TheJoyCollective

Happy New Year! Clinic in the Back of a Van

noreply@blogger.com (Saesneg) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 10:00:00 +0000

How's the hangover? You're probably one of those senisble people who doesn't see NYE as an event - just an insignificant change in an imaginary human construct. Get this - 2009 means you're older. Remember the Millennium? Yeah, its 10 years since then. You remember it like yesterday, but there's teenagers who were babies when you were snorting champagne in a poncy club in Bristol. You might as well drown yourself under a sea of wine to deal with the pain of everyone being cooler and better looking and having more friends than you.

Clinic In Transit. Enjoy!

More In Transit here.

2008 Review : Mark Southall (Diverse Music)

noreply@blogger.com (interiormonologue) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 14:23:00 +0000

Recorded music
Highlight was Laura Marling "Alas i Cannot Swim".

Live music
Rachel Unthank and the Winterset at Cardiff St Davids Hall.

I also enjoyed
The Mark Rothko paintings at the Tate London, and Nicola Cooke's Gold Medal in Beijing.

2008 was...
...the year of Barack Obama.

2009 will be...
...the year of the Yellow Moon Band, Animal Collective, more Prog, England regaining the Ashes and we find out that Banksy is Rolf Harris.

2008 Review : David Millinship (Lt Meat)

noreply@blogger.com (interiormonologue) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 12:49:00 +0000

Dave ignored the questions and stated that he enjoyed my 'hat and beard' and ' also liked Branstons Baked Beans, H2O and softcore porn on Virgin1 after 11pm.'.

Who am I to deny him his opinion. (Matt)

I (Jonny) later got this much more detailed reply...

Recorded music highlights are:
The Walkmen 'You and Me' TV on the Radio 'Dear Science' and The Lovvers 'Think'.

Live wise I haven't been too impressed and I've missed all of the gigs I wanted to go to. I'll have to say, Tomas Truax at SWN. Selfish C*nt were awesome too, although I missed them recently. and of course From Mars, Space in the 50s and Lt Meat all on the same bill twice in a row...

2008 was frustrating and unproductive for me.

2009 will be productive as I've nearly got alot of music to release and my radio show on www.newportcityradio.org will only get better.

2008 Review : Keith Larego (Businessman Records)

noreply@blogger.com (Vivers) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 10:45:00 +0000

Keith is one of the fine people at Businessman Records, who this year released records by Gindrinker, Spencer McGarry Season and Sweet Baboo, with more fun promised for 2009.

Recorded music highlights of 2008:
My favourite album of the year is Instant Coffee Baby by the Wave Pictures - a band I somehow neglected to watch once when they were based in Cardiff, to my subsequent regret. Caustic, knowing, funny indie pop with killer lyrics and guitar solos that actually make you comment on how good they are - this alone is remarkable for me.

Not far behind are Ice Cream Spiritual by Ponytail and Vivian Girls' self titled debut. There's too many honourable mentions to, er, mention, but some include Neon Neon, Fredrick Stanley Star, Hayman Watkins Trout & Lee, Abe Vigoda, 7L & Esoteric, Mountain Goats, Rolo Tomassi, Cadence Weapon, The Fall, Cool Kids, Magnetic Fields, El Guincho, High Places, Jay Reatard, Silver Jews, Truckers of Husk, Fuck Buttons, No Age, Bilge Pump, Errors, Los Campesinos!, Eux Autres and Max Tundra.

Live music highlights of 2008:
Again, so much great stuff. On a local level, Fredrick Stanley Star and Truckers of Husk have become must-sees incredibly quickly. The FSS album launch and Truckers' sets at Sŵn and Ten Feet Tall in particular were some of my favourites of the year.

I probably went to too many festivals this year, but the continued rise of smaller, friendlier events run by people who care passionately about what they do and book awesome line-ups makes it hard not to. Primavera, ATP, Sŵn, End of the Road and the fantastic Indietracks all did this, and even biblical rain can't dampen Green Man. They can also give you the chance to see bands you never thought you'd get to see live (Devo, Young Marble Giants, Mission of Burma, Mary Weiss, Mountain Goats).

Other gigs, in vaguely chronological order: The Mae Shi at Buffalo, Les Savy Fav at the Astoria, Casiotone at Howard Gardens, Efterklang at the Point, Los Campesinos! in the Solus, the Pedigree Falcon alldayer, Darren Hayman at Clwb, MBV at the Roundhouse, Magnetic Fields in London, Osaka Invasion at Clwb, Ballboy and the Bobby McGees at Clwb, Calvin Johnson in Bristol, Threatmantics at the WMC, YACHT, Plush, Glam Chops, Neon Neon, Sigur Ros, Ruby Suns, Fucked Up and Vivian Girls. Phew.

