There are loads of bands playing at Swn so to make it a little easier for you I'm going to preview some of my favourites. From tomorrow I'm going to post a write up of a different band every day up until the start of the Swn festival. All the ones I choose will be ones that I personally like and urge you to go and see. A fair few of them I had a hand in booking for Joy so I've put my money where my mouth is before now!! I hope this will help when planning your weekend, I'll post the wheres and whens and with a bit of luck I'll see you at some of the gigs.

The music, arts and film festival curated by BBC Radio 1's Huw Stephens takes place across venues in Cardiff city centre between Thursday 13th November and Sunday 16th. Wristbands for the event are priced at £45 and are now available to buy from Diverse, Spillers, The Gate and online at www.sebon.co.uk.

The opening party for the festival (available to wristband holders only) takes place on the 13th November with musical happenings kicking off on Friday 14th. There will also be three days of music conferences for wristband holders between those dates.

Swn Festival began in 2007 when DJ Huw Stephens felt the need to bring a festival similar to Austin's South By South West festival to his home town of Cardiff. The festival saw 120 bands including The Cribs, Beirut and Yeasayer play over 3 days with the city filled with music fans and music industry workers.

Labels: swn

If you want somewhere to hide from the crowds of rugby fans and are a fan of quirky, leftfield music then looky here, there's something right up your street. The excellent Loose are on their second gig of five this November. Following up from The Kabeedies on the 4th is a show headlined by The Ruby Suns but with a whole lot more besides. It's in Howard Gardens and kicks off at 8pm. Be sure to get there early so you don't miss any gems.

For fans of Animal Collective, Panda Bear, Os Mutantes, Fleet Foxes, The Dodos..

THE RUBY SUNS - psychedelic indiepop from New Zealand on SubPop/Memphis Industries, formed in 2004 by Ryan McPhun (The Brunettes), who have recently been touring with The Shins. Their 2nd album Sea Lion was released earlier this year, which McPhun recorded alone in his basement.

DrownedinSound: "The depth and breadth of The Ruby Suns’ songs has, to no surprise, grown dramatically since their 2005 self-titled debut. The epic Sea Lion was intended to be a world music album, but reverb and psychedelic pop crept back in to create a unique mixture of exotic sounds, accomplished with an impressive array of instruments—from steel-string ukulele to djembe drums to pots and pans, all set upon a cosy cushion of synths and cassette samples".

Uncut **** “A psychedelic symphony”

The Times **** “when The Ruby Suns mix up Bowie's Heroes, Phil Specter, and Pale Saints, the results verge on the spiritual”

Q Magazine *** “Wildly inventive”

Time Out **** “there’s method in this glorious madness”

The Independent **** “swooning, varied and fascinating”

Dazed & Confused “Sea Lion is about as cosmic as music gets”

Mojo **** “Fairytale pop that’s bold and forward-looking in equal measure.” ”Even as pan-global psychedelic phantasmagorias go, this one’s a real brain-buster."

Isn't it wierd when you realise that a band you'd previously not heard of has been reviewed in every publication known to man?

BRONTOSAURUS CHORUS are a lovely 8-piece playing indiepop somewhere between The Hidden Cameras, Los Campesinos! and Belle & Sebastian.

God Is In the TV Zine"Like Los Campesinos jumping around with Arcade Fire's bubblegum pop playing cousins in a parallel universe”

Also on the bill are Lawrence Arabia and Fredrick Stanley Star, a live review of whom you can read here.

Tickets: £6.00 from WeGotTickets

Labels: brontosaurus chorus, fredrick stanley star, howard gardens, lawrence arabia, loose, the ruby suns

Into the braying cuntfest that is Buffalo then, to have a gander at the new Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers club night, and wobble in front of two tricksy instrumental bands. Anyone promising on the flyers to play Deerhunter, Feist and Life Without Buildings is clearly worth investigating, even in the realm of overpriced beer, and the mildly experimental air continues into tonight's openers, Talons (Kites on the poster; they announce their moniker change mid gig). Talons seem an agreeable congregation of post rock cliches: chunky bassist, absurdly talented/widdly guitarist, nicely choppy drummer. The racket they make takes similarly from a decent range of sources: a little Explosions In The Sky in the riffwork, some early Battles in one song's mathy intro. They seem to gravitate a little too much to head nodding rawk moments, but mostly, this is good noise.

And then Vessels come on, and are more like fully grown siblings, or lumbering beasts of this instrumental set. Their first song has one of those enviable post rock naked lunch moments where you're lured into suddenly realising 'hang on, this is actually bloody great'. More reasons to like them: lots of instrument swapping and double drumming; a member who looks a bit like Mark Speight and pulls bizarre faces; a member with funny hair. These things are important. Musically it's a big sheen of tour-acquired professionalism, but no less satisfying for that, as songs jink from intricate-but-hefty, to noisy-and-crunchy, in fairly traditional home run patterns. Nice nice, and nicer still once they finish and Battles and Mae Shi get fed into the PA. Recommended seller, would buy again.

