Wednesday, 27 January 2010
ASIWYFA Play Instore At Tower Records Dublin
TUESDAY 2nd MARCH @ 7pm
Wicklow Street Branch
More details to follow
Wicklow Street Branch
More details to follow
ASIWYFA XFM Session Repeat
John Kennedy @ XFM rebroadcast the And So I Watch You From Afar session on his show again last night. This is the session that the band recorded for XFM last year. Hopefully the tracks will appear on XFM's online session archive soon and the repeat bodes well for next week's final round of the XFM New Music Award!
4 Or 5 Magicians In 2010
Sorry for being cryptic and all before Christmas, we aren't splitting up or anything, or rather, we are, but we aren't. Or something. I'll explain in a bit. But anyway - our Christmas show on December 22nd was the last time the current lineup of 4 or 5 Magicians will play together, apart perhaps from a final show for my birthday in late March / early April.
Alex (drums) and Sam (guitar) have both left the band to get proper jobs so they can eat and pay rent. My thanks to them for playing in the band, and on the album, will be hard to find better players. For the next two months, me and Ivan (bass) will be demoing some new songs I have written, and working on some ideas that I have, in a shed at the bottom of a garden in Surrey, like the Poddington Peas.
We are currently looking for a new guitarist and drummer to join (please email fourorfivemagicians[at]hotmail[dot]co[dot]uk if you are interested in joining!), and we aim to hit the live circuit again in April with the sparkly new songs. I currently have four finished in my head, and they are definitely my best four songs to date (I know everyone says this about their new stuff as it would be silly not to, but it is absolutely true!). Also have a couple of crackers already demoed from past sessions which didn't fit in with the first album, but definitely will with this new one. If everything goes to plan, we aim to have at least seven or eight tracks demoed by April, do a short tour to roadtest the new material with the new band members, and do some festivals and record the album properly in the summer, before a release in the Autumn.
I did for a while toy with the idea of changing the name of the band for horrendous marketing / promotional reasons, essentially to give the industry a chance to hype us as a "new band", but instead I have chosen to keep the name on, and hope that the press / industry judge us on the music we are making, rather than dismissing us as has-beens or also-rans, which is disappointingly all too common with bands in our position. 'Empty, Derivative Pop Songs' got 7s, 8s and 9s, and I have every confidence this new album is going to be miles better. We might actually record this one properly, and I might actually put some effort into writing the songs this time around!
But yeah. I'm off to formulate a great record. Lets hope it works out that way!
Dan xx
PS. I'm afraid I've had to cancel the two solo shows I had booked in for Thursday (28th Jan) and Friday (29th Jan) in Taunton and Barnstaple, as my transport fell through at the last minute and I can't afford the train. I'll be back down that way with the band as soon as we are back up and running, and will be playing some solo shows in the coming months in London and Brighton, so look out for them!
Alex (drums) and Sam (guitar) have both left the band to get proper jobs so they can eat and pay rent. My thanks to them for playing in the band, and on the album, will be hard to find better players. For the next two months, me and Ivan (bass) will be demoing some new songs I have written, and working on some ideas that I have, in a shed at the bottom of a garden in Surrey, like the Poddington Peas.
We are currently looking for a new guitarist and drummer to join (please email fourorfivemagicians[at]hotmail[dot]co[dot]uk if you are interested in joining!), and we aim to hit the live circuit again in April with the sparkly new songs. I currently have four finished in my head, and they are definitely my best four songs to date (I know everyone says this about their new stuff as it would be silly not to, but it is absolutely true!). Also have a couple of crackers already demoed from past sessions which didn't fit in with the first album, but definitely will with this new one. If everything goes to plan, we aim to have at least seven or eight tracks demoed by April, do a short tour to roadtest the new material with the new band members, and do some festivals and record the album properly in the summer, before a release in the Autumn.
I did for a while toy with the idea of changing the name of the band for horrendous marketing / promotional reasons, essentially to give the industry a chance to hype us as a "new band", but instead I have chosen to keep the name on, and hope that the press / industry judge us on the music we are making, rather than dismissing us as has-beens or also-rans, which is disappointingly all too common with bands in our position. 'Empty, Derivative Pop Songs' got 7s, 8s and 9s, and I have every confidence this new album is going to be miles better. We might actually record this one properly, and I might actually put some effort into writing the songs this time around!
But yeah. I'm off to formulate a great record. Lets hope it works out that way!
Dan xx
PS. I'm afraid I've had to cancel the two solo shows I had booked in for Thursday (28th Jan) and Friday (29th Jan) in Taunton and Barnstaple, as my transport fell through at the last minute and I can't afford the train. I'll be back down that way with the band as soon as we are back up and running, and will be playing some solo shows in the coming months in London and Brighton, so look out for them!
Sunday, 24 January 2010
Graham Smith Wins European Photography Award
Friend of STA and ASIWYFA photographer Graham Smith has won the coveted Lex Van Rossen photography award! The award is an annual prize for European music photography.
“Smith is a photo-journalist who documents what he sees. This is always a good starting point but as well as being highly skilled with the camera, Graham Smith’s work has a very genuine and passionate vibe. He has a real empathy with musicians, and is a very good all-rounder.” - LVR Award Judge
Photos by Graham Smith and the nine other nominees are currently being exhibited in the Photogallery Noorderlicht (Groningen, The Netherlands) till the 28th of February 2010. Afterwards the show will go to London.
Graham is currently working on two books, one of which will be dedicated to his time touring with And So I Watch You From Afar
.
“Smith is a photo-journalist who documents what he sees. This is always a good starting point but as well as being highly skilled with the camera, Graham Smith’s work has a very genuine and passionate vibe. He has a real empathy with musicians, and is a very good all-rounder.” - LVR Award Judge
Photos by Graham Smith and the nine other nominees are currently being exhibited in the Photogallery Noorderlicht (Groningen, The Netherlands) till the 28th of February 2010. Afterwards the show will go to London.
Graham is currently working on two books, one of which will be dedicated to his time touring with And So I Watch You From Afar
Cluas Review For Alan MX's Warpsichord
Cluas Snapshot: Warpsichord is the debut from electro, experimental London based musician Alan MX. It’s different, complicated, and really very good. Electronic, dance, and occasionally pop, it’s a fine record and one to surely pick up pace this year.Cluas Verdict? 7.5/10 Alan MX
Full Review: “Warpsichord” is littered with catchy loops mixed with delicate melodies and what sounds like millions of layered samples of vocals, synths, guitars, lasers, effects and whatever else he could find. If it sounds all over the place, it’s probably because it is. However each track sounds like 4 minutes of chaos that somehow pulls together. What results more often than not is altogether a pleasure to listen to.
“Warpsichord”, “Cuckoos”, “The Captain America Video” and “Green Tea” are unforgettable. “Cuckoos” is fast paced with an orchestral overture that would not seem out of place in a James Bond themed movie tune. “Captain America Video” doesn’t disappoint either. It’s acoustic guitar driven melody is backed by a thumping percussion, it’s a winner. “Flesh Emergency” with its synthesised melody continues the impressive start to the record. “Green Tea” in this reviewer’s opinion is the best track on the album. It’s an acoustic guitar tune riddled with a relentless drum beat. It’s a piece of perfect modern pop music, the meandering vocals bounce along to the acoustic/percussion driven backdrop.
The record doesn’t take a dive from here but the true quality lies firmly in the first half. “Frank’s Monster” is forgettable, “Strange Bird”, a life lament with a nice orchestral feel is just, well nice. “Chinese Whispers” and “God Song” complete the collection.
So what’s the verdict? Well “Warpsichord”, “Cuckoos”, “The Captain America Video” and “Green Tea” are unforgettable. It’s hard to decide what kind of record this is with regard to genre. It seems to borrow from everything, pop to electronica, rock n roll to dance.
Overall it’s an impressive debut and conveys Alan MX as a potentially serious player. He is extremely talented. He certainly has an open mind, anything and everything can be heard at one point or another on the album. The first half is nothing short of brilliant. Unlike the real thing, the energy levels seem to decline on the album after “Green Tea”.
Kevin Coleman
Saturday, 23 January 2010
LaFaro Vs The Fuzz
London England Town
jesus christus! it has unfortunately been brought to our attention that the queens own metropolitan police force are as pathetically ignorant, futile and cuntish as our own. but lack the intimidation factor, because they dont have guns.
first of all they pulled us and fined us for driving a trade vehicle up the queens driveway, even though our vehicle is in fact owned privately and we had as much right to be there as all the other vehicles.
then i had to stand and explain how northern ireland is for now still a part of the united kingdom, therefore i dont need to apply for a separate "english" vehicle test every time i decide to go there. and how its not my fault if the dvla in coleraine forgot to tell the english that we paid a full years vehicle tax.
30 quid straight to gordon brown.
ANYHOO..... last nights gig was pretty fuckin special for us. we had a blast, and could'nt believe how many people came down to see us and show their support. thank you all so much just for being there and allowing us to spout off about jesus and sectarianism and shit like that. i like to believe we live in a world where we can laugh about these things, y'know.
we were'nt sure if our brand of mediocre head-banging bull-sshhhiittt would wash with the average gig-ligging, music-loving brit, but i reckon we're doing alright. we're not dead yet; in fact far from it.
up the hoods, jonny
jesus christus! it has unfortunately been brought to our attention that the queens own metropolitan police force are as pathetically ignorant, futile and cuntish as our own. but lack the intimidation factor, because they dont have guns.
first of all they pulled us and fined us for driving a trade vehicle up the queens driveway, even though our vehicle is in fact owned privately and we had as much right to be there as all the other vehicles.
then i had to stand and explain how northern ireland is for now still a part of the united kingdom, therefore i dont need to apply for a separate "english" vehicle test every time i decide to go there. and how its not my fault if the dvla in coleraine forgot to tell the english that we paid a full years vehicle tax.
30 quid straight to gordon brown.
ANYHOO..... last nights gig was pretty fuckin special for us. we had a blast, and could'nt believe how many people came down to see us and show their support. thank you all so much just for being there and allowing us to spout off about jesus and sectarianism and shit like that. i like to believe we live in a world where we can laugh about these things, y'know.
we were'nt sure if our brand of mediocre head-banging bull-sshhhiittt would wash with the average gig-ligging, music-loving brit, but i reckon we're doing alright. we're not dead yet; in fact far from it.
up the hoods, jonny
Friday, 22 January 2010
And So I Watch You From Afar World Domination Plans
EUROSONIC
Phew.... just back home from a great weekend in Gronigen on the flat fields of the Netherlands. We played to a sold out crowd in the famous Vera venue, which has seen, the ASIWYFA wet dream of bands, through the doors from At The Drive In, to The Jesus Lizard, to Shellac, to Trail of Dead. We were very humbled to be gracing its stage. Here's a few vids below of the trip...
SXSW, CANADIAN MUSIC WEEK & NYC (MARCH)
It's official folks, we're off to Texas (woohoo). Details coming on where and what shows we'll be doing. Can't wait to get the old Irish skin into the sun, expect some red faces especially from our ginger contingents. In other news we've been confirmed to play this year's Canadian Music Week which we're thrilled about, again we'll let you know where and when our show will take place in the festival. Lastly, we thought it would be rude to go all that way and not pay a visit to New York's fair city (home of Ross, Monica, Joey, Chandler, Pheobe and Rachel). As you can probably predict we are buzzing like children at the prospect of this trip.
CHOICE MUSIC AWARD NOMINATION
This is as big a surprise to the rest of you as it was to us I'm sure, but we've been nominated for this year's Choice Music Prize. It's an absolute honour to even be considered, plus we get to go to a real award ceremony!! We're up there with the likes of Bell X1, Swell Season, Laura Izibor and Codes. It's a real privilege to think that ours songs in anyway merit this so thanks guys.