What else did you enjoy this year?
On a personal level, seeing the Sweet Baboo and Spencer McGarry Season albums launched was the most satisfying thing for me. I know they're both brilliant, but it's been heartening and exciting to find more and more people agreeing with me. The launch gigs we put on were top fun too, and hopefully there's plenty more to come.

2008 was...
Personally, a change of job which has seen me a lot happier and determined to enjoy the stuff I like doing. 2008 was also a really positive local scene, with committed and enthusiastic promoters like Lesson #1, Loose, Joy and Shape taking risks on quality bands, dozens of good new local bands getting the chance to play and get paid for doing so, and, tying it up, the successful second year of a festival which hopefully will get more chances to showcase it all.

2009 will be...
More releases on Businessman Records, tours for Spencer McGarry Season and Gindrinker, more bands like Zail, Right Hand Left Hand, Heck and Silence at Sea getting stuff released, less weight round the middle, Cardiff going up via the playoffs and staying there and everything turning out just fine. We can hope, eh?

2008 Review : Iain Peebles (Iain Peebles)

noreply@blogger.com (Vivers) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 08:55:00 +0000

Iain refuses to be tied down by your puny notion of job title or designation, but lets just say if you've ever been to a decently-promoted gig, flicked through the Sleeveface book, or eaten a great cake at an event in the Point in Cardiff, Iain has possibly been involved. Maybe.

Recorded music highlights of 2008:
Right, my recorded music highlights of 2008 follow; in list format and in no particular order. Well, except for the top one which was my favourite thing I heard all year.

The Breadwinner – Graham Lambkin and Jason Lescalleet cd
Pumice – Quo lp
Masayoshi Urabe – Flag of Midsummer cd
Dead C – Secret Earth lp
Sunroof!/Kemialiset Ystavat – Split 12”
No Neck Blues Band – Clomeim lp
Idea Fire Company – The Island of Taste lp
Sun City Girls – You're Never Alone With a Cigarette: Singles vol 1 cd
Sic Alps – US Ez lp
Hospitals – Hairdryer Peace lp
Blood Stereo – The Magnetic Headache lp
Vivian Girls – Tell The World 7”
Sunn0))) – Domkirke lp
Skullflower – Thou Shalt Not Suffer A Witch To Die cassette

Live Music Highlights of 2008:
It's hard to keep this bit brief with so much good stuff this year so, well, I won't. Apologies list fans. Faust in The Point were incredible and dangerous in the literal sense with Jean Herve Peron's chainsaw wielding whilst wandering through the bemused crowd. Times New Viking were great on more than one occasion. The whole of Primavera festival was a treat but especially Smog, Trad Gras Och Stenar, Edan, Devo, Young Marble Giants (also at Sŵn), Les Savy Fav (not at all into their records but a total treat live) and Throbbing Gristle...especially the encore of Zyklon B Zombie which was incredible and possibly my live highlight of the year. There were, however, many more contenders for that throne, many of them at Colour Out of Space festival in Brighton. Pretty much everything there was top notch but I took extra pleasure from Aaron Dilloway, Vibracathedral Orchestra, Dave Phillips and G*Park, Skullflower, Reins D'Angleterre, Lionel Marchetti and Yoko Higashi and Skaters. Oh, and Agaskodo Teliverek at Sŵn. Fabulous.

What else did you enjoy this year?
Swimming or, more accurately, floating in water and going on slides. Edinburgh festival, both the comedy stuff and the simple pleasure of being in Edinburgh which is a lovely place. Baking and cooking in general. Canteen on Clifton Street, Vegetarian Food Studio, Bistro 1, Minuet and other fine Cardiff eateries. Slayer Robots. My Birthday.

2008 was...
Pretty decent.

2009 will be...
Oh I don't know. I can't think of anything that isn't incredibly twattish (eg ...365 days long...hoho). 2008 was a good one so I just hope it's as good as or better than that.

2008 Review : Matthew Thorne (Stray Borders)

noreply@blogger.com (FuckThisPlanet) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 08:33:00 +0000

Recorded music highlights of 2008?
Vessels "White Fields And Open Devices"
Ef "I am Responsible"
Russian Circles "Enter"
Gregor Samsa "Rest"
Balmorhea "Rivers Arms"

Live Highlights:
Ólafur Arnalds at Clwb
Mono at ATP
Battles at ATP
Envy at ATP
Vessels at Ten Feet Tall & Buffalo
Right Hand Left Hand at SWN
Cats and Cats and Cats at Joy Meze
Pedigree Falcon All dayer at Clwb.
Talons at Ten Feet Tall.

2008 was hectic and sad as we (Stray Borders) had to take a hiatus.

2009 will hopefully be the year of the Stray Borders reunion tour.

