Throwaway Style

A Very Civil People

2007-06-22T21:41:00.000+01:00

It's been literally ages since I or any of us updated the site, and seemingly for no good reason either other than being desperately lazy. Especially in the light of all the wonderful sounds that are floating around in our collective ears in 2007, so in a genuine attempt to redress the balance, without further ado, etc etc.....

Dan Heywood's New Hawks are one of those instantly familiar bands whose songs seem to strike a chord almost immediately when I saw way back in the frozen arctic months earlier this year. It was a weekend centered around a very special Panda Bear performance in a frankly quite tiny little venue somewhere in wildest Manchester, but that's another story altogether one which you can read about HERE. Anyway back to the point the following evening there was a big choice to be made enjoy the hospitality of Dunk Le Chunk and his fireside warmth down at the Red Deer Club or venture further out risk not being able to find a venue deep in the heart of Salford (not that deep as it actually turns out). So in the end after much coin flipping, it was decided to take a trip into 'the other city'. After a few wrong turns and some rather worryingly poor advice from a passer-by the venue was found and everything was ok.

Anyway back to the point of sorts, Dan Heywood's New Hawks are a semi fluid gathering of like minded wanderers led by Heywood himself. Who far from curating in a Billy Shears mentor way actually directs the the flow of the music through his West Midlands meets Lancastrian vocal stylings. Dan formerly a member of aspiring alterna-rockers The Puma Sutras, is originally from Stourbridge but relocated oop north because circumstances wanted him to, and that's as good a reason as any really isn't it? Drawing from Hebridean folk music and putting it through the cosmik mangler by way of the seventies commune led Krauts is what this bunch of fluid artists do best. Sometimes when you see them you might hit on a seven piece at other times more or less dependent on who is free to play. The time I saw them supporting Starless & Bible Black and The Lightshines we were subject to the aforementioned seven piece show. A band featuring amongst others Trish Stanish on Violin, Paddy Steer on wayward Timpani, legendary Nashville player Gary "GT" Thistlewaite on Lap Steel and Heywood himself leading from the front.

Currently enjoying a symbiotic relationship with host label Timbreland Recordings DHNH are said to be possibly considering recording an album, rumored to be an epic 29 tracks long and possibly in the great tradition of commune styled bands released only on gatefold double vinyl. Or possibly not, the one constant thing about Dan Heywood is that more often than not you'll be able to find both him and the New Hawks somewhere in Lancaster. Meanwhile enjoy something direct from them,,,

Kopper Kettle (MP3)
New Wool (MP3)

The Phonographers Union: The Preserving Machine

2007-04-07T13:29:00.000+01:00

I've decided that 2007 is going to be a year of firsts for the venerable monks here at Throwaway Style. By way of validating that let me introduce you to the first in a (possible) series of compilations for your aural satisfaction. Mix-tapes and compilations have been the bed rock of my listening tastes and its quite often through that process we are introduced to musics that excite us enough to warrant writing about them and sharing them with you. The last few years in music have seen a rich and fertile land of music develop in the knotholes and crags of the surface of popular culture and its there where often the best noise come from.

So ahem yes on with the show or something; where possible I will provide links to the artists in question for your further investigation:-

Pink Mountaintops - Lord Let Us Shine
Raccoo-oo-oon - Diamonds In The Dune
The Polkadot Sunflower Bed Orchestra - The Sun Reflects Straight Off Your Eyes, To My Heart. How Enchanting.
Animal Collective/Kocani Orkesta - Oi Bori Sujie
Drakkur Sauna - Very Much Alone, Part 4: Oh Fuck, I'm Fucked, Fuck
Maths & Physics Club - La La La Lisa
Miracle Fortress - Hanky Panky Nowhow
Elephant Micah - Saint Lucy
Feathers - To Earth His Own
Flying Saucer Attack - Come & Close My Eyes
Wood & Wires - Canes Venatici
Eric's Trip - Blinded
Faraquet - Sea Song
Treepeople - No Doubt
Dragon Or Emperor - Your Success
Jah Division - Heart & Soul Dub
Handsome Furs - Dead & Rural
Mort Garson - Symphony For A Spiderplant
Plants - The Mind
Flying Canyon - In The Reflection

The Phonographers Union: The Preserving Machine

*please support the artists where possible

Disfunctional Elements

2007-03-31T13:45:00.000+01:00

Brooklyn seems to have it all in terms of music output, having spawned countless armies of the most critically lauded bands/musicians in the last seven years. A direct line which can be traced backwards through all and any mutation of music you or I can possibly imagine be that the twisted folk cum electro freak punk of Animal Collective or the sepia tinged bedroom symphonia of Grizzly Bear. Blues Control are the newest band in this lineage to have gathered already in their short lifespan an exited air of expectation. A nom de plume for Lea Cho and Russ Waterhouse of established outer limits explorers Watersports. By no means is Blues Control's oeuvre a completely unexplored subject (Royal Trux have been there done that in all its faded day-glo glory already) but the panache with which they move around in the sphere of lo-fi splattered blues exploration is something to behold.

To term this 'blues' in the traditional sense is perhaps a little bit misleading, the tag instead comes from the band's choice of instrumentation. Guitar, keys, harmonica and vocals (treated) are the traditional elements that sit quite well alongside less obvious drum loops and found sounds. Sometimes sludgy loping rock sitting neatly alongside more intricate detailing allowing the project to almost plot a direct line of ascendency between drone lords The Dead C and more open experimentation of the likes of No Neck Blues Band or Mouthus.

With one self released and now out of print cassette to their name, Blues control aim to completely take over the known world this year with a new cassette "Riverboat Styx" on Fuck-It Tapes and a limited vinyl release on offshoot Woodsist to date. A release heavy schedule to follow this year with a début proper due on Holy Mountain in May and further releases on Not Not Fun and American Grizzly to follow later still. All fit together to make Blues Control one of, if not the most interesting prospects to pile-drive its way into the collective concious this year. File under interested definitely...

Purchase Blues Control merchandise from Fusetron or direct from the labels listed above.

Losing Game (MP3)

Designed To Float On....

2007-02-24T20:16:00.000Z

Often when it comes to writing these blogs I find myself musing for some time looking for inspiration and quite often a central focus to an article. Sometimes that inspiration can be drawn from seemingly inconsequential sources. Anyway enough psychoanalysis as it gets me nowhere really other than a couple of sentences into this and besides that's not what's on my mind. Right now I'm thinking about the forthcoming All Tomorrows Parties curated by Dirty Three. The festival widely acknowledged as one of the best events on the Uk festival circuit this year has swapped its old home of Camber Sands in Rye and relocated to a newer facility in Minehead. As previously mentioned the first of this years bi annual (not counting the Nightmare Before X-Mas) is set to be curated by Australian trio Dirty Three. Artists already booked for their weekend include a rare solo show from Nick Cave, Joanna Newsom, Yann Tierson, Einsturzende Neubauten and the début performance from Grinderman (described as dirty, hairy and damn well old enough to know better on their website.)

Anyway to the point along with all the more well known names there are also a peppering of the less well known, even a selection plucked from the relative obscurity of the Australian independent scene. Which got me around to thinking what else is going on over there, that doesn't often pierce the outside world beyond the odd good word in select publishing in the later otherwise rest of the world.

The Boats are an instrumental rock trio from Melbourne who formed in mid 2003 when a meeting of minds took place between two old school friends and two prospective drummers. Within 15 minutes of the ensuing jam, Paul Guseli (Drums), Jona Byron (Guitar/Loops/Bass) and Nick Connelly(Guitar/Bass/Piano) knew that they were at the beginning of something quite special. Over the course of the next six months the trio formalized both recorded and improv material into a collection of demo's, which were released as four track CD EP. The boats played their first show at Good Morning Captain in early 2004, with long improvisational jams that captured the ears and curiosity of many punters. The good press garnered off the back of these live shows opened up the bands profile to radio airplay and interviews and a second independently pressed three track EP of material entitled "Live & Rare". Around the time of recording this EP work also began on laying the foundations for their début long player (due for release in 2007). Reference points for the band as they enter into their forth year of being and after a period of self imposed hiatus range from looped phased guitar/bass quiet loud dynamics of Mogwai to the deep brooding of Godspeed You! Black Emperor to the dustbowl dramatics of composer Ennio Morricone whilst at the same time stamping their own definitive stamp on proceedings. Often being described as surf-rock, punk, alt country, indie alternative, post-rock and even 'the new jazz'. Quite simply put they could be one of the most interesting instrumental rock bands to rise in recent years and should be listened to as suggested in the liner notes of their "Perennial Love" EP should be listened to in a darkened room preferably with a plentiful supply of tobacco and red wine on hand!