XFM NEW MUSIC AWARD NOMINATION
Again this came as a complete surprise, but thanks to all you heroes out there who voted for us; we've somehow been nominated for this year's XFM New Music Award. We stick out like a sore thumb in this bunch with the likes of Florence and the Machine, La Roux, Little Boots etc. I know what your thinkin, "Eh?!". Again tho, its an honour to be nominated, especially as it was a public vote, so thanks to you all, as we say over here, "your a lovely bunch of bastards!".
UK "LETTERS EP" TOUR
This is announced and on sale now, and we're delighted to announce that we're gonna be joined by mighty noise bringers LaFaro (http://www.myspace.com/lafaro). We'll have the new EP out with us, and needless to say will be attempting full scale carnage at every show. Please get your tickets now if you haven't already, it'll be worth it to see LaFaro alone, they make my teeth hurt they're so good.
EUROPEAN TOUR
Correct, we haven't forgotten about you guys on the mainland, thanks for all the correspondence and kind words that have been coming in since our last visit. Keep an eye on our myspace as this baby is going to be landing there pretty soon. Stock up on hard hats, knee pads and wrist guards as the last few trips have been fairly intense, you guys know how to rock.
IRISH SHOWS
As if we'd forget about all you Irish heads! so then, we're off to Draperstown and Warrenpoint this weekend, these shows are selling fast so go get yours! We can also announce we'll be doing two mighty shows back to back in Dublin and Derry. The awesome force that is the Richter Collective are putting us on in Andrews Lane Theatre on the 26th March to launch our new EP in the fair city. We will be joined by the ridiculously awesome Bats and Jogging (both Richter Collective signings) this one will cook brains I promise.
Then off to Derry the following night (27th March) to hit the Nerve Centre, this will be our first show up Derry way for a while and we cannot wait. Support is to be confirmed, but needless to say it will be a ferocious bill.
In other news we head across the boarder in next month to play...
11 Feb 2010 20:00
Bakers Place LIMERICK
12 Feb 2010 20:00
Crane Lane Theatre CORK
13 Feb 2010 20:00
Electric Ave WATERFORD
These look to be outrageously good if your feedback is anything to go by. Big thanks to Mitch and Dave at Livewire and the guys at Electric Avenue.
More news coming soon
Over and Out...
Rory
Phew.... just back home from a great weekend in Gronigen on the flat fields of the Netherlands. We played to a sold out crowd in the famous Vera venue, which has seen, the ASIWYFA wet dream of bands, through the doors from At The Drive In, to The Jesus Lizard, to Shellac, to Trail of Dead. We were very humbled to be gracing its stage. Here's a few vids below of the trip...
SXSW, CANADIAN MUSIC WEEK & NYC (MARCH)
It's official folks, we're off to Texas (woohoo). Details coming on where and what shows we'll be doing. Can't wait to get the old Irish skin into the sun, expect some red faces especially from our ginger contingents. In other news we've been confirmed to play this year's Canadian Music Week which we're thrilled about, again we'll let you know where and when our show will take place in the festival. Lastly, we thought it would be rude to go all that way and not pay a visit to New York's fair city (home of Ross, Monica, Joey, Chandler, Pheobe and Rachel). As you can probably predict we are buzzing like children at the prospect of this trip.
CHOICE MUSIC AWARD NOMINATION
This is as big a surprise to the rest of you as it was to us I'm sure, but we've been nominated for this year's Choice Music Prize. It's an absolute honour to even be considered, plus we get to go to a real award ceremony!! We're up there with the likes of Bell X1, Swell Season, Laura Izibor and Codes. It's a real privilege to think that ours songs in anyway merit this so thanks guys.
XFM NEW MUSIC AWARD NOMINATION
Again this came as a complete surprise, but thanks to all you heroes out there who voted for us; we've somehow been nominated for this year's XFM New Music Award. We stick out like a sore thumb in this bunch with the likes of Florence and the Machine, La Roux, Little Boots etc. I know what your thinkin, "Eh?!". Again tho, its an honour to be nominated, especially as it was a public vote, so thanks to you all, as we say over here, "your a lovely bunch of bastards!".
UK "LETTERS EP" TOUR
This is announced and on sale now, and we're delighted to announce that we're gonna be joined by mighty noise bringers LaFaro (http://www.myspace.com/lafaro). We'll have the new EP out with us, and needless to say will be attempting full scale carnage at every show. Please get your tickets now if you haven't already, it'll be worth it to see LaFaro alone, they make my teeth hurt they're so good.
EUROPEAN TOUR
Correct, we haven't forgotten about you guys on the mainland, thanks for all the correspondence and kind words that have been coming in since our last visit. Keep an eye on our myspace as this baby is going to be landing there pretty soon. Stock up on hard hats, knee pads and wrist guards as the last few trips have been fairly intense, you guys know how to rock.
IRISH SHOWS
As if we'd forget about all you Irish heads! so then, we're off to Draperstown and Warrenpoint this weekend, these shows are selling fast so go get yours! We can also announce we'll be doing two mighty shows back to back in Dublin and Derry. The awesome force that is the Richter Collective are putting us on in Andrews Lane Theatre on the 26th March to launch our new EP in the fair city. We will be joined by the ridiculously awesome Bats and Jogging (both Richter Collective signings) this one will cook brains I promise.
Then off to Derry the following night (27th March) to hit the Nerve Centre, this will be our first show up Derry way for a while and we cannot wait. Support is to be confirmed, but needless to say it will be a ferocious bill.
In other news we head across the boarder in next month to play...
11 Feb 2010 20:00
Bakers Place LIMERICK
12 Feb 2010 20:00
Crane Lane Theatre CORK
13 Feb 2010 20:00
Electric Ave WATERFORD
These look to be outrageously good if your feedback is anything to go by. Big thanks to Mitch and Dave at Livewire and the guys at Electric Avenue.
More news coming soon
Over and Out...
Rory
Thursday, 21 January 2010
Bands Wanted For IMRO Showcase 2010 Tour
IMRO (Irish Music Rights Organisation) have announced the call for entries for the 2010 IMRO Showcase Tour. First hosted in 1992, Ireland's most established new band showcase has provided a live platform for scores of up and coming Irish acts over the years. Recent acts to have featured include Fight Like Apes, Declan O'Rourke, Halves and Delorentos to name but a few.
Ronan Yourell from Dublin band Delorentos said of the tour "It was an important step in the development of our band as we gained invaluable experience through the gigs and also met some really cool people!"
IMRO are now inviting bands and solo artists across all genres of music to apply for a place on the IMRO Showcase Tour 2010.
Bands and artists who wish to be considered for a place should send a website or MySpace link to showcase@imro.ie before Friday February 12th, 2010. Successful acts will be notified in early March. The gigs will run through March and April.
A number of artists will be chosen from the tour to perform in a Best of Showcase gig which will take place in Dublin venue The Academy on April 30th.
The IMRO Showcase Tour 2010 will feature live shows in the following venues across Ireland:
Thu March 25th The Limelight & Katy Dalys, Belfast
Fri March 26th Crawdaddy, Dublin
Sat March 27th TBC
Thu April 01st Crawdaddy, Dublin
Sat April 03rd Cyprus Avenue, Cork
Thu April 08th TBC
Fri April 09th The Spirit Store, Dundalk
Sat April 10th Crawdaddy, Dublin
Thu April 15th Masons in association with us, Derry
Fri April 16th The Late Lounge, Kildare
Sat April 17th The Cellar Club, in association with 'The G Sessions'Draperstown
Fri April 23rd The Sugar Club, Dublin
Sat April 24th Dolans, Limerick
Fri April 30th The Academy, Dublin - Best of IMRO Showcase Tour 2010
The IMRO Showcase Tour 2009 is supported by RTL 2FM, The Star Newspaper and
State.ie
Ronan Yourell from Dublin band Delorentos said of the tour "It was an important step in the development of our band as we gained invaluable experience through the gigs and also met some really cool people!"
IMRO are now inviting bands and solo artists across all genres of music to apply for a place on the IMRO Showcase Tour 2010.
Bands and artists who wish to be considered for a place should send a website or MySpace link to showcase@imro.ie before Friday February 12th, 2010. Successful acts will be notified in early March. The gigs will run through March and April.
A number of artists will be chosen from the tour to perform in a Best of Showcase gig which will take place in Dublin venue The Academy on April 30th.
The IMRO Showcase Tour 2010 will feature live shows in the following venues across Ireland:
Thu March 25th The Limelight & Katy Dalys, Belfast
Fri March 26th Crawdaddy, Dublin
Sat March 27th TBC
Thu April 01st Crawdaddy, Dublin
Sat April 03rd Cyprus Avenue, Cork
Thu April 08th TBC
Fri April 09th The Spirit Store, Dundalk
Sat April 10th Crawdaddy, Dublin
Thu April 15th Masons in association with us, Derry
Fri April 16th The Late Lounge, Kildare
Sat April 17th The Cellar Club, in association with 'The G Sessions'Draperstown
Fri April 23rd The Sugar Club, Dublin
Sat April 24th Dolans, Limerick
Fri April 30th The Academy, Dublin - Best of IMRO Showcase Tour 2010
The IMRO Showcase Tour 2009 is supported by RTL 2FM, The Star Newspaper and
State.ie
Wednesday, 20 January 2010
Calories Split 7" With William
While we wait for Calories' incredible 2nd album Habitations, the Brum trio have hooked up with our chums Tough Love for a split 7" with the equally great William.V I L E S T T H U G L O O P
A1: Calories - "Mortal Boys"
A2: Calories - "Drink The Potion"
B1: William - "Dilettante"
B2: William - "Lustreless"
+ free fanzine/poster
7" white vinyl + free download code
Artwork by Gordon Armstrong (Zineswap)
Limited to 500 copies
RELEASED: MONDAY 15th FEBRUARY.
ALL PRE-ORDERS POSTED OUT TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE
Both bands play at 2 special gigs around the release which are must-go shows.
Monday, 18 January 2010
LaFaro UK Tour Diary Part 3
I sit writing this in Newcastle, home to tantric tree hugger/bass thumber Sting, amphibian footwear enthusiast Jimmy Nail, the Queen (it's a little known fact that she's a Geordie) and world famous karaoke judge Cheryl Cole.
Here's a quick recap of our last few days -
13th Note in Glasgow was great fun, John fed us spicy, spicy chilli, The Ocean Fracture played and were rocking, our good friend Helen an her friend Cookie came along too so we had a wee tipple with them. Also in attendance were Michelle and Denise who just happened to be away from Belfast at the same time as us, it's always nice to see familiar faces. Bruce put us up in his flat and we were fed breakfast he next day by the lovely Nadine.
From there we headed to Newcastle for a gig in our friends Knuckledragger's practice room with the aformentioned face melting Dragger and Mass, both of whom were so awesome that we had to drink ourselves into near comas before playing in front of a crowd of friends and pipesmokers. Plenty of fun was had but don't ask me what happened after because I honestly cannot remember much, apart from throwing a car bonnet around a park, which I thought was Narnia and all the things that we shall never speak of......
We stayed and Pete & Aaron Knuckledragger's house and Aaron made us a delicious chicken dinner before going to Sunderland to play The Borough with The mighty Dragger. We rocked the tiny corner of the Borough, as did Knuckledragger, who are fast becoming my favourite band. Back to Newcastle for a few drinks before sleeping in the van with Dave.
Today we need to get an ink pad, valves for Jonny's head and figure out what's happeneing with the Durham gig tonight as the promoter just phoned to tell us he's cancelled it.......
Peace out you lovely people, it'll be funnier next time, i promise.
Herb x
Here's a quick recap of our last few days -
13th Note in Glasgow was great fun, John fed us spicy, spicy chilli, The Ocean Fracture played and were rocking, our good friend Helen an her friend Cookie came along too so we had a wee tipple with them. Also in attendance were Michelle and Denise who just happened to be away from Belfast at the same time as us, it's always nice to see familiar faces. Bruce put us up in his flat and we were fed breakfast he next day by the lovely Nadine.
