TOKYO'10

I have always had a bizarre fascination with Oriental Culture ever since I lived in Singapore at the age of 17. From the way I wear my hair in a high top to the obsession of sushi.
However I wanted to dig deeper than just ' Ikura' (Salmon Roe). I wanted to get lost in the land ofJapanese living and learn the ways of life over there. I feel I was snatched away too early and being made to move back to London was not the right time for me. So my partner and I decided to take atrip over the Christmas holidays and celebrate the turn of 2010 in Tokyo style.

We arrived at Narita airport on the morning of the 28th December, in total we had been travellingfor over 24 hours, but I got the sense it was worth it as soon as I stepped off the plane. The 12hrplane journey half way across the world brought us 9 hours ahead of London, so I was ready andwaiting for the jet lag to kick in. We had only booked a week as we both had commitments of work and college. It would have been ideal to have a bit longer to get over the tiredness but I couldn'tcomplain I was inTokyo.

We hopped ourselves on the Tokyo Sky Train, which was an incredible experience as it allowed us to see the whole of Tokyo from its rural to urban areas. It helped us get to the nearest metro station(Tube station) to reach our destination Akasaka, where we were staying. It was a challenge I mustsay the least as everything is in written in Japanese apart from the minor words in English but we gotby. Otherwise cabs would be the other option but they are a very expensive indeed

I felt like I had skipped forward 5 years in a time machine that I never thought would be possible.From the heated power seat of a toilet, that sings to you and cleans your private areas (if you wishso) to walking human robots. It made London look like we were living back in the 1980's. We got back to the hotel, dumped ours bags, straightened ourselves up and got back out on theroad to nowhere.

I was so excited and full of adrenaline with not knowing what was going to happennext, all these new experiences were so much to take in. We hit the town of Shinjuku, known for itsbusiest station in the world. Lucky for us it was the holidays so it wasn't so bad. After walking aroundhelplessly, getting caught up in all the madness we found a nice small conveyer belt sushi jointwhere we were greeted by the all staff and given a hand towel to freshen up. I found this overwhelming and embarrassing at the same time, as I didn't know if this was just because we weretourists or if this is the norm. We found this to be happening everywhere we went from theboutiques to restaurants but we realised long enough everyone was greeted this way.

After, we ended up in the corner of the gay district, of Shinjuku in the tiny drinking dens which holds a capacity of 8 people. The alleys hold so much life that you get caught up in all the excitement andthe time just flies by, the next thing you know its six in the morning. The drinking is practically 24hours everywhere and they all like to have a drink. But you don't see rowdy chavs on the street causing disturbance or trouble as everyone is very disciplined with manners.

However on a couple ofincidences we found a man collapsed on a flight of stairs, one crouched randomly in the middle ofthe floor and everyone rushed round him for the train. You would see people hanging over the barand they would be just left till they came round. The best moment was when we were walking in Shibuya one morning when a man fell out of the bush it was hilarious.

The Japanese take pride in everything they do from the cleanliness to their garments it has to be exactly perfect. You never see litter anywhere and they follow recycling very seriously as it’s not a chore for them. Queuing for the trains is a photographic moment, they would form a single orderlyline waiting for the train, but when they are getting on the train it’s all push and shove. It definitely takes some getting used to as you don't expect it. They are very helpful people and would willingly offer to help if you looked lost. However in the hustle and bustle you are every man to his own.

Ludwig, my boyfriend being 6 ft tall would overlook them all but would still managed to be pushedout the way by a four and a half foot old lady. It’s madness.

Over the next couple of days we crammed in as much as possible, we didn't want to miss anythingon this trip. We managed to get ourselves up at 5.30am to reach Tskukiji, a fish market that had tobe one of the main highlights of the holiday. It's the nation's fish market in full flight and it’s whereyou can enjoy fresh sushi for breakfast. The texture of the sashimi would just melt in your mouth, I

have never tasted anything like it, and we didn't know when to stop eating. I would highlyrecommend this if you were in Tokyo, as you would never have tasted sushi so fresh as this in yourlife before. (Tesco's is now out the window). Witnessing a single tuna of over 250 lbs, there has been bigger tuna than this, being sold. Only being 7am in the morning, there were queues of up to 100 people long waiting for their favourite 10-seater sushi house. Some coming from a night out (better than our kebab joints), or just having food before work. When you see the locals queuing that longfor something you know it must be good so we joined in.

