Sorry, sorry, no, really, sorry.
Its been a hectic few months. That combined with an almost chronic laziness has resulted in me not being able to get around to writing up things. Lets see. Somewhere here in the mess that makes up my desk I have a list of our Top 10 albums of the year preceding this one. I’ll have that up inside a week. I have a few gig reviews, a few new bands to look out for and some music news for you to sink your teeth into you. I may as well post them now.
Gigs
Spectrum – yes, they of Sonic Boom fame – are touring for the first time in… well, its been a while. Yes, they had the MBV support gigs last year but that doesn’t count. So, off I toddled to The Hare And Hounds in Birmingham’s Kings Heath. A lovely small venue (basically the top room of a pub) if a little prone to overheating. Support came from Seeland, a local band and one well worth checking out. Spectrum, however, were magnificent. Opening with Mary from last years Captain Memphis collaboration the set was just what was promise; a mix of Spacemen 3 and Spectrum recordings of which the highlight for me was the set ending When Tomorrow Hits and Revolution, encored by Suicide. Pant creaming stuff. One minor note of criticism and not one directed at the band. If you pay money to see a gig, why spend it talking? A waste of money and damn annoying for those around you. If you want to talk whislt listening to music, go home, stick on the cd and ring your mum. She’ll appreciate it.
New Bands. 
Always nice to be the one helping to drive the bandwagon than being the one scabbling around for space a few months down the line. Sadly, I have dined out enough on my story of being at the first ever Arctic Monkeys London gig and now I need something new. As luck would have it, I have some inside information for you. Theres a band called Crafty Simian who have only just this week recorded their debut single. They hail from that wilderness known as ‘oop norf’ and they have a poppy, punky sound thats more reminiscant of The Stone Roses than of the crap that passes for both pop and punk nowdays. Well worth checking out, they’ll be big news. they have a tour coming up in April, do stay tuned for more Simian related news.
News.
So, I was watching Oz & James Drink to Britain last night when i wondered to myself, “what the devil are Gomez doing nowadays?”. Then, later on when I was catching up with the superb Nature’s Great Events dopcumentary series i was put in mind of The Flowers of Hell. “What is going on with my favourite psychadelic/shoegaze/classical/ambient/drone band?”. I resolved to discover the answers to these questions and lo, I did. Gome have a new single – “Airstream Driver” – available for download from their website, whilst even more happilly, The Flowers of Hell have scheduled a date of 6th of April for the release of their second album Come Hell Or High Water. And on the 27th they shall be playing in Brighton’s Freebutt in the support role for the afore mentioned Spectrum. Spectrum. Flowers of Hell. On the same bill. At a cost of £7. Excuse me a moment, I need a new pair of jeans. Can’t make it? Nor can I (maybe these jeans will be ok after all). But they have 2 tracks to listen to from said new release, as well as a few from their old one.
But wait, there is more. Yes, more. My Latest Novel have a track – Dragonhide – from their forthcoming album, available to listen to on their Myspace. And British Sea Power have recorded a version of The Cure’s A Forest for the NME (just saying it makes me need a wash) to celebrate Bobby Smith’s and pals Godlike Genius award. Said version would have been only available with the NME (eugh). But wait. Just take a trip to BSP’s Myspace and lo, there it is, along with The Possibility Of An Island which is some proper ambient type shit which I love, reminiscant of their take on The Pixies’ Caribou and the work of bands like Library Tapes, All Sides and The Place Promised Beyond The Clouds.
Want more? Ok, heres more. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are back and they’ve been listening to Morton Valence a hell of a lot it sounds. This is no bad thing. New album Its Blitz – due out April 13th – will take a bit of getting used to, but will be well worth it in the end. Heads Will Roll in particular is frickin awesome.
