WTF? It's May already at the end of this week. For some people it means the ever depressing spiral of age continues, brightened only by the pathetic 10 seconds of sunshine which peek through South Wales' rain clouds once a week. For others less upset by the changing date, it signifies that 16 of the best experimental indie and metal bands in South Wales and the UK will be playing Cardiff's Clwb Ifor Bach this Sunday! Pin back your crows feet and cheer up you miserable sods!

There are literally too many artists to profile at this massive bender - but anyone familiar with the kind of experimental noise prostituted by either Pedigree Falcon or Dead Horse! Unicorn! will be right at home. Starting at three, the bands will be spread out over two stages. Dead Horse! Unicorn!'s can safely be called the angry noise "tent", featuring all manner of noise-core-metal-guitar wrenching shenanigans. It starts off with Lavotchkin, followed by "glandcore"r's Men Of Unitus, punk-metalers The Ocean Fracture from Glasgow, Caerphilly room demolish-ers Circa Regna Tonat, adjective defying-ers Thread, grindcore Newportonians Atomçk, top drone chaps The Death of Her Money and, headlining, Taint. Take some ear-buds - and ROAR!

If DH!U! is the despondent ADHD child, then Pedigree Falcon is introverted sister sitting alone in her room, listening to My Bloody Valentine and Explosions in the Sky. Their stage is made up of bands who veered towards Mogwai's Slint influences rather than their Iron Maiden cravings. First up is Facel Vega, then math-rockers Burnst, post-hardcore twitchers Ice, Sea, Dead People,
thash-core doomboogie types shield your eyes, subtle post-rockers Stray Borders, two-man loop pedaler Right Hand Left Hand and buzz saw makers Zail - all headlined by noise punk Londoners Part Chimp.

Like Cricket St. Thomas before that knob Edmonds got hold of it, it's a great day out for all the family (as long as they are 14+ - bring ID!) with tickets just £10 in advance from the usual websites or Spillers. You'll suffer another £2 if you leave it to the door (opens 3pm).

Labels: saesneg

God is in the TV presents...

Vessels are an experimental rock band (Martin Teff, Tim Mitchell, Tom Evans, Lee J. Malcolm, Peter Wright) from Leeds, who formed in 2005, and have since played at the Leeds and Latitude festivals, released two singles and recorded a full length album due for release in the spring through Cuckundoo records. They manage to show that you CAN have a variety of songs and still maintain your own identity as a band, and you CAN have post-rock with vocals, and you CAN be mellow and ambient one moment, and rocking out with planet sized riffs the next. With a string of dates lined up across the UK, catch them now before things explode and they vanish off around the world to show that the UK still has some life left in it yet.

"Dynamic post rock which stalks around your room before launching itself through a window" - Steve Lamacq, BBC Radio 1

In support are Stray Borders. The Cardiff based four awoke in 2006 as Stray Borders and over the last six months have; appeared on Cardiff Compliation "This Town Ain't Big Enough For The 22 Of Us", been voted demo of the week by Organ magazine, enjoyed air play on BBC Radio One, BBC Radio Wales, and other radio stations. They create beautiful, slow burning, epic, sounscapes. The borders "recall the best elements of Godspeed, Sonic Youth Slint and the Liars whilst maintaining an individual and intelligent sound."

Purveyors of slow-burning, mathematically precise alt-rock experiments that strongly recall the shrill distortion barrages of Sonic Youth...and we await further news from their dark camp with bated breath." - BBC EXPOSURE

Artistic guitar work, raging bass lines, forceful beats and powerful lyrics unite Screaming Eagle into an epic power-trio. Forcing themselves vehemently into the awaiting ears of an ever-expanding and eager public and armed with one of the most exciting debuts to come out of South Wales for a long time, they prepare to take their sound to the people.

Emerging in autumn 2005 and comprising of Nikolai Ribnikov, Thomas Jones and Jason Young, Screaming Eagle recently completed their first full-length album at the renowned Mighty Atom Studios. Already garnering critical acclaim before its release, 'Wake Up The Dawn' delivers melodic intensity with an aggressive edge.

"This Welsh trio offers a tasty blend of jazz rhythms and swaggering stoner riffs" - ROCKSOUND

Opening the show are new Cardiff three piece Joy Of Sex, their taught, angular songs are influenced by Wire, PiL and the Swans. They agree on several things. Short songs, rhythm, repetition, noise, form meeting function, newness not novelty, equality, clang, scrape and bang. That is the Joy of Sex.

Vessels / Stray Borders / Screaming Eagle / Joy Of Sex @ Ten Feet Tall Cardiff
28th May 2008.
Entry : £4 / Doors: 7.30pm

http://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk
The Independent music and culture webzine.

Howl Griff is a bilingual beekeeper from Aberystwyth (“I’ve got enough bee venom in my bloodstream to kill a normal man,” he says. “I guess you get used to it”). His eponymous debut album was sung in Welsh and recorded on an isolated farm in Carmarthenshire. It was produced by Owen Powell (ex-Catatonia guitarist who recently worked with north Wales singer Duffy) and engineered by Tim Lewis (Julian Cope, Thighpaulsandra, Spiritualized, Coil; Tim also plays keyboards on the album).

Blending the psychedelia of The Byrds with the modern AOR of The Raconteurs and drenched in lush harmonies, Howl has created a unique West (Wales) Coast sound that ranks alongside the Super Furry Animals and Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci.

