Ben Jelen

Ben Jelen (born 8 July 1979), born Benjamin Ivan Jelen in Edinburgh, Scotland, is a singer-songwriter who plays the piano, violin, and guitar. He has lived in Scotland, England, Texas, New Jersey, and New York.  Jelen was discovered by Joseph Janus of Fearless Management, who originally wanted to sign him as a model. Instead, Jelen handed him a demo, and shortly thereafter, he was signed to a label and released his debut album Give It All Away in May 2004, promoted by appearances on TRL, AOL Breakers and Rock the Vote.

The album also debuted at #13 on the Top Internet Albums chart, #120 on the Billboard Comprehensive Albums chart and #113 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in the United States, making it eligible for the Top Heatseekers chart, a chart of artists who have never entered the top 100 of the Billboard 200. The album debuted at #1 on the Top Heatseekers chart.

Debut single "Come On" was a hit, reaching the MTV top 20. It also debuted at #58 on the Hot Singles Sales chart. Apart from "Give It All Away" being included as a B-side to the "Come On" single, no other track from the album was released as a single.

Following his debut album, Jelen left Maverick Records and independently released the EP Rejected through Fearless Management Records in 2005. He wrote and recorded a song for a compilation album for Tori Amos' RAINN organization and joined the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Wildlife Works. Jelen also appeared on the compilation albumBreaking for the Holidays in 2006 with his self-produced cover of Joni Mitchell's "River" through Breaking Records

Jelen performed at the 2007 South by Southwest (SXSW) conference and music festival in Austin, Texas, in a lineup that also included Taylor Hicks, Amy Winehouse, Tom Morello, Mika,Martina Topley Bird, The Fratellis, Bloc Party, Paolo Nutini, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Mogwai and Spoon.

Jelen's second full-length album, Ex-Sensitive, was released on July 17, 2007. The album, formerly titled East and Pulse, was produced by Linda Perry and mixed by Bill Bottrell.

Jelen's music has been featured on the TV shows One Tree Hill, Smallville and Las Vegas, and was used to promote the Academy Award-nominated Finding Neverland starring Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet. "Come On" also features in the film Love Wrecked with Amanda Bynes and more recently, the instrumental version of "Come On" was featured in a trailer for The Bucket List.

Jelen also guest starred in an episode of House as a doctor applying for a fellowship in the episode "Kids".

Sounds Like April

An acoustic duo from Benbecula in the Western Isles of Scotland composing of Paul Sloss on lead guitar and Ryan Dempsey singing and playing rhythm guitar.

Their songs are simple and stripped down but that is not a criticism as sometimes the simpler things are, the better they are…as this duo prove.

They Say “We're influenced by lots of people big and small, our main influences are the likes of my wife Sam and our kids, jose gonzalez, Beaker, bright eyes, the charlatans, billy bragg, tim burgess, the boy who trapped the sun, our small capital, gordon giltrapp, the beatles, oasis, razorlight, the future heads, tom macrae, the stones, the inspiral carpets, steve vai everbody basically ...”

Interview with Luke Williams of 'The October Game'

1. How did you come up with the name The October Game?

I was wandering around at Glastonbury a few years ago and stumbled across a sign which had 'The October Game' written on it, I immediately thought, "that’s a great name for a band!" so I wrote it down. At the time we were in a band called 'insomnia' and had no plans to change the name but when that band fell apart some strange things happened. In October 2005, Nick and I were at a 'Fourtet' gig in Cambridge and bumped into the support act 'Fuzzy Lights' who were nice people and a good band. After the gig, scrolling through their site, listening to their music and reading about them it turned out they had done a one-off gig on the band stand at Glastonbury under the name 'The October Game' hence how I saw the sign, from then on in I think it was sealed that it would be our new name.

2. What are you biggest influences?

We draw influences from all over the place; life experiences, films, books, music, photographs, art..anything really.

3. What bands (if any) do you compare yourselves to?

I think a lot of what we do and the way we go about things is a reflection of the respect we have for independent artists or rather, bands that have built slowly but surely over a number of years, honing their craft and building up a rich tapestry of work and a solid fan base. Bands like 'Death Cab For Cutie', 'Modest Mouse' & 'dEUS'.

4. What's one of the best gigs you have played?

I think one that really sticks out in our minds is one of our gigs from a little tour we did in Iceland. We supported a band called 'Benny Crespo's Gang' at an amazing little place called 'Dillon' in 101 Reykjavik. We'd been interviewed on the radio that day and seen ourselves in the national papers whilst having breakfast that morning and then the gig was absolutely brilliant in the evening so it was good day for TOG!

5. What's the name of your new album?

ooh, we have a tentative title for the album but I'm afraid it won’t be confirmed until the last note has been played, the final brush of paint!