Warmth From A Window (MP3)
Perennial Love [live improv jam May 2006] (MP3)

International Karate formed way back in the ether of 1997 in the shadow Calder Park Thunderdrome (which their handy bio informs me is in the flat wastelands of North West Melbourne.) Initially a two piece but grew to four piece over the ensuing years, beginning in the garage of core members Andrew "Poly" Polydorou (Guitar) and Mark Mascia (Bass). A year later the line up was bolstered with the addition of drummer Aaron Pepper and then later on again by Callan Fox (Guitar/Keyboards). The four piece as was drifted in and out of a hectic live schedule, culminating in an opening slot for revered post rockers Labradford in 2001. Sometime in early 2002 IK decided it was time to record an album. An interminably staggered recording process began and stretched out over 12 months, with dates booked here and there over a whole year. 2003 saw the release of "Weapons Of Mass Protection" on Sensory Projects
records. Featuring the collaborative vocal talents of Daniel Brownrigg the album garnered pleasing reviews focussing on the bands ability to draw deeply from the twin wells of Krautrock past and Post Rock present. The generally pleasant reaction to this album spurred the band into immediately returning to studio to record the follow-up. "Monster In The Soul" released in September of 2004 again on Sensory Projects. In February 2007 the band are set to release their third album of ambient blurred post rock, this time with the addition of vocal talents from folk singer Laura Jean. Extracts from the new album can be sampled at the band's Myspace page.

I Will Hurt You (MP3)
Aries (MP3)

MAU! MAU! DIDI MAU!

2007-01-21T14:18:00.000Z

Deerhunter the band (not the film) began in 2001 with a simple manifesto one which saw them attempt to fuse the freedom of ambient and minimalist music with the claustrophobic klang of garage punk. The central core of the band being Atlanta based songwriter Bradford Cox; who has over the years weathered numerous chaotic line up changes, the death of a band member and general discouragement from the public at large. Throughout this though a line up for the band has been shaped and shaped again. Eventually settling as a five piece comprised of Moses Archuleta, Josh Fauver, Colin Mee, Lockett Pundt and Bradford Cox. The band released two limited press records on local Atlanta based record label Rob's House Records.

2004 the band retreated to the rural hinterland of GA to record their debut self titled LP, released and promoted locally. In 2005 the band began work on their second full length release, one which would take nearly two years to record and in the process drive the band to point of near bankruptcy. The first half of the album was recorded first unsuccessfully. These recordings were a blur at best, wordless and bordering on psychological atrophy. The sessions failed to provide anything tangible, and were racked with technical and personal problems, including out-of-tune pianos, panic attacks, and a tape machine that seemed to fail to capture the full spectrum of ambience the band was exploring. Down trodden the band returned home and considered giving altogether. In an attempt to give it one last go they again decamped to that same rural studio that had bourne their first full length.

This session was far more succesful than earlier attempts, nailing the entire first half of what was to become their major label debut "Cryptograms" for Kranky Records. The second half of the record, also recorded in a day was put to tape in late November 2005. An exaustive calender of promotion began in 2006 during which they were voted critics choice for "Best Local Experimental Music Act" at Creative Loafing, 2006. Culminating in the band signing to the aforementioned label and agreeing to a distribution deal which would see their album released in late January 2007. The album shows a more coherent sound from that of the miasma and chaos generally showcased in earlier incarnations balancing earth-rattling drones with angelic cadences that dwell on the borders of coherent song structure. Utilizing the blank spaces inside the notes, which leaves plenty of room to roam around a wash of graceful guitar noise, clutter and kraut-rock rhythms. A competent take on less-than-orthodox sounds blossomed in only a few short years from lo-fi, "kitchen avant-garde" home recordings to a viable tenant of the pop avant-garde that gives a nod to everyone from Rhys Chatham to Stereolab. One to watch in 2007 with a busy calender to match, from support slots for both Grizzly Bear and Sparklehorse in March to an invite to the SWSX festival further into the year.

Deerhunter - Spring Hall Convert (MP3)

Hidden Pathways

2007-01-12T20:35:00.000Z

There are many names in music today who are unfairly or otherwise not known; a lot of the time for no good reason other than word of mouth hasn't passed along the grape vine fast enough. When WIRE magazine's David Keenan coined the phrase 'New Weird America' back in August 2003 who could've known what was destined to happen to the fledgling movment (despite its hidden roots in just about every form of popular music since the late 60s.). Who could've forseen the rise of Animal Collective, the dissolution of The Tower Recordings into a million brilliant shards or Devandra Banhart becoming the figurehead of the offshoot bastardisation 'Freak Folk' movement?!? Then the the Finnic equivelent of vikings invaded and brought with them a whole load of wonderful feral folk, the likes of which is still wowing people three years later!

Back to the point though! One of those names that is passed around in hushed circles who really does deserve far more recognition is Matthew De Gennaro. A search of the intetnet reveals very little about this man, most often passing references as a footnote to one of New Zealand's underground lynchpins Alaistar Galbraith. Matt has thus far released a couple of collaborative affairs with the aformentioned in differing press runs on small run labels. These in themselves reveal that he is a consumate finger pick guitarist who can happily count Jack Rose and James Blackshaw as contemporaries. His style recalling at times that of John Renbourn/Burt Jansch as much aluding to the beloved American primative of John Fahey.

Away from his collaborative work he has also found the time to produce three albums of solo material; "Under The Sun" a limited pressing of 50 on Epigonic Recordings, followed by a second release "5" on the same label. Finally thus far at least "Humbled Down" on the Last Visible Dog imprint in 2005.

Matthew De Gennaro - Ross Creek Wander

Mainline To Hell

2007-01-09T20:19:00.000Z

2006 was a good year for music a really good year in fact. One that brought us triumphant returns from old favourites, self assured sophmore releases from relative newcomers and more than its fair share of surprise additions along the way. Among those surprises is the London based ten strong collective The Flowers Of Hell, who have been gently plugging away since they drifted together in 2005 over the course of a series of releases for the Shifty Disco singles club. The band counts within its number a glut of talent, side players from bands the likes of The Tindersticks, British Sea Power and newcomers The Early Years.

The group blend a majestic storm of drone and guitar into orchestral arrangements that call to mind The Velvet Underground & Nico and Spiritualized circa "Laser Guided Melodies." Which makes it fairly ironic that that the band found their mentor in Gary 'Sonic Boom' Kember the very man who acrimoniously split with the laters Jason 'Spaceman' Pierce after a fruitful career together as Spaceman 3.

The self titled debut album was released in November 2006 on Earworm records was produced by Tim Holmes of Death In Vegas at the Contino Rooms. Mastering for the record was done Dennis Blackman whose previous credits include Kraftwerk's "Autobahn" and raft of classic releases from the likes of T-Rex, Elvis and Led Zeppelin. Along with mentoring the group in the earlier incarnation Sonic Boom also collaborated with the band on the track "Through The F Hole" one of several standouts on the album along with the lenghty song that forms the backbone of the album "Opt Out." A swirling monster of understated guitars and violins that ebbs and flows like Spiritualized at their most incandescent and Godspeed You! Black Emperor at their most apocalyptic.

The Flowers From Hell - Opt Out

Sustained Spectral Harmonics

2007-01-03T19:26:00.000Z

Formed in the recent past in Baton Rouge, Louisana; Wilderness Pangs started out life as a Creedance Clearwater Revival tribute act. Originally a duo comprised of Randy Faucheux (Guitar, Percusion, Feedback, Anything Else) and Brandon White (Guitar) who shared vocal duties. Between those faltering early steps and the place we call now, they have evolved into a slightly more incandescant beast. in the process and in the words of the band themselves this process began when they took a journey to the centre of the earth and discovered a breed of fire breathing animal called gigantodons. A realm where rap music doesn't exist. Hokey stories aside what they did find at the centre of the earth was a more cohesive playing style one which takes notes from the overlords of the current psychedlic scene: Animal Collective.

