Illness Documentary No. 2: Shield Your Eyes

Illness present their 2nd documentary film; this time their subject is recent tourmates and STA favourites Shield Your Eyes.

This is a short documentary I made about the UK band, Shield Your Eyes, consisting of an even mix between live footage and mechanical intuition, before a full performance of their song, 'Come On Melissa Are You A Kisser'.

The band have recently released their third album, 'Theme From Kindness', available through their Myspace or through Function Records, and they are constantly touring the UK and Europe.

'Come On Melissa Are You A Kisser' is available on their first album, 'Shield Your Eyes', also available via the band's myspace.

This is the second of hopefully many short band documentaries by Illness, and is edited in part by Stef from Shield Your Eyes.

Shield Your Eyes Documentary from Illness on Vimeo.

ASIWYFA Do America In 7 Minutes 14 Seconds

ASIWYFA - AMERICA 2010 - it took 5 weeks to tour...here it is in 7 mins 14secs.

Please not this is just random footage and not to be perceived as making any sense. This is the preview to the full length film/rockumentary of ASIWYFA in America. Watch this space for the full length.

Video and sound by A. Coles

Skibunny On Jim Gellatly New Music podcast

Skibunny are cover stars for this week's episode of Jim Gellatly's New Music podcast, always a goldmine for new bands. Download or better still, subscribe via iTunes.

ASIWYFA Take Manhattan

Read US blog's Live4Ever's extensive coverage of ASIWYFA's recent Manhattan Santos Party House gig.

ASIWYFA on RTE Under Ether This Thursday

ASIWYFA will feature as special guests on this week's Under Ether. It broadcasts this Thursday night 28th, 11.25pm on RTE 2 with a repeat on Friday night 29th at 11.50pm.

For those without the RTE channels, you can catch it on the PLAYER on RTE.ie

XFM Xposure Plays for Illness, More Than Conquerors

Thanks John!

X-Posure Thursday 21st October 2010

10-11pm
The XX ‘Crystalised (Rory Phillips Remix)’ (XL)
Kele ‘On The Lam’ (Polydor)
them:youth ‘Toothache’ (Big Hand)
Wolf Gang ‘Lions In Cages’ (Atlantic)
X-Posure Hot One: Josephine ‘A Freak A’ (Ark)
Stornoway ‘I Saw You Blink’ (4AD)
The Slits ‘Typical Girls’ (Island)
One Night Stand, Session Track: Middleman ‘Not Over Yet’
One Night Stand: Phone Interview w/ Andy of Middleman
One Night Stand, Session Track: Middleman ‘Chipping Away’

11pm-Midnight (Deep)
The Vaccines ‘Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra)’ (Marshall Teller)
Friends Electric ‘Golden Blood’ ()
Foreign Office ‘On Repeat’ (Quiet Life)
Penguin Prison ‘Golden Train’ ()
Chapel Club ‘All The Eastern Girls (The Shoes Remix)’ (East City)
Guest Correspondent: Russell Porter, Barclaycard Mercury Prize Recommends
Dels ‘Trumpalump (Joe Goddard Remix feat. Ghostpoet)’ (Big Dada)
Guest Correspondent: Russell Porter, Barclaycard Mercury Prize Recommends
Remember Remember ‘Get Good’ (Rock Action)
Artists In Residence, Session Track: Darren Hayman & The Secondary Modern ‘Drive Too Fast’
One Night Stand, Session Track: Middleman ‘Spinning Plates’

Midnight-1am (Deeper!)
X-Posure Big One: We Three And The Death Rattle ‘Double Or Quits’ (myspace.com/wethreeandthedeathrattle)
The Brute Chorus ‘Could This Be Love?’ (Tape)
Sissy & The Blisters ‘Things May Change’ (Hit Club)
Lost Classic: Motorhead ‘Doctor Rock’ (Universal)
Action Beat ‘Car Crash Halloween Disco’ (Truth Cult)
One Night Stand, Session Track: Middleman ‘Snapshots’
Lightspeed Champion ”Til I Die’ (Domino)
Lazy Dre ‘When You’re Outside Her’ ()
Boy & Bear ‘Mexican Mavis’ (Chess Club)
The Good The Bad ‘030’ (www.myspace.com/tgtb)
Live Studio Guests: Interview w/ Adam of The Good The Bad
Live Studio Guests, Session Track: The Good The Bad ‘004’
Live Studio Guests: Interview w/ Adam of The Good The Bad
Live Studio Guests, Session Track: The Good The Bad ‘003’
Live Studio Guests: Interview w/ Adam of The Good The Bad
Live Studio Guests, Session Track: The Good The Bad ‘017’
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion ‘Afro’ (Shove!)

1-2am (Deeper Still!)
Light Asylum ‘A Certain Person’ (www.myspace.com/lightasylum)
SBTRKT ‘Look At Stars’ (Young Turks)
Armand Van Helden & Steve Aoki ‘Brrrat!’ (3Beat)
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs ‘Household Goods’ (Greco-Roman)
The 2 Bears ‘Church’ (Southern Fried)
Silver Columns ‘Brow Beaten (Donovans Remix)’ (Moshi Moshi)
Hotpants Romance ‘Go Dancing’ (Cherryade)
Das Wanderlust ‘Swan Song’ (Cherryade)
More Than Conquerors ‘I’ve Done Nothing / I’ve Done It All’ (Smalltown America)
Illness ‘Paper Cut’ (Smalltown America)
Ensemble ‘Envies D’Avalanches’ (Fat Cat)
Nina Nastasia ‘You Can Take Your Time’ (Fat Cat)
Frightened Rabbit ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’ (Fat Cat)

Skibunny: Coughing, Sneezing, Gigging, and… Vegas?

