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You are here -> Music / Who the f**k? Wednesday, 07 January, 2009
PLANETNOTION TELEVISION!
CAMERA-FOLK AND FILM EDITORS WANTED!
Planet Notion is looking for guys and dolls to film and edit features for its new TV channel, PNTV. Accompanying Notion to artist interviews, gigs, fashion shows, festivals and international events, you will be skilled, passionate and full of ideas about how to produce shit-hot video content. Camera-folk will be experienced and ideally have their own equipment, or at least access to equipment, while editors must be able to turn projects around quickly, and with stylistic flare. If you can both film and edit content, we would especially like to hear from you! These casual, unpaid positions would be ideal for those looking to develop their showreels, and to get the chance to travel, film major artists and top events.
 
Please email lucy(at)musichqmedia
(dot)com if you’re interested in getting involved, cheers!
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These pages are all about bands/artists you may not have heard of, but need to get used to. "Who the f*ck?" Exactly.
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Volcano!
Volcano!
07/01/2009
tags: | volcano | volcano band | volcano news | volcano paperwork | paperwork album | volcano! | more...

Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele
17/12/2008
NUTS AND BOLTS: Dent May – ukulele / keyboards / vocals STOMPING GROUND: Jackson, Mississippi, since 2005 SET TO SOUNDTRACK: The return of geek chic DESTINED TO UPSET: Anyone who dislikes twee music YOU’RE IN BUSINESS IF YOU LIKE: Lee Hazelwood, The Partridge Family, The Beach Boys, The Russian Futurists, Serge Gainsbough Notion’s jaw dropped in baffled admiration after stumbling across the Youtube video to ‘Oh Paris!’, a track from Dent May’s first split EP. The 23-year-old troubadour has crafted one of those perfect pop moments that breaks your heart while dripping in originality. The track is imbued with an aching sadness as Dent croons about his love for Parisian girls over a gently strummed ukulele line, finger clicks and layers of doo-wop backing vocals. On the other side of the vinyl EP is ‘Meet Me In The Garden,’ which sees Dent lamenting his way through three minutes and 19 seconds of bitter-sweet musings on unrequited love, with more harmonised backing vocals and bursts of wobbly synths. These betray a love for electronic music pioneer, Bruce Haack, who made children’s records in the sixties using weird and wonderful homemade instruments. And the man himself… what a man! He is all inch-thick circular spectacles, bad dancing, tight-fitting beige jeans and he lives in a trailer in the back-end of Mississippi. Listen to him - now. ‘MEET ME IN THE GARDEN/OH PARIS!’ IS OUT NOW (MAKE MINE) Extracted from Notion Magazine
Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele
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Six Toes
06/11/2008
NUTS AND BOLTS: Ben Rogers – guitar, vocals, David Greenep - guitar, vocals, Anne Carruthers – cello, James Hitchins – double bass, Natalie Sedgwick – violin, Andy Hobson - drums STOMPING GROUND: Ely, Cambridgeshire, formed 2004 SET TO SOUNDTRACK: Weird druid gatherings next to large rocks DESTINED TO UPSET: Lovelorn singer songwriters who strum open chords for catharsis YOU’RE IN BUSINESS IF YOU LIKE: Tom Waits, Nick Drake, Nick Cave, Syd Barrett, Bermuda Triangle Band SixToes aren’t just freaks of the digit world; they are misfits of the folk scene too. If that particular F- word conjures up frightful images of bearded men in cardigans hunched over acoustic guitars, singing about love and sunshine, you can rest easy – SixToes are odd. The sextet peddles an off-the-beaten-track mutation of sixties psych-folk, overlaid with baritone vocals that bear more than a passing resemblance to Tom Waits’ legendary vaudeville growl. Their debut single, ‘Four Leaf Clover,’ is five minutes of gently finger-picked guitar, harmonized vocals, and aching cello lines and is the band’s most conventional moment to date. But venture onto the flipside, ‘Reggae Song,’ and you will hear SixToes at their weirdest… it’s all unnerving minor key guitar lines and out-of-tune crooning, leading to a vocal chant driven crescendo. ‘Four Leaf Clover’ is out now (Toe Music) Extracted from Notion Magazine
Six Toes
tags: | six toes | six toes news | more...