6. What can we expect from it? And when is it out?

Whereas (our first album) 'Box Of A Billion Lights' was quite introverted in a way, coming from the ashes of our previous band no one really even knew we had a new band going. It was essentially 3 guys locked away in houses recording over the winter. Ollie joined on drums in 2007 and it really kind of turned the band inside out, it was like we could come out of our shells a bit, we had a permanent 4th member and a new and exciting live setup. The subsequent songs
reflected this new state of the band and that is what you can expect to hear from album No.2!  It will be out when we think it sounds kickass!

7. Where would you want to be in 5 years time?

Still alive, healthy, happy, making music together.

8. Any last words?
We Wish You A Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year! 'Concrete (When We Were Invincible) is available as a free download from
www.theoctobergame.com. Our next gig is at Bush Hall in London, Thursday 15th January. Tickets from www.wegottickets.com and www.ticketweb.co.uk

www.myspace.com/theoctobergame
www.theoctobergame.com
www.carmandierecords.com

I am really liking this band at the moment and think you should check them out. They are a amazing band and I do think you should check them out.   

Will

Rich Kelleway From Sennen

1. How would you describe Sennen?

I’ll keep it simple because I’ve been mysteriously struggling to answer this question for a while now. We like melodies, we like harmonies, we like a bit of Rock N’ Roll, we like noise, and we like umm, you know, genuine music that has a bit of an emotional impact. We try and incorporate all of the above, and I guess whether or not we succeed is up to other people to decide.

2. What are your main influences?

When we were young I think bands like the velvet underground and the Beatles probably shaped the way we’ve done things ever since. Then when we were starting out Larry and I used to learn teenage fan club songs and found we were alright at it, and carried on singing like that. We’re all big fans of spiritualized and sonic youth, not only their music but their attitude towards everything they do and how they make their records. I hope some of that attitude has rubbed off on us.

3. What’s the best UK gig you have played?

Good question. There’s been a few good ones along the way, but it guess you remember the most recent ones better. We’ve done a lot of shows this year, but I think the best was the end of the road festival. It was a packed tent with a fantastic atmosphere and everything just clicked on the night.

4. What country (outside the UK) Do you like playing?

If I had to choose one (and it for the purposes of this interview I do) I’d go for Germany. We did Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne supporting Deus, and the German crowds certainly seemed to connect with what we do. I think they like their noise.

5. What would you say to young guitarists trying to make it?

Well for a start I’m the wrong man to ask cause I haven’t figured out how to make it yet myself! I the only thing I’d say is don’t worry about being technically brilliant because it really doesn’t necessarily make for good music. A lot of my favourite records have been made by musicians who aren’t technically proficient, and I think it’s often those limitations that actually make these records what they are. I’m talking about records by The Stooges or the Velvet Underground or the Ramones. Great bands who believed 100% in what they were doing and didn’t care about scales or technical ability. They meant it which is infinitely more important, just find your own style and work at it.

6. Is their any work on a new album or something?

There is! We’re going into the studio just before Xmas for a few days. We’ve been playing new material on tour so we can’t wait to record again. I’ve no idea if it’ll end up as the start of the next album or not. I guess we’ll see how it turns out….

7. Any last words?

Ha! Well, I hope it won’t be last words and I hope there’s a lot more to come from us. However if this literally does turn out to be the last ever sennen interview I think you can assume our xmas recording sessions turned out worse than expected. In which case I never liked the other guys and I’ve always had one eye on “doing a solo album” as they say.

 

I really like this band and you should check them out. Seriously go see them live its such a good experience.  Will

Pretty Little Mutiny

Line up

Jordan - Guitar/Vocals, Lolly - Drums, Joe - Bass/Vocals.

I was at their first gig and I really enjoyed them. They have this NOFX kind of sound but sometimes have aspects of heavier punk bands like Leftöver Crack and Bad Religion. They opened with this song that really captured what the band on a whole was about and how they sound. Joe and Jordan mainly sing in the band and the way in which they do it really gives a justice to the song. One thing you can tell about this band is the fact that all the songs they write are about something/someone that has affected them in some way. This isn’t what you get in most modern day music. To say that this was their first gig I was really impressed and they did undoubtedly bring a crowd with them. I didn’t really know what to expect from them but I was pleasantly surprised. The lost song they did to finish off the set was dedicated to one of Joe’s first bands called The Ghost House. I really like that touch that they used to remember the past as well as looking towards the future. I think this is a awesome band and think you should check them out by going to one of their gigs. Find them on myspace myspace.com/prettylittlemutiny

Will

Too Late Lucy

Too Late Lucy are a 6-piece, Brass driven Pop Punk, Ska, Rock Band from the London area England, Formed in early 2008 they are just finishing off a strong set of fast paced music which they will bring to the London music scene next year.