Wow, it’s properly cold out there now, isn’t it? Well we squeezed as much fun as we possibly could out of our Indian summer, hope you did too. Our debut album was released last month, we had TWO amazing launch parties, one was on a BOAT, Tanya went to the Matador 21 gigs in Vegas where she drank too much tequila and accidently married Ted Leo*, we played some shows in the very very north of Scotland with Stanley Odd, then Tanya got a bad dose of the flu and was forced to stay in bed and do nothing. Now said flu is pretty much gone and it’s business as usual at Skibunny HQ, hurrah! So here’s the round up of stuff coming up…

Sat 23rd Oct - EDINBURGH, Hidden Door Festival (DJ set @ 11pm)
Wed 17th Nov - BELFAST, Trenchfoot @ Lavery’s
Thurs 18th Nov - BALLYNAHINCH, Pure Savage @ Cloisters
Fri 19th Nov - DUBLIN, Tower Records in-store (1pm)
Fri 19th Nov - DUBLIN, The Good Social (w/ CRYSTAL FIGHTERS)
Sat 20th Nov - STRABANE, Dice Rileys
Sun 21st Nov - DERRY (details to follow!)
Mon 22nd Nov - GALWAY, Roisin Dubh
Sat 27th Nov - EDINBURGH, Devil Disco @The Bongo Club

More shows will be added as confirmed!

We have a new track “Black Dark, White Light” included in the latest TEN TRACKS mp3 bundle, where you get 10 tracks for just £1, you can really argue with that!
Don’t forget our album is out now, get your copy here, they ship WORLDWIDE and FREE shipping in the UK!
And just for fun, here’s Guided By Voices, live in Vegas!

*Not really, of course.

Brand New Skibunny Download, Hidden Door II Slot

A brand new Skibunny track Black Dark, White Light (feat. Barry Peak) is available for download along with one of my new favourite bands The Social Services and 8 more for a mere £1 to promote this weekend's Hidden Door II not-for-profit arts festival in Edinburgh.

Skibunny are DJing Saturday at 11pm; check out the impressive full line-up.

4 Or 5 Magicians: The End

4 or 5 Magicians was a band that existed between October 11th 2005 and October 20th 2010.

We just completed, what has become quite clear to me in the past few days and hours, our final tour tonight in Nottingham and I am now sad, but in a sense relieved that I am calling an end to the "4 or 5 Magicians" moniker.

I will be recording new material over the coming months (which I am very optimistic about!), and hopefully will be back with a new project and a more focused direction by next spring.

I am now 26 years and 6 months old, and it is a big shame that I wasn't able to make 4 or 5 Magicians work exactly how I wanted it to while I was still young and (slightly more) carefree, and hoped it could have done. The fickle nature of the industry is partly to blame, I am also partly to blame for perhaps not having more focus or drive, and making the occasional flippant or naive decision. This is something I can hopefully now rectify with a clean break, and a clean slate, free from any prejudice that goes with the name, and with the experience of it not totally working out for me.

I have had some good times, and some not so good times, but overall it has been an experience I have hugely enjoyed, and while it is a cliche, music is basically my life, and I will definitely carry on writing songs, and hopefully getting them out there to the widest audience possible.

My thanks go out to all the musicians who have played in the bands over the years, and the three labels that have helped us along the way - Smalltown America, This Is Fake DIY, and Alcopop. Also to everyone who has put us on, put us up for the night, bought our records, come to see us live, or anything like that - thank you.

If I can organise it, there will perhaps be one final show in London for the band at an unspecified date in the future where a number of past members get together to play an extended set of songs from the entire history of the band. I would definitely like to do this. Perhaps I will even keep the band going as a very occasional ceremonial band that plays special occasions once or twice a year as a couple of our contemporaries have done. Right now I am not sure.

But yeah, thanks for all your support, and I'll be back soon with a new project.

Bye for now,

Dan x

Go On Go On Get Out....is Out!

More Than Conquerors are set to release Go On Go On Get Out as the first single from their debut s/t EP. There are 5 tracks total on the EP and what the heck we have even thrown in the video for you to have and hold also - can't wait that long? Have a sneek peek by clicking here

The official release date is 15 November 2010 - it is however available to pre-order on the STA Store now by clicking here.

The band hit the road in just under two weeks with Fighting With Wire who also have a new offering to make. I can confirm, I am Ursus is fresh out of the studio and sounding monsterous...obviously!

Tour dates are as follows:

1 Nov - Stereo, Glasgow

2 Nov - The Shipping Forecast, Liverpool

3 Nov - HMV Institute Temple, Birmingham

4 Nov - Cellar, Oxford

5 Nov - Joiners, Southampton

7-Nov - Prince Albert, Brighton

8 Nov - Club Ifor Bach, Cardiff

9 Nov - Barfly, London

Illness Go Acoustic

Video from Illness' acoustic session from yesterday afternoon at Brighton's Northern Lights will be online soon (where you'll find out if Spencer got his Yamaha working).

Their next show is Monday at Vines in Derby with Crooked Mountain, Crooked Sea courtesy the good people at Button Pusher. It's a FREE ENTRY so no excuses!

More Than Conquerors Play Oh Yeah Contenders Compilation Show Next Friday

Fighting With Wire Break A Bottle Against The Hull Of New Warrenpoint Venue - This Saturday

Skibunny Play On Huw Stephens

Skibunny's Aah Ooh gets a Radio 1 spin courtesy Huw Stephens - listen again, Skibunny goodness at about 77 mins in!

October Newsletter

[0] EPFree: STA Autumn Mixtape

This month's a busy one and for that reason we thought one free track just won't cut it so we have packaged together 5 of the best tracks propping up our busy October schedule. Click here
to get your free mix from the carefully considered listings below.

1. More Than Conquerors: I've Done Nothing/I Have Done It All
2. 4 or 5 Magicians: Oh! Darwin
3. Ace Bushy Striptease: Bon Nuit, J'ai Changé Mon Esprit
4. Illness: Paper Cut
5. Crooked Mountain, Crooked Sea: Slow News Day


[1] Introducing: More Than Conquerors



New signings to the Smalltown stable are Northern Irish punch/riff/rawk early risers More Than Conquerors.

Formed in late 2009 the band have wasted no time - less than a year later they have racked up impressive supports with General Fiasco, Feeder, Twin Atlantic & our very own Fighting With Wire.

Their debut 5 track EP written and recorded in a week in a DIY home studio is a confident display of who-the-flip-are-Arctic-Monkeys? era danceable punk rock meets Me Without You rock structures delivered with the live raw passion of As Cities Burn. Its available to pre-order NOW! on the Smalltown America shop - click here to bag your copy...

