Observation of the day: Mr Scruff's tour bus with a parking ticket on it! Well at least we know the traffic wardons won't let anyone get away with it, they're not just picking on us!
Orange Rooms - Mr Scruff - Soul/Funk/HipHop etc etc - £12.00 W/NUS £14.00 Without - Click for more info
Soul Cellar - Haunted Stereo - Release Party - £3.00 Adv - Click for more info
The Joiners - Engineers - Electro/Experimental - £8.00 Adv £10.00 Door - Click for more info
The Guildhall - Planet Jedward Tour - Cheesy/Harrowing/Contemptible - £22.50 Adv - Click for more info
The Brook - Whole Lotta Led - Led Zeppellin Tribute - £10.00 Adv £12.00 Door - Click for more info
Junk - Get Skanky presents Sticky - Hip Hop/Bashment/Dubstep - £4.00 Adv - Click for more info
Who: Scott Hutchinson (Main Vocals, Rhythm Guitar) Grant Hutchinson (Percussion, Backing Vocals, Drums) Billy Kennedy (Lead Guitar, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, and Backing Vocals) Andy Monaghan (Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals) Gordon Skene (Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals).
Where: Selkirk, Scotland.
Why: Now I know the main rule is not to be biased about a band that you are reviewing but screw it they are truly worth every compliment they receive.
From slugging away on the touring circuit for the past few years and putting out three fantastic records they are finally making it into the big leagues having just secured a deal with Atlantic Records.
Starting off with ‘Sing the Greys’ released first through Hits the Fan Records and then later Fat Cat Records it shows the promise of Scott’s song writing particularly tracks like Square 9, Snake, Be Less Rude and Go Go Girls which are my personal album highlights.
‘Midnight Organ Fight’ is the groups second album and in my opinion the strongest out of the three. An honest, dark, heartfelt take on Scott’s split from his girlfriend of the time. On the first few listens is quite hard to take in, but through more listens shines the little shimmer of hope that each track gives you. It’s very hard to pick out a favourite track because taking away any of these tracks from the album will take away the structure and flow of the album. Starter ‘The Modern Leper’ sets out what the album is all about smart lyrical content, pounding drums and shimmering guitar chords with delicate melodies. Tracks like ‘Good Arms V Bad Arms’ truly shows the heart on sleeve approach Scott takes on this album “I don’t want you back, but I want to kill him” aids the heartbroken with violence. ‘Keep Yourself Warm’ is possibly the albums centrepiece (if I had to chose) starting with a four note melody played on a keyboard with a electric guitar and bass guitar ringing out chords until the pre-chorus where almost everything drops out other than Scott’s voice singing “You won’t find love in a hole, it takes more than fucking someone to keep yourself warm” a personal favourite.
The latest album ‘The Winter of Mixed Drinks’ is a less personal album but none the less brilliant. The albums overall sound is far more layered than that of their previous efforts and in my mind built for bigger venues. Huge sounding anthems like ‘The Loneliness and the Scream’ and ‘Swim Until you Can’t See Land’ offer sweet melodies and hooks throughout. The instrumentation is a lot more clever and grander than previous albums with more keyboards involved and big percussion and sample sounds being used in the mix particularly opener ‘Things’. This in my eyes can only be positive because this is a band that truly deserves greater attention than they had been previously getting.
For those of you who haven't got your tickets yet this event is only two days away! Mike has only done a handful of these Q&A sessions so if you've got something to ask him this may be your only chance!
There will also be a screening of some previously unseen footage of The Smiths. Mike will be DJing on the night, he has built up a great reputation as DJ for BBC6 and East Village Radio, if you haven't heard any of his shows Click here
Tick Tock have been fortunate enough to get an interview with Mike. Have a listen to him talking about his career since The Smiths...
Who: Matt Parker, Richard Phethean and Jamie Bush. As far as I can decipher from photos they all switch around on instruments. Where: Falmouth via Brighton Why: Tall Ships fuse elements of math rock, electronica and shameless pop. New E.P. ‘There Is Nothing but Chemistry Here’ is brilliant and beautiful, full of rich guitar melodies, sweet soft synths and wonderful percussive drumming. Out of the 5 tracks on this E.P. the highlight for me is opener ‘Plate Tectonics’ which sounds like early (good) Death Cab for Cutie mixed with Minus the Bear starting off with a simple chord changes, progressing into loops, and loops of guitars building to a crescendo of riffs and noise. It shows variation with the track ‘Ode to Ancestors’ which is electronically heavy and with sweet vocal harmonies which sounds sort of like Postal Service. The band have released two E.Ps through two fantastic labels; 'Big Scary Monsters' and 'Blood and Biscuits' whose respective rosters are full of bands who will fill the band of the week page but until then it is the mighty Tall Ships!
There's only one thing that can cheer up Southamptoners in this dreary weather, and that's the arrival of large spicy German sausages! Yes our annual Southampton German Market is being set up as I type, and will be officially opened by the mayor on Thursday November 14th. There will be lots Christmas related things going on around the city centre starting at 4pm, Click for more info
Apologies for the lack of Southampton events updates yesterday, Tick Tock was in Brighton!
If you're getting a bit fed up of this city, Brighton is a great place for a day trip, even at this time of year. Besides the great shops and the pier, there is an array of fabulous music venues!
Audio - A classy bar upstairs/An underground venue for live acts downstairs - Click for more info
Brighton Dome - This venue has a massive variety of acts/Attracts stars such as Marina and the Diamonds (playing next Monday) - Click for more info
Concorde 2 - A tea rooms in the 1800s/Now one of the most famous venues in the country - Click for more info
To celebrate the launch of Guildhall Square, the city council and Nuffield theatre have joined forces to put on an amazing fire show this weekend. For those of you whose loans are running pretty low, this event is completely free!
This event will be taking place on Friday 12th & Saturday 13th from 6.45pm to 9.45pm. Click for more info
Who: Nik Colk (guitars/vocal) Dominic Butler (keyboard) Gabe Gurnsey (drums)
Where: London
Why: The London trio make some of the most intense, brutal and loudest psychedelic trance music you could ever hope to hear. Synths are pulsing guitars are blaring and drums are pounding. Imagine My Bloody Valentine fighting Joy Division in a techno club and you are somewhat near the sound they create. Don’t take my word for it check them out below with the brilliant single ‘Lying’ turn it up LOUD!!!!
Who: Jody Prewett (guitar, vocals, bass) Ben Rimmer (keyboard) and Kit Monteith (drums)
Where: Oxford
Why? The Oxford trio take a fresh approach to bittersweet pop combining lush melodies over danceable disco beats. Comparisons to Foals are likely to appear in every future article but the comparison could be seen as rather lazy (just because they are from Oxford and good friends).
The band are soon to be release debut single “microlite” through Moshi Moshi, it is a beautiful debut full with dream pop and disco tendencies with added melancholy for good measure. Staccato guitars and soft, sweet synths dominate the track with Jody Prewett’s innocent and boyish vocals over the top make for a delightful listen. With currently only three tracks up on their myspace including a brilliant cover of Joanna Newsome’s “The Book on the Right” a lot is expected of this new British band so be sure to check them out and to pick up or download the single released on Monday November 8th.
They are going to be touring with Foals on their upcoming UK tour (Southampton Guildhall November 7th) check their myspace for more details.