Screaming Soul
06/11/2008
NUTS AND BOLTS: Ghetto Priest – vocals, Sandman – producer/MC STOMPING GROUND: London , UK , formed 2007 SET TO SOUNDTRACK: Dark streets and seedy clubs DESTINED TO UPSET: Hip hop purists YOU’RE IN BUSINESS IF YOU LIKE: Disciples, African Head Charge, Adrian Sherwood, Black Twang, Mr Thing Screaming Soul is the genre defying collaboration between Ghetto Priest of Asian Dub Foundation, and MC/producer, Sandman, aka Doobie of the Underground Alliance. The pair spews forth a bastardised amalgamation of roots, rap, hip hop and dub, with even the occasional hint of noir jazz glimmering through the fuggy beats. Their music takes you on a tour of down-and-out London, where gentle Gil Scott-Heron keyboards and soulful reggae vocals are swamped under dub basslines, with spitfire raps over the top. Their debut single, ‘Warfare,’ is the darkest of their work so far, opening via eerie keyboards swaggering with such menace it makes Massive Attack sound like the Monkeys. The overtly political reggae vocals hark back to the days of reggae soundsystems when Jamaican culture was imported to Blighty en masse in the early seventies... Listening to Screaming Soul you can almost feel the claustrophobia of dim rooms filled with the stale skunk smoke of yesteryear. Warfare is out now (Holy Voodoo) Extracted from Notion Magazine
Screaming Soul
tags: | screaming soul | more...
Thank You
06/11/2008
NUTS AND BOLTS: Jeffrey McGrath - vocals, guitar, Michael Bouzoukis - organ, bass, Emmanuel Nicolaidis - drums STOMPING GROUND: Baltimore , Maryland , formed 2005 SET TO SOUNDTRACK: Hipsters drinking black coffee and musing on Nietzsche DESTINED TO UPSET: Those of a delicate disposition YOU’RE IN BUSINESS IF YOU LIKE: Sonic Youth, Mars, Fugazi, Tortoise, Shellac Thank You are a welcome shot in the arm for a gradually dwindling avant-punk scene Stateside. With the Yeah Yeah Yeahs moving further away from their New York no-wave roots and Fugazi on permanent hiatus, this trio of scuzz merchants is flying the independent flag high and proud. The band’s latest LP, ‘Terrible Two,’ is a sprawling soundscape of abrasive guitars, tinny drums slipping out of time and the occasional vocal chant. With the treble pushed to the limit and earbleeding avalanches of noise, you’re not in for an easy ride, but over the course of their lengthy tracks, Thank You slide into odd, sparse, serene moments of soothing organ and delicate guitar. If you need proof of their calibre, J Robbins, the man behind Yeasayer and Jets To Brazil, and Chris Coady, of Yeah Yeah Yeahs and TV On The Radio fame, are fans. ‘Terrible Two’ is out now (Thrill Jockey) Extracted from Notion Magazine
Thank You
tags: | thank you | thank you news | more...
