new music – Bentcousin, Demob Happy, Dark Horses, Black Black Hills, Cate Ferris, Japanese Sweets, Fragile Creatures, Eva Bowan

Posted on 13/07/2014 by brightonmusicblog

The World Cup’s over with for another for years, so you can all turn your attention to music again. It’s less than a week since we last posted up a new music update, but we’ve still got eight tracks to share today.

First up is the video for Bencousin‘s new single Dizzy, which features Pat an Amelia larking around on the beach with surprisingly few people about.

Demob Happy‘s latest offering is a track called Suffer You, less than three minutes of melodic, breathless rock:

New first track from the upcoming Dark Horses album Hail Lucid State (due out on 28th August) actually surfaced a few weeks ago, but we were caught napping. Slightly late to the party, here’s Live on Hunger:

Up until last week, we were under the immpression that maybe Black Black Hills had split up – the only activity this year on their facebook page has been about their lead singer’s new solo project Rooster Cole. There’s still no news on their facebook page, but a new track called Beneath The Soil has appeared on Soundcloud:

As a stopgap before her new EP arrives Cate Ferris has uploaded a new track to Soundcloud. There’s no loops or big vocal acrobatics on Bad Day, just beautiful folk harmonies:

Owen from Speak Galactic ambient project Japanese Sweets has a new video online. Tune out and let Coming To With Yr Friends Around You wash over you:

Sunshine is the first track out there from the upcoming Fragile Creatures EP. The EP is due later on in the summer, with no firm date yet although the launch will be at the Komedia on Friday 12th September:

Last but by no means least is some more ambient, this time from Eva Bowan. Her facebook page says that Peach Parfait is “the most sunny song I’ve ever made” and comes with a gorgeous video from videographer Robin White:

New Music – Fickle Friends, The Delta Bell, Winston & Goldstein, Dark Horses, Royal Blood

Posted on 31/03/2014 by brightonmusicblog

Another batch of new Brighton music for you all, including three singles that are out today:

The first of today’s new singles is PLAY by Fickle Friends, the follow up to Swim – the first new track of 2014 that we posted. PLAY is another slice of fantastic sunshine pop. The band are launching the single with a gig at the Shacklewell arms on 9th April before they head on tour in April / May, playing a hometown gig as part of the Great Escape at the Green Door Store on 9th May.

Wasted by The Delta Bell is the new country tinged 7″ released today on Random Acts of Vinyl. Kate Gerrard’s band play at the Hope tomorrow night supporting Flooding Rivers, and you can buy the single now from the Random Acts of Vinyl website.

You probably wouldn’t guess that the ice-cool electro of Ode to a Massive Obsession was made by an ex-member of Kins, but Winston & Goldstein is the new project by Jacqueline who in a previous musical life was responsible for keyboards and guitars. The track is the first video from the forthcoming album In The Eyes of the Other, due later this year.

Dark Horses are back with Live on Hunger, the first track from their second album. Hail Lucid State has been produced by Death in Vegas mainman Richard Fearless (who also produced their debut Black Music), and the album will be out later this year on Last Gang Records.

Finally, we have the new single from Royal Blood, also released today. Little Monster is packed with riffis and is available on download or limited 7″.

Weekend Gig Picks

Posted on 26/03/2014 by brightonmusicblog

After a break for reasons we can’t quite fathom ourselves, here’s our pick of great gigs coming up this weekend.

On Friday Les Enfants Terribles, one of our favourite monthly nights, returns to the Blind Tiger. This month the fantastic Momotaro are headlining, with support from The Beautiful Word, Poles Apart and Lunar Maria. Meanwhile, over at Sticky Mike’s, Demob Happy are curating this weekend’s Late Night Lingerie.

On Saturday Night The Galleons are holding their album launch at the Brighthelm Centre. Not only do they have the 60 piece Hullabaloo Community Choir performing with them, but they’ve also had their own beer brewed especially for the night. We’ve also spotted that Dark Horses are making a return with the first local gig performing material from their upcoming second album. You can catch them at Sticky Mike’s supported by The Querelles and Riddles.

Brighton Music Blog Advent Calendar / Day 2 / Dark Horses

Posted on 02/12/2012 by brightonmusicblog

Second on our list is Dark Horses. The Richard Fearless produced Black Music was one of our favourite albums of 2012. It was greasy, it was dirty, it was dark and we loved it. In their review, Artrocker said “It’s never felt so good to be so devastatingly alone”. The launch gig at the Green Door Store felt electric.

Dark Horses

Dark Horses / Black Music

Posted on 04/11/2012 by brightonmusicblog

Last Monday, Dark Horses released their debut album Black Music. We’d have written about it sooner, but we were waiting to tie it in with the launch party on halloween, and we’ve been shellshocked ever since.

Black Music, put simply, is the most powerful album to be released by any Brighton Band this year. It’s sleazy rock’n’roll. It’s filthy electro. It’s teutonic Krautrock. It’s the soundtrack to the film that Quentin Tarantino hasn’t made with David Lynch. It’s the smell of oil, leather, sweat and blood. It’s amazing. By about now, you should have stopped reading and opened up another browser window to order the album (try here).

Dark Horses got Death In Vegas main man Richard Fearless in to produce the album, and he’s the perfect choice. Black Music recalls some of the best bits from The Contino Sessions or Scorpio Rising. Around two thirds of the way through the album, the pace drops and things quieten with a few cover versions, the first being a song called Sanningen Om Dig by singer Lisa Elle’s Swedish compatriot Tomas Andersson, and the second a surprisingly delicate take on Talking Head’s Road To Nowhere, featuring harp and a doo-wop backing.

Dark Horses

Live, Dark Horses were as fearsome a prospect as the album, playing up to the myth with each band member dressed in black,, minimal lighting and dry ice filling the stage, and Lisa Elle adding to the mystique by talking in Swedish between the tracks. It was also daunting for me to take photos of the band – Dark Horses are one of the first acts I’ve come across who’ve given their photographer equal credit alongside each band member. They also manage to transcend the feeling that we were watching a local act – driven by their stage presence primarily, but also the following the band have, not coming to see them because they’re local, or because they’re friends with one of the members, but for what a great band they are.

Dark Horses

http://www.darkhorsesmusic.com/news/

Brighton Bands nominated for the Artrocker awards – Maccabees, Dark Horses, Tall Ships & Fear of Men

Posted on 01/11/2012 by brightonmusicblog

All eyes are on the Mercury Music Prize tonight, but they’re not the only awards to be watching. It’s also a great year for Brighton acts in the end of year nominations over at Artrocker. On top of their Mercury nomination, The Maccabees are up for band over the year. Dark Horses whose album Black Music is out this week did well too, picking up nominations for best single for Radio, and Best New Band. Tall Ships and Fear of Men are also up for Best New Band too. Head over to the Artrocker website and get voting!