Torr

Out in the UK this week

Here's the good stuff that's out in the UK on Mon April 2nd.

Singles:

The Lea Shores - "Guillotine" [Vid above. Brilliant 7"-only debut from London duo.]

Little Man Tate - "This Must Be Love" [Vid. Their first good single, since it's much gentler than the others, though you'd never know it from the artwork.]

Strange Idols - "Berlin" [Live vid. 7"-only debut from female-fronted London 5-piece.]

Albums:

Thirteen Senses - Contact [I can't wait to hear this follow-up to their debut, which one of my fav albums of the past 5 years.]

Fields - Everything Last Winter [Quality debut album from Birmingham/Rekjavik/London 5-piece. I still need to listen to it a few more times before I pass final judgment on how it compares to the EP.]

Vid: Noel covers "There Is A Light..."

I wish this was in better quality as it sounds like a great cover.

Out in the UK this week

Here's the good stuff that's out in the UK Monday March 26th...

Singles:

Thirteen Senses - "All The Love In Your Hands" [Vid above. Great 1st single from their upcoming 2nd album!]

Fields - "Charming The Flames" [Vid. Great 7"-only single from their upcoming debut album.]

Consequences - "Parasite" [Great 7"-only debut UK-single from Swedish band.]

Alterkicks - "Good Luck" [Vid. Good 4th single from Liverpool 4-piece.]

Mike Andrews - "Just A Thought" [1st single from his debut solo album. He did the score for Donnie Darko and MAYAEWK.]

The Little Flames - "Isobella" [Vid. 2nd single from female-fronted Liverpool band.]

iLiKETRAiNS - "Spencer Perceval" [Vid. Best 9 minute single since "Fools Gold."]

Gethin Pearson and The Scenery - Hang On Hang On EP [Debut from Welsh solo artist.]

Albums:

Brett Anderson - self-titled [Utterly forgettable debut solo album from former Suede/The Tears singer.]

The Bees - Octopus [3rd album from Isle of Wight 6-piece.]

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For the rundown on what's out in the U.S. this week, who's on TV this week, and Soundscan Wednesday check out the FILTER blog which I help maintain.

Out In The UK This Week

Here's the good stuff that's out in the UK on Mon March 19th...

Singles:

Ghosts - "Stay the Night" [Vid. Great debut single from London 4-piece.]

The Twang - "Wide Awake" [Vid. Great debut single from Birmingham 5-piece.]

The Hours - "Love You More" [Good 2nd single from Narcissus Road.]

Lucky Soul - "Add Your Light To Mine" [Vid. Good 3rd single from London 6-piece.]

Maximo Park - "Our Velocity" [Vid. Mediocre 1st single from Our Earthly Pleasures.]

The Rumble Strips - "Alarm Clock" [Vid. Decent debut from London 4-piece.]

The Race - "Comfort Comfort" [Vid. 3rd single from Be Your Alibi.]

Manic Street Preachers - "Underdogs" [7"-only teaser single from Send Away the Tigers.]

Albums:

The Aliens - Astronomy for Dogs [Debut from former members of The Beta Band.]

Kubichek - Not Enough Night [Debut from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne 4-piece.]

The Rakes - Ten New Messages [2nd album from London 4-piece.]

Feeder - Picture of Perfect Youth [2 CD b-sides compilation]

Jack - Pioneer Soundtracks [10th anniversary 2 CD re-issue]

SXSW Recap

So here's how it all shook out...

Best:

• New Violators @ Emo's Jr. [Like Moz fronting an early 80's new-wave band.]
• Teitur @ Hilton 18th Floor ["Louis Louis" is one of the best songs of '06.]
• The Sunshine Underground @ Stubb's [Rough vocals, but good tunes.]
• Headlights @ Flamingo Cantina (dayshow) [So good, and I almost never like female lead vox.]
• The Rosebuds @ Club Deville (dayshow) [The new album sounds so good live.]
• Voxtrot @ Emo's Jr [Bring on the full-length album!]
• The Hourly Radio @ The Blind Pig [Sounded as great as ever, complete with new track.]
• Midlake @ Buffallo Billiards [I'm so proud of what these guys are achieving.]

Average:

• Calla @ Emo's Jr. [I guess "It Dawned On Me" is their only great song.]
• Office @ The Blind Pig [A bit too B-52's for me.]
• The Isles @ Habana Calle 6 Annex [Good but too derivative of The Smiths.]
• The Envy Corps @ Club Deville [Just competent.]
• The Honorary Title @ Latitude 30 [New songs don't sound that great.]
• Sondre Lerche (acoustic) @ The Belmont (dayshow) [Not very engaging set.]
• Snowden @ 7th & Trinity (dayshow) [Much better than expected.]
• Eisley @ 7th & Trinity (dayshow) [New songs don't sound that great.]
• Lovedrug @ 7th & Trinity (dayshow) [New songs don't sound that great.]
• Youth Group @ Cedar St. Courtyard (dayshow) [Why do they warp the songs live?]
• Loney Dear @ Flamingo Cantina (dayshow) [Needs stronger vocals.]
• The Broken West @ Urban Outfitters (dayshow) [Good but never great.]
• Margot... @ Club Deville (dayshow) [New songs don't sound that great.]
• James Walsh @ The Belmont (dayshow) [Too many novelty-covers]

Not very good:

• Zach Galifianakis @ Cedar St. Courtyard (dayshow) [Jokes about ironic t-shirts and skinny jeans? Jesus man, it ain't 2001 any more.]
• The Comas @ Beauty Bar Patio [New songs don't sound that great.]
• Moi Caprice @ Uncle Flirty's Loft [I guess "Drama Queen" is their only great song.]
• Kenna @ Cedar St. Courtyard (dayshow) [Poor man's Dave Gahan.]
  
• Say Hi To Your Mom @ Buffallo Billiards [Poor man's DCFC.]
• Land Of Talk @ Club Deville (dayshow) [Poor man's Metric.]
• The Young Knives @ Club Deville (dayshow) [Too geek-rock for me.]
• Stars Of Track And Field @ 7th & Trinity (dayshow) [As mediocre as they look.]
  
• The Early Years @ Emo's Jr. [Too many drug-jams for me.]
• The Kissaway Trail @ Buffallo Billiards [Far too emo how they all sing every line.]
• The Crash @ Friends [Far too cheesy, sounds like bad Tahiti 80]
  
• Ane Brun @ Hilton 18th Floor [Just bad bad bad GvB-type blogger fav.]
• Young Galaxy @ Habana Calle 6 Annex [The height of Arts & Crafts mediocrity.]
• The New Frontiers @ The Belmont (dayshow) [A bad Radiohead impression.]
• Bone Box @ Habban Calle 6 [Awful in a Tom Waits like manner.]
• My Latest Novel @ Buffalo Billiards [Just miserable stuff.]
• Fionn Regan @ Buffalo Billiards [He didn't even play "Be Good Or Be Gone."]
• The Pipettes @ Flamingo Cantina (dayshow) [They didn't help setup the equip, the guys then put on yellow sweater vests, then the girls dressed and danced so cheesy it was embarrassing. And most importantly, their voices didn't sound that great. For the same mood only better check out Lucky Soul.]

Didn't get to see:

• The KBC (Preston UK)
• Mumm-Ra (Bexhill UK)
• The Needles (Aberdeen UK)
• iLiKETRAiNS (Leeds UK)
• Joan as Police Woman (Brooklyn NY)
• The Rumble Strips (Devon UK)
• Rubik (Helsinki FINLAND)

Vid: Nina sings on new Manics single

Ain't it great when two bands you love hook up? Nina Cardigan duets with JDB on the new Manics single "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough" (out April 30th.) The song is quite grand. Pretty much the only thing wrong with it is that they let Nicky single a couple lines, and that they repeat the old lyric "you stole the sun from my heart." It's the first single from Send Away The Tigers (out May 7th in the UK.) And Nina's even in the video!

It's too bad about the ugly album cover.

my final sxsw schedule

Well here we. Today I travel to Austin from LA (via Dallas.) I will arrive in Austin Wednesday evening so no day shows for me that day. After that my days and nights are looking like this...

Wed. 03/14
night shows:

  [X] 08:00PM The Sunshine Underground (Stubb's)
  [X] 08:15PM iLiKETRAiNS (Emo's Jr)
  [X] 08:30PM the Comas (Beauty Bar Patio)
  [X] 08:45PM The Hourly Radio (Elysium)
  [X] 09:00PM Emma Pollock (Emo's Main Room)
  [X] 09:30PM Bone Box (Habana Calle 6)
  [X] 10:15PM The Early Years (Emo's Jr)
  [X] 11:00PM The Gentle Good (Copa)
  [X] 11:00PM The Rosebuds (Antone's)
  [X] 11:30PM Minipop (The Parish II)
  [X] 12:00AM IV Thieves (Buffalo Billiards)
  [X] 01:00AM The Isles (Habana Calle 6 Annex)
  [X] 01:00AM Jeremy Warmsley (Creekside EMC at Hilton Garden Inn)
  [X] 01:00AM Daylights For The Birds (Latitude 30)

Thu. 03/15
day shows:

    * Filter Magazine's High Noon at Cedar Street
          o Badly Drawn Boy (6pm), Youth Group (5pm), Kenna (4pm), Besnard Lakes (3:15pm), Midnight Movies (2:30pm), Great Northern (1:45pm), Grand Ole Party (1pm) at Cedar Street (208 W. 4th,)

          o The Rosebuds (6:45pm), Friends of Dean Martinez (6pm), Georgie James (Q and Not U side project, 5:15pm), Hopewell (4:30pm), The High Strung (3:45pm), The Comas (2:30pm), 1986 (1:45pm), Bishop Allen (1pm) at Birds Barbershop (outside stage)

    * Team Clermont/Under the Radar day show
    Gruff Rhys (1pm), Headlights (2pm), Loney, Dear (3pm), The Pipettes (4pm) at Flamingo Cantina (515 E. 6th St.)

    * AAM and Brooklyn Vegan present
          o Mew (5pm), Hella (4pm), Matt & Kim (3pm), Fucked Up (2pm), Rob Crow (Pinback, 1pm), New Violators (noon) at the Scoot Inn (outside)

    * The Current live broadcasts
          o El-P (5:40pm), Sondre Lerche (4:45pm), Brother Ali (4:20pm), Money Mark (3:30pm), TBA (2:15pm), Lily Allen (interview, 1:20pm), The Young Knives (1pm), TBA (11:45pm), Peter Bjorn and John (11am) at Buffalo Billiards (201 E. 6th St.)

    * Schubas' 11th Annual SXSW Round-Up
          o Benjy Ferree (6:20pm), Russian Circles (5:35pm), Bishop Allen (4:50pm), Midlake (4pm), Cold War Kids (3:10pm), David Vandervelde & the Moonstation House Band (2:25pm), Prototypes (1:40pm), Elvis Perkins in Dearland (12:55pm), The 1900s (12:10pm) at Yard Dog Gallery (1510 S. Congress Ave.)

    * Hunnypot and Heidi's Night of Beauty present
          o Spektrum (5:40pm), Electric Soft Parade (4:40pm), The Black Hollies (3:40pm), The Heights (2:40pm), Piney Gir (1:45pm), Goldrush (1pm), Hopewell (12:15pm) at Moonshine (303 Red River St.)

    * Viper Room in Austin presents Hell Ya!
          o Birdmonster (6pm), Margot & the Nuclear So & So's (5pm), Ra Ra Riot (4pm), Air Traffic (3pm), Metro Station (2pm), Blackmarket (1pm), Pico vs. Island Trees (noon), Hell Ya! DJs between bands at Apple Bar (120 W. 5th St.) 

Out in the UK on Monday

Here's the decent stuff that was released in the UK on Mon March 12th...

Singles:

Brett Anderson - "Love Is Dead" [Vid. 1st single from his weak solo debut.]

The Electric Cinema - "Cut Down" [Vid. 1st single from debut album.]

Dragons - "Here Are The Roses" [Vid. Debut from Bristol's Depeche Mode copy-cats.]

The Rakes - "We Danced Together" [Vid. Weak 1st single from new album.]

Mark Greaney of JJ72 returns

Having disband JJ72 last year Mark Greaney has returned! He's got a quality new song up on his myspace and will be doing a UK tour this May supporting Simple Kid. No word on a record deal yet, but hopefully he'll formally release something this year.

The Rosebuds Release New Single

North Carolina husband-wife duo The Rosebuds have gone synth-pop and it sounds great! I recently got to hear some unmastered tracks from Night of the Furies (out April 10th via Merge Records) and quite a few of 'em are in this style. I can't wait to see 'em at SXSW next week. This new sound isn't a million miles from Space or My Life Story.

• The Rosebuds - "Get Up Get Out" [4:07]

03/07 Raleigh, NC - King's Barcade
03/08 Wilmington, NC - Bellafesta
03/09 Charleston, SC - The Map Room
03/10 Columbia, SC - Art Bar (w/ Beach House)
03/11 Atlanta, GA - The Earl (w/ Beach House)
03/12 Baton Rouge, LA - The Spanish Moon (w/ Silversun Pickups)
03/14 Austin, TX - Antone's (SXSW)