Neon Music Blog

[3]: Team Waterpolo to play Glastonbury // New singles from The Brute Chorus & Josh Weller // Plugs reviewed

2009-04-08T07:35:00.001-07:00

We're back, and enjoying the start of summer almost as much as we enjoyed our extended Easter break (and all the chocolate eggs this entailed).
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Team Waterpolo are set to play Glastonbury again! The band had a great time playing there last year, and will play the Queen's Head stage on Sunday June 28th, so make sure to catch them if you're going to be there.

You can watch Team Waterpolo's new video for upcoming single 'Room 44' here, and you can pre-order the single - which is released on 18th May with two exclusive B-sides - here.
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We have two more exciting single releases to tell you about, the first of which is from The Brute Chorus. They will be releasing their fourth single 'All The Pilgrims' on Sunday 31st May. Recorded live at The Roundhouse on February 28th this is the first of all the songs recorded that night to be released to the public and is a taster of more to come as the release of their debut album draws ever nearer. The band rehearsed non-stop for four weeks above a Dalston pub in preparation for the live album recording and enlisted the help of Mercury nominated producers Choque Hosein (Black Star Liner) and Victor Van Vugt (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Gogol Bordello, PJ Harvey and Sons & Daughters) for the project. For a sneak preview of 'All The Pilgrims' head over to The Brute Chorus's MySpace page: www.myspace.com/thebrutechorus
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Our third upcoming release is from Josh Weller, who will be releasing his ridiculously excellent 'Push EP' on 4th May. You can pre-order the special edition 'Push EP' on CD here: http://puregroove.co.uk/itemview.aspx?item=867

This limited edition digi-pack, which comes signed by the man himself and with extra goodies, is available exclusively when you pre-order from Pure Groove.
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The fantastic Whybirds are set to headline London's Borderline on May 16th - get your tickets from seetickets.com.
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Last but by no means least, we have an exclusive review of Plugs' forthcoming single 'All Them Witches'. Plugs will be playing at Camden Crawl this weekend and also have dates scheduled across the UK.

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Plugs - All Them Witches

With artwork portraying a ladette’s worst nightmare and the most danceable 'let’s-write-about-my-ex/yes-I-do-still-think-of-what-you-did-and-hate-you-for-it' title track to have graced your ears since Bon Iver’s "For Emma..." Plugs have made a first-rate follow up to their much lauded 2008 EPs 'That Number' and 'Imaginary Friend'. The trio were digitally and lovingly caressed by many a radio station, music channel, magazine and blog after their past releases and All Them Witches has the potential to follow suit.

For those of you who haven’t been grabbed (or even lightly scratched) by the far-reaching fingers of this trio yet, the band comprises Morgan Quaintance, Dave Chin and the aptly named drummer Boomer. You’ll know Morgan as the chap who sings vocals and plays guitar in the internationally successful Does It Offend You, Yeah? and through his various performances alongside certain ex and current members of indie “IT” bands. You probably won’t know Dave Chin or Boomer, but not to worry.

Filthy Dukes picked up the band after asking them to play their Kill Em All club night at Fabric and were so impressed by Plugs they signed them up for the debut release on their newborn record label, erm, Kill Em All. Kudos to the Dukes as ‘All Them Witches’ is, in the words of Mr T (the A-Team - or the recent Snickers advert campaign), “pretty good!”.

All Them Witches is the most brilliant concoction of electro-indie-pop with just a shot of shoegaze for good measure. The first fifteen seconds of the song serves to warm up your ear drums to the soft, infectious electro of the track and will make you do that awful but oh so good 'head bob with shoulders' dance that we all do when we’re on our own (okay, maybe just me). When Quaintance’s warm and lethargic tones cut in, the music immediately switches from sharp, prodding electro to, dare I say the word, ‘groovy’ pop/indie dream. It’s a smooth transition that doesn’t have a millisecond of awkwardness and adds to the excellence of this track. What works to the songs’ advantage most however is the contrast between the happy, perfectly danceable music and vocals with the actual lyrics themselves. It’s akin to the scene in Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, when Alex hits George in the ‘yarbo’s’, kicks him into the Thames and slices Dim’s hand open, all to the jubilance of Rossini’s The Thieving Magpie. It can take half way into the song or multiple listens until you take notice of the lyrics in All Them Witches and realise that the song is actually a fairly deranged and bitter offering to an ex-girlfriend, who I’d suggest best get on the blower for a restraining order ASAP:

"If I see you in the arms of another, I’ll be standing over your shoulder with a gun in my hand, For the good of man."

Another fuelled lyric comes in the infectious chorus: "You’re like a feather/Travelling in the breeze/From partner to partner/I’m gonna make you bleed". However whatever Quaintance’s intentions with this ode to a seemingly fickle ex, this makes for a bloody good tune as these slightly maniacal lyrics layer over the upbeat and highly accessible music Plugs have brought to the table. A hot track that will make an invaluable addition to your music libraries!

