November 24, 2011

Constellations festival, now in its second year, is back in neighbouring Leeds University Student Union. Once again, visiting the depths of venues and bars in LUSU does make The Courtyard seem a bit quaint in comparison. Perhaps one day York will have a similarly sized music festival (Is the JB Morrell’s Reading Room available for hire? Slayer curates The Quiet Place stage?). Or maybe a multi-venue hub will emerge from the scaffolding of our humble student union’s makeover. Till then Leeds has us firmly grasped by the railcard. (Congrats, I might add, to the teenage boy witnessed steering his blindfolded girlfriend towards an Evanescence gig at O2 Academy.)

Somehow Constellation’s sophomore event has managed to find yet more venues inside the complex: the stately Riley Smith Hall and the dining-hall Terrace now join Mine, Stylus and Pulse. It is an odd choice given that the huge Refectory used last year was aptly sized for a headline act, whereas Stylus is a bit on the cosy side. Perhaps the most interesting addition is that of the Terrace, used for a visual collaboration with independent film company Warp Films. On paper this is an attractive premise, as Warp Films have been responsible for a number of fantastic British films in recent years (Four Lions, Kill List, Tyrannosaur, Submarine to name a few). And while it’s tempting to forgo a few hours on a feature film, there is too much to see on the other stages.

Speaking of which, performing down in the depths of Stylus are pop-duo Summer Camp, cursed slightly by a wintery release date for their debut album Welcome to Condale. Here they seem a bit like a prom band from the finale of some musical teen movie (no criticism intended). It’s too endearing to fault, but some of mystery and charm is lost in a live performance limited to guitar and drum accompaniment. And while Elizabeth Sankey’s vocals are spot-on, they aren’t quite as alluring as on record.

Further down in the belly of LSU is the intimate and suitably named Mine, where Canadian, Polaris Prize nominees, Braids are holed up. Their debut album Native Speaker, released this year has been all too hastily forgotten, and not quite praised enough. Self-produced, on an economic budget, it seems to have been something of a painfully meticulous process with some parts reaching “over 400 takes”, according to singer Raphaelle Standell-Preston. So it’s no wonder there are more than a few minutes of back and forth between the band and the sound desk. To a stranger it looks a bit like a meltdown, but as their impeccable performance would have you conclude Braids are merely perfectionists. Raphaelle’s vocal range is astonishing: from melodiously cooing, to flitting up and down arpeggios and even piercing highs – usually within the breadth of a song. Katie Lee (keyboards), Austin Tufts (drummer) and Taylor Smith (bass and sample and percussion wizard) provide a mesmerising instrumental backing, with delicate pitter-patters of synth and odd squawks and howls of percussion. It’s a pity that the set is over before it barely gets started.

Braids have certainly made an impression, especially on The Antlers, who insist that everyone should “buy Braid’s record, t-shirts and gig tickets”. Performing in the sanctum of Riley Smith Hall, The Antlers have a somewhat dedicated audience due to its alcohol-free restrictions. It’s a fittingly sacrosanct setting for a band with such a provocative subject matter as a relationship between a hospice worker and terminally ill patient on Hospice, and more the cryptic damaged relationships on this year’s Burst Apart. Despite having extensively toured such affecting material, they are remarkably intense while performing. Bassist Timothy Mislock plays with a religious fervour throughout, riffing and miming to every song like a man possessed. While singer Peter Silberman has somehow lost none of the emotion audibly present on record. “Hounds” is utterly transfixing, while Burst Apart closer “Put The Dog To Sleep” with its distressing cries of “Prove to me/ I’m not gonna die alone” is a gut-wrenchingly powerful end to their set.

So on to the headline act. Last year’s Constellations offered us a choice of Sleigh Bells, Broken Social Scene and Four Tet, a finale that catered to all musical zodiacs. This year there seems to be no choice at all – it’s either Wild Beasts or suffering through a whole hour of The Big Pink. With this in mind, it’s bemusing why Wild Beasts are confined to the awkwardly sized Stylus. Following on from their Field Day headline slot, it seems that Wild Beasts have done an Arcade Fire of sorts with their transition to much larger audiences. It was something of a surprise to have witnessed the kind of hugging-and-jumping-in-circle male bonding at Field Day. Here it’s near repeated with all kinds of fist pumping and neck grappling. I don’t think I will ever quite understand how such an effeminate band attracts that kind of bro bonding, but whatever (to be fair, there are plenty of couples smooching, petting and whatnot).

As you might know, Wild Beasts are comprised of two distinctive singers: the falsetto of Hayden Thorpe and the much lower register of Tom Fleming. Live, the band are at their best when sharing vocals duties on duets such as “Reach A Bit Further” with Hayden’s eccentric warbling complimented by Tom’s more mellow tones. Older songs from their repertoire like “Devil’s Crayon” and “The Fun Powder Plot” are what you might call Wild Beast’s “big numbers” now; partially because of crowd sing-a-longs but mostly just because they sound “big”. “Albatross” brings Constellations to a close with an extended instrumental finale, one of the few moments in which the band reaches the giddy heights of perfection I’d hoped, and expected. Perhaps it is due to The Antlers setting the bar too high beforehand or the muffled acoustics of Stylus, but somehow Wild Beasts aren’t quite as astounding on this occasion as some of their previous performances, but still great nonetheless.

Constellations festival has widened its ambitions, with the addition of a film stage and by expanding on its visual art collaborations. Sure, there were a few niggles this year: the Terrace wasn’t ideal per say for film watching, and could we have the bigger Refectory back for headliners? But other than that, another musical exploration completed with success.

Photography © India Dorita-Boddy

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June 3, 2011

By this time of year, you’ve probably forgone a hefty wodge of dollar to one, or more, festivals to satisfy your forthcoming live music whims. But why idle amongst your assorted inflatable crap, value tent and stacks of multipack cider, when there are still plenty of opportunities for a few pre-festival gigs. Or perhaps you have festival phobia and detest mingling with unruly mobs, camping in damp plastic dwellings and have unyielding high hygiene standards – shit son you got some issues. Well in any case, this is your chance to avoid the perils of too brief festival performances, shoddy view angles and inebriated misreading of timetables.

Battles
Cockpit, Leeds, 6th June
If you don’t mind stepping a bit further afield, then Battles are well worth venturing out of York’s stony edges for. With the departure of Tyondai Braxton, who provided the band’s distinctive gibberish vocals, before the recording of second album Gloss Drop, there has been much second-guessing over why and more to the point how to fill his place. Well so far the trio haven’t had much trouble recruiting esteemed guest vocalists such as Gary Numan, Blonde Redhead’s Kazu Makino and Boredom’s Yamantaka Eye to contribute on Gloss Drop. It’s probably unlikely that those three will be making small talk back stage in the Cockpit before a surprise appearance, but it should be interesting to see how the band perform with their new line-up regardless.

Morrissey
Barbican, York, 25th June
It took several hits of the refresh button, on the Barbican webpage, to double-check that Morrissey performing in York was not an odd dream. Somehow the million-odd pounds renovation of the York Barbican has managed to snag the grouchy indie legend, amongst Paulo Nutini and Snooker Legend tours. Morrissey has fared rather well in his solo career, spanning nine solo albums with almost every one finding acclaim. Despite his ever-hilarious trolling of the Royal family, bemusing cover (and promo) art, and occasional on-stage hissy fits, Morrissey remains an unmissable act. As you might expect tickets are sadly sold out, so you might have to sell your soul to touts, or grapple your way to the top of the Barbican to get in.

tUnE-yArDs
Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, June 19th
Don’t judge a band by its quirky lettering, tUnE-yArDs is the one-woman project of experimental songwriter and multi-instrumentalist of New-Englander Merrill Garbus. tUnE-yArDs sounds a bit like an unfeasible coincidental meeting of Karin Dreijer Andersson of The Knife, Gang Gang Dance and Konono No. 1. After recording debut album, BiRd-BrAiNs on a handheld voice recorder to old cassettes, it wasn’t long before 4AD jumped at the chance to sign her. Follow-up, W h o K i l l is an ambitious move to kerning, even more chaotic instrumentals and experimentation with vocal loops. tUnE-yArDs live show is surely fantastic given the promise of a saxophone section and a band to add the many layers of electric bass, ukulele and Maori drums. If there is one thing you see before the end of term, see this.

Tribes
Stereo, York, June 6th
Don’t fancy that straying out into the big city, or perhaps like your alternative rock with fist pumping riffs instead of experimental faffing? Then there is a local alternative in Tribes, who are performing at Stereo. It’s fair to say that 90s American rock has permanently lodged its guitar neck in our current music scene, with alt rock revivalists Yuck also recently performing in Stereo. But if Yuck at least diluted their sound with the narcotic fuzz of My Bloody Valentine, Tribes must be the straight-edge equivalent. Recently released EP, We Were Children, already has the hallmarks of a loser anthem in “Girlfriend” featuring the universal teenage dilemma of “my girlfriend doesn’t love me/my haircut doesn’t suit me”. For those who can’t let the heyday of alt rock go, and aren’t too fussed about authenticity.

FOE
Duchess, York, July 4th
If York is slightly jinx or cursed city for musical appearances, it only seems to affect the student population, who have suffered through a number of Summer Ball no-shows and worst yet tantalising tour dates in the middle of vacations. Perhaps the bad luck of a tour date a couple days after term ends is down to FOE, ex-witch child and singer songwriter, Hannah Louise Clark who channels the spirits of PJ Harvey and Peaches. Recently released EP Hot New Trash features a backing of twisted carnival fairground harmonium, Sleigh Bells scuzzy guitars and plenty of grrrl attitude.

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May 18, 2011

Brighton-based band The Xcerts are steadily establishing themselves on the alternative scene with their iconic ‘distorted pop’ style and passionate live shows. Having racked up a succession of notable support slots with bands like Fu Manchu and The Get Up Kids, the band embarked on their own headline tour across the UK this April, and are set to make a number of festival appearances this summer. Originally hailing from Aberdeen, the trio already have two albums under their belts (2009’s In The Cold Wind We Smile and last year’s Scatterbrain), and are one of the frontrunners in a recent batch of acclaimed Scottish bands. We caught up with lead singer Murray Macleod and drummer Tom Heron at their Stoke tour date.

NOUSE: You guys played the Teenage Cancer Trust gig at the Royal Albert Hall, sharing a stage with Frightened Rabbit and Biffy Clyro. Would you say that was a defining moment in your band’s career?
Murray (Vocals/Guitar): I haven’t actually thought about that. I guess so. I guess from the outside it looks like we’ve been working hard since our first record, but we were working hard before then. So yeah, it felt like all that hard work was paying off somewhat, even though it was just one show.

NOUSE: How did you get on the bill?
Murray: We have the same booking agent as Biffy, but I think Biffy also said that they wanted us on. I think it was kind of a mutual interest.

NOUSE: Is there a reason so many Scottish bands are coming to the forefront of the British alternative scene? Is it a coincidence or a conspiracy?
Tom (Drums): Ooh, maybe it is a conspiracy?
Murray: I think because a Scottish band hasn’t reached the heights that Biffy has in a long time, so that’s probably why they’re taking a lot of Scottish bands out – like the Twilight Sad, Frightened Rabbit, Twin Atlantic, stuff like that. I think they’ve opened up a few doors definitely. I don’t think that’s the only reason, ‘cause these bands are bringing out quality music…. it’s not that English bands aren’t passionate, but I think on record a lot of Scottish bands I feel on record sound even more so. But maybe that’s just me!

NOUSE: We were stalking Wikipedia because we’re very good journalists like that – it said that Murray and [bassist] Jordan met outside the headmaster’s office at school. Why? Because that sounds like you’d done something awful…
Murray: I think that Jordan and I thought it would be funny to get chocolate mousse and smear it in people’s boxers, shouting that they’d shit themselves.
[Pause]
Tom: Not while they were wearing them though!
Murray: No, no, I think we went round after gym, and we were like “ohh, you’ve shit yourself.” There were like twenty-five people in the gym class…
Tom: And supposedly all of them had shit themselves?
Murray: Haha, it was just like, “but that’s weird, me and Jordan are fine!” Yeah… not funny!

NOUSE: So when did you guys start to get record label attention?
Murray: It’s weird because we played a lot of industry shows, like we did showcases in practice rooms, so there was actually quite a bit [of interest] before our first record came out. That was when we were releasing 7”s, so it was a few years back. But with the people we had spoken to it was kind of weird… electro-pop was just starting to blow up, and they were thinking that rock bands weren’t gonna do anything so…
Tom: They always say that, like “oh, rock’s dead,” or “guitar’s music’s out,” but it just doesn’t happen.
Murray: People still wanna see bands with guitars…
Tom: They always will.
Murray: Yeah. So it was quite a while ago. We didn’t sign with [current label] Xtra Mile ‘til towards the pre-release of the first record.
Tom: We’d already recorded it, but we released it to them.
Murray: Good decision on our part!

NOUSE: And what do you think has given your band an edge over other up and coming bands?
Tom: Just being nice to everyone? It helps I think!
Murray: It’s weird but I think we are totally down to earth. Like we’ve met bands recently who are kind of at the same level, and it’s just like, “why are you acting like that?” It’s just confusing, it doesn’t mean that you’re better than anyone just ‘cause you’re in a band.
Tom: I think maybe because we’re also passionate, and I guess that comes out in the live show. We’re enjoying ourselves, so I think people can see that.
Murray: Like last night was pretty deserted – we were in Sheffield and we were literally playing to about seven people. But you know, those seven people have still paid to watch us, or hung around to watch us. We’ve always kind of thought to make the effort live, ‘cause then maybe those seven people will still go “hey we saw this band, no one was there but they were still going wild,” you know.
Tom: We did that for one person once – and he’d seen us before!
Murray: Haha, yeah, one guy… Things are looking up though!

NOUSE: Who are your musical influences? And have you got to meet any of them since getting into the industry?
Murray: Well we toured with Idlewild.
Tom: That was a big deal.
Murray: They’re the best people. Just awesome guys. And I met Brand New, at the Wembley show, which was pretty… huge! Again, lovely people.
Tom: And we met Glassjaw. That was mental.
Murray: Yeah, [Justin] Beck from Glassjaw.
Tom: They took us for pizza.

NOUSE: That sounds like the best day!
Murray: That was the best day actually.
Tom: We just did a session for him, like two songs, they filmed it, and recorded it on an eight-track, it had a real dogma-style, really cool video, and just chatted with him all day about music, and then he took us for pizza. And he paid!
Murray: Yeah, with heroes and idols, I don’t think I’ve ever really been let down. Even with Biffy last week, we really spoke to the bass player, James, he’s just super nice.
Tom: And we played with them years ago, just before they kind of blew up, just before Puzzle came out in Scotland. They all watched our sound check from the back, I remember that, like all three of them just standing in a line by the sound desk. Then later we went to say goodbye and they were all like “Thanks for playing!” and all totally just nice guys.

NOUSE: How would you describe the progression between In the Cold Wind We Smile and Scatterbrain? What do you think changed?Murray: Um… as a band not much, we just wanted to be a little bit louder, and a bit, loose. It’s weird ‘cause I was thinking earlier how much fun I’m still having playing the new stuff. You’d have thought we’d have got a bit tired of a few songs, but they’re still fun. And we’ve had these songs for a long time now.
Tom: Yeah obviously we wrote them a long time before we actually recorded them, but still.
Murray: So yeah, just us getting older really.
Tom: Time.
Murray: Yeah, time’s the only difference.