Being a typical tourist we found ourselves up Tokyo Tower, being the world's tallest self supportingsteel tower beating Eiffel Tower at 333 m tall. It had some phenomenal sights and overlooking all theareas around. The observatory commands a 360 view of the whole Kanto region of Tokyo. I have to admit I looked more straight ahead than down. If you want to check the spectacular view at night itis open till late, which I would have rather preferred.

Nevertheless we did get to go 38 floors up in the ANA Intercontinental Tokyo hotel, which has thebest bar in town, known for its expensive cocktails and its 360 outrageous views. The skyline was phenomenal at night and is always that extra bit special as we got to witness Mount Fuji in the distance.

We hit some local markets in Tskukji, Ikebukuro and Ueno where all the haggling took place. China,Fruit, fish, sushi knifes you name it you could find it. It was so noisy and you could feel yourself getting lost in all the mayhem. Fruit is expensive as it’s really hard to get in Japan. A grapefruit is a delicacy and people would give these as gifts. They could cost around £50, very shocking. Strawberries were really big and oranges full of flavour. So our 5 a day was out the window.

A friend of ours recommended a place called Andy's Shinhinomoto in Ginza. Part of a side of restaurants located under a train track, you could feel the whole place move when one went past. They are quite hard to find as it took us nearly 45 minutes walking up and down but it’s worth it I assure you. Run by a man from Scotland, he was really popular with the locals and the expats. The place was packed from corner to corner leaving us a pre booked space at the back. The food was great having fresh crab from Tskuiji itself and a large portion of tempura. The sake kept on coming and you were high from the atmosphere in the place and it was not just the drink.

New Year is the biggest celebration in Japan, so to celebrate to 2010 we decided to go Electric Tribe.It was very pricey but everything on New Year is and we had been careful with our money so wewanted to celebrate the New Year with a bang. Based in Yebisu, they had djs from all over the world,it was really something special. Mix Master Morris, Laurent Garnier, DJ Krush, to name a few were allseeing us through the New Year. It was great, the crowd was very mixed and we got to mingle withthe locals, it was a lot of fun. People were coming in and going out all night and the djs kept thepeople dancing till the morning. Drinks were expensive and they served free food all night so peoplecould maintain their drinking on a reasonable level. The smoking ban doesn't exist in Japan, whichwas hard to get used to but they still had a smoking area in the club which is nice for us non smokersto dance in a smoke free environment. However smoking is banned down streets, they have locatedareas around Tokyo were they can smoke and nowhere else. Which I think is excellent.

The last couple of days were vital as I wanted to see as much as possible. So we decided to get aTokyo cruise which takes you on a tour around all the outskirts of Tokyo. Taking you down theSumida River Line, you get to see some fantastic sights; it’s very popular for the locals to get around too. It brought us into Asakusa where big celebrations were taking place at the Senso-Ji, The AsakusaKannon Temple. It is visited by 30 million people a year and is Tokyo’s oldest temple. It’s the Hatsumode period which takes place in between 1-7^th January. People visit the temple at the beginning of the New Year to pray for their wishes to be fulfilled. It was crazy but an amazing experience for us to witness. The grounds were enormous with so many gates and halls for people to wander round. Inside there were lots of stalls selling food, trinkets and memorabilia.

We took a stroll in to Harajuku to check out the famous Harajuku girls that only parade on a Sunday. They are equivalent to our drunken Punks in Camden town, without the attitude, disorderly behaviour and happy for you to let them take a photo. They are famous for their unique style butrarely dress the same. Many prominent designers and fashion ideas have sprung from Harajuku and incorporated themselves into other fashions throughout the world. Most young people gather onJinju Bridge which is a pedestrian bridge, so they will be easy to find if you are interested in a look.

