Cow And Field - News

Torche to set UK alight with quick stint

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Pausing only for breath since tearing the UK apart with Pelican last month, Torche are set to maul British ears once more with a brief string of dates in December.

This time they will be supporting Isis either side of ATP�s Nightmare Before Christmas festival.

Those date be being...
December
04 - London Scala
05 - Minehead ATP Festival (Nightmare Before Christmas)
07 - Sheffield Corporation
08 - Oxford The Regal

When 'Meanderthal' emerged earlier this year, C+F's James Longsden gave it a firm bumming and an 8/10, to the retort "Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeah, my favourite pop, stoner, rock band are back!!!!!!!"

Tickets are on sale now - click here to purchase

Todd Rundgren to make UK trip

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Todd Rundgren [pictured], the exceptional don who managed to make a guitar sound like a motorbike on Meatloaf�s Bat Out Of Hell, is set to pounce on the UK next month.

Revered as one of the most innovative rock stars alive today, Rundgren will perform four UK shows at the start of November in support of Arena, his first album of original material in four years.

�The concerts will be a straight-ahead, guitar-rock extravaganza,� promises Rundgren. �We can't afford the flamethrowers yet, but we'll make up for it with aggression.�

In 1981, his video for the song Time Heals was the eighth music video ever aired on MTV in America.

Rundgren, who has blasted out classic album such as Something/Anything?, A Wizard, A True Star, Todd, Faithful, and Hermit of Mink Hollow, will be bring across his Arena backing band which comprises Jesse Gress (guitar), Rachel Haden (bass), Kasim Sulton (guitar, keyboards vocals), and Prairie Prince (drums).

�Arena is a definite return to riff-oriented guitar rock,� says Rundgren. �It's supposed to make you reflexively pump your fist and wave a lighter in the air.�

Arena is out now and fans can catch Todd Rundgen at the following dates�

November
Thursday 6 � Manchester Academy 2
Friday 7 � Edinburgh The Picture House
Saturday 22� Norwich Waterfront
Sunday 23 � London Kentish Town Forum

Arms stretches over to the UK

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Arms, aka Todd Goldstein [pictured], is finally heading to England for some dates and it couldn�t have come any sooner.

It was March 2007 when debut single �Whirring� bagged a 8.2 right here and Goldstein�s first full-length �Kids Aflame� was just what we wanted to hear from the stubbly Brooklynite, collecting posi reviews across the board.

A touch moody but very positive indie pop (think the more instantly accessible moments of Pavement and Neil Young recorded on a 4-track), Arms is the Bright Eyes you don�t have to be a wretched quince to appreciate.

Granted, its only three dates but you�ll find Mr Goldstein parading his merry tunes on/at�

November
7 � Manchester Dulcimer,
Tickets �5 on the door - myspace.com/dulcimerltd
9 � London Brixton Windmill
Tickets �5adv - wegottickets.com
10 � London Chess Club @ Heavenly Social
Tickets �5adv - wegottickets.com

Arms' next single will be the title track to his 'Kids Aflame' album, released on 10 Nov through Melodic.
Get a taste for his indie marvellousness now...

Links:
Armsspace

HELLA YEAH! - Zach Hill to tour solo album

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Following the release of his spazz prog masterpiece 'Astrological Straits' in August, Zach Hill, the percussive genius behind Hella will be touring his solo album with his 3 piece band in tow.

December 4th sees him stop by at Salford's Sacred Trinity Church for what will be, undeniably, a most momentous gig, hosted by the legendary folks at Lamb + Wolf.

The remaining tour dates will be announced soon but Mr Hill is said to appearing at a certain festival around the same time.

Supports + details on where to purchase tickets are to be confirmed but expected to be priced around �8.00 though.

For now, arouse yourself with 'Dark Art', the second track from 'Astrological Straits' to be granted its own video...

Link:
Zach Hill MySpace
Lamb + Wolf promotors

Born Ruffians mark first UK headline tour with new EP

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Kooky Canadian three-piece Born Ruffians will embark on their first UK headline tour next month.

A happy medium between Q + Not U and Los Campesinos without the infuriating and often destructive campness, you�re probably already familiar with Born Ruffians from the Orange TV ads where �Hummingbird� marks the release of pretty sealife-shaped balloons from a train much to bewilderment of many aged witnesses.

Anyway, they�re better than an advert and they�ll prove it to you at these dates:

September
13 � Brighton, Hope
15 � London, Dingwalls
16 � Manchester, Night + Day
17 � Birmingham, Rainbow
18 � Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach
19 � Leicester, Sumo (club night)
20 � Liverpool, Korova
21 � Glasgow, Nice �N� Sleazys

The tour will coincide with the release of the 'Little Garcon EP' on 29 September via Warp Records, snapping at the heels of the Toronto outfit�s debut album �Red, Yellow + Blue� earlier this year.
The EP�s sweet acoustic title track carries five other tracks in tow including remixes from Four Tet and White Williams.

Video: I Need A Life

Links:
Born Ruffians MySpace
Born Ruffians Spanking New MTV Session

This Town Needs Guns assembles its own Ark for debut album

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Oxford�s second finest export This Town Needs Guns (need you ask the first) have plucked up the guts and named their debut album after a 70s prog-rock classic.

Released in October, �Animals� may shamelessly pinch the mammal-naming method Pink Floyd adopted in 1977 but from the snippets Cow + Field has heard, its sounding more than worthy.

The 13-track debut will available online from 6 October and physically a week after through Big Scary Monsters.

The artwork doesn't feature any floating pigs or Battersea Power Station but it is super-cute and can be viewed here

Here�s the list of animals giddy fans will be bawling at the Oxford quartet on their upcoming tour:

01. Chinchilla [stream here]
02. Baboon [MP3 � click to download]
03. Lemur
04. Badger
05. Quetzel
06. Panda
07. Elk
08. Pig
09. Gibbon
10. Dog
11. Crocodile
12. Rabbit
13. Zebra

Video: '26 Is Dancier Than 4'

And those tour dates:

September
02 - London, Barfly (w/ Mimas and Pennines)
16 - London, Madame Jojo's (w/ Jonquil)
17 - Birmingham, Flux @ The Yardbird (w/ Jonquil)
18 - Leeds, The Library (w/ Jonquil)
19 - York, The Basement (w/ Jonquil)
20 - Edinburgh, Henry's Cellar Bar (w/ Jonquil)
21 - Glasgow, The 13th Note (w/ Jonquil)
22 - Middlesbrough, Dr Browns (w/ Jonquil)
23 - Lincoln, The Turks Head (w/ Jonquil)
24 - Manchester, Sacred Trinity Church (w/ Jonquil)
25 - Leicester, The Firebug (w/ Jonquil)
26 - Sheffield, The Shakespeare (w/ Jonquil)
27 - This Ain�t No Picnic Festival @ London, King's College
29 - Portsmouth, The Railway Rifle Club Inn
30 - Ashford, Downtown Diner

October
01 - Norwich, B2
02 - Ipswich, The Swan
05 - Nottingham, The Social (w/ Tubelord and more)
10 - Kingston, The Fighting Cocks
11 - Oxford, Carling Academy (w/ Jonquil)
15 - Southampton, Lennons
29 - Bristol, Broadmead
30 - London, The Good Ship

This Town Needs Guns will also be issuing �Pig� as part of a split single with Pennines on 22 September as well as lead single �Panda� on 6 October.

