Tag Archives: EP

Cable Street Collective: The Best of Times | Music News

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1939993_762587530488443_7227348855505489796_n16 February 2015
Lead Track – ‘Can’t Take Me Under’

Formed in 2012 at the same London open mic night that produced Denai Moore, Cable Street Collective combine catchy tunes with dance-inspired beats to create music that mixes African influences (two of the group grew up in Swaziland and Malawi) with UK funky house and a whole host of other sounds from in and around their home bases in East London and Brixton.

Tom Robinson of BBC 6Music and BBC Introducing says their music “grooves like a bastard.” XFM’s new music guru John Kennedy says: “Their music is guaranteed to bring the sunshine, whatever the weather.”

The band have enjoyed airtime on XFM and played at a series of high profile festivals including Bestival, the Isle of Wight Festival, Secret Garden Party, Boomtown Fair and the Lake of Stars Festival in Malawi.

Their debut EP ‘The Best of Times’ is available on iTunes, Spotify and as a physical release. ‘Can’t Take Me Under’ is the lead track and will be released as a single on February 16th 2015.

 

 

Introducing stickybackplastics | Music Profile

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stickybackplastics is all about about dark, bluesy, heavy hooks with a noise-rock undertone. Grinding riffs, brooding basslines. Epic vocals. Music to make your hair stand on end. The York-based alt-blues three-piece are- Roz Walker (guitar) and Heather Niven (vocals), alongside Dom Smith on drums.

The band came together with a simple desire to create music to soundtrack the world’s best and worst heartbreaks.

Stating their influences as Garbage, PJ Harvey and Portishead, the band are “driven by a shared desire to create great guitar and blues-driven rock music that emotes any type of emotion in the listener”.

stickybackplastics

Roz and Heather met at a way-too-grown-up garden party in deepest North Yorkshire, and quickly realised they had a great synergy for all things creative.

Vocalist Heather says: “There is something instant, forceful and immediate about singing, there is an excitement and passion like nothing I get from painting. Have you ever had goosebumps from looking at a painting? Music reaches a different part of you.”

Roz and Heather have been working together as artists for a number of years before their began exploring their collective musical potential. The track on the debut EP were built by Roz a number of years ago, and they’d been looking for a drummer to turn their work into a proper band. Following a number of meetings over the years between Heather and disabled entrepreneur Dom Smith within York’s vast creative network, a friendship grew that led to him becoming the drummer and perfecting the trio.

Their debut EP, a self-titled introduction to stickybackplastics recorded at The White Rooms, York, UK, is available on Bandcamp: http://stickybackplastics.bandcamp.com – fans just need to name their price

In the coming months stickybackplastics will be releasing an EP of remixes, followed by a new music release by the end of the year.

 

 

Allusondrugs September Tour | Music News

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Allusondrugs have announced their September tour dates.
 

Their Eponymous EP

 

Release Date: 21st July 2014 on Clue Records

  allusondrugstour

Allusondrugs formed in 2012 in West Yorkshire when Jason Moules (Vocals), Drey Pavlovic (Guitar), Damo Hughes (Guitar/Vocals/Effects), Jemal Malki (Bass) and Connor Fisher-Atack (Drums) came together after meeting on the Leeds music scene.  Influenced by Nirvana, Deftones, My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth and known for their blisteringly intense guitar rock sound, the band have attracted national press attention and a huge following of fans who are drawn to their captivating live performances.

 

The Allusondrugs EP was recorded and produced in one week at Greenmount Studios in Armley, Leeds. The record was tracked live to analogue tape as band members performed together in one room.  Although additional overdubs and vocals were added complete the tracks, the core of the recording was done live in an attempt to capture the band’s energy on record.

