Grinderman - 'Heathen Child' Video

Plants and Animals - 'The Mama Papa' Video

The Mama Papa by Plants and Animals from Secret City Records on Vimeo.

PVT - Window (formerly Pivot) video.

PVT - Window (formerly Pivot) from Warp Records on Vimeo.

Toe Fluff Exhibition Video

Gordon Reid of Middle Boop was recently involved in a group exhibition to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital. Here is a video of the show.

Moon Duo – ‘Escape’ (Woodsist)

Formed just last year in San Francisco, primarily as a side project by Wooden Shjips’ Ripley Johnson along with Sanae Yamada, the aptly titled Moon Duo have since then released a Single, EP and have now come up with another piece of Psych-Doom gold in the form of an LP simply titled ‘Escape’. With the record consisting of only 4 tracks clocking in at 28 minutes, you may be mistaken for thinking we have another Extended Play here, but with a very effective use of repetition and riffs, it certainly has a feel of a very consistent album.

Each of the four tracks consists of a continuous drumbeat which gives ‘Escape’ a Krautrock edge to your standard piece of Doom Rock. The first composition we come across is called ‘Motorcycle, I Love You’ which starts with the base of a looped drum sound and guitar backing track that continues to get layered with keyboards, heavily distorted guitar riffs and mumbling vocals that is almost completely drowned in a wall of sound and noise. It has very much an improvised feel to it yet it leaves the listener with a unique dilemma to either lie in a darkened room with the music blaring through the headphones or dance around with the speakers cranked up full volume.

The remaining 3 tracks continue with this formula of rhythm and guitar loops, but with each track varying in tempo. ‘In The Trees’ again features dreamy guitar riffs but adds a more Psychedelic and drone feel. The closer you listen the more gorgeous the track sounds, with the build-up of textures combining to create a piece of blissful noise. ‘Stumbling on 22nd St’ has a more melodic essence to the previous two tracks with Yamada’s keyboard sounding more prominent. The vocals also sound clearer and it’s not until Johnson’s singing stops when the added guitars begin to wail out of the track.

The fourth and final number is the title track. Displaying a lighter approach with the backing track, Moon Duo continues to indulge us with layer upon layer of guitars but drenched with a divine use of Tremolo. What you get with ‘Escape’ as a song AND as a full album is a successful blend of riffs, noise and an energy that is driven without a weak note in hearing. Sure, you’ll find influences of the likes of Suicide, 13th Floor Elevators, Silver Apples and Faust but Johnson and Yamada have cleverly chosen the right elements to make this record the sound extremely fitting with the Psych sound of 2010, but one that is most certainly a gem like no other.

Words: Freddy Rothman.

Free Tweak Bird Download

With their hotly anticipated, self titled début album nearly upon us, Tweak Bird are offering Boop readers a free download of the track Lights In Lines, a stand out song from a great album.

Lights In Lines

Tweak Bird is out via Souterrain Transmissions on 30th August

Nicholas Stevenson - The Aeroplane Darling (Idle Hands Records)

On Nicholas Stevenson’s debut album, ‘Dearest Monstrous’, his sound held a hearty dose of sensitivity. It was evident and apparent in the guitar pluckings and elegantly fragile voice of Mr Stevenson, who recorded the whole thing in his bedroom. Such a homemade product had a heartfelt sensibility fused to the package, as if the intimacy grafted itself onto the music. With the release of a new EP, ‘The Aeroplane Darling’, it is worth asking whether any of this intimacy will be lost with the introduction of higher production values and the lack of an initial amateur approach.

‘The Aeroplane Darling’ is a five track EP with a wonderfully illustrated cover, setting up pre-listen high hopes to the likes of people like me, who find a beautiful cover an inviting entrance to a piece of music. The placid acoustic sound is still there and the vocals still seem on the verge of breaking, even more emotionally evocative than before if possible. Opener ‘Ernest’ is a troubled Elliot Smith-like wander into trembling refrains and dejected dreams. Thankfully, we still have the same storytelling sense, steeped in feeling and profundity. Stevenson has somehow managed to retain the overall attitude from his earlier work, transferring it flawlessly, albeit with the addition of some new instruments.

Highlight ‘Cambridge’ is a remarkable re-telling of spirited, youthful memories, instantly reminiscent to anyone who has left behind a city of fond friends and heart-warming history. Stevenson croons “Oh my oldest, my dearest friends” to unseen, past pals, reiterating a strikingly solemn sensation.

Nicholas Stevenson is a singer-songwriter with both a literary talent and a musical ear for the nostalgic, calling to mind similar artists such as Conor Oberst and even Leonard Cohen. He has some way to go yet but from such early releases, he seems to be heading somewhere passionately and dramatically. With each song and artistic exhalation, he takes his stories, voice and guitar on a journey that must only improve with the extension of what makes his talent so accessible, genuine experience and an existence through a kaleidoscope of emotion and music.

Words : Adam Parker

Ten Kens - For Posterity (FatCat)

It is said that the amount of studio time that the eponymous Toronto hardcore psychedelic rock act Ten Kens spent on recording their second album was bordering on unhealthy. It was said that they had made the transitions from a magnanimous live act to living, eating and sleeping the production of their music, from dusk till dawn.

Well, it is my pleasure to announce to you that all those hours that this hard working band put into perfecting and honing their craft has not been vain. This is because their second offering ‘For Posterity’ is a fantastic continuation of form and something that is sure to delight their fans. It is also an album that draws in any new listeners to the group, such as myself, and grabs them and refuses to let them go before the last note on the albums rings out.

It is in this spirit and fervour that the album begins and we are treated to a drum solo to start the album with ‘Johnny Ventura’. You can tell Dan Workman and his band mates have been doing their homework on their psychedelic and progressive roots as you can almost be transported back to the early days of Pink Floyd as Dan lets out a Roger Waters-like wail over the thrashing guitar riff which is Ten Ken’s weapon of choice to get their musical message across to the masses. However, this is not to say that this group doesn’t have their mellow times on the record as we are treated to a break from their angst in the middle of the track. Ultimately, this track ceases in the chaotic fashion that it embellished at the start.