From there we headed to Newcastle for a gig in our friends Knuckledragger's practice room with the aformentioned face melting Dragger and Mass, both of whom were so awesome that we had to drink ourselves into near comas before playing in front of a crowd of friends and pipesmokers. Plenty of fun was had but don't ask me what happened after because I honestly cannot remember much, apart from throwing a car bonnet around a park, which I thought was Narnia and all the things that we shall never speak of......
We stayed and Pete & Aaron Knuckledragger's house and Aaron made us a delicious chicken dinner before going to Sunderland to play The Borough with The mighty Dragger. We rocked the tiny corner of the Borough, as did Knuckledragger, who are fast becoming my favourite band. Back to Newcastle for a few drinks before sleeping in the van with Dave.
Today we need to get an ink pad, valves for Jonny's head and figure out what's happeneing with the Durham gig tonight as the promoter just phoned to tell us he's cancelled it.......
Peace out you lovely people, it'll be funnier next time, i promise.
Herb x
Ice, Sea, Dead People Tipped By Sweeping The Nation
Class Of 2010: Ice, Sea, Dead People
In, explode, out. It's the best way of getting your message across should you be sufficiently teeth on edge post-hardcore, and with their twenty minute sets it's something Ice, Sea, Dead People - even they admit they regret that name, but IT'S TOO LATE NOW - understand intimately. The London via Bedford trio take their lead from Fugazi and Q And Not U, twisting taut distorted riffery and hyperkinetic arrythmic understanding into two and a half minute nuggets of splintered, pummelling staccato and most importantly loud art-punk, leaving untold aural damage in its wake. Their debut album, mastered by Bob Weston of Shellac, is out soonish on the reliable Smalltown America, who understand the value of such a thing.
In, explode, out. It's the best way of getting your message across should you be sufficiently teeth on edge post-hardcore, and with their twenty minute sets it's something Ice, Sea, Dead People - even they admit they regret that name, but IT'S TOO LATE NOW - understand intimately. The London via Bedford trio take their lead from Fugazi and Q And Not U, twisting taut distorted riffery and hyperkinetic arrythmic understanding into two and a half minute nuggets of splintered, pummelling staccato and most importantly loud art-punk, leaving untold aural damage in its wake. Their debut album, mastered by Bob Weston of Shellac, is out soonish on the reliable Smalltown America, who understand the value of such a thing.
Sunday, 17 January 2010
Ice, Sea, Dead People Exclusive MP3 In BSM '10 Collection
Remember we told you about Big Scary Monsters' genius mp3 subscription scheme The BSM '10 Collection a couple of weeks ago?Well if last week's Walter (Rival Schools, Quicksand) Schreifels mp3 from his upcoming new solo album wasn't enough to entice you to sign-up then how about this? An exclusive preview track Brrrrr from Teeth Union - this summer's debut album by our own Ice, Sea, Dead People. Use this exclusive link to join the subscription for ONLY £13 instead of the usual £15. Be quick, this offer expires 24th January. A great way to use up your Paypal credit from selling those unwanted Christmas gifts on eBay!
As well as receiving a MP3 from a different band every week, every subscriber also gets an exclusive BSM t-shirt, a 10% discount on all purchases from bsmrocks.com/shop for the whole year and free entry into monthly prize draws!
Thanks to Kev BSM for including ISDP in the scheme.
Ice, Sea, Dead People Interview with Archers Bow
Matt Fearon of The Archers Bows Have Broken blog grills Ice, Sea, Dead People frontman Craig Sharp on last year's line-up change and the big year ahead.
Saturday, 16 January 2010
Win Tickets For Casiokids/Skibunny In London
Win tickets to see Skibunny support Casiokids at the Camden Barkly on Feb 25th thanks to the Musos Guide.
Let Our Enemies Beware On Kerrang Radio Tomorrow
LOEB ARE ON "THE UNSIGNED SHOW WITH ALEX BAKER" ON SUNDAY!
All the best upcoming, unsigned, minor label music from across the world.
8PM - 10pm (GMT) EVERY SUNDAY NIGHT ONLY ON KERRANG! RADIO
105.2FM UK West Midlands
DAB, Freeview, Digital Throughout The UK
All the best upcoming, unsigned, minor label music from across the world.
8PM - 10pm (GMT) EVERY SUNDAY NIGHT ONLY ON KERRANG! RADIO
105.2FM UK West Midlands
DAB, Freeview, Digital Throughout The UK
LaFaro UK Tour Diary Parts 1 & 2
STA declares 2010 to be the year of LaFaro who commence their world domination plans in text book fashion - with a 6 week UK tour which started this week. Here's the opening instalments of their tour diary - ok folks and loyal LaFaro supporters....
tour diary number 1 and we find ourselves in snowy Edinburgh....Todays been a pretty hassle free day which is what we want for the first day of a six week tour. First date is in the lovely bannermans bar at cowgate and we are looking forward to it greatly...im gonna keep you guys all up to date with as much info as possible so you can follow the laFaro train along the way..gonna get some videos up here too so you can see what is happenin for yourselves...so keep in touch and keep up to date...we need all the help we can get so if we are in a city near you then come on on out and see....will be in touch soon....wish us luck!!! Al laFaro. xxx
Well... Edinburgh was great last night! Thanks to everyone who came down. We had a blast! Bannermans is a great spot, with great people who really know how to look after the bands that pass through. We even had a few friends on hand to make us feel welcome on the first date of tour. Nice! Back there on the second leg so we can't wait. Up first thing to put a ticket on the van *yawn* then straight back to bed. Far too early and cold for that. No need at all. So after a kip we hit the road to get to Glasgow for around lunchtime. Changed the tyre on the van outside the venue cos it was as bald as a babys arse. It's all good now though! So that gave us some time to potter around the city and see some of the following sights: Terrapins A 1968 Fender Mustang Lifesize cutout of The Undertaker Adolf Hitler doll (no kiddin...) Onwards and upwards for the show in 13th Note and we're all psyched for this show as the promoters Bruce and John are absolute treats. More tomorrow guys, mucho amore! DaveFriday, 15 January 2010
4 Or 5 Magicians Make Fun Fun Fun Year End List
Fun Fun Fun have placed 4 Or 5 Magicians' Empty Derivative Pop Songs in their best 15 albums of 2009 and you can win a prize by guessing all of the albums on the list just from their covers. The answer to no. 9 is on the house!
Thursday, 14 January 2010
Heavier-Than-Air Blog Tip 4 Or 5 Magicians
Englishman in New York Heavier-Than-Air tip 4 Or 5 Magicians as one of his 10 for 2010 -
Inevitably, as another musical year dawns, we begin to move from the favourites that kept us company the previous 364 days and speculate at which bands might fuel our fire during the next 12 months.
To the beaches of Brighton in England next - though not recommended right now with Arctic conditions assaulting the country - to point our ear drums towards 4 or 5 Magicians.
Coming on with a sound owing a few quid to a variety of raw 90's alt rock groups from North America, 4 or 5 Magicians add a quintessentially British streak with the vocals and lyrics of Dan Ormsby. Commenting on horrendous credit card debt and the vagaries of the music business may not be confined to old Blighty, but the dry wit with which they're delivered is characteristic and worthy of writers like Mike Skinner or Alex Turner. Look no further than their most recent album title, Empty Derivative Pop Songs, for the first evidence.
The blend of styles at work here leads to an urgent, invigorating listen. The songs have a distinct edge, one that is made only more hazardously jagged by the rough production. Somewhere between a lo-fi and punk aesthetic, the end result often feels like the instruments might collapse in on one another. In the best possible way, of course. And somehow from this cacophony the band manage to rescue extremely catchy songs and huge melodies. When it all comes together, as on Forever On The Edge, it's quite something to behold.
With no dates currently listed for this year, neither side of the Atlantic can yet look forward to these gems being recreated on a local stage. The critics are being kind, however, and 4 or 5 Magicians appear to be making friends in all the right places, so this could well be their year to break out and travel the globe.
Even if it's not, we can be sure they'll obtain some juicy subject matter from the experience for that next acerbic lyric. Pens at the the ready.......
Inevitably, as another musical year dawns, we begin to move from the favourites that kept us company the previous 364 days and speculate at which bands might fuel our fire during the next 12 months.
To the beaches of Brighton in England next - though not recommended right now with Arctic conditions assaulting the country - to point our ear drums towards 4 or 5 Magicians.
Coming on with a sound owing a few quid to a variety of raw 90's alt rock groups from North America, 4 or 5 Magicians add a quintessentially British streak with the vocals and lyrics of Dan Ormsby. Commenting on horrendous credit card debt and the vagaries of the music business may not be confined to old Blighty, but the dry wit with which they're delivered is characteristic and worthy of writers like Mike Skinner or Alex Turner. Look no further than their most recent album title, Empty Derivative Pop Songs, for the first evidence.
The blend of styles at work here leads to an urgent, invigorating listen. The songs have a distinct edge, one that is made only more hazardously jagged by the rough production. Somewhere between a lo-fi and punk aesthetic, the end result often feels like the instruments might collapse in on one another. In the best possible way, of course. And somehow from this cacophony the band manage to rescue extremely catchy songs and huge melodies. When it all comes together, as on Forever On The Edge, it's quite something to behold.
With no dates currently listed for this year, neither side of the Atlantic can yet look forward to these gems being recreated on a local stage. The critics are being kind, however, and 4 or 5 Magicians appear to be making friends in all the right places, so this could well be their year to break out and travel the globe.
Even if it's not, we can be sure they'll obtain some juicy subject matter from the experience for that next acerbic lyric. Pens at the the ready.......
Wednesday, 13 January 2010
Skibunny London Show w/ Casiokids
Happy new year from Skibunny, hope y'all had a good one! January's half gone already and we're busy busy bees once again. We can now announce the first of our 2010 shows, this one is with our friends and faves CASIOKIDS! (LOVE those guys!)
Eat Your Own Ears presents
CASIOKIDS
SKIBUNNY
Plus special guests
Thursday 25th February 2010 Doors 19.00
Barfly 49 Chalk Farm Road, London, NW1 8AN 020 7482 1268
Tickets £7.50 on sale now and also over here
Eat Your Own Ears presents
CASIOKIDS
SKIBUNNY
Plus special guests
Thursday 25th February 2010 Doors 19.00
Barfly 49 Chalk Farm Road, London, NW1 8AN 020 7482 1268
Tickets £7.50 on sale now and also over here
Monday, 11 January 2010
Let Our Enemies Beware Score 11th Week On Total Rock Playlist
Total Rock have kept LOEB's ‘Fools! Philistines! Heretics and Whores!’ on the B-List again this week (week beginning 11th Jan). The single has now been on the B-List for the last 11 weeks. Probably some sort of record.
