Ahh.. isn't it a lovely day? The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the office's air-conditioner has gone 'tits up' again and the pollen is really making my eyes sore. Yes, the brief annual English flirtation with summer appears to have again arrived. Lovely. And just in time for the World Cup too, which is nice.
Unlike the beautiful game, the Gigwatcher doesn't have jumpers for goalposts, and it's not so much 'two halves' as 'two slices of drivel bread with a yummy peanut butter filling'. It also has a cold bottle of Cherry Diet Coke and a copy of this week's NME, thus:
The Pipettes @ The Joiners, Southampton - 04/07/2006
GoodBooks @ The Joiners, Southampton - 21/07/2006
Howling Bells @ The Joiners, Southampton - 22/07/2006
boykillboy @ Southampton University, Southampton - 20/10/2006
Razorlight @ Brighton Centre, Brighton - 31/10/2006
Primal Scream @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 29/11/2006
Yes, we've not even really started into Festival season and the end of year gigs are being plugged already. As per usual though I'll add these onto the Son of Music Club's Events Calendar, along with all the other gigs I stumble across on my forays across the interweb.
If you wish to interrogate the Events Calendar then just point your browser to the forum and log in (if you're not a fan of football then you may find a live musical event to entertain you).
Well, that's it for this week.. if anyone is off to the IOW Festival this weekend I hope you have a real good time. The crowd are on the pitch, they think it's all over.. etc..
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Thursday, June 01, 2006
The Gigwatcher 01/06/2006
OK, so the Gigwatcher is a day late. I have a valid excuse though, and it's not one involving dogs eating my homework or being swept into another dimension after a bizarre incident involving a rollercoaster then having to fight evil dragons with only my trusted unicorn for company. If you must know I was in the pub.
Now, I know what you're thinking, "Dave? In the pub? With his reputation for abstinence? Gadzooks!", but it's true. My sojourn in a local hostelry meant I didn't have time to peruse the NME's back pages. Thankfully today my lunchtime has been alcohol-free, thus:
The Fratellis @ Concorde 2, Brighton - 08/06/2006
The Feeling @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea - 29/06/2006 (this has sold out.. no, I couldn't believe it either)
The Heights @ The Joiners, Southampton - 03/07/2006
Vincent Vincent & The Villains @ The Joiners, Southampton - 09/06/2006
The Automatic @ Concorde 2, Brighton - 19/07/2006
Once again there's not much to report; it's fast approaching festival season so the back pages are full of shiny adverts luring people to stand in fields and watch tiny people on a stage*. As per usual though I'll add these onto the Son of Music Club's Events Calendar, along with all the other gigs I stumble across on my forays across the interweb. Recently added to the Calendar are the following:
Brian Houston @ The Cellars, Eastney - 21/06/2006
Brannigan's Law @ The Royal Beach Hotel, Southsea - 08/07/2006
Blue Oyster Cult @ The Brook, Portswood - 19/07/2006 (!)
Brannigan's Law are, of course, the band featuring the SoMC's very own Ant Shue, and are well worth checking out.
Well, that's about it for this week. I made it safely through my regular drivel without going off on one about Peter Crouch's amazing robot dance. Oh. Oops.
Auf wiedersehen..
;o)
* tiny? or far away?
Now, I know what you're thinking, "Dave? In the pub? With his reputation for abstinence? Gadzooks!", but it's true. My sojourn in a local hostelry meant I didn't have time to peruse the NME's back pages. Thankfully today my lunchtime has been alcohol-free, thus:
The Fratellis @ Concorde 2, Brighton - 08/06/2006
The Feeling @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea - 29/06/2006 (this has sold out.. no, I couldn't believe it either)
The Heights @ The Joiners, Southampton - 03/07/2006
Vincent Vincent & The Villains @ The Joiners, Southampton - 09/06/2006
The Automatic @ Concorde 2, Brighton - 19/07/2006
Once again there's not much to report; it's fast approaching festival season so the back pages are full of shiny adverts luring people to stand in fields and watch tiny people on a stage*. As per usual though I'll add these onto the Son of Music Club's Events Calendar, along with all the other gigs I stumble across on my forays across the interweb. Recently added to the Calendar are the following:
Brian Houston @ The Cellars, Eastney - 21/06/2006
Brannigan's Law @ The Royal Beach Hotel, Southsea - 08/07/2006
Blue Oyster Cult @ The Brook, Portswood - 19/07/2006 (!)
Brannigan's Law are, of course, the band featuring the SoMC's very own Ant Shue, and are well worth checking out.
Well, that's about it for this week. I made it safely through my regular drivel without going off on one about Peter Crouch's amazing robot dance. Oh. Oops.
Auf wiedersehen..
;o)
* tiny? or far away?
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
The Gigwatcher 24/05/2006
Another week in rock has passed us by; I'm now closer to forty than I've ever been before and, strange but true, on Friday night a geeky looking American made me do squats.
[tumbleweed]
No, really.
*koff*
Moving swiftly on; once again I've played my dangerous game of reading the NME at lunchtime, though it didn't remind me of the heady days of Sputnik and Yuri Gagarin:
Zero 7 (with José González & Sia) @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 29/05/2006
Roland Shanks @ The Joiners, Southampton - 02/06/2006
Echo & The Bunnymen @ The Old Market, Brighton - 05/06/2006
The Heights @ The Joiners, Southampton - 03/07/2006
Milburn @ Concorde 2, Brighton - 14/07/2006
As per usual I'll add these onto the Son of Music Club's Events Calendar, along with all the other gigs I stumble across on my forays across the interweb. I have to say though, this week's are all a bit of a trek to get to/from. What we need is a local gig, for local people. To be precise, one that I can walk home from..
Girls Aloud @ Portchester Castle - 26/08/2006 (!!!)
Yes, believe it or not, The Tweedy and her chums are rolling into the village for an evening's entertainment (I wonder if they'll pop in the Seagull for a Light Ale or an Alcopop?). And Status Quo are there the next night, which is nice. More information can be found on the forum.
Ant "Axe-meister" Shue has furnished us with more information on next Tuesday's Brannigan's Law gig at Unit22. Brannigan's Law are second on the card, so they should be on stage around 2100ish. For those travelling by train (i.e. me) there's a free Citylink bus from Southampton Central Station to the venue. Which is nice.
One Weird Fish roll into town again this Friday; they're at The Railway Inn in Gosport, entertaining the masses with a fine selection of choice covers from the 70s/80s/90s, come on down and check them out why don't you.
And that's that. Until the next time...
[tumbleweed]
No, really.
*koff*
Moving swiftly on; once again I've played my dangerous game of reading the NME at lunchtime, though it didn't remind me of the heady days of Sputnik and Yuri Gagarin:
Zero 7 (with José González & Sia) @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 29/05/2006
Roland Shanks @ The Joiners, Southampton - 02/06/2006
Echo & The Bunnymen @ The Old Market, Brighton - 05/06/2006
The Heights @ The Joiners, Southampton - 03/07/2006
Milburn @ Concorde 2, Brighton - 14/07/2006
As per usual I'll add these onto the Son of Music Club's Events Calendar, along with all the other gigs I stumble across on my forays across the interweb. I have to say though, this week's are all a bit of a trek to get to/from. What we need is a local gig, for local people. To be precise, one that I can walk home from..
Girls Aloud @ Portchester Castle - 26/08/2006 (!!!)
Yes, believe it or not, The Tweedy and her chums are rolling into the village for an evening's entertainment (I wonder if they'll pop in the Seagull for a Light Ale or an Alcopop?). And Status Quo are there the next night, which is nice. More information can be found on the forum.
Ant "Axe-meister" Shue has furnished us with more information on next Tuesday's Brannigan's Law gig at Unit22. Brannigan's Law are second on the card, so they should be on stage around 2100ish. For those travelling by train (i.e. me) there's a free Citylink bus from Southampton Central Station to the venue. Which is nice.
One Weird Fish roll into town again this Friday; they're at The Railway Inn in Gosport, entertaining the masses with a fine selection of choice covers from the 70s/80s/90s, come on down and check them out why don't you.
And that's that. Until the next time...
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
The Gigwatcher 10/05/2006
Ahh.. we're midway through another week, the sun is shining, the birds are singing and the air conditioning is on the blink.. lovely. Anyway, enough of all that, here are the meagre offerings from the back pages of the NME this week..
You Say Party! We Say Die! @ Pressure Point, Brighton - 18/05/2006
Jamie T @ The Joiners, Southampton - 14/06/2006
The Holloways & The Pigeon Detectives @ The Joiners, Southampton - 18/07/2006
..not all that much I know, mostly because the back end of this week's paper is full of big colourful adverts for festivals that have pretty much sold out already. Nice. Regardless, I'll add these onto the Son of Music Club's Events Calendar.
