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BRIT Awards 2012
The 2013 BRIT Awards will be held on 20 February 2013.
This will be the 33rd edition of the British Phonographic Industry’s annual pop music awards.
The award ceremony will be held at The O2 Arena in London.
Congratulations to [PIAS]‘ friends for their nominations!:
Alt-J (Infectious) - Breakthrough, British Group & Album Of the Year
The xx (Young Turk / XL) – British Group
Cat Power (Matador) – International Female Solo Artist
Alabama Shakes (Rough Trade) – International Group
Jack White (XL) – International Male Solo Artist
Adele (XL) – Single Of The Year, BRITS Global Success
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Dead Can Dance: Calling All Future Film-Makers!
Are YOU the new Chris Cunningham?
Michel Gondry?
Romain Gavras?
Genero.TV are holding a fab competition to direct the video for Dead Can Dance’s ‘Children Of The Sun’ – and win £3000 in the process. Yowsa!
Click HERE for full details, the brief, more about Dead Can Dance and ‘Anastasis’, the latest album from the duo.
Deadline is March 4th.
Roll cameras…. ACTION!
‘Anastasis’ is out now on [PIAS] Recordings.
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Dinosaur Jr – Brand New Video and UK Tour
Dinosaur Jr will be touring the UK and Europe in January 2013 for the first time since May 2010, with many dates already sold out. They’ll be playing in support of their latest album ‘I Bet On Sky’ ([PIAS] Recordings), which is a true and worthy addition to the Dinosaur Jr discography, brilliantly imprinted with the trio’s magical equation. For a combo that began as anomalous fusion of hardcore punk and pop influences, Dinosaur Jr have proven themselves to be unlikely masters of the long game.
Jan 30 Glasgow – Arches (Sold Out)
Jan 31 Leeds – Leeds University Stylus
Feb 1 Manchester – Ritz
Feb 2 Brighton – Concorde (Sold Out)
Feb 3 Bristol – Fiddlers Club (Sold Out)
Feb 4 London – Electric Ballroom (NME Awards show – Sold Out)
The band will also be releasing a new single ‘Don’t Pretend You Didn’t Know’ on March 11th. The opening track from the album, Uncut described it as a “compelling mix of hardcore jangle-pop, country and speed metal” with the unfamiliar addition of keyboards, a one-off messing with their recipe. Check it here: http://soundcloud.com/pias/dont-pretend-you-didnt-know-1
There is also a brand new video available for ‘Pierce The Morning Rain’ which answers the question of what happens when you shake up the typical American, suburban lifestyle with dB drag racing. ‘Pierce The Morning Rain’ was directed by Emmy-winning comedy writer and director Scott Jacobson, he of Bob’s Burgers, The Daily Show, Saturday Night Live and awesome music videos. The video stars actor James Urbaniak (Homeland, The Venture Brothers) and comedian Maria Bamford as the couple whose lives become transformed by playing Dinosaur Jr. as loudly as current technology allows. Henry Rollins makes a guest appearance.
Watch it here:
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[PIAS] Radar: The Very Best Of New Independent Music
Matthew E White – Big Inner (Domino) – Out Now!
The Guardian – *****, Uncut - Album Of The Month 9/10, Q – ****
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Christopher Owens – Lysandre (Turnstile) – Out Now!
Q – ****, Mojo – ****, The Fly – ****, Uncut – 8/10
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Ulrich Schnauss – A Long Way To Fall (Scripted Reality) – Out Now!
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Serafina Steer – The Moths Are Real (Stolen) – Out Now!
Sunday Times – *****, Mojo – ****
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Villagers – Awayland (Domino) – Out Now!
The Independent – *****, The Times – ****, The Guardian – ****
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Dutch Uncles – Out Of Touch, In The Wild (Memphis Industries) – Out Now!
NME – 8/10, Uncut – 8/10
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Arbouretum – Coming Out Of The Fog (Thrill Jockey) – Out Now!
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Pantha Du Prince & The Bell Laboratory – Elements Of Light (Rough Trade) – Out Now!
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Yo La Tengo – Fade (Matador) – Out Now!
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Foxygen – We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic (Jagjaguwar) – Out Now!
NME – 8/10, BBC 6Music Record Of The Week
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Lord Huron – Lonesome Dreams ([PIAS] Recordings) – Out Now!
Uncut – 8/10
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Wave Machines – Pollen (Neapolitan) – Out Now!
Q – ****, The Fly – ****, NME – 8/10
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SUPPORT INDEPENDENT MUSIC >> SUPPORT INDEPENDENT ARTISTS >> SUPPORT INDEPENDENT LABELS + DISTROS >> SUPPORT MUSIC RETAIL!
Happy Festivus! (For The Rest Of Us)
Your humble web monkey wishes a very happy xmas and new year to you all!
