Review: Carl's Iguana

Carl’s Iguana - Un Tut Sut (Independent)
Taking their name from a snippet of dialogue from Tina Fey’s “Baby Mama” movie, Carl’s Iguana is a quartet from Charlotte, NC (incidentally, there’s no iguana or anyone called Carl in the band). Their album “Un Tut Sut” is mostly instrumental, when a voice is heard on “Woman in Outer Space”, it’s not so much a song, but more a vocal effect to compliment to John Burns’ cavernous dub basslines. It’s not a wholly representative track, but then, no individual track truly is. They’re experimentalists, exploring less travelled musical paths, but providing excellent entertainment on route.

If we must pigeonhole them, then they seem happy with the ‘acid jazz’ moniker, though they must be aware that it tells only a fraction of their story. For example, the jaunty European folk-jazz approach utilised on “Into the Window Like Sugar” is followed immediately by “Diggle”, a track that Chris Wood might have brought to Traffic’s “John Barleycorn” album – and just so you know, that’s a sizeable compliment. “Sunstroke” with its heavy, heavy organ, courtesy of Chris Steude, is tailor made for the opening theme of the grooviest cop movie ever made. In fact someone should make the movie just so they can use the music. When they play it straight on the final track, the all too short “Blue Spot”, its smoky, after-hours vibe provides a perfect conclusion.
http://www.reverbnation.com/carlsiguana
Rob F.

Review: Left In The Attic

Left In The Attic - 13 Steps Down (Independent)
Left In The Attic is an all-female trio from the Bronx. They are Murphy on drums,
Crissy on bass and Jacks plays guitar and sings. The band have been around since 2008, “13 Steps Down” is their second album, and they also do a natty line in stenciled t-shirts – those who remember the ads for “Clash Clothing” in the back of the NME will know what I’m talking about. They also make a fine racket. Their grungy take on punk rock owes much to originators like Hole and L7, but they carve out their own identity with strong songwriting and forceful playing. They’re genuinely compelling.

Jacks’ husky and direct singing style gets its first airing on “21st Century Blues”, though it’s the feisty rhythm section that drives the song on. On both “Anthem” and “Outta-Hand” she almost raps or speaks her words, the latter with sparse bass and drum accompaniment brought to mind those classic early Beastie Boys sides. Coincidently there are 13 tracks on “13 Steps Down”, and highlights come thick and fast. “Bad Blood” is slow and intense, “Master Plan” incorporates the sort of rolling riff that Black Sabbath invented and Soundgarden purloined, and “Cough Syrup” wanders into classic rock territory, but does so without sacrificing their inherent aggression. Full marks to them.
http://www.facebook.com/leftintheattic
Rob F.

Review: Shade Out

Shade Out - One Of One (Independent)
Biographical information for Shade Out is decidedly thin on the ground. Whether it’s an intentional tactic to surround the band with a little inscrutability and ambiguity, I don’t know, but these days it’s an unusual method for a band with such overt commercial appeal. I do know they’re a five piece from Tulsa, OK, and “One Of One” is their debut album. Their Facebook page (they’re not completely anonymous) records their influences as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Nick Cave and Queen, which I think you’ll agree is quite a list. They certainly bring a dark edge to their songs, not so much Gothic, but it pervades their sound, and is pleasantly unsettling – if you get my drift.

“Other Ways” opens the collection, and does so in some considerable style. Its marching rhythm, dramatic pauses, Keith Emerson-esque organ rolls and singer Samantha Smith’s calm, off-hand delivery all combines to shape the track. It’s showy and a little camp, but strange and mysterious, too. They continue that line of approach throughout “One Of One”. “Gunstinger” seems written to accompany pantomime villainy and “Off to the Races” is keyboard heavy and features Smith’s best vocal. “Disappearing” has a great stumbling bass line, and the tension escalates before Starla Robinson’s saxophone brings it home. Great stuff.
http://www.facebook.com/ShadeOut
Rob F.

Review: J.P. Taylor

J.P. Taylor - Looking For A Sign (Independent)
J.P. Taylor is a teacher, a naturalist and a musician, and over the last decade he’s released a series of educational albums that he’s used in the classroom to help get across his conservationist message. They deserve a far wider audience. His songs are clever and witty, his arrangements have plenty of pop appeal, and he sings with a voice that’s part Colin Hay and part Steven Stills. Also, if his songs make you think about what’s going on around you, and inspire you take a little affirmative ‘green’ action within your own life, surely that’s no bad thing, either.

“Looking For A Sign” begins with “I Sing for the Trees”, a rousing statement of intent, with a huge hook and the sort of addictive melody that only years of therapy will remove from the subconscious. The production is spot on (is that a horn section I hear?) and it would sound at home on any grown-up radio station that cared to play it during daytime hours. “Conservation Nation” seems to have been transported from 1972, with it’s West Coast feel and “We’ve Got the Power” is a righteous call to arms. Obviously, if any of the above seems relevant to you, and as a human it should do, we recommend downloading your copy rather than buying the CD. Every little bit helps.
http://www.jptaylormusic.com/
Rob F.

Review: Ashley Naylor

Ashley Naylor - High Horse (El Reno Music)
Ashley Naylor is probably best known as singer, songwriter and guitarist for the Australian band Even. The trio released a series of well received albums in the late nineties and early noughties, and were considered to be one of the star attractions on the bijou international power pop scene. If you were a customer of Minus Zero (London, UK) or Not Lame (Fort Collins, USA) you knew exactly who Even were and treasured their records (especially the first pair: “Less Is More” and “Come Again”) alongside albums by The Posies, Jellyfish and The Rooks. As the decade entered its second phase, things quieted down for the band with just 2008’s self-titled album and a couple of singles to indicate their continued existence. Since 2006, Naylor has played in Paul Kelly’s touring band and with The Ronson Hangup and in the Manta Trio.

Okay. That’s the biography out of the way, onto the record. “High Horse” is Naylor’s debut solo long-player (there was an EP in 2006) and he’s lost none of his pop nous. The album is bookended by a two instrumentals, “Fairhaven” and “Fairhaven II”. Both are simple affairs with an acoustic guitar being strummed enthusiastically and a lead guitar adding subtle emphasis. The first ‘song’ is “Run Away to the Sun”, built around a piano riff, its themes of escape and renewal contrast sweetly with Naylor’s compact arrangement. “Gordon Lightfoot” is a tender, pedal steel powered country rock song, funnily enough not unlike Gordon Lightfoot. That’s followed by the stomping “Last of the Longhairs”, which sounds like a long lost classic from the Paisley Underground. For easy reference, think the first Dream Syndicate album.

The second half begins with a short piano instrumental, before “Jetset Paupers” takes us into another world. Naylor speaks his story, and double tracks the vocals on the chorus – it’s a gem of a cut. “Berlin 92” is a long (over five minutes) instrumental, with lots of sustained electric guitar played over a basic piano line – perhaps he’s been listening to Bowie’s “Low” album. “Almost” is the last vocal track on the record, and it returns to languid country-rock, with some excellent pedal steel to the fore and Naylor in fine vocal form. It’s one of many first-rate songs on “High Horse” and although it’s not a long album, there’s plenty to satisfy the discerning music fan.
http://www.facebook.com/AshleyNaylor.Official
Rob F.

Country singer Billie Jo Spears dies aged 74...

Country singer Billie Jo Spears, best known for her 1975 hit Blanket on the Ground, has died at the age of 74.

The sultry-voiced singer, who had 25 Top 40 country hits between 1969 and 1984, died at her home in Vidor, Texas on Wednesday, according to reports.

Famed for her bluesy vocals, Spears had her first chart hit with Mr. Walker, It's All Over.

Her other Top 10 hits included What I've Got in Mind, Misty Blue and If You Want Me.

Though her popularity waned in the 1980s Spears continued to tour, despite having triple bypass heart surgery in 1993.

