LaFaro NIChart Podcast

Herb LaFaro is the guest on an inaugral and excellent NI Chart Podcast now available for free on iTunes...
The NI Chart team brought Herb from Belfast rockers LaFaro, into the NI Chart studios to talk about the upcoming release of their debut album - though he does get some bad news from our resident reviewer! Herb also chats about his favourite local bands and plays some tracks. There's also the chance to win an exclusive LaFaro designed T-shirt! Expect good music and plenty or craic.

Dan Ormsby = lyrical hero

So say Faded Glamour blog

STA BSM Joint Releases Pre-Order-A-Rama

The previously announced new co-releases with Big Scary Monsters - the brand new 4 track CDEP from Calories in limited edition denim sleeve with badge and the ASIWYFA ultra-limited split 3" CD with Talons are now both available for pre-order from the easy-on-the-eye BSM store. Calories is £5 while ASI vs Talons is £3 so with P&P you get change from a tenner for two of November's coolest releases. We're sold!

The Moi Non Plus Video - In Conversation & Live Track

Snippets of The Moi Non Plus chatting backstage to STA documentary maker Aaron before their set at the Lexington plus a chance to see their Yuri Landman custom made guitar in action during the set itself.

Album on sale now!

Fighting With Wire Album #2 - The Story So Far

Taking a break from getting to know the Nashville locals, here's a bit of a scoop from Cahir on the details for FWW's follow up to Man Vs Monster -

So, we've started tracking the first few songs for the album which we're currently calling 'Bones Of The Twilight' - this of course could all change

Erase You
I Won't Let You Down
Didn't Wanna Come Back Home
Waiting On A Way To Believe
Dead Memory
The Great Escape
Graduate
A Call To Arms
I Had A Plan
When Good Guys Turn Bad

It's sounding pretty good - so far we're very excited. I'm gonna try and keep you all in the loop as much as I can so stay tuned for more news.

Jamie and I are dying with pollen/dust/animal hair allergies *sneeze* *cough* anyone got any advice on how to deal with it?

Kiss my face!

C

We've heard a few snippets of some of these songs here at STA Towers and in a word - TIGHT

New Calories EP - 12th November & Free Download

Calories return on November 12th with a new EP - 4 brand new tracks that will NOT be appearing on next year's 2nd album Habitations. This is a super-limited co-release in special denim packaging (huh?) between ourselves and Big Scary Monsters in conjunction with a week of dates for bands from both rosters - joining Calories are BSM's Youves, Holy State and Shapes. You've already seen the tour poster so here's a Monday morning exclusive for you of the EP artwork - which we recommend, for best results, is washed at 30 degrees.


The tracklisting is:
1.Let's Pretend That We're Older (download now as a free MP3)
2.Arm A Leg
3.Expect The Language
4.Hands Off....

The artwork is by a girl called Yvette Young who Calories know from Myspace - befriend them today and who knows where it could take you!

Ordering details will be online in the coming days however the only way to guarantee yourself a copy of the EP is to get it from a show...

The dates are:
04 Nov - York City Screen
05 Nov - Nottingham The Bodega
06 Nov - Brighton The Freebutt buy tickets
07 Nov - Southampton Lennons
08 Nov - Reading Oakford Social Club
09 Nov - Birmingham The Flapper
10 Nov - London Barfly buy tickets

More Shakin' Stevens-friendly propaganda to follow.

And So I Nominated For Best Live Video At IMTV Awards

Ireland’s first Irish-only Video Music awards will take place on Friday 27th November 27th in the Sugar Club Leeson Street in Dublin. The nominations are out and ASIWYFA have bagged a nod in the Best Live Video category for Set Guitars To Kill!

Also you, Joseph and Jane Public, can get involved by voting for your favourite video in the Best Newcomer Category – details on how you can register your vote will follow shortly. The nominees are below - STA's money will be on Richter Collective's BATS - hint hint.

1.BEST LIVE VIDEO
LISA HANNIGAN - I DON’T KNOW
LISA HANNIGAN - LILLE
LADYDOLL – BUTTON
THE BRILLIANT THINGS – RISE
AND SO I WATCH YOU FROM AFAR – SET GUITARS TO KILL


8.BEST VIDEO BY A NEW COMER (public Vote)

HOGAN – I WANT YOU
HOARSEBOX – ALL I NEED NOW
BATS – SHADOW FUCKING
BOWLEGGED – RED LIGHT
TALLULAH DOES THE HULA – BAD BOYFRIEND

The Moi Non Plus: Rockfeedback feature

What's the deal?

Ever heard that nuts Mclusky song which sounded like 34 beastly men beating the unloving heck out of each other for just under two minutes? You know, that one about lightsabers and fellatio. No? Well, you probably should, as I’m not sure there are many other ways I can easily describe this band.