2008 Review : Lisa Heledd Jones (Scrabble Sunday/Junket Club)

noreply@blogger.com (Vivers) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:01:00 +0000

Lisa works tirelessly around Cardiff to make fun things happen and people smile. She's part of wordy goodness team Scrabble Sunday, and comedy goodness lot the Junket Club. Join in.

Recorded music highlights of 2008
Beach House
Devotion
It’s just a delightful record. My friend Carl seems to find gems before they’ve even been signed. A few months later, you hear them all about the place (by which time, he’s bored with them). That’s what happened with Devendra Banhart. And Joanna Newsam. And Fleet Foxes. And now Beach House. I reckon he’s the gem.

Bonnie Prince Billy
Lie Down In The Light
I love his upside down face. Oh, and his music. I didn’t hear many people say much about this album, but I think it’s incredible. Maybe he’s just too prolific to keep up. You listen to the twiddly tunes you think they’re probably songs about barn dances and his mum and dad, but then his rudeness (blowjobs for example) brilliantly sneak in... hehe.

Times New Viking
Rip It Off
I probably wouldn’t have liked this record had I not seen them live first. As soon as something is a bit too shouty I tend to run away. But I saw these three in Clwb this year and their amp blew up and they knocked things over and they just carried on regardless in their fantastically ramshackle way. And I loved it.

Live music highlights of 2008
Sŵn was my music highlight of 2008. It seems to bring all the best bits of Cardiff together in a weekend.
Best bits:
Euros Childs in the Museum. He was incredible. And mocked my friend Anna-Marie for snoozing during his set.
Agaskodo Teliverek - Clwb Ifor Bach. Pregnant japanese lady going mental. Awesome.
Right Hand Left Hand - Clwb Ifor Bach.

Other festival highlights
Amadou and Mariam - Latitude festival.
Bon Iver - End Of The Road.
Richard Hawley - End Of The Road.

What else did you enjoy this year?
Daniel Kitson - The Impotent Fury Of The Privileged at the Sherman in May. This was another installment of Daniel’s step by step, show by show plan to make us better people and blow our little minds. What a good egg.

Ben Moor – Not Everything is Significant at the Edinburgh Festival. We spent a week in Edinburgh for the festival and my friend Paul came too – the self confessed hater of comedy. He’d seen a racist, an audience hater and a goat - he wasn’t having a good time. I forced him to come with me to see Ben Moor because I knew he was a genius. Curious, mind-bending and very funny. And Paul liked it too. Hooray.

Maeve Higgins - End Of The Road. One of the funniest people I've ever seen.

Starting Scrabble Sunday with my buddy Paul Barnett (the comedy hater) and getting to go to all the festivals for free with a boot full of Scrabble boards. It’s been exactly what we wanted it to be - a lovely thing with nice people playing the best game ever (bar boggle, which is on a par) whether that’s in a café in Cardiff, in a field in Suffolk or under an umbrella in London.

Meeting my friend Benjamin at the very first Scrabble Sunday. He’s become one of my favourite people in the world and we’ve started The Junket Club together. The Junket Club makes me happier than I can even start to explain. The idea is to bring brilliant comedy to interesting places. It’s about the whole experience from getting your ticket through the door to the performance itself. We want it to feel like a wee bit of magic. Can’t wait for the next one – Josie Long and Mike Wozniak in the Planetarium. Bloody brilliant.

2008 was...
A bit happy. A bit sad. A bit joyous. A bit loved up. A bit lonely. A lot lovely.

2009 will be...
Played out on Facebook.

2008 Review : Frank Turner (Ummm, Frank Turner & ex Million Dead)

noreply@blogger.com (interiormonologue) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:52:00 +0000

Frank's not local but we've featured him a fair bit this year, he's in my top 5 albums and I got to meet him at Reading and he was a thoroughly nice chap!!

Recorded music highlights of 2008
Right. Um. Best recorded music of 2008. I always find it hard to remember what came out in what year. Did "Curses" (FOTL) come out this year? (September '07 - Ed) If so, that gets my vote. Otherwise I'll plump for either Laura Marling or Nick Cave. "Dig Lazarus Dig!!!" is awesome.

Live music highlights of 2008
I enjoyed Rage at Reading (though too quiet!), Kid Harpoon at Glastonbury was something special. Nick Cave again actually. Oh, and I saw Neil Young, which crosses an item off my life to-do list.

What else did you enjoy this year?
Otherwise, this year I have been enjoyed The Dawn Chorus from Portsmouth. They rule. I've also enjoyed touring my arse off, and supporting The Levellers in particular.

2008 was...
...tiring but ace.

2009 will be...
...the same but more so.

