JONHILLCOCK:NEWNOISEFIVEFind out more about music featured on the JONHILLCOCK:NEWNOISE Podcast...
1. Dananananaykroyd British Knights
www.myspace.com/dananananaykroyd / http://dananananaykroyd.tumblr.com// (blog)
www.dananananaykroyd.co.uk
Behold an exclusive first peek at new (unmastered) music from the band responsible for my best gig / track / hair / name / attitude etc, of the day / year / month / hour etc…
Never mind the essentially meaningless time-based personal music rating balls, I fucking love Dananananakroyd like I love that first sip of beer on a Friday after work.
No. Scrub that. I love ‘em like I love that first sip of beer on a Friday after work, ahead of a fortnight’s holiday.
No. I love Dananana like I would love that first sip of beer on a Friday after work before embarking on three months of gardening leave* ahead of starting a new, never-in-your-wildest dreams-type job, (probably as a new, seventh member of Dananananaykroyd).
A 6-song Sissy Hits mini album is coming out on Jealous Records in January, and British Knights will appear on it. Buy that, plus everything else they’ve released (if you can find it), and get your face grinned clean out of shape by their life-affirming live thing. For it is a joy.
2 Miou Secret Girl
http://www.myspace.com/miourocks
Right now as I type, there’s a download of Miou’s Secret Girl available from the above myspace page, (of course depending on whether myspace is being a tit), and I strongly suggest you bag it pronto. What with the mysterious box-headed artwork and cryptic emails I’m not entirely sure of much about Berlin-based Miou. According to various bits of correspondence he’s in a fairly well-known band. Any guesses? It’s probably really obvious. Obviously not to a chump like me, though. I think he’s called Daniel.
3. The Real Heat Hot Girl
www.myspace.com/therealheat
London
4. Stricken City Five Metres Apart
http://www.myspace.com/thestrickencity
Stricken City are London-based four-piece Rebekah, Iain, Dominic and Kit. Apparently they’ll be releasing ace heartbreak lament Five Minutes Apart via the excellent Adventures Close To Home label later this autumn. Visit the band’s myspace and you’ll see that they also lay claim to a great track named Killing Time. Fortunately, (or perhaps, unfortunately), it has nothing to do with the 3-minute metal wonder of the same name by 80s NWOBHM legends Sweet Savage.
5. One Little Plane Sunshine Kid
www.myspace.com/onelittleplane
Having apparently named herself after a baby airplane character in a 1940s Disney cartoon, One Little Plane (aka Chicago-born, London-based Kathryn Bint) draws influence from the likes of Scout Niblett, Bjork and Joanna Newsom. Her soft, almost childlike night time folk proved especially popular with Xfm X-Posure listeners when I covered Mr Kennedy a few weeks back. Kathryn seems to be close to the whole post-folk Fridge-related collective (Adem, Keiran Hebden, Dan Snaith etc): an association I hope could possibly pave the way for some potentially dreamy collaborative work.
6. S.P.A Pet’s Dance
www.myspace.com/sparemix
S.P.A (Sons Pour Animeux, or Songs for Animals) make a delightfully relentless din akin to that of a ZX Spectrum being repeatedly thrust in and out of a bath full of electrified honey, and claim to live in a zoo in a Parisienne suburb. The duo – B1 & Fuzz – bring their animalistic crash-dance over to
7. The Creepy Morons Piece of Mind 2 Crunch
www.myspace.com/thecreepymorons
The thunderous blues crunch of The Creepy Morons first materialised in 2005 having risen from the ashes of Hot Tradition and The Beatings. Piece of Mind 2 Crunch, or more simply Piece of Mind, is to be the second release on the excellent Pigeon Coup record label, who recently snatched us back to the future with former New Noisers, Zan Pan. I know its rubbish when I merely regurgitate information from a myspace, but when a band describes its influences as ‘Women, Drinking and Death’, and their sound as ‘Drunken monkeys assembling an Ikea butchers block’, I’d be daft not to.
