Artists at a glance
ANNA CORCORAN
DESPERATE JOURNALIST
FRESH DIXIE PROJECT
JOE BONE & THE DARK VIBES
KING
NO MIDDLE NAME
PICTUREBOX
REVERE
SCREAMING MALDINI
SEATTLE YACHT CLUB
SHADRACK TYE
SUGARDRUM
THE BIRDMAN RALLIES
THE GOLDEN AGE
TREE OF WOLVES
YOUDID
Top tunes from NO MIDDLE NAME, SCREAMING MALDINI, SEATTLE YACHT CLUB, ALI WARREN BAND, JOE BONE & THE DARK VIBES, FRESH DIXIE PROJECT, KING, PICTUREBOX, ANNA CORCORAN, REVERE, SHADRACK TYE, SUGARDRUM, THE GOLDEN AGE, YOUDID, THE BIRDMAN RALLIES, DESPERATE JOURNALIST and TREE OF WOLVES.
Every Sunday night/Monday morning on BBC Radio 6 Music from 2-3am you can hear a selection of my favourite new tunes from the BBC Introducing Uploader in an hour-long music mixtape. Some of the tunes are recommended by BBC friends and colleagues, others are handpicked by me from our inbox here at Fresh On The Net.
Each of these mixtapes is available free when the radio show ends at 3am via the 6 Music Downloads Page. You’ll also find archived episodes there from the previous 4 weeks. As of this week, the full tracklists and start times are now published here at Fresh On The Net with a link to each artist’s website. These are the listings for Monday, 17th June 2013 – recent mixtape tracklistings can be found via the MIXTAPE tab above – earlier listings are on the BBC website.
NO MIDDLE NAME – Feels Like The 90s Again [Starts: 00:13]
https://www.facebook.com/nomiddlenamemusic
No Middle Name is the new dream pop solo project from David Bailey, one half of The Title Sequence. David was given the chance to create No Middle Name after a chance meeting with Mollusc Records’ Rory Mansfield. The result, upon emerging from the studio after an intense seven week stint was not the acoustic piece the label was expecting. Instead he had created a lo-fi dream pop album, employing creative and interesting uses of samples, fusing these with guitars, synthesizers and the melodic songwriting for which he is well known in The Title Sequence. There’s also a distinct DIY hands-on approach to this new solo project: as well as crafting his own radio shows, David taught himself to become an animator. Armed with only a cheap scanner and a pad of paper, he crafted an eccentric and lovely animated video for the forthcoming debut single Another Season, due out July 8th. The selftitled debut album No Middle Name will be released in August both on vinyl and digitally. Read more about the project at molluscrecords.co.uk
SCREAMING MALDINI – The Albatross [Starts: 03:44]
http://www.screamingmaldini.co.uk
Released last week on HipHipHip Records, The Albatross is a firm favourite with audiences at Screaming Maldini’s live shows. According to their press release the band are “one of Sheffield’s fastest rising musical troupes: a genre-straddling, multi-instrumental six piece, Screaming Maldini take precision very seriously indeed. The Albatross continues the theme of escape and exhilaration, with a beautiful lush instrumentation and a chorus as soaring and free as the bird the song is named after.” Which is nice.
SEATTLE YACHT CLUB – Fall Deep [Starts: 07:49]
https://www.facebook.com/seattleyachtclubband
Seattle Yacht Club are from Liverpool, Southport (or possibly both) and consist of multi-instrumentalists Tom Dale and Denis Brice. The duo share a bond approaching brotherhood, having grown up next door to each other, and indeed their playing shares much of that telepathic tightness often heard in bands of siblings. Having played & made music together in various bands over the years they’ve gradually refined their sound and shed superfluous musicians from their lineup. Since we played them on the Mixtape in March they now have their first SYC fanclub in Brazil, over 11,000 listens on Soundcloud, 7000+ followers on Twitter and 7000 views of their self produced videos on YouTube. This coming Friday and Saturday June 21st/22nd June they play Beach Break Live in Newquay followed by a hometown show at The Cavern Club on July 18th hosted by Dave Monks in his “BBC Introducing presents” series.
ALI WARREN BAND – What We Say [Starts: 10:29]
https://www.facebook.com/aliwarrenmusic
“I was always pretty angry but to this day I’m not entirely sure what about,” says 23 year old Ali Warren. “Music has given me an excuse to shout a lot whilst being able to call it an art form”. Raised in Taunton, Somerset, Ali’s boyhood heroes ranged ranged from Fela Kuti to Doris Day, via Leadbelly, Robert Johnson and John Lee Hooker. As a teenager Ali enrolled for a music course at Westminster University and took a bus to London the very next day – arriving in the big city with no money, accommodation or footwear apart from a pair of flip-flops. Now with a fully-fledged band behind him in the form of guitarist Reck, bassist Dan Blatchford, drummer Paul Love and cellist Miriam Wakeling, Ali Warren is working on a full album, which he hopes to tour in order for it to reach as many ears as possible.
