New York Trio SUNFLOWER BEAN (Julia Cumming, Jacob Faber, Nick Kivlen) announce a new EP entitled ‘King Of The Dudes’ (Listen/Watch/Pre-order).
To celebrate the announcement, they share the first single ‘Come For Me’ (Listen/Watch/Pre-order).
Julia explains, “This song was inspired by inner strength, power, and sexual freedom. In 2018 there is no time to waste and no time for shame. This song is a declaration of that. Do you really want to come for me? Do you really want to waste my time? The song is a dare, a threat, and a beckoning.”
The EP, produced by Justin Raisen (Sky Ferreira, Charlie XCX, Angel Olsen) and released on January 25th, 2019, through Lucky Number, follows on from the release of their second album Twentytwo in Blue earlier this year.
The band add, “This EP does not give a fuck, it’s reactionary, and a sharpened response to our times. Death, birth, aggression, addiction, and power. Twentytwo In Blue allowed us to find our strength and on King Of The Dudes we use it, no holds barred.”
Following the release of Twentytwo in Blue, the trio completed a month long UK and European tour with performances at Reading & Leeds and End of the Road festivals, as well as supporting Interpol in arenas across the US. In November they return to the UK to play a further 12 shows, including their largest headline show to-date at London’s newest venue EartH, the 1,500 capacity Hackney Arts Centre. The band will also open for Interpol once more throughout the US in early 2019. See below to find a show near you and get your tickets HERE.
Tour dates 2018
19/11 – Cardiff, Wales @ The Globe
20/11 – Leeds, England @ The Church
21/11 – Brighton, England @ The Old Market
22/11 – London, England @ Hackney Arts Centre
23/11 – Leicester, England @ Dryden Street Social
25/11 – Oxford, England @ The Bullingdon
26/11 – Glasgow, Scotland @ The Art School
27/11 – Manchester, England @ Academy
28/11 – Portsmouth, England @ Wedgewood Rooms
29/11 – Bristol, England @ SWX
30/11 – Cambridge, England @ The Junction
01/12 – Birmingham, England @ Castle & Falcon
KAWALA make a welcome return with the release of their new single ‘Moonlight’ on October 31st through Mahogany Records. Harmonious, lilting vocals abound in this joyous new single.
Speaking about ‘Moonlight’ KAWALA explain, “Writing Moonlight was really the first time we’ve set our main focus on a story-telling lyric and consistent harmonies over rhythms and instrumentation. We’ve tried to balance a super chilled feel with a heart-warming positivity, while taking you on a persons’ journey in search for an escape from their mental demons.”
‘Moonlight’ is the follow-up to KAWALA’s debut ‘D.I.L.Y.D’ EP, which featured singles‘Small Death’, ‘Do It Like You Do’and ‘Funky’,and has collectively reached over 7 Million streams. An incredibly strong opening gambit from the London band.
The journey of KAWALA so far has been anything but traditional. Releasing through Mahogany Records (the new venture between Mahogany Sessions and Marathon Artists), the band, led by Jim Higson (vocals) and Daniel McCarthy (guitar), came together whilst studying at Leeds College Of Music. It was only a few months before they agreed to dropout, head back to their beloved North London and start the band.
TOUR DATES
9 Nov – Bristol – HY-Brazil Music Club
10 Nov – Birmingham – The Actress & Bishop
16 Nov – Manchester – Night People
17 Nov – Sheffield – Record Junkee
17 Nov – Live At Leeds ‘Ones To Watch 2018’ – The Wardrobe
23 Nov – London – Camden Assembly
24 Nov – Brighton – Patterns
27 Nov – The Great Escape ‘First Fifty’ – The Courtyard Theatre, London
After releasing their highly anticipated sophomore album I Don’t Run in April, HINDS head out on their Autumn 2018 UK tour this November.
With 17 shows in the UK this will be the band’s longest and largest UK tour to-date, and it will include a special one day Hinds’ curated mini-festival at London’s 1,500 capactiy Hackney Arts Centre on Saturday 1st December.
I Don’t Run was released on April 6 via Lucky Number and showcased a bigger, better, faster, funnier, more dexterous Hinds. Co-produced by Hinds and Gordon Raphael (The Strokes, Regina Spektor), and engineered by Shawn Everett (Alabama Shakes, The War On Drugs, John Legend), it is the product of a band fighting for their place, a band unwilling to rely upon their successes, a band who have just begun to prove themselves, and a band who plays hard but works even harder.
