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Monday 29 June 2009

Brighton Live

June 19th, 2009

Brighton Live

Brighton Live announces first tranche of headline acts for this years 2009 Festival (September 30th – October 3rd) More to announced!

Confidently striding into its sixth year, we are thrilled to announce the first installment of headline acts. As well as showcasing Brighton’s hottest emerging talent this year
Brighton Live has teamed up with some already established acts to highlight the diverse nature of Brighton’s music scene.

Brighton Live 2009 will see the city alive with the usual Brighton music shenanigans and much, much more. Last year, Brighton Live 08 saw over 10.000 punters flocking to see over 200 bands playing at nearly 100 free gigs in over 30 venues across the city – which includes My Hotel, Audio, Albert, Providence, Hectors, Bees Mouth, Ali Cats and many more. This year promises to be bigger and better with more bands, more venues and countless intriguing and creative music related seminars- all for free! This event is the perfect antidote to the media bombardment of recessional doom and gloom.

The first headliners to be announced are Grasscut (Ninja Tune), Half Sisters, JFB (2007 Uk DMC Champion and Vestax Champion 2003) Hereldeduke, Restlesslist, and PRJCTMHYM.

First up are the fabulous Grasscut (http://www.myspace.com/grasscutmusic) having recently signed to the infamous Ninja Tune label they are due to drop an album on Oct 5h/ debut single “High Down” will be out on late July. Grasscut made their live debut at the Loop Festival (Fourtet, Caribou, Holy Fuck) in August 2008, each armed with a laptop and keyboard, They have since played audiovisual shows at Tate Britain and The Great Escape festival, as well as supporting Nathan Fake, Fujiya & Miyagi, Wildbirds & Peacedrums, BLK JKS, Robert Logan, and Valgeir Sigurdsson. With summer bookings at this years Big Chill and Bloom festival - they are definelty a band to look out for – but don’t just take our word for it. Here is what a couple of the bands fans have to say -

“a celebration of England at its naffest & most beautiful… I like it a lot!” - Steve Lamacq BBC 6music

“Brave, fresh, adventurous music” - Tom Robinson BBC 6music

Next up we have Brighton fave JFB (www.myspace.com/jfbdj) who will be proving once more that what he can’t do with 2 decks and a mixer is really not worth knowing. The 2007 DMC Champion and one of Brighton’s best Dj’s will be bringing his unique taste on Hip Hop, Drum and Bass, Dubstep and Breakbeat to a venue for free! Near you.

Hereldeduke (http://www.myspace.com/hereldeduke)
Are a band that take the party atmosphere wherever they play. With accolades such as Record Of The Week on Radio 2’s Radcliffe and Maconie and radio plays from Huw Stephens (Radio 1), Nemone, Stephen merchant and Shaun Keaveny (6 Music) and XFM. They are a band that thrive on live performances be it at a festival near you or one of Brighton’s top live venues.

PRJCT MYHM (www.myspace.com/12sections) have been making noise on the local music scene for a year now. Their unbeatable blend of Dubstep, hip hop with west coast hip hop vocals have speakers rattling and crowds jumping. If you were at this years Brighton Live “Welcome To Brighton Party” at The Great Escape you will know what we mean! www.myspace.com/12sections

Restlesslist (www.myspace.com/restlesslist) are back with the bizarre and often indescribable blend of synth, surf, samples, beats, horns, prog guitars and more! The Brighton group will be performing material from their new album “Coral Island Girl” which is currently under construction. The bands last album “The Rise And Fall Of The Curtain Club” received rave reviews and airplay from the likes of Huw Stephens, Colin Murray, Steve Lamacq, Nemone and Mark Riley. They are also a bit of a Brighton super group featuring members of Electric Soft Parade, Brakes and Foxes!

Half Sisters (www.myspace.com/thehalfsistersuk) are a band that fuses ukulele, flute, jazz drums and beautiful vocal harmonies that breathe fresh air in a world where computer puke and synth rock dominate the charts. Catch them at this year’s Secret Garden Party festival and Beachdown.