Swn festival and fledgling club night Disco Nectar are joining forces to bring you a live electronic extravagaza at Tafod Clwb. Headlining is Hague electro legend, Legowelt, whose Acid and Italo influenced sound has been described by Wolfers himself as 'technofunk', 'eurohorror', and 'a hybrid form of slamjack'. His early inspiration was the sound of Detroit Electro and the various types of Acid House played on Dutch radio stations. Wolfers grew up listening to the likes of Model 500, Underground Resistance and Chicago legends such as Mr Fingers, Farley JackMaster Funk and Blake Baxter and was later influenced by Aphex Twin, Drexcyia and Iridal Discs.. Wolfers began composing on the Commodore Amiga before progressing on to a basic second hand analogue kit. He quickly became a familiar face playing on the underground scene, attending the squat parties that spawned the infamous Bunker Records and forming musical allies such as IF, Melvin White and Orgue Electronique. Bunker later released his first vinyl, Pimpshifter, in 2000.


Despite being a man of few words, Wolfers is famously quoted as denouncing most dance music as “about nothing…it’s mindless”. Almost in reaction to some of the bland house and Eurodance emanating from some of the Netherlands’ mainstream clubs during the nineties, Wolfers’ tunes are immersed in mystery, myth and imagination whilst simultaneously laced with a quiet sense of humour. We’re sometimes transported to obscure, far away or legendary lands such as Under the Panda Moon, to the psychedelic Tower of Gypsies and Beyond the Congo.

As for his liveset, expect something in the spirit of a true Chicago box jam combining a myriad of analogue synths and drum machines resulting in more of a raw, lo-fi sound rather than a cleanly operated laptop affair. Admittedly, his passion for analogue machines forms the very cornerstone of his work to date. Plenty of images to pore over here if you share Legowelt’s love of beautiful synthesisers. You will even find a table endearingly pointing out the similarities and differences between the Roland Juno 6, 60 and 106.

The line-up also includes (more digitally driven) livesets from the Cardiff based Orcop delivering downtempo ambient techno, the clean-cut and sophisticatedly layered sounds of Valley Lines as well bass heavy electrofunk from usual Disco Nectar suspect The Hidden Persuader. Cian Ciaran of Acid Casuals will DJ.



Saturday 15th November 10pm-3am
@ Tafod, Despenser Street, Riverside
Entry fee: Free priority entry to SWN wristband holders
£7 walk-up price

Labels: cardiff, Disco Necar, electronic, Legowelt. Orcop, swn, Tafod, The Hidden Persuader, Valley Lines

Loose present a great eveing of music on the 4th of November but you will need to get there early, doors are at 8pm but the opening act are onstage at 8.10. It's at UWIC Howard Gardens, Cardiff and is an 18+ gig.

THE KABEEDIES - female-fronted wonky indiepop pop 4 piece from Norwich who recently went down a treat at Latitude Festival and IndieTracks. New single 'Treasure Hunting' will be released on limited 7" vinyl and from i-Tunes on 20th October on their Cool for Cats label.

"This is clever artrock, like a female fronted Goodshoes, delivering both musically and lyrically.. Go and buy it now!" Art Rocker

"This band are young, energetic and they’re going to be big, and for that they make no apologies." Is This Music? Magazine

PELLE CARLBERG is a Swedish indiepop songwriter (and former frontman of Edson) who made a bit of a stir with this ace duet with Ida Maria - WATCH THE VIDEO HERE - which is one of Loose's favourite songs of last year, perfect! New album The Lilac Time is out now on Labrador.

"If more twee acts balanced wit, bile, and heart like this track does, they wouldn't bore their detractors off of so many balconies" - Pitchfork
"Pelle Carlberg is the new, sweet voiced, string-dappled conqueror in town." - Magnet Magazine
"the ambiguous humor of Carlberg's narratives matches the odd bounce of Belle and Sebastian (there's a lot of Stuart Murdoch in his voice as well) or Jonathan Richman in recent years" - Prefix

TIM AND SAM'S TIM AND THE SAM BAND WITH TIM AND SAM are a group of best friends between 19-21 years old playing a variety of instruments including guitars, glock, banjo, ukulele, mandolin, mandola, clarinet, saxaphone, marimba, melodica, flute and harmonium.
They blew us away at Latitude Festival and they will do the same to you.

"Psyched-out, delicate summery soundscapes which have had many pop critics desperately inventing new musical genres, like English post-folk instrumental music." - Manchester Evening News

"Blissed out folk in the manner of Tunng" - Planet Sound

LUCKY DELUCCI are from the Rhondda and Caernarfon, who "make indie pop music with a spoonful of psychedelic folk and a sprinkling of twee pop".

£5.00 adv from WeGotTickets

Labels: howard gardens, loose, lucky delucci, pelle carlberg, the kabeedies, tim and sam's tim and the sam band with tim and sam

The future is Marnie Stern, she's busy filling that part in.

Stern is the sort of person the term "math rock" was invented for. This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That sounds like it has been processed by a physics equation and fed into an scientific calculator with the square root key held down. She plays her instrument like a Guitar Hero player on speed, tapping ten strings a second. It's like Melt Banana discovered Indie rock, or more probably Indie rock discovered Melt Banana - even their trademark high pitching squeaking. But for its musical achievements, at the album's heart are a bucket load of infectious tunes and screaming, boosted by the record's frenetic pace.