The Texan star had been scheduled to make a number of UK appearances next May as part of a touring show entitled Ladies of Country.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16193947

MADONNA SIGNS INTERSCOPE DEAL...

MADONNA SIGNS INTERSCOPE DEAL
Madonna has reportedly signed a new record deal with Universal division Interscope, the first release under the deal being her in-production new album

Madonna, of course, has an existing multi-layered partnership with Live Nation which includes her recording activity now that she is out of her previous recording contract with Warner Music. Though original plans by the live music conglom when it entered into so called 360 degree arrangements with four A-list artists back in 2007, to have a specific division handling that side of things never really got off the ground, so it's seemed likely for a while any future Madonna album releases would be in partnership with a major.

It's thought the deal with Interscope will be for three albums, the first of which will be released in January around about the singer's appearance at the Super Bowl. Universal and Live Nation, which are already collaborating elsewhere on a new artist partnerships business, will announce the Madonna deal later today.

Source: http://www.unlimitedmedia.co.uk/

CLIVE ROBBINS DIES...

CLIVE ROBBINS DIES
Clive Robbins, the inspirational music therapist, has died aged 84. His death was confirmed earlier this week by the charity that bears his name, Nordoff-Robbins.

Birmingham-born Robbins began to work in music education after a serious injury while serving in the RAF brought to a premature end a promising career as a pianist. He became a teacher for Sunfield Children's Homes in the Midlands, which provided education based upon the educational philosophies of the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner. He primarily worked with mentally disabled children, something he later described as "the first profoundly fulfilling experience of my life".

It was at Sunfield that he met American musician Paul Nordoff, who was fascinated by Steiner's philosophies. Nordoff spent some time at Sunfield in 1958, and was so impressed with what he saw that he returned a year later to explore his growing interest in the therapeutic potential of music. And so the ground breaking work that is now synonymous with the name Nordoff-Robbins began.

The two men spent much of the 60s touring curative homes and educational institutions, first across Europe, and then the US, advocating, promoting and teaching what they called therapy in music. They showed how some of the most disabled and unreachable children could be persuaded to participate, and to build social and self-awareness, discipline and concentration, by being encouraged and enabled to play simple musical compositions. Or, as the Nordoff-Robbins charity put it: "Placed in front of a snare drum and cymbal, these children revealed their sensitivities and their expressive, receptive and relational abilities in their musical responses".

It was a prolific period in which Robbins and Nordoff developed their approaches, and shared their work through lectures, publications and media exposure. Six years in Philadelphia allowed more formal research to be undertaken, funded by the US National Institute Of Mental Health, and later the two men spent seven years in Europe lecturing via the American-Scandinavian Foundation. Over the years individuals and organisations across the world became specialists in music therapy based on Robbins and Nordoff's work.

The two men's working partnership came to an end in 1974 for various reasons, but their work, ideas and names lived on, not least because the same year in the UK one Sybil Beresford-Peirse, who had set up a music therapy centre at Goldie Leigh Hospital in South London, established the first full-time Nordoff-Robbins training programme. With support from the UK music industry, this programme grew throughout the 70s, and morphed into the Nordoff-Robbins charity in 1980.

Robbins himself returned to the US in 1975 and remarried. With his new wife, also a music therapist, he took various roles at US institutions furthering the music therapy cause, while also continuing to lecture in Europe. In the 1980s they moved to Australia where they founded a Nordoff-Robbins Association, and then in 1989 they were involved in the creation of the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy at New York University.

Robbins remained active throughout all of his life, with links to the various Nordoff-Robbins organisations. In more recent years he was particularly active in South East Asia, where his teachings and approaches not only saw an expansion of music therapy work, but were also applied to other medical disciplines.

Paying tribute earlier this week, the Nordoff-Robbins charity in the UK wrote: "Clive's gift was to help Paul Nordoff harness his musicianship, set a direction, documenting the work and finding a language for communicating their ideas. By the end of his life, beloved around the world across a variety of cultures, Clive had inspired thousands with his love, emotion and sensitivity, his embracing personality and humanistic values. His often rapturous descriptions of the power of music and its impact on the emotional states of human experience were profoundly moving to the many who heard and shared his passion for music and people".

Robbins died on 7 Dec, and is survived by his third wife, two children and various grand-children and great grand-children, and, as Nordoff-Robbins puts it, "the global community of Nordoff-Robbins music therapists - all heirs to his knowledge and life's work".

Source: http://www.unlimitedmedia.co.uk/

David Bowie Top of the Pops footage found by cameraman...

A retired cameraman has been speaking of the moment he realised he owned footage of David Bowie on Top of the Pops which was thought to be lost.

John Henshall, 69, from Stanford-in-the-Vale, Oxfordshire, retained a copy of Bowie performing Jean Genie in 1973.

He said: "I just couldn't believe that I was the only one with it. I just thought you wouldn't be mad enough to wipe a tape like that."

It was unveiled on Sunday at an event held by the British Film Institute.

The annual event, Missing Believed Wiped, was the first time the footage had been seen since January 1973.

Mr Henshall said he only kept it because he wanted it for his showreel.

In the footage he used Telefex Fisheye lenses which he had designed himself. He also ended up in the background of one of the shots.

After the recording he asked producers for a personal copy on 2in (5cm) broadcast videotape.


'Rarer than rare'

Mr Henshall said: "I didn't realise that it had been wiped by the BBC.

"They'd been looking for it for years, hoping that somebody had maybe pointed an 8mm home movie camera at the screen, because there was no VHS in those days.

"I didn't realise that anybody wanted it. I'd just had it because it was my Fisheye.

"I had loads of ideas for optical effects back then."

Bowie's performance of Jean Genie was recorded on 3 January 1973 and transmitted the following day for the first and only time.

After realising he had a "rarer than rare" piece of television history, Mr Henshall went to Westpoint Television in London to view the footage.

"The hairs stood up on the back of my neck," he said.

"There it was in full broadcast quality. Amazing."

After his time with Top of the Pops, Mr Henshall went on to film professional music videos for Blondie, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Kate Bush, Spandau Ballet, Roxy Music and Queen.

Among other items recovered and shown at Sunday's event were two missing episodes of Doctor Who, a television play by Dennis Potter called Emergency Ward 9 and a comedy sketch featuring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.

The first transmission of Jean Genie since 1973 will be in a BBC4 documentary, Tales of Television Centre, to be broadcast in the new year.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-16150178

Review: Bruce Wheelock

Bruce Wheelock - They Must Have Found The Body (Independent)
There’s something very appealing about Bruce Wheelock’s “They Must Have Found The Body”. It sounds like one of those records released in the ‘70s by the ex-frontman or songwriter of a prog-rock band, who still wants to push the envelope, but equally feels the need to trim away the excess and let the song breathe. Peter Gabriel’s an obvious example, as is Peter Hammill and Anthony Moore - and it’s the late ‘70s and early ‘80s recordings of the latter that draws the easiest comparison. He’s captured the same sort of ambitious flow to his record, and though there are a few featured instrumentals, they compliment the songs and complete the vision.

Vocalist Shay Dillon appears on two tracks, the opening “Outside” where she and Wheelock divide the song equally and “Breathless” where she’s on her own. Both are excellent, in particular “Breathless” where she soothes her vocal over various layers of electronic backing; it’s a fantastic track that drives through the future on a stuttering riff. There’s no shortage of electricity and sweeping synths anywhere on “They Must Have Found The Body”, and 30 years ago Wheelock would’ve undoubtedly found a nurturing home on Mute Records. As it is he’s a man out of time, but that’s really not a concern for anyone who loves the sound of vintage-style electronica, bold arrangements and elaborate yet wholly accessible pop music. You can count me in.
http://www.reverbnation.com/brucewheelock
Rob F.

