Maximilian / Surrender album launch at Fabrica

Posted on 05/04/2024 by brightonmusicblog

Last week Maximilian released his debut album Surrender, on Dead Dog records, and last night he played it live start to finish at Fabrica supported by Skydaddy and Brighton’s Opal Mag.

Playing an album all the way through in sequential order isn’t the most obvious thing to do – A set of songs which might make for a good gig can be quite different to a playlist / ordering that makes for a good album, but Maximilian created an immersive world last night aided and abetted by some of Brighton’s finest musicians that more than lived up to the challenge – intimate, and uplifting, the evening felt like it was over far too soon.

As I find myself saying for the second post in a row, if you missed the gig, Maximilian is on the bill at Homegrown Festival next weekend, so you can catch him again then.

Glasshouse Red Spider Mite / Erstwhile single launch at Green Door Store

Posted on 02/04/2024 by brightonmusicblog

Last Friday Glasshouse Red Spider Mite played their first headline show, promoting their debut single Erstwhile, which came out on 20th March (which you’d have spotted if Instagram showed you our story on release day). Support came Van Zon, who we can’t get enough of these days, and out of towners Plainmoor. If you missed the gig and want to hear more from the band, you can catch them (and Van Zon) at Homegrown festival on Saturday 13th April

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Projector / Now When We Talk It’s Violence album launch at Green Door Store

Posted on 24/02/2024 by brightonmusicblog

This week Brighton Music Blog favourites Projector hit the road to promote their new album Now When We Talk it’s Violence. There’s a whole bunch of other tour dates (go check their website), but obviously the only one that really matters is their hometown gig, which took place at Green Door Store last night. It was everything you’d hope for and more – the album played through larger and louder than you’d have heard it at home, a mosh pit, band members removing layers of clothing, a Pixies cover, and fantastic support sets from Ideal living and Vincent Vocoder Voice. Go stream the album (or better still, buy it) today

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Brighton Rocks #38 : Anzahlung

Posted on 01/09/2022 by brightonmusicblog

Anzahlung initially formed as a side project to legendary band The Cravats, the duo made up of The Shend and Joe 91 today released their second album What You Think is All You’ve Got, and are on the bill for ex-Kraftwerk member Wolfgang Flur’s gig at the Concorde in October. We caught up with them on a sunny day in Saltdean to quiz them about their Brighton

What’s the best thing about Brighton?
Joe : Brighton is the only place I’ve lived apart from Welwyn Garden City, which is a big C and small c conservative commuter town. Brighton is the complete antithesis to Welwyn; it’s still the only place in the world (that I’ve visited, at least) where I’d feel safe holding my boyfriend’s hand. It also has the most pubs per square mile than any other place in the UK, apparently. Convenient.
The Shend : Anything goes

Who are your favourite local bands?
Joe : Lambrini Girls. One of the most chaotic, energetic and occasionally absurd live bands I’ve seen in ages. Slum of Legs, sadly almost defunct but they’ll always have a special place in my heart. I’ve just discovered R. Dyer’s music, magical stuff.
The Shend : Human Leather, Arxx, Red Deer People

What’s the best venue?
Joe : We’re not short of decent venues in Brighton but the bulk of my favourite gigs have been at Green Door Store. Me and The Shend have played some exceptionally fun gigs there with our other band The Cravats.
The Shend : Concorde 2

What’s the best rehearsal space / studio?
Joe : Brighton Electric. Staff are super lovely, the facilities are second-to-none and they serve decent beer. Under The Bridge deserves a mention too, Anzahlung have rehearsed there a couple of times, it’s friendly and affordable and they do lots of great community work too.
The Shend : Brighton Electric

What’s the best club?
Joe : I don’t frequent a particular club that often but there are plenty of great club nights in Brighton right now – Mi Piaci, Farmageddon, Traumfrau, Polyglam to name a few.
The Shend : Stay Sick

What’s the best record shop?
Joe : Resident is my go-to for records and has been since I moved here in 2013. Lovely place and glad to see that it’s still thriving.
The Shend : Across The Tracks

Where’s the best places to eat?
Joe : Too many to choose from! Recent highlights have been Adelfia, Khambis, Planet India and Alushi.
The Shend : Grubbs Burgers

What’s the best pub?
Joe : Prince Albert. Usually frequented by an assortment of types but never any hassle, decent venue upstairs and a giant Dot Cotton mural out the back.
The Shend : Prince Albert

Who’s your favourite Brighton celebrity?
Joe : I feel obliged to say The Shend… but I’m going with Ben Wheatley. Sightseers is one of my favourite films.
The Shend : David Thomas

When was the last time you had any Brighton Rock?
Joe : I don’t eat rock, my teeth are knackered enough as it is! I do have a Throbbing Gristle stick of rock under my bed, purchased at their 2006 reunion gig in London. I wonder what state it’s in now.
The Shend : Never

2016 Top 10 #2 – Fear of Men

Posted on 22/12/2016 by brightonmusicblog

At number two in our list is Fear of Men, who released their second album Fall Forever back in June and shifted away from their more indie guitar based roots into more ethereal territory. Despite only playing a couple of gigs in Brighton in 2016 Fear of Men have been on the road for most of the year touring America twice and spending a lot of time in Europe too.

Dog in the Snow / Les Enfants Terribles / Above Audio

Posted on 15/08/2013 by brightonmusicblog

Through a series of unfortunate coincidences we didn’t get to see Dog in the Snow live until this month. Gig clashes, not finding out about events until afterwards, timings changing – it was starting to look like we were avoiding them. We managed to put the situation right a couple of weeks ago when Helen Brown played a solo set opening the recent Two Three Four event at Green Door Store. We were so impressed that we decided there and then that we’d go and see her next time she played live, whatever else was on.

