Pinemarten announces new EP and free download, “Here It Is”
Following the recent release of his debut album, Pinemarten kicks off 2012 in generous style by making a track from his fab new EP Here It Is available free from Bandcamp.
Emphasizing the mysterious Derbyshire-based producer’s prolific nature, “Here It Is” picks straight back up from the instrumental remains of his debut album. Slowing things right down from the title track of this new EP, the same infectious, romantically-imbibed synth tones are present throughout but find Pinemarten in a far more introspective and pensive mood.
Independent Label Market: Berwick Street May 21st
Tomorrow’s the day when some of Europe’s leading independent labels are joining together for a unique event in the middle of London. You’ll get to see and meet the heads of many of the UK’s labels as they sell their wares directly to customers from behind a traditional stall.
For those who are unaware, Berwick Street, in the heart of Soho, first became active as a trading place in 1778 and since the 1990s has been well known for its independent record shops. The area is a bustling, busy and character-filled and will provide a most vibrant and suitable platform for this event. So, if you fancy rubbing shoulders with Domino head honcho Laurence Bell and giving him grief about the new Arctic Monkeys record, or visiting Rough Trade and checking out their exclusive event releases, or simply sampling free tea and catching up with the special guest appearances, this is a great occasion. A-Z of featured labels: Angular, Bella Union, Chess Club, Domino, Fortuna Pop!, Heavenly, House Anxiety, Merok, Moshi Moshi, Mute, Peacefrog, R&S, Rough Trade, Transparent, Tri-Angle, Wall Of Sound, XL
We will be there to give our support, and even to pass on our congratulations. After all, a huge percentage of the great music of the past few years has come from the independent sector: Fleet Foxes, White Denim, Kurt Vile, Ween, Acid Glasses, Mozzy Green, Elephant Stone, Anna Waronker, Six Organs Of Admittance…and on and on. Rarities are promised, and if the weather holds, we could be in for a very special day.
TVDUK / 360dgm Weekly Round Up…
Following a brief hiatus, and the rather good Alex Turner songs that featured in the Submarine movie, Arctic Monkeys return with the release of the release of ‘Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair’, the first single from their new album, Suck It and See. The single will be available on exclusive white label 7” backed with album track ‘Brick By Brick’ through independent retail outlets in support of Record Store Day on Saturday the 16th of April. The single track will also be available digitally from midnight on the 11th of April. ‘Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair’ will also be available on 7” (RUG406S), 10” (RUG406T) and digitally on Monday the 30th of May, featuring brand new b-sides, exclusive to these formats. Details are as follows: Record Store Day 7” ‘Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair’ / ‘Brick By Brick’; 7″ ‘Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair’ / ‘I.D.S.T.’; 10″/Digital bundle ‘Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair’ / ‘The Blond-O-Sonic Shimmer Trap’ / ‘I.D.S.T’. ‘Suck It and See’ will be released by Domino on Monday the 6th of June 2011.
Towns hail from Bristol and played their first gig in February this year, having already been featured on BBC introducing. They release their debut single, ‘Fields’, on 23rd May. In the meantime, you can listen to ‘Fields’ here:
The B-Side (or at least the track that would have been the B-Side if this were a record, but in actual fact is a digital bonus track) can be checked out here:
Quite why Ladytron have begun to reveal information about their upcoming studio album, Gravity The Seducer, is anybody’s guess, particularly as it won’t be released until September 12th in the UK (September 13th in the US). The band released Best Of Ladytron: 00-10, a few days ago, so maybe this is a way of distancing themselves from that compilation? In any event, Ladytron recorded the forthcoming album in Kent’s countryside, with Barny Barnicott (Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, Editors) co-producing, alongside the band. The record will apparently be a “grander sound, incorporating more baroque elements. Fans can expect the new tracks to be dreamy, romantic, beautiful, and lush.”, according to their publicity machine. For all the Ladytron fanatics counting the days until that far-off day in September, the band will be touring Europe, and Mira Aroyo will be DJing in several cities. Ladytron play The Forum in London on June 8th, and The Arches in Glasgow on June 9th.
Example, (pictured above) has made his latest single available for streaming. Click to listen here:
Also, check out the Example tour diary feat: Changed The Way You Kiss Me live, tour bus smoothies, the tour bus bike, and more here:
Sons And Daughters have announced the follow up to 2008’s The Gift, and they tell us that the new album is radically different to its predecessor. They describe Mirror Mirror as “A slow burning sensation, a wiry, raw, sensual injection of primal monochrome rock”. The band reached back to their own past – namely 2006’s The Repulsion Box and the band’s 2004 mini-album debut Love The Cup – for inspiration. As Scott Paterson observes – “We sound better when we’re more minimal. We wanted everything on the new album to be necessary, no added fluff, and only recording on 16-track.” With this model in mind the band enlisted friend and fan Keith McIvor, (aka JD Twitch of local legends Optimo Music) as producer. Mirror Mirror is his first full length album. “We knew someone like Keith could be really honest with us,” says Scott. “He has great taste in music, and we also knew we wanted to start using electronics, and he’s really into his dance music”. The mood was further enhanced with mixing by Gareth Jones (Depeche Mode, These New Puritans). “I love the feel of this album and it’s the most balanced thing we’ve done,” Scott reflects. “There are great rocking moments but it’s also reflective and dreamy. It sounds odd in a natural way.”
