She Bangs The Eardrums

Apologies

2010-01-14T17:10:00.000Z

I remember at the start of last month stating I would be writing here more as part of my 100 day project. After writing day 2 I had a moment of inspiration and moved my task of 'writing something' onto paper and as such haven't been on here for a while.

I shall reveal what I've done so far at some point in the near future but this is just to let you know I haven't given up on it.

I wrecked your daddy's car and went down on your mother...

2009-12-02T21:10:00.006Z

Short and sweet today due to me being absolutely bone-breakingly shattered. I love Christmas, but I love Christmas songs even more (only in the month of December though, before and after, they can bugger off), especially those with creative lyrics. That is why I love this song by The Hives and Cyndi Lauper (a collaboration I'd never have expected, but very glad to see exist).

Enjoy.

One Hundred Days

2009-12-01T23:17:00.001Z

So I am taking part in One Hundred Days To Make You A Better Person, commandeered by the lovely Josie Long and a whole bunch of other comedians, and as such I am going to write something everyday in some capacity. I shall be doing most of this writing in this here blog, but some may be done in my student magazine, for other people or just for fun.

So here I shall begin; very late for day one, but that's the fashionable way nowadays, though as trends go it'll probably flip reverse as I get older. Hopefully I will not become my Nan and arrive at a wedding four hours before everyone else, though. There are also other more obvious reasons why I wish not to become my Nan, and while a lot may be to do with anatomy and gender, a lot is also to do with knitting. I shall let my girlfriend do that instead.

I admit

2009-11-25T21:26:00.000Z

...today's blog post wasn't a classic. I just needed to write something. I will attempt to formulate something with an ounce of thought put into it next time.

This is what happens when you take time off work to sort out a CV and apply for new jobs...

Obsession: For Toast

2009-11-25T20:59:00.001Z

Toast. Yes, toast. Earlier on today I was drunk (mainly due to having a drink with someone inept at drinking) and I was considering the majesty of these little breaded treats. So much was my stupour that my mind concocted an image of a dancing human toaster with wings, and I agreed with myself that such an invention would be marvellous; the dancing would wow the crowds, the human aspect would add a sense of empathy for toaster boy's plight at being a toaster and as such not able to swim, wash or do anything involving water while the wings would just be awesome. He would make a fortune selling the toast he produced and as such become a broadway hit. Musicals would be made in his honour until one day the fame became too much and poor little Nigel would decide he was too dirty and head to the little bathroom in the sky. A tragic tale, we can all agree.

This sounds like a normal drunken delusion/great idea (the terms are interchangeable) but as I said, I have a fascination with toast. I've had dreams where the whole world is made of toast and where I've won the lottery and the prize fund was toast. I've even performed a whole opera about a piece of toast to a crowd of bread, the majority of whom I placed in a toaster at the end of my show.

I guess this is what watching the Strictly Come Dancing or the Twilight series must be like for the die-hard fans. I have sympathy for those who wish to become vampires, even though that would be hugely impractical and would certainly not make as good a musical as Toastboy: Saviour of 42nd Street. I understand that there can be an underlying fascination for certain things. Alas, for most of them, I don't really understand why.

Take a classic object of hatred, X-Factor, for example. What is so great about watching people who can barely hold a note attempt a lot of songs no-one cares about (along with three you do) and do so so badly that your cat has decided that it no longer wants its lives and climbs into the convenient thresher you recently had installed at your home (I admit, the analogy isn't holding up well...). The winner will get an album, for crikey's sake. An ALBUM! And people pay for this stuff too! These songs will be played ad nauseum on future series for more wannabes to murder, and so the cycle continues. I get that competition is fun to watch, but that's ten minutes of a show spread over two and a half hours.

But toast is no X-Factor; there are many reasons to wish for Toastboy 2: The Revenge of Santa's Elves. Toast makes art, toast contains people and popular religious icons. There are so many things to love toast for. You can question why bread on it's own can be a bit dull, but add some heat and suddenly it's a crispy world of brilliance, but that would be futile, it's just true. Jam, cheese, beans, nutella... everything is great on toast.

There is no great point behind this post other than the fact that I wanted to talk about toast. If you don't like toast, you've certainly come to the wrong place and most definitely will not like Toastboy III: Modern Warfare...

FACT.

Sunday Best

2009-11-22T12:19:00.005Z

It's November, it's raining. What else was I going to choose?

On with the job hunt, says I.

Why I love ukuleles

2009-11-21T16:28:00.066Z

Make things miniature and people will love them; hippos aren't exactly the most lovely looking creatures on earth but when a pygmy one appears, it's just awesome. Railways are big and vast and annoying to collect by such people who that would interest. Luckily for them, small versions became available so collectors would stop stealing stop signals from the tracks for their own personal use. People used to get all a-flutter seeing a woman's ankle when normal sized skirts were all the rage. Then a bright spark emanated from someone's head to stop the outbreak of fainting: make seeing ankles commonplace and miniaturise skirts in general.

Ok, so ukuleles technically aren't mini guitars (instead they're a Hawaiian 'interpretation' of guitars, but my preamble wouldn't work without saying they are, so there. Give someone a ukulele and they will feel like Gulliver in Lilliput and deep down everyone wants to pretend their a giant; as well as getting to pretend to stamp on buildings, grab planes and damsels in distress with you giant arms and travel on roller-skates around a city, it makes them happy.

Of course, being miniature isn't the sole reason for their awesomeness:

1. They make nerds look cool
Dent May (above) is not your average cool guy. In fact, he looks a bit nerdy. Nerds are a form of natural selection, removing the anti-social technophiles from the gene pool through lack of reproduction (note: geeks are not nerds). To combat this, people who look like nerds need a way to look attractive, which is where the ukulele comes in and as you can see, the man is now cool.

2. Great people play the ukulele
As mentioned, Dent May plays the ukulele and does so very well, but he's not the only one. Beirut, Noah and the Whale and Jens Lekman have also lent their prowess to the hallowed instrument. Half of The Beatles were skilled at the little things, as was Elvis before his Hamburglar days. However, perhaps the greatest person to play the ukulele is Miss Zooey Deschenal (right). She may not be the best at it, but just look at her...

3. They're cheap
Mine cost around £10 when I bought it. That's the same as a Coldplay album, and I know what one I wouldn't smear in shit and force feed to Chris Martin...

4. It has its own national orchestra
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain have been around for nigh on 25 years and are quite frankly plucking fantastic.

5. Sing anything to the sound of a ukulele, it's instantly awesome (not matter how bad you sing)
Case and point is KaraUke, a karaoke residency in London but instead of a karaoke machine, the music comes from a group of musicians playing ukuleles (and the occasional kazoo). I'm not the best singer in the world, but with the backing of ukuleles, the attention is drawn from me to the band's rendition of Lola, or Stuck in the Middle With You, or Faith. The same happens whenever the ukulele appears.

There we have it, five reasons why ukuleles are great (and not one mention of the sound. It's a nice twee one if you hadn't already gathered). Go out, buy one (and a hula skirt) and enjoy.

Sports Corner: Man's soul ripped out and replaced by machines

2009-11-18T20:53:00.004Z

So it's happened. For the first time in 20 years, two current world champions will be teammates, and McLaren must be laughing their way to the bank. The marketability of an all British line-up, drivers and all (we'll conveniently forget the engines for now) is immense and knowing the corporate publicity-hugging world of F1 it will be exploited to its fullest effect by the team.

Hamil-tron, sorry, Hamilton probably can't believe his luck. After thinking he would actually have to perspire to keep ahead of Raikkonen and endanger his electronic emotion circuit in doing so, Mercedes buy-out of Brawn has brought about a far easier challenge in the shape of Button. By no means a bad driver, Button isn't in the same class as Hamilton, Alonso and Kimi and as such Lewis should have no trouble asserting his authority.

While this should be my main concern for Jenson, I fear more for his outgoing personable attitude. McLaren are a 011001011101100001 kind of organisation (you can see their ideal employee to your left) and as such an individual expressing themselves as themselves is certainly frowned upon. We've seen it before in Montoya and Alonso, but I think the most pertinent argument comes through Mr. David Coulthard. At McLaren he was as dull as a doorstop, but when he arrived at Red Bull he... well, he was still a bit dull, but he came out of his shell and actually showed some form of personality (and grew a beard).

I really hope Button doesn't lose his. He's forthright when the time's right, he's good humoured and enjoys a laugh. But I fear when he joins the team and properly arrives and the processing pla... er, factory in Woking that ppart of his soul will be lost forever.

Whatever happens, the big loser at today's announcement were Mercedes. Having just made headlines strolling into F1 as a full blown manufacturer, they lose the services of the current world champion to the team that they have in effect parted company from (yes McLaren are getting their engines, but as a properly involved factor in the team they are no more) and are stuck with an ok Rosberg and Mr. Puberty Beard himself, Heidfeld.

PS. You may have noticed this post has nothing to do with music. You are correct. I am diversifying. Have a biscuit.

Sunday Best

2009-05-24T13:42:00.000+01:00

This weekend, I'm up in Liverpool enjoying the sights and sounds of the city while running through water fountains and drinking a lot. What other way to celebrate Liverpool is there than to give you their favourite sons, The Beatles? Here they are with And Your Bird Can Sing.

Stag and Dagger @ Shoreditch, 21st May

2009-05-22T11:57:00.004+01:00

Another month, another inner city festival. Unlike Camden Crawl though, this one is only for one night and for the first time is touring the country. It's a great idea, but it needs the acts to back it up and the punters were certainly not left disappointed.

