Following sold out shows at last year’s Swn Festival and a place on the bill supporting Les Savy Fav, Truckers Of Husk continue to tear through Cardiff’s live venues by bringing their unique calypso-infused-math-jams to CAI. Support comes from Hunters, who look to build on the momentum gained from their Adam Walton session recorded at the tail end of 2010. Opening the night are Denuo, hot on the heels of a Radio 2 approved support slot with the Manic Street Preachers at Blackwood Miners Institute.

All proceeds from this unique event will go to the Down’s Heart Group (www.dhg.org.uk). ‘Sold out’ are two words that seem to follow Truckers Of Husk around. Get your ticket early to avoid disappointment. Go on, it’s for charidee after all.

Friday 8th April

£5adv tickets: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/113219

***This event is for charity***

Truckers Of Husk
Hunters
Denuo

***Early Show***

19:30 – 22:30

Tickets: £5

***All proceeds to the Down’s Hearts Group – www.dhg.org.uk***

http://www.myspace.com/truckersofhusk
http://www.myspace.com/wearehunters
http://www.myspace.com/denuo

If you can’t make the show, but can spare a few pennies then please help us reach our target of £3000 by donating here http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/withouthopeoragenda

Thank you very much.
Ben & Tosh

The gentleman currently known as Alfred Darlington might just love Wales even more than it loves him.  Obsessed with the country, in particular the Snowdonian landscape, since “four or five years old”, he recently suggested, his last appearance in Cardiff gave back plenty with a storming midnight set at Clwb and an informal demo/lecture on his use of the Monome as a live mixing and creative tool.  That was for Swn 2009, so his return in support of new album Bespoke (Ninja Tune) is a long overdue one.  The ever-dapper Californian deals in a broad range of electronic styles across his storied back catalogue, from the exotica-tinged hip-hop beats of Exquisite Corpse through the more urgent dancefloor patterns of Love To Make Music To to the downtempo psychedelia of last year’s Righteous Fists of Harmony EP.  On record it fits somewhere between the abstraction of sometime collaborator Prefuse 73 and the louche cool of Gonzales.  This relentless, sunny experimentalism steps up several gears live, building expertly into a rolling, accessible techno monster.  Essential stuff.

Excellent support for these two gigs too, in the form of a couple of downtempo beatmakers from Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder stable who are both, it must be said, strongly reminiscent of classic Mo’ Wax-era heads.  Nothing wrong with that either.  LA’s Jennifer Lee, AKA TOKiMONSTA, layers woozy, stuttering beats with dog-eared fragments of piano and slowed-up vocal samples with familiar-sounding but impressive results.  It’s a real shame that TEEBS doesn’t follow her and Daedelus from the Thekla to Cardiff, if indeed the listings are accurate; his Ardour album is a treat, bumping seriously weighty bass against hazy music-box melodies.  Whether you opt for the full bill in Bristol or a Friday night at close quarters in CAI, this one should be sweaty, satisfying, danceable fun.

DAEDELUS
http://www.myspace.com/daedelusdarling

TEEBS
http://www.myspace.com/teeeb

TOKIMONSTA
http://www.myspace.com/tokibeats

THURSDAY 10TH MARCH

THEKLA
The Grove, Bristol
Doors 7pm
Ages 18+

Tickets £10 advance
0845 413 4444
http://www.alt-tickets.co.uk/
Bristol Ticket Shop

===============

LA’s Finest: Daedelus

Chrome Kids present DAEDELUS/TOKiMONSTA

Cardiff Arts Institute

March 11, 2011

10pm – 4am : £4.00 all night

“He’s the best. He’s so talented.” Flying Lotus on Daedelus

“LA resident, dandyism enthusiast and international globe-trotting man of mystery.
His music is a squelchy mash-up of beautiful sounds and beats that’ll keep your head nodding for weeks. He is both the most modest and humble yet massively exciting sample-basher you’ll witness. See him live and it takes you to another dimension.” Huw Stephens

If you’ve never heard of LA’s underground music god, Daedelus, it’s pretty tricky to know where to start. Undoubtedly the Godfather of the West Coat experimental Hip-hop scene, as both an influence and mentor for acts such as Flying Lotus and as a producer, who as well as his instrumental outings, has worked with various rappers such as MF Doom, Busdriver, Abstract Rude, Subtitle and Mike Ladd.

