Pama International Photo Special

All credit for the pictures to Andy Hall the full set can be viewed here

Talons Photo Special

Credit to Andy Hall for these ace photos you can see more of his good work here

God Damn Photo Special

As previously all credit to Andy Hall for the photos and you can check more out here

Talons, God Damn, Killer Yogi & I/O @ The Flapper Birmingham 25th November 2010

Last weekend started with a bang, which was accompanied by some beautiful violin playing and brutal guitar lines. I was of course in Birmingham watching Talons, who are one of the UK’s hottest musical prospects.

As I got onto the train with Andy (who took all the pictures) we watched all the unfortunate Vampire Weekend fans getting into Wolverhampton for the show at the Civic. These poor young souls didn’t realise what they were going to miss in Birmingham for a quarter of the price. In truth we didn’t know quite how incredible the night and line up were going to be, but both Andy and I were blown away by ‘Hollow Realm’, Talons’ debut release, from the very first listen.

As we arrived at the Flapper to find a frozen canal and ice covered tables we were glad to be tucked away in the small back stage area with the band for an interview (which will be up shortly). The first two acts Killer Yogi and I/O played interesting sets, which were well worth watching. I’m looking forward to seeing both again, especially as now I know what to expect I will be able to formulate a full opinion on them. 

Wolverhampton’s finest God Damn were the first band to properly blow us away with their very individual sound and manic live performance. They’re a band I have seen numerous times and have never been disappointed by the live sound or performance. My description on the night was classicrockhardcore which sums elements of them up perfectly and does nothing for others. The band are a soundclash between individual styles and techniques which comes together into something very original and well worth checking out. 

Tonight was an example of one of the most irritating things about living in Wolverhampton, and Birmingham having such a good live music scene. As Talons took the stage I had a quick glance down at my watch to see we only had half an hour of their set to watch before the mad rush to the train to get back home again. During that half hour the band made me feel almost every emotion possible without the need to use a single word. The level of aggression that comes through every instrument is balanced by the moments of immense beauty and backed up by uncomfortable suspense. 

I thought I knew what to expect from the live performance after listening to the record numerous times but it turned out I was wrong. The live performance increases the intensity and general brilliance to alarming levels and as I looked around the audience the entire front row was looking on in amazement. 

For six people to convey such emotion through instrumental music is astounding and if you haven’t seen Talons live you should track them down in a town near you soon. If you can’t make a live show buy their debut album ‘Hollow Realm’ or at the very least add it to your Christmas list, you can’t be disappointed by something so incredible.

Cheers to Andy Hall for all the pics you check the whole set out here  

A1 Reccords

A quick note to recommend that you get yourself over to the A1 records website and check out the great records now available to download. I would personally recommend the Gregory Kraj albums and EP’s (there’s loads of them) and the Spades however everything I have downloaded is great.

Those of you who have some money and are feeling generous should also donate to keep the label running. I have a feeling we will be expecting great things from A1 in the future especially with the existing music they are realising.

You can check them out here

SANZARU is born

As mentioned in previous posts I have been working towards releasing an independent music Zine. I finally have good news on that front our website is in progress and as soon as it’s done we will have our first issue available for your reading pleasure. There is also soon to be a video interview with The Slackers and Vic Ruggiero talking about his solo records.

There is also going to be a Sanzaru blog on the way which will be updated regularly by Jamie and myself with special guest blogs appearing as often as possible.

If you want to get involved in any way please do not hesitate in getting in touch.

A Beginner’s Guide To Dance

I am no expert on dance music and only listen to a few artists mainly recommended to me by friends and reviews. I generally listen to relaxed styles mainly with real instruments involved; there have been plenty of artists developing styles incorporating a dance influence in differing styles.

The most documented style recently discussed has been the New Rave scene which started in the USA with the LCD Sound System and The Rapture both influencing the style that emerged in the UK last year with The Klaxons, Hot Chip and Enter Shakiri. The scene has obvious comparisons to the Radio 4 and Cooper Temple Clause but Test Icicles have been credited with starting the style. Recently NME described them as 'the most important influence to music in the last 10 years' (a comment to take with a pinch of salt).

As with any scene there are good artists and bands who ride the hype. The Klaxons were victims of their own success and released a great album but singles being forced into our ears made it hard to respect the creativity of the record. Hot Chip also got tied into the New Rave scene, although released one of the best dance albums of the year with a follow up that made my top albums of the year.

Although I am not an expert there are plenty of ‘dance’ albums I love including Air’s Moon Safari which is an album that never fails to relax me but includes all the elements you expect from French dance music. New Forms by Roni Size and Reprazent is again a stunning record, made with a mixture between live instruments and electronic beats creating an individual sound. Mr Scruff’s Keep It Unreal displays a truly original take jazz inspired dance which is hard not to love.

The genre is far bigger than my knowledge but there are a load of important bands to be considered.

LCD Soundsystem

Radio 4

Mr Scruff

Roni Size

Air

Klaxons

Bloc Party (Particularly most recent record)

Hot Chip

Test Icicles

A Beginners Guide To Indie

Indie music is a non-genre as it seems to include anything that is popular without being a boy/girl band or fitting into R&B, Hip Hop, Dance, Rock or Metal. Indie music seems to be defined by appearing in NME or being played on the radio. The genre doesn’t exist in the USA (it’s called Alt Rock or similar) but American bands fit the UK definition so get branded when they come over here.

This is the music my sister currently listens to, mainly because this is the genre that describes the taste in music my Dad now has. She particularly likes the Ting Tings and Razorlight’s bland take on the genre. I would like to show her there is more to Indie than that style and with any luck she can see them as an influence which helped her get into better music.