In the Cardiff corner are Fredrick Stanley Star. Their debut, available in a vinyl and MP3 combo, which should satisfy both music nerds and iPod-chavs, is the BPM opposite of Marnie. Heaviside Layer is the band's live show without the chattering crowd noise. Recorded in what sounds like a church, the analogue medium really suits the spiritual and haunting atmosphere FSS generate. What could be quite conventional folk songs are drawn out until they almost crack with harmonising and sparse but lush instrumentation. Then half way through a song FSS transform into the secular gospel band which has made them such a hit live. They have become masters of their own brand of loud-quiet Americana - making their very spiritual and religious music exciting and exhilarating. FSS have a bright future ahead of them, and Heaviside Layer is a great start.

Both available now.

Labels: album review, fredrick stanley star, marnie stern, saesneg

God Is In The TV presents a pre SWN showdown:

POPULAR WORKSHOP

Three young turks from London Popular Workshop recently released their
Steve Albini(Nirvana, Pixies, P J Harvey) produced debut album "WE'RE
ALIVE AND WE'RE NOT ALONE" through This Is Fake DIY on October the
6th. Garnering some impressive words from members of the press(below),
who have compared them to the likes of Bloc Party, The Pixies, Frank
Turner and The Strokes.The band bring their angular art disco chaos to
Cardiff to a special pre SWN party show at Cardiff's Buffalo bar.

NME: "Three-pronged indie-pop masterminds. Sounds like Graham Coxon
armed with fresh socks and power-tools"

Artrocker Magazine: "The musical equivalent of falling off a cliff,
they are sharp, abrasive and uncomfortable; but by fuck have they got
some magnificent songs – both fractured and beautiful."


THE FRENCH QUARTER

Tillcountry's The French Quarter, self released 7 track EP this September.
Recording with Andy Miller (Mogwai, Delgados)they produce a brooding
progressive sound that takes in elements of Scottish band's like
Mogwai and Arab Strap, and dark new wave architects like Clinic,
Interpol and the National. Stopping off to peform in Cardiff as part
of their seven date November tour of Wales and England.Bands they have
played with recently include, The Twilight Sad, Glissando, Vessels...

"Haunting like no band around, 5/5" John Earls, Planet Sound, Teletext
'A wonderfully hopeful uplifting band' - The Organ Magazine


HECK

Opening the show are delectable Cardiff noise punkers Heck, featuring
ex members of Sammo Hung, Mo-ho-bish-opi and Shooting At Unarmed Men.

"The impressive skewed pop of Heck was on as part of Bethan Elfyn's
Radio 1 Introducing and they're a serious propostion for Welsh indie.
Although defiantly lo-fi, their sound was chunky and satisfying in
Clwb Ifor Bach's upstairs room. Frontwoman Jemma Roper stalked the
stage, and her much taller bandmates faded into the background." BBC
Wales Review

11/11/08 @ Buffalo Bar, Cardiff
11 Windsor Place [off Queen St]

Doors: 7.30pm
Price £5

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

Labels: Bufallo Bar, cardiff, Heck, Popular Workshop, The French Quarter

Friday 14th November

Swn Festival and Drowned In Sound presents...
10.00pm-11.00pm Johnny Foreigner
8.45pm-9.30pm Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man
7.45pm-8.15pm Stray Borders
Barfly, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £7.50


Swn Festival presents...
10.00pm-10.45pm Telegram From The Queen
9.00pm-9.30pm Jen Jeniro
8.00pm-8.30pm Cymbient
7.00pm-7.30pm The Fuzz Birds
Buffalo Bar, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £6.00


Swn Festival / Lesson#1 / Forecast and Eat Your Own Ears presents...
10.45pm-11.45pm (upstairs) Clinic
10.00pm-10.45pm (downstairs) Rolo Tomassi
9.30pm-10.00pm (upstairs) Threatmantics
9.00pm-9.30pm (downstairs) Indian Jewelry
8.30pm-9.00pm (upstairs) The Big Pink
8.00pm-8.30pm (downstairs) Volcano!
followed by The Dudes Abide (downstairs) with guest Djs My Ex Boyfriends Record Collection, and Forecast (upstairs) with Carl Forecast and Huw Evans
Clwb Ifor Bach (both floors), Womanby Street, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £12.50


Swn Festival presents...
11.15pm-11.45pm Random Elbow Pain
10.15pm-10.45pm Yucatan
9.15pm-9.45pm MC Saizmundo
8.15pm-8.45pm Danblagroyd
with guest between the acts DJ MC Mabon
followed by guest djs until 2.30am
Dempseys (upstairs), Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £5.00


Swn Festival presents...
9.45pm-10.15pm Huw MM
8.45pm-9.15pm Llwyd
7.45pm-8.15pm The MeMeMes
Dirty Sues, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £3.00


Swn Festival presents...
10.00pm-11.00pm (main theatre) Stephen Fretwell
9.15pm-10.00pm (second room) Rod Thomas
8.45pm-9.15pm (main theatre) Martin Carr
8.15pm-8.45pm (second room) Pagan Wanderer Lu
7.45pm-8.15pm (main theatre) John Mouse
7.15pm-7.45pm (second room) Mr Huw
The Gate, Roath, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £11


Swn Festival presents...
9.30pm-10.30pm The Pipettes
8.30pm-9.00pm Chew Lips
7.30pm-8.00pm Yr Ods
followed by Silent Disco until 3.00am
The Point, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £9.00