As I may have mentioned once or twice before, the trusty Events Calendar is continually updated to include any up and coming gigs, at a variety of local venues, that I happen to stumble across on the interweb (for example the forthcoming visits to the Wedgewood Rooms by Regina Spektor and Nizlopi). The Events Calendar is an almost invaluable resource for the gig monkey, why not register on the forum and give it a spin (oh g'won.. please?). As well as gigs purloined from the NME it also features local gigs by local people:
One Weird Fish @ The Railway Inn, Gosport - 26/05/2006 (any band that kicks off their set with Warriors Of The Wasteland gets a big thumbs up from me)
Bushmen @ The Royal Beach Hotel, Southsea - 08/07/2006 (Ant Shue takes to the stage for the indie funksters' live debut)
Yes, the SoMC's very own Ant Shue will begin his path to total rock domination at the Royal Beach Hotel. They are, according to Ant, "better than Wyld Stallyns". Excellent! [insert guitar noise here] He's assured me that there will be a bar, so I'll be there.
And finally, in the week that saw Theo Walcott get called up to the England World Cup squad, the Official England World Cup song poll thing continues on the forum. I must say, having heard the Tony Christie effort, the official song doesn't sound all that bad.
Well, that about wraps it up for this week.
You Say Party! We Say Die! @ Pressure Point, Brighton - 18/05/2006
Jamie T @ The Joiners, Southampton - 14/06/2006
The Holloways & The Pigeon Detectives @ The Joiners, Southampton - 18/07/2006
..not all that much I know, mostly because the back end of this week's paper is full of big colourful adverts for festivals that have pretty much sold out already. Nice. Regardless, I'll add these onto the Son of Music Club's Events Calendar.
As I may have mentioned once or twice before, the trusty Events Calendar is continually updated to include any up and coming gigs, at a variety of local venues, that I happen to stumble across on the interweb (for example the forthcoming visits to the Wedgewood Rooms by Regina Spektor and Nizlopi). The Events Calendar is an almost invaluable resource for the gig monkey, why not register on the forum and give it a spin (oh g'won.. please?). As well as gigs purloined from the NME it also features local gigs by local people:
One Weird Fish @ The Railway Inn, Gosport - 26/05/2006 (any band that kicks off their set with Warriors Of The Wasteland gets a big thumbs up from me)
Bushmen @ The Royal Beach Hotel, Southsea - 08/07/2006 (Ant Shue takes to the stage for the indie funksters' live debut)
Yes, the SoMC's very own Ant Shue will begin his path to total rock domination at the Royal Beach Hotel. They are, according to Ant, "better than Wyld Stallyns". Excellent! [insert guitar noise here] He's assured me that there will be a bar, so I'll be there.
And finally, in the week that saw Theo Walcott get called up to the England World Cup squad, the Official England World Cup song poll thing continues on the forum. I must say, having heard the Tony Christie effort, the official song doesn't sound all that bad.
Well, that about wraps it up for this week.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Under Your Nose Vol.3
Portsmouth label Under Your Nose has recently released its third compilation from (mostly) local artists. The track-listing is as follows:
01 Little Bitch - 'UYN Volume Three Intro'
02 Simian Plus - 'L.I.F.E.'
03 Big Squirrel - 'German Sex Tourist (Rusty Sheriff Remix)'
04 Weedbeeds - 'Mumma'
05 Dr. Food - 'Krimticulous'
06 Wiservice - 'Drawn In (Dub)'
07 Fotza - 'Council Gritter'
08 Thief - 'Tell You Tomorrow'
09 Lenski featuring MC Whipcrack - 'Life of Luxury'
10 The Exits - 'Neon City'
11 Udy vs Golden Section - 'Intermangle'
12 GlitchswitcH - 'Hollabak'
13 Simon Heartfield - 'Cubular Theme'
14 Vortechtral - 'Ascension'
15 Ian Void - 'Version 2.0'
MP3s of the above tracks can be downloaded, in one big ZIPped up package, from the UYN website. Gratis. Which is nice.
01 Little Bitch - 'UYN Volume Three Intro'
02 Simian Plus - 'L.I.F.E.'
03 Big Squirrel - 'German Sex Tourist (Rusty Sheriff Remix)'
04 Weedbeeds - 'Mumma'
05 Dr. Food - 'Krimticulous'
06 Wiservice - 'Drawn In (Dub)'
07 Fotza - 'Council Gritter'
08 Thief - 'Tell You Tomorrow'
09 Lenski featuring MC Whipcrack - 'Life of Luxury'
10 The Exits - 'Neon City'
11 Udy vs Golden Section - 'Intermangle'
12 GlitchswitcH - 'Hollabak'
13 Simon Heartfield - 'Cubular Theme'
14 Vortechtral - 'Ascension'
15 Ian Void - 'Version 2.0'
MP3s of the above tracks can be downloaded, in one big ZIPped up package, from the UYN website. Gratis. Which is nice.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
The Gigwatcher 03/05/2006
Don't you just love Bank Holidays? They make the week just that wee bit shorter. Anyway, I've spent my lunch break perusing the back pages of the NME and have the following gigs of note to report:
Protokoll & Veto Silver @ The Joiners, Southampton - 18/05/2006
Semifinalists @ Pressure Point, Brighton - 06/06/2006
Billy Talent @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 11/07/2006
The Cult @ Southampton Guildhall, Southampton - 19/09/2006 (yeah baby!)
These will be added into the Son of Music Club's Events Calendar, umm, eventually. I know I keep harping on about it but the Events Calendar is continually updated to include any up and coming gigs, at a variety of local venues, that I happen to stumble across on the interweb. It's a handy resource for the local gig monkey, you just need to be registered on the forum to interrogate it.
As for the forum, the Official England World Cup song poll continues and there's a free CD with this month's Q which is worth a look.
And that about wraps it up for this week. Remember kids, I read the NME so you don't have to.. though it's worth getting this week if only for the comment on the Letters page from the Ed which says people should ignore Pete Doherty and his drug-fuelled antics. I've been trying to do that for ages.. but they keep putting him in the bally paper!
[bud-dum-dum tish!]
I'll get me coat...
Protokoll & Veto Silver @ The Joiners, Southampton - 18/05/2006
Semifinalists @ Pressure Point, Brighton - 06/06/2006
Billy Talent @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 11/07/2006
The Cult @ Southampton Guildhall, Southampton - 19/09/2006 (yeah baby!)
These will be added into the Son of Music Club's Events Calendar, umm, eventually. I know I keep harping on about it but the Events Calendar is continually updated to include any up and coming gigs, at a variety of local venues, that I happen to stumble across on the interweb. It's a handy resource for the local gig monkey, you just need to be registered on the forum to interrogate it.
As for the forum, the Official England World Cup song poll continues and there's a free CD with this month's Q which is worth a look.
And that about wraps it up for this week. Remember kids, I read the NME so you don't have to.. though it's worth getting this week if only for the comment on the Letters page from the Ed which says people should ignore Pete Doherty and his drug-fuelled antics. I've been trying to do that for ages.. but they keep putting him in the bally paper!
[bud-dum-dum tish!]
I'll get me coat...
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Express FM
Pompey now has its own FM community radio station, Express FM, covering the whole of Portsmouth (as well as parts of Gosport, Fareham and Havant). It's available through your wireless on 93.7 FM or, if that's too old-fashioned, can be streamed online via the link on their website.
From the start the station has promised to support the local music scene, hence the weekly Guestlist show every Wednesday between 1900-2100. The show features both pre-recorded and live performances from local bands, as well as tunes from the bands that influenced them (which is a nice idea).
Local bands are therefore advised to email the Guestlist with a view to sending their demos in.
From the start the station has promised to support the local music scene, hence the weekly Guestlist show every Wednesday between 1900-2100. The show features both pre-recorded and live performances from local bands, as well as tunes from the bands that influenced them (which is a nice idea).
Local bands are therefore advised to email the Guestlist with a view to sending their demos in.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
The Gigwatcher 26/04/2006
And so Wednesday rolls around again; it's the pivot of the week, one nudge it's all downhill from here on the uppy-downy rollercoaster of life. So, as we hurtle toward the weekend (and Brett's stag do, wahey!) here's what the NME (featuring the Artic Monkeys on the front.. again!) has listed in its back pages this week..
