Hyacinth Girl

The music scene in Manchester is really healthy at the moment with a wide variety of bands vying for the attention of gig going loacals. Hyacinth Girl are my current favourite and will be a band to watch out for in 2010. Anyhow check the track 'Everybody Knows' below. To me it sounds a little like early Flaming Lips with a bit of Gang of Four thrown in the mix; enjoy.

Hyacinth Girl - Everybody Knows by Quay Conversation

Danny Mahon - Free MP3

This is the first studio recording of the song and will be a welcome addition to his growing legion of fans playlists. The track was recorded during Danny's first true studio session that also produced 'Beat Me Up and 'AK47'; both feature on his debut release. For more information check www.myspace.com/dannymahon or www.myspace.com/wecandowhatwewantforever. See below for download link to MP3.

Resurrection - Danny Mahon

Girls Names

This time of year consists of people talking about lists, making lists or talking about how everyone else is making lists so therefore they are making a stand by not making a list! Well I've not been making a list or thinking about it; instead I've just been listening to a load of new things and trying to decide how the hell I'm going to get to see Belfast duo Girls Names without my long lost expense account. Here's to hoping they play the North West come 2010.

Colourmusic

Colurmusic's first release on Memphis Industries is the absolutely massive sounding 'Yes!'. There's also an early Flaming Lips type promo video accompanying that looks to highlight the benefits of living in Piedmont Oklahoma. Check it out below.

Gallops

Gallops are a band from Wrexham. They caused a bit of a fuss at ITC 2009 as Huw Stevens kept reminding us all on twitter. Anyway, regardless of all the applause from the usual suspects I'd highly recommend you listen to them. They sound like the Warp band you're yet to discover and will hopefully be releasing an album in 2010. 

 

Something from Leeds....

It's been a while since I heard anything interesting coming out of Leeds. However, this afternoon I came across Spectrals via a recommendation and I'm pretty hooked. My favourite track is called ' I Don't Really Mind' that's heavily influenced by the Californian surf groups of the late 1960s like The Chantays, The Beach Boys and Ventures. They play Deaf Institute in Manchester on November 25Th, if your at a loose end that night check them out.

Chomp

Pylon's 1983 LP Chomp has been granted a reissue by DFA and it's every bit as good as i'd imagined it to be. Having come across them via an interview with LCD main man James Murphy a few years back I've only been able to appreciate tracks like Crazy in shoddy mp3 format. Now though I have 16 fat WAV files to enjoy and a bang on CD sleeve that features a T - Rex on the front, wahey and all that. The album is also on spotify along with the reissue of their debut Gyrate go listen.

Spotify: Chomp
Spotify: Gyrate

Dirty North

Dirty North are from Wythenshawe. Wythenshawe is in Manchester. Their music is a mixture of hip hop, Ska, Drum & Bass and they don't give a fuck. Read this article about them and listen to their tunes here. Also be sure to see them live. London they visit you tomorrow night at Death Disco. Manchester you can see them 3 times next month, brilliant.

Chapel Club

I was a bit wary of Chapel Club at first because they were initially described to me as White Lies with a more electronic sound - so naturally I avoided them. But after hearing Surfacing on 6 music last week I was completely taken in. Its a great track and is reminiscent of more experimental US artists like American Analog Set and Liars. I'm now anticipating an exciting debut record and hope to see them in Manchester when they get round to booking a gig up here.

Kindness

I've been listening to Gee Wizz by Kindness for some time now. The video looks like it was shot with a camcorder that was last used to film an entry for You've Been Framed in 1992. However this seems to enhance the trance like qualities of a track that will live with you for days on end.

Washed Out

Washed Out are from Perry a small town in Georgia - Birthplace of WCW/WWE legend Ron Simmons - and they make amazing music. It's been a long time since I sat at my computer for repeated listens of a myspace page but this week I've been transfixed with their tracks and I just can't pick a highlight. They release a 7" this Autumn and the good people at Pure Groove have limited copies, invest!

The Drums

Guitar based music and new bands in general have experienced a rough time of late especially when they are without a synth player or a backing track of dance beats. The Drums however look set to be the first 'band' this year to emerge with a sound that is fresh and non reliant on a more club influenced sound. The video below is now all over MTV2 in the UK and they look set to be the act that every boy wants to be in and every girl wants to be with. They make their UK debut at the Flower Pot in Kentish Town (Saturday 19th Sept).

Channel 5???????

While everyone in the western world seems to be watching some shit involving Kanye West, Taylor Swift and the abomination that is the VMAs i was compelled to post the video below. It's of Beck covering one of the best songs ever written - hes also doing it justice - and shows that there are many things WORTH watching on youtube.

Heaven

I just came across the track Heaven by NY/Texas collective Midnight Masses with thanks to The Deli. I'm real late on the uptake here as members from two of my favourite bands; Trail of Dead (Jason Reece probably the most Rock and Roll man I've had the pleasure to meet) and TV on The Radio are involved with the project. Along with Heaven there are two great live tracks on the myspace that must be heard. Fingers crossed they get round to putting an LP out in the future.

