Hidden Trail records launch Ellie Ford’s EP

Posted on 26/04/2014 by brightonmusicblog

We’ve been loving the Ellie Ford ‘Show Night In’ EP for a while, but after a couple of superb compilations the excellent Hidden Trail Records are putting it out as their first physical artiste release. It was launched last night at Brighton’s Red Roaster Cafe and we were there to enjoy a great night of some of the UK’s finest singer-songwriters.

First up was Stevie Ray Latham, a young folkswinger who completely inhabits the spirit of a young Bob Dylan circa1963 but writes his own brilliant songs which he conveys with real aplomb. Songs like the excellent South Coast Blues show off his authentic style. His new album on Brighthelmstone’s At The Helm records is due out soon and is definitely going to be a cracker, and we hope to bring you more info on that in due course.

Kelly Oliver was new to me. An out-of-towner, from Stevenage, this was her first gig in Brighton. We’re not supposed to mention the non-Brighton folk so I won’t dwell too long on just how excellent she was, but she’s played the Cambridge Folk festival and with Dave Swarbrick of Fairport Convention and judging from last night she’s going to be a big hit on the folk scene. Last night we were particularly taken by her song Grandpa was a Stoker and her cover of Beyonce’s If I were a Boy.

Headliner for the night was Brighton’s own Ellie Ford and she completely owned the small Redroaster stage, switching with ease between guitar and harp, claiming to have not played her EP for a while with typical flaky charm, then proceeding to play some magnificent soulful versions of the EP’s songs that held the packed room rapt. The songs sound even better to me live than on record, but particularly stunning in both forms was Low, which tonight was performed in a tentative heartful rendition that was quite stunning. There were also some new songs from the album-in-the-making which we really hope to hear before the year is out.

Ellie has also just released a ‘Covers project’ and show cased some of those tunes and a few others, two gorgeous Joanna Newsom songs, a Karen Dalton cover, a fantastic version of Bob Dylan’s Corrina Corrina, and ending with an unplanned encore of a beautiful interpretation of Dylan’s Buckets of Rain.

A terrific singer who is growing in confidence with every gig, Ellie is definitely one to watch.

Words and pictures were by Jon Southcoasting

New Music – Fujiya & Miyagi, Electric Soft Parade, Hypnotized, The Hundredth Anniversary

Posted on 19/02/2014 by brightonmusicblog

We’ve got an interesting New Music post for you this week – new tracks from some of our city’s biggest bands as well as some exciting stuff from some of Brighton’s younger home grown talent.

Fujiya & Miyagi‘s last album (excluding solo projects Omega Male and I am Ampersand) was back in 2011. The band are back now with an album due in the spring, the first taster of which is Tetrahydrofolic Acid – much more electronic and a lot less krautrock than before:

Electric Soft Parade have put up a video for another track from last year’s Idiots. One of Those Days comes out to coincide with a Spanish tour that the White brothers kick off tomorrow:

Love Thy Neighbour, home to Abi Wade, Us Baby Bear Bones and A Lily have just signed Hypnotized. Their first release for the label will be Telesto – a five track EP coming out on 24th March. There’s a launch party at the Green Door Store on 10th March, and you can hear the title track from the EP here:

Last, but by no means least, The Hundredth Anniversary announced news of their new five track EP Wreckers this week, which is released on 17th March. Only a hundred copies are being pressed and if you can pre order it from the Odd Box bandcamp page. you get an early download of It Becomes Us from the EP:

New Music – Woodpecker Wooliams, Gudjohr, Caveman Genius, Milk & Biscuits

Posted on 20/01/2014 by brightonmusicblog

It seems like only yesterday that we put up a post of new music. That’s probably because it was only yesterday. But as fast as we can post about it, more music is coming out. We can barely keep up.

First up is Woodpecker Wooliams last ever single, Crow, taken from 2012’s The Bird School of Being Human. Woodpecker Wooliams apparently came to an abrupt death in September of last year, but Gemma Williams is putting out one last single from her alter ego. There’s a rather brutal (and NSFW) video, and a five track bandcamp download which comes with four new remixes.including one by Becky Becky, one of Gemma Williams other projects.

Next we have Gudjohr‘s new EP, which is a lot less acoustic than his previous outings. Gujohr appears to have forgotten that it’s winter with five tracks of sun drenched almost tropical pop:

Caveman Genius has a new track of shimmering electronica on the Physic House Band’s KLDSCP label. Favourite is available for download on Soundcloud now:

Finally, a track that we’ve posted up before and rather liked. We were such a big fan of Milk & Biscuits‘ Hairstyles that we made it day 16 on our advent calendar / end of year round up. In 2013 it got a digital release. In 2014 it’s getting a physical release on Lick Music (who happen to be the same people who sold frozen yoghurt on Gardner Street) alongside another three tracks – Town & Country, Rivers and Middle Distance – two of which recorded in the shop. Suitable entitled “Tape” the EP will on 24th February.