Towers Of London @ Great Escape @ The Opera House, Bournemouth - 27/04/2006
The Longcut @ The Joiners, Southampton - 10/05/2006
The Rifles @ The Joiners, Southampton - 15/05/2006
The Like @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 17/05/2006
Mohair @ Great Escape @ The Albert, Brighton - 19/05/2006
Mohair @ The Old Fire Station, Bournemouth - 27/05/2006
Martha Wainwright @ Gardener Centre, Brighton - 02/06/2006
The Young Knives @ Audio, Brighton - 12/06/2006
We Are Scientists @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 07/11/2006
I'll add the above onto the Son of Music Club's Events Calendar just as soon as I get five minutes. I've said it before I know but the Events Calendar is continually updated to include any up and coming gigs, at a variety of local venues, that I happen to stumble across on the interweb (such as the Coldplay tribute act at The Brook on May 5th.. I know, I couldn't believe it either). In order to interrogate the calendar you will need to be registered on the forum (it's free); once registered you can also post comments on the forum generally (if you want to that is).
In other news, the line-up for this Sunday's FREE Access Festival in Mayflower Park (yes, Southampton) has been announced (if I wasn't going to see The Datsuns on Sunday I'd be there). There's also a poll regarding the Official England World Cup song posted on the forum. Quite.
Anyway, that's it for now.. until the next time, keep watching the skis.. I mean, skies.. ahem..
Towers Of London @ Great Escape @ The Opera House, Bournemouth - 27/04/2006
The Longcut @ The Joiners, Southampton - 10/05/2006
The Rifles @ The Joiners, Southampton - 15/05/2006
The Like @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 17/05/2006
Mohair @ Great Escape @ The Albert, Brighton - 19/05/2006
Mohair @ The Old Fire Station, Bournemouth - 27/05/2006
Martha Wainwright @ Gardener Centre, Brighton - 02/06/2006
The Young Knives @ Audio, Brighton - 12/06/2006
We Are Scientists @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 07/11/2006
I'll add the above onto the Son of Music Club's Events Calendar just as soon as I get five minutes. I've said it before I know but the Events Calendar is continually updated to include any up and coming gigs, at a variety of local venues, that I happen to stumble across on the interweb (such as the Coldplay tribute act at The Brook on May 5th.. I know, I couldn't believe it either). In order to interrogate the calendar you will need to be registered on the forum (it's free); once registered you can also post comments on the forum generally (if you want to that is).
In other news, the line-up for this Sunday's FREE Access Festival in Mayflower Park (yes, Southampton) has been announced (if I wasn't going to see The Datsuns on Sunday I'd be there). There's also a poll regarding the Official England World Cup song posted on the forum. Quite.
Anyway, that's it for now.. until the next time, keep watching the skis.. I mean, skies.. ahem..
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
The Gigwatcher 19/04/2006
Back once again it's the renegade master.. of sending out spurious emails listing gigs in the vicinity. Hopefully you didn't all overindulge with the easter eggs and are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after the long weekend. No? Fed up with all things chocolatey? Oh well, in that case, here's what the NME has listed in its back pages this week..
iLiKETRAiNS @ The Joiners, Southampton - 04/05/2006
Duke Special @ The Joiners, Southampton - 08/05/2006
Breaks Co-Op @ Old Fire Station, Bournemouth - 17/05/2006 (see that Zane Lowe from MTV, that's his band that is)
The Little Flames @ Lennon's, Southampton - 20/05/2006
The Cooper Temple Clause @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 05/06/2006 (yeah, I thought they'd split up too)
I'll add the above onto the Son of Music Club's Events Calendar just as soon as I can be bothered. The Events Calendar is continually updated to include any up and coming gigs, at a variety of local venues, that I happen to stumble across on the interweb (such as the Dead!Dead!Dead! gig at The Joiners on the 29th). In order to interrogate the calendar you will need to be registered on the forum (it's free); once registered you can also post comments on the forum generally (if you want to that is).
Well, that's it for now.. allez, c'est la maintenant..
iLiKETRAiNS @ The Joiners, Southampton - 04/05/2006
Duke Special @ The Joiners, Southampton - 08/05/2006
Breaks Co-Op @ Old Fire Station, Bournemouth - 17/05/2006 (see that Zane Lowe from MTV, that's his band that is)
The Little Flames @ Lennon's, Southampton - 20/05/2006
The Cooper Temple Clause @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth - 05/06/2006 (yeah, I thought they'd split up too)
I'll add the above onto the Son of Music Club's Events Calendar just as soon as I can be bothered. The Events Calendar is continually updated to include any up and coming gigs, at a variety of local venues, that I happen to stumble across on the interweb (such as the Dead!Dead!Dead! gig at The Joiners on the 29th). In order to interrogate the calendar you will need to be registered on the forum (it's free); once registered you can also post comments on the forum generally (if you want to that is).
Well, that's it for now.. allez, c'est la maintenant..
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Music for Anoraks: Cracked and Broken
Barely have I got my third CD back after its long journey do I release compilation number four, Cracked and Broken, into the internal post. It's a bit of a long one (ooer missus), eighteen tracks in all (over an hour of sonic goodness). As usual it's rammed to the gills with things I've listened to a lot lately (well, over the past few months).
To be honest, it's probably a bit too long, and could do with at least three or four tracks being cut. Never mind eh?
To be honest, it's probably a bit too long, and could do with at least three or four tracks being cut. Never mind eh?
Thursday, March 30, 2006
The Gigwatcher 29/03/2006
Not much to report this week I'm afraid, both Spear of Destiny and Ned's Atomic Dustbin have live dates listed in amongst the ads for hotels and foot pedals, but sadly they're not making it this far south. So all I found this week were..
Pure Reason Revolution @ The Joiners, Southampton - 03/04/2006 (fingers crossed they fix the van in time, they didn't show up at the Wedge on Monday)
Kubichek! @ The Joiners, Southampton - 19/05/2006
King Biscuit Time (ex-Beta Band) @ Hanbury Ballroom, Brighton - 20/05/2006
I'll add the above onto the Son of Music Club's Events Calendar just as soon as I can be bothered. The Events Calendar has been updated to include gigs up and coming over the next few months at a variety of local venues. I've also, thanks to Jim, added details of the Utah Saints DJ set at The Registry next month.
In order to interrogate the calendar you need to be registered on the forum (it's free); once registered you can also post comments on the forum generally (if you want to that is). Can you beat Paulo's effort at the Mojo CD covers quiz?
Well, that's about it for now.. until next time true believers..
Pure Reason Revolution @ The Joiners, Southampton - 03/04/2006 (fingers crossed they fix the van in time, they didn't show up at the Wedge on Monday)
Kubichek! @ The Joiners, Southampton - 19/05/2006
King Biscuit Time (ex-Beta Band) @ Hanbury Ballroom, Brighton - 20/05/2006
I'll add the above onto the Son of Music Club's Events Calendar just as soon as I can be bothered. The Events Calendar has been updated to include gigs up and coming over the next few months at a variety of local venues. I've also, thanks to Jim, added details of the Utah Saints DJ set at The Registry next month.
In order to interrogate the calendar you need to be registered on the forum (it's free); once registered you can also post comments on the forum generally (if you want to that is). Can you beat Paulo's effort at the Mojo CD covers quiz?
Well, that's about it for now.. until next time true believers..
Monday, March 27, 2006
Music for Anoraks: Boo Hoo
It's hard to believe that I knocked up my last compilation, Tears Before Bedtime, way back in October. It's taken nearly 6 months to make it around the circulation list, though it did seem to languish on (or in) a few desks as it did the rounds. When I sent it out into the internal post it was full of stuff that, at the time, I'd been listening to a lot. Such as...
01 'Cheney Lane' by Nostalgia 77
Scenestars had a track from the new Nostalgia 77 album available. In best Victor Kiam tradition, I liked it so much I bought the album.
02 'Stockholm Doesn't Belong To Me' by Most Valuable Players
I found this on Swedesplease, an excellent blog full of excellent Swedish music, and just couldn't stop playing it. Typically I only discovered that the Most Valuable Player's album was available AFTER I returned from a trip to Sweden. It wouldn't have helped me anyway though, the only decent record shop I found was shut every time I went anywhere near it.
03 'Sound and Vision' by David Bowie
It's Bowie. Nuff said.
04 'Disconnect The Dots' by of Montreal
of Montreal are (yet another) band that I have Banto to thank for. He sent me a link to the of Montreal website and suggested I peruse the large amount of downloadable MP3s there. So that's just what I did. They're a bit 'out there' but repeated listening brings rewards.