Constituently formed of two Dutch men playing guitar and drums, The Moi Non Plus
play sparse, angular and aggressive Liars-esque (circa They Were Wrong so We Drowned) post-punk; ferocious, syncopated dance-beats and ripped-speaker guitar lines that squeal like particularly melodic stuck-pigs. Their bare soundscape is occasionally penetrated by gruffly humming synth lines that almost manage to bend their off-kilter songs into something vaguely catchy, but more often the tunefully shouted vocals keep The Moi Non Plus treading the almost-pop yellow brick road Mclusky so gracefully walked.

The Dutch duo are very much cut of the DIY cloth, they also run an online magazine called Subba-Cultcha which, in their words, they ‘started doing because [they] felt the alternative music scene in the Netherlands was pretty much non existent’. Which is probably true. However, rather than sobbing quietly into their coffee and waffles, the band began collaborating with other artists, creating a ‘scene’ where absence had been before. They recently asked 20 visual artists to take the Moi Non Plus logo and use it as a starting point for an image, the results of which were compiled both put into print and run as an exposition in Amsterdam.

General seeds of information about this band are fairly sparse upon the digital soil, in actuality their MySpace page simply states:

THE MOI NON PLUS IS A LOUD DRUM GUITAR SAMPLE DUO FROM AMSTERDAM. THEIR DEBUT ALBUM IS WILL BE RELEASED IN THE UK ON OCTOBER 12TH BUY IT

Which I think is one of the most concise, informative and true slices of promotional pie I’ve ever been force fed.

When can I see them live?: Unfortunately the band are only stopped off their tour for a quick pee break in the UK recently, before heading over to New York to promote their magazine Subba-Cultcha. As soon as they’re back, we’ll let you know.

What can I listen to them?: Well, first of firsts direct your clicker onto their MySpace and listen to the track ‘HA HA HA’, then drag that moving bar thing on the right hand side of the screen down till you get to a little box that says ‘buy album here’, at which point the interweb will re-direct you to this site from which you will buy said C.D. and listen to it, gratefully.

We all know music peaked in 1994, so give me a sound-bite about how we could compare them to some kind of obscure band from the Britpop era: Here’s my attempt at NME-journalism… The Moi Non Plus are like Slint. But on ACID. FAST ACID. REALLY FAST GUITAR ACID.

Samuel Smith, Rockfeedback

BSM Lovefest Part 2: New Calories Single

BSM Announce ASIWYFA/Talons Split Single

Here's the scoop on the next ASI record!


Following on from their very well received debut single this summer, Talons launch a series of three mini split releases, teaming up with a trio of their favourite new bands, kicking off with Belfast's And So I Watch You From Afar.

To those who are yet to discover the 6 piece, Hereford based band, Talons have already started making some pretty big waves in the UK instrumental rock scene. Featuring two violins and crushing guitar riffs, their unashamed exploration of uplifting, joyous highs followed closely by dramatic, Apocalyptic lows shows a brave sense of willingness, not usually found in a band so shy of years. 'Bethlehem', a live favourite on their recent, debut UK tour, captures their energy and enthusiasm perfectly, leaving the listener excited and hungry for more.

And So I Watch You From Afar are coming towards the end of their busiest year yet. Having played over 170 shows across the UK and Europe, including support slots with the likes of This Will Destroy You and Oceansize, as well as releasing their debut, self-titled album (via Smalltown America Records), they take a moments breather just in time for Christmas before hitting the studio to begin work on their second album. Where Talons tick the dramatic box in the instrumental survey, ASIWYFA opt for the dancing. With schizophrenic guitar lines, erratic beats and a live show which will have your hips shaking and ears bleeding in next to no time, it's easy to see why this band have won so many plaudits in 2009. 'D Is For Django The Bastard' is a previously unreleased and future fan favourite track.

The split single will be released on limited edition (of 100) 3" CDs via Big Scary Monsters Records on November 23rd. Look out for announcements regarding the next two singles in the series over the coming weeks. Talons and And So I Watch You From Afar will tour the UK together in Spring 2010.

Check back next week for artwork!

Fighting With Wire 'Hard At Work' On Album 2

Jamie FWW sent us this exclusive STA snap of the FWW boys and album two's producer Nick Raskulinecz - enjoying the Nashville Sunshine. Erm... get back to work lads.

Fighting With Wire Album #2 Update

hey everyone,

its been a wee while since i've posted on here, yes i know i'm a terrible terrible bastard, so i thought i'd fill you in on everything fww.

we're currently in nashville recording our follow up to man vs monster in a beautiful studio with the fantastic nick raskulinecz producing we are indeed very excited. The panpipes are fucking creepy lol.

so far we've been rehearsing everyday getting up to scratch and working through all the new material, there's quite a lot so it's difficult to choose what goes on the album, but its a nice problem to have i guess.

everyone is in good health apart form me, all this american food is turning me into fat cahir lol i just can't help it, i have to eat all the fucking time and obscene amounts too, we have to get back on tour soon so i can sweat this out, its killing me damn it!

i don't think we'll be touring until the new year which is a bummer, we've been working so hard to get this new album right we've had to stop touring for a while but it'll be worth it folks.

so thats all the craic really, thanks for being patient and thanks for supporting our band it means a lot to us.

cahir
x

p.s
sam is a wee babe without his help we are geese, FACT!

