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The 405 News In Brief (Monday 15th March)

hello@thefourohfive.com — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:27:38 +0000

Today's 'News In Brief' is sponsored by Joanna Newsom.

The new studio album by The National is entitled High Violet and will be released on May 10th (11th worldwide) via 4AD. High Violet is the Brooklyn quintet's first full-length release since 2007's acclaimed long-player Boxer and all eleven tracks were recorded in the band's own studio in Brooklyn.

High Violet track listing
1. Terrible Love
2. Sorrow
3. Anyone's Ghost
4. Little Faith
5. Afraid Of Everyone
6. Bloodbuzz Ohio
7. Lemonworld
8. Runaway
9. Conversation 16
10. England
11. Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks.

Here's the video for 'Wild Human Child' by Egyptian Hip Hop, directed by Ivan Ogilvie.

EGYPTIAN HIP HOP // Wild Human Child from theartof agency on Vimeo.

Tour Dates
19th March // EDINBURGH // Sneaky Petes
20th March // GLASGOW // The Arches
9th April // LONDON // Village Underground
15th April // ROME // Club NME
23rd April // AMSTERDAM // London Calling @ Paradiso
30th April // LONDON // The Macbeth w/Hudson Mohawke
1st May // LEEDS // Live at Leeds
5th May // PARIS // The Social
14th May // BRIGHTON // The Great Escape
15th May // BRIGHTON // The Great Escape
20th May // LIVERPOOL // Sound City
22nd May // GLASGOW // Stag & Dagger
29th May // BRISTOL // Dot to Dot
30th May // NOTTINGHAM // Dot to Dot
31st May // MANCHESTER // Dot to Dot
31st May // NEWCASTLE // Evolution Festival
1st August // LONDON // Underage Festival

San Francisco drum punk trio Mi Ami announce a European tour including four UK shows in June in support of their forthcoming Thrill Jockey album Steal Your Face.

UK TOUR DATES
Wed Jun 2 Brighton, UK Prince Albert
Thu Jun 3 London, UK Barden's Boudoir
Sat Jun 5 Glasgow, UK Sleazys
Sun Jun 6 Manchester, UK The Ruby Lounge

MP3: Mi Ami - Latin Lover

Single of the week - 15th March

hello@thefourohfive.com — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:00:51 +0000

After an epic battle last week we saw Goldfrapp eventually edge out Goldheart Assembly for the Single of The Week kudos. This week we have another neat little shortlist for you to pick from.

She and Him - In The Sun

Lady Gaga feat. Beyonce - Telephone

Jamie T - Emily's Heart

Jamie T on MUZU

Lara Marling - The Devil's Spoke

Laura Marling 'Devils Spoke' from Ben Magahy on Vimeo.

Delphic - Halcyon

Cosmo Jarvis - Crazy Screwed Lady

Get your voting action on right here:

Sky Larkin - Artist Picks

hello@thefourohfive.com — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 23:37:33 +0000

In a world saturated with boring, stale Indie-Rock bands, it clearly takes something 'special' to stand out; Yorkshire-based trio Sky Larkin might just have that 'something'. The band makes energetic fizzy pop-punk, complete with satisfying female-fronted melodies and forceful rhythms that makes me envious that I'm not having as much fun as them. Gaining acclaim from several singles and debut album 'The Golden Spike', Sky Larkin are surely due to hit the big time with the release of a new album in the upcoming months. As their Artist Picks show, Sky Larkin are refreshingly humble and astute; it is perhaps this decision not to take themselves too seriously that set them apart from the rest.

Name: Nestor from Sky Larkin

About us:

Oh, hello! I play the drums really loud in a band called Sky Larkin. We started off the year by releasing our debut album and have since then been caught up in a whirlwind of gigs and awesomeness until just now. I’m not really sure if this was meant to be a 2009 retrospective kind of thing, but I’ve managed to turn it into one, so here goes...

Listening to:

Hmm, I seem to have only listened to different ends of a very broad spectrum, how odd. Either shimmery, shiny, perfect pop production or horrible, nasty and lo-fi sounds... Anyway, I started off 2009 still listening to M83’s Saturdays = Youth, which I think set a new record in shimmeryness and shinyness. I then followed up with Fever Ray’s self titled album, which I must admit I didn’t really understand at first (I was expecting more Knife based folk-techno), but after a few listens through the whole album it made a sort of claustrophobic sense. I had been eagerly anticipating Metric’s 4th album, Fantasies and I was overjoyed that they reverted back to the electronic sound of Old World Underground (which was, and still is, my favourite Metric album).