Review: John Roy Zat

John Roy Zat – Solo (Flyin’ Bayou)
John Roy Zat comes from a long line of American singer-songwriters who occupy that space between traditional country and folk music. You know the people I’m talking about; Guy Clark, Steve Young and John Prine come to mind, but there’re probably a thousand others. In olden times (the ‘70s) they were often referred to as the ‘new Dylan’, but feel free to delete ol’ Bob’s name and replace with Hank Williams, Woody Guthrie, Gram Parsons or Ryan Adams, depending on your age, tastes or inclination.

There’s enough silver in Zat’s hair to suggest he’s not the new anyone, but that hasn’t stopped him writing a collection of songs that tap straight into that tradition. The fact that he’s a talented fiddle player brings another dimension to “Solo” and it fleshes out his guitar and vocal to good effect. The album begins with “Headed for the Promised Land” adapted, I believe, from an old Chuck Wagon Gang spiritual, though its origins are probably far earlier, and it’s a fine introduction. “Irish Waltz” tells the story of meeting his wife and “Moths to a Flame” is simply a first-rate song of loss and redemption. The final two cuts, “Down in Mexico” and “Long Train Coming” end proceedings on a high, the latter an upbeat train song – surely the stock-in-trade of any American singer-songwriter worth their salt.
http://www.reverbnation.com/royzat
Rob F.

STONE ROSES SIGN NEW DEAL

STONE ROSES SIGN NEW DEAL
The recently reformed Stone Roses have signed a new record deal for the new material they have been working on since reforming earlier this year. The band have signed a UK deal with Universal Music and a US deal with Sony's Columbia Records.

A statement reads: "The Stone Roses are pleased to announce that they have signed a record contract with Universal Music in London and with Columbia Records in New York".

As previously reported, Ian Brown et al will reform for three reunion shows in Manchester next June, followed by a string of festival appearances around the world.

NICK CAVE'S GRINDERMAN PROJECT AT AN END, POSSIBLY

CAVE'S GRINDERMAN PROJECT AT AN END, POSSIBLY
Nick Cave's side project Grinderman is on hiatus, or at least that's what everyone is assuming following the band's gig at Australia's Meredith Music Festival this weekend.

Cave told the audience at the festival: "That's it for Grinderman. It's over. See you all in another ten years when we'll be even older and uglier".

Cave formed Grinderman with Warren Ellis, Martyn P Casey and Jim Sclavunos, all members of the Bad Seeds, in 2006 as a side project to their Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds work.

Source: http://www.unlimitedmedia.co.uk/

CAR COLLIDES WITH NUMAN TOUR BUS...

CAR COLLIDES WITH NUMAN TOUR BUS
Gary Numan was back on the road last week, for a few gigs ahead of his appearance at this weekend's ATP event in Minehead, and not without a bit of drama after a car collided with his tour bus in East Sussex.

According to reports, the driver of the car involved in the collision was trying to overtake Numan's double decker tour bus when it collided with the coach, causing it to go spinning up the embankment at the side of the road. Numan, on the upper deck of the bus at the time, says he saw the car pass his window before crashing into the embankment. Yet, fortunately, the driver was OK.

The Sun quotes Numan thus: "We felt a thud and the bus stopped really quickly. People were thrown to the floor. I was on the top deck and saw this little gold car the same height as me going past the window. When the car stopped we could see the woman putting it into neutral before getting out as if it was something that happened every day. We waited for the police to arrive so she wasn't on her own".

Given no one was hurt, there's probably room for some lame gag based on Numan's famous 1979 hit 'Cars' here. I just can't think of one. Something about Numan having a history of hits with cars. Flesh it out for yourself.

Source: http://www.unlimitedmedia.co.uk/

PROPER MUSIC: New Releases for 12th December...

Emily Smith & Jamie McClennan - Adoon Winding Nith

Award winning Scottish folk singer Emily Smith and multi-instrumentalist Jamie McClennan present an enchanting album of songs by Scotland’s National bard Robert Burns. Emily’s crystal clear vocals, lyrical accordion and piano lines combine with the sensitive guitar and fiddle accompaniment from New Zealand born McClennan to make ‘Adoon Winding Nith’ one of the most original albums of Burns material available.

Jamie McClennan - In Transit

Performing on stage with the like of The Waifs, Beth Nielson Chapman, Phil Cunningham, Brian Finnigan and John McCusker, Jamie's style is a melting pot drawing on influences from his ancestral roots of traditional Scottish and Irish fiddle music, but also from a love of bluegrass and blues. His versatility and passion for music comes across in his infectious energy on stage and it's clear that every part of him is affected by his performance."In Transit" is his solo debut first released in 2009.

Roger Chapman - Maybe the Last Time

Former singer, songwriter and front man with famed UK rock bands Family and Streetwalkers, Roger Chapman starting a successful solo career in 1978. “The summer of 2011 I saw myself and The Shortlist back out on the road for a round of European City & Biker Festivals. …… it`s always nice to play the old favourites such as ‘Shadow On The Wall,' ‘Who Pulled The Nite Down’ etc., but it`s also nice to be loose, not tied down to much.

Various - Masterpieces of Classical Music
There was never a more interesting compilation of classical music before. More than 100 masterworks on 52 CDs are interpreted by the most famous artists of the 20th century. Star conductors like Leonard Bernstein, Herbert von Karajan, Wilhelm Furtwängler and Arturo Toscanini accompany great soloists such as Glenn Gould, Friedrich Gulda, Sviatoslav Richter, David Oistrach, Yehudi Menuhin, Isaac Stern, Dennis Brain or Mstislav Rostropovich.

Wayman Tisdale - Story
The "Wayman Tisdale Story" is a feature length documentary celebrating the life and legacy of Wayman Tisdale, a three-time All-American, Gold Medal Olympian, former NBA star and world renowned Jazz musician who lost his two-year battle with bone cancer in May of 2009. Rendezvous Music complements this telling of Wayman's story with a soundtrack featuring 13 tracks including the previously unreleased track, "Slam Dunk" and the Toby Keith track, "Cryin’ for Me", which was written and performed as a tribute to Wayman.

Ron Carter - Great Big Band

The legendary bassist Ron Carter had accomplished nearly everything a jazz musician could. He has appeared on thousands of recordings, performed with legends, and has led revered ensembles. One thing he hadn't done was lead a big band. On the new CD 'Ron Carter's Great Big Band' , he finally got to be at the helm of 17 piece large ensemble. Assisted by arranger Bob Freedman and producer Wendy MacDonald, the ensemble took on an eclectic program of compositions by a handful of jazz masters, including Carter himself.

Review: John McCutcheon

John McCutcheon - This Land: Woody Guthrie's America (Appalsongs)
This is heritage material that you may think, at first, needs no makeover. These are the very same songs that inspired, and helped launch, Bob Dylan, and that, should say enough.

When I say makeover, I mean anything from a respectful attempt to copy the originals to a refreshingly new interpretation. Fortunately, John McCutcheon has put considerable thought into this project, and made a great effort with some of the material to renew it, if not for today, then certainly for recent times. Two of the songs ("Old Cap Moore" and "Harness Up The Day") he has completed the writing of, by invitation of the Guthrie family. I was mildly surprised how little I resented these efforts. He got me on his side straightaway. His voice has a strong, melodic edge to it, as he delivers some of these songs with an almost European folk tinge to them. He also introduces a variety of alternative attractions, from the relatively straightforward accordion and fiddle accompaniment on "Deportees", the haunting cello on "Ludlow Massacre", to the rejuvenating soprano sax on "Mail Myself To You" and "Pastures Of Plenty".