2008 Review : Peter Newbitt (Joy DJ)

noreply@blogger.com (interiormonologue) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:32:00 +0000

Recorded music highlights of 2008:
Albums:

1. Love, Ire and Song – Frank Turner
2. Angles – Dan le Sac vs Scroobious Pip
3. Hail Destroyer – Cancer Bats
4. Flight of the Conchords - Flight of the Conchords
5. Intimacy – Bloc Party

Singles:

1. Mercury – Bloc Party
2. Hometown Glory (High Contrast remix) – Adele
3. Kids – MGMT
4. Hip-Hop is Dead – Nas
5. Photosynthesis – Frank Turner

Live music highlight of 2008:
Without a shadow of a doubt, 2000 Trees Festival in Cheltenham. Some great bands, some rubbish bands and lots of local cider made this my favourite live experience of the year. Good sets particularly from Frank Turner, Chris T-T, Ghost of a Thousand, Danny and the Champions of the World and Morning Bride.

What else in 2008:
Cardiff City breaking the mould by being good and getting to the FA Cup Final, discovering Antipodean comedy (Flight of the Conchords and Summer Heights High) and losing my social life to Far Cry 2 on the Xbox 360.

2008 was...
...the year that I discovered the genius of the Wire.

2009 will be...
...thrifty.

2008 Review : Dafydd Griffiths (Spillers/Batacuda Basics)

noreply@blogger.com (Vivers) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 12:03:00 +0000

This year you may have seen Dafydd behind the counter in Spillers, DJing all over the place, helping to run the great Batacuda Basics night in Cardiff, or, if you were properly stalking him, in Australia or America on a big old holiday.

Recorded music highlights of 2008:
I've probably missed plenty that came out early in the year, your mind tends to play tricks on you like that.

Albums:
Girl Talk - Feed The Animals
Booka Shade - The Sun and the Neon Light
Daedelus - Love To Make Music To
Onra - Chinoiseries
Flight Of The Conchords - Flight Of The Conchords

Singles:
Still Going - Still Going Theme
Cut Copy - Lights and Music
Friendly Fires / Au Revoir Simone - Paris (Aeroplane Remix)
T.I. & Rihanna - Live Your Life

Live music highlights of 2008:
The Roots, Electric Picnic, August
Eileen Rose, Spillers instore, April
Jay-Z, CIA, July
Sugar and Gold / The Oakland Soft Rock Choir, Cafe Du Nord, SF, September

What else did you enjoy this year?
Being able to tell the difference between US and Canadian accents is a new and exciting skill I now possess; also learning that Inglewood is not as bad a place to be lost at night as you may have been led to believe.
DJing as far away as Electric Picnic in Ireland and at Club Otis in San Francisco.

2008 was...
A bedding in process. It'll take some time for the squad to gel, Alan, but 2009 will see us challenging for the title.

2008 Review : Dean Poole (Black Cherub Promotions)

noreply@blogger.com (interiormonologue) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:32:00 +0000

Recorded music highlights of 2008
Very little, I`m afraid. In a world where music is controlled by big multi-nationals who know fuck all about music, it seems bands are being made to play music-by-numbers, and very little of interest is getting through the net. Was recently impressed by the We Are The Physics album, but I`ve been trawling through my back catalogue a lot recently, which says it all really.

Live music highlights of 2008
Was very impressed with Far and also The Hip Priests at TJ`s. We Are The Physics rocked the Meze, so did Carlisle band Mister Manana. Locally, have been impressed with Dirty Bob, Bayonets, The Clay, Countryside, Glow, Lil Deaths, and a host of bands I can`t remember right now (sorry!). Hope the audiences start coming out again next year to support the local scene.

2008 was...
...Shite. Very shite on a personal level, but shite anyhow.

2009 will be...
...Better, it has to be.

2008 Review : Jemma Roper (Heck)

noreply@blogger.com (interiormonologue) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 10:14:00 +0000

Recorded music highlights of 2008
Zombie Zombie "A Land For Renegades" -French 80s-horror-film-obssessed elctro duo. Fucking ace. Worth a swear.

Live music highlights of 2008
Casiokids at Buffalo - gay-in-a-good-way-gay, Magick Markers at Green Man - sexy, Grinderman at Latitude - evil maracas, Santogold at Reading - got so excited I did a little cry.

What else did you enjoy this year?
I loved Thee Oh Sees "A Night in the Master's Bedroom is a Night Worth Spending" and Telepathe "Devil's Trident/Lights Go Out".

2008 was...
...a small woodland copse with a horse on it.

2009 will be...
...an angry sports dwarf.

2008 Review : Ashli (Spillers)

noreply@blogger.com (Saesneg) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 10:00:00 +0000

As well as keeping Spillers Records ticking over and promoting the odd band, Ashli has also been a Joy Collective contributor this year, as well as an excellent baker of cakes.

Recorded Music Highlights...