I’m only slightly ashamed to admit that I then got seriously obsessed with Paramore. There, I said it. The first two albums, All We Know Is Falling and Riot!, are brilliant examples of perfect power pop, you can’t deny it! Anyway, I think Paramore tipped me over the pop edge, because from then on its been non-stop chaos and noise. A friend’s band recommended The Mae Shi to me after coming off tour with them and within a month I had amassed everything they had released. I was very disheartened when they decided to call it quits towards the end of last year, but HLLLYH is so wonderfully insane that my mourning didn’t last too long. I continued in a similar vein by listening to a lot of Hella, as well as Zach Hills’s delirious solo album Astrological Straits, but couldn’t take the pandemonium much longer and had no choice but to slow down and find Harvey Milk’s Life... The Best Game In Town. This opened a floodgate of heavy that included London band Shit and Shine, Japanese heavy-metal explorers Boris and a little bit of Sunn 0))) for good measure. That pretty much leads me up to the present, but I’ve still got HEALTH’s Get Colour (I’ve been saving it) and Lightning Bolt’s new album Earthly Delights to sink my teeth into and I can’t wait!

Reading:

I’m currently halfway through the Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov. Nothing like a bit of old school sci-fi to send you to sleep with interesting dreams! Three books that I read this year that I don’t think I’ll forget in a hurry are The Dice Man by Luke Rinehart; which is a disturbing look at a life left entirely in the hands of fate and morality, The Road by Cormac McCarthy which is one of the few books I have read which actually made me feel scared to keep reading and On the Road/On the Road: The Original Scroll by Jack Kerouac (I read the original and the “edited” editions simultaneously to find quite a startling difference!). On a lighter note, I also read/looked at The Watchmen, which I polished off in a day I think. I also read Cormac McCarthy’s Border Trilogy to see in the New Year with.

Video for 'Fossil, I'

Watching:

I haven’t really had a lot of time to watch television of late, I started watching Heroes and thought the first series was amazing, but then it all went a bit Lost and made my brain hurt... I have however seen a fair few films! A few of my favourite films that I've seen recently are, in no particular order: Inglorious Basterds, Dead Snow, The Fountain, Southland Tales, The Nines, Milk, The Watchmen, Moon and Where The Wild Things Are, which I had the pleasure of seeing at Niagara Falls on my birthday, which was pretty awesome. Two websites that have regularly kept my eyes amused all year round are www.failblog.org and www.fmylife.com. Both sites kind of do what they say on the tin really!

Playing:

I got myself an Xbox 360 as a very special treat at the beginning of last year and I bloody love it. I played Halo 3/ODST until I started dreaming about it! Other notable games that I enjoyed are Mass Effect, Fable II, Left for Dead, Fallout 3, Mirror’s Edge, The Orange Box, Beautiful Katamari, Viva Pinata, Shadow Company and Rez HD which are all downright chuffing amazing. Also, I sourced a copy of Jet Set Radio: Future that came out for the original Xbox and basked in its 2002, cel-shaded, j-pop lunacy. I’ve just started playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and although initially sceptical I can definitely see what all the fuss is about! I do feel a bit mean though, because I’ve been severely neglecting my dear old Nintendo DS. They should be made a mandatory requirement for all touring bands.

Eating:

I’m currently plotting an epic feast for Christmas so I’m trying to restrain myself until then... I’m going to have to admit that I went to KFC last week for the first time in about 10 years. I would be ashamed of myself, but screw it, it was totally amazing!

Anything else?:

Erm, let’s see... I’m very much looking forward to receiving my Buddha Machine v3 in the post in the next few days. If you like lo-fi electronica and brightly coloured plastic then you’re in for a treat!

Promo Info
We’ve been underground plotting the next album, so expect a plethora of new sounds for your ears to enjoy in this year. I’m bloody excited about it, see you there! Nx

Introducing #43 Je Suis Animal

hello@thefourohfive.com — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:47:03 +0000

Je Suis Animal make the sort of music that's easy to write about, and coming from the point of view of a reluctant writer - it makes all the difference.

The band formed in our fine country back in 2004 but they soon moved to Oslo and it certainly shines through every note they make. Whether or not they intentionally set out to make the kind of music which acts like hand warmers to cold climates is questionable, but it certainly warms my heart.

MP3: Je Suis Animal - Sparkle Spit

The image above is where they recorded their debut album, Self-Taught Magic From A Book. It perfectly captures the desolate quality of their music but doesn't even come close to the beauty they created on that record. It's a great collection of experimental sounds wrapped up in pop jumper.

Watch the video below, download the track above; fall in love. It's that simple.

To visit the band, click here!

