Great Escape highlights for me, at a first glance

Getting very excited about this so i thought I'd list a few that stand out for me at this years Great Escape Festival, with where and when.

• Villagers plat May 12th at Unitarian Church - 10pm & May 13th at Pavilion Theatre - 11:45pm

• The Staves play May 13th at unitarian Church - 8:15pm

• The Naked & Famous play May 14th at Corn Exchange - 10:30pm

• Marques Toliver plays May 14th at unitarian Church - 9pm

• Marcus Foster plays May 14th at Komedia Studio Bar - 10:15pm

• James Vincent Mcmorrow plays May 13th at Unitarian Church - 9pm

• Benjamin Francis Leftwich plays May 14th at Jam - 7pm

• Admiral Fallow play May 13th at Green Door Store - 3pm, Playgroup Pop-Up (Ground Floor) - 7pm, and Above Audio - 9pm

I'll update this soon whenI've had a propper look.

Record Store Day is upon us!

So it's that time again. Get up early, get to your favourite record store and get hold of some fantastic releases! The are LOADS of special releases to celebrate the day that you can get your hands on.

I will be heading down to my favourite, which is back home in Brighton. Resident, which last week was voted 'England's favourite independant record store!

A few of the highlights from the 250+ exclusive RSD releases for us include Radiohead, Sonic Youth, Nirvana, The Beach Boys, Bat For Lashes / Beck, Grinderman, Josh T Pearson, The Clash, Flaming Lips, Fleet Foxes, Foo Fighters, Flying Lotus, Charlotte Gainsbourg & Villagers, Metronomy, Moon Duo, Natural Snow Buildings, Queen, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen & Suede. There are loads more releases this year but they are being pressed in very limited quantities.

Find out all about Record Store Day and special releases etc here http://www.recordstoreday.com/Home

“I just really love anything that’s not faceless and where people know each other and work together to build, like, a community. People that work there know their stuff; they’re not coming in today to sell music and tomorrow to sell TVs and the next day to sell whatever. Somebody can come in and say, “I want somebody who plays piano music” or something, and somebody will actually tell them to listen to my record and they’ll play it in the store for them and they’ll talk about it. You can connect in some way with somebody who’s doing something that they love. And that it’s important to have something that is being done just out of true love for new music that is being welcomed into the world. People should go to their indie record store and find out what is happening.”
- Regina Spektor

”dusty violin maker shop small corner record store water holes for dreamers don't stop breathe more”
- The Record Store by Damien Rice

Bon Iver announces second album

Bon Iver has announced that the follow up to 2007 album 'For Emma, Forever Ago' is on its way. The new album is as yet unnamed and will feature ten new songs, due to be released some time in June.

Topping the first album which is one of my favourite albums ever, will not be easy at all!

Justin Vernon told Rolling Stone back in March that “Somewhere along the line, I forgot how to write songs,” and that “I couldn’t do it anymore with a guitar. It wasn’t happening.” He's worked with a few people on this album including Colin Stetson, who plays with Arcade Fire and Tom Waits. He says “I built the record myself, but I allowed those people to come in and change the scene.”

Check out this link for the full interview http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/why-bon-iver-had-to-relearn-everything-he-knows-20110323

Teaser trailer for the new album

Untitled from Bon Iver on Vimeo.

Glastonbury full line-up announced today!

Today the full line-up for this years Glastonbury Festival was revealed. With headliners U2, Coldplay and Beyonce.

Highlights for me include; Elbow, Laura Marling, Mumfors and Sons, Fleet Foxes,  Bright Eyes, Bombay Bicycle Club, Jamie Woon, James Blake, Lykke Li, among many others...




Emily Eavis has said 'To get all of these incredible artists is really quite a feat. I think this is one of most eclectic line-ups yet.'

Find the full line-up here http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/

Communion Presents The Flowerpot Sessions - Released May 23rd

Communion are to release a compilation album entitled “Communion Presents The Flowerpot Sessions”. This consist of 3 CDs and a DVD documentary from the week-long project which took place in the summer of 2010. They got a collection of fantistic artists together to collaborate and perform at The Flowerpot in Kentish Town, London.

This will be available from May 23rd and I highly recommend it!
It features co-founders of Communion Kevin Jones and Ben Lovett (also of Mumford & Sons), as well as artists such as Damien Rice, Kyla la Grange, Marcus Foster, Matthew & the Atlas, Pete Roe, Lissie, Angus & Julia Stone, and many more...

Watch this to get a real feel of what Communion are about and get a peek of what to expect from this release.


Also...

... If you (live in a box with no windows or doors and) haven't heard about Bushstock then you should check it out and I'll see you there!

'Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair' - New Arctic Monkeys single

So the first offering from the eagerly awaited Arctic Monkeys album (Suck It And See - out June 6th Pre-order) is here and I for one am loving it. It's darker, heavier and I love the lyrics. A very mature track from them and really looking forward to hearing it live as I can just imagine it!

A very unusual title which they have revealed came about in the studio as a result of a prank which wasn't followed through (use your imagination here).

The single is available now digitally and on April 16th (record store day) you'll be able to get a limited white-label 7", with formal release scheduled for May 30th.

There are 2 tracks on the full digital and formal releases which you won't find on the album called 'I.D.S.T.' and 'The Blond-O-Sonic Shimmer Trap'.

If you're going to Benicassim you can see them there or at their two dates in Sheffield on June 10th and 11th.

Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair by arcticmonkeys

Interview with NME

 Let us know what you think of it.

St Giles-in-the-fields Marques Toliver & Lianne La Havas

As expected Marques Toliver was sensational live, a real talent! Be sure to buy his EP 'Butterflies Are Not Free' which comes out on April 25th on Bella Union. The fun Marques seems to be having on stage really comes across nicely and the strings are arranged beautifully. Will make certain that I catch up with him at The Great Escape Festival and maybe even get a chat with him ;)


Video was done by the fantastic think-work-play

Hadn't even checked out the support for this so it was a pleasant surprise to be treated to a set by Lianne La Havas (One of Marques' backing vocalists). Although diminutive in stature, she generates a big sound! there is a nice soulful mild huskyness to her voice, but this is very subtle. Starting her set seemingly feeling quite nervous with a beautiful love song she soon let out some attitude with the second song which she described as a hate song. Third song was a very nicely re-worked cover of Everything Everything's Final Form.
Everything Everything - Final Form - Lianne La Havas Cover by EverythingEverything
My favourite song of the set provoked a few laughs from most of the packed out crowd, was called Age and was about a predicament she currently finds herself in.

Monument Valley opened the show with a short and sweet set. Some very nice folky guitar sounds and some really nice lyrics. Reminded me vocally of Nizlopi.
See him in Brighton May 12th at The Prince Albert.

Looking forward to tomorrow night

Had to make a difficult choice about where to go tomorrow night, but I decided that there wasn't really any competition for Marques Toliver's EP launch at St Giles-In-The-Fields Church. Tickets are a bargain at £7.50.
As mentioned in a previous post, he is signed to what is quite possibly my favourite UK Indie Label Bella Union.

Heard such great things about him, so tomorrow night I'm hoping to come home with some real inspiration for a live review.

Here he is on Jools Holland:




On another note, Huw Stephens' show on Radio1 is really good tonight! Heard Peregrine by Story Books. Wonderful song! Discovered by Jacob Rickard on BBC Introducing in Kent. Will be playing that again.

Glastonbury Emerging Talent Final

Had an absolutely amazing night in Pilton last night. Thank you to everyone who put Twin Brother through to the final of the competition, including a special thank you to Peter from This Music Wins! It was decided on the night that all 8 finalists were impressive enough to be offered slots at the Glastonbury festival in June.

For photos of all the other performers on the night.

The winner were Treetop Flyers who have a release coming out with Communion on May 23rd. They put on a really good performance showing off a slightly rockier side to the new folk wave, which saw its peak in the middle of last year. Their songs hang oh huge chorus' not unlike the leaders of the folk movement, Mumford & Sons. As well as Glastonbury they will appear at Camden Crawl, Bushstock, Hop Farm and Blissfields this summer, so no excuse to miss them.


Also a quick happy birthday to Simon Raymonde of Bella Union.

Bella Union's Marques Toliver

Upon more admiration of the work of City Sessions this evening I decided to reseach a bit more about Marques Toliver. A soulful Seth Lakeman perhaps, with vocals reminiscent of John Legend and the late (and great) Marvin Gaye. Really wish I was strolling throught the lanes back home in Brghton when this was going on.



Being signed to bella union and having his new ‘Butterflies Are Not Free’ EP released on April 25th is where he is now, but there is a wealth of history behind him. He comes from Florida where he trained as a classical violinist, turning away from the family business of grave-digging. He moved to New York and worked in a clothes store while spending a lot of time busking and attracting a lot of attention (for the right reasons). Fans of Grizzly Bear may be aware that he had a spell playing with them. He aquired the admiration of one Adele while she was in the States also.
I myself can't wait to go and purchase the EP as a late birthday present for myself, as what I have heard has made me only want to hear more. If you can get along to Rough Trade East on the 25th, he will be playing in-store, unfortunately I can't but will most certainly be seeing him during The Great Escape Festival on May 14th at The Unitarian Church, Brighton.

City Sessions_Film Three_Marques Toliver from City Sessions on Vimeo.