All My Friends Are Bad Kids

Back in May Black Lips visited Leeds once again and played an all-out rock n'roll show at the Brudenell Social Club.

Absolutely fucking awesome.

RADIOHEA_D

Went to see the so-hot-right-now Radiohead in Manchester last night.

Spotted: James Brown from rising stars Pulled Apart By Horses and a host of Leeds scenesters, and we spent the evening stood next to this dude, his lady friend and their media-type chums, amongst whom was one of these guys.

Small world, isn't it?

DARK MEAT - Medium or rare?

Since The Jefferson Airplane started doing soundtrack music, The Grateful Dead released their 39th shit album and 13th Floor Elevators simply became a band to name check for every south end band to appear out of The Horror's rectums a huge void has been left in hippy cyberspace. Dark Meat are that very band, their live shows consist of either 8 or 14 people on stage at one time, some brass, actually a lot of brass, hair, children, floating things, noisey things, strange objects and generally great moments of happiness.

Dark Meat are now signed to VICE Records in America, their debut album 'Universal Indians is still available.

Buy the album from Vice Records

Dark Meat Myspace

Dark Meat - Freedom Ritual MP3

Parts & Labor - UK Tour

Brooklyn four piece and Jagjaguwar artist Parts & Labor hit the UK shores on the 12th of July, kicking off the dates in Manchester. Support in Leeds comes from Dinosaur Pile Up and Worried About Satan.

12th July - Cafe Saki, Manchester
13th July - Supersonic Festival, Birmingham
14th July - Corsica Studios, London
15th July - The Faversham, Leeds

Their latest full lenth 'Mapmaker' is available now on Jagjaguwar/Brah Records

Parts & Labor - Fractures Skies (MP3)

Parts & Labor - 'The Gold We're Digging'


Parts & Labor

Jagjaguwar

Picture perfect: Introducing Mike King

Basically Mike King rules and should he wish to, he could take a piss on any poster designer out there right now and the urine drenched victim would still have to hold his hands up and say 'Well you are Mike King, I guess I deserved that one'.

I met Mike at Flatstock this year and was drawn to his huge collection of Decemberists artwrk, we had a brief chat and here's what I learned.

1. He designed CD art for Ben Harper, Jack Johnson and Elliott Smith (to name a few)

2. He lives in Portland, Oregon

3. He's been around the block a few times

4. He has a hand shake like Henry Rollins on steroids

5. He's down by law!

6. Other artists let their wives sleep with him

7. You don't talk to Mike King, he talks to you



Visit Mike's site Crash America

Lack of morals? F**K YOU B*TCH say Ninjasonik

Every year moral boundaries and acceptable profanities get pushed to their limits. Retard is now a completely normal word to use when rapping to your friend and up and coming MCs actually look up to the late O.D.B as a high brow entertainer who could easily have appeared alongside the likes of Ted Hughes had he been born 50 years earlier. So it may come as no suprise to anyone when Ninjasonik (who have recently remixed The Death Set) record a strangely amusing little ditty named 'Internet Bitch' which lyrics hypnotically repeat over and over 'I'm on the innernet bitch, I'm fucking famous, just google my name, I'm on the innernet bitch', f*cking genius.

Ninjasonik Myspace

Listen to Ninjasonik here!

Ninjasonik - Tight Pants



The Death Set - Negative Thinking (featuring cameos from Ninjasonik)

Toddla T rescues Roots Manuva from Hip-Hop obscurity?

Just when you though Roots Manuva had ended up in the realms of Rain Man and One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest, northern whippet Toddla T sprinkled some of his abundant magic dust over the half baked MC and voila, regardez le new Manuva! His new single is called Buff Nuff, which could easily be a song about ladies bottoms or possibly the weekly waxing of his automobile, take from it what you will, its a club track straight up and down and is deservedly going to win back some of his old fans.

Toddla T is doing a massive four gigs at Glastonbury this Saturday alone and will quite possibly ended up becoming this years Diplo. As to what Roots Manuva will be doing this Saturday, well probably sat on a double decker chatting to grannies and throwing apples at horses from the upstairs window....go on son.

From what I can gather from the video it features 'celebrity' singer Michelle McManus shouting "ICE CREAM' and thus marking the entrance of Roots Manuva looking like an overweight Easy-E selling Ice Cream dubiously to under age council estate girls in clubber gear?? confusing to say the least.



Toddla T Myspace

Roots Manuva Myspace

Listen to Toddla T and Roots Manuva here!

The amazing adventures of 'SPIDERBAGS'

Me and my buddy Harry were one of four incredibly lucky and weary people who stayed on after the Howlin Rain show at Room 710 to catch the thrillingly entertaining Spiderbags from North Carolina. They currently reside on Birdman Records (home of Howlin Rain and Modey Lemon).

Spiderbags Myspace

Must See live: The Cave Singers

Here's a little photo from The Cave Singers show at Brudenell Social Club last night in Leeds. The supports Mi Mye and Mechanical Owl were ace, but Pete Quirk (pictured) and his gang of bedraggled beard hounds played a great show including a few new songs from their forthcoming album which they're recording in California later this year.

Photo courtesy of Carmel McNamara

Buy The Cave Singers album from Rough Trade click here

Icy Demons, dirty hippies or the saviours of modern music?

Chicago avant garde maniacs Icy Demons have just been allowed access to the !!! live audience this summer, unfortunately no European dates or festivals have been announced, but should they be lucky enough to be granted work visa's for the UK you should attend a show.

Icy Demons Myspace

Buy the album direct from the label here > Obey Your Brain Records

The insanely insane 'Desert Toll'

Plants & Animals 'Parc Avenue' the debut album

Sometimes Plants and Animals can sound like a choir of Rufus Wainwrights, other times a more soothing Arcade Fire, all the time they sound big and real. The group hail from Montreal and released their EP on Secret City last year. This year saw the release of their full length entitled Parc Avenue, which we strongly urge you to purchase with immediate effect!

Plants & Animals Myspace

Buy the album direct from the label here > Secret City

Plants & Animals mini interview

Band of the Week: Megafaun

I watched Akron: Family at Flamingo Cantia at SXSW this year and I recognised a guy on stage who doesn't normally play in the band and I think it was the dude with the glasses and long hair in Megafaun. For me if you're anything to do with Akron you must be pretty special as they rule with a firm hand. Megafaun's 6 track E.P 'Bury the Square' is out now and well worth picking up.

Megafaun Myspace

Megafaun on Last.fm

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - UK Tour Dates

Why aren't these guys not as big or bigger than The Shins? They're just as catchy and far less miserable. Finally they may bring some sunshine to the UK at the end of the Summer, check them out.


11th September - London, Borderline
12th September - Dorset, End of the Road Festival
13th September - Leeds, The Faversham

SSLYBY Myspace .

Somone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - "Think I Wanna Die"

The Cave Singers (Matador) in Leeds tonight.

I saw The Cave Singers support Band of Horses earlier this year and they took the biscuit, great songs, funny in between song banter, groovy checked shirts and splendid beards, what more could you ask for? If you fancy being transported to the great U.S of A via Seattle and Leeds head down to The Brudenell Social Club tonight for 7.30 and check these boys out.

The Cave Singers Myspace .

Cave Singers - Daytrotter SessionMP3s

Ladyhawk: Let Me Be Fictional

Vancouver four piece (not New Zealander soloist on Modular) hit the UK late Summer in support of their 2nd album 'Shots' released earlier this year on Jagjaguwar . The play the Brudenell Social Club on September 24th, with support from I Concur and others tbc.



Ladyhawk Myspace

The Iron Wagon cometh