The band consists of Howl Griff (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Gary Parkinson (guitars, vocals), Matt Barnes (bass) and Nick Moore (drums). Howl is the only Welshman (the other three hail from Bolton, Tasmania and Merseyside respectively), but the band have been learning the language in order to sing harmonies. “It’s the only record where you’ll hear Welsh sung in a broad Bolton accent,” says Howl.

Rattling single, Hedd Nôd, translates as ‘Peace Sign’ (“It’s about all the people of the world telephoning their leaders for peaceful solutions to conflicts via music”), while Brifo Mae Brâd, a re-working of Howl’s English song Pain Is Alright, is about betrayal. Grisial Clir is about keeping the crystal clear waters of Cardigan Bay pollution-free, while DNA casts a worried eye at our genetic futures.

After developing a cult following in Howl’s homeland, where they have sold out gigs and made several TV appearances, the band – who also sing several live songs in English – have been received enthusiastically by crowds in London and New York, and will be touring and playing festivals in the summer of 2008.

It will offcially be released on : 28th April 2008
The format is : CD and download

Howl Griff album launches:

Fri 9 May – 1pm Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff

Fri 9 May – 8pm Coopers Arms, Aberystwyth

Sat 10 May - Ty Newydd, Sarn, Lleyn Peninsula

Sat 31 May – Castell Rock, Aberystwyth

Thu 12 June – The Half Moon, Herne Hill, London

Dockrad Records are a (mainly) Welsh language label based near Cardiff and have previously had releases by bands such as Ashokan, Diffiniad, Ty Gwydr, Volenté, Skep, The Afternoons, Maniana, Gilespi and others. Check out www.dockrad.com for more information and to buy CDs and tracks digitally.

MADE IN AMERICANA PRESENTS...

THE YOUNG REPUBLIC

The Young Republic describe themselves as “an American band playing American music”. Inspired by rock ‘n’ roll, 50s and 60s pop, jazz, folk and country music, this is a band who, having just released their debut album, look set to do big things.

This 8-piece band include an exciting variety of instrumentation including pedal steel, mandolin, viola, flute, organ and accordion. And combining classically trained musicians with classic indie-pop songwriting, it looks like a major new talent has arrived.

Their debut album, 12 Tales From Winter Cities, which was released earlier this year was a collection of songs they’d written and sold on CDRs at gigs over the previous two years. Recorded in a variety of settings including classrooms and church halls, the band roped in their allies and friends and even a 20-piece choir at one point.

Of the album, Word magazine said “This debut achieves plenty, seamlessly skipping from folk introspection and lonesome country balladry to high voltage power-pop sparkiness with a glitteringly perfect cohesion”, Q Magazine said “the sense of potential is tantalising” and The Guardian urged you to “catch them while you can.” Take note. The Young Republic play Monkey Café in Swansea on 22nd May.

Thursday 22nd May 2008, The Monkey Café, Castle Street, Swansea
Doors 7pm / £8

Entry to all Made In Americana gigs is cheaper with Bald Eagle membership. For details, email dave@soundofmonkey.com

MEAN FIDDLER PRESENTS:

TERRI REID plus special guests

Rock singer and guitarist Terry Reid, born 1949, was most prominent in the late 60s and early 70s and has had a roller coaster of a career beginning at the age of 15, when he joined Peter Jay’s Jaywalkers after being spotted by the band. His public profile was enhanced in 1966 when The Jaywalkers were named as a support act for The Rolling Stones.

Reid has released seven solo records and his second album, Terry Reid (1969), is regarded by critics as his best work. He has famously turned down offers to join Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, and also toured the United States as a solo artist when he opened for The Rolling Stones on their 1969 American Tour.

Since making a triumphant return at Glastonbury Festival in 2005, Reid has been playing occasional live gigs that have gone down as the stuff of legend. If you've never heard of Terry Reid, go ask some old guy with a beard and a faraway look in his eyes, whisper “Superlungs, Silver White Light, May Fly, Rich Kid Blues” and watch him get up and start shaking parts that haven't been shaken for a long time. Reid is a man with a hell of a story to tell.

Thursday 22nd May 2008, The Point, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay

Tickets for the Cardiff date are available through Spillers Records (02920 224905/www.spillersrecords.co.uk), Ticketline (02920 230130/www.ticketline.co.uk) and The Point (02920 460873/www.thepointcardiffbay.com) and are £13.50 in advance and £15.50 on the door.

Kruger Singles Club Presents... 'Free The MP3 Tour!'

To celebrate a year of free download singles, The Kruger Singles Club has organised a tour which will see lots of the ace bands that they have released in the first twelve months playing together in four of Kruger's favourite cities.

The Kruger Singles Club is a download record label found exclusively at www.krugermagazine.com. So far putting out singles by the likes of Emmy The Great, Evils, Sam Isaac, Scott H. Biram and Gideon Conn and all for free! So in keeping with the ethos of the label, entry is free (although at some venues there's a charge later), so get there early to make sure you get in.




Wednesday 14th May
Gideon Conn
Evils
The Toy Band
Bristol – Start The Bus
8.00pm - 1.00am. Free

Thursday 22nd May
Sam Isaac
Evils
Attack+Defend
Manchester – The Deaf Institute
8.00pm - 3.00am. Free before 9.30, £5 after

Tuesday 27th May
Scott H. Biram
Gideon Conn
Attack+Defend
Evils
Cardiff - 10 Feet Tall
8.00pm - 2am. Free before 9.30, £5 after.

