The Joy Formiddable offer new MP3 From upcoming Ep 'A Balloon Called Moaning'

Welsh indie rock trio The Joy Formidable who recently signed to Black Bell Recordings, run by Passion Pit's Ayad Al Adhamy are just about to release their 8 track EP on May the 4th and have this great track to offer.

The Like release 'He's Not A Boy' Video

He's Not A Boy from The Like on Vimeo.

Here is the first offering from quirky 60's influenced pop outfit The Like's new album Release Me.

Produced by Mark Ronson, The Like have already toured with the biggest of the big guns Muse, Kings of Leon and Arctic Monkeys so the chances of this being the last you hear of them are slimmer than the jeans of any of the bands I've just mentioned. They capitalise on a sound that is really fashionable at the moment and the single when released late May is sure to do well.

Still Flyin' announce UK tour

The delightfully fun San Franciscan collective Still Flyin' are about to embrace us with some West Coast sunshine and good times in May, including The Great Escape, the Pavement curated ATP as well as three exclusive London shows.

Still Flyin' are signed to Moshi Moshi Records where the track 'Good Thing It’s A Ghost Town Around Here single' features on the latest Moshi Moshi Singles Club Compilation as well as their brilliant debut LP Never Gonna Touch the Ground.

May live dates:
13th Great Escape @ Freebutt - Brighton (10pm)
13th Great Escape @ Duke Of Yorks Picturehouse (12am)
15th ATP Pavement - Minehead
18th Bardens Boudoir - London
20th The Flowerpot - London
21st Stag And Dagger @ Jaguar Shoes - London

FR

New free Thomas George track!

Southampton based singer-songwriter Thomas George is kindly giving away the stunning free track 'The Lion and the Wolf' on soundcloud. The former Waiting for Sirens/Towers frontman moves in a more softer direction to the Pop-Hardcore singalong anthems that the South Coast cult heroes had been familiar with.

Details of his debut solo record are hopefully due in the near future.

FR

Musclebeaver Illustrations

Broadcasting visuals for on3-startrampe: Manekin Peace from MUSCLEBEAVER on Vimeo.

MUSCLEBEAVER is the collaborative work of illustrators Tobias Knipf and Andreas Kronbeck.

Take a look at more of their illustrations here

Mogwai & ATP Present Burning Party at Scala

Oh lord this is a film I've been wanting to see ever since I heard of it's existence and finally it's getting the London première we've all been waiting for.

Burning is the new Mogwai live film directed by Vincent Moon and Nataniel La Souanec. The film comprises footage shot over three nights at sold-out shows in Brooklyn on April 27th, 28th and 29th 2009 at the Music Hall Of Williamsburg

The Burning Party at London's Scala will also feature a live performance by Remember Remember (Rock Action records) and DJ sets by Mogwai, Fuck Buttons and Errors. See below for full info and ticket links...


ATP PRESENTS: BURNING PARTY
VENUE: The Scala
DATE: Thursday 3rd June 2010
ADVANCED TICKET PRICE : £10.00
VENUE ADDRESS: 275 Pentonville Road, King´s Cross, London N1 9NL
VENUE TELEPHONE: 020 7833 2022
DOORS OPEN : 7.30pm
AGE RESTRICTIONS: 18+ Only

Middle Boop: Video of the Week

This video has been causing a stir since Monday morning, so much so that it's even been banned from YouTube. Everybody's been talking about it.

Directed by Romain Gavras, M.I.A. is back with her new single sampling Suicide's 'Ghost Rider'. This is 'Born Free'.

M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

Approach with Caution!

Micah P Hinson Announces New Album: ‘Micah P Hinson and the Pioneer Saboteurs’ + European live dates

Texan alt country crooner Micah P Hinson has announced he is to release a new album, plus a free download and a run of European dates. ‘Micah and the Pioneer Saboteurs’ is the fourth full album and is set for release on the 21st June through Full Time Hobby Records.