Stag and Dagger is only in its infancy as a festival, this being its second year, but it drew an impressive line-up, including Micachu and the Shapes, Dananananakyord, The Twilight Sad, Cursive and many more. The only problem with inner city festivals is the fact that you're definitely going to miss an act you want to see. There's no catching the end of a set when another band has finished due to the walking between venues and the inevitable queues outside the venues. The queues for Stag and Dagger weren't a problem really, but the distance between venues was. To travel from The Macbeth to 93 Feet East is a good 20 minutes at the very least by foot, for example, and public transport links being made useless by the amount of people around trying to do the same.

However, stick to a venue and all is well. I spent the evening in The Legion, a little bar venue on Old Street. The main draw of being there was to see Maps play, but I managed to catch one great act, one good act and one average act on top of them.

First on stage was Silhouette, a young girl with an electric guitar (not as I was hoping a Jazz group from Norway). She had a decent voice, but it always felt as if something was lacking, mainly anyone backing her. Solo acts don't usually do well with just an electric guitar and this was the case here. Masquerade wasn't a bad song (and is her upcoming single), but this wasn't really anything to write home about.

Next up was Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson (right), and this was the great act of which I speak. There was something about the vocals that resonated so well with the lyrics and backing. Buriedfed is a great set and album opener, but it was the violinist who drew me in the most (he made me realise giving up the violin when I did may have been foolhardy at the time). The cacophonous sound was never messy; you could see Miles was in control all the way and never looked like he would lose it. Highly recommended.

Jesca Hoop was third on stage and was the first act to really engage with the audience. She had a very pretty voice and is possibly what Silhouette should have been aiming for, as her use of acoustic guitar was very impressive. Unfortunately, she may need to learn some manners. She openly criticised the tech guys and the people chatting in the background. And while her potential to be fantastic may have been lost due to the jabbering of those who hadn't come to see her, her reaction to it all wasn't the greatest. Still, she seemed lovely to those who listened.

Finally came the band I had been waiting to see. Maps (left) don't tour much, but when they do it's always worth going along, hence why I decided to camp at The Legion. Opener So Low, So High got the crowd going and they never lost their rhythm throughout the set and you can fully see why they deserved their Mercury Prize nomination a few years back. Back + Forth also stood out from the set, but it was one where single tracks made no difference, it was more to do with the experience. The sound quality was very good for such an acousticly unfriendly venue too, which I had worried about previously. New material is on the way from Maps and you'd do much worse musically to go out and have a butcher's.

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson on Myspace
Jesca Hoop on Myspace
Maps on Myspace

Who in the hell are... Everything, Everything?

2009-05-21T12:35:00.036+01:00

Artist: Everything, Everything
Location: Manchester, UK

I first caught Everything, Everything by accident at Camden Crawl last month. I'd originally gone to Dingwalls to have a butchers at The Invisible, but got there far too early so decided to hang around to watch the first act on the bill. I was suitably impressed with what I saw, some raw talent evident and good stage presence and a good tune or three to boot.

There's definitely a reason that Johnny Marr has gone on record to state his interest in the band. There are some decent harmonies and melodies hanging around, which can be seen in Suffragette Suffragette and Photoshop Handsome, along with a funky electro beats backing up the impressive vocals. They're not afraid to try something different either, trying less often used beat patterns in order to obtain something just a little bit different from what's currently sitting in the charts.

Still, the stand out feature of the band is the harmonies that these guys can pull off. Not quite a capella, but a very welcome addition to the indie dancefloor and maybe more in the future. They're also quite inventive with what they do. Luddites and Lambs changes vocal, backing and instrument tempo a startling amount and independently of each other but to great effect without impairing interest in the song. Recommended.

Everything, Everything on Myspace

The Vault

2009-05-20T13:43:00.054+01:00

2. Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea

Once in a while an album comes along that blows you away on each and every listen, no matter how long you've owned it for, no matter when it was released or who it's by. And all too often these albums are not universally known. Now, I'm not saying that no-one would have heard of Neutral Milk Hotel, because I'm very sure that there are many who have. It's actually quite nice to see the look in people's eyes when they realise they've been missing out on something so good for so long. But if you haven't heard this album, you must. Whether you like it or not at the end of is neither here nor there, this is an important musical milestone.

The album has an underlying second world war theme, which can easily be seen in Holland, 1945, telling the tale of Anne Frank and Communist Daughter, as well as the numerous references to body and flesh throughout the album. It's hard to find a high point of an album of highs, but the key point comes at the start of King of the Carrot Flowers Pt. 2 with Mangum's cry of 'I love you Jesus Christ' with his trembling voice with a minimalistic start, showing the strength of Mangum's vocal ability (again, as with last week's entry, the singing voice is lacking but not needed). Elsewhere, I'd claim that Two Headed Boy Pt. 2 is one of the great album closers, being both gorgeous and heartbreaking simultaneously.

Everyone who I know that knows of this album absolutely loves it or hates it. There is no middle ground. But then with great albums there shouldn't be a middle ground, they should always aspire to polarise, because no-one wants to make a middle of the road 'ok-but-not-great' album. Well, some would do so for money, but then that was their moral failure.

Needle or Haystack?

2009-05-19T17:31:00.003+01:00

The Smoking Rolo Sideshow - Mucho Mojo Baby

I love experimentation. It's how so many of the greatest inventions today were discovered. Toasters? Brilliant, I love crunchy bread. The record player? Thank you very muchly. The inflatable dartboard? Well, at least you tried...

I am especially impressed with bands who try something a little bit new; mixing styles, tempos and sounds to create something that you haven't heard before. Right here, TSRS try to blend rock, 80s, indie, new world and folk all into one, and unfortunately much like someone trying to create a hybrid of all of the above inventions (I'd quite like to see a toaster that plays music with an attached inflatable dartboard actually), it overcomplicates things and hence doesn't really work.

It's hard to pick out stand-out moments on an album that really has no marked path and is to all intents and purposes a mess, but there are some good tracks on here. Opener The King Is Dead would be decent on any album, while This Is Not That shows where TSRS's strengths really lie. Unfortunately, this potential doesn't live on in the rest of the album.

Finally, you have no idea how hard not incorporating any sort of chocolate based pun in this review has been. Seriously, I had to go out and buy a pack of Rolos just to stop myself.

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It would seem that youtube have removed the Green Day video I posted on Sunday. The video has now been replaced by a live video of the song.

Also, apologies for being a day late.

Sunday Best

2009-05-17T12:30:00.002+01:00

Following the release of 21st Century Breakdown on Monday, this week's Sunday Best goes 15 years into Green Day's past to celebrate their magnum opus, Basket Case.

Misty's Big Adventure @ 93 Feet East, 14th May

2009-05-15T13:32:00.000+01:00

For such a celebrated, well-publicised venue, it always surprises me just how bland the stage at 93 Feet East looks. It reminds me more of a drama studio wall than something you'd find standing behind an artists playing a decent sized gig. To set this stage alight, you need to be interesting. And that's just what the venue got last night.

I know not what the first two support acts held in store, as I was too busy discussing inappropriate things that friends say, frog consistency and marvelling at how Johnny Cash singing Walk The Line fit in perfectly with the 1920s video playing in the adjacent room.

When conversation dried up, it was time to head in to the actual venuey bit to find The Brian Jacket Letdown (above) just about to start on stage. I must admit that with such a ridiculous name, I approached them with trepidation, but I needn't have. They're as eclectic as you'd expect, using ukuleles, the world's tiniest organ (which was actually a percussion instrument) and styrophones, but they mix the use of these instruments together to great effect. They had fun, and most importantly, knew exactly what they were doing. Most importantly, they're not 'zany'. This was my main worry when I saw the name, but they proved me wrong. The music is catchy but intelligently worked, most evident in Sometimes, and perhaps my favourite accidental discovery I've made this year.

Next came the main act, Misty's Big Adventure. After my statement earlier on about how I was worried about a 'zany' act, you may think that this would seem to be self inflicted torture, especially with such a creation as 'Erotic Volvo' (the red and blue thing, right) but you'd be wrong. Zany bands do wacky stuff just for the hell of it. Misty's do 'zany' stuff because it fits their musical style. Erotic Volvo would work with no other band, mainly because s/he has been designed to fit with the songs.

Plus the most important thing about them is that you don't really notice any ridiculous silly-just-for-the-hell-of-it. You notice that they're having fun, and that's an achievement given Grandmaster Gareth's naturally apathetic voice. There's an underlying optimism in their songs, but it's not all happy-chirpy, with the central story of most songs revolving around loss and longing, and in perhaps their most famous work Fashion Parade, the disappearance of their then manager with their tour money.

The new tracks played fit in well with old classics, proving they haven't lost touch as their popularity gradually increases (following their musical appearance on the theme tune to Genius, Dave Gorman's BBC2 show). The evening ended with a very quick rendition of Never Stops Never Rests Never Sleeps, given the venue's strict 11pm curfew which got the crowd into an especially energetic mood, providing the highlight of their set.

The Brian Jacket Letdown on Myspace
Misty's Big Adventure on Myspace

Who in the hell are... 60 Persons?

2009-05-14T14:59:00.091+01:00

Artist: 60 Persons
Location: Glasgow, Scotland

Told you I'd aim closer to home this time round. Sweden was getting more exposure than small UK artists, which is what this segment was initially brought in for.

This band definitely isn't twee Swedish indie, instead leaning towards guitar-lead indie rock, mixing a vocal style akin to Caleb Followill (not the greatest singing voice, but impressive vocal ability) with a dense Scottish accent. There's also a penchant for a mini-guitar solo or too. There are obvious nods to their various influences; Kings of Leon vocally, Oasis and The Stones in their guitar work. But their best work comes in the shape of Velvet Sky, where most of these influences aren't as evident as elsewhere. This isn't to say their other work isn't good, just that there's a fair amount of common ground that their songs share.