B LIST
RABID ANIMALS - 3 - METAL BLADE
KEEPS SLIPPING AWAY - A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS - MUTE
CRUEL INTENTIONS - AGE OF EVIL - OWN LABEL
DAMNED IF I DO YA (DAMNED IF I - ALL TIME LOW - HOPELESS
WE ARE YOUR DIVERSITY - BELLADONNA - VANDAL
DARK HORSE - CONVERGE - EPITAPH
MARK OF THE GUN - DEATHSTARS - NUCLEAR BLAST
A FLAME FOR FREEDOM - DRAGONFORCE - ROADRUNNER
NOW I'M A FOOL - EAGLES OF DEATH METAL - SONY
WHAT'S YOUR POISON - ELECTRIC MISTRESS - TRAGIC DEATH
A LESSER OF TWO EVILS - FIGHTING FICTION - DEAD PLANET
DYING BREED - FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH - SPINEFARM
MECHANICAL LIONS - HOPELESS HEROIC - OWN LABEL
WHO SAYS - JOHN MAYER - COLUMBIA
TAKE ME AWAY - KILLSWITCH ENGAGE
FOOLS! PHILISTINES! HERETICS - LET OUR ENEMIES BEWARE - SMALLTOWN
DARLING DEAR - LITTLE FISH - CUSTARD
STEP UP (I'M ON IT) - MAYLENE & THE SONS OF - FERRET
B LIST
RABID ANIMALS - 3 - METAL BLADE
KEEPS SLIPPING AWAY - A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS - MUTE
CRUEL INTENTIONS - AGE OF EVIL - OWN LABEL
DAMNED IF I DO YA (DAMNED IF I - ALL TIME LOW - HOPELESS
WE ARE YOUR DIVERSITY - BELLADONNA - VANDAL
DARK HORSE - CONVERGE - EPITAPH
MARK OF THE GUN - DEATHSTARS - NUCLEAR BLAST
A FLAME FOR FREEDOM - DRAGONFORCE - ROADRUNNER
NOW I'M A FOOL - EAGLES OF DEATH METAL - SONY
WHAT'S YOUR POISON - ELECTRIC MISTRESS - TRAGIC DEATH
A LESSER OF TWO EVILS - FIGHTING FICTION - DEAD PLANET
DYING BREED - FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH - SPINEFARM
MECHANICAL LIONS - HOPELESS HEROIC - OWN LABEL
WHO SAYS - JOHN MAYER - COLUMBIA
TAKE ME AWAY - KILLSWITCH ENGAGE
FOOLS! PHILISTINES! HERETICS - LET OUR ENEMIES BEWARE - SMALLTOWN
DARLING DEAR - LITTLE FISH - CUSTARD
STEP UP (I'M ON IT) - MAYLENE & THE SONS OF - FERRET
Saturday, 9 January 2010
Thursday, 7 January 2010
ASIWYFA: R Is For Radio Play
2 more plays on Radio 1 for ‘S Is For Salamander’ (from Nick Grimshaw and Rory McConnell) - that’s 3 spins on Radio 1 for the track this week alone and 12 in total for tracks from February's ‘The Letters EP’. Details of plays below:
Rory McConnell’s Introducing in N.Ireland (Thursdays 00:00 – 02:00 on Radio 1 in N.Ireland)
Played ‘S Is For Salamander’ as the opening track on last night's show. The show is not available to listen back at time of writing, check the iPlayer.
Nick Grimshaw (Mon – Thurs 22:00 – 00:00 on Radio 1)
Played ‘S Is For Salamander’ on his show on Tuesday 5th Jan. You can check out the tracklisting and listen back to the show here – track comes in after 1h 11m 30s.
Rory McConnell’s Introducing in N.Ireland (Thursdays 00:00 – 02:00 on Radio 1 in N.Ireland)
Played ‘S Is For Salamander’ as the opening track on last night's show. The show is not available to listen back at time of writing, check the iPlayer.
Nick Grimshaw (Mon – Thurs 22:00 – 00:00 on Radio 1)
Played ‘S Is For Salamander’ on his show on Tuesday 5th Jan. You can check out the tracklisting and listen back to the show here – track comes in after 1h 11m 30s.
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
And So I Watch You From Afar In 2010
So here we are then......staring into the barrel of a new year, the year 2010, the year of the sequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey, the lesser known 2010:A Space Odyssey, which was equally as off the mark as the first one in terms of human advancement but hopefully this is a year which sees us getting to keep doing what we're doing and playing to all you people out there listening to us.
So then, a quick round up of all things ASIWYFA since December
THE ULSTER HALL SHOW
A night which held a huge amount of importance for us, we really fulfilled a life long ambition that night, and it was only possible because of the fans there, so to everyone who came out to share it with us thank you, you will probably never know how much it meant for us to have you there with us.
We should mention that due to some hold ups and run overs we didn't get to finish our encore, which we were gutted about, we had a pretty special version of The Voiceless planned, but, the house lights came on and that was that.
If you weren't there this is what you missed....
- LaFaro wearing suits
- 2 blood injuries
- a dancing Santa
- The Shank destroying everything
- Paul's mindblowing lights
- insane mosh pits/stage diving/crowd surfing people
- a big fuckin screen
Here's a wee unofficial vid below to get an idea, but believe me there will be something coming soon for all those who couldn't make it down.
ACOLLADES AND OTHER FUN
We were very honoured to pick up the below among some other stuff
Best Live Vid - IMTV Awards (Thanks to Will McConnell for the awesome vid)
Rock Sound Mag - #6 Album of 09
AU Mag - Irish Album of the Decade
BBC ATL - Band of the year (2nd year running)
State Mag - #16 Album of the Decade
State Mag - #6 Album 09
Phantom FM - #2 Album 09
Nialler 9 - #2 Albums 09
We got to play on RTEs the Craic House, presented by Tommy Tiernann and Hector Ó hEochagáin, which was mad to say the least, watch it on the RTE player.
We also played a secret show 2 days after the Ulster Hall show in Thomas House in Dublin to a full house of about 60, absolutely perfect end to the year, it felt like a pretty special night.
SO THEN....WHATS COMING UP?
IRISH DATES
We do a run of Irish shows around the country with our new EP, see below
22nd Jan - The Cellar Bar - Draperstown
23rd Jan - The Square Peg - Warrenpoint
11th Feb - Venue TBC - Cork
12th Feb - Bakers Place - Limerick
13th Feb - Electric Avenue - Waterford
27th March - The Nerve Centre - Derry
OCEANSIZE TOUR
It got postponed in 09 but here are the new dates, bigger, better, faster, stronger!!! (actually their just the same shows on a different date really??)
Thu 28 Jan - The Masque - Liverpool
Fri 29 Jan - Fat Sams - Dundee
Sat 30 Jan - The Tunnels - Aberdeen
Tue 02 Feb - Manchester University - Manchester
Wed 03 Feb - Heaven - London
SXSW
It's official!!! Someone thought it would be a good idea for a certain instrumental band from the coast to go show them Texans how we do it over here.
Over the moon to be selected, we'll let you know when we're playing, tho go check the SXSW website and see a picture of our dirty mugs on the front page of the music section!!
EUROSONIC
Again very honoured to be a part of this, especially as we are playing one of the main venues on the Friday one from top of the bill. Very excited, plus we get to stay in a boatel!!! Yes...a boat, that's a hotel, awesome!
THE LETTERS EP
If you couldn't make it to the Ulster Hall them you wont have got your hands on a copy of this early and you'll have to wait til Feb. Get it soon from our lovely label or wait til we're rolling into your town and get it off us in person.
XFM NEW MUSIC AWARD!!!
Voting is now open for the XFM New Music Award 2010 which helps XFM name the best British album for 2010. ASIWYFA’s debut album has been highlighted in the list of contenders!
The way it works is that the public vote for their favourite debut albums, with the ten most popular albums being shortlisted, and put before the XFM panel (list of who in on the panel below) who then decide who will win the XFM New Music Award 2010, previously won by Glasvegas and The Enemy.
Ben Cardew, Music Week
Carl Barat, Dirty Pretty Things/The Libertines
Clint Boon, Xfm
David Morgendorff, MTV Digital Media Director
Dave Berry, Xfm
Gordon Smart, The Sun
John Kennedy, Xfm
John Leckie, Radiohead/Stone Roses producer
Peter Hook, Joy Division/New Order
Tim Burgess, The Charlatans
Tom Clarke, The Enemy
Tom Smith, Editors
We need your help to get ASIWYFA a place in the final 10 - VOTE NOW FOR 'AND SO I WATCH YOU FROM AFAR' AS YOUR FAVOURITE DEBUT ALBUM OF 2009! Then get as many people as possible to do the same. Your clicking and word-spreading is much appreciated by the band and we label types.
Voting closes on 15th January at noon. The shortlist is announced on the 18th February and the overall winner on the 2nd February.
!!!VOTE HERE!!!
TOURING
You know the score by now, we're touring A LOT again this year, expect some anouncements in the next few weeks. See you there.
So then, a quick round up of all things ASIWYFA since December
THE ULSTER HALL SHOW
A night which held a huge amount of importance for us, we really fulfilled a life long ambition that night, and it was only possible because of the fans there, so to everyone who came out to share it with us thank you, you will probably never know how much it meant for us to have you there with us.
We should mention that due to some hold ups and run overs we didn't get to finish our encore, which we were gutted about, we had a pretty special version of The Voiceless planned, but, the house lights came on and that was that.
If you weren't there this is what you missed....
- LaFaro wearing suits
- 2 blood injuries
- a dancing Santa
- The Shank destroying everything
- Paul's mindblowing lights
- insane mosh pits/stage diving/crowd surfing people
- a big fuckin screen
Here's a wee unofficial vid below to get an idea, but believe me there will be something coming soon for all those who couldn't make it down.
ACOLLADES AND OTHER FUN
We were very honoured to pick up the below among some other stuff
Best Live Vid - IMTV Awards (Thanks to Will McConnell for the awesome vid)
Rock Sound Mag - #6 Album of 09
AU Mag - Irish Album of the Decade
BBC ATL - Band of the year (2nd year running)
State Mag - #16 Album of the Decade
State Mag - #6 Album 09
Phantom FM - #2 Album 09
Nialler 9 - #2 Albums 09
We got to play on RTEs the Craic House, presented by Tommy Tiernann and Hector Ó hEochagáin, which was mad to say the least, watch it on the RTE player.
We also played a secret show 2 days after the Ulster Hall show in Thomas House in Dublin to a full house of about 60, absolutely perfect end to the year, it felt like a pretty special night.
SO THEN....WHATS COMING UP?
IRISH DATES
We do a run of Irish shows around the country with our new EP, see below
22nd Jan - The Cellar Bar - Draperstown
23rd Jan - The Square Peg - Warrenpoint
11th Feb - Venue TBC - Cork
12th Feb - Bakers Place - Limerick
13th Feb - Electric Avenue - Waterford
27th March - The Nerve Centre - Derry
OCEANSIZE TOUR
It got postponed in 09 but here are the new dates, bigger, better, faster, stronger!!! (actually their just the same shows on a different date really??)
Thu 28 Jan - The Masque - Liverpool
Fri 29 Jan - Fat Sams - Dundee
Sat 30 Jan - The Tunnels - Aberdeen
Tue 02 Feb - Manchester University - Manchester
Wed 03 Feb - Heaven - London
SXSW
It's official!!! Someone thought it would be a good idea for a certain instrumental band from the coast to go show them Texans how we do it over here.
Over the moon to be selected, we'll let you know when we're playing, tho go check the SXSW website and see a picture of our dirty mugs on the front page of the music section!!
EUROSONIC
Again very honoured to be a part of this, especially as we are playing one of the main venues on the Friday one from top of the bill. Very excited, plus we get to stay in a boatel!!! Yes...a boat, that's a hotel, awesome!
THE LETTERS EP
If you couldn't make it to the Ulster Hall them you wont have got your hands on a copy of this early and you'll have to wait til Feb. Get it soon from our lovely label or wait til we're rolling into your town and get it off us in person.
XFM NEW MUSIC AWARD!!!
Voting is now open for the XFM New Music Award 2010 which helps XFM name the best British album for 2010. ASIWYFA’s debut album has been highlighted in the list of contenders!
The way it works is that the public vote for their favourite debut albums, with the ten most popular albums being shortlisted, and put before the XFM panel (list of who in on the panel below) who then decide who will win the XFM New Music Award 2010, previously won by Glasvegas and The Enemy.
Ben Cardew, Music Week
Carl Barat, Dirty Pretty Things/The Libertines
Clint Boon, Xfm
David Morgendorff, MTV Digital Media Director
Dave Berry, Xfm
Gordon Smart, The Sun
John Kennedy, Xfm
John Leckie, Radiohead/Stone Roses producer
Peter Hook, Joy Division/New Order
Tim Burgess, The Charlatans
Tom Clarke, The Enemy
Tom Smith, Editors
We need your help to get ASIWYFA a place in the final 10 - VOTE NOW FOR 'AND SO I WATCH YOU FROM AFAR' AS YOUR FAVOURITE DEBUT ALBUM OF 2009! Then get as many people as possible to do the same. Your clicking and word-spreading is much appreciated by the band and we label types.