Albums
Black Mountain - In The Future
Flying Lotus - Los Angeles
Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing
Earth - The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull
Steve Reid + Kieran Hebden - NY
Gutter Twins - Saturnalia
Gentle Good - While You Slept I Went Out Walking
Errors - It's Not Something, But It Is Like Whatever
Benga - Diary Of An Afro Warrior
Retribution Gospel Choir - s/t

Tracks
TV on the Radio - DLZ
Witch - Sweet Sue
Atmosphere - You
Black Ghost - Anyway You Choose To Give It
The Whip - Trash
The Accidental - Illuminated Red
Cate Le Bon - O Bont I Bont
Jonathan Richman - When We Refuse to Suffer (2nd version / side 2)
Aloha Hawaii - I've Been Bad For Years and Years
Mary Hampton - Because You're Young

Most listened to while running
Moby - Last Night
Foals - Antidotes
Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
Lyrics Born - Everywhere at Once

Best gigs that left me elated:

Bruce Springsteen - Cardiff Stadium. 3 hrs / 2 pints. He must have been good to keep me off the ale!
Bjork - Plymouth Pavilion - LFO dropping Freak during the set. A moment of beaming joy.
Low - Bristol Thekla. I still get goosebumps when I think of this gig.
Witch - Camden Underworld. Seeing J Mascis on drums, swoon.
Flying Lotus - Big Chill. A k.r.u.n.k.ing + dirty set that was much heavier than the LP.
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis - Clwb Ifor Bach. Lovely, lovely people - Lots of dancing. Good show! (great instore too!)
Clinic - Clwb / Swn - The best I've seen them.
Fuck Buttons / Caribou / Black Mountain / Greenman - wig out haziness from what I can recall : )
Peth - Spillers Records / In store. Winners of most people playing in the shop at one time + very funny.
All the times I saw Alex Dingley / Zail / RHLH / Zonderhoof / Zumbar.

What else did I enjoy?

McNulty (and other moments from The Wire)
Learning the drums (and pretending to be in a band called the Miss-cuits)
Running (and managing to go out even when I'd rather have not)
'Adopting' a cat.

2008 was

... another non stop and relentless year.

2009 will be ...

... I'm sure it will have its moments.

2008 Review : Claire Vaughan (Chapter)

noreply@blogger.com (Vivers) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 01:11:00 +0000

If you have been in Cardiff's smashing arts centre Chapter or one of the city's many gigs, you may well know Claire. She knows all about film, art, music, food and booze, and has a terrifying kitten.

Recorded music highlights of 2008:
There hasn’t been a whole lot that has grabbed me this year, I’ve preferred visceral live music experiences. Santogold’s album made me feel a bit more cool than I really am, Heartcore by Wildbirds And Peacedrums a bit feral and sexy, Neon Neon’s Stainless Style made me want a keytar and a trophy wife with shoulderpads. To be honest I’ve mainly been listening to Rhodri Viney’s often heartbreaking Broken Leaf recordings (not available anywhere yet, sadly), and Theo's pretty little EP "Order, Echo", dancing around with Steen to Devo and The Fall on vinyl in his kitchen and listening to Liz’s free Loose cds, complilations people have made me and all my usual folk, jazz and new wave schick.

Live music highlights of 2008:
A very good year for gigs and a year of amazing discoveries, very difficult to pick just a few. Venn festival (sadly the last one ever this year) on the Saturday was the best day of the whole year and introduced Hauschka and Fuck Buttons (two very different but wonderful experiences) to name just two, and Green Man’s magic was typified by the bit where 50,000 people went off to see The Peth, we stayed to see what was in the café tent only to find Wildbirds And Peacedrums and then Sefa, moments of delicate beauty only made more poignant by the mud and rain and by 50,000 people traipsing back from the Peth shaking their heads in misery. Boy genius Rhodri Viney continued to bend the laws of physics with the quality and quantity of projects he had on the go, being nothing less than amazing in Right Hand Left Hand, Spirit Level and the solo Broken Leaf as well as the innumerable instruments he plays in other people's bands. Truckers of Husk continued to make me dance like a loon every time they played. The ever-reliable Loose brought Thomas Truax, The Rosie Taylor Project and Silence At Sea (in the same night!) and PeppermintPatti continued to demonstrate greatness in having Wet Dog, Betty And The Werewolves, Kania Tieffer and Golden Disko Ship. The Pedigree Falcon alldayer was eardrum bleedingly good and Acid Mothers Temple in the Point, dividing the night into 5 different side projects was pretty spectacular. The Big Pink, Agaskodo Teliverek, Young Marble Giants and Clinic at Sŵn finished the year off a treat.