But there's definitely something there, a glimmer of light that says that they can fulfil their potential. We just don't know what that potential will be yet, or whether they'll just be swallowed up by the generic indie rock monster never to be seen again. I hope not though, given that they're just different enough to be interesting and I'd like to see more from them.

60 Persons on Myspace

The Vault

2009-05-13T14:30:00.136+01:00

The Vault is where the greatest albums (in the opinion of SBTE) are kept for safekeeping. The numbers given are simply the order in which the albums are ordained, not an indicator of rank.

#1 The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses (1989)

It would be foolish to start with any other artist or album given the title of this blog, but this isn't the sole reason for choosing The Stone Roses' debut album to look back at. This was an album that epitomised the Madchester generation (despite the band being vehemently against this association), one that gave the UK music scene at the time a huge boost mainly in terms of its scope and influence. But of course, as many albums revered when looking back with rose-tinted glasses, it wasn't the subject of global critical acclaim on release, instead having its merits recognised by word of mouth and then spreading.

The album, admittedly, is a slow burner, which may explain the sporadic acclaim on its release. It's heart is set in the 60s psychedelic era and this evident from the first listen, but it would be too simplistic to leave it as that. On the 3rd or 4th play you can hear that everything fits. There's nothing that sticks out like a sore thumb as a dud, but neither as a classic, the latter due to the subtle uniqueness of each track and the cohesion between them. You have your great 'single' tracks in She Bangs The Drums and Made of Stone, each with their own merits, then a more experimental side seen in Don't Stop (Waterfall played backwards with a new vocal), while the album's closer I Am the Resurrection is as anthemic as opener I Wanna Be Adored.

On future releases Fool's Gold was included in the tracklisting, but as good an anthem as it is, it isn't needed and if anything stunts the flow of the album. It is understandable that it was included, though, given that it was released as a standalone single.

This album is more than just tracks; it's the people behind it. Ian Brown's voice may not be the greatest in the world, but anything but his hushed tones would take away from the album. John Squire's guitar is uplifting and irreplaceable, Mani's guitar work showed how a bass can drive an album forward when needed while Reni's skill on drums was subtle but effective, without the need for overblown drum solos.

This is one of the greatest albums the UK has produced and deserves its retrospective reverence as well as its place in SBTE's Vault.

Needle or Haystack?

2009-05-11T13:40:00.015+01:00

Recently, I found a huge pile of promo CDs sent to my uni's radio station this year that have gone unnoticed and unlistened to. Therefore, I've decided to go through them to see if there are any gems hidden amongst them, sort of like a needle in a haystack, convenient seeing as that's the title of the feature. Or whether there is, as I wanted to call this feature, 'something good in a pile of shit'.

The Fancy Toys - Gypsy Eyes EP

A UK based band, finally. As much as I love Sweden I was getting a bit tired of stating how much I liked their music. Ok, they may describe themselves as 'French Pop' and look decidedly French but their definitely British, their Myspace says so. The question though is whether it's as timeless as a football, just another tamagotchi style fad or as much fun as pet rock (see what I did there.... oh nevermind).

Well, it's twee. Twee can be good, twee can be bad, so saying twee alone isn't much help. Unhelpfully, it's somewhere in the middle. Immoral is the most twee the EP gets; sung in French, with tappy guitar and da-da-das dotted all over the place, it's like being force fed cake for 4 hours. Flower Child and single Gypsy Eyes are somewhere in the middle, flitting between something pleasant, with decent backing and atmosphere and something not-so-pleasant, becoming incredibly cheesy at points.

Luckily, the band does get one song track right on the money. Claire Obscure's slow and intropsective nature is neatly worked with something that could easily be a ballad entry from Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest, while retaining a twinkly nature while being held together by the underlying jazzy feel too the EP.

Overall, the could be something in the future for The Fancy Toys, but right here it's a tad all over the place and not much sticks in the mind when it ends. Not a write-off though.

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I may have bought a domain name over the weekend. This is the first step in attempting a fully fledged website of my own for this project/prospective career path.

The domain name is: http://www.shebangstheeardrums.co.uk which redirects to the main blog page. Not much, but a start.

Sunday Best

2009-05-10T11:43:00.001+01:00

Sunday Best celebrates a classic song based on what I've done or the week's music news.

To celebrate last week's purchase of tickets to see Blur next month, here they are with Tender:

Bishop Allen @ Barden's Boudoir, 7th May

2009-05-08T13:13:00.001+01:00

Barden's Boudoir is a secluded little venue. It's location in Stoke Newington means that it's out of the way enough from the underground network not to be on London gig-goers radars, while if you do venture there, finding it is a trial. Just like Notting Hill Arts Centre, the only noticeable element of it on the surface is a door which you can easily miss.

It's all the better for its seclusion though as you get a very good set of people attending; ones who actually listen to the support act and encourage them, rather than see them as background music before the main event. Well, for the first act they were like that anyway. Stagecoach were first to take to the very slightly raised stage last night, and they fit perfectly with what was to come. Best described as alt-country indie, they got the crowd interested in what they were doing. It also marks the first time I have seen someone rock out on a lute. The crowing moment of their set came with their final song, Good Luck With Your 45, which is best described as sounding like the last 2 minutes of LCD Soundsystem's New York, I Love You and as similar as it may be, it works without feeling like a rip-off.

After a short gap came Tin Can Telephone with an acoustic set. However, they may as well have not turned up. They didn't fit with either what preceded or what was to come, and their first four songs just felt dull. They picked it up at the end slightly with a decent track followed by one with good moments but with an overall messy feel. They may be good when they're a full compliment of six on stage, but with four there was nothing intriguing or exciting about them, and as such the crowd saw it as incidental between bands music rather than a support.

Finally came the main event. Bishop Allen (above) have enthralled me since their EP project in 2006 (they recorded a new EP for every month of the year), and although I found Grrr... to be a tad disappointing, their live show was anything but. The songs they chose to play from Grrr... were transformed into things far better than recorded, the best of which was True or False, sung by Darbie Nowatka (right). Most of the highlights came from The Broken String, though, with the crowds being entertained and singing along to Click, Click, Click, Click, Rain, Butterfly Nets and closer Middle Management, as heard on the trailer for Nick and Norah's infinite playlist. Their best moment came from their encore closer, and the first song I ever heard by Bishop Allen, Flight 180. A haunting build up, some excellent crescendos and the whole venue dancing along very enthusiastically. The perfect end to a very impressive set.

Stagecoach on Myspace
Tin Can Telephone on Myspace
Bishop Allen on Myspace

More photos available on my Flickr

Who in the hell are...?

2009-05-07T18:00:00.050+01:00

Name: Air France
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden

One day I'll emigrate this from Sweden and look at at artists from a different country like, say, the UK, but Air France are too good a duo to pass by. Following EP releases in 2006 and 2008, the band have combined the two into their first LP, No Way Down. The sound of the band has been described as 'post-rave bliss' and as much as I hate descriptions like that, it fits the bill perfectly. The band are certainly deserving of their Best New Music award for the 23-minute No Way Down EP last year, and I have never been so relaxed upon hearing an album as I was when I first put this on the stereo, and this is including ( ) by Sigur Ros (though you could argue that it's better described as beautifully depressing than relaxing). The highlight track from the combination LP comes from Collapsing At Your Doorstep, with one of the most affecting and stunningly produced song I've heard in recent years. There's something very catchy about it too that gives a very slight glint towards Little Fluffy Clouds by The Orb, but immeasurably better.

The rest of their material more than matches this track too and is well worth whatever you pay for it. Check them out.

Dislike tents and moving? Try these on for size...

2009-05-06T20:00:00.004+01:00

In the last of a series of three articles looking at live music over the summer, SBTE shifts its focus to the big bands putting on kitchen-sink-and-all one-off shows to try and work out why these events are in the midst of a revival with both bands and fans over the summer.

In many people’s minds, the live music year is split into two. From late September to early May, country-wide tours of pubs and bars are the norm, unless you’re a big band in which case it’s academies and arenas, or if you’re huge it’s Europe and stadiums. The rest of the year is festival season, whereby the indoor setting is foregone in order to live and breathe the world outside for four months or so (inner city festivals excluded). We’ve had a look at the different types of festival that go on over the summer, but this isn’t the limit of outdoor summer music.

Maybe you dislike tents even more than I do, but can’t abide by venue hopping and want to enjoy the sunshine (or whatever variation the UK receives) instead. There is still a niche market available to you: the one off music spectacular. This can be in the shape of a one-day festival in a park (e.g. Field Day) or, more commonly, in the form of a suitably ‘big’ enough artist in special venues. This year sees the return of Blur, and to celebrate they have two days set aside to play in Hyde Park to crowds in the tens of thousands, but this is certainly not the only large scale artist gig going on.

For the fans, this can be great fun. The same feel as a festival but without the unstoppable stench and the fact that everything is taking place on one stage not dotted around the site. Even those at the back can enjoy themselves, setting up a picnic during the support and then having space and chilling during the main event while hearing things as clear as you would nearer the front given the power of the speakers (This is exactly what I did at Green Day in the MK Bowl in 2005). Of course, it can be even more of an intense experience down the front, even with the bus-sized gap between yourself and the stage. If you love the band, you will see them, and that sort of mentality I can definitely understand, but it’s one I can’t really deal with.

I want to be as close as possible to the music. Alan McGee stated in an interview with SBTE that he felt like a UFO at gigs he’d put on for Oasis and I completely understand what he means. It feels like I may as well be watching it on TV. Sure, there’s the acclaimed atmosphere of such a huge crowd, but it doesn’t really feel right. I have many friends who think the same thing; there’s no connection to the band playing.

Most of these events are just cash cows for the record companies and the bands, seeing as live music is pretty much the sole area where musicians make credible money nowadays, but I don’t mind that so much given the fact that bands have to do this to get money. These giant spectaculars really aren’t my cup of tea and for this reason you won’t find me at Hyde Park for Blur even though they’re one of my favourite bands. Instead you’ll find me at the warm up shows, namely the one in Southend.