Fast forward a couple of years and the duo were joined by full time bassist and drummer Jeremy Baptiste. The pallette of influences was extended further to include leftfield rap collective cLOUDEAD and the introverted psyche canvases of Spaceman 3 and the outsider acolyte of New York's Tower Recordings; James Toth (Wooden Wand). This enabled the unit to begin playing live and to flesh out those ideas collated over the embryonic stage of their development into a self pressed CD-R release. In late 2006 they also signed to German label Broken Ear with a view to releasing a fully realised version of the now out of print early material.

The Elephant Ghost Saga Part 3 (By Night)
Parallel Gigantadons

Awake Again

2006-12-17T23:19:00.000Z

Three months since this place was last updated, what have we been doing? Listening to copious amounts of music mainly probably compiling lists as is the wont for lots of Rob Gordon wannabees this time of year and just generally bumming around. So anyway Throwaway Style will be back more alive than ever in the new year (hell I might even do something before then....) with more insight into the less travelled paths of contemporary music and popular culture.

The year to date has been rich with discoveries for all of us involved in this little thing we call a blog. I've personally had more than my fair share of epithanies and I'm sure that the other contributors have been there done that too. Greenman was definitely a high for me with a rich seam of music being transported to and then mined in the lush greenery of the foot of Brecon Beacons. A wander upto the front room like Red Deer Club in Manchester too was another revelation; how music at grass roots level can be put on and not feel like some closed environment.

So looking forward to 2007 you bet I am whatever it might hold....

Merry X-mas

CC

Alchemy Reimagined

2006-09-18T20:31:00.000+01:00

Mat Sweet aka Boduf Songs has had quite a year, getting picked up by Kranky Records on the strength of a collection demo recordings he sent out, releasing those demos untouched as a mini album in March 2006 and now to round things out an album proper. Mat Sweet wasn't a stranger to recording though having released numerous private press limited CD-R runs on his Baby Blue Recordings; ranging from glitch heavy electronics to straight heavy rock featuring a close knit group of friends in a revolving line-up. Boduf Songs was Sweet's first attempt at recording his own songs, recorded using accoustic guitar, violin bow, toy piano and computed manipulated field sounds. The resulatant recordings released as a self titled LP not only secured a deal with Kranky but also began garnering alot of interest in many high places. Described in equal measures as dark psychedelia and melancolic lament, it still manages to avoid being labelled overtly obscure.

Puke A Pitch Black Rainbow [taken from "Boduf Songs", Krank 085]

The new record "Lion Devours The Sun" due for release October 30th builds on the foundations built up on the self titled EP. The album title a nod to alchemical imagery, the sun representing consciousness and the lion symbolizing emotion. More fully formed than its former self if there was relative self restraint or a humbleness evident on the the first record it is blown away righteous bitterness of the new material.

27th Raven's Head (Darkness Showing Through The Head Of The Raven) [taken from "Lion Devours The Sun", Krank 099]

Please Check Your Emotional Baggage At the Door........

2006-08-29T18:16:00.000+01:00

This is it the final day, and its been such a pleasure to get here, two days of fantastic music already gone and a whole day's worth of music to go before we reach the proverbial fat lady singing moment. But what a moment it's going to be, and before today is out, there will be krautrock, folk and an improvised drum circle and none of it will feel contrived. It will in fact be the perfect end to my highlight of the summer, so before I get anymore drippy and splurge even more on praise lets get on with it!

Sunday.....

11:30am and for some reason I think I can hear a medieval marching band, if I was hungover or suffering from the effects of drink, but its far too early for that. I haven't even had breakfast yet, so its something of a relief when I spot Michael Tyack and some of the other Circulus band members have become a marching band and merrily wandering the campsite spreading their happy message. Even taking the time i'm sure to show some of the younger campsite members how to use the crumhorn they've brought along with them. A short while later Woodcraft Folk are pleasing the crowd with their folktronic take on krautrock like motorik rythyms. Gentle if slightly rigid vignettes bookended by chiming xylophones, bells and if they could get away with it a kitchen sink too. It's actually really hard to track down even the merest smidgen of infomation about this unit of likeminded folk, other than glowing reviews of their debut album which is currently enjoying a second limited pressing run on Earworm Records complete with a limited 5x5 hand screened print. We wander away just before the end of their set in order to make our way over to the DJ tent where James Yorkston hot off his almost epochal stint in the Folkey Dokey stage the night before. As we approach the tent there is an ominous sound being produced from inside it, a grinning Yorkston is tucked away behind his chosen weapon of mass sound production, bathing the gathered crowd and an undercover Adem in the gothic tones of Scott Walker's "Farmer In The City".

Back to the mainstage then for Juana Molina, anyone not familar with Juana by now should be locked away and made to listen to those "Panpipe Moods" compilations for the indefinite future. Anyway for anyone not currently on her wavelength I'll save you the above horror and explain that back in her native Argentina, Juana was a cause celebré for many year she was a ratings winning comedienne with her own weekly primetime sitcom. She gave all that up though to return to her first love music. Her fusion of traditional Argentinian folk music and gently lilting electronica, bring the sun to the mountains for a while and gets an appreciative crowd swaying like a Brazillian cantina. Currently promoting her third domestically available album "Son" on Matador records she has been hailed as a South American Bjork and will probably continue to earn plaudits with every new record. From one solitary figure on a huge stage coping really well to another and argueably one of the most sintillating acts of the weekend.

Marissa Nadler cuts a very unassuming figure as she nervously soundchecks a special mic effect in front of the assembled crowd. It's mostly to everyones surprise when she subsequently strolls back on a stage filled with guitars a few minutes later and informs us that she has left her band back home. She takes alot of time to thank the warm crowd reaction to material from both her previous releases and mixes in a number of new tracks taken from as the yet untitled new LP due January 2007 on Peacefrog Records. She finishes the set with a spectral reading of an Edgar Allen Poe poem backed by one of her own compositions, to say it was spinetingling would be at this juncture something of an understatement.

Marissa Nadler - Lily Henry & The Willow Tree

There's some time to kill for me until the next act I want to see, so I decide to have a wander about the minature village green on site where all sorts of odd craft stalls are gathered, selling anything from hand fashioned tunics to stalls selling postcards of "picturesque Britain" and oddly enough a coconut shy. I didn't hang around too long though because I was mindful of the popularity of a oppotunity to watch Sunburned Hand Of The Man peform a live soundtrack to the experimental film "Invasion Of The Thunderbolt Pagoda" by 60 counter culture figure and avant garde director Ira Cohen. The film itself is largely albeit very incoherent is not without its charms, a melange of the kaledoscopic fisheye lensed shots combined with examples of Cohen's own mylar photographry. For this performance SBHOTM are joined by Keith Woods of the band Hush Arbors. Its here that I meet up with the Steve & Sandro' two amiable Austrailians who seem to be operating on the same wavelength. I actually met them the night before during the Jack Rose set albeit briefly. Which is a handy segue into the next act as its him that we stood two feet away from during Bert Jansch's turn on the main stage. It's also safe to point out at this time that the normally quite rerved (I'd imagine) Jack Rose is whooping and hollering like a fan boy all the way through the three songs we hang around for.

On the way back to the Folkey Dokey stage to get a good spot for later we are distracted by a rabble rowsing incident around the Cafe stage. Turns out its Brandon Massei otherwise known as Viking Moses, a self possesed poet come folk Kurt Cobain. Also joining Massei as his own personal choir put together an hour earlier and very much learning the words as they went along are James Yorkston, Adrian Crowley and Marissa Nadler, there are also sugestions that Nancy Elizabeth Cunliffe is on bass and a random crowd member is on percusion. Being short I can't substantiate this though, so I'll take their word for it! As an aside this is very definitely a highlight of the weekend and truely a sight to behold, its almost as if someone has transposed that spirit that permeated the Newport Jazz Festivals of the late 60's and 70's and plonked it down in mid Wales. Back then it wasn't uncommon to see the greats getting up on stage and performing heart stopping sets together regardless of colour, class or creed.