Voting closes on 15th January at noon. The shortlist is announced on the 18th February and the overall winner on the 2nd February.
!!!VOTE HERE!!!
TOURING
You know the score by now, we're touring A LOT again this year, expect some anouncements in the next few weeks. See you there.
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Vote ASIWYFA for XFM New Music Award 2010
Voting is now open for the XFM New Music Award 2010 which helps XFM name the best British album for 2010. ASIWYFA’s debut album has been highlighted in the list of contenders!
The way it works is that the public vote for their favourite debut albums, with the ten most popular albums being shortlisted, and put before the XFM panel (list of who in on the panel below) who then decide who will win the XFM New Music Award 2010, previously won by Glasvegas and The Enemy.
Ben Cardew, Music Week
Carl Barat, Dirty Pretty Things/The Libertines
Clint Boon, Xfm
David Morgendorff, MTV Digital Media Director
Dave Berry, Xfm
Gordon Smart, The Sun
John Kennedy, Xfm
John Leckie, Radiohead/Stone Roses producer
Peter Hook, Joy Division/New Order
Tim Burgess, The Charlatans
Tom Clarke, The Enemy
Tom Smith, Editors
We need your help to get ASIWYFA a place in the final 10 - VOTE NOW FOR 'AND SO I WATCH YOU FROM AFAR' AS YOUR FAVOURITE DEBUT ALBUM OF 2009! Then get as many people as possible to do the same. Your clicking and word-spreading is much appreciated by the band and we label types.
Voting closes on 15th January at noon. The shortlist is announced on the 18th February and the overall winner on the 2nd February.
The way it works is that the public vote for their favourite debut albums, with the ten most popular albums being shortlisted, and put before the XFM panel (list of who in on the panel below) who then decide who will win the XFM New Music Award 2010, previously won by Glasvegas and The Enemy.
Ben Cardew, Music Week
Carl Barat, Dirty Pretty Things/The Libertines
Clint Boon, Xfm
David Morgendorff, MTV Digital Media Director
Dave Berry, Xfm
Gordon Smart, The Sun
John Kennedy, Xfm
John Leckie, Radiohead/Stone Roses producer
Peter Hook, Joy Division/New Order
Tim Burgess, The Charlatans
Tom Clarke, The Enemy
Tom Smith, Editors
We need your help to get ASIWYFA a place in the final 10 - VOTE NOW FOR 'AND SO I WATCH YOU FROM AFAR' AS YOUR FAVOURITE DEBUT ALBUM OF 2009! Then get as many people as possible to do the same. Your clicking and word-spreading is much appreciated by the band and we label types.
Voting closes on 15th January at noon. The shortlist is announced on the 18th February and the overall winner on the 2nd February.
Monday, 4 January 2010
BSM '10 Collection Launches
Big Scary Monsters have launched an amazing mp3 subscription service - details below. Needless to say some STA bands will be muscling in on the action, the first of which will be announced in a few days.
Happy new year! Hangovers aside, we've made it through the noughties and into the bright new hope of the... tweens? Twentytens? Whatever. We're still alive and kicking, and to celebrate the occasion, have launched a new subscription service; the '10 Collection.
Over the next year we'll be releasing 52 MP3 singles - one per week - comprised of the best unsigned bands, along with brand new tracks from our roster (before they can be heard anywhere else in the world), some future stars from our favourite other labels and the occasional hidden gem from our own back catalogue. Each track will be unavailable separately and emailed out to all subscribers the week of release. And not just that, members will also receive an exclusive BSM t-shirt and a 10% discount on all purchases from our webstore, throughout the course of the year.
Subscribing costs just £15 through January, with the price rising to £17 from February. Latecomers will receive all previous tracks when they sign up, with each subsequent one following as and when available.
The 52 bands will only be announced on their week of their release, all kicking off on January 4th with Tangled Hair, the very exciting new solo project from Alan Welsh, singer and guitarist in the much-missed Colour. The rest of the month promises a new track from one of BSM's brand new signings, yet to be announced, something new from one of our favourite other UK labels, and one of Oxford's most promising up and coming bands. After that... Well you'll just have to sign up and see!
Happy new year! Hangovers aside, we've made it through the noughties and into the bright new hope of the... tweens? Twentytens? Whatever. We're still alive and kicking, and to celebrate the occasion, have launched a new subscription service; the '10 Collection.
Over the next year we'll be releasing 52 MP3 singles - one per week - comprised of the best unsigned bands, along with brand new tracks from our roster (before they can be heard anywhere else in the world), some future stars from our favourite other labels and the occasional hidden gem from our own back catalogue. Each track will be unavailable separately and emailed out to all subscribers the week of release. And not just that, members will also receive an exclusive BSM t-shirt and a 10% discount on all purchases from our webstore, throughout the course of the year.
Subscribing costs just £15 through January, with the price rising to £17 from February. Latecomers will receive all previous tracks when they sign up, with each subsequent one following as and when available.
The 52 bands will only be announced on their week of their release, all kicking off on January 4th with Tangled Hair, the very exciting new solo project from Alan Welsh, singer and guitarist in the much-missed Colour. The rest of the month promises a new track from one of BSM's brand new signings, yet to be announced, something new from one of our favourite other UK labels, and one of Oxford's most promising up and coming bands. After that... Well you'll just have to sign up and see!
ASIWYFA: Here Comes 2010 - Hoopla!
Here's a lovely shot to begin the week/year with, taken from Carrie Davenport's session with the ASIWYFA boys and their band of helpers... results of which will be seen in magazines for hormonal rockers very soon! It looks fucking baltic wherever they all are... what people are prepared to do in the name of ROCK is astounding. Best face goes to the bloke on the far left, I'll have one of whatever he's had missus...
Happy new year!
Happy new year!
Friday, 1 January 2010
Thursday, 31 December 2009
Happy New Year!
This year was the busiest and most rewarding yet for me at Smalltown America. We released 16 titles in 2009 making it the most hectic in our catalogue as well.
I've always enjoyed Christmas holidays as it gives me time to think and make plans for the label - I get to change things up, which I love doing. 2010 will be our ninth year in the game and by the end of it I would love for us to have reached catalogue number STA100 - that would double our physical CD/Vinyl output and push us to thirty releases plus per year. It wouldn't be Smalltown America unless their were some mishaps along the way - so it's with a mixture of excitement and queasiness that I set this ambitious stall out for the next twelve months!
Record labels come and go - lots have disappeared this year along with many independent and chain stores; to analysts our industry is one in crisis. I'm not going to disagree with the facts, it's harder than ever to sell records - but why should it be easy? When Jamie and I began the label at the turn of the decade we always thought that if a record or an idea was good enough it would reach its audience eventually. Marketing and advertising helps of course, but it's not the way to build a real audience. And So I Watch You From Afar proved this year that being honest, steel-hard in the face of adversity and generally awesome live is the correct path to win hearts all over the world.
I've always thought that we've released great records and that we have a warm, independent and appreciative audience. I'm genuinely thankful to all people who buy our stuff and to all the bands that trust us with their master recordings.
Expect new records from all of the roster in 2010 and lots of new STA signings, we'll be launching our new webstore in January which will make it really easy to get hold of what you want - fast.
Huge thanks to everyone that has helped me out this year promoting our bands: Brian, Charlene, Daniel, Ash, Jeff, Ben, Tim, Matt and Chris principally and many, many others besides.
Lots of love to you all and good luck for 2010! Let's go!
x
Thursday, 24 December 2009
Alan MX: It comes this once a year...
Merry Christmas my friends.
This has been a really good year really in summation.
I'm spending Christmas Eve reading 1984 and wrapping presents, while occasionally running to the computer to organize a beat or two.
I am so excited about the music thats coming at the moment, and very excited also to be mixing it where I'm going to mix it. Also terribly excited about who I'm going to be working with on this record. It's dark though, guys. But I think it has to be. Warpsichord was such a colourful camp little record, the next one has to be a marauding monochrome.
I hope you all get everything you want from Santee Clause.
Much Love to everyone.
AMX
X
4 Or 5 Magicians on Sweeping The Nation's Best Albums of 2009
Few records better typify Sweeping The Nations' It may be white lower middle class schmindie hipster shit, but hey, it's British mantra than 4 Or 5 Magicians' debut album so no suprise that it has placed on Sweeping's Best Of 2009 list. The list is being counted down day-by-day until the end of the month; here's the list so far.