We ended the holiday by of course hitting the sales and being taken away by all the new moderntechnology that was on offer. We were persuaded and end up buying the latest video camera; wedidn’t feel too guilty as it was a very good price. They really cut their prices over there.You here of people going over there and never coming back, well maybe that will be me next time.

Stereo MCs Talks Ether Festival-Artrocker

http://www.artrocker.tv/features/article/rob-birch-stereo-mcs-talks-ether-festival

Rob Birch (Stereo MCs) talks Ether Festival
Holly Eells gets to catch up with the vocalist Rob Birch from the award winning Stereo MCs and see how he feels to be headlining such a diverse festival.


Stereo MCsEther Festival is a nine day event taking place from Friday 16 April - Sunday 25 April at the Southbank Centre. Offering art, technology and cross-arts experimentation and showing nothing but entertainment, highlights from this year’s event include: Lou Reed's Metal Machine Trio; Gil Scott-Heron; Chris Cunningham; The Herbaliser; and Tom Middleton. Stereo MCs + The Bays are also headlining this year’s festival.

Artrocker: How do you feel about headlining in your home town?

Rob Birch (Stereo MCs): Well it’s great to be playing a gig in London. We try not to think about it much as we might get a bit edgy, we try to think wherever we play we want to put in a max performance and not dwell on where it is or expect too much from a particular place. But it sounds nice and is something different to what we are used to doing and there’s some good music playing. It is always a pleasure to be playing at an event that has got quite a variety of acts going on and you would usually get an open minded audience, which is always a positive thing.




Artrocker: There are some amazing acts, who are you looking forward to checking out?

Rob Birch: Everything seems fairly interesting, never seen The Herbaliser before, we’ve also never seen The Bays and there are some decent DJs on as well so I am fairly excited just being down at the event.

Artrocker: There are many genres being jam-packed into the weekend line up, which ones interest you?

Rob Birch: To be honest I am so focussed on being in the studio and writing, I don’t know too much what’s going on! But it’s good to check out all the different acts as you can become quite bleak at times when you are DJing or in the studio. It’s good to see people you don’t know, check out live bands.
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Artrocker: You are doing a special collaboration with The Bays, what can we expect?

Rob Birch: Well to be honest with you that’s very much a spontaneous sort of thing, if it happens it happens. It’s a night of live entertainment so we are not really planning anything in particular. Their whole attitude is you go on you, do something that you don’t know you are going to do. I figured not think about it too much too hard until you come to doing it, that’s what the excitement is all about; not knowing what you are going to do.

Artrocker : Will you be going back to the 90s with some of your classics or keeping it fresh?

Rob Birch: We play like any artists, you play exerts from all the music and records that you have made. Tracks from Supernatural, Connected, Deep Down and Dirty, Double Bubble, Paradise and maybe a couple of other new tracks.

Artrocker: Why should we come down to Ether Festival?

Rob Birch: If I was a punter, I guess I would be thinking “what am I doing tonight? There’s a festival south of the river and it’s pretty easy to get to. Decent DJs playing, a bunch of live music, which is down my street”. Tom Middleton, the music fairly heavy and I could be guaranteed I was looking for. It’s different; there isn’t one avenue or one sort of club music going on. It’s more of an event. It’s not just a party night.

Dimbleby and Capper‏-Artrocker

http://www.artrocker.tv/live/article/dimbleby-and-capper-hoxton-bar-and-kitchen-london

Dimbleby and Capper has had its name out in the woodworm for quite some time now. Being tipped off by major names that matter in the industry she has been given a great head start. Being a solo project for the early 20 something laura Bettinson, I was intrigued to see what all the controversy was all about.


Playing at Gold Dust at Hoxton Bar and Kitchen, supporting Daisy Dares you, she had a strong intimate audience to try and persuade otherwise. Making an entrance with her entourage, dressing the boys up in masks and her centre stage, eyes were all over the place, trying to decide what to focus on next.