Sons And Daughters are making opening track & statement of intent ‘Silver Spell’ available to download & stream here:
http://soundcloud.com/dominorecordco/sons-daughters-silver-spell
Two Wounded Birds have a new single called ‘All We Wanna Do’, which is being released on limited edition 7″ vinyl and digital download, on April 18th via Moshi Moshi. The band formed in 2008 and last year the Margate four-piece received a helping hand from label mates mates The Drums, joining them as support on their UK tour, then releasing their debut EP on guitarist Jacob Graham’s Holiday Records.
Please feel free to post this video on your site! View the video for the new single here:
‘Come Around’ is the brilliant debut single from newbies Tim & Jean, whose short career has galloped ahead of many of their contemporaries. It’s uplifting electro-pop which communicates a gloriously youthful, yet somehow wistfully nostalgic vibe.
Watch it here and see what’s about to hit the airwaves…
The Heartbreaks have also released a video for their upcoming single ‘Jealous, Don’t You Know’ with northern-soul dancing, Morecambe seascapes and abandoned halls to accompany their romantic, indie brit-pop.
THIS WEEK’S 360/TVD UK ALBUM PLAYLIST – 21.2.11
1. C.R. AVERY – So It Goes
This native of Vancouver, (home of so much great music these days) is impossible to define. Check his MySpace page, and you’ll see he describes himself as Blues/Classical/Hip Hop…can’t recommend the album highly enough, but if you don’t believe me, then Tom Waits described him as ‘Mindblowing’. Check this clip for a small flavour of what this fine artist is laying down:
2. BRIGHT EYES – The People’s Key
The last Conor Oberst missive under the Bright Eyes banner. Well, just as long as he continues to deliver literate, intelligent observations in this manner, there’s no need to be distressed. Check out the full album here:
3. JOHN VANDERSLICE – White Wilderness
Delicate and fractured, John Vanderslice’s music is for Sunday afternoons at home, in the post weekend haze. Guaranteed to wash over your soul, ‘Sea salt’ is the album’s opener, hear it here:
4. ALEXANDER – Alexander
Lead singer with Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros steps out with a solo album, ahead of his band’s forthcoming release and tour. Alexander played in London this past week, check out this rather shaky clip:
5. THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART – Belong
New York’s finest, or the band with the most pretentious name in Christendom? This JAMC influenced corker is the lead track on their new album, and hoists them several rungs up the current indie/pop hierarchical ladder.
6. WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS – Gold In The Shadow
Sufi beard, sandals and an acoustic guitar? Despite that heavy baggage, this guy pulls it off. This track, which kicks off his new album in understated fashion, is a real grower, and we’re predicting big things for this guy in 2011.
7. LEWIS FLOYD HENRY – One Man And His 30 Watt Pram
This one came out last October, but escaped our attention at the time. Fine record, with titles of the decade so far! To watch a clip of Henry performing ‘Rickety Ol’ Roller Coaster’ at last year’s ‘Secret Garden Party’, click here:
8. AMOS LEE – Mission Bell
‘Windows Are Rolled Down’, from Amos Lee’s latest, is a great John Hiattesque ballad. Not often we get to make such a comparison, but this guy lives up to such lofty comparisons and transcends the buzz on this album, which has class and quality stamped on it’s crystalline heart.
9. RON SEXSMITH – Long Player Late Bloomer
This guy has long deserved record sales way above what he achieves, but maybe that’s protected him from having to play the hideous games that have tainted many a career. This past week, Ron appeared on Nashville Public Radio, and performed this song ‘Get In Line’ from ‘Long Player Late Bloomer’. Check out that performance right here:
10. TEDDY THOMPSON – Bella
This track, ‘Looking For A Girl’ is from Teddy’s latest, and it’s a cracker. Witty and reflective at the same time, this live clip gives a good indication of the quality of material on Teddy’s current release:
The Vinyl District is the official blog of Record Store Day 2011
Tracks Of 2010
Sitting here at Le Tour Ivoire, high up on the 13th floor of this magnificent imaginary dreamscape, we are flicking through our journals, calendars and diaries to recall and attempt to categorise and contextualise the past twelve months. As ever, there was a rush for publications and web presences alike to get there first with the best albums, singles, bands, artists, concerts, films, books, TV shows and events, no matter how localised or cultish, and to order them into a prioritised cohesion. By November, most of these arbiters of taste had decided on their chosen highlights, and presented them as some sort of Christmas gift, in order to step away from the action and spend the remainder of the year at the watering hole in some kind of sweet relief…
We had to wait until the year was over, as we were concerned that something would sneak out at the last minute! It did…Diane Birch’s marvellous collaboration with The Phenomenal Handclap Band, ‘The Velveteen Age’, appeared from nowhere on 13th December; Rough Trade snuck out the first taster from The Decemberists’ forthcoming album, in the shape of ‘Down By The Water’ in mid-November, then a 7” only release of ‘January Hymn’, coupled with a cover of The Grateful Dead’s ‘Row Jimmy’, was issued in December; Brian Jonestown Massacre re-emerged with a stunning new two tracker, ‘Illuminomi’ and ‘There’s A War Going On’, both of which arrived on iTunes on the last day of the year!