 

 

Social Links:

Facebook

Twitter

 

 

Tour Dates:

 

JULY

5th July = The Wardrobe, Leeds (Futuresound Competition)

11th July = Exchange Arts Centre, Keighley

12th July = The Works Skatepark, Leeds

17th July = Proud Galleries, Camden

20th July = The Rocking Chair, Sheffield

25th July = Tramlines Festival, Sheffield (Millenium Galleries)

26th July = Lounge 41, Workington

27th July = Clarence Festival, Wakefield

 

 AUGUST

1st August = The Puzzle Hall, Sowerby Bridge

2nd August = Temple of Boom, Leeds

7th August = Bar Bloc, Glasgow

14th August = Wharf Chambers, Leeds

 

SEPTEMBER

 

11th September = The 13th Note, Glasgow

12th September = Downstairs, Aberdeen

13th September = Pickett, Liverpool

14th September = Think Tank, Newcastle

15th September = Static Bar, Swansea

16th September = Red Rooms, Nottingham

17th September = The Garage (upstairs), London

18th September = Sticky Mikes, Brighton

19th September = The Crauford Arms, Milton Keynes

20th September = Huddlefest, Huddersfield

21st September = Boiler Room, Guildford

22nd September = Joiners, Southampton

 

 

The Sunday Reeds | Music Profile

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The Jesus and Mary Chain Meets Marianne Faithful: It’s Australia’s The Sunday Reeds.

Their new EP ‘Amour Tragique’ on Heartgun Records

 

Release Date: 1st August 2014

Format: Digital Download 

 TheSundayReedsPic1

L-R: Jeremy Russell, Romana Ashton and Drew Jones.  Photo by Rex Francis

 

 

 

The Sunday Reeds, named after Melbourne’s celebrated patron of the arts Sunday Reed, are Romana Ashton and Drew Jones.  Though forming in 2009 as a duo, they soon started playing live as a three-piece and are regularly joined on stage by drummer Jeremy Russell.


 

Their first release ‘Drowning in History’ (2009) caught the attention of UK indie label Squirrel Records leading to extensive touring across Australia, the UK and Europe, during which bridges were burned, relationships ended and nervous breakdowns became commonplace.  At one point the founding duo spent three days in Paris where the most romantic city in the world became an ironic backdrop for a particularly bitter relationship break up, one that culminated in their latest EP ‘Amour Tragique’ (Tragic Love).

 

A collection of five songs that detail doomed romances and love lost, ‘Amour Tragique’ combines the grittiness and angst of ‘90s grunge with the pop sensibilities of ‘60s pop, rock ‘n’ roll, a good measure of old fashioned blues and ‘80s new wave/post punk.

 

With contralto female vocals likened to Marianne Faithfull and Shirley Manson, and a rock ‘n’ roll swagger reminiscent of The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and Nirvana, The Sunday Reeds skillfully combine the most exciting elements of rock ‘n’ roll to create lyrically rich, infectiously melodic songs with a sound distinctly their own.

 

‘Amour Tragique’ will be launched at The Old Bar, Melbourne on Saturday July 5th.

 

Videos for the singles taken from the EP ‘Jean-Luc’ (a song about the tumultuous relationship between Jean-Luc Godard and Anna Karina) and ‘Something About You’ (a dark pop song about love and loss) will be released later in 2014.

 

Discography

 

Amour Tragique (EP 2014 – Heartgun Records)

Drowning in History (LP Vinyl Re-Release) (2013 – Heartgun Records)

Kill This Party/Fall from Grace (Single – 2012 – Heartgun Records)

Dark Rainbows (EP – 2011 – Squirrel Records UK)

Drowning in History (LP – 2009-Squirrel Records UK)

 

 

 

Jubilee Courts The EP: Go From The Blue Light Into The Moonlight

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Release Date: 4th August 2014

Format: Digital Download

jubileecourt

Jubilee Courts are Josh (21), Matt (21) and Harry (19) who were brought together in 2011 by a mutual dissatisfaction with the current music scene and a motivation to do something different.  Gigging throughout their hometown of Northampton in late 2012 to early 2013, the buzz around the band grew and Frank (18) joined as their drummer.  With two members now based in London, Jubilee Courts’ music reflects their changing surroundings and eclectic influences.

 

The band quote My Bloody Valentine, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Bauhaus and Joy Division as musical inspirations.  Lyrical influences come from the literary works of T S Elliott and Delmore Schwartz.