This forward thinking, multi instrumentalist’s music goes far deeper than just one scene however, and it is impossible to put any of his albums for top independent labels such as Ninja Tune, Big Dada, Soul Jazz, Stones Throw, Alpha Pup, Brainfeeder and Warp into any one category. A true visionary with an inventor’s mind and a jazz musician’s soul, it is an absolute pleasure to have him here at Cardiff Arts Institute. We also know he’s looking forwards to playing the Welsh capital again and has a long rooted love for the country, naming one of his albums ‘Of Snowdonia’ and even telling his classmates in school he was from Wales…and why not indeed?

Daedelus @ Audiotistic 2010! from Sinning in LA on Vimeo.

“Our favorite Los Angeles-based Victorian gentleman” XLR8R

“taking the metal out of black metal and shaping planet-busting drones that you might actually want to listen to instead of just collect” (Joe Gross, www.dustedmagazine.com)

Support comes from laptop/percussion/cello trio TEAM SPORTS, featuring ex-Truckers of Husk man Jimmy Ottley, and shoegaze duo MARS TO STAY, named excellently after the movement to have manned Mars exploration missions made one-way tickets.  Sounds highly promising.    The bussed-in hipsters with fishbowls for hats probably won’t like it.  Good.

The Rusty Trombone of God Presents…

OUR LOVE WILL DESTROY THE WORLD: Once known as Birchville Cat Motel, New Zealand’s Campbell Kneale conjures pulsating slabs of thick noise drawing you into the hinterland between black metal and spiritual ecstacy.

[myspace]

TEAM SPORTS: Matthew Lovett plays percussion, Ian Watson plays electronics, Jimmy Ottley plays Cello. Pulses, drones and scattered rhythms; free improv without the baggage.

[myspace]

MARS TO STAY: Shoegazing, reverb drenched attic duo. Fragile, leftfield dream pop, verging on the ambient.

Doors: 8:00pm – Tickets: £3 adv / £4 door

Cardiff Arts Institute, Cardiff

Buy Tickets: WeGotTickets or in store at Spillers Records (soon)

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Assuming you like running at pace around various Cardiff venues, that is, and if you don’t you’re in the wrong place.  There’s a massive amount of ace new music to explore – trust me, I’ve spent the last fortnight on Myspace seeking it out – so spreadsheets at the ready, and off we go…

Thursday packs a punishing amount into six hours and seven venues.  Christen the festival in familiar style with Threatmantics (Clwb), currently on career-best form – loud, delirious folk-rock with cracking tunes.    Or try Dad Rocks (Y Fuwch Goch), belying an awful name with intricate plucking, mournful trumpet and lyrical quirkiness.  Kutosis kick off a fine evening with the Barely Regal label, bringing whipsmart indie punk tautness to Dempseys; dip in there then back to Clwb for Sweet Baboo’s country-rock reboot of his endlessly charming songbook before taking in Sun Drums (Model Inn), alternately blissed-out and uneasy with spooked vocal hiccups woven into pitter-patter electronica.  Your appetite for some mid-evening beats duly whetted, Chad Valley’s beautifully melancholic Balearic euphoria – think Tough Alliance, Dolorean etc – should be a must, and Nedry’s marriage of Bjork/Fever Ray ethereal gloom to dubstep wobble in CAI wil stop you in your tracks.  An alternate route can be found via Spectrals’ bus station doo-wop fuzz  (Clwb) or Right Hand Left Hand’s ever-brilliant math-rock genius (Dempseys), followed by either the redoubtable, insidiously eerie pop of Clinic (Clwb) or Attack + Defend’s one-off live return (Model).  Three choices, all excellent, and it’s only Thursday evening.  Whichever you choose, haste ye then to Lesson No. 1’s showcase at the Model in time for Nordic tundra-metal titans Arabrot; from there, White Ring’s foggy, bad-acid slo-mo electronica (Undertone), Talons’ fret-tappy post-rock epics (Dempseys) and Samoans’ widescreen, Aereogramme-recalling math-prog (Fuwch) would all be fine options before taking in the twisting, soul-baring tension/release and Shellacian tautness of Bellini (Model).  That seems an ideal point to close the first day.  You’ll need your rest, after all.