‘Back To Benign’ also shows the band taking on the influences of musical history as one can detect a touch of ‘Echo and The Bunnymen’ both in the rhythm and vocal sound. That is a key part of what makes this band so unique. There are no clear lyrics to be heard per say, as they are deep in mix and enshrouded by reverb, but the tones of the vocals is what carries each song.

Without doubt one of the rawest songs on the album is ‘Insignificant Other’. Their limits seem boundless and the band is left to flex their talent to their liking. This freedom is continued in the title track ‘For Posterity’ as both Punk melody and vocals are added to the cauldron to add to the bands relentless impact on the listener.

‘Screaming Viking’ is short and sweet but one of the best on the album. The whole track feels like a war cry and this is emanated from each instrument and voice and surmounts to two and half minutes of pure energy that is very rarely seen these days.

In ‘Summer Camp’, the bass guitar gets thrust centre stage and the vocals get brought out of their dream-like state to the forefront. This ambience is continued on to ‘Grassmaster’ where the music builds up slowly to a crescendo that sounds like many strings were shredded in angst.

In ‘Style Wars’, the longest track on the album, we are treated to a song that is very reminiscent of Oasis but the melody works more on chaos theory than any set structure. This is a track where you can see that the band must whip their followers into a riotous throng when they ply their art live on stage. ‘Hard Sell’ and ‘Welfare Green’ bolster the album with two more powerhouse songs, however the latter displays a slightly more melodious and softer edge that carries on to the end of record.

In my opinion, ‘Yellow Peril’ can definitely be considered one of the best on ‘For Posterity’. It is a tune that works very well in the studio and will certainly be a crowd-pleaser when they tour. It proves that there is more to Ten Kens than punchy riffs, however there is still a touch of this fury at the end. The album ends with the fitting ‘Can Not Be Dark’ and leaves you with the nice feeling that at least there is a band out there that cares about their music that they are willing to sacrifice a lot for in.

Ten Kens may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but you can be rest assured that they will put their heart and soul into every endeavour that they accomplish and will not leave you unhappy.

Words : Barclay Quarton

BORIS and Ian Astbury - BXI (Southern Lord)

An adventurous move from Japanese rockers Boris and legendary Cult front-man Ian Astbury. Their alliance has created a finely-crafted four-song mini release, simply entitled ‘BXI’. Crossing the bridge between the post punk pseudo-mystical sounds of the Cult to the more ambient sometimes unclassifiable doom rock genre of Boris.
As the record unfolds it seems like this collaborative effort have been writing together for years, it feels so natural. This is exactly what the live music industry needs, more of an injection of - two artists with a vast discography to boast about from different parts of town rock ‘n’ roll. Releasing this EP is a perfect break-away infusion of distinctions creating the illusion that they must have all played together in a former life.

‘Teeth and Claws’ is a gritty opening track as Astbury’s vocals are on top form here with a real sing along style chorus, as the mind bending guitar notes and distorted palm muted fuzz thrash out a fast paced hard rock composition. With what seems to be a Japanese child talking at the end of the song; my translation skills have now escaped me!

‘We are Witches’ possesses a heavy guitar intro, homogeneous to a Cult B side with strong, melodic vocal harmonies, a wandering guitar solo with a pounding drum beats echoing throughout the epic finale.

Track number 3 is the cover of the Cult song ‘Rain’ with Wata opting to sing lead vocals. Although her vocals would not be considered as powerful as Astbury’s it works as more of a harmonious version, with the middle 8 breaking into a cracking ‘Boris style’ solo welcoming back previous guitar player Michio Kurihara into the band.

Final track of the EP is ‘Magickal Child,’ a stark contrast between the ambient drifting fuzz guitar work and Astbury's soaring vocals, the tremendous drums kick in and the bass so deep it's shaking the light fixtures. This is the atmospheric doom sound Boris must be so proud of. The hall like reverberation effect on Astbury’s vocal take nothing away from his clear diction and well pronounced lyrics.
There’s some special work put into ‘BXI’, a fine effort, hard working and bridging a hard rock gap creating something bold and brave. All parties enjoyed the session so much so that they hope to continue their work together on a forthcoming tour, so watch this space.

Words : Joe Head

Lower Dens - Twin-Hand Movement (Gnomonsong)

‘Twin-Hand Movement’ is an amorphous album; at once exciting yet serene, precise yet loose. All in all it’s a hypnotic affair that lures you in with its gloomy, bass-heavy swagger and leads you around for the next 40 minutes through dark caverns of darkly psychedelic and uneasily calming rock. It’s easy to get lost, several of the songs are purely instrumental and the simplistic drumming can lull you into a daze whilst the guitars snake around you rapturously.

When singer Jana Hunter is present she guides the way, though oh so faintly, melding her voice into the music. The most accessible and catchy song on here is “Tea Lights” whose chorus promises a candle lit scene, but what the light falls on could be anything from a romantic dinner between two lovers or an act of devil worship from darkly veiled subjects. What this song will conjure up for you is purely down to where you let your mind wander as you listen, and it could be something completely different each time. This is true of the majority of the album, and you will find that you enjoy this album the most if you listen without any distractions, letting yourself be immersed. If you don’t do this, and allow it to just be background music whilst you perform something else you will undoubtedly come to find the album monotonous by the second half, having not been wise to the subtleties that make each song stand out and this album as a whole a pleasure to listen to.

There are plenty of influences that can be pinpointed throughout the album from the dark, relaxing tones that smack of ‘And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out’-era Yo La Tengo to the more frenetic, vivid ones that could be linked one of several psychedelic bands of decades past. Combined together though this album has a voice of its own, a dark beauty like a black flower that’s yearning to be discovered by anyone daring to give it a listen.

