Rockhard Recordings - News Comp.

The Freezing Fog (S/T) - Gatefold LP - The Freezing Fog

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0100

THE FREEZING FOG! LIMITED GATEFOLD LP! SWEET, SWEET PURPLE VINYL! PRE-ORDER NOW AND RECEIVE IT A WEEK BEFORE THE RELEASE DATE!

[URL]https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=2061454[/URL]

SHE'S A WITCH! - The Freezing Fog

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Mornin' all!

The artwork for THE FREEZING FOG is done and dusted, Drew Millward has surpassed all of our expectations, and we're absolutely on course for the 26/01/09 release date! Said artwork varies slightly between the CD version on EYESOFSOUND records, and the GATEFOLD LP version on 'For Those Who Love... Records.' Don't panic vinyl junkies, it's happening, it's official, and it's on SWEET, SWEET PURPLE VINYL.

THE DWELLER UPON THE THRESHOLD OF TIME is a cut from the new record which is doing the rounds on myspace, as well as being featured on January's Rocksound covermount CD, along with a 'ones to watch in 2009' feature in the magazine! Thanks to them for that! The song will be appearing soon as a digital single on iTunes, with original artwork from our good friend The Savage Wolf! Keep a look out!

Gigs will be starting again in the new year, specifically with a right old knees up bash in Leeds to celebrate the album release. This will take place at The Library on Woodhouse lane on January the 23rd. There will be food, drink, merriment and extended set from us, and sets from The Plight and Humanfly to boot!

Come on down, one and all.

We wish you a Merry Christmas, and a FOGGY new year!

T-ra!

CHRISTMAS OPENING TIMES - Major Music

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0100

CHRISTMAS OPENING TIMES:

LAST DAY: SATURDAY 20TH DECEMBER
RE-OPEN:
SUNDAY 4TH JANUARY

XMAS EXTRAS - Major Music

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0100

NEW RANGE OF CHRISTMAS GIFTS NOW IN-STORE!!!!!
Come and see our new range of amazing Christmas gifts including:
� A wide range of musical instruments
� Stocking fillers for under �20
� Collectables
� Lesson vouchers
� Miniature guitars
� Musical themed stationery

Unique to Major Music, we can personalise your gift with our �design your own poster� service, including photos of the recipient with tailor-made messages.
See in-store for design options and prices.

Manafog Split (The Freezing Fog/Manatees ) - 12" White Vinyl - The Freezing Fog

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0100

BUY THE MANAFOG SPLIT 12" - WHITE VINYL

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These Arms Are Snakes, Russian Circles - Brudenell Social Club, Leeds - 16 Nov 2008 - Cow And Field

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0100

[B]Ed Godby[/B]

If you have never had the pleasure of visiting the Brudenell Social Club in Hyde Park, Leeds, then I suggest you rectify the situation. It IS Yorkshire, personified.

In this age of glass-fronted sushi bars and suspended spiral staircases, The Brudenell remains a stronghold of real, northern, working-class grit. Although, it does appear that they have caved in to the times a little, what with art-rock, satchels and pints of Erdinger in funny-shaped glasses replacing the traditional flat cap and grubby pint o� mild, complete with coal-fingerprints. This place is one of this country�s undiscovered gems and long may it prosper.

Opening the bill tonight are London�s Tropics, who play an up-tempo, Dischord-esque brand of punk rock. They kind of remind me of The Nation Of Ulysses. They�re not bad, but not great either, and their short set doesn�t particularly leave me wanting any more. There are some bits where they all shout together at the same time. They�re the best bits.

But I won�t lie to you. My primary reason for attending this event was to see Russian Circles, who with Station might have released my album of 2008. The house lights have been switched off and the stage is filled with clouds of smoke. Illuminated solely by one single halogen lamp behind the kit, the atmosphere has become somewhat ethereal.

This band really are as exquisite live as they are on record, and it�s no surprise that the last time they played for audiences in the UK they were opening for the enigmatic Tool at venues ten times the size of this one. They plunder through 45 minutes of captivating, instrumental wonder, playing the majority of Station as well as a couple of numbers from their debut LP, Enter.

They begin without a word and end without saying goodbye, three shadows creating a sound of epic size and melody. You�d be forgiven for thinking that their music is the work of 6 or seven instrumentalists. Just, wow.

I always thought that following Russian Circles would be something of a challenge for These Arms Are Snakes, but naturally I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. They muster an entirely different mood to that of their tour buddies � a party atmosphere, picking up where 90�s noise noise-rock bands, ala The Jesus Lizard, left off.

They rip through a set of interestingly experimental, edgy numbers. I�m particularly fond of the singer�s vocal manipulation techniques, which come across just as prominently in concert as they do on the band�s new LP �Tail Swallower and Dove�.

Equal parts vocalist and performing frontman Brian Cook [I][pictured] [/I]minces wildly all over the place, muttering inaudible nonsense between songs, spitting in the air and catching it, disrobing gradually, climbing all over the furniture and even cutting himself with a bit of broken glass, all for the audience�s pleasure. It�s very entertaining but I can�t help but think that TAAS would be a bit of a boring proposition if it weren�t for his leftfield showmanship.