New music – Calico, Man Ray Sky, Eagles for Hands, Mitch Wade Cole, and Jennifer Left

Posted on 26/11/2013 by brightonmusicblog

We’ve got five new releases for you this week – four you can listen to here, and one that you’ll have to click through to download

Calico have put up the first track from their forthcoming EP Nightowl up for download. It’s a cool slice of jazzy cinematic funk, and it’s free:

Man Ray Sky‘s new Coreless EP is now up for sale on Bandcamp. There are six tracks for three pounds, including two remixes of lead track Luma:

We’re still listening to Eagles for Hands Lisbon EP which came out last month. Since then, they’ve snuck out another track Peaches, which is up for download now.

Mitch Wade Cole‘s new release is out now on Shimmy Records. the producer’s latest instrumental is entitled Full Body and is available for download from the Shimmy Records Soundcloud page.

Finally, we haven’t got anything we can embed for the new Jennifer Left track Rebel, but it’s available as a free download from her Pledge Music page. Jennifer Left’s album is due to be released in March next year and will be funded by a Pledge music campaign between now and then, so keep your eyes peeled for updates between now and then.

Source New Music gallery – Traams & Teardrop Factory

Posted on 27/10/2013 by brightonmusicblog

Last night we went along to the Brighton Dome Source New Music Night, but for one reason or the other we didn’t get along quite as early as we’d hoped, so we missed Last Heir and Cousin. We did get lots of photos of the other two acts – Teardrop Factory and last months Source cover stars Traams – and here they are.

(as usual, click on the pics to view large)

Flash Bang Band album launch

Gallery

Posted on 16/09/2013 by brightonmusicblog

This gallery contains 3 photos.

Flash Bang Band launched their brilliant new album ‘Bite Your Tongue’ at a free gig at the Green Door Store last night. If you haven’t bought it yet, it comes very highly recommended. They were ably supported at the launch … Continue reading →

New Music – Phantom Runners, New State Masses, Last Heir, Gudjohr, My New Favourite Tribe, King of Cats, Flash Pan Hunter

Posted on 29/08/2013 by brightonmusicblog

It’s barely been a week since we updated you with the new music that we’ve heard about, but our mailbox has been overflowing with loads of tunes and videos. Here’s what we’ve heard:

We heard about the new Phantom Runners just this afternoon. It Takes Me Away is lovely jangly late 80s / early 90s sounding indie, and is probably our favourite out of this post’s selection:

New State Masses are a new band formed from the ashes of previous projects foiled by the machinations of the music industry. So far there’s only a few tracks up on Soundcloud, and we rather like the mournful Somehow, Someday which we’re featuring here, but they’ll have a single out later this year called Keep The Love which we’ll tell you more about as we hear it.

Last Heir‘s new video was filmed down on the beach, and it looks like it was on the nudist beach, although they’re all fully clothed. Monkey Heart is a catchy slice of guitar pop, which is available as a free download if you follow the link underneath the video.

We wrote about Gudjohr‘s last EP back in February. In Tandem is his new seven track mini-LP, which is a bit less acoustic, but no less endearing. It’s available as a name-your-price download on Bandcamp.

Wake Up by My New Favourite Tribe was released this week and is out on iTunes and the other usual suspects. It’s wonky electro pop, not a million miles from Hot Chip, or early nineties synthpop band Beloved. My New Favourite Tribe play at Les Enfants Terribles at the Blind Tiger this friday.

Bright Lightbulbs is King of Cats’ contribution to a new split single with Ides coming out on 9th September on Reeks of Effort. It’s a bit lo fi and a bit like marmite – you’ll either love it or hate it. You can go and watch the video over at The Line of Best Fit – As much as I try I haven’t been able to embed it here!

Finally we have a video from Flash Pan Hunter. Overcome Love With The Devil is a stripped back acoustic version of the original which is on his new album Quick Way To Enemy which came out a week or two ago. The video was filmed at Tim Bidwell’s Clockwork Owl Studios up in Kemptown.

Source New Music at the Dome Studio Theatre – Martin Rossiter, The Beautiful Word and Jacko Hooper

Posted on 15/06/2013 by brightonmusicblog

Last Night’s Source New Music at the Dome Studio Theatre was a fantastic night. We’ve written about all three bands, but I can confidently say that each of the three bands better than I’d ever seen them before.

Jacko Hooper is growing with every performance, and he won over the room most of whom were there solely for Martin Rossiter. There seems to be less nerves than when I first saw him, and there’s a great balance that shows off the quality of both his songwriting and his guitar playing. The Beautiful Word have made a bit of a change of direction this year, going a bit more indie and introducing tropical guitar riffs. There’s still a hint of the twee folk in the background with tracks like May Not Be Love, but overall they now sound like a band who’ve found their sound. Fantastic stuff.