NOUSE: I read a review that described Scatterbrain as your Deja Entendu – does that put quite a lot of pressure on you regarding the new material that you produce?
Tom: What’s the new one gonna be? Our Joshua Tree?
Murray: Well the next record’s the third one, so that should be our Born to Run, which should be the big one!
Tom: Our ‘difficult third album’.
Murray: It’s kind of weird because when that got mentioned I was a bit confused by it, because a lot of people, if they were gonna compare it to Brand New, would compare it to their latest one Daisy. But yeah… Deja Entendu’s not even my favourite Brand New album! But it’s still a compliment, it’s nice.

NOUSE: Do you think they’re trying to say that it’s a pivotal record for you?
Tom: I guess it’s a significant change from the first record, so in that respect then… yeah?
Murray: Yeah, I think it’s possibly because of the change.
Tom: And with it being our second record as well.

NOUSE: So are you writing any new material at the moment?
Murray: Yes. We just finished one off the other day actually, and it’s super exciting.
Tom: Not ready to play it yet though, holding back a bit! Still need people to listen to our second album…
Murray: Yeah! Though it feels like the one we’ve just written is the one that’s gonna open the door to the rest of the record and what we’re gonna do with it. We’ll just try and make as good a record as we can I think.

NOUSE: What’s been the best and the worst gig you’ve played so far?
Murray: I really, really enjoyed that Edinburgh show. That last one was awesome.
Tom: I don’t know, there’s been so many really good gigs so far…
Murray: That London show as well, at the Relentless garage. The worst gig was one in Hastings, it was only like our second tour or something. And I was seriously ill, like my glands were like out here and I couldn’t even talk. And our manager – we’d just got with a big booking agency – so our manager was like “you can’t cancel, cancelling shows is really bad, don’t do that, it’s really unprofessional.” So I was like [muffled] “Hm ok.” And I got a lift there later, the guys were at the sound check, and I turned up just as we were going on. And I tried to open my mouth and I couldn’t, so we just played – and I was delirious – we played the whole set just instrumentally.
Tom: Jordan started trying to sing, and though Murray was really ill he was still well enough to look at him and go – [shakes head with narrowed eyes]
Murray: Haha yeah he kind of looked at me as if to give him the all clear, and I was like – [shakes head in the same way]
Tom: Someone asked for their money back because he didn’t sing!
Murray: I don’t think they’d even come out to see us, I think they just wanted something to do!

NOUSE: Who has been your favourite band to tour with?
Murray: Idlewild, and Dinosaur Pile-Up.
Tom: Just the people that we get on with the best really.
Murray: Yeah, we just like touring with our friends!

NOUSE: And finally, with the song ‘Cool Ethan’ from In the Cold Wind We Smile, who is this Ethan and is he cool?
Murray: Have you ever seen the film ‘Slackers’? He’s like this crazy guy in it, it’s hilarious – it’s one of our favourite films, so we named it after him. We also had a song called ‘McLovin’, it’s now our song ‘Nightschool’ – it was too recent when the film Superbad came out to release it as that!

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May 12, 2011

By now there are a few well-worn phrases, namely noise, feedback and distortion, which are almost unavoidable when mentioning Times New Viking. For better or worse, the trio from Ohio made up of art grads Adam Elliott, Beth Murphy and Jared Phillips, have been labelled along with a number of bands as purveyors of lo-fi indie rock. Formed spontaneously while hanging out in a local gig venue in 2004, they’ve since then spent the last seven years recording albums in most lo-fi way possible: on 4-tracks with bad mics in basements and garages. When Times New Viking met they had few of the requirements needed for a band, with both Murphy and Phillips lacking in any musical training, not mention missing any recording equipment. Since their abrasive debut record, Dig Yourself, the band has been dogged by one question: what would they sound like without the noise? After five records they’ve finally gone and answered it by recording Dancer Equired in a studio, a first for the band. Till now so much critical attention has been fixated on the fuzzy veneer of noise that characterises the band that often the brilliance of their songs are neglected mention. Underneath all the distortion, Elliott and Murphy’s vocals and well-crafted lyrics were mostly inaudible, perhaps now they might shake off their associations.

NOUSE: Dancer Equired is the first album you recorded in a studio. So has recording lo-fi always been more of a necessity, than an aesthetic choice then?
Adam Elliott (Drums/Vocals): Certain things were definitely an aesthetic choice, but we didn’t set out to make it sound that way, we just pretty much recorded it. All of our records have been lo-fi fidelity wise or whatever, but they’re different type of fidelity. So if you listen to our records it’s a progression of us getting better at recording ourselves pretty much. We didn’t go to great lengths to make us sound that way, but we also didn’t go through great lengths to not sound that way.

NOUSE: Well in that case, what gives with the remnants of noise on Dancer Equired?
Adam: That’s just ineptitude. And also our instruments just sound that way, so I think this record is more, what you hear is exactly the way it sounded. There wasn’t any studio trickery or anything.

NOUSE: What kind of reactions have you had to the change of sound?
Jared Phillips (Guitar): About 50/50, it’s kinda weird because it seemed like every review ever before this record was about how lo-fi we sound and they never really talked about anything else and on this all they talk about is how it is not lo-fi. But we still managed to go into studio and make it sound that way.

NOUSE: It does seem that people often question what Times New Viking would sound like without the noise. Was Dancer Equired in part a response to that curiosity or more a challenge to yourselves?
Adam: It was more a challenge for ourselves. Not being the greatest singers in the world, I guess it was really easy being at your house, recording it with this mic and turning the distortion up, kinda of blanketing yourself. So on this one it was kinda hard at first, the first day listening back and thinking, oh my god that’s how we actually sound, but we got comfortable with it.
Jared: I think we always wanted to make a record like that from day one. We wanted to make a record that was normal sounding for the most part, the more we played together and the more we recorded at home we sortof fell into this thing that sounded really blown out and we liked the way that sounded.
Adam: Recording ourselves came out of what we knew, my brother was in bands and all our friends and all people that we knew were in band. It was like ‘Oh you guys started a band, here’s a four track go to the basement and make some songs’, it was very normal sounding for us.

NOUSE: One of influences you talked about for this record was Fleetwood Mac, have your influences changed a lot since you started?
Adam: Well that was more attitude than influence.
Jared: I spend 90% of my time listening to Times New Viking just because of doing it constantly. I don’t much time for anything else and because I’m in Times New Viking, I don’t have money to buy any other records and maybe if I had more money I’d have a computer where I download other music but I can’t afford that either.

NOUSE: Well in that case what’s your favourite Times New Viking record?
Adam: The next one.
Jared: Our new EP.

NOUSE: Would you say then that writing a good pop song has been your aim in each record?
Adam: Yeah, in the sense of songs that are instantly memorable. I think our aim is make songs that matter, that we don’t play songs just because we can, that’s always what we’ve been about. Even though we write a lot of songs, every song we actually think.
Jared: Each one is its own thing.
Adam: It’s more than, oh we’ll play this chord, this beat and sing about this. We think of each song as a different creation. But we also like the idea of thinking fast and doing it quickly instead of second guessing yourself and just doing it.

NOUSE: Is that the idea behind the brevity of most of your songs?
Adam: Simplicity is our big thing; if a song doesn’t need to be any longer then we won’t make it any longer. If a song is not going to be on the radio there is no point making it three and half minutes long, that is I think a pretty stupid standard for music. I think most people listen to a pop song on the radio and like it but then by the end there is another chorus because we have to make it thirty seconds longer.
Jared: That’s the number one complaint I have watching bands, and I think they do to. This song might be okay but it’s like why is it still going on. Instead of playing 12 songs live we play 19. It’s the idea that if you don’t like one song, just wait two minutes and there’s another one. I’d rather put as many ideas as possible then to completely overdo one idea.

NOUSE: There seems to be a stereotype of lo-fi and DIY recorded bands that they are lazy or effortless. Is that something you’ve come across?
Jared: I think that’s an easy solution for journalists, it’s just like saying we sound like Pavement, it’s easy. I mean that’s just like saying I don’t give a shit let’s just say they’re lazy. It takes a lot of work to make yourself sound so shitty. If we were lazy we’d go to some studio and just say record this all the same way, record this as quick as possible I don’t want to spend any time on it or we’d do it all on GarageBand. That’s lazy to me, making every song sound the same, and not really thinking about the artwork or lyrics or anything or the flow of the record.
Adam: I think we’re probably the opposite of lazy, we put a lot of effort in to what we do. Part of it is to know when to stop as well though.
Beth Murphy (Vocals/Keyboard): We pay attention to every mistake too you know. And stuff like how the spine is going to look.

NOUSE: About your artwork, do you collaborate all together on it?
Adam: Yeah kitchen table art.

NOUSE: If you could ask anyone to do it?
Adam: Robert Rauschenberg but he’s dead. I always thought it’d be funny to have David Shigery do one.
Beth: I don’t think we would really to be honest.
Adam: I’d ask someone’s eight year old daughter to do it.
Jared: I’d ask my grandpa to do one, he’s Alzheimer’s.

NOUSE: You guys have been pretty honest about the living you make from the band. I was wondering has it gotten any easier since you started?
Adam: It has gotten worst the last year and a half, that initial buzz of ‘oh there’s a band on Matador records, let’s give them all this money to do a show’.
Beth: We haven’t done any festivals lately which gives us a bunch of money and the economy doesn’t help. Plus all our loans and bills keep piling up and getting worst as you get older, so that’s more stress.
Adam: I can’t complain about getting to travel loads, that’s really fun. But the more and more we do it, our resumes get empty because we don’t have any jobs. One day we’re gonna have to get jobs and they’re gonna be like, so what have you been doing for the last eight years?
Jared: I’ve been living under the tax radar playing shows for cash. I dunno what am I supposed to say.
Adam: We’re very good at being poor, but it also helps us meet people, they know we’re going be asking for a lot of stuff or being greedy.

NOUSE: Finally, how are you guys siced about the Royal Wedding?
Adam, Jared: I’m excited.
Jared: We don’t have anything like that; it’s like watching the moon landing, except way less important.
Adam: It’s like the equivalent of the president being a bachelor and meeting some lady at the bar or something and all of a sudden she has to be first lady.
Jared: That’d be awesome it’d be like that Michael Douglas movie, The American President, remember that one?

NOUSE: So what memorabilia will you be cashing in on?
Jared: I’d like a William and Kate sash.
Adam: A locket of her hair.
Adam: Her virginity [pauses] the Royal cherry?
Jared: Think that’s gone.

NOUSE: Would you settle for some Royal rubbers?
Jared: They have those? Yes, and just to show how dedicated I am, I’ll never use them.
Adam: I want a Willy one.
Jared: Willy for your willy?

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April 29, 2011

Leeds has been smugly rubbing its musical superiority in our faces all year with: successful multi-roomed debutante Constellations festival, local talent exhibition British Wildlife festival and now another Live at Leeds festival. As ever there is a wide variety of acts, and with mercifully fewer venues to contend with this year, crawlin’ from one place to other should be a tad easier. Even if things turn into logistical nightmare, there’s always the chance for accidently discovering someone brilliant while navigating to the nether regions of the Brudenell Social Club. Those looking to judge some hype beasts for themselves have plenty of options (James Blake, Anna Calvi and Aloe Bacc), or some home-grown talent (Pulled Apart By Horses, Dinosaur Pile-Up, These Monsters) as well as a few long-serving veterans (Young Knives, The Futureheads and Frightened Rabbit). Leeds you spoilt bastard.

Adult Jazz

Thankful sounding nothing like smooth jazz, this Leeds student trio make experimental pop layered with both ambient samples and richly varied instrumentals. More information is hard to come by, with the band shrugging off questions of who, what and where with “there’s nothing to say that wouldn’t be smug, rest assured we love what we’re doing” on their tumblr. Well as for “What” that can at least be described: minimal samples back hook-laden vocals and harmonies always at the forefront of the band’s distinctive percussion of restless clicks, flickers and thudding bass. Recently voted by their peers to play Leeds British Wildlife Festival, they are brimming with potential.

Listen at: Tumblr

Still Corners

Recently there has been a loose string of bands taking surf-pop, doo-wop and 60s heartbreak girl-group ballads, and heavily filtering them with shimmers, echo, reverb and delay. This, of course, is no bad thing with bands like Summer Camp, Tennis and Twin Sister leading the revival. Still Corners might have outdone them with their stunning take on shoegaze and hazy pop ballads. Ghostly evocative breezy vocals hover over every song, accompanied by a mist of organ and guitar. Everything has a sort of supernatural sheen to it, reminiscent of Twin Peaks, with some tracks like “Clockwork” and “French Kiss” even edging into sci-fi soundtrack territory. Signed to Sub Pop earlier this year, they have a debut record due soon hopefully.

Listen at: Bandcamp

KONG

Something for those uninterested by the latter nairy-fairy pop recommendations, KONG are for once, as big and fierce musically as their name suggests. This monster was fed on a diet of Fugazi, Shellac and The Jesus Lizard, probably a side-experiment to the Rage virus infected monkeys in 28 Days Later. Released last year, debut album “Snake Magnet” is a snarling piece of rock and punk. It’s not just killer riffs and venomous rumbling bass either, there a sense of experimentation throughout KONG. Shrill plucked strings, blisteringly paced drum samples, and heavy pauses are all signs of a sophisticated beast.

Listen at: Bandcamp

Star Slinger

Previously featured in Future Sounds, Star Slinger is the project of Mancunian sample aficionado, Darren Williams. Williams claims a number of influences from older house producers such as Pete Heller and sample legend J Dilla. His free mixtape, Volume 1, released earlier this year, quickly became an internet favourite, provoking an avalanche of remix requests. Borrowing heavily from lost soul samples, Williams cut and chops smooth forgotten vocals to create almost sickly cheerful tracks like “Mornin’” and “Like I Do”. Star Slinger also has its more sensual side, with the moans and groans of appropriate named “Do It Myself”, a textbook sex groove that ends with several minutes of awkwardly sampled pleasured tones. Be careful not to blow your musical load.

Listen at: Bandcamp

Mazes

Frankly, aping nineties alternative rock might not be that original, but it is still pretty great. Mazes have been thrown around with plenty of lazy comparisons to Pavement and Guided By Voices and lumped in with fellow 90s revivalists Yuck. But debut album A Thousand Heys lacks the narcotic fuzz of the latter, instead containing unabashed sloppy pop hits one after the other. Apparently recorded afloat on the Thames in an old light-boat, every song is effortlessly joyful, perfectly channelling teenage summer laziness. That might all sound like a pretty shoddy album were it not for their catchy one-liners (“I get off trains and wave/ Like the Beatles at JFK”) and irresistible hooks. Long live the 90s.

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April 22, 2011

Huzzah. Rah rah. We’re a mere week from the Royal Wedding. Wills and Kate are finally going to have that long-anticipated consecrated bonk and the nation couldn’t be happier. The forming of this scared bond between the balding future monarch and common wench Kate of Reading has caused widespread nationalistic hysteria on a scale unwitnessed since Princess Diana’s death unleashed a river of tears comparable to the Thames in size. Local busybodies from John O’Groats to Land’s End will be rolling out the bunting, sipping from the fine china and tipping the velvet, etc.

