Frank Turner apparently spends his spare time making awesome covers of some of his favourite bands. This week his cover of ‘ADT‘ by Fake Problems is doing the blogotwittersphere rounds.
Watch his cover below. ‘ADT‘ will be appearing on Fake Blood’s ‘Real Ghosts Caught On Tape‘ due September 21st.
Words and Photography: Caitlin Mogridge
As I packed my bag for one of the last summer festivals of 2010 I started to reflect on what I had seen this summer. This year’s festivals had thrown up a mix of incredible acts, old and new, in the muddy locations we know and love.
But it was time to downsize, chill out and experience Offset – a miniaturized festival in sleepy Hainault Forest.
On arrival I passed some unlikely scenes on a festival site. I had to negotiate Saturday morning dog walkers, families and kite flyers to get my car near any of the action. Everything was running smoothly, and there seemed to be more security than punters at this point. I parked up and checked out the site.
After getting over my initial thought of ‘is this it?’, I realized that a site this small breeds an entirely different kind of festival. I’d estimate tickets sales of about three thousand, meaning there was space to move freely, see bands up close, and have a civilized conversation with the couple on the picnic blanket next to you.
People describe Offset as the festival for people who don’t like festivals, which now I completely understand. The clientele were achingly cool, sporting uniform plaid shirts, vintage jackets, undercuts and expensive sunglasses. The girls in this place looked like they would have a fit if you took their glass of white wine and handed them a pair of wellies and a pack of baby wipes. I guess that’s why the campsite was so tame and nearly empty, everyone voting to go home at night to come back showered and sporting a new vintage outfit the next day.
Although no one is cooler than Pulled Apart By Horses.
But down to the music. Offset had pulled a line-up of great small bands. Perfect for the type who couldn’t be seen to be indulging in the mainstream.
The Saturday lineup was fairly unknown until about 6pm, when Good Shoes took to the stage. Before then were treated to some bizarre sights and sounds, including Japanese metal four-piece, Bo Ningen, whose cult following made for a scary looking audience. The singer wasn’t content with the performance until he had scaled the main stage, climbing through the scaffolding like a rebellious child.
Also on Saturday morning was Invasion, whose music was of a similar style was enough to wake you up from a coma. Their singer chose to wear a full length wizard’s outfit in Cadbury’s purple. At least it beat the uniform of vintage throw-backs and undercuts.
Good Shoes were a welcome change of scene, and drew the crowds as one of the more established small bands. Although I love these guys, sadly I don’t think they’ll ever be more than a great small band, but that doesn’t stop me going to see them again and again.
Next up was Art Brut, who have been quiet on the festival scene for a couple of years. This didn’t stop people going crazy for them. At one point Eddie launched into the crowd continuing to sing, word perfect, despite being knee deep in trendy London teenagers. Next thing he had tamed the crowd, and they were all sat round his feet bringing a new meaning to an intimate show.
Art Brut taming the hipsters
By the time Mystery Jets came on this tame lot had got their voices back, keen to show their support for the band. Blaine, the world’s most nervous looking front man, charmed the front rows into singing along adoringly.
Their set seemed to fly by, even though they played loads of old stuff, almost all of Twenty One and a few songs from their new album ‘Serotonin’ which came out at the beginning of the summer. As the most popular name on the line up, the boys definitely didn’t disappoint. They were a perfect headliner for this festival.
Kai Fish of Mystery Jets
On to day two and a band had showed up that I had wanted to meet for a long time, the soon to be massive Pulled Apart By Horses. When this Leeds band took to the stage they apparently broke the laws of physics, I swear guitarist James spent more of the set in mid air than he did on firm ground. Now I can see why the press describe them as a photographer’s wet dream. After their ridiculously energetic performance I caught up with them to have a chat and check out the site facilities before they had to dash off to start a massive UK tour.
Seriously, no one is cooler than Pulled Apart By Horses
After this point the festival seemed to lose it’s way a little, the remaining acts were an eclectic mix and none of them were particularly well known with the younger crowd. However These New Puritans were a highlight for me, they opened with dramatic attention grabbing drum piece of ‘We Want War’, then appeared from a smoke filled stage. It was hypnotic; I don’t understand why these guys aren’t massive considering they have toured with names like Klaxons and the XX.
Jack Barnett of These New Puritans
Overall, some of the shows at this festival were amazing. I saw some bands I had wanted to see all summer, and some I’d seen several times. But I’m still not sure if the boutique festival is for me. I like rough edges, I like mud, I like watching drunk 14 year olds on a campsite falling face first into mud and excrement. To me, that’s part of the attraction, being able to get away, see some bands and act like an absolute animal. But if a time ever came when I thought finding an organic smoothie and some hair spray was more important than seeing a great band, I’d probably shoot myself.
Mystery Jets making the festival their own on Satuday
We hope you have already caught sight of the wonderfully insane video for Heathen Child that came out last month. Things just keep getting better for fans of Nick Cave’s eccentric garage rock side-project Grinderman, as one week before release, their band’s second album can be streamed in full over at the band’s myspace.
Click here to jump straight in and hear the amazing record, and if you need some visual stimulation then just look below. Our ears are hard already…
Dubbed as the ‘Big Four’ for good reason, Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth sharing one stage is no small occasion. So it comes as fantastic news for metal fans that their performance on June 22nd at Sonisphere Festival in Bulgaria will be available on DVD on October 15th.