Check them live when they take to the road in November in support of Fighting With Wire, dates as follows;

1 Nov - Stereo, Glasgow

2 Nov - The Shipping Forecast, Liverpool

3 Nov - HMV Institute Temple, Birmingham

4 Nov - Cellar, Oxford

5 Nov - Joiners, Southampton

7-Nov - Prince Albert, Brighton

8 Nov - Club Ifor Bach, Cardiff

9 Nov - Barfly, London

[2] Recurring Illness: New EP, Tour with Crooked Mountain, Crooked Sea



Hot on the heels of their first EP, Brighton instrumental slackermath duo Emilio and Spencer return with another fifteen minute argument against the need for vocals. For All You ABC-1s Out There... features a further 6 tracks from their session earlier this year with Rory Bratwell plus a video-slash-Palinesque travel documentary of lead track Paper Cut. Lead track Paper Cut is available right now on the EPFree [0]

Illness will be going out for some dates with labelmates and neighbours Crooked Mountain, Crooked Sea where you'll be able to get the EP directly from the band a full month ahead of it's proper release date.

8th Oct - The Cowley Club, Brighton
11th Oct - Vines Bar, Derby
13th Oct - Harry's Bar, Stoke On Trent
16th Oct - Old Blue Last, London
18th Oct - The Boiler Room, Guildford

The band will then be touring mainland Europe from Nov 10th - Dec 2nd so if you'd like to put Illness on in your country get in touch with them via Myspace. Meanwhile, their recently recorded debut album is currently being mixed in the STA studio ahead of release next year.


[3] Skibunny Hug the Scottish



Skibunny take their critically-embraced debut album of electro-rock gems Hugs to some rather more conventional venues than their recent Belfast album launch on a barge with 6 Scottish shows:

8th Oct - Mad Hatters, Inverness (w/Stanley Odd)
9th Oct - Skinandi's, Thurso, Caithness (w/Stanley Odd)
13th Oct - Captain's Rest, Glasgow
14th Oct - The Greenside, Leslie, Fife (w/Islet)
15th Oct - Harley's Bathgate, West Lothian
16th Oct - Doghouse, Dundee

At time of writing, there's a handful of album bonus discs left - featuring brand new songs written and recorded specially. Order it now from the STA store. Keep watching the band's myspace for news of more UK dates.


[4] FWW November UK Tour



The band are currently in the Smalltown America studio adding a little here and taking away a little there before they announce the completion of their exclusive tour EP. The title of the super special 4 track titan is I Am Ursus - which references a bear and a constellation - both are huge, are you trying to say something here lads? I'm excited....


[5] Ace Ormsby Striptease: New 4 or 5 Magicians Tour

Brighton's irony-laden indie favourites 4 Or 5 Magicians and hotly-tipped Birmingham 4 piece Ace Bushy Striptease have announced a joint tour for October.

Ace Bushy Striptease are fast earning a reputation for their short, sharp songs which stubbornly avoid repetition and spring along with light melody and inescapable fun as witnessed by anyone who's heard their 12 song, 22 minute long recent album. Some have dubbed them as an extrapolation of Mclusky and The Pastels, others just stand there a little stunned, not entirely sure what's going on, but enjoying every precious minute.

Magician-in-Chief Dan Ormsby says: "I'm excited about making our first trip as a band to both Manchester and Nottingham, and a long awaited return to old haunts in the three Bs of Birmingham, Bristol and Bournemouth. Oh and Brighton and London too, of course!

On tour we will be showcasing new material which will feature on our 2nd album, hopefully out next spring. We just demoed two of the newies and even the dodgy rough mixes sound ace! The plan is to record the album in November and December, so this may well be the last time you get to see 4 Or 5 Magicians until 2011!"

Oct 14th - Big Chill House, Kings Cross, London (FREE ENTRY)
Oct 15th - The Hobgoblin, Brighton
Oct 16th - The Green Room @ The Portman Hotel, Bournemouth
Oct 17th - Mother's Ruin, Bristol
Oct 18th - The Victoria, Birmingham
Oct 19th - Tiger Lounge, Manchester
Oct 20th - Spanky Van Dykes, Nottingham

An mp3 from each band - Oh! Darwin from the 4 or 5 Magicians album Empty, Derivative Pop Songs and Bon Nuit, J'ai Changé Mon Esprit from the Ace Bushy Striptease album A Little More Suspicion In Our Fairytales Plz (Odd Box Records) - can be heard on the EPFree [0]

[6] And So I Watch USA from Afar



And So I Watch You From Afar get properly stuck into North America this month in the company of Trash Talk. Expect tour diary anecdotes aplenty.

4 Oct - Mohawk Place, Buffalo, NY
5 Oct - Rex Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
6 Oct - Grog Shop, Cleveland, OH
7 Oct - Magic Stick, Detroit, MI
8 Oct - Reggie's Rock Club, Chicago, IL
9 Oct - Triple Rock, Minneapolis, MN
10 Oct - Jackpot Music Hall, Lawrence, Kansas
12 Oct - Bluebird Theatre, Denver, CO
13 Oct - The Basement Ogden, UT
15 Oct - El Corazon, Seattle, WA
16 Oct - Hawthorne Theatre, Portland, OR
18 Oct - Cafe Du Nord, San Francisco, CA
19 Oct - Chain Reaction, Anaheim, CA
20 Oct - Troubadour, West Hollywood, CA
22 Oct - The Casbah, San Diego, CA
23 Oct - The Underground Mesa, Arizona
25 Oct - Rubber Gloves, Denton, TX
26 Oct - Emo's Alternative Lounge, Austin, TX

Barely pausing for breath, ASIWYFA's next UK tour in November is selling fast...

22 Nov - Dingwalls, London
23 Nov - Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
24 Nov - Club Ifor Bach, Cardiff
25 Nov - Kazimier, Liverpool
26 Nov - King Tuts, Glasgow


[7] LaFaro in not touring this month controversy



It appears that relaxation for LaFaro after an intense year of live shows is to record a 2nd album(!). Expect to hear new material sneak into these select live appearences ahead of November's much anticpated European tour with Helmet.

9th Oct - HWCH Twisted Pepper, Dublin
15th Oct - Mandela Hall, Belfast w/Therapy?
23rd Oct - Cypress Avenue, Cork w/Therapy?
24th Oct - Cypress Avenue, Cork w/Therapy?