The Transpersonals
01/09/2008
The Transpersonals’ music sounds like the kind of thing you’d find if you carved open the mind of a 60s free-love-and-fucking, Acid-popping freak and were drowned underneath a kaleidoscopic stream of musical notes. Only The Transpersonals’ music is a bit more, well… now? A tad more current. You know; good for 2008? The Bristolian band’s back-story paints an interesting picture, not least because it’s neither now, current or 2008; in fact, it’s the kind of tale you’d associate with the psychedelic and experimental 60s Summer of Love. We’re talking Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys when he went through his whole mind-frazzled ‘Smiley Smile’ faze; Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones before he was found face down in his swimming pool; the wide-eyed Syd Barrett before he became a recluse and made book-shelves out of baked bean cans. We’re talking about gorging on more hallucinogenic drugs than a fat kid eats candy bars and a fly nibbles fresh shit. The Transpersonals’ lead-vocalist, Timothy Hurford, was homeless and expanding his mind by dropping just about anything that would send him on a far-out trip, man. Maybe it was the sheep playing poker and drinking Blue Nun, or whatever crazy images were flying through Hurford’s neuro-transmitters, but he eventually found himself locked away in a mental institute. Thankfully, he’s okay now, although it’s apparent from The Transpersonals’ music that Hurford’s psychedelic experimentation and spell in mental-captivity has left a long-standing mark. Despite a notable psychedelic theme to The Transpersonals’ music, with subtle undertones of the 90s Indie vibe, debut EP ‘Evolve or Die’ is an eclectic four-track collection. ‘Hello Hello’ is a psych-tinged Surf-Pop ditty and a mighty catchy little number, whilst ‘Silver Star’ features the fantastic Katey Brooks as guest-vocalist. Instant comparisons to Nico (she of Velvet Underground fame) will no doubt be made. And it’s the fact that few bands have delved into the kaleidoscopic realms of psychedelica in 2008, that makes The Transpersonals a sure-fire bet to carve a name within the niche. Go check out their MySpace and order their EP now. You’ll be pleasantly surprised… Words: Dangerous Dave
The Transpersonals
tags: | the transpersonals | more...
Reemer
23/07/2008
Reemer: Dave Hunter (Vocals), Nick Murray (Guitar), Dan Evans (Drums), Max Redfern (Bass) Reemer may have the sort of name you’d associate with a guy who enjoys licking arse out, but they’re actually a pop-punk band from Manchester. It’s true. Their name has nothing to do with anilingus at all; they took it off a guy from cult film ‘Baseketball’. Think Busted, dunked in a blender with a blotter of LSD and a bottle of fizzy pop, and you’re almost there… almost. Anyway, Reemer are so popular in Manchester and the North-West that a recent gig at ‘Sonic Boom’ was oversold by like, 200 tickets. Everyone stormed the stage like a scene from Zulu, and then, get this… they kidnapped Reemer’s bass player, Max Redfern! Mental isn’t it? Reemer even featured in everyone’s favourite C4 soap opera, Hollyoaks, which has storylines including teen-junkies and a guy who’s faked his own death. The band repaid the favour by roping in Leah Hackett, who plays Tina McQueen in the soap, to star in the video to new single ‘Maniac’. Tina McQueen’s latest storyline was giving birth to her boyfriend’s brother’s baby for her ex-jailbird sister, who goes out with her boyfriend’s brother… or something like that. It’ll all end in tears. In fact, so popular are Reemer up North, that Johnny Vegas is set to ditch the knitted tea-drinking monkey to star in their next video! Alas, Reemer have recently been asked to contribute a track to the Mighty Boosh podcast, have an extensive upcoming tour schedule, and are set to release a debut album on ‘Reaction Records’. This suggests that they’re going to explode like a liquid fart! The upcoming album, Snakes and Ladders, is being produced by Andy Macpherson and Chris Kemsey, who have worked with the likes of Blondie, The Cult, New Model Army, The Who, and The Rolling Stones! Anyway, you can check Reemer out on their MySpace . DD New single ‘MANIAC’ is out now on ‘Reaction Records’. Debut album ‘SNAKES AND LADDERS’ is released September 2008. Check out the video to Maniac starring Tina from Hollyoaks:
Reemer
tags: | reemer | reemer band | more...
