Pixies show that they la la love you

Stop press, or something like that. God, or the Pixies as other people call them are playing two secret, fan only shows, in London in early June, just got my tickets. Get there quick...

Pixies - La La Love You

Drunk bunny, panda thing

This is hilarious. Is it me or do the white suited dudes remind you of the lads from Shit n' Shine?

Waxing lyrical

Wax Fang are another band that I stumbled over late last year - their seminal track World War Two Part Two was, along with Menomena (see upcoming post) was an integral part of my moving-to-London soundtrack. And, just like Menomena, Ive been hankering to post about these guys since forever, but important information has forced my hand to do it RIGHT NOW.

Finally, the Louisville, Kentuckians are coming to the UK!

And how. Wax Fang splash down in May with their first gig being in Bath on the 10th (see what I did there? Ahhhhh...) They then play Huw Stephens' Introducing... @ the Social on the 11th, then a string of festivals throughout the month (ATP curated by Pavement, The Great Escape, Stag and Dagger, Dot to Dot).

AND - if that's not enough exposure, they will also head a double bill with Dead Confederate (who blew Hoxton Bar and Grill away last December) at Koko on the 28th of May.

I can barely contain my excitement! I intend to slake my thirst with as much Wax Fang as possible - check out WW2 Pt2 for evidence...

Wax Fang "WWII (Pt.2)" Music Video from don't panic records on Vimeo.

Fool's day indeed

Right - this might get me into trouble, but what the hell. You may recall that some band called Blur was putting out their first recording, Fool's Day, since 2003 as a very limited 7" in aid of Record Store Day. Needless to say it was the hottest piece of wax in town and those that got their mucky little mits on the coveted brit pop shaped piece of vinyl had to get down there very early indeed (or in the case of the first punters queuing outside Sister Ray, not go to bed at all - the crazy sods camped out at the store all night!). I'm afraid I am too fond of bed for such shenanigans and turned up at Sister Ray at 9.15, still 45mins before the store opened its doors, but late enough to be 96th in the queue. As you can guess, I didn't get my own copy of the Blur 7" - but I found a man who did! So below is the mp3 of said record for you to enjoy. Just promise me that if, and its a very big if, Blur do put out a new album, you'll part with your well earned dosh. I'll sleep better for it.

Oh and by the way, its worth the hype!
Blur - Fool's Day

Spin me right round like a record

Awwrrrrgh, so that was Record Store Day and my head still hurts. From the civilised order that was Sister Ray, to the passionate chaos that was Rough Trade East, the house party atmosphere of Pure Groove, to the inevitable jar (to many) down the pub after, it was a hectic day. We didn't get to see that many bands, spending much more time in queues than expected (but was more than necessary), but what we did see of Caribou at Rough Trade East was great and Silver Columns were a revelation, and lovely chaps to boot. Silver Columns deserve their own post so more about them at a later date. Enough of Caribou was witnessed to get me salivating - the new material from Swim is even better live! I can't wait to see Mr Snaith's gang role out a full set in June.

I'll hopefully post some of the rare tracks from my overindulgent haul of vinyl as soon as I get the wax to digital machine fired up - but for now enjoy some Jimi Hendrix with Valleys of Neptune, taken from the limited 7" pressing, number 457 of 1000, especially released for the day.

Jimi Hendrix - Valleys of Neptune

Thom Yorke covers Joy Division's "Love will tear us apart"

Thom Yorke and his Atoms for Peace crew covered Ian Curtis and co's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" at their live show in Oakland last night...

Played and covered to death? Possibly. Still remains one of my top classic tracks though and having Yorke cover it simply doubles the pleasure of listening to it...

Here's the video!

Family secrets

I've been meaning to post about Washington DC's Family Portrait for a few months, no Honest Abe with kids and missus, but the band. Sorry shit joke... Anyway... Family Portrait combine soaring vocals with smooth, driving bass and a clattering, echo ridden guitar - vintage, yet somehow newer than freshly drawn blood.
I adore their track Mega Secrets, its priceless. One to keep an eye on.

Taste, and check the vid below:
Family Portrait - Mega Secret


Family Portrait - On The Floor from Chocolate Bobka on Vimeo.