Words : Rob Hakimian

ATP Release the Bats line up change

After last weeks exciting Release the Bats line-up announcement, unfortunately ATP have had to release this statement in regards to alterations.

http://www.atpfestival.com/newsview/1008091248.php

No doubt they will find an equally amazing replacement in due course.

Download Two new Darker My Love songs here

To mark the release of their new album Alive As You Are, Darker My Love are offering two free tracks to download here.

Split Minute

Split Minute by Dangerbird Records

Dear Author

Dear Author by Dangerbird Records

To download these tracks go here
and here

Women - Free download here

In the build up to amazing Canadian band Women's second album Public Strain Middle Boop is offering a free download as a mere taster of what a fantastic follow up this will be to 2008's self titled effort.

Eyesore

Royksopp unveil Teaser Trailer for Film 'Adventures in Barbieland‬'

Here is a 60 second preview of Royksopp's new film which will be premièring in full this Friday (6th) on the Guardians website.

The film features music from their new album 'Senior' out 13 September.

Philadelphia Grand Jury - Free download of track 'The New Neil Young

After recently signing to Mumford and Sons 'Communion Records' label, Philadelphia Grand Jury have offered an exclusive free track to download here.

The New Neil Young

The group will also be extensively touring throughout the next few months

WED 11TH AUG – Geek Out @ Proud Camden, London
MON 16TH AUG - Kasbah, Coventry
WED 18TH AUG – Forum, Sheffield
THURS 19TH AUG – King Tuts, Glasgow
FRI 20TH AUG – Duke’s Corner, Dundee
SAT 21ST AUG – Jager Room, Stornoway
SUN 22ND AUG – Hootananny, Inverness
MON 23RD AUG – Stereo, York
WED 25TH AUG – Red Room, Nottingham
THURS 26TH AUG – Moles, Bath
FRI 27TH AUG – Wig & Pen, Truro
SAT 28TH AUG – The Flapper, Birmingham
THURS 2ND SEPT – Forum, Tunbridge Wells
FRI 3RD SEPT – Timepiece, Exeter
SAT 4TH SEPT – Unit, Southampton
WED 8TH SEPT – Prince Albert, Brighton
THURS 9TH SEPT – Boiler Room, Guilford
FRI 10TH SEPT – Lexington, London
SAT 11TH SEPT – The Vaults, Derby
SUN 12TH SEPT – Academy 2, Newcastle
MON 13TH SEPT – Sugamill, Stoke
MON 20TH SEPT – Start the Bus, Bristol
TUES 21ST SEPT – Academy 3, Leicester
THURS 23RD SEPT – Plugged In, Sunderland
FRI 24TH SEPT – Stanley Theatre, Liverpool
SAT 25TH SEPT – Jericho Tavern, Oxford
WED 29TH SEPT – Moles, Bath
THURS 30TH SEPT – The Cellars, Portsmouth
FRI 1ST OCT – Night & Day, Manchester
SAT 2ND OCT – Empire, Middlesborough
SUN 3RD OCT – Plug, Sheffield
THURS 7TH OCT – Cockpit, Leeds

Boredoms - 77 Boa Drum DVD

77 BOA DRUM trailer from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.

Here is the trailer for the Boredoms amazing 77 Drum spectacular.

Rock Action Confirms New releases from Afrirampo and envy

Two of the noisiest bands to come out of Japan over the last few years have both announced new albums via Rock Action in September.


First up is noise rock girl duo Afrirampo, who will be releasing WE ARE UCHU NO KO on the 13th as a double disc.


Next up is Envy who were the final band on the bill at the Explosions in the Sky curated ATP a few years ago and totally took the stage by storm with their brand of post rock influenced metal. Expect new album RECITATION out on the 20th

Middle Boop Radar : Imbogodom, new video and free MP3 here

Imbogodom - "Unseen Ticket" from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.

Imbogodom, a super group of sorts made up of Atp's Alexander Tucker and mutual friend Daniel Beban create strangely ambient sound montages made up of tape loops from old machinery found when Beban was working nights at BBC's Bush House, Dictaphones, voices and some crazy instruments.

Imbogodom's The Metallic Year is out on August the 23rd via Thrill Jockey

Have a listen at two very creative and extraordinary minds at work.

Unseen Ticket

Philip Selway announces Bush Hall show and September Tour

With his Debut album well on the way to being out via Bella Union,
Philip Selway has announced a string of dates over September.

Saturday 4 September – IRELAND – Electric Picnic
Saturday 11 September – ISLE OF WIGHT – Bestival
Sunday 12 September – LARMER TREE GARDENS - End Of The Road Festival
Monday 13 September – LONDON – Bush Hall (£11 – headline show)
Tuesday 14 September – LONDON – Royal Festival Hall (with Wilco)
Wednesday 15 September – NEWCASTLE – Academy (with Wilco)
Thursday 16 September – GLASGOW – Barrowland (with Wilco)

Download By Some Miracle from his site.

Neon Indian announce UK tour and New Single

Neon Indian have announced detailed of live dates later this month and September in the UK along with some other shows in Europe:

Neon Indian Tour Dates:

19/08- Audio - Brighton
21/08- Green Man Festival
22/08- The Shipping Forecast - Liverpool
24/08- Brudenell Social Club - Leeds
27/08- Vega - Denmark Copenhagen w/Hot Chip
28/08- Popaganda Festival - Stockholm, Sweden
01/09- Central Station - Wrexham
02/09- Cargo - London
03/09- Start the Bus - Bristol
04/09- Deaf Institute - Manchester
05/09- Electric Picnic - Ireland
07/09- The Harley - Sheffield
10/09- Bestival - Isle Of Wight
11/09- Berlin Festival - Berlin, Germany
15/09- Trouw - Amsterdam, Netherlands

In addition, the Texas based Chillwavsters will release new single and a standout track of the soon to be re-released 'Psychic Chasms' in the form of 'Deadbeat Summer', out on September 27th. Remixes come from Toro Y Moi and Le Tigre, whilst the LP due for re-release a week earlier on September 20th. It will also be accompanied by bonus tracks comprising a wealth of unreleased remixes including contributions from Javelin and Yacht entitled ‘Mind Ctrl: Psychic Chasms Possessed’.