8. Chips for the Poor I Am Warm In My Coat
www.myspace.com/c4tp
Chips for the Poor is the work of one fine fellow: Sheffield-born former member of standalone ‘Council Pop’ legends Toah Dynamic - Scott Bradbury. I could never hope to convey the spirit of Chips as perfectly incoherently as the man himself, so I won’t. Here he is describing the track on the other side of the 7” on which I Am Warm In My Coat appears - LSD, Who Said That?:
“On LSD Who Said That? Chips for the Poor is formed out of margarine and dog muck. His head is the film Crash and his body is hot kiss. You try to ban him, he come back in Richey Manic’s motor with a middle parting and milk breath. LSD Who Said That? is the fuckin’ Chuckle Brother sick puddle down the alley past the arcade. Anyone asks it’s a blues Brothers themed wedding and C4TP is the bride and groom”. (Invisible Spies Homepage)
9. Kaputt Water Makes The Blades Blunt
www.myspace.com/kapputtencassetten / http://www.kaputt.co.uk/
Put simply, the work of Kapputt reassures me that fine, brilliantly written indie rock in the classic sense is most definitely alive and well, despite the plethora of bore bands that might suggest otherwise. Members include Silke Steidinger (vocals/guitar), Andrew Fordham (bass), Robert King (drums) and Rob McCabe (guitar), and you can still buy their excellent single Dishes (including Water Makes the blades Blunt on the 7" flipside). Do so here for the vinyl, or here for the download.
*I know musicians don’t really do gardening leave, but just go with it
JONHILLCOCK:NEWNOISEFOUR
1. We’re Marching On 1, t2, th3, fou4
www.myspace.com/weremarchingon
WAMO! WAMO! WAMO! The most simultaneously intriguing, baffling and pleasing start to an edition of New Noise yet, and sensibly I didn’t even bother trying to pronounce the name of the track on the podcast. I’ll write something a little more enlightening about We’re Marching On further down the page, so scroll on amigo.
2 Polarbear ft Stitch Born Bear
http://www.myspace.com/polarbearspoken / http://www.mrsite.co.uk/www.polarbearpoet.com
Polarbear, aka The Educated Hoodrat, (or simply Steven Camden from
3. The Great Danger Oh!
www.myspace.com/thegreatdanger
Together in their current incarnation for only ten months, The Great Danger are an engagingly raw five-piece from Brighton who on this track brilliantly bundle up sweet pop hooks and scratchy riffs with a life affirming change of pace and slew of irresistible ‘Oh’s!’ to churlish, charming effect. I love it, and you can too when you download it along with other songs from their myspace for nada. I don’t think they’ll be free for long. Oh! also heralds the very, very welcome return of Katy Klaw to the New Noise arena. (“New Noise arena”? What is this, The Culture Show?). How good is it to hear her voice again?
4. The Guillotines
www.myspace.com/headswillrockandroll
If you’ve already heard this track on the podcast then you’ll have undoubtedly noticed the drastically compressed, low bit-rate substandard tinny quality of the MP3, ripped straight off of myspace. I couldn’t resist including Wandering in spite of this, simply ‘cos it gives me grizzly goosebumps. And anyway, I reckon the shady digital glint adds something in the same way static adds something to C90 cassettes, and crackle adds something to 7” vinyl. Deal with it and dig the song. The Guillotines are comprised of Jack Cooper, Heidi Heelz, Special Ed, Trimble, Joe Coles, and Willin' Dylan, hail from
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http://www.mrsite.co.uk/www.myspace.com/thestoolpigeon / http://www.mrsite.co.uk/www.thestoolpigeon.com
5. Zan Pan Sirens of Titan
Phil H of The Pigeon and I gas about Zan Pan enough on the podcast as it is, so I’ll save your time by saying that if you thought you’d hate something that sounded like Marc Bolan breaking into Pink Grease’s dressing room to steal their bourbon whilst The Eagles played on the stereo, then think again. This is whizzer! (Make sure you give it at least three listens before passing judgement).