Plugs also release a free download each month on their Myspace (link below), which is music to anyone’s ears. They’ve been booked for the famous Camden Crawl this year and are playing a number of dates in the UK starting from last week’s Hoxton gig with We Have Band (which was incredible, by the way). Lend your support and check them out:

17th April: The Freebutt, Brighton
18th April: Play It By Ear @ Monarch, London
25th April: Camden Crawl, London
30th April: Hinterland Festival, Glasgow
1st May: Hinterland Festival, Glasgow

In a recent blog on their Myspace, Morgan tells us: “Trust me we have some loopy shizzle in the nizzle”. We'll take your word for it...

www.myspace.com/plugsmusic
http://www.peopleinthesky.co.uk (for previous EPs)

Review: Rowan Allen

[2]: Free Whybirds MP3 // New Team Waterpolo Tracks // My Tiger My Timing

2009-03-28T06:18:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Firstly, a big thank you to everyone who's bought The Foxes' single "Bill Hicks" - it reached number 6 in the UK Indie Singles Chart!

Team Waterpolo have a new Facebook fan page which you can view and join by clicking here. The band also have a couple of new tracks up on their MySpace, why not head on over and take a listen?

This week the Neon Music Blog is offering, exclusively to our readers, a previously unreleased free MP3 from excellent Bedford-based band The Whybirds. The track is called "Before I Go Crazy." The Whybirds represent a distillation of the best rock music from the last four decades. Imagine the vocal harmonies of The Byrds and The Band, the songcraft of Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and Steve Earle and the sonic attack of the Black Crowes and Pearl Jam, and you're getting close to the stirring, uplifting sound of The Whybirds. According to Americana UK, The Whybirds "sound like Pearl Jam having a fist fight with The Allman Brothers in Don Henley’s back yard. But what’s more important is that The Whybirds might just be the hardest working and hardest rocking band in Britain right now – a band destined for greatness".

You can read a review of one of their fantastic live gigs here and the band currently have dates scheduled in Bedford, Cambridge and London - head over to their MySpace for more details. For your free MP3, simply send an email to kelly@neonstreet.co.uk with the subject "Whybirds MP3" and we'll whizz it straight over to you.

This week Robbie Romero has reviewed for us the upcoming single by My Tiger My Timing - "This Is Not The Fire." Enjoy, and we'll see you next week!

Neon x

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My Tiger My Timing - This Is Not The Fire

Label: Silver Music Machine
Release Date: 6th April 2009
Format: Single - CD & Digital Download
Tracklisting: 1. This Is Not The Fire (3:39), 2. Sam Wire Dubstep Version (5:10), 3. Tronik Youth’s Flaming Mix (5:21)

A hot new band from London?

Yes that is correct, from London. Forget the ‘scummy’ 4-pieces for a minute as there is something different tearing up the capital…

James & Anna Vincent teamed up with Jamie Harrison & Gary Drain just over a year ago to form My Tiger My Timing and with a little help from “hearts, buildings, black holes and space” they’ve managed the almost unthinkable of today’s music scene: hot new music, which layers vocals within dark, often moody, yet extremely danceable three and a half minute pop songs. If they were around before you were born, they’d be somewhere between Orange Juice and Talking Heads (go ask your Dad).

After only a year it is now time for their official debut release, This Is Not The Fire, a truly awesome piece of hypnotic, melodic pop. On the first listen you won’t even know you’ve taken it all in, but later you’ll be itching for a repeat performance. With Andy Spence of New Young Pony Club fame at the controls, this debut is sure to fire them into the music scene with a BANG!

No B-side, but instead, two very unique remixes. Personally I cannot see any reason for including the Sam Wire Dubstep Version as it offers the listener nothing in the way of bettering the original. Tronik Youth’s reworking is something to put on your iPods though. Over five minutes of pure late '80's 'summer of love' industrial techno that somehow manages to sound fresher than ever. Not much is taken from the original, but for some this will prove to be the stand-out track.

Don't take my word for it, Post War Years and We Have Band think My Tiger My Timing are up there with the best of them.

Want to hear more? You lucky people. Joe Goddard of Hot Chip is in the studio with My Tiger My Timing as you’re reading this. It won’t be long until these guys have a truly amazing set list!

Go and see for yourselves:

4th April: Big In Japan @ Dusk Til Dawn, Bournemouth
11th April: Be @ Proud, London
17th April: Blow Up, Manchester
30th April: Hinterland Festival, Glasgow
15th May: The Great Escape Festival, Brighton
28th May: Broken Yolk @ Barden's Boudoir, London

If you don’t live near any of those cities? Fine, My Tiger My Timing will be touring the whole of the UK very soon so sign up to their MySpace and they’ll keep you informed: www.myspace.com/mytigermytiming

They also have a new, slinky website: http://www.mytigermytiming.com

Review: Robbie Romero

[1]: Secret Garden Party // Scouting For Girls // The Shoes VS Primary 1

2009-03-20T13:49:00.000-07:00

Hi folks,

This week's most exciting news is the announcement of 2009's Secret Garden Party lineup. The festival this year looks set to be the best one yet, and will be headlined by none other than Jarvis Cocker! Other acts announced are Emmy The Great, Chew Lips and Team Waterpolo to name but a few. Head on over to www.secretgardenparty.com for the full lineup and ticket information.