It also serves as the best apertif to the dark laden gothic murder and folk ballards that Alaisdair Roberts has brought with him this weekend. Scottish based singer/songwriter Roberts was raised in Callander, but has since relocated to Glasgow where he has operated from for the last ten years. His earliest recording being produced under the moniker Appendix Out, he made the switch to using his name in 2001 on "The Crook Of The Arm" a collection of traditional Scottish and English folk songs released on the Secretly Canadian imprint. The followup "Farewell Sorrow" to this came two years later produced by the High Llamas member Rian Murphy and was succeeded again in 2005 by the Will Oldham helmed "No Earthly Man" both on Drag City records. The set he plays this evening draws on all three albums as well as unveiling new material from his forthcoming album "The Amber Gatherers" and one or two Duncan Williamson covers thrown in for good measure. A fact that doesn't go unoticed by the Scottish contingent present in the tent.

Last act and who better to close out an excellent weekend than those Bostonian freaks Sunburned Hand Of The Man and okay so I saw them earlier in the day but this is going to be so much different now they are untethered from any restraints and we are now flying "No Mind" airlines. Our captain for this journey asks us cordially to check our emotional baggage at the door and then dedicates the following hour to the Welsh Pysch rockers Man. This is my first experience of Sunburned live, having avidly followed them on record since their earliest recorded output. Tonight they are in full Krautrock mode locked tightly into a circular groove, complete with shamanic intonations. The crowd is moving as one almost, whilst on stage all manner of mayhem is unfolding guitars are looped at source, a Harmonium is defiled at one point Keith Woods is even seen to be attempting to play his guitar with a drumstick, I think the cider might have been affecting my view for a moment there. They play an encore which lasts a good fifteen minutes and then dissapear leaving an ecstatic crowd demanding more.

The weekend isn't over yet though as its time to wander the stage area, for a while considering whether to go spot the Bluegrass band that haunts the bonfire or join the drumming circle in the main promenade. The later wins out this time and by the time we get there its already packed out and in full flow, Congas, Djembes and Bongo's all being liberally abused, while all manner of other found instrumentation is deployed left right and centre. These guys don't stop either, they keep going slowly the rythyms evolve at one point a Saxophonist joins the throng and an impromptu run through the Specials back catalogue is instigated with everyone in the tent joining the in for the choruses. It's getting on for 3am now and finally my tent is calling I make good my escape and sink into a deep sleep, tomorrow is going to be depressing as its time to vacate the picturesque site of Glanusk but not without saying goodbye to all those people that made the whole thing special in the first place!

*Fin*

I Don't Do Happy Songs!

2006-08-29T09:09:00.000+01:00

Day two and despite the slight rainbow effect that yesterday's cider consumption has caused in my head consolation can be found in the fact that at least its not raining. A couple of headache pills sufficiently dull the aching enough to allow for a wander towards the shower blocks. Mercifully the queues for said attraction haven't reached critical mass by the time I get there and even better there is still masses of hot water. Another tick in the book that is rapidly making this medieval village come festival one of the highlights of the year. Aggghhhhh enough pre-amble on with the show!

Saturday......

The day opens to the not that earth shattering post rock tones of Cardiff's Vito conjouring up images of Explosions In The Sky and Mogwai, its a pleasant enough start to day two. Things can only get better right? So its an air expectation that consumes us as Mancunian two piece Voice Of The Seven Woods take to the stage. Incorparting indian tinged ragas, loops and brain pounding beats; the lads entice a moderatly sized crowd to gather around the main stage. Their hand made CdR's were one of the best selling things on the merchandising stand, luckily those that missed out can still purchase these and the hand silk screened Andy Votel designed t-shirts direct from the boys themselves. Time then for a spot of lunch and as previously mentioned there was such a bredth of choice it was hard to know what to go for; vegetarian paella won out the battle this time as a quick look at the pieminister queue deemed it a little bit long, those are the breaks though for creating something wildly popular and then giving it to the masses.

Vito - Welcome The Lightning

Staying with the main stage seems to be a bit of a theme today so not wishing to break that particular trend I opt to hang around for ex Gorky Zygotic Mynci front man Euros Childs. He cuts a lithe figure on stage leading T to proclaim loudly that he looks as though he could do with a bit of feeding up. But before he can launch into material from his album "Chops" the bass unexpectedly goes tits up, leaving Childs no choice but to improvise and cover up the shortfall. Eventually with everything back on track we're off at a rolicking pace and even dodgy festival sound can't dampen the spirits of the gathered masses. A few new songs are unveilled which if anything sound better than the older material, I make a mental note to get along and see the other ex Mynci onsite; Richard James on Sunday as a result of the set (something I later forget to do.) The rain is back and there is just enough time to catch one or two of Tuungs set and the celebrated Greenman streaker, before heading over to the Folkey Dokey stage to catch hot young hopefuls Bat For Lashes.

Brighton based Bat For Lashes, blending a caberet atmosphere with their mystically tinged nocturnal indie folk. I'm a little disapointed when I get to the stage though as the band are still going through the motions of an extended sound check. Once things get going though and after an apology or three from Natasha Kahn it gets alot better. At times Natasha Khan's troupe of minstrels recall Goldfrapp with perhaps Cat Power's own Chan Marshall fronting them, but this is about as far away from the bestiallity themed electronica of the the former and there are also non of the stage fright that has been known to mar the later's shows. Not bad then for a band who haven't yet released an album proper. The album is due on September 11th fact fans on Echo records; consider this advance warning if the live version is anything to go by this is one to make sure you put in you shopping baskets when doing the weekly shop. The longer than normal soundcheck means I have to make a hasty exit at the end of the fifth song to make the main stage for King Creosote.

Kenny Anderson who has traded under a number of aliases including the KC moniker over the course of his quite impressive 33 albums bursts onto the stage grinning like a madman and proceeds to introduce his sparring partners for proceedings. Not anywhere near the excesses of last years bonanza where he was joined on stage by The Earlies and all of the 30 strong members of his Fence Collective and maybe also a few passing Japanese tourists. Still the cut price version is still pretty good and there are a couple of familiar faces in the shape of The Pictish Trail and Barron Le Rouge on guitar and bass respectively. The bombast of songs like "Twin Tub" and "6,7,8" even coaxes the sun out from its cloudy hideaway. As an encore Anderson enquires as to whether there are any aliens in the crowd and with that he is joined on stage by older brother Gordon (Lone Pidgeon) and some ex members of the Beta Band, appear on cue and they burst into a redition of the Aliens new single "Happy." So energetic is the song that Gordon Anderson briefly forgets where the stage is and fall off mid spin, only to be dumped back on stage a couple of seconds later.

The light is starting to fade now and its almost fitting as up next on the main stage is Micah P Hinson; a man whose enjoyed plenty of "life" in his short 24 years. Drug addiction, serving time in prison and being declared bankrupt all help to inform his take on gothic tinged country. Two albums under his belt so far we get a set encompassing these and peppered liberally with material on his new album "The Opera Cicuit" due on Sketchbook Records in September.

Time then for a switch in pace; over to the so far very reliable GM stage and at the risk of missing the innagral Silver Jews festival appearance, still the thought of watching Jack Rose was too big of a temptation to shake off. Rose who cuts a quite an anonymous figure amongst the masses. Originally from Virginia but relocated to Philidelphia in 2002 rose to the attention of the music media as a founder member of the drone/noise group Pelt whose influences included the recently spotted headed towards ATP; drone lords The Dead C. A sea change in Pelt and Rose's modus operandii saw them leaning more towards the minimalist guitar techniques of the late John Fahey. Releasing his first solo material in 2002 he has released a handful of material since which has garnered him wide acclaim including his 2005 tribute to the late master "Kensington Blues" on VHF recordings. What follows in the next forty five minutes is a studied practice in the art offinger picked guitar which is a marvel to watch, not only was it amazing to watch the sound was almost celestial.

Sticking with the GMC stage I hung around and waited for Malcolm Middleton to start, while it seems everone else was either headed towards Keiren Hebden/Steve Reid in the FD stage, or those who wanted to bored to death went off to see the suitably soporific José Gonzalez on the main stage. Turns out again it was the right choice as the FD tent was packed to the brim and anyone who ventured into the main arena was rendered unconcious in minutes. Malky who also plies his trade most often as member of Scottish misrablists Arab Strap is on form tonight opening his set by asking where everyone had got their "welly boots" from and then reflecting on the more exotic varieties he'd seen wandering around the site! Then we were treated to basically the entire back catalogue including a audience participation version of "1,2,3,4" and boyant versions of"Break My Heart", "Loneliness Shines" and "Autumn" as well as few new songs which aren't quite ready yet and seem to stop abruptly in the middle. It's a herois set and the usually quite dour Middleton puts down a request for a happy song next by quipping "I don't do happy songs!" he seems to almost be having fun. On which note it was time to retire back to tentsville again, making sure to pick our way through the guy lines on the way.

