Christmas holidays are go!

Wow! It's the end of term, and as I pack the last of my junk into boxes to take home for the Christmas break, I thought it only right to make a final post of the year: I know that once home I won't.
[I'll be too busy eating mince pies and chilling out. I need this rest.]

I've got a radio show now, with my good friend Leona on the Aberystyth Uni student radio, going out via the internet world wide. The show is called Analogue! and is a dancey indie/electronica show, on a sunday night 6pm - 8pm. You can find more information on the show on ol' myspace at www.myspace.com/analogueradio . Feel free to add us. More information on the show will be posted in the new year when I'm back at uni. I'm also in the process of trying to start a club night in Aber playing similar stuff to the show, with a guy called Joe who I have never spoke to in person. It's all good.

Anyway. I will leave you with some of the tracks I have been loving the last few weeks and a dashing of Christmassy tracks to keep you in the spirit.

Have a great Christmas, and an a w e s o m e New Year.

Ho ho who?
mp3: The Knife - Christmas Reindeer
mp3: The Long Blondes - Christmas is Cancelled
mp3: Chris de Burgh - A Spaceman Came Travelling

mp3: Peaches - Downtown
mp3: Xerxes - Alright to Say
mp3: Hadouken! - That Boy That Girl
mp3: Cat5 - Sexy
mp3: SebastiAn - Ross Ross Ross

ps. Chris de Burgh is more hardcore than you.

Don't be offended, yeah?

Boy vs. Bacteria is one young Swede by the name of Richard Åström, who describes his music as 'retrogamerpixeldancemusic', and really that is the best description for it. When my flat mates heard me listening to it the other day they thought I was actually playing computer games, but upon entering my room were confused to find me sitting on my bed nodding my head. To me, the sound is complete nostalgia - taking me back to my youth playing for hours on my gameboy, or my mastersystem on a tiny tv, guiding little pixel people accross vibrant landscapes. 'Boy vs. Bacteria' is my top pick of the material he is currently pushing on the world, with its vocoder vocals - just amazing. Anyway, enough of my rambling, check him out below, and if you like what you hear you can download more on his website at http://www.boyvsbacteria.com/.

mp3: Boy vs. Bacteria - Boy vs. Bacteria
mp3: Boy vs. Bacteria - Monsterboy In Wonderland
myspace: http://www.myspace.com/boyvsbacteria




Does it Offend You, Yeah? are just ace. Not much to say apart from I stumbled across 'We Are Rockstars', and in a small way I think it has changed me. Mutilated me even possibly? Try it yourself, but don't get too offended, not that you will because its damned brilliant.

mp3: Does it Offend You, Yeah? - We Are Rockstars
myspace: http://www.myspace.com/doesitoffendyou




Bonde do Role are three mad-hatters from Brazil, who were discovered by Diplo and have promptly recorded an ep for release on his Mad Decent label. Playing with samples and the baile funk style popular in the region, they take from popular culture and make it their own. DJ Gorky's mash-up style sees AC/DC get thrown in to the mix and turned totally on its head, but to amazing effect. With a European tour in the pipeline, expect to see more of Bonde do Role (which translates simply as 'The Rollercoaster Band') smashing and splicing it up to tasty effect. 'Melo do Vitiligo' and 'Solta o Frango' are my pick of the crop, and will more than likely feature in one of my future sets. Simply, I would describe them as fun, and they cheer me up no end when I realise how cold the weather is outside.

mp3: Bonde do Role - Melo do Vitiligo
mp3: Bonde do Role - Solta o Frango
myspace: http://www.myspace.com/bondedorole

On the enjoyment of technology.

After a long absense accross the summer months, I thought it was about time I returned with a bang and posted some tracks etc for your listening pleasure. I am thinking about how to use this blog in a way that is both fun for me, and enjoyable for anyone else who stumbles on to it. But until I get some form of set format I thought I would kick things off with my latest mix.