Luckily, these events are not the only one-off shows available to the music-going public. Every year, Somerset House puts on a week and a bit of live music, each day featuring a different huge live act. The crowds are big, but not too big as to completely ruin the experience. This is mainly because the bands are ones that occasionally slip under the radar yet are some of the greatest live acts in the business, Super Furry Animals being a prime example.

But that's just me. It all depends on what you like more; picnics or music

Here are my recommendations for one-off shows this summer:

Somerset House, 9-18 July
The likes of Grace Jones, The Mars Volta and Super Furry Animals get their own night to play to a crowd of thousands at of the most picturesque outdoor venues in London

Field Day, 1 August
A day of alternative music in a park in East London; there’s none of your overhyped radio bands here. All the fun of a traditional festival on the outskirts of central London, while at the same time playing host to Final Fantasy, Four Tet and Errors

Blur, 2-3 July
I can’t not mention them really. As packed as it’ll be, I can still see it being a lot of fun, especially if you’re of the relaxed picnic mentality.

The rise of the inner city festival

2009-05-04T20:30:00.002+01:00

In the second in a series of three articles looking at live music over the summer, SBTE moves away from the countryside and into the confines of the city to determine why so many music lovers are taking to the streets to find their new favourite bands.

Tents are a pain. For somewhere you’re pretty much living for a few nights, they’re not exactly the most comfortable of blighters (the amount of times some part of me has slept on a rock defies belief) and if it rains you’re pretty much screwed. An epic flood that takes over your tent is one of the most depressing parts of a festival weekend as it’s always your stuff that gets soaked, never the people’s you’re sharing with. All this is sandwiched inside the two most fiddly and annoying aspects of camping at festivals; pitching and taking down your makeshift house.

There’s always one person who sits around doing bugger all bar tell you you’re doing it wrong, while someone else is so inept that you wish they were sitting around instead. Many hands make light work, but too many cooks spoil the broth; it’s like an eternal proverb paradox which can never be resolved. In the end, there are always just three people doing something useful and three, whilst the most magical of all the numbers, is exactly the wrong number of people required to do anything involving tents.

There are many other issues too: lack of showers, the fact you’ll be stonkingly cold when the rain comes and you realise you haven’t brought anything warm, the burns that the occasional sunshine bring, the odour that deodorant can’t quite cover and officially the most fucking awful smell in the world of festival toilets.

This is not to say I hate festivals (I feel the pros outweigh the cons enough for me to love them), but you can see why people would. For the reasons stated above combined with escalating costs are driving many people away from musical farmland and back closer to civilisation in the city. The past five years has seen a surge in popularity of festivals spread across venues in cities all over the country. The most famous recent example of this comes courtesy of the Camden Crawl, initiated in 2005. You plan your day on the timetable given to you upon ticket collection only to be distracted by Madness playing on top of a bus surging through the streets, being taken in by rumours of secret shows and in the end hardly making good on your intentions at the start of the day, but at the same time finding two new bands that you really like.

As you can see, this is much the same as a normal festival. So what’s different about the inner city variety? Well, cleanliness and hygiene for a start, the fact that you can go back to somewhere comfy to sleep that doesn’t become an oven at 7 in the morning, a place to charge your phone to keep in contact with people you’ve met (rather than having to rely on your substance-addled mind to remember names and numbers), the lack of hippies. Most importantly, you get the feel of smaller venues, where gigs seem more personal and affecting than when in a crowd of thousands. So far, so good. Or is it? Does this all take away from the festival experience? In my opinion, no, mainly because they’re different types of festival. You wouldn’t buy an F1 car for the family run, and you wouldn’t buy a mini to race in Moto GP, would you?

Each has their own positive and negative points. At events such as Camden Crawl, where are the alternate evening events, where is the pirate ship on the lake, where’s the relaxed attitude of everyone there? Inner city festivals are a lot more hectic and cramped than their field-sited counterparts, and some people don’t like this. I happen to be in the enviable position of being entirely comfortable at both, but both can be incredibly polarising.

My advice to you would be to give both a go twice and then decide. The trying anything once mentality is admirable but flawed given that anything can go wrong at either to take away from the experience. You may prefer one over the other, you may love both, you may even hate both, but you never know until you try.

I’m just glad only half of them involve tents.

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Here are my picks of the inner city festivals coming this summer:

The Great Escape, 14-16 May
Less an inner city festival, more a convention. The UK’s answer to SXSW in the States, showcasing all the new bands of the past six months in combination with keynote speeches from those in the industry, all included in the price.

Stag and Dagger, 21, 22 and 23 May (London, Leeds and Glasgow respectively)
After last year’s success of East London’s Camden Crawl, Stag and Dagger goes on tour this year to three of the country’s musical hubs. Features The Twilight Sad, Dananananakroyd, and Micachu and the Shapes amongst many other acclaimed and upcoming artists

Loop 3.0, 10-12 July
Loop enters its third year, showcasing the talents that lie on the peripheries between rock and dance music, such as Esser and Emiliana Torrini.

Middlesbrough Music Live, 1 June
The tenth anniversary of this event comes with The Zutons taking the headline spot, but as of yet there aren’t many other acts confirmed. With a history of successful artists, though, this entirely free day is well worth a go to check names you haven’t heard of if you’re around the area

Getting into the festival spirit

2009-05-02T20:01:00.009+01:00

Following the Camden Crawl last week, the summer music season has very much begun; tours are halted, bags are packed and bands go trekking across the country and even the world to play to new audiences. In the first of three articles looking at live music over the summer, SBTE takes a look at traditional festivals and wonders whether this is the way the future's meant to feel, or just 20,000 people standing in a field?

As the season of sporadic sunshine and showers comes to an end, it brings with it a new one of sunshine and sporadic showers takes its place. Ok, so there isn’t really a noticeable difference between spring and summer barring maybe 5 extra degrees here and there, but for festival goers this is more than enough of an excuse to down tools for a long weekend and live in a tent while music bellows all around them.

Yes, festival season is fast approaching, and many people right now are searching for the best one for them this summer, myself included. A healthy majority of you will be attending the big ones, which is fair enough given their exposure and their bill, but there’s something about them I don’t like at all. I’m not going to jump on the ‘oh, it’s far too corporate’ bandwagon, because people have their reasons.

That’s not to say that I don’t really dislike these big 60,000 affairs though. If you don’t like Carling you’re pretty fucked, so you have to drink to get drunk so you don’t notice the taste (seriously, find me someone who actually likes that crap, and I’ll eat my hat. Actually, I probably won’t care, but give it a go anyway). The biggest gripe I have with them, though, is that I think I’m missing out on the experience. You know, what festivals used to be. They were about hippies and ‘sticking it to the man’ and peace and love and... actually, I hate that sort of shit, but there’s one thing about them I adore, and that’s the fact that they’re just a bit of relaxed fun. No-one keeps telling you ‘you HAVE to see this band, or you’ll die and I’ll spit on your corpse’, and that’s just refreshing.

I hate people forcing their music onto other people. I can get with suggestions, which is what I try to do, but to be derided for not seeing someone play is not in the spirit of festivals. In fact, festivals should offer far more than just music anyway. There should be areas outside of the campsite where you can just relax, enough to do to tide you over between the bands that you want to go and see and, probably most importantly, joviality between all attendees. Of course, in the real word there will always be a couple of wankers anywhere you go, but I tend to find they appear fewer and further between at the little festivals.

This is probably because at them I’m not even usually at the stages. I’m watching a man dressed as a bear streetdance, or riding down a hill in a makeshift vehicle into hay bales, backflipping off trampolines or having mass powder paint fights, all of which have the willing participation of everyone there. That’s the key bit, everyone wants to get involved. At the bigger ones, people are far less open to things that aren’t directly musically involved. You can’t get anything like that done because the security and sponsors and people around you wouldn’t let it be done, or would ruin it by starting a ruckus.

I feel I’m being too hard on the big festivals. They can introduce a lot of people to their new favourite artists and can expand the musical horizons of everyone there, but only if they are open and willing, which I find far too many people there aren’t. Some big festivals get it spot on. Glastonbury is the biggest music festival in the country and is full of corporate who-ha, but it has the feel of a small festival. People want to get involved with everything and the vast majority want to do everything possible. Bestival too has the ambience and vibe to it that other should be aspiring to. Contrast these with events like V and Reading/Leeds, where it looks more like a concentration camp with two arcade machines as entertainment for everyone.

Anyway, enough drivelling, here are my recommendations for outdoor festivals this summer:

Blissfields, 3-5 July
Cancelled last year following poor ticket sales, the 2007 Best Small Festival award winner is back with acts such as Laura Marling, SFA and many local bands from the Winchester area

Dour, 16-19 July

The biggest European alternative music festival held in Belgium, and with one of the most intriguing of the summer line-ups, including The Pet Shops Boys and Aphex Twin. Can become a dust bowl when extremely hot (it reached 36 degrees in 2006), but this doesn't take away from the experience. Very very good value.

Secret Garden Party, 23-26 July
My pick of the five, and it’s where I shall be this summer. No advertising hoardings, plenty of activities such as Suicide Olympics and conspiracy camp, locally sourced food, Jarvis Cocker and even the Tower of Babel. Perfect.

Camp Bestival, 24-26 July
Unfortunately for me, Camp Bestival takes place exactly the same weekend as SGP, but this is easily one of the best options festival-wise over the summer.Initiated and curated last year by Rob da Bank, it probably has the best line-up of the summer, along with some very interesting and fun activities on the periphery.