Swn Festival presents...
9.30pm-10.30pm Young Marble Giants
8.45pm-9.15pm Serafina Steer
7.30pm-8.00pm Nick Lewis
Reardon Smith Lecture Theatre, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £20


Swn Festival and Chrome Kids presents...
2.00am-3.00am Chrome Kids
1.00am-2.00am Skinny Man
midnight-1.00am King Cannibal
11.00pm-midnight Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs
10.15pm-11.00pm Dead Residents
9.00pm-10.15pm Chrome Kids
Tafod, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £9.00


Swn Festival and Moshi Moshi presents...
9.30pm-10.15pm Little Boots
9.30pm-10.15pm James Yuill
8.30pm-9.00pm Casiokids
7.30pm-8.00pm Gallops!
with Moshi Moshi DJs
Kaz Bar, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £6.00


Swn Festival presents...
11.00pm-Midnight Pete And The Pirates
10.00pm-10.30pm Thomas Tantrum
9.00pm-9.30pm Radio Luxembourg
8.00pm-8.30pm The Chapman Family
Tommy’s Bar, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £7.00




Saturday 15th November

Swn Festival and NME presents...
10.00pm-11.00pm Amazing Baby
9.00pm-9.45pm Broken Records
8.15pm-8.45pm The Last Republic
7.30pm-8.00pm The Muscle Club
Barfly, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £7.50


Swn Festival and Shape Functions presents...
10.30pm-11.15pm Flashguns
9.30pm-10.00pm Paul Hawkins And Thee Awkward Silences
8.30pm-9.00pm Fredrick Stanley Star
7.30pm-8.00pm Attack + Defend
Buffalo Bar, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £6.00


Swn Festival, Adam Walton, BBC Introducing In Wales With Bethan Elfyn and C2 presents...
10.45pm-11.30pm (upstairs) Cats In Paris
10.00pm-10.45pm (downstairs) Ectogram
9.15pm-10.00pm (upstairs) Derwyddon Dr Gonzo
8.45pm-9.15pm (downstairs) Klaus Kinski
8.15pm-8.45pm (upstairs) Joy Formidable
7.45pm-8.15pm (downstairs) The Stilletoes
7.15pm-7.45pm (upstairs) Blue Wall
followed by The Vinyl Vendettas DJing until 3.00am
Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £8.00


Swn Festival, Twisted By Design and Freakshow presents...
11.45pm-12.30am Thomas Truax
10.00pm-10.45pm Voluntary Butler Scheme
9.00pm-9.30pm Alex Dingley
8.00pm-8.30pm Silence At Sea
followed by Twisted By Design until 2.30am
Dempseys (upstairs), Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £7.00


Swn Festival presents...
9.45pm - 10.30pm Pixel H8
8.45pm - 9.15pm PSI
7.45pm - 8.15pm Lifting Gear Engineer
6.45pm - 7.15pm Zwolf
5.45pm - 6.15pm Seindorff
Dirty Sues Bar, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £4.00


Swn Festival presents...
10pm - 10.45pm (main theatre) Eugene McGuinness
9.30pm - 10pm pm (bar) Jay Jay Pistolet
8.45pm - 9.45pm (main theatre) Cate le Bon
8.15pm - 8.45pm (bar) Peggy Sue
7.45pm - 8.15pm (main theatre)Sophie Mac
7.15pm - 7.45pm (bar) Jamie and the Lionhearts
The Gate, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £11.00


Swn Festvial, Associated Minds and Aperture presents...
2.00am -4.00am - High Contrast
1.00am - 2.00am - Ransom & Magenta
12.00am - 1.00am - Dan Marshall
11.00pm - 12.00am - Chipmunk
10.30pm - 11.00pm - Beatbox Fozzy
10.00pm - 10.30pm - Y Diwygiad
8.45pm - 10.00pm - Metabeats dj's
curfew 4am
The Point, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £10.00


Swn Festival and Wichita Recordings presents...
9.45pm - 10.45pm Euros Childs
8.45pm - 9.15pm Das Wanderlust
7.45pm - 8.15pm SJ Esau
Reardon Smith Theatre, National Museum of Wales
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £10.00


Swn Festival and Disco Nectar presents...
2.00am - 3.00am The Hidden Persuader
1.00am - 2.00am Legowelt
12.00am - 01.00am Acid Casuals
11.15pm - 12.00am Orcop
10.30pm - 11.15pm Valley Lines
Tafod @ Nos Da, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £7.00


Swn Festival and My Kung Fu presents...
9.45pm - 10.30pm Golden Silvers
8.30pm - 9.30pm Truckers of Husk
7.30pm - 8pm Zail
6.45pm - 7pm Camera
5.30pm - 6pm Dufraine
Kaz Bar, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £7.00


Swn Festival and Loose presents...
7pm - 8.00pm The Boy Least Likely To
6pm - 6.45pm Aidan Smith
5.15pm - 5.45pm Connan Mockasin
4.30pm - 5pm It Hugs Back
3.45pm - 4.15pm Little My
3pm - 3.30pm The New Tea Party
Tommy's Bar, UWIC, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £8.00




Sunday 16th November

Swn Festival presents... (14+ show)
6.30pm - 7.30pm Danananaykroyd
5.30pm - 6.15pm Tubelord
4.45pm - 5.15pm Picture Books in Winter
4pm - 4.30pm Friends Electric
3.15pm - 3.45pm Butterflies With Beards
Barfly, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £7.50