So, without further ado, and in purely alphabetical order by artist, here are our top 150 tracks of 2010…
There Is A Wind • The Album Leaf (From ‘ A Chorus Of Storytellers’)
Passarinho • Aleuda (From ‘Far Out Spaced Odyssey’)
It’s Been So Long • AM (From ‘Future Sons & Daughters’)
Rococo • Arcade Fire (From ‘The Suburbs’)
City With No Children • Arcade Fire (From ‘The Suburbs’)
Bright Lit Blue Skies • Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti (From ‘Before Today’)
Round And Round • Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti (From ‘Before Today’)
Butt House Blondies • Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti (From ‘Before Today’)
Green Glass Bottles • Atlas Sound (From ‘Bedroom Databank Vol. 1’)
Truth Sets In • Avi Buffalo (From ‘Avi Buffalo’)
What’s In It For? • Avi Buffalo (From ‘Avi Buffalo’)
Zebra • Beach House (From ‘Teen Dream’)
Norway • Beach House (From ‘Teen Dream’)
Walk In The Park • Beach House (From ‘Teen Dream’)
Ramona • Beck (From ‘Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World’ Soundtrack)
Glass Printer • The Besnard Lakes (From ‘The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night’)
Atmosphere • Diane Birch & The Phenomenal Handclap Band (From ‘The Velveteen Age’)
A Strange Kind Of Love • Diane Birch & The Phenomenal Handclap Band (From ‘The Velveteen Age’)
I Heard Ramona Sing • Frank Black (From ‘Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World’ Soundtrack
Telephone • The Black Angels (From ‘Phosphene Dream’)
She’s Long Gone • The Black Keys (From ‘Brothers’)
Black Mud • The Black Keys (From ‘Brothers’)
Too Afraid To Love You • The Black Keys (From ‘Brothers’)
The Hair Song • Black Mountain (From ‘Wilderness Heart’)
Red Rocking Chair • Black Prairie (From ‘Feast Of The Hunters’ Moon’)
The Man Who Would Speak True • Blitzen Trapper (From ‘Destroyer Of The Void’)
Tempo 116.7 (Reaching For Dangerous Levels Of Sobriety) • Brian Jonestown Massacre (From ‘Who Killed Sgt. Pepper?’)
Illuminomi • Brian Jonestown Massacre (From ‘Illuminomi’ Single)
The Mall & Misery • Broken Bells (From ‘Broken Bells’)
Leaving Song • Broken Records (From ‘Let Me Come Home’)
Navalha Cega • Burro Morto (From ‘Oi! AA Nova Musica Brasiliera! Um Disco’)
Silent Time of Earth • Candy Claws (From ‘Hidden Lands’)
Hummingbird • The Captive Hearts (From ‘Hummingbird’ Single)
Set My Soul On Fire • The Captive Hearts (From ‘Hummingbird’ Single)
Odessa • Caribou (From ‘Swim’)
Sun • Caribou (From ‘Swim’)
Careful With That Hat • Citay (From ‘Dream Get Together’)
Mirror Kisses • Citay (From ‘Dream Get Together’)
Didn’t You • Cloud Nothings (From ‘Didn’t You 7″ Single)
Butterfly House • The Coral (From ‘Butterfly House’)
Go Outside • Cults (From ‘Go Outside’ 7″ Single)
Now You Love My Remix (Zia McCabe and Jeremy Sherrer Remix) • The Dandy Warhols (From ‘Earth To The Remix Vol. 2’)
Backseat (Heaven Loves The Driver) • Darker My Love (From ‘Alive As You Are’)
Revival • Deerhunter (From ‘Halcyon Digest’)
Memory Boy • Deerhunter (From ‘Halcyon Digest’)
Helicopter • Deerhunter (From ‘Halcyon Digest’)
Fountain Stairs • Deerhunter (From ‘Halcyon Digest’)
He Would Have Laughed • Deerhunter (From ‘Halcyon Digest’)
Down In The Street Below • The Divine Comedy (From ‘Bang Goes The Knighthood’)
An Admission • Dreamend (From ‘So I Ate Myself, Bite By Bite’)
Art Vandelay • Ducktails (From ‘Hamilton Road’ 7” Single)
Shaky • The Duke & The King (From ‘Long Live The Duke & The King’)
Vara Snabb • Dungen (From ‘Skit I Allt’)
In My Younger Days • Eels (From ‘End Times’)
Paradise Blues • Eels (From ‘End Times’)
Little Bird • Eels (From ‘End Times’)
