Fanfarlo Reminder

I know i've said it a million times but seriously catch them while you can they're going to be humungous, love their sound, love their album... which btw they are selling for $1 until July 4th! Get on it- Resevoir

The baddies

I wrote about this band I caught at the dot to dot festival in bristol...

"9.15pm. Baddies @ The thekla Here it is. One of those reasons that all the effort is worth while and why I love live music. I sat down in an empty thekla bar with 15 minutes to spare. I was whacked I was pretty much ready to call it a day, no one else on the roster appealed to me enough to move another inch. Sitting there flounced over the couch people started to filter in and soon enough it was a healthy attendance, I wasn't interested I just wanted to lie down on this suprisingly comfortable leather couch. They kicked off and BAM. That was it the place was on fire, I was up, forgot my woes rocking out to such an event. The Baddies have about as much energy as a particle accelerator. Mesmerising. The front man was as unique as they come. The greatest thing about festivals like these was seeing word spread about these guys. Calls, texts and tweets declaring a happening. Seeing people walk in and realise this was huge was fantastic. They stormed through an action packed set, including the lead singer getting a tooth knocked out and seeking vengeance on a few members of the crowd. I stood around to indulge in the excited conversation before heading next door..."

And here's their bio, I found it kinda amusing but above all enlightening-

"Cast your minds back to January 2007… where were you? What were you doing? Well, if you’re name was Michael Webster (and let’s face it, your name probably isn’t that, but please… work with me okay) you were hatching a scheme, a fiendish plot, a devilish desire… to start DUN-DUN-DUUUUURRRGHHH… A BAND! Yes! A band with guitars and vocals and drums and bass. Holy mother of fucking shitballs! Mike had the guitar and vocals, so far so good… but where do you go from there? Well, if you were Mike you’d go to see your twin brother who just so happens to be a fricking awesome drummer and ask him and guess what? He said yes. Brilliant. But that’s not where the fantastic train stopped… no sirree bob, those Webster twins kept a right on rollin’ and they picked up a Simon Bellamy and a Danny Rowton on guitar and bass respectively. So that was nice.

So there they were. One. Two. Three. Four. And they called themselves Baddies. Not The Baddies, just Baddies. Got it? Good.

After quickly writing a batch of songs, Baddies had discovered that not only were they: (a) pretty darn good thank you very much, but they had (b) discovered their sound. Yep that’s right sound in italics. So what exactly is the sound of Baddies? Hmmm, right okay… well, imagine this… Talking Heads (Good) + Queens of The Stone Age (different, but also good) + being from Britain and all that entails (???) = the Baddies sound (its okay to say ‘the’ there I think?)

The band worked hard. They gigged. They recorded some tracks, “Tiffany, I’m Sorry” and “Battleships” and before long industry types heard them and got all hot and sexy at the very prospect of the band, and industry types love getting hot and sexy, don’t you?

Within months the band were in hot demand, everyone wanted a piece of that Baddies pie. ZOOM! They played Eurosonic in Holland. WHIZZ! They played London Calling in Holland, again! KABLAM! They played In The City in Manchester and shitting crikey they went down a storm! “I love them” said one guy, “Fuck me! That was good” said another. Which was great y’know, that’s what Baddies wanted all along, the diabolical little tinkers.

So what would you do? You’re in this band, everyone’s spaffing in their pants because you’re so damn good, where do you go next? You release a single right? Yeah, a single! On vinyl, limited to 500 copies and then you sell them all. Yeah sold out. Can’t get it any more. Sorry. But that’s not enough for Baddies, no no no. You make a video too right? Not a big expensive thing, just a little performance video. Film it, discretely put it out there… see what happens… get to number 1 on the MTV2 / Myspace chart with like zero promotion. That’s what you do if you’re Baddies anyway.

Now Baddies face the next phase, second single and then the debut album which Mike describes as “an insight into 'the struggle' of getting to where we are now."

I saw a lot of great bands that day and hear a lot of great bands every day but this is the one that's stuck with me, not since fanfarlo have I been as impressed/excited by a new band. They were in all those Bands to watch lists at the start of the year, not sure how I missed them but it all comes around and here's the only mp3 i've been able to get my e-hands on...

