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

Mi Mye - In The Morning

Mi Mye, Sometree, Futuresound, Mercurys, Magnolia.... that seems to be all this blog is about now a days!! I have some hopefully big announcements to be made soon though, so don't tune out just yet

As previously mentioned, recording of the Mi Mye album is underway, but before all that, we're releasing a new single 'In The Morning' in the autumn. Watch the video below:

http://www.myspace.com/mimye

Soundtrack to this post: Pterodactyl, Grizzly Bear

Mi Mye Picture Special

Prior to our London football trip, on Saturday Mi Mye continued ploughing our new productive furrow with an opening session of recording for our forthcoming album. And it was sounding pretty shit hot too!

No other news at the minute, re: completion / release or otherwise, but I'll try and keep this blog up to date with the latest. Meanwhile here's some photos:

    

Soundtrack to this post: Grizzly Bear, Riceboy Sleeps

Mi Mye - The Last

This is the video for Mi Mye's single The Last - released in March 2009. I wanted to include this, as I love it - it is the easiest one I've ever been involved in, and was a lot of fun!

The Last is still available from the Mi Mye Myspace and the Trash Aesthetics website

http://www.myspace.com/mimye

http://www.trashaesthetics.com

Soundtrack to this post: Mastodon - Crack The Skye

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

The Week That Was

Man, what a week (yep, not about the Field Music spinoff). Full on busy, but I've done a lot of fun stuff

Thursday night, Mi Mye played the Buen Chico album launch at the Brudenell Social Club, and fun was had - it's the first time I've played with Mi Mye for a while and the gig was good. It's good times in Mi Mye, as we've got a single and video done and are hoping to release it in February

Friday night, me and Nathan from the Brudenell put on a gig in aid of Children In Need. The catalyst of the gig was getting ace American band OH NO!! OH MY!! to come and play. We were also blessed with ace bands Dinosaur Pile-Up and Just Handshakes (We're British). Everyone got into the spirit, and we had lots of fun with a great bake sale, raffle and a highly amusing game of Musical Chairs

Saturday & Sunday I had my fledging attempt at the other side of the mixing desk, producing some songs for The ABC Club. I tell people I kind of manage the ABC Club and I don't know why, because I DO manage them, but I can't help feel a tit talking of bands in those terms. Anyway, said recording went really well, and it's a work in progress for the minute.

Finally, my blowout at the end of the week was an awesome gig at, surprisingly, the Brudenell Social Club. These Arms Are Snakes / Russian Circles (pictured above) double bill, and it was better than I hoped it would be. As much of a fan I am of both bands, I thought I might loose interest (a me thing), they were both awesome. 

The gig had added significance as I hung out with a few of the Snakes in Seattle last year, and Russian Circles made their album directly after Forward Russia's Life Processes with Matt Bayles (who also runs Red Room Studios with Chris of TAAS). So had a funny chat with Chris and an even funnier chat with Mike Circles about the nuances of recording with Matt. Good times

FOOTBALL UPDATE - Lokomotiv lost 2-1 last night, following a very dissapointing game. We went 1-0 up, then conceded 2 scrappy goals in a game we again dominated. Me & Fogal had the cream of the chances and we were all annoyed to loose. We've got a depleted squad for the next month now as iLiKETRAiNS swan around Europe but I'm hoping we can call on a few other talented individuals

So, I've tried something new here - I don't know how informative this post is, it's more of a dear diary post. But it's been a busy week...

Finally a tip for a 2 similar bands I got introduced to earlier this year, who are starting to pick up a bit of hype and I want to stamp my mark:

THREE TRAPPED TIGERS - MYSPACE

FRIENDSHIP - MYSPACE

Soundtrack to this post: t'radio

On The Radio

On Sunday night I did an hour broadcast for East Leeds FM which was loads of fun being indulgent talking about myself and my favourite records. Here's some tunes I picked:

Thin Lizzy - Vagabond Of The Western World

Get Well Soon - Prelude

The National - Mr November

Jonquil - Lions

International Trust - Let's Have A Dance

Mi Mye - The Last

Oh No! Oh My! - Wham Bam Thank You Spaceman

Gemma Hayes (feat. Kevin Shields) - Out Of Our Hands

First Aid Kit - Tiger Mountain Peasant Song

Lift To Experience - Waiting To Hit

NERD (feat. Julian Casablancas & Santogold) - My Drive Thru

Neutral Milk Hotel - Holland 1945

Wilco - Ashes Of An American Flag

Soundtrack to this post: Gregor Samsa / Final Fantasy

Shields

So I've been rubbish at this again. To be fair, I'm undertaken a lot of new stuff meself in the last month or so. Reckon I'm gonna change the tack on this blog to be about some of the stuff I'm involved one. Like a Mi Mye single out in February next year and so on.

But, I was talking to a friend yesterday about how much I love the involvement of the 2 artists on this song. So I thought that was a nice 'excuse' to post it here:

Gemma Hayes feat. Kevin Sheilds - Out Of Our Hands at RCRDLBL.com

Soundtrack to this post: Vessels

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