What else did you enjoy this year?
I lost my heart to a nice young man this year and I have mostly been enjoying his company. Luckily he likes doing pretty much everything I do which is going to gigs, seeing amazing films in Chapter (My Winnipeg, Waltz With Bashir, Persepolis, Man On Wire) and going to art shows such as the many art museums of Madrid (Guernica! Las Leninas!), the Bacon retrospective in the Tate, the Venice Biennale show in Chapter and Rebecca Spooner’s White Stag exhibition in g39. The superhero sized good works of the very lovely Lisa Jones (Scrabble Sunday, Junket Club, Bounceathon/Little Christmas) has punctured my year with bullets of pure joy. It was also the year that my American wife sent almost daily updates in how excited she was getting about the idea of this bloke called Obama as a potential candidate then President and came to visit me. I went to two ace weddings and watched three of my friends swell up and pop out gorgeous babies. If this is getting old I quite like it. More years like this, please!

2008 was...
An exploration

2009 will be...
Exciting

2008 Review : Hannah Truran (Artist)

noreply@blogger.com (FuckThisPlanet) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 23:17:00 +0000

Recorded music highlights:
I am in love with Psycho Goulash by AgaskadoTeliverek. Gay Hussar is for wake up and shake off the cobwebs. Also, Late of the Pier's Fantasy Black Channel

Live music highlights:
Agaskado Teliverek and Casiokids at Swn festival. Chalk and cheese. Or maybe lemons and marshmallows.

2008 was jet haemetitie

2009 will be rose alabaster

Oh and I must add..best film.The Host!

2008 Review : Leon Scott (Telegram from the Queen)

noreply@blogger.com (FuckThisPlanet) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 23:15:00 +0000

Leon didn't quite follow the question format, but hey, i'm all up for warping the format!

recorded was...

Big Name- Hail Destroyer - Cancer Bats

Local - Graveyard Johnnys - Steetblocks and city clights

live was...

Big name - Black Hole at Reading

Local - Any brutality will prevail show.... orrrrrr estevez at street beat union

2009 will be telegram from the queen tearing it up hard!!

2008 Review : Connor Cupples (At Your Own Risk Promotions)

noreply@blogger.com (FuckThisPlanet) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 23:12:00 +0000

Recorded music highlights of 2008
Fighting With Wire - Man Vs Monster
Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip
The Novocaines - Digital Disco
The Red Light Company

Live music highlights of 2008
The Novocaiens @ Meze
Purple Thursday @ TJ's
Plinth @ TJ's

2008 was...
Great for live music and unknown acts.

2009 will be...
Even better with loads of acts breaking out and doing something new.

2008 Review : Sam Jones (Newport City Radio)

noreply@blogger.com (interiormonologue) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:41:00 +0000

Sam hosts a show with Dave Lt. Meat and as Dave has, he's totally ignored the questions and just gone for a round up.

Honkeyfinger - Invocation of the Demon Other. Despite being packaged in a truly dreadful sleeves, Honkeyfinger, created a fantastic Beefheart stomp.

'Introducing Los Peyotes' offered a brilliant retrospective from a bunch of 60s obsessed South American's. They have bowl cuts and where Zebra prints and tight pants, which is always the benchmark of real musical quality for me. An unhealthy desire to ape the snotty teenage Garage Rock that sprang up across the states in the 1960s means that Los Peyotes could be the ultimate party band and their album is packed with dumb, Farfisa led, stomping numbers that will please the most anal psych fan or those who only own Nuggets.

I like fake Americana much more than the real deal, which is why I liked The Boggs so much a few years ago, they were like the New York hipster Pogues with Strokes hair and nicely shabby designer threads. The Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir's Ten Thousand album is a similar deal, retro fitted bluegrass and moutain music, reconfigured for a music press reading fan base willing to take Seasick Steve's tales of hobo adventures without a pinch of salt.

Retrospective of the year comes from Soul Jazz records, who continue to repackage old reggae in beautifully presented collection that seem purpose built for nerdish hoarders of shiny things. Their new compilation of Reggae Dancehall is an essential purchase for lovers of Jamaican music. Dancehall emerged in the late 70s and a reaction against the militant spiritual stance and more complex musicianship of the Roots era.

Dismissed by some as dumbed down dance fodder, Dancehall become the dominant strain of Reggae during the 80s, embracing digital production techniques and pushing the DJ/Vocalist to the fore, replacing the producer as kingpins on the music scene. Soul Jazz present a double cd tracing the evolution of the music from the productions from Price Jammy and the Roots Radics band in the 70s to the emergence of the hard Ragga sound in the early 90s. Dancehall doesn't get the same respect from the mainstream press that the more liberal friendly dub and roots music garners, so Soul Jazz have done the music a great service by treating it with the respect it deserves.

