Somehow 2007 slipped into gear and according to the forecast (el nino apparently) it is going to be one hell of a hot HOT Summer... even hotter than went before.
Shares in ice creams are going to rocket. Get some now.

Happy New Year bathers.

The Futureheads/The Maccabees 4/12/06

I finally got to see The Futureheads playing at the Junction music venue in Cambridge tonight.

I understand that they have been dropped by their label 679 Records. In their own words;
''Recently we have parted company with our label here in the UK and most, but not all, of the world, and we are pleased with what has happened. This means that we can now do our next album with refreshed enthusiasm, we're not worried about the situation and we are not even going to consider splitting up. This year has been really challenging for us, we've faced some heavy shit but we are through it now. It's a shame, but some things have to come to an end and we'll get over it'

Well I loved their first album and thought their second a little hurried. It did grow on me over time but..the FutureHeads played their set like it was just another day at the coalface. The songs from the first album got the crowd going but otherwise it was sterile and disappointing. The band used inane control games with the crowd... as if they had done the same thing a 100 times before and with very little passion or spontaneity. They went out on a few songs which were a cacophony of noise. It appeared to be the sound of a band dying. I am not likely to see them again.





However... The Maccabees (my pic above) were bloody excellent. They did a GREAT set and deserved every single penny they got from the gig.

It has been an excellent year for music and in particular for the UK music scene. I have already shouted out some of the cool sounds that has been filling my ears but as it is getting awfully close to the end of the 2006 here is my pick of the years album releases.

In no particular order;

Lily Allen - Alright Still
The Holloways - So This Is Great Britain
Jet - Shine On
Graham Coxon - Love Travels at Illegal Speeds
Victorian English Gentlemen's Club - Victorian English Gentlemen's Club
The Young Knives - Voices Of Animals And Men
Mystery Jets - Making Dens
The Futureheads - News and Tributes
Slumbering - Dark Lullabies and Other Songs
Larrikin Love - The Freedom Spark
¡Forward Russia! - To A Wall
Little Man Tate - About What You Know

Driven to choose a favourite album of the year I would be hard pushed to choose between THe Holloways and Larrikin Love... but forced to choose I would say Larrikin Love's The Freedom Spark. So that is my choice. I guess. Yes.

My listing cheats a little as I have counted The Little Man Tate debut album and which is not officially released until the new year.. however it is MY list so I can cheat a bit :)
A very special album listed is the limited release excellent album by Slumbering and which has been THE personal musical highlight of my year.

I cannot imagine how next year can possibly be as good as this year but hope to be surprised.

Some recent pieces done for fun and produced at some godamn unearthly hour!



Eggs for Eyes

and

Rise and Shine

Nothing special but at least a teeny bit creative and expressive of the moments..

..>

On endless rotation for me is the 'Holloways' debut album ; 'So this is Great Britain?'

These cool characters hail from Holloway in North London. They recorded the album in Crouch End at the Kinks studio 'Konk' and which incidently I used to live across the road from.. Handy place and they kindly helped me when I created a band demo for a A&R mail shot.. back in the last century. But I digress. It's a cool place and a great choice for the 'Holloways' whose album is absolutely fecking amazing. Their demos were pretty good and none of that talent went to waste with the official debut album.
Admittedly I am writing this some time after release now but always meant to write (lazy bastard) something here to tout yet another superb post punk classic which deserves to find its place in every self respected post punk romantic brit revival collection. [That was a long sentence].
Oh yeah its got that irish folk rock influence .. a little like Larrikin Love but.. well these guys are actually from Holloway (which is as Irish as Murphys stout) and they have Irish relatives. It's a great place to go on a pub crawl on St Particks day. :)
Anyhow don't take my word for it. Go grab 'So this is Great Britain?' and get a taste of one of the best albums of the year.





The Holloways; generators of excellence

Well. I admit to neglecting myspace recently but have fallen a little into self neglect in general. A little ennui maybe. I apologise to friends to whom I havent replied.

However here is something musical I produced this week that reflects that drifting mood. It is also a little sad.

In completing the piece I thought about producer Martin Hannett, Joy Division and New Order.. seemingly a bit of an obsession this year. This led to some consideration of Nazi Germany and the corruption ( and death) of a generation of children under the criminal regime.

Ian Curtis and Bernard Sumner of Joy Division were questioned about their usage of Nazi imagery in their musical work. They denied any political allegiance but maintained it was all about challenging taboos. The poster pictured below formed the basis for the cover of their first EP.
According to Ian's wife Ian was fascinated as to how Hitler managed to hypnotise and control a nation with his ideas. He even included a reference to Rudolf Hess in the lyrics of one song.

I read a little more about the HitlerJugend (youth) movement. Young children were taken and trained to become the obediant animals that Hitler desired and ultimately many lost their lives to his cause. Children as young as ten hears old received munitions training and on completion of certain tests including bravery received knives inscribed with the words; 'blood and honour'. Interestingly in the immediate post war period a large factory consignment of these parts were appropriated and shipped to the USA and their insignias were replaced with the Fleur-de-lis of the boy scouts of America. Through the training and propaganda delivered to the German children in the persuit of his 'New Order' Hitler physically and psychologically prepared them for war. Many fought hard and to the death rather than surrender. The fall of Berlin was characterized by pockets of resistance by armed children.
It was the death of a generation. This kind of barbarity and abuse continues today...

Happy stuff eh?

Here is the song;

Blood and Honour

Apologies for the low sound level but try a listen in the stillness of the night in the dark and it will be less of a problem. :)

So I popped along to my local venue in Cambridge to see The Victorian English Gentlemens Club.

