Something For Your Weekend.

Isa & The Filthy Tongues

'New Town Killers'

(Released:2009)

Stacey Chavis

Martin Metcalfe

Fin Wilson

Derek Kelly


          ISA & THE FILTHY TONGUES FACEBOOK

I interviewed the band in 2009 for MUSIC NEWS SCOTLAND you can read it HERE

My Top Albums Of 2013

Queens Of The Stone Age

'Like Clockwork'

Foals

'Holy Fire'

Savages

'Silence Yourself'

Pity Sex

'Feast Of Love'

Palma Violets

'180'

Primal Scream

'More Light'

Motorhead

'Aftershock'

Johnny Marr

'The Messenger'

Julian Cope

'Revolutionary Suicide'

The Dillinger Escape Plan

'One Of Us Is The Killer'

Frank Turner

'Tape Deck Heart'

My Bloody Valentine

'MBV'

Billy Bragg

'Tooth & Nail'

Playlist Of Tracks From The Albums

Therapy? Troublegum Anniversary

Therapy? have announced some UK shows to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their stunning second album 'Troublegum'. Released on Feb 7th 1994 on A&M Records the record has, to date, racked up sales of more than 1 million worldwide and is considered by many to be the work of Therapy? at their creative peak. Troublegum reached Number 5 in the UK album charts and includes the singles 'Screamager', 'Nowhere' and 'Die Laughing'. The band will play Troublegum in it's entirety at each anniversary show plus some of their other songs from that same era.

Album Tracklist

1. Knives

2. Screamager

3. Hellbelly

4. Stop It You're Killing Me

5. Nowhere

6. Die Laughing

7. Unbeliever

8. Trigger Inside

9. Lunacy Booth

10. Isolation

11. Turn

12. Femtex

13. Unrequited

14. Brainsaw

Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased

 HERE

For updates and further info go to

 http://www.therapyquestionmark.co.uk/

DVD Review: Magnum Live In Concert

Magnum

'Live In Concert'

(Wienerworld)

When Magnum released their melodic prog-rock debut album ‘Kingdom Of Madness’ in 1978 punk rock was still the dominant force musically, and socially, throughout the UK. It was a time of contrasting differences, of that there is no doubt. Magnum’s eclectic fusion of keyboards string arrangements, flutes, guitars and drums was in layered contradiction to the ferocious underclass anthems that roared from the streets around them, actively distracting the entire nation, spawning a  generation of DIY creationists who busied themselves breaking down barriers with their new found liberating freedom of expression. Magnum, with their own, equally consequential music though were more than capable of holding their own among the catchy, frenetic 3 minute punk songs as a career lasting an incredible 40 years should prove.

In the years that followed Magnum contributed in sending rock music a step forward in its evolution with a number of inventive and critically significant albums like seminal masterpiece Chase The Dragon and the immaculately creative Vigilante earning them a deserved recognition throughout the UK and parts of Europe. As their popularity grew so did their touring schedule - and extensive European jaunts followed with many dates frequently gaining sold out status around the continent - most notably in Germany, UK and Sweden. In 1992 the band played a flawless, atmosphere charged gig at Birmingham Town Hall, their home turf, in front of the loyal and the clearly devoted. That evening has been captured perfectly with all its glories untouched and unspoiled on this live DVD recording. Highlights are, undoubtedly, the sterling performance of their most popular songs like Days Of No Trust, All England’s Eyes, Midnight, When The World Comes Down and On A Storytellers Night.

MAGNUM HOMEPAGE

WIENERWORLD DISTRIBUTION

New Single: Violet Skies

Debut single from  22 year old South Wales singer/songwriter Violet Skies is out now on Awk-Ward Records. The song 'How The Mighty' was produced by Axel Kacoutie (MNEK associate) and is available as a free download at this link....http://emailunlock.com/iamvioletskies/violet-skies-how-the-mighty

 Violet Skies Facebook

EP Review: Billy Liar

Billy Liar

All I've Got

(Unsigned)