Say please

Wow - a London band for once! Only kidding... The London trio Please are yet another example of the distorted take on 70s aesthetics that seems popular at the moment, only this time its dirty, twisted and a touch seedy. Like Abe Vigoda stoned and drunk on meths, looking for a fight by perving at your girlfriend. Please have appeared on the same label comps as That Fucking Tank and Chops, and its clattering enjoyable stuff from a band that don't seem to be taking themselves too seriously.

Please have a host of live dates coming up, including a headline slot at Dalston's 113 tomorrow with Leeds' Breads (more on them soon) and a host of other London dates over the next few months, including a Upset the Rhythm show. Now you try and google that shit! Here's their Myspace to help.

Please - Sutton Hoodoo

Friday cover up - No.4

Its time for Friday cover fun again and this week includes another tenuous link. The new LCD Soundsystem LP, This is Happening, drops 17th May and so I thought an LCD cover would be appropriate (see? well tenuous!) but its an awesome Joy Division cover so what the hell.

LCD Soundsystem - No Love Lost

Record store geek day

Saturday is going to be a very busy day as its the, by now, annual Record Store Day! Yep its that time of year where vinyl crazy indie kids all over the globe got nuts over a plethora of super limited pressings of random one off vinyl treats from alternative music's great and good. And you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be one of them. Its an awesome idea and great way to support the independent record store in your life.

A taste of the many record shaped delights of this year's releases can be found below (that should translate as 'ones Paul wants') but it seems that the Blur 7" Fool's Day is the release that's got everyone in a right sweat. But others include...

•ATP 10" featuring Built To Spill, Sleepy Sun, Apse and Fursaxa AND the chance to win a 4 person chalet at ATP.
•The Flaming Lips re-recording of Pink Floyd’s classic album The Dark Side Of The Moon.
•Reissue of Deerhoof's 2003 release Apple O on blue vinyl.
•Reissue of The Beatles Paperback Writer 7" with Rain on the flip.
•Reissue of Electric Eels (I'm so) Agitated / Cyclotron on red vinyl.
•A four track EP, Doe Deer, form Crystal Castles.
•Fucked Up, The Daytrotter Sessions, 7" .
•Dum Dum Girls and Male Bonding split 7".
•Reissue of the Valleys of Neptune EP by Jimi Hendrix, coloured vinyl etc .
•Hot Chip (featuring Bonnie Prince Billy), I Feel Bonnie, 7" (as featured earlier on Sonic Masala!! - BT)
•Mogwai and Fuck Buttons split tour 7"
•The Rolling Stones Plundered My Soul limited 7" - previously unreleased track from the Exile period.
•Sonic Youth, Hits Are for Squares compilation album, including exclusive new recording Slow Revolution.
•Factory Records Communications 1978-1992 featuring Joy Division, New Order, The Durutti Column and the Happy Mondays.

And millions of others, including this by Beach House, taken form limited Record Store Day Zebra EP... at last a mp3!

Beach House - Zebra (UK Radio edit)

Naturally record stores are putting on lots of live shenanigans as well. Rough Trade and Pure Groove have some of the best line-ups, so photos, tracks and reviews (of a sort) to follow! Maybe we'll see there - but hands off that Blur 7"...

Thurston Moore lecturing young kids on Noise

If you were to choose anyone to explain the ins and outs of White Noise to your kids , Thurston Moore would probably be top of the wishlist...

Well, some lucky 8 to 12 year olds got to listen to an hour-long dissertation on the subject matter by the Sonic Youth founding member and had some fun twiddling knobs and messing about with distorted guitars with him...

Result? Check it out yourself on the video below...

The wolf howls some more

A while back Brendan and I were privileged to see Sonic Masala favourite Wolf People live, supporting Besnard Lakes. A proper gig review is on its way but in the meantime here's some photos of said Wolf People doing their thing. Oh and another track from their ace debut L.P. Tidings.

Wolf People - Black Water

Cheer up No Joy

Now I have to admit without the awesomeness that Gorilla vs Bear brings to my life, I would be even more behind than I usually am. However, much thanks to that blog of effortless genius for pointing me in the direction of LA/Montreal duo No Joy. Their single, No Summer, is a delicate slice of fuzzy shoegaze heaven. Check out their band camp page, here, for the B side, No Joy, and more.

No Joy - No Summer

Nebula snail slime

Another reminder for an LP release (they always come thick and fast this time of year) from Aussie psychedelic hypno-groove trio Tame Impala. Their second album Innerspeaker is out May 21st on Modular. Taste below. I also found out today that they're playing Glasto, which is bob on fit in my book. Tame Impala is also the movement in Orion's nebula and the slime from a snail's journey across a footpath. You learn something everyday.

Tame Impala - Runway Houses City Clouds

Platoon to the moon

Just a quick reminder that the new, and sadly final, Magic Lantern LP, Platoon, drops at the end of the month. Here's a little takeout if the California band haven't swept your way before on their psych drenched space bound wipeouts. Naturally its out on Not Not Fun, who also put out Cameron Stallone's Sun Araw trip loops.

Magic Lenten - Dark Cicadas excerpt

Biblical music - with a K

Jakob are possibly New Zealand's finest current exponent of post rock. In a country flooded with (admittedly good) dub groups, Jakob cut a swathe through the pretenders to pave their own path, to differing levels of success (due to the fact that there are so many dub bands in New Zealand! The vicious cycle continues...)

Still, there is hope, as bands such as Isis and Australia's Cog have taken them around the world with them, and they are about to release an album 4 years in the making later this year, of which you can also get a sample here. In the meantime, check out their very cool clip for Nice Day For An Earthquake, from 2006's Solace.

Here's hoping...

I can smell the warmth coming off the pavement in the evening. That smoky glow that beckons you to the pub at the end of the day, it cries out to embrace you, to smooth your cares away, for you to be tranquil and just plain smile. Virginia's Eternal Summers know what I'm banging on about, or at least I think they do. Maybe its just our little secret.

Eternal Summers - Safe At Home
Buy the Vinyl here

We are water, red, red water

New HEALTH vid for We Are Water, taken from last year's awesome Get Color. Top five album from last year for sure. In fact the vid is just as awesome and gives me an urge to slap the whole album on, and then vomit up my lunch. I saw them two nights in a row last year, god they're good live! Which looks a bit like this...

mp3 if you missed out:

HEALTH - We Are Water - (removed at request)

Steal your face and descend

Friends often ask me whetherI know of any bands trading debauched driving African tribal funk punk rhythms, with the soulful shrieking of a wild desert banshee for vocals. I always answer with a wry smile and say one name - Mi Ami.

The interstellar space/funk San Francisco three piece have a new album out on Thrill Jockey, Steal Your Face - which, strangely, is exactly what it does. Oh, and your ears, and your feet, and your soul....

Following up from last year's Watersports LP, the band seems to have found a sixth, or even seventh gear. It is scary, claustrophobic, thrilling stuff. Layer after swelling layer of intricate detail drive you ever onwards over the six, admittedly exhausting, tracks. Tribal and dub influences hammer your dread filled mind. Only one moment of calm, the track Dreamers, smooths you to a rest but every other moment of quiet is a deceptive lull before the next other worldly storm. An imaginative white knuckle ride of a record. They've also got a rare London live date set up by the lovely Upset Set the Rhythm (god I love those guys) June 8th, Bardens Boudoir. Dare ya.

Mi Ami - Latin Lover

Caribou's new album, Swim, streaming in its entirety on Soundcloud

I had not been this excited about an album in a fair amount of time. Caribou's "Swim", pre-released from Monday 12th April (Rough Trade exclusive with a free bonus 60 minute mix cd featuring 21 tracks), is streaming on Soundcloud. I 've lost count of how many times I've listened to it this week...

Intricate. Dreamy. Envolving. A spoonful of Four Tet, a pinch of Massive Attack, a touch of Animal Collective, and a little bit of Junior Boys and Hot Chip...

We will be able to see what the album sounds like live next Saturday 17th April as Dan Snaith and co will be playing in Rough Trade East for Record Store Day... but the one I'm even more excited about is the show the band will be playing with Four Tet at Heaven on June 16th. If their gig in Glastonbury in 2008, which is the last time I saw them, is anything to go by, we're in for a nearly religious experience.

So get ready and click here if you want to get hooked on something reaaaal good.