The Mojo Fins are a bit of a Brighton institution, having plied their wares around this fine city of ours for the best part of a decade. Next week sees the release of their third album Circa on Amazon Records. The follow up to 2011’s Shake The Darkness sees the band taking a step forward musically. Thanks to the production skills of Dave Eringa (best known for his work with Manic Street Preachers but who also produced the band’s The Spirit EP from a couple of years ago) the Mojo Fins sound both more focussed and more exciting – Some of the tracks, like New Order sounding lead single Introverts, have the electronica backing coming to the fore with other tracks, like the beautiful Catholic Guilt, are stripped back and almost acoustic, but always hitting the mark. The Mojo Fins have never sounded better. There’s no news yet of a local launch gig, but if we hear of anything we’re sure to let you know.
Circa by The Mojo Fins is out on Amazon Records on June 8th on download and CD.
It’s been a frustrating week for us – our internet has been playing up and we haven’t been able to make half the posts that we wanted. As time has passed we’ve ended up with more and more to add to our regular new music post, so here we go, with more music than normal:
Fear of Men have spent the past few months supporting Pains of Being Pure at Heart on tour in America. Next week the tour moves to Europe, starting in France, so to celebrate the band have recorded a French version of their single Luna:
It’s not just Fear of Men who are off to Europe on tour next week – Flash Bang Band are too. Here’s a brand new video for Young Rogue from their album Bite Your Tongue that they’ve posted to celebrate, made up of footage from last year’s European tour.
The latest new music from Foreign Skin is a video of a live remix of Draper’s Electricity. You can catch Foreign Skin performing in the flesh at the Green Door Store on 26th June supporting Bernholz:
Sticking with remixes by Brighton acts, here’s IYES remixing 1965 by Zella Day, taking something that Lana Del Ray wouldn’t be ashamed of into electro wonderland:
This Friday we’re off to see Fujiya & Miyagi, supported by AKDK. You don’t have to wait until then to hear them in the same room though. Here’s Flaws from Fujiya & Miyagi’s new album remixed by AKDK:
Fool’s Empire release their debut EP on 16th June and have a launch party at the Green Door Store on the same day. Here’s the title track This Is Not For You:
Faux Flux put out a new single yesterday. You Know follows on from the electro pop of last year’s Come Alive and Week Long War releases:
Last, but by no means least, is the massive new tune from Anushka. Mansions is taken from the band’s upcoming album Broken Circuit. Huge wobbly bass, jittery beats and gorgeous harmonies
May always passes too fast for us in Brighton — too many things to do and not enough time to do them all. We did get enough time to get our ears around plenty of local new music though, and here’s our pick of the bunch.
1. Fujiya & Miyagi – Caucasian Sweat
Our most listened to track this month was Caucasian Sweat, taken from the bonus disc of their new album Artificial Sweeteners. That’s nowhere to be found online – it’s from the bonus disc, part of the incentive for you to put your hand in your pocket and spend some of your hard earned money on the cd – so here’s album opener Flaws instead:
2. Eagles for Hands – Glitterall
Last month Handprints topped our chart. The new Eagles for Hands double A side is still on heavy rotation at Brighton Music Blog towers and this month we’re featuring the chilled house b-side Glitterall:
3. Tigercub – Blue Blood
Number three in our chart is the new 7″ from Tigercub which comes on rather cool blue vinyl:
4. Adolescent – Golden Halls part II
Golden Halls is the new EP from Adolescent. Part One is a short piano piece with additional ambient textures, part two which we’re featuring is this fantastic effervescent electronica:
5. Us Baby Bear Bones – Old
This month Us Baby Bear Bones split up and left us with a final EP – Ursari – to remember them by. Our favourite track was the wonky r’n’b of Old:
6. IYES – Toys
In retrospect, it shouldn’t have been any great surprise that IYES latest demo was so good, after all Lighthouse (now sadly taken down from their soundcloud page) was just a demo. Anyone wondering if they can maintain their high standard should take a listen to Toys:
7. Gazelle Twin – Antibody
I don’t think I’ve been disturbed my a music video quite as much since Aphex Twin’s promo for Come To Daddy. Not for the faint hearted, but brilliant nonetheless:
8. Alice Amelia – 11:11
Alice Amelia’s 11:11 is the kind of music that you’ll want to be hearing once the sun finally comes out properly – soulful r’n’b for summer days:
9. Sam Organ – It’s cool if you don’t want to say anything, I’ll just say nothing too
Sam Organ’s latest offering is the second track in this month’s ten from KLSDCP records. They also put out the Adolescent EP, and the downtempo beats of “It’s cool if you don’t want to say anything, I’ll just say nothing too” sit perfectly alongside it:
10. Winston & Goldstein – Non omnis moriar
Finally we have Non Omnis Moriar. We joked when we wrote about this at the very end of April that we don’t often post up Latin on the blog, but we’ve also gone and featured Us Baby Bear Bones Ursari in this month’s top ten (Ursari being Bear in Latin). You can catch Winston & Goldstein live for free at the Green Door Store on 9th June, on the bill with Brighton Music Blog favourites Dog in the Snow.