Wednesday 4th June
Modernaire
The Duloks
Evils
London – Lock Tavern
8.00pm - 12.00am. Free

www.krugermagazine.com
www.shaperecords.co.uk

Basically I fucking love Bedford Falls. I love punk rock and I love Americana. Bedford Falls fuse the two brilliantly. When playing live, their punk sensibilities come to the fore but never at the expense of the songwriting. They've have been compared to melodic punkers Husker Du, Buffalo Tom, The Moving Targets, The Lemonheads, early REM, The Weakerthans and Leatherface amongst others. They feature two members of Cardiff’s legendary and much missed post-hardcore outfit The Take and a current member of The New 1920s. Tonight is an attempt to publicise and possibly sell copies of their debut album, "Savings and Loan," they will play all of the songs from the aforementioned album from beginning to end in the order in which they appear. The album itself will be available to attendees for the bargain price of £5. As if that wasn't enough, we'll be joined by two amazing bands; gruff punkers This Hidden Switch and quirky indie rockers The Muscle Club.

8:00pm | £5/£6

Ah, C86... The genre I was too young (i.e a toddler) to know, yet left a massive effect on a generation of British indie. There was a time, it seemed, where anything John Peel related was twee and jangly. Not that this is a bad thing, I really liked Ball Boy, Hefner et al, and their tales of awkward people trying desperately to grab the attention of other awkward people. It was bedroom music for the teenage years, but those times have past and with blogs, the interwebs and the almost fourth year of no Peelie, no one really is doing it like they used to.

Except for Cardiff and Llanelli types The New Tea Party. Watching them brings back memories of that time, when you'd shut the door and turn up the radio to listen to Lamacq or whoever and jump off the walls to the latest obscure Bell & Seb release. Demo track Punctuality is a bit rough at the edges but has bags full of potential - packed full of the kind of xylophone-choir harmonies which could infect a school yard of children into selfless altruism, especially if the weather is right. Its also immediately catchy, you'll be humming the tune in no time. Like someone stole all the happy hymns at church and corrupted them for the purposes of Le Pub. They do all this on a bed of influences which are, what I assume, decades of British indie. They're nice guys as well, which adds to the fluffyness.

They can be caught supporting The Rosie Taylor Project & Silence At Sea at Clwb on Thursday April 24th, or you can visit their myspace and stream their 3 track EP.

Labels: saesneg

I've done really well so far in not posting anything on Cardiff City on this website but now I've been handed an excuse.

If you're wondering which pub you're going to try and squeeze into on Saturday 17th May to watch the Bluebirds take on Portsmouth, look no further than Clwb Ifor Bach. It's free to get in, there'll be drinks offers and with everyone packed in watching the big screen, there'll be a cracking atmosphere. If you get too nervous and need a fag there's even a smoking terrace for you.

Personally I'll be at Wembley but if you can't get a ticket, Clwb will be the second best place to be.

Click on image to enlarge listings.

If you don't mind us saying, our Joy night in the Port is going to be a right damn corker this week. Some of South Wales' best bands will be playing in the hallowed Meze corridors this Thursday accompanied from one act from the States as well as DJs and the usual Newport barflies...

FROMMARS are on last... This tagrag bunch of Cwmbran/Newport people are part involved in running this website (well Mr J hosts it), but also make a right satisfying space-rock post-punk din. Seeing them support Future of the Left on April 9 was like being run over by a large Welsh rugby team with the voices of That Guy From Forward, Russia, plus synth. And could you sing along to an oncoming scrum related assault? Not if they were looking at you straight in the eye, I bet. In less you have a lot of focus.

In the other room is beep-obsessed band Telegram from the Queen. This Chepstow/Cardiff lot have learnt the best way to make dance music is to impersonate old 8-bit sound chips - a sure route to greatness. They're like Crystal Castles, but more geeky sounding and less with the retro clothing. You'll be glitching and artificial-noise-generating the night away, which is probably quite disturbing to look at all in all. Don't look at the strobes too much eh?

Aluminium Babe are from New York and are rowdy and disco punk, like, with echoes and sound effects and sound waves bouncing off the wall. They're quite funky too. Their live show is said to be rather top, and they've just got back from Berlin where they were liked quite a lot. I don't know what else to say, but there's no let up on Thursday with this lot about.

The rest of the bands read like a who-is-who of the South Wales indie scene. Stray Borders support in the main room with their dark and delicate post-rock. Zissou indulge in a bit of C86 indie-pop, and no doubt Gindrinker's ranting will provide a witty if completely unhinged and deeply troubling accompaniment to the evening (Repeat after me: someone up there doesn't like you, and that someone is me!). And Lt Meat, raved about before here, is due to parade his one-man bluesrockmetal outfit in skin tight trousers and cowboy boots, again.

Again, a great night of brilliant music, and again very very cheap at just £4, £3 student scrounger.

Labels: saesneg

Well aren't I rubbash. Finishing work at about 9.50, I decided that Gathered-in-Song's £2 Centro-Matic show was too cheap to pass up. It looks like many of the people who came to the Le Pub gig felt the same (not that they came straight from the grind) - upstairs was refreshingly busy. I didn't see much of South San Gabriel - who as I explained in my preview are the same band as Centro-Matic with added members - though what I did hear was good, quiet and understated. When Centro-Matic had their "turn", there were the inevitable jokes - "weren't SSG great" etc...