FR

Field Day, Victoria Park, London 31st July 2010

Okay, so I’ll be the first to admit that, along with a sizeable proportion of previous attendees, my expectations were less than sky high for the fourth edition of Field Day. The first year was something of an organisational fiasco, with dodgy sound and overcrowding further dogged by a laughably small number of both toilets and bar staff – surely two of the most essential commodities for a baking hot day festival. That the problems of the last two years have been largely due to circumstances beyond the organisers’ control – namely the sky’s unfortunate tendency to open without warning just as things are getting interesting – perhaps justifies the ‘act of God’ as a form of heavenly revenge for such a poor start. Still, the fact that every year I find myself walking through terrifyingly heavy security at the entrance to Victoria Park must be evidence of something; either I’m just a sucker for punishment, or my faith in their consistently impressive bookings was duty bound to pay off eventually.

Thankfully for all concerned, this year’s event proves to fit largely into the latter category – the first Field Day that actually lives up to the expectations drummed up by its pretty interesting roster. Admittedly, signs aren’t initially promising. As our train pulls into Hackney Wick station, its arrival is met by a thick front of ominous cloud and what feels distinctly like the humid calm before an almighty thunderstorm; the patter of light drizzle as we wander through the site’s entrance hardly does much to quell concerns. Initial worries aside, the promised explosion fails to materialise, instead disintegrating to leave a sunblushed early afternoon crowd for Flower-Corsano Duo. Live, Chris Corsano’s drumming is a thing of unabashed wonder; as much as anything else it’s difficult to understand quite how he manages to wring such a vibrant array of timbres from what is ostensibly a fairly simple kit. The key lies in his versatility – one moment he’s teasing out a diffuse spray of metallic clicks and lulling cymbal wash, the next he’s slipped seamlessly into a stumbling funk beat, all jazzy fills and muted snare stutter. Tangled up with Mike Flower’s rich drones, the effect is energising despite the heat, and half an hour swiftly vanishes.

From one duo to another: Mount Kimbie have become something of a buzz-band over the last few months, off the back of an escalating wave of media love for the dreamy moodiness of their early EPs. Slightly strange, perhaps, given that the Maybes EP was released at the start of 2009, but a deserved side effect of the growing love for all things Hotflush [Scuba, Joy Orbison, et cetera]. There has been a tendency – largely because of their label and closest contemporaries – to lump them in alongside the dubstep masses, but if the cool, windswept landscapes of Crooks & Lovers weren’t enough to convince people otherwise, today’s show certainly is. Set in packed Bloggers’ Delight tent, Kai Campos and Dom Maker wring out a wholly immersive half-hour of aquatic loops and quietly rumbling ambience that recalls the hypnagogic drones of James Ferraro as much as it does, say, Scuba. Both are clearly still finding their feet in the live arena, and the whole affair has an endearingly shambolic feel, but any technical blips are easily outshone by inventive reworkings of their sketchy recorded output. ‘Carbonated’ and ‘Field’ are particularly lovely, and a dewy version of ‘Maybes’ downplays the original’s overt sentiments for something a little more opaque. And judging by general reactions, it won’t be long before the duo are hitting far larger stages than this.

The heat hits the crowd as we leave Bloggers’ Delight, and its midday shimmer is too much to take, so the goth-tinted spaces of Esben & The Witch provide welcome respite. They’ve really developed as a live band in the last year, and closer ‘Eumenides’ is formidable, torn in two by a breakdown that sees all three members gather round a floor drum. Later on in the evening, Moderat’s slightly stadium-ish take on techno proves an impressive spectacle but curiously unengaging, as though the transition to a tent the sheer size of Bugged Out has sapped them of the sweaty energy Modeselektor usually bring to their sets.

Which leaves the day to be thoroughly stolen by a pair of heartstopping mid-afternoon performances from occasional collaborators DaM-FunK and Hudson Mohawke. Resplendent with keytar and red-rimmed sunglasses, DaM-Funk is a consummate showman, strutting like a peacock across the stage while the musicians behind him churn out swirling layers of deeply psychedelic electro-funk. Despite the almost unbearable crush of bodies simultaneously attempting to force themselves into the Bloggers’ Delight stage (again, a larger tent would be a blessing next year), it’s both mentally and physically compelling, and his set feels almost painfully short. The same is true of Glasgow’s prodigious son HudMo – even down to the surges of people shifting back and forth in front of him. His debut album Butter was very the definition of a grower, and it appears his fanbase has increased at the same rate: the scattergun funk of ‘Zooo0000ooM’ sends shockwaves through the tent, and the closing salvo of ‘FUSE’ and his anthemic remix of Tweet’s ‘Oops (Oh My)’ is easily the peak of a festival surprisingly short on dull moments. A triumph then, finally.

Words : Rory Gibb

Eno to sign for Warp?

One of the most significant figures in Avant-Garde and Electronic music, Brian Eno has been reported by one of the most important record labels in Electronic music, Warp Records on their Twitter page to be "coming soon on Warp Records – http://brian-eno.net/”.

Could he be releasing his own material on the label? Or could he be collaborating with a Warp artist? Aphex Twin? Battles? Broadcast, perhaps? Lets just say this could be interesting to say the least.