Tomorrow sees the release of Alex Banks‘ debut album on Modeselektor’s Monkeytown label. Illuminate‘s main vocal contributor is Elisabeth Bernholz (aka Gazelle Twin, who is co-credited on All You Can Do, Silent Embrace and A Matter of Time), but the record also features Cate Ferris as well. The album launch party is is a late gig on the 21st June at The Loft, with Ital Tek in support. The record is out on cd or double vinyl and is already available to listen to on Spotify.
Gazelle Twin releases her new Antibody EP digitally on Anti-Ghost Moon Ray today, followed a physical release on limited blue 12″ on 16th June. Antibody comes backed with remixes from Wrangler and I Speak Machine as well as new b-side Phobia, and can be pre-ordered from iTunes here.. Antibody will appear on Gazelle Twin’s upcoming album Unflesh, due later this year.
To celebrate the launch Gazelle Twin played a gig at the Green Door Store last thursday, supported by Eva Bowan, and we were there to capture it:
The Wytches have announced details of their debut album Annabel Dream Reader. The record is coming out on August 25th on Heavenly Records and features previous singles Gravedweller and Robe for Juda and upcoming single Wire Frame Mattress, whose new video has been directed by legendary photographer Steve Gullick:
It’s been a bit quiet from us for a little while, for which we apologise profusely. It’s all the Great Escape’s fault. As fun as it is, it does leave us with no spare time for three days, then knackered for a few days after that.
We’re back now though and unfortunately it’s with some sad news. Last week we got a press release saying that one of Brighton’s finest bands – Us Baby Bear Bones – were splitting up. They’re releasing a second and final EP, Ursari, which has been produced by Blood Red Shoes’ Simon Ansell which is coming out tomorrow on Love They Neighbour, limited to only a hundred copies, and also playing one final gig at the Green Door Store, with support from Hypnotized and Speak Galactic. Here’s the video for Only One from the EP:
Don’t be sad for too long though. Two of the band’s members are continuing as Psalm Springs, and their first track Get Out (Leave) is already out there, tucked away on Cupboard Music’s sampler cd that they gave away to those who made the early start on Record Store Day, which isn’t too difficult to find a stream of with a little bit of hunting. If Psalm Springs are even half the band that Us Baby Bear Bones were they’ll still outshine most of what Brighton has to offer so we look forward to hearing more from them.
Last week, Black Rooster Black Shag released their debut album As Far As My Lead Will Take Me. We were out of town for their launch gig at the Bees Mouth on thursday, but we caught up with Mirika, JJ and Dan last Sunday afternoon when they played a another gig at the Ranelagh.
Brighton Music Blog: So the album’s called…
JJ: As Far as My Lead Will Take Me
BMB: And where did the title come from?
JJ: Between us we came up with the title. I think it really reflected the journey of the record. We met in the Southern Hemisphere, moved to the UK and eventually settled in Brighton and I think it was that sort of journey that by the time we got to Brighton that really made up the record. That whole trajectory that we took and it kind of sums up the spirit of the record in terms of going a great distance and getting to a particular point and the fact that you can still go a little bit further.
