Bat For Lashes / The Haunted Man

Posted on 18/10/2012 by brightonmusicblog

I’ll admit that I’m a little bit behind the curve when it comes to writing about the new Bat For Lashes album, The Haunted Man. It’s garnered fantastic reviews across the board, and today a brilliant feature got put up on Pitchfork, which as well as being a deeply insightful interview with some stunning photography, also felt like a who new way of using the internet.

I can’t match anything that’s been put up, but what I an do is collect some of the best bits and pieces together and share them with you all. First and foremost is the Pitchfork article. Make sure you scroll down rather than paging down, or you’ll miss most of the photos.

The music press has been very kind to the album. The Line of Best Fit gave it nine out of ten, and NME gave it eight out of ten. It got a good write up from Drowned in Sound too, but they don’t give ratings.

It also did well in the rest of the press, with the Independent making it their cd of the week. The Guardian gave it four out of five, and the Telegraph and the Observer weren’t quite so effusive both giving it three out of five.

Bat for Lashes plays Brighton Dome on Sunday 4th November.

Oxjam Brighton Takeover

Posted on 16/10/2012 by brightonmusicblog

Something I’ve been meaning to write about this month is the Oxjam Brighton Takeover. Every October (well, every October for the past four years at least), loads of gigs are put on all over town, featuring local bands, raising money for Oxfam. There’s been a few gigs already, but the big night is this Sunday, when you can buy a wristband for a mere eight pounds and get access to six venues, each hosted by some familiar names.

We’ll be camping out at the Dome Studio Theatre (recently rebranded from the Pavilion Theatre). From 8.30pm, the Source New Music Night are putting on Minor Sounds, Curxes (who we’ve been wanting to see live for ages) and P For Persia (who was fantastic at last month’s Beatabet Source New Music).

Meanwhile, from 3.30pm at the Unitarian Church, BN1 Magazine bring you Wide Eyed Order, Unsung Lilly, 900 Spaces, Ellen & The Echo and The Move-Ons.

Also from 3.30, the Hope are working with Under The Bridge Studios (who are a few arches up from the Green Door Store). They’ve got a monster bill with Fragile Creatures, Hot Fiction, Oh! My Head, Running Dogs, Half Crown, Sweet Jonny, Ivy King, Devil In Detail, and Justin Alfonso playing.

Sound Screen are running the show at Riki Tiks from around 6pm, with Pact, Cave Man Genius, Alphabets Heaven, Amongst The Pigeons, Atlantiks, and Platypi.

Concrete Jungle are also running things from mid-afternoon, kicking off at 3.30 at the Mash Tun, with King Mews, Concrete Jungle, Early Ghost, Ross Pike’s The Courty Love, Hideous Bitches, and Peter Clough.

Then at the White Rabbit, Hush Hush are providing the entertainment with Chuck SJ Hay, Hope Rudd, Rought Citizen, Rotait, Verity Sessions, Tom Hughes, Bella Kardasis, Zoe Hazel Hedderwick, and Lisha Tole.

BUT WAIT – that’s not all. After all the other venues wind down, Riki Tiks are hosting the afterparty with Showdown. Phew!

Heliopause and Do You Feel What I Feel Deer Supporting Mice Parade at the Hope

Posted on 15/10/2012 by brightonmusicblog

Well, that was officially the loudest acoustic gig that we’ve ever been to. Acoustic very rarely means acoustic these days, and everything at The Hope last night was plugged in and turned up to eleven, even though the instruments involved were acoustic guitars, strings and an autoharp.

Heliopause

First up were Heliopause, playing their first proper gig since May. Since then, their numbers have reduced and the band now just consists of Rich Davis and his laptop (although he’s hoping to boost the numbers by the end of the year). His short but loud set – thank goodness for ear plugs – comprised mainly of songs this year’s Lumo Tape album, a little more stripped down perhaps than other outings, but not suffering for it. The opening support slot came up as a competition run by Mice Parade along with their label Fat Cat. The label tells me that it was a pretty close run thing to choose between the entries, and that their second choice was excellent as well, but that Heliopause had the edge, being a bit more appropriate for the other bands on the bill.

