Monthly Archives: May 2012

We Are Scientists announce UK tour | Music News

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We Are Scientists have announced that they’ll be bringing their extremely entertaining live show back to UK shores following a 2 year break from playing here. The band are currently in the studio putting the finishing touches to their 4th, as yet untitled, album but are heading to the UK in July/August for a full tour as well as some festival appearances, the details of which are below.

 

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK20cYuFmbM&w=560&h=315]

 

UK Tour:

23/07 – Bristol – Thekla (www.alt-tickets.co.uk)
25/07 – London – The Garage (http://venues.meanfiddler.com/the-garage/home)
26/07 – Portsmouth – Wedgewood Rooms (www.gigsandtours.com)
27/07 – York – Duchess (http://theduchessyork.co.uk/whats-on/detail/978)
30/07 – Norwich – Arts Centre (http://norwichartscentre.co.uk/category/events/month/)
31/07 – Manchester – Deaf Institute (www.gigsandtours.com)
01/08 – Glasgow – King Tuts (www.gigsinscotland.com)

Festival Dates:

22/07 – Sheffield – Tramlines
29/07 – Cumbria – Kendal Calling
03/08 – Scotland – Belladrum
04/08 – Stockton – Weekender
05/08 – Derbyshire – Y Not Festival

Tickets for the tour dates go on sale at 9am on Wednesday 16th May.

 

Links:

We Are Scientists Facebook page

Official Website

Twitter

Rebekah Brooks & Husband to be Charged with Perverting the Course of Justice.

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Rebekah Brooks, the former News International chief executive, and her racehorse trainer husband, Charlie Brooks, are to be charged with perverting the course of justice during the phone-hacking scandal.

Mrs Brooks and her husband revealed the charger themselves in a statement which critiscised the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decision.

They said: “We have been informed by the Office of the Department of Public Prosecutions that we are to be charged with perverting the course of justice.

“We deplore this weak and unjust decision. After the further unprecedented posturing of the CPS we will respond later today after our return from the police station.”

Four other people are also to be charged which includes the personal assistant of Mrs Brooks’s, Cheryl Carter and Mark Hanna, head of security at News International.

There are a few different charges. Mrs Brooks has three against her, the rest have one. The charges include conspiring to conceal material from Scotland Yard detectives, conspiring to conceal documents, computers and other electronic equipment from detectives and conspiring to remove seven boxes of material from the archive of News International.

Alison Levitt QC, principal legal advisor to the Director of Public Prosecutions, revealed the details of the charges:

“The Crown Prosecution Service received a file of evidence from the Metropolitan Police Service on March 27 2012 in relation to seven suspects: Rebekah Brooks; Charles Brooks; Cheryl Carter, Mrs Brooks’ personal assistant; Mark Hanna, head of security at News International; Paul Edwards, Mrs Brooks’s chauffeur who was employed by News International; Daryl Jorsling and a seventh suspect – both of whom provided security for Mrs Brooks supplied by News International.

“All the evidence has now carefully been considered. Applying the two-stage test in the Code for Crown Prosecutors, I have concluded that in relation to all suspects except the seventh, there is sufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction.”

Tom Williams & The Boat tour decided | Music News

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Kent anti folk band Tom Williams & The Boat have announced the final details of their June tour. The run of 5 shows was an innovative project with detourjam.com that allowed fans to choose where the tour went simply by buying a ticket. The first 5 cities to sell 50 tickets got a show.

The band will play Leeds, London, Birmingham, Tunbridge Wells and Manchester from 4th to 8th June.

L.A. Salami – Jianni’s From Australia (She’ll Get By Fine) | Music Review

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Lookman Adekunle Salama aka L.A. Salami is a bright young new London singer. I’ll call him a singer-songwriter because others will but I think we can both agree that calling someone that doesn’t actually give any information away.