It's easy to throw around adjectives like "folk" or "country influenced" with many indie bands but Centro-Matic really are the former. The lead-singer even speaks with a distinct Southern lilt, almost as a mark of authenticity. To be honest I wasn't too sure about the band from their myspace, although that's like trying to judge a TV show via the trailer sequence. Their songs are uplifting and happy, like someone had captured the sun shining on a bright American field covered in corn. Not fun in a contrite way though or all packaged up with a McDonalds... I imagined in a parallel universe these guys would probably work in some kind of organic food co-operative, or do some kind of selfless charity... It also helped that, despite very few knowing who they were, the crowd were up for it. It was a nice turn out, a nice band and a friendly night.

Labels: saesneg

Gathered in Song should be renamed the "Americans You Probably Don't Know About But Should Discover" promotion. Except that wouldn't fit well onto posters or flyers, and some would remark "that's a bit too literal, wouldn't something clever like Gathered in Song make a better name?" You just can't win with these pedantic SOBs, can you?

On Friday the now-bearded promotion will be attacking Le Pub again with someone from Over There. Actually we're getting two bands for the price of one - Will Johnson's Centro-Matic headline the bill, while his outfit South San Gabriel will support. Except they're the same band, with different songs. Centro-Matic's americana-involved indie remind a bit of Drive By Truckers, while SSG are far more understated, quiet and delicate. Centro-Matic are far more bolshie and rockier, while SSG sound like they'd barely look at anything else on stage except their shoes. Centro-Matic stick to normal instruments, SSG use a good deal of strings. All from the same, ultra-dynamic, band members.

The two "bands" are promoting the double album Dual Hawks - released in the UK on Cooking Vinyl - at only three dates in the UK. Grab a look at them for just £2s on the door.

Labels: saesneg

Taken from press release

VENN FESTIVAL (various venues) 5-8th June 2008, Bristol

We're almost there with the line-up for Venn 08, Bristol's festival of joyful musical overlap taking place on 5th - 8th June. A dizzying brew of leading-edge techno, rock, jazz, electro, folk, noise, grime, sound art, funk, psychedelia, film and plenty more it is shaping up to be, too.

VENN 08 (confirmed so far...)

Matmos, Why?, Rachel Unthank & The Winterset, Moritz von Oswald, The Heliocentrics, Pole, The Heads, Olo Worms, Sunburned Hand Of The Man, Fuck Buttons, Black Devil Disco Club, Murcof, Errorsmith, Flying Lotus, Infinite Livez vs Stade, Skeletons and The Kings of All Cities, Arnaud Rebotini, Ergo Phizmiz, The Blessing, Snorkel, Afrikan Boy, Nancy Elizabeth, Chik Budo, The Fungus Moth, John Wall, Wildbirds & Peacedrums, Le Volume Courbe, Anni Rossi, Peverelist, Munch Munch, MoHa!, Hauschka, Chris Cundy, One More Grain, Tractor, Twocsinak, October,
+ Phil Minton's 'Century FC'

many, many more acts announced – see www.vennfestival.com

Bristol's festival of musical overlap returns for a fifth year of celebratory stylistic mix 'n' match.

Following last year's triumphant edition featuring key sets from Faust, A Hawk & A Hacksaw, Luke Vibert and Zun Zun Egui among others, Venn 08 retains much the same format, but expands to incorporate a joyful safari through a host of unlikely new venues and contexts. Events will unfold in planetariums, scout huts, skate parks and other mischievously appropriated spots around the city, as Venn maintains its resolve to find fun new ways to flip the urban festival format.

Highlights amongst this year's line-up, which features nearly 70 acts of all manner of musical stripes, include those masters of colourful conceptual electronics and Bjork collaborators Matmos: psychedelic rock/poetical hip hop mongrels Why?: minimalist club-dub maestro Moritz Von Oswald (Basic Channel): the old-meets-new English folk wonderment of Rachel Unthank & The Winterset: blistering jazz/noise-embracing deep funk troupe The Heliocentrics (DJ Shadow's backing band!), and 'Century FC': an ambitious, specially commissioned project involving maverick vocal improviser Phil Minton and a 100-strong civilian choir.

OMERTA MUSIC PRESENTS:

HADOUKEN! Plus special guests

Citing The Prodigy and Nintendo amongst their influences, Hadouken! aren’t easily definable. However, if a slab of dancey post-punk electro nu-rave madness is what your after then look no further!

Formed whilst at Leeds University by James Smith and Daniel Rice and with the line-up soon to include Chris Purcell on bass, Hadouken! quickly gained popularity on the live circuit and from humble beginnings burst into our audio lives when Mike Skinner of The Streets fame played That Boy That Girl on his guest slot for BBC

Radio 1, calling them a "great new band".

More success was soon to follow when internet phenomenon and double A-side, That Boy That Girl/Tuning In, gained rave reviews in the press; "a savage snarling work of genius" screamed NME.

Soon to be released album Music For An Accelerated Culture, is set to inject a bolt of lightning into today’s pop scene and see these boys come out on top. This is nu-rave at its finest, a very difficult to ignore blow to the norm of pop. If Mario and The Prodigy had a child it would be named Hadouken!

Sunday 11th May 2008, The Point, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay - 7:30pm

Tickets are available through Spillers Records (02920 224905) and The Point (02920 460873) and are £12 in advance and £14 on the door.

Now for something completely different...