 

The single ‘Room with a View’, released on Stalkers Records in December 2013, was mixed by James Bagshaw, singer of Temples.  A further seal of approval from the Temples frontman came in the form of his percussion performance on the track.  Their debut EP ‘Go From the Blue Light into the Moonlight’ was written in mid-2013. The piece is a minimalistic portrayal of where the band began, a reflection of them growing up in the provincial midlands with some tracks representing the routine and monotony whilst others offer a contrast through undertones of romanticism and the avant-garde.

 

Social Links:

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

 

Tour Dates:

Saturday 2nd August – Roadmender, Northam

SUZUKI/METHOD – Native EP Featuring the single Sherbet Out 20th of October News

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Recently signed to A1(M) Records, Suzuki/Method are Brothers and founders Adam and Glen Leishman, Michael Mathews, David Boyd and Ben Hounslow who came together during the Salford riots to create their debut EP ‘NATIVE‘. Produced by David Tolan (Delphic, New Order, Primal Scream) and Jim Spencer (The Doves, The Vaccines, 808 State) the EP is full of melody and replete with swaggering anthemic ‘we dare-you-not-to-dance’ chorus’.

Suzuki method

Swelling bass lines and cast iron drum beats draped in lush synth textures and jangly guitars provide a pitch perfect soundtrack to Vocalist Adam’s forlorn tale of youth in crisis. It’s this ingredients that makes these industrial dance floor fillers so vitally urgent.

A place where 30 years of dance music culture collides with a wall of screaming guitars and lyrics question and lay blame in equal measure. Crucially however it is the principled and intelligent approach to pop music that make this Salford band so appealing to such a large demographic.

Drawing from a diverse palate of influences ranging from Daft Punk to The Smiths (by way of guitar lines that wouldn’t be out of place on a Parliament record) there is something almost Darwinian in their sound selections and arrangements, where in only the strongest hooks make the final cut.

The video for lead single Sherbet was directed by Bafta film maker Pete Travis, (Ohmah, Vantage Point, Judge Dredd) who agreed to do so after seeing the band perform at London’s Barfly. Set on the Manchester rooftops, it is a fast paced and beautifully shot affair. The band have received BBC introducing, Amazing radio and XFM airplay and the accompanying video to last single Country Cousins notched up 30,000 video plays in three days on MUZTV and NME TV.

 

Upcoming Shows

29th August Native in the streets @ Manchester town hall Manchester Town Hall Manchester 
5th September Native in the streets @ 258 Deansgate, 258 Deansgate Manchester 
26th September Native in the streets @ Urbis, Urbis Manchester 
27th September Salford Festival Live St Phillips Church Salford 
6th October Native in the streets LIVE @TBA (secret show) TBA Manchester 
12th October Sherbet Video World Premier, DJ set & Live special Guests Black Lion Theatre Salford 
19th October Native EP launch Party & special guest Sound Control Manchester 
15th November Sherbet Remix Party & Live Set Kings Arms Salford 

CRUSHING BLOWS release self-titled EP ‘Crushing Blows’ Out 12 November

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Kind of punky, kind of electro, a little bit thrash, a little bit pop. Crushing Blows may not be easy to describe but they are definitely worth your time to catch live.” – John Robb, Louder Than War

 

Crushing Blows are a two-piece, noise pop band from Derbyshire who have drawn comparisons to Battles, Broken Social Scene and Arcade Fire. Despite their broad influences (My Bloody Valentine, Talking Heads, Neil Young, Pixies) the band have a developed a sound that is both extremely distinctive and exceptional.

Since forming in 2010, Crushing Blows have been championed by Tom Robinson, Steve Lamacq and Huw Stephens (who put them on at The Social) and had airplay from BBC 6 Music, Radio 1 & BBC Introducing. They have also played festivals such as Y Not, T in the Park & Liverpool Sound City and supported Cerebal Ballzy, D/R/U/G/S & The Xcerts to name but a few.

The new EP is due for release on 12th November through the band’s own label, Super Heavy Weight Records. It was recorded and mixed by Jim Cork (Crash of Rhinos) and the title track was made ‘Track of the Week’ by Simon Raymonde (Bella Union) on his Amazing Radio show.