50 MJ Hibbett & The Validators - Regardez, Ecoutez Et Repetez
49 Papercuts - You Can Have What You Want
48 Volcano Choir – Unmap
47 The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
46 Andrew Bird - Noble Beast
45 Piano Magic - Ovations
44 Au Revoir Simone - Still Night Still Light
43 Julian Plenti - Julian Plenti Is... Skyscraper
42 Arthur & Martha - Navigation
41 The Flaming Lips – Embryonic
40 Luke Haines – 21st Century Man
39 Projekt A-Ko - Yoyodyne
38 Why? - Eskimo Snow
37 Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
36 The Voluntary Butler Scheme - At Breakfast, Dinner, Tea
35 Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
34 The Low Anthem - Oh My God Charlie Darwin
33 Micachu & The Shapes - Jewellery
32 Lucas Renney - Strange Glory
31 Maybeshewill - Sing The Word Hope In Four Part Harmony
30 Super Furry Animals - Dark Days/Light Years
29 Mew - No More Stories...
28 Broken Records - Until The Earth Begins To Part
27 Pagan Wanderer Lu - Fight My Battles For Me
26 Mission Of Burma - The Sound The Speed The Light
25 Bat For Lashes - Two Suns
24 The Wave Pictures - If You Leave It Alone
23 Charlotte Hatherley - New Worlds
22 Graham Coxon - The Spinning Top
21 4 Or 5 Magicians - Empty, Derivative Pop Songs
20 Kill It Kid - Kill It Kid
19 Felix - You Are The One I Pick
18 Blue Roses - Blue Roses
17 The Victorian English Gentlemens Club - Love On An Oil Rig
16 Wake The President - You Can't Change That Boy
15 Fanfarlo - Reservoir
14 The Phantom Band - Checkmate Savage
13 Grammatics - Grammatics
12 Joe Gideon & The Shark - Harum Scarum
11 Animal Collective - Merriwether Post Pavilion
10 Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
9 Sky Larkin - The Golden Spike
8 Slow Club - Yeah So
7 Emmy The Great - First Love
50 MJ Hibbett & The Validators - Regardez, Ecoutez Et Repetez
49 Papercuts - You Can Have What You Want
48 Volcano Choir – Unmap
47 The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
46 Andrew Bird - Noble Beast
45 Piano Magic - Ovations
44 Au Revoir Simone - Still Night Still Light
43 Julian Plenti - Julian Plenti Is... Skyscraper
42 Arthur & Martha - Navigation
41 The Flaming Lips – Embryonic
40 Luke Haines – 21st Century Man
39 Projekt A-Ko - Yoyodyne
38 Why? - Eskimo Snow
37 Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
36 The Voluntary Butler Scheme - At Breakfast, Dinner, Tea
35 Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
34 The Low Anthem - Oh My God Charlie Darwin
33 Micachu & The Shapes - Jewellery
32 Lucas Renney - Strange Glory
31 Maybeshewill - Sing The Word Hope In Four Part Harmony
30 Super Furry Animals - Dark Days/Light Years
29 Mew - No More Stories...
28 Broken Records - Until The Earth Begins To Part
27 Pagan Wanderer Lu - Fight My Battles For Me
26 Mission Of Burma - The Sound The Speed The Light
25 Bat For Lashes - Two Suns
24 The Wave Pictures - If You Leave It Alone
23 Charlotte Hatherley - New Worlds
22 Graham Coxon - The Spinning Top
21 4 Or 5 Magicians - Empty, Derivative Pop Songs
20 Kill It Kid - Kill It Kid
19 Felix - You Are The One I Pick
18 Blue Roses - Blue Roses
17 The Victorian English Gentlemens Club - Love On An Oil Rig
16 Wake The President - You Can't Change That Boy
15 Fanfarlo - Reservoir
14 The Phantom Band - Checkmate Savage
13 Grammatics - Grammatics
12 Joe Gideon & The Shark - Harum Scarum
11 Animal Collective - Merriwether Post Pavilion
10 Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
9 Sky Larkin - The Golden Spike
8 Slow Club - Yeah So
7 Emmy The Great - First Love
Wednesday, 23 December 2009
Calories: Fuck Yule
We haven't made much of a big deal of this but we've made a Christmas disc and we're giving it away tonight at this gig>>>>
if you'reading this after the fact then here's the tracklisting that I forgot to put in with the cd
Fuck Yule: Vol 1
1. Fuck Yule
2. Xmas Marks The Spot
3.Christmas Keeps On Coming
Merry Crispmas
Pedix
if you'reading this after the fact then here's the tracklisting that I forgot to put in with the cd
Fuck Yule: Vol 1
1. Fuck Yule
2. Xmas Marks The Spot
3.Christmas Keeps On Coming
Merry Crispmas
Pedix
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
More XFM London for ASIWYFA
Just a quick one to let you know that John Kennedy played ‘S Is For Salamander’ on his X-Posure show on XFM Monday night (tracklisting below). The show goes out Mon – Thurs 22:00 - 02:00 on XFM London and XFM Manchester. This is the 3rd play on X-Posure for tracks taken from ‘The Letters EP’X-Posure Monday 21st December 2009
Christmas Guests: Curly Hair & The Hornblower Brothers
Interview Guests: Danger Mouse & James Mercer aka Broken Bells
X-Posure Hot One: I Blame Coco ‘Caesar’ (Island)
X-Posure Big One: The XX ‘VCR’ (Young Turks)
10-11pm
Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip ‘Get Better’ (Sunday Best)
White Rabbits ‘Percussion Gun’ ()
Good Shoes ‘Under Control’ (Brille)
Airship ‘Kids’ (Love & Disaster)
Sennen ‘Destroy Us’ (Hungry Audio)
Lightspeed Champion ‘Marlene’ (Domino)
Hot Chip ‘One Life Stand’ (Parlophone)
Gnarls Barkley ‘Crazy’ ()
The Shins ‘New Slang’ (Sub Pop)
Interview w/ Brian Burton and James Mercer aka Broken Bells
Broken Bells ‘The High Road’ (Columbia)
Interview w/ Brian Burton and James Mercer aka Broken Bells
Broken Bells ‘Vaporize’ (Columbia)
11pm-Midnight (Deep)
Plan B ‘Stay Too Long’ (Atlantic)
Rage Against The Machine ‘Killing In The Name’ (Epic)
And So I Watch You From Afar ‘S Is For Salamander’ (Smalltown America)
Franz Ferdinand ‘Can’t Stop Feeling (Emperor Machine Remix)’ (Domino)
Nat Johnson & The Figureheads ‘Book Club’ (www.natjohnson.co.uk)
Live Studio Guests: Interview w/ Curly Hair
Live Studio Guests, Session Track: Curly Hair ‘Pumpkin Eye’
Curly Hair ‘Blow The House Down’ (Toy Soldier)
The Hornblower Brothers ‘Android With A Heart’ (Bellboy)
Live Studio Guests: Interview w/ Curly Hair continued
Live Studio Guests, Session Track: Curly Hair ‘Silly Billy Yellow’
Lawrence Arabia ‘The Beautiful Young Crew’ (Bella Union)
Tristram ‘Someone Told Me A Poem’ ()
Rachael Dadd ‘Table’ ()
Live Studio Guests: Interview w/ The Hornblower Brothers
Live Studio Guests, Session Track: The Hornblower Brothers ‘The Christmas Song’
The Hornblower Brothers ‘Shooting Star’ (Bellboy)
Live Studio Guests: Interview w/ The Hornblower Brothers continued
Live Studio Guests, Session Track: The Hornblower Brothers ‘Give And Receive’
Midnight-1am (Deeper!)
Can ‘Silent Night’ (Spoon/Mute)
X-Posure Big One: The XX ‘VCR’ (Young Turks)
Errors ‘A Rumour In Africa’ (Rock Action)
Spoon ‘Written In Reverse’ (Anti-)
School Of Seven Bells ‘Half Asleep’ (Full Time Hobby)
Jesca Hoop ‘Four Dreams’ (Last Laugh)
Viv Albertine ‘Never Come’ (www.vivalbertine.com)
Hotpants Romance ‘All I Want For Christmas’ ()
Fever Fever ‘Little Drummer Boy’ (Cherryade Music)
Eugene & The Lizards ‘Grogshop’ (Domino)
Lost Classic: Blue Cheer ‘Summertime Blues’ (Trikont)
Creatures Of Love ‘Creatures Of Love’ (www.myspace.com/creaturesoflove)
Gil Scott-Heron ‘Me And The Devil’ (XL)
1-2am (Deeper Still!)
Liars ‘Scissor’ (Mute)
Portishead ‘Chase The Tear’ (www.7digital.com)
Acid Washed ‘General Motors, Detroit, America’ (Record Maker)
Goldie ‘Timeless (SBTRKT Edit)’ (www.thefatclub.com)
These New Puritans ‘We Want War (SBTRKT Remix)’ (Domino)
TJR ‘Just Gets Better (SBTRKT Gutter Mix)’ (www.thefatclub.com)
X-Posure Long One: Hell feat. Bryan Ferry ‘U Can Dance (Simian Mobile Disco Remix)’ (Gigolo)
Salem ‘Babydaddy’ (Fader/SoCo 7” Series)
F’d Up ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ ()
Allo, Darlin’ ‘Space Christmas’ (Cherryade Music)
The Lovely Eggs ‘Tyrannosaurus Rex For Christmas’ (Cherryade Music)
Skibunny: It's A Wonderful Life
The snow is continuing to fall out there and we're about ready for a few days off beside a warm fire. We'll be back in the new year with news of a new release and lots more shows. In the meantime, click the link below to download Skibunny's Christmas song "It's a Wonderful Life", recorded a couple of years ago especially for BBC Radio Ulster's ATL show, and then later ended up on a Japanese label Second Royal's "Winter" compilation.
>>>It's a Wonderful Life<<<
Merry Christmas from Team Skibunny, and a Happy New Year!
>>>It's a Wonderful Life<<<
Merry Christmas from Team Skibunny, and a Happy New Year!
Monday, 21 December 2009
ASIWYFA: Green & Live's 4th Best Album of 2009
Green & Live join the growing ranks of those rating ASIWYFA's self-titled debut album one of the year's best Irish records. Here's the playlist from the Friday 18th December show which goes out on Limerick's Live 95FM from 10pm.
Good to see placings for Elks, Cutaways and Panda Kopanda - all STA recommended albums!
1. Some Kind of Kick - The Things — (Some Kind Of Kick)
2. Saw Saw Hammer Hammer - Elk — (We Should Start Our Own Gang)
3. Witch Hunt - Twinkranes — (Spektrum Theatre Snakes)
4. A Little Bit Of Solidarity Goes A Long Way - And So I Watch You From Afar — (And So I Watch You From Afar)
5. Death Of A Songwriter - Groom — (At The Natural History Museum)
6. Talk Over Talking - Pocket Promise — (I've Been Here For Ages)
7. It's Yours - David Kitt — (The Nightsaver)
8. The Sweet Spot - The Duckworth Lewis Method — (The Duckworth Lewis Method)
9. You Know What You Want - Red Eskimo — (The Grey Death Billow)
10. Songbird - Iain Archer — (To The Pine Roots)
11. What's With All The Lights - Seven Summits — (Seven Summits)
12. Iceland - Van Cleef — (SuperVillainesque)
13. Nelligans Guts - The Mighty Stef — (100 Midnights)
14. Life's Nudge - Julie Feeney — (Pages)
15. Neon In Our Dreams - The Holy Roman Army — (How The Light Gets In)
16. Consume - Pearse McGloughlin — (Busy Whisper)
17. Year Of The Horse - Herm — (Monsters)
18. Milo Of Kroton - Cutaways (Earth And Earthly Things)
19. Astronaut - Alphastates — (Human Nature)
20. In A Bar - Huts On Stilts — (Lo-Fi Love Songs)
21. Watch Her Win - David Geraghty — (The Victory Dance)
22. Secret Places - Panda Kopanda — (This Hope Will Kill Us All)
23. Photograph - Craig Walker — (Siamese)
24. The Wishing Seat - Adrian Crowley — (Season of the Sparks)
25. The Men Who Saved The Face Of Football - Jinx Lennon — (GREEN AND LIVE BEST IRISH ALBUM OF 2009 — TRAUMA THEMES IDIOT TIMES)
Good to see placings for Elks, Cutaways and Panda Kopanda - all STA recommended albums!
1. Some Kind of Kick - The Things — (Some Kind Of Kick)
2. Saw Saw Hammer Hammer - Elk — (We Should Start Our Own Gang)
3. Witch Hunt - Twinkranes — (Spektrum Theatre Snakes)
4. A Little Bit Of Solidarity Goes A Long Way - And So I Watch You From Afar — (And So I Watch You From Afar)
5. Death Of A Songwriter - Groom — (At The Natural History Museum)
6. Talk Over Talking - Pocket Promise — (I've Been Here For Ages)
7. It's Yours - David Kitt — (The Nightsaver)
8. The Sweet Spot - The Duckworth Lewis Method — (The Duckworth Lewis Method)
9. You Know What You Want - Red Eskimo — (The Grey Death Billow)
10. Songbird - Iain Archer — (To The Pine Roots)
11. What's With All The Lights - Seven Summits — (Seven Summits)
12. Iceland - Van Cleef — (SuperVillainesque)
13. Nelligans Guts - The Mighty Stef — (100 Midnights)
14. Life's Nudge - Julie Feeney — (Pages)
15. Neon In Our Dreams - The Holy Roman Army — (How The Light Gets In)
16. Consume - Pearse McGloughlin — (Busy Whisper)
17. Year Of The Horse - Herm — (Monsters)
18. Milo Of Kroton - Cutaways (Earth And Earthly Things)
19. Astronaut - Alphastates — (Human Nature)
20. In A Bar - Huts On Stilts — (Lo-Fi Love Songs)
21. Watch Her Win - David Geraghty — (The Victory Dance)
22. Secret Places - Panda Kopanda — (This Hope Will Kill Us All)
23. Photograph - Craig Walker — (Siamese)
24. The Wishing Seat - Adrian Crowley — (Season of the Sparks)
25. The Men Who Saved The Face Of Football - Jinx Lennon — (GREEN AND LIVE BEST IRISH ALBUM OF 2009 — TRAUMA THEMES IDIOT TIMES)
LOEB on Kerrang Radio
Another - the 7th in fact! - spin for Let Our Enemies Beware's ‘Fools! Philistines! Heretics and Whores!’ on Johnny Doom’s Kerrang Radio show. Windows users can listen here: LOEB are towards the end of the show sandwiched between Japanese Voyeurs and Fightstar. Gulp.
Sunday, 20 December 2009
Alan MX: Spinning Webs
The first reviews are coming in for my debut album Warpsichord which came out last week.
Mostly they have been good, one magazine did a nice bit on it, an Irish radio station and the Irish newspaper have been less kind, but still warm. I want to say that it's like sending your children out into the world but it's not like that at all. I have lived with these songs for a long time now, sometimes I forget bits of them or forget the meaning behind a lyric or how I made a certain arrangement and I have to go back and remind myself through the reopening of files or the rereading of diaries.
I'm really glad that it is out now because it has allowed me to divorce from it entirely now. This may sound a negative attitude, but I don't think it is really. As I said, Warpsichord took a long time to come to term, it's gestation stretching over nearly two years from initial writing to release and in that time I did come to feel shackled to it. Performing the same songs at shows, listening to them over and over during the mix and speaking to people about them, I think I had a version of post natal dysphoria. I needed a hefty dialysis and certain events towards the end of this year have allowed me to put it in the ground, not in burial but in the hopes that it might grow unattended. And actually, this funereal action has reinvigorated my interest in the project. I can talk about it with some distance now, listening to the songs from an outsiders viewpoint.