 
Already they have performed in the internationally acclaimed Roots Festival that took place in North East India in May 2008, becoming the first UK band to perform in the North East and the first UK Unsigned Band to play in India.

This provided the band with the chance to perform their material in front of audiences of up to 20,000 people at every show. The Festival was also covered by Myspace India, Rolling Stone Magazine, the New York Times, GQ Magazine and a documentary on this years festival was aired on India's Zcafe channel on July 5th!

Currently back in the studio, listen out for Too Late Lucy in early 2009!

The Firm

1. How did you come up with the name The Firm?

First of all, it's worth pointing out that we are well aware of the fact that we are not the first 'The Firm' - there have indeed been about three others, but nobody really cares. When quizzed on this, my stock belligerent answer is that we are not called The Firm - we actually are The Firm. The name came almost as a response to the name of a band myself and Julia used to be in called Sub-Culture. Sub-Culture seemed to be all-encompassing and almost welcoming and, after the largely negative experience of being in that group, we wanted something a bit more forceful and violent, so we chose The Firm as we'd spent a large portion of time sitting in the Blind Beggar. We would sit in what were allegedly the very seats that other famous Firm sat in when having meetings, and we would make plans. None of these ever came to fruition, but that didn't stop us. We also like the business-like connotations of the name, seeing as bands - whether they like it or not - seem to be run mainly as businesses these days. It also gave us the chance to say 'we're with The Firm', which is always one of life's great pleasures.

2. What is The firm about and what are your main influences?

That almost implies that it's a film, which is a lovely thought. Unfortunately, the plot would be too long-winded to go into, so we shan't bother. Essentially, what we are trying to do is marry what we see as very leftfield elements of music and throw them into almost shameless pop songs. I have never really entertained the idea of having a particular sound and, whenever I feel we've achieved that, I've always suggested doing the complete opposite, which is probably down to me being an awkward bastard. So what people might have us down as at the moment probably won't be how it'll be in 'x' amount of time. Having said that, our primary influences at this point in time would probably include the darkest elements of post-punk, the noisiest elements of shoe gazing, the DIY ethic of punk and C86, Albert Camus, Get Carter, the very bowels of London, newspaper headlines, Pet Shop Boys, Oscar Wilde, psychedelia, Suede, The Smiths, nostalgia, poverty, depression and The Verve. We also obsess over the lyrics, which are deeply important to us because we want them to mean something to people. We don't just want to be background music, we still believe in the romantic notion that music can change people's lives and influence their lifestyles. We want to encapsulate that and therefore I make sure the lyrics stand up as poetry. Whether that is the case or not isn't really for me to say, but I like to poke fun at what people see as being tragic and depressing, but also I try and find the dramatic in the very ordinary.

3. What type of people do you bring to your shows?

Beautiful and intelligent sorts, obviously. We hope we shall see more of them! In fact, we'll probably end up scaring most of them away.

4. What’s is one of the bands gig or personal highlights?

The best thing we have ever done is set up our clubnight, which is called The Vapour Trail. We were absolutely sick of having to play with insufferably tedious bands with whom we had absolutely nothing in common, and decided to capitalize on the lack of decent nights in town. There are some brilliant ones, but they are very few and far between. So, given that Julia used to run clubnights in Hamburg and is a DJ, and also the fact that, at the time, we were very interested in the C86/early Creation scene and how the bands used to put on their own nights and write fanzines, The Vapour Trail was born. It has been an unsung inspiration and has seen a lot of excellent bands play, and some are very much involved in it to a large degree. The other highlight was a gig we played at the Buffalo Bar where we really felt The Firm was born - it was myself, Chris, Julia and Yameen onstage together for the first time and, prior to that, the band wasn't really a complete entity. We played five songs at deafening volume and just prayed that the melodies could be heard, although we also wanted people's noses to explode. As it panned out, the melodies could be heard, no noses exploded, everybody was happy.

5. What’s the worse gig you have ever played and what made it so bad?

Prior to the true birth of The Firm, an embryonic version, shall we say, played a dire gig at The Resistance's clubnight in Cambridge. The grunting fool who was supposed to be playing the drums failed to show up so we had to do a semi-acoustic gig which, against all odds, went down well. That was more to do with people feeling sorry for us, though. That said, at least we were in time, which was something of a rarity at that point.

6. Any plans for the new future?

There is plenty in the pipeline. We will be playing with some wonderful people at the Vapour Trail over the coming months and will hopefully commence touring next year. In February, we are releasing our debut single on Whimsical Records, which will be 'If You Don’t Want to Know Life's Dismal Results' and we're doing the video for that next month. Also in December, we'll be completing a huge stack of new songs because I want our set, and eventually our album, to read like a manifesto - "Life and Love according to The Firm" - although it thankfully won't be called that, or hopefully be anywhere near as dull or dreadful as that suggests! Christ, people have enough on their plates.

