Tags: Struck Dumb, The Futureheads, The Lexington

We’re pleased to announce that until Wednesday 2nd December you can download brand new Futureheads track ‘Struck Dumb’ for free exclusively from clashmusic.com or myspace.com/thefutureheads. This track is the first taster from their forthcoming new album.

We can also announce that the band will be playing a tiny Christmas show on December 14th at The Lexington, Pentonville Road, London. Tickets to the show, priced £10, will go on sale at 10am on Thursday 26th November to everyone signed up to the band’s database, and on general sale to the public at 10am on Friday 27th November.

After December 2nd the track will only be available for purchase via itunes so make sure you don’t miss out on this one week free exclusive.

Tags: Leeds, Sheffield, Volcanoes, Volcanoes Interview

Volcanoes are unique. If any statement is more true this year, then I’ll eat the pixels they take up on this screen. Yes, this gang of – in the best possible way – weirdos, are crazy, amiable, possibly prone to delusions and partially from the creative hub that is Sheffield. But just because they’re from  Sheffield, don’t pigeonhole them yet, because they may get rather angry and hypnotize you into doing things that may be illegal.  Yet, despite the band name there were no explosions, volcanic or otherwise , in the course of this intensive grilling and I am proud to be able to provide you the answers to just how the band describe their brand of music, why they possess a blow up snow man, just what they would do if lava overwhelmed the world and why we may not hear their album for a while yet…

Greetings from Shout4Music! How’s life with Volcanoes?

Very good taa, we did a gig in Liverpool last week and I managed to play one of our songs in it’s entirety a fret down from the rest of the band. Other than that we’re belter.

Did your name come from being incredibly explosive or is there another explanation?

We were very close to being called ‘Shirles, Bed and the Volcanoes’ based on the acoustic act we’d evolved from. I guess we just cut the crap.

Is there something about the water in Sheffield that produces musicians or is it just a big coincidence that many bands have come from there?

Sheffield has a fantastically varied and thriving music scene. The Tramlines festival this year showcased loads of local artists all over the city. Sheffield completely buzzed that weekend and every venue was packed, it really is fizzing with talent right now. I’m sure there are quite a few bands from the region that are going to get much more attention over the next year, hopefully including us.

How would you describe your music?

Laserbeamed Indie Jungle Juice…

We sing about anything and try to make it entertaining and great. We’re like an anti Snow Patrol

You’re based between Sheffield and Leeds . What is the best thing about the Sheffield and Leeds music scenes and why?

The best thing is that it’s pretty easy to find musicians, form a band and get gigs. This is also the worst thing as it’s a nightmare trying to compete with 10+ other gigs on any given night.

How did you all meet and when did the band come together?

I knew Boa from 6^th Form College in Hereford we went our separate ways at Uni but he got a call one morning and I asked him to take up bass guitar and help us out; he immediately obliged and moved from Nottingham to Sheffield.

Shirles, I met at Uni and we formed an acoustic act called Shirles and Bed that later became Volcanoes.

Ash we downloaded from the internet when we needed a drummer

Do you have an obsession with Ping Pong or is it just the photo shoot?

Both Shirles and Boa represented Great Britain in their teenage years, weird.

How’s the album coming along and what can we look forward to hearing on it?

The album huh, well to be fair we could lay one down tomorrow if we thought it would sell. We’re well aware that this whole music industry is a bit of a game and there’s no point releasing something that no-one’s going to hear about. Yeah we could shift about 300 copies but we’d kind of like to move on from that when we release an album. So I guess what I’m trying to say is for now we’ll save an album until we get some decent backing, until then we’ll aim to raise our profile with further EP releases.

What are your less obvious influences in making music?

OCD – I had a rancid time with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder a few years back. Although it left me feeling a bit shitty from time to time, one theory is that OCD is a twist on an overactive imagination so I got quite good at coming up with song ideas.

Tell us something about Sheffield that is just plain odd and surprising.

It is the birthplace of The Queen of Sheeba and was once part of Atlantis.

A review of your E.P. suggested that the world will soon be covered in molten lava it was that good. What would be your first act upon discovering the world covered in lava?

I’d check my pants to make sure that it was actually lava and not the result of a bad Kebab. After discovering (to my relief) that it was indeed lava and not poo, I’d shed a tear for my lost brethren and then return to the space battleship Ziashiivek for conquests a new.

To Boa, is Boa Internationale your real name, or are you possibly lying to us?

I never lie.

What’s your process for writing songs? Your lyrics for a start are quite unique…

Thank you very much for listening to them, I honestly put a lot of effort into them and try to make them er….good. I bet most folk never listen to them, and just dance to the beat.

One thing I hate is bands/musicians who just sing about fucking relationships and how confused and difficult it all is. I don’t believe for one minute that anyone really analyzes their love life that much and I think they just want to sell records or they are tedious fools with no actual point…..sorry about that

Life is actually excellent and we try to write about it from all sides. Obviously some tunes are a bit shady so we’re not super happy all the time. I approach music from the Beatles angle, our music isn’t incredibly complex but we have songs and not just tunes. Know what I mean?

Can you use words alone to force me to buy your favorite album?

My fav album of all the time???

OK here it goes…

Look into my eyes, not my eyes these words, these words look into these words, these words and SLEEP. When you awake you will go into a record shop and purchase ‘Room On Fire’ by the Strokes, you will then pick a card at random…..

(Actually I already have that album! – Seba.)

You say that you enjoy the thrill of making music. Which is the best part, the writing or the recording?

The whole shebang, it’s mint watching a idea take form and even better when it only takes one practice from idea to hero tune. Recording is satisfying too because we work a lot harder on the tunes that are due to get recorded so they tend to get a bit better in the run up.

Do you have any rituals or lucky objects that you do before or keep on you during live performances?

We used to have a blow up snowman but it pissed me off to be fair. I’ve alo worn a Snakeskin belt on two occasions when we’ve had a really shite gig, so I can’t wait to wear that again.

Who would be in charge of the world if you could have such a person and why?

Michael Flatley – come on….he’s quality.

If you could play a gig anywhere in the world, where would that place be?

Right now, I’d like a gig at Koko in Camden but I don’t know if I can be arsed asking again. Dude without us having to lick any nuts, just give us a gig and if we’re shit don’t invite us back. What a world.

Do you believe in the theory that every action has an effect and what effect would your music have on the world ideally?

Yes I believe in that. Right now I hope we’ve inspired one or two youngsters to pick up a guitar and start off their own story. I hope that we can give many more folk a chunk of the good times if we get a bit better known xxx

Finally, any last words of wisdom for our beautiful readers?

Yes.

Er…Thank you Volcanoes!

(Editors Note: These guys are actually pretty damn good!)

Tags: fast cars, lou reed, paul weller, Richard Hawley, steven murray & kingbird, tom petty

New Wave veteran Steve Murray has enjoyed a long and varied musical career since early success with ‘Fast Cars’ in the late 70’s. His CV peppered with numerous high profile session musician gigs, Murray seems to be one of those well-respected ‘behind the scenes’ guys who has finally decided  to take the plunge and branch out on his own, with backing band ‘Kingbird’. Together they offer an appealing brand of stripped back alt country numbers on debut EP ‘The Hand of Fate’.

There is a deliberate retro feel to single ‘So James Dean’, and it’s a real grower. With the shuffling charm of Murray’s accomplished guitar playing blending well with a strong chorus, a neat piano hook and unpretentious lyrics. Overall this is a solid 4-track EP from a ‘musician’s musician’ with a natural feel for a tune, who doesn’t feel the need to have to try too hard. The other tracks are ‘You’re So Funny’, the Tom Petty sounding ‘American Girls’ and ‘Twisting the Hand of Fate’. This fine, short collection is a touch nostalgic, and has that ‘lived in’ feel of later Lou Reed stuff. The harmonies could be tightened up a little and lead guitar brought out more, especially on the single. But there is enough here to anticipate a good album, which might turn out to be one of those sleeper hits like Richard Hawley’s Cole Corner.

Tags: CAST, Edge Delay Records, OASIS, The Charlatans

Record Label: Edge Delay Records

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New York’s The Go Station have a strangely familiar Britpop sound dominating this album, which is not without it’s bright moments. Among their strongest tracks are opener ‘All Together Now’ plus ‘Twin Six’ and ‘Next In Line’. With these you can hear more of their original voice. And at best, their tunes carry purposeful, rhythmic indie rock, with some tight, energetic lead guitar, pacey drums and anthemic, crescendo choruses. But with much of the material here, on tracks such as ‘Not Enough’, ‘C’Mon’ and ‘They Way Of The World’, it’s as if someone has taken all the mid 90’s Britpop bands you can think of, liquidised them, and drunk them down in one. This means you get some good, smooth Oasis and Charlatans styled bits, but also, you end up swallowing quite a few indigestible chucks; a finger from Menswear here and testicle from Toploader there. With ‘Way Of The World’, the chorus proclaims; “It’s just the way of the world…the original sin…sign of the times…it’s the state I’m in’. For all I know, this could well be listing some of the many po-faced, pseudo-philosophical album titles prevalent back then. For fans of the bigger, broader British sounds of the previous decade, then The Go Station do what they do well. But for those who remember being saturated with this sort of thing in the mid 90s, it’s not a return journey many of us in the UK yet wish to make.

Tags: Hit Club Records, Is Tropical, When O' When

Ever been lulled into a false sense of secruity? Cue, Is Tropical! Everything’s going along quite ambiently until a little shift in ethics, then you get a true introduction into Is Tropical signed to Hit Club Records. Just bloody check it out for God sake….

Tags: Alex Davies, Elliot Minor, Reprosession Records, Solaris

Record Label: Repossesion Records

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Having enjoyed some success in recent times—including a top 10 debut LP—Elliot Minor return in emotionally-charged, ambitious style with album number two. This is pop-rock firmly wedged at the ‘pop’ end of the scale: it’s music of the introspective ballad and tug-away-at-your-heart-strings variety, with Alex Davies’ lovelorn, heartfelt vocals supported by an excess of tinkering keys, stirring orchestration and the occasional sudden swerve into guitar solo territory. It’s a mash of Muse, Sunset Avenue and Coldplay, and as a band Elliot Minor have got the hooks and the tunes to soon have you cheerfully humming along.

The potential album standout moment comes in the form of ‘Better Than The Courtroom’, featuring verses so downright spot-on at pulling those heartstrings into knots that most acoustic guitar-wielding songwriters would probably commit murder to have to written it. But—and this ‘but’ is indicative of a lot of ‘Solaris’, sadly—the song is ultimately a little underwhelming, thanks here to a chorus that feels lazy after such a strong build-up. ‘Solaris’, then, is a bunch of tracks that show Elliot Minor to be perfectly competent in what they do but missing a certain something.

Tags: Kurt Cobain, Nirvana, Reading Festival

It’s finally arrived, the DVD/CD combo that every bloody buggers going to have on their Christmas list. Cobain at his arguably creative peak and destructive saw Nirvana step up to the plate with this quite shambolically exquisite best. Check out the trailer below to the DVD;

Tags: Courtney Love, Dave Grohl, Kurt Cobain, Nirvana, Reading Festival

Record Label: DGC Records

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Oh my, how the jealousy intensifies of the thought of missing Nirvana’s headline slot on the Friday night at Reading ‘92. But, as a mere spotty adolescent at the time, the chances were derisorily slim that the immeasurable impact they had that night would have had a significant premise in my think tank at that tender age. However, due to the release of this climatic DVD/CD combo, a joyous wa hey, yes indeed, wa hey is bellowed out! We get to relive Cobain at his most spasmodically enchanting, fronting the primal instigators of grunge music of the early 90s. The campsite that year was rife with rumours that year that Cobain was AWOL, rumours citing anything from an overdose, to marriage difficulties or that he was compelled to shun the show due to his displeasure of the limelight. That aside, the set was filled with mind-blowing grunge and sloppy indie-rock that came accustomed to Nirvana’s shows. Filled with most of ‘Nevermind’ and ‘Bleach’ their set was that of a greatest hits ensemble. The inclusion of bootleg gems ‘D7’ and ‘Spank Thru’ whetted the appetite further. But, nothing resonates as profoundly as their classic cuts, such as ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit, ‘Lithium’, ‘School’ and set closer ‘Territorial Pissings’. This showing came a year after ‘Nevermind’ an album that reset the aesthetics and expectations of modern pop music. And delivered Reading a Nirvana arguably at their artistic peak. Nirvana you live on in our hearts!

Tags: Fucked Up, Gay For Johnny Depp

Erm…Gay For Johnny Depp’s new video is exactly what it says on the tin, ‘Fucked Up’. Take a look for yourself, it is to say the least, very amusing! Anyway, got to go, time for the fifteenth play in a row.

Tags: Codeine Velvet Club, Jon Lawler, The Fratellis, We7

Seizing opportunities presented by the digital space, Codeine Velvet Club’s album will be released in an innovative manner.

Starting from November 16^th free online music service we7 (www.we7.com) will be streaming two tracks a week from the bands’ eponymously titled debut album, ultimately streaming the full album before it is realeased on general sale.  In addition, we7 will have exclusive access to the band, publishing interviews with Jon Lawler, lead singer and chief songwriter of The Fratellis, on its website at the opening and close of Codeine Velvet Club’s UK tour.

For fans who listen to the tracks at we7 or via a distributed we7 widget and want to experience the band live, we7 will also be running a series of nationwide and regional ticket giveaways, helping fans to get as close to the band and the music as possible.

On December 7th Spotify subscribers can hear the album via its premium service aswell as an additional three exclusive live tracks.  Non paying Spotify users (on the ad-funded site) will be able to hear a sampler of six tracks from the album from the same date.

The physical and complete digital Codeine Velvet Club album will be made fully available across all platforms on December 28^th along with their next single “Hollywood”.

Says Island GM Jon Turner: “At Island we are keen to embrace innovative ways to deliver our artists’ music to the consumer.   The Codeine Velvet Club album is such a strong and unique body of work that we felt it was vital for fans to hear as much music as possible upfront of release to create what we are confident will be a huge word of mouth viral uptake. We wanted to partner with Spotify and we7 who both have a passionate audience of music lovers and are the perfect digital platforms to spread the word”

Codeine Velvet Club is a new musical collaboration featuring Jon Lawler – lead singer and chief songwriter of The Fratellis – and singer-songwriter Lou Hickey, that celebrates their shared love of ’60s girl-boy duets, dramatic orchestral pop, and dark post-war Hollywood and Las Vegas romanticism.