way aye man!

THE NORTH EAST.

it's shit really, but my god has it brought us some wonderful bands (and me?!).

first and foremost is The Futureheads. my favourite band. ever. in the whole world. i love them more than i love my own mother, Gang Of Four, free stuff, ice cream, sunny days, lie-ins and finding money on the floor. that's a whole lot of love. i can't even explain the vastness of the soft spot in my heart for them. i have turned into a gabbering, giggling mess everytime i've met them.
the time Barry gave me a hug and a kiss nearly sent me over the edge.

they're out of the live action at the minute, and are doing the odd DJ set up and down the country. though i wish they'd knock it off and play some gigs again. i'm dying to hear some new stuff and to see them sweat their stuff in the way that they do. only do i squeal to The Futureheads. no other band has (so far!) had the ability to make me want to eat my own head out of sheer delight.
they're from Sunderland (boooo, TOOOOOON ARMY forever). now, a lot of people can't appreciate how amazing it is that they managed to form and evolve in the first place. if you knew Sunderland you would be marvelled. it's a shithole. complete and utter. until a couple of years ago there wasn't even a cinema there let alone anything remotely exciting.

here is where i digress and fail to impress you with a little bragging. my dad is actually partly responsible for setting up The (world famous) Bunker in Sunderland. he used to run a fanzine and decided that that wasn't enough. there was nowhere for the music fans (namely the punks like himself) to go and hang out or to practise (he was in a shitty band) or to see gigs. and basically they tried to get funding from every single local business they could to set up The Bunker and eventually one agreed and they were in business. it's now a renowned venue and practise space and has played host to many many famous acts! who would have thought a bunch of kids with safety pins holding up their jeans could start something so influencial?

this was and is possibly the only UN-dull thing about sunderland.
the arcades at the beach are quite good. yeah anyway.

The Futureheads - Piece Of Crap
The Futureheads - Let's Dance (David Bowie cover)

Maximo Park obviously had to come next. Paul Smith is one of the most charasmatic front men i have seen live. he oozes that special "DON'T LOOK AWAY FROM ME NOW OR YOU'LL MISS THE BEST MOMENT OF YOUR LIFE" quality that 99.9% of us really just don't have.
admittedly they aren't all from the north east but i'm disregarding that for now because their new album 'Our Earthly Pleasures' is stupidly stupidly infectious. i can't decide whether it's better than the first album or not yet. it's close!

Maximo Park - The Unshockable
Maximo Park - Limassol

Field Music are one of my great loves because of their connections with The Futureheads (Peter Brewis used to be in The Futureheads and wrote 'Park Inn' which is allegedly the first ever Futureheads' track!). but i also love them because they are good. and now not splitting up haha.
the expected accent but wrapped in more fairytale-esque sounds than simply jagged guitar music.
when i saw them play 'You're So Pretty' i actually almost cried. it's immense live.

Field Music - You're So Pretty
The Futureheads (Barry Hyde, Jaff, Peter Brewis) - Park Inn

part deux tomorrow! featuring Kubichek!, Dartz! and moooore.

better late than never.

LIVERPOOOOOL. i can't stand the Liverpudlian accent. at all. it makes me want to cry and conjures up images of pink shell suits and twocking cars.

but there's some good bands from there, and Lexy is from there. so i won't hate.

The Wombats. everyone is bumming these lads at the minute, and with good reason too. they're brilliant. i first got into them around last November when i heard they were going to be supporting Good Shoes. so i thought i'd check them out, see if they were upto much. and i was suprised in the most wonderful of ways.

The Wombats - My First Wedding

goFASTER>> are like the little brothers of the big cowbell god in the sky. i adore them crazy amounts. i was supposed to go and see them on Sunday but laziness combined with a mild hangover, amazing weather and my lack of revision prohibited this. very Hot Club-esque.

goFASTER>> - You Better Watch Out

To My Boyyyyyyyyy. are brilliant. i bum them so much it's just stupid. they never ever fail to make me dance. i have annoyed countless djs (actually, i know exactly which djs) asking for 'The Grid' and i have annoyed them more by pulling a sour face when they played 'I Am XRay' instead. me and my friends even have an 'XRAY' dance (it also fits well to The Maccabees - XRay' - who i am incidently interviewing on Sunday aahh god). it involves x shaped arm movements and that's about it.
anyway. To My Boy are wonderful. electro dance but not like that. pop infused electric bleeping mashed with guitars. yeah, that's better.