[8] Crooked Mountain, Honest Giveaway



Post-hardcore rejuvenators Crooked Mountain, Crooked Sea are giving away their previous EP It's The Falling That Counts, Not The Landing for free via their Bandcamp. Click here to download the songs that seduced the likes of BBC 6Music's Tom Robinson into playing them and well, us into signing them!

Catch CM,CS out on the road with Illness [2]

ASIWYFA November Shows Selling Fast

Illness & Crooked Mountain, Crooked Sea Tour Begins Next Week

Vote Skibunny For Best Of Myspace

Aah Ooh from Skibunny's debut album Hugs is one of the tracks on this week's edition of the always-good Best Of Myspace podcast. Click here to listen to all of the tracks and download this week's podcast but most importantly please vote for Skibunny as your track of the week to get the band a feature on Myspace itself!

Cargo Collective October 2010

STA Recommends

Shrag
Life! Death! Prizes!
Where Its At Is Where You Are CD
SHRAG are "bringing analytical attitude to the debased trade of pop and serving it up with bulldozing portions of raw guitar noise" MARVELLOUS

DD/MM/YYYY
Black Square
Invada CD
A hybrid of Devo, Melt Banana, Janes Addition, Fugazi and the math rock genre mixed in a blender. Noise rocks by way of an amalgamation of influences.

Her Name Is Calla
The Quiet Lamb
Denovali CD
"…there can be no denying that Her Name Is Calla are one of the most daring, unconventional bands the UK has to offer right now." (Drowned in Sound)

Shield Your Eyes
Theme from Kindness
Function LP/CD
Like a stack of classic rock and blues tapes slit into pieces and reassembled Via some fragmented rhythmic interplay into something mind-bogglingly fresh and unique.

ASIWYFA Christmas Show Announced, Tickets On Sale

And So I Watch You From Afar may be clocking up the miles across America with Trash Talk but that doesn't mean they've forgotten about all you fans back home; the band have announced today that they'll be hosting a festive blowout at the Hideout in Warrenpoint on Thursday 23rd December - tickets on sale now.

Expect a tinsel-adorned version of their logo to follow in due course.

LaFaro Soundtrack Cold Water Classic Surf Contest

An excerpt from the O'Neill Cold Water Classic event from Thurso Scotland. Them people at STA were kind enough to let us use LaFaro 'Chopper Is A Fucking Tout' as part of the soundtrack. Here is the result.

Out Today: Skibunny's 'Hugs'

If all these retailers are so 'good', how come we're the ones giving you an exclusive bonus disc when you buy Skibunny's album Hugs from us? There's only a few copies of said bonus disc left so get your order in quick.

Ice, Sea, Dead People Free Show @ Rough Trade East

Skibunny Album Launch ATL Review

BBC Northern Ireland's Across The Line were at last week's Belfast album launch for Skibunny's Hugs album - read the review here. Don't forget to place your pre-order for Hugs this week to get the specially-recorded songs on the bonus disc.

Crooked Mountain, Crooked Sea Interviewed For STA Doc

And here's proof. Aaron is approaching the end of the shooting stage of his documentary film about STA so expect sneak peaks of footage to follow over the coming weeks.

Graham Smith Photography Exhibition Nov 2nd - 9th

I LIKE THE WAY THIS IS GOING
A Photography Exhibition by Graham Smith

Opening Reception: Tuesday 2nd November, 7.30pm

Exhibition On View: 2nd November - 9th November

Oh Yeah Music Centre
15-21 Gordon Street
Belfast
Northern Ireland

Longtime STA photographer
 Graham Smith presents I Like The Way This Is Going, an exhibition featuring images he has shot over the past decade, consisting of a series of framed prints as well as a huge collage wall of photographs. 

No longer taking on commissions he instead concentrates on a relaxed and personal reportage of his life. Being obsessed by music and now working within the industry means the majority of his photographs are related to the music world, captured from a personal and intimate angle. Simple photographs shot with the absolute minimum of equipment and fuss.

Born in 1980 in Belfast, Graham began photography in 2000. Now
regularly displaying work around the world, in group and solo exhibitions, his images can also be seen permanently hanging in an increasing amount of galleries, bars, venues and coffee shops.

Spring of 2007 saw the release of his first solo book. Limited to 550 signed and numbered copies it sold out within 4 weeks. Plans are currently underway for several more book releases.

In January 2010 Graham won the coveted Lex Van Rossen award for European Music Photography at an awards ceremony in Holland, which resulted in an exhibition of his work traveling around Europe, most recently in Berlin in September 2010.

Launch Night:

Tuesday 2nd November 2010
7.30pm
Refreshments Served
Live Music from Oliver Cole
DJ by Chris Wee (And So I Watch You From Afar)


Oliver Cole will perform at the launch evening. After several years playing with the highly influential band Turn, Oliver took some time out, coming back in 2010 with the release of his debut solo album We Albatri. A much-respected figure amongst musicians, having played with the likes of Wilco and Ray LaMontagne, this gig will mark his long awaited return to Northern Ireland.

DJ on the night will be Chris Wee from And So I Watch You From Afar.

LaFaro Enjoy Tea, Crumpets and Buckfast with Panic Dots

Click the image to read the feature

4 Or 5 Magicians & Ace Bushy Striptease: Tour, Free MP3s

It's been a bit of a rollercoaster, featuring a little turbulence, and the usual slow drip of tedious email exchanges, but we have finally fully confirmed a Craig David style tour of seven dayyys with Ace Bushy Striptease in October. Here are the dates in full:

Thurs 14th : LONDON Big Chill House, Kings Cross (FREE ENTRY)
Fri 15th : BRIGHTON The Hobgoblin
Sat 16th : BOURNEMOUTH The Green Room @ The Portman Hotel
Sun 17th : BRISTOL Mother's Ruin
Mon 18th : BIRMINGHAM The Victoria
Tues 19th : MANCHESTER Tiger Lounge
Weds 20th : NOTTINGHAM Spanky Van Dykes

And click here to download an mp3 from each band - Oh Darwin from the 4 or 5 Magicians album and Bon Nuit, J'ai Changé Mon Esprit by ABS.

Quite excited about making our first trip to both Manchester and Nottingham, and a long awaited return to old haunts in the three Bs of Birmingham, Bristol and Bournemouth. Oh and Brighton and London too, of course.