I’m a Hummingbird • Eels (From ‘Tomorrow Morning’)
Be My Girl • El Goodo (From ‘Coyote’)
Information Overload • El Goodo (From ‘Coyote’)
Strangers • Elephant Stone (From ‘The Glass Box’)
The Ghost Who Walks • Karen Elson (From ‘The Ghost Who Walks’)
The Ruth Is In The Dirt • Karen Elson (From ‘The Ghost Who Walks’)
Cruel Summer • Karen Elson (From ‘The Ghost Who Walks’)
Empty Eye • Endless Boogie (From ‘Full House Head’)
Marching Song • Esben &The Witch (From ‘Marching Song’ Single)
The World Is All There Is • Fool’s Gold (From ‘Fool’s Gold’)
Pumped Up Kicks • Foster The People (From ‘NME Radar Compilation’)
Candy Girl • Ganglians (From ‘Monster Head Room’)
The Walker • Gayngs (From ‘Relayted’)
Carolina • Girls (From ‘Broken Dreams Club’)
To Binge • Gorillaz Featuring Little Dragon (From ‘Plastic Beach’)
Duet • Gonjasufi (From ‘A Sufi And A Killer’)
TC And Honeybear • John Grant (From ‘Queen Of Denmark’)
Sigourney Weaver • John Grant (From ‘Queen Of Denmark’)
Jesus Hates Faggots • John Grant (From ‘Queen Of Denmark’)
Thank Girls FM • Happy Birthday (From ‘Happy Birthday’)
Hibernation • Here We Go Magic (From ‘Pigeons’)
Ready For The World • How To Dress Well (From ‘Love Remains’)
Bricks Or Coconuts • Jacuzzi Boys (From ‘Bricks Or Coconuts’ 7” Single)
Us Later • Jaill (From ‘That’s How We Burn’)
I Think I Like U 2 • Jamaica (Free download from RCRDLBL.COM)
Switchblade • Jenny And Johnny (From ‘I’m Having Fun Now’)
Big Wave • Jenny And Johnny (From ‘I’m Having Fun Now’)
Animal • Jenny And Johnny (From ‘I’m Having Fun Now’)
Straight Edge Of The Blade • Jenny And Johnny (From ‘I’m Having Fun Now’)
Slavedriver • Jenny And Johnny (From ‘I’m Having Fun Now’)
SDP • The Kissaway Trail (From ‘Sleep Mountain’)
Wish You Were Here • Bettye LaVette (From ‘Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook’)
Sleepless In Silverlake • Les Savy Fav (from ‘Root For Ruin’)
Completely Exposed • Jamie Lidell (From ‘Compass ‘)
Fair Game • The Like (From ‘Release Me’)
Record Collector • Lissie (From ‘Catching A Tiger’)
In Sleep • Lissie (From ‘Catching A Tiger’)
Lost • The Lovetones (From ‘Lost’)
In Your Eyes • The Lucid Dream (From ‘In Your Eyes’ Single)
Congratulations • MGMT (From ‘Congratulations’)
Mushrooms & Roses • Janelle Monáe (From ‘The ArchAndroid’)
Sir Greendown • Janelle Monáe (From ‘The ArchAndroid’)
Speed Moon • Duo (From ‘Killing Time’’)
Glitter • No Age (From ‘Everything In Between’)
Coquet Coquette • Of Montreal (From ‘False Priest’)
No One But You • Doug Paisley (From ‘Constant Companion’)
Keep The Dog Quiet • Owen Pallett (From ‘Heartland’)
Gay Angels • Perfume Genius (From ‘Learning’)
Los Angeles • Phosphorescent (From ‘Here’s To Taking It Easy’)
Tip Of Your Tongue • Porcelain Raft (From ‘Tip Of Your Tongue’ Single)
Wasted In Jackson • Lauren Pritchard (From ‘Wasted In Jackson’)
Shark Ridden Waters • Gruff Rhys (Free download from Gruff’s website)
Dear God • The Roots featuring Monsters Of Folk (From ‘How I Got Over’)
Backseat Living • Roses Kings Castles (From ‘Suburban Timebombs’)
Inner Love In Outer Space • Roses Kings Castles (From ‘Suburban Timebombs’)
Come To Me High • Rumer (From ‘Seasons Of My Soul’)
I’m New Here • Gil Scott-Heron (From ‘I’m New Here’)
I’ll Take Care Of You • Gil Scott-Heron (From ‘I’m New Here’)
Girlfriend • Ty Segall (From ‘Melted’)
Blow Yr Brains In The Morning Rain • Serena Maneesh (From ‘S-M2: Abyss In B Minor’)
Chickens In Love • Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros (From ‘Chickens In Love’)
Wishes And Stars • Harper Simon (From ‘Harper Simon’)
A House Up On A Hill • Jason Simon (From ‘Jason Simon’)
Desert God • Sleepy Sun (From ‘Fever’)