Introducing us to some of her tracks was impressive to say the least. With her contribution of deep electro pop, in tune lyrics and unsteady rhythm worked a treat.
Sounding a cross between Siouxsie Sue and the Banshees and Alison Goldfrapp she definitely has something going for her and the band.

Her tone is very addictive and she held me captivated throughout her whole performance. She left me wanting more.

Band Of Skulls Interview- Dont Panic

http://www.dontpaniconline.com/magazine/band-of-skulls-interview




Band of skulls are a three piece band who have been propelled into the spotlight thanks to global success of the Vampire movie 'New Moon'. Their single 'Friends' was leaked and subsequently included on official soundtrack of the film. However, based on their own merit they were personally asked by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to open on their U.K tour. We took it upon ourselves to catch up with the trio and discuss their increasing fame.
Hey Guys, How are you?


Emma: Very well thank you, hello.
Russell: Very good thanks.

Introduce yourself please.
Russell: Hi, I’m Russell and I play the guitar as well as singing.
Emma: And I’m Emma on the bass slash vocals.
Matt: Hi, I’m the drummer Matt.


The last year or so has been pretty much a rollercoaster ride for you, how are you dealing with it?
Emma: We’re not really dealing with it we’re just continuing.
Russell: Pretty much a combination of denial and just getting back on the treadmill everyday without thinking about it. (laughs). It’s an expression. It’s not that hard really. It’s very much like the Chumbawumba song. Lager drinks, treadmills and affiliations with political parties.

How did your track get involved in the ‘New Moon’ saga? Do you think it was the career boost you needed?
Russell: Someone sneakily leaked it out of the studio and by the time we found out it was already on the film. Career boost we needed? I guess so, definitely got a different kind of audience into our band.

What has been your stand out highlights?
Emma: Being able to play live pretty much every night of the week.
Russell: Holding an album that we are really proud of in our hands, being satisfied. And, hearing people sing-a-long to the songs that we wrote in our bedrooms.

You have just come off a UK tour and now you about to set off with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, that’s huge, how did that all come about?
Emma: I think they asked us.
Russell: The person who leads the band personally asked after us.
Emma: Which was a pleasant surprise.
Russell: Yeah it was nice…We’re a fan of their music and are really excited to up the ante, really bring out our rock a bit. Sometimes being a support band you have to be aware of who you’re working with, but yeah we are looking forward to it.

There is a single looming for release, and has been shown incredible support, but despite that, why should we go and buy it?
Emma: Buy it if you like it, if you don’t like it, don’t buy it.
Russell: That sounds like a song “If you don’t like it, don’t buy it” and were making 5 copies. “I Know What I Am” will cheer you up if you’re feeling miserable, it’ll give you a mood swing like a mood ring (laughs).

Two boys, 1 girl, any interlinked romance between you?
Russell: Me and Matt are inseparable (laughs). Emma gets her own room.

Three is an odd number does that cause problems?
Russell: No, it gets decisions made, majority decision.

Who influences your alternative style?
Russell: Each other I guess.
Emma: Yeah.
Russell: I mean, we all play each others music. We all hang out and all have different interests so probably each other…that and Isle Of Wight radio (laughs).

Tell us something we don’t know about you.
Emma: I spent three years of my life living on a boat.
Russell: I came 147th in a beautiful baby competition. Damn you genes.

Graham Coxon@ Barbican- Artrocker

http://www.spaztastic.co.uk/reviews/article/graham-coxon-barbican-london

Phenomenal is one way to describe last night’s extravaganza. ‘The Graham Coxon Power Acoustic Ensemble’ – otherwise known as Graham Coxon and friends – was beyond breathtaking. This being his side project for quite some time, he was finally able to show us what he was all about. Packing out the Barbican Hall to the max it gave more of an intimate vibe, and having me on the edge of my seat throughout the performance was a rare treat as I bore easily.

Made up of the usual guitars and keys, the multi-talented Coxon brought the Dilruba and Arc to the show, which went down rather well, as you don’t get to see them everyday. He brought in special guests along the way, such as Robyn Hitchcock and Martin Carthy, each contributing their work of art to the set.