Tour Dates
12/11 Portsmouth, Wedgewood Rooms
13/11 Manchester, Manchester Academy 2
14/11 Cardiff, The Tramshed
16/11 Liverpool, Arts Club
17/11 Birmingham, The Mill
19/11 Oxford, The Bullingdon Arms
20/11 Cambridge, The Junction
21/11 Southampton, Engine Rooms
23/11 Tunbridge Wells, The Forum
24/11 Leicester, Dryden Street Social
25/11 Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
27/11 Hull, Fruit
28/11 Edinburgh, The Caves
29/11 Leeds, The Church
01/12 London, Hackney Arts Centre
03/12 Sheffield, The Leadmill
04/12 Newcastle, Riverside
Bradford’s Electro-rock outfit ‘They Called Him Zone’ announce the release of their new single ‘I Want Love’.
Their first delivery in a proposed run of ‘download only’ singles, ‘I Want Love’ is the bands first record release in over twelve months – hinting at a psych-rock/shoe-gaze crossover the band are once again bending the electro genre to suit their own taste. Accompanied with a provocative video which is now banned from YouTube, ‘I Want Love’ features UK alternative model ‘Zombie Cat Girl’ who previously collaborated with TCHZ on their visual for the ‘Death Drive’ single. Released on the 15th October 2018 the track is available to purchase direct from both their bandcamp page and all familiar digital download stores.
Having just moved to Huddersfield I decided that I wanted get out and see (and review) a band as soon as I could, so when Smokey Brights sent over their tour dates I grabbed the chance to see the Seattle based band on their first UK tour.
Loz Campbell
But before Smokey Brights take to Parish stage there’s a trio of support acts. And first up is Loz Campbell. Loz is one of those artists I’ve heard a lot about but have never managed to catch live. So it’s that classic rock trio thing – bass, drums and guitar. And it’s heavy people, it’s a really dense loud sound. Loz’s guitar is great, it’s not flash for the sake of flash but it’s quality OK. And her vocals are great. It’s sort of alternative rock but, for me, it has these hints of NWBHM of old.
Loz Campbell
And it’s not samey, there’s variety in the material. The set standout for me is a song that is slower than the other songs but has this really great punky chorus. Loz is somebody I’m making a note to catch again.
Calina
Halifax based Calina are up next. My review notes for Calina start by saying “Yay Tunes” and tunes a plenty they gave us – a mix of covers and originals. They open their set with ‘Seventeen’ – a song I can only assume is an original. The first thing I notice as a standout is the lead vocal, loved that voice. It’s a great song with a kinda alternative rock thing going on.
Calina
Weirdly, although not all that weird for me if I’m honest, my notes say “There’s some really great drumming going on” even before I get to the way the two guitarists compliment each other and swap lead lines.
Calina
Another original ‘Best Friend’ has rather stuck with me, a rather fab sorta boppy song. ‘Red Trousers’ – a Calina original – is a great alternative rock track with hints of indie creeping in, that changes tempo throughout. Really great, although what it’s about I don’t know.
Calina
It may seem strange to pick a cover over an original as the absolute set standout but that’s what I’m going to do. Their cover of ‘Feeling Good’ is fabulous. OK so it’s taking from the Muse cover but they brought enough to it to make it their own. I loved the straight vocals over the howling searing guitars. This people is how you do a cover.
I’d recommend catching Calina, they’re obviously talented and the original material is great.
Vuromantics
Vuromantics, oh Vuromantics I think I may have been a little, how shall I put it, unfair on them when I reviewed their EP. Live they rock, except they don’t rock as such Vuromantics are as funky as hell in a late night party vibe sorta way. It’s all sorts of 80s club sound, but it’s sophisticated it’s smmmooooottthh. Sam’s vocals are way cool at times reminding me of those Heaven 17 vocals. The bass is just, well, brilliant. The guitar injects a bit of a rock thing and the keyboards are fab.
VuromanticsVuromantics
The undoubted standout track was the new single, this people is as danceable as fuck. If there’d been just a few more people at The Parish the party would have started.
Smokey Brights
And so to our headliners Smokey Brights. There’s what I might describe as a distinct 70s AOR vibe to their music – and vocally that references Fleetwod Mac – but it’s not that clear cut. They throw in these psychy sounds and even at one point something kinda grungey. My notes say “But, and it’s a huge but, these guys really rock” (and yes when I write live review notes they do read like one of my reviews). Yep the band rock, they really do.
Smokey Brights
The band clearly revolve around Kim – vocals and keyboards – and Ryan – vocals and guitar. This isn’t to say that the drummer and bass player don’t do the job, they do, it’s just that visually Kim and Ryan draw the eye.
Smokey Brights
Separately their vocals are fantastic But when they sing together boy is it sweet. That sound has lodged it’s thing in my head. Kim’s vocal do have a slight touch of Stevie Nicks, it’s not a copyist thing it’s just the delivery and tone in places. Kim by the way answers the question “When your instrument is a keyboard, quite how do you respond bodily to the music?”, at times I couldn’t quite work out how she managed to play the keyboard and move the way she did.