Rob, who was gonna be playing the drums on tour, has had to withdraw due to an unexpected promotion at work, but instead it now looks highly likely that we'll be doing the tour with a special guest borrowed from a supercool band occupying the drum stool. More info on this in due course!

On tour we will be showcasing new material which will feature on the next album, hopefully out next spring. Just demoed two of them yesterday (with a lovely chap called Rob at a place called Ford Lane Studios in West Sussex) and even the dodgy rough mixes sound ace! The plan is to record the album in November and December, so this may well be the last time you get to see 4 or 5 Magicians until 2011!

I realise this has been a slow year for the band for various reasons, but by the time the year is out I'll almost certainly have an album recorded and be really focused heading into the new year. I have high hopes for the new stuff, come see us play some of it on tour!

Dan

x

LaFaro To Support Therapy? & Pulled Apart By Horses

LaFaro have been invited to support NI legends Therapy? and new shredders on the block Pulled Apart By Horses in Ireland this autumn. Dates and links below.

They said yes obviously.

Therapy? w/ LaFaro
October 2010
Sat 23rd Cork Cyprus Avenue
Sun 24th Cork Cyprus Avenue

Pulled Apart by Horse w/ LaFaro
November 2010
Sat 13 Galway Roisin Dubh
Sun 14 Belfast Auntie Annie's

2nd Skibunny Album Launch Announced

We’re really looking forward to the Belfast album launch party on Wednesday, and now here’s details for the EDINBURGH party:

SKIBUNNY “HUGS” ALBUM LAUNCH PARTY
at THIS IS MUSIC
featuring
SKIBUNNY (live!)
DJS BARGAIN HAROLD & I-TALLAH DISCO
at
SNEAKY PETE’S, 73 COWGATE, EDINBURGH
FRIDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER
DOORS 11PM(Curfew 3AM)
ADMISSION IS £3 OR FREE TO SNEAKY PETE’S MEMBERS!
Established in 2006, This Is Music runs every Friday, with the best live bands and DJs from Scotland & beyond. Previous wins include Japandroids, Frightened Rabbit, Lovvers, Broken Records, Copy Haho & more.

Cargo Collective September 2010

Recommends:

The Pipettes
Earth VS. The Pipettes
Fortuna POP! LP / CD
Utterly infectious full-on pop perfection from another galaxy, mixing Seventies disco Studio 54 sounds with the motorik Euro pop of the Eighties.

Calories
Basic Nature
Tough Love LP+CD / CD
Calories 2nd album combines strong melodic hooks with frenetic noise, recalling such underground titans as Hot Snakes, Cap ‘N’ Jazz & No Age.

Belfast Music Week Highlights

Belfast is one of the great musical cities and it has given birth to many artists who are now internationally admired. From 12 – 19 September Belfast will play host to over 100 live music events showcasing our new bands, songwriters and DJ’s. The line-up will feature key artists from our rich musical heritage to our thriving contemporary music scene. Music Week will also feature industry workshops, seminars, networking events staged across the city featuring leading speakers of international stature from the global music industry.

This is an art form that is defining the new mood of Belfast and our latest generation of musicians are playing a crucial role in revitalising the city. Belfast Music Week will culminate with an MTV presents Mark Ronson & the Business Intl, live from the Belfast Waterfront. Internationally renowned as one of the world's finest DJs and producers, Belfast will partner with the world’s largest television network for the release of his new album Record Collection.

Our immersion in music is total and our festivals rock. Therefore we have every confidence is inviting all music lovers to check us out, in person, at Belfast Music Week.

Check out some of the highlights from the week:

SUNDAY 12 SEPT

STREET STOMP City Centre at 3pm
The 1930's, Farriers, Ethan Ash, Thom Southern, Emerald Armada and more...
Tuneage from some of the city's most talented musicians, live, raw, acoustic and free

COMMUNION BELFAST Black Box at 8pm
Lowly Knights - Ep Launch
Matthew & The Atlas
Marcus Foster + Pete Roe

MONDAY 13 SEPT

Terri Hooley Walking Tour
Leaving from Good Vibrations, White Tavern Street 6.30pm tickets £4 from Good Vibrations

White Mountain Music Publishing Presents
Mojo Fury Unplugged
with special guests
Allie Bradley & Naoimh O’Hagan
No Alibis Bookstore Belfast 7-9pm £5

Third Bar Belfast Presents...
Cashier No.9
Elspeth
Connor Kelly
The launch of Belfast's new artist development, management and consultancy business: Third Bar Belfast.
The Menagerie at 9pm £5

TUESDAY 14 SEPT

The Real Music Club presents
Ben Sands Album Launch
Errigle Inn 8pm £8

Gigging Northern Ireland Showcase
Seven Summits
Colly Strings
The Veronas
Rachel Austin
Auntie Annies 9pm £5

LaFaro
Documenta Drone Pop
War Hole
The Menagerie 9pm £5

WEDNESDAY 15 SEPT

The Real Music Club Presents
Songwriters in the Round with a House Band
Featuring Ben Glover, Anthony Toner, Eroll Walsh, Clive Culbertson
and some of the best players on the music scene
Black Box 7.30pm £12

Skibunny 'Hugs' Album launch party
Skibunny + very special guests
The Barge (Between The Waterfront Hall and the Queen's Bridge), 10pm, free

Di Di Mau record label Showcase:
A Plastic Rose
The Good Fight
Dutch Schultz
Robyn G Shiels
The Menagerie 9pm £4

THURSDAY 16 SEPT

Album Launch ‘Oh Yeah - Contenders’
A compilation of new music from Northern Ireland-
A Plastic Rose
The Wonder Villains
Farriers
More Than Conquerors
Oh Yeah Music Centre 8pm £5

Love Buzz Presents:
Kasper Rosa
Colenso Parade
Love Buzz DeeJays
The Menagerie 9pm £5

Sketchy
Stiff Kitten 10pm £4

FRIDAY 17 SEPT

Hennessy, McGoldrick & McSherry
Three of Irish traditional music’s most famous sons
An Droichead 7.30pm £10

Ulster Orchestra:
Mussorgsky, Rachmaninov, Wagner, Beethoven
Waterfront Hall 7.45pm £8 - £23

