Archive for July, 2008
Right, I need to get a few bands off my chest at the moment. With the Hydroconnect giveaway running I have decided to do a Smash or Trash Video styleee!!!! I actually like all these artists but let me know who you wanna hear more of and I will post away.
Wave Machines- Laugh It All Away
Royal Treatment Plan
Late of the Pier - Heartbeat
- Mark
Walter Meego are 7 shades of fabulous! And lo and behold, they’re actually from the USA (kind of a surprise when most 70’s/80’s-tinged synthrock tends to come out of Australia these days).
This is one of those bands I’ve been inexplicably sitting on for far too long. Here’s a brief background:
Justin Sconza (vox) and Colin Yarck (beats/synthesizers) met in college at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois. Justin grew up in Beverly. Beverly is on the south side of Chicago. Justin, who writes many of Walter Meego’s songs has said in interviews his style comes mostly from jazz and oldies, as well as the the Beatles and Nirvana. Colin grew up in Park Ridge, which is on the north side of Chicago. Both the guys in Walter Meego have said they were influenced by American pop music from the early 1990s.
You’ve probably heard their track ‘Forever’ in that Heineken beer commercial. It’s beyond catchy. Their debut Voyager hit stores back in May, without a terrific amount of fanfare (from what I could see). That’s odd to me, because this is clearly in a similar category to Midnight Juggernauts, Cut Copy and Van She, though I’d say they incorporate even more classic pop elements. Of all the modern revivalists, I think Walter Meego have the greatest mainstream crossover potential.
And hey, I love them even more because they’re actually coming to AZ! Although they’re playing at Modified, which isn’t the best format for this kind of music. Still! I predict they will return and demand will ensure they play a bigger venue.
Do yourself a favor and pick up the album: Amazon
Tourdates:
Sep 04 The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern Toronto Ontario Canada
Sep 05 Mojo’s Jamestown NY US
Sep 06 Bug Jar Rochester NY US
Sep 07 Syracuse University Syracuse NY US
Sep 10 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland OH US
Sep 11 Subterranean Chicago IL US
Sep 12 7th Street Entry Minneapolis MN US
Sep 14 Jackpot Saloon Lawrence KS US
Sep 16 Hi-Dive Denver CO US
Sep 17 Kilby Court Salt Lake City UT US
Sep 18 Neurolux Boise ID US
Sep 20 King Cobra Seattle WA US
Sep 22 Doug Fir Lounge Portland OR US
Sep 24 Rickshaw Stop San Francisco CA US
Sep 25 The Echo Los Angeles CA US
Sep 28 The Casbah San Diego CA US
Sep 29 Modified Phoenix AZ US
Sep 30 Plush Tucson AZ US
Oct 03 Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Austin TX US
Oct 04 Rudyard’s Houston TX US
Oct 07 The Social Orlando FL US
Oct 08 Club Downunder Tallahassee FL US
Oct 10 The Drunken Unicorn Atlanta GA US
Oct 11 Local 506 Chapel Hill NC US
Oct 12 Black Cat Washington DC US
Oct 14 Ottobar Baltimore MD US
Oct 15 Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia PA US
Oct 18 Middle East Restaurant and Nightclub - Downstairs Cambridge MA
- Sean
So Sean kinda stole my thunder on The Joy Formidable with the posting of the ‘Austere’ video last week! They first worked onto my radar last year and I have seen them a couple of times live since -totally brilliant. I caught up with the band up at the guest bar for an interview at Latitude.
Mark: So Hi! I love Austere - what’s the inspiration behind the song?
TJF (Ritzy): It’s kind of autobiographical in a way, it was written in Wales when we were on the cusp of what we are doing now. We were messing around trying to see how high we could go which is pretty fuckin scary.
TJF: (Ryhdian) Someone asked us this before…we sort of had the bare bones down and I was reading some Oscar Wilde at the time. It kinda of doesn’t come from one thing it’s an amalgamation of things. The austerity thing you were talking about me is that right? Theres a bit of our relationship bit of everything really…
Mark: There’s a lot of Oscar Wilde and things of that sort of vein in the video dont you think?
TJF: Yea, yea it’s quite Dickensian, Victorian if you like. It’s all homegrown with friends and stuff.
Mark: I really like it.
1)How did you all end up coming together as a band?
Bruce and I (Danny) were in a band called Nylon Pylon prior to this. We signed a deal with London Records and then 2 years later got dropped. The band split and we continued to write tunes together. During this period when we were ready to start gigging them, we were working with Nathan in a guitar shop, having known him in and out of bands in Manchester for ages we asked him if he wanted to play bass. He then suggested Fee. The Whip was born.
We have all sort of know each other for years though due to all being in other bands that have played with each other in the past.
2)You seem to have been touring almost non-stop this year. Any chances of a more extensive North American tour?
Yes!! We are working on a load of dates as we speak it’s looking like Oct time so keep your eyes peeled!!
3)Have you begun any preliminary work on a follow-up to ‘X Marks Destination’? Tested out any tracks while you’ve been out on the road?