Many will be more excited for the union of two bucktoothed, over-privileged toffs than they would be for their own kin. But such is feudal existence. Not that I’m bitter or anything; I’ll be stepping out onto the village green and getting afternoon-drunk with the rest of you. Here’s a playlist of wedding songs to spin while you dance around the maypole in rabid fervour for the marital ceremony of the decade. Dance alluringly enough to these nuptial tunes and you may be able to secure a bride or bridegroom all of your own. God save the Queen! Praise England! And did those feet, in ancient land…

It Should Have Been Me
Yvonne Fair

While cleaning my shotguns, molesting my Labrador and flicking through my newspaper of choice, The Daily Mail, which is nowadays mainly scribed by Nouse writers including legendary alumnus Adam Shergold and our delicious editor Hannah Ellis-Petersen, I was alerted to the high number of dangers attributed to the Royal Wedding. Oddly, in a curveball for the Mail, you won’t get cancer from watching it, but crazies from across England will be descending on the event. These crazies can be sub-categorized into several groups, religious extremists and lefty anarchists among them.

But other than these freedom fighters, middle-England grandmothers and Sloane-square dwelling girls who look like horses will surely be the most dangerous. Many grandmothers’ obsessions with Royal activities could class them as stalkers if they were focused on normal people. But more heartbreakingly, the yells of young posh women whose entire breeding was manipulated in order to secure Royal blood into their family trees will be echoing ‘It should have been me’ around Westminster Abbey. This song will be all too close to the bone for those rejects. As for all the other crazies, try to subdue them with Radiohead’s most terminally boring song, ‘A Punch-up at a Wedding’.

Merchandise
Fugazi

Let’s not forget the real reason that we haven’t ousted the Windsors from their tyrannical rule and hung their corpses from gas stations while chanting ‘Revol!’ They may be a clan of adulterous Hanoverians who dress up as Nazis, and are so cut off from the modern world that they talk to plants, but boy do the tourists love them. Wills and Kate are to British people what KISS are to Americans – we can’t get enough of anything branded with the couple’s smiling faces. Among the china, teabags and pillowcases there are more disturbing items available for purchase; including an eerie Kate Middleton doll as well as regal prophylactics in the form of ‘Crown Jewels – Condoms of Distinction’.

Royal Romance
The Other Guys

Specifically written and performed in tribute to our radiant future rulers, The Other Guys have scored an internet hit with their a cappella version of Lady Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance’, its lyrics switched for comedic witticisms concerning the much-touted union. Sung by a talented bunch of students from St Andrews, (where Wills first fell so wildly in love with Kate that his hair started falling out) they sing from the perspective of all those who missed out on bedding the future princess. The hilarious video featuring lookalikes and water stunts has garnered them hundreds of thousands of views, but surely many of these must be down to the preternatural beauty and hefty charms of lead vocalist Ollie Boesen. This write-up was in no way influenced by the fact that said lead vocalist is an old school friend of mine who I used to play dinosaurs with when I was 6.

Chemical Wedding
Bruce Dickinson

Bruce Dickinson – champion fencer, commercial airline pilot and eagle-voiced frontman of Iron Maiden – was influenced by William Blake (who wrote the words to unofficial National Anthem ‘Jerusalem’) in penning ‘Chemical Wedding’. Although he was really celebrating Rosicrucian manifesto ‘the Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz’ rather than any actual marriage, this tune is appropriate enough with its particularly English heavy metal bombast, and made more pertinent due to the probability of Prince Harry blazing it up before and after the ceremony. The stag do probably saw the bros downing the finest chemicals in the Empire while getting jiggy at their mate’s country pile.

Fergalicious
Fergie

Before it was attributed to the insufferable trout-faced perma-urinating ‘singer’ in the juggernaut of shit that is The Black Eyed Peas, the word Fergie was the nickname of the rogue Duchess of York. Divorced from Prince Andrew after having her toes sucked publicly by another man, Sarah Ferguson has blithely paraded from disgrace to disgrace ever since. Last year the duchess racked up £5million debts and tried to sell access to her ex-husband during a newspaper sting; thus it was unsurprising that she wasn’t invited to the wedding. But it’s a shame that the most interesting member of the gang will be exiled to some tropical island prison on the big day – so shout out ‘Fergalicious so delicious’ loud enough for the Queen to hear as she passes in tribute to the ginger nut.

Chapel of Love
The Dixie Cups

Oh, alright. We’ll have one serious suggestion. The greatest wedding song of all time, ‘Chapel of Love’ is a shimmering 24 carat 60’s pop nugget. Co-written by girl group pop genius/psychopath Phil Spector, it was originally made famous by The Dixie Cups in 1964. It’s been covered hundreds of artists, notably The Beach Boys in the 70s as well as Elton John, who re-jigged it for the soundtrack to Four Weddings and a Funeral, the ultimate British matrimonial comedy film. With its soaring harmonies and saccharine lyrics, it’s the perfect song to take someone up the aisle to.

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March 17, 2011

In 2007, a wave of bands from disparate scenes brought the spirit of DIY indie to prominence, picking up and running with that noble tradition so lovingly documented in Michael Azerrad’s book ‘Our Band Could Be Your Life’. There was an odd tradition with some of the groups re-igniting this aesthetic for the 21st Century – filling their band names with multiple consonants. From San Diego came stoner antagonists Wavves, Sacramento’s Mayyors tore noise rock a new one, while back home Nottingham’s Lovvers performed necromantic rites on the carcasses of The Jesus Lizard and Flipper. My favourite Carol Vorderman-aneurysm-monikered band to be associated with that movement, which still undoubtedly influences the current lo-fi climate, is definitely San Francisco’s Nodzzz. An unpretentious, fun loving, yet fiercely intelligent three piece, clearly fervent believers in the Minutemen’s mantra of ‘jamming econo’, their debut 7” ‘(I Don’t Wanna) Smoke Marijuana’ reached cult status, a brief, super-catchy slice of nerdy garage rock that had as much in common with mischievous English post-punks like Television Personalities as it did with the heroes of the 80’s US underground. Their 2008 self-titled debut (ten songs in seventeen minutes) seemed to perfectly re-capture that era where punk gained a brain; filled with power-pop hooks and self-deprecating wit which couldn’t help but charm whoever heard it. After a three year wait the band are touring in anticipation of their sophomore LP, Innings, having recently signed to Woodsist, a label who’ve released fantastic bands like Real Estate, Moon Duo and Thee Oh Sees. With original drummer Pete Hilton back on the stool for a while during time off from serving in the Peace Corps in Bulgaria, it’s the perfect time to catch up with the original line-up. The band is completed by guitarist Sean Paul Presley and enthusiastic singer Anthony Atlas, who at first seems more excited in talking about my current essay reconciling Beckett and Ionesco with high modernism than he is talking about his music. Nodzzz are certainly everything you could hope for in a college rock band; sweet, clever, interesting, self-effacing, witty, and most of all, fun.

NOUSE: You’ve listed your influences as ‘British New Wave singles from the 70’s and 80’s’ but to me you sound more like a mixture of early proto-punk like The Modern Lovers and DIY punk like Minutemen or Wipers. What kind of stuff did you set out to play?
Anthony (Vocals/Guitar): With that description, it wasn’t really New Wave that I was trying to compare us to. It was just the idea that every song would count. We’re really intense about making every song interesting rather than creating a ‘sound’; I mean, if we pay enough attention to each song lyrically and musically, we feel like every song could be a single. If you look at that area of music as a whole there are so many prolific bands just making every song seem really important, you know…

NOUSE: Yeah, I mean, that first 7” you did, ‘(I Don’t Wanna) Smoke Marijuana’, you didn’t even put that on the LP. Was there a reason for that, or did it stem from that same kind of outlook?
Anthony: Yeah, well, we felt like it needed its own space because it was such a silly song. We believe in that song in a way but also, that seemed to be the only format for it.
Sean (Guitar): As a single. It’s interesting because the ‘True to Life’ single is on the upcoming record, and it’s a different version, too.
Anthony: It was almost like, a different world of time when we did that ‘I Don’t Wanna…’ 7” to when we put out the first record.

NOUSE: So was there a particular reason you re-recorded ‘True to Life’?
Anthony: I love the idea of different versions of songs. I mean, when people buy bootlegs and oddity records, it’s always interesting to hear different versions to what you’ve heard. What an industry of Bob Dylan bootlegs there is. How many different versions… it’s crazy. But I think also that the group of songs that we have on the new record were all written in a period after Pete’s departure from the band in 2008…
Pete (Drums): I don’t actually play on the new record.
Anthony: Right, and I think it made sense aesthetically to have that song be in the mix with all the other songs on the record.

NOUSE: Do you think your influences are much different now than they were back in 2007 when you first got noticed?
Sean: Well for one, yeah, Anthony doesn’t play bass anymore.
Anthony: Yeah, I used to be the bassist in the band, I picked up the guitar, but over the course of the last three or four years since we recorded that first single, and last three years since Pete’s left, I think that naturally one’s tastes and experiences grow and change and it would be impossible for that to keep from informing the music. So alongside taste changes and experience changes, we’re creating a different kind of music.

NOUSE: Is there anything specifically, that you’re listening to or have been influenced by, in the run-up to the new album’s recording?
Anthony: I used to avoid ornament, and elaborate guitar. I’d chastise Sean for playing leads – noodly leads – but now I love the noodles.
Sean: Bands like Felt maybe opened you to the noodle?
Anthony: If it sounds pretty, it’s ok to noodle. Otherwise it’s just Chef Boyardee.

NOUSE: So maybe English indie-pop has had some sort of bearing on the new sound?
Anthony: Sure, but also Jonathan Richman, which is the most basic of American rock & roll, you know. His trajectory went from three chord, simple, stripped down, to… I just think he felt like his guitar was his own voice, and to restrain that voice was to limit his songs.

NOUSE: ‘From Bleak to Blech’ is your latest release, 300 hand-numbered cassettes. Why are you trying to bring back that format in particular, something to do with nostalgia for the 80’s DIY scene?
Anthony: We suddenly felt like we had enough fragmented and rejected songs that were legitimate in their own right. And we’re a band of limited means so someone offered to pay for that run, and selling them on the tour made perfect sense. It also seemed like a good moment because Pete’s back in the band for a little bit, whenever he can play, and he’s on the whole A side. Those are all songs from the demo and first 7” and Pete’s handiwork.
Pete: I mean, along with the first 7” we recorded, what, fourteen songs or something? And that’s where ‘…Marijuana’ and ‘We Are the Only Animals’ came from. So when they got offered to do this tape they wanted to put those songs on it, because they hadn’t re-recorded them for the LP or anything like that.
Anthony: We did think about re-recording a couple but they still seem cool to me, we kind of believe that those versions are definitive.
Pete: They kind of existed in a certain time, you know.
Sean: Unless the well runs dry, and we do the Pixies move; Trompe le Monde has, like, three songs from that Purple Tape. They kept dipping back to their demo.
Anthony: A lot of bands do that. We won’t be one of them.

Nodzzz at City Screen Basement, York, 15/03/2011.

NOUSE: Talking of new material, what’s the deal?
Anthony: Well, we should introduce the new record. It’s called Innings and it comes out May 17th on the Woodsist label, with fourteen songs. A couple have made appearances on compilations in the past but most of it’s brand new. Since recording that, new stuff’s been scant because we’ve all been stressed, but it’s like Tom Petty says, after an album you need a good nine month break before making any fresh material.
Sean: That’s the perfect maxim, a beautiful phrase… After nine months, you’re ready to give birth again!

NOUSE: Did you feel challenged by following up the first record, or did it come naturally?
Anthony: I felt like I was encouraged by the response to that first record, it seemed like such a surprise to us that people would care. The songwriting seemed like a fun goal, not something to get stressed about.

NOUSE: When you guys first came out there were quite a few bands celebrated in a similar vein – Wavves, Black Lips, Vivian Girls. Did you feel part of a movement or was it more a case of journalists lumping together vaguely related bands?
Sean: We definitely got lumped in with all that.
Anthony: But I personally felt more connected to silly 90’s quirky indie-pop from Olympia, like the Frumpies, or even Beat Happening. I was in a band in San Francisco called The Study Buddies and we released a five song CDR in 2004-2005, and that was like a proto-Nodzzz thing for me. At that point we were super-isolated from the music scene at large. When we got started in San Francisco with Pete and Sean I think it was just coincidental that a lot of people were feeling the same influences and creating music that was similar. But we didn’t know who any of those Columbus bands were; I found out about Tyvek, for example, through our label.

NOUSE: I thought you sound a lot more poppy and hooky than a lot of the bands whose names are thrown around in pieces about you guys. Kind of making concise pop-punk maybe in the Nuggets vein.
Sean: When I first got exposed to all those Nuggets comps and stuff like that; it struck me that it was very economical but they were all bastard pop songs.
Anthony: Those songs are so big because they’re commercial hits, and a song that can exploit commercial tastes that’s concise, forceful, intelligible and catchy – I think that’s the basic requirements of a good song. We decided that we won’t be a band about gesture or sound, we’ll be very song-orientated.

NOUSE: Do you feel like you work better at getting across pop sensibilities rather than doing the punk thing?
Anthony: At the moment I feel inspired by things that are pop and well crafted, that’s more demanding. The punk thing kind of comes as second nature; we all grew up playing in hardcore bands. And that’s where our technique comes from.
Sean: And if a slow song doesn’t sound right, we’ll probably just resort to double timing it; and there’s a new song.

NOUSE: Would you be happy as an obscure little band on a future Nuggets-style compilation, getting some love from a record nerd, or do you strive for more than that?
Anthony: I think that the goal was always to put out music that we enjoyed that validated our own tastes, maybe. The intention to be a very successful band, I think was never in the charter.
Sean: Our new record just went on presale today on Insound, and they put it side by side with all our previous releases on the website, and I just felt super-proud of everything. Just seeing those three squares side by side was just the apex of my enjoyment of this band. Three little beautiful squares, it’s a body of work that I’m really proud of.
Pete: I’ve been absent from the band for three years at this point I’m back for a temporary period now. When me and Anthony started jamming – we’ve known each other since Fourth Grade or something – it started really nonchalantly, it was just for fun, just to play together, and with the LP and the 7”, the two records I played on, I couldn’t be any happier with them even now, three years later. For me, I’ve accomplished more with this band than I ever thought was gonna happen anyway. It was all just for fun.

NOUSE: If each of you could pick a record that sums up what you want to capture with Nodzzz, what would it be?
Pete: Although I don’t think we sound like them at all, when we started playing we were listening to the Dead Milkmen, ‘Big Lizard in my Backyard’, great record.
Anthony: There’s what, like 21 songs on there or something?
Pete: Right, when we were talking about playing music, it was – let’s sound like this. But I don’t think it turned out like that at all.
Anthony: The cool thing with Dead Milkmen is with that record, you don’t think of it as this sequenced, calculated album. Every song is melodic, every song has a variety of social stances on something, it’s funny, it’s also rooted in existential anxiety. It’s not just a punk record, it’s something that you can enjoy when you’re 12 or 25.
Pete: That’s the first punk record I ever had.
Anthony: For me, now, I look at any of the first three Television Personalities LPs, for having breathtakingly deep songs that are still rooted to very visual, accessible aspects of our experience, with their analogies to pop culture and art. The whole body of work of The Fall, too. You can read those songs from any perspective and they’re still meaningful.