To hear a taster of ‘Micah P Hinson and the Pioneer Saboteurs’, please head to the following link to download album track ‘2s and 3s’ http://www.fulltimehobby.co.uk

You can also catch him on the continent at these venues next month:

Live dates
26th May - Full Time Hobby / LES INROCK night @ La Fleche D’Or, Paris
27th May – Ekko, Utrecht
28th May – Vooruit, Ghent
30th May - Beatlemania @ Reeperbahn, Hamburg
31st May – Trix, Antwerp
2nd June – Union Chapel, London
Tickets: http://www.unionchapel.org.uk/events.php/314/micah_p._hinson
3rd June – Ruby Lounge, Manchester
4th June – Stereo, Glasgow

Fuck Buttons - Koko – 20/04/10

This was a big night, there has been so much anticipation and build up to Fuck Buttons biggest performance in London to date, after the huge success of last year’s Tarot Sport sitting around the top half of almost every album of the year chart that matters (including gaining number one in our own top ten) the Bristol noise duo can do no wrong and with that they step into the big leagues all but selling out venues more adverse to putting on NME nights and fashionable indie bands than the pummelling beats of the Buttons but their more refined sound caters so well for venues of this size.

Factory Floor provided an ample support slot blending heavy as hell beats with full on noise that seemed hard to digest at first but a few songs in I really started to get it. With the stage almost completely black bar a spotlight on each member of the three piece, their on stage presence matched the dark, heavy sounds and pulled off a great set.

Their show at Heaven a few months ago really raised the bar in terms of performance and output and was easily one of the highlights of the year so this gig had a lot to live up to. Fortunately as is so often the case with Fuck Buttons it did, As the mighty duo appeared on stage, Andrew Hung fashioning a remarkable bubble hat and Benjamin Power looking totally focused on the job at hand there was about two seconds silence before ploughing straight into opener Surf Solar, as the booming bass kicked in I knew there was no way I would be leaving tonight with my hearing intact, they really were making the most out of the sound. It was great to see such a remarkable reaction from the crowd, as what used to be the case with Fuck Buttons gigs most people didn’t know whether to dance, cry or just stand there bewildered but these days, now that people have had time to digest such a powerful sound you turn up to a show and there are fans covered in u.v. gear, climbing walls and going nuts, everywhere you looked there were people dancing and moving, What with that and

the inclusion of a new light show the atmosphere created was immense.
Old songs such as ‘Okay, Let's Talk About Magic’ and ‘Colours Move’ were played about with live with Hung and Power mixing things up a little creating a refreshing outlook for the avid fan that’s seen those songs played dozens of times, their hypnotic onslaught didn’t let up, the duo left no space for fans to even think, blaring out hit after hit before the epic finale of ‘flight of the feathered serpent’ finally giving time to digest everything you have just witnessed before their trademark encore ‘Sweet Love For Planet Earth’ which sounds heavier and more gruesome than ever before.

Words : Gordon Reid

Band of Horses release acoustic video from Later With Jools Holland

Here is the exclusive-to-the-UK performance of one of the stand out tracks from their new album 'Infinate Arms' out on May 17th

GAYNGS Share second MP3 from new album 'Relayted'

There is a lot of talk about GAYNGS at the moment and with their second offering you can find out why. Their main man Ryan Olsen has managed to assemble a fine team of musicians to contribute to what looks set to be a stunning album.

Faded High

Trash Kit - Trash Kit [Upset The Rhythm]

The fi is lo, long live the fi! On the evidence of their charming debut album, you could quite happily file Trash Kit alongside fellow Upset The Rhythm-linked upstarts like Munch Munch as a band who manage to mangle their influences so impressively that the result doesn’t sound quite like anyone else. Sure, there are definitely references to be made – the stripped-back riffage and manic three-girl chatter recalls Sleater Kinney, there’s certainly a little Kinsella in their crystalline guitar lines and the short-sharp-shock tactics of many tracks here are reminiscent of the Blood Brothers (may they continue to rest in pieces). But coating everything in a bargain bin sheen of murk and packing some unconventional bits of instrumentation for a punk band – djembe, anyone? – elevates them from ‘x plus y’ fodder to intriguing curiosity.

There are times on their self-titled debut where everything falls into place beautifully. ’50 Women’, as it morphs from doomy pulse to a sudden, frantic race for the finish line, is stupidly addictive, as are the rough ‘n’ ready harmonies of ‘Pig Cat’. It certainly helps that Trash Kit seem to take a Ramones-like approach to composition – none of the songs here exceed three minutes in length, and the average lands somewhere around one and a half. In some ways the most thrilling songs here are the shortest – fifty-second opener ‘Knock Yr Socks Off!’ summoning a barbed guitarmy to kick Trash Kit into gear, and the scuzzy dynamics of ‘New Face’ a little like those of No Age or The Jelas.