Compared to his alternate Brit pop career with one of the biggest household names to date, the pressure was on for this shy fellow as he was back to the solo realm of what he does best.

Starting off with a cheeky li’l grin, messing his hair and thanking the audience for their attendance, nerves were showing as things got rolling.

As each track took its place on stage, Coxon’s own creative works were blasted through the projector where the order took a birth to death procession. Going from a dark edge of mist to a bright happy summers’ day, it all added a new twist of genius.

On the third song, Graham began to play, then openly admitted he'd forgotten the rest and so asked the audience’s permission to start over. His humorous jokes continued throughout the show, making us love him even more. His admirers were from all ages, all seeming to be captivated with the work he has accomplished.

Leaving the gig speechless, I’d really suggest after tonight’s display, you take a listen of the critically acclaimed album The Spinning Top, else you are missing out on a glimpse of something quite spectacular.

Holly Eells

Bon Ningen

Hey Guys

Introduce yourself please?

-I'm Yuki, playing guitar in the band.

What does Bon Ningen mean?

-Bo means stick, and Ningen means man.

How would you describe your music for us newcomers?

-heavy psychedelic cosmic chant

I believe you moved over here to study 3 years ago, why London?

-people speak english and it's the only foreign language i can manage to speak. I was thinking about New York too, but London has more own history and culture.

Were you formed as Bon Ningen in Japan or is this something that occurred over here?

-we all met here.

Your performances are pretty intense, what’s your favourite gig to date?

-every gig. seriously.

Your ideal audience?

-everyone who is bored of cool music.

Who are you fans of at the moment both here and Japan?

-we haven't got any fanbase in japan as no one knows us. but our fans here is ranged from old metal guys to east london fashionista. and some weirdos. even your grandparents.

You have taken the world by storm these last couple of months, would you take your success back over to Japan?

-hopefully. we want to go have shows there as a band from england even though we are all japanese.

What do you miss from home?

-food. convenience. weather.

The Pipettes ( Pony Tail Magazine)

By Holly Louise & Milly Mcmahon


Celebrated for their infamous penchant for Polka Dots, preppy swinging 60’s musical inclination and inability to perform without an infectious sense of rhythm, style and whopping great smile, The Pipettes were the British indie pop girl group formed in 2003 in Brighton who nearly took over the world way back when. Opting out and moving away from the musical scene the band have since been away working on new material, maturing and coining their new image ready for their imminent release back and here they are better than ever with a new album set for release and a new addition Annie to add to the great lot. We tracked them down to get the exclusive chance to catch up with the girls and beef up on the skinny of just where they’ve been and what we can expect from the brand spanking new forthcoming album!


Hello girls how are you?
A little bit nervous but very excited.



You have been away for quite some time now what have you been up too?
We have been cooking up the second Pipettes album. It's been a long process of deconstructing and rebuilding but we've finally finished and are ready to unleash the Pop Beast out into the world.

Nice. Do you think the break has done you good?
Most definitely, it’s given us time to develop, and to commit to new ideas and confirm our ideals.


What can we expect from the new album and how is it different from the last?
This album is both a document and a celebration of the time in which it was made, so in that sense it's similar in its purpose to the first album. Our musical horizons have broadened though, and a lot has happened, so in many ways it is a very different record. Most importantly though, this album doesn't just consist of songs about dancing, it just makes you dance!

When will you be back on the road? Will there be a tour?
We'll be back on the road before Easter, when our single comes out.

A little birdie tells me there is a music video in the works, does this mean there is a single set for release?
The video we've been working on isn't for our first official release 'Stop The Music' but for another song off our digital EP called 'Our Love Was Saved By Spacemen'. It's more than slightly ridiculous but is a very important part of cementing our visual aesthetic for the whole album and setting a tone. It'll be the first statement that we make as a new band.

