Dead and Anton Fjordon's online channel, Dead TV live from Reykjavik and Berlin. x

Sunday 28 November 2010

London Loves Again

Sunday 28 November 2010
Before the snow hit the UK in full-force (inside this flat I feel like I'm trapped in a snowglobe)...I have been spending time in London, showing my little cousin around (her first time to London) and also going for work-related events.




a few people have asked me where this shop is - answer: on Carnaby Street in Soho :)



Tuesday 23 November 2010

Video: Belles Will Ring "Come North With Me Baby, Wow"

Tuesday 23 November 2010
The Aussie psych band, Belles Will Ring, have just released their brand new video for "Come North With Me Baby, Wow"



Fronted by couple Liam Judson and Lauren Crew, this is undeniably sweet. And if you're in Australia, check out Belles Will Ring at the following dates:

Nov 25 - Wollongong, New South, AUSTRALIA
Nov 26 - Gaelic Theatre, Sydney, Australia, NSW, AUSTRALIA
Nov 27 - Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, New South, AUSTRALIA
Dec 3 - East Brunswick Club, Melbourne, Victoria, AUSTRALIA
Dec 4 - Jive Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, AUSTRALIA
Dec 9 - Transit Bar, Canberrra, Australia, AUSTRALIA
Dec 10 - Baroque bar, Katoomba, NSW, AUSTRALIA
Dec 11 - Clubhouse Brisbane, QLD, AUSTRALIA

Sunday 21 November 2010

Factory Kids' "Weird Scenes" out now!

Sunday 21 November 2010


Factory Kids' 2nd remix album, Weird Scenes is out now on Corporate Records. It features remixes of tracks from the 2nd FK album, Love Destroys Everything by artists such as Medication Club, Astral Social Club, AUFA!FUKRI! + many more!

It's pay-what-you-wish which you can purchase here.

For a free sampler, here is the first track:
Love Destroys Everything (Jonathan Shadel Remix).mp3

enjoy!

Tuesday 16 November 2010

Video: Beady Eye "Bring The Light"

Tuesday 16 November 2010
Check out the debut video from Beady Eye, the new band consisting of former Oasis members Liam Gallagher, Andy Bell and Gem Archer.



I loved Oasis, but really don't know what to make of this...I hope it's a grower. Anyway, you can download the track for free on the Official site.

Monday 1 November 2010

A Few Questions with: The Velcro Leaves

Monday 1 November 2010


Here is my recent interview with Jonathan D. Shadel, the creative mastermind behind The Velcro Leaves.....make sure to check out the free download of their album Origami, below!

How did The Velcro Leaves come about?

We started without a name when I was 8 or 9 years old. My brother [Andrew Shadel] had started playing piano and I was already doing concerts on the violin and was receiving good note from the New York Times, so I said, "Kid, we're starting a rock and roll band." We've been pissing off our parents ever since. So that might be a little stretch. But in all honesty, me and Andrew have been playing music together for as long as I can remember. It was either music or fight, and we're pacifists, so we chose the artsy thing. We played in a couple of garage bands--actually a band in a pastor kid's church basement... pop punk, good times. Then I think about two years ago, we started as a duo, then just under a year ago we heard Jane playing flute and bass and said, "Come, follow us." And she left all she had and followed.

Where did you get your band name?
This is kind of a funny story. My extended family are basically a bunch of land-locked sailors. They curse and smoke and chew tobacco, you know sinner stuff, right [laughing]! But I always watched them spit tobacco in their soda bottles and got grossed out, but always wondered what it tasted like. So my mom had these huge, sticky, leafy plants in our flower bed that the dog would chew on. I thought, for some reason, that it was tobacco. So I stuffed my kid-mouth full of the stuff and just about puked. Haven't touched chew, and I always had this love-hate thing with that memory of those darn velcro leaves. When it came time for a new band name, well--it stuck (pun intended).

What's the best thing about your hometown?
Not much, really. It is close to DC, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore... otherwise it lacks much of an audience for the music we make. However, there are some very, very talented musicians working in this area that I am proud to associate with. That's the good thing.