Bruce and I have been writing new material now for a couple of months and will be doing for the next few too!! Not road tested any yet but should be by the time we get to America in Oct.
4)Do you design the artwork for your singles/albums within the band?
The Artwork was designed by an company suggested by the label. We worked with them - coming up with suggestions for images and the shapes. We think it looks like we sound.
5)I recently DJ’d with Peter Hook and when he heard ‘Trash’ he immediately asked for a copy of it. Are you guys New Order fans? Are there any specific bands you find yourself drawing inspiration from?
Yeah New Order are a very important Manchester band and being from Manchester you can’t help but be influenced by them. But we also love a lot of the new dance music coming out at the moment. Also things like Felix da Housecat (Rocket Ride) and Daft Punk had an early influence on the band but we love stuff like Soulwax, DIM, Crookers, Bloody Beetroots, Sebastian, Presets, Goose, Surkin, Kavinsky etc. A lot of French, Italian, Belgian stuff!!
6)If we asked you to make a 5-track essential mix for our readers, what songs would be on it?
Daft Punk - Da Funk
Crookers - Love to Edit
DIM - Airbus Baby
MGMT - Electric Feel (Justice Mix)
Sebastian - Motor
7)Is there anything about you we couldn’t find on Google?
Don’t think so we are all pretty open people. We try and not hide things!!
www.myspace.com/thewhipmanchester
- Sean
So for all you Oasis fans out there including myself, here is a montage released today that I rather liked. At the end you get a snippet of the video for the first single due to be released from Dig Out Your Soul - dropping on October 6th - ‘Shock of Lightning’. The single is released a week earlier on 29th September. The single, by the way, is a real return to form. I know it’s not cool to big-up Oasis at the moment, but I think some hardened cynics are going to eat their words when the album comes out.
- Mark
I think anything that highlights this awful epedemic thats sweeping our youth culture and tries to do something constructive is worth a mention on our site. Celebrities such as Sway and Felix from Basement Jaxx will be supporting the event.
The campaign ‘Drop Your Knife And Pick Up A Guitar’ which will be launched at Sound, London, 1 Leicester Square, WC on August 7th from 7PM-3AM.
SOUND London hosts a wide variety of events club nights and live music. Sound Promotions Manager Omar says ‘Sound is proud to be a part of the Drop Your Knife And Pick Up A Guitar campaign. Sound is a bustling venue with a very diverse and vibrant audience. Being centrally located in the heart of London’s West End we have our finger on the pulse of a lot of London’s artistic youth and current trend’s. Helping to make London a safer more dynamic place is what we are about.’
The aim of the campaign is to help raise further awareness as to the effects of knife crime by re-engaging the community through music. Although there is not one single answer, if one child can break out of the cycle that draws them toward crime by putting their energies into creativity and music, then that is potentially one less life lost.
Dirty Fuzz are a new generation Rock n Roll band from the streets of London.
The press find it difficult to compare Dirty Fuzz to other bands but suggest Iggy Pop’s Stooges, fronted by Tina Turner or ACDC with Muddy Water’s illicit daughter on lead vocals.
The Dirty Fuzz, Elida’s band, will host an evening every month showcasing local London talent. The nights will be eclectic focusing on bringing various styles of music and followers together, as one to appreciate music and its role in all our lives. As knife crime soars across London and the wider communities, the band feels it is time to send the message of music to the kids who may feel isolated and distant from society and also to the community who can enjoy music and support the cause all at the same time.
Music crosses all boundaries and can be used to create an individual’s unique voice. Music allows freedom to express ideas, thoughts and passions in a truly peaceful way whilst assisting in making a difference to many lives.
A percentage of profits from each night will be re invested into community groups who are at the grassroots, such a Brixton’s South Central Youth. This Youth group is a community voluntary agency that re-engages youth at risk by mentoring them and helping them to reconnect with society. Most of the mentors at this voluntary organization are ex-gang members as well, therefore the youths at risk do listen to what these mentors have to say.
For any further info e mail Omar omar@soundlondon.com
- Mark
So I’m a bit biased on this - having helped book some of the artists - but this is going to be a top day out. The setting really is great, and I know the vibe is going to be laidback and how festivals used to be. Rest assured that the bands are pretty cool as well!
The festival that’s breaking the mould
What’s there to say? One of my favorite songs this year.
MP3: M83 - Kim & Jessie
- Sean
We have 3 pairs of weekend and camping tickets to give away to the Hydro Connect Music Festival which takes place in the fairytale grounds of Inveraray Castle in Argyll from Friday 29th
We didn’t think The Presets could top Beams, but they managed to break the mold with Apocalypso (it’s one of those rare instances where I disagree with the fine duo at the Music Weekly podcast). ‘Talk Like That’ is the third single to be released from the album so far, and we have yet another unique video to go right along with it.
So what’s it all about? A crazy one-woman band living in what looks like Michael Meyers’ childhood home has stolen all of The Presets’ equipment. She then proceeds to destroy it all. Then she takes a little nap, because going mental can kind of tucker you out.
MP3: The Presets - Talk Like That
- Sean
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