Wake up to Honour before glory
The chilly, frosty mornings of January always deserve some soothing music and lo and behold (that always sounds nice), here’s Honour before glory with the breezy track ‘Maison’. The trippy, colourful video seems to be paying a sort of tribute to Beetlejuice (hey, I just clicked on description and it reassures my suspicions!) while still being a trippy landscape.
Stay warm, please, people. It’s colder than it looks and I just re-read Downtown Owl (my review is here, y’guys) and it still breaks my heart. Honour before Glory‘s EP, The Maison EP drops on digital on February 6th.
Honour before Glory Website. Facebook. Myspace. Twitter. Last.fm. Bandcamp. Soundcloud.
Wake up to Ninetails
Liverpool’s own Ninetails (signed to Superstar Destroyer Records) are getting some love! They are on a roll at MTV Unsigned (you can still vote) and they are doing quite a bit of noise around.
As a thank you/gracias to all the people supporting them, the band have released a brand new song (with a spiffy video) called ‘Rawdon fever’.
In even better news, the band will be opening for Errors at The Kazimier in Liverpool, February 11th. They will play with Air Cav at Kraak, Manchester (March 6th). Oh, and they donated a song to our free mix cd.
Say, did we mention that we reviewed their EP?
Wake up to … Wet Nuns
Art: Glenn Miller
Yes! The day is today, 11/11/11… besides making every numerologist salivate with theories, it’s the day when “dem good ol’ boys” get to do a rough shag with Shields and Black Cat White Cat (badebadeebopboppoppaaap!)
In addition to a show at Bungalows and Bears (tonight!), Wet Nuns are offering ‘Heavens Below’ for free at their website. Just to show how much they love you, there’s a remix by Matt Helders included in said download.
Which is this one:
But, hey, waddayaknow? Local remixing legend (and fellow Adric-hater) Adi Carter has done two reviews of the track. You can listen to them right here too:
Wet Nuns – Heavens Below (Adi Carter’s Glam Drop Remix)
Wet Nuns – Heavens Below (Adi Carter’s Glam Dub Remix)
So… go forth and download.
Wake up to 65daysofstatic
They are good. They are very, very good. It’s good to read that the recent USA release of We Were Exploding Anyway(link) and Heavy Sky(link) are getting great reviews.
We have been very lucky enough to interview them twice, once before their show (link) at the Octagon (link) and during their magnificent re-scoring of Silent Running (link).
So it was a very good day when they announced a few months ago that they were going to release Silent Running re-score on vinyl (sold out – damn!) and as digital. It’s an excellent re-scoring (made a film I loved even better!) and we sincerely hope it gets the kudos it deserves.
The band, ever so in touch with their fans (love their newsletters) are giving away the tragic ‘Burial Scene’. Here it’s streaming, get it for gratis on their website (see our links section in this very post).
Links Official site. Twitter. Last.fm. Stream. Spotify. Soundcloud.
Wake up to Sad Accordions
Interesting name, Sad Accordions. Some might say they are depressing by themselves, others will tell you that they think of Italian cooks serenading two socially-distant dogs that are in love and eating spaghetti bolognese.
Uh.
In reality, it’s the name of a band. A very good one too. Dearly embedded in our collective ipods (and being played a lot as of late), it’s the sound of vast horizons and long road trips while memories of days gone by fly like the wind distorts that staple 70s rock on the radio. Yeah, that’s it.
We reviewed their latest EP, a split single and even interviewed them. But, wait, there is more! Seth Woods, lead singer of Sad Accordions, also creates magic under the name of The Whiskey Priest. We’ve reviewed him a couple of times and we’ll be interviewing him soon.
In the meantime, this is a beautiful, haunting song by Sad Accordions. It’s called ‘Savage’ and it’s the sound of my memories of the 80s, both good and bad. Peace out!
Sad Accordions Website. Myspace. Last.fm. Bandcamp. Facebook. Twitter.
Wake up to Correatown
Angela Correa has a magnificent voice. Yup, seen her live, interviewed her and reviewed her other joint venture in musicianship. So it was a very exciting discovery when we got wind of her own dreamy project, Correatown, which has just released the sweet album Pleiades (review soon, knock on wood).
The album is simply beautiful on vinyl: clear funky colour, a lot of depth and an extra song (take that, CD!). It’s the sound of a moment of calm in a small park (or a well-kept patio garden) in a crazy city where Dominic West or Michael Chiklis never sleep.
Anyhoo, you’ll get bored of me gushing about this wonderful album. Here’s ‘Further’. Hug someone.
Links Website. Twitter. Facebook. Soundcloud. Bandcamp. Myspace.
Wake up to Midas Fall
Mondays are dreary. It’s the smell of Sunday fading away, the realisation that the warmest (and safest) place you know is your bed (which you have to vacate in order to get to the daily grind) and, eff it, you will be in the grumpier side of life for the rest of the day.
How about some dreamy postrock? Midas Fall to the rescue, with their brand of shoegaze/dream/whateveryouwannacallit music that always draws a smile in my face.