Detroit Social Club
16/07/2008
From an area of the North East more recognizable for producing adolescent soaps than generating musical talent, there is now emerging one of the most promising bands of the modern era. Detroit Social Club, a six piece only formed just prior to Christmas, has already been astonishing music lovers and A&R personnel alike with their heavily-distorted, dirty-bluesy riffs, profound bass, thudding drums and powerful, soul-inspiring vocals. Although singer/songwriter David Burn, 27, has exhausted a hefty quantity of the past year in his personal studio vigilantly assembling his songs and mastering a unique sound, only recently has this incorporated some of Newcastle’s finest musical talent – including long term friend, Chris McCourtie, Davids Green and Welsh, along with prodigious teens Bondy and Dale Knight. Despite the solitary beginnings, this crew around Burn have become vital ingredients of his vision to “Bring back the feeling”. Burn explains further: “It’s not just about making something sound nice… but also getting something from someone and getting something out of it, where you listen to something and you believe it”. This deluge of spirit is encapsulated in the quite simplistic yet brilliant ‘Black and White’; likewise, in the swaggering vibe of the formidable ‘Sunshine People’, through which even the most passive listener is transcended into a world of alternative realities. Burn, self evidently the band’s clear leader, speaks of Detroit Social Club as a “schizophrenic band” in seeking to maintain a boundary between the recordings and the live performance. “Recordings-wise, there’ll be a lot of soul - it’s gonna be about the colouration of the tracks, a lot more about the vibe and different sounds we can implement”. He continues, “live is very much about dragging you by the balls from the back of the room! You’re gonna be fuckin’ jumping around, not even realizing. Getting to the end of the gig, they’ll be like, how did I get here? It’s gonna be like two different things; by keeping your live presence and your recording separate you’re always gonna surprise people”. Already evident is how much this young band offer, and so it comes as little surprise that a growing amount of record labels, including several majors, have been eager to be associated with a band that is breeding so much enthusiasm. This has led to what Burn defines as a “stroke of luck” – by chance, a demo landed on the desk of Artic Monkeys manager Geoff Barrowdale one Saturday afternoon. By the Sunday morning contact had been made and within weeks he had became their manager. Happenstance shines on the deserving! The initial “excitement”, in Burn’s words, has now been replaced by “apprehension… apprehension to stop talking about it and start doing it”. With a tour of northern cities announced recently, and the album recording set to commence in September, it has been a hectic, tumultuous journey for a band that non-existent but six months ago. With a number one single in the metro charts, “the best manger in the business”, Razorlight’s engineer collaborating with Burn in his production, a host of top bands clambering for them as tour support, there is no doubt that they are in good stead for an extremely promising career. What cannot be denied is that the management has enabled the process to be accelerated. Nevertheless, nor can it be ignored that this has only been possible due to the implausibly good collection of songs that Detroit Social Club has amassed. Talent shines. It is little wonder that there is so much exhilaration: finally, in Detriot Social Club, a band has emerged eager to challenge that hangover the industry has been nurturing since the demise of the Libertines; the hangover the precedes the ebullient, transcendental presence of a defining rock’n’roll band. Richard Duncan
Detroit Social Club
tags: | detroit social club | more...
