Track of the Week - Barefoot Confessor, He Doesn't Love You

Last week's track of the week was a Beatle's remix;  this week's is one that riffs splendidly on the Fab Four's track 'I Wanna Hold your Hand', Barefoot Confessor's brilliant 'He Doesn't Love You'.

The band are from West London, and have been raising high levels of industry interest since their conception a few months ago, being likened to everyone from The Smiths, Bruce Springsteen, McFly (?!) and The Libertines.  Recently tipped by both Glasswerk and Red Stripe, and appearing on any number of Google searches for new London acts, they're looking good success-wise, which is helped by the fact that they are absolutely belting.  Don't take my word for it, check this out...

Barefoot Confessor - He Doesn't Love You

Jx

Weekend Manoeuvres 24.10

As Michael Gray once had it, as his office girl writhed becomingly on the photocopier, ‘I can’t waaaaaait for the weekend to begin, begin, begin, begin (ad infinitum)'.  He had a point.  Personally, I can’t wait for the weekend to begin – particularly when it’s chock-full of these goodies…

Tonight:

The quite splendid Duke Dumont headlines Voodo @ The Last Days of Decadence in Shoreditch.  If you’ve heard more than ten seconds of his remix of the Mystery Jets’ ‘Two Doors Down’, then you will want to be there.  He’s an awesome DJ, and plays some really interesting music.  Support from Photonz, Skull Juice’s Benedict, and a whole host of others
Doors 9pm, £6, Old Street

DFA’s The Juan Maclean hit Matter for a night hosted by the label.  Expect shenanigans a-plenty, with live sets from Yacht, Planningtorock, and the splendid Prinzhorn Dance School.  Also appearing will be DFA chief and LCD Soundsystem svengali James Murphy, who will be putting in some serious time behind the decks.  Should be a corker!
Doors 10pm, £17.50, North Grenwich/Canary Wharf

If you are feeling flush, and fancy something before hitting Matter, why not head down to the Indigo2 to see one of my favourite American artistes, Aimee Mann.  If you’re not familiar, Aimee writes superb, bitter-sweet tracks which generally deal with failure in some way – it’s not exactly Noah and the Whale, but it does have the benefit of being about 100 times better.  Following film collaborations with fellow misery-peddling film director Paul T Anderson (Magnolia), she’s now touring to promote new album ‘@#%&*! Smilers’
Doors 7pm, £25, North Grenwich

Tomorrow:

Mother Flippin’ fave VV Brown plays Ban*Jam @ St. Moritz on Wardour Street.  Scroll down the blog to check out the video to lead single ‘Crying Blood’ if you want a taster.  Upbeat 60s pop-soul with a punky edge, she’s a belter.  Support from Ellie Goulding, who I’ve never heard of, but seems to play some pretty hardball folk.
Doors 10pm, £7, Tottenham Court Road

Excess All Areas are at The Buffalo Bar in Highbury.  Amidst the line-up, The New Devices stand out.  They sound like a pretty tasty mix of Soulwax, The Presets, and everything else that is hip at the moment, and put on an awesome live show.  Signed to RCA on the basis of their demo alone, I’d highly recommend catching them now, so you can look smug in a few months when asked if you’ve heard their latest single…
Doors 7pm, £4, Highbury and Islington

Finally, we have Fox Cubs, who support at the BBC Electric Proms at the Camden Barfly.  They sound a bit like Interpol, but more fun, and write some really cracking melodies.  They’re supporting ‘frazzled indie’ (Time Out) peddlers Red Light Company.  Highly recommended
Doors 7.30pm, £10, Chalk Farm

Enjoy!

Jx

Track of the Week 2 - A Skillz, Strawberry Jam Forever

Have been meaning to post this track for a while now, and what better time to do it than Friday morning, when you guys are looking for something to soothe you into the weekend.

Heard this up in Coventry at Warwick's hip-hop and breaks night Renegade.  It made me lose physical control of my body.  The Beatles get remixed quite a bit, officially and unofficially.  Most are not particularly good - this is.  Ladies and Gentlemen, 'Strawberry Jam Forever' by A Skillz

Strawberry Jam Forever

Now tell me that ain't niiiiice.

Jx

Song of the Week - Long Blondes, Giddy Stratospheres

The Long Blondes have split up! 