Imagine, Pt. 3 • Smith Westerns (From ‘Dye It Blonde’)
Answer To Yourself • The Soft Pack (From ‘The Soft Pack’)
Hillary, Oh Hillary • Ben Sommers (From ‘Hillary, Oh Hillary’ Single)
You Are Not Alone • Mavis Staples (From ‘You Are Not Alone’)
Pinecone • Kelley Stoltz (From ‘To Dreamers’)
Ventriloquist • Kelley Stoltz (From ‘To Dreamers’)
Friday In Paris • The Strange Boys (From ‘Be Brave’)
Swallowed By The Night • Sun Airway (From ‘Oh, Naoko’)
The Stakeout • Sun Araw (From ‘On Patrol’)
Disappearance Of The Skyscraper • Suuns (From ‘Zeroes’)
Lucidity • Tame Impala (From ‘Innerspeaker’)
Solitude Is Bliss • Tame Impala (From ‘Innerspeaker’)
Shock And Awe • Teenage Fanclub (From ‘Shadows’)
Sloppy Surfin’ • 3D Acid Glases (From band’s MySpace page)
Losing Momentum (For Jim Jarmusch) • Kurt Vile (From ‘Square Shells’)
The Burning Mountain • Voice Of The Seven Thunders (From ‘Voice Of The Seven Thunders’)
Undertow • Warpaint (From ‘The Fool’)
Veil • Weekend (From ‘Sports’)
Black Lotus • The Whigs (From ‘In The Dark’)
Through Your Windows • White Denim (From ‘Lat Day Of Summer’)
Queen Of The Sun • Windsor For The Derby (From ‘Against Love’)
One Of Your Pills • The Woe Betides (From ‘Never Sleep’)
Contact • Wooden Shjips (From ‘Contact’ 12” Single)
Blood Dries Darker • Woods (From ‘At Echo Lake’)
Suffering Season • Woods (From ‘At Echo Lake’)
I Don’t Get Much • Young Prisms (From band’s MySpace page)
Memory System • The Young Sinclairs (From ‘We Spoke Our Minds’)
Precious Stone • Pete Yorn (From ‘Pete Yorn’)
Walk With Me • Neil Young (From ‘Le Noise’)
Peaceful Valley Beyond • Neil Young (From ‘Le Noise’)
360 go to La La Land
What a trip, the first annual 360 trip to L.A. was a roaring success, with the team even managing to get some fun and recreation in.
The trip began with a touchdown on Los Angeles’ hottest day since records began (124 years ago!), so that was nice. 117 Degrees is pretty warm, but the 360 team are made of sterner stuff than the usual weedy rock and roll types and we sauntered into a Mexican restaurant to start the visit as we meant to go on (with a beer and a large plate of food in front of us). Dinner was followed by trips to Record Surplus and Amoeba, where money was spent and old records were procured. Not a bad start…back to the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood for some shut eye.
Day two began with an early breakfast in Santa Monica with 360’s spiritual godfather, Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman. Jac’s enthusiasm remains unabated a mere 60 years after starting one of the greatest labels of all time, and he talked passionately about our own Ben Sommers, as well as extolling the virtues of independent record making. After a cab back to Hollywood, the gang headed off up Hollywood Boulevard to take in the historic sites. We bumped into actor Seth Green, (he of Austin Powers and Entourage fame), who was attending a premiere at the Egyptian Theatre, before heading over to Largo to witness a stunning performance by legendary soul singer Bettye LaVette. Just time for a late dinner at a French bistro on La Cienega Boulevard, with iTunes music guru Gary Stewart, before heading back to the hotel.
Wednesday brought a get together with Rob Campanella, our pal from Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Quarter After. Rob was the perfect host, playing us loads of amazing music by his own bands and many others, showing us round his wonderful home studio, and taking us up to the Hollywood Hills for a spot of sight seeing and a few photo opportunities. Mexican lunch was devoured, and a good time had by all.