Ice Sea Dead People open Fresh On The Net Festival

Ice, Sea, Dead People kick off the Tom Robinson curated BBC Introducing: Fresh On The Net festival at Hammersmith's Riverside Studios this Tuesday night. Aptly christened A Primal Scream: angular noise with a twinkle in its eye, also playing the night and recommended by STA are Fangs and Nephu Huzzband.

To celebrate the 2nd anniversary of BBC Introducing: Fresh On The Net on BBC6 Music we present a fortnight of outstanding new songwriters, indie bands and electronic artists at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, West London from Tuesday 20th October to Sunday November 1st. All artists have been featured on the radio show and have equal billing. All tickets are £6.

Click here for booking info or alternatively a search for this story on Drowned In Sound will reward you with a cheaper means of entry for Tuesday...

In alphabetical order (and with further recommends linked) the bands appearing are: A.P.A.T.T. , ALICE GUN, ATLUM SCHEMA, DAVID CRONENBERG’S WIFE, DEXTER BENTLEY, DR MEAKER, EZRA BANG & HOT MACHINE, FANGS, FICTION, FIGHTING FICTION, FILTHY PEDRO, GABBY YOUNG, GOLD SOUNDS, GRASSCUT, HOODLUMS, ICE, SEA, DEAD PEOPLE, JUICE ALEEM, KILL IT KID, KING CHARLES, KINKAJOU, LANTERNS ON THE LAKE, THE LAUREL COLLECTIVE, LETS TEA PARTY, LISBEE STAINTON, LUCY’S DIARY, MALCOLM KAKSOIS, MILK KAN, MISHAPED PEARLS, THE MORES, Mr.DAVID VINER, Mr.B THE GENTLEMAN RHYMER, NEPHU HUZZBAND, THE OCTOBER GAME, PHANTOM LIMB, PINEY GIR, REVERE, ROB MARR, RUSSELL JOSLIN, SERGEANT BUZFUZ, THE SISTERS OF TRANSISTORS, STUART SILVER, TAPE THE RADIO, THE VICTORIAN ENGLISH GENTLEMAN’S CLUB, WITH LOVE FROM HUMANS.

The 405 Interview The Moi Non Plus

The Moi Non Plus get a grilling from The 405 - read it here as preparation for seeing them live tonight in London or Sunday at In The City.

Tubelord! Sailors! Swindon!

If you're in Swindon and not planning on staying in to watch Nick Griffin's ass handed back to him on a plate, check out this powerful line-up at the Victoria -
Tubelord
w/ Sailors
@ The Victoria, Old Town, Swindon
Thursday 22nd October
£5 doors, £4 advance (from venue)
18+.
doors 8pm curfew 11pm

Seafood The Movie

The long-mooted Seafood DVD is finally ready for release. It's not mentioned but this DVD will also probably feature various shredding and gurning from Cahir FWW.

In February 2007 the UK indie-rock-folk band Seafood embarked on an 11 day tour across Germany, Austria and Switzerland to promote the release of their album ‘Paper Crown King’. The tour was regarded by the band as one of the most enjoyable they have ever done - but unbeknownst to them at the time - this was also to be the last European tour before the band decided to go their separate ways in 2008.

Unobtrusively documented with one camera to give the film an insiders perspective ‘Where Have You Been?’ is a compelling and humorous portrait of Seafood on tour. Packed with behind-the-scenes footage, inane banter from within a beat-up tour van & explosive live performances; this is Seafood in their element.

Performances include Time & Tides, Disappear (Acoustic), This Is Not An Exit, Heat Walks Against Me (Acoustic), Folksong Crisis Pt’s 1&2, Orange Rise, Cloaking, We Felt Maroon, Million Pieces, Signal Sparks, Follow & Guntrip.

To celebrate Seafood's 10 year career the extras include a selection of music videos & features documenting the bands history including; acoustic performances & an interview with Seafood’s lead singer David Line on Brighton’s Juice FM (2004), Reading 1998: The Dunkirk Spirit, Paper Crown King Promo’s & Twilight Noise Seduction - the out-takes of Where Have You Been?

Running Time: 77 mins, Picture Format: Colour PAL System, Aspect Ratio: 4:3, Region Code: 0 (All regions)

Sound Format: Stereo.

Directed by Ben Hall and available in all good record stores in the street and online.

ASIWYFA News Update

So we're just home from an amazing tour around the UK, we were blown away by the turn out to our shows, it's by far the best response we've had, so to everyone who came down to make that possible we owe a massive debt of gratitude, thankyou. The tour was also made that little bit more fantastic as we were in our lovely new red van, thanks to everyone who got in touch with a name for it, loving "Jean Claude Band Van", could be a winner....we'll see.

Check out our tour diaries on our myspace.

THIS WILL DESTROY YOU
We head off on Thursday to hook up with Texas noisies This Will Destroy You, prepare for carnage, these guys got 11 out of 10 in their last Rock Sound review, so we're gonna be uping our game on this one. Plus if their recent interview in the same mag is anything to go by, there's gonna be blood on the dance floor (friendly blood of course).