That next time was last night, when Dog in the Snow played at Above Audio. The night was put on by Les Enfants Terribles who have been putting on monthly nights at The Blind Tiger for the last year, but who also hosted a day at the Mesmerist for the Great Escape back in May and are running a stage at this weekend’s Playgroup festival.

We arrived too late to see support act Thyla, and between bands the lights were up and there was a lot of background chatter. Sadly that didn’t change when Dog in the Snow came on, and the sound wasn’t great either, with the vocals lost in the mix. Talent shone through though, with a quietly confident performance. Musically things were sometimes delicate but always purposeful, with layered soundscapes being created by Helen’s vocals and guitar (which was played with a violin bow on a couple of tracks) and her bandmate’s backing vocals , samples and keyboards. Dog in the Snow are band we’re going to do our best not to miss again.

Black Black Hills – Far from my Arms

Video

This is the brilliant beautiful new song from Black Black Hills.

I wasn’t expecting this – a soulful mournful love song, imbibing the spirit of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds but very much its own. Really gorgeous. Go listen.

And go download here http://emailunlock.com/blackblackhills/far-from-my-arms

Brighton Music Blog Advent Calendar / Day 21 / Shrag

Posted on 21/12/2012 by brightonmusicblog

Today’s post was meant to be a celebration but I fear it’s going to be a bit of an obituary. I wrote a lot of the Advent Calendar blog posts before November was even up but held off writing about Shrag because I had a ticket for the Riots Not Diets Christmas Party at the West Hill Centre that they were headlining on the 8th of December. I heard a rumour before hand which was confirmed by the band at the gig – it was probably their last time they would play Brighton.

What a bombshell – I had no idea it was coming. This year’s album Canines had been lauded across the music press as their finest yet, and gave us three fine singles – Tendons in the Night (which was a split single with touring partners Tunabunny), album lead track Show Us Your Canines in the Night and and the glam stomper Devastating Bones. While the singles were Shrag’s most muscular yet the rest of the album showed a band who’d finally found a maturity in their sound. The New Order-esque breakdown in the middle of On The Spires of Old Cathedrals gave us the shivers every time we heard it and album closer Jane With Dumbbells was majestic.

Things felt a bit different at the last gig. Helen finally looked a bit older and less like a child, and there was something a bit less indie about Steph. Maybe I was just projecting, knowing that in a few weeks time (there’s one last gig in their Diary, at Fortuna Pop’s Winter Sprinter in London) they won’t be part of Shrag any more. Maybe the band know that they haven’t got anything to prove any more. Maybe they were just drunk. Who knows.

What I do know is that in these quarters Shrag will be sadly missed. They’ve put out some fantastic records over the past few years and played some great gigs. They leave us with one final single put out as part of the Where Its At Is Where You Are singles club. Unseasonal Thoughts melds spiky guitars with 80s synths, and might just be the best thing they’ve ever done. At least they’re going out on a high.

Laish – back in Brighton

Posted on 21/10/2012 by brightonmusicblog

So, you’ve finished with Oxjam and the mass of musical fun this past week? Wondering where the next great sounds are coming from? Look no further because hurrah, this Friday, Laish are back in town.

Laish playing at The Haunt, Brighton

Daniel Green’s band have just completed a European tour and are now on a short home country trek, stopping off at the Hope on Queen’s Road, this Friday 26th October.

They’ll be supported by Maia – a 4-piece alt- folk band from Huddlesfield who have supported the Low Anthem, Anais Mitchell and the Unthanks, as well as playing the Cambridge Folk Festival and No Direction Home – a mix of gigs which pretty well describes their sound.

They’ve also got Nick Edward Harris on the bill, and having seen him support Emma Gatrill (also a Laish band member) at her album launch earlier this year I would highly recommend you get their early to experience his amazing intricate rhythmic guitar playing which is out of this world.

Laish, in case you didn’t know, come out of the excellent Willkommen Collective. Dan plays drums for Sons of Noel and Adrian when he’s not penning some of the most charming, honest and authentic songs to have come out of Brighton or anywhere for many a year. Their first album was released a couple of years ago, and was one of our records of the year – Mojo magazine termed it “Beguiling songs of love”, Line of Best fit “Clever and accomplished”. An excellent EP ‘Obituaries‘ came out earlier this year and a second album is now in the can and this blog for one can’t wait.

Listen to the title track from the Obituaries EP here

Tickets for this Friday’s gig are £6 in advance (£7 on the door) and you can buy them here: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/185957

(Photograph of Laish at the Haunt earlier this year by Jon Southcoasting)

p.s. also recommended this week: Thursday: RESTLESSLIST at the Pavilion theatre

new single : Kidda / Get Close

Posted on 22/05/2012 by brightonmusicblog

When I first wrote about Kidda, when he played at the Juice New Music Night back in December, I wrote ” there’s going to come a day in spring when the sun’s out, the skies are blue and the world is just coming back to life when one of his tunes comes on the radio and it’ll be just perfect”. I just checked the weather forecast for this week and the sun’s out every day. And a few days ago, I got a heads up about the new Kidda single. And guess what – it’s the perfect tune for right now.

Get Close is the sound of Daft Punk, Basement Jaxx and The Avalanches having a party with Junior Senior banging on the door to get in. Remixes come from JeKO and The Sneekers, and it came out on Brighton’s own Skint Records yesterday.