All of this having been said, there is a refreshing complexity to some of their songwriting that provides Trash Kit with far more depth than similar fare. The addition of djembe gives a punchy dance backline to some tracks, and the spidery swirls of plucked guitar – so du jour since Foals shifted into afro-pop mode – are far too abstract to sound derivative. Over its length there aren’t any real deviations from standard mode, but it’s hard not to feel that to criticise them for that is like complaining that every Starburst in a packet is squishy and sweet. Which seems an appropriate enough place to end: thrashy and lo-fi they may be, but what Trash Kit have managed to put together is a packet of sweets of an album, crammed with tiny nuggets of sugary harmony. Its short length merely serves to enhance its intensity of flavour.

Words : Rory Gibb

Sweet Apple – ‘Love & Desperation’ (Tee Pee Records)

So often is the case when a "super group" is formed, we automatically expect a great deal. I would even now go as to say the first word of juxtaposition (being ‘super’) has begun to lose its meaning slightly. The term is basically used for every group that feature members of other bands who are still in existence, regardless of their previous statuses. So what do you assume when you stumble across a ‘new’ band who consist of John Petkovic and Tim Parnin of Cobra Verde, Dave Sweetapple of Witch and finally J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr? I can assure we all have an idea of what Sweet Apple will sound like. Think muddy guitar licks, post-grunge pounding drums, a consistancy of straight up Rock anthems and there we have it, you’re pretty much spot on.

The album launches straight in to a melody like it never started, which have been so common with album and gig openings from Dinosaur Jr in the past. ‘Do You Remember’ is the first single from ‘Love & Desperation’ and it's a delightful insight to what the other eleven tracks have in store. The riff-tastic jams are frequent on this record. Tracks like ‘Flying up a Mountain’, ‘Hold Me I’m Dying’ and ‘Never Came’ are all simple, but effective examples as to why we listened to rock music in the first place. It may not hallucinate your mind with a warp of experimentation but ‘Love & Desperation’ does offer some variety. We are treated to lighter power ballad-esque anthems such as ‘It’s Over Now’ and ‘Can’t See You’, as well as the acoustic-y click track driven ‘Dead Moon’.

However, there is by no means anything wrong with ‘Love & Desperation’. It would indeed be wishful thinking to assume a collaboration of stoner-rock legends can straight away produce a total leftfield of musical production and Sweet Apple present an LP that sticks to a formula that fans of Dinosaur and Witch have grown accustomed to 25 or so years. At least if the music doesn’t instantly grab your attention then the cover art certainly will. In what I assume is a tribute to the visual iconography of Roxy Music’s ‘Country Life’, ‘Love & Desperation’ shows that there is definitely still some life in these old dogs yet.

Words: Freddy Rothman.

GAYNGS Leader Ryan Olson Shares First MP3

Collaborating with some of the best musicians in the midwest area of America, Ryan Olson of GAYNGS presents us with a taster as to what's in store when the rest of the album hits the shelves on May the 17th. Collaborators include Justin Vernon and Mike Noyce of Bon Iver, Minneapolis rapper P.O.S. of Rhymesayers plus members of Megafaun and Solid Gold.

"The Gaudy Side of Town"

Taking it back... #7

...to 1992

Gang Starr - Daily Operation

In tribute to this weeks sad passing of Hip-Hop genius Keith Elam aka Guru, Middle Boop are taking you back to one of Guru and DJ Premier's legendary collaborations. Gang Starr's third album 'Daily Operation' is one of those iconic Rap albums of the nineties and noted by many as some of Guru's best lyrical work. On this record, Guru rhymed about a variety of subjects, such as government hypocrisy, anti-prejudice and pro-Black rights.

Along with his fantastic Jazzmatazz series, Guru was one of a kind and here's the video for Gang Starr's 'Ex Girl to Next Girl'



R.I.P. Guru. 1962-2010

Middle Boop Single of the week - The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio (4AD)

Here we have the first single from The National's new album 'High Violet' out next month and yet again they have produced a song that is nothing short of amazing.
The New York quintet have that very rare knack of writing beautiful pop songs that can appeal to almost anyone without worrying the pop charts and 'Bloodbuzz Ohio' only emphasizes that further, wonderfully produced, great writing and will only solidify their status as one of the unsung heroes of the naughties.

The artwork was created by Ohio-born New York artist Mark Fox

Bloodbuzz Ohio

Sweet Apple - 'Do You Remember' Video

Check out the hillariously fun new video by Sweet Apple for Do You Remember, featuring the one and only J.Mascis playing tennis with a guitar. Brilliant!