Swn Festival and Heavenly Recordings present...
7.45pm - 3am - Dig and Heavenly Jukebox DJ's present Dim Swn
6.45pm - 7.30pm John Head (Shack)
5.30pm - 6.15pm Pete Greenwood
4.30pm - 5.00pm Colorama
Buffalo Bar, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £6.00 / dim swn £3.00


Swn Festival and Peppermint Patti presents...
10.30pm - 11.30pm (upstairs) Future Of The Left
9.45pm - 10.30pm (downstairs) Agaskodo Teliverek
9.15pm - 9.45pm (upstairs) Skatar
8.45pm - 9.15pm (downstairs) The School
8.15pm - 8.45pm (upstairs) Right Hand, Left Hand
7.45pm - 8.15pm (downstairs) Little Eris
6.45pm - 7.15pm (downstairs) The Lovely Eggs
Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £9.00


Swn Festival presents...
10.00pm - 11.00pm Richard James
9.00pm - 9.30pm The Afternoons
8.00pm - 8.30pm The Ash And The Oak
7.00pm - 7.30pm Lindsey Leven
Dempseys (upstairs), Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £7.00


Swn Festival presents...
9.45pm - 10.15pm Eilir Pierce
8.45pm - 9.15pm Nia Morgan
7.45pm - 8.15pm Mr Duke
Dirty Sues, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £3.00


Swn Festival and The British Council presents...
7.00pm-7.30pm Ffred Jones
6.00pm-6.30pm Clare Maguire
5.00pm-5.30pm Cyrion
4.00pm-4.30pm Sweet Baboo
3.00pm-3.30pm Gwyneth Glyn
2.00pm-2.30pm Wrightoid
Glo Bar, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £5.00


Swn Festival, Sunday Best and Secret Garden Soundsystem presents...
12.15am-2.00am Mat the Hat and The Balkan Bandits
11.15pm-12.00am Sportsday Megaphone
9.45pm-11.15pm Rob Da Bank
9.00pm-9.45pm Genod Droog (last ever show)
8.00pm-9.00pm Goldie Lookin Chain
7.00pm-8.00pm Mat the Hat and The Balkan Bandits
The Point, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £12.00


Swn Festival and The British Council presents...
9.30pm-10.15pm Fernhill
8.30pm-9.00pm Sild
7.30pm-8.00pm Georgia Ruth Williams
Reardon Smith Lecture Theatre, National Museum of Wales Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £7.00


Swn Festival and Kruger presents...
10.45pm-11.15pm Micachu
9.45pm-10.15pm Pulled Apart By Horses
8.45pm-9.15pm Josh Weller
7.45pm-8.15pm Little Comets
6.45pm-7.15pm Evils
6.00pm-6.30pm Portasound
Kaz Bar, Cardiff
free priority entry to swn wristband holders / walk up price £7.00




>>> VISIT THE SWN FESTIVAL WEBSITE <<<

Santa Dog - The 'Spark It Up' Single Launch!
RaRaRa are delighted to present the Santa Dog 'Spark It Up' single
launch at the Louisiana, Bristol on Saturday November 8th 2008. 'Spark
It Up' is this darkly melodic indie band's third single release.
Special guests will be Back To The Lake (formerly Falling Dan) and FIRSTOFTHEGIANTS.

Santa Dog's distinctive sound features melodic chiming guitar, taut rhythm section and crystalline vocals. Their uniquely English charm partially disguises the darker lyrical content of their songs.

Past performances include Dot to Dot, Indie Tracks, Celtic Connectionsand Ashton Court Festivals. Further afield the band have played in Canada, Austria, Italy, Belgium and France and have shared bills with The Aliens, Attic Lights, The Organ, Bricolage, Pony Up! and Friends of the Bride.
Recent UK airplay includes BBC Radio One (Huw Stephens), BBC Radio 2 (Steve Lamacq), BBC Introducing (Bristol), Kerrang Radio, and Xfm.

FIRSTOFTHEGIANTS are a self proclaimed indie band in the truest sense of the word running their own LittleThink label and promoting gigs in Bristol. Formed in 2004 the band have amassed a dedicated fanbase in Bristol and beyond. Their music has been described as 'Morrissey with Mick Ronson on guitar', 'a blend of epic and lo-fi' and 'Editors if they were halfwaydecent'. FIRSTOFTHEGIANTS have supported Abdoujaparov, Silver Sun, SixNationState, and most recently Fighting With Wire at the Bristol Academy 2. Now joined by new full time bassist Gav (of pop-rockers Treehouse Burning) FIRSTOFTHEGIANTS promise seven new songs and a rip-roaring set.

Back To The Lake was formerly known as Falling Dan but with the evolution of Dan Monks solo project into a full band they felt the time was right to give the band a name. Back To The Lake is a song from the Guided by Voices album Universal Truths and Cycles. The band have distinct Americana resonances referencing the likes of Wilco yet with more than a nod to British shoegaze and folky acoustica. Back To The Lake feature harmonies, finger picked guitars and dreamy lyrics with unexpected bite.