Scouting For Girls have released a free EP including fan favourite Keep On Walking and three other marvellous live tracks. Although the EP is free for you to download, the band have suggested that you might want to donate a little something to Comic Relief in return; donations are still being accepted. Click here to find out more.

A quick reminder that The Foxes' new single "Bill Hicks" was released on Monday. If you've not already got it (and if you haven't, whyever not?!) then you can get the download, CD or 7" vinyl by clicking the link(s) on their Myspace.

Finally, we have a new reviewer on board - Robbie Romero. He's written a review of The Shoes VS Primary 1's upcoming double A-side single, exclusively for the Neon Music Blog. We'll be featuring more exclusive reviews from him in the near future, so keep one eye right here (you'll probably need the other eye for doing important stuff like watching Hollyoaks).

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The Shoes VS Primary 1 - Ho Lord / People Movin'

Label: 50 Bones
Release Date: 20th April 2009
Format: Single - 7" Vinyl & Digital Download
Tracklisting: A Ho Lord B/W AA People Movin'

If you've heard of The Shoes I doubt you need to read this, simply because you already know just how good these French remixers-turned-band really are! After a string of notable remixes for a who's who of acts (Late Of The Pier, Santogold, Esser, Ladyhawke and Mystery Jets) The Shoes have made the inevitable jump to band extraordinaire. Everyone is leaping on their bandwagon, so don't miss out.

After debut releases from Little Boots and The Virgins, the already legendary 50 Bones is set to release its best find yet...

Ho Lord is the Ed Banger style treble heavy piano anthem for this summer. The French accented, softly spoken verses are reminiscent of The Teenagers, only better. Heavy bass with a piano led tune and melody will even have the coolest of cats gyrating to its groove. Its hard to stop this funk train of a track, although a mid song name check to (Sir) Elton does precisely that, for a second, before this runaway train instantly gathers steam and mooches into its timeless chorus, "Oh Lord, I would surrender to me..."

"The AA side is better than the A side."

That is a statement, not a question! Yep, Erol Alkan's boys Primary 1 somehow manage to add even more cool to the newest cool cats on the block. When you hear People Movin' you'll think Gnarls Barkley and Danger Mouse have unleashed another perfect hit. The sweeping beats, trumpet and flute all combine with the sweetest soul voice to create a true sense of tropical paradise. There is even a stylophone for good measure. Don't take my word for it, let the chorus do the talking, "...Take the best and make it good for you".

Without around the clock radio play this won't become the summer anthem it rightfully deserves, but that's exactly what you want! Two super cool tracks back to back. Even the cover is awesome! Buy the 7" and you'll see what I mean.

Review: Robbie Romero
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Until next time...

Neon x

Welcome to the new Neon Music Blog!

2009-03-06T07:01:00.000-08:00

While we mourn the passing of the sadly-deceased Neon Music Club, sooner or later it is time to move on and get over it. Plenty more fish in the sea, and all that. So here's something bigger, better and much more exciting: rising from the ashes of the Music Club like some great and beautiful indie phoenix (drumroll please)... the Neon Music Blog! Hooray!

Here we will keep you updated with what's going on in our world and what's getting us excited right now, including information on new bands and artists, special offers, competitions, and of course the odd free MP3 for your aural pleasure. Be sure to check back each week to see what new nuggets of musical goodness we've unearthed for you, and feel free to contact us if you've found something you think we should feature or if you'd like to write a short article or review for the blog. You can email us here: kelly@neonstreet.co.uk

Similarly, if you're in a band and would like to be featured, drop us a line and we'll see what we can do.

If you've just stumbled across this and are wondering who the heck we are, this blog is run by Neon Street Teams. We work with a load of amazing bands, and we'll give you nice shiny music-related gifts in return for your help promoting them. You can find out more about the work we do and sign up to a street team via our website: http://www.neonstreet.co.uk

If you can't wait until our first proper blog entry next week, then here's a freebie to whet your appetite. The awesome NIXA have been called "one of the top 10 unsigned acts in the UK" by Metro national newspaper, and all you have to do to get your grubby mitts on a copy of their excellent new 3-track CD is head on over to their MySpace, sign up to their newsletter and then drop them a polite email at nixa@rock.com. If that doesn't satiate your inner rock chick/dude* (*delete as applicable) then we don't know what will.

All that remains is to remind you to pre-order The Foxes' new single "Bill Hicks" or we'll hunt you down and take your guinea pig hostage. Click here for more information on how to pre-order.

Remember to come back next week for a whole host of musical goodies!

Neon x