EUROPE
We head off for Europe round 2 in November, please bring yourself and a friend down to your nearest show. Check the dates on the myspace.

OCEANSIZE
After driving the 2000 miles between St. Petersburg and Glasgow we join Oceansize for their UK tour, again we love the band and if the van makes it back we'll be having an awesome tour with the guys.

ULSTER HALL XMAS SHOW AND EP LAUNCH
The biggest show of our lives, this is the show you dream of playing as a kid, please please come down and support us, we can't tell you what it means for us to be playing this venue, and in true ASIWYFA fashion we want to sell this beast out. More info coming soon.

We're gonna be releasing a limited edition EP at this show called "The Letters EP", we've just finished it off and we're really proud of it, it will contain 3 to 4 tracks including "S is for Salamander" which we've been thumping out at recent shows.

ALBUM 2
Not much we want to say about this as yet, only that we're in the process of writing between touring and it's looking like we may be in the studio in January, we'll keep you all posted.

4 Or 5 Magicians November Tour Poster

A fine creation from the pen of Ceri Muscle Club and future adornment to the 4 Or 5 Magicians front-room; click to embiggen.

The Moi Non Plus London Show This Friday

This week sees the UK release of The Moi Non Plus album - available from us now with a gorgeous artbook and remix album set for just £8 - with iTunes and record shops to follow in the coming days.

Leon and Bas will be returning to these British Isles to play London on Friday and In The City on Sunday with our compadres at Big Scary Monsters at TV21 before jetting off to scene of previous MNP triumphs - CMJ New York.

The cooler corners of the interweb will be awash with coverage over the next couple of weeks, in the meantime here's the need-to-know for Friday night.

Friday, October 16
White Light presents Die! Die! Die!, The Moi Non Plus, Dead Wolf Club
8pm-4am,£5, free after 11pm
Tickets on sale now
The New Zealand band play uber-energeic artful noise for fans of Black Flag, The Pixies, The Wipers, Wire and Bailterspace with a legendarily chaos meets carnage stage show. Support from Moi Non Plus: Think DFA1979 on a doom-trip or Liars on ecstasy. Then White Light takes over and Ollie, Matty and Jamie play danceable tunes from pre-1984.

Nice Little Earner Free Download Released Today

In case you missed the subtle banner at the top of the page...

Yep, you can download our track Nice Little Earner for free as of today!

It is currently available from Music Glue and Band Camp

It is also available on a massively limited CD (only 50 copies) with an exclusive b-side not available anywhere else - an alternate take of album track Out Of My Hands. This will only be available from us at shows for the sum of £1.50, so if you want one, you better come and see us play!

Talking of Brighton, anyone in our lovely city can come to our single launch tonight, Monday 12th October, at Hectors House. Again it is free entry and we are joined by our friends Man Ray Sky, Stagecoach, and Duke Raoul. Opens at 7:30pm, starts at 8:00pm, we are on about 10:00pm, or shortly after. Yes!

Also remember you can pre-order our album and receive a Live in Bristol bonus CD if you are one of the first 25. I know for a fact a few have already been pre-ordered as I have received a number of messages telling me (thanks to those of you that have contacted me!). So you better hurry up if you want the bonus CD!

Get downloading, and if you're in Brighton, see you later!

Dan x

4 Or 5 Magicians Support Johnny Foreigner Tonight In London

Who doesn't like Johnny Foreigner? No-one, that's who. Which is why it looks like their 14+ show tonight at the recently reopened Garage in London is nearly sold-out but there's a few tickets available here.

JoFo's 2nd album Grace And The Bigger Picture is out on 26th Oct up against our own 4 Or 5 Magicians whose Empty Derivative Pop Songs album drops the same day and who just happen to be supporting JoFo tonight!

And if you can't for wait the weekend for Monday's Nice Little Earner digital download launch at Hector's House in Brighton, there'll be a few sneaky copies of the gig-exclusive CD single available from 4 Or 5 tonight. Said single comes with an exclusive bonus track - Out Of My Hands (too much coffee version), costs just one and a half gold nuggets and are currently piled up in my front room waiting to be packaged and boxed up for tonight.

And So I Watch You From Afar: Sep/Oct Video Tour Diary Part 1

Muso’s Guide Introduces… The Moi Non Plus

Muso's Guide are running a feature on and penned by Leon and Bas MNP - don't forget to pre-order the album from us to get a free Remix album and book set.

And here we present to you The Moi Non Plus, a most excellent band that we’ve talked into writing a little piece about themselves. It’s the latest in our simply awesome series which has so far brough you Anya Marina, Camera Club, Youthless, Sugar and Gold, There Will Be Fireworks and so very many more. It’s the kind of A&R that money can’t buy. And here are our latest favourites for you, with a sample mp3 at the bottom…

We are The Moi Non Plus, we are a drum guitar & sample duo from Amsterdam. Besides playing in the band we run Subbacultcha!; an aternative music platform from Amsterdam. We promote shows, run a label a website and a magazine. We also organise showcases for Dutch bands abroad and we do occasional art projects.