2008 Review : Grace Todd (Spillers/DJ)

noreply@blogger.com (Vivers) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:15:00 +0000

Spillers continues to continue and Grace will probably always be associated with it, no matter all her other extra-curricular activities. Here we go:

Recorded music highlights of 2008:
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig Lazarus Dig
Gentle Good - While You Slept I Went Out Walking
Truckers of Husk - Get Physical EP
Bonnie Prince Billy - Lie Down in the Light
Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain Look Out Sea
Grace Jones - Hurricane
Kitty Daisy and Lewis - S/T
Lyrics Born - Everywhere at Once
Alias - Resurgam
Tv on the Radio - Dear Science
Giant Sand - Provisions
Black Mountain - In the Future

Live music highlights of 2008:
Shellac at ATP's 'Release the Bats'
Truckers, Zail, RHLH and Legowelt at SWN
All of End of the Road (esp LOW swooooooooooooooooooon)
Grinderman and Grace Jones at the Electric Picnic Festival
Silver Jews at ATP
The Spirit Level (they leave me speechless each time they play)
Bjork (Plymouth Pavillion)
Low (Thekla)
Effterklang (The Point)
Malcolm Middleton (The Glee Club)

What else did you enjoy this year?
General wreckings and wrongings, often in the company of Lou and Ash. My 30th birthday party the other week was immense. Also the Spillers instores this year have made me warm inside

2008 was...
A mixture of peaks and troughs but the peaks won out in the end

2009 will be...
12 months long

2008 Review : Jen Long (Kruger Magazine)

noreply@blogger.com (interiormonologue) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:15:00 +0000

Recorded music highlights of 2008
1) Wild Beasts - Limbo, Panto
2) Cool Kids - Bake Sale
3) Los Campesinos! - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
4) The Airborne Toxic Event - The Airborne Toxic Event
5) Abe Vigoda - Skeleton
6) Why - Alopecia
7) Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
8) Rolo Tomassi - Hysterics
9) Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires
10) Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping

Also, 'big love' for Chairlift, Portishead, No Age, Times New Viking, Ladyhawke, TV on the Radio, MGMT, Cut Copy, Late of the Pier, Fuck Buttons and Vampire Weekend. And some more I can't think of right now.

Live music highlights of 2008
Live Music = Dananananaykroyd supporting Johnny Foreigner at the Cardiff Barfly. RATM and Monotonix come in second, and third.

What else did you enjoy this year?
This year I enjoyed SXSW, Peanut Butter, and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

2008 was...
...segmented.

2009 will be...
...post-subcultural (plus more flannel shirts)

2008 Review : Tom Willecome (Bedford Falls)

noreply@blogger.com (interiormonologue) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 10:10:00 +0000

Tom sings in one of my favourite bands of 2008 both live and on CD, Bedford Falls. Check them out in a venue near you in 2009.

Recorded music highlights of 2008
Failures' Union- Sinker
Drive-By Truckers- Brighter Than Creation's Dark
The Notwist- The Devil, You and Me
Paramount Styles- Failure American Style
The Hold Steady- Stay Positive
Lambchop- (OH) Ohio
Calexico- Carried To Dust
American Music Club- The Golden Age
Milloy- Creating Problems While Practising Solutions
Former Cellmates- Who's Dead and What's To Pay
Lemuria- Get Better
Textbook- Boxing Day Massacre
Night Marchers - See You In Magic
REM - Accelerate
The Constantines- Kensington Heights

Live music highlights of 2008
Hoover and Bluetip in Camden
The Night Marchers in Bloomsbury Bowl
The Notwist in Bristol
REM in the CIA
Drive-By Truckers in Bristol
Boss Tunage All Dayer in Cambridge
Textbook in Clwb
Stapleton in Le Pub
American Music Club in Bristol (twice), London and Birmingham

What else did you enjoy this year?
Co-habitation
Home Ownership
Cat Ownership
The Wire
House, MD

2008 was...
...stressful.

2009 will be...
...tight.

2008 Review : Anwen Ebenezer (Disco Nectar)

noreply@blogger.com (Vivers) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 08:45:00 +0000

Anwen is the brains behind one of the best new promotional outfits of 2008, Disco Nectar. If you like high-quality electronic music, keep your eyes peeled in 2009.

Live music highlights of 2008:
Truckers of Husk (Clwb, Ten Feet, Greenman). Seabear in Clwb. Right Hand Left Hand in Chapter and Clwb. Don't mean to be biased but Orgue Electronique was pretty awesome as was Legowelt. Free Rotation Festival in Hay on Wye. Sŵn was amazing.

Recorded music highlights of 2008:
Truckers EP! Alias - Resurgam. How could I forget Eero Johannes on Planet Mu? Just Eero Johannes. SKWEEE goodness!

2008 was...
Mathrocktastic.

2009 will be...
More SWN I hope!