Do You Feel What I Feel Deer

The second Brighton band were Do You Feel What I Feel Deer, whose single Save My Heart we wrote about last month. Before the gig I was concerned that one of the things that makes them so special might get lost if they played as a duo. Thankfully, they brought along a string section with them (well, two violins and a cello), and they were able to share the beautiful arrangements which make them more than just another folk duo. Vocals were shared evenly between Rachel and Eleanor, sometimes swapping the lead line mid-song, and the songs themselves are beautiful – otherworldly folk with close harmonies and instrumentation to die for.

Mice Parade

Headliners Mice Parade aren’t from Brighton, or even from Britain, but they are signed to Brighton based label Fat Cat. They’re touring their new album Candela as an acoustic trio, and main man Adam Pierce brought along two fantastic musicians along with him, a scandinavian ukelele player, and Dan Lippel – one of the finest classical guitar players I’ve had the pleasure of seeing live. Together, the sound they made was something beautiful. Thoroughly recommended.

Do You Feel What I Feel Deer are playing tomorrow night at Bombanes, and are supporting Mary Hampton at the Hanover Centre on 10th November. Heliopause support NZCA/LINES at the Green Door Store this thursday.

Abi Wade / Heavy Heart

Posted on 14/10/2012 by brightonmusicblog

November 5th see’s the Abi Wade’s second release for the Brighton based Love Thy Neighbour label. Heavy Heart, which can be bought through the bandcamp link below is another slice of Abi’s unique combination of haunting voice, cello and drum box, and is backed with another new track, Faker.

Abi is one of Brighton’s most compelling live acts. If you haven’t seen her yet, she’s next playing on 11th December at St Mary’s Church. If you want a Brighton related gig before then, she’s supporting Brighton Music Blog favourite Woodpecker Wooliams at the Old Queen’s Head in Islington on 14th November.

New Union / Without You video

Posted on 09/10/2012 by brightonmusicblog

We wrote about the New Union single a few weeks ago, but when we did, it was a weeks before it was released, and it was before the video up. The single came out on monday, so to remind you of the fact that it’s out, here’s the video:

New Union are launching the single at a free gig at Fitzherberts on Friday Night.

Tall Ships – Everything Touching

Posted on 09/10/2012 by brightonmusicblog

A couple of months ago I bumped into the editor of one of the local magazines while I was out and about, and as I always do when I see them, asked who they had lined up for their next cover. His eyes lit up – “It’s Tall Ships” he gushed. “They’re fantastic – have you heard them?”. I said that I’d seen them earlier in the year at Sea Monsters, but added that I’d probably seen a hundred bands since. He told me that the night they headlined at One Inch Badge’s festival at the Prince Albert back in February sold out faster than any of the others, and then went on to tell me how great the album was, saving special praise for the album’s eight minute closer Murmurations.

He wasn’t wrong. Current single Gallop has been all over the radio, and to whet your appetite their record label Big Scary Monsters have put up an album stream over at The Line of Best Fit so you haven’t got any excuse not to listen to it. And if that’s not enough, you can catch them live at the Haunt this Friday.

David Morris (Red River Dialect) at the Druid Arms

Posted on 07/10/2012 by brightonmusicblog

David Morris played a solo set tonight at the Druids Arms in Brighton as one of the regular fortnightly Brighthelmstone Promotions ‘Still the Weekend’ sessions.

Brighthelmstone are well known for putting on some brilliant Americana-focused gigs at places like the Palmeira in Hove or Brighton’s Green Door Store. The Druids slot gives them a small intimate space to introduce some brilliant acts, from talented local musicians to national acts from their ever-increasing roster of players.

David Morris is lead-singer and songwriter with the excellent Red River Dialect, who are one of the finest folk-rock bands to have emerged out of Brighton (via the West Country) or anywhere in recent years. Their album ‘awellupontheway‘ is a masterpiece, one of the best albums of the year. It was a real treat to hear David playing solo versions of some of these great songs, along with some choice cover versions, such as a gorgeous version of Dylan’s ‘Shelter from the Storm’. David has a warm soulful voice, which captures the intricate lyricism of the songs, and he is a fine guitar player. If you get a chance to hear Red River Dialect don’t miss them, but in the meantime we’d highly recommend listening to the album.

