The first ever DIY Summer Festival is happening in London next month.
July 7th will see a host of bands take to the stage who aim to prove the worth and effectiveness of the DIY music scene.
Last FM and Drowned In Sound are both supporting the cause with DIS DJs also taking their place on the event’s bill. It’s £10 to get in with the promise of labels and zines selling and promoting there too.
The video for the first single taken from the new UNKLE album has been released.
To check out the video to Burn My Shadow, which comes from the album War Stories and features Goran Visnjic from ER, click here.
Household Name Records have announced they will be releasing the European version of the Ska Is Dead compilation this summer.
Ska legends such as Catch 22, Mustard Plug, Bomb The Music Industry and Planet Smashers will all appear on the 23 track album which will be released on August 6th.
The European version will have a full-colour digi pack and will set you back a mere five pounds.
Sonic Youth will be putting a collection of favourites together to be released at Starbucks.
Thurston Moore said in a recent interview that he had the idea to get musicians and actors to pick their favourite Sonic Youth track and write something about it. He went on to explain:
“So it’s a compilation record of artists choosing songs of Sonic Youth. There’s going to be one exclusive song of ours that we’ll record, so that’s something we have to record.”
There is no news yet as to when it will be released.
The Chemical Brothers will be releasing their new album We Are The Night on July 2nd.
The duo’s new record was recorded in South London and will feature 12 tracks as the follow up to the double Grammy winning Push The Button. The first single to be taken from the album is out now, Do It Again features Ali Love on vocals and the tracklisting for the album is:
1. No Path To Follow
2. We Are The Night
3. All Rights Reversed Ft. Klaxons
4. Saturate
5. Do It Again Ft. Ali Love
6. Das Spiegel
7. The Salmon Dance Ft. Fatlip
8. Burst Generator
9. A Modern Midnight Conversation
10. Battle Scars. Ft Willy Mason
11. Harpoons
12. The Pills Won’t Help You Now Ft. Midlake.
I think I discovered Band Of Horses about a year ago when a friend gave me one of their singles, but it’s taken me until now to fully appreciate how epically good they are. In the last couple of months I have listened to their debut album Everything All The Time countless times and seriously can’t get enough of it.
Delicate guitars that descend into epic endlessness so amazing it makes you genuinely beg for more, and lyrics that you want to sing as beautifully as Ben Bridwell does. Comparisons have been drawn with My Morning Jacket, Flaming Lips and early Neil Young, which probably explains why they are so good.
I was stupid enough not to get a ticket to their recent show at Scala and I know for a fact it would have been a ludicrously good show. It’s not often that I get an album that I listen to every track on it, love each one, then put it straight on again when it ends, but Everything All The Time did that for me.
You get a bit hacked off when a band you feel passionately about have their music used on some stupid American teen-soap, then fans of the show keep saying to you “Have you heard this song by so and so? Its fantastic!” and unfortunately Band Of Horses best song has been abused by TV and film already. Yes, I have heard of them. Yes, I know ‘The Funeral‘ is so ridiculously good it makes me want to glue my headphones into my ears permanently.
Tim Mogridge
I first came across London’s indie-electronica 5 piece, New Young Pony Club during the inception of NME’s overwhelming swarm of new rave bullshit, which for some reason, has yet to fade and diminish. Which is odd, considering the band paramount to all this nonsense, Klaxons, have shunned away the concept of new rave themselves.
Anyway, so when reluctantly opening NYPC’s debut, I was foolishly expecting a barrage of more anthems for doomed youth, exemplified by the likes of the aptly titled Shitdisco. Songs that encouraged adolescents to march forward, proudly bearing their glowsticks and only halting to re-adjust their genital mutilating jeans. Thankfully, I was wrong, and the album was a glorious reminder of why I should never trust anything written in NME!
From opener, ‘Get Lucky‘ all the way through to this album’s denouement, Tahita Bulmer and her posse invite us in to their truly fantastic playroom accompanied by wickedly whippy basslines and teasingly seductive, borderline provocative lyrics. Persistently head nodding and hip shaking the NYPC make a fine effort at blending the spice of indie rock with the undoubtedly cool aspects of dance funk, without ever once sounding like a teen trend that will vanish after one album. ‘Fantastic Playroom’ is unmistakably groovy, and that’s a word I don’t think I’ve ever said before in my life. My, my.
Up in the player is a prime example of what’s great about this album. Entitled ‘Jerk Me‘, it will do just that to every limb of your body. Enjoy!
Brixton Windmill
06.06.07
The Green Monkey Experiments (GME) seem to be working out well, because the monkeys have evidently grown sharper teeth in the last couple of months. “All our songs are NIN rip-offs’ deadpans singer/guitarist Scoot, but whilst these three guys and their drum machine do indeed borrow liberally from Trent Reznor’s early work, there’s a distinct Metallica-esque guitar crunch that lends an extra dimension to songs like ‘Modern Way‘. The electro-rock banana is theirs for the taking.
Dear Thief are an equally dance-worthy proposition, sounding not unlike a funkier Pixies; with tight bass lines and scratchy guitars set against vocalist Yusuf’s urgent, almost spoken-word delivery. Considering that they’re a local band of sorts, it’s about time people started keeping a Neighbourhood Watch on this lot.
It seems odd that The Flesh aren’t yet media darlings; after all, they hail from New York, look ultra stylish, and have recently released a brilliantly eclectic album in ‘Firetower’. Despite the average turnout, they put on a great show – bringing a touch of glamour to this cosy south London pub with their addictive hybrid of indie, punk and soulful R&B influences. But the real genius of their live show lies in the contrast between vocalists Gabriella and Nat; she a sultry presence with a soulful voice, he a mad guitar dervish who howls into the mic like the Mr Hyde of rock n’ soul. Oh, and if they don’t make you wanna dance, you’d better check your pulse.
Don’t be surprised if just about everyone wants a bite of The Flesh when they return in the autumn. Until then, be proud to call them our little secret.
Alex Gosman
Photo from www.myspace.com/theflesh
Klub Kerrang! makes its return with its typical energetic carnage when it comes to Koko on Saturday 23rd June.
Last month saw The Future and Lostalone tear the place apart with their brilliant live sets with DJs James Sherry and Emma Johnston in the main room and DJ Zac Slack and Talita Two-Shoes causing the carnage in the upstairs Crossfire room.
This month will see Zico Chain and Flood Of Red take to the stage and Still Remains will be hitting the decks as the special guest DJs. To see what you can expect from a Klub Kerrang! night, click here to see last month’s mayhem.
DJs James Sherry and Emma Johnston will once again bring the tunes in the main room and DJ Zac Slack and his special guest DJ Feebz will see you in the Crossfire room on the top floor of Koko.
Make sure you take note of the special deal for Klub Kerrang! too: If you come to the venue with a flyer before 11pm, you can get into the club for just £4.
You can print off the flyer from www.koko.uk.com, www.kerrang.com or here on Crossfire.
So the details that matter:
KLUB KERRANG!
ZICO CHAIN
+
FLOOD OF RED
+
Resident DJs James Sherry and Emma Johnston + special guests Still Remains
+
Crossfire DJ Zac Slack in the Crossfire room + DJ Feebz
Saturday June 23rd 2007 (Every third Saturday of the month)
Doors open 10.00pm to late
£6 before 11.00pm and £8 after.
Flyers and NUS cards £4 before 11.00pm
Tickets 0870 998 8888 or right now on www.aloud.com
Drinks offers all night shooters £1.50 Fosters Twist £2
Strictly over 18’s only
KOKO 1A CAMDEN HIGH ST LONDON NW1
22nd June 07
When was the last time you went out? When was the last time you went out to witness a fucking riot? When was the last time you went out to watch a band destroy a venue and eat you for breakfast at the same?
If you can’t answer these questions then you have not see Gallows in the flesh and you have not lived your life to the full yet.
Picture Kings College in London. It’s Thursday night, The Ghost of a Thousand slayed the warm up leaving people stoked. Then the Cancer Bats fuelled the fire on 400 raging kids making way for the most explosive show since the last one! It’s the end of the tour and after 4 songs you could the band were just that 10% off their usual energy charged set until Lethal Bizzle of all people came on stage to join mouthy Frank Carter to perform a swinging rendition of Staring at the Rude Boys! Even The Ruts themselves turned up tonight to see what all the fuss was about – it turns out they were stoked on what they saw as the cover was dynamic and burnt the place down.
Franks Mum, who was watching this atomic bomb spill napalm over London from a gallery was probably wondering how the hell she spawned 3 amazing sons who are causing the uproar with their heart felt hardcore set across the UK. Tonight, this set was for her and also for everyone else of course because that’s how Gallows roll – they can be in your face wanting to kill ya, but will pull back and buy you a beer and give you a hug before they do…
With no security present, the stage was invaded for the legendary chorus of Orchestra of Wolves and with bodies flying everywhere, the band are stopped mid song due to the overcrowding and Frank stage dived off the PA into a sea of boiling energy. Crowd surfing seems normal, i had to dive too, no holds barred, one dude is crowd walking! This is total and utter carnage only witnessed years back when Snuff came to town and injected their pop punk blend of total fun into your life or when US hardcore really had the word ‘punk’ tattooed on it’s vinyl compared to the crap we are fed thesedays. Carter reminds us of this all night and he is right to….
Gallows even have the audacity to bring a circle pit back to the punk scene and on tonight’s evidence it will not be long until that pit gets much bigger. See this band now before you can’t get to the front to launch yourself off the stage and buy this debut album today, you seriously have not lived until you do.
Zac Slack