05 'Set You Free' by The Black Keys
I used to hear this a lot on WOXY (back when I could listen to streamed audio at work). Apparently they played The Wedgewood Rooms awhile back.. doh!
06 'Hate To Say I Told You So' by The Flu
A cover version I found on Swedesplease, and what a cracking cover it is too. I don't really know much about The Flu, but I like what I've heard.
07 'No Children' by The Mountain Goats
Another Victor Kiam moment. This was posted on an MP3 blog, I forget which, and I liked it so much I had to buy the album from whence it came. I think, if I had it on vinyl, I'd have worn it out.
08 'Gigantic' by Pixies
It's (the) Pixies. Nuff said.
09 'Glósóli' by Sigur Ros
I've recently read a couple of Icelandic detective novels, Tainted Blood and Silence Of The Grave, by Arnaldur Indridason, and Reykjavik comes across as being a very drab and miserable place (OK, so I know it's just a novel, but it's supposed to be one of the party capitals of Europe). Maybe Sigur Ros are from the lovely weird bit that nobody wants to write about.
10 'Sugar' by Ladytron
Fantastic. A sub three minute chunk of dirty electro pop. Why can't Goldfrapp do stuff like this? [shakes head ruefully].
11 'The Zookeeper's Boy' by Mew
Arguably the best track on the new album, this will be Mew's next single. The CD single of Special featured an alternate take on this song, called Animals Of Many Kinds, which is worth checking out.
12 'Graffiti' by Maximo Park
Fantastic album with some cracking singles but, honestly, what's with the lead singers haircut? Can he not afford a proper barber? Does the guitarist cut it for him?
13 'See America Right' by The Mountain Goats
It's a dark slice of driving angst. Fantastic. Play loud. No, louder than that.
14 'Mexican Standoff' by Elbow
The new Elbow CD is really very good indeed. I was really looking forward to seeing them at the Pyramids but, unfortunately, I had to spend the weekend in Prague. It's a tough life, no really it is.
15 'Finally' by Corinna Repp
I was on Messenger one day when up popped somebody from America who wanted to chat. They suggested I might like Corrina Repp. And they were right.
16 'Nickee Coco and the Invisible Tree' by of Montreal
OK, so it's quite an eccentric slice of indie pop, but I can't get enough of it.
17 'Kelly Wash The Cars' by Air vs Missy vs Stakka Bo
When done right mash-ups can be very entertaining. Whatever happened to Stakka Bo anyway?
18 'Din Daa Daa' by George Kranz
A long long time ago, before I sold off most of my 12" singles to fund a festival ticket, I had (one of the many re-releases of) this in my collection. Time hasn't really been all that kind to it but, given that it was bonkers from the get go, I don't think that matters much.
19 'So Here We Are (Four Tet Remix)' by Bloc Party
I saw these live at the Guildhall last year and they absolutely [insert choice expletive] rocked. They didn't rely on fancy lighting, or back projection, and weren't half as miserable as the NME would have you believe.
Well, that's the third down and out. I suppose I'd best knock up my next offering.
01 'Cheney Lane' by Nostalgia 77
Scenestars had a track from the new Nostalgia 77 album available. In best Victor Kiam tradition, I liked it so much I bought the album.
02 'Stockholm Doesn't Belong To Me' by Most Valuable Players
I found this on Swedesplease, an excellent blog full of excellent Swedish music, and just couldn't stop playing it. Typically I only discovered that the Most Valuable Player's album was available AFTER I returned from a trip to Sweden. It wouldn't have helped me anyway though, the only decent record shop I found was shut every time I went anywhere near it.
03 'Sound and Vision' by David Bowie
It's Bowie. Nuff said.
04 'Disconnect The Dots' by of Montreal
of Montreal are (yet another) band that I have Banto to thank for. He sent me a link to the of Montreal website and suggested I peruse the large amount of downloadable MP3s there. So that's just what I did. They're a bit 'out there' but repeated listening brings rewards.
05 'Set You Free' by The Black Keys
I used to hear this a lot on WOXY (back when I could listen to streamed audio at work). Apparently they played The Wedgewood Rooms awhile back.. doh!
06 'Hate To Say I Told You So' by The Flu
A cover version I found on Swedesplease, and what a cracking cover it is too. I don't really know much about The Flu, but I like what I've heard.
07 'No Children' by The Mountain Goats
Another Victor Kiam moment. This was posted on an MP3 blog, I forget which, and I liked it so much I had to buy the album from whence it came. I think, if I had it on vinyl, I'd have worn it out.
08 'Gigantic' by Pixies
It's (the) Pixies. Nuff said.
09 'Glósóli' by Sigur Ros
I've recently read a couple of Icelandic detective novels, Tainted Blood and Silence Of The Grave, by Arnaldur Indridason, and Reykjavik comes across as being a very drab and miserable place (OK, so I know it's just a novel, but it's supposed to be one of the party capitals of Europe). Maybe Sigur Ros are from the lovely weird bit that nobody wants to write about.
10 'Sugar' by Ladytron
Fantastic. A sub three minute chunk of dirty electro pop. Why can't Goldfrapp do stuff like this? [shakes head ruefully].
11 'The Zookeeper's Boy' by Mew
Arguably the best track on the new album, this will be Mew's next single. The CD single of Special featured an alternate take on this song, called Animals Of Many Kinds, which is worth checking out.
12 'Graffiti' by Maximo Park
Fantastic album with some cracking singles but, honestly, what's with the lead singers haircut? Can he not afford a proper barber? Does the guitarist cut it for him?
13 'See America Right' by The Mountain Goats
It's a dark slice of driving angst. Fantastic. Play loud. No, louder than that.
14 'Mexican Standoff' by Elbow
The new Elbow CD is really very good indeed. I was really looking forward to seeing them at the Pyramids but, unfortunately, I had to spend the weekend in Prague. It's a tough life, no really it is.
15 'Finally' by Corinna Repp
I was on Messenger one day when up popped somebody from America who wanted to chat. They suggested I might like Corrina Repp. And they were right.
16 'Nickee Coco and the Invisible Tree' by of Montreal
OK, so it's quite an eccentric slice of indie pop, but I can't get enough of it.
17 'Kelly Wash The Cars' by Air vs Missy vs Stakka Bo
When done right mash-ups can be very entertaining. Whatever happened to Stakka Bo anyway?
18 'Din Daa Daa' by George Kranz
A long long time ago, before I sold off most of my 12" singles to fund a festival ticket, I had (one of the many re-releases of) this in my collection. Time hasn't really been all that kind to it but, given that it was bonkers from the get go, I don't think that matters much.
19 'So Here We Are (Four Tet Remix)' by Bloc Party
I saw these live at the Guildhall last year and they absolutely [insert choice expletive] rocked. They didn't rely on fancy lighting, or back projection, and weren't half as miserable as the NME would have you believe.
Well, that's the third down and out. I suppose I'd best knock up my next offering.
Monday, February 20, 2006
The Gigwatcher 20/02/2006
Willkommen, Bienvenue and Welcome to a fun-packed installment of The Gigwatcher. I've returned from my travels (to the northern lands and all points west, from snow to sheep in a matter of days) to find that, in my absence, a whole pile of gigs were waiting in the backpages of the NME:
Panic! At The Disco @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea - 23/03/2006
Imogen Heap @ Komedia, Brighton - 05/04/2006
Jenny Lewis @ Hanbury Ballroom, Brighton - 16/04/2006
Shack (plus Jim Noir) @ The Concorde, Brighton - 06/05/2006
Computerman; @ Lennon's, Southampton - 13/05/2006
The Zutons @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 23/05/2006
Billy Bragg (plus Seth Lakeman) @ The City Hall, Salisbury - 01/06/2006
Red Hot Chilli Peppers @ Madjeski Stadium, Reading - 03/07/2006
The Ordinary Boys @ The Guildhall, Portsmouth - 11/10/2006
All these gigs will, when I'm not busy stuffing CDs into iTunes, join the others in the Son of Music Club's Events Calendar. I've already added in a whole swathe of upcoming gigs covering what's on the Portsmouth Guildhall, The Joiners, The Brook and The Wedgewood Rooms (plus a couple of other places) over the next few months. Once registered on the forum you have full run of the Events Calendar to discover the goodies thereon.
As for the forum, not much has been happening lately, though there's now an IOW Festival thread. Well.. I think that's that for now.. there may well be another Gigwatcher coming your way this Wednesday, dependent on what the NME has to say for itself.