Has your image changed, for the better?
Most definitely, we've been working very closely with Milly McMahon to refine and explore new ideas with our image. Whereas our first album was very much polka dots all the time, it was important for us to have the courage to tread new paths when it came to the second album. What we are looking at is creating interesting images and pushing new boundaries whilst keeping within the ideals of The Pipettes. There are certain rules that apply, certainly in the way in which we as women present ourselves whilst in the band that are very important but there's also a lot of scope to experiment. We don't want to be trapped by our own image and most importantly, we want to have fun with it.


You have been in music game for many years now, with a lot of experience under your belt what advice would you give new comers trying to make it into this industry?
Just surround yourself with people who interest and inspire you and learn from them.

Who writes most of your music or is it a joint partnership?
It's shared between us all, and that's very important.

Who are you influences?
The KLF, John Cage, SAW, Phil Spector, ABBA, Scritti Politti, Human League, Joe Meek and Bananarama...

Anyone you rate at the moment?
Micachu and The Shapes

Tell us something new we didn’t know already about yourselves? We're a two girl fronted six piece mega pop group consisting of two sets of siblings.

www.myspace.com/thepipettes

Dont Panic -We Fell To Earth

http://www.dontpaniconline.com/magazine/original/we-fell-to-earth-1

By Holly Eells

A duo of ex-UNKLE man Richard File and Wendy Rae Fowler, We Fell to Earth is a mélange of dance and rock. As a result, their music contains ghostly wailing (thanks Wendy) and pulsating electronic pulses and bleeps (thanks Richard). Holly Eells got an exclusive chance to catch up with them.

You are about to head off on a European Tour with Air this month. Exciting stuff. What do you enjoy most and what will you miss?

New territory is always inspiring. It’s great to lose yourself in the unfamiliar... But I realised a long time ago that however long you're away you don't miss anything.

You have just returned from a U.K tour with the The Big Pink. Any backstage gossip?

They're a great band and all super nice people... We had a lot of fun both on and off stage... Nuff said.

Having dabbled with Queens of The Stone Age and UNKLE, what made you want to form We Fell To Earth?

I was lucky to meet Wendy at a point in our lives where we were both looking for inspiration. We Fell To Earth are the result of that.

You have had various tracks played in U.S dramas; does this mean anything to you?

It enables your music to reach people in parts of the world you haven't yet played shows, so when you do finally arrive they know you're coming.

What track means the most to you on the album?

The double (which features on the soundtrack of American TV show Gossip Girl).

You have both worked with big, successful bands, where do you draw your inspiration?

As many different genres of music as possible.

How would you describe your music in three 3 words?

Hypnotic / uplifting / infectious

Any artists / bands / producers that you are liking at the moment?

Ivan Ink+Pen, Gramme, HTRK, The Gaa Gaas cover of 'crookes and criminals', The Flaming Lips new record, Factory Floors, Banjo or Freakout to name a few.

What’s next on the agenda?

To play at as many venues as humanly as possible before disappearing into the studio to make some new music to play at as many venues as humanly possible before…

Your single Deaf is released on the 16th Nov. Why should we go buy it?

Because you like it?

OK.



http://www.myspace.com/wefelltoearth

Kasabian Rock Out Wembley

The word phenomenal sums up slightly last night’s extravaganza. Having their London
dates sold out back to back within hours of sale, you expect the boys to throw out
something special.


Taking the place of Oasis it seems these guys had a lot of pressure put behind them
especially for the London fans. Being played at none other than Wembley, the crowds were beginning to become trapped like sardines in a tin as they scampered to the front.


The Sheffield born Rockers, otherwise known as Reverend and The Makers showed their
support by playing a few hits before, to really get the fans in the mood for the show. They performed classics like ‘Heavy Weight Champion of the World’ which become a household track for many. However most of the middle-aged men were more captivated by Laura Manuel, the only woman out the bunch, in her tight short black number as she played the keys.



The arena was jam packed now, as spoil sport as it sounds I was rather glad to be seated near the stage. I didn’t quite fancy being bruised from head to toe in the moshpit as fans were raging a frenzy. As usual everything went dark before they made their grand stage entrance. You could feel the heat building up from all the anticipation of excitement.