To My Boy - In The Zone

i've spoken about Hot Club already so no need for a re-cap!
there's a million other bands from Liverpool, i am fully aware. i'm just too lazy to talk about them.

in other music related news! i have found that The Long Blondes' track that is playing in the Tate Modern beside that piece with the dead birds.

The Long Blondes - The Unbearable Lightness Of Building

i have also been listening to Volta. lots and lots. i am in love with it i think. might be my best album of 07. even better than To My Boy's! shocking.

Bjork - Declare Independence

this was very rambly. i suspect a more coherent post will be in order next time, when i can pull myself away from reading The Secret History!

another day.

another dollar!
thanks for the get well messages, i am feeling better today.

my mock exam went disastrously. must have been the worst thing i've ever written in the whole of my academic history. but it was only a practise so no need to fret haha.

i was today told that Bat For Lashes are playing in Manchester in July. i am very excited as i haven't seen them befoooore. another gig to add to the list!

i didn't really have anything in mind for this post, but then i read a bulletin posted by Hot Club De Paris. they're going on tour, and taking GoodBooks with them. am i going to the tour? obviouslyyyy. i can't bloody wait. although it means i have to miss a friend of mine's band supporting Fake Shark Real Zombie!
Hot Club are fantastic. witty, clever, and sharp. NME once complained that they don't have proper choruses. if only all dysfunctional songs sounded as good as the 'Ot Club's do! their album 'Drop It Til It Pops' was one of my massive favourites of 2006, and i can't wait to hear any and all new material. Jamie T is fan, although i don't think much to that remix he did of 'Shipwreck'. (.mp3)

they make jaunty, catchy, innovative tunes. that has a nautical feel to it. sea shanties and all that.

Hot Club De Paris - Your Face Looks All Wrong

if you like them, make sure you check out goFASTER>> who are another band from the booming Liverpool scene. actually, i might do a post about Liverpool tomorrow.

there we go. sorted.

christ almighty.

i think Wednesdays should be banned. they are completely pointless and annoying, and usually the worst things ever happen on Wednesdays (no, i don't have any evidence to support this claim - fuck off).

i have heard a rumour that Field Music have split up.
on Blah Blah Blasé's myspace they have added "R.I.P" onto the end of their name. does that mean they've gone bye bye too? GUTTED.
in addition to this:
- i have a 3 hour mock exam tomorrow,
- Shitdisco have cancelled their Manchester gig on Friday,
- i have work at 10am on Saturday,
- i still have tonsillitus,
- AND. to top it all off, High Voltage managed to cut my favourite bit out of the Foals feature i wrote for them. (it's HERE for anyone that wants to read it).

here was my favourite bit that didn't make the cut:

“The moment you’re in a band everyone’s just like ‘you’re gorgeous but you’re dumb’." - Yannis, Foals.

other bits i thought were useful also were cut. crycry.

as consolation i have been eating tubs of ice cream (literally) and listening to lots of Bat For Lashes.

Bat For Lashes - Sarah

and lots of CocoRosie.

CocoRosie - Promise

yeah anyway. i wanted to have a rant about bands in general.
it must be amazingly eeeeeeeeeeasy to be in a band (please, do correct me if i'm wrong here). so touring a lot is tiring and whatever, but seriously. the perks clearly and obviously outweigh the cons. a friend of mine suggested that all bands should be made into promoters once in a while and then they would see that they have the easiest job in terms of a gig. i'm just annoyed at the amount of myspace bulletins i see saying "GIG CANCELLED" or "*HEADLINERS* DROPPED OUT". this isn't to do with Shitdisco. i understand that one of them is actually seriously ill and is currently in hospital, something totally unavoidable.
plus, they are going to reschedule, and i have seen them before. i will live.
i'm talking about the bands who drop out of gigs because their tyre burst or their van broke down or they got a headache or they forgot they were playing or they couldn't be arsed so they made up a shit excuse. just generally bands who think it's alright to drop out of gigs casually and not realise that it has a massive effect on their fans.
not only is it inconvienient, it is also disappointing and terribly selfish.

maybe i'm being harsh, maybe i'm not. who knows?

