Neon Neon will play their first live show of 2008 in March.
Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys and producer Boom Bip will be playing a live set at Fabric on March 20th alongside Youthmovies and Ipso Facto. Neon Neon’s debut album, Stainless Style, which features Spank Rock, will be out on March 17th.
Groove Armada are releasing a Late Night Tales CD.
The duo have included the likes of The Cure, Peter, Bjorn And John, Midlake, Depeche Mode and Marvin Gaye on their mix and will be launching it on Sunday March 9th at The Lock Tavern in Camden and the best thing is, it’s free entry!
Death Cab For Cutie have announced details of their new album.
Narrow Stairs will be released on May 12th and has been described by bassist as “a sampling of the most uptempo, upbeat Death Cab songs as well as some of our saddest.” The tracklist for the follow up to 2005’s Plans is:
1. “Bixby Canyon Bridge”
2. “I Will Possess Your Heart”
3. “No Sunlight”
4. “Cath…”
5. “Talking Bird”
6. “You Can Do Better Than Me”
7. “Grapevine Fires”
8. “Your New Twin Size Bed”
9. “Long Division”
10. “Pity and Fear”
11. “The Ice Is Getting Thinner”
Air will release a special, limited edition version of their album Moon Safari to celebrate its 10th anniversary.
The album was originally released in 1998 and sold two million copies, has been expanded with an extra CD featuring remixes, radio sessions and rarities. The reissue is released on March 31st with the following tracklisting:
Disc One
‘La Femme d’Argent’
‘Sexy Boy’
‘All I Need’
‘Kelly Watch The Stars’
‘Talisman’
‘Remember’
‘You Make It Easy’
‘Ce Matin Là’
‘New Star In The Sky’
‘Le Voyage De Pénélope’
Disc 2 Two: rarities, remixes and sessions
‘Remember’ (David Whitaker Version)
‘Kelly Watch’ The Stars (Live on the BBC 1998)
‘J’ai Dormi Sous L’Eau’ (Live on the BBC 1998)
‘Sexy Boy’ (Live on the BBC 1998)
‘Kelly Watch The Stars’ (Moog Cookbook Remix)
‘Mabrouk’ (Live on KCRW 1998)
‘You Make It Easy’ (Live on KCRW 1998)
‘Bossa 96’ (Demo)
‘Kelly Watch The Stars’ (Demo)
‘Sexy Boy'(Beck Sex Kino Mix)
Chromeo are back and releasing old favourite Needy Girl on March 3rd. Peep the video:
Revolution Skatepark in Kent have started to teach girls how to skateboard over the next few weeks starting Friday 22nd Feb. It’s a shame this didn’t happen when Powley was hanging out there as he would have definitely improved his tech skills!
The park also has a host of new stuff to skate so get down there for a day out.
Visit www.revolutionskatepark.co.uk for all info.
Bob Burnquist shares some words on the brand new Fury Trucks website about his video part for ‘Extremely Sorry‘, the next Flip Skateboards video that should blow minds with the team they have thesedays.
The site also reveals the EVO 2 Fury Truck that apparently is engineered to a higher level than any other truck in history. Check www.furytruckcompany.com for more.
Fox Searchligh Pictures
www.junomovie.co.uk
With the recent abundance of mainstream independent films I’m not surprised Juno has been so well received, considering the narratives are not especially new or dramatic they’re all sincerely invigorating and watchable.
Juno MacGuff, is a 16-year-old victim of apathy and boredom, about to venture into the world or sex for the first time. Obviously though life isn’t that simple and she is unlucky enough to gain more than she planned for. Nevertheless after a trip to the clinic with the plan of terminating the “sea monkey“, she gets pangs of doubt and instead decided to give the baby to childless couple, Mark and Vanessa.
In an apt manner, Juno’s parents are wonderfully relaxed about the whole situation, managing to take the news in their stride. They’re not so much angry or upset but use the brilliant parenting method of disappointment. Director Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking) plays on the ideology of “quirky” but allows them to unravel naturally and without much pretension.