Baddies- I'm not a machine

New music (sonic youth/marina and the diamonds/cogwheel dogs/dum dum girls/client)

I now get a warning to remove the files which is great except i got like 7 on my last few posts so that was a little demoralising but it's better to have that than the whole blog removed and as you can see it's still been going pretty strong despite all this. Spread the word if you please.












Marina and the diamonds- Obsessions

I love polly scattergood at the moment, her beautious visage melded with lyrics from the darkest corners of a lunatic asylum. And this is the same reason I dig marina and the diamonds. This track is laden with secret stars like angst with her synesthesia infused vocals. Maybe the piano is a little simple but the pulsing of the percussion helps it on the journey that she's becoming pretty spectacular at creating.














Sonic Youth- Anti-Orgasm

Sonic Youth's new album is their first on the matador label, ending their 17-year long love affair with geffen. This track is all about the guitars, so much going on and very little repeated, solos all over the place, riffs riffing in and out of each other and feedback on the rhythm, it what weve come to expect in a way and it's where SY are at their best. "The tracks with the chick on are the best". This piece concludes with a dreamy outro, ambient sonic youth at their best. This album is a return to form.

















Client- Lullaby

Electronically and disco driven, robots in disguise influenced the pulse beat is fairly resounding in that the lyrics become a little background not that they're particularly meaningful. Bottom line is don't get this track if you want insightful, introverted lyrics just get if you dig synths and robot girl vocals, they're ok for sure... but also really, really hot.













Cogwheel Dogs- Ducking Stool

I found these two guys (M/F) on last.fm and the best thing about them is they sound like a full band. Layered vocals and harmonies, drums, guitars, cello... Well I say that's the best thing they're actually awesome in other ways too. I'll be following this band. The lyrical themes on this track are reminiscent of cloud cult as well as the delivery and some of the guitar parts sound so much like modest mouse it's heaven. They've got other free tracks on their last.fm so check them out.
















Dum Dum Girls- Longhair

This chick dee dee is very riot grrrl. Defining herself “blissed out buzzsaw”, she concentrates more on making the music as low-fi and fuzzed up as is bearable before dulling that out and switching it to the vocals. It's all very intelligently layered and being self-produced she really knows what works well with her sound and knows how to get it. It all sounds like something you'd hear if you fell asleep due to sunstroke at a music festival in one of the less populated band tents and realised what you were hearing is in your head.

Shuffle Wednesday

Hannah fury- Untitled

Only a minute long, I assume it's either the first or last track... or one of the ones in the middle of her album... charmingly named "through the gash". It beings off ambient before













Red Hot Chili Peppers- Lovin and touchin

38 seconds. This is all beginning to get very brief. This track from freaky styley has AK saying sentences that sound like lovin and touchin, for example kissing and hugging, fondling and moaning... you get the idea.













Air France- Collapsing at your doorstep

I think I've already posted this track on here but not written about it. It's heavenly. It has a repeated sound clip, possibly from a movie, "sorta like a dream" "no... better" and with the dreamy instrumental and strings and "tomorrow's at your door" from the Sarah Cracknall part of Swedish band AF, who describe themselves as "beach foam pop" it's all pretty spectacular and blissful. Sorta like a dream. No. Better.














Boat- (I'm a) Donkey for you love

I got this track from a "best of 2007" compilation on some random blog, since then boat which I think they are called now rather than B.O.A.T have become quite well respected. This track starts off with John Lennon's "I told you about strawberry fields" from glass onion and I'm like... Yeah if we all put beatles lyrics in our songs, result but also a bit lazy as that made me like this song instantly, it's like loving someone just for the way they look. The rest of the track is all over the place, samples, the lyrics are stacatto and a lot of ba ba bas... in other words catchy as fuck.













Bright Eyes- the difference in the shadows

"Now that it's june, we'll sleep out in the garden. And if it rains, we'll just sink into the mud" As ever I needn't write anything except his lyrics because he lets them speak for themselves. Conor starts of quiet here, accompanied only by an acoustic guitar before the drums kick in along with mike mogis' country slide thing. It gets more intense half way through before getting really intense but with beautiful words. Pretty much everything you'd expect from the nebraskian, particularly on letting of the happiness as this is.












Nirvana- Something in the way (MTV Unplugged Live)

The legendary MTV live session, every track haunting as ever, it's all so sparse; the guitars, the drums but the vocals resound like your favourite ghost. There's not much I can say about Nirvana that hasn't been. Great track, great session, great band. Obviously download this and the rest of the album if you haven't heard it and if you don't have much nirvana go get all their stuff!






