6. Excentral Tempest
http://www.mrsite.co.uk/www.myspace.com/excentraltempest
With astounding flow, lyrical maturity and sound social awareness for a 20 year old, Londoner Kate Tempest is one of those music makers that instantly prompt you to stop whatever you’re doing and reconsider whether you should bother carrying on with it at all, such is the extent of her politically coherent, poetic talent. Tempest really is a fiery hot prospect, having played various underground acoustic gigs with her band in and around London and beyond, and is set to drift further towards the mainstream, kind of whether she wants to or not. Sometimes I’m just phenomenally chuffed to be able to include stuff like this on New Noise.
www.myspace.com/weremarchingon
So having earlier established that We’re Marching On are: a) Canadian, and b) a “little bit Spears” (adj.), it comes as a wholly pleasant surprise to discover that they also deliver a supremely invigorating line in experimental dreamlike indie-pop. The Toronto-based four-piece have already supported the likes of Au Revoir Simone, Tokyo Police Club and the superb Born Ruffians, (I envisage you grinning manically as I tell you there’s a new album from this lot on the horizon.. at least you should be...), and are currently working on a new record scheduled for an autumn release. Anthem (futz’d) appears on their first and only EP, titled Argh! Umph! Ahhh!, which has already been re-released by the band themselves about five times. You really should buy a copy now via Maple Music, spend a while getting acquainted with its giddy, life affirming greatness, and prepare yourself for what is likely to be a magnificent debut full-length. Oh, and somebody give ‘em a bleedin’ record deal.
8.
www.myspace.com/ventriloquistmusic www.myspace.com/soundseasy
Coming on like Jay Swinscoe’s Cinematic Orchestra soundtracking Gil Scott Heron sat trading stories with a relaxed Saul Williams, spoken word maestro Chris ‘Ventriloquist’ Redmond himself describes his sound as a ‘..slippery fusion of weird stories, soulful songs and broken beats’. His Old Bones EP, on which The Rain appears, was recently released via his own Soundseasy imprint, and I’ve got to point you in the direction of The James Brown One which you’ll also find on his myspace. I’m told there’ll be a new release sometime in the coming months, meanwhile check out the Towards Nova Zembla compilation which came out last year on Soundseasy, and features delicious ‘glitch-twisted jazz, beat poetry/hip hop, and soulful sonic booms and blips’, from the likes of Acoustic Ladyland, Jamie Simmonds, Corsair/Lux Fero. You can buy it here.
9. Fireball Arsonist
Originally released as lead track on the band’s Blessed Be EP via High Roller Society records just under a year ago, the immense Arsonist from Brooklyn five-piece Fireball causes my back teeth to clench, brow to furrow and eyes glare, (a good thing, in case you were wondering). Yes, it does sound almost as if their blaring noise tools, (or, um, instruments?), and amplifiers are being recorded having been broadcast through a decrepit transistor radio, but with a wholesome riff that basic, heavy and earth-shatteringly eye watering, that’s what I love about it, (well that, and the fact that the drummer appears to be stoving in her kit with a pair of heavyweight monkey-wrenches). Just listen to the speaker static at the end. I’ll bet their big-off tube amps project a very, very satisfactory “BOMP!” when switched on.
JONHILLCOCK:NEWNOISE
1. Mr Miyagi Pick Your Poison
Billed as “one rock musician, and one computer geek” on their myspace Swedish fellas Mr Miyagi may have shot themselves in the foot from the get-go, as by definition this could SO have implied overproduced-computer-led-guitar-wizard-opus-chin-stroke-bore-prog. Luckily the band adhere to that Ed Banger essence of making, er, heads bang with dance music, which is a very marvellous thing indeed because they’ve only gone and made an audio beast in the shape of Pick Your Poison. I really do think you should buy their new 12” It Dies/Fancy Pants too, (from here perhaps), and make sure Pick Your Poison gets an official release as well. I’m most pleased to be able to kick off a New Noise with this total motherlover of a tune.