7. Is there any Ep's or albums that fans can get their hands on?

At the moment, there is nothing absolutely new but I'm going to compile some sort of compilation of early demos, so if anybody is interested then they can contact us through www.myspace.com/thefirmband and I'll be more than happy to post them a copy when it's finalized. Other than that, there are demos on that site, although some are not representative of where we are at currently, and are certainly not the definitive Firm. For that, you'll just have to hang on until 2009.

8. Any last words?

I'll just go and grab a dictionary. No, I think the important thing to remember is that, as the world seems to be becoming a bleaker and more depressing place, what with money disappearing and technology swallowing up reality - not to mention all of the dire things screamed at us from newspapers along with the decline in popular culture - we still have music and the romance that goes with it. The careerist crap that has been falling off the factory line in the last few years is being replaced by drama, passion, melody and mystery, not to mention a sense of anger, all the things that make for the best pop music. And at the risk of sounding like an arrogant swine, I believe we do those things very well.

Ross/ The Firm

This band is amazing and i really like their music! I think that you should check them out on myspace myspace.com/thefirmband

Oceans upon us

1. How did you come up with the name Oceans upon us?
The Atlantic Ocean was literally upon us when we had to change our name from our previous alias!

2. How long have you been together?
We have been together since Mid March this year! [2008]

3. What are your main influences?
Wow, we have a lot of influences... I guess we can name a few... Funeral For A Friend, Fightstar, The Future... Joe has a fetish for 'The Fall of Troy', but don't tell anyone we said that... I guess besides that, sheep. We like sheep. That’s why we go to Wales to record... It's all about the sheep!

4. What best describes what the band is about?
We just wanna enjoy what we can produce before we become fat and bald (Its okay ladies, we're taking every precaution to stop that from happening!). So, we go out there, we play the best shows we can possibly pull off, and we promote our selves like mad to show you lot what we're made of!

5. What has been one of your main highlights as a band?
We've actually started to pull a decent crowd to shows now and people know our lyrics back to back. It's insane. We played UPLOAD ALLDAYER two Saturdays ago and from the moment we walked on stage to the moment we walked off the screams were deafening! We had a great response from that show and things are really starting to kick off now, we really appreciate all the time people have taken to come and see us in our first 20 shows!

6. What are your planes for the future?
Our plans for the future! Well, we're gunner sit down over the next couple of months and calm the gigging down by a step over Christmas to get some new material on the go. We have a lot of 'written material' it’s just a matter of sitting down and putting all the pieces together so to speak. The new stuff is so much better, every song we write seems to have an extra layer of polish on it, it’s a sick feeling, and we think your gunner frikken love it just as much as we do!

7. Any last words?
We'd just like to thank a few people (yeah, its cheesy but we think a few people deserve a mention)
-All the ladies and gents that have made time to check us out and come to our shows
-All the bands we have played with and had such great times with already
-Never Means Maybe for being such a sick and twisted, yet hilariously funny lot
-Neak Young for producing our EP
-And Natalia for drawing up the artwork on our debut EP
And just one last thank you to everyone past, present and future who has given us the inspiration to really get this whole thing off the ground and been behind us every step of the way pushing just as hard as we are. It's almost like we have a family behind us! - Cheerssss guys!

33 Revolutions

1. How did you come up with the name 33 Revolutions?

We'd been thinking about band names for a while, and just couldn't find one that was right for us (and that didn't make us sound pretentious)! Brad had been in a charity shop and picked up an old record player. We saw the rpm settings and it fit in with the name ideas that we'd had before...but it just worked better. The name 33Revolutions was born.

2. How long have you been together?

Just under a year now.

3. What’s been your best gig so far?

Our first local one! We played in Quattroz in Harlow, wasn't really expecting it to be anything special to be honest, but it was awesome. We had a great turn out and everyone went crazy. Our set was finished by Brad being carried off of the stage and held up whilst he drummed on the ceiling with some sticks he'd stolen from Elliot. Great night!

4. Any albums or Ep’s out yet or in the making?

Not yet, hopefully sometime in the near future! We have a new demo though, it can be found on our myspace www.myspace.com/thirtythreerevolutions

5. What are your main band influences?

Pink Floyd, Biffy Clyro, Oceansize, Rage against the Machine and Muse. Too many to name!

6. What type of fans do you normally get at your shows?

Crazy ones. They're great people, if a little hard to control at times!