The group consisting of members Dave Sweetapple (Witch), John Petkovic (Cobra Verde), Tim Parnin (Cobra Verde) and Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.) release their new album Love & Despiration this week on Tee Pee records.

Enjoy!

65daysofstatic – We Were Exploding Anyway (Hassle Records)

They’re back! After a few years away touring the world, befriending and playing arenas with some of the big guns like the Cure, one of the most important bands that have come from this country in the last few years can finally grace us with the first release of new material since 2007’s Destruction Of Small Ideas. So what’s changed? Well a lot actually, a new label, new promoters and with that comes a whole new and exciting sound. Much more refined, more polished and much more focused on the electronics rather than any Post Rock hang ups of the past. Three years can be a long time for bands like 65dos with so many falling into that trap and releasing something that’s not quite up to standard but 65days, the band who don’t ever seem to stop working have taken this time to push their instantly recognisable sound to new limits opening up new possibilities and basically do what they’ve done since the beginning, offer the listener a chance to hear music that they literally wouldn’t hear anywhere else because no one else does it like these guys.

My one concern with the last album, although it contained a number of absolute classics was that it was very raw, almost scatty in places but with so much care and attention taken on this one, more of a focus on electronics and sheer volume ‘We Were Exploding Anyway’ leaves a lot of the distorted guitar riff driven songs such as ‘I swallowed hard, like I understood’ behind and in it’s place, pounding electric beats and samples more akin to popular dance such as Pendulum and Prodigy than any of the post rock predecessors that they might have been compared to before, but what’s so clever about their new approach is the way they can blend these simple, yet effective big beats with their own unique style creating an album that will no doubt appeal to a whole new audience but yet still retain so much quality that the die hard fanbase (and believe me, they have a very hardcore selection of devoted followers) will still find it hard not to fall completely in love with this album.

Opener ‘Mountainhead’ is a perfect way to introduce the listener to the new 65daysofstatic, huge bass heavy beats, simple keyboard work building into an orchestrated, epic finish. Dance Dance Dance is the first real showcase of their new exploration in sound with a huge tribal style breakdown of drums and bass and ‘Go Complex’ despite sounding more like a drum n bass floor filler it fits in really well with the rest of the album but it’s the 8 minute epic ‘Come To Me’ that completely blows me away every time I listen, easing the listener in with a haze of synth fuzz, xylophone and piano before breaking down with samples of Mr Robert Smith himself looping around pummelling drums and guitar. The album finishes on Tiger Girl, a sheer intense ten minute number built around a simple driven bassy beat building up with fuzzed up synths and glitches sounding a little like a 65days/ Fuck Buttons crossover.

65days already have a reputation as one of the most exhilarating live bands in the country at the moment but this album will take them to a whole new level. From the production through to the artwork this is their best album by far.
Head to one of their may shows if nothing else watch a bunch of unsuspecting indie kids shit themselves.


Crash Tactics

Words : Gordon Reid

Mother Mother - 'Hayloft' video

Here is the first single to be taken from the upbeat Canadians 'Mother Mother' and their album ‘O My Heart’ which is out via Last Gang Records (Metric, DFA 1979, The New Pornographers, Crystal Castles) on May 31st. The music is reminiscent of early naughties punk, Billy Talent etc and the video is one of the best music video's I've seen in quite a while, very stylised and really looks the part.

Here We Go LIVE

Marking the release of the new Here We Go Magic album 'Pigeons', Luke Temple and his band will be hitting these shores next month as well as playing a selection of festival events in the coming year. Having recently honed their own explosive live sound and gain many plaudits from their apprearances at SXSW you will soon ba able to catch them at the following venues:

May
13th Brighton. The Great Escape @ The Loft – 12am
15th Brighton. The Great Escape @ Digital
16th Bristol. Start The Bus
18th London. The Lexington (headline show)
19th London. Electric Ballroom w/The New Pornographers
June
26th Somerset. Glastonbury Festival – Q Queens Head stage
27th Somerset. Glastonbury Festival – Park stage
July
16th Southwold. Latitude Festival – main stage
Sept
4th Jersey. Jersey Live
11th Isle Of Wight. Bestival – Rock n Roll stage

'Pigeons' is released on June 7th on Secretly Canadian and Middle Boop are pleased to treat you to an mp3 of the albums first single 'Collector' here, which subsequently is released on the same day.