October and November are crazy months for both the bands as well as the platform. The Moi Non Plus’ record is coming out in the UK on October 12th and as a result we’re doing shows in London and Manchester. We’re also organising a Subbacultcha! showcase at the CMJ festival in New York featuring Dutch bands as well as international acts. Then in November we celebrate Subbacultcha!’s 5th year anniversary with a whole bunch of great shows as well as a festival, an exposition and a film marathon. Then we’re publishing a 100 page art book featuring some of our favourite Dutch artists. (photographers, designers, visual artists) which is coming out on November 14th. And in between all that, we put together our monthly magazine.

Safe to say we are insanely busy. But we do what we like, so that’s a good thing. We started doing this cause we felt the alternative music scene in the netherlands was pretty much non existent. There were loads of good bands, but no places for them to play, no music magazines or radio stations picking them up and as a result, no audience hearing them. This obviously affected us as musicians, as well as human beings, And so we decided to start Subbacultcha! This is now five years ago, and looking back we are excited about the way things are going. We have a dedicated community behind us. Lots of people coming to the shows, reading the magazine, checking the website and also contributing and helping out as volunteers.

The band as well as the platform are obviously closely related. Putting up shows for bands like HEALTH, These Are Powers, High Places, Marnie Stern and Women has really inspired us as musicians. In promoting the shows and making the magazine, we constantly hear new music and meet like minded people. This has a huge effect on the music that we play.

Also doing the art projects is great. Last year we asked 20 cutting edge visual artists to take The Moi Non Plus logo and to use it as the starting point for an image (foto’s paintings, illustrations, etc) The result was compiled in a book and we had a very succesfull exposition in Amsterdam where all the works were on display. This really opened up a new audience for Subbacultcha! and The Moi Non Plus and also brought Dutch musicians and artists together .

We want to keep this up. We are always in search of creative energy and exciting art & music. Therefore we surround ourselves with people that inspire us. We use this inpiration for our music, our magazine and everything else that we are involved in.

And So I Watch You From Afar: Chris's Tour Diary

Here's the latest from the ASIWYFAmobile, this time from Chris:

I get woken up about 10.30 by some of the boys getting out of the van but I'm not usually out of the bunk till midday. I have to climb over Rory to get out, the top bunk is massive so me, Johnny and him can fit in it pretty comfortably. I get dressed, put my contact lenses in and venture outside, we're usually parked at a truck stop so I'll dander over to the shops and find Tony and Johnny outside supping coffee and smoking fags.

Everyone in the tour crew gets a daily allowance to buy food and whatever else that'll get us through the day, most of this gets spent before we leave, sometimes we have left over food from last night's rider, fresh fruit and energy drinks being my breakfast of choice.

After everyone's fed and watered we set off, this tour's been great in that the gigs are conveniently close in distance so it's never more than a few hours drive, the European tour next month's going to be totally different!

The new van is great, rather than being stuck with nothng to do we have a dvd player so films occupy us on the drives, if I'm driving I'll have my iPod in listening to music or learning Polish with one of those listen repeat programs (we'll be touring in Poland on the European tour so I'm making myself useful as the interpreter!)

When we arrive at the venue, Brian our tour manager is out searching for the promoter while we get the gear out and touch base with the sound engineer. I'm always breaking drum sticks, so I just buy big packs of cheap ones, by the last few dates of tour they're getting taped together or being played upside down, the drum heads I'm using at the minute were leftovers nabbed at the Explosions In The Sky gig a few weeks ago in Belfast, cheers dude!

After we get set up, soundcheck is pretty straightforward, having no vocals means most sound engineers love us, nice and easy to mix and we can go nice and loud. This will be the last tour we do using in-house guys because our Full time sound guy Andy Coles is hooking up with us soon, completing our 7 strong crew, us four in the band, T.M Brian, Merch and Photos done by Graham and Sound cranked up by Andy.

We're living pretty close to the breadline this tour, part exercise of restraint, part neccessity! But as well as our daily allowance from the tour fund, most venues either provide us with food on arrival or give us cash to go get stuff ourselves (Highlights so far have ben a vegetarian chilli in Sheffield; lowlights, a fried chicken disaster in Portsmouth which ruined my performance at the gig later that evening!). Food's very important in my pre-gig preparation, greasy food is terrible before a gig. So all you aspiring drummers out there, eat good carbs a few hours before a gig, leave the burgers till after you play!

The single hardest thing about tour, and I'm sure I'm talking for everyone, is the fucking waiting around! If you consider that on average, we play for 40 minutes or so a night, that leaves a lot of time in between of waiting to play. You are occasionally subjected to the horrendous '5 band bill'. Playing after three support bands is tiring enough, but four is a strain for us, as well as the most enduring of crowds. All the waiting is hard to put up with, but at the end of the day, we choose to be in a band and accept all that comes with it, good and bad.

When we play a show, whether it's in a tiny basement room in a random town, or to several thousand people at a big festival, we use that time to put in every ounce of passion we have for playing music and for people to experience it. And hopefully if we do that in enough cities, to enough people, for long enough, we might just look back on it and realise we made a career out of what we love doing.