7. Where would you like to be in 5 years time?

A very cliché answer is to be supporting the Foo's at Wembley, a dream for pretty much everyone in our position. We want to be successful.

8. Any last words?

If you think you'll like our music you can hear it on our myspace page...But a better option would be to see us live and join our crazy crowd. You can find our upcoming gig dates on our website www.33revolutions.co.uk. Thank you! 33Revs x

I really like this bands music and they were awesome when I saw them on the 15^th of September. Check this band out on myspace www.myspace.com/thirtythreerevolutions

Marcus G Hurley

1. What made you decide to become a Dj?

I have always been into music and from an early age was in lots of bands as a drummer. I was at an under 18's event in 1990 and the organizers had lost their headphones and ask if anyone had any, of course being a musician I had some. Grabbed them from home and they gave me ago on their turntables. I was hooked on Djing and as a result became a resident there from the age of 14.

2. What’s the best place you have played for?

The best place was The Sanctuary in Milton Keynes which sadly has been flatten foe the MK dons stadium and Ikea. This for those who do not know was the best all purpose Rave venue in the country. I was lucky enough to jump on the decks at an early Helter Skelter this was a dream come true. I have Dj's with all al the best Dj's about from Grooverider, Nicky blackmarket to Ratpack and Judge Jules,

3. What’s been the worse?

I was booked to Dj an Oldskool reunion in crawly djing with Ratpack, Slipmatt, Phantasy and Elisdee but the organizers for some reason did not bother to promote this very well. A bad turnout was an understatement.

4. What type of music do you play?

I love playing drum and bass I get most of my music straight form Nicky Black market as he is a friend so sorts me right out with some pealers sure to smash any dance floor. I also play alot of funk/break which I Dj at Rhythms of the World in Hitchin from my Bluntbeats stage.

5. What would be your ideal place to play at be?

My ideal place to play at is any venue where the crowd is up for it. There is nothing worse for a Dj than a moody, no responsive crowd. As long as you have them ingredients then your onto a winner.

6. What would you suggest for young Dj's to do to get sets?

The only way nowadays to get a Dj set is to be creative with what you’re playing. Anyone a beat match the music it’s all about hunting out rare tunes and creating a unique sound of your own. Produce music and put the tunes out there before too long the phone will be ringing and you will be playing. Finally start your own night and then you have the say what goes on and who Dj's for you.

7. Any last words?

The scene is a tough industry to get into, but don't be put off by people telling you, you are never going to make it. Have fun and enjoy the ride.

Watch out for the Deck Angles and the hangers on. Oh and if you want to book me give me a call 07810 808050. Peace!

Check this guy out! He’s an amazing Dj and also check out the Bluntbeats website http://www.bluntbeats.com/

Steve x from Songs From The Shows

1. How did you come up with the name Songs From The Shows?

Normally you'd get a stupid answer to that question, but I'm on a train that's running to time, and the sun is out, I'm not hungover, and I'm in a less-sarcastic mood than normal, so I'll try and give you sensible answers to all these questions.

To be honest, I didn't come up with the name. None of us did. About 3 years ago, I was talking to my friend Zoë, who's a hotshot TV director, about band names. She suggested that "Songs From The Shows" would be the best band name ever because of the confusion it would cause. Next time some newspaper for Tory idiots like the Mail on Sunday comes with a free CD of dreck from West End musicals, it'll hopefully be called "Songs From The Shows" too. I promised her that the next band I was involved with would use the name. So, here we are.

We have t-shirts that read "I only listen to Songs From The Shows", and I've already had a fantastically-beautiful girl start a conversation with me based on my favourite show tune. It really pained me to tell her that I can't stand musicals, and that the T-shirt is a pisstake. She wouldn't talk to me anymore after that. Bloody band name.

2. What’s the best way to describe what the band's about?

Songs From The Shows is about getting rid of the traditional guitarist, with his personality disorders, egomania and preening self-obsession, from rock. We don't have one person writing the songs and treating the rest of the band as unpaid session musicians; We all contribute equally. We don't have anyone demanding a solo. Ever. We don't have anyone doing the traditional guitarist thing of going "Look at me! Look at me!" and then doing something shit. Instead we have two bass players, alternately holding the tunes together and ripping them apart, Ania teasing and caressing the drums, and Ben playing baritone guitar. Ben's a very special guitarist – he wrings some incredible sounds out of his gear, and he doesn't have any of the neediness of a traditional guitarist. He's like a good bass player or drummer, in that he does what's right for the song, rather than what's right for his own ego.

Any guitarists, who are reading this and getting angry, go and take a long hard look at yourself in the mirror. Any metal guitarists reading this and getting angry, would you like me to explain it again in shorter words?

