Blog: Strangeglue

You may be familiar with Dustin Wong's Baltimore band Ponytail, particularly if you caught them at last year's ATP with Matt Groening, but maybe the release of his début solo album late last year slipped under your radar. Fear not.

Radio 1 legend Jo Whiley is to leave Radio 1 to front a new evening show on BBC Radio 2. The presenter is to bid a fond farewell to BBC Radio 1 after seventeen years with the station. Jo currently hosts weekend afternoons (1pm-4pm) on Radio 1 but will leave at the end of March to take up her new Radio 2 programme, handing over her slot to Radio 1's new music champion, Huw Stephens.

The Kills recently announced their upcoming LP 'Blood Pressures'. Now we've got the first single to be lifted from the record 'Satellite', which is embedded below. Alison and Jamie say it's the perfect introduction to the band's new studio album, their fourth, showcasing a new thoughtfulness and depth to their music.

Brooklyn blues-rock duo, She Keeps Bees have announced details of their brand new album 'Dig On' plus a mini UK tour in late February. It's the first new material since last year's limited 7" 'New Seed'. The band have offered up a teaser track called 'Saturn Return', which is the opening track from the new record that will hit stores around the spring via Names Records.

Fleet Foxes have revealed they'll release their second full-length "Helplessness Blues" on 2nd May 2011. It's the much-anticipated follow up to their 2008 self-titled début, on Bella Union records (Sub Pop in the US). The release of the twelve-track album will coincide with the band's first North American tour dates since August 09 and will be followed by a string of UK and European tour dates.

Now that Ben Folds is busy copying / being the internet sensation Merlin, he's enlisted Nick Hornby to write all his lyrics for him via the duo's collaborative effort Lonely Avenue. Although none of the above is strictly true (or is it?) they have put together a rather charming video for their song 'From Above', created with help from Julius Preite (of The Simpsons fame), click the link below to watch:.

After a busy year of one-off special events, numerous festival appearances and continental shows Chrome Hoof show no signs of slowing down as they announce a full UK tour this October. It's only been a few months since the release of 'Crush Depth', their excellent third full length.

That a band should release the album of their careers and then call it quits is becoming the de facto experience of late. Back in August of '010, Long Island's experimental rock band Crime in Stereo did just so. February saw the release of their fourth full-length I Was Trying to Describe You To Someone, (review here) an album which received an astonishing amount of praise and earned the band many comparisons to the likes of Brand New for directional-changes.

Maximo Park's Paul Smith has announced details of his first ever solo tour, taking place this winter. The frontman will play eight UK gigs on the jaunt, kicking off in Nottingham on November 26. His first solo album, 'Margins', is out on October 11.

Interpol have announced a tie-up with High Street chain HMV that will bundle together the band's new album and an intimate London gig. The band, who release their self-titled new album on September 13, will play Heaven two days later on September 15.

Sufjan Stevens has surprised and delighted his fans alike with the release of a new eight-song EP. The EP is titled 'All Delighted People' and is built around the two versions of the title track. It's available from Asthmatic Kitty now via download for $5 (£3.

This week's interesting album releases provide plenty of reasons to spend your Monday clogged up in your earphones. There's new albums from Eels, Klaxons, Women, Minus The Bear and the fantastic new record from James Blackshaw all competing for your affections.

Taking your '90s shoegaze past to its greatest modern pop conclusions, Norwegian (relative) newcomers The Megaphonic Thrift are very loud and very likable. Even when guitarist Njål tosses his guitar offstage for a crashingly fierce finale, we can't help but find it simply charming.

Due to some unfortunate schedule delays (happens to the best of us), it was all we could do to soak up as much Delorean as we could in a couple of songs before rushing off to see festival headliners Buena Vista Social Club.

We note that members of The Phenomenal Handclap Band all seem to have unique looks, commanding stage presences, well-executed rock star maneuvers, and rings on their fingers. Sightings of them wandering the arena with their families comfort us greatly as a sign that there is life after rock.

Standon Calling's size paradox: big enough to get A Hawk and a Hacksaw, small enough to have them take the show offstage to play on the floor. We surround them with the goodwill and dancing they inspire. Photos happily provided by Team Note Well gallery:files/Standon-Calling- 2010/Standon-Calling-2010:-A-H awk-and-a-Hacksaw.

We enjoy Three Trapped Tigers as much as they seem to enjoy stabbing out laser sounds from their keyboards. This is probably the highest recommend we can imagine. Do give them your support--we want them to keep making their brilliant music as long as we live, and you'll probably want the same.

Most worthy as co-headliners of a most venerable line-up, Angus and company beguiled with an even more spot-on (and possibly sober?) performance than when we last had the pleasure at ATP curated by Matt Groening. Photos happily provided by Team Note Well gallery:files/Standon-Calling- 2010/Standon-Calling-2010:-Lia rs.

It was small. It was thoughtful. It was perfection. How I saw so much, slept so little! And yet, here are. . . Things I'm sorry I missed at Standon Calling 2010:Efterklang's smiles: As enjoyable as their music was from my tent during my attempt at a power nap, I wish I were close enough to confirm the text messages I got about how much their ear-to-ear grins lit up Sunday evening.

Vendors, performers, and punters alike tell us they eagerly anticipate Sunday headliners Buena Vista Social Club, who go on to prove their undeniable cool with the following time-tested performance tactics: We drink to that--out of an open bottle of gin and tonic that has been passed to us by generous strangers who had the bottle given to them by yet more generous strangers.