NOUSE: Talking of Television Personalities, there’s that horrible story of Dan Treacy getting that support slot for MGMT in London after they did a song about him. It was gonna be a big moment where the band were actually gonna have a decent crowd for once, but he got stuck in traffic and missed it. Typical English cock-up.
Anthony: Oh, no. Did you hear about our show in London a few days ago? We have a friend called Josh Alper who put out a Television Personalities 7”, and he encouraged Dan Treacy to go to our show. And said that if he went the Mantles [current tour support] would buy him some beers. And through this e-mail correspondence they planned that Dan would come up onstage during the Mantles set and play ‘I Remember Bridget Riley’. So he showed up with his girlfriend and we bought him beers, took pictures with him, and he got up and did the song… it was nuts.
Sean: I was kind of insanely jealous.
Anthony: I was jealous, to an extent. I was like, ‘As long as he stays to watch us…’. After we played he came up and said ‘I really love your songs! I sense all these influences… Curb Your Enthusiasm?!’ But then he said the Feelies and Violent Femmes, so he totally read our band, just fucking got it. He was such a decent person, so warm, and despite the troubles people describe him as having, he seemed utterly in control of his wit and his artistic sense.

NOUSE: Sean, you didn’t mention a record that you aspired to?
Sean: Well, the funny thing with the Curb Your Enthusiasm reference is that I think our music has a comedic aspect to it, maybe? Like the B-52s or Devo. Bands that didn’t take their deal too seriously. I think, fortunately or unfortunately, with a name like Nodzzz it’s a sentence to not take our deal too seriously. I guess that’s kind of our mantra, in a sense.

NOUSE: I think that’s what’s cool, though. A lot of those bands that we were talking about you having been lumped in with I thought took themselves too seriously or were taken too seriously by people.
Sean: I think that if you take yourself too seriously that transfers to your live show and it seems really impersonal. A stage is already such an intimidating thing to the band and audience, that you feel like you’re going to a museum – there’s no connection.
Anthony: Last night I had the giggles. I couldn’t stop – it felt like I was throwing off a whole show. I saw some of the guys from Mantles watching us and it wasn’t anything specific, but I got stricken with a sense of the absurdity of what we were doing… I couldn’t sing, I was just laughing from the corner of my mouth, and trying not to look at Pete and… I’ve never seen any band do that. It was kind of like laughing at a funeral, that sense of ‘Oh fuck, I’m laughing’. I felt bad but, it’s just such an unserious thing. You can approach it as a craft or a private joy but we can’t assert the legitimacy here, you know; I mean, Sean’s strumming six strings and Pete’s bashing on circles, I’m making sounds with my mouth… in terms of world circumstances you can’t take this shit seriously at all.

NOUSE: OK, penultimate question: what are your favourite recent bands and movies at the moment that you reckon people should check out?
Sean: I think we’re lucky to be touring with Mantles. They’re stellar, so warm – flawless.
Pete: I just got back from Bulgaria, so all I get is radio pop music. Rihanna is my jam.
Sean: I don’t wanna just reference San Francisco bands, but I really love that new Grass Widow record. True Grit’s a good movie. Coen brothers.
Anthony: A Serious Man is superior, though. I can relate to it… hopeless Jewish angst. With current bands, I guess Kurt Vile, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, the new Cass McCombs single, the new Sonny & the Sunsets. I saw a band in San Francisco recently called Bronze, who are more synth-orientated, and dark – but amazing. Utterly unique music; one of the players has a strange soundbox that he built, which he cranks to make weird noises, and when he turns it, it warps the sound. They’re a three piece; strange box, vocals and synth, drums. It was such an impactful show.

NOUSE: Finally, if you don’t want to smoke marijuana to get high, what drugs would you recommend?
Anthony: Well I’m a lightweight because I have anxiety, and most drugs increase anxiety, so I keep it to things that seem to be almost engineered to enhance people, medically. So I stick to pills, and every now and then I might drink poppy tea. But I think opiates are a dangerous and dark road. You can only look out at that road from your window and enjoy the view. Don’t actually go down that road. Sean?
Sean: Um… antibiotics. I get high on health. You can get high on being a wonderfully functional water-fuelled individual.
Anthony: Aw, now it just sounds like I’m a junkie.

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March 2, 2011

Cult gatherings, ceremonial processions, judgement by an elite council, and golden voodoo figurines: all part of a weird annual ritual of superhumans known as the Oscars. Its celebrity attendees are our civilisations crème de la crème, often leaving us, the common grey talentless masses, feeling a tad insignificant for our pathetic skills (also responsible for spawning the televised evil that is gladiatorial talent competitions). Not content with excelling only in one field, or fledging in their current careers, these celebrities often turn to music. Credit where it’s due, it often works as with child-actor-turned-rapper Drake, or twee folk heartthrob Zooey Deshemel and Fresh Prince-era Will Smith (and now he’s breeding out a new generation of hit making Smiths). Record companies can’t resist the allure of a big name music career gamble, and often the most intolerable musical abortions are allowed to live purely because on the basis of previous talent or talentless notoriety.

Action Man Turned Musician Capable of Emotions

Even the hardest men have feelings. Desperate to expose these often repressed emotions from smashing shit up in movies, they turn to music careers. Killing terrorists for a day job and singing about the power of love after work. Bruce Willis, whose on-screen encounters with women are limited to throwing them down elevator shafts, also enjoys making passionate yet public love “Underneath the Boardwalk” (somehow The Temptations where convinced into this rendition). Even someone as fierce as Russell Crowe, with such masculine on-screen roles as a gladiator and tight-wearing outlaw, sounds more like a masturbator than commander in sissy lets-stay-friends ballad “Never Be Alone Again”. Worst yet are action flick legends like Steven Seagal, a man who has hands-on murdered more people in his films than cancer. Yet he is also capable of releasing an anti-war reggae abomination in which he discourages violence while singing in a faux-Jamaican accent – enticement enough for a musical Jihad.

See also: Arnold Schwarzenegger kraut-rock project.

Female Socialite Tries to Salvage Pointless Existence with Music Career

This category makes me so angry. Surviving as a Z-list celebrity is a hard life, practically akin to poverty: reduced to plastering your name on every possible product, bottling your own horrible scent and even having to run auditions on national TV for the small comfort of a friend.

Katie Price, ex-tabloid baps gremlin, in the down time between autobiographies released “Free To Love Again”, a song so utterly repellent that I only could survive 30 seconds of it – after the single failing to chart hopefully Price will never be free to make music again. Stateside counterpart, Paris Hilton, went one step further and released a whole album, originally entitled Paris. Featuring unintentionally hilarious tracks names (“Screwed”) and inexplicable non-sequiturs like “The Stars Are Blind”. Banksy even saw fit to replace 500 copies of the album with a version that had tracks names like “Why A I Famous?” and a topless picture of Paris with her head replaced by a dog. Nobody seemed to realise the difference, a total of seven copies were returned.

See also: Peaches, debut album from Peaches Geldof.

Privileged White Actors Try Make Hip Hop

A rags-to-riches personal story isn’t compulsory for a hip hop star, but it certainly helps for writing material and credibility. No one wants to hear about the life and times of an average white middle-class English Literature undergrad, that shit is exclusively limited to chillwave.

Fortunately, Chet Haze (son of Tom Hanks) is there to fill that gap: finally hip hop that students can all relate to. Haze’s personal mantra, “hittin’ blunts after hittin’ books”, touches on all the important student concerns: mainly weed, weed and college (in that order). Despite being in same class of lyrical genius as Soulja Boy and Tinie Tempah, Chester Hanks has been crucified by nearly everyone just for being a rich kid. Instead of being all po-faced about his undeniable wealth, Hanks Jr should have played it braggadocio, by now he’d be soundtracking Jack Wills shops up and down the country. His tame rebuttal: “Hear the haters talk, but you know that they be losin’/I’m trying to walk the walk for the major of my choosin’.” Well gotta pay your student debt somehow, right.

See also: Justin Bieber‘s 2018 rap debut, Get Rich or Bie Trying.

Fictional Indie Twee Band Ride Success of Movie

This isn’t so much a category as an individual: overgrown boy-embryo Michael Cera. But it’s not so much his awkward cyoot indie-cherubim schtick that 15 year old girls dream of being impregnated by. Which, by the way, is the plot of an unintentionally disturbing fake documentary in which some Asian teenager on a quest for love (to lose her virginity) finds the holy grail by “accidentally” meeting Cera. More painful yet are the twee sing-alongs and awful pun bands that always accompany Cera’s roles. Whether it’s the vomit inducing utopian ending of Juno, where the outcome of teen pregnancy is a rosy acoustic rendition of Mouldy Peaches’ “Anyone Else But You” – a bit like having a house band on Jeremy Kyle. Or Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist, a movie devised for the sole purpose of promoting its own soundtrack, which features Cera playing bass in an all gay twee-rock band called The Jerk-offs – apparently as its undecided only straight member. You might be comforted in the knowledge that these bands only exist within film (not dissing gay pop bands), well unfortunately awful named Sex Bob-bomb made the leap from Scott Pilgrim Vs The World to physical album form. Luckily for Cera, with the rise of Justin Bieber, roles involving him plucking bass while gormless staring at females have probably been made redundant.

See also: Michael Cera.

Musical Films and “Of course I can sing as well as I act.”

Even good actors have their price, and when that price happens to be for a role requiring singing, you can afford to learn. Hilariously miscast Pierce Brosnan traded in his acting career and soul for such a part in 2009′s musical torture porn Mamma Mia! Critics might have shredded him apart for it, but to me Brosnan deserves recognition for trolling one of the most awful movies of all time. Interviewed about the film, Brosnan admitted he’d prepared once by “singing karaoke”, described his own performance as “dreadful” and his reasoning for accepting the role as an excuse to take a paid holiday in Greece. Who can argue with that? There are worst things you can do on camera for a free holiday, especially than ruining a hit film.

See also: Nouse’s own Adam Bychawski, on late night webcam shows.

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February 28, 2011

DISCLAIMER: INSIGHT IS NOT AND WAS NEVER A POLITICAL BLOG. THIS ARTICLE HAS NO POLITICAL LEANINGS SO VOTE FOR WHOEVER YOU WANT. JUST PLEASE DON’T FIREBOMB US.

It’s soapbox season, and the corridors of campus are o’eridden with the inane smiles and limp handshakes of many a YUSU erection candidate. I was trying to navigate the pathways of Langwith on the way to writing this article and was harassed by all manner of crudely Xeroxed paper posters, hastily printed pamphlets and irritating campaign gimmicks, eventually finding solace in a dusty corner of the computer room. It’s tough trying to get a grip on the meat of the candidates’ policies, with this fug of facebook groups, viral videos and lame papier-mâché outfits. There’s a simpler way to get to know the people behind the propaganda, though – their music tastes. Long have the contents of a politician’s iPod been the key into their soul. For example, Barack Obama, King of the World, enjoys Bob Dylan, Jay-Z, Howlin’ Wolf, Yo-Yo Ma, Sheryl Crow, Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. A noble selection. The big man also revealed ‘If I had one musical hero, it would have to be Stevie Wonder’. Basically, the President’s got soul.

More cringeworthy was the constant referral by shiny-faced, giant-foreheaded Tory bastard David Cameron to his love of working-class socialist student go-to band The Smiths during his insurgence. Even though Morrissey has sung fantasies of guillotining Margaret Thatcher. This led to Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr tweeting ‘David Cameron, stop saying that you like The Smiths, no you don’t. I forbid you to like it’ as well as embarrassment in the House of Commons. Although saying ‘William, it was really nothing’ to William Hague in a serious political debate does earn him some brownie points. Not sure if it balances out the whole tuition fees thing though. Oh well, he tried. Other iron-fisted dictators have revealed eye-opening music tastes. Robert Mugabe, scourge of Zimbabwe, enjoys the music of scourge of Wimbledon, Cliff Richard. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran likes Chris de Burgh, surely crime enough to place him within the Axis of Evil. I wanted him to be a Flock of Seagulls fan so I could make an ‘I-Ran’ joke.

It’s not all skin-crawling crooners that these corrupt pigs enjoy though. Libya’s leader (although that’s a bit of a sore point at this moment in time…) Colonel Muammar Muhammad al-Gaddafi is known for his ball-munching insanity, with his Amazonian virgin bodyguard and playful tossing about of uranium. But his choices for Libyan state concerts are more sensible – he’s apparently a massive fan of Lionel Ritchie. Appropriate, considering he looks like that attempted face statue of Ritchie that blind girl did in the ‘Hello’ video. Basically, having a look through a politician’s iPod gives you a much more rounded view of their character than their spin bullshit logorrhoea. Which is why I’ve asked our four candidates for the YUSU President position what they’re grooving to. Luckily, none of them have mentioned Burzum, Skrewdriver or Richard Wagner so we should be thankfully free of race purges next year. However, the lack of props for hip-hop suggests that the Dr Dre motion may have all sadly been in vain. Look between the lines, people of York… one of these people will be ruling over you next year; it’s up to you which one.

What music are you currently listening to?
Got back into Mumford and Sons lately and loving it..

What’s your favourite all-time record?
‘The Final Countdown’ by Europe or ‘Shadow of the Sun’ by Audioslave - I like a variation of music!

If you could be one musician, who would it be?
Joshua Radin because he always sounds so chilled…

Would you do anything to improve the music scene on campus as President?
I feel the live music scene is one of the weakest aspects of York Uni Ents so yes I’d love to work on it. I’d aim to work with clubs more to secure big acts, targeted specifically toward students. Also if the Barbican is developed (as proposed) into a music venue, I would ensure students have a good opportunity to get tickets for a competitive price.

What music are you currently listening to?
I currently listen to Spotify top list so I know what popular songs everyone is listening to! I listen to anything from R&B to classic, but if I had to pick a fave I’d say chart and cheese!

What’s your favourite all-time record?
This really is tricky. A classical/ballad maybe? Let’s go with the hokey cokey for fun.

If you could be one musician, who would it be?
Michael Jackson or Robbie Williams.

Would you do anything to improve the music scene on campus as President?
Definitely. Particularly for Freshers’ Ball/The Big Bang. Consulting students on what it is they actually want on campus is key to my campaign. It was clear at the last UGM with the Dr Dre motion that students are dissatisfied with the music scene in York in general and I would work tirelessly with students to make sure we can improve this and accommodate as many students as possible as I am committed to increasing the student experience.

What music are you currently listening to?
I’m really into Bruno Mars at the moment, although I got the Take That album for Christmas which has been played a lot!!

What’s your favourite all-time record?
This question is so tough! On a night out it would have to be something really cheesy, the best way to end a night is in the Willow with some S Club 7! But Frank Turner’s ‘Casanova Lament’ is such a beautiful song, and reminds me of school so I think I’d have to go with that.

If you could be one musician, who would it be?
Taylor Swift – she’s got such a gorgeous voice!

Would you do anything to improve the music scene on campus as President?
I think events like the Big Bang/Freshers’ Ball are important ways to get music on campus. It’s necessary to start small and work our way up to big names. I would promote more smaller acts at the Big Bang, so there is something available to everyone, with different genres in different bars. As Halifax President I bought Artful Dodger to York in Freshers’ Week 2010! It’s not quite Dr Dre, but it’s a start!

What music are you currently listening to?
Some of the music I’ve been listening to recently (bit of a variety as you can see): Nick Drake, John Martyn, Cream, Stone Roses, Muse, Von Bondies.

What’s your favourite all-time record?
Definitely have to flip a coin between ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and ‘Hotel California’.

If you could be one musician, who would it be?
Jeff Buckley (though preferably not dead). Absolutely amazing songwriter.