To be continued......

Laughter In The Dark..........

2006-08-26T23:50:00.000+01:00

To think one week ago I was living it up on the Welsh riviera taking in the sights and sounds of Greenman Festival 06. I wasn't really sure what the best method for reviewing the weekend through my eyes would be so I think i'll just blag it and hopefully in the course of the next however how long make a note of those acts that I thought really made the festival for me and hopefully those other wanderers that crossed my path through-out its course. Like a vast percent of the population of the festival I travelled down to the picturesque setting of Crickhowell on Thursday, so as to procure a fairly safe camping spot. Through the drizzle a little temporary village came into being, it was time for a wander around the site where slowly the concessionary stands and the bars were coming to life the sunny glow of a wine and cider powered evening sent me into a peaceful doze ready for all that Brecon could throw at us the next day.

Friday...........

Just what Brecon was going to throw at "us" the next day wasn't entirely unexpected but mercifully the rain was punctuated by at least a small dose of sunshine and some fairly wonderful music. Kicking off the weekend on the Main Stage was Brighton based singer/songwriter/poet and so it would seem Billy Bragg inspired political activist Chris TT. Next up and in the spirit of not moving much The Shortwave Set took to the stage with their blend of Victorian themed folktronica, as it had started to rain me and my other honorary Throwaway Stylers made the decision to have a wander up to Folkey Dokey stage. Although this meant missing one man band extrodinaire Philip Roebuck it did introduce me to the tearjerking slowed down folk baladry of Adrian Crowley. Dublin born Crowley self released his first album in 1999 before going on to record the followup in 2001 with Steve Albini at the helm. These sessions were released the following year on Ba-Da Bing records as "When You Are Here, You Are Family" a beguilling mix of Codeine and Leonard Cohern. A new record is currently in production, however my appalling memory appears to have consigned the title and label to one of the less travelled parts of my brain.

A quick wander later and I found myself just to the left of the main stage for gravel voiced, front porch blues man M.Ward. Backed by Adam Selzer who has worked with him since his early days in Rodriguez, he proceeded to roll through his back catalogue of material before making an unscheduled stop at The Carter Family's "Hey Stranger" and then introducing us to material from his new album "Post War" due on Merge records in September. Time then for a quick comfort break beore medievel psych act Circulus took to the stage and the evening got fully underway. Mike Tyack and his band of merry minstrels roll through their catalogue of material at a heady rate coaxing the sun out from its hiding place. A quick exit was in order though to grab a good spot for San Franciso's Skygreen Leopards.

Skygreen Leopards are yet another outlet for the songcraft of the Jewelled Antler Collective acolyte Glenn Donaldson. Eschewing the field recordings that have come to earmark JA releases, Skygreen is the pairing of Donaldson and Donovan Quinn; a magical psych-folk band with a unique perspective and clever wording ontop of well constructed and whimsical music. They introduce themselves as San Fran's answer to the Family Band before inviting the audience to be their family too! Managing a total of seven encores in the space of their alloted 45 minutes, due to a slight scheduling quandry. In the end its all good though and they leave everyone with a wide smile plastered across their face as they leave the stage for the eighth and final time. Their latest album "Disciples Of California" is due out on Jagjaguwar records in October 2006.

Skygreen Leopards - Disciples Of California

Due to a rather unprecedented number of people showing up to see Gruff Rhys, I made my excuses and had a wander over to catch the start of Teddy Thompson's set on the main stage. Sadly he seemed a little swamped by the size of the stage and I wandered off shortly the third song. Which is how I found myself nestled down the front of the Greenman Cafe stage watching the finger picking skill of the 24 year old Kent based James Blackshaw. Despite some problems with sound and Blackshaw's own self dreciation, he managed to turn out a magical blend of Steffan Basho-Junghans/Ben Chasney inspired song cycle. Currently in the process of recording new material his most recent release "O True Believers" is available now from Bo'weavil recordings.

James Blackshaw - Excerpt from "Transient Life In Twilight"

New Mexico's Hawk And A Hacksaw round out the night on the Greenman Cafe stage; Jeremey Barnes and Heather Trost blend together a mixture of accordian, percusion and violin. Barnes who is noted for being the drummer in the band Neutral Milk Hotel, and a key mover in the production of the Beirut album "Gulag Orkestar" released earlier this year to critical applause. A whirlwind tour of the Slavic regions of mainland europe, including a couple of songs from the new album "The Way The Wind Blows" the title of which is later revealed by Barnes to be a reference the radical revolutionary group the Weather Underground Organization, active during the US's ill fated occupation of Vietnam in the late 60's early 70's. The new LP should be out October on the Leaf Label.

Hawk & A Hacksaw - The Moon Under Water
Hawk & A Hacksaw - Portlandtown

After witnessing Barnes and Trost, Donovan's somewhat comedy take on his back catalogue seems somewhat less polished than normal. Aside from the rather odd Jamaican accent that peppers his on stage banter, he also chooses to preform the ubiquitous Sunshine Superman on three occaisons throughout his headline slot. As I wander back towards my tent I can hear take three, sharply followed by Mello Yellow. My head hits the makeshift pillow and i'm gone dreaming of cider induced klezmar punctuated parties and wishing that the students directly behind me would hurry up and decide exactly which decade was their favourite!

to be continued........

HEY, MR. AIRPLANE MAN!

2006-08-26T11:35:00.000+01:00

Mr. Airplane Man are a female two-piece hailing from Boston, who play stripped down garage rock, with thick distortion heavy guitar and Kinks-esque pop hooks. Formed in early 1999 - and later signed to Sympathy For The Record Industry - the duo have recorded three albums; with their latest, C'mon DJ proclaimed as their greatest yet. Named after a Howlin' Wolf song - and on Moanin' in particular - the band blend dreamy sixties girl-group pop with blues to form a sound that while reminiscent of the Shangri-Las and Thee Headcoatees owes a lot to the raw, punky R&B/pop of bands like The Outsiders and The Seeds.

Mr. Airplane Man - Not Living At All

[WEEEEBBBSIIIITE]

'Tears came raining down/ and ran through the rivers to the sea'

Some context then: Fabulous Foxes is the nom de plume of singer/ songwriter Robert Clueley whose name is doubtless familiar to regular gig goers in his native Leicester and as far abroad as, erm, Nottingham. (“Y’know, Bob?’ “Yeah.”) He has also recently been seen performing percussive duties for Tookie Sherman’s new project, Super Bompers Band - aswell as sporadic performances in Leicester over the summer. The new look website even hints at some dates across the pond in October…

As far as genuine artefacts of his music go, Glaciers is a CDR of Fabulous Foxes’ material, recorded with horns, drums, violins and various brass instruments. Bob has been enthusiastically handing out copies since the beginning of the year, but I’d much prefer to focus one of his new recordings, ‘Being There.’ This time around it's simply Bob and Bob alone on vocals, acoustic guitar, and a bit of piano. The vocals do come across and slightly strained a laboured, but it is an extremely affecting song with definite affinities to Pink Moon era Nick Drake and Jeff Magnum.

Fabulous Foxes - Being There

[WEEEEBBBSIIIITE]

Two Beards Are Better Than One......

2006-08-22T14:26:00.000+01:00

Now in its forth year and rapidly gaining plaudits left, right and centre it was my pleasure to have attended the 2006 Greenman Festival this weekend. Hosted and organised by Brecon based indie folk duo Its Jo & Danny the festival found a new home this year. Namely the picturesque grounds of the Glanusk National Park at the foot of the Sugar Loaf mountain range.

70+ acts on three stages over three days and line-up which transected all sorts of folk from the traditional folk of the vanguards of the genre like Bert Jansch and Wizz Jones. To the electronica based noodlings of Tuung & the folktronica crew all the way through to the no mind wanderings in the free folk leanings of Sunburned Hand Of The Man.