2 William Playground
www.myspace.com/williamtheband
Having desevedly picked up plaudits from all the right places (Artrocker/Drowned In Sound/Rough Trade), and recorded what I think is one of John Kennedy’s finest Xfm X-Posure sessions of the year just a couple of weeks back, Lewisham’s William seem to be one of those bands who just get their heads down, spin out the ace tunes one after another and gig anywhere and everywhere. So you should go and see them do their excellent do, and buy the few remaining copies of the single at the gigs themselves ‘cos they’ve sold out everywhere else.
3. Gameboy / Gamegirl Sweaty Wet / Dirty Damp
www.myspace.com/gameboygamegirl
Filthy mucky sex music! Slurp! Destined to incite furiously bangin’ (ahem) summer nights from Melbourne to Mile End, Aussies Gameboy / Gamegirl are three-piece Jessica, Katie and Tranter collectively produced by Miami Horror, (more on him later…). Their sound should appeal to fans of hyphy old skool b-boy grooves, and people like Spank Rock and Bonde Do Role. Pumps and Rumps is also well worth checking out on the myspace, as is their blog which recommends all the MP3 sites which have hosted their music. Get your load down, your sweat wetted and your damp dirtied now, (handtowel recommended).
4. That Fucking
www.myspace.com/landsandbody / www.thatfuckingtank.com
Currently out on a European jaunt - no doubt ably stimulating generous German loins with their immense slabs of mood groove - That Fucking Tank (or, Death Fucking Tank if you’re in
5. The Laurel Collective Cruel Thing
www.myspace.com/thelaurelcollective / www.thelaurelcollective.net
Martin, Bob, Al, Olly, Mark, Charlie & Keir are The Laurel Collective, a band I first saw last summer at a Popart all-dayer in Islington. I also played this version of Cruel Thing to somewhat rapturous response on the radio a lot too, and the good news there are even more new recordings and such just around the corner, so keep ‘em real peeled. In the meantime go and buy/listen to some more of their older stuff here.
6. Jackamo Brown Lay Low (Live New Noise Studio Session)
www.myspace.com/jackamobrown
Having included Thou Shalt Always Kill by Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip as opener on the last podcast, I was sniffing around Scroob’s myspace and chanced upon this fella Jackamo. Filled with intrigue and excitement I messaged him (or whoever ‘ran’ his mysterious page..) in the hope of getting him on New Noise for a chat and live session, which he promptly agreed to. As you’ll hear, during the interview Mr Brown revealed that he and Scroob had been friends for a long time, having grown up in both the same town and been to the same schools. This, it now turns out, is because they are brothers. Next I’ll find out their Aunt is in 3hostwomexicansandatinofspanners. I hope. Anyway, get involved with his music, I think it is completely beautiful.
- Jackamo Brown Studio Interview
7. Jackamo Brown Prayer For Slow Death (Live New Noise Studio Session)
8. Fatcat & Witch
The Common Denominator Of The Universe
West Country duo Passman and Lucy have no need for a drummer, although apparently they are looking for a drummer (I know). Go listen to the delicate sounds (in contrast with the brilliantly clattering Common Denominator…) on their myspace now, which I hope to have appear on a future edition of New Noise, and let everyone you know about your new favourite discovery. There’s also a lot more to check out on the recent Zebs records compilation The Sound Of Young Cornwall (which you can buy for a fiver here).
9.
Don’t Be On With Her
Miami Horror is a Melbourne-based producer/remixer who looks after the beats for Gameboy / Gamegirl (remember them?). According to his myspace there is an album, possibly titled Bravado in the works. You should also have a listen to his ace Stardust remix, and the track Summer Fest ‘86 which I actually would have loved to include on New Noise, but it was deemed too hot (probably quite rightly).