SILENT DISCO (by Silent Arena)
Last month, a new record was set in Cardiff. Yes, The Point gave host to the quietest disco Cardiff had ever seen, well, heard. Or maybe that should be not heard. Anyway, hundreds of revellers turned out to don rather fetching headphones and dance to a choice, yes, a choice of music played by 2 DJs…at the same time!

Here’s how it works… Upon entry to The Point, each disco-goer is handed a Silent Disco set of headphones. These headphones have a special button, enabling each person to switch between two sets of transmissions. On stage, a posse of DJs play tunes on two separate record decks. Flick between the two channels and you’ll hear different DJs, different tunes. Look around and you’ll see people dancing in bafflingly odd, disconnected ways. Occasional random cheers, singsongs and maybe even dance routines will break out across the dancefloor. Take the headphones off and all you’ll hear is the stomp of dancing feet. A strange, funny and unforgettable experience.

There’s more! Requests can be sent to the DJs by text and messages to mates and photos of happy silent dancers can be displayed on the big screen. Technology eh?

For the second Silent Disco we can announce a stellar cast of DJs including Hammertime (90s), Uberalles and Popscene (indie/rock ‘n’ roll), James Mclaren (classic rock), C++ (nice little groovers) and John Rostron (indie/funk/Motown).

A refundable £5 deposit will be needed for headphone hire.

Friday 2nd May 2008, The Point, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay.

Tickets are available through Spillers Records (02920 224905) and The Point (02920 460873) and are £7.

Forecast proudly present the third of their monthly B-Music nights.

Headlining this month are Brooklyn, New York’s Lights. Proteges of Espers’ Greg Weeks, Lights have so far released one (self-titled) album, a record that takes in psychedelic folk, classic 70s rock, vocal harmonies and fuzzy guitar. Boomkat website said “highly recommended”.

Support comes from Cardiff-based singer, Cate Le Bon. With just one 7” single and a forthcoming EP to her name, Cate has been turning heads and ears like nobody’s business since she first appeared on the Cardiff music scene. Her appearance on Gruff Rhys’ and Boom Bip’s Neon Neon album didn’t do her any harm either.

B-Music are a collective of DJs, musicians and music lovers dedicated to the pursual of obscure, obsolete, exquisitely obnoxious and unbelievable music. Before, between and after the bands you’ll hear B-Music DJs playing the best in global psych freak folk Turk surf kraut schlock electronik mud and glam jams. Oh yes!

Friday 25th April 2008, The Club With No Name, Westgate Street, Cardiff

£5 on the door, 8pm - late

I like this lot. First saw Fallen Painting in the Newpart showcase back on St David's Day - they're pretty damn minimal. Lead singer Nickie barely sings but sings beautifully, with a singer guitar and what must be a drum machine or keyboard of some description as backing. Judging by the songs posted to her myspace, the line-up isn't static - with Feather making use of a harp and other songs using feedback and other instruments to build a delicate and fragile mood. When I met Nickie she said the band doesn't actually have any songs and improvise quite a bit, but this was a complete surprise. Improv or jam bands can be quite messy and aimless, but Fallen Painting were simple and to the point. Nickie's gentle harmonies mix well with the basic simple melodies and air grabbing feedback they often use, creating an ambient, threatening soundscape that's just super.

Fallen Painting are playing at the Chapter Arts Theatre in Cardiff on April 19. You can download Feather here.

Labels: saesneg

Math rock eh? Mostly the past-time of sweaty bearded men obsessed with uniform obscure time signatures. Not that we dislike sweaty men, but I hardly expect a math-rock record to deliver something.... catchy.

Despite the genre's pretensions, Cardiff boys Truckers of Husk have taken its' basics and used them to make rather snappy little tunes. Their March EP, Physical Education, makes heavy use of Cello to add emotional depth to swirling riff patterns. Its often more soothing than rocking, despite former Jarcrew members being among the band. With a tad of dramatic tension and angular guitars thrown in at the odd moment, much of the EP is actually quite pastel coloured. Salad Ballad is practically a pop song, err, track, with accompanying cute video. The artwork includes a guide on interpretive dance work outs. Lovely.

When you can buy it for £3.90 from Diverse Music or Spillers, what's stopping you - apart from misguided materialism, hmmmm? I bet you never buy records anyway - I would upload an mp3 for you tight-sods, but I haven't asked the band. So here's their YouTube video for Salad Ballad.

Labels: saesneg

God In The TV presents...

FRIGHTENED RABBIT
GIITTV zine brings hotly tipped, much blogged about, unconventional Glaswegian three piece Frightened Rabbit to Cardiff . With a defined personality and a gift for being able to nail a near perfect folk pop song, Frightened Rabbit convey candid tales of ordinary folk with a wry, acerbic wit via an eloquent, emotive, modern garage-pop aesthetic. Forthcoming album ‘Midnight Organ Fight’(released through Fat Cat on April the 15th) was recorded by Peter Katis (Mercury Rev, Interpol) An incredibly accomplished live outfit, having supported the likes of We Are Scientists and Idlewild already, their performances at times recall the passion of Okkervil River, Xiu Xiu and bright eyes the ragged, muscular energy of punk three pieces like early Sebadoh: Frightened Rabbit’s oeuvre nevertheless harbours a far more universal agenda. Recently back from SXSW; experience them in a smaller venue while you can!