Readers of these brainwrongs of a one-off man mentalist, music lovers, music fans, music buyers, independent record shops, independent record labels, high street record shops, artists, mailorder firms, our distro partners (heroes: one and all – you know who you are), download stores, music blogs, websites – heartfelt thanks for making 2012 a truly fab year!
One last recital of your humble web monkey’s mantra:
SUPPORT INDEPENDENT MUSIC! Get yourself down to your local record shop / internet webshop / high street retailer / mail order co. / digital download store and BUY MORE MUSIC!
Here’s to 2013!
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ps. don’t forget, UK badgers - tune into Channel 4, xmas eve, for ‘The Snowman And The Snowdog’!
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[PIAS] Recordings: 30 Years
Damn! Has it really been 30 years?!
Our inhouse label [PIAS] Recordings – home of Soulwax, The Young Gods, Gallows, Agnes Obel, Andy Burrows, Grace Jones and so much more – have launched a brand new website celebrating this momentous birthday.
Featuring a veritable treasure trove of exclusive content from artists as disparate as Soulwax’s 2manyDJs, Andy Burrows, Ghostpoet, Editors, Front 242 and Enter Shikari amongst others.
You could probably spend *another* 30 years enjoying the bounty within!
Here’s the link to the site again: CLICK!
Download the FREE app too! Here: CLICK!
ENJOY.
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We’re Walking In The Air (21st Century Style!)
Very exciting news, this just in:
“Channel 4 has announced that the soundtrack to the brand new ‘The Snowman and The Snowdog’ film has been penned and recorded by award-winning British composer Ilan Eshkeri and the singer/songwriter Andy Burrows.
The sequel to the original Oscar-nominated classic, ‘The Snowman’, will feature a brand new story and musical soundtrack and will premiere this Christmas on Channel 4.
Thirty years after the original film was screened on Channel 4, the new sequel will reunite viewers with the world’s favourite Christmas character.
The score for The Snowman and The Snowdog was recorded at Abbey Road Studios earlier this month by the London Metropolitan Orchestra. The 60 piece ensemble was joined by a choir of Andy and Ilan’s friends and musical collaborators, including Emmy The Great, Edith Bowman, All Angels, Celia Graham (Phantom of the Opera) and others. The score also features violin from Haylie Ecker (former Bond member), guitar from Tim Wheeler (Ash), piano from Tom Odell (hotly-tipped solo artist), bass from Aristazabal Hawkes (Guilllemots) and drums from Dom Howard (Muse).
The film’s official single ‘Light The Night’ written by Andy and Ilan and performed by Andy features in the iconic flying sequence of The Snowman and The Snowdog, just as ‘Walking in the Air’ featured in the flying sequence of The Snowman in 1982.
Camilla Deakin, one of the producers of The Snowman and The Snowdog from Lupus Films, says ‘We loved Ilan’s film composing work and knew that he’d collaborated with a number of major artists on songs for films so he felt the perfect choice for writing the soundtrack for The Snowman and The Snowdog. When we first met with Ilan we discussed the fact that we wanted the music to have the same hand-crafted feel as the film itself, with an honesty and intimacy about it that befits the
fact that the film is all hand-drawn. We wanted songs that worked seamlessly with the score and an adult male voice this time, not a choir boy. So when Ilan played us some of Andy’s songs we knew that we’d found the singer-songwriter we needed. ‘Light the Night’ is such a beautiful song and complements the images perfectly.’
Ilan (Stardust, The Young Victoria, Layer Cake) was delighted to collaborate with singer songwriter Andy. They had been looking to co-write a project for a while and had previously featured on each other’s work. Andy played Drums on Ilan’s score for Johnny English Reborn and Ilan wrote strings for for Andy and Tom Smith’s album ‘Funny Looking Angels’. Andy first came to attention with Razorlight, co-writing some of the band’s biggest hits, including the #1 single, America.
Burrows left Razorlight in 2009 and has gone on to launch a successful solo career, with his recent ‘Company’ album earning righteous acclaim, and through pairing up with long-time friend and Editors frontman Tom Smith to form Smith & Burrows and releasing ‘Funny Looking Angels’ – an album of wintery vignettes and Christmas melancholy.
Ilan Eshkeri adds ‘The Snowman is an institution in the UK and I am incredibly excited to be involved in the sequel. The music is an iconic part of the film as, without dialogue, it helps to tell the story by expressing the characters’ emotions.’
Andy Burrows said, ‘It was a huge honour to be asked to write the music with Ilan for The Snowman and The Snowdog. When he first rang me and told me, I dropped the phone. It’s a total dream come true for me. The new film has all the magic of the original and fills you with festive warmth, but floors you and has you in tears at the same time. Working with the same team who were responsible for the original film has been such a fantastic experience.’
The secrecy surrounding the music of The Snowman and The Snowdog led Andy and Ilan to create the twitter trend #secretproject where photos were posted as the work progressed with music producers Steve McLaughlin and Tim Baxter.
‘Light The Night’ is available for download from Monday 10th December, along with the album version of ‘Hometown’ taken from Andy Burrows’ recent release ‘Company’ ([PIAS] Recordings).
A re-recorded orchestral version of ‘Hometown’ features on the soundtrack.
Both orchestral tracks will feature on the official The Snowman and The Snowdog album soundtrack released digitally worldwide on Monday 17th December on the Play It Again Sam label.
The Snowman and The Snowdog will premiere on Channel 4 at Christmas (date and time to be confirmed)”
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Rain? What Rain? Your Humble Web Monkey’s Warm Dry Web Ark Beckons
Hola!
Friends… Roamers… Badgers… How you doin?
Another great week for sights, sounds and sexy sonic sensations on the interweb – hold tight!
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First up – with a metaphorical crane-shot sweep across the soundstage and a good times jam in ‘C’: – ‘Later! With Jools Holland’.
The latest instalment of the show featured spellbinding performances from the heroic Sinead O’Connor and the publicity-shy Bill Fay, plus a chat with the ever-suave Bryan Ferry.
You can still catch the full show on the BBC iPlayer – HERE (UK only; soz).
Or alternatively settle down here with your poison of choice and prepare to be stunned by two disparate, undeniably legendary, talents.
Sample Youtube comment?
“Sinead is the 8th Wonder of the world, fantastic performance!”
“This was such a killer way to start the show, probably my favourite song of this show which was a very strong one”
Her latest album, ‘How About I Be Me (And You Be You)?’ is out now on One Little Indian.
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Bill Fay is finding plenty of brand new fans and converts are a-flocking in the wake of his Phoenix-like ascension / creative reanimation.
Some sample Youtube comments:
“Absolutely stole the show with this song”
“I saw the show as well. This song is absolutely mind blowing. His voice is incredible. Buying it today”
“THE best performance on Jools programme yet”
Bill Fay’s brand new album ‘Life Is People’ – which is also making waves in many people’s End Of Year Charts – is out now on Dead Oceans.
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Next up!
The brand new video from ethereal chanteuse (and Cat’s Eyes alumni with Faris Badwan, ) Rachel Zeffira.
‘Here On In’ is taken from Rachel’s soon-to-be-released solo album ‘The Deserters’ - Out 10th December (via RAF).
ENJOY.
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Next up!
US Cosmic travellers Eternal Tapestry have a new video in support of their recently released longplayer ‘A World Out Of Time’ (Thrill Jockey), here’s the Sun Ra meets Star Trek visuals for mellow cut ‘Sand Into Rain’.
ENJOY.
Eternal Tapestry – Sand Into Rain from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.
Been spinning this album a lot at home in the monkey enclosure, digging it daddio!
Some juicy press love:
“…a world out of time that you’ll definitely want to visit again” – The 405
” Eternal Tapestry have brought together a wicked batch of psych-rock boogie that keeps you reeling from start to finish” – Filter Magazine
“Easily the best psych-rock act currently operating in the US” – East Village Radio
“Massive piece of raw, backbreaking psychedelia… executed with straightforward chord progressions and yowling guitars that build up tension until the whole wall suddenly collapses into an unexpectedly emerging sonic abyss.” - No Fear of Pop
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Next up!
Ulrich Schnauss is BACK! with a new album ‘A Long Way To Fall’ – due out on his own Scripted Realities label on the 21st January 2013.
Here’s the brand new video, for the title track, an elemental and nocturnal fog wander that couldn’t *be* a more apt visual accompaniment for Ulrich’s trademark dreamy sonics.
ENJOY.
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Right, that should be enough to keep you busy, cosy and to ward off evil spirits for a while.
Let’s ‘do the mantra’ and get gone like schooldays, eh?
SUPPORT INDEPENDENT MUSIC! Get yourself down to your local record shop / internet webshop / high street retailer / mail order co. / digital download store and BUY MORE MUSIC!
Adieu for now!
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Your Humble Web Monkey’s Weekly Wideo Wound Wup
Hola ‘webbers!
How you doin?
Feast your mince pies on this week’s sweet sweet musical eye candy…. (oooh, mince pies – are we really hurtling towards *that* time of the year already? Yikes!)
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The consistently prolific, prolifically brilliant Sufjan Stevens plays good cop / bad cop with our aesthetic sensibilities – with NOT ONE, but TWO brand new videos to promote his 5CD Xmas boxset ‘Silver & Gold’ (Asthmatic Kitty – Out Now!).
The first is directed by the contemporary master of claymation re-imaginings Mr Lee Hardcastle (a Ray Harryhausen for our times? Discuss.) and is gory, witty, frantic, utterly bonkers, quite possibly NSFW and quite quite fantastic.
ENJOY.
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In stark contrast, the second helping of Sufjan Claus is a Super 8 / Hipstamatic nostalgia-hued childhood memory idyll.
ENJOY.
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Next up!
Memphis Industries’ signings Dutch Uncles have a brand new video / single – Festive it’s not, ‘Fester’ it is.
Words! From! Noisey!:
“New single ‘Fester’ released 17 December 2012
Taken from their forthcoming album ‘Out of Touch in the Wild’ released 7 January 2013
Manchester based 5 piece Dutch Uncles are all set to release brand new single Fester on 12 November on Memphis Industries. It’s taken from their upcoming third album Out of Touch in the Wild out 14 January 2013.
Isn’t it great to see a young band growing the old fashioned way? Three albums into their career, Dutch Uncles a group who pitched their tents firmly in pop’s leftfield with their eponymous first album and subsequent Memphis Industries debut Cadenza in 2011, have made another huge step forward with Out Of Touch In The Wild; the album sees them extend their eclectic influences even further with Kate Bush, Stravinsky, Japan, Prince and Neu! all intriguingly thrown into the mix. There’s been no great reinvention, just great progress: this is a refined version of Dutch Uncles doing what they do best: making labyrinthine pop of Escher-like complexity and crystal clarity.
First single Fester is one of the album’s highlights, a stripped back pop workout featuring lead singer Duncan Wallis’ tremulous and tremendous vocals intertwined with marimba and xylophone melodies building to a glorious motorik climax.
Comprising Pete Broadhead (guitar), Andy Proudfoot (drums), Robin Richards (bass guitar), Daniel Spedding (guitar) and Duncan Wallis (lead vocals, piano), Dutch Uncles formed in Marple, near Stockport, in 2008.
They’ve also announced live dates:
5 Feb Newcastle, The Cluny
6 Feb Glasgow, The Art School
7 Feb Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
8 Feb Liverpool, The Kazimer
9 Feb Sheffield, Leadmill (Steel Stage)
12 Feb Cardiff, The Moon
13 Feb Brighton, Green Door Store
14 Feb London, Hoxton Bar & Kitchen
15 Feb Birmingham, Hare & Hounds
16 Feb Manchester, Gorilla”
Here’s the video.
ENJOY.
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Next up!
English harpist, pianist, singer, songwriter Serafina Steer has her Jarvis Cocker-produced album ‘The Moths Are Real’ due for release early in 2013 via the good folk of Stolen Recordings.
Uber-trendy tastemaker stylista website the Nowness premiered the (Jarvis directed) video for ‘Night Before Mutiny’ – the first fruit from the new longplayer.
ENJOY.
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Next up!
US singer-songwriter Joshua James celebrates the recent release of his wonderful Richard Swift-produced album ‘From The Top Of Willamette Mountain’ (Intelligent Noise) with a brand new video for ‘Queen Of The City’.
ENJOY.
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Next up!
Legendary Icelandic polymath-who-defies-categorisation Bjork marks the release of her star-studded ‘Biophilia’ remix album – the bluntly titled ‘Bastards’ (out now via One Little Indian) – with a brand new video, for ‘Mutual Core’.
ENJOY.
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Next up!
Hotly tipped US gothic metalcore ensemble Motionless In White celebrate the release of their latest album – ‘Infamous’ (Fearless) – with a huge new video – ‘Devil’s Night’, which has amassed over 330,000 views in a matter of mere days.
ENJOY.
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Lastly, but by no means leastly, the first full taste of Scott Walker’s forthcoming new longplayer ‘Bish Bosch’ (due out Dec 2nd via 4AD).
Regularly readers will know that your humble web monkey is (not to put too fine a point on it) pretty much *obsessed* with all things Scott, and the 10 minute film that accompanies ‘Epizootics!’ is a gorgeous, graceful, disturbing, witty, beautiful and epic piece of work – one that has been on looped heavy rotation the past few days in Monkey Manor.
ENJOY.
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Phew! That’ll do for now.
Watch – rewind – repeat, as you recite with me your humble web monkey’s mantra:
SUPPORT INDEPENDENT MUSIC! Get yourself down to your local record shop / internet webshop / high street retailer / mail order co. / digital download store and BUY MORE MUSIC!
Adieu for now!
Andy Burrows’ “Hometown” video premieres today!
Lovely Andy Burrows has just released the video for “Hometown”, the forthcoming single from his stunning new solo album ‘Company’.
Beautifully shot, in one single take, the video was filmed in the attic of a pub in East London and was directed by Stefan Parker.
Enjoy the visual and aural gorgeousness below!