Panic! At The Disco @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea - 23/03/2006
Imogen Heap @ Komedia, Brighton - 05/04/2006
Jenny Lewis @ Hanbury Ballroom, Brighton - 16/04/2006
Shack (plus Jim Noir) @ The Concorde, Brighton - 06/05/2006
Computerman; @ Lennon's, Southampton - 13/05/2006
The Zutons @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 23/05/2006
Billy Bragg (plus Seth Lakeman) @ The City Hall, Salisbury - 01/06/2006
Red Hot Chilli Peppers @ Madjeski Stadium, Reading - 03/07/2006
The Ordinary Boys @ The Guildhall, Portsmouth - 11/10/2006
All these gigs will, when I'm not busy stuffing CDs into iTunes, join the others in the Son of Music Club's Events Calendar. I've already added in a whole swathe of upcoming gigs covering what's on the Portsmouth Guildhall, The Joiners, The Brook and The Wedgewood Rooms (plus a couple of other places) over the next few months. Once registered on the forum you have full run of the Events Calendar to discover the goodies thereon.
As for the forum, not much has been happening lately, though there's now an IOW Festival thread. Well.. I think that's that for now.. there may well be another Gigwatcher coming your way this Wednesday, dependent on what the NME has to say for itself.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
The Gigwatcher 01/02/2006
Like sand through the hourglass, these are gigs of our lives.
Or not.
There's not much to report this week I'm afraid (other than, surprise surprise, both the Richard Ashcroft and Morrissey tours have sold out already). So, eyes down for a full house, here's the slim pickings from the back pages of this week's NME:
Story One @ Southampton University - 11/02/2006
Larrikin Love @ The Joiners, Southampton - 28/03/2006
The Charlatans @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 09/05/2006
Not much there then. Still, I have gigs up my sleeve; here's a couple of forthcoming musical events I've heard about that may pique your interest:
One Weird Fish @ The Cellars at Eastney, Eastney - 04/02/2006
Steve Arnott @ The Frog & Frigate, Southampton - 24/02/2006
I'll add all of the above gigs into the Events Calendar on Son of Music Club forum (upon which the current hot topic is Shuey making his position clear as far as all things Arctic Monkeys goes).
And that ties a knot in it for this week. There won't be a Gigwatcher next week as I'll be in snowy Stockholm enjoying the frozen wastes and expensive ales. The week after will most likely Gigwatcher free also; I'm supposed to be on a course in sunny Newport. Oh crap. What's the welsh for "can I have an NME please?".
Or not.
There's not much to report this week I'm afraid (other than, surprise surprise, both the Richard Ashcroft and Morrissey tours have sold out already). So, eyes down for a full house, here's the slim pickings from the back pages of this week's NME:
Story One @ Southampton University - 11/02/2006
Larrikin Love @ The Joiners, Southampton - 28/03/2006
The Charlatans @ The Guildhall, Southampton - 09/05/2006
Not much there then. Still, I have gigs up my sleeve; here's a couple of forthcoming musical events I've heard about that may pique your interest:
One Weird Fish @ The Cellars at Eastney, Eastney - 04/02/2006
Steve Arnott @ The Frog & Frigate, Southampton - 24/02/2006
I'll add all of the above gigs into the Events Calendar on Son of Music Club forum (upon which the current hot topic is Shuey making his position clear as far as all things Arctic Monkeys goes).
And that ties a knot in it for this week. There won't be a Gigwatcher next week as I'll be in snowy Stockholm enjoying the frozen wastes and expensive ales. The week after will most likely Gigwatcher free also; I'm supposed to be on a course in sunny Newport. Oh crap. What's the welsh for "can I have an NME please?".
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
The Gigwatcher 25/01/2006
It's Wednesday. I've been to the shops. That means I've wasted my lunch break on you good people. Yes, here are more gigs liberally ripped from the back pages of the NME:
The Young Knives @ Southampton University - 16/02/2006
Broken Social Scene @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea - 19/02/2006
Forward Russia! @ The Joiners, Southampton - 22/02/2006
Dirty Pretty Things @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea - 07/03/2006
(ex-Libertines so bound to sell out PDQ)
65daysofstatic @ The Opera House, Bournemouth - 11/03/2006
The Ordinary Boys @ Solent Hall, Bournemouth - 24/03/2006
Graham Coxon @ The Concorde, Brighton - 04/04/2006
And if that wasn't all, here's another gig I found out about:
Steve Arnott @ The Frog and Frigate, Southampton - 27/01/2006
Yes, ex-The Chosen lead singer and some-time thesp Steve is returning to the scene of earlier crimes. I believe entry to the Frog is FREE before 2300 (after that it's a nominal £3), so if you fancy a good boozed-up sweaty singalong that's the place to go.
As is my wont all gigs mentioned will, when I get five minutes, join the others in the SoMC forum's Events Calendar. All you need to do is register on the forum, then the world is your lobster.
Speaking of the forum, young Frank has posted up a cracking Bollywood subtitle thing, which is keeping us all nicely entertained. Well I think that's that for now, until the next time, good tie.
The Young Knives @ Southampton University - 16/02/2006
Broken Social Scene @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea - 19/02/2006
Forward Russia! @ The Joiners, Southampton - 22/02/2006
Dirty Pretty Things @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea - 07/03/2006
(ex-Libertines so bound to sell out PDQ)
65daysofstatic @ The Opera House, Bournemouth - 11/03/2006
The Ordinary Boys @ Solent Hall, Bournemouth - 24/03/2006
Graham Coxon @ The Concorde, Brighton - 04/04/2006
And if that wasn't all, here's another gig I found out about:
Steve Arnott @ The Frog and Frigate, Southampton - 27/01/2006
Yes, ex-The Chosen lead singer and some-time thesp Steve is returning to the scene of earlier crimes. I believe entry to the Frog is FREE before 2300 (after that it's a nominal £3), so if you fancy a good boozed-up sweaty singalong that's the place to go.
As is my wont all gigs mentioned will, when I get five minutes, join the others in the SoMC forum's Events Calendar. All you need to do is register on the forum, then the world is your lobster.
Speaking of the forum, young Frank has posted up a cracking Bollywood subtitle thing, which is keeping us all nicely entertained. Well I think that's that for now, until the next time, good tie.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Introducing the Gigwatcher
For several months now I've been poring over the back pages of the NME, noting down local gigs of interest, and forwarding them on via email to an ever-growing list of recipients.
Why have I been doing this you may ask?
Well, to be perfectly honest, I'm a bit of a gig-whore. If there's someone playing a guitar somewhere and I can drink beer whilst watching them play then chances are I'm there. This is all well and good until you start mentioning to chums and colleagues that you saw The Next Big Thing the night before only for them to wonder why you never mentioned it to them beforehand.
Chances are I did but, to be on the safe side, I thought I'd be helpful and email what looks good to me (or not so good, I'm not picky) to them. That way they're in the loop, I don't get moaned at and we all get to see The Next Big Thing (so we can crap on about how good they used to be when they become HUGE and we don't like them any more).
So, to get somewhere in the vicinity of the point, from next week I'll be blogging the Gigwatchers (as my missives are known) here on the Son of Music Club blog. Umm. Because I can. So there.
;o)
Why have I been doing this you may ask?
Well, to be perfectly honest, I'm a bit of a gig-whore. If there's someone playing a guitar somewhere and I can drink beer whilst watching them play then chances are I'm there. This is all well and good until you start mentioning to chums and colleagues that you saw The Next Big Thing the night before only for them to wonder why you never mentioned it to them beforehand.
Chances are I did but, to be on the safe side, I thought I'd be helpful and email what looks good to me (or not so good, I'm not picky) to them. That way they're in the loop, I don't get moaned at and we all get to see The Next Big Thing (so we can crap on about how good they used to be when they become HUGE and we don't like them any more).
So, to get somewhere in the vicinity of the point, from next week I'll be blogging the Gigwatchers (as my missives are known) here on the Son of Music Club blog. Umm. Because I can. So there.
;o)
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Music for Anoraks: Fun?
Young Frank has braved a hangover to rifle through his record collection and concocted the first compilation of 2006.
Apparently there's something that everyone will dislike.
Nice.
It's doing the rounds at the mo' so reviews should appear on the forum presently.
Apparently there's something that everyone will dislike.
Nice.
It's doing the rounds at the mo' so reviews should appear on the forum presently.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
SouthScene @ The Joiners 25/11/05
A combination of my legendary tardiness (I missed the train I was planning to catch), being too clever for my own good (I hopped the next train to Eastleigh, it seemed a cunning idea at the time) and a suicide at Surbiton (all the trains were delayed and I kicked my heels on a cold platform for half an hour) meant that I was later getting to The Joiners than I'd planned.