Mix/Cover/Live #157

hello@thefourohfive.com — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:01:48 +0000

Today's Mix/Cover/Live + MP3 Roundup includes All Leather, Amazing Baby, Broken Bells & Damien Jurado.

MP3: All Leather - Mystery Meat (The Bloody Beetroots Remix)
http://www.myspace.com/allleather

MP3: Amazing Baby - Heart of Stone (The Raveonettes)
http://www.myspace.com/amazingbaby

MP3: Broken Bells - The High Road (Live)
http://www.myspace.com/brokenbells

MP3: Damien Jurado - Arkansas
http://damienjurado.com/

Jacks (and Jills) of all Trades

hello@thefourohfive.com — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:18:53 +0000

After we broached the subject of 'Crossover Artists' last month (here), 405 writer Richard Wink decided to take a trip down crossover lane and give his two cents on the subject.

Header image by Christina Sanders

What makes a singer want to act? Why would they run the risk of doing a Mariah and potentially jeopardize their career by starring in the equivalent of Glitter? Yeah, I know Carey has redeemed herself somewhat through her role in Precious, but at the time her whole working life hit the skids.

Then there are actors who think they can make quality records. Who knew that Steve Martin would make a inglorious return on Jools Holland playing banjo with Steep Canyon Rangers, or that Steven Seagal would treat us to Songs from the Crystal Cave. It came as a surprise to see Scarlett Johansson release an album of Tom Waits covers, more shocking is news of the rumored long-awaited reunion of Keanu Reeves’s Dogstar, and Michael Eavis’ possible plan to get them to be the super surprise special guests at this year’s Glastonbury Festival.

Certain crossover artists have made a good fist of both. Zooey Deschanel has appeared in a few credible indie flicks, and collaborated splendidly with M. Ward as part of She & Him. Jared Leto has enjoyed great commercial success as both an actor and a musician. But I’d like to focus on the seven worst career moves, where an ‘artist’ has crossed over into a zone of discomfort.

1. Cool as Ice

Currently reinventing himself as a father figure for Jedward, Vanilla Ice was at one time a big deal, and arguably the most commercially successful white rapper of his day. His star rose so much that Hollywood came calling. After playing himself a few months earlier in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze Ice was given his own vehicle, a vehicle which quickly came off the road, hit a brick wall and burst into flames. Essentially the plot of Cool as Ice was bad boy meets good girl, various people disapprove, and then love conquers all. The End.

After this failure the director David Kellogg got laughed out of Hollywood and ended up directing tasteful softcore pornography. Ice turned to drugs and rap-metal.

2. David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin King

Don’t let nostalgia fool you. Labyrinth was a terrible movie. Bowie plays this ‘evil’ new romantic looking fella who kidnaps a baby. Jennifer ‘ass-to-ass’ Connelly then enters this strange Muppet Land of Oz and rescues the kid. Because he’s David Bowie, Jareth doesn’t die, instead he turns into an owl.

Bowie for some reason always had this idea that he was going to be a successful actor, but for whatever reason he was never able to land any big roles, despite being one of the greatest songwriters that ever lived.

3. Gazza: The pop star?

Everybody’s favourite lovable, wife beating, alcoholic mentalist Footballer reinterprets the Lindisfarne classic. Gazza in 1990 was the Beckham of his day; he had the world at his feet, playing for the greatest club side in the world Tottenham Hotspur, and was on the crest of a glorious wave. So naturally it seemed perfect for him to release a pop record.

I know what you’re thinking. Gazza is not an artist, well he was. Only his canvas was the football pitch.

4.Jennifer Lopez in Gigli

Sometimes I wonder if Jennifer Lopez is in on the joke. Just taking on whatever script comes her way. She’s been involved in a substantial amount of flops, but starring alongside Ben Affleck in the atrocious Gigli, a film so bad it was beyond parody was an all time low for Lopez, a woman who owed her whole career in both music and film to having a shapely bottom. The failure of Gigli caused one of tinsel town’s great power couples, the entity known as ‘Bennifer’ to unfortunately disintegrate.

5. William Shatner narrates song lyrics ironically

Ok, I will concede that first time around this was pretty funny, but then it gets boring, real fast. Way, way back in the day Shatner released The Transformed Man though nobody fully understood why. Normal people and Trekkies alike were unsure whether Shatner reciting popular songs seriously was just him joshing around or that he was actually indulging in some kind of beatnik performance art. It’s about as funny as your Grandad trying to sing along to an N-Dubz song.

6. Wicked Wisdom

A few years back I somehow managed to catch this band play two sets at the Download festival….. accidentally I might add. I think at the time I was severely constipated and was in search of a clean toilet, frantically wandering around Donnington race track in hope of enjoying a sanitized number two.