10. That Fucking Tank
Say Goodnight
www.myspace.com/landsandbody / www.thatfuckingtank.com
A second track from the blistering album Day Of Death By Bono Adrenalin Shock by the Tank, which you can buy here. It’s definitely worth going to their website to download stuff, check out Andy and James’ thoughts on new musical critcism, and news on a possible single release slated for September. Mmmmmm.
JONHILLCOCK:NEWNOISETWO
1. Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip Thou Shalt Always Kill
www.myspace.com/lesacvspip / Scroobius Pip’s Website / Dan le Sac’s Website
So it’s the first Wednesday back after new year: a period generally regarded as a bit barren when it comes to hearing exciting new music. We‘re sat in the studio at Xfm while John Kennedy broadcasts another X-Posure show. My ears start to drift from the conversation, and tune in to the track he has just segued into. With each lyric, smiles crack across our faces, with each beat we urge the volume to be taken up a notch. This is a demo? This is an exciting moment. The new musical year has arrived and we’ve found something to believe in. I‘m well chuffed to have this song on NEWNOISE. Go and see Dan and Scroob do their spiritually cleansing thing live and make sure you get hold of this track when it is released officially via Lex (Yeah! Lex!) in April.
2 Peggy Sue & The Pirates The New Song
www.myspace.com/peggysueandthepirates
Rosa Rex & Katy Klaw are from
3. Special Benny Rumblestrip
My mate Myles, (who serves up loads of top dollar unsigned music on Kooba Radio, here), first introduced me to Special Benny last year, and I played the excellent Rumblestrip quite a bit on Xfm at night, where me and my nine listeners loved it to bits. The
4. The Flesh Happening Will To Kill
www.myspace.com/thefleshhappening
Filth. Degradation. Power. Glamour. Hitler. Bowie A Grandmotherlover in a gimp mask. Lick your lips and get stuck into The Flesh Happening. Regrettably I haven’t been able to see 6’2” Oliva Spleen and his beautiful Brighton buds’ live experience yet, though I’ve heard and read plenty to suggest it would be a thoroughly (in?)decent decision. Maybe we could go dressed accordingly in some clear-plastic apple-catchers, nipple tassles and poor-quality eye makeup? The band self-released a debut single in December last year, and you can hear more explosive stuff at the website.
5. The Sugars Monsters (demo version)
www.thesugars.co.uk / www.myspace.com/thesugars
I really am a sucker for the effortless doo-woppy blues ‘Shugs’ sound, and have been ever since I first heard the brilliant TV which came out a couple of years ago, (In fact I played TV while djing at the weekend: it sidled up next to some Cash perfectly). Monsters has just come out as an official single too, which you should probably buy right now. Plus, they have a drummer named Jedi Wyatt. You WILL become obsessed with this band (*waves hands in in sorcerer mind-trick fashion*).
6. Mitch &
www.myspace.com/mitchandmurray
http://www.myspace.com/mitchandmurray
This track from Mitch and Murray first appeared on a Field Recordings Regular Beat 7” last year, (which I picked up on a whim in Sister Ray), and became a favourite at night on my Xfm show. Since recording my second podcast, on which I mention that an album might be on the way, I have noticed that the band have had to put things on hold for a bit. It seems inexplicable computer crashes, ill health, new ideas, exploding eyeballs, keyboard experimentation, six-hour recording sessions and death metal halted proceedings momentarily. The exciting news is that the album is nearer completion, and it seems all the better for the rollercoaster recording schedule to date. Keep an ear out!
7. Thomas Tantrum Armchair
www.myspace.com/thomastantrumband
Marquee Cha Cha served another winner by releasing a 500 copy only version of this as a single in December, (which you can try to buy here). The Tantrum are a four-piece - Megan, David, Jimmy and Ken - from Southampton who are gigging all over the place at the moment. In fact my mate Dave recently saw them supporting Bromhead's Jacket at the Tap n' Tin in
8.
www.tigercitymusic.com / www.myspace.com/tigercitymusic
Tigercity formed in
8.
www.takkatakkamusic.com / www.myspace.com/takkatakka
Remaining in New York for the last band of NEWNOISETWO, Gabe Levine, Conrad Doucette, Grady Jurrens & Damion Jurrens - AKA Takka Takka - released an album last year and are just about to hit the London for their first UK shows (I’ll be at White Heat @ Madame Jo Jo’s on the 27th). A new EP - Talk Faster - has just become available to download (get it here) for FREE too.