My late arrival meant I missed the first half of The Kiks set. For a Southampton band The Kiks had me fooled; I was convinced they'd just got off the train from Liverpool. The 60's influence and Mersey guitar jangle oozed out of them, accompanied by a cheeky chappy attitude. Now I like The Coral and I love The La's but, whilst The Kiks were obviously having lots of fun being in a band (and I can't fault them for that), they didn't offer me anything different than what I might find on a Cast b-side.
As the set continued it became apparent that they had a couple of good tunes tucked away, but they weren't good enough to sway me from my first impressions (and I'm sure they used "showaddywaddy" as a lyric at one point). So, not quite my bag of donuts (this from the man who hated The Coral when he first heard them but loves the new album) but seeing as I'd only paid a fiver to get in I can't really grumble.
Next up were Dead!Dead!Dead! who, I must admit, were the reason I'd travelled to Southampton on a chilly Friday night. Again another local outfit (well, it was a SouthScene showcase), D!D!D! have a shambolic polish about them that bigger acts I've seen could learn from.
They roared onto the stage, grabbed my attention, threw it around a bit, stopped for a couple of jokes at the drummer's expense (if the music career fails then a future in stand-up comedy beckons for the lead singer), then dropped the speed a notch before revving up for the end (OK, so I've been watching Top Gear).
The band themselves were very tight musically, with the two guitarists\vocalists knowing how to work the stage (something which can't be said of some of the bands I've paid more money to see), so chances are the signed CD I bought at the gig might be worth something on ebay some day.
Third up were Cayto who, strangely for a southern showcase, hail from northern climes (Glasgow to be precise). The lead singer, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Seth Green, built a piano wall to block himself off from one side of the audience and the bass player; with the rest of the band assembled loosely they started to play.
H'mm.
I have to admit that Cayto didn't connect with me. They made music that, to me, was far too clever for its trousers. Yes, they can play. Yes, they're talented. Yes, the lead singer was wearing a neckerchief. Yes, they make interesting music. But it's not music that you can dance to. Or sit still to. Or even do the ironing to. It's music that you have to go away and have a think over and work out whether someone is taking the piss or not.
Just when I heard a tune or a rhythm that I could hook into it was kicked down a flight of musical stairs on its way into the next movement. Maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind for them; I have a bottle of Absinthe here so maybe I'll give them another try one rainy winter evening (I think a warm-up session listening to The Bad Plus might come in handy).
Mach Schau were the headlining act of the showcase. Unfortunately a combination of a need for beer and my inherent geekiness meant that I missed the start of their set; I was at the bar talking to the guys from Dead!Dead!Dead! about the Evil Office baseball cap the rhythm guitarist had been sporting earlier on. Yes, all very sad.
As I returned with a fresh Grolsch the lead singer of Mach Schau teetered on the edge of the stage, leering out to the crowd in a casually disinterested manner. Sounding not unlike Maximo Park in places, Mach Schau ooze attitude; as they powered through their set the lead singer padded around the stage as if he couldn't give a toss if we were there or not.
He soon had his wish, we had to leave. I'd have liked to have stayed and seen the rest of their set but we had to hotfoot it to the station to get the last train out of the big city. Life is hard when you live in the suburbs, I didn't even get a chance to buy their CD (there are freebie MP3s on their website though).
Both Mach Schau and Dead!Dead!Dead! have gigs in the pipeline, I'd recommend checking them out if you get the chance.
My late arrival meant I missed the first half of The Kiks set. For a Southampton band The Kiks had me fooled; I was convinced they'd just got off the train from Liverpool. The 60's influence and Mersey guitar jangle oozed out of them, accompanied by a cheeky chappy attitude. Now I like The Coral and I love The La's but, whilst The Kiks were obviously having lots of fun being in a band (and I can't fault them for that), they didn't offer me anything different than what I might find on a Cast b-side.
As the set continued it became apparent that they had a couple of good tunes tucked away, but they weren't good enough to sway me from my first impressions (and I'm sure they used "showaddywaddy" as a lyric at one point). So, not quite my bag of donuts (this from the man who hated The Coral when he first heard them but loves the new album) but seeing as I'd only paid a fiver to get in I can't really grumble.
Next up were Dead!Dead!Dead! who, I must admit, were the reason I'd travelled to Southampton on a chilly Friday night. Again another local outfit (well, it was a SouthScene showcase), D!D!D! have a shambolic polish about them that bigger acts I've seen could learn from.
They roared onto the stage, grabbed my attention, threw it around a bit, stopped for a couple of jokes at the drummer's expense (if the music career fails then a future in stand-up comedy beckons for the lead singer), then dropped the speed a notch before revving up for the end (OK, so I've been watching Top Gear).
The band themselves were very tight musically, with the two guitarists\vocalists knowing how to work the stage (something which can't be said of some of the bands I've paid more money to see), so chances are the signed CD I bought at the gig might be worth something on ebay some day.
Third up were Cayto who, strangely for a southern showcase, hail from northern climes (Glasgow to be precise). The lead singer, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Seth Green, built a piano wall to block himself off from one side of the audience and the bass player; with the rest of the band assembled loosely they started to play.
H'mm.
I have to admit that Cayto didn't connect with me. They made music that, to me, was far too clever for its trousers. Yes, they can play. Yes, they're talented. Yes, the lead singer was wearing a neckerchief. Yes, they make interesting music. But it's not music that you can dance to. Or sit still to. Or even do the ironing to. It's music that you have to go away and have a think over and work out whether someone is taking the piss or not.
Just when I heard a tune or a rhythm that I could hook into it was kicked down a flight of musical stairs on its way into the next movement. Maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind for them; I have a bottle of Absinthe here so maybe I'll give them another try one rainy winter evening (I think a warm-up session listening to The Bad Plus might come in handy).
Mach Schau were the headlining act of the showcase. Unfortunately a combination of a need for beer and my inherent geekiness meant that I missed the start of their set; I was at the bar talking to the guys from Dead!Dead!Dead! about the Evil Office baseball cap the rhythm guitarist had been sporting earlier on. Yes, all very sad.
As I returned with a fresh Grolsch the lead singer of Mach Schau teetered on the edge of the stage, leering out to the crowd in a casually disinterested manner. Sounding not unlike Maximo Park in places, Mach Schau ooze attitude; as they powered through their set the lead singer padded around the stage as if he couldn't give a toss if we were there or not.
He soon had his wish, we had to leave. I'd have liked to have stayed and seen the rest of their set but we had to hotfoot it to the station to get the last train out of the big city. Life is hard when you live in the suburbs, I didn't even get a chance to buy their CD (there are freebie MP3s on their website though).
Both Mach Schau and Dead!Dead!Dead! have gigs in the pipeline, I'd recommend checking them out if you get the chance.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Skin @ The Wedgewood Rooms 22/11/05
By my own admission I'm a gig whore; I love gigs, I just love 'em. That said, I've never being much of a Skunk Anansie fan so, quite unbelievably, I had to be talked into this one (my willpower has the breaking strain of a Kit Kat where gigs are concerned though, so it's not like I had to have my arm twisted that much).
Brighton's Make Good Your Escape kicked off the evening. From my position at the rear of The Wedgewood Rooms, I could only see three people onstage, I therefore naturally assumed that the muezzin-style introduction was a backing tape. No, though I only realised this as the band's front man slowly got to his feet. In addition to being possessed of a powerful range lead singer Mike Yates also has a comfortable stage presence; he works the crowd whilst the guitar and bass players blur out in time to the music, the drummer hiding at the back (only surfacing to run offstage for a disposable camera, returning to snap a a photo of the audience).
In a "it's late and I'm lazy and I've mislaid my big book of adjectives" way to describe their sound I'd say that they started off with a Mew\Muse feel (power chords, power vocals), changing to a more Muse\U2 sound as their set progressed (slightly more anthemic, mellower lyrics). All good though, and I'd like to hear more of them (luckily there are a few MP3s available from the band's website).
Skin stalked onstage, a woolly hat covering her trademark shaved head, and grabbed the microphone firmly by the stand. Lifting it above her head she began to sing and, frankly, wow. Her vocals boomed though, I must confess, they sounded slightly muffled. All was explained after two songs when, after trying in vain to introduce herself to the audience, she discovered her radio mic wasn't switched on.
Brighton's Make Good Your Escape kicked off the evening. From my position at the rear of The Wedgewood Rooms, I could only see three people onstage, I therefore naturally assumed that the muezzin-style introduction was a backing tape. No, though I only realised this as the band's front man slowly got to his feet. In addition to being possessed of a powerful range lead singer Mike Yates also has a comfortable stage presence; he works the crowd whilst the guitar and bass players blur out in time to the music, the drummer hiding at the back (only surfacing to run offstage for a disposable camera, returning to snap a a photo of the audience).