Saturday November 8th 2008
The Louisiana, Bathurst Terrace, Bristol BS1
8.00 p.m / £4 adv £5 door

Would be nice to think Johana puts 'woman asleep on trampoline' on her rider every time she plays a gig, but this is her first one so who knows? The quiet lady shows few signs of nerves during her short set, busying herself behind her table of keyboard gadgets, creating dreamy swirls of homemade twee, sweet and ethereal, or like like Psapp without the bloody toys. And yeah, more eyes head trampoline-wards once the young dancer wakes up, and starts thrashing and bouncing to the music. I love Chapter.

All credit to tonight's hosts PeppermintPatti for creating bills that allow theatrical flourish to mesh into gold standard songwriting. Bands feel connected without immediately clear joins. And starting a set with an overload of sampled bird chatter is always good. This is Fallen Painting's intro, and quickly gives way to John Ruddick's slow, shuddering laptop beats, overlaid with Nicola Charles' icedrop vocal touches, riding high overhead, twisted into the music. Technical problems result in a curtailed performance; what's left is unsettling and beautiful enough. Like a ghost walking through you.

There's not a huge amount of difference between Golden Disko Ship tonight, and Golden Disko Ship in May, the last time Teresa Stroetges played this venue, save maybe some extra steel in the belly. Which means: one woman with guitar and laptop, homemade films behind her, and hopelessly great music. GDS songs are like daydreams put through mirrors: frazzled loops cluster and writhe, or congregate slowly from their bedroom origins, Theresa's vocals picking paths through the fractures. Even the films behind her are triumphant rather than twee, capturing a childlike sense of wonder, without making you want to throttle the nearest stranger. Endless rabbits from the hat: what a great night.

The Family Presents... Richard James (ex-Gorkey's) & H.Hawkline (Huw Evans - bandit - DJ)

"Richard James is best known for his work in the classic Welsh indie-psych band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, but in their current hiatus, his solo work has come to the fore.

Playing bass and singing backing vocals with Gorky's gave him a huge and invaluable insight to the music industry, from major labels to tiny indies, and from Welsh language fanzines to the front covers of the weekly indie bibles. For his solo debut, he's working with Cardiff's own indie label, Boobytrap.

Recorded with other prominent indie musicians based in the city, the album is a beautiful 13-track collection based on the themes of "love, friends, good times and the important things in life".

"The songs ebb and flow in creating an overall sense of happiness and wellbeing. Music for the soul" (Drowned in Sound)

"a sultry charming collection…carefully distilled influences: John Fahey, snatches of Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel and the atmospheric folk of the late 60s" (Uncut)

Saturday 1st Nov 2008 - 8pm
@ Tommys Bar, Cardiff
Tickets on sale at www.wegottickets.com

666 THREATMANTICS !!!
The Family Presents...Halloween with...
Threatmantics & Attack & Defend

Oh what a night, not only is it Halloween but it's also the Threatmantics, much anticipated, album launch. Plus we have attack + Defend in support. Tickets are on sale in the bar (from 20thOct) and through the above link, NOW. Get em' quick, they will go fast. Here's some words on the bands. It's Fancy Dress as well.

"Threatmantics forge gloriously cacophonous folkish rock songs mixing thundering drum beats and bassy keyboards (played simultaneously by Huw Davies) with memorable, jangling guitar riffs (courtesy of Ceri Mitchell) and squawling viola (from Heddwyn Davies). Heddwyn's lyrics and vocals take a wry and strangely sing-song look at life, with all the panache and swagger of a Welsh Morrissey. Tracks such as single 'Sali Mali' stride boldly out of the speaks, blasting into your ears with an instantly addictive quality, each element blending into the perfect cocktail of noise. There's something deceptively simple about their songs, often evolving from innocent schoolyard style melodies or firing off of contagious guitar lines, but don't be fooled; there is a great degree of talent, creativity and intelligence on display here" Owain Paciuszko

"Attack + Defend bring their unique brand of retro-electro-indie that hops, skips and jumps from genre to genre with astounding originality. The three brothers Thomas will be carting a wheelbarrow of new tracks fresh from the recording of their second album. Songs such as 'This, That and the Other' and 'Documentary' are erudite and witty looks at modern life and an outsider's place within it, combining smart, eccentric lyricism with sounds that range from pocket-sized prog-odysseys to funkadelic Beta Band-ish toe tappers and erratic, wild and woolly indie-pop". Owain Paciuszko

plus
Rob Pugh & Friends "The Tommy Horror Show" (video art)
Johny Pedalo (DJ)

Friday 31st October
Tickets £5 / £4nus adv availible here: www.wegottickets.com

I walk into the upstairs room in Clwb to find signs telling me not to enter unless I hear applause (I'm not that popular) and not to talk when the bands are playing - audiences probably shouldn't need to be told this but experience tells me that it's better to draw a line in the sand from the start! There are rugs and cushions laid out on the floor. Loose have got the right idea here tonight. This is exactly the kind of atmosphere that these bands should be enjoyed in.

The entertainment begins with Lily Green taking to the stage looking like some sort of Amazonian Norah Jones. It turns out that she has far more in common with Tori Amos than the jazz daughter of Ravi Shankar. Lily plays piano and for the most part is accompanied by drums and some kind of odd choice of funk bass. The songs she plays alone on keys are the better ones. She's got that kind of Amos/Kate Bush thing going on but in a good, kooky way, like Little Earthquakes before Tori went off her head and started getting sexy with chickens.