Music’s darkest glories can be found, conceptually, in the lacerated disorder of emotion. From the bones of misery comes uninhibited self deprecation acted out by assorted protagonists in cameo lyrical snapshot roles representing the author at their very lowest. Such affected heartache claws all of us in turn thanks to our effrontery for intimacy. Consistently unguarded when at our weakest brings its fair share of wounding which is perfect subject matter for our most bitter narratives. Billy Liar’s traumatic episodes are documented like emotional postcards in the ragged acoustic folk/punk poetics of his songs. Once again the complexities of ingrained human instinct are at the heart of the matter in the pessimistic love song All I’ve Got, written about wanting to be with someone who is already in a relationship with someone else. Although the personal intricacies of the situation may have been a minefield of harrowing sorrow - the music could never be. His despair is brilliantly tuneful and brimming with an effervescent  hop skip jump energy and it’s that, that pairing of adoration and pain, that brings a soaring childlike bewilderment and maybe that’s the beauty here, the true sense of definition. The song is easy to enjoy and feels infinitely warmer than anything else he’s released up to now. It comes with groovy ‘ahh ahh’ harmonies and a chorus so buoyantly countrified it deserves to have a line dance choreographed around it. There is even a great little video of the song where he gets to fall into the arms of all the girls! This is a song that deserves to be heard by everyone for no other reason than that they’d really like it if they did..cos he’s a dedicated follower of passion.

http://www.billyliarmusic.com

New Music

HONEYBLOOD
Honeyblood are the Glasgow two-piece comprised of Stina Tweeddale (vocals, guitar) and Shona McViccar (drums). The band recently signed to FatCat Records and released their debut 7" single 'Bud' / 'Kissing On You' on the 4th November 2013.

Honeyblood Facebook

BIG UPS
Big Ups are very pleased to announce their debut LP, Eighteen Hours of Static, due via Tough Love Records on January 13th, 2014. This is the blistering track Goes Black from the album.

Big Ups Facebook

LVL UP

The first single from LVL UP, on a split 7" with PORCHES. out November 26th on Birdtapes and DDW.
LVL Up on Bandcamp


A LILY

A Lily is the solo project of FatCat Records operator James Vella. This track is from A Lily's new EP, Lupa, out now on Know Thy Neighbour/Agoo Records.
A Lily Homepage

Pussy Riot

Independent Distribution announces the UK DVD release of PUSSY RIOT: A PUNK PRAYER, out to own from 25th November.

Directed and produced by Oscar-nominated producer and documentary maker Mike Lerner (Afghan Star, Hell and Back Again) and Director-Producer Maxim Pozdorovkin (Capital), PUSSY RIOT: A PUNK PRAYER features the three band members who were put on trial in Russia, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich for performing a satirical rock song in Russia’s most hallowed Moscow cathedral.  

Filmed over the course of six months, this film tells the incredible story of three young women: Nadia, Masha and Katia; members of the feminist art collective Pussy Riot who performed a 40 second "punk prayer" inside Russia's main cathedral. This performance led to their arrest on charges of religious hatred and culminated in a trial that has reverberated around the world and transformed the face of Russian society forever.

With unparalleled access and exclusive footage, Lerner and Pozdorovkin’s Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer looks at the real people behind their now famous colourful balaclavas.

Moving from farce to tragedy and back again, the film explores how political and religious forces contrived to make an example out of three young artists who dared to challenge the accepted norms of society. With Nadia, Masha, and Katia, Russia's ruling powers got more than they bargained for. Are you a ready for a Pussy Riot?

PUSSY RIOT: A PUNK PRAYER featured as the opening night film at Sheffield Doc Fest, at the East End Film Festival in London and Open City Doc Fest and received its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.

https://www.facebook.com/PyssyRiotTheDocumentary

Bad Religion To Release Christmas Album.

Bad Religion is releasing a Christmas album 'Christmas Songs' this month. The album features 8 new studio recordings of traditional Christmas hymns and an alternate mix of their single "American Jesus" by Andy Wallace. Co -songwriter and guitarist Brett Gurewitz says "This might be the most subversive album we've done. To me, what the album is indirectly stating is that this music, and thus the world, can be powerful and beautiful stripped of god and religion. These are just really good songs, and a historically non-religious band like Bad Religion can perform them with as much power and feeling as anyone."

The band's iconic vocalist and co-songwriter, Greg Graffin has a personal connection with these songs. Graffin got his start as a singer when he was young boy in a church choir. His instructors found him so remarkable that he received a scholarship to a choir school. And thus, the voice of Bad Religion was born.

In a world still brimming with rampant anti-intellectualism, inequality and oppression, Bad Religion’s signature brand of sonically charged humanist dissent is as relevant as ever.  And this Christmas season, just a little more ironic.