Don’t know how to tell you this, but Thursday’s just an icebreaker.  Friday stretches the legs and the stamina still further, typified by the corking one-two across the bows that is Drains‘ cheeky, grungey hood-wearing punk (Chapter) and the magnificent Jesus Lizard creep and flex of the splendid Brandyman (Clwb).  A gentler introduction lies with Lucky Delucci (Undertone), reborn as gently anthemic folk-rockers.  Standard Fare‘s last Cardiff appearance was blighted by braying goons sharing the venue; their smart, vulnerable and hugely catchy indie-pop deserves better and will be one of the day’s treats.  Skip across town to Chapter for more big-hearted joy from Steve Baboo and Rob Voluntary Butler Scheme’s supergroup Wickes, perhaps; followed by a sly outside bet in the form of Stricken City (Undertone), all strident Polly Harvey/Zola Jesus vocals and luminous reverb-soaked, darkly inviting odd-pop.  Clwb, meanwhile, sees the re-energised Truckers Of Husk showcase new additions to their supremely catchy math-pop catalogue, and from there half an hour of Bastions‘ furious North Walian hardcore should naturally follow.  Plenty of top-drawer electronica once again today – Dam Mantle‘s glitchy, stuttering breaks and burbling dubstep-not-dubstep synths and the sublime Warp Records IDM classicism of Quinoline Yellow go back-to-back at CAI, while the skeletal Nintendo beats and Zomby-esque bleeps of Becoming Real are a hot tip for excellent leery, bassy fun at Buffalo.  Hang on there for Visions Of Trees, perhaps, whose horrid name hides an unexpectedly lovely, ghostly North Africa-goes-R n’ B take on Telepathe’s crystalline darkness.  Or take in a rare visit from legendary Dutch anarchist post-punks The Ex (Clwb), restless experimental visionaries as relevant now as ever.  Lesson No.1 strike again, there.   The confident, gleaming psych-pop classicism of The Keys will be a revitalising pop rush for tired ears and legs, so stop in at Y Fuwch Goch for that before deciding between Raffertie‘s queasy, rollercoaster dubstep/rave hybrid (Buffalo) or the Ras Kwame-helmed late-nighter at Clwb where grime don P Money holds court.  Or both.  No work tomorrow, y’know?