Either way, a thoroughly enjoyable evening was had by all.

March Forth To Victory - CD - The Freezing Fog

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0100

BUY 'MARCH FORTH TO VICTORY' on CD

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Solarperplexus - 7" - The Freezing Fog

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0100

BUY THE 7 INCH

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SUNDAY OPENING - Major Music

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0100

great news as from Sunday the 23rd November we will be opening from 11am - 5pm

NEW GUITARS IN STOCK - Major Music

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0100

just arrived we have a new and affordable encore range of strat-type and les-paul-style ELECTRIC GUITARS

available in a variety of colours, also available in complete bundle packs with everything you would need from amplifer to tuner

call in to see the range yourselves

White T-Shirt - ALA Witch-Bitch - The Freezing Fog

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0100

BUY THIS T-SHIRT
SIZES AVAILABLE - L / XL

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Black T-Shirt - ALA Culture Vulture - The Freezing Fog

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0100

BUY THIS T-SHIRT
SIZES AVAILABLE - M / L / XL

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Torche to set UK alight with quick stint - Cow And Field

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Pausing only for breath since tearing the UK apart with Pelican last month, [URL=http://www.myspace.com/torche]Torche [/URL]are set to maul British ears once more with a brief string of dates in December.

This time they will be supporting Isis either side of ATP�s Nightmare Before Christmas festival.

Those date be being...
[B]December
04 - London Scala
05 - Minehead ATP Festival (Nightmare Before Christmas)
07 - Sheffield Corporation
08 - Oxford The Regal[/B]

When 'Meanderthal' emerged earlier this year, C+F's James Longsden gave it a firm bumming and an 8/10, to the retort "Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeah, my favourite pop, stoner, rock band are back!!!!!!!"

Tickets are on sale now - [URL=http://www.seetickets.com/see/event.asp?e|artist=ISIS+%2B+TORCHE&resultsperpage=20&filler1=see&filler2=newlist]click here to purchase[/URL]

Erik Mongrain � Equilibrium (Prophase Music) - Cow And Field

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

[B][I]Michael Bates discovers a new guitar hero[/I][/B]

Guitar albums can get very boring very quickly.
I love Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, but even I admit that wanking up and down the scales like pro-dickhead Yngwie Malmsteen gets samey almost as fast as he runs through his arpeggios.

But what if there were guitar albums out there that are (brace yourself) '[I]fresh, interesting, original and imaginative[/I]'? Well, Michael Hedges may have died last century but with [URL=http://www.erikmongrain.com/]Erik Mongrain[/URL]�s new record [B]�[I]Equilibrium[/I]�[/B], you can enjoy the same sort of technically precise yet beautifully free acoustic joy once again without the new-age hippy image attached to it.

Those of you familiar with Erik Mongrain know what to expect. Those who aren�t get a box of Kleenex ready and watch this.

[YOUTUBE=AbndgwfG22k]

Now you�ve had a crash course in Mongrain�s fresh approach to guitar playing, you can understand that he doesn�t release run-of-the-mill acoustic guitar records. Last year�s �Fates� was joyous yet contemplative and definitely one of the finest debut albums I�ve heard in a long time, however many acts struggle with album number two, so it was interesting to see how Erik would approach the new challenge.

Luckily Erik has shown some serious [URL=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cojones]cojones [/URL]and actually chosen (perhaps controversially) to not use the lap-tapping technique on this release. Instead [B]what we have is a more thoughtful and mature album using a traditional guitar posture in an experimental way.[/B]

Finger-bleeding opener [I]A Ripple Effect[/I] provides an exciting introduction before we lunge into the more relaxed core of the album with tracks like [I]Alone in the Mist[/I]. Pieces such as [I]Equilibrium[/I] and [I]Pandora�s Box[/I] both utilise the different percussive properties of the guitar body brilliantly whilst the melody is played throughout on one of Mongrain�s (seemingly limitless) appendages.

Throughout the album, Erik provides us with piece after piece of perfectly formed chillout music. Unfortunately, Michael Manring's fretless bass on [I]Maelstrom[/I] and [I]Alone in the Mist[/I] somewhat overpowers these tracks so that you have to concentrate to hear exactly what the guitar is doing. The only other criticism I have for this album is that while [I]Fates[/I] was multifaceted and fascinating title track are much more of a one-sided affair, dealing almost exclusively in down-tempo meditations. However, having only taken a year to write, record and release, it gains some kudos back for being so prompt.

Otherwise this is a lovely little album, and when you can download it for a measly �6, you�d be hard pressed to find a better bargain.

Let�s face it; given the choice of helping a young talented musician like Mongrain out and getting 40 minutes of original music for your troubles or buying an old U2 record and making that wanker Bono even richer we know where the smart money would go. And for those retards who still think Bono looks good with his sunglasses and floppy hair head over to Erik�s Youtube channel and watch him playing some of his new material before you damn yourself to musical purgatory.