Crushing Blows are; Andrew Foster – Drums / Vocals / Keyboard and Chris Jones – Guitar / Vocals.

 

 

TOUR DATES

 

Fri 19th October – Swn Festival, Cardiff

Sat 20th Oct – Carefully Planned Festival, Manchester (Matinee show)

Sat 20th October – The Shipping Forecast, Liverpool w/ Bear Cavalry

Sun 21st October – The Library, Leeds w/ Metz

Mon 22nd October – TBC

Tues 23rd October – The Old Blue Last, London w/ Bear Cavalry

Wed 24th October – The Firebug, Leicester

Thurs 25th October – JT Soar, Nottingham

Fri 26th Oct – TBC

Sat 27th October – The Cavern, Exeter

 

Track List:

1.       The People You Will Never Meet

2.        I Dream of Becoming A Girl

3.        Love is Dangerous

4.        No Halcyon

Caggie Dunlop On Spencer, Music and The Kardashians.

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Caggie Dunlop and Catherine Balavage

I met Caggie Dunlop at the W Hotel for a VIP screening of the short film she is starring in for Impulse’s new fragrance ‘Loving Words’, which smells amazing and you can read about here. I had a brilliant, fun chat with Caggie. She is the kind of girl who you feel would make a brilliant friend: lovely, smart and talented. After the interview has finished Caggie says that our interview was the best of the evening. Shucks: thanks Caggie.

Catherine Balavage: You must be very proud of the film.

Caggie Dunlop: Yeah, I am really proud of it. I actually only saw it for the first time this evening just before everyone arrived so I was a bit nervous, but I really loved it. I thought it was great. I think it is a lovely story

Quite French

Very French. Well that’s the theme and my styling is very Brigitte Bardot. I think that really lends well to it.

What is your favourite film?

True Romance.

What are you wearing? You look Stunning.

Virgos Lounge. They are an online store which is kind of vintage inspired. They do really pretty little dresses. And this is from my clothing line. [points to necklace].

You are really branching out into different areas: you have a sex column for the Evening Standard, you have the clothing line, and the acting.

And music.

Yes, that is how we first saw you wasn’t it?

Yeah, I have a lot going on, but I am not doing the Evening Standard anymore. It was very fun doing it but I am not doing it anymore.

It was very Carrie Bradshaw

Yeah, and it was great and it was fun playing that role but I really think music is where I want to go.

What would you choose between singing and acting?

Everyone asks me this. It is like saying ‘choose between your mum and your dad’, but in terms of career I don’t know, but if you said to me: ‘you could never sing again’ I would have to choose that over acting because I love singing. It just makes me happy to sing on my own. It came about quite randomly. When I sang on the show that was the first time I had ever sang in public. I have had to decide what I really want to do.

How was the acting experience?

I went to drama school and I studied acting so for me it was kind of what I wanted to do, and then when Made in Chelsea came along I got side-tracked from the acting because that was what was available to me at that point in time. The acting world is quite a tricky one. You really have to work it out. I had a great opportunity on Made in Chelsea. The acting is definitely something I want to go back to.

What does your Tattoo mean?

Sanatana Jiva. It means the never-ending and the never beginning spirit, and this [points to tattoo, specifically to the ‘J’ bit] this was for a boy who I’m not seeing anymore! [No!] It’s fine, I’m not bothered. It’s a nice tattoo.

Are you seeing anyone now?

No. I am very very spinster single

Aw, you are too young to be a spinster.

I’m happy being single.

You have so much going on with your career….

Yeah, it’s kind of like I need to focus on that at the moment and I don’t have time to focus on a relationship unless I find someone who has a complete understanding about what I am doing.

What is your clothing line called?
ISWAI. [Spells it out] I.S.W.A.I.

How did you come up with the name?

It’s an acronym for ‘It Started With an Idea’. The idea of it is about starting something new and organic with new talent, so young designers who are at school or university are designing the clothes. They get involved and hen they design an idea that I give them.

It that your motto in life?

I think so, yeah. It’s a very good one. It’s a more business thing. Though maybe not in an ethical situation.

You were the first one to leave Made in Chelsea

Yes I was

You were the biggest star and the main focus. Do you think it was a good idea to leave?

