Wednesday 26 January 2011

Sea Monsters festival: Brighton’s Kraken wakes

What more appropriate name than Sea Monsters could promoters One Inch Badge have chosen for their first ever festival in Brighton? We’re choosing to assume it’s a reference to the Wedding Present album of the sameish name, combined with a cheeky tilt at the host city’s coastal location. Whatever the truth – and we don’t really care what that is – Sea Monsters looks set to be a treat and a half over the next five gruelling but gratifying days.

Actually, is it even a festival? Not in the strictest sense, since there’s no daytime fun. One Inch Badge are taking over the Prince Albert venue (right near Brighton station, potential commuters – it’s the one with the giant mural of John Peel on its outside wall) every night between today and Sunday, in a wholehearted sledgehammer/nut-cracking scenario to promote their debut compilation album, also called Sea Monsters.

Who’s playing? Well, they’ve handily made a full colour programme available here, but if you just can’t bring yourself to click on the link, here’s the full band list, split into days.

Wed 26/1: Salter Cane, Crowns on the Rats Orchestra, The Squadron Leaders

Thu 27/1: Drum Eyes, Cold Pumas, The Sticks, Speak Galactic

Fri 28/1: Pope Joan, Nullifier, Hind Ear, Illness

Sat 29/1: Mary Hampton, Jane Bartholemew, Curly Hair

Sun 30.1: Stuart Warwick, Us Baby Bear Bones, Birdengine

Really you should see the whole damn lot, obviously, but if we had to choose, our pick of the five nights would definitely be Thursday’s noisy-assed Drum Eyes/Cold Pumas lunatic double-decker…

Tickets are £4 a night or £15 for a five-night pass (which gets you a free copy of the album as well) from www.wegottickets.com/oneinchbadge – so you see, if you miss it, you’ve only yourselves to blame. Not us, let’s be sure about that. Right.

Sea Monsters, the album, will be released in Brighton through OIB Records on Mon 31 January, and in the rest of the world on Mon 4 April. Don’t ask why, it just is.

Charlie Ivens

Originally published on thelineofbestfit.com

Monday 17 January 2011

Midwinter Picnic 2011 - a Spotify playlist

On Sunday 16 Jan 2010 I had the pleasure of playing other people's tunes before, between and after the bands at the second Midwinter Picnic [Facebook link with footage filmed on the day], a delightful, ramshackle affair held at West Hill community hall in Brighton.

The bill (assembled by Chris T-T) was made up of the sublimely eclectic likes of Paris-based Scottish singer-songwriter Mark McCabe, the noisily compelling Napoleon IIIrd, a harpist called Serafina Steer, and local folktronica heroes Grasscut, among others, so I responded with what I hope was an appropriately varied selection.

Here's the whole thing* on Spotify, should you like to hear it yourself.

Future Bible Heroes – She-Devils of the Deep
Ella Fitzgerald – Two Cents a Dance
Robert Wyatt – Little Red Riding Hood Hits The Road
Islet – Ringerz
The Organ – Stephen Smith
Stereolab – Equivalences
Anais Mitchell – Flowers
Jonsi – Animal Arithmetic
Sufjan Stevens – Enchanting Ghost
Gruff Rhys – Candylion
Yeasayer – Mondegreen
The Like – Don’t Make A Sound
Fats Waller – Your Feet’s Too Big
The Decemberists – My Mother Was A Chinese Trapeze Artist
Janelle Monae feat Of Montreal – Make The Bus
Trembling Bells – Garlands of Stars
The Research – I Love You But…
Billy Bragg – Help Save The Youth of America
Marlene Dietrich – Ich Bin Von Kopf Bis Fuss Auf Liebe Eingestellt
Joachim Witt – Goldener Reiter
Anna Calvi – Suzanne & I
Wayne County & The Electric Chairs – Eddie & Sheena
Seelenluft – Manila
Field Music – Them That Do Nothing
The Zombies – Time of the Season
John Grant – Silver Platter Club
Morrissey – Such A Little Thing Makes such A Big Difference
Gavin Osborn – There’s An Awful Lot Wrong With A Little Bump N Grind
Hefner – Painting and Kissing
Ray Stevens – Misty
Chumbawamba – Dance, Idiot, Dance
Penguin Café Orchestra – Telephone & Rubber Band
Laura Marling – Rambling Man
The Divine Comedy – Have You Ever Been In Love
Warpaint – Shadows
The Specials – Enjoy Yourself
Nosaj Thing – Fog
Beans on Toast – MDMAzing
City – Am Fenster
Hot Chip – Down With Prince
The Books – Motherless Bastard
Lali Puna - Micronomic

*a handful of songs aren't on Spotify, so I've replaced them with something else by the same act

Enjoy...

Tuesday 4 January 2011

2010 - The Full Stop (a Spotify playlist)

Here's my very personal impression of the 12 months that made up 2010, in the form of a 50-song Spotify playlist. If you're looking for some idea of the kind of music that makes my synapses fizz, for whatever reason, this might help.

Allo, Darlin' – If Loneliness Was Art
The Divine Comedy – The Lost Art Of Conversation
Johnny Flynn – The Water
Robyn – Dancing On My Own
Broken Bells – The High Road
MGMT – Congratulations
Vampire Weekend – White Sky
Tinie Tempah – Pass Out
The Decemberists – Down By The Water
Cee-Lo Green – Fuck You
Brandon Flowers – Crossfire
Broken Social Scene – Meet Me In The Basement
Wild Nothing – Summer Holiday
Glee Cast – Don't Stop Believin'
Aloe Blacc – I Need A Dollar
Hurts – Wonderful Life
The Joy Formidable – I Don't Want To See You Like This
Savoir Adore – We Talk Like Machines
Tame Impala – Lucidity
Kurt Wagner & Cortney Tidwell Present KORT – Incredibly Lonely
White Hinterland – Icarus
Wavves – King Of The Beach
Memory Tapes – Bicycle
Factory Floor – Lying
Efterklang – Modern Drift
Field Music – Them That Do Nothing
Thea Gilmore – You're The Radio
Diana Vickers – My Wicked Heart
Stereolab – Silver Sands
Yeasayer – O.N.E
Caitlin Rose – Shanghai Cigarettes
Gorillaz feat Mos Def and Bobby Womack – Stylo
John Grant – Silver Platter Club
The Magnetic Fields – You Must Be Out of Your Mind
Men Among Animals – Parrot Eyes
I Am Arrows – Green Grass
Caribou – Odessa
Janelle Monae – Cold War
Lady Gaga – Bad Romance
Marina And The Diamonds – Hollywood
Warpaint – Undertow
Kisses – Bermuda
Chiddy Bang – Opposite Of Adults
LCD Soundsystem – I Can Change
Panda Bear – Tomboy
Apples In Stereo – Dance Floor
Sleigh Bells – A/B Machines
Frank Turner – Try This At Home
The xx – VCR (Four Tet Remix)
Freelance Whales – Hannah

And it you're a real glutton for punishment, here's the full 150-song Spotify playlist (in alphabetical order by artist) from which I gleaned my Top 50.

Enjoy!