The filling in tonight's sandwich is a man known only as Finn. He's dressed like a medieval extra from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Pudding bowl haircut, white puffy shouldered tunic and mad socks. Good start. I'm pretty sure the first song of the set was in Icelandic and fairly sure the second was in English. It really is hard to tell. The English songs are sung in that drawn out English-is-my-second-language accent that I always associate with Gruff Rhys. Indeed, if I'm not being too lazy in bracketing together mad languages, some of the songs could almost be off Mwng. Three songs in and Finn is looping his own vocals and harmonising with himself. Neat trick. I've seen it done more and more of late but he pulls it off to such an extent that when he's stood there, guitar slung over back, not actually doing anything while 3 different vocals loop from the speakers you don't really notice his lack of participation. Elsewhere in his set, he could've passed for Thom Yorke, one song bore a passing resemblance to Street Spirit. Only passing mind. The set closer, in keeping with the slightly surreal air of this evening, was a cover of Moon River. Somehow this managed to be heartbreakingly beautiful and not cloying and contrived. Top marks Mr Finn.

Me and my Dad have this theory that when you reach certain ages you start to like different things (18 - curry, 30 - bitter, 35 - red wine, 45 - saying 'all the best' instead of goodbye). As it turns out, 32 is when you start fancying women that play string instruments. This has very little to do with the music, I just thought I'd mention it.
Seeing as I've started both support's write ups with visual comparisons, I'll continue the theme. I thought that Olaf Arnalds looked like a young Stuart Pearce. I then thought how absurd this was and how unlikely it would be that Arnalds would charge around a football pitch, clatter anything above grass level and indeed, play for West Ham. Aggressive is not a word that can be used to described this man's music. Ethereal, glacial, sparse, minimal. All words that would be a lot more fitting. Olaf Arnald's songs themselves are instrumental mini symphonies. Tonight he's joined by a string quartet who compliment his piano and glitchy, scuffed blips and beeps perfectly. The electronic aspect could easily seem forced when married to the orchestral beauty of the strings but it works, song after song. The music draws you in, it has a dream like quality (proved by the fact that the cellist reminded me of someone I fancied when I was 18 and I missed half a song drifting off, wistfully pondering missed opportunities). You wouldn't make sounds like this were you to grow up in Wolverhampton, this is music born out of it's surroundings. The reference points are obvious, fellow Icelanders Sigur Ros, Royksopp and Eidur Gudjohnsen (OK, 2 of the 3). It's something you need to hear or see live, it's very hard to put down in words.
Before the last song, Arnalds informs us that he's played in Clwb before, downstairs in 2004 with a hardcore band called Fighting Shit (click the link, it's worth it). For all the blissed out wonder of his songs tonight, maybe he's got more of Stuart Pearce in him than I thought.

Labels: clwb ifor bach, fighting shit, finn, lily green, loose, olafur arnalds

Gathered In Song have another little gem up their sleeves this week, after The Autumn Defence and Ladyhawk in Cardiff, they return to Le Pub with Headlights. Great jangly US indie pop in the vein of Rilo Kiley, Rogue Wave and Mercury Rev.

The band are from Champaign, Illinois and were formed following the dissolution of Absinthe Blind, when members Erin Fein, Seth Fein and Brett Sanderson formed a band named Orphans. It was only when Tristan Wraight started writing songs with Fein that Headlights took shape.
They released The Enemies EP in 2004, and followed that up in 2006 with a split single with Canadian indie rock band The Most Serene Republic. Later in 2006, the band released their debut album, Kill Them with Kindness, which has received positive reviews. Nick Sanborn (of Decibully) and John Owen (of fellow Champaign group Shipwreck) joined the group during the summer of 2007. In 2008, they released their third album, Some Racing, Some Stopping.

"There are a lot of bands playing indie pop in 2008, but very few do it as well as Headlights do" - ALL MUSIC GUIDE

"This disc isn’t something you’ll want to play loud. Instead, you’ll want to play it endlessly because the songs are first-rate, the songs are wonderful" - POP MATTERS

Support on the night comes from Bristol's Santadog.

£4 on the door, door are 8pm.

Labels: gathered in song, headlights, le pub, santagold

CLWB IFOR BACH PRESENTS: THE WEEK THAT WAS plus Spencer McGarry Season

Peter Brewis is at it again. Not content with orchestrating the intelligent pop structures of his first outing with Field Music and then School Of
Language - he now opens his door of sonic colours with a collective of Sunderland's most creative and forward thinking musicians. Creating XTC's Drums And Wires-era drum sounds with a nod to mid-80's Talk Talk
production, this experiment is a musical puzzle referencing many 80s US 'progressive pop', a genre not given enough exposure in today's musical climate.

”Brewis constructs songs with architectural scale and precision – in its prim, nostalgic, English way. It’s pretty dazzling.” – Uncut ****

”Forward-thinking pop for the modern age from Field Music’s big brother, Peter Brewis” – Album Of The Month, Mojo ****

”..the agitated art-pop of XTC as a starting point, then affords it the sort of melodramatic production once favoured by Kate Bush” – The Times ****

Support comes from Spencer McGarry Season. You may know him from such great records as Episode One or such bands as The Soft Hearted Scientists, JT Mouse and not forgetting his alter ego in the exciting world of Celtic Wrestling of course!