JONHILLCOCK:NEWNOISEONE
1. 3hostwomexicansandatinofspanners Security Video Footage Makes You Safer
www.3hos.com / www.myspace.com/3hostwomexicansandatinofspanners
3hos are from
2. GBullet vs Spitfya
www.myspace.com/gbullet http://www.myspace.com/gbullet
As the title suggests, this is all about the break. The change of pace about two thirds of the way through should cause involuntary spasms of the neck, as your head bounces and jerks to the kicks, sub and snaps. As mentioned on the podcast, head to the myspace to listen to loads more of where that came from, get hold of the Manny rapper's Knightmare From Toxteth mixtape, and follow the links to check out more from Spifya (aka Mr Fox), and the rest of the hot Manc scene.
3. The Special Relationship
www.myspace.com/thespecialrelationship / www.myspace.com/thespecialrelationship
"You say that I have an acid tongue, and when will I stop? I'd like to lick your face, and watch it burn off." Beautiful stuff! This lyrically scathing track from Leatherhead rockers The Special Relationship has that special zing, that indescribable pop energy that so many bands attempt to hit but ultimately fall well short of. Get them signed up now industry schmos! What a chorus!
4. Stuart James
www.myspace.com/stuartjamesx / www.myspace.com/stuartjamesx
Stuart James can be found amongst a rich, (...musically not financially...), alarmingly talented, charming fresh stock of southern DIY musicians, the likes of which also includes hot on-the-cusp-of-dodgy-Mirror-headlines Kate Nash (...make 'Caroline Is a Victim' your profile track now and watch everyone else follow), David E Sugar (played a hell of a lot on Xfm at night time last year), and Peggy Sue & The Pirates (...who Stuart namechecks on the interview, and will most definitely feature on NEWNOISETWO...). Stuart and I stole five minutes of his employer's time to chat on the podcast. Let's make sure he can get out from beside the copiers and faxes and into the studio to make more of his delicate, unequivocally beautiful songs for everyone else to hear.
5. The Redcoats Are Coming!
www.helloredcoats.com / www.helloredcoats.com/
In all honesty the final stages of my debut podcast have taken so long to finally come together, that I'm not even entirely sure The Red Coats Are Coming! still exist as a band: their myspace name seems to now include an ominous 'RIP' tagged on the end. In any case, there is still no reason why you shouldn't grab a copy of their Japanese-only release album, and sup up the rest of their gothic goodness. These girls scare me. I am a big, clumsy wussbag, though.
6. Modernaire
www.myspace.com/modernairetheband
Back to
7. Tall Pony I'm Your Boyfriend Now
Huw Stephens, John Kennedy and Rob Da Bank have all played this an awful lot over the winter period on their respective top drawer radio shows. The time of year perfectly suits the dark, brooding and brilliantly British sense of humour riddled through I'mYour Boyfriend Now's 6 or 7 minutes. Tall Pony will be back with more music soon I'm told, so get on to them and make sure you get yourself sorted. Fellas, I also think you should print out the lyrics and present them to the next girl you decide to invite home. A superb way to end a first date. "SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR MOTHER!". Ungghghgnghgnghg.
*3hos Manifesto
what is music for?
it's not about selling f*cking records, or promoting your image, or getting into magazines, or getting famous, or being cool, or hard, or getting girls, or getting f*cked in some bog with some c*nt... it's for making a statement, and confronting core beliefs and standards, and creating an emotion, a feeling, without exclusion, and f*cking off corporate wank. it needs to be difficult or it stops moving forward, and gets f*cking boring.
you share this idea, and you are with us.
music never changed anything, but the people who listen to it did