Where do your rehearse?
That's a good question! Actually, it is always changing. For awhile it was church basements, then my basement. Lately, Jane and some friends have a condo by a lake, we've been jamming their lately.

What was your best gig so far? why?
The best gig is the one we didn't get to play, sadly. In September, we were booked by Six Flags America in Washington DC, but some personal issues made the gig fall through. Would have been a pretty big deal for us. Otherwise, there is this local festival--a real hippie, happy sort of thing called Common Ground on Martin's Mountain. I love playing it--look forward to it every year because of the beautiful people and its gorgeous location... it sets on the very top of a mountain. You can see for a long ways, and you feel like a part of something bigger. It's really great.

And the worst gig? why?
By far, the worst show we ever played was at The Wind-Up Artspace in Baltimore. It was supposed to be this big thing for us, but Jane had a few things come up and we had to decide between playing without her or skipping the show. We hate skipping shows, so Andrew and I played. But without her, we just played a really off gig. Believe me, it is hard reworking material when everyone in the band works really closely together on stage. It wasn't fun!

When you guys hang out, what music are you probably listening to?
That's a tough question because we listen to anything and everything. Each one of us would have a different answer! For new music this year, Panda Bear's two singles he's released this year have been a big hit on my iPod. Also, I am in love with the new Broken Bells and Beach House records. But I love vinyl, so I've been listening to a lot of Cat Stevens, Bob Dylan, Donavan, George Harrison, and Beach Boys records with a iced chai tea, yes.

What was the first album you ever bought?
You know, I can't remember. I grew up in a house that listened to a lot of music. Gospel, celtic, folk, and soft rock. But the moment when I realized I wanted to make my own music was in the laundry room at 7 or 8 years old. I was listening to the oldies station--it was either The Byrd's "Turn! Turn! Turn!" or the Beach Boy's 'Surfer Girl!" I was sold on music.

Any weird phobias and/or band superstitions?
As a band, we're convinced that Jane is David Bowie's long lost daughter. Look at her cute, skinny cheek bones. Match.

What's your band's fashion sense/style? Any favourite clothing shops?
We like weird, colorful, exciting things. Lately, we have been wearing matching pith helmets on stage. But we are super-huge into thrift stores for trends of tomorrow. I also have this thing with Urban Outfitters. Yea, hipster. But look at this sweater. How could anyone say no?

Describe your fanbase in 3 words:
Weird assed rejects.

What's better - downloading, still buying CDs, or collecting vinyl?
We do all three. I think everyone prefers CDs--they're still physical and we like getting physical. I have this love thing with vinyl. I am not a huge collector. I have maybe 60 LPs and some singles that are my "go-to"s on rainy days. But digital is the future. That's why our latest record is digital and has yet to hit CD.

Best band you've seen live?
For me, it is a tie between mewithoutYou and Panda Bear. Both do an incredible live show.

Is there anything (previously unknown) about your band that you'd like to share with the world?
Jane is a man, happily engaged. Andrew and I are lesbian and single.

And what are your plans for the rest of the year?
We've been incredibly busy and have been having trouble matching up our individual schedules. However, since our record just came out online and hasn't even seen the physical world yet, our hopes are to get "Origami" to as many people as possible. I put a couple hundred hours in producing it and I am proud of it. I want it heard!! But I am back at the writing block and have some more twists up my sleeves. For TVL, things are going to take some exciting turns. Maybe hip-hop. Am I joking? Wait and see.

Download their album Origami for free at their Official site. "Colours, Technically" is my personal favourite, but the entire album is very creative, elusive and fantastic....listen for yourself. x

Saturday 30 October 2010

Happy Halloween!

Saturday 30 October 2010
The best time of year......here are some of my favourite Halloween tracks..enjoy! x











& have a Happy Halloween! xoxox

Tuesday 26 October 2010

Crystal Castles + Robert Smith = something wonderful

Tuesday 26 October 2010
Below is the new collaboration from Crystal Castles and Cure frontman Robert Smith. The result is a icy yet heartwarming mash of something wonderful......just listen for yourself:



The single, which includes acoustic demo versions of "Celestica" and "Suffocation", will be released 6th December.