Thursday morning found our team having breakfast with Englishman abroad Mike Hodgkinson, a talented journalist and a man of taste. Jean Gabin’s films were discussed, as was Avi Buffalo, the British urban underground scene and several other subjects. Next stop was Melrose Avenue, and more money was spent on Nike trainers and old folk records from the ‘50s…then we headed over to Chateau Marmont with our good friend Elizabeth McCarthy, who has just written a marvellous book that you’ll all be hearing about next year. Cocktails were drank and star spotting reached its apex with sightings of John Malkovich, Eva Longoria and Aaron Johnson of Kick Ass fame. Then we went for a rather splendid Thai dinner, before heading to Hollywood club Boardens, where we witnessed synth pop outfit Ming & Ping, surely one of the worst bands in existence!
Friday was HOT. I mean REALLY HOT. After a breakfast at The Griddle, on Sunset, we headed over to Venice Beach with Richard Bridge, a man whose knowledge of dance music is second to none. We discussed the state of the market, and opportunities in the future whilst getting a guided tour of the Venice canal system. IN THE HEAT! The afternoon was spent with Bill Inglot, the world’s greatest tape researcher, archivist par excellence and a man with great ears. A trip to Freakbeat Records in Sherman Oaks meant more record buying, and a chat with Bob and Tom at the store. A busy and HOT day was brought to a close by a visit to the legendary Troubadour club, to see Fountains Of Wayne. Unfortunately, the sound was poor, the set list was disappointing and the band seemed to be operating at well below their best…
The weekend meant more shopping for records, books and posters, and I can certainly recommend Mr. Musichead on Sunset Boulevard, where proprietor Sam Milgram showed us some fantastic exclusive posters and photos of Patti Smith, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, The Velvet Underground, Wilco, Deerhunter and many more. Great shop.
Then a two day tour of Silverlake, Echo Park, The Valley, Hollywood Hills, Laurel Canyon, Malibu, the mountains, the ocean, some spectacular views. We just about managed to drag our weary bodies along to the Arclight cinema on Sunset, for an 11pm Sunday night screening of ‘The Social Network’, which was packed. What a movie, we can unreservedly recommend this film – riveting, shocking, funny, articulate, sad, inspirational and ultimately brilliant.
We’re going back to L.A. as soon as possible!
What the hell is a protest song?
It used to seem pretty clearly defined. When I was growing up, it seemed that all protest songs were written by Bob Dylan (Blowin’ In The Wind; The Times They Are A-Changin’; Subterranean Homesick Blues; It Ain’t Me Babe…right through to Hurricane and Joey). It also seemed that he was protesting against social injustice, social constraints and the suppression of personal freedom.
As I listened to more and more music, and folk / folk rock in particular, it was clear that the protest song had been an important outlet for the downtrodden, their supporters, militants, beatniks, poets, activists, blowhards, film makers, playwrights, comedians, opportunists and both the righteous and misguided, for years.
The trend has continued, but protestation is all around us, not only in song and the written word but on the streets, the workplace and court rooms of the world.
A few years back Neil Young, (composer and performer, along with his cohorts in CSNY, of Ohio, one of the great protest songs) made an album called Living With War, which was a clumsy and rather clichéd attack on the Bush administration of the day. When promoting this record, which I don’t doubt was a sincere statement, despite its creators artistic misfire, Young claimed he had to do it. This says two things: protest songs appear to have gone underground, and Neil Young is out of touch with the cutting edge art he once towered over like a colossus.
People still write and record great protest music, but the press, radio and TV, for the largest part, now do not want to offend their advertisers, (just like in the fifties!) and are completely out of touch themselves. Dark days are upon us, and the response from the underground, always the first to address matters of social importance, has been strong with Arcade Fire, Eels, M.I.A., Ben Sommers and The Supernovas all striking out with words of protest…
TOP FIVE PROTEST SONGS OF 2010
1. ARCADE FIRE – SUBURBAN WAR
2. BEN SOMMERS – DEVIL’S DAY
3. EELS – END TIMES
4. M.I.A. – BORN FREE
5. THE SUPERNOVAS – SLAUGHTER IN THE GAZA
TOP FIVE PROTEST SONGS OF ALL TIME
1. BILLIE HOLIDAY – STRANGE FRUIT
2. DONNY HATHAWAY – SOMEDAY WE’LL ALL BE FREE
3. NINA SIMONE – MISSISSIPPI GODDAM
A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man
With the new decade’s youngest month now passed, thoughts are firmly focused on what lies ahead for our band. A little more than a year old ourselves, if we were to judge success by paper facts the lines from 2009 are clearly in our favour, yet despite the verbal spew of informing people we have put pen to paper on the sought after contract little has truly been achieved. I say this not in a downtrodden manner but with the eager ear and desperate heart I fundamentally believe should belong to any person with true aspirations of creating art for a living, and importantly making a good living from that very art being created. But in the year 2010 how easy is it to realise this dream?
Thinking in the historical sense for a moment, the introduction of pop music in the middle of the last century not only allowed young people the opportunity to question their parent’s authority but in fact developed a completely new timescale by which we assess cultural movements. The Renaissance of the sixteenth century foreshadowed the Enlightenment two hundred years later. The Industrial Revolution of Victorian England made many rich but reduced countless more to poverty, with living conditions in the East End particularly unimaginable to many of the “common people” living in Shoreditch today.