Although this year has seen the release of the follow up to their debut effort 'Once and Never Again', the Erol Alkan-produced 'Couples', it has also seen their guitarist Dorian Cox suffer a stroke which led to a number of dates having to be cancelled over the summer.  In a statement on their myspace today, Dorian states that, given he doesn't know when/if he will be able to play the guitar again, the band have decided to call things to a halt.

Personally I loved The Long Blondes.  Their songs occasionally meandered a bit, but they could write a killer chorus!  As my friend Chris had it "just when you're starting to think 'oh, god, it's another lame Long Blondes track', the chorus comes along and you're grinning and jigging about like a total wazz"...In memory of...well that mental image if not the band themselves, this week's 'Song of the Week' is the song that introduced me to them, Giddy Stratospheres:

17th October

It's the 17th October. Today I heard 'All I Want for Christmas is You' by Maria Carey on an advert for the first time this year. I say again, it's the 17th October.

It made me sad inside...

Weekend manoeuvres 17.10

Club NME @ Koko are generally worth a shot for a decent Friday night, and the truism holds…er…true tonight as they host the brilliant Audio Bullys.  If you’ve ever heard anything these boys have put out, you’ll know what to expect.  A high-energy jump up mix of dub, house, and rock.  Support from the steamy dreamy Magic Wands.  Nice.
Doors 9.30pm, £5, Mornington Crescent 

Moving Eastwards, So Cow support Die!Die!Die! for White Light at The Lexington.  We had Jonny and the guys down for dancetillyoudie last night, and they kicked some serious Kilburn ass.  Basically imagine if Graham Coxon came from Tuam in Ireland, and you have them down – really really good garage indie/pop.
Doors 8.00pm, £6, Angel 

Finally, it’s back to Camden.  Eschewing Proud, who wants to see the Pipettes again anyway?, it’s off to the Roundhouse for one of Mother Flippin’s all time faves – British Sea Power.  One of the first gigs I ever promoted was a show with British Sea Power.  I got trollied on their rider, had a great laugh, and then had some kind of quasi-religious experience to their first track Heavenly Waters.  Expect lots of foliage and stuffed animals on stage, some striking visuals, and just the best best BEST music you will here in a long time.  So recommended.
Doors 7pm, £16. Chalk Farm 

Over to Saturday, and The Maddisons play The Dry Bar.  The Maddisons are a bunch of indie scamps from Southampton.  If you imagine the Arctic Monkeys, but a little less bitter with the world in general, you’ll get the idea.  Their music is waaay ahead of their tender years (most of them are just finishing GCSEs), and they hit London as part of a national tour to promote their highly recommended single The Witch.
Doors 8pm, £4, Barbican 

Over in North Grenwich Moshi Moshi are holding a big 10^th birthday bash at Matter.  It’s a fairly stellar line-up for the price, so if you fancy getting down to James Yuill, Florence and the Machine, Tilly and the Wall, Kate Nash, and Hot Chip, then you know where to go!  It’s also an all-nighter, so have a nap first!
Doors 10pm, £17.50, North Grenwich/Canary Wharf 

“Well Well Well”, it’s Roots Manuva at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire.  If you feel like witnessing the fitness (and, let’s face it, who wouldn’t – he’s fecking beezer), then get yourself Westward Ho and get involved.
Doors 7pm, £16, Shepherd’s Bush 

Finally – Saturday is so chocked with goodies that I have to list four this week – we have Rosie Oddie and the Odd Squad at the Rhythm Factory for Bored Youth on Prozac.  It’s Lily Allen-esque estuary pop, and very very good.  Lead single Cola Coka is a banger, and Rosie herself is lovely to boot.
Doors 7.30pm, £6, Aldgate East

dancetillyoudie tomorrow night

it would be a foolish man indeed who didn't post the odd blog about the night he runs, so here we go!

My night, dancetillyoudie, returns to the Good Ship in Kilburn tomorrow night for some fearsome alternative loving.  Playing live on the night are:

Walk.DontWalk

Finalists in this year's Road to V competition, Slice the Pie album winners, and one of Birmingham's finest exports. Having been hand-picked to support the likes of the Young Knives, The Paddingtons, and Vincent Vincent and the Villians, Walk.DontWalk head to dtyd for what promises to be an absolutely barnstorming headline set. 