And I never want to hear the Captain America Video again. We listened to it about a million times when shooting the video and I have anxiety when I hear those chords now.
So, the next step in the marathon for this album is the release of the second official, but third unofficial single. This is going to be Green Tea, and I have some remixes in the works for this by some of my favourite people. There are to be some new songs for B-Sides as well. There will be a fourth, but I don't want to say what it is yet. Two videos are in the pipeline, made by some brilliant directors and I'm excited about them.
Work is underway on the new album too. It has about three different titles at the moment, two are strong possibilities. It may end up with a dual title in the Shakespearean fashion, and at the rate the songs are being born it may very well end up as a double album.
I'm reading my old favourite again, Mrs Carter, and I'm enjoying how her potency is bleeding through into my lyrics. Things have gone very dark for me recently, musically and lyrically speaking and I feel like much more of a narrator at this point than a protagonist. I think this time around the stories are going to be a little bit more magical and less reality-based. I'm revisiting old songs and turning them upside down to view them from underneath. It can be quite enlightening to analyze an old set of words and write an answer to them years down the line. I'm a much different person to who I was when I began writing, and while I'm not sure if this is a positive increment; it's certainly significant.
What I would like to do is take the first album and place it at the end of a long range telescope, far into the galaxy, spinning at a million miles an minute until an aureole forms, and then take parts of the halo and respin them. These new webs will form the second album, the darker echos from the edges of it's grandstanding older/younger brother. Pretentious, I know, but I also know that this is what I want.
If you haven't bought the first record, then I hope that you do. I want to make the next one as interesting as I can for you.
Mostly they have been good, one magazine did a nice bit on it, an Irish radio station and the Irish newspaper have been less kind, but still warm. I want to say that it's like sending your children out into the world but it's not like that at all. I have lived with these songs for a long time now, sometimes I forget bits of them or forget the meaning behind a lyric or how I made a certain arrangement and I have to go back and remind myself through the reopening of files or the rereading of diaries.
I'm really glad that it is out now because it has allowed me to divorce from it entirely now. This may sound a negative attitude, but I don't think it is really. As I said, Warpsichord took a long time to come to term, it's gestation stretching over nearly two years from initial writing to release and in that time I did come to feel shackled to it. Performing the same songs at shows, listening to them over and over during the mix and speaking to people about them, I think I had a version of post natal dysphoria. I needed a hefty dialysis and certain events towards the end of this year have allowed me to put it in the ground, not in burial but in the hopes that it might grow unattended. And actually, this funereal action has reinvigorated my interest in the project. I can talk about it with some distance now, listening to the songs from an outsiders viewpoint.
And I never want to hear the Captain America Video again. We listened to it about a million times when shooting the video and I have anxiety when I hear those chords now.
So, the next step in the marathon for this album is the release of the second official, but third unofficial single. This is going to be Green Tea, and I have some remixes in the works for this by some of my favourite people. There are to be some new songs for B-Sides as well. There will be a fourth, but I don't want to say what it is yet. Two videos are in the pipeline, made by some brilliant directors and I'm excited about them.
Work is underway on the new album too. It has about three different titles at the moment, two are strong possibilities. It may end up with a dual title in the Shakespearean fashion, and at the rate the songs are being born it may very well end up as a double album.
I'm reading my old favourite again, Mrs Carter, and I'm enjoying how her potency is bleeding through into my lyrics. Things have gone very dark for me recently, musically and lyrically speaking and I feel like much more of a narrator at this point than a protagonist. I think this time around the stories are going to be a little bit more magical and less reality-based. I'm revisiting old songs and turning them upside down to view them from underneath. It can be quite enlightening to analyze an old set of words and write an answer to them years down the line. I'm a much different person to who I was when I began writing, and while I'm not sure if this is a positive increment; it's certainly significant.
What I would like to do is take the first album and place it at the end of a long range telescope, far into the galaxy, spinning at a million miles an minute until an aureole forms, and then take parts of the halo and respin them. These new webs will form the second album, the darker echos from the edges of it's grandstanding older/younger brother. Pretentious, I know, but I also know that this is what I want.
If you haven't bought the first record, then I hope that you do. I want to make the next one as interesting as I can for you.
Friday, 18 December 2009
Last Call For 4 Or 5 Magicians In 2009
Sunday December 20th @ The Windmill, Brixton - your last chance to see 4 or 5 Magicians...
... well, sort of. It will certainly be your last chance to see 4 or 5 Magicians as you know us (or perhaps as you didn't know us!). Either way, 2010 is going to see some big changes, and we will be focusing prinicipally, perhaps exclusively on new stuff, so this may well be your final opportunity to hear some, most, or all of the old songs! So if you are a fan of the band, a friend of mine or of the other guys in the band, or if you have never seen us before and want to before it is too late, then this is the show to come to! See you there, ho ho ho etc.!
Details of the show are as follows ...
Sunday 20th December @ The Windmill Brixton
6:00pm to 11:00pm
£4 advance from www.wegottickets.com / £5 on the door
4 OR 5 MAGICIANS - 10:15pm - 11:00pm
THE MUSCLE CLUB - 9:30pm - 10:00pm
STAGECOACH - 8:45pm to 9:15pm
LAURA HOCKING - 8:00pm to 8:30pm
EELECTRICITY AND LUST - 7:15pm to 7:45pm
RAYMOND DETRITUS AND THE STINGER MISSILES - 6:30pm to 7:00pm
Every band is playing a song by one of the other bands on the bill: 4 or 5 Magicians are Laura Hocking. The Muscle Club are Eelectricity and Lust. Stagecoach are 4 or 5 Magicians. Laura Hocking is Stagecoach. Eelectricity and Lust are The Muscle Club. Raymond Detritus has no idea what he's doing. Or at least I have no idea what he's doing!
Anyway yeah, see you there. Bring a friend. Bring an enemy. Bring whoever. Lets make it a big party time to finish the year!
Dan from 4 or 5 Magicians xx
PS. We are also playing (exxxtreme weather permitting!) in Norwich on Saturday, 19th December, at Norwich Arts Centre. That is also £5 and we are also on at 10:15pm.
... well, sort of. It will certainly be your last chance to see 4 or 5 Magicians as you know us (or perhaps as you didn't know us!). Either way, 2010 is going to see some big changes, and we will be focusing prinicipally, perhaps exclusively on new stuff, so this may well be your final opportunity to hear some, most, or all of the old songs! So if you are a fan of the band, a friend of mine or of the other guys in the band, or if you have never seen us before and want to before it is too late, then this is the show to come to! See you there, ho ho ho etc.!
Details of the show are as follows ...
Sunday 20th December @ The Windmill Brixton
6:00pm to 11:00pm
£4 advance from www.wegottickets.com / £5 on the door
4 OR 5 MAGICIANS - 10:15pm - 11:00pm
THE MUSCLE CLUB - 9:30pm - 10:00pm
STAGECOACH - 8:45pm to 9:15pm
LAURA HOCKING - 8:00pm to 8:30pm
EELECTRICITY AND LUST - 7:15pm to 7:45pm
RAYMOND DETRITUS AND THE STINGER MISSILES - 6:30pm to 7:00pm
Every band is playing a song by one of the other bands on the bill: 4 or 5 Magicians are Laura Hocking. The Muscle Club are Eelectricity and Lust. Stagecoach are 4 or 5 Magicians. Laura Hocking is Stagecoach. Eelectricity and Lust are The Muscle Club. Raymond Detritus has no idea what he's doing. Or at least I have no idea what he's doing!
Anyway yeah, see you there. Bring a friend. Bring an enemy. Bring whoever. Lets make it a big party time to finish the year!
Dan from 4 or 5 Magicians xx
PS. We are also playing (exxxtreme weather permitting!) in Norwich on Saturday, 19th December, at Norwich Arts Centre. That is also £5 and we are also on at 10:15pm.
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
LaFaro New Christmas Song
Hey all, since it's Christmas we've decided to give you all presents!!
First of all, there's a new Xmas song on our Myspace profile! Check it the fuck out!
Secondly, we're playing the Ulster Hall on Friday (still tickets left for this show, it's gonna be the show of the year!) with our good buddies ASIWYFA and if that isn't enough of a gift, if you come to the show you will be presented with the opportunity to purchase not one brand new never...before-heard song but TWO!
Two brand new songs! Never been heard! And they won't be on the album either.........
Thirdly, if you don't want to buy our new songs you can buy a brand spanking new sexy-..as-..hell-..with-..a-..sexy-new-logo LaFaro tshirt!!!!!!!!
WOW!!
We're too good to you lot, we really are............
Happy Hannukka,
LaFaro x
First of all, there's a new Xmas song on our Myspace profile! Check it the fuck out!
Secondly, we're playing the Ulster Hall on Friday (still tickets left for this show, it's gonna be the show of the year!) with our good buddies ASIWYFA and if that isn't enough of a gift, if you come to the show you will be presented with the opportunity to purchase not one brand new never...before-heard song but TWO!
Two brand new songs! Never been heard! And they won't be on the album either.........
Thirdly, if you don't want to buy our new songs you can buy a brand spanking new sexy-..as-..hell-..with-..a-..sexy-new-logo LaFaro tshirt!!!!!!!!
WOW!!
We're too good to you lot, we really are............
Happy Hannukka,
LaFaro x
Skibunny Christmas Party + New Remix Download
You may remember a few months ago we, Skibunny, remixed Paloma Faith's single "New York", well now you can download it here for free.... Reeeeemix!
It features the rap talents of our Chicago based pal, the amazing KID STATIC. If you haven't heard of him yet, you really need to check this shit out... Love this guy
Don't forget about the annual Skibunny Christmas party, taking place once again at Belfast's Spring & Airbrake, featuring a final headline set from our favourites OPPENHEIMER, plus SKIBUNNY, NAKATOMI TOWERS and Rigsy on the decks. Saturday 19th December, 9pm-3am.
It features the rap talents of our Chicago based pal, the amazing KID STATIC. If you haven't heard of him yet, you really need to check this shit out... Love this guy
Don't forget about the annual Skibunny Christmas party, taking place once again at Belfast's Spring & Airbrake, featuring a final headline set from our favourites OPPENHEIMER, plus SKIBUNNY, NAKATOMI TOWERS and Rigsy on the decks. Saturday 19th December, 9pm-3am.
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
And So I Watch You From Afar's Albums Of The Decade
Turning the tables, what are And So I Watch You From Afar's albums of the decade? Find out on Ragged Words.
Sunday, 13 December 2009
Oppenheimer Split/Farewell Show
STA alumni Oppenheimer have announced that this Saturday's show at Belfast's Spring & Airbrake (with support from Skibunny) will be their last -
On December 19th at 11pm, Rocky and Shaun plan to take to the stage together as Oppenheimer for the last time.
There will be a farewell EP, a digital release at the start of 2010. A snapshot of where we had arrived at this point, as we have recently been working on new material.
Further ideas that have been worked on will accompany Rocky on his journey to a new band, which in some ways has already started, as the songs and plot lines are already underway, as anyone who has witnessed Oppenheimer recently can no doubt testify.
The reasons for this announcement are multiple yet highly intertwined. Ultimately, to be in any band you allow the band to consume you, becoming every particle of your existence, every aspect of your being, every thought that wakes you up early and every task that keeps you up late at night.
The reward for such dedication and commitment, not to mention the hardship that goes hand in hand with making music for a living is the unrivalled joy and honour that fills your mind, body and soul by getting to do all the things that you can.
The moment this joy falters, rocks or is jolted out of existence, the struggle is of no consequence or purpose.