Christmas Songs Tracklisting

01. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

02. O Come All Ye Faithful

03. O Come, O Come Emmanuel

04. White Christmas

05. Little Drummer Boy

06. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

07. What Child Is This?

08. Angels We Have Heard On High

09. American Jesus (Andy Wallace Mix)

For more info go to www.badreligion.com

UK Festival Awards 2013

I am delighted to have been invited to attend this years event - and of course I'll be off down that London like the proverbial bullet. Taking place on December 2 at renowned London music venue The Roundhouse, the events are the best way to celebrate the achievements of the last 12 months, network, and share lessons learned. Regarded as the best networking event for the music festival industry, the UK Festival Awards attracts over 1,000 people to enjoy a whole day of business and fun. Comprising an expanded conference, awards show including delicious three-course meal, free drinks and much more, the UK Festival Awards and Conference is the best way to round off your season and start the next one with success!

Over half a million fan votes were cast last year, making it the benchmark by which festival-goers rate their experiences, and a coveted prize for organisers. Awards include Best Major, Medium and Small Festival, Best Family Festival, Best Overseas Festival, Best Headline Performance, and of course – Best Toilets! Along with its sister events, the UK Festival Conference and the European Festival Awards, the UK Festival Awards is owned and produced by Festival Awards Ltd.

It is the only event which brings the leaders of the contemporary music festival industry together for a day of debate, networking and information-sharing. Incisive panel discussions will present the latest thinking and business insight as well as the chance to review the year’s achievements and challenges.

For all info visit http://www.festivalawards.com/

Motorhead Announce New Album

On Oct 21st, 2013 Motörhead will deliver their 21st studio album,"AFTERSHOCK" Recorded at NRG Studios in North Hollywood,it is a true leveller, a crushing confirmation of everything Motörhead stands for, marching from the dust storm to deliver 14 belting statements which see Motörhead in perhaps their best writing form for years. There’s swagger, there’s punch, there’s speed and there’s dirty filthy grooves, Lemmy Kilmister, Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee showing clearly that Motörhead is not simply a band, it’s a genre!

“Steal it if you must, buy it if you can!” says Lemmy, who’s pride in the album is so immense that guests to his home and dressing room in the last couple of months have been treated to extremely loud airings of the rough mixes, while Phil Campbell adds, “I really think the variation on the album shows that we’ve dug deep and produced some of our best work for a long time.”

“It is,” says Mikkey Dee, “a really, really strong Motörhead album, one that really does define everything this band stands for.”
He’s not wrong.
Because Motörhead are Motörhead are Motörhead…and their Aftershock will be felt worldwide…

TRACKLISTING
Heartbreaker
Coup de Grace
Lost Woman Blues
End Of Time
Do You Believe
Death Machine
Dust And Glass
Going To Mexico
Silence When You Speak To Me
Crying Shame
Queen Of The Damned
Knife
Keep Your Powder Dry
Paralyzed

http://www.imotorhead.com/

Dexys: New Album Stream

The new album from Dexys (Midnight Runners) 'One Day I'm Going To Soar' was released this week. Thanks to the generosity of the good folk at Missing Piece Group you can listen to the complete album on the sound cloud player below.

DEXY'S HOME PAGE
                                                                                                    

The Tragedy Of Celebrity Crossovers: Stars Of The Bargain Bin.

Take popular TV character, get popular TV character into recording studio, release record by popular TV character upon the public and watch the cash roll in. How can it possibly fail? Oh..let us count the ways!

MR T

'Mr T's Commandments'

(1984)

Mr T serves up some advice to America's children via a series of belligerent  rap-stylee songs brimming with specifics and carefully penned lyrics of educational intent and moral instruction. Listen with utter bewilderment as he gruffly barks out an endless volley of backbiting threats and warnings in a woe-betide manner in an attempt to rattle the kids into terrified compliance. When Mr T raps out unhinged venom  like...'if you break the rules, god help you fool' in a no nonsense tone you can almost hear the traumatised gasps of a thousand children...NOT! This is wild hardcore cheese grating gangsta rap straight from the grumpy/impatient underground beats genre...with none of that jibba jabba!