Words: Freddy Rothman

Blur - 'Fools Day'

For those of you who have yet to hear the new Blur single. For Record Store Day, only 1000 7" copies of Fools Day was released on Saturday, and unsurprisingly sold out, but is now available for download. Enjoy folks!

Middle Boop Radar : Indian Jewelry

Indian Jewelry, a band that may not be so well known on these shore but have been making waves stateside for quite some time now with their 'No genre, no rules, no help' approach. With the run up to their latest album 'TOTALED' the van gang from Houston, Texas share their first MP3.

Oceans

Thom Yorke covers 'Love Will Tear Us Apart'

One of the best singers of our generation covers one of the best songs ever written. The sound isn't the greatest but Yorke and his band Atoms for Peace pull off a fine take on the song.

Slow Club - 'Giving Up On Love' video

Check out the brand spanking new video from Slow Club, starring actor Mackenzie Crook, who you will recognise from The Office and Pirates of the Caribbean.

'Giving Up On Love' is released on 24th May on Moshi Moshi Records and are playing these shows in the next month:

May
15th The Great Escape @ The Unitarian Church, Brighton
25th Academy 2, Oxford
26th Swansea University, Swansea
27th Academy 2, Liverpool
28th The Factory, Manchester
29th Cockpit, Leeds
31st Evolution Festival, Newcastle

June
1st KOKO, London
Get tickets



Freddy Rothman

Efterklang - 4AD Sessions

Here is a live version of Efterklang's upcoming single 'I Was Playing Drums' from their amazing new album 'Magic Chairs'

Seams - 'Nightcycles' (Tough Love Records)

Hailing from Birmingham, this month see's the release of London based James Welch aka Seams' spanking new 12" Nightcycles. The bedroom producer draws influences such as Four Tet, Boards of Canada, Prefuse 73 and Flying Lotus to name a few and is rapidly making a name for himself accross the UK electronica scene. Nightcycles combines a hypnotic use of acoustic sounds which are cut up with looped piano, synths and samples together with layered broken down beats.

You can pre-order the single NOW and is available for purchase on April 26th on Tough Love Records. Some awesome remixes are included from Dam Mantle, Shells, Becoming Real, and d'Eon which you can sample here.

Seams is currently in the middle of a UK tour alongside Gold Panda and Dam Mantle and to coincide with this release, on April 28th he'll be showing off his beats at the Macbeth in London alongside ADULTS and Maria & The Mirrors, which is FREE entry!

2010 is shaping up to become an exciting year for this dude and Middle Boop look forward to seeing where his journey goes from here.

Words: Freddy Rothman.

Listen to the new Band Of Horses track 'Laredo' here

In the build up to the release of their third album, Band of Horses are offering fans another teaser which you can check out below.

'Infinite Arms’ is released on the 18th May through Columbia Records. The tracklisting for the album is as follows:

1) Factory
2) Compliments
3) Laredo
4) Blue Beard
5) On My Way Back Home
6) Infinite Arms
7) Dilly
8) Evening Kitchen
9) Older
10) For Annabelle
11) NW Apt.
12) Neighbor

Brand Nu - Portfolio update

Hugely talented designer Radim Malinic has recently updated his site with some amazing work including his new book which is out on pre-order now and looks fantastic.

See more of his work here.

Free Ganglians!

This week see's the release of Ganglians' single 'Candy Girl' on German based label Souterrain Transmissions and seeing as they are such nice guys, you can download the single here for FREE!

If you like whats on offer, their debut album 'Monster Head' is released on May 10th and you can catch the band at the following venues over next couple of months:

May

18 – UK - London - Cargo
21 - Ireland - Dublin - Whelans (upstairs)
22 - UK - Belfast - Menagerie
23 - UK - Glasgow - Captains Rest
24 - UK - Manchester - Deaf Institute
25 - UK - Cambridge - Portland Arms
28 - Spain - Barcelona - Primavera Sound Festival
29 - Spain - Barcelona - Primavera Sound Festival

June
25 - UK - Nottingham - Bodega Social Club
26 - UK - Leeds - Brudenell Social Club
27 - UK - London - Barden's Boudoir

Julia Guther

Here are some amazing cut out illustrations by German illustrator Julia Guther

Middle Boop Radar: Jonquil

Jonquil themselves call their music 'Rainbow Pop' which pretty much sums up their charmingly catchy music.
They impressed live recently with a support slot with the wonderful Youthmovies and are just about to head off with Bombay Bicycle Club before almost directly after touring with fellow Oxford chums Foals. So mark my words this is most definitely a band you will be hearing more from this year.