Brighton Live is where you’ll find all the key Brighton bands, promoters, labels & music industry professionals working together to continue Brighton’s reputation as one of the most eclectic and ever-thriving music scenes in the UK. More headliners to be announced!!!!

www.brightonlive.net www.myspace.com/brightonlivefestival

supported by SEEDA, ACE SE and B&HCC as part of the Festival Clusters initiative: Festivals in Brighton
excess
This article was provided by Jack Thunder from Excess Press

Wave Machines

This review was taken from www.newbeats4u.com

Wave Machines
Neapolitan Records

Releasing their critically acclaimed debut album this month ‘Wave if your really there’, Wave Machines are the latest four piece group ready to cause a storm on the music scene. Placed firmly in the ‘alternative’ category of music style, wave machines are best described as electro/arty Indie pop with many critics likening them to the current resurgence of 80’s styling’s artists such as La Roux and Hot Chip.
‘Wave if your really there’ is an excellent debut album with great musical range that suggests promising future material from these Merseyside guys. A few standout singles from the album include the album title single ‘wave if your really there’ a brilliant slow track with Bowie-esque vocals from singer Tim Bruzon, great ballad ‘punk spirit’ and the perfect single ‘I Go I Go I Go’. This is a club tune made specifically to get you dancing and watching the recently released video for ‘I Go I Go I Go’ gives insight into the slightly strange minds of these musical scenesters; avant-garde black white and neon hand-dancing-confused? It must be watched and will be appreciated.
You can catch Wave Machines playing events small and large all over the country this year including festivals like the great Glastonbury (dirty boots stage) and the slightly under appreciated but never dull Bestival, or simply at bars and venues like the London Hoxton bar and Grill in September. Check out their myspace page for full listings and to hear songs from their esteemed debut album.

Written by

Hannah Johnson

Raygun

This article was written for www.newbeats4u.com by Ezekiel Ojo

Wow. If this show is anything to go by, call the Chinese because this may just be Year of the RayGun. If you haven’t heard of them yet, surely it won’t be long until you do. The four boys from London have energy, passion and it seems the right amount of charisma (and tight fitting trousers) to take them right to the top. Ray Gun are not just your usual electro/pop band, these guys have substance, and I don’t mean in the Ms Winehouse sense of the word. Their magic lies in an innate ability to construct catchy melodic lines and instrumental hooks, and an energetic performance, keeping the audience captivated from start to finish.

Listening to their synthesised infused set, you can hear influences from some of the great Pop, Rock and Electro bands. Head shaker ‘In the City’ wouldn’t be out of place on a Blondie album. Anthem ‘See You Later’ is a fantastic rock song, reminiscent of The Rolling Stones and for pure entertainment and showmanship, look no further than The Scissor Sisters for a comparative act.

Front man, the aptly named Ray Gun, is a breath of fresh air. Authentic, charismatic and good looking (makes you wanna puke, doesn’t it?) This guy is what he is and the vocal ability to boot. There are obvious comparisons in vocal style to David Bowie, no more evident than in their song ‘Waiting in Line’ but if you think this is just a modern day copy of a rock legend, then STOP. Think again. This guy has been cut from the very same mould. He is a talented singer with bags of ability and from the reaction of the women in the crowd, and a few men it must be said, he is destined to be a popular front man. He humped his way through this gig. The mic stand, the floor, the bass drum, even Adj, RayGun songwriter and lead guitarist was taken in his hump fest. The crowd loved every minute of it.

RayGun have every tool they need to make an impact. This was no average show, they were tight, and their set was constructed to get people moving. There were the crazy chicks at the front of stage manically waving their arms. Even the ‘too cool for school’ crew, who didn’t really want to show that they were having a good time found themselves under the RayGun influence, their feet tapping like uncontrollable metronome’s. Everyone felt the energy. There was something magical happening on stage and as I sipped on my beer, watching RayGun do their thing, I couldn’t help thinking: ‘Heineken don’t do electro/pop bands but if they did..?’

Written by Ezekiel Ojo

Monday 15 June 2009

Shinobi Ninja - Written by Christopher Davies

This album review is taken from www.newbeats4u.com

They describe themselves as Hip hop/ Death Metal.

Brooklyn to Babylon - I can the hip hop theme here with a bit of a rocky twist, wouldn't say death metal though. I do like this tune, its upbeat and quite chilled out, i can imagine cruising down the 'highway' with my roof down with this tune blaring out.

