label – and so she thinks

Trust Fund – No One's Coming For Us

admin — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 17:46:24 +0000

Debut album No One’s Coming For Us by Trust Fund, the brainchild and output of Bristol’s Ellis Jones, is filled with a sparklingly melancholy and elements of pained introspection. There’s singalong choruses and shoegazey fuzz on Cut Me Out, upbeat rhythms on Sadness, as well as optimistic high pitched indie pop songcraft, a la Essay To Write. Ellis Jones is a proficient and clever writer, with the talent for creating a hooky tune, and has selected the perfect rafter of friends for his first full length. Just signed to label Turnstile Music, also home to Los Campesinos and Gruff Rhys, Trust Fund have created a short, snappy and earnest LP quivering with personality.
[bandcamp width=350 height=470 album=2131047522 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false]

Tussilago – Say Hello

admin — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 14:07:31 +0000

It’s not always just the mindset and experience that influences writing and recording, but place plays a big part. Recorded in the hazy hills of Portugal , Say Hello, the new single from Stockholm-based quartet Tussilago, sounds full of blossom and nature, although always with the potential than a mist may roll up. Dreamy landscapes fuse the with the psychedelic soundscape, those solid hills becoming part of the ephemeral, a bridge between aspects and environments. Building up from a gentle drift to compulsive and whole sweeps, over slow but weighty beats, it is made for feeling invincible to.
Released on June 16th on the Ingrid imprint, before an album this autumn.

Up With People, down in the Wairarapa

admin — Thu, 03 Apr 2014 02:44:52 +0000

‘In any town there’s a kid with a guitar.’ we both say, gulping down coffee in the early morning sun. As well as both being convinced of this fact, Mark Rogers and I both believe that this, and a bit of ‘get up and go’, is all that is needed to start gigs in any area – no matter how unlikely a hotbed of live music it may seem. Take the Wairarapa, the region in which Masterton, the sleepy town in which we meet, sits. A population of just over 36,000, made up of four main towns, it’s a small spot around an hour or so from New Zealand’s actual and cultural capital of Wellington – but where lots is happening.
When I was invited to meet the manager of a gig promotions company around here, I was a little unsure. What could possibly be happening in these here parts? Three men in a barn, one with a handmade guitar? Or at the very best a substandard covers band playing the church hall. Oh Francesca, stand corrected. The Wairarapa is a creative hot bed of arts and culture across all forms, and music is no different. But it did need someone to give it a push, to take the ‘wouldn’t it be nice’ laments and make something happen. Enter Mark Rogers, his sidekick Katie Grantham, and their outfit Up With People.

Mark had been in the game a while before starting Up With People. Throughout our chat he mentions, not drops, names such as Alan McGee, Goldrush, Lewis Durham (of Kitty, Davis and), former editors of Mojo, labels like Poptones – and The Clash. It was this band that signified Mark’s entry into the music scene, when he arrived in London in 1981, 16 years old ‘bright eyed and clueless’ and ‘had a fucking ball,’ hanging around with Strummer in squats. He moved to Brixton and had his eyes opened by the multicultural society, riotous punk scene, newfound freedom – and obviously pretty soon dropped out of college and entered the music world. Like most music fans he would do whatever he could; a bit of flyering, roadieing, PR, you name it, just to be submerged in the thrilling scene.
‘I didn’t have a bloody clue, but I just got on with it.’ he says. Even getting on with it to the point of calling up mid 90s Mojo editor Matt Snow asking ‘So how do I get a review then?’ Something which sounds like ridiculous, and ridiculously sensible, thing to do. This was at the time that Mark successfully coined the phrase ‘country music for the Nirvana generation’ when speaking with The Independent about his new signing The Handsome Family for his Loose Music Label. ‘It was sort of about rootsy music without the big hats.’ he explains.
A vibrant and vital time indeed, and one that taught him not only the necessary skills for success in the music business, but tenacity and perserverance, as well as the importance of taking responsibility. ‘Everyone complains that nothing is happening, but that’s it. You just have to get on with it. It’s like Sniffin’ Glue, that zine from Danny Baker. On the cover there were those three chords and then scrawled ‘this is a chord, this is another, this is a third. Now form a band.’ Apparently this is an oft incorrectly quoted anecdote, with the original drawing being in punk zine ‘ Sideburns, but you get the point.