Listen here

Red Sparowes - The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein Lies The Answer (Conspiracy)

Red Sparowes are one of those bands that have been around for some time now but don’t yet seem to be receiving the sort of admiration and coverage that they deserve, people into the whole ‘Post Rock’ scene will probably have heard of them but couldn’t claim to know any of their music, despite two successful albums and a whole heap of touring. A super group of sorts Red Sparowes contains members of Isis, Halifax Pier, Angel Hair and a whole host of other reasonably obscure bands, their instrumental onslaught is known for emphatic live performances, that have been known to blow away audiences all over the world with brooding, intricate melodies, heavy riffage and epic finales.

This being their third full album I had wondered what sort of direction they might go with it, a lot has changed for the band in the last few years, members leaving and equipment stolen, this was definitely a chance to make the most of the new additions, build upon the foundations of the last two and create something even more stunning. Sadly with ‘The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein Lies The Answer’ this is not the case. It feels like they are playing it safe, producing music that is very hard to differentiate from any of their other releases, falling into that category of if you’ve heard one Red Sparowes album you’ve heard them all. With a lot of bands in their genre there is generally some progression between records especially those which are instrumental but minus a few subtle distinctions, Greg Burns with his slide guitar for one, Red Sparowes certainly aren’t getting rid of the ‘Post Rock’ stereotype that they surely want to.

That said the sound that the LA quintet have been perfecting for the last seven years is as good as ever. Their deep, dark atmospheric rock feels slower than previous endeavours, focusing more on the doom side of things than epic finishes but when they do kick things off with the final two minutes on ‘A Hail Of Bombs’ turning into a full on barrage of distortion and delay you do realise how good these guys are and how much of an affect it can have on the listener. where they really succeed is ‘Giving Birth To Imagined Saviors’ where they let up on the gloomy parts for just a few minutes and show the listener that they can also write music that’s just that little bit touching and the first long player ‘In Illusions Of Order’ showcasing
seven and a half minutes of pure instrumental goodness.

Although this album may be treading similar ground, it’s still a great album and one that will hopefully bring them over to these shores to blow audiences away once more.

Words : Gordon Reid

Brainlove Festival Adds Five More Acts

The festival that is boasting performances from some amazing people including David Thomas Broughton, Mat Riviere, Stairs to Korea and Drum Eyes have just announced some great new bands:

TRASH KIT
GOLD BLOOD
TRADEMARK
SUDDEN WEATHER CHANGE
APPLICANTS

Brainlove Festival is held at Brixton Windmill on the 29th and 30th of May
Day tickets £12 / Weekend tickets £20.

Kyle Hall - Kaychunk/You Know What I Feel [Hyperdub]

Get locked into a Detroit groove for a second; given its pedigree as an outlet for myriad forms of London-centred bass sounds, even a year ago it would have seemed unfathomable for Motor City wunderkind Kyle Hall to release an EP on Kode9’s Hyperdub label. Arriving, as it does, at this point in the game, it seems less a surprise and more the product of an inevitable shift. As the hybrid sounds of UK funky have ushered in a renewed Detroit influence, visible notably in Roska’s recent soulful vocal experiments, that city’s sounds have become ever more audible in the DJ sets of upstarts like the Night Slugs crew. Last year, Hall’s remix of Darkstar’s glacially beautiful ‘Aidy’s Girl Is A Computer’ offered a clue – new 12” Kaychunk/You Know What I Feel is now its resolution.

In a recent interview, Hall stated that these tracks were his attempt to ‘do’ dubstep, after only having heard a bare minimum of that genre. And judging by ‘Kaychunk’s almost impossibly raw edges, he’s ‘doing’ dubstep a whole lot better than a great proportion of its traditionally accepted practitioners, setting a ratting percussive figure loose against a sea of oceanic subs and drifting synth pads. ‘You Know What I Feel’ is even better, forsaking the four-to-the-floor pace of his typical house and techno styles for a driving broken beat, all shot into orbit with the kind of deep house abstractions his mentor Omar S is famous for. And, four minutes in, just as its Sun Ra, space-is-the-place mentality becomes too entrenched, a barely perceptible edit shifts the mood to dancefloor roller. If this is Detroit ‘doing’ dubstep, then long may its denizens continue to modify our homegrown ideas.