Would you do anything to improve the music scene on campus as President?
Definitely some more consultation, and actually getting some gigs in Central Hall. It’s not good enough for a few Sabbs to sit around and decide acts that are brought to Freshers and Summer Balls each year. As President I would look to empower Ents committee, and also look into consulting with the whole student body into what kind of music they would have wanted at their Freshers Ball. One of my main policies is looking to work with clubs in town to bring big name acts to Central Hall, something that was promised last year, but has sadly been lacking. We’ve got a decent enough venue on our doorstep that needs to be utilised.

What music are you currently listening to?
Lots of political hardcore punk to fire me up in preparation for the elections. Reagan Youth have always been a favourite, and seem more relevant than ever considering the Reaganist tendencies of the current parliamentary administration. So yeah; Dead Kennedys, Minor Threat, Crass, Amebix, Napalm Death, just lots of anarchist shit. Gets me pumped.

What’s your favourite all-time record?
Probably Refused, The Shape of Punk to Come. That record, with all its fury, disregard for convention, jazz fills, techno elements and firm hardcore chassis probably changed my life. Dennis Lyxzén’s philosophy and grasp of socialist theory was definitely influential to me as a teenager. It inspired me to read Marx, Chomsky, Wittgenstein, Camus, all the writers who shaped my worldview.

If you could be one musician, who would it be?
Like I said, Dennis Lyxzén was always a big inspiration. My other musical heroes are people like Jello Biafra, Henry Rollins, Billy Bragg, Steve Ignorant and Penny Rimbaud… In terms of mainstream musicians who are politically on the ball, I think Bruce Springsteen’s pretty cool for being so outspoken and left-leaning in the sphere he inhabits.

Would you do anything to improve the music scene on campus as President?
The music scene on campus needs a kick up the arse. It’s cool that we’ve finally got some good venues operating in town but a lot needs doing specifically onsite to make things happen. Central Hall is a venue that really should be used regularly, and we should promote events like Woodstock and Battle of the Bands far more thoroughly. I was a supporter of the Dr Dre motion. Just like him, I rock my khakis with a cuff and a crease, and I’ve still got love for the streets.

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February 14, 2011

If you hadn’t noticed, it’s Valentine’s Day, and chances are that a lot of you are going to be hopping on the good foot and doing the bad thing tonight. You know, doing the horizontal dance. Playing a bit of cricket. Parking the beef bus in tuna town. Gliding liquid smooth into the wispy mound. Vulcanising the whoopee stick in the ham wallet. Marinating the nether rod in the squish mitten. Indulging in sexual intercourse. As your self-appointed musical erotic therapist, I thought I’d ‘knock up’ a list of LPs that should help to make your experience especially orgasmic. All shagging pretty much starts with the primeval hump-rumble of drums and bass, whether in the club or the bedroom, and chances are the world’s current population control issues wouldn’t be so daunting were it not for the demonic sexual power of rock & roll. Not all music will get your object of affection’s rocks off though – Chris de Burgh’s ‘Lady in Red’ has been known to irrevocably send testicles leaping back into men’s bodies, while Crazy Town’s ham-fisted nu-metal has been known to send women screaming from bedrooms into lesbianism. Here’s a karma sutra of fuck-tunes, then, to make sure you’ve got a record for every position tonight…

Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll:

The Velvet Underground Loaded

To start with, let’s check out a record which is the perfect musical instigation for that classic mélange of sex, drugs and rock & roll. The Velvet Underground have always been the musical apex of all three ingredients, so it makes a lot of sense to spin them when you’re still buzzing from a night out. Loaded isn’t their most famous album, but it’s probably the best to get down to. The more celebrated Velvet Underground & Nico has its fair share of sensual pop songs but also kills the mood frequently with tales of heroin abuse and dense feedback experiments. Their self-titled LP also shows promise as a make-out album but is a bit too relaxed and post-coital for its own good. With its glam rock verve, drug-addled atmosphere, hip-shaking guitar riffs and sweetly climaxing pop choruses, this LP is the perfect soundtrack to fumbling around in the back of a car in the dim of the dashboard light with someone of the opposite sex.

See Also: T-Rex Electric Warrior, The Rolling Stones Some Girls, David Bowie Let’s Dance.

Soul Seduction:

Marvin Gaye Let’s Get It On

If you get yourself into the situation where you’ve invited someone back for coffee, it’s 3am and you’re standing together in the kitchen with tentative awkwardness, there’s a very easy way to translate the state of affairs into a hot and heavy bedroom scene. Simply grab Let’s Get It On from the shelf, and on Side One, Track One, you can unleash the initiator for a billion pregnancies. Along with tracks like ‘You Sure Love to Ball’, full to the brim of sweaty shag-sounds, this is a record tailor-made for bonking, to a level that even pint-sized fuck terrier Prince couldn’t hope to reach. As Marvin himself said, ‘I don’t believe in overly moralistic philosophies. Have your sex, it can be exciting, if you’re lucky. I hope the music that I present here makes you lucky.’ He’s being modest; it’s hard not to get lucky when this is on the stereo.

See Also: D’Angelo Voodoo, Barry White Complete Discography, Isaac Hayes Hot Buttered Soul.

Slow, Deep and Hard:

Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin Je t’aime… Moi Non Plus

It’s an obvious one, but the pairing of lovers Serge Gainsbourg (who, despite looking like sleaze personified managed to bed pretty much every mythologically beautiful French woman of the Sixties) and Jane Birkin is an eternal staple of love-making music. The whole LP is a throbbing totem to physical love, each bass note trembling with desire and each buzz of wah-wah guitar a narcotic thrill. The centre-piece, ‘Je t’aime… Moi Non Plus’ is the true classic, a masterpiece of soft, funky eroticism that combines two adoring, barely-contained vocals from Serge and Jane that spill into impassioned moaning and groaning that puts even the orgasms on Guns & Roses ‘Rocket Queen’ to shame. It’s the kind of record that makes you look at your shoes when you’re watching Top of the Pops 2 with your mum, but in the bedroom it’s a revelation.

See Also: Chris Isaak Forever Blue, Françoise Hardy La Question, Massive Attack Mezzanine.

Indie Make-Out:

My Bloody Valentine Loveless

If you’ve headed out on a twee date, catching a black and white French film at City Screen before eating an atmospheric meal at some non-chain restaurant in the glow of the lights reflected in the river, be sure to have this lying on the record player when you make it home. As well as being a touchstone of hip for almost two decades, Loveless (despite its title) is the perfect dreamy make-out record. While recent Mercury Prize snaggers The XX are currently the go-to for seducing those of the indie persuasion, My Bloody Valentine blow them out of the water with the lush, velvety textures of Kevin Shields’ meticulously carved feedback, a wall of sound that chimes with a thousand first kisses. Bilinda Butcher’s waiflike, breathy vocals drift over the thunderstorms of candy-coated noise in an enchantingly woozy fashion; this is the perfect record to drift off into the night to with someone you love.

See Also: Cocteau Twins Heaven or Las Vegas, The XX XX, Jesus and Mary Chain Darklands.

The Morning-After:

Leonard Cohen The Best of Leonard Cohen

In the sleepy, half-woken morning you may well want to roll over and have one for the road in the golden light of daytime. In which case, you’ve got to opt for Mr. Cohen. Without doubt the high priest of the erotic, this man knows how to please a lady more than Casanova and Johnny Depp combined. With such swooning couplets as ‘I loved you in the morning, our kisses deep and warm / Your hair upon the pillow, like a sleepy golden storm’, how could anyone resist him? This album, collecting his finest early acoustic hymnals is the perfect record to soundtrack long mornings lying entwined in bed, sunlight dappling through the curtains, best enjoyed to coffee and cigarettes. If you feel love stirring deep within you after a night of passion, there’s no better way to conjure a romantic spell than with Leonard’s dusky baritone and tales of bohemian affairs that will forever live and breathe in his songs.

See Also: Tom Waits Closing Time, Bob Dylan Nashville Skyline, Bright Eyes I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning.

Liquid Smooth:

John Coltrane A Love Supreme

For the classier lady or gent, there’s no jazz smoother or more tantalising than the passionate power of mid-Sixties Coltrane. Romantic, loose and energetic, you can’t really go wrong with these washing cymbals and crooning saxophone lines. While it’s an undoubtedly spiritual album, its mantra-like qualities lend themselves to long bouts of Sting-and-Trudie style tantric love. Just a few minutes into Side One and there’ll be suit trousers and ballgowns tossed about the room; this really is too classy to shag to up against a bin in an alley by Efe’s. Sorry Ziggys fans. You’ve got to show this album some respect – only get down to it if you’re going to end up as two souls forever intertwined, reaching sexual enlightenment by the fireplace. Forgive the muso pun, but spin this in a compromising situation and it can only lead to a ‘hard bop’.

See Also: Django Reinhardt The Best Of Django Reinhardt, Lester Young & Teddy Wilson Pres & Teddy, Jimmy Smith Walk on the Wild Side.

Doing It Rough:

Nine Inch Nails The Downward Spiral

Not everyone likes it gentle. As anyone who’s watched Sexcetera late night on Freeview will know, there’s a whole world of hurtin’ kinda love out there. So if your partner whips out the leather chaps, ball-gag and whips don’t scream like a fairy and run for the window. The fall would probably be more painful than the sex, anyway. While BDSM has recently slapped and thrusted its way into the pop world with the likes of Rihanna espousing the joys of doing it rough, breathe deep and reach for this 90’s industrial classic instead. With it’s soundscapes of filthy synth-bass and Trent Reznor’s breathy, frustrated delivery, it’s a one way ticket to pain town. Especially with lyrics like ‘You let me desecrate you’ – ooh err. Word of warning though; if, like me, you hail from a rural background, don’t try this at home. Trent yells ‘I’m gonna fuck you like an animal’ quite a bit… Don’t want anyone getting the wrong idea.

See Also: Marilyn Manson Mechanical Animals, Smashing Pumpkins Adore, Cradle of Filth Nymphetamine.

Only the Lonely:

The Divinyls I Touch Myself

Of course, if you look like the Elephant Man or suffer from chronic halitosis, you may well be spending tonight curled up on the shower floor, weeping and alone. But don’t be tempted to play Céline Dion’s ‘All By Myself’ for god’s sake. Instead, pull yourself together, make yourself a dainty candlelit meal, treat yourself to a glass of full-bodied red wine and have a good old fashioned night of self-love. There’s no shame in masturbation, especially when you can make a whole mixtape out of pop songs with wanking sub-texts. And what better way to finish than to the glorious strains of 80’s one-hit wonders The Divinyls’ ‘I Touch Myself’, which is probably playing in Reflex as I type. Don’t be sad, now: be your own best friend. Bash the bishop. Go a couple of rounds with ol’ Josh. Make the bald man cry. Badger the witness. Date Handrea and Palmela. As Woody Allen said, ‘don’t knock masturbation. It’s sex with someone I love’.

See Also: The Buzzcocks Orgasm Addict, The Vapors Turning Japanese, Cyndi Lauper She Bop.

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February 3, 2011

Following on from our recent interview with DJ Nate and feature on footwork, we spoke to Mike Paradinas who runs electronic music label Planet Mu.

Seeking brave new frontiers of electronic music, Planet Mu recently released a compilation, Bangs & Works Vol. 1, of tracks from the ever burgeoning footwork scene in Chicago. With releases from central players such as DJ Nate, DJ Roc and DJ Rashed, and a second compilation in the works, we spoke to Mike Paradinas about this footwork obsession.

Bangs & Works

When and how did you first come across footwork?

It was 2008 on YouTube, via my friend Marcus Scott (Planet Mu Press). I was really into DJ Nate’s stuff at first. He seemed to have a production style that would resonate well with a European audience.

How did you find and contact artists you wanted to sign, for example DJ Nate?

First of all I tried his, numerous, Myspaces but he never read the messages and we received no replies. So we gave up for a bit, and started the Terror Danjah Gremlinz project to fill that release slot.

Then the next year after another potential release fell through, I tried contacting him again, but to no reply. After a while Thomas (at the label) found a “Bakasworld” website and we emailed him there and we received a reply from Mbiganyi Lashani, a high school teacher, who built Nate’s website and was acting as his manager at the time. Eventually we got hold of Nate, and got some tracks off him.

What kind of reactions have you had in the Chicago scene to signing up artists?

It’s a bit hard to tell. A lot of the DJs (producers) seem to want to be involved – once DJ Roc’s album came out I did get a lot of “What’s up, do u want to release my tracks?” messages, but there are literally hundreds of footwork producers and I have to be very selective. For example, every producer on Bangs & Works keeps hassling me for their own release but it’s cool, I would do the same in their position. Plus Rashad and Spinn and Traxman have their own Ghettophiles label and I’m sure more digital labels will spring up soon. We do have many more Footwork releases planned of course, but i cannot announce any yet.

It must have been difficult to create a compilation to best represent the scene? How did you choose the tracks for the compilation?

Yes, it was difficult. There were several different routes I could have taken, for example the history route – choosing particular tracks that changed the scene or the sound e.g. DJ PJ, DJ Chip, DJ Slugo, “Baby Come On” by RP Boo – in fact I could have had a whole compilation of different producers’ versions of “Baby Come On”!

But for me, I thought the most honest thing to do would be to chart the musical route that I had found myself on, in the last two years of discovering this music. So I chose the tracks which had most affected me personally and emotionally. It was often very hard to find who the track was written by, just from a Youtube clip or an mp3 or whatever but I got there eventually. There were still quite a few tracks which I haven’t identified – and some which I just could get a reply from the producer (e.g. DJ Solo)

Why did you settle on ‘Bangs & Works’ as the title?

Well, it’s a phrase which you hear a lot in relation to footwork. “Let me see your bangs, let me see yo works” there must be about twenty tracks with that sample in.

There are the beginnings of a crossover in the UK with artists like Addison Groove taking influence from the scene. Do you think that the UK electronic music scene might be the genre’s best hope for wider exposure?

I don’t know. Stuff like Ramadanman’s “Work them” and Addison Groove’s “Footcrab” are their own thing, a new cool UK thing, and if they are successful it’s on their own terms. They do not sound much like real footwork to me, but that’s like it should be. There are a lot of UK/EU/US producers making footwork influenced music though – Salem, Machinedrum, Chrissy Murderbot, Andrea (Andy Stott), Untold, Boxcutter, 4D (from Newcastle UK). Producers like FaltyDL have been having a go at footwork influenced tracks in their own style too.

Finally, what upcoming Planet Mu releases are you particular excited about putting out?

Well I have been working on Bangs and Works Vol. 2 for a while now; I hope to release that in June 2011. (It took about a year to get all the tracks from Vol. 1 so I thought I would start early!)

We also have an EP from DJ Spinn called Man I Do It which is next level footwork really. An EP and an album from Chrissy Murderbot – which is footwork/juke/b-more/party pop influenced grooves, with a lot of vocals – very cool stuff.

That’s all I can say for the moment.

–
This is the second of our label spotlight series, our first being an interview with rarities label Finders Keepers. Our second part was an interview with London based Upset the Rhythm.