Monday 25 October 2010

Naomi Hates Humans

Monday 25 October 2010


An artist that I had been hearing about for months now is the acoustic folk sounds of Naomi Hates Humans. Currently the band consists of a duo, Naomi, the singer/songwriter and her bass player Lewis. The sounds emerging from their melodic tracks are reminiscent of the 1960's New York folk scene. Their fans include those working at DrunkenWerewolf Magazine, as they have been praising Naomi Hates Humans for awhile now.

Listen and download their music off of their website and look out for more in the future.

Tuesday 19 October 2010

Video: Sky Parade "I Should Be Coming Up (But I Keep Coming Down)"

Tuesday 19 October 2010
Check out the new video by Sky Parade for their single, "I Should Be Coming Up (But I Keep Coming Down)"




The track is produced by Courtney Taylor(-Taylor) of The Dandy Warhols and is off their album Intoxicated on Custom Made Music. You can download the album in iTunes or purchase the album and check out their UK, French and US tour dates on their website.

Monday 18 October 2010

Fever Fever at the 13th Note

Monday 18 October 2010


Saturday night we went to Glasgow's 13th Note to see the brilliant Fever Fever. They are a new girl-fronted post-punk band from Norwich, England. Their songs are energetic, fun and reminded me of the first time I saw Vivian Girls, although Fever Fever are much, much better.

Now, check out their blog and buy their swag! I think you will definitely be hearing more from them very soon...

Thursday 14 October 2010

DrunkenWerewolf Night...

Thursday 14 October 2010


Tomorrow is DrunkenWerewolf Night at timbuk2 in Bristol. Drunkenwerewolf Night is created by DrunkenWerewolf Magazine founder, Tiffany Daniels and is sure to be a steller show, featuring acts such as London folk band Paul Hawkins & Thee Awkward Silences, the alt-acoustic sounds of Adam Donen and post-punk outfit The Hysterical Injury. Admission is only £2 and supports a great thriving underground music scene.

Also, the newest issue of DrunkenWerewolf magazine is out now!! Go to the DrunkenWerewolf music blog for more info, or get a free issue at London's Rough Trade East or various outlets in Bristol.

Wednesday 13 October 2010

Videos: Pete International Airport "21 Days" and "Starlight"

Wednesday 13 October 2010
Below are the new videos for "21 Days" and "Starlight", from Pete International Aiport, the side-project of of Peter Holmstrom from the Dandy Warhols.






Pete International Airport's debut album is out now on Custom Made Music.

Saturday 9 October 2010

1984

Saturday 9 October 2010
I ♥ 80's Madonna........


Friday 8 October 2010

Factory Kids "Love Destroys Everything" album, out now!

Friday 8 October 2010
My band Factory Kids, have released our 2nd album via Tara Records.



The album is much more electro-pop than the self-titled debut. Influences for this album include a wide range of artists, from Spacemen 3 to the Pet Shop Boys. Have a listen yourself, by downloading it on iTunes.

and here is a free download of one of the tracks:

Factory Kids - She & He.mp3

Happy weekend! xo

Happy 70th Birthday, John Lennon

This week marks what would have been John Lennon's 70th Birthday and it seems to be everywhere on the internet today - even Google is dressed up for the event:


To celebrate, Yoko Ono has encouraged artists to submit their Lennon tribute videos. One in particular is from L.A. duo Magic Wands. Their video is well, magical?



As Yoko says, "Think peace. Act peace. Spread peace and imagine peace".

xox

Wednesday 6 October 2010

The Tamborines on Tour + new video for "Black and Blue"

Wednesday 6 October 2010

Credit: Bob Stuart


London rock outfit, The Tamborines, founded by Henrique Laurindo and Lulu Grave, are heading out to Europe this fall....tour dates are as follows:

7 Oct 2010 20:00
Club The Mammoth @ The Old Queens Head London, LON, UNITED KINGDOM

6 Nov 2010 15:30
Easy Pop Weekend Andorra, TE, SPAIN

25 Nov 2010 8:30
TITTY TWISTER VILLADOSSOLA, VB, ITALY

26 Nov 2010 20:00
George Best Club Cesena, FC, ITALY

27 Nov 2010 20:00
Mono Pescara, PE, ITALY

28 Nov 2010 20:00
Mattatoio Culture Club Carpi, MO, ITALY

4 Dec 2010 20:30
Gleis 22 Munster, Westf, GERMANY

6 Dec 2010 9:30
Mondial Halle (Cafe Keese)
w/ Rosie and The Outs and The Crocodiles
Hamburg, GERMANY

+ check out their brand new video for the track, "Black and Blue"