The End of The Road Festival, 11-13 September
The last festival of the season. Bands play longer sets, there’s a varied selection of beers and you get some of the smaller successful bands playing, such as Fleet Foxes and Mumford & Sons.

Who in the hell are...?

2009-04-30T11:39:00.006+01:00

Name: Movits
Location: Luleå, Sweden

Sweden is a great country. Readers here may know of my interest in Swedish pop; how happy and twee it all is (sometimes sickeningly so, but I know how to avoid those instances) and just how they make such a catchy tune, whether it's through a different take on 'indie' or by something as simple as whistling. Scandanavia in general is a great exponent of musical and cinematic art that has a lot of merit.

There was one area of Swedish music, though, that I didn't really know about until this morning. That genre is Swede-jazz-rap. And apparently, they do this ruddy well too.

Unfortunately, there's not a lot about them written in English, and my knowledge of Swedish pretty much matches my level of skill at staying upright. Suffice to say that this may seem like a gimmicky idea and I can see why you'd think that (the use of a banjo springs to mind, but I guess the bowties, monocles and cartoon elements to their videos could contribute too), but I see them as a Misty's Big Adventure; they take the music seriously with a happy consequence of humour and intrigue.

Highly recommended.

Movits on Myspace

Camden Crawl 09 photos

2009-04-26T10:46:00.001+01:00

This weekend saw the first main UK festival of the year with the Camden Crawl. I went along on the Saturday to catch a few bands, here are some photos:

Everything, Everything @ Dingwalls

The Invisible @ Dingwalls

The Fall @ Electric Ballroom

Ladies and Gentlemen...

2009-03-18T11:17:00.001Z

Spiritualized produced arguably their best ever work in 1997 with Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space. Now 12 years on they play their greatest album in its entirety.

It's simple, you must go.

There.

Super Furry Animals - Dark Days/Light Years

2009-03-17T11:00:00.002Z

Anticipation surrounds the release of any new album either from the band themselves or the fans. During last night's first full airing of SFA's 9th studio album as a live gigcast, the band looked relaxed and calm; so much so that Gryff reminded my flatmate of a hobo. But a nice hobo, who used to be hot.

Of course as a live gigcast the show wasn't without its technical gremlins. Entire segments of Crazy Naked Girls and The Very Best Of Neil Diamond were lost to the graveyard of the internet, and it was only during Inaugural Trams that the feed began to work properly, which is a shame as the aforementioned tracks are some of the best on the album. The other major humdinger of a track from SFA's armoury comes from Cardiff In the Sun, the mid-album epic, stands out by actually making you want to tour Cardiff to see the idyllic (and incredibly rare) landscape which they depict, while Pric is worth buying the album for.

The combination of Where Do You Wanna Go? and Lliwiau Llachar work very well together to produce the staple Welsh track, and this one stands up to anything on previous albums barring Mwng, which is the closest relation in SFA's back catalogue to DD/LY. Mt. is the only real lowpoint on the album, while Moped Eyes doesn't work as well as it wants or ought to.

Hey Venus was a very good and underrated album, but it pales in comparison to DD/LY. It's not quite at the level of Mwng or Phantom Power as an overall album, and doesn't quite match Rings Around The World for stand out tracks, but it's proof if proof be need be that Super Furry Animals are one of UK's greatest bands and the masters of the epic tune.

Click here to listen to 'Inaugural Trams'

Interview with Alan McGee

2009-03-16T00:40:00.003Z

Here it is, after busy weeks where I've been unable to properly transcribe, here is our exclusive interview with Alan McGee, the founder of Creation Records. Alan's a brilliant guy and a very affable bloke, and even though this was only my second interview, I don't think it'll be surpassed in my mind for a while.

Enjoy!

She Bangs The Eardrums: With such limited resources, how did you manage to start up Creation records?

Alan McGee: We started a club called The Living Room where we used to put on bands, though at that point we didn't know it was going to become a record label. We used to put on bands like the Mikons, the TV Personalties and The Nightingales and these were the bands we started with, out of which came The (Jesus and) Mary Chain. I put on new music nights now, but because I'm moving to Wales, I'll probably hand the clubs over to my partners in July. Death Disco is off the hook and The Borderline needs a bit of work but it's coming to together. Where I do think rock and roll exists is in the small clubs just like in Borderline and that's what I love about music. Once a gig goes beyond 1500 people, it's impersonal and kind of feels like the O2 centre; you may as well be at a football match. Music to me is all about being in a club. I put on Oasis concerts where they play 2 nights to 125,000 people, and I feel like a UFO.

SBTE: Are festivals in a similar boat in your mind?

AM: To be honest, I think they're rubbish. They're good for bands because you have to do them for money especially medium size bands like The Charlatans and Primal Scream. The only way a lot of these bands can make money is through festivals and tours and good on them, but as an experience, it's horrible. You can sleep in your own bed, your shoes get dirty and you got a good chance of getting E. Coli.

SBTE: Would you say luck played an important role in getting those bands, and would you say it’s essential to succeed in the industry?

AM: A lot of people call it luck but you've got to have a certain amount of luck to do anything. People say I was lucky, well I was lucky but I did find 14 or 15 pretty successful commercial artist and one superstar act. Even when I went into management in the last ten years, we had The Hives, The Libertines, The Kills, Mogwai... Even then I was pretty successful. I'm trying to get out of the business because even though I love music I really can't stand the people that control it as it's become such a corporate animal. I mean they know I'm the enemy and I know they're the enemy so we don't really get on, but that's ok, because I wouldn't pretend to be anything else and neither would they. Those people tend to say I was lucky to find Oasis, but they were kicking about for three years and no-one signed them, so if they were that clever, why didn't they sign them?

SBTE: When you signed Oasis, did you believe they’d be such a huge success, or did you see them more of a risk venture?

AM: I never saw them as a risk, but I never knew they'd go on and sell as many records as they did. I was clueless really on that one.

SBTE: During your time at Creation, you predicted the downfall of the physical music industry, where do you see the future of the industry lying in the current climate of P2P file sharing, Spotify and the current economic situation?

AM: The film industry is really in the same boat right now but it’s such a huge part of the American economy, while the music industry means f**k all, it's like a pubic hair on America's body. But take out 10 American blockbuster films from the economy; you're talking about a lot of money. I'm torn really though, because I like the whole free culture in music, but it's not very fair on the musicians. How are managers of bands going to succeed too? I mean, I'm old and have sold 60 million albums; I came about at a time when people used to buy records and CDs. In this climate, how are managers and the young musicians they take on going to make any money? If Primal Scream can't sell any records and they're a massive live act, how can anyone? Where I think I might get sorted out is, as I said, as a result of the film industry's current fight against P2P. Spotify (an online music player where users create playlists and stream music without the need for downloads) on the one hand is beautiful, but on the other how are the musicians going to be paid? The big labels (Sony, EMI, BMG, Universal) aren't thinking how they pay the bands, just how big a cheque they can take off Spotify.

SBTE: Are there any other dangers that aspiring band managers or new independent labels will have to face in the future?

AM: I think we’re all in the same boat due to the whole economic collapse. Perhaps managers shouldn’t be worried about not making money and maybe more about whether their college or institutions collapse because they have loans out from the banks and are required to pay them in. Right now, we’re in very strange times.

SBTE: After you left Creation, you started up Poptones. Did this make business sense or was it more of a personal venture?

AM: Poptones got off the ground because had nothing to do and my wife wouldn’t leave London. In the middle of all that I found The Hives who sold 400,000 records in Britain who I sold to Universal for $14 million dollars. It was a bit of fluke really.

SBTE: You’ve recently started up TooCoolToDie.com, what do you hope to achieve with this music blog?

AM: I don’t know, you better ask Paul (Brownell, co-author of TooCoolToDie). He just said ‘Can I do a blog’?, I asked how much the website, and when I got the answer I gave him the money and write some things for it. Usually the best things are those that you don’t know what the aim is of, much like Death Disco as I don’t know what it’s for, all I know is that I enjoy it; it’s a party every single week.

SBTE: Where do you think the music blog’s place is in the industry?

AM: I think they’re pretty important, probably bigger than even I understand it. I’m doing it because I’ve always been into the blogging thing, and I love that Twitter thing too as I get to take the piss; when Brian Eno put an update that he should try to stop being so boring, which I then immediately replied ‘Stop producing bands like Coldplay then’. Half the time I’m taking the piss, which about 200 people on my Guardian blog about Phil Collins didn’t seem to get; I think you have to be Scottish to understand ironic humour. I really think you have to be that twisted to get it.

SBTE: Do you think that labels show enough loyalty to artists or is there a tendency go for the flavour of the month and then ditch them when there’s a new one?

AM: It’s not the big label’s fault, really. I think those who scout out and sign the bands do love music, but the paymasters are the label’s shareholders who demand a profit. The guy that runs Sony in England, Mike Smith, absolutely 100% loves music, but they’re all caught in the trap of ‘If you don’t sell, f**k off’. I think Sony are better than Universal, as they actually put the record out. Being allowed to fail is ok, but not being given a chance when you’re signed is not right and it breaks people’s spirit and even their soul by not putting their records out.

SBTE: In that vein of favouring the flavour of the month and not putting out band’s records, do you think the ‘career artist’ is dead?

AM: That’s a good question. I would throw it back and you and say is there any point to albums anymore? I mean, there’s a point to bands as brands look a better bet.

SBTE: Of all the bands you signed over the years, who have been your favourites and why?

AM: I’m really fond of Mogwai, because as people they’re the funniest band I’ve ever managed. Every single one of them could be a stand up comedian, even the bass player who barely talks.

SBTE: We’ve all been flooded with a lot of the same tips for 2009; who do you think will be this year’s sleeper hits?