2008 Review : Leah Roberts (The Point)

noreply@blogger.com (Vivers) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 13:45:00 +0000

Leah performs sterling work at that nice Cardiff Bay venue The Point. She likes her owls.

Recorded music highlights of 2008:
The Jim Jones Revue – The Jim Jones Revue, they're soooooo loud, Cement Mixer is in the running for my favourite song of the year.
Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing.
Headless Heroes – The Silence Of Love.
Deerhoof – Offend Maggie.
Sweet Baboo - The Mighty Baboo, I just can't get his songs out of my brain.
Leisure Society – Last Of The Melting Snow, my favourite festive song of the year.

Live music highlights of 2008:
Sŵn was ACE, here are a few of my highlights: Connan Mockasin, The Voluntary Butler Scheme, Agaskodo Teliverek & Sweet Baboo.
Primavera Sound – Devo, Bill Callahan (I don't think I've ever swooned as much in my life), Silver Jews & Les Savy Fav (wearing a skintight floral leotard accessorised with palm leaves).
ATP vs Pitchfork – Deerhunter, Caribou, Wooden Shjips, Marissa Nadler, Times New Viking.
Kling Klang at Clwb.
Truckers Of Husk at Cineworld.
Efterklang at The Point.

What else did you enjoy this year?
Jarvis's beard, my first End Of The Road & Primavera Sound, the baths in Budapest, Hellfire (the best music biography ever written), Club Foot Foot, Edinburgh festival, Man On Wire, Sailor Jerry's (thanks Bones), In Search Of A Midnight Kiss, Ebbw Vale Owl Sanctuary, The Little Christmas and summer fate, Sleeveface DJs at Latitude, The Junket Club's Christmas extravaganza, Swansea dog choir and my lovely red Dansette.

2008 was...
Full of owls, cakes (making them and eating them), the best friends ever, ace music, dancing, IP, B-movies and a lot of tea.

2009 will be...
A hoot.

2008 Review : Ceri Jones (The Muscle Club/Barfly)

noreply@blogger.com (interiormonologue) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 11:36:00 +0000

Recorded music highlights of 2008
Theres been a lot of good music out this year, after seeing them and putting them on, Johnny Foreigner, storming album! then there's Dananaykroyd following closely behind, Santogold, Lykke Li, Mogwai, Titus Andronicus gosh this list could go on for quite a while but still!

Live music highlights of 2008
Seeing Band of Horses in the Thekla was pretty special, as was Black Kids actually, they played to no-body and came out with a pretty average record but that performance was a lot of fun! There's been a whole bunch of stuff in Cardiff too! Casio Kids, Pulled Apart By Horses, Iglu & Hartly!

What else did you enjoy this year?
Being in a band that's half got it's act together, we managed to jammily get a session at Maida Vale thanks to Bethan Elfyn and that was pretty much the highlight, er, we played with a bunch of bands we love! Releasing our own 7" was pretty special too!

2008 was...
A really good beginning, I finally finished my horrible uni course this year and managed to wrangle myself a job as assistant promoter in Barfly, not as glam as it sounds but it's good fun! I've also managed to see a little bit more of our fair island, well the toilet venues but still!

2009 will be...
At least half as good as 2008, or at least I hope. Lots of good bands already confirmed coming to Cardiff, Sky Larkin / Pulled Apart By Horses (Barfly), Boy Crisis (Barfly) Voluntary Butler Scheme (Barfly) and some others I can't say just yet! Hopefully The Muscle Club will be on the road, sometime during the weeks of March, in fact definately!

2008 Review : Gwen (Drinkinggwenzilla/Kiss Of Death Promotions)

noreply@blogger.com (interiormonologue) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 10:04:00 +0000

Gwen puts on the always great Kiss Of Death nights in Newport, usually in TJs but with the odd foray into Le Pub. She's also provided Diverse with it's smallest ever flyer!!

Recorded music highlights of 2008
Talking mainly about acts I have listened to or put on for my Kiss of Death nights, my favourite CDs of 2008 have been Psycho Radio by Rezurex and Street Blocks and City Lights by the Graveyard Johnnys. Superb musical releases and both bands superb live

Live music highlights of 2008
Live highlights .... the Hip Priests at Tjs were outstanding and earned many new fans that night, Deadbeat Deluxe's first outing in 9 months last Friday at Le Pub was surprisingly good and my fave gig of 2008 was probaby Rezurex in Birmingham (one i can actually remember all of !).

2008 was...
...hard-going but great fun - met tons of interesting people and made loads of good contacts ......nice to see people supporting the live scene, although getting harder to get bods through the doors .... 2008 saw the birth of the VERY SMALL FLYER !!!

2009 will be...
...entertaining and hard work and will see even smaller flyers from drinkinggwenzilla as obviously no fucker takes any notice of them anyway !!