The ones that got away

Posted on 29/12/2012 by brightonmusicblog

We wrote about loads of bands earlier this month in an arbitrary personal take on the year, but there’s been lots going on that we couldn’t include for one reason or the other. There were lots of bands who were just bubbling under, we didn’t write about any bands who were from Brighton – obviously – and we kept the list just to bands and didn’t mention venues or events or stuff like that.

We tried to have a bit of balance across our advent calendar, making sure we had big and small bands, so it was always going to be the case that there was going to be some we couldn’t fit in. As well as The Maccabees and Bat for Lashes hitting hard for Brighton, Blood Red Shoes and Orbital were troubling the charts. While we’re talking about big acts, Fatboy Slim‘s most recent Big Beach Boutique was a success not on the beach but at the Amex, where they apparently ran out of beer on the first night. On the subject of local bands in sports venues, hundreds of people braved the rain in July when Rizzle Kicks accompanied the entrance of the Olympic Torch to Hove Cricket Groung Saint Etienne were further down our longlist than the album “Words and Music by Saint Etienne” and their gig at the Concorde warranted, but with only Pete Wiggs living in Brighton, we had to prioritise bands with more local members.

Other bands with albums out in 2012 who we just couldn’t fit in were Tall Ships, Cave Painting, Ital Tek (referred to by one of my mates as possibly his album of the year), Sparrow and Negative Pegasus. When Todd Jordan isn’t being part of Negative Pegasus, he’s also one third of promoters One Inch Badge, who brought us the fantastic Sea Monsters festival at the Prince Albert as well as dozens of other great gigs, and is one of the people responsible for Bizarro World, a monthly covers gig which is so much better than it sounds on paper.

There’s a few bands who’ve caught our eye that we’re expecting big things from in 2013. Crayola Lectern‘s album is recorded and due to arrive in Spring sometime on Bleeding Hearts Recordings. We saw Dead Cars live a few weeks ago and really really liked what they were doing, but it was too late to squeeze them into our list. But if we were to be pushed to name one act whose year it could be then we’d have to say Anneka. We’ve only seen her live once so far (supporting Com Truise at The Haunt), but there was something about what she was doing that sounded so fully formed, that she’s bound to be huge.

Outside of Brighton, here’s our top ten albums and top five tracks of the year:

1. Melody’s Echo Chamber / Melody’s Echo Chamber
2. Beth Orton / Sugaring Season
3. Laetitia Sadier / Silencio
4. Toy / Toy
5. Raveonettes / Observator
6. Clock Opera / Ways to Forget
7. Best Coast / The Only Place
8. Black Reindeer / Real Life is Overrated
9. Scuba / Personality
10. Cornshed Sisters / Tell Tales

1. Mmoths / Heart
2. Blur / Under The Westway
3. Saint Etienne / Tonight
4. Minotaur Shock / Janet
5. Lee Hazlewood / Souls Island

They Might Swim / Dead Cars / Evil Son gallery

Posted on 26/11/2012 by brightonmusicblog

One of our gig picks last weekend was Evil Son headlining the Prince Albert. Here’s some pics from the night (click to view large):

Weekend Gig Picks

Posted on 22/11/2012 by brightonmusicblog

In what’s almost becoming a semi-regular feature of the blog (well, this is the second post of it’s type in as many weeks), here’s a few gigs happening this weekend that have caught our eye.

On Friday, Mean Poppa Lean play their last ever gig at The Haunt, before they call things a day. Support comes from Mean Poppa Lean – the original line up – before the current line up play a headline set. Once things finish at The Haunt, the evening moves on to Sticky Mike’s where they’re holding the afterparty and where no doubt the craziness will continue into the early hours. If you want something a bit folkier, Mountain Firework Company are at the Green Door Store, and for those with more esoteric tastes, Crayola Lectern are at Hotel Pelirocco.

On Saturday, there’s a triple EP launch at the Prince Albert. The Evil Son headline, launching their eponymous EP, and support comes from Dead Cars launching their Good People Have White Teeth EP and They Might Swim, whose My Cardiologist EP is just out. We’ve also just been told (after asking about a copy of the fantatic poster to use), that there’s now a fourth band on the bill too, called Leyez. A bargain, and only four quid on the door. Bands from 8pm, apparently. And if after everything else, you prefer a bit of hip hop, this weekend’s Brighton Rocks night at Sticky Mike’s has Astro-Physics at the top of the bill.