AM: I love the Grants, but that’s just me. The lead, Chris Grant, is one part Noel Gallagher and another part Arthur Skargo. I tipped Glasvegas for three years running and eventually they broke, so I may not be the best person in the world to ask. It feels like there’s no point though as nobody buys records anymore, I don’t even think mp3s will exist in a few years time I think you’ll be streaming your music instead.

SBTE: Do you have any regrets in your years in the industry?

AM: No. I did what I did, not all of it was right; I’m not really a nostalgic person. To be honest, I don’t really care about the past at any level, personal or business. I care about me, my kid, my wife and the future, and that’s it. I don’t care who I’ve offended or what I’ve done, it’s in the past.

SBTE: Finally, what words of advice would you give to students aiming to get into the industry, either as an independent record label or as a music writer?

AM: Become a plumber. Or a hairdresser. Who’s going to need some guy who knows a great song in 18 months time, when you can actually earn money cutting hair or fixing a toilet? It’s so hard to get on anybody’s radar right now, so if you’re really passionate about it, tenacity is the key.

Update

2009-02-23T15:38:00.002Z

2009 has been a bit slow for SBTE so far.

Here is a quick summary:

I have been swamped with exams and lectures and university media thingies that have taken me away from the blog
Neil has gone AWOL, so he no longer contributes to the site.
I've had a few interviews to conduct that have distracted me
Money. I have none.

Anyway, sometime this week the site will be back up and running. It'll start off with some quick round-ups and interviews (one with Late Of The Pier, and the other a very special one with Alan McGee), as well as getting the regular reviews back up and running.

The Top 20 Albums of 2008, 5-1

2008-12-31T10:05:00.004Z

Here we go...

5. Portishead - Third
This year saw two high profile bands return to the fore with a new album after years and years in the wilderness. This was the good one. If you're made to wait 10+ years for an album it better be worth it, and with Portishead so it proved to be. It draws you in hugely on the first listen, but each time you hear it again, you find something new, and for me this feeling still hasn't stopped. In Machine Gun, they have achieved the album's pinnacle sound, though We Carry On gives it a tremendous run for its money. As departures from trip-hop go, this is as good as it gets. Somehow overlooked for the Mercury Prize, this album easily gained a top 5 spot here.

4. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
As debut albums go, this was going to be hard to surpass. As it turns out, we (collectively) have decided that it was the third best of the year, but to give it its due, what in the end separated the top 6 was nothing short of a pinhead. This album is definitely the next evolutionary step in classic American music, and you can hear the echoes of Brian Wilson bouncing off a distant wall, but this band are more than just that. When a band sound like they're playing their tenth album on their debut, you know something is very right. It's cohesive, interesting and just plain engaging.

3. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Eclectic. That's one way of describing this album. Vanwyngarden describes MGMT's music as 'uncomfortable pop (sic)', and boy does it show on Weekend Wars, which fuses alt-country with electropop, leaving you with intrigue and on the edge of your seat. You definitely can't lie down and just listen to this; it requires movement to be enjoyed. Of the more popular releases, Kids is possibly the track of the year (in fact, it's the only track both Neil and I had on our top 20) and Time To Pretend was the perfect starting place for the album, the releases and their fan base. What's great is that they can only improve from this.

2. Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight
The Scottish music scene is seeing a bit of a resurgence of late; The Twilight Sad, Glasvegas and now Frightened Rabbit have all come to the fore this year from across the border, and while Glasvegas are more of a 'what could have been', Frightened Rabbit are in the same class, if not higher, as The Twilight Sad. What is amazing about this album is that it isn't a 'safe' indie album in any sense of the word, and was certainly not written to curry favour with the mainstream, yet there they sit comfortably with a collection of their best pieces. The deserve to be there without a shadow of a doubt.

1. TV On The Radio - Dear, Science
Put simply, the best album of 2008, TV On The Radio came out to deliver something special and they did it with ease. It was always going to be hard to surpass Return To Cookie Mountain, something I didn't originally think the band would manage to do so, but as I've said, I love to be proved wrong and so I was. The texture of the album as a whole is effortlessly combined with their song writing prowess displayed on RTCM to produce something simply marvellous. I am running out of superlatives here, so suffice to say, this is the one album that deserves this accolade this year.

And so that's it for 2008. Not a revolutionary year for music, but a good one nonetheless. Roll on 2009.

The Top 20 Albums of 2008, 10-6

2008-12-30T22:36:00.003Z

And so we reach those that just missed out on the top 5:

10. British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
From the anthemnic opener All In It, you know you're in for something different from British Sea Power this time round and boy does it deliver. An irregularity for the list (a follow-up album better than previous efforts), it dives straight into life and cements their live show energy into something that'll outlast the gigs. No Lucifer and Waving Flags definitely show that the band are opening up to a more diverse audience, and in Canvey Island they have themselves and unexpected favourite on my part. It's been described as what Neon Bible should have sounded like. I disagree, but that sentiment, but it's definitely a rip-roaring epic pop journey.

9. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Self titled albums always strike me as lacking innovation and that as such will lack anything new or original inside. Still, I loved to be proved wrong, and so Vampire Weekend have done so. The variety of music styles in evidence can be somewhat bewildering at times; there's your bog standard Us indie pop laced with traces of Afropop and even Irish folk. But it's the slight twinges of reggae that appear on Oxford Comma which really stand out on the album. The subjects of the songs, too, are often as diverse and bewildering as the musical styles; punctuation and loft conversions definitely don't feature on anything from The Feeling.

8. Guillemots - Red
This could have been the best album of the year by a long shot. It really could have been. The second half of the record sounds as beautiful and atmospheric as you'd expect it too. Unfortunately, Guillemots decided to fuse this with an R'n'B styling for 5 or 6 of the tracks. In isolation from each other, they kind of work (apart from Big Dog, which is possibly the worst thing the band have done), but combined it doesn't fit together like any sort of jigsaw I've ever seen. But let's not put it down entirely; Words, Standing on the Last Star and Falling Out Of Reach are the Guillemots at their best and the songs that we'll remember them for. Experimentation is dangerous, and they're lucky it didn't backfire, but I commend them for giving it a go.

7. Islands - Arm's Way
The artwork is awful. There said it. Now, let's get onto why we like this album; the album is as cohesive as you could ask for and boy do they (and I) love the addition of violins so the album has a more instrumental feel at times. The energy and colourfulness of the songs sticks with you after you listen this. I hear Pieces of You, for example and I only see a light blue with tinges of green. This happens a lot with music for me, so it shouldn't be a factor, but it becomes one with the brevity it is able to do

6. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

I'm not entirely sure how Bon Iver missed out on the top 5, but it did. Which is a shame because it was, for me, the best album released this year. There isn't a more beautiful album on this list; you can see just how much work has been put in to this (and boy, there has. I won't go into the back story, but it involved a lot of hard work to get a proper release). The record draws on Vernon's personal experiences with so much grounding and desirable content that it sets itself apart without me having to say anything about it. So I will say no more, other than it is a marvellous piece. Add this to your collection.

Tune in for what kept Bon Iver out of the top 5 tomorrow!

The Top 20 Albums of 2008, 20-11

2008-12-29T12:06:00.001Z

Well, SBTE is back from its Christmas hiatus, and just in time for the New Year. As such, and mainly because this is another slow week for albums and such, we give you our top 20 albums of the year in three parts. There was a complex system in force so as to give a collective view, rather than just Neil's or my own. So enough preamble and let's get down to business.

20. Laura Marling - Alas, I Cannot Swim
I take you back all the way to January for our first entry on the list and a younger singer/songwriter's debut album. And my what a debut it was. It was quietly released in between two big hitters (Duffy and Adele), neither of whose albums had a patch on this one, and as such was overlooked by many until her nomination for a Mercury Prize in July. The attention she received because of this was truly deserved; the album flows tremendously and even the unreleased tracks from it have their own poignancy, though Ghosts surely has to be one of the tracks of the year, just for its sheer simplicity. Laura's vocals show depth and a sublime combination of strength and fragility and she will no doubt develop further onto even greater things.

19. The Shortwave Set - Replica Sun Machine
In what is set to become a theme for this list, this year's offering from The Shortwave Set is certainly inferior to previous attempts. Debut album The Debt Collector was an underrated gem when it was released in 2005, and though this album has had more mainstream success, this doesn't necessitate a better album. That's not to say it's bad though; Yesterdays to Come and No Social stand out on the album, and it definitely consolidates what was done with The Debt Collector three years ago. The tone is warm with a hint of fuzzy, and it's definitely a more comfortable and relaxed outing than last time round.

18. M83 - Saturdays = Youth
They recently came top of Drowned in Sound's top 50 albums of the year, and for good reason. This album shines a new light on M83's love for the 80s, looking more at the lighter side of the decade, especially in the works of John Hughes, which is a pretty stark contrast from previous albums which dealt more with the darker, more grandeur side. Some of the tracks on this album are sensational; Kim & Jessie is the stand out track by far, though that is not to detract from the others at all; Up!, for example, has some of the more enriching vocals on the album. The change in style and direction, while a shock to some, is as different as it is excellent.

17. Why? - Alopecia
Aside from having one of the more daft album covers of the year, this album sticks out of the list like a sore thumb. It's not because it's bad at all, but it's the only album on the list that I can't classify. It's genre is truly difficult to pin down and there are very few bands that you can compare to Why?, let alone compare this album to. The best I can do for this is to say that this is one of the most dark and deeply personal albums I've listened to.

16. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
My Morning Jacket have done a fine job with their latest offering, if only due to the incredibly wide spread of variety on the album. As such, it takes a while to get used to the albumespecially when they're trying something even more experimental that Z here, but it is worth the wait. Creative leaps are dangerous, though they can be brilliant. Definitely not as good as Z (but then I don't think any MMJ album will ever be), but it certainly fits into the latter category.

