It’s only been less than 24 hours since our last new music post but in that time two of our favourite bands have posted up videos to their new singles.Rather than wait until next week to post them up we thought we’d share them now
Spit Shake Sisters new track Blasphemer is officially their debut single, and comes out on Dead Fun Records on 31st October. The launch party for the single is at Bleach on the same day with Strange Cages and Tombes also on the bill.
We shared the audio for the new GAPS track She Bears a Flower a week ago, but here’s the video, directed by Walt McNee. Apparently tickets have almost sold out for their upcoming debut London show, so if you’re planning on getting tickets, don’t hold back.
You’ll have read our interview with Ali Tollervey last weekend and know we like this band, so it’s no surprise we were at the Hope for Dark Horses‘ stellar show to promote Ali’s exhibition and their new album ‘Hail Lucid State’.
For those not in the know, Dark Horses produce gritty sexy rock music, somewhere in-between kraut rock and gothic new wave, with lead singer Lisa Elle giving out vibes of Patti Smith and Jim Morrison. Sunday night was special, with the band on top form playing a bundle of songs from their two albums, kicking off with the latest single Saturn Returns and ending with a dark moody cover of the Doors’ Hello, I love you, in amongst an array of visuals and light effects.
Brighton Music Blog took a double pack of camera folk to capture the spirit. If you head to the Hope, downstairs you can see Ali Tollervey’s photography of the band, but for now you have these.
BentCousin have a new single out, in collaboration with producer Guiville. It’s called The Last One and features 80s guitars and the twins distinctive vocals, and is out now on Bandcamp:
Normanton Street‘s next EP comes out on 31st October. The EP’s called Much Respect, and the first track out there from it is One Evening. The launch party for the EP is on release day down at The Haunt.
We posted about the new Fire Eyes single, out this week, in our last New Music post where we posted up the AKDK remix. Here’s the original version of Hide Out:
The video for the new Ed Prosek single was premiered on Clash Music today. Hold On Tight came out last week, but the launch party is on Sunday 16th November at Bleach.
Finally, we have the debut single from a new Brighton band called Jolta. It’s called Easily Grounded and it’s released on 10th November via Republic of Music:
Here at Brighton Music Blog we love a festival. The festival we’re writing about today though isn’t actually a music festival but a photography festival. Throughout October Brighton Photo Biennial and Brighton Photo Fringe have events all over town. The event within the festival we’re writing about is music related however – One of the exhibitions that forms part of Brighton Photo Fringe is being held at the Hope and showcases the collaborative photography between Dark Horses and Ali Tollervey, who works so closely with the band that he’s considered a member. Tonight there’s the private view for the exhibition and a Dark Horses gig too, so we sent over a few questions to find out a bit more about his work with the band:
Brighton Music Blog : How did you end up being Dark Horses photographer?
Ali Tollervey : I was already friends with Lisa & had photographed her performing before the band that Dark Horses would become had taken shape. I was actually staying at Lisa’s house for a brief period around the time that Dark Horses were evolving, they were recently back from early recording sessions at the Key Club Studios in Michigan with Richard Fearless. New members were joining. Lisa had played me the recordings from the states, I was excited by the project & believed in the music. It seemed very natural to work together & developed organically. After hearing a demo Kasabian offered them tour support. Things all moved very quickly, within a few short weeks we were on stage at Brixton & Wembley.
BMB : Were you considered a member from the beginning?
TV : Again it’s something that evolved .There was always the idea of collaboration, a collective approach, trying to create an energy, something more than just music. There was visual feedback as counterpoint to the sound..they fed into each other..As I was on board from the start we grew together. It was immersive. I was pretty much at every show / tour for the first couple years. We were a family or better a gang. It felt like we were all working together, my role just happened to be visual. It’s more usual for photographers to be outsiders, quickly meeting a band for a press shot or maybe joining them for part of a tour`. This was different, we’d be lugging equipment together, on stage together, if necessary sharing beds together.. Aside from the photography I was involved with other areas relating to the band.