"The pop sensibilities of Manchester stalwarts James with a vocal reminiscent of Roddy 'Idlewild' Woomble, singer Scott and his fellow bandmates give us a masterclass in the art of instantly catchy tune making." Click Music

"They’re louder live than on record – and if you close your eyes you can imagine a car speeding faster and faster towards the brick wall it’s invariably heading going to hit. It’s heavy, powerful stuff, all the weight of life and death, of the band’s insecurities, problems and sadness pressing down more on your shoulders with every song they play. Frightened Rabbit make it sound alright to be a little fucked up. In fact, they make it sound quite beautiful." Drownedinsound

PICTURE BOOKS IN WINTER
As main support are one of GIITTV zine's tips for 08, ace Cardiff based five piece Picture Books In Winter. Their pairing of sincere indie-rock and dramatic, virtuoso strings is reminiscent of Curisve, plus there's a hint of the glorious racket of fellow locals Los Campesinos! They've already played a brilliant session for Bethan Elfyn's Radio One in Wales programme, dance to their literate violin led tunes live:

"You've got to pay attention to a band who climax a song by screaming for advice from Konnie Huq. If the likes of 'Horizontally I Am Champion' and ' Reykjavik ' were, as they say, the result of a whim over one summer, imagine the epics they could end up making." GIITTV zine

SUKILOVE
Sukilove are a delightful Belgian acoustic/electric guitar based three piece. Featuring Pascal Deweze songs/vocals/guitar (Metal Molly, Chitlin' Fooks, I H8)Stoffel Verlackt drums/vocals (El Tattoo del Tigre) and Sjoerd Bruil gitaar/vocals (Black Cassette)An experienced act with a wealth of material under their belt.Their new EP is out on the 21st APRIL through JEZUS FACTORY RECORDS.

“Swooning, painfully pretty pop” Rolling Stone
"(Sukilove) far more Lennon than McCartney.... While still melodic and well-sung, there seems to be a lot more upheaval in these tunes; less like Wilco's pop adventurism and more like Franz Ferdinand deciphering Radiohead's rock experimentalism or channeling an angry, young Elvis Costello. Yes, this is the type of record for which NME should be writing 2 page reviews. Great lyrics spilled over dark, driving, brilliant music (that doesn't skimp on the hooks!)"

Wednesday 30th April
TEN FEET TALL, 11a-12 Church Street Cardiff CF10 1BG
Doors: 7.30pm
Entry: £4 / Twisted by design disco downstairs

Lt Meat is a chap who looks like Bonnie Prince Billy but in tight shiny trousers with cow boy boots on. He's another one of these one man band types (hello Final Fantasy, George Pringle et al.). Once upon a time this would involve some odd contraption hung on the musicians back like an albatross. Instead Meat has what looks a bit like Cubase (I don't really know) set up on his Mac filling in for everything except rhythm guitar and shouty screamy person. Mr Meat pulls it off rather well in a sub-folk-metal stylee. It helps he's funny as fuck too.

Die! Die! Die! don't ever stop touring. They haven't been back to New Zealand for the past 10 years, presumably because running rings around indie crowds in Cardiff bars is more of a fun way to spend your time than pushing papers in an air conditioned office. The current excuse is that they have a new album to promote, Promises Promises, which isn't yet out in the UK.

And they really did run rings around people. I really don't know whether you should do this with a crowd of about, err, 30 people who peered on at the singer screaming on the floor like he was an interesting conceptual art piece, rather than an event you could take part of. With their new album still elusive, in less you've downloaded or imported it you wouldn't have known most of the songs played during the 20 minute set - hence the lack of atmosphere. Still though, there's not a lot wrong with the band. The commitment is there - they chuck everything into sweating like soaked towels. The combined melody-shouty thing makes them more than the sum of their parts - where otherwise they could be just another 3 man indie-punk band. It's a clever thing, being able to form something that sounds like a tune while maintaining momentum like that. Hopefully next time the audience might want to join in.

Onto TheDeathSet, who were about as energetic as D!D!D! tho' this time the audience was more familiar with their witty repartee. They look a comedy mess, with beards and some kind of Burberry costume. Even their music, with the pitch changes and cheerleadery vocals, sounds like its been moulded and mashed through a mangle until its left with a silly rubber face. They were a bit Go! Teamery, marching with a similar video game stop albeit with guitars rather than samples.

It's because of their efforts to be strange and to experiment with, err, chav costume that they were the most divisive band of the night. I enjoyed them (bouncing around and screaming like a girl) but many complained about the sound afterwards. You either thought their use of backing tracks in between songs - and occasionally during them - was a nice touch and amusing, or irritating. But I thought their attitude was refreshing - they didn't take themselves seriously, were obviously having a lot of fun and didn't care too much about whether the noise was finely tuned or not, leaving those affected buzzing with positivity for ages afterwards.

Labels: saesneg

Never let it be said that the Joy Collective don't show both sides of an argument. A sensible review written by a man with journalistic talent will appear on this page later but this was the opinion of Fudge from Space In The 50s and Jim from Kutosis. They were drunk and annoyed by The Death Set (allegedly) playing along to an ipod. I promised them their say and I promised to leave the spelling as it is. Here goes...

REVIEW BY FUDGE AND JIM...

JIM - WELL WHAT I THINKJ IS....BASICLY THEY SHOULDNT HAVE BEEN ON THERE, THEY SHOULD HAVE JUST FUCKED OFF BASICLY AND LET MADONNA PLAY ON THEY'RE IPOD

FUDGE- THATS RIGHT!!!MADONNA CAME ON AND THEY SAID IT WAS THERES

JIM - EXACTLY!