15. Does It Offend You, Yeah? - You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into
This band had a lot to live up to. They hype surrounding them in the 'rave-rock' scene was getting stratospheric towards the end of last year and with no album to back it up, this needed to be something special. Unfortunately, it wasn't. Again, not to say that the record was bad, but that it didn't live up to expectations. However, the first three tracks certainly live up to the hype, especially the hugely popular We Are Rockstars. As you may have guessed, this wasn't one of my choices for the list, but I can see why Neil likes it.

14. Surrounded - The Nautilus Years
A seemingly unnoticed diamond, this album comprises of moments that make your spine shiver; a peak of beautifully soft pleasure that stays with you through the end of the album and beyond. It only received a muted release, but as such it remains an album you can pick up and spread the joy on to others and feel like you've done something no-one else will have done. The great thing is that Surrounded hardly feel like they're trying when creating something this amazing; who knows what they can come up with next...

13. Spiritualized - Songs in A&E
Let's get this out of the way from the off; this is not Spiritualized best album (as I said, this is a recurring theme this year), but this is still a darn sight better than most albums released in 2008. Simplicity is the key to this album, with many tracks written prior to Pierce's illness reworked. The tone of Sitting on Fire is as haunting as it is beautiful, while other more punchy tracks have a deeply affecting tone attached to them still.

12. Eugene McGuinness - Eugene McGuinness
Now here is an album that was underrated from the moment it was released. The Early Learnings Of in 2007 was a marvellous taster of things to come, but I feel that people were let down by his first album proper, but I really don't see why. There's originality here and his distinctive voice raises him far higher than his peers. Not So Academic is a fun song done completely effortlessly and without pressure, while Moscow State Circus is simply the best thing the boy has done. Look out for him in the future.

11. The Dodos - Visiter
Fools was one of my songs of 2008, and looking at Visiter it's not hard to see why. A very well crafted album, it reveals more and more about itself with each listen. The tone is lo-fi, which may put some people off, but it wouldn't work any other way. They're described by many as Psych-folk pop; I would just describe them as brilliant.

Look out for parts 2 and 3 coming tomorrow and on New Year's Eve!

Track reviews: Christmas, Covers and a Shakespearean Play

2008-12-02T10:11:00.009Z

Titus Andronicus - Titus Andronicus

I'm getting straight of the point with this one; a brilliant track. Titus Andronicus are one of the finds of the year as far as I'm concerned and to release such a punchy and establishing track as your first single in a foreign country is a statement of intent. The guitar distorts and swirls and takes you to somewhere far better. Expect more from the New Jersey boys.

Leona Lewis - Run

I'm usually a fan of covers. The good ones should either maintain the meaning of the original or reinvent it to make it their own; Jeff Buckley with Hallelujah being a prime example of the former, while The Futureheads' version of Hounds of Love showcases the latter. Some covers, though, miss the point entirely and this one of them. It starts off well, with Lewis conveying the message Mr. Lightbody was getting across, and with a great singing voice, but as time goes on, it gets more and more overblown. The simplicity and subtlety of the song is lost and as the choir chimes in, you know that something that could have actually been a good cover has been ruined by overproduction.

The Hives and Cyndi Lauper - A Christmas Duel

This year, a lot of indie bands are getting in on the act of Malcom Middleton's press coverage last time round, but it's garage rock-meets-80s synth-pop that's the cream of the new Christmas songs this year, and it serves the bittersweet Christmas song (best exemplified by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl) very well indeed. Certainly not for all the family, but definitely for you.

The Decemberists - Record Year for Rainfall
One of the best in the multi-instrumental artist world, this effort is definitely more bleak than other offerings, but that's not taking anything away from it; the composition will draw you straight in, while the elegance and finesse of the individuals won't let you leave.

Dan Black - Yours

It's barely been two weeks since I saw this band as support for Frightened Rabbit. I expressed my opinions quite clearly on the support from Dan Black ("One for the future, just not for now"). I am now forced to retract that statement somewhat. He is definitely relevant now. I'm not yet saying he's the perfect specimen (or even within a mile's radius) at this precise moment, but he's close to trying to nearly get somewhere near there with this. It's electropop, it'll probably be played a hideous amount of times on the radio that you'll get sick of it but for now, it's definitely a grower

Album reviews: Welcome to December, we got fun and games...

2008-12-01T16:59:00.011Z

But alas, no Guns 'N Roses review. I decided against it after not being able to (read: want to) find a copy, I'm blaming that lawsuit thing that's going on against Kevin Cogill. Or Dr. Pepper. I forget which.

Anyway, here's this week's album reviews:

Je Suis Animal - Self Taught Magic From A Book
More Scanda-pop here. I say more, I don't think we've really covered it here in much detail yet, but it's been a little interest of mine for the past year and a half now. Usually it's the twee world of Sweden that grabs my attention (twee in the way that conifer trees and Akvavit can be), but quite often Denmark or, in this case, Norway pop their heads above the chilly waters (Interestingly, Finland is usually missing; they seemingly much prefer to race cars fast. Which is good, as long as it means another Lordi isn't going to be thrown at us in time for May).

But this time round it's Norwegian harmonies mixed with Beatles-esque pop. And it works (to start with, anyway). With echoes of The Velvet Underground and My Bloody Valentine (their nicer, less screamy side anyway), the album starts well; Secret Place is the perfect way to begin an album of this genre, but after that it just meanders, until Hotel Electrique comes out out of nowhere. And unfortunately, it's another trip to along that giant curly wurly that is just plain 'eh'; you'll have heard most of this before. That's not to say it's bad (it's still far better than a lot of stuff we currently have playing on the airwaves), but it doesn't stand out. Impressive at points, but nothing out of the ordinary elsewhere (for Scanda-pop, anyway) .

Ribbons - Royals
I don't know much about this album. But I've read a lot of favourable things about it. So I'll recommend it and review it later.

Also available:
- Glasvegas - 'A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like A Kiss) (rerelease)
- Umm....
- I'm stuck.

Live news - All change

2008-11-27T10:56:00.009Z

I've decided to change how we do live news here. We will no longer be focusing on the pick of the week's gigs here in London town (though we will still briefly list some to try to attend at the end). Instead, we'll be going through tour news, mini-tours and one-offs happening in the near future. This is mainly to give you, our valued reader, some time to prepare and maybe get tickets for said gig.

Anyway, onto the live news.

Official Secrets Act (UK tour 1st-11th December)
To celebrate the release of their debut album, the London based foursome are going across the country. Is it worth you joining in the fun and games too? Well, they are reminiscent of The Futureheads in their style of music, but with even more energy available to them live (past live shows have gone down an absolute treat amongst newcomers and dedicated fans alike. You may get the impression that their just another generic indie band, but you'd be only only half right; they're listenable generic indie.
Official Secrets Act on myspace

Bone Fest (Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, 6th December)
Drowned in Sound associate themselves with some impressive bands. If you look at the history of the record label, you see acts such as Martha Wainwright and early Kaiser Chiefs on there (alas, the latter have fallen a long way from their perch). This is another gig that they are involved with, although not put on by them. On The Bone Records are the guys behind this at one of the best small venues in the country, and the line-up is stellar; Danananananakroyd, Grammatics and Secondsmile all playing. For £8, it's more than worth the effort.
Bone Fest on myspace

Animal Collective (Eurpoean tour 12th-18th January)
Animal Collective have become huge. And seemingly out of nowhere for fans of mainstream indie/pop, while hardcore elitists now despise their former love. Which is ridiculous, because their still the same band as ever, looking to push the boundaries to find the perfect sound, something that is synonymous with the beliefs of indie kids. Unless of course, they become popular. Anyway, Animal Collective's live shows are something to behold; the words wow, weird and what the... have all been used, but everyone there will have experienced something bold and different and are all the better for it.
Animal Collective on myspace

Live picks for this week in London:
29/11/08 - Flipron/Misty's Big Advenutre @ Islington Bar Academy
01/12/08 - Asobi Seksu @ Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen
02/12/08 - Deerhoof @ ULU

Live review - Sigur Ros

2008-11-23T17:35:00.012Z

Alexandra Palace, 20/11/2008

Big gigs have a tendency to disappoint. The fact that they're popular, well-known bands playing in large venues, with a big enough following for any disappointment to spread like wildfire. And as we know, not all people's music tastes are the same, so what one fan of a band sees as brilliant, another will be left untouched and unmoved. My Bloody Valentine back in June is a prime example of this sort of dissatisfaction.

However, what we must remember at the same time is that there are those big gigs that are epic, for all the right reasons. And just like Spiritualized in mid October this year, this one in no way let anyone down. The spectacle was amazing, the ambience of the crowd as electric as Icelandic music followers could muster and the band played up to all expectations. Even the support act, For A Minor Reflection (a perfect blend of Sigur Ros and 65daysofstatic), did not lower any bars the audience had mentally set.

Going back to the main act, and the show was just superb. Glowing orbs, confetti explosions, smoke and wind machines, split screen cameras and even indoor rain provided a visual display to rival the CGI in many a film. And then came the songs. Festival, Gobbledigook, Hoppipolla and opener Svefn-G-Englar stood out, but that's to demean the other tracks not mentioned; they all played their part in creating one of the best major live shows I've ever seen.

Live Review: Frightened Rabbit

2008-11-20T12:10:00.009Z

Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, 18/11/08

The Scottish band made their second appearance at the venue in the space of 6 weeks as part of Clash Live. For the first 3 songs of the set, they probably wish they hadn't; the sound was tinny, the volumes all over the place and Scott Hutchinson just looked bemused as to why he couldn't hear a thing. Then, in time for The Modern Leper, and with a cheer from the crowds, the sound suddenly clicked into place. Old Old Fashioned was another stand out song for the evening, as were Frightened Rabbit's Christmas effort It's Christmas So We'll Stop and The Twist. The crowd was lapping everything up with open arms and it showed. This didn't stop Hutchinson looking bemused, however, for while the audience was enjoying their sounds, he couldn't hear a thing. Didn't stop him having fun, though.