Was this a necessary venture? Well, it is undoubtedly an authentic and honest attempt to pay homage to a giant of America's musical past, an attempt to re-interpret this varied material without a trace of cashing in. It’s some distance from being a 'tribute' album, which is no bad thing at all. Whether you are familiar with the material hardly matters. If you are, then you should recognise it for its integrity; if this is new to you then it should make you want to seek out the original Woody Guthrie recordings, and investigate the man who inspired a generation of American folk musicians. John McCutcheon is but one of them.
http://www.folkmusic.com/
Kev A.

Review: Saso

Saso - Exitudes (Melted Snow)
I remember the first album by Saso, “Big Group Hug”, from 2001, a gentle, guitar / piano led collection, with restrained, warm vocals on some of the tracks, that seemed to give you a hug when you listened to it... sort of. It was a comfortable and pleasant affair, good to hear on an evening when you were seeking some quiet time. Still is, in fact.

Ten years on, and we have a slightly more vigorous approach from this Irish male duo, not a million miles away from Talk Talk's slower musical compositions, though not a million miles away from that debut album, either. The piano is still to the fore and, at times, so is a rather splendid acoustic guitar. They’re a complete delight on "From Limbo", for example, where the vocals are now strained rather than restrained, but they do capture this more upfront, ever so slightly more urgent approach. The strings are also a superb touch.

It’s the vocals, though, that are now truly centre stage. ‘Unique’ is the word that comes to mind in any attempt to describe them - falsetto at the core, and a little on the downbeat side, as if the voices are seeking solace within the songs. Whenever they appear, the effect is melancholic, even on the uptempo numbers like "Idle Spirit". This track, the halfway point, appears to usher in a quicker, less hushed sound, adding not only some variety to the proceedings, but also a slightly different direction.

I can't think of anything not to like on this album. It isn't a set of songs that you would want to play at a party, of course, as it’s far too sombre, but for the long winter nights in, this could be half a tonic, whilst you drink mulled wine, which is the other half.
http://www.saso.ie/EPK/
Kev A.

Review: Madison Violet

Madison Violet - The Good In Goodbye (True North Records)
The semi-husky voice is in the right place, as is the sweeter vocal that shares the songs. I've no idea who owns which voice in this female Canadian duo, and up to a point it hardly matters. They very nicely blend together in a country-folk way, that’s very easy on the ear. The pleasant backing comes from six fellows, one of them being Les Cooper, their producer, and it fits the bill pretty much perfectly. So, that takes care of the first six tracks then. This is, er, okay.

Right, what's next? Thankfully, a bit of contrast. "Come As You Are" ups the ante, gently breaking out of the middle-of-the-road Americana shell, with a decent guitar riff, cruising harmonica, and a sterner attack on the lyrics. "Colour In Grey" slows down to an almost halt, the voices a bittersweet confection encouraged by the lap steel of Cooper. The uptempo "Emily" follows, with great banjo as well as frisky vocals, and "Cindy Cindy", which doesn’t sound a million miles away from Eddie Cochran's “Cut Across Shorty”, continues the trend and sparkles for two and a half minutes. They finish with a glorious ballad, "Christy Ellen Francis", a beautiful piece of writing, singing and arranging.

Recognition of any sort has been a long time coming for these two women. '”The Good In Goodbye” is their fourth album, in a recording career going back to 2004. If they’d condensed those first six tracks into one, or perhaps two songs, they would have made a pretty good mini-album, using just their best material to sing their duets on.
http://www.madisonviolet.com/
Kev A.

Xmas Round-Up...

Xmas Round-Up

December’s well and truly here, there’s a chill in the air and snow’s on the way. The days are short, everyone’s spending more money than they’ve got and January’s going to be horribly depressing for all of us. Frankly, the world’s in a mess, half of Europe’s bankrupt and the other half speaks German. Suicide rates are soaring, the anarchists are running up their black flags and sharpening their knives; only one thing that can save us now and that’s a big stack of new Christmas music…

Right let’s begin with those giants of West-Country high-culture, those doyens of zider-fueled nights behind the cowsheds, the only band for whom Farmer Giles is a fanclub member rather than the result of sitting for too long in the back of a cold van. Indeed, the only popular beat combo to make Reg Presley sound like a erudite, sophisticated bloke; ladies and gents, I give you The Wurzels…

The Wurzels – The Wurzels Christmas Album (CIA Ltd.)
Having watched more than my fair share of Top Of The Pops 1976, I feel like I’m more than acquainted with The Wurzels’ oeuvre. The only thing they enjoy more than lashings of fermented apple juice is singing songs about combine harvesters, so an album of Chrimbo standards is well out their comfort zone. Still, they don’t do a bad job of “White Christmas” with plentiful “ooh argh ooh” backing vocals. Obviously Bing’s spinning in his grave, but he always was a miserable old sourpuss. Unfortunately, their version of “Fairytale Of New York” is plain rotten, and Shane MacGowan’s probably spinning in his grave too, but that’s because he’s not dead, and shouldn’t have taken that shortcut home across the graveyard.
http://www.thewurzels.com/

Next…

John Baumgardner & The Paper Doll Baptists – Fruitcake With Nuts (J. Bomb Records)
This is more like it. John Baumgardner has joined with long-time friends and altos Amy Hueneman and Markita Conner to produce a top album of holiday jazz-pop. I like easy-listening jazz-pop and I like it especially this time of the year. Baumgardner has selected an interesting collection of songs which probably reflect American tastes rather than British ones, but I’m all for shaking things up, and there’s more than enough first-rate arrangements and performances to satisfy the most jaded Christmas music lover. Best of all are “Love & Joy (The Wassail Song)” and “‘Zat You, Santa Claus?”
http://johnbaumgardner.com/

Next…

Mark Brine – The Carol And The True Folk Legend Of Jack Frost Soundtrack (KJK Records)
Putting some of that ol’ time relijun back into the festive period, Mark Brine’s epic tale of Jack Frost and “The Carol” is available as a 13 hour download or as a double disc with just the music. It’s the latter we’ve got here, and though here at Bangs we don’t generally go for the spiritual side of Christmas, we’ve always got time for anyone with proper ambition and the wherewithal to do something about it. We’ve also always enjoyed Brine’s releases in the past, and this one’s no different. You can’t help but admire him for sticking with what he believes in, and for bringing out a Christmas album with a track called “Wordless Dirge For Michelle”. That probably won’t be the single.
http://www.markbrine.com/

Finally…

Ike Moriz – Starry Night (Mosquito Records London)
Ike Moriz is a star of the South African lounge scene, with a dozen albums under his belt, and like all the finest practitioners of what we like to call “the croon”, a Christmas album is nigh on compulsory. “Starry Night” is his 2009 holiday record and it doesn’t disappoint. Most of the classics are covered, from “It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” to “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, and Moriz does a sterling job with all of them. A special mention for the one original song in the collection “Peace Dream” sung with the exceptional Brothers With Voices choir, and one for the fact fans – it is possible to “Let It Snow” and have a “White Christmas” in South Africa’s “Winter Wonderland”, but you’ve got to be in the Maluti Mountains. So there!
http://www.ikemoriz.com/

Rob F.

THE MILK ANNOUNCE TOUR

THE MILK ANNOUNCE TOUR
Soul climbers The Milk are set to be kept very busy during the first part of 2012, having plotted a 28-date tour to promote their previously reported EP, 'B-Roads and B-Sides'.