His new single ‘Jianni’s From Australia’ is, apparently, “a nod to Nigerian Apala music from the Youba tribe. It straddles the lines of indie and folk with a voice that is both enchanting and hypnotic. This single is two tracks of gorgeous pop-indie-folk magic that suggest he’s one to keep your eyes on. Go forth and listen!

 

‘Jianni’s From Australia’ is released on 11th June 

 

Official Website

Facebook Page

Twitter page

The Great Park – Stitch | Music Review

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Let’s clear one thing up – The Great Park is a man not a band. He’s called Stephen Burch and he’s an Englishman living in the musical hotbed of Berlin, the place where David Bowie and Iggy Pop once shared a flat. There’s some great folk music coming out of Berlin right now courtesy of Woodland Recordings but none great than The Great Park.

Despite being British he doesn’t really play a huge amount in The UK. His 150-ish concerts in the last few years have mostly been in Continental Europe although he has been involved with the excellent Brighton-based label Bleeding heart recordings.

‘Stitch’ is a beast of a record at 31 songs long, spanning two discs. The 1st disc is of songs from his last few records and the 2nd is of live recordings from his various journeys. It’s good of Burch to take us on a physical journey through the live record as he takes us on an emotional one with him in his music. It’s an emotional journey that paints a vivid picture of a man with exposed, open wounds. Burch is clearly a man with the lyrically-introspective nature of Tom Williams. Perhaps also cut from the same anti-folk cloth too, although I’d imagine he’d want less of the anti.

The songs on the record are intimate, they’re at times melancholic and difficult to listen to but something about it draws you in so Burch can paint his bleak picture and on repeated listening he reveals new lyrical nuances, a bit like Forrest Gump does. Whoever coined the term “Problem Folk” for him deserves a medal – I can do no better myself. It’s not without hope though. My only hope is he continues to make records for a long time to come. Buy. This. Record. NOW!

 

‘Stitch’ is out now via Bandcamp

 

Links:

http://www.woodlandrecordings.com/

http://www.woodlandrecordings.com/thegreatpark.htm 

www.bleedingheartrecordings.com

http://thegreatpark.bandcamp.com/album/stitch

 

 

Science meets Art at the Enlightenment Cafe

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An exciting and unique new theatrical project will be taking place from 31st May – 4th June in the vaults of the Old Vic Tunnels.

Presented by LAStheatre, the Enlightenment Café combines the beauty of science with the power and imagination of immersive performance in a place of exploration, where people from all walks of life can debate, play and laugh the night away.  Only the tedious will be off limits as The Enlightenment Café aims to provoke imagination and intrigue; scientists will demonstrate their art and artists will demonstrate their science.  Scientists in residence include Tim McInerny, Stuart Clarke and Alex Bellos.   This is an interactive adventure where new theories can be mooted as to why things are, how they got there and what will happen next. The Enlightenment Café will delve into topics ranging from astronomy to paleontology, from My Little Pony to zombies and from art to invention.

Doors to the Old Vic Tunnels will open every night at 7pm, and the evenings will be split into three sections: firstly, a period of immersive theatre and free exploration; secondly, stage pieces and panel discussions; and, finally, live music and entertainment. Each night will have a different theme and aesthetic but will all inspire, breaking away from the idea that science and facts can only be learnt in a lecture theatre or laboratory.

Times and tickets for all events at the Enlightenment Cafe can be found at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3487295595. Tickets are priced at £15 with a booking fee of £1.55.  For more information about LAStheatre visit www.lastheatre.com.

Wildeflower – Good Girl | Music Review

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pthZB_UGsN8&w=420&h=315]

 

Surrey folksters Wildeflower‘s new single is another gem from the rather fine Stella Mortos record label. The single is released on 14th May and it is one of the best of 2012 so far. Splendid. The title track sounds like The Great Park having a roll around in the hay with Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci, creating a folk sound with something more complicated and swirling over the top. It’s a joy to listen to. The b-side, ‘Amazing Discovery’, is more Beatles-esque. The perfect soundtrack to a summers day.

 

‘Good Girl’ is released on 14th May by Stella Mortos