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January 12, 2011

With the refurbished Fibbers and trusty Duchess drawing a far creamier caste of artists than we’re generally accustomed to, as well as the continued diligence of Stereo and the City Screen Basement’s promoters, York’s music scene is in rude health for such a small, quaint town. So let’s have a peek at the billings and mark out the most interesting groups rolling their tourbuses and transit vans onto our cobbled streets this term. I’ve compiled ten of the most unmissable acts, in their order of appearance. These aren’t the only gigs worth checking out, obviously, but it’s a start – there are plenty of great unsigned bands in the area, as well as some performances I simply couldn’t face putting on here (I’m embarassed to admit I like The Feeling and Kunt and the Gang would just upset people). So get your diary and a pen out; because here are some dates you’ll have to be interrupting work, academia and relationships for…

Twin Atlantic
Fibbers, Thursday, 20th January

Since Biffy Clyro have somehow become big enough to warrant being the Trojan horse with which Simon Cowell snags Christmas Number Ones, all you resolutely alternative kids can find solace in this band, who have all the Scottish heavy/pop dynamics of Biffy but remain a treasure of the underground. 2009’s album Vivarium won them heaps of critical acclaim, leading to support slots with The Gaslight Anthem, My Chemical Romance and Blink 182. ‘Lightspeed’ is an obvious anthem, expertly executed, and perhaps a little too slick for its own good. Despite the slightly calculated vibe the band give, there’s no doubting their ambition, and at this rate this gig may well be one of the last opportunities you’ll have to see them in such a cramped space.

Wooden Wand
City Screen Basement, Thursday, 3rd February

As one of only 3 UK dates, James Jackson Toth (AKA Wooden Wand) is a treat to discover playing down in the cosy confines of the City Screen Basement. Now signed to Michael Gira of Swans’ delightful Young God imprint, which brought us Devendra Banhart and Akron/Family, the prolific folksman has whittled down the members of this formerly sprawling psychedelic family to comprise only himself. As a solo project Wooden Wand is more concise, measured and far less indulgent. New record ‘Death Seat’ is Toth’s most exquisite to date, an album for which he reportedly recorded over 100 songs. Stark singer-songwriting in a minimalist and gothic bluesy country style, this is a rare opportunity to catch one of America’s most critically fawned-over yet undiscovered talents in the flesh.

The Vaselines
The Duchess, Sunday, 6th February

The Vaselines have always been overshadowed by Kurt Cobain’s fanatic endorsement of them – famously covering ‘Jesus Don’t Want Me For A Sunbeam’ at the MTV Unplugged sessions, wearing a home-made band shirt and calling them his favourite songwriters in his diaries. Recently reunited, the duo have been solidifying this legacy and living up to their legend in their live performances. Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee apparently have some awkward stage banter now that they’re not a couple, but the magic’s still there, and what self-respecting indie acolyte could bare to miss seeing these godparents of Scottish alternative rock jangle and drawl through ‘Molly’s Lips’ and ‘Son of a Gun’?

Roll Deep
The Duchess, Thursday, 10th February

The list of members and ex-members of this collective is a bit like reading a Brit school class register for grime MCs. Wiley, Dizzee Rascal, Tinchy Stryder and Skepta have all laid down verses on Roll Deep material, and the group as a gang have a couple of Number Ones under their belt to boot. Originally a pretty filthy and uncompromising outfit, they’ve steadily become more and more affiliated with making pop and dance music, to the point where they’ve apparently been collaborating with glassy-eyed fembots The Saturdays. While this policy of using their music to improve the rims on their car collections may be dubious, this gig is sure to be a boisterous, bouncy ride; but you will need to get fucking crunk beforehand to enjoy it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Frank Turner
Fibbers, Thursday, 17th February

Having supported The Offspring and Green Day, Frank Turner is officially big news on the pop-punk circuit. Which may surprise those listening to his music for the first time; acoustically driven folky singer-songwriting as it is. It’s easy to see why the punk crowd are so into him though, with his garrulous politicism and everyman perspective casting him as some sort of modern descendant of Billy Bragg. Having originally been the screeching frontman for post-hardcore brit-rockers Million Dead, the man knows how to connect with his audience, and thrives in the live environment. Ubiquitous appearances at many British festivals and word-of-mouth fervour for his music may explain why this gig sold out in a flash. It’s not often that a troubadour of Frank’s standing finds himself in York, so start turning tricks for the Fibbers bouncers or something – you have to get in.

Frankie & the Heartstrings
Fibbers, Friday, 18th February

A bunch of cheeky Sunderland tykes playing soulful streetwise British indie in the vein of Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Aztec Camera or Orange Juice, Frankie & the Heartstrings combine a spacious, spotless sound with the defiant humour of Northern upstarts like The Housemartins. Looking like a bunch of dandified 50’s greasers, their EP covers are adorned with stunning black and white portraits of the miner’s strike, suggesting that this is a band lost in time. That’s not to say they’re outdated, though, as their soaring melodies, deft songwriting and pop nous have brought them an adoring fanbase and spots at various festivals last summer. They’re preparing to unveil their debut album in the coming months, so pop over to experience an early airing of the new songs.

Yuck
Stereo, Wednesday, 23rd February

If you want to go and see a super-hyped new English guitar band I’d strongly recommend heading to this instead of Brother - also playing York soon – who the NME has inexplicably and loudly advertised despite the fact that they sound like Noel Gallagher’s shit-smeared y-fronts somehow managed to learn 3 chords and form a band of their own. Yuck are slackers par-excellence, turning apathy, drawling and fuzz into an art form, and are finally coming back to town after a brilliantly trashy performance supporting Times New Viking at this very venue last year. Yeah, they sound like Teenage Fanclub playing Dinosaur Jr. covers, but who really cares that they’re not pushing the envelope; it’s refreshing to hear a hip band that aren’t desperately trying to put a donk on chillstep or something. This is loose, fun indie rock, the kind Lou Barlow adored and mythologised, and I personally can’t wait to try to crowdsurf that tiny room in Stereo again. Last time I managed to take down some of the rather fetching bunting.

The Naked & Famous
Fibbers, Tuesday, 1st March

Sadly neither naked nor famous (yet), these antipodeans have taken time out from counting sheep and battling for the security of Middle Earth to bring tasty Kiwi electro-popsicles our way. It’s hard not to make MGMT, M83 or Chairlift comparisons here – nostalgic, danceable, unashamedly pop anthems are the order of the day, but the five-piece manage to easily compete with their American counterparts, especially on recent Number 1 single (ok, in New Zealand) ‘Young Blood’. The band bombard with floor-filling synth lines, exuberant melodies and enough experimental touches to keep you guessing, and it would be hard not to picture this being a hell of a lot of fun after a bottle of Strongbow at Reading or Leeds this summer. Singer Alisa Xayalith doesn’t just have the name of an alien princess; she has an interstellar knack for super catchy, fist pumping choruses – just check out the synth-stabbing ‘Punching In A Dream’ for a very good reason to head down to Fibbers and lose yourself in feel-good pogo dancing.

Dinosaur Pile-Up
The Duchess, Friday, 4th March

Get out your largest plaid shirt and tie it around your waist – this is shaping up to be a dense grungeathon, with Leeds’ Dinosaur Pile-Up’s crunching riffs and pop hooks ably supported by London sludge-punks Japanese Voyeurs. The Voyeurs’ lead singer will bring back memories of Hole and Babes In Toyland while her band pound out meaty Melvins-thick guitar lines, so you should be pretty exhausted already by the time the Dinosaurs walk the planet. ‘My Rock & Roll’ and ‘Traynor’ bring back sweet memories of Blue Record era Weezer, while ‘Love Is A Boat and We’re Sinking’ has a chorus that will nest in your head for days afterwards. Dinosaur Pile-Up have played just about every little venue in York in their ascent to prominence, and it’s great to see them headline The Duchess. While it might lack the sweaty intimacy of past performances, this is a great bill that promises the opportunity to party like it’s 1992.

The Primitives
Fibbers, Saturday, 19th March

Peroxide hair, black leather jackets, classic 50’s guitars… The Primitives haven’t changed their look in two decades and are still as cool as ever. Borne in the heady 80’s days of alternative rock where shoegazing amp-molesters like the Jesus & Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine roamed, the band may have had the same style but held much poppier sensibilities than the rest of the pack, their ’88 single ‘Crash’ hitting the Top 5 and blowing up internationally. Fronted by Debbie Harry-alike Tracy Tracy, (so hip she named herself twice) they cut sessions for Andy Kershaw and John Peel back in the day and remain an underappreciated act in comparison to their peers, whose legends have grown exponentially. They played in York last year and are back again shortly after their similarly nostalgic comrades The Wedding Present serenaded The Duchess in December… There seems to be an influx of classic English 80’s indie in town at the mo; if we keep going at this rate The Cure are bound to turn up at some point.

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December 30, 2010

2010 was full of mourning for the musically minded. From old greats to new talents, it seemed that no-one was safe. The angel of death seemed to pass over every month, and not in a badass Slayer thrash metal way; in a depressing and disheartening way. From progenitors of industrial noise to reggae legends, a multitude of musical mavericks passed away worldwide – all still sorely missed. So before we gallivant chortling and carefree into 2011, let’s pause a minute to think of those who are now rocking the Elysian plains, and cannot join us. Here’s a list of several of the glorious dead, with a record they were associated with that you should really have a listen to out of respect. I’ve chosen to include only musicians, despite the high profile deaths of champions associated with scenes such as Malcolm McLaren, midwife of UK punk, or Rammellzee, hip-hop’s premier art freak. Of course, there’ll be plenty of equally worthwhile tunesmiths that I couldn’t fit on, so feel free to add some obituaries in the comments box. But for now, remember to raise a glass on New Year’s Eve to these fallen heroes and heroines…

Although the band Alex was most eminent for playing in – Big Star – never reached the dizzy heights they deserved to, they remain one of my favourite bands of all time. Capable of writing songs that could be achingly sweet, desperately fragile or downright weird, Chilton was a teenage star in the Box Tops, practically invented power-pop, produced seminal records by the likes of The Cramps, and put his soul on the line in the creation of the criminally overlooked Big Star masterpiece, Third. Consistently brilliant yet upsettingly under-appreciated until the very end, the multitudinous tributes from stars across the musical world were testament to his influence and genius. Only the Velvets were more influential to the creation of indie rock.

Listen To: Big Star – Third

Step-daughter to John Lydon and taught guitar by Joe Strummer, Ariane Forster was always going to be a punk goddess. The goddess Medusa to be precise, with her snake-like dreadlocks and stage presence that could turn a man to stone. As frontwoman with The Slits, she re-invented British guitar music post-punk between recording snotty Peel Sessions and the seminal debut Cut. Mixing a love of reggae and dub with fundamental aggression, she left a seismic crater on the face of punk rock that’s still in the DNA of dozens of more recent bands.

Listen To: The Slits – Cut

A towering artistic presence who was compared to Salvador Dali as often as he was to Frank Zappa, Don Van Vliet – more commonly known as Captain Beefheart – was an enigma of Barrettesque proportions. A possible genius as well as or alternatively a madman, he strode more sonic miles than any of his peers over a course of records that stretched and sometimes tore through the boundaries of popular music. First listen to Beefheart is a bit like whiskey, opera or sodomy – you’ll need to keep on trying to fully appreciate it. But once you’re in the zone, his records – a surreal alien radio station where the blues are played backwards, overflowing with black humour and remarkable poetry – will redefine your ears forever.

Listen To: Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – Trout Mask Replica

One of reggae’s greatest all-time voices, ‘Cool Ruler’ passed after a long battle with cancer in October. A star comparable to Barry White in terms of the amount of humping he has initiated, he was the pioneer of the mellifluous lover’s rock ballad. Drawing inspiration from Motown and crooners like Sam Cooke, his soulful, intimate style was distinctive in reggae’s heyday, and, having conquered Jamaica with releases with just about every celebrated producer you could mention, he settled in Britain after worldwide success in the 80’s. Although his life was fraught with problems, his style, dapper in a fedora, and his voice, more dapper still, will live on.

Listen To: Gregory Isaacs – Soon Forward

Nobly suffering in silence for over a year, Gang Starr leader Guru’s death took us all by surprise in April. Re-energizing hip-hop as electro sounds became stale; the duo (completed by DJ Premier) mixed an amalgamation of soul, funk and jazz samples on their palette, Guru’s mercury-smooth flows rolling over the top. Arguably the greatest hip-hop outfit of the early 90’s, their open-mindedness and intelligence offered a socially conscious alternative to the cartoon violence of newborn gangsta rap. Equally competent on solo records such as Jazzmatazz Vol. 1, we head into 2011 lacking one of hip-hop’s most competent lyricists and versatile MCs.

Listen To: Gang Starr – Daily Operation

Lena Horne was one of those impossible people who lived through the 20th Century as if she was in a movie of her own. A Hollywood career (performing the title song of ‘Stormy Weather’ amongst others) hampered by racism and halted by the Red Scare, she battled for civil rights tirelessly while becoming one of the most prominent nightclub singers in America, all while swathed in the impeccable style of the Golden Age. While her voice was never world beating, her expressiveness and charisma were perfectly suited to flitting between jazz and blues and showtunes without so much as a blink. As the first African-American Hollywood sex symbol, she died at 92 in a world very different to the one she was born in; a world she had helped change.

Listen To: Lena Horne – Lena Horne at the Waldorf Astoria

The youngest person on this list, Mark Linkous’ career was peaking as he fired a rifle into his chest this Spring. In a three decade vocation that led him from indie obscurity in The Dancing Hoods to critical acclaim with Sparklehorse he managed to collaborate with and influence a dizzying array of acts, as well as producing records by Nina Persson and Daniel Johnson. Having recently completed the troublingly-conceived Dark Night Of The Soul with Danger Mouse, the world was impatient for new Sparklehorse material that sadly wasn’t to be. Despite being far from a household name, Patti Smith, Radiohead, Steve Albini and The Flaming Lips all publicly grieved; evidence of the music sphere’s appreciation of this man’s humble, fragile genius.

Listen To: Sparklehorse – Dreamt For Light Years In The Belly Of A Mountain

As one of the original members of Throbbing Gristle, Sleazy can be seen as one of the godparents of industrial music. But he didn’t rest on his laurels back in the late 70’s and simply watch his legacy unfurl; a prolific artist, he also founded experimental acid house occultists Psychic TV, psychedelic noise-innovators Coil, and unleashed a flood of video work for bands as diverse as Danzig, Pink Floyd and Ash. His tragic death on the eve of a re-united Throbbing Gristle tour proved that only mortality could cease his artistic restlessness and ubiquity.

Listen To: Coil – Horse Rotorvator

The ‘nice guy’ of heavy metal, Dio’s lungs rose to fame in flowing-haired groups such as Elf and Rainbow, before he ably took Ozzy Osbourne’s place in Black Sabbath. Despite the medieval power of solo records like Holy Diver, Ronnie was perpetually known as a rare perfect gentleman amidst the headbanging legions. He was purportedly the originator of the now-omnipresent ‘devil horns’ gesture, as well as perfecting the histrionic, operatic vocal style that would so influence the NWOBHM. I thank the Gods of Rock daily that I managed to catch him live in the summer before he succumbed to ‘fight the dragon’ of cancer; a battle he ultimately lost.

Listen To: Dio – Holy Diver

Solomon Burke was a man of biblical proportions – and not just in the waistline department. Fathering 21 children, he was also a doctor of mortuary science as well as the bishop of an evangelical church with a vast congregation. But his flamboyant personality sometimes tended to overshadow his superlative contributions to the soul canon – he never did have a Top 20 hit. The self-styled ‘King of Rock and Soul’, he was one of the first to realise that coalescence between the two genres could maximise the potential of both, and brought in country and gospel influences to create a magnificently recognisable sound. He died on the way to a sold-out gig in Holland – living a life full to the brim right up to the very end.