I’m sure part of the reason I dislike the popular Indie sound is down to my love of independent music. In my opinion there are far better bands not enjoying the success they deserve. With this in mind I will be including my favorite Indie bands that inspired me when I was younger along with the bands that still inspire me now.

When I was at school/college I listened to a lot of Radio 1 especially John Peel and Steve Lamaq in the evenings. This influenced my taste in music by putting bands like Ash, At The Drive-in, Radiohead, Supergrass, Beastie Boys, The Rapture and The Libertines in front of me. Each artist represents a different style categorized within the Indie Genre.

The current breed of UK Indie has given us some great bands including Hot Club De Paris, The Holloway’s, Dirty Pretty Things, Dead 60’s, Bloc Party, Klaxons, Dustin’s Bar Mitzvah and many more to accompany the bands that originally inspired me. The newer breed of Indie includes so many styles of music that would fit into many different genres, making defining the genre almost impossible.

The USA also has some of the best Indie bands around at the moment all of which have a completely different sound to the UK scene. Bands like The Shins, Strokes, Dandy Warhol’s, Weezer, MGMT, LCD Sound System, Moldy Peaches and Radio 4 are keeping the genre as diverse as it has ever been. The American style often has noticeable comparisons to influential artists such as The Velvet Underground, Stooges, Ramones, Johnny Cash, Bruce Spingsteen and Elvis Costello.

It is hard to have an essential list of artists for a genre that is so diverse with influences from almost every scene that took place before the definition was decided. The list below features as many of the bands that inspired me as a teen and important bands of the current scene. I can leave the early stuff to my Dad who I'm sure already has brought the Smiths, Pixies, Blur, Pulp and Suede to my sister's attention.

Supergrass
Bloc Party
Ash
Eeels
Weezer
The Shins
Hot Club De Paris
The Strokes
White Stripes
Flaming Lips
Radiohead
Rival Schools
Shout Out Louds

Fell In Love With A Girl

Hi

I hope you are good! As you might assume from the title I am posting about Valentines Day it may be a bit late but as this blog would have given away what I was giving.

I am wondering if the mix tape has died with the cassette, or if people other than me still make play lists, CD’s etc. for friends, other halves or whoever. I made my girlfriend 2 CD’s full of love songs for Valentines Day thinking that the effort that goes into this process is better than a bunch of roses or some chocolates. I also made a box and artwork for the CD’s saving me from making or buying a card. Fortunately my girlfriend was happy with the gift and could see the effort I went to.

I am just wondering if this is a cheap cop out or a romantic gesture, what’s your opinion? Leave a comment or whatever then we can spark a debate.

I often find that memories are stored in particular bands/songs which give every aspect of my life a separate play list. There are rare occasions where a song sparks a memory which can make you feel emotions so strong the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, below are a few that trigger this for me.

Boy Awaits Return Of The Runaway Girl by Hot Club De Paris

This song reminds me of times I have made mistakes or said the wrong thing and waited for the ‘runaway girl’ to come back and get the problems, I caused, sorted.

P.S You Rock My World by The Eels

This was chosen as a foot note mainly for the title, however the lyrics focus on the moment you realise you are in love. In E’s case this dawns on him at a funeral and makes him realise life is too short to be alone.

61C Days Turn To Night by Justin Sane

The lyrics here remind me of times spent away from my girlfriend whilst she was studying abroad. The description of how different everything feels when you are used to spending all your time together is now comforting as we have overcome the hurdle. I still think it’s important to remember low points to see how far you have come.

Perfect Day by Lou Reed

In a relationship there are a few perfect days that you always remember and choose to look back on. Although I have never enjoyed sangria in the park (or at all to be honest as I can’t stand red wine) I can relate to Lou’s perfect day and any excuse to remember good times is welcome.

Boy by Rueben

Lyrically and musically beautiful, this is one of the 2 Rueben songs that make the hairs on my neck stand up. It represents those times when a partner comforts you in bad times, some of the most beautiful and defining moments in a relationship come when guards are lowered in this way.

Picture Of You by Mr Hudson & The Library

Another song reminding me of separation in my relationship, most people carry a picture of a partner in their wallet. I find it comforting to always have a reminder close to me at all times.

Fell In Love With A Girl by The White Stripes

A musical reflection of falling in love, fast and loud like falling head over heals in love. The speed and length of the song perfectly represents the intensity of falling in love, the simple lyrics also describe the feeling.

Cheers for reading more soon!

B

A virtual handshake

Hi how’s it going?

Firstly I would like to introduce myself: I am Ben Adsett 22 from Cheltenham in the Cotswolds in the UK. I love music especially independent music on tiny record labels that nobody else listens to. I also like to watch bands on small record labels play live as often as possible.

My love of independent music has brought me together with 2 people who share my interest in music and the independent scene. We all agree that the current, market for music magazines does not cater for our needs.

We have decided to create our own music zine, to attempt to return to the zine culture that existed before the internet and social networking. We will be creating a pointed and online edition once every two months, the online edition will be available for download and if you like what we are doing you are welcome to print and distribute copies. There will also be a website with regular blogs written by us and guests.

Everything will get underway in April, with the first issue being a solo artist special. I have already got confirmed interviews from Frank Turner, Liam O'Kane, Robb Blake, Barbar Luck, Matthew Reynolds and Mike Park with more to follow.

In the meantime please feel free to read my thoughts and opinions and I’ll keep you up to date with what’s going on with the zine.

If you like the idea please feel free to contribute in any way you see fit; we are currently looking for designers, photographers and writers if you want to get involved please get in touch. You can email me > ben.adsett@hotmail.co.uk