Link:
Baboon MP3
This Myspace Needs Guns
Big Scary Monsters Records

Alas Laura Marling announces November tour

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Mercury award candidate and professional cutey Laura Marling [pictured] has just announced a host of UK dates.

Following her recent venture round the country's churches, Ms Marling will be performing in more conventional settings.

By the time she comes to play these shows, it will be two months since the orgasmic 'Alas I Can Not Swim' won or didn't win the Mercury Music Prize.

It is understood Laura will have her backing band in tow on all dates.

Alas...

November
1 - Glasgow, Art School
2 - Leeds, Brudenell Social
4 - Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
5 - Portsmouth, Wedgewood Rooms
7 - Bristol, Trinity Arts Centre
8 - Manchester, Club Academy
9 - Birmingham, Glee Club
11 - London, Scala

Video: Ghosts

Link: Alas I Can Not Swim

Get your Squarepusher souvenirs!! - New album revealed

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Electro-bass fiddler Squarepusher, aka Tom Jenkinson, will release his new album Just A Souvenir via Warp on 27 October.

It comes just 2 years and 11 days since his last release 'Hello Everything'.

A preview track titled 'Delta V' can be heard at the Warp Records myspace now - clicky clicky.

Sources lucky enough to have heard extracts claim the material to be more organic than previous records and adventures further into the style of 'Hello Everything'.

Would you like a tracklisting?
Here y'are.

'Star Time 2'
'The Coathanger'
'Open Society'
'A Real Woman'
'Delta V'
'Aqueduct'
'Potential Govaner'
'Planet Gear'
'Tensor In Green'
'The Glass Road'
'Fluxgate'
'Duotone Moonbeam'
'Quadrature'
'Yes - Sequitur'

Video: 'Hello Meow' from 'Hello Everything'

Link:
Warp Records myspace.

These Arms Are Snakes - new tour, new album

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

These Arms Are Snakes will release their new album �Tail Swallower & Dove� on 6 October through Suicide Squeeze.

The band's third album will be their first for Seattle label Suicide Squeeze and has been produced by drummer Chris Common.

The result has been described as more of a coherent whole � than a cycle of individual songs.

"The music circles around, from beginning to end, looping seamlessly and devouring any sense of arrested motion. The first single, �Red Line Season,� is all guitar-hook-squirm, leading to an anthem of a chorus. �Seven Curtains� explodes into being after thirty- seconds of gorgeous, low volume riffing. It�s here that the band�s strength in the studio really shows.
From the textural depth of the keyboards and guitar tones, to the vocal delivery, the attention to detail is incredible. Each sound sets up huge spatial relationships, creating a dynamic tug-o-war, and building up a groove that continues throughout - marked by impossibly nimble drumming - blowing up the room with resonant vibration.

Dates for a UK tour November have also been finalised with now labelmates Russian Circles in support.

You can see them aaaaaaaaaaat...

November
14 - Brighton, Engine Room
15 - Exeter, Cavern Club
16 - Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
17 - Glasgow, Stereo
18 - Belfast, Black Box
19 - Dublin, Whelans
20 - TBC, TBC [possible Manc date?]
21 - TBC, TBC [who knows?]
22 - London, Islington Academy

Meanwhile, the tracklisting for �Tail Swallower & Dove� is�

'Wooden Heirs'
'Prince Squid'
'Red Line Season'
'Lucifer'
'Ethric Double'
'Seven Curtains'
'Long and Lonely Step'
'Lead Beater'
'Cavity Carousel'
'Briggs'

Link:
These Pancakes Are Delicious

Tim And Eric Awesome Show, Great Job available to stream online right now!

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

To coincide with our little interview with comedians Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, we thought we'd let you know that right now, on Adult Swim UK you can watch a bunch of episodes from their awesome show, Tim And Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! for free!

Check out one of our favourite episodes, "Carol" right now!

Dartz announce new mini-album + tour

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Dartz have reaffirmed their return with a new mini-album and a burst of live dates.

The Teesside trio will release a mini-album of new material entitled �The Sad History Of The Village Of Alnerique� on 22 September through Xtra Mile.

It marks a confident return to the forefront after a brief hiatus to concentrate on their studies and other non-band related activities.

The drums, bass and (most of the) guitar were recorded live in an old warehouse in Stockton-On-Tees by Nathan Stephenson, who has headed sessions with the cream of North East Hardcore - Voorhees, Spitfire Down, Thirty Seconds Until Armageddon etc. The vocals and all additional instrumentation were recorded in Billingham by top up-and-coming producer Simon �bigWOW� Whelan, who mixed and mastered all of the tracks.

Video: Once, Twice, Again!

The follow-up to last year�s accomplished debut �This Is My Ship�, �The Sad History�� apparently sees the band adopt a mellower approach and turning the spotlight on their lyrics more than they have done in the past.

Guitarist Henry J. Carden said: �For all of our old songs, the writing process basically consisted of us working on the music first and then once that was sorted, we�d work on the lyrics. For this release though, Philip had written some words and we thought it�d be interesting to try and write some music which suited the lyrics. It was a different approach for us but I think it�s resulted in �The Sad History Of�� being a much more cohesive collection of songs than any of our past releases.�

The tracklisting for �The Sad History�� looks like this�

1. The Arrival, Building Alnerique
2. Oskar and Ofelia
3. A New Venture from Mordecai & Sons
4. The Clandestine Choir
5. What Happens to Places Where Spaces Should Be
6. The Lay of the Land
7. Embers
8. The End, Moving On

A track, �The End, Moving On�, will be available to download for free from Xtra Mile�s myspace page � www.myspace.com/xtramilerecordings - for 24 hours only on Monday 1st September. The track is also the first Dartz song to feature drummer Philip J. Maughan on guitar and guitarist Henry J. Carden on drums.

Cow + Field will have the verdict on the new mini-album shortly.

The band will be embarking on a short UK stint to mark the release of �The Sad History Of The Village Of Alnerique�

September
17 � Edinburgh, The GRV
18 � Sunderland, The White Rooms
19 � Leeds, The Cockpit
20 � London, The Luminaire
21 � Southend, Chinnerys

Link:
Dartz is good
Dartzspace

Torche + Pelican ready September meandering

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Miami metallers Torche [pictured] are set to pummel Europe next month with eight dates in the UK before harassing the rest of the EU into October.

Pelican will be found on tow with the Meanderthals pleasuring themselves at these places�

September
12 � Brighton, Engine Room
13 - Sheffield, Corporation
14 - Glasgow, Oran Mor
15 - Belfast, The Limelight
16 - Dublin, Whelans
17 - Birmingham, Medicine Bar
18 � London, Underworld
19 � Bristol, Croft

James Longsden got a bit giddy when �Meanderthal� dropped earlier this year and it�s highly likely these dates have caused more than a little arousal amongst the masses.