BMB: So are some of the songs quite old and have taken this journey or are they all quite new?
JJ: Some of the songs I suppose were composed a while ago but we’ve got Dan into the band and come together as a three piece and the sound has changed, and every time we play we play it slightly differently, we never try and play the song the same way the same time twice. So in that way the songs always evolve and are always fresh and there’s always something different every time we play. The skeletons of the songs were written quite a while ago but every time we play them they’re a little bit different.
Mirika: The band club we sort of had to hold back to really be able to play in this band. J and I were touring other projects when we met so we wrote all these songs cross continentally for a little while we were touring the other projects then once we finished those records we could make this band happen. So we really willed it to happen, although we’ve only been playing shows now for nine months.
BMB: So you launched the album at the Bees Mouth last thursday. How did that go?
M: Oh man, so much fun.
BMB: Did you play in that little sweaty room downstairs?
Dan: I think we made it worse. It probably still stinks of us now.
JJ: Our audience have got a very good aroma! It was just a great night There was a lot of people that came down, a lot of friends. We had a really good time and everyone walked away having celebrated the fact that the album’s finally out really, because a lot of them were friends who played on the record and we did have a lot of people around us that helped so it was just really really nice to have everybody in the same room and celebrating not just the end of one journey but the start of another one.
M: We’ve already been demoing new stuff, so it was quite exciting.
BMB: You first visit to Brighton was to visit the Great Escape?
M: We just came to visit, we weren’t playing. SO many great venues and people were really friendly which was really nice.
BMB: Are you around for the Great Escape this year?
JJ: We’re actually playing the Alternative Escape at Marwoods Cafe, on the saturday afternoon about half past five so we’ll definitely be around.
R: Any tips of bands to go and see at the Great Escape?
JJ: I would just tip to go and check out the Brighton bands. I think there’s such a vibrant scene going on with bands here. Compared to what you see on the surface from other cities it’s unique. There’s a lot of exciting guitar bands happening. For me it’s more about seeing my friends and seeing those bands play in front of a bigger audience of people that wouldn’t normally come and see them play. Anything from Brighton go and check it out.
BMB: Where’s next for the album? You’ve played launches in Brighton, London and Barnsley.
JJ: We’re playing Eastbourne, then Nottingham, then London again, and then Manchester, Doncaster as well. We’d like to play a few smaller towns and some of the bigger cities as well. Our idea is not to have one huge tour, but to keep going out and visiting places. It’s a slower run with an independent band, you can’t throw all your eggs into one basket, you’ve got to work it a bit longer. So we just want to go out and see as much of the country as possible.
BMB: Are you doing any festivals this summer?
JJ: We’re playing Coalfields, up in Barnsley again, but that’s about it really. We’re a relatively new band, so we haven’t really hit the festivals hard at this point. We’re more into playing smaller venues for now, getting the intimate atmosphere going really. That’s where people are responding best to the music so we’re happy cultivating that at the moment.
M: It’s nice when you go to a town and you see people who saw you at your last show. That’s the best. I don’t need to play anywhere extravagant, I just want a good vibe, and to be able to relax a bit and have a bit of fun.
Black Rooster Black Shag’s album is out now, available from EOI productions. You can catch the band on Saturday at Marwoods Cafe around 5.30 as part of the Alternative Great Escape (so you won’t need a wristband).
April was another great month for Brighton music with some fantastic albums being released as well as some lovely one offs for Record Store Day. May’s already shaping up nicely too but until then, here are our favourite tracks from last month:
1. Eagles for Hands – Handprints
Handprints is the sound of the party starting – lots of cowbell, housey piano and uplifting vocals. Eagles for hands are top of our list of bands to catch at the Great Escape next week – they’re at Coalition on Saturday night at 2.30am, and also at KLDSCP’s party alongside Caveman Genius and Foreign Skin and a whole host of other acts.