They were supported by White Stripe styled Brighton duo; Blood Red Shoes who put on a good performance.


I was quite blown away by the VEGC. Their self titled album is awesome and their live performance something else. For a trio they packed one hell of a punch and its unlikely that anyone watching weren't as impressed by their energy and brilliant playing. We were lucky to have them play locally as bands of this calibre don't pass by too often.
I would expect them to be playing much bigger venues next time round.
Great tunes. Great Band.

Get their album and if you can... catch them on their tour or kick yourself for missing something very special.

Remember the Pogues? Throw in a little ska... the Clash.. maybe a little folksy stuff ie The Incredible String Band and then add some Mystery Jets. Maybe you can apprecate why Larrikin Love are THE next big thing hitting the streets.

When you can grab a copy of their debut album ;The Freedom Spark.



It is seriously great music.

And while you are buying that then make sure you pick up a copy of The Young Knives' - Voices of Animals and Men at the same time.

Gah... the UK music scene is better than ever. :)

ANyone ever seen this message; I see it a LOT. Maybe they need to upgrade their servers.


Sorry! an unexpected error has occurred.

This error has been forwarded to MySpace's technical group.Sorry! an unexpected error has occurred.

This error has been forwarded to MySpace's technical group.Sorry! an unexpected error has occurred.

This error has been forwarded to MySpace's technical group.Sorry! an unexpected error has occurred.

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ARGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Joy Division have been credited with being responsible for kicking off the UK post punk movement in the late 70s and early 80's. Whilst happy shiny people danced around their hankerchiefs at parties to the Smiths dark brooding post punk kids (and smackheads!) were listening at home to their Joy Division Records
I am looking forward to the release of 'Control' about Ian Curtis and Joy Division. It charts their meteoric rise and consequent explosion into the Indie scene. Shooting has just begun and it is expected to be released in 2007.

I managed to snag a copy of their first 'shelved' album ;'Warsaw' recently. Far more raw and punkish than their later official releases it was augmented without permission by one of the studio techs who thought that some synths would make it sound more 'professional'. The band went ballistic. It does however provide an interesting insight into their development and was produced following their first tour gigs as Joy Division in early 1978.

But you can get all this info better from Joy Division Central fansite.

Anyhow here for your dubious.. or should I say Partial Pleasure is a small collection of quick musical pieces written and played with Joy Division and Ian Curtis very much in mind and now remastered as an 'EP' inc artwork following some flattering comments about them.



01 a partial pleasure
02 know you
03 your time
04 silent sound
05 in the city

A Partial Pleasure 'EP'

Today I added a recent song; Headless to MySpace.
Briefly it is about drunken alien abduction and is a bit of a trip.
It isn't as hot as the weather but is cool enough to put up.

So what with all the doom and gloom of illustrating my blog with tributes to dead musicians I should write something a little more cheerful. Summer in Cambridge is turning out to be a bit of a scorcher and I am loving it. Although not terribly active musically myself some great new stuff is keeping my ears entertained. One particular band who I rate big time are The Young Knives. Hailing from the Oxford scene this trio have been around for a good few years now but their latest album; 'Voices of Animals and Men' really is bloody brilliant.

See for yourself;

..>

She's attracted to

Get a FREE track; Coastguard' courtesy of NME here;
http://www.7digital.com/stores/default.aspx?shop=223

Roger 'Syd' Barrett died from 'complications arising from his diabetes' this week. I am a little shocked to hear of his early demise. His contribution and influence on the British music scene is immeasurable. Gone but never forgotten. RIP.

Billy Brag has removed his music from his MYSpace site on the basis that the small print allows MySpace's owner;Fox licensing rights to all material posted;

From Billy's site;

'Someone who we work with was bright enough to read the small print of the MySpace terms and conditions and found that once an artist posts up any content (including songs), it then belongs to My Space (AKA Rupert Murdoch) and they can do what they want with it, throughout the world without payng the artist. Because of this we've had to take all of Billy's songs down. I'm working on getting small clips put up instead, but in the meantime please visit www.billybragg.com to listen to and download songs.

Below is the offending clause. We are hoping to start a small revolution (in true Bragg style) to try and put a stop to this. You can do your bit by posting out a bulletin to all your friends, esp artists, and badgering Tom with e-mails letting him know how unfair this clause is (not least because you can't hear Billy on here anymore!).

Thanks for your help and support. The amazing thing about My Space is how fast we can all communicate so if we all do our bit we should be able to change this.

Take Care

Sarah, Bragg Office xx

TERMS: (as of 17th March 2006)
>
> Quote:
> By displaying or publishing ("posting") any Content, messages, text,
> files, images, photos, video, sounds, profiles, works of authorship,
> or any other materials (collectively, "Content") on or through the
> Services, you hereby grant to MySpace.com, a non-exclusive, fully-
> paid and royalty-free, worldwide license (with the right to
> sublicense through unlimited levels of sublicensees) to use, copy,
> modify, adapt, translate, publicly perform, publicly display, store,
> reproduce, transmit, and distribute such Content on and through the
> Services. This license will terminate at the time you remove such
> Content from the Services. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a back-up
> or residual copy of the Content posted by you may remain on the
> MySpace.com servers after you have removed the Content from the
> Services, and MySpace.com retains the rights to those copies.


> Important Update - May 3rd,2006 It looks as if the terms have changed
> yet again. New Terms dated 1st May 2006 have removed all reference to
> their clause to retain back-up copies. I hope this is a step in the
> right direction.'
>


More than a little worrying and the BBC have brought attention to this matter on their news website today.