The Undertones, DJ Terri Hooley, plus special guests.
The third annual ‘Oh Yeah Legends’ award, recognising major contributions to the NI music scene.
Oh Yeah Music Centre 8pm £10

Boxcutter
Space Dimension Controller
Midland
The Menagerie 9pm £5

SATURDAY 18 SEPT

Belfast Music Coach Tour
Departs Ulster Hall at 2pm

Belfast Urban Sports in association with T13 present The Milestone Session
Bands and DJs from 1 – 6pm
Dutch Schultz
Delirium Tremens
Noise Control
A Plastic Rose
Titanic Quarter Belfast £Free

Volume Control 1st Birthday
Colly Strings
The 1930’s
Paul Shevlin
Matrimony
Settle For Jess
Panama Kings
Oh Yeah Music Centre 3-7pm £5 All ages

CDC presents
Brendan Benson
Special Guests The Lost Brothers
Auntie Annie’s 8pm £14

Belfast Calling... showcase of the best music from Northern Ireland
Cashier No. 9
Ed Zealous
The Jane Bradfords
John D’Arcy
Followed by club Helter Skelter DJs
Spring & Airbreak 7pm £Free showcase - Ticket Only event. Tickets to be obtained through mailing info@cdcleisure.com stating 'Belfast Calling'. 2 tickets per mail will be allocated.

STIFF Presents:
Pendulum (DJ Set)
& Master X
+ Support
Stiff Kitten 10pm – 3am £10 - £12

SUNDAY 19TH SEPT

Songwriter Songs Of Praise Brunch
Katy Daly’s
1-3pm free

MTV Presents
Mark Ronson and the Business Intl
Guests to be announced



View the full listings for Belfast Music Week 12 - 19 September 2010.

Go Belfast Mag Skibunny Feature

September 2010 Newsletter

[0] MPFree: Skibunny - Baby, Get Into It

This month's free track is super-catchy pop gem lifted from Skibunny's debut album 'Hugs' - 'Baby, Get Into It' - play loud to invoke an Indian Summer!

Click here to download the track and scroll down to read more about Hugs and the launch show.

[1] Skibunny Debut Album Out Sept 27th 2010



We are proud to announce the release of the long-awaited, melodic masterpiece of a debut album 'Hugs' from electro-guitar-pop favourites Skibunny.

Skibunny is Tanya (vocals, guitar, keys) and Mark (vocals, bass, guitar, keys). Admired far and wide by the media and fellow musicians alike. Heralded as "Belfast's No.1 remixers, promoters and commotion causers" by NME, "a mighty fine band with feisty tunes" by Huw Stephens and "top drawer crunchy electro-rock with big choruses which shout in your ear about a party going on in a house six streets away" by The Irish Times. Skibunny have earned a well-deserved reputation around the world for their DJing and remixery and now present their full-length as a band.

With one eye on tunes and the other on the dance floor, 'Hugs' is 40 minutes of bittersweet electronic guitar-pop beating with an uplifting heart, sitting somewhere between New Order, Goldfrapp and The Cure, ranging from the washed-out bliss of 'Aah Ooh' to the crunching stomp of recent EP lead track 'Walk, Don't Walk', and including a re-imagining of the Afghan Whigs track 'Milez iz Ded'. The album's central theme is about wanting more than your lot, about taking risks in life and love, and if it doesn't work out? You pick yourself up, dust yourself down and do it all over again, but this time a little bit better. 'Hugs' also features guest vocals by Maps and Kaori Tsuchida from The Go! Team.

To celebrate the release, the band will be hosting a free-entry launch gig on a barge somewhere between The Waterfront Hall and the Queen's Bridge in Belfast on Wednesday 15th September. This will be a night like no other with a confirmed DJ set from Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite and a solo set from Belfast's most crucial newcomer Rams Pocket Radio. As if this wasn't enough (!!) there will be a Coney Island Sound DJ Set and the 15 Second Film Festival will set the tone of the night beautifully with live visuals throughout.

To guarantee entry to what will be a memorable night please e-mail info@smalltownamerica.co.uk
Places are limited. It is, after all, a barge.

'Hugs' itself will be available to buy from all the usual outlets from Monday 27th September and as always comes with a limited edition CD (containing specially-recorded material) when pre-ordered from the STA Store. Bag yours today by clicking here

The band will be touring 'Hugs' throughout the Autumn including a slot at the legendary Bestival.

4 September 2010 - Brownstock Festival, Chelmsford
11 September 2010- Bestival, Isle of Wight
15 September 2010 - The Barge, Belfast (Free Entry Album Launch)
17 September 2010 - The Bullet Bar, Kentish Town, London
18 September 2010 - Southsea Festival, Portsmouth
23 September 2010 - Carpe Diem, Leeds
24 September 2010 - Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh (Album Launch)


[2] Fighting With Wire - Irish Mini-Tour



Fighting With Wire will be breaking in tracks from
Next year's 2nd album and offering Irish gig goers a tour-exclusive EP of more new material (details to follow later in September). Tickets on sale now.

24 September 2010 - Spirit Store, Dundalk
25 September 2010 - The Square Peg, Warrenpoint
27 September 2010 - Roisin Dubh, Galway
28 September 2010 - Bakers Place, Limerick
29 September 2010 - The Pavillion, Cork
30 September 2010 - The Workmen's Club, Dublin


[3] And So I Check Your Visas From Afar



Summer festival champions And So I Watch You From Afar make their final open air appearance of the summer at Ireland's Electric Picnic before embarking on their mammoth US tour with Trash Talk

3 September 2010 - Electric Picnic, Co. Laois
25 September 2010 - The Ottobar, Baltimore MD
26 September 2010 - First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA
28 September 2010 - Harpers Ferry, Allston MA
29 September 2010 - Jerkys, Providence RI
30 September 2010 - Santos Party House, New York NY

Pukkelpop 2010 was a rip roaring success for team ASIWYFA - check out their 'Road to Pukkelpop' antics by clicking here


[4] Roster Round-Up



LaFaro
Took a break from writing/rehearsing the contenders for album number two to perform at Reading/Leeds festival over the weekend! A massive thanks to all who took the time to check them out, the response was huge - they premiered on the BBC Red Button and everything. To catch a snippet of what you missed click here

Crooked Mountain, Crooked Sea
Will perform as special guests to Sky Larkin when they visit Brighton as they tour their fantastic 2nd album

10 September 2010 - Audio, Brighton w/ Sky Larkin

4 or 5 Magicians
Ahead of their October tour with Ace Bushy Striptease, 4 or 5 Magicians have two shows at the end of the month

23 September 2010 - The Rest is Noise, Brixton w/Jumping Ships
27 September 2010 - Jam, Brighton w/Still Flyin'

Illness
Illness are busy at work creating artwork for their recently-recorded debut album and gearing up for October's new EP and tour - if you want to book them for a gig in your town get in touch via the band myspace.