"On the enjoyment of technology (amongst other subjects)" is my October mix, which I made for Tori, and yeah, I think it's pretty good. Sadly, because of upload restrictions on the Uni network I can't upload the mixed version, so instead here are the tracks presented in the order I did mix them. It's the follow up to my untitled September mix, and features some of the tracks I have been loving this past month or so. Please let me know what you think!

mp3: Hot Chip – And I Was A Boy From School

mp3: New Young Pony Club – Ice Cream

mp3: Datarock – Computer Camp Love

mp3: The Gossip – Listen Up!

mp3: The Kills – The Good Ones

mp3: Peter Bjorn and John – Young Folks

mp3: Love – My Little Red Book

mp3: Larrikin Love – Downing Street Kindling

mp3: Metric – Monster Hospital

mp3: Bloc Party – Two More Years (MSTRKRFT Remix)

mp3: CSS – Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death From Above (Spank Rock Remix)

mp3: Van She – Kelly

mp3: Blondie – Hanging on the Telephone

mp3: The Fratellis – Chelsea Dagger

mp3: The View – Wasted Little Djs

mp3: Klaxons – Atlantis to Interzone (Crystal Castles Remix)

mp3: Lost Penguin – Mr Whippy ReWhip

mp3: Daedelus – Sun Down

mp3: Field Music – You’re So Pretty

mp3: Cut Copy – Future

Go! Team live tracks

The Go! Team hail from Brighton, and have a sound so upbeat you will want it to be summer, not this pathetic drizzle that still lingers about like a nasty smell. Their sound is such a unique and happy one that McDonalds approached the band to use a track in a comercial. Of course, the band laughed at the idea.

To describe The Go! Team is a lengthy task. Featuring hip hop samples, white noise guitars, string and brass arrangements amongst other instrumental exploitations/explorations, the group stand out in a music scene over saturated with simple indie/guitar acts. The Go! Team are something else. But, obviously, you will know this allready. So here are some mp3's of college radio session, including track "The Ice Storm" not featured on the amazing debut album "Thunder, Lightning, Strike".

mp3: The Go! Team - "Huddle Formation (Live)"
mp3: The Go! Team - "Junior Kickstart (Live)"
mp3: The Go! Team - "Bottle Rocket (Live"
mp3: The Go! Team - "We Just Won't Be Defeated (Live)"
mp3: The Go! Team - "Ladyflash (Live)"
mp3: The Go! Team - "The Ice Storm (Live)"

Links:
The Go! Team

¡Forward, Russia! early demos

¡Forward, Russia! are a Leeds based, number loving four piece, and if you haven't heard their blend of The Rapture meets At The Drive-In dance-punk, you really need to check them out. With only several singles to their name, all of which have been released on guitarist Whiskas own label dance_to_the_radio (who have released music by the likes of This Et Al and iLiKETRAiNS), they have caused quite a stir on the UK scene, touring with the likes of Biffy Clyro and VHS Or Beta. This year should see them ascend the slot of support band, and become a headline act to be reckoned with.

Their next single to be released, "Nine", will be available on the usual formats on Monday 24th April on the dance_to_the_radio label, and will be followed by the bands debut album "Give Me A Wall" on Monday 15th May, also through dttr. The album is produced by Paul Tipler (Idlewild) and will have 11 tracks, ten of which are all new recordings, the eleventh track being January's release, "Twelve".

As a treat for those of you who are yet to have caught the band, below are the links to download their May and August 2004 demos which brought them to the attention of the likes of NME amongst others. Enjoy.