Alongside the musical attractions were a number of other attractions; a literature tent which chaired interviews and discussions by numerous luminaries. Joe Boyd was the subject of one such slot, Joe whose book "White Bicycles: Making Music In 60's" is available in most good bookstores was a leading figure in the folk music industry that sprung up in the UK at the end of the 60's and he oversaw the production of a number of albums by artists such as Vashti Bunyan and The Incredible String Band. A cinema tent which premiered a live sound track to Ira Cohen's avant garde film "Invasion Of The Thunder Pagoda" as performed by Sunburned Hand Of The Man. There was also alot of provisions in place for the younger members of the audience in the form of both a science tent and a puppetry tent where numerous projects could be enrolled upon.

The food on site was to an immensly high standard; suitable concessions were made for both Vegetarians and Vegans being well catered for too. Lebonese, Mexican, Indian and the all conquering Pieminister pie stall which seemed to have a queue all weekend even when it was shut. The bars were both efficiently run by pleasent staff and had a range of alcoholic and non alcoholic beveridges that were again a very pleasing thing to see. The idea of charging a "deposit" on pint glasses meant that litter was kept mercifully limited in comparison to other music festivals i've visited' this in conjuction with a very strong recycling message meant that the campsite come Monday morning was almost completely litter free. A critiscism though aimed at the insular owners of the general store who seemed quite happy to slap very large mark-ups on their produce, which seemed to be in complete opposition to all of the other vendors on site.

So thankyou Jo & Danny for an excellent weekend; for some mindblowing music which i'll be delving into and writing up later in the week......... Oh and see you all next year!

What A Ride!

2006-08-13T20:41:00.000+01:00

Canada a country that has a lot to be proud of right at the moment, with the whole critical praise being lumped on the Arcade Fire debut album way back in 2005! Then there is the whole continuing snowball effect following Spencer Krug, Carey Mercer and Dan Bejar around as we grow ever closer to the November release date of their Swan Lake project. But before all that in fact way back in 1990 those crafty Canadians were doing it for themselves even way back then......

Eric's Trip had the unlikely honour of being the first of a wave of Canadian band's to get themselves picked up by Seattle's Sub Pop. Formed in 1990 the product the very fertile music scene surrounding the small province of Moncton, and named for the track by NY's Sonic Youth. Principly formed by Rick White and Chris Thompson who were working together on a project entitled The Forest they recruited vocalist/bassist Julie Doiron-Claytor and there after were joined by Purple Knight drummer Mark Gaudet before officially taking on the Eric's Trip moniker. They debuted the band shortly after on a self released and self titled cassette release. Between 1990 and their 1993 major label debut "Love Tara" on Subpop they released a string of EP's.

Central to the band's success was the central boy/girl vocal sparrings of White and Doiron-Claytor; a sound which drew immediate comparrisons to Yo La Tengo. Also in key to their sound was a healthy dollop of noise informed pop of Sonic Youth and even further back to The Velvet Underground as well as that of contemporary bands around at that time like Pavement. It was this sound that began the move away from the "Grunge" sound that Subpop was becoming more and more synonomous with. A relationship that carried the band through three full length albums with the label and one which ended only after Doiron-Claytor's pregnancy forced the band onto an extended hiatus, which eventually culminated in their official split in 1996 after the release of their final album "Purple Blue." Since the band split all of the respective parties have kept their hand in the music scene surrounding Moncton.

In 2001 the band reformed for a one off performance, and then again in August 2006 to play the Sappy Records festival in New Brunswick, Canada.

My Bed Is Red
Stove

Spectacular Passages

2006-08-13T15:02:00.000+01:00

From the early seventies, Loren Connors has recorded over thirty albums on over dozens of independent labels: from hazy blissed out meditative guitar pieces, to heartfelt acoustic guitar mantras and duets with artists such as Kath Bloom and his wife, Suzanne Langille. Night Through combines over three and a half hours of Connors' own guitar workouts as well as tracks from Connors' band Haunted House - who released one album in 1999. As a relative newcomer to his music it may seem rather premature to label the Family Vineyard release a ‘classic’ but sheer scope and vision of the music contained within this anthology is of such a quality to make you just as concerned as to why it’s taken so long for this material to surface.

Loren Mazzacane Connors - Trouble in Mind

But while the anthology chiefly draws his work as a solo artist, the guitarist also recorded under the number of pseudonyms. The most well known and instantly recognible of these, was Lorren Mazzacane, and from 1983 - 1984 he recorded three limited edition LP's with Kath Bloom and released them on his own St Joan imprint. Richard Linklater would later popularise the track 'Come Here' when it featured in his film 'Before Sunrise.' Nevertheless, while Kath Bloom has also benefited from a recent resurgence in her music - enough for Chapter Music to release 'Finally' earlier this year - Sand In My Shoe, Restless Faithful Desperate and Moonlight have never been reissued. The latter is spectacular example of depression era folk/blues; and quite literally an acoustic guitar and a voice. Mostly about love, lost love and despair at the human race. Listen to the following track at low volume.

Kath Bloom & Loren Mazzacane - Can You Find Me?

[YOU CAN BUY THE ALBUM HERE]

Loren Connors
Full Discography
Chapter Music
Family Vineyard

It's Our Duty To Go Down With The Ship!

2006-08-05T11:34:00.000+01:00

White Whale hail from landlocked Kansas, but that doesn't stop the high seas imagery that they've fashioned around themselves from flowing willfully through them. Throughout the near fifty minutes of their debut album WW1 they craft stories of wayward admirality, high seas travel, seamanship and an air of the absurdity of the tales often told by those who historically travelled the waves. Our intrepid sailors for this journey are Matt Suggs formerly lead person of the band Butterglory who blazed a trail of indiosyncratic Soft Boys/Pavement inspired indie rock in the early ninites. Bassisit Rob Pope formerly of the emo/indie band The Get Up Kids. Dustin Kinsey, John Anderson and Zach Holland all members of the Kansas based chamber pop inspired band Thee Higher Burning Fire.

The Whales musical identity whilst being anchored in classic rock, still have enough nous about them to embellish this with a sense of experimental accents. For every simply struck chord there is another far more exciting coda waiting around the corner. The central points of their debut album WW1 on Merge Records are two songs which appear early on in the album's cycle. "The Admiral" a wonky mixture of burbling synths and programmed beats, which sets in mind a journey across the high seas. "O' William, O' Sarah" is an epic tale of a gentleman sailors rise up the ranks to the admiralty which breaks down to bubbling bass line and conservative drum beat in the middle, whilst all manner of mechanical and non instrumentation flourish all around. Although these are just the tip of the metaphorical iceberg a self assurededly good record which points to even better things in the future.

White Whale are currently on tour of the US in support of their debut album:-

Jul 28 2006 8:00P Lawrence, KS @ The Granada (record release show)

Aug 2 2006 8:00P Knoxville, TN @ Pilot Light

Aug 3 2006 8:00P Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506

Aug 4 2006 8:00P Athens, GA @ 40 Watt

Sep 8 2006 8:00P Dallas, TX @ Hailey's

Sep 12 2006 8:00P Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland

Sep 13 2006 8:00P Visalia, CA @ Howie's

Sep 14 2006 8:00P San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill

Sep 15 2006 8:00P Portland, OR @ Towne Lounge

Sep 16 2006 8:00P Seattle, WA @ Paradox

Sep 17 2006 8:00P Portland, OR @ Towne Lounge

Sep 18 2006 8:00P Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court

Sep 19 2006 8:00P Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge

Sep 21 2006 8:00P Omaha, NE @ Sokol

Sep 22 2006 8:00P Columbia, MO @ MoJo's

Sep 23 2006 8:00P Lawrence, KS @ The Granada

[Buy White Whale merchandise at Merge Records]

The Admiral

Days Have Gone By

2006-07-30T14:06:00.000+01:00

Jakob Olausson is a Swedish musician that has previously recorded under the moniker of the Joshua Jugband Five; who have a record out on Slippy Town and possibly a lot more in the pipeline. His first ‘solo’ album on DeStijl however, is a beautifully hazy acid folk album with detuned guitars and multi-tracked vocals. Moonlight Farm seamlessly draws on the psych rock improvisations of Keiji Haino the murky electric guitar sounds of Loren Connors and the acoustic drone/raga of Six Organs of Admittance. Other reviewers have likened the album to Skip Spence taking up root in Sweeden, and putting out an album on Fonal records – I’ll leave to you to decide. Moonlight Farm is limited to 800 copies so get hunting.

Jakob Ollausson - Unforgivable Question

[YOU CAN BUY THE ALBUM HERE]

Other places of interest:

Jakob Ollausson
DeStijl
Volcanic Tongue

Dr Livingstone, I Presume?