what i know is that bands these days are getting a bit too used to leaning on their management to get them a lift or their booking agent to find them the best gigs to play. the DIY ethic seems to have completely disappeared from the mentality of some bands, and is making the music industry look like it is full of boys in bands who wear jeans so tight that they restrict the blood flow to their brains. thus turning them into whingeing, moaning, crying cry babies. no one is there to hold you hand? big fucking deal. you lose a bit of money playing a gig in a new city for the first time? big fucking deal. you miss a rave where people who don't dance are going to be in attendance? big. fucking. deal.

i think some bands need a kick up the arse, and need to stop relying on the mollycoddling of the A&R world.

now listen to a band who do it all themselves. there's no frills here, just good fucking music and good live performances. one of Manchester's many underrated. Sir Yes Sir. guitar music that occassionally bleeps.

Sir Yes Sir - Bass Hit

i am in dire need of some retail therapy.
over and out.

egos galore!

i'm pretty sure 99% of you will have heard about the Drummer Incident at Patrick Wolf's MisShapes show in New York.

Patrick posted a letter on his website on Sunday night telling his fans he is quitting music. "I have made a decision, my final concert will be this november, a retrospective with an orchestra in London. I am not sure wether there will be anymore public communications after that, Infact I am pretty sure there will be none." quotequote.

how gutted am i? unbelievably so. but then again i have hope. i really don't see him staying away from the limelight all that long, and once he calms down and sees that music is life (because it is, right) he will come back better than before. i think the recent (from around new year) exposure, touring, promoting his album and obviously struggles within his band have just been getting a little too much. so he snapped. sadly. lets just hope he comes back quick. he's possibly one of the greatest musicians around at the minute, and maybe even for a long time. it would be massively dissappointing to lose such a wonderful person from our world.
i'm determined to go to the London November gig, although i can imagine getting tickets will be like trying to find red sand.

Patrick Wolf - Empress

last night i went to see GoodBooks. i've seen them twice before, and so i kind of knew what to expect. i must say that i think their live performances are a million times better than what they sound like on record. i can't quite work out why that is (possibly over production?) but they were very very good again last night.
the first support was from a band called The Redwings. errm. no comment. no, actually, fuck it. they were shit. beyond shit. they just made a fucking awful post-Libs noise. each member of the band must have been playing a different song to the others. they asked the crowd if anyone was going to be reviewing the gig, and when no one replied they said "good". so they are aware they are shit? or that the sound was dreadful? or that everyone was bored? when i say everyone i must mention that that does not include the two girls who were dancing.
but people do that, don't they? they dance. even when the music is shit, when it's absolutely horrifying. why though? i guess music is in the ear of the beholder, just like beauty is in the eye. but there seriously should just be some things in music which are banned.

we don't want your Libs impressionists with boys in bands who look like Pete/Carl and dress like Pete/Carl and dance like Pete/Carl and sing like Pete/Carl and are cocky without justification.
well i don't want any of these things. there's such a massive difference between taking inspiration from and just completely copying. knock it off, yeah?

back to the gig.. next onstage were Last Gang. i'd only heard a couple of tracks before i saw them last night. they follow in the footsteps of all that is The Cribs-esque northern "we come from up north 'n this is our tuuuune like" indie rock. they were good. they definitely know what they are doing, and they have a clear cut sound. i just don't know how much pushing it will take for them to get out from under the shadow of other similar and bigger bands like The Pigeon Detectives. they deserve to though, i was more impressed than i thought i would be.

Last Gang - We Don't Care

finallyyyy GoodBooks! there's something about them that sets them apart from the majority of other bands around at the minute. every now and then there's just something ever so slightly haunting about their music. i asked Leo (the drummer) how the rest of the tour had been and he said not so good, and that most places had actually been pretty empty. i was suprised because of their recent jaunts on the Vice Tour and supporting The Maccabees. plus, their album is due out sometime this summer (i think?).
at the end of their set singer and guitarist Max had a little bit of a hissy fit after telling the crowd he couldn't be bothered. he jumped off stage at the end and went straight backstage. i couldn't help but giggle. i know, i shouldn't have. me & the girls i was with went "oooooooh!" and everything. i can understand why he was pissed off. they only sold 25 tickets in advance, and there was about 30-40 people in in total. playing for weeks on end to pretty much empty rooms must get quite frustrating.

