Primo!'s new album 'Sogni' out today!

Hello again!   I hope you’re holding up OK with lockdown, at least the sun is shining, even though it appears to be still off down a tunnel. Something to cheer the spirits here though, today we’re releasing a new album entitled ‘Sogni’ by Melbourne quartet Primo! Primo! make music that explores the boundaries of everyday life with unruffled levity, tilted grace and a dose of grit, serving up insightful yet terse chorus and verse. Their glorious songs shift from unwound post-punk to rubber legged pop takes, chiming reflections to upbeat jangle.

Primo! feature Xanthe Waite and Amy Hill (both also play in Terry) on guitar and bass, whilst Violetta Del Conte-Race adds further guitar and Suzanne Walker underpins it all with a lively clatter of drums. Drawing from the collective musical lexicon shown on the band’s debut album Amici, Sogni (which translates from the Italian for 'Dreams') turns it s attentions to themes of decision-making, change, time, heartbreak and the practicalities of work and daily life.   Sogni’s twelve songs were conceived in the rehearsal room and perfected in a live setting, before being recorded to an 8-track with Al Montfort across a number of home studios in Melbourne. “Perfect Paper” propels the album into cruise, with splintering guitars, “Machine” highlights the work-hierarchy struggle (you told me just what I should do / but the problem is you’re only human / and I just can’t listen to you / machine, machine, machine”).  “Best & Fairest” questions the idea of an ideal life, while “Love Days” reflects on past relationships and “Diamond Day” deals in accidentally being swept up in love. It’s this track that Primo! decided to showcase in their brand new video made over the last week from their respective homes in isolation.

‘Sogni’ by Primo! is available now digitally, it’s also obtainable on limited orange or black 180g vinyl, accompanied by an artful lyric insert too. ‘Sogni’ can be ordered online from all the best shops and of course from our very own webshop here, we always appreciate the custom!

In the light of the COVID-19 outbreak we’ve had a number of shows cancelled and postponed, some more now with newly confirmed dates for later in the year (Shopping, Protomartyr and Jake Xerxes Fussell). Check out our listings section (below) for an update, original tickets remain valid for all rescheduled concerts and refunds are available too through tickets vendors. Thanks again for all the supportive messages over the last few weeks, we hope you’re keeping safe and sound.

Onwards into the unknown, take great care of yourselves! Upset The Rhythm

UPSET THE RHYTHM UPCOMING SHOWS

BONNIESONGS - CANCELLED YUMI AND THE WEATHER GARRET MOORE Wednesday 22 April Shacklewell Arms, 71 Shacklewell Lane, Dalston, London, E8 2EB 7.30pm | £6.50   LUNGBUTTER - CANCELLED ADULKT LIFE Thursday 30 April The Victoria, 451 Queensbridge Rd, Dalston, London, E8 3AS 7.30pm | £7   IAN WILLIAM CRAIG - CANCELLED Friday 1 May EartH Kitchen, 11-17 Stoke Newington Rd, Dalston, London, N16 8BH 7.30pm | £12   ESCAPE-ISM – POSTPONED (DATE TBC) (Ian Svenonius of Chain & The Gang, The Make-Up) Thursday 7 May Space 289, Railway Arches, 289 Cambridge Heath Rd, London, E2 9HA 7.30pm | £11 | TICKETS   FRAN Friday 29 May PinUps (formerly The Islington) 1 Tolpuddle Street, Angel, London, N1 0XT 7.30pm | £7 | TICKETS   FUZZ Wednesday 22 July Electric Ballroom, 184 Camden High St, London, NW1 8QP 7pm | £17.50 | TICKETS 14 + show (under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult)   PAN AMERICAN Monday 10 August Cafe OTO, 18-22 Ashwin St, London, E8 3DL 7.30pm | £10 | TICKETS (This show is rescheduled from April 21st, original tickets valid, refunds available too)   NAP EYES Wednesday 19 August Moth Club, Old Trades Hall, Valette St, Hackney Central, E9 6NU 7.30pm | £12 | TICKETS (This show is rescheduled from April 15th, original tickets valid, refunds available too)   SHOPPING  Wednesday 2 September The Lexington, 96-98 Pentonville Rd, Angel, London, N1 9JB 7.30pm | £10 | TICKETS (This show is rescheduled from May 5th, original tickets valid, refunds available too)   JAKE XERXES FUSSELL Tuesday 8 September The Lexington, 96-98 Pentonville Rd, Angel, London, N1 9JB 7.30pm | £9 | TICKETS (This show is rescheduled from May 12th, original tickets valid, refunds available too)   PROTOMARTYR Wednesday 9 September The Lexington, 96-98 Pentonville Rd, Angel, London, N1 9JB 7.30pm | £15 | SOLD OUT (This show is rescheduled from April 28th, original tickets valid, refunds available too)   PROTOMARTYR Thursday 10 September Peckham Audio,133 Rye Ln, Peckham, London, SE15 4ST 7.30pm | £15 | SOLD OUT (This show is rescheduled from April 27th, original tickets valid, refunds available too)   BRIGID MAE POWER (full band) Tuesday 15 September The Lexington, 96-98 Pentonville Rd, London, N1 9JB £10 | 7.30pm | TICKETS (This show is rescheduled from June 10th, original tickets valid, refunds available too)   OLD TIME RELIJUN PROTO IDIOT SHAKE CHAIN Wednesday 28 October PinUps (formerly The Islington), 1 Tolpuddle Street, Angel, London, N1 0XT 7.30pm | £8.50 | TICKETS (This show is rescheduled from April 29th, original tickets valid, refunds available too)

Es - 'Less Of Everything' released today!

Hello everyone!   I trust you’re keeping safe and sound, top work! A bit of brighter news for you today as we’re proudly releasing Es’ debut album ‘Less Of Everything’ into this vastly different world, arguably experiencing less of everything! Es are a strident London quartet who have coined an uncanny sound over these last few years. Focused, tense and commanding Es’ take on icy DIY punk creeps with gothic influence and nuanced intensity and this debut album proves eager to disrupt all sense of complacency.

Es are Maria Cecilia Tedemalm (vocals), Katy Cotterell (bass), Tamsin M. Leach (drums) and Flora Watters (keyboards). Their 2016 debut EP, Object Relations, by La Vida Es Un Mus, was described as “mutant synth-punk for our dystopian present” (Jess Skolnik, Bandcamp, Pitchfork). The group have since become a vital presence in London’s underground DIY music scene and even toured the UK with the Thurston Moore Group.   The dynamic between Cotterell’s warped basslines and Watters’ keyboard secretions lie at the heart of Es’ sound. When teamed up with Leach’s pin-sharp drumming, the outcome is unique and instantly recognisable as their own sound. This provides the perfect backdrop for Tedemalm’s insistent, pointed vocal style. Tedemalm’s strategy is to “push the lyrics as far as I can thematically until they become absurd … overly dramatic ... while still being sincere in the feeling they’re trying to invoke. I try to apply as much emotion as I can.” The result is something as confrontationally honest as it is complex.

‘Less Of Everything’ is available around the globe now digitally, it’s also available on transparent 180g vinyl, accompanied by a superb risographed insert too. This strikingly eldritch LP is available now to order online from all the best shops and of course from our very own webshop here, fill your boots!

You’ll also notice amongst the green shoots of our webshop that we have a new album from Primo! primed for later in the month. Filmed in advance of all the current COVID-19 precautions we have their new ‘Machine’ video to share with you today. Here’s Primo! putting in some serious elbow grease down the auto-shop to make a salient point about life becoming too automated. ‘Machine' is taken from the band's forthcoming album 'Sogni' out April 17th!

Finally finding a little extra time on our hands, there’s always an upside right? We’ve gone through our Upset The Rhythm archive this week and set up an Instagram account for the first time to share our favourite images from the last 16 years of UTR. There’s some terrific photos up there already of Lexie Mountain Boys performing on the rooftop of a tower in Hackney, Hella tearing up Needles wine bar and Richard Dawson bowling over an audience at Moth Club last year. Plus some candid snaps and well-worn memories, a little light relief we hope, better times!

In the light of the COVID-19 outbreak it’ll come as no surprise that we’ve had a number of shows cancelled and postponed, some now with newly confirmed dates for later in the year. Check out our listings section (below) for an update, original tickets remain valid for all rescheduled concerts and refunds are available too through tickets vendors. Thanks again for all the supportive messages over the last few weeks, hope you’re holding in there too!

Thanks as always for spending the time to read this, All the very best with lockdown & good health! Upset The Rhythm

UPSET THE RHYTHM UPCOMING SHOWS

IRMA VEP - CANCELLED SOFT WALLS THE TUBS Friday 3 April New River Studios, 199 Eade Rd, Harringay, London, N4 1DN 7.30pm | £7   Upset The Rhythm & SA Recordings present… LEA BERTUCCI - ‘Acoustic Shadows’ release party! - POSTPONED RHODRI DAVIES Tuesday 14 April Ecology Pavilion, Mile End Park, off Haverfield Rd, Grove Rd, London, E3 5TW 7pm-10pm | £6 | TICKETS   Upset The Rhythm & The Barbican present… LANKUM - CANCELLED SHIRLEY COLLINS & IAN KEAREY CAROLINE Wednesday 15 April Barbican Hall, Silk St, Barbican, London, EC2Y 8DS 7.30pm | £17.50-£22.50   BONNIESONGS - POSTPONED YUMI AND THE WEATHER GARRET MOORE Wednesday 22 April Shacklewell Arms, 71 Shacklewell Lane, Dalston, London, E8 2EB 7.30pm | £6.50 | TICKETS   PROTOMARTYR Monday 27 April Peckham Audio,133 Rye Ln, Peckham, London, SE15 4ST 7.30pm | £15 | SOLD OUT PROTOMARTYR Tuesday 28 April The Lexington, 96-98 Pentonville Rd, Angel, London, N1 9JB 7.30pm | £15 |  SOLD OUT   LUNGBUTTER - CANCELLED MICHAEL ADULKT LIFE Thursday 30 April The Victoria, 451 Queensbridge Rd, Dalston, London, E8 3AS 7.30pm | £7   IAN WILLIAM CRAIG - CANCELLED Friday 1 May EartH Kitchen, 11-17 Stoke Newington Rd, Dalston, London, N16 8BH 7.30pm | £12   SHOPPING Tuesday 5 May The Lexington, 96-98 Pentonville Rd, Angel, London, N1 9JB 7.30pm | £10 | TICKETS   ESCAPE-ISM (Ian Svenonius of Chain & The Gang, The Make-Up) Thursday 7 May Space 289, Railway Arches, 289 Cambridge Heath Rd, London, E2 9HA 7.30pm | £11 | TICKETS   JAKE XERXES FUSSELL Tuesday 12 May The Lexington, 96-98 Pentonville Rd, Angel, London, N1 9JB 7.30pm | £9 | TICKETS   FRAN Friday 29 May PinUps (formerly The Islington) 1 Tolpuddle Street, Angel, London, N1 0XT 7.30pm | £7 | TICKETS   FUZZ Wednesday 22 July Electric Ballroom, 184 Camden High St, London, NW1 8QP 7pm | £17.50 | TICKETS 14 + show (under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult)   PAN AMERICAN   Monday 10 August Cafe OTO, 18-22 Ashwin St, London, E8 3DL 7.30pm | £10 | TICKETS (This show is rescheduled from April 21st, original tickets valid, refunds available too)   NAP EYES   Wednesday 19 August Moth Club, Old Trades Hall, Valette St, Hackney Central, E9 6NU 7.30pm | £12 | TICKETS (This show is rescheduled from April 15th, original tickets valid, refunds available too)   BRIGID MAE POWER (full band) Tuesday 15 September The Lexington, 96-98 Pentonville Rd, London, N1 9JB £10 | 7.30pm | TICKETS (This show is rescheduled from June 10th, original tickets valid, refunds available too)   OLD TIME RELIJUN PROTO IDIOT SHAKE CHAIN Wednesday 28 October PinUps (formerly The Islington), 1 Tolpuddle Street, Angel, London, N1 0XT 7.30pm | £8.50 | TICKETS (This show is rescheduled from April 29th, original tickets valid, refunds available too)