I mean, I really love ‘Fog sky nun’ from their previous album Eleven. Return and Revert (which I reviewed for a lovely site) and news of more music (new EP in 2012) by this dreamy band really got me excited.
Anyhoo, here’s a brand new, just straight out of the oven song called ‘BPD’. And it’s FREE.
Links Website. Facebook. Soundcloud. Twitter. Myspace.
Wake up to Just Handshakes (We’re British)
It’s October and it feels like it’s time to pull out the Chocolate Abuelita tablets, get a better set of coats and play a bunch of 7″ singles that make you think of roller skates, The Clangers and possibly trees.
That doesn’t make sense.
What DOES make sense it’s checking out Just Handshakes (We’re British) if you like your pop in the dreamy side of the spectrum. They released a superb single this year (review) and will be playing in the fair city of Sheffield this Friday. They are also holed up in a super secret studio recording new tunes, training hamsters to do the Macarena and possibly reading this blurb and banning me from all their future gigs. Mahalo.
Anyways, here’s ‘Brakes’.
Links Tumblr. Facebook. Twitter. Bandcamp. Spotify. Myspace. Bigcartel. Soundcloud.
Wake up to… Smokers Die Younger
Don’t you hate it? You’re just chilling about after doing your shopping when your dinner comes back to life (via The Resurrection Glove) and runs from you.
We were warned about this.
Smokers Die Younger are a band from Sheffield that had many a tag attached to them, but having seen them twice, it’s a safe bet to tag them as “intense” (also tag them under “Evil Genius at Bass”. Really).
Anyways, there is a bit of an empty space in my “loved gigs of 2011″ with their name on it (missed them supporting Josh T. Pearson), but this song always gets me in a good mood.
Have a great Wednesday.
Smokers Die Younger Blog. Facebook. Myspace. Last.fm. Spotify.
Wake up to Wet Nuns
We’ve previously mentioned these two good ol’ boys and their musical wares. We really like them and stand behind all their songs (death and women and whisky and more death and maybe less women but still enough).
They have been gigging as constant as ever but we managed to miss quite a few gigs, but worry not, we will make up for it with a review of their recent gig at a local drink hole in Sheffield.
Keep your eyes peeled (but not too long, they might get freeze dried) for their upcoming stuff. In the meantime, here’s ‘All the young girls’. Have a wonderful week. This rocks.
Wet Nuns Blawg Blog. Twitter. Soundcloud. Facebook. Nuthin’.
Wake up to Big Wave Riders
Man, it’s cold in here! Between the monsoon/drizzle/twister-strength wind cycle that’s been kicking England and a broken radiator, it feels like a bad day in Siberia.
Still, there’s always the element of music to brighten the day. So here we have Big Wave Riders (from Finland) and their track, ‘Republic of the average’, recently remixed by synth-o-masters Paperfangs. So, a lo-fi band messing with a shoegaze band? Will it sound good? Will it be like motherflippin’ Demian from The Omen? Click to find out.
Since I hope you didn’t end up like Patrick Troughton‘s Father Brennan, you can check more about Big Wave Riders here.
Wake up to Black Casino & The Ghost
Black Casino & The Ghost are a band from London. That’s the first thing to know. The second thing is that they do know how to make a catchy track and ‘Falling into pieces’, the first song out of their upcoming EP is catchy.
With a freaky video (keep watching… feels like a ransom note) and a loud pop sound, Black Casino & The Ghost will be dipping their toes around the whole touring boom-ting in October.
And, you know? It’s nice to know there are female-fronted bands that don’t resort to stupid videos with chalk dust flying around. So check this band out. Reverb is lovely.
Links
Wake up to Wet Nuns
What do you get when two good ol’ boys meet and bond over their love of bootlegged moonshine? I don’t wanna find out, but what I know it’s the best next thing: Wet Nuns.
They have been around for a while, fighting the good fight against the system after getting kicked out of Alabama (via General Lee Dodge Charger). They released an EP last year, played everywhere they could and now have been preaching their gospel of Death Blues Rock to places like Leeds and Bakewell. They even have a side project called Palmela Handerson which is cool too. Less death, women and whiskey, though. They even got remixed for a Mixed in Sheffield compilation (which you can download for gratis free).
Anyway’s, here’s ‘don’t wanna see your face no more’. But before you click “play” question yourself… is there a reason why this band is featured the day our webcomic returns? Just askin’. No relation. No sireebob.
Links Blawg Blog. Twitter. Soundcloud. Facebook. Nuthin’.
Wake up to Cobra Fist
Don’t you hate it when you’re chillaxing and then a stupid shark comes around and steals your girlfriend and you have to fight his minions with uppercuts, elbows-to-the-face and spinning hurricane kicks? And once you defeat it, you have to fight your bro to the death?
No, wait, that’s Double Dragon. But might as well make a comparison with a beat-em-up, as the music of Cobra Fist feels like the sounds you’d get from mixing a kung fu exploitation film with those 80s videogames. With an impressive live show and some nifty ninja suits, Cobra Fist are always a good wake up call.