JOE BONE & THE DARK VIBES – Britain Ain’t Great Anymore [Starts: 13:56]
https://www.facebook.com/JoeBoneAndTheDarkVibes
For me this song hits a sweetspot I’ve long been looking for: music that combines the sonic adventurousness of Dubstep with Proper Songwriting And Actual Lyrics. Dark, brooding and edged with menace, Joe Bone (pictured above) sounds to me like a Scottish Dr John for the 21st Century. And why not – he’s already paid his dues and staked out his territory as frontman and songwriter with Glasgow cult legends The Coffins. Although in it’s infancy the Dark Vibes project is pricking up a few ears, mixing rock with electronica and various other genres. “If the project gains momentum” Joe tells us “there will be plans to put a gigging band together – with offers from fellow musicians already in the pipeline.” Six tracks have been completed in the space of two weeks – and more are on the way. I can’t wait.
FRESH DIXIE PROJECT – Ipso Facto [Starts: 18:00]
http://www.freshdixieproject.com
“The Fresh Dixie Project are 5 young gents from the South East, pumping out the most hard-hitting, chin-scratching, toe tapping tunes you ever did hear. Currently touring with a mix of revamped standards and fresh original material from their debut EP Ipso Facto, these boys will break down even the most reluctant of dance floor goers. Expect vocal acrobatics, punchy drums, chunky guitar, piano twinkles and a sax on fire!”
KING – I Can Dance Too [Starts: 20:37]
http://www.facebook.com/KingTKCRecords
“King is a singer-songwriter, rapper and producer from Essex. His music style is influenced from a wide range of genres, especially Hip-Hop and soul music. King has spent years developing his unique style and wants to share it with others. He recently released the free mixtape Vanity Projects: a selection of songs based on personal ideas and an opportunity for music fans to hear his sound.”
PICTUREBOX – Legion [Starts: 24:06]
http://picturebox.bandcamp.com
Picturebox are based songwriter Robert Halcrow – who tells us he loves the proposition that songs can be about “anything at all”. Charmingly, the band put on Tea & Biscuits nights at The Annexe in the fine cathedral city of Canterbury – featuring music, tea, cake and colouring-in. The next one wil be at the Salvation Army’s Annexe on 19th June. Since their second album Wildlife came out in May 2011, this gratifyingly prolific outfit have released a further four digital EPs and singles, all of which can be heard on their Bandcamp page. You’ll also find their newly-released third album Home Taping which came out last month, and from which this is the opening track.
As if the ever-active Mr Halcrow didn’t already have enough on his hands he’s also recently been recording and playing baritone horns with Robert Rotifer and Ian Button’s bizarre sideproject Papernut Cambridge, who are worth a small digression. “Papernut Cambridge is the name of a band I dreamed about once” writes Ian Button “They were playing a gig with another band called Elvis Breakdown. I wrote a song about them in 1996, but this is the first actual incarnation of them in the real world.” You may not be astonished to learn that great English Eccentric Darren Heyman has a hand in all this: fikarecordings.com/christmasinhaworth/?p=207
ANNA CORCORAN – Sail Away [Starts: 26:46]
http://www.annacorcoran.com
We featured an excellent song called The Show by Liverpool songwriter Anna Corcoran in March on the Mixtape – and the rich and gorgeous Sail Away fulfils her promise as a serious artist to be reckoned with. This is music of absolute quality: beautifully produced, written and sung. As is so often the case her work is grounded in live performance – where if an artist serve up anything halfbaked or secondbest the audience simply starts talking or heads to the bar. “I really believe people will always want to go out to watch live gigs and concerts” she says “…and that means that as musicians, we need to be constantly performing, evolving and perfecting our skills.”
As Al Mobbs often reminds us, music of this quality is only achieved when natural talent is combined with sheer hard work.
REVERE – I Won’t Blame You [Starts: 30:16]
http://www.revereonline.co.uk/
I’ve long been a fan of the passionate London post-rock seven-piece Revere and this recent single from the band was supported by both Steve Lamacq and Dermot O’Leary on Radio 2 as well as myself on 6 Music and the ever-discerning crew over at Amazing Radio. Also by this hardworking band themselves with an extensive UK tour. Already looking ahead to the next phase, it will be followed by a new double-A single: fan favourite Halcyon Days and a cover of the Depeche Mode classic Enjoy The Silence. It will be released on Monday 12th August on V2. This flurry of releases provides a taster from Revere’s forthcoming second album Your Mirror/Your Target due later in the year. Festival goers will be able to catch them at Glastonbury, Standon Calling and Green Man this summer.