FUDGE- WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE GIPPO LOOKING KID

JIM _ WELL.....HE WAS FUCKINGH GIPPO BIGGEST GIPPO I'VE EVER SEEN, HE DIDNT EVEN WIND HIS IPOD FAR ENOUGH FORWARD TO BE....

FUDGE- DONT LET THE FUCKER WIND YOU UP JIM....

JIM - HE HAD A BIG HAT

FUDGE - YEAH A BIG STUPID HAT AND HE CLIMBED UP A POLE...

JIM, - AND HE PROBABLY HAD A STICKER ON HIS HAT ASWELL....

FUDGE - -YEAGH A BIG GOLD STICKER ON HIS HAT!

JIM - FAKE?

FUDGE DEFINATLY FAKE! BUNCH OF GIPPOS....
JIM THOROUGHLY GIPPOS....BUNCH OF GIPPOS..

FUDGE - THEY WERNT EVEN PROPER GIPPOS.....WHAT WERE THEY DOING???

JIM - WELL...YOU KNOW,

FUDGE - THEY WERE UPSETING EVERYBODY WITH THEYRE RANDOM CHAYOS THAT WASNT EVEN CHAOTIC AS THEYD THOUGHT ABOUT IT TO MUCH...

JIM - EXACTLY....YEAH...IF THEY WERE GIPPOS THAT WOULD BE FINE...BUT.... THEY WERNT EVEN PROPER GIPPOS...SO THEY WERE CUNTS BASICLY!±

FUDGE - IF HE WAS PLAYING DRUMS HE WOULD HAVE DONE IT, BUT HE DIDNT BECAUSE HE WAS SHITY, HENCE HIM HAVING TO RELY ON SOME BACKING TAPE REALLY....

JIM HOW ANGRY DOES THAT MAKE YOU?

FUDGE - UM.... MIDDLE TO QUITE ANGRY......UM IF THEY WERE A CAR WHAT CAR WOULD THEY BE?

JIM - DEFINATLY A RENAULT 5

FUDGE - A RENAULT 5?

JIM - YEAH,THE OLD ONE WITH A PROPER CHOKE

FUDGE - YEAH, YOU PULL IT PULL IT PULL IT AND IT WONT GET STARTED AT ALL.... WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU GOT TO TELL THE PEOPLE READING THE REVIEW?

JIM - UM......MATS.....MATS A NICE GUY...I'LL CARRY ON ABOUT TH EBANDS....

FUDGE - NO.... IDONT WANT THAT, I WANT SOME KINDA ROUND UP.....WOULD YOU SEE THEM AGAIN?

JIM - WHO?

FUDGE - THAT FUCKING STUPID BAND?

JIM- - NOT REALLY...

FUDGE - WHY? BECAUSE OF HIS STUPID CUNT HAT?

JIM - YEAH....THE HAT....THE MIDDLE BAND WERE GOOD, DIE DIE DIE...

FUDGE - YEAH, THEY WERE DANDY, LT MEAT....WHAT ABOUT THE LT MEAT?

JIM - AMAYZING

FUDGE - OUTSTANDING...

JIM - SHIT HOT

FUDGE - BALLBAG

JIM - BALLSACK

FUDGE - I LIKE PASTA IN BOW TIES ....YOU KNOW....LITTLE TIES?

JIM - I LIKE A BIT OF PENNE

FUDGE - WHICH IS PENNE?

JIM - UM.....THE SHAPES

FUDGE - WHAT YOU MEAN SHAPES?

JIM - THE TUBE THIGS.

FUDGE - I DONT LIKE THE TUBES...

JIM - TO MUCH SAUSE FOR YOU IS IT?

FUDGE - YEAH, TO MUCH SAUSE CAUSE IT GOES IN THE TUBES...

JIM - YEAH, I SEE YOUR PIONT

FUDGE - MY FAVORITE IS THE BOW TIES BECAUSE THEY'VE THEY'VE JUST GOT AN OUTER LAYER OF SAUCE....THEY'RE UNDER RATED AND ONE TIME THE SWEDISH GIRLS MADE....

JIM - NO ONE EVER EXTRACTED

FUDGE - NO! NO ONE EVER SAYS THEY LOVE THE BOW....

JIM - BOW TIES IN A MEAL////

FUDGE - YOU'RE ON A WINNER

JIM - NOTHIND WRONG WITH THAT

FUDGE - GOODNIGHT, THATS THE BEST I CAN DO, WITH THE RANDOM RECORDING I HAVE, LT MEAT WAS GREAT, DIEDIEDIE WERE ABRASIVE AND ENTERTAINING AND THE HEADLINE BAN....,.WHATEVER THEY WERE CALLED WERE TITS....FAKE TITS.....IPPOD!!!!! I THINK THE GIRLS ASLEEP NOW AS I TYPE SLOW LIKE A MONGO........OH WELL.... YOU BETTER USE THIS.....IT TOOK ALO OF TIME AND EFFORT......3 OUT OF 7....FUDGE AND JIM (BY PROXI)

Cardifferent Clothing is an exciting new independent clothing company with a taste for the eye-catching and the original. Co-owner Alex Priestley tells us a bit about the label:

The whole thing started last summer when my friend Sully got a t-shirt printed for a mate's birthday, with 'Cardifferent' written across the front in bold lettering. I liked the t-shirt so much that I approached Sully with the idea of printing off some more. I think the reason I was so attracted to it was twofold: on the one hand I loved the inventiveness of this new word that he had created- it seemed to say something about the kind of characters that our home city is known for producing- but I also loved the style of his design, the way he had arranged the letters so perfectly that they appeared to belong together as a single unit. So we printed off a batch of black-on-whites, and before we knew it all our friends were wearing them and coming to us with reports about how much positive feedback the t-shirt was receiving about town. Encouraged by the response, we decided to start work on cardifferent.com, and the idea of setting up a clothing label quickly developed from there.