Frightened Rabbit are one of my favourite bands of 2008, and have garnered a massive following in the States this year, and now it's our turn to appreciate them. The slow start to this gig (none of which was their fault) should not detract from what was an enjoyable and thoroughly excellent set.

Support on the evening came from Baddies, who, alas, I did not get a chance to witness and Dan Black, who certainly had his moments (he combined a Jay-Z-esque voice with your standard indie thoroughfare), but these were fewer and further between than they should have been. One for the future, just not for now.

Gig Guide 13/11 - 19/11

2008-11-13T09:49:00.010Z

This blog has a distinct London bias, with both myself and Neil currently living there and not having much money, so many (but not all) of the gigs mentioned will be for Old London Town. Right, now that disclaimer's out of the way, onto the highlights for the week:

Brigid Power-Ryce - (14/11: The Cavendish Arms, London)
If the musical stylings of a girl who learnt to play accordion by ear at the age of 12 doesn't interest you, then there's little hope for you. Exploration is quintessential to finding the artist you never knew you loved, and this is a great place to start. The people behind this, electroacousticclub, do various nights in different corners of the city and are well worth checking out if you like electro and/or acoustic music.

Oh No! Oh My! - (16/11: The Prince Albert, Brighton)
As I mentioned in the pre-flab, we are mainly London based here at SBTE. And Oh No! Oh My! are playing in London this very evening, but I would not for one moment have anyone else have to attend Club 229. It feels like you're in the school hall and someone's about to shovel on some Year 2s who are going to present an assembly on 'The Sea', with little Jimmy Potter dressed as a shellfish, and ropey and unbelievable seaweed flowing in the background.

Anyway, The Prince Albert is a fine little pub venue which may not entirely suit Oh No! Oh My!, but it'll make you feel at home and you'll be glad you went along to see the band from Austin.

TV On The Radio - (19/11: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London)

The band behind the Best Album of 2008™ come out to play next Wednesday in one of the best venues in London. There are 6 days until this event. My guess is that it's sold out completely, in which case you're a poor unfortunate soul, because this band will do the venue justice.

Track reviews - Babies, Paris and Current Adults from the Suburbs

2008-11-11T12:31:00.011Z

The Good

Emmy the Great - We Almost Had a Baby
Plinky plonk goes the guitar in what sounds like a standard happy and sweet singer/songwriter tale. But listen to the lyrics a bit more carefully and there's something darker hidden inside. She unravels the story of an unhealthy relationship of one-upmanship under the guise of a beguiling tune, and it just works.

Friendly Fires - Paris
This is a brilliant song. Originally released last October, this is the single that brought Friendly Fires into the mix as a band for the future. Only it didn't get them as much airtime as the record label would have liked, so here's they're second stab at the cherry. I do hate bands re-releasing singles, but at least it's a very good track

The Inbetweeners

Twisted Wheel - Lucy in the Castle
There's been a lot of hype surrounded Twisted Wheel, but with this single, they don't do themselves justice. It's not bad, but then it won't really set your world on fire. Maybe one more for the moshpit than for the dining chair on which I am parked. There's potential, though.

Coldplay - Lost!

It feels like they want to build up to something throughout the song. They even get to a point where it looks like it's coming.... but it doesn't. It has good elements to it, and the funky church organ works well. Best of their latests album, though that isn't really saying much.

The Bad

New Kids on the Block ft. Ne-Yo - Single
Do I really have to explain why? Drippy, uninventive and will inevitably rape the charts. Steer clear.

Other releases today:

Alphabeat - What Is Happening?
The Automatic - Magazines
Nickleback - Gotta Be Somebody
Gabriella Cilmi - Sanctuary
Beyonce Knowles - If I Were A Boy
Manda Rin - Guilty Pleasures

Album reviews: It's oh so quiet...

2008-11-10T10:13:00.005Z

And so we begin. Unfortunately, it's a quiet week in album releases, which is indicated by the prescence of Best Ofs in our first real post. Well, I say quiet, there are a few albums out this week, but I don't think you, the readers of the site, would be that interested in Miss Aguleira, that guy from Neighbours/Joseph or a man famous for one song about finding a way to an Armadillo. But I digress.

Artist: The Smiths
Album: The Sound of The Smiths

Thoughts: 45 tracks spread over two discs, this pretty much sums up the work of one of the greatest bands to grace this earth. Disc 1 is a condensed version of 1995's Singles, of which the latter is a far more comprehensive compilation of all their best and most famous works. That's not to say that there aren't some nice touches in evidence on the former; we are treated to a Peel Session version of What Difference Does It Make? and vinyl versions of How Soon Is Now? and Barbarism Began at Home, each of which are as impressive, but in a slightly different way, to the originals.

Disc 2 is where this album comes into it's own though, containing, amongst certain title tracks of albums, a selection of album tracks, b-sides, rarities and live versions of some of The Smiths' lesser known tracks. And while this is brilliant to behold and a great place for people who don't own a Smith's album to begin, it's strange to say that this is a bit of a let down. It's their 5th 'Best Of', and you'd expect by now for a more comprehensive selection of b-sides and the like, but the second disc contains 11 album tracks, most of which are in their (admittedly remastered) original form..

However, this is not to take away from what is on there. This is a brilliant compilation for the uninitiated and decent enough a second disc to warrant a purchase, no matter how much of a trick was missed.

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Finally, I feel I should give a mention to The Flaming Lips - Christmas on Mars DVD which is released today. I've seen bits of the the film and it's good fun and works well with the soundtrack (again, out today). Haven't heard the OST in full though so I cannot review it yet, so expect that midweek or so. I may also review Enya if I deem the new album to be worthy of my time.

In the meantime, here's the film's trailer:

This week's other releases:
Christina Aguilera - 'Keeps Getting Better'
Tony Christie - 'Made In Sheffield'
Jason Donovan - 'Let It Be Me'
Foo Fighters - 'Best Of'
Stereophonics - 'A Decade In The Sun - Best Of'
Wiley - 'I See Clear'
Enya - 'And Winter'
T-Pain - 'Thr33 Ringz

EDIT: I live to be stood corrected. Having delved deeper into what Tony Christie's album is about following a comment here, this shall be reviewed. I had in my head that it'd be another wretched batch of pub singalong songs. A review may be forthcoming.

Three days to go!

2008-11-07T22:36:00.002Z

So we're getting close to our first week, and we've yet to introduce the team.

My name is Steve; I like toast. And music. The latter sort of helps for doing this sort of thing.
The other team member we have is Neil. His likes are pretty much the same.

Sunday night will be an odd posting day as far as the schedule is concerned, as a backlog of live reviews will be put up as we had nothing on Thursday. And then on Monday, the fun shall begin.

So, here's the plan...

2008-11-04T12:53:00.000Z

I mentioned yesterday that here at She Bangs The Eardrums we were moving towards establishing some sort of posting schedule. Well, we sort of have. Basically, on Mondays we'll be looking at and reviewing the new album releases for the week (in the UK), while on Tuesdays, the singles and EPs released on the Monday or set to be released in the week will be analysed by our expert team*.

We have also earmarked Thursdays to be our live reviews day, as well as previewing dates for the coming week. Unless of course we attend a gig that we feel deserves a review absoultely immediately. Judging by how much money the team kills in gig tickets, this is distinctly possible.

Other than that, we have no set days for posts, but plan to make at least one post a day, be it a feature, an artist profile, a look back at benchmark artists and albums, an interview or a good old fashioned list.

Of course, this is a sort of fresher's week, so it's all intros and platitudes, but next week we'll begin in earnest.

*experts in toast

Welcome to SBTE!

2008-11-03T15:58:00.000Z

Hello everyone and welcome to the site.

We love music, so we've joined the schalong of music blogs out there in order to express our musical desires. Expect news, reviews, previews and features from the music world.

We have plans for a posting schedule, and we shall produce that in due course during this introductory week.

Please stick around readers, you may find your new favourite band on these pages in the future. And if you don't, suggest us some bands to profile or review. We're all for reader interaction.

Music is our radar.

She Bangs The Eardrums

Apologies

I wrecked your daddy's car and went down on your mother...

One Hundred Days

I admit

Obsession: For Toast

Sunday Best

Why I love ukuleles

Sports Corner: Man's soul ripped out and replaced by machines

Sunday Best

Stag and Dagger @ Shoreditch, 21st May

Who in the hell are... Everything, Everything?

The Vault

Needle or Haystack?

Sunday Best

Misty's Big Adventure @ 93 Feet East, 14th May

Who in the hell are... 60 Persons?

The Vault

Needle or Haystack?

Sunday Best

Bishop Allen @ Barden's Boudoir, 7th May

Who in the hell are...?

Dislike tents *and* moving? Try these on for size...

The rise of the inner city festival

Getting into the festival spirit

Who in the hell are...?

Camden Crawl 09 photos

Ladies and Gentlemen...

Super Furry Animals - Dark Days/Light Years

Interview with Alan McGee

Update

The Top 20 Albums of 2008, 5-1

The Top 20 Albums of 2008, 10-6

The Top 20 Albums of 2008, 20-11

Track reviews: Christmas, Covers and a Shakespearean Play

Album reviews: Welcome to December, we got fun and games...

Live news - All change

Live review - Sigur Ros

Live Review: Frightened Rabbit

Gig Guide 13/11 - 19/11

Track reviews - Babies, Paris and Current Adults from the Suburbs

Album reviews: It's oh so quiet...

Three days to go!

So, here's the plan...

Welcome to SBTE!

Dislike tents and moving? Try these on for size...