Rock Hood

As its name suggests is a bit more rocky, It had nice guitars in the song. Not sure about the crazy effect on the person's singing but due to the fact that the guitars are really good I like it.

Stop

Started to get shouty and im afraid i don't like that so you might need to listen yourself to this one. Again good guitars obviously gifted in that area. Probably a song that would end the album

Jump to this

Again guitar saves this song

Back in the Daze

Quite like this tune, especially the iron maiden mention in the lyrics.. The guitars sound like rage against machine and make this song really good.

The Rain

Again sounds a bit like Rage which is always a good thing

Black Dreams

sounds Like aerosmith to me. I like this tune. Lyrics are good and the tune gets your head bopping for sure.

All in all a nice selection of tunes its just a shame some of its not really my cup of tea, So i suggest someone else review the the heavier tunes give them a true reflection to their genre.

Brooklyn to babylon -9
rock hood -7
Stop -5
Jump to This - 6
Back in the Daze -8
The Rain - 7
Black Dreams -8

written by Christopher Davies

Sunday 14 June 2009

Oasis, Heaton Park, Manchester written by Rebecca Ryder

This is a gig review taken from www.newbeats4u.com

Saturday 6th June 2009

When significant musicians announce plans to perform in their home cities, the rumblings of ‘homecoming concert’ excitement immediately start up among their fans. When the announcement is made by Oasis, the anticipation descends not only upon those lucky enough to acquire tickets, but anyone who hears the news. The general consensus is that an Oasis homecoming gig is sure to be one of those events that will forever be inscribed on history’s musical calendar. It just seems that when the Manchester veterans of Britpop return to play in said city, they genuinely feel that they are home, sweet home. This shared feeling of joy between band and fan is what inspired the electric atmosphere at Saturday’s Heaton Park performance.
The 70,000-strong crowd, some decked out in wellies and macs; others not so fortunate, were undeterred by the sopping mud and ongoing threat of more torrential rain. Nothing could have dampened the fact that this was Oasis’s biggest gig since Knebworth thirteen years ago. (Nothing, that is, except for maybe a repeat performance of the chaos at Thursday’s opening show, when ‘technical difficulties’ caused the band to exit the stage twice before being forced to offer refunds to the irate gatherers-but that was an unlikely prospect in the minds of this fresh gathering of expectant supporters.) Everyone had already had more than their money’s worth with stellar performances from support acts Free Peace, Twisted Wheel, The Enemy and Kasabian, but the energy on-site wasn’t about to wane just yet.
Despite earlier downpours the afternoon had miraculously managed to stave off further drenchings, and by the time Oasis arrived on-stage at 8.45 to a roaring version of ‘Rock and Roll Star’, the adrenaline was at an all-time peak. The ground had been newly divided with barriers and security staff to minimize any moshpit-style crushings during the main act; though the majority of the songs still brought near-death for the more vertically-challenged. The more recent hit ‘Lyla’ followed up the opening track and, via another mass singsong, proved its credentials as a classic that stands up among the best of them. The even more recent ‘I’m Outta Time’ later brought a stunning performance from Liam, and showed that when he bothers to swagger onto the stage to take the limelight, he can still deliver beautifully. His other self-penned gem ‘Songbird’ equally displayed the lairy frontman’s softer side. Noel provided some outstanding solo pieces himself, with ‘The Masterplan’ and ‘Half the World Away’ returning comparable awe as he took to his chair centre-stage.
The sweetness of those more tender tracks was as usual interspersed with the energy of the more vigorous anthems. ‘Roll With It’, ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’, ‘Live Forever’ and ‘Supersonic’ saw the jubilance and inevitable thrashing around which has come to be expected of these celebrated masterworks. The sound seemed slightly indistinct on a couple of occasions; the throng of would-be Noels became a little confused over the words to ‘The Importance of Being Idle’ when the audio grew suddenly vague. There were also frequent warnings to wear hoods over heads due to certain audience members apparently urinating into cups then flinging them. These were only slight blemishes though which did nothing to tarnish proceedings, and the euphoric mass of spectators could not have been happier as the foursome returned for the encore.
'Don't Look Back In Anger' marked their return, and Noel served up another rousing performance which prompted misty eyes from even the most sweaty and lager-soaked gentlemen. 'Falling Down' and 'Champagne Supernova' followed, as the melancholy of the night’s approaching end began to pervade all. Finally, the now-familiar show finale of The Beatles’ 'I Am The Walrus' ensured that the assembly of admirers were reluctantly ushered from the park on a high, with an almost complete feeling of satisfaction. It was permeated only by the deep longing for the boys not to leave it so long to make history again.