2006-07-22T10:44:00.000+01:00

Our Brother The Native the latest in probably a long line of bands to get themselves a record deal on the back of the material they put up on myspace. What makes this prospect a little bit better than most of those that have come and gone before, is that the constituent members of this wholly acomplished band are all under the legal drinking age in the US. John Michael Foss and Josh Bertram both attended the same high school in Michigan, formed a friendship based on shared music tastes and eventually began recording their own output. The pair looking for a label to put out their material happened upon the Californian DIY label Delude Records ran by Chaz Knapp who jumped at the chance to put out the band's debut EP "Cheer Up My Dear, the Sun Will Shine Again" in 2005. Knapp another multi-instrumenatalist who's age defied his influences, struck up a geography beating friendship with Bertram via phonecalls and emails. After a stripped back solo release from Bertram put out via Knapp's label under the moniker JSP, the two began to collaborate via email on a project entitled Moses Grandy. The project never came to fruition due to a lack of percursive drive but this turn of event lead to Knapp being asked to augment the two piece OBTM into a three piece.

The debut album "Tooth & Claw" was constructed over the remainder of the 2005, the recording again built up from email colaborations. Often beginning as simple guitar lines for accoustic and/or electric recorded direct into the computer via a 303 sampler. Then passed back and forth and augmented via of found sound, circuit-bent toys ran through FX programs and percusion. A mixture of meta-folk as perveyed by Akron Family/Animal Collective/cocorosie, the sunshine drenched 70's pop psychedlia of Ariel Pink and the haunted American gothic revery as provided by bands the likes of The Handsome Family. It was at this point Fat Cat records spotted the band's Myspace and promptly signed them, it was this turn of events which also led to the band actually finally meeting each other after many months of email based colaboration. At the 2006 Open Circuit Festival in Belgium the band had just one day to meet, greet and rehearse their debut set. The show was well recieved and proved that the album was not a fluke as they put together a self assured if only slightly embrionic version of the recorded material. In the process it won over the opinions of some of the more well known attendees in the audience; and hopefully bodes well for a full UK/Europe tour in the near future.

[buy Tooth & Claw from Fat-Cat records]

Falconiformes
Quecusfalcata

From one lot of young great debutantes to another slightly older but similarly talented bunch of misfits this time from the centre of art/glitch/tribal techno fusion New Yawk. First Nation a trio of NY living ladies and the first to capture that sound first sampled on the most early incarnation of Animal Collective and not make it sound incredibly cheesey or worn; fitting then really that both their debut EP and LP should be put out on AC's Paw-Tracks imprint. Taking one part Animal Collective, some elements of The Social Registry's Gang Gang Dance, mixing in the odd squawking electronica go freejazz of Brooklyn based Stars Like Fleas, and bringing to the boil with a healthy slap dash of ESG in to taste.

The self titled album released in June this year has already gathered a healthy amount of praise from many points of the music media; the beguiling blend of slack blues meets skeletal psychdelical tribal jams which at first can seem unfocused reveals a well acomplished mix on repeated listens. An impressive debut which points to even greater things in the future.....

[buy First Nation releases from Paw-Tracks]

You Can Be
Monkey

Here Come the Rome Plows

2006-07-17T20:19:00.000+01:00

Photo: Mark Beemer
Since Haram feature ex members of Majority Rule, Pg. 99, and the Out_Circuit, expectation for their debut full length was always going to be high. And while their first release for Lovitt Records does not fail to disappoint, it does seem far more steeped in musical heritage of post hardcore that spawned such band as: Circle Takes The Square, Drive Like Jehu and Skull Control. For me at least: it’s a quantum leap forward. The band present an orgy of intricate guitar riffs that are rooted in hardcore and played with such blistering intensity, as to almost make any form of labelling redundant. Almost.

It's fortunate then, that the album has nothing to do with originality ('Scar Chest' is the Drive Like Jehu song that never was. And that's a GOOD thing) and all to do with attack. It never lets up, and word is that their live shows are every bit a chaotic. We'll soon find out of course, as the band are due to embark on a European tour in August which will take them as far an wide as Iceland, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary and the UK. It might also be worthwhile to mention at this point that the band take their name the Islamic word meaning "immoral and forbidden." Notice I said, worthwhile and not relevant as I haven’t noticed a political stance to their music, and I doubt it will appear to me anytime soon.

Haram - Fade Away

31 Reykjavik ICELAND @Kaffi Hljomalind
AUGUST
2 Copenhagen DK @Ungdomshuset
3 Fredericia DK @HC Festival*
4 Hamburg Ger. @Flora*
5 Bielefeld Ger. @AJZ*
6 Wurzburg Ger. @Cafe Cairo*
7 Vienna Austria @Movimento*
8 Munchen Ger. @Kafe Kult*
9 Saarlouis Ger. @Juz*
10 Geel Bel. @Youth Centre*
11 Brighton UK @Hobgoblin*
12 Leeds UK @Common Place*
13 Nottingham UK @Old Angel* (FLYER, FLYER)
14 Bristol UK @The Junction*
15 London UK @Grosvenor*
16 Edinburgh UK @Subway Cowgate
18 Belfast IR @The Bunker
19 Cork IR @Tikki Lounge
20 Limerick IR @Boat Club
21 Dublin IR @Eamonn Dorans
22 Coventry UK @Jailhouse
23 Caen FR @Bar Laplace
24 Metz FR @Le Tunnel
25 Lyon FR @Sonic
26 Milano Italy @Leonkavallo
27 Italy @TBA
28 Zagreb HR @Club Mochvara
29 Budapest HU @Suess Fel Nap
30 Brno CZ @Yacht Club
31 Prag CZ @007

Haram
Lovitt Records

A Space To Think........

2006-07-13T21:29:00.000+01:00

Ekkehard Ehlers, has cut a polymathic path across the German electronic music scene since his early forays into music with friend and collaborator Sebastian Meissner as one half of the band Autopoieses. 1998 saw them release a well received debut in which they explored the philosophies of Aesthetic Theory, on the Ritornell imprint. Further collaborative efforts have seen Ehlers working in the IDM/Post Rock group März with Albrecht Kunz. It is however in his solo output that he has seen the most success though; in 2000 he released two EPs under the umbrella of Auch before releasing the full length album "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" stylistically this was the most easily accessible work to date, a techno album at heart but imbued with his own sense of minimalism and rhythm.

Whilst recording as Auch, Ehlers also tended towards releasing material under his own name, 2000's Betrieb released on the Frankfurt based Mille Plateaux label. This was followed by a series of single releases where again the Aethetic Theory that drove his early work was again explored. Each record was based around an abstract informed by one of five selected personalities. Those selected for this project included free jazz impressario Albert Ayler, film maker John Cassavettes, and delta blues legend Robert Johnson. Though not based directly on the works of these auteurs, they were informed by their singular output. The Albert Ayler record was based around a funeral march paced cello drone, which owes alot to the drone based post rock of early Cul De Sac releases. In 2002 these recordings were drawn together in a single cd release on Staubgold, the compilation brought him a new found notoriety outside of the electronic circles he already travelled in. He followed it with the far more abstract Politik Braucht Keinen Feind in 2003.

2006 sees the release of his forth solo album "A Life Without Fear" never one to go over ground already covered in his career, this album sees a delta blues inflected cycle of nine songs for viola, trumpet, mouth harp and guitar; replete with nihlistic lyrics and washed over with a sea of fuzzed up computer crackles and glitches. A cover of the traditional blues standard "Ain't No Grave" and haunting rendition of "O'Death" could well soundtrack a journey through the destroyed landscape of hurricane ravaged New Orleans. The album serves as a reminder of how fragile the human condition can really be in the face of adversity.

[Buy Ekkehard Ehlers releases from Staubgold]

Ain't No Grave

Eggstock, Phoenix Arts Theatre, Leicester

2006-07-10T07:19:00.000+01:00

Photo: Grethe Kielland Jenssen
This was the second annual showcase of the weird and wonderful talents put out by Leicester's Pickled Egg Records. Nine bands and two films graced the two floors of the Phoenix.

The day opened with a 30 minute film, The Seance, which told the story of a travelling freakshow and the joys and woes of their enigmatic bandleader. This was all soundtracked by the quite wonderful pastoral psychedelic pop of Oddfellows Casino. The film was beautifully surreal in its monochromatic blood coloured simplicity.