With that due out on 19 Dec, here's what the rest of the band's schedule looks like:

1 Mar: Canterbury, The Farmhouse
2 Mar: Brighton, Green Door Store
4 Mar: Bournemouth, 60 Million Postcards
5 Mar: Southampton, Joiners
7 Mar: Oxford, Jericho
8 Mar: Bristol, Start The Bus
9 Mar: Bath, Moles
10 Mar: Gloucester, Guildhall
12 Mar: Cardiff, The Globe
13 Mar: Doncaster, Leopard
14 Mar: York, Stereo
16 Mar: Leeds, Nation of Shopkeepers
17 Mar: Stoke, Sugarmill
18 Mar: Birmingham, The Rainbow
19 Mar: Sheffield, The Plug
21 Mar: Nottingham, Bodega
22 Mar: Manchester, Deaf Institute
23 Mar: Liverpool, Shipping Forecast
24 Mar: Preston, 53 Degrees
26 Mar: Middlesbrough, Westgarth Social Club
28 Mar: Edinburgh, Electric Circus
29 Mar: Glasgow, King Tut's
30 Mar: Aberdeen, Tunnels
31 Mar: Dundee, Doghouse
2 Apr: Newcastle, Cosmic Ballroom
3 Apr: Norwich, Open
4 Apr: London, Scala
5 Apr: Southend, Chinnerys

Source: http://www.unlimitedmedia.co.uk/

PEARL JAM TO TOUR, HEADLINE ISLE OF WIGHT IN 2012

PEARL JAM TO TOUR, HEADLINE ISLE OF WIGHT IN 2012
Pearl Jam have just confirmed a raft of live listings for around the world for 2012. While the band's only UK arena date falls on 22 Jun at Manchester's MEN Arena, British fans will also be able to catch them at the Isle Of Wight Festival, where they've been booked as second-day headliners on 23 Jun.

Also in the PJ calendar; festival appearances at Belgium's Rock Werchter on 29 Jun, and at the Main Square Festival in Arras, France, on 30 Jun.

Source: http://www.unlimitedmedia.co.uk/

Review: Miscomunicado

Miscomunicado - L’Ocean (Play Positive Records)
Miscomunicado describe themselves as a progressive, psychedelic blues-rock band. There are elements of all those genres in what they do, but equally there are tracks here that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on the John Peel show circa the post-punk years, or the main stage of last year’s Reading Festival. They’ve a lot going on and it’s to their considerable credit that they sound like the same band for all 16 tracks of their one hour and 15 minute debut album, the nattily titled “L’Ocean”.

The album begins with shakers and a walking bassline, before there’s a shout and the guitars (three guitarists are credited) arrive from every direction, in different styles. Vocalist / guitarist Dan Scott sings with a voice that screams 1980, before flirting with Zappa-style flights of fancy, and a spoken coda. It’s a fascinating introduction to the record. Incidentally, the track’s called “Situations” – you may want to make a note of it.

There are plenty of other highlights: the staccato strings and drone of “Fkapoija”, “Accessories” rattles along like Iggy’s “The Passenger”, for a bit, and “The Girl With the Glitter On Her Back” is birthed from what sounds like a giant egg cracking open, or perhaps it’s a slow motion explosion, or something of that ilk. When the song arrives it plays it pretty straight, but the guitars aren’t listening and head for the psychedelic hills. It all falls apart on a number of occasions, but gathers itself like a tie-dye cockroach wandering through a nuked cityscape. Perfect.
http://miscomunicado.bandcamp.com/
Rob F.


FOOTNOTE. If you like the sound of L’Ocean, the band are selling the download for the bargain price of $3. Head over to their Bandcamp page (link at the base of the review) for details.

Review: Earth Rising

Earth Rising - S/T EP (Independent)
Earth Rising is an indie quintet from Las Vegas, and their new self-titled EP is their debut release. I’ve always wondered what the grassroots music scene is like in Las Vegas, where I imagine the alternative isn’t always encouraged, but if a band like Earth Rising thrives, it can’t be all bad. Their mix of progressive, indie rock, with a Bristolian trip-hop vibe is a persuasive proposition, and in vocalist Rachel Delgado they’ve a front woman who rivals Saint Etienne’s Sarah Cracknell for uncomplicated pull.

Guitarist EJ Delgado brings a glassy precision to the project. On “Coming Home” he takes the lead, with the minimum of fuss he lays brittle chords around a flaying, muscular wall-of-sound, and the effect’s quite stunning. On “Complete” they change tack completely, Delgado’s guitar finds some funk, and the drummers / percussionists, Luis Mendez and Jon Whisenant, hit an abstract groove. Keyboards and vocals carry the melody. It’s a great track that hovers somewhere between he dance floor and the chill-out room. Six tracks in total, which is enough for now, but I hope there’s a full-length release in the pipeline.
http://www.earthrisingmusic.com/
Rob F.

Review: Morgan Friend

Morgan Friend - Angel Goin’ Down (Independent)
Morgan Friend’s debut is “a collection of redemption songs written from a sinner's point of view”. I checked Google, and I couldn’t find any major crimes committed by Friend, so he’s probably talking about the minor peccadillos, the stuff that makes life fun, or the afterlife a nightmare, depending on your point of view. Art, in its many forms, has been used as a form of redemption, probably since our ancestors started daubing on cave walls, so while Friend’s concept isn’t breaking any new ground, he approaches his topic with such rough and ready enthusiasm, it’s difficult not to be swept along.

Recorded live-to-tape, with musical friends and family, on minimal equipment, “Angel Goin’ Down” revels in its lo-fi approach, drawing an easy looseness from those involved, and not getting hung up over, or stressed out by trivial imperfections. Everyone sounds like they’re enjoying themselves even when the self-recriminations are being dished out on songs like “No One But Me To Blame” or the crying-in-my-beer balladry of “She Hurts”. The title track suggests redemption may not be the priority, and “Charlie Sheen” will probably have Betty Ford spinning in her grave. We’ll brush over the songs about drinking whiskey and eating roadkill squirrels, but you should try and hear “Old Alberta Red”, the sort of story song that would’ve made a man’s career back in the day
http://www.morganfriend.com/
Rob F.

Review: Satchel Paige & The Windup

Satchel Paige & The Windup - Faulty Wiring (The Dust Factory)
Recorded in East Nashville, Tn., “Faulty Wiring” is Satchel Paige’s debut release with The Windup, a group of friends and acquaintances who came together just to play on the record. Amongst the group, there are a couple of names I know: bass man Jon Estes is a well known player with various left-field country sorts and keys man Kai Welch I recall from several Nashville groups, most prominently Bobby Bare Jr.’s band.

There’s just a slither of country music influence to be found on “Faulty Wiring”, given the location and the players involved, and instead Paige and his compatriots have mostly come up with a concise collection (eight tracks, 40-ish minutes) of indie-folk vignettes that gently unwind, relentlessly drawing the listener in. Of course, there other influences are at play, and some of them will surprise. On one of their webpages there’s a mention of Mark Knopfler, alongside Grandaddy and Radiohead; the latter pair sound about right, and when I listen to the title track, “A Heart Grown Old” and “Arrow in The Quiver” I can hear a twist of late period Nirvana – not as loud, desolate or full of angst, but there all the same. On “Less Numb Than Some” there are hints of both Neil Young and Richard Thompson, though on “Name, License & Registration”, there’s nothing I can be certain about, except for the fact that it’s possibly the most addictive pop song I’ve stumbled upon for some time.
http://www.satchelpaigemusic.com/
Rob F.

Review: Garrick Davis & The Fabulous FunkyBand

Garrick Davis & The Fabulous FunkyBand - Expose Your Self (Laughing Man Records)
Garrick Davis is a self-taught guitarist-singer-songwriter from San Francisco, and “Expose Your Self” is his third album. A regular performer on the west coast of the U.S., both solo and with his Fabulous Funky Band, he’s obviously honed his sound on dozens of different stages, and he manages to transfer some of that live performance excitement into the studio. His new album (I’m sure the title refers to opening oneself up to new experiences rather than the sort of thing that attracts police attention) indicates he’s a performer with all-round capabilities: strong songwriting, a good bluesy voice and an easy and varied way with a guitar. In fact, it’s the variety of styles that makes “Expose Your Self” stand out from the pack.