That's all for this month. Thanks for reading.

Skibunny Belfast Barge Launch Poster

What Gets Played On A Belgian Radio Rock Show?

LaFaro, amongst other things...

RFTB (Belgian National Radio, French language)
THE ROCKSHOW, Mercredi 18 aout 2O1O

GOJIRA, Oroborus, alb « The Way of All Flesh » (Listenable) Pukkelpop 2O1O
IRON MAIDEN, El Dorado, alb “The Final Frontier” (Emi) NEW! Pukkelpop 2O1O
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, You’re so vague, alb “Rated R” (bonus track) – 2OOO (Interscope) Pukkelpop 2O1O
BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB, At my door, ep “Screaming Gun” – 2OO1 (Abstract Dragon) Pukkelpop 2O1O
BD – Salsedo/Jouvray/Salsedo, Nous ne serons jamais des héros (Le Lombard)
FEEDER, White lines, alb “Renegades” (Big Teeth) NEW!
LAFARO, Girl is a drummer, alb s/t (Smalltown America) NEW!
THE BLACK CROWES, Jealous again, alb “Croweology” (Silver Arrow) NEW!
ACID TIGER, Feel it, ep 7t (Deathwish) NEW!
SPEED CARAVAN, Killing an arab (The Cure cover), alb “Kalashnik Love” (Real World) NEW!
HELLSONGS, School’s out (Alice Cooper cover), alb “Minor Misdemeanors” (Tapete) NEW!
JOY AS A TOY, Deep in your ass, alb “Valparaiso” (Cheap Satanism), concert Bxl Magasin4 (+ Part Chimp) 17/9
PNEU, A coup de couteau denté, alb “Pince Monseigneur” (head-records) concert Andenne “Yayaya Zoulk Fistival” 21/8
KLONE, Spiral down, alb « Black Days » (Season of Mist) NEW !
ENVY, Dreams Coming To An End, alb "Recitation", (Temporary Residence Limited) avant-première 12 octobre
COMMODORE, Sunken Garden Of The Hesperides, ep "Sunken Garden",(autoprod) NEW!
ROTOR, Drehmoment, alb "4", (Elektrohasch), NEW!
SARDONIS, It Walks The Mountain, alb "Sardonis", (Meteorcity), 2010
GAZA, East, ep "East", (Exigent Records), 2004
EXUVIATED, Unquenchable Thirst, ep "An Era's Condemned", (autoprod)
CHILD ABUSE, Financial Burdon, alb "Cut And Run", (Lovepump United),
MONGOLITO, Damascus, alb "Acedia", (autoprod) NEW!

LaFaro Recover From Reading/Leeds

Wow.

What a weekend.

We had a bloody great time at Reading / Leeds festivals. Thank you so so much to all who came to see us rather than the bigger boys who were playing at the same time. We are eternally grateful!

Highlights of our weekend -
Having crowdsurfers @ Reading
Meeting Sam Rivers of Limp Bizkit!
Seeing Limp Bizkit TWICE (and their washing)
Weezer's version of 'Hot For Teacher'
Meeting Roots Manuva!
Dancing badly to Roots Manuva
Not too much rain =]
Rocking to Exit International (check 'em)
Holy Fuck
Hanging and boogying with the General Fiasco boys (some serious moves...)

Great, great weekend. We hope you all enjoyed your sexy selves too? We're back over in December supporting Helmet - hope to see some of you there!

LaFaro x

Skibunny Belfast Album Launch Line-up Announced

As we may have mentioned already, our debut album HUGS is released on Monday 27th September. To celebrate the release, we will be throwing NOT ONE, but TWO special parties, in BELFAST and EDINBURGH. Here’s the details for BELFAST - it’s on a BOAT!

SKIBUNNY “HUGS” ALBUM LAUNCH PARTY
featuring
SKIBUNNY plus very special guests!
STUART BRAITHWAITE (DJ set)
RAMS POCKET RADIO (solo)
CONEY ISLAND SOUND(DJ set)
visuals by the 15 Second Film Festival
at
THE BARGE, BELFAST (between Waterfront Hall and Queens Bridge)
WEDNESDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER
DOORS 8PM (Curfew 11pm)
ADMISSION IS FREE!

Capacity is strictly limited to 100, entry guaranteed by advance subscription to info@smalltownamerica.co.uk

AND it’s all part of Belfast’s Music Week, in association with MTV

Watch ASIWYFA @ Pukkelpop

Watch LaFaro Reading Festival Highlights

Click the image to watch video footage of LaFaro performing Tupenny Nudger, The Ballad Of Burnt Dave and Chopper Is A Tout recorded live from the BBC Introducing stage at the Reading festival on Sunday evening.

Crooked Mountain, Crooked Sea Look Back On EP Tour

Fresh from touring their new EP, Andy from Crooked Mountain, Crooked Sea reports in:

Drove for a thousand miles and screamed at three floors in the north and three ceilings in the south.
Played old and new and unpracticed songs, some well and some badly.
Let's keep it interesting.
Amateurs were really good, I hope they carry on playing and recording lots. They're not scared of a hook or two. I watched them getting better every night which was no mean feat.
Our own new songs took shape on stage and are taking shape on my computer screen, keep your ear to the ground.
It's a dangerous game to take too seriously.

Here are some things that I found out:
There's a surprise rush hour at 2pm on Fridays around London.
Once you run a car battery completely flat it never charges again.
As adults we are far better inventors of childish ball games than we ever were as children.
Nitkowski are the last band you'd want to follow on a line up.
Ginger beer and rum is a really good drink.

Thanks to everyone.