Download:
The Tamborines - Looking Glass House.mp3

Tamborines' Official Site

Video: The Dandy Warhols "This Is The Tide"

The new Dandy Warhols video, "This is The Tide", which features main vocals by Brett DeBoer and a lavish dinner party featuring many folks from the Portland scene.

Tuesday 5 October 2010

Video: Factory Kids' "Scrapey Boots"

Tuesday 5 October 2010
Off of our new album, Love Destroys Everything, here is the video for "Scrapey Boots", shot in Glasgow and Birmingham, UK.



The track is off of our 2nd album, Love Destroys Everything

and here's our our myspace.

Monday 4 October 2010

Mini Review: Manic Street Preachers' at Glasgow's O2 Academy, 29th Sept 2010

Monday 4 October 2010


The Manics gig was probably the most wild gig I've gone to for awhile. Of course, it was partly my fault for having to be right in the front, but the opener, "Sleepflower", turned the crowd into chaos (which was oddly fun, I admit).

For being the first gig on a long list of UK tour dates, I thought they were in top form. I can honestly say it was one of the best gigs I have ever been to!

Best bits include Nicky Wire introducing "Motown Junk" before "Hazelton Avenue" (he later apologized, blaming being sober for fucking everything up, ha), dedicating "You Love Us" to Richey Edwards, the crowd singing along to "You Stole the Sun from My Heart" and James complimenting us on our vocals(!) and James' debuting the acoustic version of "Stay Beautiful", which you can watch below:




Check the Manics' official site for tour dates and much more. x

Sunday 3 October 2010

Mini Review: Grinderman at Glasgow's Barrowland, 28th Sept 2010

Sunday 3 October 2010


One word that sums up the Grinderman gig the other night: AMAZING.

The only negative thing I have to say is when I went home and listened to the Grinderman 2 album the following day, it didn't sound nearly as good as it used to, as the gig just took everything to a higher level. I have always thought that if you can sound better live than you do on record, it is a sign of a truly talented artist. Obviously, Nick Cave and co. are no exception.

My personal favourites were their new single "Heathen Child", "Evil!", "No Pussy Blues" and the last one of the evening, "Grinderman", which sounded incredible live.

If Grinderman comes to your town, I doubt you'll need much persausion to go, but I still highly recommend it. Tour dates and more available on their website.

Tuesday 28 September 2010

Oslo

Tuesday 28 September 2010
A few photos from my recent trip to Oslo, Norway....




When in Oslo, check out Tiger Records and Big Dipper Records. They both had a variety of albums by local acts and international artists. I ended up buying a couple Einar Stenseng albums which are brilliant.













Wednesday 22 September 2010

Factory Kids "Get Gone" EP

Wednesday 22 September 2010


Today marks another release from Tim's and my project, Factory Kids. This time, it is our "Get Gone" EP, released as a free download by NOECHO records. It is definitely the most experimental stuff we have come up with so far...

Click here for your free download of "Get Gone"......

and enjoy!

x

Monday 20 September 2010

the Manics take over Rock Radio

Monday 20 September 2010


Tune into Scotland's Rock Radio on Tuesday, 21 September, from 10pm as James Dean Bradfield and Nicky Wire from the Manic Street Preachers will be playing their favourite classic rock tracks. You can listen at 96.3 FM in Scotland or online from anywhere.

Also, the Manics album Postcards From a Young Man is out today in the UK! Then next week the Manics kick off their UK tour in Glasgow.

Sunday 19 September 2010

A Dead Skeletons Post

Sunday 19 September 2010
This year I have been really into the Dead Skeletons, which consist of Henrik from Singapore Sling, Nonni Dead and sometimes Anton Newcombe, among others. Their first track "Dead Mantra" has finally been pressed onto vinyl and made available at Cargo Records.