His fusion of blues, rock, funk and Americana means that he’s equally adept at ballsy rockers like the opening cut “So Glad I'm Here”, as he is when he slows it down and gets soulful on the title track or the Kravitz(esque) “I Give You Trouble”. The Americana influence can be heard on “Lookin' for Something”, though the rhythmic pulse is decidedly fluid. There are a couple of tracks that are just outstanding, and if you’re on the look out for iPod fodder then you really need both “Sotchiatta” and “Peace Of My Mind”. The former is a spellbinding story song that would have been a standout track on the first Blues Traveler album, with it’s weaving harmonica and Davis’ languid phrasing. The latter seems a slight thing on the surface, with its barely audible vocal effects and handclap beat, but I find myself more absorbed in its haunted atmosphere each time I listen. If only it was ten times as long. Seriously.
http://garrickdavis.com/
Rob F.

Sir Peter Blake's Brit award...

This year's Brit Awards statue has been designed by Sir Peter Blake.

Blur to get outstanding contribution award at Brits...

Blur to get outstanding contribution award at Brits

lur are set to be honoured at next year's Brit Awards for their outstanding contribution to music.

It comes 21 years after their debut and 17 years since they won four Brits off the back of their Parklife album.

"It's great to have recognition for all the work and all the heartache and all the joy that's gone into this band," said frontman Damon Albarn.

The four-piece briefly reformed in summer 2009 but chose to disband after a series of high profile outdoor shows.

Blur will receive the award at the Brits ceremony in February, held at London's 02 arena.

There has so far been no comment on whether the band will perform on the night.

Guitarist Graham Coxon said the band had not changed over the years.

"Being in a band this long is like a kind of time travel," he said.

"We're the same gang we ever were, we've just landed in a different era.

"Or possibly we're a totally different Blur still playing the old tunes in 1991 forever. I haven't decided.

"But it's always nice to get a Brit Award," added Coxon.

The band's only previous success at the awards was in 1995 when - at the height of the Britpop boom - they picked up best album, best single, best video and best group.

Previous winners of the outstanding contribution award include Sir Paul McCartney, Paul Weller and Oasis.

This year's Brit Awards statue has been designed by Sir Peter Blake. The artist is also known for his collage cover for The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album.

Blur reformed for a series of performances in 2009, including two shows at Hyde Park in London and a headline slot at Glastonbury.

Despite rumours of new recordings, the band called a halt to the reunion at the end of the summer.

The full list of Brit Awards nominations is due to be announced on 12 January at London's Savoy Hotel.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/16077452

Breton Announce Debut Headline UK Tour...

Breton Announce Debut Headline UK Tour

‘like some weird, hooded mad professors or the bastard sons of Crystal Castles and Steve Jobs’ NME

Fresh from an incredible performance in front of 3000 people at Transmusicales Festival last weekend, multimedia masterminds Breton announce their first UK headline shows. They will take place next March 2012 in support of their debut album ‘Other People’s Problems’, which will be released on Fat Cat Records. Dates are as follows:

28th March - Corsica Studios, London

29th March – Islington Mill, Manchester

30th March – Nation Of Shopkeepers, Leeds

To celebrate this announcement the band have made available ‘The Diamond Tiles Mix’ that will feature two unreleased Breton tracks – ‘The Hague’ and ‘Harp’.

http://soundcloud.com/bretonlabs/the-diamond-tile-mix

Breton live is an intense, hypnotic experience as the band, shrouded in hoodies, perform to a backdrop of their self shot films and graphics - mixed in real time by their VJ in a synergy of sound, timing, rhythm and visuals. For this collective of film makers and musicians the mediums of visual and audio are utterly integrated and of equal importance.

This ideology will be highlighted when they perform at Videocrash at the Scala on 14th January 2012. This massive audio visual show will see Breton premier footage created specifically for the event by their cinematic wing BretonLABS, shown on the backdrop of a full cinema sized screen as they perform. The night will also feature the legendary production duo and AV masters Plaid and Holotronica, the latest project from the pioneering AV outfit Hexstatic.

Breton will return to France for a show at La Machine in Paris on 13th January 2012.

www.facebook.com/bretonlabs

www.twitter.com/bretonlabs

www.youtube.com/bretonlabs

http://soundcloud.com/bretonlabs

www.myspace.com/bretonbretonbreton

London 2012: Olympic ceremony role for Underworld duo...

London 2012: Olympic ceremony role for Underworld duo
Underworld have been appointed music directors for the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics, organisers have announced.

Rick Smith and Karl Hyde will work with artistic director Danny Boyle and will be responsible for overseeing the music in the three-hour ceremony on 27 July.

Underworld's collaborations with Boyle extend from his 1996 film Trainspotting to his recent staging of Frankenstein.

Boyle described the duo's appointment as "the final piece of the jigsaw".

"It's a great honour to be asked to do this and one we're taking very seriously," said Hyde.

"It's certainly not something we'll get the chance to do again."

More than 10,000 people have auditioned to take part in the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Earlier this week the government doubled the budget for the Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies to more than £80m.

Earlier this year, Karl Hyde spoke to BBC 6 Music about Underworld's working relationship with Boyle ahead of Frankenstein's opening at the National Theatre in London.

"We always say yes to Danny because he takes us on journeys that take us to places that we've never been or places that we'd love to go," he said.

"What's interesting about working with them is how much broader their taste is than you might imagine," said Boyle this week.

"With Frankenstein we really saw how far we could take a broader approach than we'd used together on the films."

Underworld are best known for their track Born Slippy, famously featured in Boyle's Trainspotting film.

The duo - described by Olympics organisers as "British electronic music pioneers" - went on to provide music for his films A Life Less Ordinary, The Beach and Sunshine.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16068946

BON IVER'S FITNESS REGIME REVEALED

BON IVER'S FITNESS REGIME REVEALED
I can't tell if this is a joke or not. Just look at Justin Vernon and his bandmates working out backstage. Surely it's a joke. But Rogcity Fitness, which posted the video below to promote a new fitness DVD release, seems to be a real company run by fitness instructor Jeff Rogers, with a website featuring testimonials from people other than Vernon. Also, the message in the video is actually very positive and would be a weird thing to mock.

Anyway, the Bon Iver main man says in the video: "When I started doing it, there was just a lack of... hating it ... Just, like, the word 'workout' sort of sucks. It doesn't make you feel good, it's sort of, like, dorky, or something. [But] when I started working out with Jeff I just felt so good".

Watch for yourself here: vimeo.com/33296092

Source: http://www.unlimitedmedia.co.uk/

CHEMICAL BROTHERS ANNOUNCE CINEMA RELEASE FOR TOUR FILM...

CHEMICAL BROTHERS ANNOUNCE CINEMA RELEASE FOR TOUR FILM
The Chemical Brothers have announced that they will screen their new concert film 'Don't Think' in cinemas in the new year. There will be screenings in 20 cities around the world, including London, on 26 Jan, before going on general release in the UK on 3 Feb.

Filmed at this year's Fujirock Festival in Japan, 'Don't Think' was directed by long term Chemical Brothers collaborator Adam Smith and is apparently the first ever concert film to be made with Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound, which was mixed by The Chems themselves.

Says Smith: "After eighteen years of working on The Chemical Brothers' live show we have finally captured it on film; you could almost say it's eighteen years in the making. The aim was to create a different type of concert film for a different type of show. I wanted to capture what it is like to experience the show from right in the middle of the crowd as well as showing and combining the visuals featured in the show with the footage we captured on this one night; to see how the music and visuals emotionally affect and connect with the audience. Over the course of the film, we are taken on a journey through the psychedelic trip that is the Chemical Brothers live experience".

Chemical Brother Tom Rowlands added: "In the recording of a single show - a single night on a Japanese mountainside - Adam Smith has managed to capture the atmosphere of a very special festival appearance. Come see how it feels to feel, be overwhelmed, intoxicated, swoonerated. Surrender to the void".