Significantly however, the still youthful existence of popular music and popular culture we subconsciously refer to in decade form. Elvis Presley started the party in the ‘50s, before London came into its own in perhaps the most famous of all, those swinging ‘60s. The 1970s brought us Glam Rock and Punk Rock and somewhere in between the black sheep of the family, Prog Rock. Whichever way you look at it, a Whole Lotta Rock! The underrated ‘80s brought us more unemployment than usual, the closest this country ever came to a socialist revolution in the Miner’s Strike, the creation of some of the greatest indie music and labels this country has known and to top it off, by the end of it people couldn’t be arsed fighting on the terraces any more. Why bother when you could drop an E and dance all weekend. The ‘90s, looking back, cashed in on what the ‘80s started. Perhaps most tragically of all, a decade which although bearing some wonderful records, is still being milked for far more than it’s worth. Oasis broke up last week or last month or whatever, but they stopped really being important about the time I grew my first pubic hair. I can’t say the exact date of that occurrence but it was definitely more than a week ago. By the way, this is coming from someone who learnt to play guitar to Definitely Maybe.
The time has come for bands and artists to create their own story. The past will of course inform the present because the best music knows its influences. There is however a hell of a lot more you can stick on your iPod these days and if you’re going to spend the time loading ten thousand tunes on there, surely it’s a perfect opportunity to educate yourself musically. This is the major problem we’re facing in the art corner at the moment. We’re submitting to all the luxuries being offered to us in the finely packaged cultural time-bomb that is modernity. However the difference between now and a hundred years previously is whereas James Joyce romanticised it, the Bloomsbury Group had a love affair with it, and well, the Vorticists fucked it. We just go out and buy a new phone. I am as guilty as the next boy. Not in having an addiction to mobile phones, but succumbing to all the dangerous (and yes they are dangerous) amenities following us around in this day and age. But these addictions to the simple pleasures work for some, they can’t for people with aspirations of creating art in whatever forum. Art, whether mirroring or reacting against the times it finds itself in, must always serve as a reaction to the idea of settling for what you’re given. Otherwise why bother picking up a guitar or a paintbrush at all. At the same time there is a bittersweet irony in all of this, as whatever road you walk or land in which you reside, the one ambition all creative’s share is a desire to be recognised for that which they create. And it has certainly become a lot easier to be recognised.
In the musical sense, the luck factor of being in the right place at the right time has become somewhat blurred with the advent MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and the rest of the global communication package. The days of an A&R man randomly stumbling across the greatest band in the world as he popped out for a pack of cigarettes just doesn’t exist in our generation. This is both good and bad. Good in the sense that if you are serious about “making it” then you come to understand pretty quickly the importance of including cyber space in your promotional package. The bad in all of this is quite clearly that in the ever-increasing technical age those with a true talent and those with a true lack of it can easily get confused depending on how many times they update their status on a daily basis.
At this point I should like to categorically state I am a fan of Twitter, MySpace I still love and I’m as much of a Facebook addict as anyone. But they’ve made us lazy. I’d place good money on levels of procrastination reaching rapidly new and dizzying heights in recent times and this will prove to have a great effect on society as a whole. When things need to get done they need to get done, from Acts of Parliament to brushing your teeth. The problem is that whatever side you’re on those in the House of Commons are getting on with changing, re-arranging, or just plain ignoring laws and getting away with it, whilst on the other side of the fence we’re more preoccupied with sitting at the computer screen and learning that Billy-Joe Jacobs has “just eaten a dodgy burger on the Kingsland Rd.” We’re not stupid. In essence we know what is more important but the safety net of the virtual world prevents us from doing anything about it. Of course this is perfect for some people as the real success behind Facebook et al is it allows people with less than no talent to become stars. In fact as I’ve already touched upon, talent or indeed personality doesn’t come into it. We’re now all stars, the biggest are just those who inform people of there activities more often…no matter how mundane.
But what about those of us with what I guess you could call legitimate dreams of receiving recognition for creating something with integrity. The ongoing debate regarding illegal downloading I fundamentally believe has grown to such heights more because of laziness than economic issues. For the consumer that is, or maybe consumer is the wrong word seeing as no-one actually buys music anymore. Indeed I don’t believe people who have thousands upon thousands of songs stored on their laptop have any real plans to actually listen to all of them, yet why not have them there for a rainy day. I don’t take a side on this issue because the battle was lost a long time ago whichever way you look at it. No-one will ever stand a chance of selling even half as many records as The Beatles did. This is sad. But what is saddest of all is the domino effect of all this that seems to escape the large majority of peoples attention. The less money spent on buying records in simple terms means the less money spent on making them. And so from the point of view of those of us who wish to make records and be paid for them, it’s a sad fact we must face up to. Risks will be taken very few and far between by those at the top to an even greater degree than we are seeing now. The quality of music will suffer, and has suffered, because of the paranoia parading in both corners of the argument. The music industry, this once well-oiled, revered and undoubtedly feared machine has had a rather large spanner jammed in its works, a spanner which I don’t believe will ever be removed, and in fact may have grown so much rust the long-term affects are irreparable.