Then last week they released a video for a new track, "Kingdom of God". I really want to find out what old Disney cartoon this is, because it looks absolutely amazing!




Lastly, Anton Newcombe along with his friends have a brand new TV/radio station, We Are the Radio, which broadcasts live from Reykjavik and Berlin. Every time I tune in, there is always something interesting to listen and/or see...watch here.

Saturday 18 September 2010

Video: Robyn's "Hang With Me"

Saturday 18 September 2010
Swedish popstar Robyn currently holds both the #1 and #2 positions on the Swedish album chart with her albums, Body Talk part 2 and Body Talk part 1 respectively. The first single from part 2 is the lovely "Hang With Me".



Body Talk part 2 is out now everywhere on Robyn's own label, Konichiwa Records.

Friday 27 August 2010

Video: Manic Street Preachers' "It's Not War, Just the End of Love"

Friday 27 August 2010


The video for the Manic Street Preachers' new single, "It's Not War, Just the End of Love" is now up on YouTube (embedding is disabled). The video features the lovely Anna Friel and some hot Welsh vs. Russian chess action.

The single is off of the Manics' upcoming album, Postcards from a Young Man, which will be released on 20 September.

* on a side note - life has been extremely busy at the moment, so I apologize for the lack of posts. If you have emailed me about featuring/reviewing your band, I am not ignoring you. I will get to them soon.

x

Friday 6 August 2010

Velcro Leaves Widget

Friday 6 August 2010
tPreview the upcoming album by Velcro Leaves!

Friday 23 July 2010

Video: The Tamborines' "31st Floor"

Friday 23 July 2010
Here is the new video from London band The Tamborines, entitled "31st Floor".



The single is from the bands' upcoming album Camera & Tremor, out the 2nd August on Beat-Mo Records.

Tuesday 20 July 2010

Video: The Charlatans' "Love is Ending"

Tuesday 20 July 2010
The brand new video from The Charlatans. It's for their upcoming single "Love is Ending". Love Tim Burgess' new style.




"Love is Ending" will be released on 2nd August and is from the upcoming Charlatans' album, Who We Touch, out 6th August.

The Charlatans' Official Site

Thursday 8 July 2010

Video: Soundpool's "Kite of Love"

Thursday 8 July 2010
Coming out of the currently hot and humid streets of New York, Soundpool's new single "Kite of Love" gives off a refreshing cool, aloof shoegaze-meets-disco track that is perfect for any summer day.



"Kite of Love" is taken off Soundpool's latest album, Mirrors in Your Eyes which you can purchase here!

Wednesday 7 July 2010

Videos: Ceremony's "Someday" and "Sihouette"

Wednesday 7 July 2010
The shoegaze band Ceremony have released videos for their brilliant tracks, "Someday" and "Silhouette".





Download:
Ceremony - Someday.mp3

Both tracks are from their new album, Rocket Fire. You can purchase Rocket Fire and a 7" of "Someday" at Killer Pimp Records.

Tuesday 6 July 2010

Kylie's "Aphrodite"

Tuesday 6 July 2010
Today I bought the new Kylie album, "Aphrodite" and admittingly, it's all I've been listening to all day. It's some of her best work to date. I've always been a Kylie fan, so I may be biased. However, I think any pop fans should give this album a listen..

The first single, "All the Lovers"



Buy the album for £5 at 7 Digital

Listen/Download the album's bonus tracks for free here.

Thursday 1 July 2010

Beautiful Distortion

Thursday 1 July 2010


The new Factory Kids' remix album, Beautiful Distortion, is out now via Tara Records.

The album features remixes by Screen Vinyl Image (see below for a free download), Jimmy Lee from Trailer Trash Tracys, Jo Barlett from it's jo and danny! & many more.

The full tracklisting is as follows:
1. You Gotta Rain (Screen Vinyl Image Remix) - download
2. Sugar Landslide (Kirk Unit Remix)
3. Look After Everyone (Jo Bartlett Remix)
4. Sugar Landslide (Lemonade Kangaroo Remix)
5. Shadows Play (Richard Formby Remix)
6. Don't Meet No One (Jimmy-Lee & Ben McDaddy Remix)
7. You Gotta Rain (Matty Skylab Remix)
8. Piano Interlude (Nick Duffy Remix)
9. Sugar Landslide (Eulogy Inn Remix)

You can purchase the album at iTunes

Happy Birthday, Debbie Harry!