Juno, like the Roman goddess, is a smart, quick-witted character who takes liberation in her observant scepticism and apathy. That said, she’s not beyond asking for help when life’s problems become a bigger weight than she’s used to carrying. But this allows her friends and family help share the load, especially her wonderfully sweet natured friend and “partner” in crime; Paulie Bleeker who is adorably funny and haplessly cool throughout. (Juno: “I think you are the coolest person I’ve ever met. And you don’t even have to try” / Paulie: “I try really hard, actually…”)
What makes Juno such an excellent film is the fact that at no point does the 16-year-old allow her horrible predicament become her downfall. She takes full responsibility and acts on a level, which many teenagers wouldn’t even consider. From the moment she makes a decision about the situation, she shows that she can takes matters into her own hands.
I found Juno to be a brilliant display of human emotion, character and a portrayal of the brighter side of the youth of today. Juno has and will get a lot of stick from people who don’t think that 16-year-olds can be that mature, smart and able to deal with such matters, and they’re generally pretty much right. However I felt Juno to be a lot closer to home than something like ‘Superbad‘ or ‘Mean Girls’. I also f**king love The Moldy Peaches, and to hear their sweet sweet sounds amongst the charming cynicism of youth was like some wonderful dream. I loved Juno and would advise anyone with (or without) 40 ounces of social skills to go and see it ASAP, fo shiz.
Emily Paget
I like cords, in fact, I spent most of my skateboarding past time in cords due to they’re easy feel and well, stylish appeal. I enjoy being comfortable when I cruise, I don’t like looking like a gangsta with tracksuit bottoms that slides down my arsehole and covers majority of my shoes! Jeans I like, but I prefer sleeping in boxer shorts opposed to PJ bottoms if you know what I mean, total freedom, which makes cords my preferred Johnson cover when skating.
Vans have a great line of apparel these days and like other well established skate companies, they keep pushing the envelope for better products and have a mammoth following based on they’re eagerness to please the consumer.
These cords a slightly on the slim side, but not leg huggers, so your balls are safe! They’re not flared or baggy, just a nice, relaxed, yet slim looking pant. They feature your standard 5 pocket design, a tonal distressed checkerboard print on your ass and is made with a bit of stretch (98% cotton 2 % stretch) for those ‘daniel son‘ flips we all strive for. I’ve spent a lot of time on my knees and ass for that matter and have to say they’re not torn yet, so I’m only to assume that the quality is as high as they come.
They’re not expensive either, so make sure you’re geared up for this summer, cords are cooler than jeans, trust me, I wrote that one!
Live FAST, Ride FAST
2P
Brixton Academy
16.02.08
Playing to a tenth-full Brixton Academy can be a pretty dispiriting task, but The Briggs don’t seem fazed. Their blue-collar punk rock bluster goes down well with the early birds, but the Academy’s acoustics don’t do them any favours. A shame, as tunes like ‘Back To Higher Ground‘ would probably sound genuinely anthemic in a small club.
The Mad Caddies clearly have several of their own fans in attendance tonight, a fact demonstrated by the healthy number of punters bouncing around in the pit like grasshoppers on hot coals. The rest of the crowd appear to be saving their energy (and enthusiasm) for the headliners, but the band themselves deliver a good mix of slower, reggae fare and up-tempo punk rock, with most of the usual favourites (‘Monkeys’, ‘Drinking For 11’, etc.) present and correct.
The Dropkick Murphys have been plying their trade for over a decade now, and they’ve picked up their fair share of detractors along the way. Their authenticity has frequently been called into question, due to the fact that they’re an American band playing music with a strong Irish folk influence. But the band’s Irish family heritage has been well documented, as has their pride and loyalty to their hometown (‘For Boston’, ‘I’m Shipping Up To Boston‘).
From the moment that they blast into the opening ‘Famous For Nothing’, Al Barr and co. sound nothing short of immense, and their delight is obvious as the crowd go utterly nuts; roaring themselves hoarse for the likes of ‘Boys On The Docks’ and ‘The Gauntlet‘. Impressive, indeed, but bassist Ken Casey’s self-deprecating banter is proof that his band haven’t let all this success go to their heads. They’ve always been the people’s rock band, and now they’re deservedly getting to play to more people than ever before – without losing any of the underdog determination and everyman spirit that got them here.
Keeping the diehard Dropkicks fans pleased was never going to be easy, but tonight’s set-list is pretty much as good a balance of the old and the new as you could wish for. The Academy’s security staff clearly aren’t pleased as hundreds storm the stage for the traditional finale of ‘Skinhead On The MBTA‘, but tonight the Dropkicks are calling the shots, and you get the feeling they wouldn’t want to end this any other way.
Alex Gosman