The ABC Club

The ABC Club released their debut single 'Thieving Magpie / Friend Of Mine" last month on Friends To Make & Do Records

Details are sketchy, but for the nepotistic, I produced AA / B-side Friend Of Mine. They're playing a single launch at The Well in Leeds tonight (Friday 9th April)

You can buy the single from Rough Trade Records here

More info on their Myspace - myspace.com/wearetheabcclub

Soundtrack to this post: Nina Nastasia, Peggy Sue, Fair Ohs

A Beautiful Reminder

Apologies for the lack of updates recently, blame normal life and everything. Although, that's not quite true, focusing a lot of my attention recently has been Honour Before Glory. Furiously demo-ing new song and preparing the band for live, I've also been trying to finish one new recording to share with you. And here it is:

Honour Before Glory - A Beautiful Reminder



Recorded and mixed by whiskas at House Of Mook, Leeds - February / March 2010
Additional vocals by Fran McCrossan

http://honourbeforeglory.com

Soundtrack to this post: Woods, Picastro / Art: Erin Ward

Season's Change

Mr Sam Airey is very excited to announce the release of his debut EP 'Season's Change' on 1st March 2010.

I mentioned his of course, because the EP was recorded at House of Mook Studios, by myself - and a thoroughly enjoyable and successful experience it was too.

The record also features some friends of Sam's - Jim Morrow of Just Handshakes (drums), Hannah Wilson (backing vocals/additional keys), and Kieran O'Malley (fiddle).

Sam talks of the EP as "the culmination of what I have been working towards for the last year or so, and am very happy to be releasing it" - and it really is a fantastic collection of songs and I'm really pleased to have been involved in

The EP track-listing:

1. Oh (When It’s Gone)

2. Home

3. Stars

4. Row Upon Row

5. The Oak Tree

It will be available on CD at live shows, also from http://hideandseekrecords.bigcartel.com/ and from independent record stores

Check out a preview of the tracks on Sam's myspace page here:

http://www.myspace.com/samaireymusic

Sam also plays my 'Friends Before Glory' night at Nation Of Shopkeepers, Leeds on Sunday 24th January. More details of that here

Soundtrack to this post: The Low Anthem, Low

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

100!

I've been meaning to blog all week, but have lacked sufficient time and inspiration to post something truely worthwhile. And lo - I come to muse and notice it's the 100th post!!

First - THE NEWS. Am very confused to be trying to operate in the real world, though that is currently manifesting itself in recording bands which is good. Some good stuff coming up when I get chance to finish it!

I'm enjoying being in the studio, but need to find time to work on some new Honour Before Glory stuff, and I keep missing some really good gigs. Tonight, I'm missing Dinosaur Pile-Up + Eureka Machines, La Roux (feat. Will Bowerman) and pAperchAse + Vessels. My appearences for FC Lokomotiv have also been severely reduced. Anwyay, I said enough of the self-indulgence

Secondly, this blog has really turned self-indulgent, so it seemed the right time to plug some NEW MUSIC I'm enjoying:

TWISTED

This is no bullshit "best band in Leeds" / "these guys are going to be huge" post, but this is a band who are more than worthy of your attention.

The story goes, I was sat in the bar of the Brudenell and was convinced I was listening to a big headline band soundcheck, only to realise later it was these boys opening up an alldayer. I knew the songs cos they're not precious about their digital media and have most of their recorded tracks up for download on their blog. Cool eh?

B1 (new single) - http://www.mediafire.com/?ygmqno5tlgj

Daydream EP - http://www.mediafire.com/?kxgmvwzhkzy

http://twistedleeds.blogspot.com/

TEGAN & SARA

I'm never quite sure about Tegan & Sara, but damn I do enjoy listening to it. Just the right mix of pop, shoegaze, riffs and tune-age. New album Sainthood 'blew up' in their native Canada I do believe

Sainthood on Spotify

Soundtrack to this post: Tegan & Sara

Next... Damien Jurado & More

Sorry, this blog isn't 'supposed' to turn into one completely about Honour Before Glory, but it's the centre of musical universe at the minute... well just about. I hit the studio next week with two new band, more of which soon

First thing for Honour Before Glory is a gig at Brudenell Social Club supporting the wonderful DAMIEN JURADO, mentioned previously on this blog here. The gig is, as I write tonight - Wed 4th Nov 2009. So maybe of more significance in the past tense

But this may be the last time I play solo in the style I've worked out that enabled me to go on tour with Sometree. Now that is complete, the next time I do something I can hopefully work on collaborations with people who've contributed to the recordings I've done. This will be better I'm pretty sure! And a step to 'putting the band together' - something that I'll be trying to do when I go into the studio to record the next set of songs, which I've already started demo-ing. For now though, I have to have one eye on the real world

Soundtrack to this post: Tegan & Sara

Looking To The Future

It's always that irony when writing something like this blog, when you've lots of time to write, then there's nothing to write about, when there's no time for anything, there's lots to write about. And so here we are - I've finished my Masters degree (results end of the month), which also coincides with finishing the first Honour Before Glory recordings

But it's a brief respite - in a good way, as I'm dissapearing for a lot of October, but will be back with a vengeance afterwards.