Saturday.  Plenty of ways to start day 3 in relaxed fashion, with Ballad of Britain taking a Welsh slant on the UK’s folk music history in the company of Trembling Bells and Richard James.  That’s in Chapter, with DJs and Scrabble in Dempseys; hardier souls will dive straight back in to the live tackle.  Undertone hosts H. Hawkline, now offering chewy psych-folk songwriting with krautrock leanings, and the lo-fi Welsh language glam-pop of Mr Huw.  Throats‘ overdriven math-metal lunacy is the pick of an earthier line-up at Clwb.  One of the year’s must-see bands play twice today; Y Niwl‘s expertly turned out surf twang will have you twisting in the aisles at both CAI and the Model.  See ‘em twice, pausing inbetween to take in the a nice counterpoint of Still Corners (Buffalo), whose glowing girl group balladry recalls trashy death-disc sadness and Broadcast’s exquisite poise.  Nice.   Tough choices abound come the evening, and weariness may play a part.  The Legendary Meic Stevens (TM), the increasingly ace stirring folk of Evening Chorus, the sweet acoustic sampledelia of Huw M and The Gentle Good‘s reliably pretty Welsh folk tales all feature on a great  bill at Chapter, where the day’s standouts Trembling Bells later bring awesome, soaring Incredible String Band folk-rock.  Do. Not. Miss.  Cate Le Bon clashes directly with them, which is truly gutting as her bucolic, earthy psych is ever a treat.  She’s on in Buffalo, and should you be in town you can also catch Let’s Wrestle and their endearing, shambolic lo-fi heartbreak pop, or the return of elusive Peel faves Melys (Clwb).  Spector-worthy pop thrills abound in Clwb, too, with the way-underrated wistful C86 joys of The School and the unnervingly young Magic Kids‘ Sesame Street Beach Boys vibe.  Clutch them to your weary bosom, before racing off to the Model to catch some of Beach Fossils‘ insidiously catchy, chiming indie pop, then to Dempseys where Veronica Falls offer expertly poised girl-group angst and smart male/female harmonies.  James Blackshaw should not be missed, should you be able to get into the MMH; his staggering 12-string guitar mantras would ideally be showcased at Chapter, but that’s my tough luck.  Whether you’ve chosen some of the above, or Perfume Genius‘ much-vaunted exploration of crushingly bittersweet Sufjan Stevens balladry, shoegazey FX and Antony Hegarty’s glassy vulnerability, do whatever is necessary to cram into the Model Inn for Islet‘s closing set.  Surely hopelessly oversubscribed, their feverish, joyous polyrhythmic attack and crowd-bothering interaction will echo the crazed scenes of last year’s Strange News and Right Hand Left Hand shows.  Those forking out the extra dollar can move on to catch the once-in-a-lifetime realignment of Swans at the MMH; the rest will drag their sorry frames to Clwb, or to the Silent Disco, and reconvene at Dim Swn (Gwdihw) on Sunday to drink away the pain to the strains of Gruff Rhys and Pete Fowler’s soothing DJ sets.  I’ll be there.  I might need a hug.

To be honest I thought it might be a bit empty but I arrived to a full bar of Cardiff’s music fraternity. Carl Rylatt on the decks, familiar faces playing with Lego. Musicians complaining about cookies that were too hard. Not your usual Monday night out.

First up on stage was Jemma Roper, I was always a fan of Sammo Hung and latterly Heck, both bands had their art rock leanings and both were fronted by Miss Roper. Her doll like poses and almost child like vocals were an integral part of both bands’ look and sound. Now though, she’s struck out on her own. Echoey guitar lines underpin vocals that have shed some of their saccharine sheen, at times it’s reminiscent of Nico and certainly has a late sixties/early seventies feel to it. There’s every chance that there’ll be a bit more experimenting with sounds other than guitar in the future and the short set tonight is a promising start.

The Failed NASA Experiment split opinion. I thought they were a bit noodly and had no direction, everyone else thought they were amazing. I couldn’t see the stage during the first few, ummm, let’s call them songs, so had to rely on my ears. There were certainly interesting sounds being made and the two guys in the band knew their way around instruments. My problem was that it wasn’t really building into anything. When I got down the front and could see what was going on, I began to understand the attraction, violin bows were being used on cymbals, the drummer had a selection of about six thousand drumsticks that were interchanged depending on what he was scraping, tapping or occasionally, drumming. Non drumming guy was busy with a shitload of effects pedals, a keyboard, some plastic charity shop instruments and more percussion. The crowd looked mildly hypnotised. Maybe it was my lack of recent drug experimentation but I just think that ‘interesting’ doesn’t always mean ‘entertaining’, I certainly wouldn’t be putting the CD on while hoovering the house (if I ever hoovered the house). They just seemed a little impatient, sounds changed and instruments were swapped before they hit their stride. A little more structure (and I don’t mean verse chorus verse) and a final aim to each piece and I could really like them. I know full well that Vivers will love these.