Jada Pinkett-Smith (wife of Will) awkwardly fronts a heavy metal band with hilarious results.

7. Eminem plays himself in 8 Mile

I’ve never understood why Eminem was lauded for his performance in 8 Mile. He never had to get into character, because he was the character! With names changed for legal reasons, Marshall Mathers became Jimmy ‘Rabbit’ Smith Jr.

8 Mile was essentially the tipping point, after which personal demons and the classic hip hop problem of losing relevance stuttered his career. Eminem has since bounced back, but his star has fallen considerably.

Interview: Sam Bevington

hello@thefourohfive.com — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:36:51 +0000

Hope For Children's Live Art is a charity fundraiser, showcasing some of the UK’s most exciting up and coming artists. Whether you have a passion for photography or illustration, abstract painting or realism, there will be something for everyone.Hope For Children are aiming to raise enough money to set up an intervention center for street children in Uganda that could change their lives forever. 100% of the money raised on the night will go directly to this project.

The 405 were lucky enough to interview partaking Illustrator Sam Bevington in the run up to the show. Check it out!

Why do you think you became an artist?

I don't know really, I've always drawn since I was very young - my dad was a product designer so I always had a lot of encouragement with creative stuff. I've found that I cant really do a 'proper' job - I get bored and frustrated really quickly.

What were you doing before all of this?

I've always done it. I guess the difference is I wasn't getting payed for it haha.

I personally find your art work to be very happy, chirpy and docile, as apposed to being incredibly dark or grim. Would you say that Is this a reflection on your own life?

I think its because I'm quite a cynical person when it comes down to it. I suppose the way I draw kind of represents how I would like to see the world.

You've probably created thousands of different illustrations, each one more unique then the next. Summarize the process you go through in order to make a new one?

Being an illustrator I'm usually working to a brief, so first of all I read the brief a few times and write it down into bullet points. Once that's done, basically it involves lots of cigarettes and cups of tea and muttering to myself while staring blankly out the window until an idea pops into my head. When this happens I start to sketch - sometimes on paper, sometimes straight into photoshop using a graphics tablet. I start with colouring the background in a base colour then put outlines on top of this then build the colours up. Photoshop allows you a lot of flexibility with colour and being able to change and replace elements quickly, but I still draw things by hand.

Does music influence you creativeness at all? What have you been listening to a lot of on your Ipod/mp3 player recently?

Dutch gabber mainly. No not really I listen to all sorts of stuff - depends on my mood. Sometimes I get distracted by music though so I've got some audio books on iTunes that are good when I'm trying to get on with a big project.

Do you ever see the possibility of our work appealing to a younger audience because of your drawing style? Was this a conscious decision or have you always made artwork with the intention of it being for all age groups of people to enjoy?

I like images that anyone can relate to at face value. I suppose that's why I didn't take fine art at uni, I prefer images that can be appreciated without and art history degree and a 10 page explanation of why it's been made. I am a very impatient person so instant gratification always appeals to me.

What is the key to keeping your work fresh and not getting mentally/physically burnt out by what you do?

Haha when I find out I'll let you know - I was screen printing til 6am on tuesday...

And finally, what does the future hold for Sam Bevington? In regards to your work, new projects and any other personal aspirations you have in life. Is there anyone you'd like to give a shout out to?

Personally I'd just like to be able to keep doing what I'm doing and getting payed for it. Drawing for a living is the best job in the world if you can squeeze a living out of it, as long as it pays my rent im happy.

In the near future I've got an exhibition of my work coming up at Flaxon Ptootch in kentish town on the 8th April - I've made a facebook event for it here

The opening night will have music and beer and all the work is for sale - it'll be a good night so please come if you have the night free everyones welcome.

I'd also like to give a shout out to my girlfriend for putting up with me this month and finding us a cool flat!

Be sure to check out more from Sam by visiting his Official Website here

For more info please visit www.hopeforchildren.org

Luther Russell - The Motorbike EP

hello@thefourohfive.com — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 18:57:01 +0000

Label: Wool Recordings/Ungawa
Release date: 15/03/10
Website: Official Website

Three of Luther Russell's big influences - Buddy Holly, The Beatles and Bob Dylan – all have something in common which has, rightfully, made them music heroes. This similarity is not their brotherhood in the letter B, but that each of these artists managed to both seize upon and define the zeitgeist of their particular era. It is an enviable ability that, based on The Motorbike EP, Luther just doesn't share.