Golden Animals
07/07/2008
Nuts and Bolts: Tommy Eisner (guitar/vocals) Linda Beecroft (drums/vocals) Stomping Ground: Southern California/Brooklyn Set to Soundtrack: A journey across Arizona in a 1960s Black LeSabre. Destined to Upset: Anyone who hates the bygone period of free-love, smoking pot, and dropping acid. You’re in business if you like: The Doors, Jim Morrison, Cream, Jimmy Reed, hobos on trains, Jimi Hendrix, early Rolling Stones, and music that’s refreshingly, um, fresh… It’s inevitable that should Golden Animals acquire a glowing reputation, which itself seems inevitable, there are going to be comparisons made to the White Stripes. Why? Because: (A) they’re a two-piece playing music deep-rooted in early blues; (B) ones a bloke, the other isn’t; and (C) Tommy plays guitar and Linda plays drums. However, Planet Notion can safely say, that is where the comparisons end. The fact is that Golden Animals don’t sound like the White Stripes and they don’t seem to be trying to. In fact, Tommy and Linda sound like a throw-back to a period in 60s music when blues was transforming into a psychedelic incarnation; eg: The Doors, and albeit, with their own unique approach. “Early blues recordings are the fountain”, the pair have commented. “Even in 200 years, people will find completely new ways to create all within those rules and algorithms”. Indeed… Tommy met Swedish-born Linda on her first day in Brooklyn; you could call it fate. The pair immediately hit if off and soon set-off travelling Europe and America armed only with the bare essentials. You know; a guitar, a tambourine, a suitcase… A chance meeting with a fortune teller, who predicted music would be the pair’s destiny, sent them packing back to Brooklyn to pursue their interest, and thus Golden Animals was born. A ‘marching band’ drum-kit, acquired from a dumpster outside a church, and Tommy’s distinct slide-guitar, would provide the basis of Golden Animals' sound. However, tiring of the Brooklyn scene, the pair soon headed west, eventually settling in the Californian desert. Alas, it was here that they recorded debut album, ‘Free Your Mind and Win a Pony’, due for release in August and recorded under the guidance of ‘Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ and ‘TV On The Radio’ producer, Chris Cody. Their tale may sound like something from a Mark Twain novel, but the album speaks for itself. Five months recording in the isolated Californian desert has clearly influenced and helped the duo develop their blues inspired sound. Hence the opinion of Planet Notion that Golden Animals are one of the most exciting acts to emerge this year. And just because we find Linda sexy, Tommy friggin’ dope, and have an almost voyeuristic fascination with their music, that doesn’t mean we continually wank over our ‘promo’ copy of ‘Free Your Mind and Win a Pony’. Ahem, well, there was that one time... Words: Dangerous Dave Golden Animals debut album, Free Your Mind and Win a Pony, is released on HappyParts Recordings, August 4th. For more information, visit the Golden Animals MySpace page.
Golden Animals
tags: | golden animals | more...
Nick Sunderland
30/05/2008
Nuts and Bolts: Nick Sunderland (Vocals/Guitar) Stomping Ground: East London . Set to Soundtrack: Love… Loss… Hope… Destined to Upset: The clubbing fraternity. You’re in business if you like: Peri-Peri Chicken style Indie-Rock. Soft, but with a kick. Imagine going for a leisurely run through the woods whilst listening to your I-pod; some gentle Indie-rock beating slowly against your drums. Suddenly there’s a kick, a harder edge to the music, and you pick up the pace. You’re really working it now; your armpits are rising damp and your brow’s getting wet - until suddenly you stop with a jolt to admire an unusual looking specimen! It’s a Liberty Cap: A Magic Mushroom . It looks tasty, and you’re feeling a wee bit peckish, so you take a bite… Oh god! Minutes later you’re on a crazy paranoid trip, peculiar voices infiltrating East-End artist Nick Sunderland on your I-Pod, as he explores deep themes of love and loss; loss and love. You’re running through the woods in a blind panic, arms flailing like an irate gibbon, the trees closing in on you like some paranoid delusion of Edgar Allan Poe. Memories of lost relationships are flooding back to haunt you, like an outer-body experience on a journey to the fiery gates of hell. There’s a bitter edge to Nick Sunderland’s music and lyrics, occasionally interrupted by the schizophrenic voice of inner thoughts and times that were. Sunderland explores subjects more at home within the softer realms of Indie-rock; albeit with a little more panache. By adding distorted electronic-infused vocals as a response to the lyrical context, on top of far edgier guitar solos, he explores the demented side of break-ups and the eternal search for love. Far from being depressing it kicks your sorry arse into gear; tells you to drop that quart of Whiskey and put down the sharpened knife. After all, break-ups and love are rarely lardy-dar (sic); they’re a subject that’s supposed to be approached with edginess and bite. Perhaps that’s why the London artist reached number two (2) in Metro’s singles of the week… Sure, Sunderland may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but he’s a damn sight better than the current crop of soft-Indie rockers littering jukeboxes nationwide, for single drunks to listen to whilst weeping into pints. Check out his MySpace ! Words: Dangerous
Nick Sunderland
tags: | nick sunderland | liberty cap | more...