Link:
Torche myspace

Errors announce October tour

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Mogwai�s Scottish sweethearts Errors have announced tour dates in support of their debut album 'It's Not Something But It Is Like Whatever'.

Leading on from triumphant summer appearances at Supersonic, Latitude and Lovebox, Errors have a slew of headline dates around the UK in October.

That is if they get their gear back from Manchester Airport in time�[confused? Click here]

These tour dates�

October
2 � London, Concrete + Glass
3 � Sheffield, The Shakespeare
4 � Manchester, Night + Day (As part of the In The City Showcase)
5 � Liverpool, Korova
10 � Glasgow, Oran Mor
11 � Aberdeen, Barfly
12 � Dundee, Doghouse

But before that, Errors will wind up the summer with the remaining festival shows in August:

August
Fri 8 � Leicester, Summer Sundae
Sat 16 � Brighton, Loop Festival
Sat 30 - Inverary Connect Festival

Link:
Listen to Errors
Buy tickets

Kings Of Leon offer new single for free

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Kings Of Leon have offered the first single from their upcoming album as a free download.

�Crawl� can be obtained for absolutely zilch from their website at kingsofleon.com as of now.

The track has been the opening song in recent sets and is a casually-rolling, fuzz-drenched jam, showcasing their effortless cool.

A promo video has not yet been released but here's some footage of 'Crawl' from the Rock Werchter festival in Belgium:

�Crawl� will feature on the band�s fourth album �Only By The Night� which is released on 22 September on Columbia Records.

The Kings will be playing a string of UK dates in the Winter aaaaaaaaaaaaaat�

December
1 - Brighton, Centre
2 - Nottingham, Trent FM Arena
4 - Newcastle, Metro Arena
5 - Sheffield, Arena
7 - Glasgow, SECC
8 - Liverpool, Echo Arena
10 - Birmingham, NIA
11 - London, O2 Arena
14 - Bournemouth, BIC
16 - Manchester Evening News, Arena
17 - Cardiff, International Arena

Buy tickets for any of the dates here.

Links:
Download 'Crawl'

Deerhoof offend Maggie with new album

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Deerhoof have announced details on the follow-up to last year�s mindblowing �Friend Opportunity�

�Offend Maggie� will be released on 6 October through ATP in a bout of incredible creativity, and rather than showcasing �Fresh Born�, the album�s first single, on their myspace or whatever, the wackos have instead released the sheet music and encouraged fans to record and submit their own versions of it.

Deerhoof�s version has yet to be heard but that hasn�t stopped a flurry of fans uploading their interpretations heeeeerrrrrrrre .

The sheet music was initially handed out at Deerhoof's packed park show in Brooklyn, NY last Friday (18 July) before being uploaded to deerhoof.cashmusic.org for all to have a bash.

Deerhoof, who added a second guitarist in February, offer satisfaction very few have managed in the past with pure poppy catchiness and uncontrived accessible experimentalism. Those who go �Mer I wish Ween were as good as when they did White Pepper� should get 2007�s �Friend Opportunity� and realise why they�re still alive.

Promo copies aren�t expected until closer to the release date in October but a press release offers some willy-tinkling insights�

� �Chandelier Searchlight� is a genuine pop gem, somehow simultaneously light and brash, giddy and apprehensive. The protagonists of �My Purple Past� are sonically portrayed with a swaggering, but bruised, machismo. The bossa-noise skit �This Is God Speaking� cranks its self-aggrandizement to the point of absurdity. In the jazzy �Numina�, we feel we are spiralling, bewitched, into a maze-like nightmare. Often the music adds its own ironic counterpoint to the lyrics: Though innocent looking enough on paper, �Basket Ball Get Your Groove Back� is performed with Deerhoofian black humor, Satomi sounding almost like a Japanese Kimya Dawson.

� �Buck and Judy� hints at an undertone of malevolence lurking beneath the ostensibly mundane. �Eaguru Guru� likens the USA to a blustering bully, even as the music seems to insinuate a different superpower. And the title track, some impossible channelling of New Wave, Pete Townsend, and Ali Farka Toure, is insouciantly tossed off like it was nothing at all.

�Like the whole album, it seems to want you to stop and hang out in it for a while. This is their "feel" record, loose and funky and deliciously rough around the edges. Indeed, if last year's �Friend Opportunity� was much of the world's first restless handshake with Deerhoof, Offend Maggie finds them inviting us into their basement with flashlights and showing us pictures of the ones they love.�

That sounds enough for me, bring on October 6!!

Link:
Download the sheet music for �Fresh Born�
Video: Deerhoof - '+81'

Mercury Prize nominations announced

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

This year�s nominations for the Nationwide Mercury Music Prize have been announced and as usual, it�s a mixed bag.

Bookies have named Radiohead�s �In Rainbows� as the leading favourite at 4/1, with Elbow just behind at 6/1 with �The Seldom Seen Kid�.

The shortlist has been whittled down from over 240 albums and the overall winner will be announced live on BBC 2 on Tues 9 Sept.

Betting odds for the Mercury Prize are usually irrelevant; picking the winner involves about as much skill as coming off a spiralling playground roundabout and trying to rugby tackle a hippo.

Alex Turner sees his third consecutive Mercury nomination with The Last Shadow Puppets [review here], after bagging the prize in 2006 for the first Arctic Monkey album and narrowly losing out to Klaxons last year.

It seems the 'curse of the Mercury Prize' is a distant memory now since Talvin Singh won back in 1999 before seemingly vanishing.

Many disregard the Mercurys, questioning its integrity and relevance as the nominees and eventual winner is strictly based on votes from critics, excluding any input from the general public.

However, BPI chairman Tony Wadsworth is keen to verify the prize's importance, saying: "The artists the UK has produced in the past have contributed hugely to Britain�s cultural heritage, but this shortlist is a great snapshot of our current vibrant music scene and the rich choice available to music fans. Once again, the Nationwide Mercury Prize highlights the richness and variety of new UK music from labels big and small, and at a time when its influence is once again being felt overseas.

"In a fractured media age, when standing out from the crowd is difficult, a shortlisting can help a great record attract enough attention to become a modern classic, rather than a buried treasure."

C+F�s favourite however is teenage tink Laura Marling with �Alas I Cannot Swim�. Click the video at the bottom to see why.

But before doing that, scan your eyes across the other nominees and their odds�

Adele � 19 � 10/1
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music? � 10/1
Burial � Untrue � 4/1
Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid � 6/1
Estelle � Shine � 10/1
Laura Marling - Alas, I Cannot Swim � 10/1
Neon Neon - Stainless Style � 12/1
Portico Quartet - Knee Deep In The North Sea � 16/1
Rachel Unthank and the Winterset - The Bairns � 10/1
Radiohead - In Rainbows � 4/1
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand � 12/1
The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement � 11/2

Laura Marling - 'Ghosts'

Links:
Place your bets at William Hill
Video: Laura Marling - Your Only Doll (Dora) live at From The Basement

Brian Jonestown Massacre fall victim to good ol' British creative journalism

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

In reaction to reports from certain mainstream papers, representatives for The Brian Jonestown Massacre have issued a statement quashing rumours that Frank �Teardrop� Emerson, guitarist with The Brian Jonestown Massacre, was the victim of a knife attack at a gig in London last Wednesday (16 July).

Some media outlets claim Emerson was stabbed in the stomach after the band�s show at Forum club in Kentish Town with Anton Newcombe, singer and only original member of The BJM remaining, being arrested in connection to the assault. One website went as far to say that Emerson was �stabbed to death�.

While it is not untrue that Emerson did seek hospital attention for cuts to his arm and stomach, events have been blown out of proportion with more than a cheeky dash of creative journalism added for effect.

To rid of such messy rumours, Division Promotions, the company in charge of The BJM�s PR, have published what they insist are the facts.

The statement declares that there were no knives involved in any shape or form and the cuts to Frankie Emerson�s arm and stomach were �superficial� and caused by some glass splinters as a result of horseplay by the band in their own changing room following the gig.

The release goes on to say that while Anton Newcombe was questioned at Kentish Police Station, Newcombe assisted the police with their enquiries and subsequently released without charge or caution. Frankie Emerson did not press any charges on Anton Newcombe.

The band is now continuing their European tour that winds up in Australia in September.

Link:
Video: Brian Jonestown Massacre @ The Viper Room

Frank Turner gets up, gets down and gets on tour

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

It�s pretty well known by now that Frank Turner just does not stop.

Taking a break must seem like a waste of time to him as Frank has just announced a new 16-date tour of the UK.

A significant step up from the smaller venues Turner has frequented in the past, the Frank Turner travelling band will be cramming in notably larger crowds.

It�s just as well because the last time Frank played Manchester last April [review here], Joshua Brooks was fit to bursting.

Labelmate Chris T-T will be support for all dates starting at the Cockpit in Leeds�

October
21 - The Cockpit, Leeds
22 - The Duchess, York
23 - Oran Moor, Glasgow
24 - Academy 3, Manchester
25 - The Barfly, Birmingham
26 - The Phoenix Arts Centre, Exeter
27 - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
28 - The Ansom Rooms, Bristol
29 The Scala, London
30 - Tower Arts Centre, Winchester
31 - The Rescue Rooms, Nottingham

November
2 - The Barfly, Liverpool
3 - Roisin Dubh, Galway
4 - Cypress Avenue, Cork
5 - Stiff Kitten, Belfast
6 - Crawdaddy, Dublin

Tickets for these dates can be purchased here.

The dates will follow a high profile presence at the UK�s summer festivals too. You�ll find Frank at�

25 July - Perfect Day Festival
31 July � Cambridge Folk Festival
1 August - Y-Not Festival, Derbyshire
17 August - Beautiful Day Festival, Devon
22 August � Reading Festival (Lock Up Stage)
23 August � Leeds Festival (Lock Up Stage)

Links:
C+F's verdict: 'Love Ire + Song'
Purchase tickets
Frank Turner Myspace

Oasis dig out their soul for new album

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Oasis have revealed details surrounding the follow-up to 2005�s �Don�t Believe The Truth�.

�Dig Out Your Soul� will see the light of day on 6 October with the single �The Shock Of The Lightning� preceding it a week on 29 September.

The album has been produced by Dave Sardy, who also oversaw their last record, and has been put together at Abbey Road.

Now it�s been ten years since Oasis released anything that got me mildly enthused but Noel Gallagher is keen to stress that the record marks a new approach for the band:�I wanted to write music that had a groove; not songs that followed that traditional pattern of verse, chorus and middle eight. I wanted a sound that was more hypnotic; more driving. Songs that would draw you in, in a different way. Songs that you would maybe have to connect to - to feel.�

Gallagher has been keen in the past to quash rumours of them 'doing a Radiohead' or releasing the album for free.

Closed hearings of the new single report that it is �unmistakably Oasis�, which could mean it�s nothing to get excited about but �The Shock Of The Lightning� is said to be the most recognisable Oasis song on the album.

Noel spoke further on the single: �If �The Shock Of The Lightning� sounds instant and compelling to you, it�s because it was written dead fast. And recorded dead fast. �The Shock Of The Lightning� basically is the demo. And it has retained its energy. And there�s a lot to be said for that, I think. The first time you record something is always the best.�

Despite massive shortfallings in the past, anything the Gallaghers do will most always be attended to with curious ears.

The tracklisting for �Dig Out Your Soul� has been published, which at least proves that the songs have names�

Bag It Up
The Turning
Waiting For The Rapture
The Shock Of The Lightning
I�m Outta Time
(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady
Falling Down
To Be Where There�s Life
Ain�t Got Nothin�
The Nature of Reality
Soldier On

The listing does not include any of the songs that leaked onto youtube in May although if the songs have been renamed or re-recorded instead of simply omitted has not been addressed.

Link:
digoutyoursoul.com
Video: I Wanna Live In A Dream Machine
Video: Stop The Clocks
Video: Nothing On Me

�Release The Bats� bill released

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Peeps at ATP have unveiled the complete lineup for their annual Halloween shindig.

2008�s �Release The Bats� on err, 31 October will commence at The Forum in London and it looks just as orgasmic as the Deerhoof/Deerhunter lineup of last year.

For �22.50, you get�

* Lightning Bolt
* Pissed Jeans
* OM
* Les Savy Fav
* Shellac
and a DJ set from Andy Wetherall

With an amazing Nightmare Before Christmas 2008 being curated by Mike Patton + Melvins, the Winter season could be a even pricier.

Don't be distracted by the accompanying image, the poster hasn't be updated as yet.

The hellish gates will open at 6.30pm through till 2am and you can order your terrifying tickets here.

Link:
Review: Release The Bats 2007
Order your tickets.

Give peace (of paper worth �421k) a chance

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

A lyric sheet of �Give Peace A Chance� handwritten by John Lennon has fetched �421,250 at an art auction.

The historic lyrics, scribbled by Lennon in a black marker on a 56x36cm piece of card [pictured], was initially intended to be the lyric sheet for those taking part in the recording of the �Give Peace�� in John and Yoko's hotel suite during their monumental �bed-in� from 26 May to 2 June 1969 which were their non-violent ways of protesting wars and promoting world peace.

However, an hour or so before the recording Lennon instead asked Gail Renard, a hotel worker, to rewrite these lyrics again in a bigger handwriting so that the crowd in the room could see them as clearly as possible.

Renard claims Lennon personally gave her the lyrics and suspected that it would be worth a lot some day. That figure turned out to be a couple of K more than the estimated �200,000-300,000 at the Christie�s auction on 10 July in South Kensington, London.

The set, written by John in 'chant' form, with eleven lines in four verses set out in four columns preceded by the opening line: �Everybodies (sic) talking bout�� followed by the chorus: �All we are saying is give peace a chance� embellished throughout by Lennon's idiosyncratic spelling and wordplay.

Seeds for the classic number were sown during the �bed-in� when a reporter asked John what he was trying to do to which Lennon replied, �All we are saying is give peace a chance.� He liked this spontaneous phrase so much that he set it to music and sang the song several times during the sleep-in stint. The song was finally recorded on 1 June 1969 at the hotel suite, using a simple setup of four microphones and a four-track Ampex tape recorder rented from RCA Records.

Photo credit: � Christie's Images Ltd 2008

Link:
Christies.com

Kayo Dot ready new album

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Multi-instrumentalists Toby Driver and Mia Matsumiya otherwise known as Kayo Dot, are to release their latest effort Blue Lambency Downward on these shores next Monday (21 June) through Hydra Head Records.

2003�s Choirs Of The Eye still terrifies me to death and it looks like Blue Lambency Downward boasts much of the same with thick atmospheres lulling you into a dream state with a small cavalcade of instrumentation, plying an almost noir-ish sensibility at once moody and contemplative, bristling and demure.

C+F�s official verdict will follow next week but for now, the album can be streamed at bluelambencydownward.com

Here�s the tracklisting for those of you interested in that sort of thing�

Blue Lambency Downward (10:00)
Clelia Walking (5:29)
Right Hand is the One I Want (6:54)
The Sow Submits (4:02)
The Awkward Wind Wheel (3:29)
The Useless Ladder (2:40)
Symmetrical Arizona (10:48)

Link:
bluelambencydownward.com
kayodot.net

Vinyl you can eat!

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0200

What do you do with a 7� vinyl single you don�t particularly like?

Well if you buy Innerpartysystem�s newest single on 7�, you have the choice of devouring and excreting it should you wish.

Innerpartysystem have become the first band ever to have their debut UK single pressed onto a seven-inch single, made entirely from dark chocolate.

If kept cool enough, the record does actually play as the grooves are cut into the chocolate, allowing it to play like a normal, if slightly crackly, vinyl single.

Guaranteed to destroy your stylus as well as your diet, the band have issued a video demonstrating the novel gimmick.

The chocolatey record will be limited to only 100 copies.

Although Cow + Field�s recent review of �Don�t Stop� wasn�t massively complimentary, we still want one.

It�d our mind if the next single came on a huge Parma Violet. Hint hint.

In other news, Innerpartysystem are scouring the land as we speak/write/read...

June
23 - Wolverhampton Little Civic
24 - Southampton Joiners
26 - Liverpool Barfly
27 - Swansea Club NME Sin City
29 - Milton Keynes The Bowl (With Linkin Park)
30 - Cardiff Barfly

July
1 - Glasgow Barfly
3 - London The Scala
4 - London Club NME Koko
5 - London Wireless Festival

�Don�t Stop� is released Monday 30th June through Island/Fallout Records

Link:

'Don't Stop' live

Journey plan their route through UK

Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Journey, the band responsible for compiling what is possibly the greatest �Greatest Hits� collection ever, have announced six UK dates next month.

The legendary San Francisco rock band, known for their massive international hits �Don�t Stop Believin��, 'Who�s Crying Now� & �Open Arms�, will play a stifled series of concerts this June at key UK cities.

They will appear on/at:

June

17 - London Hammersmith Apollo
19 - Manchester Apollo
22 - Wolverhampton Civic Hall
23 - Cardiff International Arena
27 - Nottingham Trent FM Arena
28 - Newcastle Metro Radio Arena

Granted, the line-up has changed somewhat now with the notable absence of drummer Steve Smith but Journey still retains founding members, Neil Schon and Ross Valory, as well as long-term keyboardist Jonathan Cain.

Family Guy does Journey:

New lead vocalist, Arnel Pineda, replaces Jeff Scott Soto, who parted ways with the band earlier this year after stepping in for Steve Augeri, who had to leave the band in 2006 for medical reasons.

Needless to say, Cow And Field will be reporting on at least one of these dates along with an interview with the massive dons.

Links:
Only The Myspace
'Anyway You Want It' video:

Stapletour - Scotch recluses head on the road

Wed, 14 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Stapleton are to play their first live dates in over two years in July.

The Scot emo legends released their first album in two years this week after lying dormant for much of that time and these newly announced live dates go that extra mile in fixing that big Stapleton hole that�s been in much of our lives.

Besides the odd local support that can be expected, Nathaniel Green will be following them around too.

Here�s the deets of where and when you can catch them

July

6 - DUNDEE City Function Suite
8 - GLASGOW Nice 'n' Sleazy *
9 - LEEDS The Packhorse *
10 - KINGSTON New Slang *
11 - TBC (I�ll be at that one right there!)
12 - NEWPORT Le Pub
13 - MIDDLESBROUGH Doctor Browns

* = with Nat Green.

The band�s new album �Rest And Be Thankful� has been welcomed with a warm response from fans and critics alike.

Click here to see the Cow And Field verdict.

Ting Tings strip down tings for acoustic release gig

Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Islington Mill�s brightest stars, The Ting Tings, have announced a free acoustic show and signing sesh to mark the release of their highly-anticipated debut album.

�We Started Nothing� will see the light of day on Monday 19 May through Columbia and the duo will play an expectedly brief instore gig at 12.30pm after which drummer Jules and singer/guitarist Katie will remain in the store to meet fans and sign copies of the new album.

It�s uncertain how a band who relies so heavily on electronics will work in an acoustic environment but it�ll be a momentous marking of occasion for the band who have been raved about for the past six months.

The band will also play a headline set, the night prior to the release at Manchester Academy 2 on May 18.

The rest of the tour pans out like this�

15 May - Komedia, Brighton
16 May - Concorde 2, Brighton
17 May - Northumbria Uni, Newcastle
18 May - Academy 2, Manchester
19 May - Academy, Oxford
20 May - Irish Centre, Birmingham
22 May - Astoria, London
23 May - Leadmill, Sheffield
24 May - QMU, Glasgow
25 May - Cockpit, Leeds

Link Links:
Tings Myspace

The Ting Tings Apple Advert:

Roadkill Records back from the dead!

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Barely 10 days since closing its shutters for good, Roadkill Records has been reopened.

Manchester's best independent record store seemingly closed for good last Saturday [19 April] after increasingly scarce custom forced it to throw in the towel, but in a decision that has shocked all, the shop is to re-open this coming Saturday 3 May, albeit with a lick of paint and some hopefully rejuvenated shopping attitudes.

In an online statement, Roadkill manager Liam Stewart [pictured]said: �After a week and a half of soul-searching, I felt there was something was very wrong about the closure of the shop and I could not see myself sitting in an office, so I have decided to re-open it.

�In the final two weeks of the shop, I found it quite overwhelming to hear that so many people cared about this place and were really upset and sad to see it go. I met so many good friends through this place and despite all the stress, have really got a lot of enjoyment from running it!�

Look at that picture up there.
Look at how happy Liam is to be back selling your favourite records.
It could bring a tear to my jap's eye.

Orders have been placed for �a load of different stock� after admissions that certain things just weren�t selling.

Liam went on to say: �I genuinely do not care about the money, as long as I am enjoying what I am doing. I am spending the rest of the week painting the shop and making it more inviting and friendly.
I hope this excites everyone as much as it is exciting me!�

The news of the resurrection has brought shock and delight to music buyers of Manchester.

One Roadkill shopper urged people to go there: "Everyone, please put your money where your mouth is this time. Buy your music from Roadkill. Manchester needs a shop like this."

Another shopper confessed: "Roadkill has had such a great bearing upon my life, I want to give something back as a way of saying thank you.�

Roadkill will reopen its doors as of this Saturday 3 May.

Links:
Visit the Roadkill Records online store
Be Roadkill's internet friend

Coldplay giveaway new single and gigs, who knows, maybe even their daft-named kids.

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Everyone�s favourite toffs, Coldplay, are to unveil the first glimpse of new material in a free online giveaway.

�Violet Hill�, the first single from new album �Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends�, will be available as a free download from the band�s website for a week from 12:15pm on 29 April.

That�s today, fool!

The move is said to be a submission to the actualities of today�s �music for free� attitude and in a continuation of the freebie theme, the group have announced free gigs at Brixton Academy on June 16 and Madison Square Garden and June 23, for which tickets will be given away to fans through the band's website.

Coldplay have brought forward the UK release date for their stupidly-titled fourth album to June 12, fearing a staggered release across Europe will lead to piracy damaging sales. They will also give away a free single on the cover of NME and their new album, produced largely by Brian Eno, is said to be their most experimental yet.

I'm not kidding either when I say that the picture accompanying this article is the real cover. A massive step down considering the awesomeness of X+Y

Martin has described �Viva La Vida�� as a new direction for Coldplay: a change from their past three albums, which they have referred to as a 'trilogy'. Martin has also revealed that this album features much less of his falsetto, and he has allowed his voice's lower register to take precedence.

The tracklisting looks like this:
LIFE IN TECHNICOLOR
CEMETERIES OF LONDON
LOST!
42
LOVERS IN JAPAN/REIGN OF LOVE
YES
VIVA LA VIDA
VIOLET HILL
STRAWBERRY SWING
DEATH AND ALL HIS FRIENDS

Meanwhile, critics have been slating the album�s title claiming it could damage its commercial prospects.

With Radiohead doing a runner, I bet EMI are cacking their pants.

Links:
Coldplay - official website

Old people singing Coldplay:

'Skins' sends MGMT skyward

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0200

It�s amazing what a little TV spot can do for a band.
It happened with Imogen Heap. It happened with Death Cab For Cutie and now MGMT have took the Televisual express elevator up the charts, thanks to the use of �Time To Pretend� in the closing episode of the filthy teen slosh E4 show �Skins� last week.

The single has blasted up 102 places from 137 to number 35 and its meteoric rise looks set to continue.

I�ve never watched �Skins�. It looks like Larry Clark�s �Kids� for people who never got over the death of Brookside but apparently, �the song lyrics blended perfectly with the coming of age narrative and now the song is set to become a seminal anthem to the Skins generation.�

For those who�ve never heard MGMT, those lyrics are �This is our decision to live fast and die young, we�ve got the vision now let�s have some fun� but I prefer Whitney�s slant on the youth of today � �I believe that children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way.�

In other news, MGMT will be roaming the UK in May.
Those dates are:

Mon 5 � Cardiff Great Hall � MTV Spanking New Music
Tue 6 � Glasgow ABC � MTV Spanking New Music
Wed 7 � Dublin Academy � MTV Spanking New Music
Fri 9 � Edinburgh Liquid Rooms
Sat 10 � Newcastle Academy 2
Mon 12 - Birmingham Academy 2
Mon 19 - Brighton Digital
Tue 20 � Manchester Academy 2
Wed 21 � London Astoria
Thu 22 - Leeds Cockpit

MGMT�s second single �Electric Feel� is released on 23 June through Columbia.

Lnks:
www.whoismgmt.com
www.myspace.com/mgmt

MGMT on Letterman:

Middlesborough Music Festival details confirmed

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0200

The line-up for the 9th Middlesborough Music Festival has been revealed.

Scheduled for Sunday 1 June in Middlesbrough Town Centre, previous years have seen the likes of Bloc Party, We Are Scientists, The Cribs, Frank Turner and Biffy Clyro.

However, this year will feature:
Ash, Black Kids, The Infadels, You Me At Six, Outcry Collective, Cartel, The Delays, Operator Please, The Bookhouse Boys, Beyond This Oath, One Night Only, Sam Isaac, Late Of The Pier, Noah And The Whale, Hijak Oscar, The Anomalies, Glamour Of The Kill, Natty, Parka, Slaves Of Gravity, The Hot Melts + Master Colony.

Not great but a roadtrip to see Black Kids for freebies in the sun should be worth it.

Consult the official website for more info - http://www.middlesbroughmusiclive.co.uk/

The Longcut on the comeback trail

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Manchester�s favourite indie-dance trio The Longcut are getting back on the rails.

Following horrendous setbacks, which saw the band dropped from Deltasonic Records then their rehearsal room ransacked, the band have defiantly announced two comebacks gigs.

Oglivie and co. will perform their first gig of the year at Trash in Leeds on 3 May before a homecoming show at the new Trof aka The Deaf Institute in Manchester on 20 June.

Tickets are available from their official website at www.thelongcut.com

Inbetween having their gear nicked and moving rehearsal rooms, the band have been working on the follow-up to debut album �A Call And Response�.

With Mr David Jones of Nine Black Alps at the helm, a blog on their myspace says �Everything's sounding pretty sweet so far. Hopefully we'll get some plans together for releasing some of it in some format soon, even if it's only on a small scale.
If we don't get something out there in some way soon though we might explode. And no-one wants that.�

A few of us at Cow + Field have been so lucky to have heard several demos of songs destined to make the second album and its all sounding pretty sweet so far but if your hunger for new Longcut stuff is sending you slightly mad, then check out their recent acoustico Gideon Coe session. It�s bleepy-blip free.

LongLinks:
Download free Gideon Coe session

Oceansize frame up new DVD

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Manchester's prog prodigies Oceansize have announced details of their forthcoming DVD.

Retailing at a special low price, the 'Size's first DVD release will be released on May 19.

The DVD will feature...

* A full live performance of the stonking 'Frames' in front of no audience at all, in a derelict Manchester warehouse.

* A 30-minute documentary showing the making 'Frames', featuring footage of a 'day-off' jam.

* 4 live songs, cut from heaps of live footage from the 'Frames' tour.

* 2 new tunes.

* aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand....A PHOTO GALLERY!! WOOOO!

The DeeVeeDee will come in a fancy box with tasty new stickers with total running time of 130 minutes.
You could do worse, you could watch 'Diary Of The Dead'

In other Oceansize related nooz, the band have sold out all three consecutive nights at The Roadhouse, Manchester, where they will play an album a night. Just like the Cribs did at Christmas.
More bands should be doing that.

The live version of 'Sleeping Dogs and Dead Lions' is on the band's myspace as of this millisecond.

Links:
The official C+F verdict of 'Frames'
Oceansize videos

'Trail Of Fire' live:

iLiKETRAiNS robbed by phoney coppers in Italy

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Me no like iLiKETRAiNS much but no band deserves this.

During the Italian leg of their tour, tricksters disguised as policemen managed to trick the band out of an entire night�s gig takings.The incident happened in Piacenza, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy at around 2am last Sunday 13 April, where the band were pulled over by what they assumed was an unmarked police car.

The two �police officers� in full uniform, complete with badges, claimed they were doing a routine check and before requesting to see any cash they may have earned at the gig saying there were counterfeit notes in the area.

But as soon as they saw the money-bag, they snatched it and ran into the waiting car.

ILiKETRAiNS guitarist and lead vocalist Dave Martin said: "We were pulled over by two guys flashing a police badge at three in the morning on an Italian motorway. One of them came to the window with a gun in his holster, yelling in aggressive Italian. He asked to see our passports and if we had guns or drugs.

"The whole crew was searched and in the ensuing confusion they ran off with the night�s takings. It was a very slick operation and sickening to lose so much cash."

How much did they pocket? It�s estimated �3,000, about �2,500.

�No-one was hurt but pride was damaged,� said Martin. �The police have known about the trick for ages and have never caught them.�

iLiKETRAiNS should feel a little safer on home ground when they start their UK tour on Monday in Brighton where they will then head off to�

Tuesday 22 � London Bush Hall
Wednesday 23 - Colchester Arts Centre
Thursday 24 - Oxford Academy 2
Friday 25 � Nottingham Bodega
Monday 28 - Lancaster Library
Tuesday 29 - York Fibbers
Wednesday 30 - Manchester Roadhouse

MAY
Thursday 1 - Leeds Brudenell Social Club
Thursday 8 - Galway Roisin Dubh
Friday 9 - Cork Cyprus Avenue
Saturday 10 - Dublin Crawdaddy

Link:
iLiKEMiSPACE

Robin Hood cheats that cowardly Prince John out of some prime solid gold currency:

A.C release new album details

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Anybody who has ever heard A.C (or Anal Cunt) will know that while the music is for the most part unlistenable, the song titles are hilarious, not to mention in the worst possible taste.

After surviving a coma, Seth Putnam has come up with disturbingly ribtickling titles for the new A.C album '66 More Reasons To Hate Us Even More Than You Already Do', on 13 May via Relapse Records.

The album follows a tour of Eastern Europe, with no UK dates announced as yet.

Anyway, that tracklisting...

01. Buy This CD So I Can Pay My Medical Bills
02. You're Not Crust, You're Just A Dirty Spic
03. Miscarriages Are God's Way of Telling You That You're A Failure
04. Theme From Charles In Charge
05. You Go To A Community College
06. If You Didn't Want To Be Raped, You Shouldn't of Been Born A Woman
07. I Laughed Because Your Son Is In A Wheelchair
08. I Went Back In Time And Voted For George W. Bush
09. You Have A Goatee
10. Cutting In Front of God Forbid In The Welfare Line
11. The Pedophile Wasn't The Biggest Fag In Decrepit Birth
12. Stealing Shawn Whitaker's Coke
13. You're A School Crossing Guard
14. You Read Conspiracy Theories On The Internet Because You Have No Life
15. Even We Have Better Customer Service Than Neurotic Records
16. You Look Like You Get Financial Aid
17. Earth Crisis Are Only Straight Edge Because You Can't Suck Cock And Do Coke At The Same Time
18. I Told You I Put You On The Guest List, But I Lied
19. You Look Pro-Life
20. This CD Installed Spyware On Your Computer
21. I Posted A Video of Me Running Over Your Dog On YouTube
22. You Collect Food Stamps
23. I Edited Your Band's Wikipedia Page To Say That You're All Gay
24. 18-1
25. I Hit Your Wife For You Because You Were Too Much of A Pussy To Put Her In Her Place
26. The Kitchen: Get In It
27. You Look Like You Take Public Transportation
28. I Had Your Grandmother Deported Because You Parked In My Driveway
29. Your Husband Is A Garbage Man
30. I Didn't Accept Your Friend Request On MySpace Because You're A Jew
31. God Hates Fags
32. Mandatory Abortions For Scene Kids
33. Laughing While I Cross Your Picket Line
34. You Have A Xanga
35. You Drive A Bus
36. Anyone Who Votes For Hilary Clinton Is A Faggot
37. I Hacked Your Facebook And Sent Your Nudes To Everyone In Your Class
38. Decapitated Should've Flipped Their Van Before They Recorded Organic Hallucinosis
39. I Put Up The Bail Money For The Guy Who Raped You So That He Could Rape You Again
40. I Hit You Because I Love You
41. You Joined The National Guard, But You Were Sent To Iraq
42. Tipping Off The Authorities About OiNK
43. Impetigo Reunited? Yeah, No One Cared
44. Psychical Therapy To Learn How To Walk Again Is Gay
45. Job For A Talentless Faggot
46. No One Listens To Anal Blast
47. I Jerked Off To Your Baby Pictures
48. Punching The Ugly Cunt From Arch Enemy In The Face Backstage
49. You Watch The View To Reinforce Your Own Stupid Opinions
50. You're Only A Promoter So Your Shitty Band Can Get On Shows
51. Willowtip Is Afraid To Sign Us
52. Picnic of Love Was Sarcastic, I Really Think You're A Worthless Cunt
53. Roseanne Barr
54. I'm Voting For John McCain Because He Doesn't Like Gooks
55. Look Back And Laugh At Sexist Jokes
56. I Was Going To Do An Interview For Lambgoat, But They Tried To Grab My Dick
57. You Look Like You Get Paid Minimum Wage
58. If I Cared About An At The Gates Reunion, I'd Be A Faggot
59. Even Though I Agree With The Majority of Your Political Stances, You're Still A Fucking Nigger
60. I Bought Schindler's List On Blu-Ray So I Could Watch The Jews Be Tortured In High Definition
61. I Came Inside Your Wife 10 Minutes Before You Went Down On Her
62. I Know Your Band Sucks Because You Signed To Ferret
63. You Wear A Youth Medium, Even Though You're A Large
64. Your Girlfriend Listens To Devourment Because She's Fat And Realizes She's Ugly
65. You're Tighter Than Your Daughter
66. Woman Is The Nigger of the World

Link:
AC MS

Portishead preview new material from Portishead on't telly.

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Portishead are to perform eight songs from their eagerly awaited new album on web-based Current TV.

Recorded live in Portishead, Somerset, (tsk, where else?!) �Portishead in Portishead� will premiere on Current TV at 10pm on Friday 11 April as a 40 minute, commercial�free, special broadcast, where it will air for three weeks (then repeated at 12.30am).

The airing comes three weeks prior to the release of �Third�, the band�s first album in more than 11 years.

The performance will be available at www.current.com for up to two months.

�Third� is released on 28 April and recently received verbal felacio from Breen.
Click here to read his review.
And because he clegged his pants that much, its continued here.

Current TV recently aired Radiohead�s new album first with the band performing songs from In Rainbows ahead of its official release.

You can pre-order a super spesh box set of 'Third' from the official Portishead store here.
What's so super spesh about it?
Well, for your 40 dabs, you get...
a 1GB USB stick with the album on,
the album on 2x12",
an etched 12� vinyl of �Machine Gun�,
a limited edition print from Nick Uff
and 5 'films', which I presume are promotional shorts for 'Third' songs.

Lincz:
The official Ian Breen OBE verdict of 'Third' Pt1

The official Ian Breen OBE verdict of 'Third' Pt2.

'All Mine' live:

Glastonbury tickets registration reopens

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Registration for 2008�s Glastonbury Festival reopened yesterday.

Those who missed out first time round have been given a second chance to register and will need to submit basic personal details and a passport quality photo at Glastonburyregistration.co.uk
Once the application has been accepted they will be sent a confirmation email with a link enabling them to buy tickets immediately.

Weekend tickets cost �155 plus �5 booking fee per ticket and �4 post and packaging per order. So really its �164. �2 more than the muchly inferior Leeds + Reading.
There�s none of that day tickets malarkey either.

Organiser Michael Eavis said: �We�ve had a lot of enquiries from people asking if they can register, especially now they realise it�s still possible to buy tickets. This will give them the chance to see the best line-up of any festival this summer.�

Taking place over the weekend of 27-29 June at Worthy Farm, main stage headliners have been confirmed as Kings of Leon, Jay-Z and The Verve.

The registration system was introduced at last year's festival in a bid to curb ridiculously inflated tout sales and was hailed a success.

Over 100,000 tickets have been bought since going on sale 9am on Sunday morning (April 6).

Nick Cave lines up Dig Lazarus Dig!!! - The Book

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Nick Cave is never one to wallow in the glory his efforts.

Not content with releasing one of the best albums of the year, Cave has put together a limited edition, hardback book as a companion to �Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!�.

With an expected release date of 26 April/2 June (depending on who you believe), the four-inch square book has forty-six pages and comes with a 3� CD inside containing the track 'Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!'.

The book retailing at �6.99, boasts handwritten lyrics and notes from Cave, photos and the story of the song �Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!�, along with an interview from Nick, and artists Tim Noble and Sue Webster about their story along with pictures of Sue and Tim working on creating the installation artwork for the front cover of the 'Dig...' album.

Longsden recently hailed �Dig�� as �a triumph from start to finish� and �their best work to date" in his review not long ago so as this material will not be available anywhere else, this publication will be vital to Cave�s hardcore fans.

Speaking on the book, Cave said: �The little book is about the making of the song "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! It is a curiosity that deals with the preparation and final glorious outcome of a project that began on the back of an envelope, a literal 'scrap' of an idea and ended up evolving into a genuine cultural icon and classic rock'n'roll song, due to the collaborative efforts of myself and Brit artists Sue Webster and Tim Noble."

That's the cover up there at the top of this article.

Nick continued: �The song, which is a comic re-imagining of the Lazarus myth (placing the recently 'risen' Lazarus in 70's New York City) is accompanied by an eight foot square light sculpture, employing over 750 light bulbs, built by Webster and Noble. This little book documents the journey of this mammoth collaboration. Dig it!!!�

Cave has also found time to sign a selection of posters, CDs and limited vinyl albums. If you'd like the chance to win one of these exclusive items, just send your name and address to info@mute.co.uk with the subject line "DIG COMP".
One entry per person.

Pre-order the book here or here.

Linkz:
Nick Cave + The Bad Seeds MySpace

'Fifteen Feet Of Pure White Snow' video:

Kraftwerk drummer ist kaput!

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Klaus Dinger, former drummer of Kraftwerk and co-founder of Neu!, has died of heart failure.

He passed away 20 March, four days before his 62nd birthday.

The news was confirmed through a statement on Neu!'s label, Gr�nland�s web site, www.groenland.com saying: "[Dinger's] landmark drumming style, a propulsive, almost surf-like repetitious groove defined the term 'motorik' and has had a profound influence on a huge range of artists such as David Bowie, Primal Scream, Stereolab, Wilco, The Boredoms and Four Tet. He will be greatly missed."

Dinger drummed on Kraftwerk�s self-titled 1970 debut before leaving the band and forming Neu! with guitarist Michael Rother. When Neu! broke up after its run of three seminal '70s records, he ended up selling more than a million records with his most famous and acclaimed post-Neu! Act, La D�sseldorf.

Gr�nland Records president Ren� Renner said Dinger was �an uncompromising musician, a challenging personality, an inspirational human being, and one of the most influential drummers.�

Michael Rother expressed his sadness through his website, "Together with many friends of his music, I will remember Klaus for his creativity as an artist and I will think about him with gratitude for his wonderful contributions to our Neu! Project."

Dinger�s burial took place amongst a private circle of family and friends.

Neu! - Negativland

Parlophone milk Radiohead that little bit longer

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0200

More Radiohead news? 'Fraid so.

If one of the biggest bands in the last 10 years does a runner on you, what you gonna do?
Sit back and watch them razz in your face? Or milk them for every penny that they�re worth?

Well, it seems EMI-owned label Parlophone have opted for the latter with the newly announced �Radiohead : The Best Of� collection, following not long after the six disc album collection tried to entice fans out of their hard earned pennies with its sillily-shaped bear usb stick.

Due out on 2 June, the collection will be available as a double CD package or 4 x vinyl 12� LP set. CD 1 will also be available as a stand alone CD, which doesn�t make that much sense to us. �Best of�s shouldn�t have half the stuff missing. Do it properly or not at all. You have to keep in mind though, this is a money-spinner from a label still smarting from being outgrown by a band that if they emerged now, wouldn�t get a second album.
That silly USB bear stick makes another appearance too.

That tracklisting anyway:

* CD1 *

Just
Paranoid Android
Karma Police
Creep
No Surprises
High and Dry
My Iron Lung
There There
Lucky
Fake Plastic Trees
Idioteque
2+2 = 5
The Bends
Pyramid Song
Street Spirit (Fade Out)
Everything In Its Right Place

* CD2 *

Airbag
I Might Be Wrong
Go To Sleep
Let Down
Planet Telex
Exit Music (For A Film)
The National Anthem
Knives Out
Talk Show Host
You
Anyone Can Play Guitar
How To Disappear Completely
True Love Waits

Looks pretty good aye, but there�s nothing there that would make your average RH fan want to rush out and buy. I feel sorry for the poor bleeder who had to whittle down that list.

Radiohead themselves are obviously pretty peeved by the whole Parlophone milking�

Ed O Brien recently said on a Canadian radio show: �They're planning a greatest hits for April, May to coincide with our [spring/summer] tour. That's an interesting one. We won't be doing any promotion for that, obviously.�

Drummer Phil Selway also commented on the collection in the Trinity College Dublin student magazine Analogue, sighing and explaining, �It's well within [EMI's] rights to do it. So we'll have to see.�
Either way, it�ll serve as a quality introduction to a band who in coming years will have newcomers wondering where to start.

�Radiohead : The Best Of� is due out 2 June through Parlophone.

'Paranoid Android' - the best version you'll find anywhere...