HONOUR BEFORE GLORY

I have now finished the first Honour Before Glory recordings, and launched the compulsary Myspace page. You can listen below via the power of Soundcloud.

All the tracks were recorded by me at House Of Mook, and feature help from the talents of Simon Fogal, Jon Foulger, Francis McCrossan, Fran Rodgers and Dave Martin

After Germany, I'll be playing with Damien Jurado at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds - and then will be trying to do some more recording.

http://www.myspace.com/honourbeforeglory

HOUSE OF MOOK NEWS

After returning from Germany with Sometree in November, I'll be bedding myself down in House Of Mook and recording lots of bands. As ever, get in touch if you're interested here

The first fruits of Mook are being unveiled though - Just Handshakes (We're British) are releasing a split 7" single with my other faves Yonderboy. Listen and order the track through their respective Myspaces.

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Other than that? Business as usual

Soundtrack to this post: Yonderboy, Papercuts

My Leeds Festival 2009

This year I've felt a little too self absorbed to induldge myself in Leeds Festival properly. I spent the Friday & Sunday bed down in House Of Mook perfecting the mix for You Animals forthcoming opus, and setting up for recording some Honour Before Glory tracks on Monday

I did have a great day in attendance on the Saturday, though as usual it was the social aspect as much as the bands that made it the occasion it was.

I started the day watching The XX, who's album has quickly become a bit of a favourite of mine. It was an odd entity live, I wasn't expecting it to be that much more than it was, but I still thought it was a shame there wasn't more to it. Still, it's made me listen to the album today and I've enjoyed it all the more.

After The XX, I wandered around the site a little bit and checked out the BBC Introducing Stage, caught a little bit of ex-Loiner Anna Prior in Metronomy, before watching the Grammatics in the Festval Republic tent. And very good they were too

Later on, we camped out on the main stage to catch Vampire Weekend (who reminded me more than ever of Gracelands), bits of Bloc Party (very festival) and then Radiohead.

Radiohead was a bit of an odd one as not the set per se, but the whole set-up seemed very hard for a casual observer to 'break through' - and what I find odd, is why a band that was doing a sponsor-less tour in their own tents, was headlining such a 'corporate' festival?? With the 'arty' set up of video screens and lighting it was hard to connect from a distance, so I lost interest. I'm sure if I'd have been in the mood for an intense Radiohead set it would've been outstanding. I guess it was the festival equivalent of The Wire - not one for the casual observer. But that's what I go to the festival to be.

Two brief links / mentions:

1) To the festival volunteers who are actively getting involved. Great work if you can get it:

http://festvolunteers.blogspot.com/

2) Check out highlights of loads of bands on 'death of independent journalism' website the BBC:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/readingandleeds/2009/videos/

Keep an eye out for Faith No More covering the Eastenders theme

Many thanks to the kind people at Festival Republic though for letting me attend again. Hopefully next year I can do something worthwhile to attend

Soundtrack to this post: Wilco, Fever Ray

You Animals

As mentioned at the time, a couple of weeks ago I was in the studio with Derby heart-throbs YOU ANIMALS to record their new single.. their Theme you might say

While I'm stuck in the studio finishing off the lead track, the band have put together this amusing video of our time together. Check it out:

Soundtrack to this post: Fever Ray

Recording At House Of Mook

As I've written numerous times on this blog, I've started working with numerous bands in a production capacity over the last few months. Well, I'm now doing that 'full time' out of HOUSE OF MOOK studios in Leeds - a nice base to keep my gear and set up home

House Of Mook is a great little studio in Meanwood that has been serving the people of Leeds in need of rehearsal space and recording for many a year. We’re taking the existing set-up and developing it into something we hope will be very special – alongside an attitude based on getting the project right opposed to filling hours in on a time sheet

I’m looking forward to spending a lot of time in Mook, with the bonuses to everyone of it being close to shops / food emporiums, as well as a base to keep the great Forward Russia guitar rigs – in it’s expanded form!....

We've already had the pleasure of recording some great bands like You Animals and Just Handshakes (We're British) and I hope to write a little about what we've been up to on this blog. Hopefully numerous single releases will be forthcoming from the above mentioned bands and more

But any bands interesting in doing some recording - please get in touch!! The best email contact is whiskas[at]nyevskyprospect.net. There's a bit more information about my recording and the studio at the following locations:

http://www.nyevskyprospect.net
http://www.mookhouse.ndo.co.uk

Soundtrack to this post: les Savy Fav, Oxxxes, Sonic Youth

Let's Get Going....

After my prolific return to form on the blog, I've had a quiet week with not much to report of a musical nature. In truth I've been in the studio a lot, working with Just Handshakes (We're British) - the fruits of which will be ripened soon.

Today also marks a return to work on the much delayed single from The ABC Club. There's been numerous line-up shifts with the band this year, though most of the original line-up is still in place, with Sam the drummer leaving for University in September. Rehearsals with the new drummer are going exceedingly well apparently, and they should be returning to the live arena from late September

I'm still working on a few things 'close' to my chest, that I hope to write about real soon. Till then I am busy working with lots of bands in the studio for the next month. Hopefully I'll get chance to write a bit about it!

Meanwhile, I've been enjoying MON KHMR - check them out

Soundtrack to this post: TV On The Radio, Sonic Youth