A limited edition super deluxe boxset will also be released, featuring the DVD set, five CDs with all the music, a 24 page booklet, a poster, photos of each band and a Big Four guitar pick. Very nice.
For more information, visit metallica.com
Deftones, fresh from releasing their critically acclaimed ‘Diamond Eyes‘ earlier this year, have unleashed the new video for ‘Sextape‘ on the interwebs. You can see it below after all that lovely live show information.
The band will indeed be embarking on a tour of the UK in November. Supported by Coheed and Cambria you can catch them at the following dates:
12th Glasgow, Academy
13th Leeds, Academy
14th Manchester, Apollo
15th Southampton, Guildhall
17th London, Brixton Academy
19th Nottingham, Rock City
20th Birmingham, Academy
The new Wavves album is being played a lot in here this week. King of the Beach is the sunshine that this Autumn has stolen so get your raybans on and enjoy this video directed by Patrick O’Dell who employed Kevin ‘Spanky’ Long for the skating Alien roll.
Look out for a UK visit from these upbeat Californian’s in November from the dates below.
8 Nov 2010 – Arches Glasgow
9 Nov 2010 – Islington Mill Manchester
10 Nov 2010 – The Garage London
Wavves – “Post Acid” from GreenLabelSound on Vimeo.
Hurley
Epitaph Records
weezer.com
The release of Weezer’s last album ‘Raditude’ seemed to pass by with a bit of a whimper following the initial excitement at the brilliance of its album cover. We liked it but many didn’t. An album that divided opinion, if you will. Therefore, it’s really quite exciting to see the buzz of anticipation that has surrounded the release of the band’s eighth studio album. This has been fuelled by their incendiary appearances at Reading and Leeds festivals, a solid first single from the record, a bizarre choice of album title and cover and the band’s newfound affiliation with an independent record label (for the first time) – the mighty Epitaph Records.
I think it’s safe to say that many Weezer fans dare not get themselves too excited about any forthcoming release from the band. Despite never failing to have a few amazing singles on each record, the band have been known to fall short of many people’s expectations in the album department. That’s not to say that any of them is bad per se, but expectations are always going to be ridiculously high for a band that started their career with the master stroke of genius that is The Blue Album. However, Weezer have persevered. And thank god. Rivers Cuomo seems to have gotten over the insecurities that have plagued him on and off throughout the band’s career and is now just thoroughly enjoying himself. This enjoyment is really evident in the new album which sees the band using a bit more grit and guitar-driven oomph in comparison to their last two albums. If you had to compare it to any of the band’s previous full-lengths, I think it would be fair to say that ‘Hurley’ fits in well with the Green Album era of sound. Although there are marginally fewer straight-up guitar solos and rather more rocking riffs.
The first single ‘Memories’ kicks it all off in an adequate fashion, though this is far from the best track on the album. It’s evident from the outset that Weezer have started leaning further back towards their roots for this record and this is something that everyone’s no doubt going to embrace. Things get really interesting on ‘Unspoken’, a track which starts off kind of mediocre and slow and then really kicks in with scuzzy guitars and a step-up in tempo halfway through. There’s definitely something thrilling about this song as it goes against all the neat and tidy pop-rock songs which Weezer have become known for (and loved and loathed in equal measures for). ‘Where’s My Sex’ continues the rather out-of-the-ordinary song structuring with some further wild changes in tempo. Yes, it’s a bit ridiculous. But nobody’s going to begrudge these veterans of rock music the chance to go off on a tangent every now and again. It’s what has kept their career fascinating, if a little inconsistent, for all these years.
The ending track ‘Time Flies’ is a little bit of a disappointment in comparison to the rest of the album and leaves us on a slight downer. But really, ‘Hurley’ is the sound of a band back at their very-nearly-best. They’re still going to get out of control and surprise you every now and again. But they are back to writing some of their best material yet. Now let’s just hope for some serious touring because we all want more of what went down at Reading and Leeds. And I don’t think anyone would complain if they added a few more songs from ‘Hurley’ into the mix once we’ve all had a chance to learn the words. Bring on the singalongs!
Winegums
Black Mountain will be releasing what could potentially be one of our favourite albums this year (definitely our favourite artwork) with Wilderness Heart on September 13th. The trip begins with The Hair Song, a stroll through gently warming vintage indie rock that’s made all the more enjoyable with the freshly released music video.
The video features everything needed to make this song perfect, a little sunshine, some skateboarding, some beards, wilderness and bars. Check it out below.
The rocking brothers known as Tweak Bird have posted their video for ‘Lights In Lines‘.
The track is taken from their debut self-titled album, which is currently making a racket buzzing away in the Buzz Chart. Head over there for Sleekly’s take on the album and see below for the music video. It’s good shit.
Tweak Bird – Lights In Lines (Official Video) from Souterrain Transmissions on Vimeo.
Though it would be incredible for a bedroom indie record label called Big Scary Monsters to have been in the game since September, 1910, it’s very admirable to see them turn 100 releases old today.
The DIY label brings in its hundredth release in the form of ‘Partied Hard‘, a DVD/CD double pack celebrating the acts they have represented since they began in 2001.
The release will be available to buy from bsmrocks.com with an exclusive gold-printed BSM tee. It will be limited to however many copies they sell between now and October 24th, when it will then be deleted.
The DVD features promo videos and live performances from the likes of Pulled Apart By Horses, Adebisi Shank, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, Meet Me In St Louis and many more.