Smokey Brights
Set highlights, too many to mention so I’m just going to focus down on four songs. ‘If I Can’t Change Your Mind’ is an epic soulful ballad with Ryan taking lead vocal. It’s huge, it’s moving. ‘Living It Up’ (from their last EP ‘Different Windows’) rocks big time but with those sweet sweet vocals. ‘Frustration’ is a surprise, it’s all grungey but grungey with harmonies. And finally their cover of ‘Dreams’. OK so it really points up their Fleetwood Mac influences but Smokey Brights bring something of their own to it, really nice one.
Smokey Brights
They manage to whip up the, to be honest, not exactly heaving Parish into a Smokey Brights party. It feels intimate and like we, the crowd, are part of it. This band work really really hard. Both Kim and Ryan leave the stage to party with the crowd, ah so there are advantages to the venue not being that full.
On one level Smokey Brights might be labelled as a good time party band but there’s depth, a depth that draws you in and really concentrates the mind. I so hope they come over again soon, adored this band.
Following the release of his debut solo album earlier this summer, former Black Spiders/Groop Dogdrill frontman Pete Spiby ends 2018 with a series of lives dates in the UK in November and December. A double album, ‘Failed Magician’ successfully showcases the many moods of Spiby, from the first discs’ roaring primal rock, to the second’s subtle acoustic reworkings, the tour dates announced today allow Pete to tackle both aspects of his music in the live setting.
“Through shear tears of joy, we are delighted to tell you that there will be a series of live events happening, which is quite a mixed bag,” explains Pete. “Firstly, if you hadn’t seen it already myself and the Beat Alls will be supporting the MC5 on their MC50 tour at Bristol O2 Academy, followed by a set of solo dates supporting Tony Wright around the country, before me and the Beat Alls then embark on our own, first headline tour around the UK with our good friends Steel Trees supporting. We tried every little shithole town we knew, and this is all we could get, as people are celebrating Xmas dinners, so we’ll try again next year. Maybe we’ll catch a beer or two with you out there.”
Today also sees the unveiling of a new video and song as part of a Halloween project in association with Jägermeister, where Pete does his own version of ‘If You Were the Only Girl in The World’, the old standard made famous by Dean Martin.
“It was great to be asked by Jager to get involved in their ‘Halloween project’ for 2018. Quite a tough one, finding a song that is in the public domain, well known and upbeat and then making it down beat. I tried and failed a few times, but this one was by far the best song to do and would have fitted well on my album. It’s a lament to all those long suffering serenaders and as Halloween is so close to Dia de Muertos, the video made itself…”
Dates
November
Fri 9th Nov – BRISTOL O2 (with the MC5)
Tue 13th Nov – SWINDON LEVEL 3 (Pete solo with Tony Wright)
Mon 19th Nov – GLASGOW HUG and PINT (Pete solo with Tony Wright)
Tue 20th Nov – EDINBURGH BANNERMANS (Pete solo with Tony Wright)
Wed 21st Nov – SHEFFIELD CORPORATION (Pete solo with Tony Wright)
Thu 22nd Nov – MILTON KEYNES CRAUFORD ARMS (Pete solo with Tony Wright)
Fri 23rd Nov – PRESTON FERRET (Pete solo with Tony Wright)
Sun 25th Nov – EXETER CAVERN (Pete solo with Tony Wright)
Mon 26th Nov – PENZANCE THE ACORN (Pete solo with Tony Wright)
Tue 27th Nov – CAMBRIDGE PORTLAND ARMS (Pete solo with Tony Wright)
Wed 28th Nov – HALIFAX LANTERN (Pete solo with Tony Wright)
December
Thu 6th Dec – GLASGOW NICE & SLEAZYS
Fri 7th Dec – YORK FULFORD ARMS
Sat 8th Dec – EXETER CAVERN
Thu 13th Dec – BIRMINGHAM SUNFLOWER LOUNGE
Fri 14th Dec – SHEFFIELD ROYAL STANDARD
Sun 16th Dec – LONDON BLACK HEART
The programme opened with Haydn’s cheerful “St Nicolas Mass”. This featured soloists from the choir itself: Kathryn Morris, Barbara Pomfret, Frances Durning and Adrian Guy, who did the piece credit.
After the interval, when there was a presentation to retiring president Peter Conway, two extra musicians were featured in solo pieces. Organist Gary Hulme played Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in C major (BWV 547), a piece of increasing complexity but overall serene feel. Harpist Maxine Molin Rose played a piece by a modern composer, Deborah Henson-Conant. Entitled “Baroque Flamenco”, it sounds like a fight between a flamenco and a minuet. The flamenco wins.