Wavves - King Of The Beach (Bella Union)

Since unexpectedly acquiring a Sunday ticket for the Reading festival, I’ve been unashamedly predisposed to the kind of music that takes me back to simpler times when having Cheshire Cat on your Sony Discman earned you a place amongst the coolest kids in Year 10. King Of The Beach, the latest album from San Diegan lo-fi act Wavves, might not be the most obvious place to look for such playlist fodder, but I was surprised to discover a marked departure from the thirty minute headache that comprised Wavves’ sophomore effort to a sound that owes more than a casual nod to bands like Blink 182 and Green Day in their bratty juvenilia. The title track and Post Acid in particular, with their simple, energetic drums and instantly memorable refrains, revive that unapologetic pop-punk sensibility and restored my faith in the impact of four well-chosen power chords. Who knew that behind all the scuzzy posturing of Wavves’ previous releases beat the heart of a pop songwriter with a knack for a really catchy chorus? Maybe it’s the refined production but King Of The Beach reveals potential within Nathan Williams’ insolent drawl and unexpected new directions for the band that the likes of So Bored would never have let on about. It’s no masterpiece, but from the psychedelic sixties wails on slowies like Linus Spacehead and When Will You Come to the controlled melody and sneering vocals on Convertible Balloon, King Of The Beach contains impressive diversity.

Wavves’ shoe-shower at the Primavera Sound Festival last year has become something of an internet fable, and the incident could perhaps account for the Williams’ lyrically-documented self-loathing that seems to pervade the album. On Take On The World, he’s succinct: “I hate myself, man”; later, on Green Eyes, he elaborates, cataloguing how he’s “a fool,” “an idiot”, and describing how, “my own friends, they hate my guts.” By the end of the album, the sentiment gets rather annoying. Perhaps it’s because, much less than the product of a year of tortured soul-searching, the lyrics are delivered with that unmistakable arrogance that got him into all that trouble in the first place. What’s with the weird cat pictures, too, on the cover of both his and girlfriend’s band Best Coast’s albums? It all feels like some kind of ironic private joke that I’m not cool enough to understand. To summarise: King Of The Beach encapsulates all the highs and lows of high-school emotion. Williams’ most accessible work to date, the album will undoubtedly yield much more mainstream success.

Words : Tegan Rogers

Mantler - Monody (Tomlab)

Mantler is the musical alter-ego of Chris A.Cummings, a Canadian who enjoys playing with genre, taking his unique efforts on a joyride through the realms of electronica, R&B and funk. ‘Monody’ is his fourth record, an attempt at dense, lush pop arrangements that transcend time and stereotype and eventually settle in the deep, dark artistic recess of your conscience. In poetry, a monody is a lament over another’s death, a sad and lonely description of a record. In music terminology, a monody is a single melodic line; not quite an appetising depiction of an album either. Cummings has stated that the record title is meant to be a mixture of these two meanings, a sad, singular melodical journey, though amidst the melancholy there is something gorgeous

A velvety vocal velour coats the whole record in a big warm hug, allowing the listener to sink into the sofa whilst ‘Monody’ plays out. At times, he reminds me of a modern Todd Rundgren, master of 1970s low key pop that slots into a soundtrack to evoke a certain sentiment so swiftly and effortlessly. ‘Childman’, for example, sails by on a cushion of synth and faux horn, ending on a wonderfully unruffled winding down of instrumentation. Everything here is modern easy listening, which is either a positive or a negative, depending on your viewpoint on easy listening. Personally, I love a good dose of relaxation in my music every now and again; something soulful to soak into the pores.

Delicacy is a key word in the piano that sprinkles itself throughout the record, acting as a sonically supple backbone to the array of percussion (a charming assortment of shaking is prevalent on a selection of tracks), vocal layers and electronica that come and go throughout the record. This is the kind of music that makes me feel modern pop is simply lacking, throwing up overproduced beats, wholly derivative and digitised melodies and heartless vocals, lyrics and presentation.

Once in a while, Mantler pushes the boat out in terms of funk and beat, knocking it up a notch to grind out something with a little more hip swinging capability. ‘Fresh and Fair’ begins with a generous heap of glitchy glimmers which quickly delve into a slow burning, head bopping tune. ‘In Stride’, the penultimate track, stands out as an embodiment of such frosted funk (I claim copyright on this new genre name), from the casual ambiance through to the aloof and airy percussive tapping underlining the song.

It is difficult to call this whole thing sexy because of the clinical atmosphere it generates and the awkward indie fumbling that stumbles through the lyrics, vocals and long, meandering electronic rambles. Nonetheless, it comes off, eventually, as an off cut of some highly sexualized 1970s experiment from a Prince backing singer. And it just about has that lusty, laid-back nonchalance that ensures an extended stay on any jukebox, especially when you are bringing that cute girl from the club back to yours for a glass of red wine and a spot of smooth seventies seduction (rotating bed optional).

Words : Adam Parker

DJ Fresh - Kryptonite (Breakbeat Kaos)

The last few years have seen drum ‘n’ bass in a strange state, largely neutered of its restlessly experimental, pioneering bent that saw the genre’s early practitioners consistently pushing the boundaries of UK-centric dance music. So many producers seem content to mine the same furrows, the same beats, similar themes, leaving a huge proportion of releases simply treading water, rather than making their predecessors’ efforts to innovate. There are, of course, exceptions – the Autonomic duo of Instra:mental and dBridge, along with several of their close contemporaries, are stripping drum ‘n’ bass back to its barest essentials. The result does for the genre what dubstep did the garage, stripping away its excesses to leave a shell of melody and rhythm upon which to build.

The problem, then, with listening to a great proportion of contemporary drum ‘n’ bass straight after spending some time with the Autonomic crew, is that it’s hard not to desire a little more subtlety. In some ways that might sound like a challenge, but the best music to have come out of the post-jungle axis has always thrived on experimentation and musicality. So listening to DJ Fresh’s latest is a real mixed bag; when he tones down the obvious, by shifting the beat away from your typical steppers’ rhythm, or peels away the acerbic electro synths that pepper the album, Kryptonite reveals more of itself. Then again, Fresh’s vision has always been aimed squarely at an open dancefloor, so it’s hard to criticize something for being as successful in its function as it clearly is. Still, the finest moments come at unexpected points – the title track rides off a lean, bumpy rhythm that makes the most of drum ‘n’ bass’ ability to force strange movement out of dancers, and aquatic tryst towards dubstep tempo ‘Chacruna’ drifts along in a hallucinogenic haze. Reasonable evidence, then, to suggest that cutting loose from what simply ‘works’ often yields far more interesting and exciting results.

Words : Rory Gibb

Skream Freeizms Vol. 1, 2 and 3

I’m not entirely sure how it’s happened so subtly, but at some point over the last couple of years Ollie ‘Skream’ Jones has found himself occupying the unlikely position of bona fide superstar. It’s been largely alongside his partner-in-crime and regular co-DJ Benga, but Jones has always been the more prolific, and it’s hard not to suspect that the duo’s fame is largely down to his success as remixer and producer. If you were to pinpoint a single factor most responsible for his current boom in popularity, it’d almost certainly be his ubiquitous remix of La Roux’s ‘In For The Kill’ – a neatly pieced together track, for sure, but for anyone who hadn’t been paying attention to him beforehand it’d have been surprisingly easy to miss just how crucial he’d been in dubstep’s development. Neither the La Roux remix, nor the majority of the razor-edged, aggressive and one-dimensional club fodder he regularly throws out there, can even begin to match some of his earlier music for sheer weight of innovation and emotional investment.

So it seems appropriate to spend a little time looking backward, at a point where it seems that Skream’s music is finally likely to hit the big time – his group Magnetic Man have a much-hyped record on the way, and his second full-length Outside The Box is a pop-tinted creature that will almost certainly make an impression on the record buying public. And in typical generous form, the three Freeizm zip compilations he’s given away provide an ideal opportunity, purging some of the hundreds of unreleased tracks that make up his sizeable back catalogue – some of which reach as far back as the earliest days of FWD and DMZ. Their release now serves a double purpose, and for anyone even remotely interested in electronic music – or even in the kind of material Skream’s releasing now – they’re well worth the five minutes’ download time.

Firstly, they’re evidence of just how precociously brilliant much of his early music was, ripping the hedonism and populism out of UK garage to leave a gritty inversion of London’s clubland – all darkened alleyways, council blocks and lonely journeys, sketched out in shattered snares and cocoons of amniotic sub-bass. At the time it was a deliciously alien headtrip into a different and entirely more real evocation of the world around it. And along with music from Kode9, Digital Mystikz, Loefah and the Skull Disco crew, it was fully immersive and involving, sub-bass acting as a tar that both bound listeners to one another and held them at just beyond touching distance. Of the three Freeizms, Volume 2 is the most brutally compelling, gathering together tracks from this period, each of which simmers with barely contained tension that seeps from headphones or speakers. ‘Dark Light’ is stripped-back to the point of non-existence; like Loefah’s ‘Horror Show’ it speaks as much through what’s not present as what little is – percussion that clacks like insectoid mandibles, and crawling subs. The pacier, skipping beats of ‘Arola’ and ‘Sine-Us’ are both spectacular, and his remix of Loefah’s ‘Indian Dub’ is lost dub many fans have been awaiting for a long time – with good reason.

The second – perhaps inadvertent – purpose these releases serve is to highlight the links between the sort of music Jones used to make and his current output. The first and third volumes are a little more mixed, split between largely dull, robotic rave beasts – ‘Pitfall’, ‘Meta-lick’, ‘Metal Mouth’ – and more considered tracks – the alternate take of his Geiom ‘Reminissin’ remix is even better than the original. Both ‘Rollin’ and ‘Minimool’ once again adhere to a sparse template that oozes foreboding and a curious sense of sadness, tying the best of his work to that of someone like Digital Mystikz’s Mala. And therein lies the rub: as much as anything else, the sheer variety of material on display here, along with his seemingly endless productivity, makes sense in the context of his current projects. Skream has always been a shapeshifter, comfortable in any mode he cares to work within, and it’s impossible to begrudge him the pop-oriented direction he’s currently moving in when he’s been, and often still is, responsible for so much shockingly innovative music.

Words : Rory Gibb

Links:

Freeizm Vol. 1:

Freeizm Vol. 2:

Freeizm Vol. 3:

School of Seven Bells – The Scala, London. 20/7/2010

After much exciting press covering this month’s release of ‘Disconnect From Desire’ is the eagerly anticipated follow up to debut LP ‘Alphanisms’. Dream Pop Darlings School of Seven Bells have finally given their London fans a show in the capitol to show their appreciation... Unless of course you were lucky enough to be at their tiny Pure Groove event at The Drop venue just 12 days earlier, which I will draw on comparisons later.

So, 9.30pm and the capacity Scala crowd were treated to the concert they had been waiting for. School of Seven Bells calmly entered the stage and instantly reminded their fans of why they fell in love with the trio in the first place, with a favourite from Alphanisms, in the form of ‘Half Asleep’ before entertaining us with tracks from the just released ‘Disconnect From Desire’. Debut single from the new record, ‘Windstorm’ proceeded things whilst they carried on the set with gorgeous adaptations of the likes of ‘Camarilla’, ‘Babelonia’, ‘Bye Bye Bye’ and my personal highlight ‘ILU’. After ending the hour long set with ‘My Cabal’ they were persuaded by the crowd to come back on for an encore, which was the 11 minute ‘Alphanisms number ‘Sempiternal/Amaranth’.



Both the Deheza twins, Alejandra and Claudia, as well as Benjamin Curtis and the talented un-credited stage drummer, crafted the stage with such elegance and grace that there was no need for such an eccentric stage performance, letting their clear Shoegaze Pop sound do all the talking.

Sound wise, the venue made it seem slightly quieter compared to the more intimate Drop show just a few days earlier, with that performance creating a more noisy drowned out effect, where as tonight Alejandra’s sweet vocals were made to sound much clearer. Call it what you will. School of Seven Bells manage to create the fusion of Lo-Fi noise and pure Pop music without it sounding like a mess. A performance of beauty, both to the eye and to the ear that lets the audience just stand there in awe.