Fast forward to the present and, after various trials and tribulations, our website is finally up and running. During the time that it’s taken to complete we’ve collected some quality new designs, which we plan to release one-by-one over the coming months, once the bulk of the promotion work is out the way.

Our clothes are a celebration of all that is unique about our home city: the culture; the independent businesses; and above all, the characters that live here. They're also our own personal contribution to the scene. We hope you like them.

Check out the myspace here as well at the link above to our actual website.

We are a 100% skater owned skater run independent skateboard shop and have been open since 1995; we are Newport's only skate shop and are proud to be the home of Zooport clothing and accessories, which have become hugely popular with the likes of the Newport Dragons, we are proud to have them as members of the Zooport Taffia.

We sponsor a few local riders and two local bands, solo artist Lt Meat and very metal band Carrion of Vigrid. Our biggest name drop is that we used to employ Dirty Sanchez's Lee Dainton who still frequents the shop as a good friend. Pritch and Dainton also get there tattoos done in our on site award winning tattooist Quadey's No Regrets.

Clwb Ifor Bach & The Joy Collective have come together to bring you one fuck-off insane gig.

THE DEATH SET
…DIY skuzzy, fuzzy lo-fi new wave analogue drum-box driven pop that comes over like a few more welcoming Bis. High Speed boingo boingo pop art tantrums and lots of attitude that they know they’re easily good enough to get away with. Aggressively sweet, like sucking delicious boiled sweets and expecting the bits of glass. - Organ Magazine

…i thought i ’d put you all up on the best live band in town, The Death Set. They’re a two-piece raging punk band with a drum machine and samples, and i’ll be damned if they don’t blow away 95% of the more high-fidelity acts i’ve seen this year, in either rock or dance music. – Mad Decent

DIE! DIE! DIE!
Hailing all the way from Auckland, Die! Die! Die! are visiting our fair region as part of their extensive tour schedule. The noisy power trio has already blazed across the States and will be moving onto Australia and back home to New Zealand after their stint in the UK. Following their well-received debut long-player 's/t' which was produced by the ubiquitous Steve Albini no less, the band have just released their second full length album 'Promises, Promises' on SAF records. Produced by NZ alt-pop luminary Shayne Carter (of Flying Nun fame). This new record sees short, sharp shit-kicking songs have slighty softened, and the hooks now tug rather than yank. "Sideways Here We Come" offers post-punk at its 21st-century finest: Half Mclusky, half Warsaw-era Joy Division, it crams splinters of rhythm into dark, gorgeous choruses and acidic shout-alongs. The venom is still there, and it's just as potent, but it tastes a little sweeter this time around --The AV Club (9/10)

LT.MEAT
Surf/Punk orientated weirdo rock, the eqivalent of reading your favourite book backwards, in another language and in the dark.

Wednesday 9th April
Clwb Ifor Bach (downstairs)
£6 / £7
8pm

Hurrah for joke MySpace genres! Oxford Collapse are, according to their own page, "Nu-Jazz" and "German Pop". In less it's very well disguised code German, I think its in English, and thankfully its not improvised.

The 'Collapse's last long player, 2006's Remember the Night Parties, won plaudits for its slice of shouty noisy clever-clever indie pop. Rather than angry, they're joyfully playful, finding all manner of instruments to bash alongside their dance-punk rhythms and tape deck hums. Anyone whose a fan of clangy bands like Clap Your Hands..., Wolf Parade or even Les Savy Fav should find them up their street. The band has survived its move up from the margins to Sub Pop and is embarking on its three week long UK tour starting in little old Newport....

This is, of course, all thanks to Gathered in Song, who are again bringing quality American indie to Le Pub. Starting up for Oxford Collapse are Cardiff art-pop team Heck who boss about with beg-me-for-your-ears female vocals and urgent, angry pissed off riffs. And supporting them are moody "drum machine" band Pilot Field - remember The For Carnation? I do, they were fucking awesome. They're a bit like them.

Amazingly, this is just two pounds on the doors.

Labels: saesneg

QU Junktions presents...

Merzbow + Flower-Corsano duo
with Carlos Giffoni + Totton Glass

This is what it sounds like when you push music/sound a little further.

A joint headline show with the Japanese arch-extremist Merzbow playing a very rare UK solo set plus Chris Corsano and Mick Flower (Edinburgh and Leeds) playing as their amazing drums and shaahi baaja operation Flower-Corsano duo. Combine these two with No-Fun’s very own Carlos Giffoni from the USA and the new Bristol-based Hunting Lodge/Artamonova collaboration Totton Glass, and you have a pretty much unmissable event for those with a penchant for outer limits of noise, viral electronics and freeform drumming.

Merzbow is “the Godzilla of Noise” an assaultive, engaged artist who likes to make music of a socially transgressive form. An musician whose distinct and uncompromising vision has resulted in him making, recording and releasing a lot of ‘music’ that in most