First on upstairs were Black Carrot, an improv trio comprising the distinctive bass and vocals of Dragon Or Emperor's Stewart Brackley with drums, tenor sax, and harmonium (amongst other things). This works splendidly in a krautjazz kind of way, and sets the tone for the day; fiercely creative, smile inducing, engaging, and highly watchable.

Downstairs saw James Green take to the stage, joined sporadically by other Big Eyes Family Band players. Solo acoustic opener 'Donkeys Disturbed By Meteor Shower' is wonderful, mixing tempos and possessing a dynamism and energy lacking in other parts of the set. Generally the most interesting parts were those where loops and additional instrumentation (clarinet, harmonium, drums) gave the sound a bit more depth, although this may have been down to the Phoenix's acoustics than James Green's.

Photo: Grethe Kielland Jenssen

From the relatively sombre, we went upstairs, for the Super Bompers Band, comprising Tookie Sherman of Need New Body plus on this occasion a couple of Leicester's own Fabulous Foxes on percussive duties. The show starts with the band wrapping up the stage and various pillars and suchlike with foil, before Bob and Euan take to their drums and pound out hypnotic beats. Tookie wanders the stage, pounding occasionally at a battered gold spray-painted Casio keyboard on the floor, occasionally shouting somewhat randomly. Later on he picks up what appears to be a two string prehistoric guitar and strums at this. It is unclear whether it is audible or not. For the first 20 minutes, this was awesome, but towards the end it all went to pieces somewhat.

After that chaos, the moving documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston is a welcome counterbalance. Absolutely heartbreaking, but totally awe-inspiring.

At this point, some old friend arrive for the evening sets, and I accidentally miss the excellent Dragon Or Emperor and am by then a little too beered up to appreciate the delicate low-key torch song laments of George. Upstairs Zukanican are an interesting mix of krautmotorik percussion and free jazz. When they take wholesale the drums from Can's 'Oh Yeah' it's a little too obvious though, and the free jazz element isn't quite to my taste so I listen to the rest of the set as background from the outside whilst continuing reacquainting with people.

Next up were the superb Nalle, a Glasgow-based trio who are also part of the excellent Scatter. A bowed bouzouki provides the haunting drone, while Hanna Tuulikki's Newsomesque warble sings of things of nature and man. Occasionally the three harmonise, and it's perfect. Three voices, one manly and deeper, one feminine and midrange, and Tuulikki's icing to the cake..it's spellbinding.

Photo: Grethe Kielland Jenssen

Unfortunately the lure of booze kept me from going upstairs to witness Now, although I heard positive murmurs from several people. Ooops. And so, lastly but not leastly, it was into the theatre to experience Volcano the Bear. And what an experience it is. Commencing with a teatowel being tossed between the various members as they trade chants before assuming their positions. Which naturally fluctuate frequently. here's such a fantastic humour in what they do, the whole feel of it being a theatrical perfomance as much as a gig; the communication between the group, the whole feeling of it. Drummer Aaron Moore marches about the stage, spinning cymbals around, hugging bandmates, whilst other members fritter around between instruments. They're always engaging, always interesting, they always sound good, and they make you laugh out loud. And that's what Eggstock is all about, the joy of creativity, the joy of spontaneity. The pureness of a natural reaction to not always knowing what's coming next. There's talk of the festival expanding to a 2-dayer next year, and after this, I can't wait.

Review: Craig Wood.

The following track is taken from Volcano the Bear's latest opus: Class Eramus Fusion. Their best yet? I think so - although i'm no authority on their back catalogue. It's defiantly original, as always; and I very much doubt you will hear a stranger record this year. All in all: Spiritual, surreal and totally mind-blowing. Give up the Nurse with a Wound comparisons people.

Volcano the Bear- Did You Ever Feel Like Jesus?

[BUY THE ALBUM FROM BETA LACTUM RING RECORDS]

Volcano the Bear
Pickled Egg Records

Life In The Undergrowth

2006-07-09T13:08:00.000+01:00

I make no bones about it; the entry today is going to focus on the many varied types of flora and fauna that is hidden beneath the murky mainstream strata of music culture. Well two anyway!

We'll start off with Grizzly Bear who I profiled sometime last year, that's by the by though; as this September 4th marks the release of their second album proper "Yellow House" on Sheffield's own Warp Records. This record has been a long time coming, a fact acknowledged by the band themselves, so much so that they felt inclined to offer a stop gap recording in May this year, the apologetically titled "Sorry For The Delay" on Audraglint Records. "Yellow House" was recorded over the course of the last summer in a makeshift studio in Ed Droste's mother's living room in Cape Cod.

A shift in the band's already quite dynamic sound has taken place now that the once one piece come two piece, has solidified into a quartet. Yellow House all at once manages to sound as before like an etherised version of all those late great folk greats like Nick Drake but with a more modern take on things. There are also some fantastic sounding Beach Boys/Brian Wilson esque sounds that seem to drift in on an almost sonic feeling wind, that flows around inside the listener's mind (or mine) for hours or even days afterwards. By the time you reach the suitably soporific sounding closer "Colorado" you feel every bit as much as you've been on a journey with the band themselves.

On A Neck On A Spit

WOODS Began life as a collaborative project between musicians Jeremy Earl and Christian Derouek, who invited selected friends under the banner of "woodists" to play with them and record the output for human consumption. These early recordings were mostly issued in very limited runs as cassette only on a number of private press labels.

"How To Survive/In The Woods" is one such example of these early recordings originally issued as a double cassette release on Fuck-It Tapes it has now been granted a new lease of life thanks to the punative efforts of Release The Bats in Sweden. The band themselves are at times swathed in gentle bonhomie folkisms whilst at others prone to creating the most amazing burst of terroristic sounding lo-fi madness. A sound that cuts across the divide between the current trend for organic sounding primal folk of bands like Wooden Wand & The Vanishing Voice, to the fuzz laden music of late 90's band Eric's Trip.

Holes

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one

2006-07-06T20:13:00.000+01:00

With the exception of a few writers, I don't normally go in for the whole pantheon of rock critics. I certainly haven't read a lot of stuff by Richard Meltzer for instance, but i'm aware of him - as i'm sure a lot of other people are - through writers like Lester Bangs and Nick Toshes. If you're a regular reader of Perfect Sound Forever, you may have read an interview with Meltzer from a couple of years ago. In this interview, he comes across as fairly bitter and cynical figure who has pretty much given up on music altogether. At first, I didn't know what to make of it; but thinking about it more and more, a lot of what he has to say is relevant now more than ever...

But yeah, I don't want to get drawn into that right now. There is far to much good music to be positive about. And of course, 'good music' is all relative blah blah blaaaah...

The reason I even mention this interview is although Meltzer is disparaging of almost all NEW music (well, certainly the hype), he did have a lot of time for Minutemen; and for some reason - at this point - I had no real idea about SST Records or the Minutemen. Ok, so I was aware of SST as a label, but not their roster of bands - or at least, the extent of it. Eventually I did catch up for lost time and well, as you may already know, the soon to be released: We Jam Econo - The Story of the Minutemen celebrates everything that was so important about this band. For me, their DIY atttitude and poltical stance of this band is just incredible to me. They may have disliked being called a punk band, but their live performances were, in every respect PUNK. Of course, listen to one of their albums now and it's completely at odds with that view. Afterall, this is band that hated the seventies, but covered Creedance Clearwater Revival and Blue Oyster Cult? The also identifed a lot more with Funk (Mike Watt's elasicated bass sounds), Jazz (short, sharp blasts of manic energy) and British Art Rock (Wire etc) than they ever did with Punk, musically speaking.

So what is it about this band? Well they were FUN. And speaking from my own point of view, watching footage of Mike Watt, D. Boon and George Hurley playing in this documentary is one of the most inspiring things I have ever seen. I remember watching it at Camber Sands in May and being completely floored by Mike Watt's contribution; the making of this documentary was clearly cathartic to him - afterall, he lost his best friend aswell as a bandmate. Equally important though, is making sure people hear this band and that their legacy continues. The kids reponsible for this documentary have certainly done that!

Minutemen - Fortunate Son

We Jam Econo - The Story of the Minutemen (Trailer)

BUY at SST Records