Happy 65th Birthday to the wonderful, gorgeous and talented Debbie Harry. ♥



Download:
Blondie - Rapture.mp3

Wednesday 30 June 2010

Back home.

Wednesday 30 June 2010


After over a month of traveling, I'm finally back in the UK. The above photo was taken on Highway 61 in Minnesota, near the birthplace of Bob Dylan.

Expect more music posts coming soon....promise! x

Saturday 26 June 2010

New Whirl EP, "Distressor"

Saturday 26 June 2010


Northern California band, Whirl have just released a new EP entitled "Distressor". Considering how new this band is, "Distressor" predicts that Whirl will be a name that most people in the shoegaze scene will know by the time the year is through.

The opening track, "Preface" has Kate Radley-esque talking vocals over Bloody Valentine-inspired riffs. The following track, "Leave", sounds like Chapterhouse if they formed in 2009 and vocals remind me a bit of Aberdeen with added reverb. The 3rd track,"Blue", has an opening riff sounding like something from the Smashing Pumpkins' b-side collection Pisces Iscariot, while the rest of it provides a dreamy, shoegaze landscape full of promise for this new band.

"Ghost" is a hauntingly beautiful track which goes into the more upbeat "Meaningless". "Meaningless" hints of the Pains of Being Pure at Heart and The Telescopes at their best, while "Child" sounds like classic My Bloody Valentine. The last track of the EP, "Sandy", has an acoustic edge, mixed with atmospheric fuzz which fills up the track and provides a beautiful ending.

To buy this EP for $0.10 or more, visit whirl.bandcamp.com

Thursday 24 June 2010

Video: Crystal Castles "Celestica"

Thursday 24 June 2010
The brilliant new video from Crystal Castles for their single "Celestica".



The album, Crystal Castles II, is out now.

Saturday 12 June 2010

Iceland

Saturday 12 June 2010
The 3rd and last travel post (for now) is from Iceland, which could be my favourite country yet. The landscape is beautiful, the people are cool and the music scene is excellent. If you're in Reykjavik I recommend going to 12 Tonar, which is one of the best record shops ever. I could've easily bought a lot more than I did.

A few Iceland photos:









Tuesday 8 June 2010

Amsterdam

Tuesday 8 June 2010
After Geneva, we went to Amsterdam where I caught up with an old friend and had one of the best holidays of my life. While there, we went to an anti-racism gig where Dutch rocker Elle Bandita was performing.



She reminded me of Juliette Lewis, Karen O. and Joan Jett all at once. Brilliant performer. Check out her tunes on her myspace.

Some other photos from Amsterdam:








the record shop Sugar & Spice. Highly recommended.


Monday 7 June 2010

Geneva

Monday 7 June 2010
Hello...I'm back from traveling a bit around Europe. My first stop was Geneva, Switzerland. Even though it was the most expensive place I've ever been, it was beautiful.











more travel posts (and music as well!) coming soon. x

Monday 31 May 2010

Video: First Communion Afterparty's "Field of Flowers"

Monday 31 May 2010
Check out the video for "Field of Flowers" by Minneapolis psychedelic band, First Communion Afterparty.



First Communion Afterparty's influences include the Black Angels, the Brian Jonestown Massacre, the Velvet Underground and the more obscure psychedelic bands of the 60s. I've hung out with them at their studio during my visits to Minneapolis and they're a great bunch of people. I honestly think they are one of, if not the best, band in Minnesota at the moment.

First Communion Afterparty on myspace

Thursday 27 May 2010

Einar Stenseng

Thursday 27 May 2010


Lately I've been digging the music of Norwegian musician Einar Stenseng. Drawing influences from Nikki Sudden to Tom Waits to Nick Cave, Einar's music is just absolutely lovely.

His new album, Stenseng II is out now on as well as for download or CD purchase at amazon.

Einar Stenseng's Official site
 
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