You can see the trailer here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=21UItm9UCr0

Source: http://www.unlimitedmedia.co.uk/

LADYHAWKE RETURNS

LADYHAWKE RETURNS
Remember Ladyhawke, aka Kiwi alt-popstress Pip Brown, who was last seen promoting her eponymous debut album a few years ago? Well, she's just about ready to release second LP 'Anxiety', and has unveiled a teaser trailer featuring part of its title track. Watch that below.

Recorded in France with long-time producer Pascal Gabriel, Ladyhawke's latest is due out on 19 Mar 2012. There's even a tracklist, look:

Girl Like Me
Sunday Drive
Black, White & Blue
Vaccine
Blue Eyes
Vanity
The Quick & The Dead
Anxiety
Cellophane
Gone Gone Gone

bcove.me/tvt5wakp

Source: http://www.unlimitedmedia.co.uk/

ROCK N ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES ANNOUNCED...

ROCK N ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES ANNOUNCED
The 2012 round of inductees to the US Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame have been announced, with Guns N Roses, Beastie Boys, Donovan, Laura Nyro, Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Small Faces lined up to take their places. Late Blues guitarist Freddie King will also be inducted as an "early influence".

Non-performers also due to be celebrated at the induction ceremony on 14 Apr are music mogul Don Kirshner, producer Glyn Johns and engineers Cosimo Matassa and Tom Dowd.

More details at www.rockhall.com.

Source: http://www.unlimitedmedia.co.uk/

BARBARA ORBISON DIES...

BARBARA ORBISON DIES
Barbara Orbison, widow of Roy Orbison and a music industry player in her own right, has died aged 60 after losing her battle with pancreatic cancer.

German-born Orbison met future husband Roy at one of his gigs in the UK when she was seventeen and he was 32. They married in the US just nine months later. Barbara entered her husband's life at the end of a period of tragedy for the singer songwriter, who had lost his first wife to a motorcycle crash, and then two of his children in a house fire.

Barbara was widely renowned for firstly helping her husband to get his life back on track, and then for helping him restore his musical career, ensuring he enjoyed a creative renaissance in the last decade of his life, both as a solo artist and as part of the supergroup the Traveling Wilburys.

Roy Orbison died prematurely in late 1988, aged 52, after suffering a heart attack. Having managed the latter part of her husband's career, Barbera continued to protect and promote her husband's legacy after his death, including co-producing a four CD box set of all of his recordings released in 2008.

She also established her own music publishing company in Nashville called Still Working Music, through which she worked with a number of songwriters, including Taylor Swift, Billy Burnette and Tommy Lee James.

Aside from her music work, she also led a number of charitable projects, including a 1991 tribute show to her late husband that raised over a million to help the homeless in LA.

She is survived by two sons Roy Kelton Jr and Alexander, and her stepson from Roy's first marriage, Wesley.

Source: http://www.unlimitedmedia.co.uk/

EPITAPH RECORDS SIGNS SKIP THE FOREPLAY...

EPITAPH RECORDS SIGNS SKIP THE FOREPLAY
New Album Out 2012


Epitaph Records is thrilled to announce the signing of Skip The Foreplay. Known for their distinct musical style, which mashes up elements of dubstep and house with pop and metal-core, the ground-breaking Montreal - based band has been electrifying audiences with their intoxicating blend of hardcore heaviness and dance floor energy since 2010. Skip The Foreplay will be releasing their anticipated full length Epitaph debut this spring.

"Aside from having one of the greatest names in history, Skip The Foreplay are simply Satan's delivery system for music of mass destruction," offers Epitaph founder and President Brett Gurewitz.

Skip The Foreplay made a serious impression on audiences while appearing with the likes of Hollywood Undead, Lamb Of God, NOFX, Alesana and more. The band will be joining up with rock n’ roll heavy hitter Ronnie Radke and Falling In Reverse for a US tour this January and February before spending the summer on the road.

Skip The Foreplay singer Marc-André Fillion proclaims, "We're extremely happy to now be a part of the Epitaph family. Our first record is finally done! We can't wait to share it with you guys and will keep you posted on the release date. We've also just been confirmed on our first US tour with Falling In Reverse in January/February 2012. So come hang out and join the party!"

The band recently created an internet sensation with their stunning and delightfully seditious cover of the song “Champagne Showers” by the popular electro pop duo LMFAO. The new version retains all the seductive dance floor hooks of the track, while adding some serious heaviness that includes massive bass drops, breakdowns, and cerebral electronic remixes.

To watch Skip The Foreplay’s radical version of “Champagne Showers,” just go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4iOhG7DD2k

Introducing: SEVERIN

SEVERIN

London noise pop electronica duo SEVERIN will be releasing their debut EP “Everything Breaks” on Tip Top Recordings (Blue on Blue, Royal Treatment Plant) in March 2012.

Danny Sanchez (guitars / noise) and Elizabeth Anne Martin (beats / guitars / electronics) have recorded the EP with producer Rory Attwell (Test Icicles / Teeth / Yuck / Kasms /).

Download track “Factory Fodder” for free here:

https://www.facebook.com/severin666?sk=app_178091127385

or here:

http://soundcloud.com/severin666/factory-fodder-1



Catch SEVERIN live:

11/01/12: PopRox Festival, London, Hoxton Sq Bar & Kitchen w/ Man Flu, Blue On Blue

www.facebook.com/severin666


www.soundcloud.com/severin666

www.twitter.com/severin666

www.severin666.com

OWEN / MIKE KINSELLA (POLYVINYL RECORDS) ANNOUNCES UK DATES IN 2012...

OWEN / MIKE KINSELLA (POLYVINYL RECORDS) ANNOUNCES UK DATES IN 2012

Mike Kinsella is part of a singularly talented and prolific family. Not just of blood, but of the entire Illinois scene. At the age of 12 Mike joined his first band - alongside his brother Tim, the seminal Cap'n Jazz. From there he has played an integral part, across a number of instruments, in many Illinois based acts such as Joan of Arc, The One Up Downstairs, American Football and The Shirts and Skins, in which he performs alongside his wife. However, since his first solo record as Owen in 2001, he has carved perhaps the biggest reputation all on his own.

Since releasing 2009's New Leaves shortly after the birth of his daughter, Kinsella has embraced the untraditional role of being a stay-at-home father - a situation that has invariably led Mike to ruminate on the passing of his own father and their strained relationship, something that was covered on 2010's Ghost Town, perhaps Mike's most well-rounded and most warmly received release yet.

That Ghost Town proves to be yet another step toward a new musical direction should come as no surprise to those who have followed Owen's songwriting evolution from sparse acoustic offerings (on his self-titled debut) to lush, string-filled arrangements (At Home With Owen, New Leaves).

With production by Brian Deck (Iron & Wine) and Neil Strauch (Bonnie 'Prince' Billy), the songs on Ghost Town become as beautifully fleshed-out as Kinsella finds the lyrical apparitions he confronts to be frustratingly lacking substance.

As a result, the record serves to reincarnate the souls haunting Kinsella - enabling him to achieve closure and move forward with the next chapter of his life.

Mike will tour Ghost Town, as well as playing songs from earlier records and undoubtedly offering surprise choices from his other projects, in the UK in 2012.

The following dates have been announced:

02/02/2012 – Brighton, UK @ The Green Door Store

03/02/2012 – Newport, UK @ Le Pub

04/02/2012 – Nottingham, UK @ Glee Club

05/02/2012 – London, UK @ Old Blue Last

SEEING OUT 2011 WITH THE WEDDING PRESENT...

SEEING OUT 2011 WITH THE WEDDING PRESENT

“I never really enjoy New Year’s Eve!”

With those fateful words David Gedge set into motion a train of events that has culminated in the “Seeing Out 2011 With The Wedding Present” mini-tour.