After five years together, recording and releasing two albums, playing hundreds of shows and touring with some of the greatest bands in the world, the level of commitment, passion and drive that one of us can give to the band has changed.
It's an understandable occurrence and one that we're both delighted to address at this time.
Shaun has realized that in order to fulfill his hopes and dreams he needs to take a new and different path in his life.
Rocky's ideas, dreams and notions for writing, recording and touring are more alive and vibrant than ever.
Due to these changing circumstances, we have decided to part ways.
We have no idea if we will ever work together again, recording movie soundtracks, making ambient albums or even making indie pop songs. Who knows what tomorrow holds?
For now, Oppenheimer have no plans to write, record or play together again after December 19th 2009.
Our thanks and respect for every single person in the world who has done anything to help us is overwhelming, it always has been, it always will be.
Rocky O'Reilly & Shaun Robinson
On December 19th at 11pm, Rocky and Shaun plan to take to the stage together as Oppenheimer for the last time.
There will be a farewell EP, a digital release at the start of 2010. A snapshot of where we had arrived at this point, as we have recently been working on new material.
Further ideas that have been worked on will accompany Rocky on his journey to a new band, which in some ways has already started, as the songs and plot lines are already underway, as anyone who has witnessed Oppenheimer recently can no doubt testify.
The reasons for this announcement are multiple yet highly intertwined. Ultimately, to be in any band you allow the band to consume you, becoming every particle of your existence, every aspect of your being, every thought that wakes you up early and every task that keeps you up late at night.
The reward for such dedication and commitment, not to mention the hardship that goes hand in hand with making music for a living is the unrivalled joy and honour that fills your mind, body and soul by getting to do all the things that you can.
The moment this joy falters, rocks or is jolted out of existence, the struggle is of no consequence or purpose.
After five years together, recording and releasing two albums, playing hundreds of shows and touring with some of the greatest bands in the world, the level of commitment, passion and drive that one of us can give to the band has changed.
It's an understandable occurrence and one that we're both delighted to address at this time.
Shaun has realized that in order to fulfill his hopes and dreams he needs to take a new and different path in his life.
Rocky's ideas, dreams and notions for writing, recording and touring are more alive and vibrant than ever.
Due to these changing circumstances, we have decided to part ways.
We have no idea if we will ever work together again, recording movie soundtracks, making ambient albums or even making indie pop songs. Who knows what tomorrow holds?
For now, Oppenheimer have no plans to write, record or play together again after December 19th 2009.
Our thanks and respect for every single person in the world who has done anything to help us is overwhelming, it always has been, it always will be.
Rocky O'Reilly & Shaun Robinson
ASIWYFA on God Is In The TV Best Of 2009 Shortlist
Another day, another Best Of 2009 shortlist placing for And So I Watch You From Afar, this time from the excellent God Is In The TV blog - see below then vote ASI.
09 was meant to be the year of the girl but while Florence and her Machine did her best to fly the flag for Britain after damp squibs from La Roux and Little Boots, Lady Gaga revealed her poker face and it was she and Beyonce that created most of the pop spectacles that mattered in 09. JLS proved you didn't need to win the Xfactor to really prevail, some bands shifted into the mainstream while others concentrated on their craft and all the while there was some great music being made and released just below the surface so lift up the stone look under and choose your TOP FIVE from our TOP short listed albums of 2009. A list that includes some highly commercial releases, some massively surprising comeback album triumphs, some cult releases, some barely known ones, plucked from a range of genres, from across the United Kingdom, North America and beyond, no focus groups or commercial pressures here, just a love of the long players that really moved our bodies and our souls in the past year. So get voting!
GIITTV’s Shortlisted albums of 2009.(In no particular order)
Grizzly Bear- ‘Veckatimest’
The Antlers – ‘Hospice’
Mumford and Sons – ‘Sigh No More’
The Mars Volta – ‘Octahedron’
Health – ‘Get Colour’
P.O.S –‘Never Better'
Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
The Decemberists – ‘The Hazards of Love’
Animal Collective – ‘Merriweather Post Pavilion’
The Joy Formidable - ‘A Balloon Called Moaning’
Discovery – LP
Manic Street Preachers – ‘Journal For Plague Lovers'
The Maccabees – ‘Wall of Arms’
Dan Deacon – ‘Bromst’
Passion Pit – ‘Manners’
Noah And The Whale – ‘First Days Of Spring’
Bombay Bicycle Club – ‘I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose
We Were Promised Jetpacks - S/T
Atlas Sound – ‘Logos’
Grammatics – S/T
The XX – S/T
Fuck Buttons – ‘Tarot Sport’
Arctic Monkeys – ‘Humbug’
There Will Be Fireworks – S/T
Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
Dananananaykroyd - Hey Everyone!
Ramona Falls – ‘Intuit’
Blakroc – S/T
Lovvers – ‘OCD Go Go Go Girls’
Slaraffenland – ‘We’re On Your Side’
Balmorhea – ‘All is Wild, All is Silent’
Former Ghosts – ‘Fleurs’
Florence and The Machine – ‘Lungs’
And So I Watch You From Afar – S/T
Raekwon – ‘Only Built For Cuban Linx 2’
The Cribs – ‘Ignore the Ignorant’
Future of The Left – Travels With Myself And Another
Blue October – ‘Approaching Normal’
M.Ward – ‘Hold Time’
Brand New – ‘Daisy’
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – S/T
Flaming Lips – ‘Embryonic’
Madness – ‘The liberation of Norton Folgate’
Bibio – ‘Ambivalence Avenue’
The Firekites – ‘The Bowery’
Orphans and Vandals- ‘I Am Alive You Are Dead’
Frank Turner – ‘Poetry of the Deed’
Dredg – ‘The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion’
The Twilight Sad – ‘Forget the Night Ahead’
The Horrors – ‘Primary Colours’
St. Vincent – ‘Actor’
Cymbals Eat Guitars – S/T
Russian Circles – ‘Geneva’
Can’t make up your mind? Then listen to the majority of the albums on GIITTV’s albums of the year spotify playlist (including some that just didn’t make it).
Vote for your TOP FIVE now, FIVE lucky entrants will win a stack of CDs from this year. Then the GIITTV’s Readers and Writer’s best fifty albums of 2009 lists will be published together, later this month. Like any list its subjective, do you disagree with the albums shortlisted? Do you think we missed your favourite out? Then what are you waiting for voice it!
09 was meant to be the year of the girl but while Florence and her Machine did her best to fly the flag for Britain after damp squibs from La Roux and Little Boots, Lady Gaga revealed her poker face and it was she and Beyonce that created most of the pop spectacles that mattered in 09. JLS proved you didn't need to win the Xfactor to really prevail, some bands shifted into the mainstream while others concentrated on their craft and all the while there was some great music being made and released just below the surface so lift up the stone look under and choose your TOP FIVE from our TOP short listed albums of 2009. A list that includes some highly commercial releases, some massively surprising comeback album triumphs, some cult releases, some barely known ones, plucked from a range of genres, from across the United Kingdom, North America and beyond, no focus groups or commercial pressures here, just a love of the long players that really moved our bodies and our souls in the past year. So get voting!
GIITTV’s Shortlisted albums of 2009.(In no particular order)
Grizzly Bear- ‘Veckatimest’
The Antlers – ‘Hospice’
Mumford and Sons – ‘Sigh No More’
The Mars Volta – ‘Octahedron’
Health – ‘Get Colour’
P.O.S –‘Never Better'
Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
The Decemberists – ‘The Hazards of Love’
Animal Collective – ‘Merriweather Post Pavilion’
The Joy Formidable - ‘A Balloon Called Moaning’
Discovery – LP
Manic Street Preachers – ‘Journal For Plague Lovers'
The Maccabees – ‘Wall of Arms’
Dan Deacon – ‘Bromst’
Passion Pit – ‘Manners’
Noah And The Whale – ‘First Days Of Spring’
Bombay Bicycle Club – ‘I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose
We Were Promised Jetpacks - S/T
Atlas Sound – ‘Logos’
Grammatics – S/T
The XX – S/T
Fuck Buttons – ‘Tarot Sport’
Arctic Monkeys – ‘Humbug’
There Will Be Fireworks – S/T
Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
Dananananaykroyd - Hey Everyone!
Ramona Falls – ‘Intuit’
Blakroc – S/T
Lovvers – ‘OCD Go Go Go Girls’
Slaraffenland – ‘We’re On Your Side’
Balmorhea – ‘All is Wild, All is Silent’
Former Ghosts – ‘Fleurs’
Florence and The Machine – ‘Lungs’
And So I Watch You From Afar – S/T
Raekwon – ‘Only Built For Cuban Linx 2’
The Cribs – ‘Ignore the Ignorant’
Future of The Left – Travels With Myself And Another
Blue October – ‘Approaching Normal’
M.Ward – ‘Hold Time’
Brand New – ‘Daisy’
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – S/T
Flaming Lips – ‘Embryonic’
Madness – ‘The liberation of Norton Folgate’
Bibio – ‘Ambivalence Avenue’
The Firekites – ‘The Bowery’
Orphans and Vandals- ‘I Am Alive You Are Dead’
Frank Turner – ‘Poetry of the Deed’
Dredg – ‘The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion’
The Twilight Sad – ‘Forget the Night Ahead’
The Horrors – ‘Primary Colours’
St. Vincent – ‘Actor’
Cymbals Eat Guitars – S/T
Russian Circles – ‘Geneva’
Can’t make up your mind? Then listen to the majority of the albums on GIITTV’s albums of the year spotify playlist (including some that just didn’t make it).
Vote for your TOP FIVE now, FIVE lucky entrants will win a stack of CDs from this year. Then the GIITTV’s Readers and Writer’s best fifty albums of 2009 lists will be published together, later this month. Like any list its subjective, do you disagree with the albums shortlisted? Do you think we missed your favourite out? Then what are you waiting for voice it!
Saturday, 12 December 2009
Public Service Blogcast Episode 60
One of Northern Ireland's hottest properties are Belfast's The Jane Bradfords whose number while alternating between being as large as a seven piece and as small as just one guy in a studio (cursing at old keyboards that used to work perfectly well) averages out at 5. Their fusion of the nonchalant swagger of The National, the driving tight Peter Hook style bass and at times the euphoric hosannas of Arcade Fire has won plaudits from Huw Stephens and the readership of Alternative Ulster magazine who voted their 2008 debut album into the list of 50 best records of the 2000s. Look out for a new album from TJB in 2010, exclusive previews of which can be heard on this blogcast.
Public Service Blogcast Episode 60
29 minutes 32 seconds
Recorded 02/12/09
Tracklisting
00.01 The Jane Bradfords - Judicial Duel (exclusive new track from forthcoming 2010 album)
04.52 Clown Parlour - Stark (from Introducing Clown Parlour album - White Mountain Music)
06.55 The Jane Bradfords - More Than This (exclusive new track from forthcoming 2010 album)
13.15 Robyn G Shiels - Drunk Myself A River (from unreleased new album - Dancing Records)
18.04 The National - Slow Show (acoustic recording for Bandwidth Films)
22.13 Three Tales - The Things That We Know (from The Hidden Possibilities In All Things EP - Furious Tradesmen)
26.33 The Jane Bradfords - Too Much Christmas (free download)
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
Public Service Blogcast Episode 60
29 minutes 32 seconds
Recorded 02/12/09
Tracklisting
00.01 The Jane Bradfords - Judicial Duel (exclusive new track from forthcoming 2010 album)
04.52 Clown Parlour - Stark (from Introducing Clown Parlour album - White Mountain Music)
06.55 The Jane Bradfords - More Than This (exclusive new track from forthcoming 2010 album)
13.15 Robyn G Shiels - Drunk Myself A River (from unreleased new album - Dancing Records)
18.04 The National - Slow Show (acoustic recording for Bandwidth Films)
22.13 Three Tales - The Things That We Know (from The Hidden Possibilities In All Things EP - Furious Tradesmen)
26.33 The Jane Bradfords - Too Much Christmas (free download)
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
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