BMB : What do you remember of the first proper shoot you did with them?
TV : It was a late evening group shot at Lisa’s home which became our ‘clubhouse’. They were taken in front of a back wall which happens to be adorned with a giant floor to ceiling black & white print by Irving Penn of the Hell’s Angels – a group portrait in itself. So there were twice the sets of eyes staring back at me. (On a side note we realised afterwards that every male member of the Hell’s Angels in the Penn backdrop bore a striking resemblance to our guitarist Bobby Waterson, the only band member unable to make the shoot)
BMB : When you’re shooting Dark Horses, how much input do they have and how much is about your vision for the band?
TV : Everybody involved with Dark Horses has their own vision they bring but together it works.. Though it’s a collaboration, we all trust each others individual strengths & input. There’s a dialogue but we have our own areas we work in. So I have freedom… Pierre Angélique the filmmaker behind the videos has played a very significant role also.
BMB : Your work with the band covers reportage shots, promo shoots and live shots, have you got any favourite local locations or venues to shoot them?
TV : I’d say it’s the reportage I enjoy the most… I don’t have favourite locations & don’t tend to shoot that much locally… Anywhere can be good.. There was a particularly hot & atmospheric derelict building we used as a rehearsal space in Malta with an abandoned wedding dress floating in a heavy old wardrobe.. a beautiful forest we explored in Switzerland.. We did a show with Sigur Ros in an 8000 seater outdoor amphitheatre in Perth which was an incredible setting, particularly memorable for me as I’d broken my toes earlier that day so fighting my way through the crowd from the stage at the bottom of the valley to the very top for a wide shot was pretty scary. The best however shots could equally come from a Holiday Inn car park.
BMB : You’ve traveled quite a bit with Dark Horses, occasionally taking an exhibition of your photos with you. Are there any tales you can share, or does what happen on tour stay on tour?
TV : It does to an extent stay on tour. it’s an amazing thing to do but mostly not that glamorous. Some of the best after parties happen in the back of the van.The best part is the time spent together, experiences shared & the people you meet along the way. In Malta (with Kinemastik & Bare Bones) we took over an entire subway underpass as an exhibition space, pasting giant prints directly to the walls, we had a launch party down there too with a bar & music. Rather than being taken down afterwards the prints stayed up long after we’d left slowly disintegrating over time. We’ve spent quite a bit of time with the Dandy Warhol’s & that’s always good. We played an impromptu game of Boule with Pete Doherty in a field in France once. I can’t remember who won.
Bjork by Ali Tollervey
BMB : Is your music photography just limited to Dark Horses, or have you shot other bands?
TV : I’m not solely a music photographer but I’ve always been involved with music in one way or another, I ran a record shop, promoted shows for several years, worked on music videos etc so I have photographed many bands in different contexts.. My first proper official live show where I had a photo pass was Bjork, I had a very basic old film camera & all the old pros in the photo pit must have thought I was a joke. My first real portrait session was with David Axelrod, I got to spend an hour with him which was amazing. Like a lot photographers I used to document the scenes going on around me. I realise I don’t go to so many gigs with my camera anymore though, I think I just want to enjoy the show.
BMB : Finally, will you be shooting the band at their gig on 12th October?
TV : I haven’t decided yet, it will be hard not to but they’ve worked out an amazing set for this one off show so I may wish to simply be a spectator.
For this weekend’s new music post we’ve got three remixes, with Brighton acts both writing the original songs and on remix duties
First up is Play by Fickle Friends, which originally came out on Duly Noted back in March this year. Yesterday Foreign Skin shared their remix of it, which you can listen to here:
Fire Eyes‘ new single Hide Out comes out next Monday on Random Acts of Vinyl. The 7″ comes with a mix by Barry Adamson, but there’s also a free download of AK/DK‘s remix available on soundcloud:
Finally we have a remix of the title track from Native Roses current album Shadows with Ambassadeurs on additional production duties:
Here’s our first New Music post for October, which is already shaping up to be another great month.