Chris

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We're back on tour in the UK shortly with 'This will destroy you', and then embark on a European tour with our long time touring buddies MAYBESHEWILL in November, returing home just in time for our headline show in the Ulster Hall in Belfast on December 18th. Tickets are on sale from the Ulster Hall box office, as well as HERE. Full Lineup will be announced within a week or so, hopefully see you there!

Cargo Collective October 2009

Black Heart Procession
Six
The finest and most emotionally resonant album from this dark, legendary and highly influential American doom-folk group.
Temporary Residence - Ltd LP / CD

Close Lobsters
Forever Until Victory
The Singles Collection: re-assembled & re-engineered in summer 2008 in the environs of Glasgow & Paisley - at the epicentre of the Close Lobsters universe. The leitmotif of this collection is aphoristic - Be Bold & Mighty Forces will Come to your Aid.
Fire Records - CD

The Slits
Trapped Animal
30 years since the groundbreaking Debut Cut The Slits return. Featuring original members Ari Up & Tessa Pollit. The Slits became a part of the punk pantheon with songs that even today continue to be meditations on alienation & angst.
Sweet Nothing - LP / CD

Hefner
We Love the City
Hefner's commercial and creative peak is re-issued and expanded to 39 tracks over 2 CDs. Beautiful Urban meloncholy from the John Peel faves.
Belka - 2CD

The Jim Jones Revue
Here To Save Your Soul
Here To Save Your Soul collects all the singles to date by The Jim Jones Revue in a mini-album available for the first time in physical format (LP/CD) including the brand new AA single "Burning Your House Down / Elemental".
Punk Rock Blues - CD

The Wolfmen
Married To The Eiffel Tower
Marco Pirroni & Chris Constantinou, are also known as Wolfmen. The new album features Sinead O'Connor and is blessed with the Midas production touch of Courtney Taylor-Taylor from The Dandy Warhols !
Howl - CD

Hecuba
Paradise
Glorious sci-fi inspired, Greek tragedy electronic love songs with a feel totally individual from the rest of the fast growing Los Angeles Manimal Vinyl family - Dazed and Confused
Manimal Vinyl Records - LP/ CD

The Assassinations
Future Blasts from the Past
Cultural time machine that bears the traces of all Barakats inspirators. Sun Ra and the Plasmatics, Burroughs and Celine, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Gun Club. Musique concrete meets punk and blues. Hard rock meets free jazz and garage rock collides with library music.
Hashishin - CD

Mission Of Burma
The Sound The Speed the Light
Mission Of Burmas fourth LP is a departure from the pinned-needles roar of 2006s The Obliterati. Far more spacious and dynamic but it remains as exhilarating and fulfilling as ever.
Matador US - LP / CD

The Wildebeests
The Gnus of Gnaverone
A garage-rocknroll supergroup featuring members of The Milkshakes, Masonics, Holly Golightly Band, Thanes, and Kaisers with the best, most toe-tapping, garage-beat sounds in the world!
Dirty Water Records - LP / CD

N.A.M.B
BMAN
"A magnificent multi-layered epic adventure concept album about a little robot named BMAN. Comes with 100-page book of illustrations. RIYL Flaming Lips, Nine-Inch Nails, Animal Collective..."
Monotreme - CD

Rose Melberg
Home Made Ship
Third solo lp from indiepop legend of gently crafted intensely personal sugar voiced indie folk heartache on WIAIWYA. Similar to her work with previous bands Tiger Trap and The Softies.
Where Its At Is Where You Are - CD

4 Or 5 Magicians Vs Myspace (And Other News)

Here's the latest from Ormsby HQ in Brighton via the 4 Or 5 Magicians Myspace blog:

ALBUM PRE-ORDER !!
Firstly you can now pre-order our debut album 'Empty, Derivative Pop Songs' from the Smalltown America website by going to www.smalltownamerica.co.uk, finding it, and ordering it (couldn't get the cocking direct link to work - myspace BASTARDS!). Apologies for the wonky page, apparently this is an inavoidable coding thing to do with the site due to the length of the album title or something...

The first 25 pre-orders will receive a free 'Live In Bristol' CD, of a 9 song set we recorded at The Croft in February. It's a pretty raucous, drunk performance, but me and my main man (and album keyboard maestro) Mike Lord have mixed it really loud so it blasts outta yo speakers. So yeah, super-fun, and super-limited - get ordering!

As an additional point, if you pre-order, you will definitely receive the album by the release date of October 26th, and may well receive the album before October 26th if the stock arrives early. Also please note the album will now not be available in most shops until November 2nd.

