There's No International Trust

Here's another picture special - not great shots, but fun shots.

On Friday night, my friend's band INTERNATIONAL TRUST played their last gig - they will be sorely missed. If you don't know them, all you really need to know is that they are a lot more fun than your band. Enjoy their festive hit "Let's Have A Dance" and click on the photos to enlarge

Soundtrack to this post: Radio 5 - 606

Sometree Restgeräusch Session

As mentioned while on tour in Germany, Sometree filmed a short session set at a studio just outside Munich. My blog of the day (generally involved trying to catch up with football, and eating chocolate) is HERE

The session is now online and look pretty stunning

Sometree Restgeräusch Session Videos

Soundtrack to this post: Samuel & The Dragon

Lions (acoustic)

On the last day of the German tour in Leipzig, Sebastian Sometree filmed me playing a song backstage at Moritzbastei. It was inspired by the Blogotheque videos unsuprisingly

I like the idea of Lions of acoustic, as most of the songs that will come to pass, are zuped up versions of acoustic style songs - this is an acoustic version of a song that was never intended as such

After a few weeks sans Honour Before Glory, the next couple of weeks will hopefully start the get up in to some new songs, and a new live 'experience' - so stay tuned

honourbeforeglory.com

Soundtrack to this post: Julian Plenti, Tori Amos

The Whiskas Story

As mentioned as a frequent amend-um to talk of studying my Masters degree, I have also been known to partake in the odd guest lecture at LMU and infact a few other educational institutions. Traditionally these have been my anecdotal recollection of how I started Dance To The Radio, and talking about Forward Russia.

In the last few weeks, however, I've been lucky enough to talk on a variety of specific subjects, such as production techniques, label / producer relationships and songwriting. However, I still got wheeled out to talk on what LMU dubbed 'the whiskas story'

The idea behind this lecture, as part of the music industry module, was to give an idea to the students of what you can achieve through building connections, and also that sometimes you need to pursue a variety of different paths to make a living in the music industry. LMU filmed it and stuck it on YouTube - so I thought I'd write a bit more about it and put it in context.

I've never actually thought about what I've been doing, and quite often just doggedly followed a path that I've ended up on, and in hindsight, a lot of things come across a lot more thought out than they were at the time. As I say in the lecture, it isn't telling people how I did something, it's not me bragging about what I've done - it's a story about what I did with a few ideas and some friends I guess

Watch the full quality version here

Soundtrack to this post: Johnny Cash

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

Sometree

The first time I saw SOMETREE was about 8 years ago, supporting The Appleseed Cast at The Josephs Well - in the heady days when Bright Eyes, Cave In and the like were regular visitors. The gig stuck with me for a long time - it was one of those gigs where a seed was sewn, and over the following years I invested greatly in the bands back catalogue.

Sometree are a German 4 piece, and have not played over here too often. Sonically, they share a lot with The Appleseed Cast, with some wistful vocals and destructive guitar salvos. Here are some choice cuts from their career:

Sometree - Notion (taken from Moleskine)

Sometree - Lilth (taken from Sold Heart To The One)

Sometree - Hands & Arrows (taken from Bending The Willow)

In recent times we've become friends, culminating in Dance To The Radio releasing the lead single from their last album 'Bending The Willow' and the band supporting Forward Russia on tour in the UK 2008.

At the end of the month, they're previewing their new album (their 5th) at an intimate show at a Berlin theatre - I'm absolutely delighted to have been invited by the band to go over, and more than a bit dissapointed that I'm unable to go. Having just supported Snow Patrol on a number of days, the prospective scope of the new material is obvious, and it's now been of a few years gestation. I'm very excited to hear it, whenever I manage to eventually do so

Soundtrack to this post: Magnolia Electric Co

Dirty Projectors

Dirty Projectors are an odd bunch, but magnificently so. No less than in the strangely alluring video for their new single 'Stillness Is The Move'

After watching the above video, I found the following Take Away Show videos, with some amazing footage of them reimagining Black Flag's Police Story in close proximity to a police altercation. All the background to the filmed footage is HERE, videos are below:

Soundtrack to this post: Sonic Youth, Dirty Projectors

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

Ellen & The Escapades

Ahh, how the blog world can escape from you. Apologies to anyone still following the blog for the lack of anything interesting. I have found twitter a great outlet from an immediacy point of view, but I'm hoping to kick start this again, as I have a couple of interesting projects underway. First though a recap of somethings I've been upto:

Throughout some of the last few months I've been helping a band called Ellen & The Escapades, the result of which is partly some cool videos we shot to introduce them to "the world.' They released a single "Without You" a couple of weeks ago, and launched with a stunning gig at Leeds Holy Trinity Church - seriously one of the best gigs from a 'local' band I have seen for many a year.