GoodBooks - Passchendaele

i'm currently suffering from tonsillitus, so if i'm not dead (or drowned in ice cream) by tomorrow i will finally get round to that Sir Yes Sir post. wooo.
ps. feedback is ace, so let me know if you like this type of "gig review" post. there's not much point if you hate them!

so much for everyday..

yeah this was supposed to be an everyday thing but yesterday i went out in the sunshine, then for a meal instead.

anyway. i have been ob-sessssssssssed with this track for the past few days. it's just brilliant. i can't get enough of it. your usual electro remix, but it's sweeter than that. listen and love!

Feist - My Moon My Man (Boys Noize Remix)

so finally here's my post about Dirty Hands. long over due!
they're five lads and they're from laaaahndaaan (or rather, they formed the band when they started uni in london). last september they were named demo of the month by my favourite DJ ever (Mr. Who's got the remedy John Kennedy). this is where i first heard them. i remember thinking "what the fuck, who is that? i must punish my ears some more by seeking them out and listening lots". no, i didn't i just thought "cheers for the add. i heard Get On Your Bike on xfm the other night and thought it was class! x" [direct myspace comment quote!!!11]
i don't know how i would summarise them in a few words or phrases, probably something liiiiike not quite electro, not exactly jagged indie but a blend of the two. it sounds good though. very good, and if you are attentive/know me personally then you will know that Dirty Hands played at the gig for my fanzine last Sunday. they were brilliant, and i think everyone enjoyed their set massively.

Dirty Hands - Vivid Imagination

Get On Your Bike Charlie is going to be their first single, out some time this year on limited vinyl (i assume). check their myspace for more details and such!

Sir Yes Sir post tomorrow (or Saturday, depending on what time the drinking starts!)

busy busy busy.

obviously there was no post on Sunday because i was putting on a gig. it went brilliantly (despite Neon Plastix pulling out very last minute), and it seemed like everyone there had a good time. now we have people pestering us to put on bands we've never even heard of. we're a fanzine, not promoters. although one could argue that there is not a difference. it's a big big difference to me. as much as i had tons of fun, i'm not even 100% sure if we'll put another night on, mainly because there's exams between now and june, and then after that it's summer so we'll be too busy watching boys in the park and getting drunk in the sun. and i'm moving to London in September! so little time..

anyway.

i'm a last.fm trawler now. i must admit that there are certain people whose music tastes i steal. i see a band i don't recognise and i go and find some tracks by them. usually this works out for the best.

first up is Gameboy/Gamegirl. they sound like Crystal Castles (plus more dance-ability) have met some dodgy Australian men and some downright funked up electro vibes along a beaten track and decided to make strange children. or a band, one of the two. it's good anyway. so have a listen, and have a dance.

Gameboy/Gamegirl - Sweaty Wet Dirty Damp

i finally found that Toxic Avenger remix i talked about the other day. it's on ChazOlogy, which is another brilliant music blog. i highly reccommend it.

i'm trying to get in as much new music to this thing as possible, thinking "who won't people have heard of". it's a nightmare. but i don't know how many of you will have heard of Billy Ruffian.

four lads from Manchester. they've had numerous comparisons to The Fall (which are all accurate), combined with several other bands such as Blur, The Only Ones and Suede (yeah I don't see the Suede thing). no one has come up with the Art Brut comparison yet (i don't think) so that can be what i add to the list. they're rough round the edges, and still rough in the middle. i love The Fall, so i guess it's only natural that i like Billy Ruffian too.

Billy Ruffian - (My Girlfriend Is Like A) Trojan Horse

i was watching E4 music and this video came on. it's a fucking tune. Remi Nicole was just recently featured in NME in an article all about singer-songwriters. i've already chatted to death about Laura Marling, so here's a new breed that will surely pick up some heavy press during summer '07.

that's it for today because i'm lazy.
watch out for Dirty Hands and Sir Yes Sir coming tomorrow.

a quickie!

so I've been in work for 8 bloody hours today. the things we'll do for money. fucking waitressing. it makes me despise humanity most of the time.

but sometimes i just adore people and the wonderful things they do. like making music for me to dance to.

me and emma (my bizarre prostitution fanzine partner in crime) had lots of arguments yesterday over what to put on the CD that is going to be played in between sets for our band night tomorrow. she didn't want it too dancey or songs that were "too long" and i didn't want it too heavy.

here's how we got on, and some are available to download.

