New Years' Revolutions

Happy New Year everybody. I hope you brought it in well. At the stroke of midnight, I was onstage at Leeds' Brudenell Social Club, emulating bagpipes with a melodica ripping out Auld Lang Syne, before kicking into a cover version of 'Party Hard' by Andrew WK (this time on the guitar). Fun times.

I'm looking forward to the new year, it should be a good one with lots of crazy and expected and unexpected things upcoming.

This is all good - looking back, 2 years ago this time felt like a mess, and I didn't know how things would pan out. A year ago, I'd managed to distract myself enough so as not to worry about it.

This year looks a fair bit healthier, though I'm still not exactly sure where the next bean is coming from. What to expect?

Honour Before Glory will get a bit more serious. There's a couple of 'solo' gigs upcoming while the band comes together, and we're gonna do our first gig in March. All the while recording lots of new songs, expect to hear some more before that gig, and hopefully we can release something more substantial before the end of the year

Other than that? Mook is being super at the minute, and we got some new gear over Chirstmas. So I/we continue to record bands as much as humanly possible and anyone who wants to get involved we're really quite open, so get in touch.. Hopefully, more of our exploits will be released over the next few months, starting with Sam Airey's EP - Seasons Change

Duels are holed up searching for direction on album III, and the Mi Mye album is done and should be released on Trash Aesthetics in the early part of the year. It sounds awesome. Jamie & Lee have done a fine job with it.

Other things are afoot as well, some not suitable for this here blog, but I'm sure they'll be revealed. Winky smiley face

And I can't ignore the Forward Russia question, which seems to have been primed a little towards the end of last year through articles like THIS. It seems a little impractical with Katie living in Nottingham. And we've all found other people to play with at the minute. For those of you who wish it, I'm afraid it just doesn't seem to be on the agenda at the minute (though I could be wrong?). And as ever, that doesn't mean it never will be

That was a little longer than I meant, but that, as they say, is the news - coming up next on Nyevsky Prospect!

Top 10 albums of the decade!

Bands for 2010!

x

Soundtrack to this post: Tilly & The Wall, The Unthanks

British Albums Of The Decade

Recently I got asked by Saam of Faded Glamour blog to submit my 3 British albums of the decade for a blogger's poll he was compiling.

It took me a while to work out where I stood on this. As mentioned, I've been putting some thought into my albums of the decade - and as you'll find out, it doesn't really include many UK acts (I haven't finalised it yet, it still migh do).

Anyway, after much consideration, I settled on my three. Unsuprisingly, none of them have made the final list, so Saam posted my choices up on his blog. I won't spoil his thunder so head over to see what I chose:

FADED GLAMOUR - Nyevsky Prospect: British Albums Of The Decade

It says something that only one album is available on Spotify. That album is also available to download free, which you can do so HERE

Soundtrack to this post: Tegan & Sara, Woods

Mercury Nominations

So this week the nominatons for this year's Mercury Music Prize were announced. You can find the Guardian's take on it here

My take / prediction on the nominations was here. I got 4 out of 12, but I felt I made some justified points! Most dissapointingly I didn't mentioned The Invisible who, took the outside indie spot, and thoroughly deserve to. I am suprised at a few ommissions, but the likes of Lisa Hannigan seem standard Mercury fair.

The question is will early favourite Florence win and in some twisted way seem to put right the wrongs of Bat For Lashes not winning 2 years ago, or will someone emerge with a late push?

Soundtrack to this post: Duels demos

Recording / Duels

Friends and keen observers of my Twitter feed will have picked up numerous missives over the last month or so regarding a recording studio I'm in the process of setting up. A more comprehensive blog post on this is impending while a few formalities are sorted out, but in the mean time, the engine cranked into action this weekend as Duels commited our recent labours to tape before an extended family orientated break

These pictures are taken from the Duels Twitter feed, and for more wit and pictures, get watching that. The self-indulgent part of this news, is that these demo's will probably never see the light of day, they're for us to refine these songs, before we present them to you - the world. But it's an important part of the process

With these demos dispatched, the new studio is this week welcoming Just Handshakes (We're British) who are sympathetically being my guinea pigs while we ensure everything is up and running properly. I hope they don't mind me telling you this - we're recording a couple of new tunes that have barely been played live, and one evening down it's all going well. Reports to follow hopefully!