written by Rebecca Ryder

Thursday 11 June 2009

An Interview With A Madman

The following interview was carried out by Alex Marx for www.newbeats4u.com

An Interview With A Madman
It's another blistering day in south Manchester and I've manage to track down the organizers of Mad Ferret Festival which is due to commence this Friday. Well I say tracked down, but in reality they were very accommodating and after a couple of phone calls we decided to meet in Trof cafe on the Monday. In front of me is Mat Atkinson the [Deputy Events Coordinator] .A veteran of the festival circuit Mat joined the festival after coming down last year. Unsurprisingly the head honcho Ben is unavailable five days before the festival kicks off. Which I must say is quite reassuring given the number of other 'student festivals' which desperately lack the organization they're due. Quick coffee, a cigarette and we're off...

"Compared to last year how have you as a team dealt with the challenges of a much bigger festival?"
Mat "Everyone's been really nice, the Parks Authority and Police have been really helpful...Obviously we've got seven or so tents this year which it a lot bigger than last year, there's a lot more walk around entertainment which obviously requires a load more organization...Logistically it's an awful lot harder, last year we had a few problems with people jumping the fence so we've had to come up with different systems...the main problem's really just been overcoming the challenges of catering for this many people..."

"Who do you recon is gonna be the act's to see? The hot tip?"
Mat "I'm looking forward to seeing Roots Maneuver, DJ Zink and Claude Van Stroke..not sure how much time I'm gonna get to see them but I'll definately try and get some time off for them"

"Finley Quaye? (I had to ask how they managed that, the guy is an absolute legend)"
Mat "Tom Gardener our programing manager sorted that one out, it's a massive booking, everyone loves Finley Quaye...Definitely looking forward to seeing him"

Do you recon that the fact it's a 'student festival' has a real appeal to the community and really helped you guys get to where you are today?
Mat "Definitely, it's all about getting as many people from the universities involved as possible, the guys that are running it now have finished university but obviously still have those connections and that sense of community. Getting people involved and pushing them forward with their own careers...the universities have been brilliant as well. The key is helping out other students..."

"Are you looking to grow further into a major festival on the circuit?"
Mat "It's really all about keeping it local, maintaining that intimate feeling..We might in the future look to starting another festival and keeping this one going but we'll have to wait and see..."

I'm delighted to say this seems to all intensive purposes to be a festival of the students, for the students by the students... yet thoroughly professional. If you want to know where I'll be this weekend, I'll be at Platt Fields, Manchester for Mad Ferret. Don't miss out!


If you would like to know more about the festival visit www.madferretfestival.com

Reported by Alex Marx

Wednesday 10 June 2009

The Extroverts - written by Christopher Davies

This is an album review taken from www.newbeats4u.com


Only a few songs that I have listened to and on the whole not a bad band. I have been listening to them for about half an hour and im not bored of them yet so thats a good sign. Obviously have talent, especially in the lead guitar and there are some special bits of guitars present in the songs.

She's a victim - my favourite track by far. Great intro.. gets your feet tapping from the start. It is catchy and has an Artic Monkey feel at the start but that changes once you hear the vocals as he has a very diffierent style.It however does remind me of a famous song but i cant but my finger on it. i like it when it slows down in the middle and then builds up to a big finish. Very effective and id recommend this song if you are into your indie music.

You're just a fool - Not really my cup of tea im afraid, im not too sure about the echohy vocals dont think the vocals compliement the rhthym of the music. But id say it was OK tune. Towards the end is a good drum solo and I like the end of the song a strong finish to the song

Impress yourself- A nice tune, relaxing one for a sunday afternoon id say. Not as big hitting as She's a victim but a nice mix of guitar and vocals that compliement each other very well. Reminds me of pearl jam - even flow for some reason, i think it is just the guitar in the chorus that creates that image for me.

She's A victim -8
You're just a fool - 6
Impress Yourself -7

Definately worth a listen and its always good to support the local bands.

Written by Christopher Davies