WATCH AND LISTEN HERE

Leonard Nimoy

Ballad Of Bilbo Baggins

(1968)

The biggest slice of face filling surreal cake you've ever been served up since the perplexing mountain of gob stuffing sponge buns that tumbled from the 'Clint Eastwood Sings Cowboys' album and shut your mouth forever.  Leonard 'Mr Spock' Nimoy launches the unprovoked and viciously damaging mind-karate assault upon the entirety of the world - a musical version of the bullying tactics favoured by crazed loons such as Idi Amin and Sadam Hussein - the outcome is less bloody of course, but the initial attack is no less damaging Feast your eyes and ears upon it and be forever impressed with his skilled use of double-edged versatility as he effortlessly brings 'cringing akwardness' and ' fucking horrendousness' together at the same time.

WATCH AND LISTEN HERE

Telly Savalas

If

(1974)

Best known for his role as Kojak the bald, lollipop munching 1970's New York detective - and best forgotten for this wearisome clutter of monotonous trash. - Telly Savalas piggy backing on the strength of his popularity, covers the classic Bread song 'If'..by merely speaking it....The abrasive rasp of his gritty American drawl was once the sound that caused a million female hearts to flutter and skip - allegedly - and they were no doubt the target being aimed at here. With an orchestral arrangement behind him that was clearly made of cheese the desired effect was lost amid the sheer unhinged craziness of it all. A masterpiece  of sheer brilliance and majestic greatness...said nobody ever!

WATCH AND LISTEN HERE

David Hasselhoff

Night Rocker

(1985)

See - we tolerated the celebrity crossover thing - smiled at some of it - even considered some efforts to be a little bit endearing. We made no attempt to step in because we believed it would all fizzle itself out and come to nothing - it's just a fad they said - it'll soon blow over they said - what harm can happen they said.

Fuck Off!

WATCH AND LISTEN HERE

Patrick Swayze

She's Like The Wind

(1987)

The handsome man that all the women fell in love with and fantasised that maybe one day they too might 'dirty dance' with the sexy devil! Had he left things there everything would have been just lovely, but no. The greedy bastard wanted more, so much more, and those paid to agree with him....agreed with him. Cashing in on his Dirty Dancing popularity as if 'shameless' was a description yet to be invented. Swayze unleashed this superficial vomit bomb upon the people and earned himself a new title...CUNT. Wade through the diabolical lyrical ocean of sickly treacle and syrup nonsense like the million calorie sugar lava explosion below...and be assured, it gets no better

Feel your breath on my face.

Your body close to me 

Can't look in your eyes 

You're out of my league 

Just a fool to believe

WATCH AND LISTEN HERE

Frank Turner Tour Dates Announced For Feb 2014

Frank Turner has just announced dates for a UK Arena tour in Feb 2014

FEB 6: CARDIFF MOTORPOINT ARENA

FEB 7: NOTTINGHAM ARENA

FEB 8: EDINBURGH CORN EXCHANGE

FEB 9: MANCHESTER ARENA

FEB 11: PLYMOUTH PAVILLIONS

FEB 12: LONDON 02

FEB 13: PORTSMOUTH GUILDHALL

The announcement comes ahead of the release of Frank's new single 'Losing Days' (out on September 1) and off the back of his performances at Reading & Leeds Festival at the weekend, where he played as the highest billed UK artist on the main stage.

You can watch Frank's performance of 'The Way I Tend To Be' taken from that set by clicking the link HERE

Frank Turner has had a busy year, even by his own standards. Following the release of his fifth studio album ‘Tape Deck Heart’ in April, he played a sold-out tour of the UK and has been on the road with his band The Sleeping Souls ever since. So far his global tour has taken him across Europe, to the Far East, Australasia and North America.

Tickets go on general sale from Fri 30th August

http://www.gigsandtours.com/

Thanks to Louise at Partisan PR

Tiny Paragraphs Of News

I get a lot of emails from PR's announcing new tour dates, upcoming releases and any other update considered relevant enough/important enough/interesting enough...to merit a news article being composed around it. But, apart from a few here and there at an editors insistence, I haven't really ever taken much to do with the 'news item' side of things - and I possibly should do. So as of today I will make an effort to do that. Do not be expecting press release sized news articles - because the exact opposite is likeliest - and what once filled you with jittery anticipation will now torment you with plundering frustration. Ask any psychoanalytic psychologist if that is correct and they shall answer 'yes that is correct' but they shall not just leave it at that because you might remain unconvinced by their monosyllabic reply and that in itself is an internal conflict waiting to happen! No, they shall not procreate such a harm in you - but instead proceed to bolster the harmony of your normality with the informative explanation of how 'internal perception is governed by unconscious complexities and is not spontaneous - so is therefore a contradistinction of the symptomatic derivative' etc etc anticipation/frustration. I digress hugely....so...