¡Forward, Russia! - May 2004 Demo
mp3: ¡Forward, Russia! - "One"
mp3: ¡Forward, Russia! - "Two"
mp3: ¡Forward, Russia! - "Four"
mp3: ¡Forward, Russia! - "Five"

¡Forward, Russia! - August 2004 Demo
mp3: ¡Forward, Russia! - "Three"
mp3: ¡Forward, Russia! - "Six"
mp3: ¡Forward, Russia! - "Seven"

Links:
¡Forward, Russia!
dance_to_the_radio

People in Planes

Cardiff's very own People in Planes are shortly to release their debut album, titled "As Far As the Eye Can See". Produced by Sam Williams (Supergrass, the Mystics), the album looks set to go down a storm both here and in the States.

The band, who were previously known as Tetra Spledour (who were previously known as Robots in the Sky), have a sound a kin to REM, Smashing Pumpkins, and as it is revealed not suprisingly, Supergrass. Talking of their origins, Peter Roberts (Guitar) recalls himself and Gareth listening to "I Should Coco" by Supergrass:
"We just listened to it nonstop all day, every day," Peter says, "That's the one that made us want to be in a band. So when it came time to record what would become As Far As The Eye Can See, Sam Williams, who produced I Should Coco, was an obvious choice."

You can hear the first single off of the album, "If You Talk Too Much (My Head Will Explode)" by clicking the mp3 link below. The track, which first appeared on last years "Talking Heads" single on Trigger Industries, has since been re-recorded and revamped (as well as renamed) and is a prime example of the bands brit rock-influenced sound.

The album "As Far As the Eye Can See" is to be released on the 28th March on Wind-Up.

MP3: People In Planes - "If You Talk To Much (My Head Will Explode)"

Links:
People In Planes

Something Glorious is About to Happen...

Okay. So I have decided to start a new blog, abandoning my livejournal, which I rarely visit, to attempt keeping a regular music related blog here on blogger. Chances are I won't be able to keep it up for long, but regardless, I will at least try.

First, a little about myself. I'm Graham, 19, and I am a first year student at University of Wales Aberystwyth studying English and Film & TV Studies. When not at Uni I reside with my parents and my sister in Telford, Shropshire, which is not far from Birmingham. My hobbies mostly revolve around music; collecting records, playing guitar, playing in a band, djaying. That said, I also enjoy art and photography, the latter being one of my great intrests which I have sadly neglected whilst at university... the price of Polaroid film (my favoured medium) being too expensive at the current time. I have also self-released several mini comics of varying (poor) quality with my good friends Robert Brown and Gareth Cutter, and between us we have our own self-publishing label, Mindlube Productions.

So we move onto why I decided to create this blog. I see a lot of other music-related blogs out there, and I thought it would be a good way of me to share my thoughts on bands, links to sites if interest and share with you links to music I feel is worthy of you checking out.

I shall begin my postings with a recent dj setlist from my set at Indiesoc (the Monday night Indie club, held in the Angel, Aberystwyth) from the 13th March 2006. Gives you a taste of the kind of thing I play during a set which is (I imagine) for an audience who wants to hear some 'hits', so to speak, rather than total obscurities. Anyway, here is what I played:

1. The Departure - Be My Enemy
2. The Go! Team - Bottle Rocket
3. Supergrass - Caught By The Fuzz
4. Mclusky - To Hell With Good Intentions
5. The Rapture - House Of Jealous Lovers
6. The Cure - Boys Don't Cry
7. The Smiths - This Charming Man
8. Pulp - Mis Shapes
9. Joy Division - Transmission
10. The Cribs - Hey Scenesters!
11. Kings Of Leon - Four Kicks
12. Bloc Party - Helicopter
13. Test Icicles - Circle. Square. Triangle
14. Smashing Pumpkins - Today (Request)
15. We Are Scientists - Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt
16. Arctic Monkeys - When The Sun Goes Down
17. Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict A Riot
18. The Futureheads - Hounds Of Love
19. Franz Ferdinand - Do You Want To

As you can see it's mostly made up of contemporary artists, with a few classics thrown in. At some point I will post some older sets which are from different time slots, which has meant I have played tracks I wouldn't during another.

Currently listening to:

The Blood Brothers
"Crimes" (V2; 2004)