I feel infinite

Me and some friends have started a new night called Hi Honey, our first party takes place in Brighton as part of The Great Escape this Thursday 13th May.  Gonna be rad.

I’ve been crap with blogging of late, but that’s because so many other people do it better than me, especially The Mixtape where I just saw this video for Wild Nothing’s ‘Chinatown’.  I love this band so much.  Actually, it’s just one 21 year old guy called  Jack Tatum, which is pretty incredible.  Soft hazy beautiful songs that will have you staring into the distance and remembering the good times.

I’ve been an Ariel Pink fan ever since I saw the ‘Politely Declined‘ video a couple of years back, and now with permanent band members in place, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti are surely about to get a hell of a lot more attention. Since signing with 4AD last year their music has evolved into a more refined sound with better production, but has still managed to keep that experimental and exciting element at it’s core.  Seriously can’t wait for the album.

Couldn’t bring myself to post the actual artwork for the single though, stared at it way too long and got weirded out.  I think Ariel drew it himself judging by his other sketches that I found online.

You can download the track for free here.

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Round and Round

Feel like I’m jumping on the band(lol)wagon a bit with this one but how can I resist when the songs are so awesome and include xylophones.  Cults emerged last week and the blogosphere got a bit excited.  A boy/girl duo from New York, if it sounds this good now just imagine how amazing it’s going to be when the Winter finally gives up and we can all go hang out in the park.

Download the tracks for free here.

Cults - Go Outside

Next week is Darwin Deez week, I seriously cannot wait for the London shows. I somehow managed to download his album last year when it was still available online and I’ve been playing it non stop ever since. Such awesome upbeat songs that can change my mood tor the better instantly, if I get to meet this guy I think I’ll be happy forever. We need more people like this in the world.

London dates:

9th March – White Heat @ Madame Jo Jo’s
11th March – XFM Exposure @ The Barfly
12th March – Back To The Future @ The Monarch
13th March – Get It Loud @ Westminster Library

Song of the week, I just can’t stop listening.  Psychedelic rhythmic disco with a weird dark under current, makes me feel like throwing some kind of ritualistic gathering and sacrificing a goat (in the best possible sense).

New album out on 20th April with a live show at Corsica Studios on the same day with the magnificent Gold Panda supporting and not a ticket left for sale in sight.  Who wants to come to my party instead?

Hackney/Berlin based artist Kindness makes deadpan disco party music that any fans of Talking Heads and Arthur Russell will appreciate.  ‘Swinging Party’ (a cover of The Replacements song – listen to the original here) was released at the end of 2009 on Moshi Moshi Records, and after a recent double page feature in NME we will no doubt be hearing a lot more about this guy.

More tracks up on the Myspace with not a lot else to be honest.  Apart from some pretty amazing photos of people and animals.  Really need to get myself a pet deer.

Kindness - Swinging Party

I’m finding it difficult to write about Oberhofer.  I discovered his music last night and have thought of nothing ever since.  Catchy, experimental pop songs with real heart, it’s the kind of music you don’t realise has been missing from your life until you find out it exists.

From what I can gather Brad Oberhofer is a 19 year old from Tacoma, Washington who moved to Brooklyn in 2006 to study and intern at Matador Records where he played his demos to some very stunned work colleagues.  He’s been giving away his EP on request via his Myspace for the past few months, I hope there are plans for an album in the pipeline.

Twenty seconds into ‘Away From You’ and I know that this music is going to stay with me forever.

A list of all the shows I went to in 2009. Top show by far was Cymbals Eat Guitars which gives me the perfect excuse to post a video of them.

14/1/09 Televised Crimewave @ 93 Feet East, London
31/1/09 Ulterior @ 93 Feet East, London
12/2/09 Plugs @ Scala, London
18/2/09 Hockey @ Dublin Castle, London
14/3/09 The Bang Gang Deejays, Tame Impala, Drums Of Death, Holy Ghost!, The Golden Filter, Zomby, Rex the Dog @ The Coronet, London
16/3/09 Friendship @ Old Blue Last, London
18/3/09 Girl Talk @ Scala, London
27/3/09 Etienne De Crecy @ Matter, London
16/4/09 Plugs & We Have Band @ Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, London
19/4/09 The Juan Maclean @ Queen Elizabeth Hall, London
28/4/09 The Juan Maclean @ White Heat, London
30/4/09 The Boxer Rebellion @ Scala, London
1/5/09 Joe & Will Ask? @ Fabric, London
19/5/09 Girls @ White Heat, London
21/5/09 Girls @ Cafe 1001, London
22/5/09 Plugs @ Queen of Hoxton, London
12/6/09 Is Tropical, Gold Panda & Futurecop @ The Legion, London (my night)
27/6/09 Various @ Glastonbury
7/7/09 Cymbals Eat Guitars @ ICA, London
10/7/09 Justice, Busy P, SebastiAn et al (Ed Banger night) @ The Coronet, London
17/7/09 Style Of Eye @ The Egg, London
26/7/09 Joe & Will Ask?, Patrick Wolf @ Shoreditch Festival, London
21/8/9 Various @ V Festival, Reading
5/9/09 Various @ Offset Festival, London
24/9/09 Zombie Disco Squad @ Diesel Store, London
15/10/09 Joe & Will Ask? & Groove Armada @ The Coronet, London
16/10/09 The Subs @ Fabric, London
7/11/09 Small Black, Picture Plane, Cale Parks @ Market Hotel, New York
9/11/09 Mon Khmer & Midnight Masses @ Arlene’s Grocery, New York
10/11/09 Steel Phantoms @ Piano’s, New York
28/11/09 Lindstrom @ Corsica Studios
4/12/09 Chapel Club @ 42 Fieldgate Street, London
11/12/09 The Twelves @ The Legion (my night)

Heartwarming scuzzed out melodies from Is Tropical, an East London based trio who have a pet hedgehog from Africa (believe me, I’ve seen it).  One to watch for 2010.

Is Tropical’s single ‘When O When/Seasick Mutiny’ drops January 18th on Hit Club, single launch at Vogue Fabrics, Stoke Newington on Thursday 21st January.