The Power Lords
02/05/2008
Nuts and Bolts: The Power Lords (Pierre and Bohdan) Stomping Ground: South of France (St. Tropez) and the Ukraine. Set to Soundtrack: Clubs where people sport Croydon facelifts and neck Bacardi Breezers. Destined to Upset: Anyone without a sense of humour. You’re in business if you like: Regular trips to the Krakow club scene. “Let my weiner fire your hummer / Start in the cupboard later the freezer / Ask Boris Becker I’m a grand slam winner.” The Power Lords (Lords of the String) The Power Lords have burst onto the club scene like a teenager on his first gram of cheap whizz; garnering reactions of befuddlement, guilty pleasure and disdain in equal measure. They’re the kind of Euro-techno outfit you’d imagine four fat birds in Benidorm doing ‘big square, little square, cardboard box’ to whilst taking the occasional glug of their Lambrini and pawing over a Spanish hunk - topless but for a dickie-bowtie. We’re talking cheese-smeared, holiday-camp cabaret, only a hell of a lot more polished and with a back-story that makes Star Wars episodes I-III look as dire as Series 4 of Deep Space Nine. The Power Lords’ story started as a dream of two playboy London Hedge Funders living it large in St. Tropez, a mutual love of European Techno inspiring them to have a pop in the music production game. James Burrell, a young composer and songwriter whose résumé includes work for the BBC, Nickelodeon and John Lewis was recruited to help the dream become a reality. Alas, with the playboy Hedge Funders jobs requiring a certain je ne sais quois -“Oh so respectful” - public image, the notorious twosome’s elation soon turned to concern. Having their names attached to a Euro-Tech song deep-set around the ‘St. Tropez G-String’ was hardly going to preserve the respect they’d worked so hard to build, right? Alas, the two pulled out, expecting an end to the whole shebang, but with the wheels set in motion James felt that the “show must go on.” And so the story ends. Well, you could say “And so the story begins” because the national press are lapping The Power Lords up like the Cheshire Cat with a bowl of Jersey’s finest. The Power Lords backstory is one of intrigue and mystery with more questions than answers and this is what makes them perfect fodder for the pad and pen. Debut single Lords of the String is going to be bigger than King Kong’s crown jewels and reading The Power Lords philosophy on music it’s easy to see why: “We love dance music that make you want to dance! Laugh! Kiss! Cry! Make Love too!!!” their MySpace beams. If that’s not the talk of global superstars I’ll eat my St. Tropez G-string and lick King Kong’s bellend! Check out their MySpace ! Words: Dangerous Dave Dryden
The Power Lords
tags: | the power lords | more...
Jay Reatard
28/04/2008
Nuts and Bolts: Jay Reatard (vocals, guitar, bass), Billy Hayes (drums), Stephen Pope (bass) Stomping Ground: Memphis, Tennessee since 1998. Set to Soundtrack: A ketamine and whizz binge. Destined to Upset: Fans of Happy Hardcore. You’re in business if you like: Raucous full-throttle punk-dipped rock with a pinch of new wave. Sometimes an artist will come along and kick you in the balls with such ferocity they go flying through your system and drop out your mouth; before sliding back to their rightful position, intact and twice as big and brutal as before. Jay Reatard is one such artist; his short, sharp, hook-laden tracks triggering an “I’m not gonna take this shit anymore” attitude - only way more successfully than heavy-metal (which isn‘t difficult). Jay began writing songs alone in his bedroom due to an overwhelming sense of boredom and a turbulent home life. He was recognized at the tender age of 15 after sending a demo tape to Goner Records and dropping out of school - which ultimately proved a wise move. Jay produces the kind of music that grips one shoulder tightly and slaps you round the face with a free hand – with lyrics that delve into everything from inner demons and a crap childhood to romance past and drinking piss from a jar… Take ‘Not a Substitute’ from Jay’s ‘Blood Visions’ LP which at 1:04 minutes long contains the simple lyrics “It’s not a substitute / not a substitute for you” before launching into a full-throttle guitar chorus of “MISSING YOU” like a skipping record that you daren’t change. Quite what the substitute for a lost love is remains unclear. It could be drugs, it could be a new missus, and it could be a chocolate bar. The fact is Jay leaves these small details for your interpretation. Jay used to be in punk-band The Reatards, alternating between singing, guitar, and a bucket for percussion. He then created/joined a few other bands, including Lost Sounds, before finally launching his solo career. An initially surprised music press have generally lavished praise on Jay’s first and only solo LP ‘Blood Visions’ which contains a full-throttle 15 tracks at under 30 minutes long. Anyhow, if you’re after punk-rock with the occasional Adam Ant new-wave eccentricity thrown in, Jay’s as good a bet as any… Check out his MySpace .