H.Hawkline sound like The Kinks if they’d listened to Cluster. This is a good thing. They were also drunk. This is also a good thing. Steve Baboo plays bass in this band, drunk Steve is worth the admission fee alone (OK, so it was free). Songs start, go wrong, stop, restart, have explaination that this one is difficult, song ends. Genius. One of the songs, when recorded, will contain a trumpet refrain. Tonight, singer Huw simply makes the noises himself. The music itself is basically sixties psych pop with a kraut edge, it’s good, I’m tapping my feet and everything but it’s the ramshackle, unashamed fun they’re having onstage that makes the live experience so worthwhile. This joyous abandon nearly turns sour at the end when the crowd swells (students, daft hats) and the band feel they should maybe play another song, clearly Steve is thirsty and asks the crowd for beer. He’s given a pint by guy in hat that clearly has no previous knowledge of the band’s appetite for alcohol. The pint is swiftly knocked back and the now really pissed off hat wearer stands at the front giving the band the finger. Things could turn ugly.

Luckily there was a crack team of trained negotiators at hand. Strange News From Another Star’s Jimmy Watkins was first to try to diffuse the situation by barging past the irate young gentleman and according to some eye witnesses, call him ‘a cunt’.

“I was trying to draw his sting like my Dad taught me, I didn’t want him to hit little Steve” Watkins explained later.

Unbelievably this noble attempt at peace failed and hat guy followed the band outside. In turn, hat guy was followed by Jimmy, Islet, writers from both this website and this is fake DIY and some girls. Obviously this hardened gang of wool wearing indie ex-art students would put the fear of God into the angriest of beer deprived warm headed gig goers. Not this fella though, he continued his attempt to get across his perceived miscarriage of justice and legal right to be compensated for his beer to members of the Hawkline fraternity. This, despite renowned violent gym addicted lunatic Mark Thomas (Islet, Attack + Defend) mocking the way he walked and doing an impressively accurate impression of his sticky outy chest bravado. They were also various hat related jibes from the assembled twee crew.

Common sense began to win out when money was given to the young music fan, albeit mainly scattered on the ground of the beer garden, for him to buy himself a pint. At this point he decided this wasn’t the issue and had to be talked into taking it by his mate. “We came to see your band, no hard feelings” the UN peacekeeping trainee ventured. All, it seemed, would end well.

“No you fucking didn’t, you don’t even know what they’re called” – Mark Thomas. “What were they called? Come on. You don’t even know!”. Luckily, everyone was now a bit bored of verbal jousting and just wandered off to dust down their knitwear.

Apologies to actual music fans for the seemingly unfair percentage of this review given over to coverage of violent undercurrents. It was really fucking funny though, this shit doesn’t happen very often.

Oh, and I forgot to take photos so I just used Fenella The Kettle Witch.

There’s something to be said for biding your time.  Love Parry III’s debut EP Race For The Poison Chalice, completed a good six months back and with a riotous, messy video shot back in May, finally sees the light of day this month.  An EP in the true sense, it plays like a triple A-side – if it wasn’t essentially a showcase, an opening shot across the bows to reintroduce the talents of ex-Hot Puppies songwriter Luke Taylor, you’d encourage them to hold back a bit.  The EP continues the evolution of his former band from poised, swoonsome indie pop towards a similarly lush electro, all whispered verses and delicious falsetto choruses.  Displaying a love of Prince, Bowie and Chic, it delivers in ways countless bands sharing surface similarities always seem to forget; bloody good tunes.  Style with content.  Easy, see?

Live, they’ve been a low-key presence over the last eighteen months as they basically find their feet.  A two-boy, two-girl line-up evolved slowly, keyboard and guitar-led, and it’s a more appropriate complement to the sound of the EP.  This launch gig has them supported by youthful Newport synth-pop outfit Dirty Goods and DJs Stacey Steve French and Kai Jones.   Stylish, witty, insidious pop music that ought never go out of fashion.  Ridicule is nothing to be scared of.

Cardiff’s colourful indie/dance troupe, Love Parry III release their hotly tipped new EP, “The Race for the poison chalice” coming out on the label ‘Dekalog Omni Wares’.
The single from the EP is called Toy Box along with its Jackson Pollack-esque video

Also on this hot new EP is a remix by the Nigerian dancehall dj Han Zulu.