Listen To: Solomon Burke – Rock ‘n’ Soul

Percussionist Steve Reid’s CV reads like a history of black music in the 20th Century – debuting with Martha & The Vandellas at the age of 16, he went on to play with James Brown, Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis, Dionne Warwick, Fela Kuti and Sun Ra. Constantly pushing the parameters of contemporary drumwork, he was equally adept at tight jazz as he was accompanying loose soul, his telepathic improvisational skills astounding all who witnessed them. This wasn’t a man whose glory had faded with time; he had recently found a musical ‘soul mate’ in UK laptop-electronica wizard Kieran Hebden, AKA Four Tet. Endlessly inventive and open-minded, he remains one of the most unsung yet dazzling musicians of all time.

Listen To: Kieran Hebden and Steve Reid – The Exchange Session Vol. 1

Lincoln ‘Sugar’ Minott was synonymous with the Studio One reggae label, as well as developing the dancehall style. Toasting for the Sound of Silence Keytone Soundsystem, he later formed the African Brothers and ended up as a singer and guitarist at Studio One, before embarking on a lucrative solo career. A pioneer in using backing tracks in the studio rather than live bands, he is widely hailed as the father of dancehall. As well as a pioneer he was a philanthropist; setting up the Black Roots label which was intricately linked to his Youth promotion project, helping young artists of the similar backgrounds as himself. Although his star had waned in recent years, he still performed regularly and, according to reports, with the same bouncing verve.

Listen To: Sugar Minott – Black Roots

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December 20, 2010

According to Mayan prophecy, 2011 will be the last year of our human inhabitation of the planet. The mythistorical tome ‘Popol Vuh’ (not to be confused with the similarly mystical krautrock group) predicts 2012 to end a 5,125-year-long calendar cycle, bringing an apocalypse our way. This makes what you listen to in the next 12 months all the more important. The next year could well be the last in which you’ll be able to listen to new music, while you’re building a bunker in which to hide with all the food and records you can manage. Thus, in the wake of predictions by the BBC and others, I thought I’d use my Nostradamus-esque powers to suggest a menagerie of acts to cater to as many tastes as possible, for the purpose of investigation over the Christmas break. So here are eight acts I’ve carefully selected, stretching from hip-hop to folk to anarcho-punk to shiny pop. I’m not claiming they’re all going to be world-beaters, but they’ll definitely be making some tasty sounds in the coming months. Some of these suggestions may well end up soundtracking your grisly meteor-based death, so you’d better like them…

JAMES BLAKE

Half the artists getting hype-honchos drooling this year seem to be rather normal looking dudes with laptops and normal sounding names. I’d quite happily take Jamie Woon, Alex Clare or Luke Abbott to tea with my parents, as long as they promised not to flatten the scones with filthy dubstep bass. James Blake is the crown prince of these average white electronically-minded boys, but comes from an interesting angle. Far from being a grotty little urchin steeped in the streetwise grime of London’s dubstep scene, he’s a clean-cut student who spent most of his musical life being taught in the ways of jazz and classical, before finding an interest in soul during his teens. If was just before he ended up at Goldsmiths (a university that has its fair share of legendary alumni – John Cale; for instance) that he heard Digital Mystikz and began to absorb a host of electronic influences. His progress on a just a small clutch of EPs is staggering; his stunningly minimal, sparse arrangements and marriages of cold, hard beats with array of screwed, slowed, ghostly samples from our generation’s collective pop R&B youth sounding more and more majestic with each release. A cover of Feist’s ‘Limit To Your Love’ proves his versatility; presenting himself without studio trickery, a fragile and stripped down piano track with crisp, chilly vox in the vein of Bon Iver. The debut album is reportedly coming soon, and frankly, I haven’t been this excited since a Waitrose was erected down the road from my house.

TRISTRAM

You know the world’s gone folkin’ mental when a large drunk man with a fauxhican and fairly threatening neck tattoos approaches you outside Yates bar in town and tells you that you resemble Mumford & Sons. I felt this might well be grounds for a fist fight, but when he muttered ‘I fuckin’ love Mumford & Sons’ my fears were calmed, and a point was made. Of course, this came after a year of folk invasions on campus, URY’s ‘A Little Too Twee’ showcasing some intriguing acts as well as the pleasing convenience of Stornoway’s gig in Derwent. 2011 promises just as much ramshackle acoustic strumming from a plethora of acts hoping to hop in the boot-prints of Bellowhead et al. Out of the selection, I’d check out Tristram, whose members also feature in the sonically similar Peggy Sue and The Mariner’s Children. Having played a deft set to a reverently silent crowd at Stereo earlier this term, they’ve been adored by the likes of the Guardian and seem poised to gather more steam. While their shanty-like frivolities and gratuitous violins bring an English Beirut to mind, they also have shades of post-rock influence, with clouds of Godspeed-flavoured guitar clinging to some tracks. Single ‘Dust Disturbed’ breaks the mould, showing that they can play gritty, upbeat baroque & roll just as easily.

BALAM ACAB

Of all the internet-borne pseudo-genres this year ‘witch house’ (also known variously as gravewave, coldwave, or tosspot) was the most recognizable. Sadly, it was actually a re-hash of slowed-down gothic electronics in the open vein of Skinny Puppy, who everybody seems to pretend never existed. Oh well. This guy was lumped in with Salem et al, but really has more in common the aforementioned and similarly fresh-faced James Blake. He’s like Blake’s transatlantic cousin, a student at Ithaca University whose haunting soundscapes are clearly influenced by the IDM happenings in London in the last five years. Each track swims in liquid dub bass, forcing danceable elements into the mix while consolidating the ethereal atmospheres. It’s spooky; ‘See Birds’ has an unidentifiably sourced beat and creeps like a dragged out Burial remix of an undead R&B slow jam. Unlike the robotic starkness of a lot of current electronica, this stuff seems soulful and strangely organic. For a 19 year old who’s balancing these adventures in sub bass and wraithlike reverberations with school, this is astonishing and, appropriately enough in the light of the upcoming apocalypse, the moniker comes from a Mayan demagogue.

ODD FUTURE

While we were begrudgingly saddled with a wave of stagnant releases from once-shocking hip-hop stars such as Eminem and Lil Wayne this year, there was some genuinely fresh, sick shit cooking up in Los Angeles which, over the summer, went virally massive. Odd Future are a crazy-ass collective of blunt-toking skater teenagers whose lyrics are possibly some of the most ridiculous I’ve ever heard. If you thought Method Man’s testicle butchering monologues on 36 Chambers were gross, or Necro needed some Mary Whitehouse justice, Odd Future (full title Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All or OFWGKTA) will probably make you cry. With their bewildering saturation of content, blitzing the online world with slogans and prolific releases, it’s only a matter of time before this phenomenon makes stabs into the mainstream consciousness. The video for ‘Earl’ shocked people who (clearly never having heard of the concept of fake blood) mistook it for snuff – the kids chugging a drug cocktail before bleeding from mouths and nipples while teeth and fingernails fell out. What all the hysteria overlooks is the fiercely original beats and rhymes; grim flows like that of a younger, more talented D12 backed with menacing, minimal and melancholy synth that has more in common with MF Doom than any standard horrorcore or gangsta instrumentation. Their leader Tyler The Creator’s ‘Bastard’ was one of the great hip-hop records of this year, equal parts moving despair and shock power, hinting at far greater things to come. They made their UK debut last month, and, judging by the amount of releases they’ve already got penciled in for next year, 2011 will be the year of the wolf.

FLATS

If you want punk, you got it. There have been a few notable UK punk bands that capture the fire of the wannabe anarchy of the early days, The Shitty Limits and Thee Spivs for example. But Flats conjure a different, almost extinct breed; that of crusty two-chord bastards like Discharge, Flux of Pink Indians and Deviated Instinct. Rather than simply settle for smelling of piss and cider in murky venues in South London, they grave-dig anarcho-punk corpses and give them a modern sheen, looking forward just as much as back. Covering unearthed single ‘Mucky Pup’ by Puncture on their first EP showed the depth of their obsession for any gnarled bargain bin 7”. Dare I say it, they may well suck up all these obscure influences and spit them out in the same way as The Horrors did with their affection for freakbeat and mod. Although Flats despise mods. They wrote a song about it, ‘Rat Trap’, which lambastes Messrs Daltrey, Townsend, Weller et al in a brilliantly stoopid and profane way. The singer is Alan McGee’s son, and there’s a whiff of insincerity about it, mainly thanks to skeptical bloggers. But the tunes and interviews refute that, and there’s nothing more refreshing to see than a bunch of black-clad, patched-up kids brutally smashing their way through the elite hipster-hating-hipsters of Dalston and Shoreditch with armfuls of sludge riffs and D-beat machine-gun percussive destruction. The perfect soundtrack if anyone wants to do any more rioting. These guys should have been swinging from the cenotaph amidst burning cars and sirens, not David Gilmour’s son for fuck’s sake.

YUCK

Yuck have a rather atrocious name, but blew me away when they supported Times New Viking at Stereo earlier this year. They’ve been suggested as a ‘Sound of 2011’ by the BBC, whose other indie recommendation is The Vaccines, a band our delectable deputy music editor Sam Briggs interviewed in our last edition. They’re a hard-line indie gang, with the likes of Generation X slackers Pavement and Dinosaur Jr. their heroes. A phoenix from the ashes of Cajun Dance Party, who came from the same school (of rock) as Bombay Bicycle Club, they join bands like Male Bonding and Japanese Voyeurs (who we also interviewed recently) in spearheading a re-ignition of shambling grungy sounds in the capital. The unreasonable expectation put upon the band’s teenage shoulders in their former incarnation has again raised its head, but this time, bolstered by a drummer they found in the desert – really – and a bassist from Hiroshima, they’re hopefully not going to implode. Their debut album is apparently finished and ready for release; its mix of Teenage Fanclub fuzz and narcotic drawling hardly re-invents the wheel, but makes a suitable soundtrack for gazing at your shoes while you wait for Armageddon in 2012.

ANNA CALVI

When Brian Eno calls someone ‘the biggest thing since Patti Smith’ people are either extremely skeptical or immediately crank up the hype. One listen to this lady and you’ll probably be immediately converted, unless you’re as resolutely unromantic, cynical and bitter as half the people commenting on this website. That said; she’s not in any way comparable to the godmother of punk’s mercury poetics and scorching rock & roll, but no-one is. Calvi’s résumé does, however, make someone like me get a musical hard-on; she’s a swooning gothic half-Italian chanteuse, who has toured with Nick Cave and seems like the kind of girl Leonard Cohen might write about falling in love with. She inspires much mention of PJ Harvey, due to her collaborator Rob Ellis lending production duties to Calvi’s debut album. There is definitely some of the raw carnal literacy of our Polly in Anna, who cites Edith Piaf as well as Claude Debussy as touchstones. With Zola Jesus, Esben and the Witch and innumerable goth revivalists making this year one of the most musically melancholy and dramatic since the 80’s, Calvi makes her contemporaries look rather unsophisticated by comparison. In this age it often seems like histrionic high romance has died in pop music; Anna might just be the woman to bring it back.

WILLOW SMITH

Yeah. This last suggestion is Willow Smith. Will Smith’s daughter. If anyone’s going to challenge Justin Bieber’s attempts at world domination it’s this pre-teen super-hip dance-pop crunk mini-ninja. Since Bieber may well be a puppet of the Disney corporation, sent by reptilian overlords to destroy planet earth by hypnotizing its youth, we need some form of musical resistance. Willow Smith may be the only hope for humanity – as I’ve re-iterated several times throughout this feature like a crazy hippie in a trailer, 2012 marks the end of the world, which is probably going to be brought about by Biebz, the smiling, airbrushed, vacant-eyed antichrist. Willow’s been signed to Jay-Z’s label. Her song ‘Whip My Hair’ took over the internet and charts in recent months, and she’s now recording an album. It is my strong belief that ‘Whip My Hair’ could unite humanity and bring peace to the world. If everyone whips their hair back and forth repeatedly, all peoples will surely be united. The girl is ten years old. She’s already a superstar after one youtube upload. That’s depressing. In fact, nearly everyone on this list is a teenager or barely out of college. I feel shitting old. I haven’t done anything at university. I could have been a contender. I could have been somebody. I could have spent the time I spent writing all these articles and queuing to get into Ziggys making super cool chillwave on my laptop. I could be the toast of the industry by now. Instead I’m just a bum. Bring on the apocalypse.

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December 13, 2010

It’s a winter’s day in a deep and dark December, and what better time to muse on the banquet of records that 2010 has spread for us than now? Yes, we know you’re probably sick of endless know-it-all critics arguing over whether Janelle Monae’s Archandroid pushed R&B further than Cee-Lo’s The Lady Killer, or if the comeback of the year title belonged to Edwyn Collins or Gil Scott-Heron but, well, tough. We wanted authoritative answers, so we asked our most intrepid musical Jedi knights, Adam and Tom, to unsheathe their lightsabers of criticism and cross swords over their favourite records, whittling them down to an elite 25. After much deliberation (we heard a lot of moaning and groaning) they emerged from their secret music laboratory hidden way out on the windy moors with the following definitive, alphabetic results…

A posthumous release in the wake of the death of legendary Mali bluesman Ali in 2006, this was manna from the heavens for those who fell in love with the duo’s Grammy-winning In the Heart of the Moon. The esteemed six-stringer and kora wunderkind weaved a wondrous tapestry of African blues roots ancient and modern, with a faint ricochet of their musical cousins in the deltas of America. This was a more refined affair than their first; recorded in a London studio and backed with the fervor for African exports brought on by the successes of Tinariwen and Konono No.1. We should be thankful for the trend – it’s allowed a dream collaboration to record a polished, fluid and phosphorescent pinnacle to Ali Farka Touré’s life in music. TK

Probably the most anticipated record of the year, this somehow didn’t disappoint. Billed as a ‘concept album’, it wasn’t that heavy-handed and, despite its length, seemed to breeze on by. A distant cousin of Radiohead’s OK Computer thematically, the record was full of Win and Régine’s prevailing concerns – neighborhoods, families, religion, ecology and modern paranoia. ‘Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)’ was the shining star in a constellation of songs, perhaps the best they’ve recorded, soaring on Régine’s confident vocal and a bubbling undercurrent of synthesizers. Filled with dystopian imagery and brimming with the weight-of-the-world musings that have come to define the band, the sound was nonetheless exuberant and mature enough to ensure that this was their great crossover record without a loss of artistic integrity. TK

Detroit might have hit a well-documented slump, but Big Boi certainly does not hesitate to remind you of his most-treasured Cadillac in Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. Nor does Patton shy away from mentioning Katrina on ‘Fo Yo Sorrows’: “When we shout Dirty South, I don’t think that is what we mean”. Clearly Southern hip hop hasn’t felt the same depression; this is an album full of pleasure – quite literally with its numerous sex raps. There are moments of pure funk indulgence such as ‘Hustle Blood’ or ‘Be Still’, terrifying choir-backed fierce raps like ‘General Patton’, but also pop hits like ‘Shutterbug’, Patton’s answer to ‘Hey Ya’. AB