The Long Blondes- Once and never again (Singles version)

I loved this when I was younger before I played it to death, I just loved the rhythmic percussion in it. That's the version on "someone to drive you home" this version is live, infinately rawer. I really dig the long blondes, click on their name down the bottom to see my post on them.

Every now and then...

I find something that I think's awesome but obviousl;y doesn't fit on this blog but still want it on here so hide it in the deep dark recesses of past months so someone might accidentally stumble on it and be like wtf...

So some guy cleaning his teeth at the chelsea man u game yesterday :D



*Sparkle Sparkle!!*

Dot to Dot festival (Bristol) 23.5.09

The Dot to Dot Festival is a one day festival in bristol and the next day in nottingham featuring around 50 artists and bands in 5 venues over the area. It's like camden crawl but without the expensive tickets, queues and pretentiousness.

I know usually I'd say what I was doing and stuff leading up to this but this is going to be an epic review so open your minds to new music and- bam...

2pm. Official Secrets Act @ The fleece

You get your wristband, map, line-up etc about an hour before it kicks off so you have time to make an educated decision on where to go first. I chose the official secrets act for I had blogged about them a week prior and had good things to say. This has been slightly tarnished now for they apparently cancelled! When I found this out I had about 10 minutes to get to...

2.15pm. "Special Guests" @ Louisana

So I run 2 miles to the louisana to see the special guest. From experience this is either someone awesome opening up the festival (it's the only special guest the entire weekend) or someone they've just bunged on at the last minute.

Well let me tell you I was sweating balls by the time I got there, drunk after drinks with my bro earlier and hot... not in a co-ed spring break way but an uncomfortable self-conciousness leading to more sweating kinda way.

There was a bit of a buzz about this carpeted, curtained, well decorated, could be a living room venue so I was hoping for the best. Turns out to be one guy from a band called "farthing wood" just him and a guitar oh, and a guy on the glockenspiel. I can't say anything too bad about the performance which is a plus but after listening to the band on last.fm I can say this guys way better on his own.

Towards the end people started to filter upstairs, I figured this was to see...

3.15. Marina and the diamonds. Louisana

I was looking forward to seeing her cos she's amazing, unfortunately it wasn't to be. Another cancellation. i didn't stick around to see the replacements because there was a huge up and comer back at the fleece...

3.20. Gran Ronde @ The fleece

So once more I RAN back to the fleece. To hear a californian band I compared to the early works of the killers in time for the lead off single from their new album. Absolutely immense. Around 100 people, all digging the hell out of it. They turned that this rustic, sunday night venue into a proper venue. What a killer sound though. After seeing them I can only heighten their reccomendation.

3.40. Flashguns @ Thekla

The thekla is a unique venue. In that it's a boat. Yeah. So I headed to see whatever band was on there as there wasn't anything I was planning on seeing there later. This was in the bar part of the thekla, a smaller room that later on that evening would be the setting for the most memorable performance i've seen in recent times. The place was packed, the band were mental, I didn't stick it out.

4.30pm. Rogues @ The Academy2

The Rogues were reccomended to me by a guy outside of the first venue so I headed back to the academy that I first visited in 2005 to see the young knives in the upstairs room. It was a long time ago but still looked exactly the same which was nice. Also the next venue is right near it so pretty sweet deals.

I caught the end of Tommy O'Reilly (the winner of indie idol or whatevs on T4). A modest sized crowd. I only heard one song but he plays guitar like a 12 year old i.e. bass plucks, open strings, has a hard on for palm mutes. I think all his songs are about love.

The crowd upstairs slowly but resoundingly filtered in and by half way through was rather impressive. One track in particular stood out "under the red sun". Between songs they used recorded effects to add atmosphere. I can give little more desription as I was sitting down at the back, whacked.

5pm. Mumford and sons @ The academy

Fortunately the next act I was due to see was downstairs. They were brilliant. The only bad thing I could possibly say is that they are a bit country, yeah but this in the same way that the decemberists are! They PACKED the academy it was like a 9pm headline slot despite it being only being tea time o'clock. Musically and lyrically the whole place was into it, especially this one guy, damn I wish i'd videotaped him- BEAMING he was! These guys will get a whole blog to themselves very soon. Brilliant. The set closer was incredible but I had to shoot off right after see nme hyped girls...

