Ignore the frankly rubbish name, ignore the slightly below par performance at Great Escape, and simply pay attention to the noisy, fuzzy pop recording of Tug by new London band The History Of Apple Pie. The NME love them and it wouldn't surprise me if they turn a little bit rubbish, but this one track makes all the negatives seem pretty insignificant.
Good news! Everyone's favourite weirdos BAANEEX return with some new tracks and news of a cassette release.
It's called Ewan H and will be out in around a month through their own Intenstines label. There will be only 25 of them, so don't hang about. Hear a track from it - 'Ewan H 2' - exclusively below and have a re-listen to some of their equally ace earlier material. Suitably weird, I think you'll agree. Can't wait to hear the full tape.
Let's pretend that this here is anything other than a personal note to remember which bands to see. Obviously that is what it is really, but let's just pretend this has some kind of selfless motivation behind it. Which it doesn't. These are some bands that are playing Great Escape that attendees of said three-day, multi-venue Brighton-based festival that is occurring next week would probably be pleased to have seen live come the end of the festival. Yeah.
BRAIDS Exciting new group from Canada quickly gaining wide critical acclaim from the likes of Pitchfork , Drowned In Sound, and The Line Of Best Fit. It's understandable, too, taking influence from early(ish) Animal Collective, sometimes sticking an electro beat on it, and singing with all their brilliant female might.
Playing: Saturday - upstairs of Komedia, 15:15 / Horatios, 19:45.
Mazes Bit of a tricky one, given that Mazes play at the same time as bands like Art Brut, White Denim, and Yuck but if you don't see any of them, definitely come see these. A Manchester/London/bit of everywhere band who released their debut album A Thousand Heys not too long back. I rated it five stars out of five for a magazine - top blend of lo-fi indie rock and 60s pop vibes.
Playing: Saturday - Green Door Store, 21:50.
Mazes - Most Days
Gallops Possibly my favourite live band, Wrexham four-piece Gallops make math-y post-rock with an almighty thud. Expect to see me stomping my feet at the front like a twat, but expect to follow suit pretty quickly.
Playing: Friday - Prince Albert, 15:00. Saturday - Green Door Store, 15:00
Fear Of Men My prediction is that Fear Of Men will be the band everyone leaves Great Escape talking about. A new band from Brighton, they've already put a cassette out on the brilliant label Sex Is Disgusting and are being increasingly hyped in the blog world. It's female fronted, it's lo-fi, it's fashionable, it's excellent.
Playing: Saturday - Shipwrights Yard, 12:15 / Green Door Store, 19:10.
Milk Maid The dude behind Milk Maid both has a very big beard and used to be in Nine Blacks Alps, but neither of these things are very important. What's more important is that this music is good, backed up by having released on the brilliant Suffering Jukebox. For fans of Lovvers, Mazes, Spectrals, Kurt Vile etc - expect lo-fi 'indie rock' kinda stuff.
Playing: Saturday - Green Door Store, 20:30
Milk Maid - Can't You See
Us Baby Bear Bones Brighton female-led band making stripped back folk-y ish sounds. Hairs on the back of your neck kind of stuff.
Playing: Saturday - Life, 20:00
The Joy Formidable Expect big sounds (and lots of bass drum) from Wales' noisy, shoegazy, female-fronted indie rock threesome. Certainly worth trying to squeeze into a small room to see, as anyone who's listened to their Atlantic Records released debut The Big Roar will agree.
Playing: Thursday - Hectors House, 22:30
The Joy Formidable - Austere
Cults Certainly one of the most hyped bands of 2011 so far and understandaly so, California two-piece Cults make cutesy indie pop. If you want to see these, get there early. This will be busy.
Playing: Thursday - Horatios, 22:15
Mammal Club As boring as this type of comparison is, anyone who likes fast-paced, psych-y experimentla pop along Everything Everything or Man Man lines will like this Newcastle four-piece.
Playing: Saturday - Queens Hotel, 13:45
Mammal Club - Otter
Still Corners Certainly one of the bands I am most looking forward to seeing, London's Still Corners make intelligent, haunting pop music. Every time I've tried to see them live in the past they have managed to evade me. Hopefully Great Escape is my time!
Playing: Friday - Audio, 20:45.
D/R/U/G/S Manchester might be ebst know for Oasis twatty lad rock, but acts like D/R/U/G/S/ are helping to change that perception. Expect exciting, intelligent electronica. And maybe some e.
The Victorian English Gentlemans Club Cardiff arty rock two/three/four-piece. They've got a new record out on This Is Fake DIY Records soon, so expect lots of new material as well as the older, dark-pop classics.
Playing: Friday - Pav Tav (downstairs), 22:00
The Victorian English Gentlemens Club - Parrot
Obviously there are tonnes of other bands playing. Stuff like Art Brut, Yuck, PS I Love You, Idiot Glee, Frankie & the Heartstrings, Seams, Echo Lake, Christian AIDS, and Suuns. Some of them probably go without saying. Still, to see the festival's full line-up (and to check that I have written all the times and venues correctly), head here.
So I've taken a step back into the good old days of posting about bands after a good deal of people already know about them. As well as the good old days of not posting new bands for an age. Blame a lack of self control, motivation, and general ability to be a useful human being. I am sorry. But if you don't know of Sumsun - WOOHOO.
Sumsun is looping, psychedelic, 'tropical' electro sounds coming from Florida, apparently. That's about all you really need to know. Oh, and it's good. Oh, and insert some cheesy line about the summer. Oh, and if you liked Mozam Beaks a few weeks back you'll like this. Oh, and if you like this and you don't know of Mozam Beaks, check them out.
Say 'hello' to podcast number 2. Minimal preparation is still the name of the game, but hopefully you'll enjoy it. Maybe. Who knows? Listen or download and find out.
You know when you're not sure if something's good or maybe even a joke but you just like it anyway? This is how I feel about Josep.
From the surely-self-aware image to the 'cringeably' titled Stand Up Against Heart Crime to the fact that he goes by first name alone, Josep might be a joke on us all - but it's one that I'm not embarrassed to say I'm enjoying. Okay, not too embarrassed. Check out the bedroom synth pop below (or over at bandcamp) and let me know if I'm missing something here.
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fiqih nufi