3. What are your main influences?

We're all quite different, musically. There's stuff in there from bands like Slint, Joy Division, Rollins Band, QOTSA, Mogwai, Sonic Youth and The Cure. I also have to tip my cap to the great 2-bass bands, and especially Cop Shoot Cop who are obviously a big influence. We're trying to live up to the legacy of people like Disco Inferno in terms of the name and some of the conceptual thinking behind the music, too.

Personally the thing that affects how I go about making music, why I make it, and what it sounds like, is probably rage. There's nothing like being really pissed-off to make you pick up the bass and start banging out a new tune. And no gig is better than an angry gig. I think rage is something we've lost in rock. I'm tired of bands made up of good-looking smug guys making competent, mediocre, smug music. With shit like Coldplay and similar landfill Indie, as well as all the electro toss made by posh London kids, we've lost passion, and intensity. We've lost rage.

And I don't mean angry like metal bands are angry. They're just angry because they're stupid and don't quite understand how the world works, so are vaguely aware that they're not getting the most out of it. And that anger comes through as an over-compressed mush of a sound with no focus and no dynamic range. I mean angry like Big Black were angry. The kind of angry that makes you produce music that sounds like a Stanley knife. The kind of angry that means you have to make music or write or SOMETHING to take part in a meaningful creative act.

4. How long have you been together for?

Its 4 months since Jim walked into our rehearsal space and thought 'what the fuck have I got myself into here?’ I've known Ania for a couple of years, and Ben and I played together last year in a short-lived instrumental band called Inemuri.

5. Will you be recording an album or EP anytime soon?

Hopefully. I'm just trying to find the right engineer and studio. I'd like to find someone who hasn't grown up listening to MTV, and can understand what records are meant to sound like, rather than compressing everything to fuck, overdubbing loads of times, mixing the bass out, and all those other things that make every single guitar track on TV sound exactly the fuc king same. We'll probably do an EP first.

6. Any last words?

Yeah, for those who haven't got time to read all the above, I shall summarise:

Metal licks balls.

This is an amazing band that I look forward to seeing sometime in the near future. Check them out on myspace www.myspace.com/songsfromtheshows

The October games gig on the 15th of September 2008

As the October game walked into Hertford marquee the first thing that I noticed was the fact they were all eating fruit. I found that pretty damn Rock n’ Roll. Before they played their gig I was chatting to them before hand, and I have to say that they are really nice, genuine guys. After the first two bands had played there set it was now The October Games go. They all seemed really fired up and as Owen Stephen (bass) put it “I feel like a dream.” As they took to the stage they started off with Heartlines. This is a good song for them to start off with because to me it has everything that this band is about. It has the two guitar parts, the catchy rhythms and the way in which Luke (lead singer) uses his voice. They then went on to play Cast These Waves. Both these songs are on the current EP. They then played a new song called Where the Devil. This song is on the new album that they are going to record rather soon. I liked the song and I can’t really wait to hear how the new album sounds. They then played one of my favourite songs by them called No Time For Feelings. This is a personal favourite of mine that is on their first album. I think this song is really upbeat and is one of those types of songs that when you have a listen to it, it makes you want to smile no matter what your mood is. Then then played Slowburn. This song sounded so good live. I didn’t really think that they would have played it live but they did. It is a slow song and the emotion in the song is nicely expressed by Luke’s voice. To finish off their set they played Concrete (When We Were Invincible). This song has a different ending live then on the Ep. They have this amazing breakdown which they are all playing percussion instruments and then they finish off the song. You really have to hear this song live to believe it. You can download Concrete from The October Games wed site which is http://www.theoctobergame.com/. I think if you like how they sound and the songs then you would enjoy them even more live.

Will

TV on the Radio Dear Science

by Brad Barrett

 

There's no sense in analysing the oblique album title - is it an endearment or the opening to a scathing missive? - anymore than it is resisting the black hole gravity of the music. TV On The Radio have streamlined the inflamed and ravaging noise of 2006's Return To Cookie Mountain, developing their blend of myriad genres into a unique attempt at a self-confessed "dance record".

Of course this was always going to be wildly different to other such examples. For one, they haven't abandoned that gorgeous sense of asphyixation and shadowy threat that billows from their previous work. It creeps from David Sitek's squadron of guitars and Tunde Adebimpe's soulful, tear-wringing vocals. It's even in the ghostly backwards percussion on Crying, and the silhouetted synth and violin-plucking on the breathtaking Stork & Owl.

Nevertheless, Prince-spattered basslines and funk-guitar paintjobs run like a rebellious streak through the album, most notably on forthcoming single Golden Age, where Sitek's unexpectedly sparse production brings lightness to their steps. It's testament to their unashamed musical-magpie attitude that the sudden rush of haunting backing vocals, vibrant horns and buzzing fuzz bass come the chorus sound natural in what seems initially to be a sensual pop song.