It only feels like the other week that we were sitting in the sun outside Small Batch interviewing GAPS about their new EP with Maya Jane Coles, but they’re not resting on their laurels and have announced details of another new single. She Bears a Flower will be released out on Sexbeat on 1st December:
Great Pagans have previewed Tangled Up in Poetry from their upcoming album Cupid in Error which gets released on Anti Ghost Moon Ray on 20th October. The launch party for the gig takes place at the Green Door Store on 6th November with support from Japanese Sweets and Soph Nathan.
As we head to the end of October, we’re hoping we see more videos like the new one from She Crazy. Made by Novi films, the promo for Zompocalypse Now is nothing short of brilliant (the song’s not bad either)
Carrying on with the vaguely horror theme, here’s Jekyll & Hyde, the new track from Dark Train:
A couple of weeks ago we posted up the video to Lilly by The DuBarrys, taken from their self titled EP. At the time we didn’t have too much info, but this week, as the band post up the rest of the EP to soundcloud, we thought we’d share another track from the record and also the iTunes preorder link.
Here’s some new music from Heliopause. City of Glass is possibly the furthest away from folk that the band have strayed to date:
Finally, a new download from Winston & Goldstein. If you’ve ever wondered what an ambient electronica response to female celebrity phone hacking might sound like, take a listen to Celebgate:
When I first started buying records, a bootleg was something very different from what it is now. Bootlegs used to be live recordings of gigs – if you were very lucky they’d be direct from the sound desk, but more often than not they’d be taped by someone in the crowd so you’d end up with muffled sound and the audience singing along. Next week the Prince Albert and Brightelmstone Promotions are putting on a four night event called The Bootleg Festival, less about mash ups, and more about the live recordings – every night is getting recorded with ticket holders getting a download of one song from each act and full recordings going on sale. And since it’s being put on with the full cooperation of the Prince Albert, recordings from the sound desk are guaranteed! There’s some great Brighton bands playing with Clowns, Crayola Lectern, Flash Bang Band and Thieves by the Code already on the line ups with more bands yet to be announced. Advance tickets can be bought online here.
Last night we went to the launch of the new EP by Night House, the new band of man-about-town Nick Williams who has helped curate and participated in some memorable musical events at last night’s venue the marvellous Marwood Cafe. Previous Marwood events curated by Nick included a brilliant weekend of gigs featuring an array of local acts as part of the free The Great Escape festival earlier this year.
First on the bill last night was the extraordinary sight of Laura and the Bass. Amazonian, Scandinavian, Blonde and dressed in not much more than a lace-looking body stocking, Laura presented a striking vision. Fortunately her playing and singing was top-notch, with her songs of the trials and tribulations of modern love.
Next up was the soulful pop of the accomplished four-piece band Staniford, with another tall and talented lead singer in the person of Tom Staniford.
The penultimate act were one of Brighton’s finest, the Self Help Group. This was a tight venue for a six-piece to play, not helped by Mark’s visible man-flu symptoms and the chatter from the now packed upstairs space, but the Groupies rose to the challenge and played an absolutely blinding set with a mix of new and old songs. The harmonies between sisters Sarah and Clara Wood are always a delight, but the whole band seemed to relish the challenge and were as tight as I’ve seen them. Songs from their excellent album ‘Not Waving But Drowning’ were mixed with new songs, like Eddy’s House, a song about a dog house that takes on mythical proportions in the masterful hands of this band. They’re playing next on 22nd October at the Brunswick in a gig hosted by Chris T-T and come very highly recommended.
Finally, man of the night Nick Williams got to play the songs from the new Night House EP along with band versions of some of his older songs. Particular favourites to my ears were ‘Heart on a Wire’ and ‘Berlin’ (referencing “a seaside town” so maybe the title is figurative).