In a "it's late and I'm lazy and I've mislaid my big book of adjectives" way to describe their sound I'd say that they started off with a Mew\Muse feel (power chords, power vocals), changing to a more Muse\U2 sound as their set progressed (slightly more anthemic, mellower lyrics). All good though, and I'd like to hear more of them (luckily there are a few MP3s available from the band's website).
Skin stalked onstage, a woolly hat covering her trademark shaved head, and grabbed the microphone firmly by the stand. Lifting it above her head she began to sing and, frankly, wow. Her vocals boomed though, I must confess, they sounded slightly muffled. All was explained after two songs when, after trying in vain to introduce herself to the audience, she discovered her radio mic wasn't switched on.
Whoops.
Luckily a flick of a switch was all it took to fix matters, and then full power of her vocals became apparent (especially in a small venue like the Wedge). Not wanting to take the easy route, and save the crowd-pleasers for the encore, Skin decided to not only sing Weak early on but also to perform it in a mellower style.
There was no hiding the fact that Skin was enjoying herself, easily evident from the manic grin she sported throughout the set, and she was having so much fun she went walkabout to the back of the Wedge (aren't radio microphones great?). Later, during Take Me On, a new song which is, as she herself put it, "another [one] about fucking", she went crowd surfing too.
A couple of Skunk Anansie tracks were dropped in amongst the new songs to appease te ardent fans, the new material though sounded both very raw and very good; I have it on good authority that her first solo CD was a mellow affair, it appears though that Skin is returning with all guns blazing with the new material which has something of a punk edge to it.
The set finished up with a cracking cover of Electronic's Getting Away With It, bang on the stroke of 11. After an all too brief encore Skin bounded offstage, sporting the biggest grin ever. An excellent gig then; I'm very glad I went and I'm looking forward to hearing her new album when it's released early next year. Hopefully she'll be touring it...
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Music for Anoraks: Tears Before Bedtime
After a bit of a break, it's onto number three. It's called Tears Before Bedtime and, given that I hadn't punted one out for awhile, is a wee bit longer than previously as I've been listening to so much good stuff (IMHO) lately.
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Music for Anoraks: Hung Up
My second compilation, On A Rope, has made it safely around the distribution route and back to my desk. Huzzah! Again a mixture of stuff I'd been listening to a lot at the time, this effort was mostly powered by my getting hooked on MP3 Blogs, hence the following:
01 'Battle of the Planets' by Hoyt Curtin
It was my birthday in May and, thanks to some Amazon vouchers, I bought myself the BotP DVD boxset.
02 'Blood On Our Hands' by Death From Above 1979
Play this very loud. No, louder than that. This is a raucous tune, and was even better when they played it live at The Wedgewood Rooms recently (yeh yeh, I'm a gig whore).
03 'The Gymnast, High Above The Ground' by The Decemberists
I really like The Decemberists. I mean, really really. This track is taken from their second long player, "Her Majesty.." which is, IMHO, rammed to gills with suptuous tunes.
04 'Somedays' by Regina Spektor
I'd never heard of Regina Spektor before, but thankfully someone on the interweb had. Yes, this was posted up on an MP3 Blog for all to enjoy.
05 'Afrolicious' by The Dining Rooms
I know nada about this lot, but I just couldn't stop playing the tune; again, as found on an MP3 Blog.
06 'A Friend Like You' by Aberfeldy
It was on an MP3 Blog, the name rang a bell, the rest writes itself. This is just lovely.
07 'Apocalypso' by Mew
New Mew. Nuff said.
08 'Treat Me Mean, I Need The Reputation' by Xploding Plastix
Another track discovered on an MP3 Blog; this is mad, like instruments getting kicked downstairs, but the tune fair bounces along.
09 'Dead Disco' by Metric
Another band "as heard on WOXY", it was a cracking surprise when they turned up as support for DFA1979 at The Wedgewood Rooms (and an excellent set they turned in too).
10 'Imperial March' by Hedrock Valley Beats
It's got Star Wars. It's got beats. What's not to like?
11 'Casserole Efeillaid' by Datblygu
Much like the Ween offering on my last compo, this is bonkers. It's all the fault of the TUBE (RIP) which, ages ago, had a feature on Welsh indie bands (must be at least 15 years ago now I guess). Included was a clip of Datblygu performing this track. Of course, being lazy I never bothered to track the tune down; thankfully the Super Furry Animals included it on their recent Under The Influence CD.
12 'Too Drunk To Fuck' by Nouvelle Vague
Every morning I get a lift to work from Kay. Most of the time we spend the journey chatting about this and that, occasionally Terry Wogan makes an appearance, but once in awhile she'll have a CD on. One day it was this lot; I'd heard some of Nouvelle Vague before on WOXY but there's no way they'd play this track.
13 'The Melting Moon' by VHS or Beta
Apparently these were "doing the 80s" thing long before the current vogue for classy synth-pop. It'd quite happily sit on the Donnie Darko soundtrack and not look out of place that's for sure.
14 'A View Of The City From An Airplane' by Oranger
Not strictly from an MP3 Blog this; Chris Onstad's excellent Achewood strip has its own radio station (sort of). Result.
15 'BMFA' by Martha Wainwright
This slice of Father-bashing-acoustism was downloadable from Ms Wainwright's website. Nice.
16 'On The Bus Mall' by The Decemberists
The Decemberists have a new CD out and, personally speaking, I think it's fantastic. I was tempted to wrap things up with The Mariner's Revenge Song but I think that might have blown the wheels off some members (and not, I'm afraid, in a good way).
17 'Girlfriend In The Tulips' by Tony Hawks
This was a last minute add-on to the compilation. I'm a member of the Wedgeweb Yahoo group and, as such, received an email pointing me in the direction of this Smiths cover version, performed by the guy who travelled around Ireland with a fridge. It made me laugh anyway.
So that was On A Rope. I think I'll rest a wee bit before deciding what to put on the next one.
01 'Battle of the Planets' by Hoyt Curtin
It was my birthday in May and, thanks to some Amazon vouchers, I bought myself the BotP DVD boxset.
02 'Blood On Our Hands' by Death From Above 1979
Play this very loud. No, louder than that. This is a raucous tune, and was even better when they played it live at The Wedgewood Rooms recently (yeh yeh, I'm a gig whore).
03 'The Gymnast, High Above The Ground' by The Decemberists
I really like The Decemberists. I mean, really really. This track is taken from their second long player, "Her Majesty.." which is, IMHO, rammed to gills with suptuous tunes.
04 'Somedays' by Regina Spektor
I'd never heard of Regina Spektor before, but thankfully someone on the interweb had. Yes, this was posted up on an MP3 Blog for all to enjoy.
05 'Afrolicious' by The Dining Rooms
I know nada about this lot, but I just couldn't stop playing the tune; again, as found on an MP3 Blog.
06 'A Friend Like You' by Aberfeldy
It was on an MP3 Blog, the name rang a bell, the rest writes itself. This is just lovely.
07 'Apocalypso' by Mew
New Mew. Nuff said.
08 'Treat Me Mean, I Need The Reputation' by Xploding Plastix
Another track discovered on an MP3 Blog; this is mad, like instruments getting kicked downstairs, but the tune fair bounces along.
09 'Dead Disco' by Metric
Another band "as heard on WOXY", it was a cracking surprise when they turned up as support for DFA1979 at The Wedgewood Rooms (and an excellent set they turned in too).
10 'Imperial March' by Hedrock Valley Beats
It's got Star Wars. It's got beats. What's not to like?
11 'Casserole Efeillaid' by Datblygu
Much like the Ween offering on my last compo, this is bonkers. It's all the fault of the TUBE (RIP) which, ages ago, had a feature on Welsh indie bands (must be at least 15 years ago now I guess). Included was a clip of Datblygu performing this track. Of course, being lazy I never bothered to track the tune down; thankfully the Super Furry Animals included it on their recent Under The Influence CD.
12 'Too Drunk To Fuck' by Nouvelle Vague
Every morning I get a lift to work from Kay. Most of the time we spend the journey chatting about this and that, occasionally Terry Wogan makes an appearance, but once in awhile she'll have a CD on. One day it was this lot; I'd heard some of Nouvelle Vague before on WOXY but there's no way they'd play this track.
13 'The Melting Moon' by VHS or Beta
Apparently these were "doing the 80s" thing long before the current vogue for classy synth-pop. It'd quite happily sit on the Donnie Darko soundtrack and not look out of place that's for sure.