"the find of the night - and perhaps the entire contest...a girl-flinging, dress-removing, mate-piggybacking, TV camera-grabbing frenzy. A turbo-charged Coral anyone?" (Mark Beaumont, NME)

So Cow

Vaults
Stick Man Army

afterwards my good friend Bryn and I entertain on the decks until 2am.  It's generally a great night's entertainment, and all the bands playing tomorrow are corking, so hope to see you down there!  If you want a cheeky gander at walk.dontwalk beforehand though, check this out...

Tickets are £5 on the door, or £4 if you let us know you're coming in advance - do that here, or wing me a message here

Advertorial ends!

Jx

Live Review - Indiesexual @ Catch, 08.10.08

Catch is an odd venue to be honest.  Downstairs has a bar, background music, pool table and seating booths – think faded Americana and you won’t go far wrong.  Up the narrow spiral staircase, though, and you find yourself in the kind of spit-and-sawdust gig space that is so typical to London – narrow room, low ceiling.  You get the feeling that they could make much better use of the space, but why bother as things are rolling along pretty well as is.  I was there to catch (ahem) Indiesexual, another successful night from the ubiquitous Broccoli Music clan – brother and sister team Mikee and Katie Corcoran (or ‘Broccoli’ as they have, perhaps unfairly, become known).

The night has been running for more than three years now, and is another step in their plans for global domination of the ‘up-and-coming but not signed yet’ bands market.  Going on the evidence of their website, booking policy tends towards the eclectic, with previous acts including the likes of The Krak, Joanna and the Wolf, Hatcham Social, Popular Workshop, and the now sadly defunct Mescalitas.  Tonight’s entertainment came from The Cavaliers, The Supernovas, The Broadcasts, and Miss Davina Lee (‘The’ Miss Davina Lees were obviously not available, or they couldn’t get her to change her name…).  DJing support came from the Broccoli kids themselves, debuting on the one’s and two’s in fine style.

There is something endearingly British about Miss Davina Lee.  She may come on stage dressed like Lovefoxx, all pink leopard prints and gold lame leggings, but she races through her set more like Lovesquirrel – all hopping from one foot to another and self-conscious chatter interspersing the tracks as if Hugh Grant was fronting an indie band.  It’s a winning formula that puts you on-side almost instantly.  There is something particularly wonderful about watching a performer who gets so into the music that she forgets to sing into the microphone.  The music itself was fun – all electro beats underpinned with some nice acoustic guitar work.  Next time give the girl a higher stand for her keyboard though…

Next up were The Broadcasts, peddling poppy, upbeat glam-indie that was hard to resist, and few did.  All driven guitars and witty vocal lines, you can really see why these boys are a firm favourite with the radio powers that be.  Their sound isn’t fully formed as yet, with different songs bringing in occasionally disparate elements, but once they find their balance, perhaps during the album-writing process they are currently going through, they’re going to be a fine prospect.

The Supernovas had brought quite the crowd with them – always a plus as it will endear you to the promoter if nothing else – and proceeded to entertain in the well-worn style of mildly punk indie, sounding like an amalgam of fellow Nambucca-ites The Holloways, Elle Milano (their track ‘City of Smoke’ could just as easily have been ‘Sexy in Latin’), and the Buzzcocks.  Just because it was of a type, though, didn’t mean it wasn’t enjoyable.  The band were obviously into, and true to, what they were doing, and the songs were carried off with a panache that lifts them above the average, and could well ensure that Holy Grail of all acts on the London circuit, label interest.

Finally, we had The Cavaliers to wrap things up.  The Supernovas have previously supported Pete Doherty, The Cavaliers seem to enjoy fearsomely channelling him, if you believe previous press reports on their activities.  I guess the Babyshambles influences were there to be seen, but The Cavaliers have much more in the locker in terms of how to create an interesting chord structure than Doherty et al have ever had.  To this reviewer the style of the songs was rather more reminiscent of a slightly more louche Strokes, but with sweeter melodic lines a la Boy Kill Boy.  Honestly?  It was bloody ripper!  Some excellent music on display, twinned with a bit of a, deserved, swagger.