TOUR WITH THE MUSCLE CLUB 5th to 14th NOVEMBER !!
I have just today confirmed the final show to complete our ten date tour with our buddies The Muscle Club in November. Here are the dates :

Thursday 5th - CARDIFF Buffalo Bar
Friday 6th - KIDDERMINSTER Tap House
Saturday 7th - NORTHAMPTON Roadmender (venue TBC)
Sunday 8th - LONDON Flowerpot
Monday 9th - PORTSMOUTH Cellars
Tuesday 10th - BRIGHTON Hobgoblin
Wednesday 11th - SOUTHAMPTON Hamptons
Thursday 12th - BRISTOL Start The Bus
Friday 13th - NEWPORT OTT
Saturday 14th - OXFORD Vacuous Pop @ The Cellar

It's a co-headline, some dates we will be on last, some dates The Muscle Club will be on last, and on a couple of dates there is a seperate headliner. More info as I have it!

TOUR OF THE NORTH 25th NOVEMBER to 4th DECEMBER !!
I am now focusing on booking some shows in the north of England (and perhaps Scotland) on the above dates. So if anyone out there wants to book us, or knows anyone that might want to book us, or if you are a band that would like to play with us, or simply a person that would like us to visit your town, then please get in touch! We have a vague route planned, a couple of TBCs, and a show confirmed in Leicester for December 3rd, but apart from that we have a pretty open schedule. Please get in touch if you want to put us on!

I'm sure there was some other stuff but I'll do another blog / bulletin as I remember it.

Dan x

Soundtrack Of Moi Non Plus' Lives

This Is Fake DIY are running a great feature with Dutch twosome The Moi Non Plus with Leon and Bas providing commentary about some of the records that have shaped their approach to music and it's an impressive soundtrack ranging from Dylan to Jetplane Landing favourites The Lapse. Follow the link above to hear the songs on Spotify, in the meantime, here's what L and B had to say -

Bob Dylan - It's All Right, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)

Leon: I grew up with my father's records. When I was a kid, there was always music playing in the house. Stuff like Neil Young, The Beatles & Dylan. And even though I went through a rebellious phase, listening to trashy top 40 pop music in the early 90s, I soon discovered that this is where it's at. Dylan is like a force of nature. Especially his early records.

Chavez - Lions

Bas: This song completely changed my idea about song structures. Chavez had an amazing drummer whose ferocious beating did not allow any normal song structure to take shape. All their songs, but especially this one, have no choruses or refrains or any repeating parts. They simply start at one point and end at another, and still sound very natural and logic.

Dinosaur JR - Out There

Leon: I discovered Dinosaur JR when I was about 15. I borrowed 'Where You Been' off a friend of mine, and it blew me away. I never heard anything like it. I was listening to a lot of grunge bands at the time, but after hearing Dinosaur I was cured. I soon discover Sonic Youth too and those bands really influenced me as a musician. I went to see Dinosaur in Amsterdam the same year that 'Where You Been' came out and they opened with 'Out There', something I'll never forget.

The Walkmen - Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone

Bas: I put it on again, and I still love it. This amazing song still sounds so relevant. The album it is on is from 2002 but It is almost prophetic for the music that is made at this moment. The fast beat combined with the lucid melancholy synths and vocals make it very Brooklyn 2009... 2010 may be. And great kick drum sound!

Liars - We Fenced Other Gardens With The Bones Of Our Own

Leon: Another key band for me are Liars. When I first heard 'They Were Wrong So We Drowned', it sounded like complete revolution. That record was way ahead of it's time. Arguably 'Drums Not Dead' is the better record, but this was the first step toward a whole new concept of music. If those records came out today they'd still be super relevant.

The Lapse - Infinite Me

Bas: This band gave singing a new definition. Sort of a high pitched Mark E Smith ranting. And somehow secretly this obscure band turned out to be very influential—at least in my surrounding. I remember being in a building where a lot of bands practiced and at one point it seemed that from every room came The Lapse (Chris Leo) type vocals.

Gang Gang Dance - House Jam

Leon: I hear Gang Gang Dance are a cursed band. A lot of people have told me they always have bad things happen to them, which is really odd for a band that sounds so positive. And that's exactly what I like about them. The last record is just bursting with positive energy, which is really inspiring. I've been into dark, angry bands for so long that this is really what I want to hear right now.

My Bloody Valentine - I Only Said

Bas: What I like best about this band is the way they developed an über cool enigma - a mystic cult status - that derives from only one very distinct, very unique and very uncompromised album. I think this song really shows how important it is to make very clear choices and turn the knob to eleven.

Public Service Blogcast Episode 56

What do you get when you cross Alden Ginger from the criminally short-lived Unicorns with ex Arcade Fire-r Brendan Reed? The lazy answer is experimental yet accessible psych-indie but that would do Clues' originality a huge disservice - for a more accurate answer hit the play button on this unique blogcast takeover then check them out live later this month when they visit the UK to promote their self-titled debut album - which if you follow the links below you can purchase from their label with free T-shirt stencils and a tour poster.