Let me make it clear I’m neither defending nor attacking either end of the spectrum being discussed, where I do certainly stand though is firmly in the corner of the artists whose main ambition in life is to create something they truly believe in. When this is jeopardised through other people’s laziness there is a problem. With every problem however history has shown there to be an eventual solution. I therefore raise again the issue of creating our own story. A story that blows apart the concept of being average and getting away with it, or worst, being successful because of it. There is one requirement only for this to be achievable. You need to be good. Better than good. You need to be great. Thanks to the internet the rest now depends on how much you are willing to sell yourself. Being great though is essential. This may seem a little obvious but the question is as easily answered as it is asked…how many gigs have you seen where underneath the fancy haircut and garments the people occupying the stage essentially look like they are shitting themselves? And when considering some of the diabolical excuses for musical attempts certain substanceless scenes have sprouted in recent times, I feel this translates to bands and artists on all levels. For as I’m sure we have all discovered at some point along the road, the smell of shit is easily detectable.
Tracks Of 2009
1 THE LEISURE SOCIETY – A Short Weekend Begins With Longing
2 WILCO – You Never Know
3 PETER HOLSAPPLE & CHRIS STAMEY – My Friend The Sun
4 JAMIE T – Sticks ‘N’ Stones
5 AMAZING BABY – The Narwahl
6 EELS – All The Beautiful Things
7 GRIZZLY BEAR – Two Weeks
8 WHITE DENIM – Paint Yourself
9 KASABIAN – Where Did All The Love Go
10 LOCAL NATIVES – Wide Eyes
11 ANIMAL COLLECTIVE – Summertime Clothes
12 MARSHALL CRENSHAW – Passing Through
13 REVEREND & THE MAKERS – Hidden Persuaders
14 PHOENIX – Lisztomania
15 WOODEN SHJIPS – Down By The Sea
16 GIRLS – Laura
17 M. WARD – For Beginners
18 PAPERCUTS – A Dictator’s Lament
19 EELS – My Timing Is Off
20 GRIZZLY BEAR – Southern Point
Albums of the Noughties
1. EELS Blinking Lights & Other Revelations
2. THE SHINS Wincing The Night Away
3. THE CORAL Roots & Echoes
4. SHACK The Corner Of Miles And Gil
5. BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE Bravery Repetition And Noise
6. YEASAYER All Hour Cymbals
7. BECK Sea Change
8. WEEN White Pepper
9. CLOUD ELEVEN Orange And Green And Yellow And Near
10. THE VINES Vision Valley
11. DUSTY TRAILS Dusty Trails
12. ARCTIC MONKEYS Whatever People Say I Am…
13. OUTKAST Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
14. THE TROUBADOURS The Troubadours
15. BECK Modern Guilt
16. THE PEARLFISHERS Up With The Larks
17. FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE Welcome Interstate Managers
18. LARRIKIN LOVE The Freedom Spark
19. RUFUS WAINWRIGHT Want One
20. THE SHINS Chutes Too Narrow
21. MGMT Oracular Spectacular
22. EELS Daisies Of The Galaxy
23. JOSH ROUSE Nashville
24. COCONUT RECORDS Nighttiming
25. BOBBY GAYLOR Fuzzatonic Scream
26. JAY-Z The Black Album
27. THE QUARTER AFTER The Quarter After
28. EMINEM The Eminem Show
29. WEEN Quebec
30. KINGS OF LEON Aha Shake Heartbreak
31. WILCO Wilco (The Album)
32. WHITE DENIM Fits
33. LEISURE SOCIETY The Sleeper
34. BLACK LIPS Good Bad Not Evil
35. WHITE STRIPES White Blood Cells
36. JAMIE T Kings & Queens
37. WOODEN SHJIPS Dos
38. BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE Tomorrow’s Heroes Today
39. SUPERGRASS Road To Rouen
40. BECK The Information
41. MARSHALL CRENSHAW Jaggedland
42. GRIZZLY BEAR Veckatimest
43. NEIL YOUNG Chrome Dreams II
44. ROGER JOSEPH MANNING, JR. The Land Of Pure Imagination
45. SHERYL CROW C’mon C’mon
46. WHITE STRIPES Elephant
47. THE STROKES Is This It
48. JANE’S ADDICTION Strays
49. WEEN Shinola (Vol. One)
50. THE JUNIPERS Cut Your Key
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