Bringing you a full whack of festival goodness, Undeb celebrate all that is Cardiff. Theatre, Bands, Poetry, Photography and Live Art combine in this epic celebration of our beloved Capital.

Four arenas take over the Cardiff Arts Institute, simultaneously playing host to exciting events!

We can’t promise you mud but feel free to bring along your wellies and face paints…

THEATRE and MUSIC ARENA:

carIDff

What is Cardiff’s identity?
What does it mean to you?
If you had to sum Cardiff up in one object or place, photo or word, memory or street, what would it be?

4 writers to each create ‘a monologue for Cardiff’ – the twist being that they’ll have only 4 hours in which to create and rehearse it, and that the pieces will be inspired & provoked by the objects, photos, words and places that you the audience bring along.

Whether it be a pebble from Penarth beach or a bag of chips from Caroline Street. The winding arcades of St. Mary Street or the expanses of Bute Park. The mighty castle walls or the Millennium Stadium at capacity on international day.

So bring your slice of Cardiff along to Undeb’s Cardiff Identity Festival on June 20th and see it get woven into 6 pieces of bespoke theatre, created before your very eyes. An intimate, custom-made and fleeting theatre experience.

Featuring some of Wales’ most exciting playwrights and actors, paired up for one night only, curated by True/Fiction Theatre’s Matthew Bulgo, the writers are:

-Tracy Harris
-Alan Harris
-Kit Lambert
-Branwen Davies

————————————————–

Plus a selection of plays from Undeb Theatre celebrating Cardiff including work from their collaboration with National Theatre Wales.

————————————————–

Exclusive set from Jak Poore

Bands T.B.C

POETRY ARENA:

In a special collaboration with Undeb and Jam Bones, Cardiff’s most irreverent literature and music event Balloon will be doing stuff with words. For the first hour, Balloon present Bright Young Things: three soon to be huge young writers all publishing their first books. Featuring Susie Wild, Tyler Keevil and James Smythe all will be reading from their debut works and hanging around to chat and that. Later on Balloon team up with Jam Bones for a special micro-fiction Cardiff ’55 slam.

Collect your postcard at the event and do us a short story of exactly 55 words and if we pull you out of the hat you can stun us all with your literary cojones. Overall winners will be treated with prizes from Parthian of books and ebooks. That’s right ebooks. On memory sticks. The future.

If that’s not enough, come to Balloon’s Harder Better Faster Rhondda night at Clwb Ifor Bach on Thursday 17th June and you get all this a quid cheaper as well!

Meanwhile, get a closer look at those Bright Young Things here:

Onwards!

Jam Bones is the Diff-born spoken word collective that aims to encourage local talent while bringing the best in UK performance poetry to Wales

AND – details of our next event, if ppl come along they receive £1 off entry to the CIF!!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=130096163675660&ref=mf

GARDEN ARENA:

Cardiff Graffiti Artist R-MER is bringing down himself and 2 other local graf artists to paint live during the day. Plus live acoustic music outside.

PHOTOGRAPHY ARENA:

Curated by Dan Green and Big Little City

Amazing exhibition and live photo booth photography…oh yeah!

The Rusty Trombone of God Presents…

PART WILD HORSES MANE ON BOTH SIDES:
Hypnotic drums and flute duo floating between free jazz spirit, a
Popol Vuh/Herzog soundtrack and European improv.
http://www.myspace.com/partwildhorsesmaneonbothsides

YAJÉ:
Combining influences too many to choose, refusing to follow a genre,
completely free and fun music.

CIRCLES OF DON BOXEO:
Achingly beautiful and delicate compositions from Islet’s polyglot
Alex Williams. Like finding a dusty box of photographs at the back of
your wardrobe.

Doors 8:30pm / £3
http://www.wegottickets.com/event/82146

http://rustytrombone.spiralblast.co.uk/