Thursday 30th October 2008, Clwb Ifor Bach, Womanby Street, Cardiff
£6 in advance, £7 on the door, 8pm, 18+

Tickets are available through Spillers Records (02920 224905/www.spillersrecords.co.uk), www.seetickets.com and Clwb Ifor Bach's box office (02920 232199) and are £6 in advance and £7 on the door

Labels: cardiff, clwb ifor bach, Spencer McGarry Season, The Week That Was

The Futureheads (DJ Set)

The band have spent the last year promoting their critcally acclaimed album "this is not the world" and destroying clubs such as "club nme" londons' "koko" and "ibiza rocks" all summer with their mix of upfront indie and underground electro.

Also with Resident DJs Graham the Bear & Vernon Tessio (our very own JOY-ster)


Saturday 25th October
Meze Lounge, Newport
01633 211432
Doors 8pm - Futureheads hit the decks @ 11pm

If last night proved anything, the Cardiff indie scene is in rude health. Fredrick Stanley Star are hardly known outside of South Walian circles, and listeners to Radio 1's Welsh programme. Yet last night was a sell out - mostly thanks to the excellent word of mouth that FSS generate. It helps that bands support each other here, and much of the audience was made up of other misfits who spend their free time making wonderful music. In fact, the night itself was put on by Attack and Defend's DIY label Shape, who all looked a bit amazed and bedazzled as the night unravelled.

Among the support for 'Stanley Star tonight was the extraordinary Little Bear Wails. My learned friend told me this was only their third show. They look like they have been doing this for years and years, and were having tremendous fun on stage. If there's a concept here, its to get as drunk as possible while sounding like a pirate. This is the noise pissed and frustrated sailors would have made in the 19th century, with electric guitar, after returning from a four month long voyage. I don't think I've ever seen stomping used as a major form of percussion as part of a band's repertoire either. Awesome.

Fredrick Stanley Star, then. The first time I saw this band I was bowled over and surprised by their unity and passion, combined with their shambolic charm. This was still on show tonight. As Shape looked totally surprised by the turnout, FSS looked like the adulation and support from the crowd was beyond anything they had expected for the evening. They managed to hold their composure while the audience cheered for them, with the odd giggle of acknowledgement. FSS work in slow build ups and pace changes, building harmonies upon harmonies until they break under their own weight and the music needs to go somewhere else.

The whole time I'm wondering where this kind of music comes from. Out of my window at home I can see Plasnewydd terraces, not rolling hills and hillbillies. FSS are an escape from urbanism, from hard angles, concrete guitars and concentrated noise. You can literally close your eyes and let them carry you away into their universe, although if you did that you'd miss quite a show. If there are any negatives from the night, and this is a minor niggle, its that FSS would really benefit from a quieter atmosphere. But they still put on an amazing and powerful show even with the background fuzz. The album - Heaviside Layer - is out on Monday from Spillers and Diverse.

PS: Yes, sorry, Broken Leaf also played last night. Sadly the poor reviewer only arrived as Broken Leaf was finishing, although what I heard was quite suttle and splendid, and very much tied in with the rest of the evening.

Labels: broken leaf, cardiff, clwb ifor bach, fredrick stanley star, fss, saesneg, shape

Miaw!Miaw!Miaw! present a relaxed evening of acousic beauty in the 3, almost spiritual forms of
Ralfe Band, Mr.David Viner & Peter Bruntnell on Sunday, 19th October. Clwb can't quite get to grips with this on their website, after initially listing 'Peter Bruntwell' opening, they now not only have the correctly spelt Peter Bruntnell but a Mr. David Bruntnell too. They're mad, don't listen to them.

Ralfe Band
Continuing from 'Swords', their brilliant dada road-movie debut on Skint Records, 'Attic Thieves' confirms Ralfe Band a special place as one of England's most original, melodic and richly poetic bands. Inside its old mirrored room you will find Oly Ralfe's latest almanac of twelve richly varied songs and instrumentals. The recordings here range from the beautifully personal to the eerily comic, with song lyrics peppered with mysterious alter-egos, all reflecting an inventive band journeying across a dreaming landscape uniquely Ralfe Band's.

Mr.David Viner
Bonkers Mr Viner says about himself - I was born with red eyes and purple skin due to the fact I was born with the cord around my neck. I didn't do much talking after that, just played an old Spanish guitar for 20 or so years. In 2000 I met John Lee Hooker in Detroit after a small show to ask him what tuning he played out of. After hearing my accent he christened me "Mr". It stuck. He died.

"White Stripes fans looking for quality after-hours music need look no further"
- The Observer

"Viner might yet wake up one morning and find himself a star"
- NME

Peter Bruntnell
Peter has played at the Riverside Theatre in Newport for Diverse Music in the past, unfortunately it was the night Liverpool came from 3 down against Milan to win the Champion's League so nobody saw him. Don't make that mistake on Sunday. He's signed to Loose (home of The Felice Brothers & Danny and the Champions of the World to name two) and is rather good.

"One of England's best kept musical secrets".
- Rolling Stone

8:00pm | £6/£7 | buy tickets

Labels: miaw miaw miaw, mr david viner, peter bruntnell, ralfe band