Daniel Snaith’s maths PhD is by now a well-documented anecdote to any Caribou interviews. Everyone expects Snaith to have some calculated the equation for a perfect electronic album, from working late nights over Swim with oscillators and synthesisers. But for Snaith music and maths “are not similar in the way people want me to say, it’s about playing around things and things happening by accident and getting a gut feeling when things are working.” Swim is not an album that sounds as if it has been worked out on a calculator; it feels distinctly human from its varied live instrumentation to Snaith’s out of focus vocals about break-ups, long relationships or lonely women. This is an album for wrongly stereotyped maths enthusiasts everywhere. AB

Cosmic orchestra of prog-funk Chrome Hoof’s second effort was always going to take us by surprise. But this step up from Pre-Emptive False Rapture was monolithic, a dense, aquatically themed odyssey that brought the mythological virtuosity of Magma 21st century contextualisation. Acid house, doom metal, classical sections, P-funk and disco were all sucked up and converted into an alien form of dance music by the band, whose live spectacle – replete with mirror-ball robes and lazers – laid waste to many a festival over summer. Rarely has that most nerdy of genres – progressive rock – been so accessible yet far-out, so fun yet complex. Collaborations with heroes Cluster, as well as pals Circulus and SMD broaden the vision further. They may well have made prog cool again; Kanye recently sampled King Crimson after all… TK

An all-star cast joined Brian ‘Danger Mouse’ Burton and dear, departed Mark ‘Sparklehorse’ Linkous for this haunting record. Released posthumously after the suicides of Linkous and collaborator Vic Chesnutt, their deaths can’t help but give the LP resonance. Boasting partnerships with singers as diverse as Wayne Coyne, Iggy Pop, Nina Persson, Gruff Rhys as well as Scott Spillane of Neutral Milk Hotel, this was always going to be astonishing. DM’s crisp production and Sparklehorse’s always recognisable mix of swooning strings, electronics and crisp acoustic guitars accompany a strangely cohesive selection of off-centre pop songs. This record can also be praised (or blamed) for David Lynch’s recent adventures in sound, featuring as it does two vocals and a photographic booklet from the nightmare visionary himself. TK

“Do you recall?” murmurs Bradford Cox amid the fog of opening track ‘Earthquake’. This is a record steeped in faded memories and recollections: whether coping with lost childhood over ‘Memory Boy’, wistfully remising about the 80s punk and DIY scene in ‘Basement Scene’ or clinging to favourite memories in ‘Revival’. ‘Sailing’ is stunningly minimal, buoyed just by Cox crooning and cooing over shimmering sound effects and subdued guitar strumming. Something of Deerhunter’s intensity has also been lost in this record, silences pervade tracks, and spaces are more pronounced where deafening noise might have previously existed. AB

Several bands had a go at re-firing the engine of the rock & roll Cadillac this year; while The Jim Jones Revue played electric white-boy blues at its finest and were deservedly lavished with praise, these scarecrow-haired wildmen from Brighton should really have got some of the attention. Plagued with misfortune – a guitarist poached by NIN, drug abuse issues, being dropped by their label – the Disaster cathartically drove out these demons in 38 scintillating minutes. The six years since The Royal Society clearly stirred the band into a mouth-frothing, bat-biting, frenzy; ‘Love Turns to Hate’ is the best song they’ve written, ‘Man For All Seasons’ is a Dionysian delight, while saloon ballad ‘So, Long, Goodnight’ hints at a hitherto untapped versatility. This record crowns the band as the grisly heirs to Nick Cave’s throne of goth punk. TK

This is the album that J Dilla and Miles Davis would make in some intergalactic parallel universe, perhaps some sort of a creative Valhalla for passed away musicians. Ridiculous statements aside, this is a record that morphs on every listen, at times sounding like a futuristic jazz album, or instrumental hip-hop or even a Sci-Fi soundtrack. One moment you are ambushed by blasts of electronic fazers, next you find yourself in some Galactic-funk nightclub on one of Saturn’s rings. Cosmogramma endlessly stimulates delusional Total Recall-styled day dreaming. Even now, after many listens, there remains a sense of indefinite mystery from its unidentifiable sounds. AB

Foals have always, from their first Myspace upload ‘Hummer’, been a conspicuously confident band but the progression from the angular, flittering sounds of their initial offerings to this record’s atmospheric grandeur was astounding. Yannis’s vocal work has matured fluently, evolving from shattered muttering to full-bodied crooning that inhabits the same baroque-pop habitat as Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes. Not to underestimate the rhythm section – Total Life Forever wouldn’t be half as buoyant were it not for the beefy basswork and fissure-forging percussion of Messrs Gervers and Bevan. As well as growing more technically proficient, the band has established a greater depth of emotion, discovering a verve for dynamics absent in their earlier work. Overall, the bubbling guitars, depth charge rhythms and vocal acrobatics coalesced to yet again prove Foals to be one of British music’s most exhilarating exports. TK

Whether you love or hate her, you have to admire the gall of Ms. Newsom, musical marmite as she is. This ambitious triple-album set was an opaque and overbearing prospect to the listener, bristling with invention, virtuosity and the painstaking detail that signifies a master craftswoman. Her Appalachian pixie-voiced folk was, as ever, dizzying, with this record making the same giant leap from Ys as that record made from The Milk-Eyed Mender. She created a musical world comparable to ‘Alice In Wonderland’ in scope, but each song was so concise and perfectly formed that, although the work was of titanic proportions, it slipped down a treat. Her voice, clear as a mountain river, seems so delicate that it could break at any second; you can’t listen to this grandiose opus without falling deathly silent, such is its fragile power. TK

Growing up gay in the Midwest sure isn’t easy. But John Grant, former ex-singer with the underrated Czars, converted decades of trouble and strife into the most beguiling debut of the year. Backed by folkster fans Midlake, they foolishly seemed to put their best efforts into this collaboration rather than their own record, ‘The Courage of Others’. Their baleful, mellow backing of warm guitars, luxuriant woodwind and spacey keyboards provided the perfect canvas for Grant’s rich, dark baritone. With jet black lyrics swinging from the profane to the sublime, subjects include childhood sweet shops, space travel, a list of the subjects of Jesus Christ’s hatred, and Alien actress Sigourney Weaver. He comes on like a catty, rakish fusion of John Cale and David Ackles, these mordant but sanguine love songs sounding like classics lost in time. TK

What is there left to say about this album? Shovel more hyperbole on the mountains of critical acclaim, or play down its significance by stressing that its success is all down to ‘context’. It is almost as exhausting reading about it as it is to listen: never for a moment letting up with its overblown production streak from start to finish. Whether this is truly the classic critics (and Kanye) have led us to believe; only time will tell. But for now let me throw some more praise on the heap and agree that is indeed a good album. Not that you needed to hear it. AB

From hiding from the imminent apocalypse in Iceland to recording in the King’s Chamber of the Great Pyramid in Egypt, as well as being ripped off by Nirvana and creating symphonic versions of Pink Floyd tracks, Killing Joke have always seemed ahead (and to the side of) of the pack. The first recording by the original line-up of Jaz, Geordie, Youth and Paul since 1982, this is a seamless triumph. ‘European Super State’ is a belting concoction of geopolitical declamation with DFA-style hard house and EBM beats. ‘This World Hell’ beats Godflesh and Neurosis at their own game, a titanic slab of industrial metal, while ‘The Raven King’ soars. Rife with 21st Century paranoia, conspiracy theorising and esoteric lore, this blows any other intelligent, dance-savvy post-punk effort out of the water – I’m looking at you, These New Puritans. TK

With James Murphy teasing us with rumours of retiring LCD Soundsystem, it is imperative to mention your heartbreak and loss at this news in every mention of the band. And that is honestly how I felt on first listen; it was like being given a small bottle of whiskey in consolation for a break-up. In retrospect I’ve come to terms with the niggling feelings I had all along that maybe this wasn’t quite up to Sound of Silver. Sure it’s brilliant; it’s everything I would expect from Murphy: the weary self-abandonment of ‘Dance Yrself Clean’, the swirling funk of ‘Pow Pow’ and the pleading ‘I Can Change’. But like any long-term relationship, you kid yourself nothing has changed, while secretly knowing things aren’t quite as amazing as the beginning. AB

We’ve come to expect an entirely new sound-world from each Liars release, but this one seemed to soak up their previous canon and refine it. There’s a queasy mixture of beauty and horror throughout, best identified in curtain-raiser ‘Scissor’, which, after a minute of so of calm-water vocals swirls into a typhoon of brutal guitar battery. ‘Scarecrows On A Killer Slant’ has become a live calling-card, perhaps the most vicious song they’ve recorded. Based on a real-life shooting which occurred during the writing of Sisterworld, it’s a nauseous, fearful rant of fuzz and bloody noise that could put the shits up Lieutenant Dan. This is a hazy, sickly record, which cements the band’s reputation as art-punk terrorists once more, but here they are more refined, sophisticated, and – dare I say it – mature. They’re all the more harrowing for it. TK

From their 7” releases Mount Kimbie have been dogged with one tiresome question: how do you define your music? It is post-dubstep, ambient, post-rock or IDM. This kind of fixation with classification is something usually best left to biologists differentiating between moulds. If anything, it has been useful as an example of how wide ranging the scope of this record is. Surprisingly this variation isn’t alienating when listening to Crooks & Lovers. There are tracks which stand out as more obviously dubstep such as the oppressively bass-driven ‘Blind Night Errand’ or the dancefloor funky of ‘Mayor’, but these are about the only reference points. Both Kai and Dom have stated this is a record about London, but this isn’t the London of Burial, this is one tempered by light-hearted as well as bleaker moments. AB

Pantha Du Prince has a knack for apt album titles. Previous record This Bliss delivered that by all accounts and Black Noise, also a term for a frequency audible only as silence to humans, is equally appropriate. Tracks begin by rippling the surface of silences with drips, reverberations, flickers of sound gradually becoming rhythms and beats. But unlike most minimal techno, nothing is sustained for long; producer Hendrik Weber unwinds each song by introducing one new element after another. Natural clinks of bells and soft xylophone are merged with electronic bleeps and thumps of bass. If they had to have a breakout album, this is the closest yet. AB

The Roots have always been one of the most open-minded and musically literate of hip-hop groups. But take a quick glance at their list of samples and guest spots on this ninth release and you might be surprised; Monsters of Folk, John Legend, Joanna Newsom and Dirty Projectors all crop up in various forms. This sonic mellowing out is perhaps a consequence of this being their first record borne of the Obama administration – the more irritable jitters of their last two LPs replaced with jazzy textures more comparable to their mid-90’s output. Not that political calm has stunted them artistically; while often mellifluous and relaxed, there are still powerful lyrics about child soldiers in Sierra Leone, deforestation and corporate monopolies, with Black Thought coming on like a more soulful J Dilla. The shift in aural palette is remarkably successful, making this LP their best since the classic Phrenology dropped in 2002. TK

The year was mauled by stonking metal releases from the likes of High On Fire, Electric Wizard and Black Breath. But while all three discharged sterling records, they pale in comparison to the underrated ‘Take The Curse’. Ramesses are two-thirds of Electric Wizard’s deranged former rhythm section, fired from that band for various offences (including punching a cop). Their dying-sloth groove, undead Bonzo percussion, and blacker-than-a-tarpit wall of fuzz hark back to their former project, but drawing in a wealth of influences from the wider field of occult-obsessed music has allowed them to unearth sounds more ogreish than ever. Be it the bursts of necro-magickal black metal on ‘Black Hash Mass’ or the opium-addled guitars on the title track, this is a pulsating, flesh-bound grimoire that paralyses any other metal release this year. TK

From its beginnings as a vaguely linked assortment of special text characters, ‘witchhouse’ has been assailed by intense blog-crazed attention. Salem are one of the few bands to emerge with an album, and have assumed the position of High Priests within the genre. In the clambering to expose the band, some ridiculous stories have emerged from male prostitution-funded drug habits to hysterical accusations of John Holland’s raps as racist imitations. Behind all this is one of the most affecting albums released: often terrifying, always unsettling, it is strictly night listening for those seeking to conjure up some dark visual imaginings. AB

One of the most unpredictably successful records we heard, Sleigh Bells was one half a noisy nutter from screamos Poison The Well and the other a girl whose mother match-made the two in a café. They deliver a whopping wall of sound, with reverberating R&B rhythms colliding violently with sugar-sweet vocals and freeform guitar noise. Managing to transcend its artier tendencies by exercising a saccharine pop nous, this record is turned all the way up to 11, and all the more irresistible for it. ‘Rill Rill’ was an obvious single, a bouncy snort of coke that could make a dead man jump, while ‘Crown On The Ground’ confused and befuddled with it’s two-front war of catchy melody and buzzsaw guitar. Overall, the sound was like having something big, happy, shiny and new smash your face into pulp. And no-one who heard it had a hope of resisting. TK

When it was announced that Michael Gira was re-convening Swans, stomachs across the land churned as faces blanched, and flocks of birds fell out of the sky. The record was expected to be as skull-scorchingly cataclysmic as past efforts, and didn’t dissatisfy. From bone-blackening industrial wastelands to the ominous freak-lullabies and rattling tribal soundscapes, this was an unnerving, apocalyptic journey, the aural equivalent to Cormac McCarthy’s ‘The Road’. Indeed, there is a certain Western bleakness to proceedings, with Gira’s deceptively lucid croon sifting through ash-strewn remnants of whirling jazz lines that sound like falling aeroplanes, while drifting post-rock meanders like a lost soul to a dead horse. Collaborations with Gira’s 3 year old daughter and Devendra Banhart add bizarre flourishes to the sonic template. It’s been a 13 year hiatus, but the world through Swans’ eyes is just as terrifying as when they left it. TK

Teengirl Fantasy are hardly unique in filtering the R&B and pop of their formative years, through modern dance music. But they are one of the few to do so in such a hypnotic manner. A duo of college students from Ohio, Logan Takahashi and Nick Weiss have cut and picked their influences from Chicago House, Balearic beats and soul. Two tracks stand out in particular: vocal track ‘Dancing In Slow Motion’ is a R&B slow jam that sounds as if it has been resurrected from the 90s. And ‘Cheaters’, has a stunning heart-bursting sample of 70s disco-funk from group Love Committee that will instantly solidify your affection for this album. AB

Grainy VCR tape, a man fully dressed in denim, in what looks like the interior of a cheap garden shed and an off-screen cameraman soliciting all too personal answers. Twin Shadow’s George Lewis Jr. in a video for song ‘Slow’, a homage of banned Eighties Calvin Klein adverts. Many bloggers have hastily labelled him the ‘Black Morrissey’ due to the vocal resemblance, but this is no Smiths tribute record. An Eighties aesthetic saturates Forget but it is far from a pastiche. Lewis’s voice reverberates with a past-longing sadness in ‘Tyrant Destroyed’, and occasionally gives way to fitful bursts of emotions such as the throat-stretching chorus to ‘Slow’. Arrestingly beautiful, and one of the freshest sounding forays into the Eighties for a long time. AB

Honourable Mentions:

Antony & The Johnsons Swanlights, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti Before Today, Avey Tare Down There, Drake Thank Me Later, Dum Dum Girls I Will Be, Endless Boogie Full House Head, Forest Swords Dagger Paths, Four Tet There Is Love in You, Hauschka Foreign Landscapes, Gil Scott-Heron I’m New Here, Grinderman Grinderman 2, Janelle Monae The Archandroid, The Jim Jones Revue Burning Your House Down, Robyn Body Talk, Rumer Seasons Of My Soul, Shining Blackjazz, Sufjan Stevens The Age of Adz, Tame Impala Innerspeaker, Zola Jesus Stridulum II.

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