At the risk of sounding older than my 25 years, they don’t do cd’s like they used to! I suppose it’s just so easy to buy on the internet these days that most record companies don’t spend much effort on producing some cool artwork and packaging. I’ll always be one for having a physical copy of an album but records shops can be so hellish these days (notable examples excluded) , it’s sometimes more preferable just to ‘i-tunes it’.
Therefore, I was delighted to arrive home from a long day in the office to find a parcel all the way from Berlin. Enclosed was the latest Thirty Pounds Of Bone EP, ‘And They Go Down To It In Ships’, (previously mentioned on this very blog) from Woodland Recordings. I have to say it’s a marvellous effort! Limited to 100 copies, the CD is individually handmade and wrapped in starched sail cloth with a hand stiched booklet. It’s good to see that there are still people out there doing it themselves so round of applause to Woodland!!!
The total bonus is that the music is as good as the packaging! If you haven’t already, I’d really recommend checking out Johny (TBOP). You can download his recent Berlin set for free here (incredible!). There are also a load of other downloads by Woodland Recordings which I plan to work my way through very soon. The Great Park is also worth a listen.
In the words of Woodland…
“Home Taping, Is Music”
*The Word From Elba HQ*
Just a quick update for anyone eagerly awaiting the two podcasts for October. Due to busy schedules by all parties we are launching these a couple of days later than normal on the 5th October.
Our two podcasts involve Salon Society & Andrea Marini.
Salon Society who’s single PREACHING THE BLUES is out on 1st October followed by the album ‘Promenade’ at the end of the month with launch night at Arta on 30th October.
Andrea Marini who will be playing at the Elba Sessions second night at Liquid Ship on 5th November is also playing Oxjam Festival in October and will have news on this and more in the podcast.
So check back for those on the 5th October for the above and in the meantime check out our September podcast with Le Reno Amps who have just finished their UK tour promoting new EP ‘The Stand Off’ and will be headlining the Elba Sessions 8th October night at Liquid Ship.
Laters!!!
I had the privelidge to first see Jenny’s work at the Ballads of The Book day at the Tramway as part of the sadly departed Triptych festival. I was surprised at how well a drawing captured the essence of a live performance. Fast forward two years and I stumbled across Jenny’s work again in Mono and soon after found myself purchasing a rather good drawing of Mark E Smith!
If you want to see Jenny’s drawings for yourself she is showing some older drawings and plenty of new ones in Edinburgh’s Central Library. There is also an multimedia expo featuring her work at the library on Oct 14th, including animation, live drawing and music from Found. Sounds like a lovely evening! More details on her guest blog on Under The Radar…
Check out all of Jenny’s latest work on her blog (i’m especially impressed at the moment by the mobile phone drawings!!)…
http://www.jennysoep.blogspot.com/
Al Nero proclaimed that most of the cool alternative kids were probably at Stereo to see Fuck Buttons (review here by Club Hott) but there was still a good turnout for a stellar line up at the 13th Note.
First up were the ‘new look’ Elvis Suicide complete with a new bass player, drummer and guitarist, powered along by Chris Devotion. I’m pleased to say that they still play their own brand of breakneck, riotous rock n roll which makes them such a good live band. Next up were Peter Parker who were then followed by the fabulous Super Adventure Club. It was the first time I’d seen them and I was totally impressed by them. Finishing off the evening was Le Reno Amps, promoting their new EP ‘The Stand Off’. No strangers to Elba, Le Reno played a set of newies, oldies and all goodies and had a right good hoe-down!
It was a grand way to start the weekend early!!
*Le Reno Amps will play an acoustic set for us at The Liquid Ship on October 8th.
Looks awesome. I’d be there had I not planned to go gallivanting ‘up north’ this weekend!
The Cinematics are due to release their second album Love and Terror following a period of change since their debut A Strange Education. The Glasgow based band were signed to TVT Records who filed for bankruptcy last year. New York digital distribution company The Orchard swooped in to save the day in a deal that has put all but TVT’s publishing wing under subsidiary ownership. This, of course, included retaining The Cinematics existing contract. It’s nice when there is a happy ending to these stories. We should all take a moment to bask in the ‘happy.’
As if that wasn’t enough the band has had a line up change with guitar now coming from Blitzhoney veteran Larry Reid. If title track and first single Love and Terror is anything to go by, it’s a welcome addition. Their 80s indie-pop sensibilities, which established them as a US (and, lest we forget, We Are Scientists) fav remain, with a dark and crunchy guitar riff rooting their sound.
The band are currently embarking on a European tour showcasing their new material and if reports are to be believed Larry is in training for a career in high diving.
The Cinematics previous material is available on iTunes and new album Love and Terror will be released on 28th September 2009.
We have finally confirmed the line-up for our first live Elba Sessions! Over the next couple of months the lovely dudes at The Free Candy Sessions and The Liquid Ship will play host to ‘Elba Sessions Presents…’
Our first night is on October the 8th and we have a cracking line-up. Headed up by September podcasters Le Reno Amps (Drift) they will be joined at The Liquid Ship by Paul McLinden, Only Living Boys and Calum MacDonald. As with all good Free Candy shows, there is no tax on the door making it an absolute steal!
We will have more info on our Bonfire Night spectacular soon but we are already very excited by the line up!
Ciao!
Firstly, a reminder that you can still hear the Elba Sessions Podcasts with Dean Owens, Pearl and The Puppets and Le Reno Amps on our myspace page. I’ll hopefully get a couple of them up here on the blog soon.
Elba Studios have just been awarded the YMI demo fund from the Scottish Arts Council, more news to come on that soon.
September’s Elba podcasters and the busiest band in showbiz, Le Reno Amps, seemingly not content with releasing The Stand Off EP on Monday (21/09/09), have released a follow up to their album Tear It Open with a new compendium of B-Sides, covers and a few remixes, including a remix of The Stand Off by The Cinematics. Inventively titled Torn Open, it is available at their forthcoming shows and from the fantastic Drift Records. A word of warning though, a trip to the Drift shop will inevitably result in bankruptcy with the sheer quality of artists on their roster. Le Reno play a couple of shows in London and Bristol this weekend along with fellow ‘Drifters’ Something Beginning With L and Muddy Suzuki before returning north to play the 13th Note next Thursday (24/09/09) with Super Adventure Club, Peter Parker and the new look Elvis Suicide as part of the Merchant City festival. We’ll be heading along to that and can’t wait!
In other news, we are just about ready to announce full details of the first Elba Sessions @ The Free Candy and we are very excited about the line-up!! Also, I was so happy to read this earlier. Totally rad!
Anyway, off to blast out some Pavement to drown out Coldplay’s racket at Hampden.