Words: Freddy Rothman

Best Coast - Crazy For You (Wichita)

Stark, dark and clad in attitude, Best Coast are a musical tour-de-force of US West Coasters with the sort of style and emotion that makes me long for a non-existent 1950s grunge movement. Consisting of (the beautiful) Bethany Cosentino and (the super-hero like) Bobb Bruno, they sound like the kind of band you could hang around with all day, every day, on sunny, hazy summer shifts of sheer good fortune and good times. The strength lies in the musical emotional one-two punch of goodwill and sun-drenched joy that carries itself over track-to-track, paired with relatively simple yet sweet lyrical structures.

Whilst the lyrical content may be reasonably undemanding in terms of cerebral understanding, they contain something very important that is often missing from the vast glut of songs on love and youth, specifically heart and honesty. Bethany Cosentino oozes sincerity, via lyrics on the likes of ‘The End’ where she purrs ‘Why do we have to make this hard when it doesn’t have to be’, evoking a million heartbreaks the world over in one fell swoop. She later croons “There’s something about the summer” on ‘Summer Mood’ and there truly is when the words drip from the mouth and mind of Cosentino. Everything here is just so potent in its purity.

Somehow, somewhere around the middle of the record, it begins to feel like one big extended jam session between your best friends in some dank yet homely garage, where you sit atop a dusty couch taking hits from the cat shaped bong sitting before you, as the clock melts away and you fall in love with life (I think I might just crave this kind of lifestyle now).

It all sounds like someone has come along and given the Wall of Sound, Phil Spector’s innovative and mindblowing production technique, a kick into the 21st century via weed, Los Angeles and a smidgen more scuzz. The emotive core and heart of much of Spector’s girl group content remains, in the tales of heartbreak, love and lust, albeit with a modern re-telling. ‘Boyfriend’, the wondrous opening track, should have been an uncovered 60s 7” discovered under layers of madness in the locked basement of Spector’s mansion, crafted by some great, lost, droning girl group. The record clocks in at around half an hour with no single song breaking the hallowed three minute barrier, keeping the chilled vibe of surfer pop and carefully contained carelessness in check.

The muffled sonic effect is very much in vogue for the 2010 summer season but Best Coast tops the pile of hazy, lazy pop rock (even stealing the drummer from Vivian Girls, a rival and strong contender for the lo-fi-fuzz crown). The effortless sensation that sweeps through the record like a stoned hurricane soaks up such an atmosphere, it becomes nigh impossible to not enjoy this stuff.

Ever since the Beach Boys, a strange mythology has developed regarding the coastline to the West of the US of A. Beach parties, surfing, pointless days spent lying on golden sands and a laid back attitude impossible anywhere else in the world. This is enclosed within the contents of Crazy For You, even if the stereotype gets a kick up the proverbial backside thanks to weed, guitar fuzz and the modern sexual outlook. At the end of 13 short, sharp, modern pop songs, she certainly does make a bloody good case for a quick and impulsive move to Los Angeles. Give it a listen and I’m off to check one-way airline prices for the golden coast…

Words : Adam Parker

Mogwai Announce huge UK Dates

We at Middle Boop are very excited to announce that Mogwai will be back next year with some tour dates in February in support of the new material that they are just about to step in to the studio and record with Paul Savage.

February
17.02.11 Bournemouth O2 Academy
18.02.11 Cardiff University
19.02.11 Bristol O2 Academy
20.02.11 Leeds O2 Academy
21.02.11 Edinburgh Picture House
23.02.11 The Regal, Oxford
24.02.11 Birmingham Institute
25.02.11 Brixton O2 Academy
26.02.11 Manchester Academy
27.02.11 The Sage Gateshead

Also, if you haven't already, don't forget to check out their film Special Moves. It's fantastic.

Coil Sea offer free download here

Coil Sea are certainly a band you will be hearing more from on this site over the coming months in the build up to their fantastic new self titled album. Combining dark, brooding melodies not too dissimilar to bands such as Om these guys really are worth checking out.

Lattice of AUM

Mount Kimbie Announce UK Tour

After a string of great reviews due to their superb début album, Mount Kimbie will be playing a series of fairly low key shows in October.

October UK Tour

Tue 5 Oct 2010 - Jam, Brighton

Wed 6 Oct 2010 - Hare and Hounds, Birmingham

Thu 7 Oct 2010 - Cockpit, Leeds

Fri 8 Oct 2010 - Bungalows and Bears, Sheffield

Sat 9 Oct - Stealth, Nottingham

Tue 12 Oct - Róisín Dubh, Galway

Wed 13 Oct - Academy 2, Dublin

Thu 14 Oct - In the City @ Blood on the Wall, Manchester

Thu 28 Oct - Abandon Silence @ The Shipping Forecast Club, Liverpool

Fri 29 Oct - Heavyweight, Newcastle

Sat 30 Oct - Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol

ATP Release The Bats 2010 Lineup Announced

After a year out, Atp's Release The Bats concert is back with a bang! There's no doubt in my mind that this is the strongest lineup they've supplied us with to date, featuring:

Battles
Beak>
The Field

and two of Middle Boop's finds of the year so far :

Tweak Bird
and a dj set from Baths.

You will be hearing a lot more from these two over the coming months.

Here are the details of what looks set to be a night you need to be at:

VENUE: The Forum
DATE: Saturday 30th October 2010
ADVANCED TICKET PRICE : £22 stbf
Doors : 7 - 3

Tender Trap - Dansette Dansette (Fortuna Pop)

When the cheeky, quaint and ultimately charming outfit of ‘Tender Trap’ went on an extended hiatus from music at the end of 2007, many fans of this whimsical group may have thought that this was the last we may have heard of this band. However, we all like pleasant surprises don’t we? And Tender Trap definitely gave us that when they reformed in 2009 emerging from musical wilderness as a five-piece and ready to expand upon their musical horizons.

So we find ourselves here in the middle of 2010 and the band has decided to treat us all with their third offering, “Dansette Dansette”, which is their first album since 2006, and it is more than welcome music to my ears. It seems all the things that were unique about this twee group have not been forgotten about at all. If anything, they have been enhanced tenfold by the addition of the two new band members that have joined in perfect harmony with the talents of Amelia Fletcher et al.

The album starts brightly with their distinct brand of indie pop in the form of the title track ‘Dansette Dansette’. It highlights that this band have come back with a purpose and are not just wanting to go through the motions for the sake of just getting another album out. This track has the feel of a wonderful summer anthem that would not be unwelcome getting airtime as you laze languidly with a loved one in a park. There is something about the lead vocals that draws you in about this band. It can be put down to the fact that you just don’t expect the slightly awkward tones of the voice to win you over, but when coupled with the dreamlike harmonies that eloquently float over in the background, it makes for a piquant mix.

This warm feeling carries on to the second track ‘Fireworks’ where the bubblegum pop genre of 60s American gets a nod with another feel good track that wouldn’t feel out of place on retrospective film.

The third track, ‘Do you want a Boyfriend?’ makes the feel good feeling resonate for the third time in a row and is definitely one of the best songs on the album. It has an infectious rhythm, great chord progression and fantastic lyrics that really demonstrate Tender Trap’s ability to make you feel happy listening to the tracks, a feeling that is lost on some of the more depressing and serious artists that permeate the industry today.

The next four tracks; ‘Suddenly’, ‘Girls With Guns’, ‘Danger Overboard’ and ‘2 To The N’ unleash a faster and slightly harsher rock edge to the bands music. The music does still sound a little dated but this is not detrimental to music, it just adds to the charm and makes the band more appealing, especially with ‘Girls With Gun’s which sounds like the theme tune to an Indie western.

‘Counting The Hours’ and ‘Grand National’ although being musically tight as the other tracks lack the certain nuance of its predecessors and they don’t really go anywhere. This is not to take from the overall feel of the album as this band deserves every credit for this output that you can garner from them.

The final track ‘Capital L’ provides a fitting end to a great resurgence for this band and is easily the best song of all 10. It is extremely fine and well written piece and you can’t help but admire it. If I could give you any nuggets of advice for July, it would be to check out this band and make sure that it won’t be another 4 years before they grace us with their talent.

Words : Barclay Quarton

Toe Fluff Exhibition

Middle Boop's Gordon Reid will be exhibiting some new work for the Toe Fluff Exhibition which takes place from this Friday at the Post Modern Gallery, Swindon. All of the proceeds will go to Great Ormond Street Hospital. Other artists to exhibit work include:

Simon Wild
Jam Factory
Stephen Chan

More info here

Tweak Bird debut album out August 16th

One of my finds at this years Great Escape festival in Brighton, the explosively awesome noise rock duo Tweak Bird have announced details of their debut self-titled album, set for release in August 16th on Souterrain Transmissions.

The Ilinois based duo consisting of brothers Calib and Ashton Bird, have been working with Dale Crover and Toshi Yasai of the Melvins, providing production duties, and who also worked on 2008’s mini-album Reservations.

The 10 track listing consists of this:

Tracklist:

01 The Future
02 Lights In Lines
03 Round Trippin’
04 A Sun / Ahh Ahh
05 Beyond
06 Tunneling Through
07 Sky Ride
08 Hazement In The Basement
09 Flyin’ High
10 Distant Airways

This guarentees to be awesome.

FR

Middle Boop Single of the week - Autolux - Supertoys (ATP)

It's been a long time coming but the new Autolux album is so very nearly here. After having a bit of a torrid time over the last few years with record deals going sour and promises not being kept, they were finally picked up by the wonderful ATP Recordings and haven't looked back since.

Supertoys is one of the stand out tracks from an album that could seriously catapult Autolux back into the hearts and minds of many a music lover after being away for what seems like a lifetime. The trio belt out a curiously catchy chorus built over the hauntingly layered guitars and vocal harmonies that the band are so well known for. Their sound is a refinement on Future Perfect with more of an emphasis on pop sensibility which works so well for these guys.

Autolux have supported everyone from PJ Harvey to Nine Inch Nails and Thom Yorke, you don't get these sort of high end support slots for nothing, this three piece really have something that not many other people do and hopefully with the release of they will get the response that merits such a fine record.

Supertoys is out today via ATP Recordings

Middle Boop Radar : Sonny and the Sunsets

As the retro trend continues to entice the world to look back and appreciate the finer things, we have another exciting band that are doing just that. Sonny and the Sunsets, a supergroup of sorts headed by Sonny Smith with the Sunsets made up of members of The Fresh & Onlys, The Dry Spells and Ryan Browne and Kelley Stoltz of Sub Pop play West Coast, jangly pop numbers reminiscent to that of 50's R&B. Their début Tomorrow is Alright is out on August 31.

Here their Daytrtotter Session here

Too Young To Burn

Download Stranded by The Walkmen.

New York five piece The Walkmen who have recently signed to Bella Union will be releasing their new album Lisbon on the 11th of October. Here is a mere taste of what you can expect.

Tortoise Announce European Tour and dates with Broken Social Scene

Tortoise will be back in the country in November playing some very special co-headline shows with Broken Social Scene

Mon Nov 15 London, UK Koko w/Broken Social Scene
Tue Nov 16 London, UK Koko w/Broken Social Scene
Fri Nov 19 Amsterdam, Netherlands Paradiso w/Broken Social Scene
Sat Nov 20 Berlin, Germany Admiralspalast
Sun Nov 21 Vienna, Austria WUK
Tue Nov 23 Dresden, Germany Beatpol
(more dates to be announced)

Mount Kimbie Release 'Would Know' Music Video