1. Low Mode - Goose
2. NY Lipps - Soulwax
3. W.A.Y.U.H (SMD Remix) - The Rapture
4. I Am Xray - To My Boy
5. Tree Friend Tree Foe (Kissy Sell Out Remix) - Bolt Action Five
6. Rave Dave - Trash Fashion
7. Space And The Woods - Late Of The Pier
8. Change Channel - Lo-Fi-Fnk
9. The Magic Position - Patrick Wolf
10. Latchmere - The Maccabees
11. You Could Easily Have Me - Metronomy
12. Noise Won't Stop - Shy Child13. Air War - Crystal Castles
14. We Share Our Mother's Health - The Knife
15. Face (Lo-Fi-Fnk Remix) - The Black Ghosts
16. Break Dance Hunx (Market Value Mix) - Kids On TV
17. Yawn, Yawn, Yawn - Les Savy Fav
18. Katsuki & The Stilettoed Stranger Remix - Elle Milano
19. Pull Out - Death From Above 1979
20. Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above - CSS
21. Helicopter (Whitey Version) - Bloc Party

pretty dancey, but there's about 50 other gems I would have liked to have put on there.
if that tracklisting, the sunshine, and cheap doubles doesn't get people dancing then i don't know what will!

maybe if i get bored mid-week i'll upload the whole thing as a zip file.

because I'm so excited that I am seeing Devo here's a track.

Devo - Uncontrollable Urge

if you don't like it, you're probably deaf or lying. or dead inside.

so! Elle Milano. the first time I heard them was on one of ArtRockers' compliations. and I thought "who the fuck is this, they are fantastic". I was blown away by them, I must admit. they've been compared to Test Icicles, which, if you concentrate hard they might sound like every now and then. but they're better than that, and are far less of a joke.
they are going to be releasing an album sometime this year, mostly brand new material, and I for one cannot wait.

Elle Milano - Katsuki & The Stilettoed Stranger Remix
Elle Milano - Men Are Bastards

you can pretty much find a pile of their stuff on Limewire, and they have some stuff up for download on the myspace.

again, my eyes are falling out of my head so I'm going to cut this one short. especially seeing as I have had a few glasses of wine and have to be in work at 10am tomorrow. joy!

modern art, banana bikes, yannis from foals, and flyposting.

this entry is going to be so jam-packed I might split it into two..

so I went to London! it was (as usual) brilliant. but do not try to ride those banana bikes in a skirt. it doesn't work so well and you'll just end up with holes and ladders in your tights. we went to the Tate Modern. erm. I really don't "get" modern art. but I went on those slides. and I squealed all the way down Level 5. the exhibition ends on Friday so tough luck to those who haven't been on them yet!

I received a (hand delivered!!) package from Indigo DJs today. it contained a couple of badges, and some back issues of their "joke" fanzine. it's pretty well made for a joke. check them out on myspace, they do DJ sets at various places in Manchester.

tonight I went flyposting. with a carrier bag full of paste. classy stuff! I am officially retiring from this promoting gigs malarky after Sunday. it's an amazing amount of effort (and I don't even know if it's worth it yet - I suspect it will be). but I'm lazy. I think this is probably the most illegal thing I've ever done. £5000 fine if you get caught..


I am going to see Devo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

who the fuck cares about The Libs reuniting?? (rhetorical question, don't answer it fools)

I am seeing Devo at Manchester Apollo June 23rd with my good old dad. he saw them in 1979 and almost had a fit when I said they were coming back to the UK.

now. onto my selected music for today!

FOALS. it had to be them really.
the interview went very well; Yannis is a lovely chap. here's some snippets:

"I am a big legs man".
"There's no way I'm going bald".
"Once we played to one man and his mum and a bowl of tuna pasta".
"Playing on kitchen surfaces is the best".
"I think I'm going to get a massive squid tattoo".

there's many more wicked quotes but I'm tired and you'll have to read my High Voltage feature when it's done, and then after that I'll post up the whole thing (including the bit where we got interrupted by two people looking for somewhere to go in Gay Village).

Foals - Balloons

Hummer is out on Monday so go and buy it.

I'm actually falling asleep at the keyboard so tomorrow I'll make a shiny post filled with music rather than stuff about my escapades with paste and bikes.

Elle Milano would have filled a lovely space right here...

to fill the void until tomorrow (the morning, rather) here's a new song by Klaxons (it's one of the B-sides to Gravity's Rainbow I think).

Klaxons - Electrickery