It’s been a busy year for the Nordic Giants – after a few years in which they only managed to release two EPs / singles in total (which both featured the same lead track – Shine – which appeared in last year’s advent calendar), the band managed to release a single and a double EP in the last twelve months. Speed The Crow’s Nest appeared in February, and then in October the Build Seas, Dismantle Suns EP was released in two parts at either end of a near sell out national tour.
We’ve picked Neotenie as the choice for our Advent Calendar – it comprises of their classic cinematic sound overlaid with samples prophesising big changes ahead, not necessarily for the best. We could have picked any of the tracks from the EP though – all fantastic stuff.
We might be approaching Christmas, but the new music keeps on coming, with five new tracks to share this week.
First up is Curxes with their new single Avant-Guarded. They hinted at the track with a series of videos on Youtube that we blogged about a couple of weeks ago. Avant-Guarded is another fantastic electro-pop assualt from the band and is out now to buy on Bandcamp.
On the first day of Christmas, Blood Red Shoes gave to us… The Perfect Mess. The band posted up QR codes in 10 cities across the world and said that they’d release the song once they were all found, which they were within 24 hours.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have recorded a new version of Higgs Boson Blues from this year’s Push The Sky Away. The new version is an epic, clocking in at more than nine minutes:
Normanton Street launch their Phoebe Freya EP on Friday Night at the Green Door Store. They’ve posted up one of the tracks – Juicy – as a taster on Soundcloud.
Finally Omnivert have got in touch to tell us about their new track which features Helen Ganya Brown, better known on the blog as Dog in the Snow. Chichijima is available as a name your prices download on Bandcamp.
Back in March, The Physics House Band put out the first release on their new label kldscp (named after their regular Kaleidoscope club nights held at Sticky Mike’s). It was a seven track compilation of local electronica, and the standout track for us was the blissed out beats of Foreign Skin’s Hoi Sum. Hoi Sum means happy in Cantonese – Flavia Aliverti was born in Hong Kong – and the track is certainly devoid of any negativity. Best enjoyed on a hot sunny day with a cool drink close to hand.
Normally December is a quiet time for music, but once again Brighton is doing us all proud by being as busy as ever. Here’s our picks of the best of the local live music this weekend:
On Thursday Night, GAPS launch their new single I Know It’s You with a gig at the Green Door Store. Support comes from Foreign Skin and Eagles for Hands. Thursday is also December’s Source New Music at the Dome Studio Theatre, headlined this month by Rum Committee, with Mok, Neon Saints Brass Band and Barcode also on the bill. Meanwhile, over at the Brunswick Tim Keegan & The Quiet Lifers are playing at the Brunswick. They’ll be previewing tracks from their forthcoming album The Long Game, as well as other material from their back catalogue, a tribute to Lou Reed and maybe something a little more festive. As if that wasn’t enough, at the Blind Tiger there’s a Beatabet takeover with Le Juki, Bryony Bird and Collectress.
Friday night sees The Electric Soft Parade play their Christmas Show at the Unitarian Church. The band will be playing two sets – an acoustic Electric Soft Parade set of rarities and covers, and an second set of Christmas songs with an expanded band. There’s promise of mince pies and mulled wine too. Normanton Street and Phoebe Freya are launching their new single at the Green Door Store, and carrying on with an afterparty at Brighton Arts Club after 11. Support at the Green Door Store comes from Alice Amelia, The Remedy and The White Bicycles. As if that wasn’t enough for Friday Night, Hypnotised are supporting the Godspeed / Silver Mount Zion side project Esmerine at Saint George’s Church.
There’s plenty to choose from on Saturday too – Eliza Jaye is playing at the Ranelagh, House of Hats, Jacko Hooper and Fiddes Smith are at the Brunswick, and Two Jackals are at Coalition. Finally, on Sunday, Sealings play at Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar, supported by Shudder Pulps, Keel Her and Witching Waves.
In the meantime, we’re off to see Lion Bark at the Hope tonight.
A Lily’s Lupa EP came out last month on Love Thy Neighbour, and it’s lead track – The Sparrow In the Lemon Tree – is absolutely gorgeous. Layers of lush strings, harp and delicate vocals interweave with quietly burbling electronica of the gentlest tracks in our list. You can catch A Lily live next Friday (12th) when they’re on the bill at the Green Door Store with Asgeir and Farao.
We’d been aware of Dog in the Snow for a little while, but it wasn’t until we caught them at the Green Door Store at their Two Three Four mini-festival in August that we really sat up and paid attention. There was something about the performance, and Helen Ganya Brown’s voice, and the music which as much art as it was rock, that set them apart from the other bands we caught. A few weeks later we were presented with sparse avant garde pop of Fire in the Sky, haunting and beautiful and our third pick for our Advent Calendar.