Soundtrack to this post: Dirty Projectors

Mi Mye / Duels

I spent a bit of time writing a few of these blogs the other day, and have been putting them out into the world gradually ever since. Today feels a bit odd, as at just coming up to 2pm, I have already been up for about 12 hours, having witnessed mine and my girlfriend's car being stolen with my very eyes infront of our house. A nice end to the week finishing off bits and bobs in the studio has turned into this, a mess of insurance, locksmiths, police and numerous other incidentals

But life must go on, and there's not much more I can do right - one thing I can do is keep churning out the blogs.

On a personal making music note (of which more to come), Mi Mye and Duels have been busy the last few months, while I've been crap at updating this here blog

MI MYE - the band of Jamie Lockhart & friends, featuring me, I guess 80% of the time on guitar? I am 100% on our recent single though! Entitled The Last, we made an awesome video, below, and were lucky enough to play some really fun gigs around it's release in April / May, including a ridiculous sold out room at the Brudenell for Live At Leeds. Preperations for a new single "In The Morning" are on-going, including a photo shoot where the band dressed up as cactus. Yep.

http://www.myspace.com/mimye

Photos from Live At Leeds HERE

DUELS also played at Live At Leeds - the first and so far only gig with myself included! At the minute we are beavering away writing Duels III, which is going well and sounding tasty, with a rich selection of sounds and rhythms. There probably won't be any more gigs until the majority if the album is at least written, but if anything happens you'll about it on the website first.

http://www.duelsmusic.co.uk

Photos from Live At Leeds HERE

Soundtrack to this post: Arrested Development for some light relief

Amazing Duels

I've been really getting into this new Brooklyn band phenomenon, like an NME bitch. My favourite two, being PASSION PIT and AMAZING BABY (alright, checking Passion Pit's Myspace reveals them to be from Boston, sorry!)

Anyway, Amazing Baby have given out a free MP3 this week, so check it out here:

MP3---> AMAZING BABY - Bayonets

In my life, it got announced the other day that I've joined DUELS. As I've commented to a few people, I've always been in Duels, we've all only just realised. The band are gearing up to give away last years immense The Barbarians Move In (see back here) free on their website, and crack on with Duels III and this is giving us top impetus. It's undoubtedly going to sound pretty awesome.

MP3 ALBUM---> DUELS - The Barbarians Move In

Finally, I DJ'd a new night (Beak & Wings) at the newly re-opened Josephs Well on Friday night, which was a lot of fun, better than I expected. We're doing another new night at Elbow Rooms on the last Saturday of the month which will be a similar mix of good tunes and fun times

Soundtrack to this post: Damien Jurado

Slow Week

It's wierd when you end up being so busy you can't explain what you've actually achieved? Aimless attempts of doing something worthwhile. 

I've some idea this week actually. A chunk of this week I've been on tour with DUELS, who have proved themselves and their new album to be just about the greatest band / album in recent times. Honestly. Good news is a few people might be picking up on that. 

So, rocked up to Newcastle and York with them, so the great and the good of those cities, Alan ex-Kubichek! and so on. 

On Wednesday I spent the day in Wakefield with my friend Jamie recording tracks for MI MYE, his band / project with all his friends. It sounds great and we're hoping to go out and play a few more gigs live

Skip to Friday and it was the Dance To The Radio alldayer, which was definately good, but definately had it's odd moments. Ida Maria, fuck me. Appaling

Oh and I passed my driving theory test on Tuesday, and I'm booked in my proper test in May. Sodding tour got in the way a bit there though

Music-wise? I dunno, I'm still rocking to Songs:Ohia. Last week I played bass for my friends band International Trust so my scrobbler chart got taken over by that

Read--->Pitchfork Neutral Milk Hotel Interview

Soundtrack to this post: The Shins

The Barbarians Move In

I don't think there's a band I have as much admiration for as DUELS, and I'm proud that all of them are my 'buddies.' From putting their prior incarnation SammyUSA on at the tiny Packhorse years ago, to guitar teching a sold out tour with Kaiser Chiefs, to being let in completely to their process of making their 2nd album

Album 2 is called The Barbarians Move In, and was was written in the first half of last year, with a scary intent and focus. Last week they released the album via MP3 on their own website, and a full physical release will follow in April via This Is Fake DIY.

Anyway, this is the finest £4.99 ever spent as this is a proper classic album, with sounds and living drawn from everything. It is an inspiration. Enjoy some choice 'cuts' below:

Duels – The Furies

Duels – Sleeping Giants

Duels – Regeneration

Duels – The Healing

http://www.duelsmusic.com

Soundtrack to this post: Youthmovies