SHADRACK TYE – Ocean Waves [Starts: 34:13]
http://www.shadracktye.com
Shadrack Tye are all members of the same South London family. Individually, they have busy, varied musical lives and a wealth of experience: Tina and Paul playing for top chamber ensembles and orchestras, while Sam regularly graces the airwaves both with the rock band St Spirit and jazz harmony group Vive. Obviously they know each other fairly well but their epiphanal moment of deciding to make music together happened only a couple of years ago. Alongside songwriter Tina’s original work they also perform traditional music and contemporary covers – and their debut EP The Lovers Tale appeared last year. They’re currently working on an album due for release later this year. Upcoming shows include The Broadstairs Folk Festival on August 10th and 11th.
SUGARDRUM – Dancers In A Painting [Starts: 38:41]
http://www.sugardrum.com
Sugardrum is the musical name of songwriter, storyteller and multi-instrumentalist Nigel Bunner who is currently working on the debut Sugardrum album. This song comes from last year’s Where Once Were Roads EP – and a followup EP is due later this summer featuring, Nigel tells us, “a blend of vocal harmonies, gentle finger picked guitar, cello, glockenspiel, percussion and assorted old school keyboard electronica and drum machines.” BBC Introducing: The South have recently fetured his song Choccy Rolls from the forthcoming EP. Poignantly, the song’s theme of Dementia has been mirrored in the lives of Nigel’s parents after a devastating car accident in 2012 which has which left them both mentally incapacitated. The past year has been a busy one helping them rebuild their shattered lives – the song can be heard at http://soundcloud.com/sugardrum/choccy-rolls
THE GOLDEN AGE – Act of Grace [Starts: 42:19]
http://www.facebook.com/thegoldenageband
The Golden Age are a two piece alternative garage surf rock outfit consisting of Paul Gumma and Gary Munday and based in Winchester/Southampton. Their influences are Pixies, Yeasayer, Buddy Holly, El Guincho, Queens of the Stoneage, Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Surfer Blood, Iggy Pop, Eddie Cochran, Heavy Trash, Jon Spencer, Depeche Mode, Gene Vincent, The Beach Boys, Battles, Justice, Link Wray, Lykke Li, Nick Drake, PJ Harvey, Supergrass, Television, Throwing Muses, Vampire Weekend, Violent Femmes, M83 and Everything Everything. So now you know.
YOUDID – Empty My Head [Starts: 45:46]
http://www.youdidmusic.com
Youdid is Judith Severloh, a German songwriter from Hanover who recently moved to London because she considers it to be “the most important place for rock and pop music in Europe” and because some of her favorite artists work here. Her underlying principle in all her writing is that the songs must work with just one instrument and voice. This is the title track of her EP due out a week today Monday June 25th through LTYH Records. “My biggest dream” she says “is to reach as many people with this music as possible.”
THE BIRDMAN RALLIES – What Is This House [Starts: 49:01]
http://www.thebirdmanrallies.com
daniel webster, ashley johnson, adam westerman, dave armstrong
The Birdman Rallies was formed by four friends in the leafy suburbs of Harrogate, brought together, we’re told, “by a common love of music with confusing rhythms, enchanting melodies, a sense of experiment and a soul”. I first played them on 6 Music back in January 2009 – and their song Telescope Katie – from the album Moons – was included on the Mixtape last November. The complete selfproduced album is available as a free download via bandcamp – also see Johnno’s recent Prick & Ding interview with the band.
DESPERATE JOURNALIST – Cristina [Starts: 52:30]
http://www.facebook.com/DesperateJournalist
Desperate Journalist are a new band from London consistting of vocalist Jo Bevan, Rob Hardy on guitar, bassist Simon Drowner and Caz Hellbent – from Yeah And She Has Red Lips Too on drums. They aim to make music “veering from cascading gothic anti-ballads to driving disco punk – a sound concerned with melody and melodrama.” Their first batch of gigs around the capital have won them, we’re told, “a passionate following” and Cristina is the title track of their debut EP Cristina, due for release this Wednesday, June 19th.
TREE OF WOLVES – Icy Water [Starts: 56:00]
http://www.facebook.com/treeofwolves
This is the debut single from Tree of Wolves – a new five piece from the depths of South West Wales. It was produced by John Lawrence (ex Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci) in Nant Y Benglog and released last month. Not content to stand still, the band’s followup single Eyes Wide Open is already scheduled for release on July 20th with a UK tour planned for the Autumn.
Tom Robinson! What a Fantastic taste in music you have! Thank you kindly for Writing such great words about our good friend Joe bone!
We at Gobo Photography enjoy immensely photographing the Band ‘The coffins’ and have photographed them on numerous occasions. they consistently put on an incredible performance, always playing like it was their last second on this earth .
Thanks a million for seeing the true nature of joe’s creative solo project we are very proud of him! Thank you SO Much Tom! Keep the Creative flood gates wide open we love to delve in to fresh musical ideas!
Kind regards
Miff Morris
Thanks so much for playing my song Dancers in a Painting 🙂
best wishes,
Nigel
Amazing quality of music in the podcast this week. Astonishing really. And great journalism folks. Makes such a difference while listening. I feel plugged right in. Thank you Tom and Team.
Brisbane, Australia.