Day two of our Advent Calendar is one of Brighton’s finest live bands. Black Black Hills put out two singles this year and we’ve picked out the hip swaying rock’n’roll of Red Cabin.
As well as being a great song, Red Cabin has a fantastic video. We’ll let you watch it to work out just what makes it that little bit different. Things have been a bit quiet from in the Black Black Hills camp of late – no gigs since Playgroup festival and no social media updates since August. Hopefully there’ll be some more music from the band in the new year.
Somehow, suddenly, it’s December – That time of year when music magazines and websites take stock of the year gone by. Like last year, we’re not going to post up our whole list in one go. That would be far too easy. Instead we’ll be posting up one track a day, building up to our highlight of the year.
The first box in our advent calendar is a Brighton Band we don’t know a great deal about. We do know that we loved their debut single Goddess of War. The band were filming the video for their next single last weekend, so we look forward to seeing that very soon.
We’re posting up our favourite tracks from November a little earlier than usual because it’s almost time for us to start our Brighton Music Blog Advent Calendar, where from December 1st we’ll be posting up a different band every day that we’ve enjoyed this year, culminating in our musical highlight on Christmas Day (to give you something to read while your parents are watching the Queens speech). Before then though, here’s what we loved this month:
1) IYES – ‘Til Infinity
IYES debut single proper is a corker. From the opening drums and hand claps (How long before live performances string out the intro and get the audience to the claps like Queen’s We Will Rock You?) through to Melis “Mmm-Hmm” at 2.10 it doesn’t put a foot wrong.
2) Black Rooster Black Shag – Run Baby
Run Baby is the kind of catchy, effortless rock’n’roll that’s as cool as ice. The black & white video for the track makes us love it even more
3) Nordic Giants – Dark Clouds Mean War
Dark Clouds Mean War is the closing track from Nordic Giants recent Dismantle Suns EP. It’s brooding and cinematic and packs in more emotion into one track than you’re likely to hear this year
4) The Beautiful Word – Coconut Hair
In a complete change mood, Coconut Hair, from The Beautiful Word’s new release Particles is silly and nonsensical and will put a smile on your face.
5) A Lily – The Sparrow In The Lemon Tree
The Sparrow In the Lemon Tree, taken from A Lily’s new EP Lupa, is a thing of fragile beauty – lush strings and gentle electronica combine for this lovely take on modern folk
6) Kins – Aimless
Kins new single starts off sounding almost jazzy, but soon settles into beautiful abstract guitar pop which feels familiar yet unlike anything you can put your finger on.
7) Plasticine – Dreamers Of The Day
We haven’t heard much from Plasticine since we first crossed paths with them back at Sea Monsters back in January. After nearly a year they’re back on the blog with a fantastic pop single.
8) Faux Flux – Week Long War
Faux Flux follow up this year’s earlier Come Alive release with new single Week Long War, which we like even more. We’ve posted the video here, but you can download the track and it’s b-side for free over on their bandcamp site.
9) bentcousin – Sunglasses In Winter
Bentcousin’s first proper release since their Everbody’s Got One EP is a track quietly tucked away on a compilation album. While it starts off with gentle guitar lines that echo I Think I Like You Girlfriend More Than You from their debut, the subject matter is much more hard hitting. Bentcousin are playing an unplugged gig at Revenge on Sunday afternoon at 4pm for World Aids Day.
10) Jipsy Magic – So Serious
Genre busting Jipsy Magic describe themselves as a disco / funk / pop band. There’s a fair bit of indie in there too as you see in their new single So Serious:
Here’s our choice of the best local bands to see around town this weekend. As always, we’re spoiled for choice.
Tomorrow night we’ll be heading down to Latest Music Bar for The Beautiful Word’s launch for their new album Particles. Support comes from The Common Tongues and the brilliantly named Emperors of Ice Cream. Meanwhile, over at Brighton’s newest venue Bermuda Triangle (tucked in alongside Digital) Theo Verney and Bad For Lazarus are supporting Traams for the launch of issue number three of Boon Magazine. Also on Thursday is Fragile Creatures second curated night at the Blind Tiger. This time around they’re bringing along Octopuses for some live music and The Maydays for Wheel of Fortune Karaoke.
Friday Night is this month’s Les Enfants Terribles, who have a great line up as ever. Top of the bill at the Blind Tiger this month is Plum, a relative newcomer to Brighton who has plenty of accomplishments under her belt – earlier this year she was awarded Best Electronic Artist at the Scottish Music Awards. Alongside her are Phantom Runners who have recently been making the video for their new single and local Math Rock trio Patchwork Natives.
On Saturday Night, Brighton’s Finest host an evening at The Old Market. The night is headlined by The Mojo Fins, but it’s also worth noting that it’ll be your last ever chance to see support act Apples and Eve live before they split up and go their separate ways.
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