A Night At The Museum

But everyone had a great time in music in the 80s and 90s in London. What about now, here, in the Wairarapa. A host of links and pals in the business means that Mark has managed to bring both big international names and local legends to the area, in an eclectic mix of both artists and locations. The first night that he and Katie organised was called Night At The Museum, in the local Aratoi Museum, and by all accounts the evening in the church setting was magical. Later, The Datsuns played the Masterton venue King Street Live (‘It went OFF.’) and recently a Pink Floyd covers band named Eclipse performed a sell out show, with an ‘awesome light show’ at Stonehenge Aotearoa, a ‘weird and awesome bunch of rocks out on a hill near here. It’s crazy.’ The last tour was from blues roots performer Pokey La Farge, who by simple reasoning (i.e ‘New Zealand’s a long way so you might as well make the most of it’) Mark brought to Masterton on the condition that if he was to organise and promote the rest of Pokey’s tour in Auckland, Wellington and at Womad this small gig had to be played.

Eclipse rocking amongst the stones

The more I learn about the Wairarapa the less surprised I am that success is being seen. Over at Hedley’s book store manager David has just been ‘out talking photos with Ringo.’ James Cameron lives down the road, and Peter Jackson calls it home. Pip’s mum makes amazing cakes in the local bakery – ‘Pip’ being more commonly known as Ladyhawke. Jermaine Clement, from Flight of the Conchords, went to Masterton’s Makoura College, and a 2009 fundraiser from the duo raised $70,000 for the school. To say it’s a hotbed of activity would be an understatement – but the activity is understated, genuine, and creative.
The most inspiring out take from chatting with Mark, despite his evident success in the music business and what he and Katie have achieved with Up With People is that he genuinely believes that anyone in Masterton could have started something. ‘People overemphasise things. Find a band. Find a venue. Put it on.’
All it takes is a kid with a guitar, and a little passion.

The Khmer Revival of Rock ’n’ Roll: Indie Music in Cambodia

admin — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 06:53:00 +0000

The sounds of drums and rock guitar pierce the air, young voices roar above their buzzing audience: no, this is not a gig in London or New York. It is the sound of Cambodia’s rock revival. As Francesca Baker attests, Khmer music is undergoing a rebirth and emerging as more energetic and determined than ever before.

Cambodia was once home to one of the most advanced and vibrant music scenes in Asia: it was the sixties and there was a thrill in the air. Controversial though he was, ruler at the time Prince Norodom Sihanouk was passionate and liberal about arts, and welcomed western influences. The Vietnam War had played a huge role in introducing rock ‘n’ roll to South East Asia, with the American Special Forces Radio Network dominating the airways, and US Navy flying studios spreading the sound of rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and country music across Cambodia. People may not have known much about the music, but they knew they liked it, and soon started to imitate it in their own Khmer style. Parallel Lines released a compilation of songs – Cambodian Rocks – compiled by an American tourist named Paul Wheeler from some cassettes he bought in Phnom Penh from a local taxi driver. What’s more, two documentaries have been produced about the pre-war scene: The Golden Voice, Greg Cahill’s thirty minute film on the most famous of the era’s female singers, Ros Sereysothea, and Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten, a feature-length history of the scene from Los Angeles-based cinematographer John Pirozzi.
Read more at The Culture Trip.