The psychedelic foursome blasted it out like there was no tomorrow. Psyching up an intro, up to the space of 15 minutes, that is hard to do, when you want to keep the audience’s interest. Lights were flashing beyond belief, wrapping them up in a box in the centre. It was quite a sight, I have to say.



Bursting into ‘Empire’ was a perfect choice to start the show off. It blended well with the maxed out intro which had fans stargazed from the start and bringing goose bumps to the surface of my skin. All four of them had a vital part in the performance, all in eye view, not showing nerves at all.



Performing track after track with their old and new releases really kept the crowd going. Having the audience singing word for word back to them was pretty serial.. Every single soul was out of their seat giving all the energy they had left. Nothing was predictable; every song had a twist one way or another.



The highlight of the night was the guest star appearance from Noel Fielding ( Mighty Boosh’s middle man). He performed with the boys through the single of ‘ Vlad the Impaler’ where he also appears on their video. He was all over the stage, playing well to the character of a serial case murder(no acts took place of course).
To end on a high, this is a strong statement to make but one of the best shows I have seen this year.

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.

Being a mouthful of a name Get Cape Wear Cape Fly is a pop electro acoustic / emo assemble made up of Sam Lloyd Duckworth and his band. Apparently the name comes from a ZX Spectrum magazine, of the solution to the Batman computer games. Right.



Being around for five years or so they have definitely learnt a trick or two.
Duckworth grew up in none other than South end, Essex and still only being 23; he has gained some skills under his belt. Whether this is from going on tour with a variation of bands like ‘Flaming Lips’, ‘Ok Go’ or just storing years of experience along the way.


Atlantic Records signed multitalented Sam to their label after playing many gigs throughout the years with both punk rock band Silverskin and of course Get Cape Wear Cape fly (otherwise known as GCWCF. If it helps).

Releasing his debut album not soon after ‘ The Chronicles Of A Bohemian Teenager’ became an outright success. Leading it to be in the top 100 of 2006 by Q and NME. Which burst his festival schedule to the max with the big names such as Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds.

Not ending there, he was nominated for best solo artist for the NME awards against Lily Allen and Jarvis Cocker. But sadly did not win this time. But got the chance instead to perform at the BBC Prom’s that isn’t so bad heh?


Taking disappointment on the chin well he released his 2nd album ‘ Searching for the How’s and Whys’ which was released in March 08. Featuring guest vocals from platinum selling artist Kate Nash on the track “ Better Things” but you will also find Billy Bragg on there too. Who wouldn’t want to buy the album?


The first single released from the 2nd album was ‘ Find The Time’ which reached number 33 on the UK Top 40 chart. He also performed in the most talked about C4 programme to date ‘ Hollyoaks’ as part of gig staged in the village. If that isn’t fame what is.

On a different note, he has had run-ins with the BNP after a racist attack in a nightclub two years ago, and has now become an avid supporter of Love Music Hate Racism. As well as being a fair-trade supporter.


Being at a standstill for a while and taking on other projects. It is exciting to know there are some demos up on the old MySpace that are really not bad. It shows what a break can do. Check them out, as this guy has potential. I’m sure he will appear out of the woodwork again.

The Invisible Profile

Mercury award nominees ‘The Invisible’ are a three-piece duo that put music before their looks. Combining all their skills and maturity together they have produced something quite special in the London music scene.

Having their music described as indie post rock can become quite tiresome for many upcoming bands, but they are worth holding on to, I can assure you. The band’s tongue- in-cheek definition of their style of music is Experimental Genre- Spanning space hop, if that is anything to go by. They have been compared to the likes of Bloc Party and TV On The Radio; even though they have all strongly lattered these suggestions.

Dave Okumu, jazz extraordinaire front man and guitarist of the trio, brings soulful lyrics to their tracks and gives it that extra edge that rock bands don’t seem to have these days. Being a member of a London based Fusion community F-ire Collective for many years. He has also worked alongside musicians such as Djanjo Bates and Finn Peters.