Professor Green

This video by Hackney based Hip Hop artist Professor Green is a slap in the face to the current UK urban scene. With a kinetic direction it simply reflects how it is right now in London, take note.

Le Donk & Scor - Zay - Zee

I cannot wait to see this film. Featuring my favorite actor/director partnership a cameo from Arctic Monkeys and funded by Warp films. It's a comedy with a dash of a Alan Partridge and That Peter Kay thing and is set to be a cult hit. Check the trailer it's a must see....

The elusive Masks were introduced by the influential Fucking Dance blog and my do I love them. Words fail me when trying to describe their sound, but if you are into any of their top friends on the myspace page then they are definitely worth checking out.

DJANGO DJANGO

Django Django's debut single Loves Dart is getting serious plays at my gaff right now. This band clearly have great record collections are are thinking way beyond most other bands artistic ambition. It's hard to compare them to anyone i know, maybe The Beta Band at a push but that's just lazy. Anyway, check out their myspace and enjoy!

Evolution

The Spotify application for iphone is deemed by many as the best opportunity for Spotify to solidify their position as the world leader of online music subscribtion services. I haven't managed to check it out myself yet as i'm a blackberry user and we have to wait a while longer for our Spotify app. The video below makes me want an iphone right now. I still can't quite believe that technology like this exists considering minidisc technology was the top dog less than a decade ago. Heres to evolution i say.....

Health

It's been ages so what better way to announce my return by posting this top new video by Health. I'm loving the more refined sound they have going on too....

Love Like Fire

Love Like Fire is the best new band Ive heard in a long time. Coming from San Francisco via Las Vegas their new single 'William' is a perfect advertisement for their lush yet challenging sound. It's also accompanied by an amazing animated video that can be seen below. I'm going to see them at the Heavenly Social tomorrow night.

Sonic Youth

I was lucky enough to get a ticket for the Sonic Youth show at the Scala last night, and i was awe struck. They drew heavily from Goo and Sister along with some tracks off their forthcoming album The Eternal. It was the first time I'd seen the band in such a small venue and as my attendance was unexpected the element of surprise really made the gig a special one, oh and they finished off with Kool Thing, one of my favourite Sonic Youth songs of all time.

Brumsdale

Birmingham is a concrete jungle, simple as. Jostling for space on the cramped streets are numerous buildings of numerous eras in numerous colour and design that it can be difficult to walk the pavements and not stop every 10 yards to say; why the fuck did they build that? However; this confusion and lack of planning also makes Birmingham a great place to explore as you never really know what architectural monster or beaut is waiting for you around any corner. For example i walked from a Victorian canal, under a post war reconstruction by pass, past a Blair approved glass tower and into a pub built in 1368 in about 2 minutes.
The Reason for my visit was to see an Irish band called the Chakras, at a great little venue called The Rainbow Bar. Plying a soaring blend of psychedelic tinged indie their ambitions seemed restrained by the small stage. With a singer full of energy who spent most of the set dancing like his life depended on it i got the feeling that we will all be seeing a lot more of this band in the not so distant future.

Mirrors

Last week I sat in on a Mirrors showcase - a band that hails from Brighton and are yet to play any gigs - and i was sufficiently impressed. With a kraftwerk-alike get up and 1000 yard stares they were reluctant to engage the audience instead leaving that to a projector showing black and white static and various images. They will be playing their first show at this years Great Escape Festival in Brighton and are definitely worth checking out if you like Ultravox, Human League et al.

Record Shop Weekend

As the guillotine falls on the majority of independent record shops in the UK and Europe a number of key players in the sector are teaming up this coming weekend - April 18th- to celebrate all that is good about these bastions of taste. As we move into a world of online content (cloud computing) it's hard to imagine online retailers like itunes, amazon or napster having a similar jolly when the use of hard drives for mp3 or mp4 because they are without the sense of community or relationship building that is apparent in independent record stores. This is not to say I'm averse to online music consumption, quite the opposite really as I've become a spotify freak these past few months - i'm merely highlighting the shame that is the slow death of the physical record store. I mean, you can form bands, discuss music and generally do everything that can be done in these stores online however a little bit of the human condition is lost in this increasingly accepted social norm because face to face interaction is no longer required. Maybe I'm being nostalgic, old fashioned or even ignorant but I'd much rather meet someone in person than piss about via email, twitter or the plethora of communication methods that are available online. Anyhow, needless to say i will be attending record store day at Rough Trade East on Saturday in the hope of finding a copy of Fugazi Argument on 180g vinyl.

Fugazi at their best

Easter Weekend Playlist

Hanging about at my parents house on the side of a hill in North Wales has presented me with plenty of time to scan the ipod and listen to the radio. Below are the tracks that have sound tracked this weekend so far to accompany my copy of The Great Shark Hunt.
Delphic - Counterpoint



Chris Clark - Indigo Optimus



Happy Mondays - Wrote For Luck

Water Rats

Gigs at the Water Rats on a Wednesday evening usually involve the latest tipped band and a room full of music industry types. The atmosphere at these nights is similar to a tense game of poker, with the goal of the band being to impress a room full of A&R and that of the A&R to remain tight lipped on the act in front of them until phone conversations the following morning. Anyway , Surfbeat were OK if not a little underwhelming with a song called Sunshine being the highlight. However i left feeling that maybe they shouldn't have played that gig and put themselves in a position that allowed them to be judged by those with the influence so early on. Shame.