5.35pm. Girls @ The cooler

The final venue out of them all and it's an awkward one. Narrow but with raised standing areas towards the back so even if it's packed out you can see. These guys were insane. Acid rock. Stonercore. I headed back to the academy pretty quickly...

6pm. Cage the elephant @ The academy

An actual queue here. I skipped due to being awesome/not having a bag lol.

CTE were fairly riotous from the get go. Very middle america frat party rock but yeah you know that's good times. One thing was that they reminded me of rooney to such an extent that it was hard to remember you weren't watching them. Very much a party band, enjoyed but wouldn't make a trip especially. Good atmosphere.

6.45. Mission District @ Academy2

This was the first band I hit that I knew zero about. Just a short jaunt upstairs where they were kicking off. They were nice. Definately one of those bands I secretly dig. In the style of the rocket summer and other summery emo pop bands. Definately gonna check them out.

7.30pm Patrick Wolf @ the academy

It was at this point I realised that I'd only ever heard this guy on record. Most of the time it doesn't occur to me to check out what an artist might look like but I definately realised why each of the numerous times he'd been reccomended to me none of those had been guys.

He really did blow the place up though, real control over the stage and audience. So androgynous it was confusing :p

8.30pm. The pains of being pure at heart @ the cooler

Tricky one. My feet and butthole really hurt. Plus I had no money. You know these guys have been hyped to the heavens for months now. They seemed nice, I didn't stick around too long, one of these reasons being that the cooler is an uncomfortable venue. I'll give the record another listen before I see them in oxford next week.

9.15pm. Baddies @ The thekla

Here it is. One of those reasons that all the effort is worth while and why I love live music.

I sat down in an empty thekla bar with 15 minutes to spare. I was whacked I was pretty much ready to call it a day, no one else on the roster appealed to me enough to move another inch. Sitting there flounced over the couch people started to filter in and soon enough it was a healthy attendance, I wasn't interested I just wanted to lie down on this suprisingly comfortable leather couch.

They kicked off and BAM. That was it the place was on fire, I was up, forgot my woes rocking out to such an event. The Baddies have about as much energy as a particle accelerator. Mesmerising. The front man was as unique as they come.

The greatest thing about festivals like these was seeing word spread about these guys. Calls, texts and tweets declaring a happening. Seeing people walk in and realise this was huge was fantastic.

They stormed through an action packed set, including the lead singer getting a tooth knocked out and seeking vengeance on a few members of the crowd. I stood around to indulge in the excited conversation before heading next door...

10.10pm Kid British @ The Thekla MainStage

I can't imagine a gig being any more FUN than what this group bring, such a visceral, eclectic sound with each member bringing their own personality to the furore. Rock, reggage, rap, killer times. I'm definately going to see these chaps again.

______________________________________________________

And so that was that, I headed home. The hold steady weren't due to play til after midnight so I thought it best to call it a day, working in the morning and all. It was such a drive back though, I mean i'd been rocking out 10 hours, running in between venues in searing heat. Halfway back I had to take a nap in someones driveway! Still, definately going to be a mainstay for me while i'm in england. Highly reccomended festival.

Tips for future dot2dotters- don't drink. don't bring a bag. add dot2dot on twitter to get live updates on cancellations, tips etc. Try and research vaguely where the venues are to save on shoe leather and to reserve your energy for rocking your face off. See you in 2010.

We are the bands that you'll come to love soon (2009)

A weird mix of an album. It has the beatles, modest mouse, the kinks, ash and simon & Garfunkel on one cd. Thing is if you're not into many of these bands already this is a great download...

Tracklist:

01 the monkees - i'm a believer
02 the kinks - david watts
03 the wake - here comes everybody
04 the beatles - no reply
05 jonathan caws elwitt - come in the evening
06 television personalities - sooty's disco party
07 let's wrestle - my schedule
08 le days - blood red heart
09 oh sweet music! - oh, daniel
10 sunset rubdown - idiot heart
11 the bear quartet - portrait painter
12 ash - return of white rabbit
13 modest mouse - satellite skin
14 placebo - for what it's worth
15 hockey - learn to lose
16 moofish catfish - at the club
17 she wants revenge - i don't want to fall in love
18 one - the slaughterer's girl
19 le voyage dans la lune - geoffrey ingram
20 simon & garfunkel - sound of silence

Download link:
*Removed*