The three friends started working together in late 2006 and quickly developed into a full band. Having previous projects before, Tom Herbert the bassist and Dave Okumu were originally in a band called Jade Fox. But things sadly didn’t work out for the two and they went their separate ways into their own solo careers.

They started working together again, but this time Leo Taylor came into the equation. Due to their mutual fusion scene connections they were snapped up straight away by Matthew Herbert’s Accidental Records, which spawned the production of the band's first official release. The one-track 7-inch Vinyl "Constant".

Being highly rated and praised throughout the industry, these mature folk really can’t go wrong at the moment. Having toured excessively with the likes of Hot Chip and The Foals has really pushed up their statuses before putting out their first single of the debut album “London Girl”.

They have received high recognition for their debut release and the timing couldn’t be more perfect for the lads. Reaching nearly 5 stars throughout and praises from left, right and centre. With quotes such as “Instantly marked out by its breathless scope and uncanny intensity. The sound of ambition paying off”

Q Magazine.

Their singles having been remixed by numerous artists such as Hot Chip, Micachu and Mathew Herbert, has given them that extra boost I’m sure. Adding the synthesizer by Tom always gains brownie points and gives it that added twist.

From scampering through their album, made me take an instant liking to these guys. Now being shifted onto my iPod they are now permanently stuck. Their music can be enjoyed by all ages as its so easy listening and chilled. You could put it on in front of the grandparents and I’m sure you won’t hear a peep. Being booked up in the diary, you should go out of your way to see what these soulful three have to offer. You never know you might just like it…

Rockfeedback (1234 Festival)

http://www.rockfeedback.com/review/4322/1234-shoreditch-festival-east-london-26709/

1234 Shoreditch Festival – East London – 26/7/09
3/5

By Holly Eells

Proclaiming something to be a disappointment is a bit of a weighty statement to make when something hasn’t even really gotten off its feet yet. However, I think my instincts were pretty much proven right from the beginning here. From past experiences of 1234, it can provide a really happy day – one where the sun was shining, friends would gather and feel no pressure, if they didn’t so desire, to pay that much attention to the bands playing at all. It was always jam packed. And free.

However, this year you had to put a penny or two down to get a ticket (an idea which given the event I’m in two minds about still). Nevertheless, what puzzled my head to the core was the fact that in VIP there were more people in there than actually outside with the paying punters. It makes one wonder as to the point of the festivities. It was like Shoreditch had thrown up all over the joint at times, and not a pleasant or friendly scene whatsoever.

Oh yeah, and the weather was dismal, as per usual this summer, literally dampening the day for those of who could have coped with a little drizzle, but not quite this. Subsequently, the bands didn’t get much support, unless they were playing in a tent. But it didn’t stop me from seeing what these new kids had to offer...

Missing a few of the early birds, Hatcham Social started the day off for me, and did so well I must say. I’ve always been a deep, secret fan of their music, but never making the effort to go see them was my flaw. Despite performing their post-punk influenced indie to a crowd of only around fifty or so in the audience, they deserve praise for keeping going and convincing the sun to shine for a little while.



Is Polly Scattergood ever so innocent, or just in the act for attention? We’ll probably never know, but although she’s been in a bit of a craze of hype for the last couple of months, Scattergood really lost my concentration. My expectations were a bit too high for her I reckon, so I scattered myself off to “the protector” as some like to call that day - the tent.

And there I caught A Place to Bury Strangers, all the way over from Brooklyn, New York, and they really showed the kids how it was done. Their psychedelic experimental vibes got the heads nodding, playing effortlessly and looking beyond cool - artists should be jealous of their look. Being together for a fair few years and touring with the likes of Nine Inch Nails and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club you are definitely going to pick up a trick or two, so playing here – rain or no rain – was a piece of cake.

Hanging around and eating a burger or two, I was ready again for some more action. I have to say I was absolutely flabbergasted by Patrick Wolf, despite previously being 50/50; he defiantly took me away with him, confirming that his records really do not do him any justice. He’s such a flamboyant character with looks on his side who can offer us such a phenomenal performance with so many multi talents up his sleeve. What else can I say... if only there were a few more like him on the bill, hey.