Words : Rory Gibb

Here We Go Magic - 'Here We Go Magic' (Western Vinyl)

When you look up the name Here We Go Magic you will learn little of the band other than this self-titled release. However, you may be more familiar with the name Luke Temple who has prior to this, released a further two albums. Hold a Match to a Gasoline World and Snowbeast. Now under a different pseudonym Temple unleashes a project that expands beyond the high pitched, banjo led Indie-Folk sounds that he is more familiar with. HWGM presents a more experimental and avant-garde fusion that expresses Temple’s talents as a composer and musician.

The start of this album reminds us of why his fans had been listening to him for the past few years. Opener ‘Only Pieces’ features a loop of xylophone and percussion to carry the acoustic guitar and the vocals. Proceeding this ‘Fangela’ continues his trademark nu-folk sound together with chopped up beats.

It’s not until we are three or four tracks deep into the album, to the point that it would feel slightly rude not to carry on until the record finishes, that we notice HWGM is actually beginning to go on some sort of musical journey. Like Bradford Cox produced so exquisitely with his debut Atlas Sound LP Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel, the image of a dream springs to mind and here Temple draws you into his hypnotic 4-track sound scapes. ‘Tunnelvision’ is a wonderful piece of folk music that does just that.

The second half of HWGM is where Temple has woven together mini compositions of full frontal noise. Tracks such as ‘Ghost List’, the excellently titled ‘Babyohbaby - Ijustcantstanditanymore!’ and ‘Nats Alien’ are fine examples of ambient drone which really I feel really compliments the more gentle tracks on this release.

Here We Go Magic finishes off with a clean sounding waltz-y number, much like it started. The ironically titled ‘Everything’s Big’, goes back to basics with an ensemble of piano, acoustic guitar, drums and vocals, where musically and production wise it’s the most stripped down track on this release. Overall, Temple here provides a luscious blend of the rough and the smooth spread across nine tracks, yet neither song feels out of place. It’s not the most original album you’ll ever hear but this 38 minute noise journey is certainly a very pleasant experience.

Words by Freddy Rothman

Godspeed You! Black Emperor to curate ATP Nightmare Before Christamas!

As if Belle and Sebastian curating the first Nightmare event was not enough, we now have Godspeed curating the second. These guys played the original Bowlie Weekender as well as a few early ATP's so this will be the perfect way to conclude their ten year anniversary celebrations.

The festival will run from the 3rd- 5th of December at Butlins Minehead.

So far the line-up announced is:

GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR
BARDO POND
THE EX
DEERHOOF
TIM HECKER
MIKE WATT (Minutemen, fIREHOSE, Stooges)
SCOUT NIBLETT

Middle Boop Radar: Thee Oh Sees

These guys have been a little while now but still haven't made it onto these shores with as much of an impact as they should. Their new album 'Warm Slime' out via In The Red looks set to change all of that though, we have a sampler to offer underneath showcasing the psych, garage punkers in full glory.

I Was Denied

Batman in Japanese

This is just a fantastic image.

Lyrics and Type

A whole variety of amazing artists and designers including Boop Friends Waste will be taking part in Wooden Toy and VNA’s Lyrics and Type exhibition. With work from some of the most influential designers in the world this is sure to be a great night.

Hey Champ offer their two latest singles

Check out the catchy as hell new singles from Hey Champ, a band that are really making waves stateside having already toured with the likes of Passion Pit and Vampire Weekend, their début album 'Star' out on July the 13th looks set to be a big hit in the electro pop world.

Middle Boop Single of the week - Wild Palms- Deep Dive (One Little Indian)

The ink is still yet to dry from the their contract with One Little Indian but Wild Palms are already set to release their second single 'Deep Dive.' This is the first to be released from their studio sessions with Gareth Jones ( Grizzly Bear, Intepol) and sees the four piece who have been together just a year exploring new territory in the build up to their hotly anticipated début due for release in September

Deep Dive is a charmingly catchy, feel good slice of indie pop truly reflective of the way the genre is going at the moment, akin to Chapel Club, Delphic and a host of others who are doing things just that little bit differently and gaining a whole heap of recognition for their troubles, Wild Palms are displaying the potential here to become big contenders this year. With slightly droney guitars blending with atmospheric synths and big vocals laced with hooks from verse to chorus we are showcased to a truly delightful song that needs to be listened in full rather than the three minute single.

As you start to gear up for the festival season, watch out for these guys they will certainly be ones to watch out for.

Taking it back... #6

...to 1994.