Verdict:
Strong band line-ups, DJs who are obviously enjoying themselves, and pleasant door staff.  It’s an aptly named venue for this Catch-y night.  You should ‘Catch’ it very soon (that’s enough catch gags…)

Where Next:
Miss Davina Lee - no gig listed
The Broadcasts - @ The Bull & Gate on 28th October
The Supernovas - Abstract Noun all-dayer @ The Ramshackle on 26th October
The Cavaliers - @ 93 Feet East on 15th October
Indiesexual - Indiesexual returns to Catch on 12th November with It's a Trap!, The Hateful, and Burning Pilot

Song of the week - Crying Blood, V V Brown

I'm not going to lie, it's a pretty crappy day in London town this Monday am.  So for those bemoaning the end of the sun we had over the weekend, here's something to put a smile on your face.  Miss V V Brown with her debut single 'Crying Blood'.  It's been around for a while now, but it's a belter that never fails to do the business when I'm out DJing, and I've just found the video, so I'm posting it.

Lindi-hop-tastic!  There's also a killer remix of the track by Hannah Holland.  Check it out...

Weekend Manoeuvres 10.10

So, the weekend rolls around once again, and the great and the good descend from the satellite towns to sample London’s particular brand of nightlife…but where to go?!  Well…

New club night Us and Them Club launch at the Barfly tonight.  Music comes from My Tiger My Timing, who are always worth a look-in, and then a whole host of DJ sets from the likes of Broader than Broadway, Gigwise, Us and Them, and the ubiquitous Bloody Awful Poetry boys…
Doors 9pm, £5, Chalk Farm 

Just over the road, Ninja Tunes project The Cinematic Orchestra entertain at The Roundhouse.  A dizzying display of jazz, soundtracks, film images, breaks, beats, and pretty much everything else under the sun, it’s looking like it should be a superb night.
Doors 7pm, £25, Chalk Farm 

Completing the Camden trio (sorry – it seems to be the only area with anything of interest tonight, unless you fancied Ting Tings at The Forum?  No – thought not) are Mothlite, who support These New Puritans at The Monarch.  TNP are all well and good, but Mothlite are awesome and well worth getting down early for.  Ambient folk-tronica a-go-go!
Doors 8pm, £10, Chalk Farm 

Let’s see if we can’t get out of Camden for Saturday though…

The Purple Gang Reunion at the Half Moon in Herne Hill has to be a hot ticket.  The Purple Gang, for those not in the know, were a jug/skiffle band back in the 60s whose single ‘Granny Takes a Trip’ was banned by the BBC due to it’s alleged drug-taking undertones.  Silly really, as it’s an absolutely storming track, and one of Mother Flippin’s favourites…well…pretty much ever, as well as being beloved of the late great John Peel, and the happily still-with-us Erol Alkan.  This will be a good one…
Doors 8pm, £10, Herne Hill 

Keeping down South, we have the splendid Geno Washington at the Half Moon in Putney (what is it with Half Moons?!)  Geno Washington provided the inspiration for Dexy’s Midnight Runners’ track ‘Geno’, and produces top-notch blues, R&B and soul.  Again, definitely worth a look in.
Doors 8pm, £10, Putney Bridge 

Finally, there is a veritable who’s who of indie/pop/whatever taking the stage at Matter.  Literally, check this line-up – Mark Ronson, Supergrass, Mystery Jets, New Young Pony Club, Lethal Bizzle, The View, Friendly Fires…the list is endless.  Not bad for a fiver…
Doors 8pm, £5, North Greenwich

…of course if you are in Camden tomorrow as well, I would recommend sitting outside the Roundhouse begging, stealing, or borrowing (yeah right) a ticket for Elbow.  I know I will be…

Weekend manoeuvres 03.10

So Friday rolls around, and the love affair with the weekend blossoms once more.  It's not for nothing that Andrew O'Neal started his week on a Sunday, so by the end of it he was ready for some 'Saturday Love' (though that might be rather more down to the strictures of line scansion, who knows...).  Anyway, there's plenty going on in our fair capital this weekend, including:

Tonight:

Carlotti headline at the Hope & Anchor.  I was very impressed with the set these guys put together at Pull up the Roots recently, so this should be a cracker.  Support from The Candy Twins, Zenyth, and Karl & King.

Doors 8.30pm, £6/£5, Islington

The frankly totally awesome Young Punx hit up Shoreditch reet nice at The Last Days of Decadence tonight for Twisted Licks.  Think crazy electro, big beat, pop, punk, funk, drum'n'bass, and breakbeat all thrown into a wonderful musical mix, and you'll get the idea.  Really, really recommended.  Support from The XX and Modernaire.