Photograph and words by Jon Southcoasting

More assorted bits and pieces

Posted on 07/10/2012 by brightonmusicblog

Time for a blog post with more bits and pieces that have come up on my radar to share with you all.

First up is Pete Fij & Terry Bickers. Back in the 90s, Pete was signed to Creation Records as part of the band Adorable. These days he sells second hand books down by the West Pier. Terry Bickers played with House of Love back in the day and now teaches in Brighton. I’m glad neither of them have completely turned their back on music though, because otherwise we wouldn’t have “I don’t give a sh*t about you”:

Next Monday, Sealings release their new EP on the Italian Beach Babes label. You can download the Face Basement from it here:

Thomas White has put up a video for I’ve Seen The Sunshine from his album Yalla, which you can watch here:

The Kingsmiths have put out another taster from their EP. Bottle Top is also currently available as a free download over on Soundcloud if you like the sound of it:

Finally, here’s the video to Augustus Caesar’s Hope, a beautifully shot film made late last year on Brighton Beach.

Bizarro World (with Cousin, Speak Galactic, Black Black Hills and Negative Pegasus)

Posted on 07/10/2012 by brightonmusicblog

We’ve been wanting to go along to a Bizarro World night since they started them a few months ago, but this is the first we’ve made it along to. The premise is a simple one – four bands on the bill, each playing three or four songs by a famous act.

We arrived just as Cousin were tackling Pavement. We didn’t manage to get any pictures, because the night was RAMMED. The combination of a great line up, covering great bands, on a weekend, oh, and being free, obviously pulled in the crowds. It’s really encouraging to see live music being supported like this. Cousin played things with a pretty straight bat, and obviously loved their time onstage asking at the end if they had time for one more song.

Speak Galactic

Speak Galactic were up next, and tonight Matthew, they were LCD Soundsystem. The biggest surprise for me was that Speak Galactic were as bold and uncompromising as they always were, and made James Murphy’s songs their own, but at the same time if LCD Soundsystem had played them in that style, you wouldn’t have batted an eyelid. Another shock was drummer Jim Morrison taking vocals on Daft Punk Is Playing At My House, coming out from the shadows for a change. The high point of the whole evening for me was their cover of All My Friends; The slightly disorienting feel of the original being fantastic match for the woozy electronics Owen Thomas creates.

Black Black Hills

Black Black Hills came on after a short break, and each of the four members of the band were Michael Jackson, all picking their own era to dress as, which was a nice touch. Their re-imagining of their songs was fantastic – 80’s pop turned upside down to reveal a garage rock sound that not even Michael Jackson would have recognised. If their covers of Bad and Billie Jean don’t become staples of Black Black Hills’ live sets then I’ll be very disappointed.

Negative Pegasus

Finally Negative Pegasus took to the stage, fresh from playing their album launch at the Green Door Store last weekend. Negative Pegasus are Bizarro World regulars – the nights are organised by guitarist and One Inch Badge promoter Todd Jordan. Previous nights have seen them covering Creedence Clearwater Revival and Daft Punk, but this time they took on Tom Waits, calling in a bit of support from Nick Hudson on vocals. Whiskey soaked bar room drawls were swapped for a full on rock out – a great end to the night. I can’t wait for the next one, hopefully in a bigger venue so that more people can enjoy it. It’s a great concept and a real gem in Brighton’s live music scene.

Bits and Pieces

Posted on 02/10/2012 by brightonmusicblog

Here’s another blog post of a couple of assorted media that have come to our attention that we’d like to share.

First up we have the b-side to the upcoming Fear of Men single coming out on Too Pure that we wrote about a few weeks ago. Mosaic, which is already getting airplay on BBC 6Music, is out two weeks today and the flip Your Side sounds like this:

Next is a remix of one of the tracks from Cate Ferris’ Deep Breath, Ready, Get set GO EP. Condensation has been remixed by Talking Books, and doesn’t feature on the cd:

Finally we have another video for the next single from Bat For Lashes upcoming album The Haunted Man. This is the video to accompany All Your Gold, which also comes out on October 15th: