for a 24 year old, canadian basia bulat sure sounds like she's been playing a lifetime of music, and indeed it shows when you realize she's been picking up instruments from the age of three, from guitar to banjo and sax to the upright bass in high school. i've always wished my own parents had forced me to learn music when i was young, but i guess that's how i've ended up on this side of it, writing rather than making music, but enjoying it all the same. for basia, it was the people she met and the [...]
The UK trek will stop at: 11.25 Sheffield - Academy 11.26 London - Shepherd's Bush Empire 11.28 Edinburgh - Picture House 11.30 Manchester - Academy 12.2 Birmingham - Academy Visit Jarvis on MySpace. MP3: Jarvis Cocker - Don't Let...
They're playing a proper gig tomorrow, but tonight, for free, The Breeders are doing a warm-up in London, in the Rough Trade East store. Stage time is 7.30, but we reckon to be sure of getting a space in the crowd, you'll want to be out flagging down a taxi about now.
Emiliana Torrini's "Me and Armini" has all the swagger of Lily Allen's "Smile" without the annoying superfluousness and tabloid attachment. Also unlike the previously aforementioned track, the steady backing rhythym and Torrini's confident, calm singing let the rest of "Armini"'s layers reveal themself over multiple satisfying listens rather than blowing its musical wad on the first go round. Employing a cool, soothing vocal style, the Icelandic singer uses her new album to flip between ambient, acoustic folk songs and more upbeat, almost-radio ready pop songs, similar to Feist's last record. The album, also titled [...]
The Hold Steady will play a free in-store gig at Rough Trade East in London on Monday 18th August at 7:30pm. This will be the last opportunity for fans to see the band play London til their Roundhouse show in October. The in-store is part of a month of gigs to celebrate the first year in of the award-winning Rough Trade East shop. The concert will operate on a first come first served basis. Wristbands will be available at the Store 1 hour before the performance is due to start. We predict big queues [...]
The Hold Steady will play a free in-store gig at Rough Trade East in London on Monday 18th August at 7:30pm. This will be the last opportunity for fans to see the band play London til their Roundhouse show in October. The in-store is part of a month of gigs to celebrate the first year in of the award-winning Rough Trade East shop. The concert will operate on a first come first served basis. Wristbands will be available at the Store 1 hour before the performance is due to start. We predict big queues [...]
Sister Ray - End of an Indpendent Era? Another of London's rare independent record shops is feeling the one-two punch of illegal downloads and the credit crunch... Sister Ray this week announced that it was heading into administration. Since the news washed in a few days ago I've been trying to pin down why exactly it saddens me to such an extent. I mean, there's bigger indie shops in London ( Rough Trade East ), HMV and subsidiary Fopp have reduced their vinyl prices to more or less compete, and a fuller range is [...]
Ah, Emiliana Torrini . Coming to Kentucky soon, dear? Please do. Until that happens, I'll be content with this track off of her new album, Me And Armeni . Emiliana Torrini - Me And Armeni A bit of a different direction this time around; You'd be forgiven if you thought that you'd mistakenly queued up Lily Allen after those first intro bars. Perhaps the producer, Dan Carey , has something to do with it. Dan was behind Emiliana's last album, [...]
British Sea Power, who've blown away fans across the world with their third full-length, Do You Like Rock Music, are now being duly recognized by their native England with a nomination for the Nationwide Mercury Prize, which celebrates the top 12 albums released by UK or Irish artists. The winner will be announced the night of [...]
Aunque Albert Hammond Jr. ha declarado en numerosas ocasiones durante los últimos meses que los integrantes de The Strokes planean juntarse para grabar un nuevo disco en el 2009, las evidencias parecen indicar todo lo contrario. Ya les había platicado hace algunas semanas sobre el proyecto solista de Nikolai Fraiture , Nickel Eye , que lanzará un disco en el otoño. Pues bien, ahora se acaba de anunciar que otro Stroke también tendrá su propio proyecto. Hablo del baterista del grupo, Fabrizio [...]
Most know Jeffrey Lewis as a mainstay of New York's notorious anti-folk scene. Others know him because he is signed to the UK's legendary Rough Trade label. Lewis got started with Rough Trade by doing comic book artwork for Moldy Peaches albums—and his music career took off from there. And this is where Jeffrey Lewis is unique. He would much rather be holed up in his New York apartment drawing [...]
good afternoons, people! today we're going all the way back to the 80's for this comp known as c81. c81 was compiled by nme journalist roy carr and rough trade pr dude christopher rose for the 5th anniversary of independent label movement in the uk and of course to show off rough trades wares. more info can be found here , via wikipedia. there's some real awesome stuff here, but of course there are a few turds too. but of course what might be pure shite to may, may be golden to you. so its all subjective. [...]
ah the hidden treasures, lurking dusty behind shelves and in drawers and cupboards and shinyshinyboxes; in dvd cases, wrong cases, suitcases; used as bookmarks, balancing devices and in one case a stand for muppet toys. all these lovely treats hidden away for me to find as part of some elaborate logistical orwellian nightmare i call [...]
Normally, by this time of year I've compiled best of lists, and while started the process, David over at Largeheartedboy has already done the work, so instead I'll just refer you to his list , as it has pretty much everything I was linking to (and more.) While I'm almost ready to unleash my 100+ album list, I've also been compiling other year-end lists as playlist. First one is from the post-punk pioneer label and record store - Rough Trade Records . Compiled [...]
Last official word from the Long Blondes was that a new Rough Trade single, the previously heard by most "Once and Never Again", would be released in the British isles on October the 23rd. Presumably it will be lovingly presented with Kate Jackson's sophisticated artwork and some choice b-side material to flesh out a podcast yet to come. In the meantime, waiting for all the comfortable amenities, we do as we've always done, forraging for tidbits of material in the cold internet wilderness. Today we've found a truffle, friends. [...]
Play it: "Reggae Merengue" by Tommy McCook & The Supersonics Hey kiddies... there's a brand new Lily Allen video for "LDN" (second version): The opening sequence takes place in Rough Trade Records (which I visited whilst I was in London earlier this summer.) Notice the change to 'Tough Grade' to avoid any MTV censorship on brands. Some folks are already griping that they like the [...]
photos by Devon Banks "People say I'm being perverse on purpose..." were the first words cooed by Kate Jackson, the enchanting lead singer for our very favorite British imports, the Long Blondes. That the line's home should be a weeks old b-side, "Fulwood Babylon," with no Stateside or digital release in site, and that said obscurity should be the opening offering of the band's long awaited New York City return, makes the accusation understandable. A strong song of course, immediately charming and unconventional. Its stick heavy percussion and breathy "girls gone [...]
Photo by Devon Banks Despite the abject silence regarding the Long Blondes on the ‘nets (correlative to the band’s might), it was immediately obvious that the crowd assembling for the Blondes at the Knitting Factory was not just out trolling for low-cost indie rock (at $10 per head and sweltering NYC air, this occurs often). Likewise, the concertgoers were not to be heckled into some spontaneous dance party the likes of which haven’t been seen (thankfully) since the rave scene in Matrix: Reloaded . But the Long Blondes produce [...]
i'm waking up to...
the music slut
No Rock And Roll Fun
The world famous Invisible Limb
The Line Of Best Fit
Stereo Jealousy
Utahpolis
Worlds Fair News
Cuchara Sónica
Winnie Cooper
Captain's Dead
cowsarejustfood
thus spake drake
Merry Swankster
The Killers Reveal Details Of Fourth Album
Film Review: Ill Manors (2012)