19.10.2009 Manchester (UK), Drowned In Sound @ In The City Festival
20.10.2009 Sheffield (UK), The Harley
21.10.2009 Edinburgh (UK), The Electric Circus
22.10.2009 Dublin (IE), Whelans
23.10.2009 Liverpool (UK), Korova
24.10.2009 Bristol (UK), Start The Bus
25.10.2009 London (UK), The Lexington

Public Service Blogcast Episode 56
40 minutes 42 seconds
Recorded 28/09/09
Tracklisting
01.06 Dog Faced Hermans - Wings (from Hum Of Life album - self-released)
07.22 Clues - Remember Severed Head (from self-titled album - Constellation)
10.30 Ry Russo Young - Red Ribbons (from Luck Drag album)
13.20 Clues - Haarp (from self-titled album - Constellation)
19.14 The Creeping Nobodies - Exult (from untitled album - Villa Villa Nola)
25.23 Elfin Saddle - Our Wounded Mother (from Water Mother EP - Villa Villa Nola)
30.36 Niagara Falls - The Cat The Mouse (from Niagara Falls Tapes EP – Villa Villa Nola)
35.45 Tiny Kitten - Petalboat (from I Light Up My Life album)
37.49 Clues - Perfect Fit (from self-titled album - Constellation)


If you have any suggestions for future takeovers or want to submit your demo for our forthcoming Public Service Podcast series, get in touch - email blogcast@smalltownamerica.co.uk

And So I Watch You From Afar: Tony Speaks!

Well, types...

Greetings and Salutations one and all. Here we are again, on the road, kinda like Jack Kerouac but without the beatniks. Well, most of the time...

We're just over two weeks in and although THIS particular tour is drawing to a close, this is merely a preface, or an introduction if I may, to what is essentially a 3 month stint. If everything goes according to plan we'll be going as far as Moscow and St Petersburg with everywhere in between. Speaking personally, I've never left Western Europe so I can't fucking wait. The excitement is a strange mixture of trepidation through fear and uncertainty and exhilaration through fear and uncertainty. I'm sure you'll hear all about it either here or chatting to us at shows (we always love a chat!).

This tour, so far, has been great. A real step up from previous tours in terms of attendance and a whole host of other boring shit, but mainly the people we've met along the way and the enthusiasm thats came coupled along with those people, all of YOU out there, you know who I'm talking about! Internally within the band we've had our little quarrels, never anything serious I hope you understand, and the great thing about when we argue, it only serves to bring us closer together again, for the time being anyway!

The new van really helps too. We'd never been a band who stayed in hotels or anything like that, for the sole reason we're a tight fisted bunch of losers who put every penny made back into the band so we can finance the next tour/EP/album/whatever, so having a van that we can properly sleep in has made life that little bit easier. In some ways its made certain aspects of touring a little less interesting but on the other hand its opened up a whole new set of circumstances that we never had to face before. I'm pretty sure everywhere we have parked up to sleep, the people in the neighbourhood have been thinking we're Irish travellers and we've settled there for the foreseeable future, and in a few ways, they're totally correct.

Anyway I gotta go and see if my trousers still smell of wheaten bread. Don't ask me how but after several gigs that's what they start to reek of. That, and awesomeness. Naturally.

See you down the front. I'll be the one in the stinkin' trousers.

Over and Out

Tony
x

**STOP PRESS** COMPETITION TIME!

We've just been informed that you guys have the chance to win an opportunity to interview us for a music magazine and win guest list for two people at an ASIWYFA show of your choice and win two T-Shirts AND (drumroll please) a beer from the rider (if Johnny doesn't get to it first!).

Question - Where do ASIWYFA decamp to write and demo new material?

Answers to asiwyfablog@hotmail.com

Good luck people!

Public Service Blogcast Episode 55

This episode is a takeover by Adam and John Fuck Dress presenting stolen mp3s from the Norwich area and beyond plus the best bits from the very good debut Fuck Dress album due early 2010.

Public Service Blogcast Episode 55
50 minutes 7 seconds
Recorded 16/09/09
Tracklisting
00.14 Fuck Dress - Suburban Nietzsche Freak (from forthcoming debut album out spring 2010 – Words On Music/Primeros Pasitos)
04.22 The Milgram Experiment - Try Me Out
07.28 Fuck Dress - Heroes At Home (from forthcoming debut album out spring 2010 – Words On Music/Primeros Pasitos)
13.08 Micropenis - TV License Kalashnikov
16.39 Suicidal Birds - Song for the Sleepyheads
21.52 Bearsuit - Foxy Boxer (from Foxy Boxer 7" 2007 - Fantastic Plastic)
26.43 Fuck Dress - Scumbag Philosopher (from forthcoming debut album out spring 2010 – Words On Music/Primeros Pasitos)
31.08 Chameleons - In Shreds (from In Shreds single 1982 - Epic)
36.03 Paul Hawkins and The Awkward Silences - The Evil Thoughts (Split 7" with L'il Lost Lou 2007 - Jesus Factory Records)
42.05 Heidi’s Head - Kleenex (from Kleenex/LiLiPUT The Complete Recordings 2000 - Kill Rock Stars)
46.44 Fuck Dress - Tickbox Exercise (from forthcoming debut album out spring 2010 – Words On Music/Primeros Pasitos)

If you have any suggestions for future takeovers or want to submit your demo for our forthcoming Public Service Podcast series, get in touch - email blogcast@smalltownamerica.co.uk