Sunday Nostalgia

I just came across this early nineties street soul classic by gloworm. I used to belt out every single word of this tune as an eleven year old, ah the memories.

And the Days go by

This week i saw hotly tipped Kurran and the Wolf Notes at Bloomsbury Bowling lanes - a venue with a bowling alley (no shit) and a karaoke room; it's a decent place to go for a night out and the promoters always tend to get decent bands on. Kurran and the Wolf Notes were impressive enough, with a track called 'Your Four Limbs,' standing out as a possible future folk hit. Along with Kurran I've also been listening to a band called The Love Language who hail from Raleigh, North Carolina. Their music is an interesting blend of Spectre era wall of sound production fused with a country sound, definitely worth checking out.

Rak Studios

I visited Rak studios in St Johns Wood on Friday to catch up with a new band called Surfbeat. Their music is reminiscent of west coast Americana with a hint of 60's British Invasion bands. Rak studio was created by Mickey Most so needless to say it's always a pleasure visiting this place as many great artist's have recorded here in the past from The Animals to Ar tic Monkeys. Aside from getting to meet and listen to the Surfbeat music the highlight of my visit was operating a vintage jukebox that dates back to the 1950's, they just don't make them like they used to - like try comparing one of those tacky video jukeboxes to the one pictured; i arrest my case.

Grey Britain

Clouds, grey, wet, wind , umbrellas, Macs - London March 25th 2009. To accompany this sodden climate i chose to listen to Jesus & Mary Chain if only indulge further on how this day is merely a non event. Stepping onto a train at Euston for another journey to see another musician. This time my destination is Stoke on Trent and although it's hardly the French Rivera it feels good to be getting out of the rat trap. Surprisingly the setting of the studio I'm visiting is not the usual refurbished industrial unit but a farm in rural Staffordshire. Surrounded by rolling hills and fields sparsely populated by live stock my earlier pessimisim is lifted. The music i'm played is also very good and i leave with a spring in my step.

70 Years of Album Artwork

Those with an interest in music searching the web today may have read several stories celebrating the 70th anniversary of LP/CD cover art with the most in depth appearing on the BBC. Along with recognising the 70th anniversary of album artwork the article attempts to debate the relevance of it in the 21st century. It's an interesting piece and worth a quick read. However it's also a little annoying that negative spin is put on the whole affair by Lecturer Simon Warner wo says, ' The Golden age of the album cover is pretty much over.' No disrespect to Simon but have you been into a record shop recently?? Er, probably not because I'd argue that there was never a 'Golden Age' as record sleeve design regardless of the size or format is still pushing the boundaries and pop art is still having an impact on people lives like it always has. Visit the Pure Groove Records website for quick proof that album artwork is evolving without dwelling on the past or living in fear of not being part of a 'golden age.' Anyway now that's off my chest I've posted a picture of my favourite record sleeve ever! Dr Alimantado The Best Dressed Chicken in Town.

Thursday March 19th Fog on the Tyne

The city of Newcastle is less know for it's stunning industrial architecture and more commonly - especially to those born in the 1980s - as the home of teen soap Byker Grove, Football and Paul Gascoigne's rendition of Fog on the Tyne. However, pushing stereotypes aside it's a very welcoming city whose populace has an insatiable passion for live music. I'm visiting to see Twisted Wheel support The Enemy at the local academy Venue. The gig is a full on rock & roll fest with both bands pleasing the rowdy audience. Show over and I get to sample the nightlfe that draws so many stag and hens up here for a final night of freedom. Needless to say i had a good time and surpisingly - without being patronising - I was served the best tapas i've tasted outside of Spain in a city that's famed for placing strips on donner meat on pizza. Good times.

Wednesday March 18th - Manchester

Doves new single Kingdom of Rust is an apt summary of the current state of the nation, particularly Manchester and the surrounding area with the video casting a shadow over the city in a similar vein to The Smiths There is a Light that Never Goes Out. Listening to it approaching Manchester Piccadilly station – I’m here to see local solo artist Natalie Findlay – the train cuts through a mass of run down and abandoned buildings mirroring those seen in the aforementioned Doves video. By the looks of things it could easily be 1983 out there on those streets and the feeling in the centre of town seems a far cry from the optimism running through the city in the lead up to 2001 common wealth games but hey at least it’s not Detroit. Anyhow, that’s the recession for you and regardless of the times Manchester always seems to produce exciting new musical talent and Natalie Findlay is no exception. Breezing through a half hour set she exhumes the confidence and singing voice of a performer that belies her 17 years. She's certainly one to watch.

Before heading up to Newcastle I pay a visit to Piccadilly Records - one of few remaining independent UKrecord shops - and pick up the new Animal Collective, Bonnie Prince Billy and Black Lips records. They are all top drawer aside from the Black Lips record that leaves more to be desired.