The lead track ‘New Year’s Prayer’ is a lovely thing, mixing some late 70s pop harmonies with an indie soul sensibility. You can see the video for the song here.
September was yet another great month for Brighton Music. We’ve barely kept up with posting the new music that we’ve heard throughout the month, but these have been our favourites:
1 GAPS & Maya Jane Coles – In Dark In Day
GAPS collaboration EP with Maya Jane Coles was an easy choice for our number one spot this month. We were fans of GAPS before this release, and In Dark In Day made us love them even more.
2 Gazelle Twin – Belly of the Beast
Live show of the month had to be Gazelle Twin’s headline post at last week’s Spectrum night at the Dome Studio Theatre. The tracksuit and obscured face was the perfect visual representation of her leftfield claustrophobic electronica. We could have chosen any track from her new album Unflesh, but we’ve gone for Belly of the Beast.
3 Cate Ferris – Giants
Giants has been a staple of Cate’s live sets for quite a while, so we were pleased to hear it get released on her new EP Disappear. It’s even better live – if you’re about this weekend get down to the Level where Cate is headlining the Lantern Fayre around 8-8.30ish on saturday night.
4 Dog in the Snow – Africa
Helen Ganya Brown’s latest single is another great slice of art pop which, too, has been a staple of her live sets over the last year.
5 Momotaro – Kite
If we could have, we’d have put the Deep Blast & Ricco Remix of Kite into our top ten tunes for you to listen to this month, but since it’s not streaming anywhere online, here’s the standard single version
6 Fear of Men – Tephra
2014 has been a good year for Fear of Men – support slots with Pains of Being Pure at Heart across the US and Europe, an album with great reviews across the board, a headline UK tour of their own, and to top it all their latest video premiered on the NME website.
7 Oslo Parks – Twin
As debut singles go, you couldn’t ask for better than Twin. We’re looking forward to heading down to the Green Door Store for the launch tomorrow night (Thursday 2nd October).
8 Heliopause – I seem too cold (Faulty Remix)
Heliopause’s latest offering is a beautiful, blissed out, exotic rework of an older track, put out to celebrate Brighton Digital Festival.
9 Troves – Afterthought
Afterthought is another debut single from another new Brighton band, and coincidentally, Troves are the support to Oslo Park’s gig on thursday.
10 Phantom Runners – On The Run
Finally, we have On The Run, the new Huey Morgan produced single from Phantom Runners, with it’s video filmed partly at Brighton Arts Club.
Lutine launched their album ‘White Flowers’ at St Laurence Church in Falmer village on Saturday night. It was a fitting setting, and not just because it had also been their recording studio. Their music has an ethereal choral quality, and draws on a pastoral rural tradition that seemed right at home in the plain 19th century country-church setting.
We’ve already been enjoying Emma Morton and Heather Minor’s excellent single Sallow Tree, which sounds like nothing else we’ve heard of late.
The album is full of more of their beautiful vocals and harmonies, accompanied by subtle instrumentation which has been likened to medieval music but is made on an assortment of modern things, including a harmonium from India. The opener Espera has a deathly hum running through it which adds to its haunting feel. ‘Death and the Lady’ seems to take the melody from that ancient song ‘To be a pilgrim’ which was a common tune back in the day when hymns were the lingua franca of morning school assemblies and buries it under twigs and moss and meandering daydreams before pulling out a haunted skeletal song. But this is not a gothic melodrama of an album, it’s a subtle collection of rare folk melodies. There are hints of early English music, country folk songs and 1970s horror soundtracks (a candyfloss version of the Wicker Man perhaps). A particular favourite is ‘So it Goes’, a kind of Que Sera Sera for ancient times. But most of all the album reminds me of those obscure alt-folk albums made in the early 1970s, comfortably English and yet enigmatic and located in a mythical time and place. it’s an excellent enjoyable debut and well worth checking out.
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