Doors 8pm, £10/£8, Shoreditch

'Estuary rapper' MissOddKid entertains alongside electro collaborator Dekker at The Monarch.  With support from perennial Mother Flippin faves Bearsuit and Gentle Friendly.  Oddball pop and electro-grime?  Sounds good to me...

Doors 8pm, £6, Chalk Farm

Tomorrow:

Goodies are thinner on the ground for Saturday, but you could always hang around King's Place to see if you can grab a return for the superb cellist and composer Jocelyn Pook.  There are three performances throughout the afternoon, so if you camp out chances are good...

Doors 2.45pm, 4pm, 5.15pm, £returns only, King's Cross

Rounding things out are The Thirst, who support Red Roots at The Ramshackle in Fulham.  These Brixton indie boys are always worth a look in - their track 'She's So Cool' was one of Mother Flippin's tracks of the year - like The Subways covering Pharell.

Doors 8pm, £5, Putney Bridge

Enjoy!

Jx

Somojo - The future for radio?

I was sent a link today to a new online radio service called Somojo (hat-tip to Mikee @ Broccoli Music – many thanks sir), and it looks quite interesting.

Basically it is a site in the mould of last.fm, where bands can sign themselves up and upload tracks to be listened to from their page – either through streaming, downloading, or even purchasing.  Once the service is fully up and running, and there are enough tracks online, Somojo will create playlists just like any online radio station as well as putting together specific programmes to cater for particular crowds.

So far, so same.  The main differentiator to other similar sites, though, seems to be in the sales section of the site.  Not only can bands put their tracks up for sale, but can also sell merchandise, photos, and even gig tickets through the service (for which the site takes a split on sales).  This ‘one-stop-shop’ idea is an attractive one, and should especially appeal to those bands at the lower end of the touring scale.

The site itself is laid out in a cheery shade of orange, and seems very much a work in progress. The layout will have to be worked on if it aims to be attractive to look at and functional to use – at the moment it looks too scrappy, and the fact that any new news items posted by bands go straight onto the front page in full doesn’t lend itself to easy scanning for news items. Sticking to a set style guide, and putting the news items in brief would certainly make it look better.  As would changing the rather alarming font…

Overall, the launch of Somojo marks another venture in a market that is growing but not yet saturated.  It remains to be seen whether the take-up from the band community will be strong enough to drive interest, but I would recommend it regardless.  It's a good concept, and anywhere where bands can post music and people can access it is always a positive place to be...

Live Review - The Chapman Family @ The Enterprise, Monday 29th September

On record, The Chapman Family produce a sound akin to North-Eastern counterparts Maximo Park or The Futureheads (though coming from Stockton, TCF hail from slightly lower down the country), all jittering guitars, and repetitive, yelped choruses.  Live, however, it would appear they take on a rather different tone – not exactly ‘Hounds of Love’, rather more ‘Hounds of Hell’.  The four band members slunk onto the red-lit stage of The Enterprise on Monday night with posture that can only be described as sinister, ominous…I don’t even think ‘boding’ would be going too far.  Boding of what?  30 minutes of brutal, utterly glorious noise, that’s what.

It was absolutely relentless.  Eschewing chatter between tracks wherever they could (an approach that has lead to quite some comment on their myspace, but which I totally agreed with), ‘The Family’ created a veritable wall of visceral, feedback-imbued noise that battered the four walls of the tiny upstairs room into all kinds of musical submission.  Coming on like the very best bits of The Cooper Temple Clause, yourcodenameis:milo and Sonic Youth, it was post-punk/hardcore/rock/call-it-what-you-will par excellence.  Yes, they really were so good that I need to use italics. 

Picking highlights in a set-list as crammed with goodies as they put on display is difficult, but I would definitely say that ‘Something I Can’t Get Out’, ‘Million Dollars’, and ‘Lies Plus Lies’ lingered longer in the memory.  It was all absolutely beezer though.

Verdict: 
The band’s publicity may well scream that ‘The Chapman Family is not a cult’, but that’s certainly not going to stop them creating a large following of hardcore fans who will follow them anywhere and do anything they desire.  Methinks they doth protest too much...

Where Next:
Catch The Chapman Family on tour at the Freebutt in Brighton tomorrow (Thursday 2^nd October), or back in London @ Nambucca on Saturday 4^th.

Full Setlist (from paper on floor, so apologies for any typos):
Hear Them Marching
Lies
Something I Can’t Get Out
Sound of the Radio
You Are Not Me
Kids
Million Dollars