It's this exceptional talent for layering songs with tiers of ideas, nuances and melodic or textural counterparts which brings this five-piece's undeniable chemistry violently to life. Whether they are crafting lush, piano-led daydreams like Family Tree, or intimidatingly-rendered nightmares like standout DLZ, it's clear that TV On The Radio are unassailable in fusing elements that don't fit into any typical periodic table.

Hold Fire Interview

1. How did you come up with the name hold fire?

Obviously, like any band, we needed a name we all liked and felt good about. We had a short list of 4 or 5. Around the same time as this we were recording some new demos. After their parts were done, for a laugh Sam (bass)drew a "tattoo" on Steve's (drums) arm and in the middle of it wrote one of the short listed names...for some reason that was the moment that Hold Fire felt like the right name.

2. What's the best way to describe what the bands about?

We're really about writing great, melodic, catchy and interesting pop/rock tunes that hopefully lots of people will love! And when people come to see us live we want them to have a good, fun night out with lots of dancing and singing along!

3. What are your main influences?

We're all into and influenced by so much. Just recently, whilst driving to a gig we were listening to stuff like Mansun, Radiohead, Dr Dre, and Oasis amongst other random songs. Seriously Richard (guitar) has an iPod that’s just like a pub jukebox! I don't think we sound that much like the things we are really into though. By far the first big influences for me growing up and probably still now were Prince and Blur. My earliest memories are of listening to Sign 'O' The Times.

4. Where was your best gig played at? And what made it so good?

Well we once played to 11,000 people in Brighton but we only got to play one song that probably doesn't really count. Recently we've played a few good'uns! One at the Metro in London that earned us a shout out on daytime Radio 1 and another good one was supporting One Night Only. I think we won over their 500 excited fans! It was great.

5. What's the worst gig you played? And what made it so bad?

HA! We've played so many silly gigs! Worst one? Maybe Asda car park. There are two Asda's in Brighton. One Saturday they had a charity event. One Asda had Louise Redknapp the other had us! That was quite a few years ago now though...

6. Where do you want to be in 5 years time?

Wembley! Ha!

I think like most bands we do sort of dream of being massive and having loads of fans! Although I guess these days just having a 5 year career in music is a massive achievement!

7. What should we look out for with your new single Power cuts?

Well apart from the fact it’s a great tune we're all proud of, look out for the very special format!

It’s very limited and only available through a link on our myspace from 22nd September. Keep checking the myspace for more details and the unveiling of the special format! Trust me; it’s quite cool and different!

8. Any last words?

We're booking loads of gigs all around the country for the rest of the year so if we're playing in your area please come and say hello!



I really like this band and think you should check them out on myspace http://www.myspace.com/weareholdfire

Glasvegas

by Chris Long   05 September 2008

Every so often, Glasgow produces a band, say Primal Scream or Franz Ferdinand, who seem so effortlessly capable of massive success that it makes you wonder why the city isn't the centre of the musical world.

To many, Glasvegas are the next heirs to such a crown. Named in a colloquial nod to their beloved hometown, they have been creating a buzz since catching indie mogul Alan McGee's ear 18 or so months ago.

They were the one band every industry high-flier and music hack agreed on at last year's In The City, despite not actually playing at the conference, and started this year nestled snugly behind The Ting Tings at the head of the BBC's Sounds Of 2008 poll. And now, they have every chance of mimicking the Salford duo's success, though they couldn't be more different if they tried.

Glasvegas' music sounds like the east end of Glasgow that gave birth to it; rough, raw and epic, it is a stunning wall of sound that strains the rich rockabilly and doo-wop of the 50s through the raucous brooding rock of The Jesus And Mary Chain to create something timeless.

It was a sound showed off brilliantly in the three independent singles that got them noticed to begin with – Go Square Go, Daddy's Gone and It's My Own Cheating Heart – and it's one that is driven hard across the whole of their eponymous debut.
All three of those starter singles are included, with Daddy’s Gone still standing out as a devastating slab of emotion-soaked songwriting, but they are by no means the only worthy inclusions.

A nod to front man James Allan's former career as a professional footballer, the catchy echo of Flowers & Football Tops, opens proceedings and the exhausting excellence of the band's oeuvre barely lets up until the smacked-out gospel of Ice Cream Van shuts the album down, with only the slightly odd spoken-word piano drama of Stabbed allowing some breathing space.

It is everything you could have asked for from the band. With the pressure on to produce an album worthy of the hype, they have succeeded where others, notably The Ting Tings and fellow Sound of 2008 nominees Foals, failed and delivered a genuinely classic debut. Scotland's second city has done it again.