Jay Reatard
tags: | jay reatard | blood visions | more...
The Parlotones
23/04/2008
Nuts and Bolts: The Parlotones - Kahn Morbee (vocals and guitar) Neil Pauw (Drums) Paul Hodgson (guitar) Glenn Hodgson (bass and keyboards) Stomping Ground: London and Johannesburg since 1998. Set to Soundtrack: Plucking up the courage to approach that girl/boy but never quite succeeding. Destined to Upset: People who HATE teenage rom-coms. You’re in business if you like: Melodious rock with vocals like the guy from Linkin Park - only better! For a band that released their first album in 2003 and started up in ‘98 it seems strange that, if mentioned, The Parlotones garner the following response: “Who?” Or, with this section of Planet Notion being named a certain something: “Who the fuck?” But the South African four-piece have obviously been doing something right because in 2006 Universal Records snapped ‘em up. And it doesn’t stop there. FHM used The Parlotones single ‘Overexposed’ as the soundtrack to their ‘World’s Hottest Woman’ film. With lyrics that go a little something like: “This could be the end of - ‘Who the hell cares?’” it seems a bizarre choice for a film predominantly flesh and thigh. That’s until you hear a peculiar purring akin to the Cheshire Cat on five E’s and a Viagra. As far as sound goes The Parlotones appear to be a band unconfined by boundaries. Vocally they’re consistent, but musically it varies from jangly, up-lifting melodies, to heavy(er) guitar laden rock. As one would expect from a South African “rock band” The Parlotones are pretty bloody big in their native country and that popularity is fast spreading. Perhaps it has something to do with using a megaphone on stage? The band recently announced a European and South African tour which will see them playing Switzerland’s biggest indoor music festival, ‘Bscene’, and London’s legendary 100 Club. Sure, singer Kahn Morbee sounds a bit like that guy from Linkin Park, whose mainstream “nu-metal” whine appeals as much as a night in the sack with Lisa Riley and a dodgy kebab, but it’s kind of cool… Well, a hell of a lot cooler than Linkin Park, a damn sight tastier than Lisa Riley, and guaranteed to soundtrack a teen rom-com sometime in the future. I’ll put my money on it! Check them out: www.myspace.com/theparlotones The Parlotones release new album ‘Radiocontrolledrobot’ on May 5th.
The Parlotones
tags: | the parlotones | kahn morbree | more...