Everything on the EP is taken from Russell’s fifth and forthcoming solo album, ‘The Invisible Audience’, starting with the title track, 'Motorbike'. This is a song about taking a ride on your motorbike when you're feeling down, a means of emotional escape so trite that it was utilised by a character on Neighbours recently. But, for a song about the liberating feeling of roaring away from your problems, there is very little excitement here. Instead, the track limps along, picking up some less than mind-opening psychedelia via Revolver along the way.

Yet, as banal as 'Motorbike' may be, the real low point for the EP comes with 'Tomorrow's Papers'. Luther has been releasing records since 1991, at first with his band The Freewheelers, and this song bears the mark of that legacy. It is a reminder of happy-go-lucky nineties pop that is sure to lock some painful tension away in your back muscles.

As far as lyrics are concerned, Russell is certainly no poet. He plunders a prosaic coffer of imagery such as being "baptised by the flame" and seems to have chosen a number of his lyrics purely because they rhyme. Take for instance, "You better make a sound, you better muck around and once your skin has browned and you've been crowned, you'll be renowned'. Hardly the lyrical brilliance of a song like 'Desolation Row'.

On a technical level though, Luther is clearly talented. As the Brooklyn-based musician points out himself, 'most [of the] instruments [are] played by yours truly'. The selection on offer includes banjo, piano and sitar as well as guitar, so it's a very impressive claim. What's more, it would be unfair to junk the entire EP. 'A World Unknown' kicks out the blues with energy and enthusiasm whilst the best track of all, 'Somehow or Another', is a melancholic, nicely paced song that smacks of Dylan. On top of this, two brief near-instrumental interludes provide a couple of sweet moments, even if they are tarnished by Russell's la-laing vocals.

Though not a total washout, a lot of The Motorbike EP seems tired and even the best points owe more than a little thanks to the legends of the past. If you're desperately searching for 2010's answer to Lennon, Holly or Dylan, I'm afraid you're going to have to keep looking.

Blast from the past or simply just past? Sound off in our Fourum!

EXCLUSIVE - Lost Prophets Disposable 405

hello@thefourohfive.com — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:30:42 +0000

Exclusive Lost Prophets Photos
Visit Lost Prophets on Myspace

They look cheeky eh? Lost Prophets's new single 'For He's A Jolly Good Felon' is out April 11th. The dynamic Welsh quintet have also just announced that they will be headlining this year's Camden Crawl, for which you can buy tickets to HERE.

Sunderbans – We Only Can Because We Care

hello@thefourohfive.com — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:09:19 +0000

Label: Young And Lost Club
Release date: 08/03/10
Website: Myspace

Describing themselves as a mixture of gospel, punk and folk on their myspace page, either this illustrates Sunderbans’ sense of humour or shows them up as being rather confused. Let me make it easy for you. Sunderbans are a London based three-piece indie punk band with high-faluting ideas. There isn’t even a slight whiff of gospel in their music, and the only nod to folk is the odd glockenspiel ‘ting’ in the background, so I think we can safely assume that it is a joke. What there is, however, is a just enough punk angst to keep your angry, teeth-clenching, parent-hating teenage inner-self happy.

‘We Only Can Because We Care’ opens with an ominous, slow building, cymbal rolling, bass guitar caressing prelude comparable to the opening of Spinal Tap’s classic ‘Stonehenge’. Shame there is no Nigel Tufnell monologue to top it off.

It then kicks into a perfectly fine and dandy indie punk record. Nothing more and nothing less. With only three, or at a push four, chords to worry about and a shouty vocal reminiscent of every indie punk band since the dawn of time (‘If in doubt, shout’, right kids?), ‘Sunderbans’ are little more than another run of the mill three piece with big dreams and slightly clichéd creative output. Plus, and I think this says more about my puerile brain than their name choice, I found myself rhyming ‘Sunderbans’ with ‘underpants’ and running it over and over in my head like some kind of playground taunt, which doesn’t really help matters.

However, my childish whimsy aside, they clearly aren’t stupid. There is a certain art to them, as their accompanying video and single artwork shows. They look pretty cool, aren’t acne-ridden 15 year olds (which is always nice), and have created a catchy little bassline on this track which certainly got me jigging about the place. I just wish that the dark and epic expectation so portentously presented in the first 20 seconds of the track were realized in the following 4 minutes. It is not a terrible song, by any means, and there is an army of skinny jean clad, fedora wearing trendies out there baying for this sort of thing so I wish them well and will no doubt hear of them in the future, after all this is the stuff that teens are made on. Perhaps next time, however, they should try to push the punk rock envelope a little, as I feel that they have the potential to be really rather good, underpants be damned.