Brew Records

admin — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:00:34 +0000

Curiosity killed the cat, but makes for good journalism, so IAH! Caught up with Leeds based Brew Records to enquire about what it actually involves running a label. “Both of us had wanted to do the whole label thing for a while but uni and lack of money had prevented either of us from giving it a go. Then once we had both finished uni and entered the real world starting a label seemed like the best way of keeping life interesting. So here we are now.”
Two years on from when Brew launched in June 2007, Simon, co-founder of Brew, makes it sound so easy. A love of live music and helping out new bands was what really drove the creation for Brew records, “We wanted to put on gigs as well so we’re promotors as well as a label. I guess the drive comes from wanting to give a good platform for our favourite bands to work from. Whether it be supporting a big touring band in Leeds or getting them some great press or radio play.”
In the current economy, money seems to be the driver behind everything. But for Simon and Thomas they just want to help with the release of great music. Whereas some labels have altered bands to make them more ‘commercially viable’, Brew try not to have too much of an influence. “It goes about as far as us suggesting we do a single or an ep and an album. I don’t think we’d dare attempt to tell one of our bands what or how they should be writing. I guess if Kong turned up and had gone all jazz funk we might have a few words but really they can do what they like and we’ll release it”.
So if the label has little influence on the actual output of a band, why do we even need labels at all, especially now we are in the ‘myspace age’ where bands can freely promote themselves.. “Bands can promote themselves to an extent but I don’t think you’re going to see the death of labels anytime soon. There’s room for labels and for bands that just want to do it themselves. We release records, book tours, put on gigs, do all the press for our bands. Everything is pretty much done in house so very DIY.” Even though Simon is pretty laid back about running a label, he assures us that is not the case: “It’s a bit of an obsession really. There’s always something to do or some worry to keep me awake at night.”
It does, however, pay off. There are many moments to be savoured, such as “seeing our bands play Leeds and Reading or support the Bronx or do sessions for radio 1 or get an awesome review in the NME. Just things we didn’t think would happen to a little label 2 years ago.”
And why the name? “Brew is a reference to beer. Double Dutch is usually on the riders at our gigs.” There’s the solution for when the stress of running a label gets a little too much then.

Tip Toe Records

admin — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:56:22 +0000

Francesca Baker

It’s hard to review a label compilation. Think of all the blood sweat and tears than goes into producing a song, then multiply this over tens of different bands. I feel pretty guilty that we can only offer a whistle stop tour, as with such low press numbers it will be pretty tough for you to get your hand son Top Toe’s complilation, but I take comfort in the fact that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed that tour.
Pertinent lyrics unite many of the songs on here, startling in their simplicity but acute relevance. The majority of the bands are Leeds based, with London, Nottingham and Cardiff representatives also popping up. A mixture of old (er) bands such as Just Handshakes (We’re British) and King Alexander as well as some so hot off the press they’re smoking bands, founder Dom Dean has succeeded in creating a coherent album that showcases the talent on Tip Toe’s books.
IAH have been fans of The Old Romantic Killer Band for a while now, and ‘The devil and me’ is a brilliant example of their dark and dramatic folky sound. They’re finding their way onto more playlists by the day, and will hopefully soon be revelling in some success.
There’s an element of summer on this record. Bear Driver’s swooshing cries in A Thousand Samurais is pure sunshine serotonin, albeit of a chilled nature, and the potentially familiar ‘Finger’ by Fists has a clash of sounds that unite to create a cocktail of Frank Turner blended with Justice, great for summer evenings.
The guys at Tip Toe seem to have a knack for picking out bands that overlay their simple beat with layers of vocals and capricious melodies that at once feel part of your soul yet startle your ears in their brilliance. Swimming’s ‘Catch the Currents’ rushes at a frantic speed that is reminiscent of the energy that Maximo Park once had. The constantly evolving and changing voice challenges the idea that the familiar feel that permeates the album has to mean domestic and boring.
Mid way though Negative Landscape offer their minimalist synths on the repetitive and hypnotic Ten. Whilst not my cup of decaff redbush tea, it does show that Tip Toe have more than one string to their bow and are evolving and innovating rather than sticking to one sound. The earthy prosaic charm of ‘Operation Daybreak’ by A the wonderfully named Just Handshakes (We’re British) song, lends an intimacy to the album, but the vocals are not strong, the female voice seeming slightly strained above the sometimes ska-y instrumentals.
The closing chords of Wolverine and the Beasts by Crayon would not sound out of place on Sgt Pepper, but the cries of ‘keep your head still’ evoke Electric Soft Parade. Out of the afternoon’s ‘This Ship Is Going Under’ is a raspy raw piece of indie with a sing along chorus that sounds like a band yearning for some excitement and release.
Dom Dean says that the bands signed to the label reflect his varying and eclectic music taste. Based on this compilation, I fancy a raid through his record collection. Constantly invigorating in an effortless fashion, the tracks on this latest compilation should give Tip Toe the shove to stride confidently into the spotlight.