Hungover Stuntmen
21/04/2008
Nuts and Bolts: Hungover Stuntmen - James Haselhurst (guitars/vox) Craig Oxberry (drums/vox) Iain Anderson (bass/vox) Stu Ridley (guitars/vox) Stomping Ground: Newcastle Upon Tyne. Set to Soundtrack: Pre-match drinks down a good old fashioned boozer. Destined to Upset: Those who'd rather a night in with slippers, a cheap cigar and Ella Fitzgerald than a pint, a sing-song and Sky Sports News. You’re in business if you like: British Indie rock. Armed with custom guitars, you know, Rickenbackers, Telecasters and the like; Hungover Stuntmen have been dubbed “just awesome” by (who else) Zane Lowe. Surprising when you consider that they’ve only ever released standard demos. Yet despite their relative obscurity it seems the world is going crazy for the Geordie quartet. Take Yu Kamidozono, a Japanese fan who made a whopping 11,526.52 mile round trip to see the lads perform in London; my god, they have stalkers already! “They can play, sing, I’ve even seen them dance, and for sure they put on one hell of a show”, beamed Duran Duran’s Andy Taylor; you know, the guitarist with the bloated face? Sure, Andy’s bound to be a little biased, having produced the Stuntmen’s debut album ‘Blame it on the BBC’. But then, the rave reviews don’t end there. Suggs described the Stuntmen as “f**king great” and Paul Weller’s such a fan he allowed the boys to join him on stage. Twice! We say “allowed to join him” because the Modfather is so revered by Indie bands; they look up and aspire to be him like Eros, god of love, sex and lust. In fact, the Stuntmen have joined everyone on stage from Jools Holland and The Futureheads to, um… The Kooks and Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly; taking time to play Ibiza Rocks in the process. In a nutshell, people are standing up and taking notice of these Indie rockers. Sure, there are always going to be those that say “Oh god, not another Indie guitar band”, but something tells us these lads are a tad more special than the usual bunch. Catchy, occasionally raw and well constructed? “Way-ey man!” The Hungover Stuntmen’s debut album ‘Blame it on the BBC’ is released on 28th April.
Hungover Stuntmen
tags: | hungover stuntmen | more...
The Steeples
07/04/2008
Nuts and Bolts: The Steeples - Andy Culshaw (vocals), Dan Rankin (guitar), Chris ‘Hutchy’ Hutchinson (bass), Alex Caskie (drums) Stomping Ground: Ormskirk (near Liverpool) Set to Soundtrack: The NHS anti-smoking advert. Sorry, what’s that? They’ve done that already? Oh! Apparently they’ve done that already. Destined to Upset: Eddie would hate them! You know; that dude from Iron Maiden? You’re in business if you like: Jig-enticing pop-guitar and a voice like that bloke from the Kooks… Only with a bit more range. Like that fit bird from the Sugababes, bands seem to be appearing from nowhere these days. They thought we wouldn’t notice that Mutya had gone AWOL and been replaced by Amelle Berrabah, but we all saw through it; you can’t fool me! Hailing from Ormskirk, which is near Liverpool, The Steeples are one such band; the kind that find themselves thrust into the spotlight and hailed “New Indie darlings” before they’ve had time to finish their Munch Bunch, pick their nose and press record for the latest episode of Poddington Peas. In a nut-shell The Steeples emerged from the wilderness and found a whole host of press and radio bigwigs getting hot under the collar; cum dripping down their thighs, salivating, and emitting groans of pure unadulterated ecstasy at these fresh new kids and their guitar-hook laden merry Indie-pop. XFM labeled debut single Britney’s Tears as “Ace;” The Daily Record used such phrases as “quirky” and “brilliant;” FutureSounds yelped “non-stop fun”. Alas, thanks to major radio plugging and frequently smitten reviews, The Steeples found themselves at the centre of a scandal... Well, we made that up; but they do have a band of followers that call themselves the ‘Steeple People’ which, in our opinion, has all the makings of a Manson style cult. Blending witty lyrical tales with pop-guitar riffs to create melodies stained with the butter drips of Indie sweetness, we at Planet Notion expect these guys to be a commercial success. That doesn’t necessarily mean we like ‘em or don’t like ‘em, it just means they’ll probably be huge because they remind us of the (ahem) Kooks. Loads of young whippersnappers love the Kooks (honest they do) and buy their records so they’ll probably do the same for The Steeples. And they’re pretty lads like the Kooks and… erm… Pass me the shovel! Please!? Check out their MySpace ! The Steeples debut album, Tea for Two, is released on Easy Money Records on June 16th following the release of single, Loosy Lucy, on June 9th.
The Steeples
tags: | the steeples | andy curshaw | more...
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