Andy

Fighting With Wire: Tour Exclusive EP On The Way

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO we've announced the UK and Ireland tours for later this year and to go along with it there will be a BRAND NEW FIGHTING WITH WIRE EP!!!

It will only be available on the shows and will feature a whole chunk of new material!

All you need to do is come down to one of the shows and you can grab a copy to keep ya ticking over until the new album is out!!!

What do you think?!

FWW

Skibunny Announce Special Floating Belfast Album Launch

Belfast duo Skibunny release their new album Hugs on September 27th but there'll be a special FREE ENTRY launch gig on a barge in Belfast a couple of weeks beforehand.

SKIBUNNY is TANYA Mellotte (vocals, guitar, keys) and MARK Gordon (vocals, bass, guitar, keys). With one eye on tunes and one on the dance floor, "Hugs" is 40 minutes of bittersweet electronic guitar-pop beating with an uplifting heart, sitting somewhere between NEW ORDER, GOLDFRAPP and THE CURE, ranging from the washed-out bliss of Aah Ooh to the crunching stomp of recent EP lead track Walk Don't Walk, and including a re-imagining of the Afghan Whigs track Milez iz Ded. The album’s central theme is about wanting more than your lot, about taking risks in life and love, and if it doesn’t work out? You pick yourself up, dust yourself down and do it all over again, but this time a little bit better. Hugs also features guest vocals by MAPS and Kaori Tsuchida from THE GO! TEAM.

The album's free barge launch is on Wednesday 15th September in Belfast, somewhere between The Waterfront Hall and the Queen's Bridge; to guarantee entry please email us. "Hugs" itself will be available to buy from September 27th and as always comes with a limited edition CD (containing specially-recorded material) when purchased from the STA store.

STA's Tips For Reading/Leeds 2010

Here's the bands that STA have highlighted with a flourescent Stabilo Boss for this weekend's Leeds and Carling festivals...

LaFaro
Stage: BBC Introducing
Reading Sunday, 19:15
Leeds Saturday, 18:55

We're Only Afraid Of NYC
Stage: BBC Introducing
Reading Friday, 14:45
Leeds Sunday, 15:05

Stagecoach
Stage: BBC Introducing
Reading Friday, 17:40
Leeds Sunday, 17:20

Rolo Tomassi
Stage: NME/Radio 1 Stage
Reading, Saturday 12:00
Leeds, Friday 12:00

Surfer Blood
Stage: NME/Radio 1 Stage
Reading Friday, 12:45
Leeds Sunday, 12:45

Frank Turner
Stage: NME/Radio 1 Stage
Reading Saturday, 17:40
Leeds Friday, 17:15

Serj Tankian
Stage: NME/Radio 1 Stage
Reading Saturday, 18:45
Leeds, Friday 18:20

Holy Fuck
Stage: Lock Up Stage
Reading Sunday, 14:55
Leeds Saturday, 14:35

Gaggle
Stage: Festival Republic Stage
Reading Friday, 11:30
Leeds Sunday, 11:30

General Fiasco
Stage: Festival Republic Stage
Reading Sunday, 15:00
Leeds Saturday, 15:00

Pulled Apart By Horses
Stage: Festival Republic Stage
Reading Friday, 15:50
Leeds Sunday, 15:45

Minus The Bear
Stage: Festival Republic Stage
Reading Sunday, 19:15
Leeds Saturday, 19:00

Blood Red Shoes
Stage: Festival Republic Stage
Reading Friday, 20:25
Leeds Sunday, 20:00

LaFaro Live Update

What a year and it just keeps getting better!

TONIGHT - Retro Bar, Portrush F*CK THE SCENE, SHOW ME THE GREEN *Charity Show*
w/ ASIWYFA, Fighting With Wire, Axis Of, Bomb City 7, Team Fresh. Doors 7pm £5

This Weekend -
Reading and Leeds Festivals
Sat 28th - Leeds - BBC Introducing Stage 18:55
Sun 29th - Reading - BBC Introducing Stage 19:15

October 15th -
Mandela Hall with Axis Of supporting Therapy?
The band will be playing seriously influential album 'Troublegum' in it's entirity from start to finish!

November - December
European Tour w/ Helmet

After all that there's still Christmas to go!!!!

LaFaro x

Make Your Own Ice, Sea, Dead People Video

Ice, Sea, Dead People made a video for their song Grean Tee but as you can see below they forgot to have a background when they filmed it, the fools. Can you help? Click here to find out how you can add your own background and see some examples that have already been made.

1992: The Year Reading Peaked - Tickets On Sale

Tickets for Dan 4 Or 5's unique August Bank Holiday all-dayer are now on sale for just £5. And that's not all - Dan has also gone back in time to 1992 to create a poster using the finest home computing technology of the day.

In late August 1992, on a rainy Sunday evening on a farm in Berkshire, UK, Kurt Cobain was pushed out on a big stage in a wheelchair - an ironic riposte to his widely reported health problems - to perform what must surely be the greatest ever performance at the Reading Festival.

Halfway across the globe in Japan, on the preceeding Friday, what was, and almost certainly still is, the best multiplayer video game of all time - Super Mario Kart - was released.

And so, on Saturday 28th August 2010, we bring these two momentous occasions together in one room, 18 years on, for a celebration of how it used to be.

LaFaro / ASIWYFA In Rock Sound Festivals Review

The new issue of Rock Sound is hitting the doormats of subscribers at the moment and inside you'll find reviews of ASIWYFA and LaFaro from Guilfest and Sonisphere - sneaky scans below.

Crooked Mountain, Crooked Sea EP Out Today

Today marks the release of Crooked Mountain, Crooked Sea's 3rd EP and their 1st for us. Buy it from the STA store in lovingly hand-finished packaging or from the band themselves at the remaining dates on their tour -

17 Aug The Old Blue Last, London, FREE ENTRY
18 Aug The Mothers Ruin, Bristol
19 Aug Hectors House, Brighton
21 Aug 138 Tanners Hill, Deptford ALL DAY ZINE WORKSHOP - FREE BEFORE 6PM, £3 AFTER - ON-STAGE 10.15PM

The EP is also available from the usual digital outlets.

LaFaro on POP4

Click here to check out LaFaro's impressive acoustic rendition of their woozy sea sick punk winner 'The Ballad of Burnt Dave' live before they take to the stage at Glasgowbury 2010.