The reason my helping the band manifested itself in these videos, was to fulfill obligations for a Masters degree I'm currently undertaken. Without wanting to sound pompous or just like a plain idiot, I've enjoyed working with a few 'educational' institutes over the last few years, promoting an awareness of doing things for yourself in line with what we did with DTTR and the Russia. This last year I've had the opportunity to get involved on the learning side, which has been fun, and I'm hoping they'll be a more to come on both sides, as I'm getting a bit 'involved'

Soundtrack to this post: Will Oldham 'radio'

Life Update incorporating more Videos & Gilmore Girls

So, had a cool but busy week. Spent last weekend (not the last couple of days) in beautiful Tuscany where it pissed it down with rain almost constantly. The rain receded a little bit on the last day so we could take part in some Olive picking - which was the excuse for our visit

Otherwise, been a good-ish week. Got some work done, had a few nights in, and then did some more recording with The ABC Club over the weekend.

On Friday I found time to watch the Gilmore Girls again, I made time especially as I knew which specific episode it was and it didn't disapoint. Cue appearances from, amongst others; Sparks, Yo La Tengo and Thurston Moore & Kim Gordon. Absolutely brilliant

And while I can't find any YouTube clips of that , here are 2 more that I should put up after last week. First off is one that did the blogs not long ago, of Norweigan duo FIRST AID KIT performing a cover version of Fleet Foxes' Tiger Mountain Peasant Song armed with just their guitars and the open air:

Second is another Take Away Show video, that I didn't put up last week because it felt a bit 'obvious' - but really it's a great, and a tribute to those guys in Bloc Party:

Finally, updates from the world of WATCHMEN. There's an even better new trailer that was released with the US release of Quantum Of Solace. Download it via this link

WATCHMEN TRAILERS

Soundtrack to this post: Radio 5 606

The Take Away Show

LA BLOGOTHEQUE is one of the most awesome websites on the net, I wish more of it was in English, though I also like the fact that it's so French. La Blogotheque is a French Drowned In Sound / Pitchfork, but less magazine based I guess, and closer to a... blog. Which means it has cool features on cool bands, with less concern over how topical it is

The really amazing thing about La Blogotheque is THE TAKE AWAY SHOWs. These are films of bands kind of busking, but really well thought out. The really special ones are often directed by Vincent Moon, who recently did short films to accompany the National and Mogwai albums. These can turn out really special, here are some of my favourites:

Here they take Fleet Foxes to a disused University in the Grand Palais, for maximum echo effect on the acoustic stylyings. Below is The National, and then Bon Iver

Soundtrack to this post: Stars

Hold On Magnolia

American Lyrical Prowess

Let us not forget America's number one for the last 6 weeks has been the exemplary, thought provoking - 'I Kissed A Girl' 

I will personally take Dizzee Rascal

Soundtrack to this post: PNAU feat. Ladyhawke

DJ Report #1 - The Mae Shi

I said a few posts below, I had a bit of inspiration when finally deciding to start up this blog in terms of different topics and ideas to talk about. Here is one in motion...

I seem to be spending a lot of weekend time DJing at various Leeds establishments while being home, and I had much fun at Trash on Friday for Art Is Hard - which featured a new band from ex-Komakino fellas - You Animals

But the interesting thing came relatively early on when I played "Run To Your Grave" by LA inhabitants THE MAE SHI. No less than 5 people came up to me to find out what the song was, I don't think I've ever had a reaction like it from playing a song. Maybe it was because people weren't completely hammered yet

THE MAE SHI come from LA and Run To Your Grave is actually from there 3rd album (I think...), but from what I can tell it's the first to get a decent push in the UK - coming out soon through Moshi Moshi. 

The video is above and it reminds me of fun like Deerhoof and Xiu Xiu, and I'm suprised they haven't featured as heavily as things like No Age in the tips for '08 lists. They tour the UK in the next few weeks 

www.myspace.com/themaeshi

Soundtrack to this post: Mogwai / Final Fantasy / Smashing Pumpkins