SKID ROW
Skid Row are set to release their second single This Is Killing Me from their United World Rebellion – Chapter 1 E.P on November 4th 2013. October and November will see SKID ROW and UGLY KID JOE play a 29 city, 12 country co-headline tour of Europe and the UK. Dates will kick off in England on Oct 22nd and run through Nov 26th ending in Austria. With combined sales of millions of albums, each band will play a full set of the songs fans want to hear. As a special treat for fans, there is also to be a bundle package that includes the songs of 'UNITED WORLD REBELLION - Chapter One' and the bonus tracks on high quality vinyl and an exclusive Skid Row shirt, available only through the UDR Store!

Tour Dates

Tues  22 Oct Southampton, ENGLAND Mo'Club

Wed  23 Oct Rugby, ENGLAND The Vault

Thurs  24 Oct Manchester, ENGLAND NQ Live

Fri  25 Oct Nottingham, ENGLAND Rock City

Sat  26 Oct Wrexhan, WALES Central Station   

Mon  28 Oct Glasgow, SCOTLAND The Garage

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NOAH AND THE WHALE

Noah And The Whale will release their fourth studio album, Heart Of Nowhere, on September 24th via Caroline Records. The album, recorded at West London's British Grove Studios, is the band's fourth record in five years, and follows 2011's platinum-selling Last Night On Earth

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RUSH

This year’s celebration of Rush continues with the highly anticipated release of a remixed version of the band 2002’s album VAPOR TRAILS. In 2009, two tracks from VAPOR TRAILS (“One Little Victory” and “Earthshine”) were remixed for the Retrospective III collection, setting fans into a frenzy in anticipation of a possible remixed version of the entire album being released one day. Four years later, that day is finally approaching as the remixed album will be available on September 30 from Atlantic/Rhino. "Vapor Trails' was an album made under difficult and emotional circumstances - sort of like Rush learning how to be Rush again - and as a result, mistakes were made that we have longed to correct. David Bottrill's remixes have finally brought some justice and clarity to this deserving body of our work,” says Geddy Lee. Every song has been given a new life, from the fire of ‘One Little Victory,’ ‘Secret Touch,’ and ‘Ceiling Unlimited’ to the melodic musicality of ‘Sweet Miracle’ and ‘How It Is’… these songs have been redeemed. 

The remixed version of VAPOR TRAILS will also be included in the new 7-disc boxed set THE STUDIO ALBUMS 1989-2007, which features every studio album Rush recorded for Atlantic Records. The collection includes the Gold & Platinum albumsPresto (1989), Roll The Bones (1991), Counterparts (1993), and Test For Echo (1996), as well as their covers EP Feedback(2004) and the Billboard Top 5 album Snakes & Arrows (2007). THE STUDIO ALBUMS 1989-2007 features each album presented in a wallet sleeve that faithfully reproduces the original artwork (except for VAPOR TRAILS, which features a reinterpreted version of the original cover) and is available on September 30 from Atlantic/Rhino.
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BLACK MARKET CLASH

EXHIBITION of rare items

& pop up store

75 berwick st, SOHO, LONDON

   for 2 weeks only

Saturday 7 Sept – Sunday 22 Sept 2013

Store opening times: 12pm – 8pm Monday to Saturday & 11am – 5pm on Sunday

FEATURING AN EXHIBITION SHOWCASING UNIQUE ITEMS

FROM THE CLASH ARCHIVE

 PLUS

LISTENING LOUNGE AND EXCLUSIVE MERCHANDISE AREAS

In celebration of one of the most iconic bands to have ever come out of the UK, the first ever BLACK MARKET CLASH pop-up store will open for 2 weeks in the heart of Soho, London. The store opening coincides with the release of The Clash’s 2-disc ‘HITS BACK’ and collected recorded works ‘SOUND SYSTEM’ box, alongside re-releases of all of the band’s seminal studio albums, lovingly remastered from the original master tapes under the supervision of The Clash. The store, which is fully art directed and curated by the band and Robert Gordon McHarg lll of The Subway Gallery, will open for a limited time only, from Saturday 7 September to Sunday 22 September 2013 at 75 Berwick Street, Soho.

The store will open with an exclusive launch party, attended by the band on Friday 6 September.

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