Coldplay announce double release

Coldplay have announced plans to release a new EP and album.

Chris Martin said the band are planning two further releases including the full-length follow up to Viva La Vida, by the end of 2009.         He told BBC 6 Music: "We're going to put an EP out at Christmas called Prospects March and we're going to release an album next December to end the decade."     The band played a one-off show at the BBC Radio Theatre at the weekend. Martin also said that the EP is recorded but they are still to work on their next album.    The singer also joked his band might disappear from the public eye after the release of their fifth LP.

He added: "And then we’re gonna be ‘Whooosh! Where’ve they gone?', just like [The Usual Suspects' mythical film villain] Keyser Soze."    The band will embark on a UK tour later this year visiting London, Manchester and Glasgow.    They are currently offering a free new song, Death Will Never Conquer, available to download from their website.    Coldplay have also been nominated for the best special effects award for Violet Hill at this year's MTV VMA awards.     Russell Brand will host the event which is due to be held at LA's Paramount Pictures Studios on 7 September.

Friendly Fires

by Ian Wade    29 August 2008

Friendly Fires, the splendidly-named trio hailing from St Albans, first ventured into showbiz using the medium of instrumental, Fugazi-esque hardcore. Realising that it wasn't really them, and thankfully lightening up a bit, Ed, Edd and Jack ventured forth into the world of disco and headed towards a far more interesting and musically rewarding future. It's one that's found them feted by the likes of Zane Lowe, Colin Murray and Rob Da Bank, loved by Guardian and NME alike, and now on XL – fast becoming a label that's the home of the hits.

Friendly Fires rattles along quite nicely. There may not be an immediacy or instant large to the angle of the Fires' jangle, but after a couple of listens you're wondering why they didn't release it at the height of summer, as it would've sounded perfect. Self-produced, with the exception of the Paul Epworth-produced single and lead track, Jump In The Pool, and recorded under Ed's parent’s house, it's an album that sounds at home on both the radio and down the rave-up.

Earlier tracks, Paris and On Board are particularly ebullient and joyous, bringing to mind classic Chicago house textures with hand-in-air rushing moments. In The Hospital has the sweaty urgency of LCD Soundsystem, and Photobooth may destroy Earth itself, once a few choice remixes are commissioned. Lovesick is downright amazing: potentially the tune that turns the band from skinny indie groovers into chart-eating pop behemoths. Certain choruses and breakdowns mark this as a post-Klaxons album but that's about as much as FF has in common with the nu-rave herberts. Friendly Fires sound more like an excitable, puppy-like version of The Rapture or Cut Copy.

Overall, Friendly Fires – along with Late Of The Pier and Wild Beasts – have shown that there's some more forward-thinking and multiplex bands for people who've grown bored of the identikit indie gristle. A bit of sparkle and magic is all you need, and your life improves immeasurably.

Roots Manuva

Review by Chris Jones
29 August 2008

Three years on from the darkness that was Awfully Deep, Stockwell's Rodney Smith returns. In an genre rife with up-and-coming MCs all vying to knock the crown from the head of current rulers of the mic, such a gap may seem like a suicidal career move. But when you're as original, interesting and well, deep as Mr Manuva the usual rules don't apply. Slime & Reason should shut up any young pretenders out there, at least for a while.

Of course another reason for the hiatus has been Smith's not-so-private battles with his own demons. Those worried that his flow has been...erm...blunted by indulgence will be relieved at the first play of this many-sided album. Jauntily bringing a hefty slice of Studio One deep end and dancehall smarts to the opener Over And Over, it seems like Roots has had time to lighten up as well. That's not to say that he doesn't address personal issues. It's Me Oh Lord details his struggles trying to preach the gospels of truth and light. The pentecostal strand learned in childhood rings as loud as ever here. And On I'm A New Man he makes atonement for past indulgences.

As if to signal his awareness of the post-pubescent competition he does upgrade the sound somewhat. There are more burbling analogue synth sounds and the mix is sparser, relying on the bass to carry you through. Oddly it's this head nodding towards newer hybrids that mark the album's low points. The Toddla T-assisted Buff Nuff visits the same priapic territory that Dizzee Rascal's recently visited. But urban music's about asserting your pedigree and as he points out in that fabulous mocknee growl on Well Alright, "They got a little chatter but they got no brain". Elsewhere the string-led R'n'B of A Man's Talk is merely too squarely hip hop compared to the other delights on offer here.

But it's really the Carribean flvours of the hilarious Do Nah Bodda Mi or the dubwise Well Alright that show that his pen is just as sharp as it was. As always, the man serves up a blinding mixture of fun, doomy retribution, guilt-ridden dread and loping oddness. Welcome back Rodney...