Leaving? A lot of people would argue that ‘why would you leave something when you were the central character and it was at its height of popularity and you just walk away from it with no explanation’. For me I stopped believing in what the show was about. It was a very good opportunity but I always wanted to do different things. I am very grateful for what it gave me and what I gained from it. Now I can go and become my own person.

It really has an effect on your own life and that’s not necessarily a good thing.

A lot of people are leaving now. Hugo’s leaving.

Yeah, Hugo’s leaving. I don’t know how much longer it will last but I wasn’t enjoying it and my heart wasn’t in it anymore and if something doesn’t feel right you have to go with your gut.

Would you do anymore reality TV like Spencer is doing with The Bachelor?

I would never do anything like that show. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with Spencer doing it. We are very different people, but I actually value my privacy. That could be considered a ridiculous thing to say coming from a reality TV show. I would never close any doors but it’s not in my plan. If it was something more documentary, like my music, something like that.

Who is your favourite film director and if you could work with any director who would it be?

Woody Allen or Tarantino. I think that would be a pretty crazy experience.

Did you enjoy making the film?

Yeah, I enjoyed making the film. We had to do it in a day, and it was a full on day. It was raining really badly but morale was up.

Do you have any plans to go the Hollywood Route?

I haven’t been to LA yet. So I can’t really say whether I would end up there. Watch this space. Maybe in a few years time.

Do you think doing Made in Chelsea helped you learn how to be in front of a camera?

Yes, I mean I studied method acting so it was all about being private in public. With Made in Chelsea you are having very private moments with five cameras on you. It is more staggered than people imagine. If you know anything about filming you know that you can’t create those scenes just by us walking into a bar and following us. It is all quite organised. In that sense it was helpful but then reality TV doesn’t really help in acting. It’s probably more acceptable in America.

Do you watch any reality TV like Keeping Up With The Kardashians?

I do, I love the Kardashians. I am so excited. Has the new season started now?

I think so. I saw a poster.

I do love that and I like the American ones. I don’t really like the English ones.

What do you think of Kim dating Kanye West? Are they a good couple?

I think they are. It’s nice that they were friends for ages. They are the ultimate power couple.

They are.

I’m surprised but they seem really into each other.

What’s next for you?

I am realising an EP hopefully in September. So I am developing that at the moment, which is really exciting, because for once I am in the public eye for something that I am putting out. The music is taking centre stage at the moment, but I would love to do some short films on the side and slowly developing that on the side.

Grabbing it with both hands.

Exactly, you only have one life.

What are your musical influences?

Ah, I listen to a lot of Matt Corby, who is this Australian singer who is very singer/songwriter: guitar and vocals, but also there is something quite challenging about his music, it’s really quite beautiful. I also love Jessie Ware. I have been listening to her a lot.

Do you still spend a lot of time in Chelsea?

Yeah. I was in Sloane Square today. I do spend a lot of time there, but because of what I am doing I am kind of all over. If I am gigging [ I could be in] Manchester or Shoreditch. I do love Chelsea.

Who is your favourite actor and actress?

Michael Fassbender in terms of actual ability. I think he is amazing. In terms of who I fancy: Ryan Gosling, but he is also a very good actor. He is a bit more mainstream. An actress…who was the girl who was in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

Noomi Rapace

Yeah, her. I watched that for the first time the other day and I was blown away by it.
She’s brilliant.

She is fantastic. She was in Prometheus too.

No! She’s not! I was watching an interview with her and she was talking about how Ridley Scott picked her, and she said something about the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I was thinking ‘why has he picked this random women? ‘

She’s brilliant.

Yeah, She’s fantastic.

Are you going to do anymore writing?

Not in that nature. I would like to write a poetry book which is half poetry, half what is was like growing up. I’ve written poetry since I could write so I have volumes of poetry. Poetry is such an under-rated thing.

How do you keep fit?

I am quite bad. I go through phases of being hard-core. There is a place on the Fulham Road that I have joined called Lomax. I go there and they kick your ass, but in a good way.

What beauty products do you like.
Loving Word by Impulse, Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream.