Good mornings,
Firstly THANKS go out to everyone for coming to see SIGHTINGS play last week - they didn't disappoint, what a continually interesting band! Another band that constantly evolve their sound into ever weirder territories is MI AMI who we're lucky enough to have playing tomorrow night at Corsica Studios. MI AMI have recently warped into a frenzied, pulsing duo of insistent vocals ND glowing electronic alchemy, we're very excited to see the results play out live. Also tomorrow sees the start of Oakland's NO BABIES UK tour, so they'll be playing a fast, whirlwind set ahead of mutant pop opener DIVA TOO. It's going to be memorable that's for sure, tickets on the door and live music starting around 8.40pm FYI. Also this last week we've been busy lining up some other fun shows for the following crowd: WOODEN WAND, TOMUTONTTU, WEASEL WALTER + ALEX WARD, UMBERTO, FUTURE ISLANDS (only UK show!), BEST FRIENDS FOREVER, and the underground pop LEGEND that is R. STEVIE MOORE (yes, really!). All these new shows have been added to our listings section at the end of this message, here's more words about tomorrow…
*^*^*^ THURSDAY NIGHT ^*^*^*
MI AMI
NO BABIES
DIVA
Thursday 14 April
Corsica Studios, 5 Elephant Street, Elephant & Castle, SE17 1LB
8pm | 8.00 | http://www.wegottickets.com/event/108320
MI AMI have jumped into the next yard. Gone are the ferocious guitar, hypnotic bass-lines, and the thundering drums of 'Steal Your Face' and 'Watersports', now replaced by an unrelenting electronic vibrancy. Bass player Jacob Long left the band earlier this year, creating an opportunity for founding members Damon Palermo and Daniel Martin-McCormick to dive headfirst into a new setup: Damon on the 707 drum machine and a sampler that uses floppy disks, Daniel on the mic and keys, riding the mix. Elements of this new approach can be heard on their 'Cut Men' and 'Techno' 12"s, but those were baby steps. New Thrill Jockey album 'Dolphins' is the sound of a band diving head first into the musical fray. Listeners can feel Damon's command of the rhythm expressed through the drum machine, alchemizing the inorganic into the organic, while Daniel's trademark vocals remind you that this is Mi Ami. 'Dolphins' is a melting, dystopian refraction of left-field new age, lush soundscapes and Italo daydreams overlapping with slaughtered dolphins and the heartbreak of "Hard Up." Simultaneously ingesting and rejecting pop pleasure, wide-eyed optimism and modern despair, it is equal parts improvisatory winging it and forceful, fully-realized vision. Blurring the line between the tainted and the sublime, 'Dolphins' is the sound of a band thrillingly re-imagining itself.
http://www.myspace.com/miamiamiami
NO BABIES are a five piece friend army from Oakland, California. Since forming in 2008, they've worked tirelessly to develop a unique 'new punk' sound influenced by jazz, art music and hardcore, not unlike Old Skull playing Schoenberg, while Magma heckles from the audience. No Babies chooses to eschew the effects-drenched 60's garage cult of worship for an aggressive, hyper-present and harmonically dense sound that is playful as it is relentless. You might run for cover as guitars, saxophones, drums or even whole band members whiz past your head in frantic childlike spasms of terror and joy, or choose to meet the nervous fury head on, and join in the churning bodily mayhem yourself. Their debut self-titled album is out on Upset The Rhythm vvv soon!
http://nobabies.bandcamp.com/
DIVA aka Diva Dompe is a sci-fi priestess of unique talent from Los Angeles. Having founded the fabulously costumed trio BlackBlack with her sister Lola; thrown down sinewy bass grooves as a member of the sadly missed Pocahaunted and grown into a key member of the sublime L.A. Ladies Choir, Diva has now gone solo! 'The Glitter End' is Diva’s first record and it’s a fantastic piece of work with 80's noir rubbing shoulders with vibrant tropicália and mutated pop forms. After a limited self-released cassette, a new CD version has just hatched through Critical Heights.
http://diva.bandcamp.com/
As mentioned before, the wonderful NO BABIES will be bringing their unique 'new punk' sound - influenced by jazz, art music and hardcore - to the places below in preparation for the imminent release of their self-titled debut album on Upset The Rhythm.
"NO BABIES - Spring Into The UK Tour"
14.04 - London - Corsica Studios
15.04 - Leamington Spa - The Old Library
16.04 - Leeds - The Cardigan Arms
18.04 - London - The Lexington
19.04 - Manchester - Islington Mill
20.04 - Glasgow - 13th Note
21.04 - Bristol - Mother's Ruin
22.04 - Liverpool - Don't Drop The Dumbells
23.04 - London - Power Lunches Arts Cafe
24.04 - Cardiff - Undertone
Go shout it from the mountain, these guys have the fastest, most inspiring live show out there right now! Before I leave you I also wanted to draw your attention to NIGHTSCHOOL RECORDS' new tape compilation in support of the Japanese Tsunami appeal. It's a great idea/cause, collecting some of the best underground music in the UK, including many bands on Upset The Rhythm as well as our friends. So yes, check out the APPEAL tape here, along with its launch event on May 1st, instant karma:
http://www.night-school.org.uk/APPEAL.html
Thanks again for reading and we'll catch up tomorrow in Elephant and Castle! Fondest regards,
UPSET THE RHYTHM
xxx
http://www.upsettherhythm.co.uk
http://www.upsettherhythm.blogspot.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/upsettherhythm
http://www.flickr.com/groups/upsettherhythm
UPCOMING UPSET 2010 > > >
DUSTIN WONG (previously of PONYTAIL / Thrill Jockey)
HIGHLIFE
GENTLE FRIENDLY
NO BABIES
Monday 18 April
The Lexington, 96-98 Pentonville Road, Islington, N1 9JB
7.30pm | 6.50 | http://www.wegottickets.com/event/107032
LITURGY
SUNDAY MOURNING
MATT LOVERIDGE
Tuesday 19 April
CAMP Basement, 70-74 City Road, Old Street, EC1Y 2BJ
8pm | 6.00 | http://www.wegottickets.com/event/105922
TIMES NEW VIKING
VERONICA FALLS
CHAPTER 24
Tuesday 3 May
XOYO, 32-37 Cowper Street, Old Street, EC2A 4AW
8pm | 9.50 | http://www.wegottickets.com/event/110454
DJ DOG DICK
PSYCHEDELIC HORSESHIT
SEWN LEATHER
Friday 6 May
Dalston Victoria, 451 Queensbridge Road, Dalston, E8 3AS
8pm | 5.00 | http://www.wegottickets.com/event/116165
THE BROTHERS UNCONNECTED
"A TRIBUTE TO SUN CITY GIRLS AND CHARLES GOCHER"
ISAMBARD KINGSTON BRUNEL
‘THE HANDSOME STRANGER’ FILM SCREENING
Monday 9 May
Tufnell Park Dome, 178 Junction Road, Tufnell Park, N19 5QQ
8pm | 12.00 | http://www.wegottickets.com/event/108324
BLACK DICE
SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE
MAN FOREVER
Wednesday 11 May
PLAN B, 418 Brixton Road, London, SW9 7AY
(1 minutes walk from Brixton tube)
8pm | 10.00 | http://www.wegottickets.com/event/113580
ORTHRELM
ERIC COPELAND
DRAWLINGS
Monday 16 May
The Grosvenor, 17 Sidney Road, Stockwell, SW9 0TP
8pm | 7.00 | http://www.wegottickets.com/event/113581
MATMOS WITH J LESSER
JOHN WIESE
BIRDS OF DELAY
Tursday 19 May
Auto-Italia, 1 Glengall Road, Peckham, London, SE15 6NJ
7.30pm | 10.00 | http://www.wegottickets.com/event/108837
CHAIN AND THE GANG (now featuring James Canty too!)
GRASS WIDOW
COVERGIRL
Tuesday 24 May
Tufnell Park Dome, 178 Junction Road, Tufnell Park, N19 5QQ
8pm | 9.00 | http://www.wegottickets.com/event/108426
THEE OH SEES
CARNIVORES
CUSS WORDS
Thursday 26 May
Tufnell Park Dome, 178 Junction Road, Tufnell Park, N19 5QQ
8pm | 10.00 | http://www.wegottickets.com/event/112458
HALF JAPANESE
LET'S WRESTLE
THE LOVELY EGGS
Tuesday 31 May
The Scala, 275 Pentonville Road, King's Cross, N1 9NL
7.30pm | 12.00 | http://www.wegottickets.com/event/105945
JULIAN LYNCH
DUCKTAILS
BIG TROUBLES
Wednesday 1 June
CAMP Basement, 70-74 City Road, Old Street, EC1Y 2BJ
7.30pm | 8.00 | http://www.wegottickets.com/event/109859
TUNE-YARDS
THOUSANDS
FAIR OHS
Wednesday 8 June
The Scala, 275 Pentonville Road, King's Cross, N1 9NL
7.30pm | 11.00 | http://www.wegottickets.com/event/111524
GRASS WIDOW
TURN TO CRIME
FLOAT REVIVER
Wednesday 15 June
The Dalston Victoria, 451 Queensbridge Road, Dalston, E8 3AS
8pm | 7.00 | http://www.wegottickets.com/event/115563
WOODEN WAND
TOMUTONTTU
Monday 27 June
The Lexington, 96-98 Pentonville Road, Islington, N1 9JB
7.30pm | 7.00 | http://www.wegottickets.com/event/115921
WEASEL WALTER + ALEX WARD
UMBERTO
Wednesday 29 June
Cafe Oto, 18-22 Ashwin Street, Dlaston, E8 3DL
8pm | 6.50 | http://www.wegottickets.com/event/115923
FUTURE ISLANDS (Only UK show!)
Saturday 9 July
Plan B, 418 Brixton Road, London, SW9 7AY
(1 minutes walk from Brixton tube)
8pm | 8.00 | http://www.wegottickets.com/event/115925
BEST FRIENDS FOREVER
THE MIDDLE ONES
Monday 25 July
Old Blue Last, 39 Great Eastern Street, Shoreditch, EC2A 3ES
8pm | 5.00 | http://www.wegottickets.com/event/115927
R. STEVIE MOORE
TROPICAL OOZE
Thursday 11 August
The Lexington, 96-98 Pentonville Road, Islington, N1 9JB
7.30pm | 8.00 | http://www.wegottickets.com/event/115928
MARNIE STERN
Wednesday 7 December
XOYO, 32-37 Cowper St, Old Street, EC2A 4AP
7.30pm | 9.00 | http://www.wegottickets.com/event/107453
Spin Spin The Dogs are a group who formed on the fringes of Nottingham in 2003. Presently London-grounded, the band are a four piece playing out with guitar, keyboard, rubbery bass, drums and a narrative-heavy vocal. Throughout several lineup changes the band have continually found their stride in different shoes, documenting this with a 10” on Fancy Paradise and a recent album on Gringo entitled “Leave Me In Leicester”. Spin Spin’s side of this record wonderfully captures a fact known to many who’ve seen the band live; that they abandoned conventional truth years ago. Their approach to writing songs is often a collaborative exercise, taking nonsensical twists and turns into streets of rambling postpunk and cul de sacs of dissonant melody.
Frenzied, feverish guitars and crashing rhythms dominate first track ‘Clothes’, giving a taste of the band’s impish demeanor. Hot off the blocks ‘The Germ’ discusses themes of turning seasons amongst swirling space echo and cyclical clattering. Heavily instrumental and high-spirited Please tease with false endings and secret passageways, which exhibit well the extraordinary chemistry the three have forged. This side of the 12” cools off for the paranoid and cinematic ‘Harrow and Wealdstone’, its spooked guitars creating a darker mood before charging the gates for closer ‘Pass The Apple’. Finishing on a high note the last song’s chiming guitars and rattling drums sound effortlessly spontaneous and bags of fun.
Incidentally paintings of American songwriter Randy Newman in a relaxed yet dynamic pose are featured throughout the record’s artwork. Painstakingly hand crafted by members of both bands over days, months and years, the joint artwork is a good example of why this record works so well. Both bands share a common sense of humour, a fondness for each other and a mindset of offering the unexpected. Please and Spin Spin The Dogs combined on one LP make the UK underground a more fun place to lose your mind.