The band will be playing both in Glasgow and David’s hometown of Leeds before their December 31st finale... an extremely intimate show at Dingwall’s in Camden, London. With this final show of 2011, the band will kick off a busy year...

Firstly, The Wedding Present will be releasing their much-anticipated eighth studio album, which was recorded in France and California and mixed by Andrew Scheps [Metallica, Iggy Pop, Johnny Cash]. The penciled in release date for this is 12 March 2012.

Following an album launch event at the South By Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, the band will be embarking on a month long tour of North America. This tour will be extra special because, as well as celebrating the release of the new record, the band will be playing their classic album ‘Seamonsters’ live, in it’s entirety. The Wedding Present recorded Seamonsters with Steve Albini in 1991.

Following the North American dates the band will also be playing ‘Seamonsters’ and promoting the new album in Australia, Japan and Continental Europe before bringing the whole event home with an extensive tour of The United Kingdom and Ireland in the autumn.

Forthcoming confirmed dates:

29 December: Glasgow Garage
30 December: Leeds O2 Academy
31 December: London Camden Dingwalls

“The boy Gedge has written some of the best love songs of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Era. You may dispute this, but I’m right and you’re wrong!” John Peel.

“Casually revolutionary and underhandedly unique” [NME].

"Gedge has consistently been way ahead of other, more lauded musicians" [The Guardian]

“Fans have long since recognised Gedge as more poet than pop star. Like Byron without the marsh fever... an extraordinary songwriter” [The Times].

ALESANA RELEASE AMBITIOUS NEW VIDEO & UK/EURO TOUR CONFIRMED...

ALESANA RELEASE AMBITIOUS NEW VIDEO FOR "LULLABY OF THE CRUCIFIED"

European Tour Starts On January 13

The sonically adventuresome melodic hard rock band Alesana have unveiled their most ambitious video to date. The clip is for the song "Lullaby Of The Crucified" from the groups epic new album A Place Where The Sun Is Silent out now on Epitaph Records. The record was inspired by the preeminent 14th century poem Dante's Inferno, a dramatic accounting of one man's decent into hell.

Watch the highly ambitious video for Alesana’s "Lullaby Of The Crucified" by going here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Pm2Xfwy5ZA

Alesana’s singer Shawn Milke explains, "We are very excited to present to you our latest short film entitled, 'Lullaby of the Crucified.' Once again, thanks in large part to the inventive mind of director Stephen Penta, we unveil for you a visual interpretation of one of our literature infused ballads. Press play and wander into a place where the virtuous hide in fear, a place where the sun is silent...lose yourself in the maze of mirrors that is, Alesana."

Set against a backdrop of thunderous beats and soaring melodic guitars, the video pays homage to Dante’s poem. Like in the literary work, a disoriented young man wakes in the woods, and assailed by beasts, (a stripper temptress, the manipulative fiend, forbidden fruit) he fails to reach salvation. In this modernized version, young Dante visits a road side strip club and a cheap motel. Striking images of yearning, regret and much more unfold in an increasingly psychedelic and symbolic montage.

Video’s director Stephen Penta offers, “The challenge of doing videos with Alesana is that Shawn and Dennis write novel length theatrical stories rooted in literary works as the themes of their albums and then strive to capture that with the band’s visuals. When we started discussing the project, Shawn sent me the long form version of the “A Place Where the Sun Is Silent,” short story. He explained how it was rooted in the Purgatory section of Dante’s Inferno and broke down the characters and how he pictured the wanderer moving through these fantastic rooms from one adventure to the next… well, it was overwhelming.”

The band will kick off their co-headline tour with We Came As Romans on January 13 in Karlsruhe (DE) and take the guys through 12 European countries. Check all dates below.

13.01. Karlsruhe – Substage (DE)
14.01. Jena – F-Haus (DE)
15.01. Aschaffenburg – Colos Saal (DE)
16.01. Paris – Divan Du Monde (FR)
17.01. Lyon – MJC O Totem (FR)
18.01. Zürich – Abart (CH)
19.01. Cesena – Vidia (I)
20.01. Wien – WUK (A)
21.01. München – Backstage (DE)
22.01. Prague – Rock Café (CZ)
23.01. Berlin – Columbia Club (DE)
24.01. Münster – Sputnikhalle (DE)
25.01. Hamburg – Knust (DE)
26.01. Malmö – KB (S)
27.01. Gothenburg – Brewhouse (S)
28.01. Stockholm – Klubben (S)
30.01. Helsinki – Nosturi (FIN)
01.02. Copenhagen – The Rock (DK)
02.02. Amsterdam – Melkweg (NL)
03.02. Köln – Essigfabrik (DE)
04.02. Antwerp – Trix (BE)
05.02. Cardiff – CF10 (UK)
06.02. Birmingham – The Library (UK)
07.02. Nottingham – Rescue Rooms (UK)
08.02. Glasgow – King Tut’s (UK)
09.02. Manchester – Academy 2 (UK)
10.02. London – Electric Ballroom (UK)
11.02. Norwich – Waterfront (UK)
12.02. Brighton – Concord 2 (UK)

For more information:
www.epitaph.com

Massive Attack and Thom Yorke back Occupy London protest...

Occupy London protesters camped outside St Paul's have been backed by Massive Attack and Radiohead's Thom Yorke at a "secret" gig.

The artists wanted to "thank" activists protesting against corporate greed.

A small audience of about 100 people saw the performance at an undisclosed location in London.

Protesters moved into St Paul's Churchyard on 15 October, Finsbury Square on 22 October and an empty bank building in Hackney on 18 November.

Tim Goldsworthy, of the collective Unkle, also performed at the gig for a downloadable album.
Failed talks

The activists said the set would be available online from Wednesday.

Their demonstration is part of a worldwide movement, which began on New York's Wall Street.

Last month, the City of London Corporation resumed legal action against the camp, after talks failed in attempts to remove them.

The corporation said it had received complaints about "late-night drinking and other worrying trends, so it's time to act".

"Lawful protesters who stand or walk are a regular part of London," said Stuart Fraser, policy chairman of the corporation.

"But tents, equipment and now, increasingly, quite a lot of mess, is not what a highway is for and others are losing out."

Other celebrities who have backed the protesters' campaign include fashion designer Vivienne Westwood.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16061977

Warpaint 'Rough Trade Sessions' EP out now...

After the success of their Rough Trade Session earlier this year (a performance filmed and directed by Beggars’ Jane Pollard and Iain Forsyth in an east London studio), Warpaint have released a ‘Rough Trade Sessions’ EP exclusively on iTunes of the live audio recordings.

Tracklisting
1. Billie Holiday (live audio)
2. Burgundy (live audio)
3. Majesty (live audio)
4. Composure (live audio)
5. Warpaint (live audio)
6. Warpaint (exclusive live video)

The songs are taken from the band’s 2010 album ‘The Fool’ and 2009 EP ‘Exquisite Corpse’. The group’s performance of ‘Warpaint’ was not released with the initial session videos, so is exclusive to this EP.

Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers to headline Isle Of Wight Festival...

Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers are to play their first major UK gig in 20 years next year, it has been announced.

Petty, best known for hits such as Free Fallin', I Won't Back Down and American Girl, will headline the Isle Of Wight Festival.

Festival promoter John Giddings said: "It has taken years to achieve but I'm sure it will be worth the wait."

Bruce Springsteen, Elbow and Biffy Clyro will also play the event in June.

Mr Giddings described Petty and his band The Heartbreakers as "one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time".

In 1999, they won two Grammys for their single, Room at The Top, and their album, Echo. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

They will headline the Friday night and Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band will perform Sunday's top billing.

Saturday's headlining act has yet to be announced.

The Isle Of Wight Festival was launched in 1968 and ran for two years. It was revived in 2002.

The date for the event next year has been moved to avoid a clash with the Diamond Jubilee and half-term holidays.

The three-day festival has been moved to 22-24 June.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16052735