Stereolab - 'Mars Audiac Quintet'

Having been on 4od Adam and Joe Show session the other day, the comedy duo's Vinyl Justice series reminded me to dig into the Stereolab archives as their feature on the programme showed an impressive music taste to say the least. Mars Audiac Quintet, their third studio LP is a great starting point for those of you who have yet to venture into the Stereolab back catalogue, where it's release came during an important time for British music. The Anglo-French group continued to make stunning records up until their indefinate hiatus last year.

Here is the video for the amazing pop tune 'Ping Pong'.



Freddy Rothman

Why?- Bristol Thekla

Yoni Wolf is on fiery form tonight. The last time I caught Why? was a performance within the confines of a sweltering London club in mid-July. The walls dripping with their own cool sweat and the musicians on stage visibly wilting in the heat, the show felt strangely introspective. A little odd perhaps for a band whose singer has made his name laying bare the kind of personal confessions most would cringe at revealing to close friends, let alone the world at large. This evening, on a boat in the middle of Bristol, the contrast couldn’t be greater. Wolf is relaxed and at ease onstage, pulling superman shapes and dropping everything for an acerbic freestyle that serves as a potent reminder of his hip-hop background. It could have been the lower temperature and airier space, but perhaps it’s more that he’s finally beginning to grow into his skin as frontman. It’s a welcome development either way: his is music that relies on the knowledge of shared experience.

So opener ‘These Few Presidents’ is perfectly pitched. On record a gut-wrenchingly told story of a close friend’s suicide, managing to avoid using that dreaded word and relying on implication alone, tonight it’s stripped back and rawer in tone. The effect is to imbue the song with the humour and wit that it’s possible to miss on record. The same is true of ‘Good Friday’, raised from its deadpan telling on Alopecia to blistering and acidic, Wolf practically spitting his lyrics onto the front two rows. For a frontman whose sincerity can quite easily be misconstrued as over-earnest, Wolf’s live persona is disarmingly self-effacing and relaxed. To these ears, Why?’s most recent record Eskimo Snow lacked a little of the bite of its two predecessors, but tonight even songs that had been easy to dismiss acquire a sheen of grit and reality quite unlike that of their recorded counterparts. It’s this aspect that makes it easier than ever to get lost in the spiralling Philip Glass-isms of ‘A Sky For Shoeing Horses Under’ and the softly plucked guitar figure of intentionally muted closer ‘Crushed Bones’, Wolf dropping his nasal whine for a mature baritone strikingly at odds with his manic delivery.

Words : Rory Gibb
Photography : Frankie Buttons

The Twilight Sad – Relentless Garage - 24/03/10

The newly refurbished Relentless Garage in Highbury & Islington began filling up almost breaching the capacity, as the fans arrived in anticipation for the progressive Indie headliners The Twilight Sad to Don their musical prowess and play into the eclectic crowds hands.


The lights faded slowly when the delayed fuzz began, as the lads entered stage right, the drummer got straight to work on the bass toms as the guitarists held aloft their axes, quickly adjusting their tuning pegs. Johnny’s Bass line kicks in repeating the riff, accompanied by the guitars and finally the opening line ‘There’s people downstairs’. This lyric is repetitive and perhaps this is truly an acknowledgement of such a fine turnout. ‘Reflection of the television’ is the opening track of the gig.


There’s a romantic continuation from one gloriously layered composition to the next, using laptops and noise suppressing loops to alleviate the ceaseless drone. Lead singer James Graham barely stops for a breath, sweat pouring from his animated gestures as he immerses himself deep within the theme of the stories rife throughout each track. I commend James’ passion for the Sad’s cause, it really is difficult to take your eyes off him as he epitomises the persona of every character of every song. Floating on emotions with several signs of dehydration he occasionally pauses to refill his lungs, giving thanks to the admirable crowd.

The Sad fiercely launched themselves into ‘And she would darken the memory’
Closely followed by ‘I became a prostitute’ which receives the warmest audience reaction, singing along to the catchy hooks the chorus cleverly conceives. The crowd watch admirably on, they are with the Twilight Sad all the way throughout their biggest London headlining show to date


The boys from Glasgow creatively whisk you away to a beautifully calm dark place miles from here. Dynamically the tunes are very similar but it’s the way the band roll from one song merging to the next seamlessly. Their unique brand of post mellow indie has caused waves on the British shores and abroad as well as a second North American tour in as many years this May, not before playing several UK venues of course.

Words : Outer Audio Joe