14 'A View Of The City From An Airplane' by Oranger
Not strictly from an MP3 Blog this; Chris Onstad's excellent Achewood strip has its own radio station (sort of). Result.
15 'BMFA' by Martha Wainwright
This slice of Father-bashing-acoustism was downloadable from Ms Wainwright's website. Nice.
16 'On The Bus Mall' by The Decemberists
The Decemberists have a new CD out and, personally speaking, I think it's fantastic. I was tempted to wrap things up with The Mariner's Revenge Song but I think that might have blown the wheels off some members (and not, I'm afraid, in a good way).
17 'Girlfriend In The Tulips' by Tony Hawks
This was a last minute add-on to the compilation. I'm a member of the Wedgeweb Yahoo group and, as such, received an email pointing me in the direction of this Smiths cover version, performed by the guy who travelled around Ireland with a fridge. It made me laugh anyway.
So that was On A Rope. I think I'll rest a wee bit before deciding what to put on the next one.
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Music for Anoraks: On A Rope
Seconds out, round two. My second compilation, On A Rope, is now out in the wilds.
Saturday, June 04, 2005
Music for Anoraks: A Thousand Long Things
My debut Son of Music Club compilation, Hora, Sem Bon!, has done the rounds and, like the faithful collie at the end of every Lassie film I can think of, come back to me. As the members have, where applicable, passed judgement I can let slip the track-listing.
It was simply a selection of stuff I'd been listening to; so no concept or anally retentive obscurism like the last time around, honest guv...
01 'Any Minute Now' by Soulwax
Despite what Q (and a lot of the rest of the music press) thought, I really enjoyed Any Minute Now as an album. It's not Much Against Eveyone's Advice Part 2, which is kind of the point. Anyway, it was bloody difficult to pick just one tune to represent it. NY Excuse might have been a tad obvious, E Talking was 'the one' right up until the last minute, then the second track just snuck on in there for my opener.
02 'Robot' by The Futureheads
Again, it was hard to pick just the one track. I didn't want to go for anything too obvious, I think I failed in that respect. Then again, who cares? It's a top tune and deserves to be played as loud as possible.
03 'Such Great Heights' by The Postal Service
When I'm sat at my desk at work I often plug myself into the internet and tune Windows Media Player (yes, I know) into WOXY.com. A friend hooked me into this great radio station awhile ago and, since listening, I've found I've had to ration my enjoyment as it has a detrimental effect on my bank account (all those lovely obscure CDs I have to order). The Postal Service is just one of many many bands that I discovered courtesy of WOXY.
04 'Mushaboom' by Feist
And so is this wee gem, a slice of French-Canadian indie that is mesmerising in its quirkiness. The rest of the album is a cracker too.
05 'Disco Infiltrator' by LCD Soundsystem
It was either this or Daft Punk Is Playing At My House (waaaay to obvious). Is it just me or does he sound like Mark E Smith?
06 'Rejected Burger King radio ad' by Ween
It's short, it's mad, it's Ween. This was a freebie download on their website and I just couldn't stop playing it. Yup, they're a bit bonkers are Ween.
07 'Bucky Done Gone' by M.I.A.
Another tune "as heard on WOXY"; I heard it and immediately wondered what the hell it was. I really like it but, having read the reviews on the forum, I think I'm alone in my opinion.
08 'It's For You' by The Wedding Present
The Boy Gedge is back, and he's done good with a cracking album full of angst-ridden-guitar-jangling-indie-pop.
09 '24' by Jem
Them would've been too obivous; most of the rest of the album, though good, is a bit too light and fluffy.
10 'Lonely As Can Be' by The Concretes
The album this comes from is such a lovely thing to listen to. I urge anyone who reads this inane banter to immediately buy it (that's if you haven't already).
11 'Lost In The Plot' by The Dears
I saw these live recently, pretty much on the strength of the one track (this one) available from their website and a mate's enthusing of the album. If you read reviews on the web then they'll say how excellent The Dears are live (in their homeland of Canada they've released a live CD already). Obviously I must be missing something as I really didn't think they were all that live. Conversely, the CD is as good as they say and this is one of my favourite tracks on it. Weird.
12 'Nowhere Again' by Secret Machines
Prog is back, believe it.
13 'Obsession' by Animotion
I'm really enjoying this vogue for the 80s, especially the CD boxsets featuring all the excellent 12" singles I bought (only to later sell when skint). OK, so this probably isn't the best 12" of the 80s, nor the most representative of what I was listening to, but it's a bloody good tune all the same.
14 'The Good That Won't Come Out' by Rilo Kiley
And I finished up with the opening track of the Rilo's sophomore release, an album I played near constantly when I was lucky enough to get my grubby mitts on it (all hail the internet and its many fine record shops). Of course, it's now available in Blighty, natch.
The name of the compilation, "Hora, sem bon!", is (according to my old Manga magazines) Japanese for "Look, a thousand long things!". What that has to do with the price of cheese is anyone's guess. Still, that's one down; I can start on my next one now.
It was simply a selection of stuff I'd been listening to; so no concept or anally retentive obscurism like the last time around, honest guv...
01 'Any Minute Now' by Soulwax
Despite what Q (and a lot of the rest of the music press) thought, I really enjoyed Any Minute Now as an album. It's not Much Against Eveyone's Advice Part 2, which is kind of the point. Anyway, it was bloody difficult to pick just one tune to represent it. NY Excuse might have been a tad obvious, E Talking was 'the one' right up until the last minute, then the second track just snuck on in there for my opener.
02 'Robot' by The Futureheads
Again, it was hard to pick just the one track. I didn't want to go for anything too obvious, I think I failed in that respect. Then again, who cares? It's a top tune and deserves to be played as loud as possible.
03 'Such Great Heights' by The Postal Service
When I'm sat at my desk at work I often plug myself into the internet and tune Windows Media Player (yes, I know) into WOXY.com. A friend hooked me into this great radio station awhile ago and, since listening, I've found I've had to ration my enjoyment as it has a detrimental effect on my bank account (all those lovely obscure CDs I have to order). The Postal Service is just one of many many bands that I discovered courtesy of WOXY.
04 'Mushaboom' by Feist
And so is this wee gem, a slice of French-Canadian indie that is mesmerising in its quirkiness. The rest of the album is a cracker too.
05 'Disco Infiltrator' by LCD Soundsystem
It was either this or Daft Punk Is Playing At My House (waaaay to obvious). Is it just me or does he sound like Mark E Smith?
06 'Rejected Burger King radio ad' by Ween
It's short, it's mad, it's Ween. This was a freebie download on their website and I just couldn't stop playing it. Yup, they're a bit bonkers are Ween.
07 'Bucky Done Gone' by M.I.A.
Another tune "as heard on WOXY"; I heard it and immediately wondered what the hell it was. I really like it but, having read the reviews on the forum, I think I'm alone in my opinion.
08 'It's For You' by The Wedding Present
The Boy Gedge is back, and he's done good with a cracking album full of angst-ridden-guitar-jangling-indie-pop.
09 '24' by Jem
Them would've been too obivous; most of the rest of the album, though good, is a bit too light and fluffy.
10 'Lonely As Can Be' by The Concretes
The album this comes from is such a lovely thing to listen to. I urge anyone who reads this inane banter to immediately buy it (that's if you haven't already).
11 'Lost In The Plot' by The Dears
I saw these live recently, pretty much on the strength of the one track (this one) available from their website and a mate's enthusing of the album. If you read reviews on the web then they'll say how excellent The Dears are live (in their homeland of Canada they've released a live CD already). Obviously I must be missing something as I really didn't think they were all that live. Conversely, the CD is as good as they say and this is one of my favourite tracks on it. Weird.
12 'Nowhere Again' by Secret Machines
Prog is back, believe it.
13 'Obsession' by Animotion
I'm really enjoying this vogue for the 80s, especially the CD boxsets featuring all the excellent 12" singles I bought (only to later sell when skint). OK, so this probably isn't the best 12" of the 80s, nor the most representative of what I was listening to, but it's a bloody good tune all the same.
14 'The Good That Won't Come Out' by Rilo Kiley
And I finished up with the opening track of the Rilo's sophomore release, an album I played near constantly when I was lucky enough to get my grubby mitts on it (all hail the internet and its many fine record shops). Of course, it's now available in Blighty, natch.
The name of the compilation, "Hora, sem bon!", is (according to my old Manga magazines) Japanese for "Look, a thousand long things!". What that has to do with the price of cheese is anyone's guess. Still, that's one down; I can start on my next one now.
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