Percussionist Alex Walker and treble Seth Barber also featured in Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms”, sung in Hebrew, not the easiest language for a choir. In setting psalms, Bernstein tears up the rule book. The piece opened with a crash on percussion. The lively Psalm 100 (“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord”) followed. The sweet-voiced treble and harp then began Psalm 23 (“The Lord is my Shepherd”). With varying moods, the piece also featured Psalm 2 (“Why do the nations rage”), Psalm 131 (Lord, Lord”), and concluded with Psalm 133 (“Behold how good”). A setting that went straight to the meanings of the psalms, with all their emotion, was brilliantly performed.
This programme featured Andrew Rostron on violin and David Leys on cello, as well as Antony Brannick on piano, who led off with an arrangement of a graceful Bach choral prelude “Mortify us by thy grace”, and a complex Grieg piece with a dance feel, “Humoreske” (Op 6 nr 1).
He was then joined by the other two musicans for a lovely section of Schubert’s piano trio 1 (Op 99, Andante un poco mosso). They followed with Schumann’s fantasy pieces for piano trio (Op 88), a piece with dramatic and varying moods.
The climax of this concert was a beautiful performance of Mendelssohn’s melodious and emotive piano trio in C minor (Op 66).
Malian singer, songwriter, guitarist and acclaimed actress Fatoumata Diawara, who will tour the UK next month, has appeared on Later with Jools Holland last night and will appear again on the extended version of the show on Saturday 27th October.
Mon 19th Nov – Gateshead – Sage Gateshead
Tues 20th Nov – London – EartH – SOLD OUT
Wed 21st Nov – Britsol- Fiddlers Club – SOLD OUT
Thu 22nd Nov – Manchester – Band on The Wall
Sat 24th Nov – Leeds – Belgrave Music Hall
Hailed as one of the most vital standard-bearers of modern African music, Fatoumata Diawara takes her artistry to fresh and thrilling heights on her new album ‘Fenfo’. Boldly experimental yet respectful of her roots, it’s a record that defines her as the voice of young African womanhood – proud of her heritage but with a vision that looks confidently to the future and a message that is universal
Her spectacular 2011 debut album ‘Fatou’ was hailed by Pitchfork as a “beguiling album” that “simply surrounds you with its atmosphere”, The Guardian described it as “spellbinding” and Gilles Peterson declared Fatoumata to be “one of the most exciting talents I’ve heard in a long time” making the Malian singer, songwriter, guitarist and acclaimed actress the most talked about new African artist of recent years. ‘Fenfo’, which translates as “something to say”, dramatically fulfills that promise on a set of vivid and original new compositions that draw on the rich experiences she has enjoyed since. “I’ve had so many different musical adventures since the last album, touring and working with so many other musicians and I think you can hear how all of that feeds into this record,” she says. “This is my time and I’m sharing my soul.”
The eleven songs on ‘Fenfo’ – sung mostly in Bambara – cover such timeless subjects as respect, humility, love, migration, family and how to build a better world for our children. “I didn’t want to sing in English or French because I wanted to respect my African heritage,” she explains. “But I wanted a modern sound because that’s the world I live in. I’m a traditionalist, but I need to experiment, too. You can keep your roots and influences, but communicate them in a different style.”
“Fenfo’ expresses how I feel and how I want to sound,” Fatoumata says. “It’s a record that says who I am.”
Diawara has previously worked with some of the biggest names in contemporary music. She recorded with Bobby Womack and Herbie Hancock; played Glastonbury and other major festivals; and toured/recorded with the Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca. She assembled a West African super-group featuring Amadou and Mariam, Oumou Sangaré and Toumani Diabaté to record a song calling for peace in her troubled homeland; and climbed aboard Damon Albarn’s star-studded Africa Express, which culminated in her sharing a stage with Sir Paul McCartney. Diawara most recently appeared at Carnegie Hall alongside David Crosby, Chris Thile, Snarky Puppy and others for an evening of topical protest music. Rolling Stones noted that “the singer and guitarist, originally from Mali, provided two of the night´s most striking moments. Her ode to the power of women ´Mousso´ sung in her native language, was hypnotic, and her captivating stage spins enhanced her anthem ´Unite´”.
Diawara was also recently featured on the single “Ultimatum” by acclaimed British electronic duo Disclosure. “A few months ago, we stumbled across an amazing female vocalist named Fatoumata Diawara,” explains Disclosure. “While digging through her discography we discovered this beautiful sample and started messing around, having fun and experimenting with it. The result is our new song, ‘Ultimatum.’”
Diawara continues to pursue a successful career as an actress, including an acclaimed appearance in 2014´s Timbuktu (Le chagrin des oiseaux), which received both BAFTA and Academy Award nominations, as well as working courageously as a social activist, campaigning against the trafficking and sale of black migrants in Libyan slave markets and recording the song “Djonya” (meaning ‘slavery’, in Bambara) in which she restates the universal, but often sadly disregarded truth that we all belong to the same human race regardless of colour, ethnicity or religion. She stars in Omar Sy’s new film “YAO”, due for release in January 2019.