The first thing Martin Rossiter did when he came on stage was thank The Source for extending their definition of New Music – I first saw Gene at Reading Festival back in 1999 – but Martin’s solo album only came out last year. Being the showman that he is, he’s recruited the talents of pianist Robin Coward so that he’s not constrained by an instrument, which allows Martin to roam the stage. The simplicity of the songs holds up in a live setting, and the sound is every bit as powerful as on the record. If you’re thinking of going to see Martin live at Bush Hall in London next week, then we thoroughly recommend it.

February Source New Music Night at the Pavilion Theatre with Foxes!

Posted on 17/02/2012 by brightonmusicblog

After taking a month off (when quite frankly, we were all too busy with Christmas or too poor after Christmas), The Source return to the Pavilion Theatre for their regular New Music nights. I completely missed first act on the bill, Fragile Creatures, who I saw at the start of January headlining the Bleeding Hearts Club at the Albert. From what I heard, they went down an absolute storm though, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them back there higher up the bill at some point.

The night stuck to their normal format of an acoustic act in the downstairs bar to keep the music playing between bands upstairs, and this month’s turn was Daniel James, who started off with a cover of Britney’s Hit Me Baby One More Time (although perhaps sensibly, he missed out the chorus). Daniel had some good songs, knew his way around a melody, and established a bit of a rapport, and if I had one complaint, it was that he wasn’t nearly enough of a geek – because if he was, he’d know twice as many chords, and have spent far too many nights playing with all the different settings on his amp, and he’d sound so much better.

Daniel James

Next came Jetglo. They had the riffs, they had the audience in the palm of their hand, and if you want a good solid rock band, then look no further. Not really my kind of thing, but the response from the crowd showed that one man’s meat is another man’s poison.

Jetglo

I’ve written about headliners Foxes! before. I wrote about the gig they played just before Christmas at the Green Door Store, and I reviewed their album when it came out earlier this year. So when I heard that Foxes! were going top the bill at a show I was planning on going to anyway, it’s fair to say I was quite pleased. The other bands on the bill had good songs and had a connection with the audience, and Foxes! had that too, but on top of that they were in a different league in terms of musicianship, and they had humour, and they drew influence from so many more places. And it’s not every day you see the drummer of a band being female and the lead singer, either. They could have been scuppered by a broken string towards the end of their set, but they carried on regardless. The only thing anyone could possibly moan about was the lack of an encore, but then all the best bands leave you wanting more, don’t they?

Foxes!

Brighton Source New Music night December 2011

Posted on 02/12/2011 by brightonmusicblog

Sorry – no pithy title for this blog post. I tried to try and eke some kind of pun out of the headliners Black Black Hills, but it just wasn’t happening.

The December Source new music night played host to Two Jackals, Abi Wade, For Marla and Black Black Hills. Trying to avoid the rain meant that I missed the first band, Two Jackals, and arrived to catch Abi Wade’s first set. Hopefully you’ll all be familiar with Abi after I posted about her new EP the other week. The Source and the Pavilion theatre have had a great idea to not only provide us lucky people with more music, but also to acknowledge that an acoustic act probably won’t work at the same time as a loud amplified act, so inbetween acts upstairs in the Theatre, acoustic acts perform down in the bar area. Seeing Abi Wade play live was great, because you get a much better impression of how she makes her music. It’s all down to her, not just with her cello, but with two bass drum pedals, one attached to a tambourine, and the other to a cajón. And as I mentioned in my EP review, she doesn’t just use her bow on her cello – she also used a variety of drum sticks, and most interestingly, a hair brush, to create additional percussive noises.

Next up were For Marla, who looked and sounded great – a bit like a rockier Smiths, or perhaps a tougher Frankie & the Heartstrings. While they’ve got the look and got the sound, unfortunately they were blighted with some technical issues which took up most of their set. Rather than work around them, they stopped while they resolved them, which meant that everything was a bit too disjointed. Hopefully next time I catch them, they’ll play a full set rather than just the fifteen minutes that they managed to play for today.

Headlining were Black Black Hills. It seems almost obligatory to mention that they used to be Pope Joan – everything else I’ve read about them seems to mention it – but I’m sure they’re trying to move on with their new name, and presumably new set of songs. While that may be the case, the years they’ve been playing together in their old guise have helped them become the band they are today – tight, with a fantastic sound, good songwriting skills, and great stage presence. If you missed them tonight (and quite frankly, their was a very poor turnout for such a great band, which I’m putting down to the weather) then they’ll be playing again at the start of next year as part of the Sea Monsters 2 event at the Prince Albert. Be there.

Brighton Music Blog

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