They will soon be deploying into 2 missions (level 3 and 4, surely), first in Leeds at the Duck and Drake (Aug. 31, RSVP) with Hired Muscle, Bad Body, Bearfoot Beware and then in Sheffield with Three Trapped Tiger @ The Harley (Sept 19, RSVP).
Anyyyyyyyyways, here’s ‘Cobra vs Shark’, because, well, you need this on a Thursday morning. Matane!
Wake up to … The Dream Surman
Part of a collective of Mexican musicians doing something very off-kilter and experimental, The Dream Surman joins the same box where we could place URSS bajo el árbol and Los Impresionistas. They do share a few members (and possibly all meet in the Astral Planes to exchange chord progressions) but that’s where similarities end.
With some stuff laid out (on cassette tape, natch) and hopefully more music being composed, The Dream Surman are another offering from México. Hope you enjoy this demo.
Links Facebook. Soundcloud.
Wake up to … Renegade Brass Band
Another band that’s brilliant live, Renegade Brass Band are a collection of horn players, well guarded by drums, percussion, scratches and a DJ, all being trusty wingmen to the funkadelic sounds peddled by this collective. It’s the sound of the ol’ barrio in New York in the late seventies, it’s the sound of some of the streets of Madero (Tamaulipas represent!) in the mid 90s, it’s Renegade Brass Band.
They’ve released an EP, Radio Rebelde, and just to brighten your mood (Mondays, argh), here’s ‘Nah Mean, Nah’M'SAyin’ ‘.
Be sure to catch them live, they’ll make you jump a lot (with non-hilarious consequences to your knees).
Links:
Wake up to … URSS bajo el árbol
URSS bajo el árbol (or USSR beneath/below/under the tree) is a band from México specialising on experimental rock. Their sound is dreamy, but more on the nightmare side of the scale, with a heavy use of effects.
They’ve released a vinyl EP this year, with all songs recorded live. With a lot of magical realism added to their lyrics and some very interesting musical ideas (check the intro to ‘In5omnium’), URSS bajo el árbol is one of the several new bands that México has to offer.
Anyways, here’s the scary sounding ‘Hombr3 Esqu3l3to’, which sounds like Día de muertos gone wrong (or right, if you’re Vincent Price).
Links
Wake up to… Writer
Writer! A simple name for a not so simple band, these dudes go for the fuzzy, lo-fi side of the musical spectrum. Like a polaroid fading (’cause you left it in a bowl of Dr. Pepper, just for the lols), their sound is very retro but with a positive vibe (and loads of energy).
Currently finishing a tour with the very amazing Guards, Writer have also been to SXSW and have a new album coming out this Fall (or Autumn for our British readers. Or “Otoño” for our Mexican readers).
Anyways, here’s ‘Family Dinner’. Enjoy!
And, hey, if you like this type of garage stuff, there’s a free track waiting for you at their bandcamp!
Links Website. Soundcloud. Last.fm. Twitter. Myspace. Bandcamp.
Wake up to… Legend of the Seven Black Tentacles
Fuckshitdammit, I love this band. With a very experimental approach to music, an ever growing and changing roster of talent and with a vivacious live set, Legend of Seven Black Tentacles are a collective (more like a Gestalt, really) from Sheffield that love to squish genres together and create something that hasn’t been defined yet.
Mixing classical music, rap and some acid jazz, they released their EP Let’s begin now a few month ago (cheap-o plug – review) and were ruddy cool at Peace in the Park (cheapo plugo parte dos) and now are back into a cocoon, ready to evolve again.
Hope you enjoyed that one, there’s loads more at their Bandcamp. They’d better not stay out of the circuit for long or I will be unfaithful to them and go and cheat with Renegade Brass Band (who also rock live).
Wake up to…Bleaklow
Bleaklow is a post rock trio hailing from various cities (Sheffield, Manchester, Brighton) and have been together since 2008, usually rocking the instrumental side of the musical spectre.
With new material coming up on the horizon, this post rock has courteously decided to offer a tantalising song as a taste of things to come. Heck, you can get more stuff at their bandcamp, if it sounds like something you’d enjoy. Download away.
Links
Wake up to Dirty Beggars
Yee-haaaw! It’s Friday, so get your General Lee primed up, have a few sips of that ol’ jug of Moonshine with the XXX label and tore a Barghest with the power of your buckshot 12 gauge. These people are known as The Dirty Beggars and hail from Glasgow.
The band has just finished a mini-tour in London and are getting ready to unleash their newest album, out later this summer.
Links Facebook. Soundcloud. Myspace.
Wake up to… The Wooden Birds
Hailing from that melting pot called Austin (believe you me, it’s gosh darned hot there!), The Wooden Birds are an amazing band, having in their current roster the talents of Matt Pond, Andrew Kenny, Leslie Sisson and Sean Haskins.
Currently on tour, the band has just released a new album, called Two Matchsticks and wouldn’t you know? It rocks. Also, there’s a video for the track ‘Two Matchsticks’, hope you enjoy it. Please, feel free to read our interview with Andrew Kenny too.