2. Fujiya & Miyagi – Flaws
Fujiya & Miyagi’s new album Artificial Sweeteners is out on Monday, although if you get down to Resident today they’re already selling signed copies. Flaws is the first single and is a great indicator of what to expect from the rest of the record – classic Fujiya & Miyagi with more electronics thrown into the mix. There’s still a few tickets left for their gig at the Haunt on 6th June but it will sell out, so I’d get a ticket sooner rather than later.
3. Fear of Men – Luna
Luna is the first single from Fear of Men’s brilliant new album Loom. If we didn’t love the track (which we do), it might have warranted a place in our top ten just on the basis of the utterly beautiful packaging – a fanzine written by the band and a clear flexidisc (along with download codes).
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4. AK/DK – Maxwell’s Waves
AK/DK’s new album Synth + Drums + Noise + Space was one of our highlights this month. The lead track is the bleepy Maxwell’s Waves, and electronic krautrock rush. AK/DK are the support at Fujiya & Miyagi’s gig at The Haunt that we mentioned earlier.
5. Curxes – Jaws
In April, Curxes put out Precurxor – a roundup of of old tracks and demos to keep our interest while they get on with the business of recording their proper debut album. It’s definitely working for us. Our highlight is Jaws, which captures the urgency and power of their live shows.
6. Winston & Goldstein – Ode to a Massive Obsession
When we heard that Jacqueline from Kins had a new project, we didn’t envisage Winston & Goldstein, whose main influence seems to be mid-nineties alternative dance music from what we’ve heard so far. There’s a heavy hint of Leftfield in Ode to a Massive Obsession, which can only be a good thing in our book. Oh, and the video is all kinds of brilliant too.
7. Blood Red Shoes – Speech Coma
Speech Coma is the new Blood Red Shoes single. The the chorus goes “I can’t get the words out / I can’t get the words out / It’s like someone cut out my tongue”. And so does the video. Quite literally. Not for the faint hearted.
8. Cate Ferris – Gotta Do Better
We haven’t got a media link for Gotta Do Better, the latest offering from Cate Ferris. The only way to hear it is to sign up to her page on PledgeMusic, where she’s currently raising money for her new EP.
9. Cleff – Restart
Restart is on Cleff’s new Listen In EP, a lovely blend of electronic and classical music. We posted open the EP’s opening track Big Ideas earlier this month, but it was Restart which got under our skin.
10. Fickle Friends – Play
Fickle Friends have got a real knack for a catchy pop song. We loved Swim earlier this year, and they’ve done it again with Play. Fickle Friends are another band who are on our list for the Great Escape, playing at the Green Door Store on Saturday night, and at the Mesmerist on Saturday afternoon.
Here’s this week’s dose of new music. A real mixed bag, as usual. First up is the video for the new Tigercub single Blue Blood. We’ve mentioned this before, but the video has only just appeared online:
Next up is The Physics House Band’s Samuel Organ with his latest upload to soundcloud, whose title is a real mouthful – It’s cool if you don’t want to say anything, I’ll just say nothing too. The track is easier on the ears than it is on the tongue – lush chilled electronica.
We don’t often post Latin up on the blog but we’ve got reason to with the new track from Winston & Goldstein – Non Omnis Moriar (The Dead Can). It’s been more years than I care to remember since I studied any Latin, so I’ve deferred to Google translate, which tells me that Non Omnis Moriar means I Will Not Die, and the phrase gets chanted over electronic beats which build up over the course of the track. This is the second tgrack we’ve heard from Winston & Goldstein’s upcoming album In The Eyes of Others, and on the basis of these, we’re very keen to hear some more.
Alice Amelia has grown massively since we first saw her and with her debut single, it feels like she’s properly arrived – Sassy r’n’b vocals and big production, 11:11 is really rather good.
K-TV, which got a premier on XLR8R last week, is the second track that we’ve heard from Adolescent‘s upcoming Golden Halls EP. All effervescent electronica and phased synths, this is pushing all out buttons.
Time to wake up a bit now, with the new single from The Modes. The band say they’re influenced by Royal Blood and the Black Keys, and you can hear these influences comin through on Not This Time:
Finally we’re finishing up with an EP from Summa, who has an EP out called Roads – The beautiful, ambient Diapason is the lead track:
Brighton Music Blog 