[B]8.0/10.0[/B]

Todd Rundgren to make UK trip - Cow And Field

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

[URL=http://www.tr-i.com/]Todd Rundgren[/URL] [I][pictured][/I], the exceptional don who managed to make a guitar sound like a motorbike on Meatloaf�s [URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBZDTK9Yhko]Bat Out Of Hell[/URL], is set to pounce on the UK next month.

Revered as one of the most innovative rock stars alive today, Rundgren will perform four UK shows at the start of November in support of Arena, his first album of original material in four years.

�The concerts will be a straight-ahead, guitar-rock extravaganza,� promises Rundgren. �We can't afford the flamethrowers yet, but we'll make up for it with aggression.�

In 1981, his video for the song Time Heals was the eighth music video ever aired on MTV in America.

Rundgren, who has blasted out classic album such as Something/Anything?, A Wizard, A True Star, Todd, Faithful, and Hermit of Mink Hollow, will be bring across his Arena backing band which comprises Jesse Gress (guitar), Rachel Haden (bass), Kasim Sulton (guitar, keyboards vocals), and Prairie Prince (drums).

�Arena is a definite return to riff-oriented guitar rock,� says Rundgren. �It's supposed to make you reflexively pump your fist and wave a lighter in the air.�

Arena is out now and fans can catch Todd Rundgen at the following dates�

[B]November
Thursday 6 � Manchester Academy 2
Friday 7 � Edinburgh The Picture House
Saturday 22� Norwich Waterfront
Sunday 23 � London Kentish Town Forum
[/B]

Arms stretches over to the UK - Cow And Field

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0200

[URL=http://www.myspace.com/armsongs][B]Arms[/B][/URL], aka Todd Goldstein [pictured], is finally heading to England for some dates and it couldn�t have come any sooner.

It was March 2007 when debut single �[I]Whirring[/I]� bagged a [B]8.2[/B] [URL=http://www.cowandfield.co.uk/article/reviews/2007/03/18/arms-whirring-single-melodic/]right here[/URL] and Goldstein�s first full-length �Kids Aflame� was just what we wanted to hear from the stubbly Brooklynite, collecting posi reviews across the board.

A touch moody but very positive indie pop (think the more instantly accessible moments of Pavement and Neil Young recorded on a 4-track), Arms is the Bright Eyes you don�t have to be a wretched quince to appreciate.

Granted, its only three dates but you�ll find Mr Goldstein parading his merry tunes on/at�
[B]
November
7 � Manchester Dulcimer,
Tickets �5 on the door - [URL=http://www.myspace.com/dulcimerltd]myspace.com/dulcimerltd[/URL]
9 � London Brixton Windmill
Tickets �5adv - [URL=http://www.wegottickets.com/event/36584 ]wegottickets.com[/URL]
10 � London Chess Club @ Heavenly Social
Tickets �5adv - [URL=http://www.wegottickets.com ]wegottickets.com[/URL][/B]

Arms' next single will be the title track to his 'Kids Aflame' album, released on 10 Nov through Melodic.
Get a taste for his indie marvellousness now...

[YOUTUBE=nM2upS1IeUk]

Links:
[URL=http://www.myspace.com/armsongs]Armsspace[/URL]

Mogwai - The Hawk Is Howling (Wall Of Sound) - Cow And Field

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0200

[I][B]James Longsden's still getting wet over Mogwai[/B][/I]

Ah my dearest [URL=http://www.mogwai.co.uk]Mogwai[/URL], a band that I can honestly say changed my life from the first time I heard Young Team. Sentiment aside, I wouldn't say that I was left a bit underwhelmed by Mr. Beast but it was most certainly a B+, a 'could have tried harder' effort.
[I]
'I'm Jim Morrision I'm Dead'[/I] most certainly has the Young Team vibe about it - a slow melodic pace building up into an anthemic chorus, most notably is the ridiculous song titles (even more so on the Batcat EP) but let's not let them take us away from the music.

Recently I have found Mogwai fans are split into three categories; post-Rock Action, pre-Rock Action and all of the above, some think the quiet-loud sound is too clich�d and some think the chilled out Happy Songs-era is too soft, but with 'The Hawk Is Howling' they seem to have finally got the equation right.

'[URL=http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=KMDCM5OAOaE]Batcat[/URL]' starts where '[URL=http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=OqkI3oUDe1I]Glasgow Mega Snake[/URL]' left off, a heavy riff of a song smashing its way through five minutes of fuzz guitars, its nice to have this without the ten minutes or so build up as on 'Like Herod' but that was then and this is now.

[YOUTUBE=KMDCM5OAOaE]

This is typical Mogwai but with a much more mature feel to it, its taken a good few listens to fully appreciate the song writing and on 'The Sun Smells Too Loud', they are going for the electro pop feel that breaks up the album really nicely, but the highlight of the album for me is 'Scotland's Shame' a song which all Mancunians can relate too, with a slow brooding mix of synths and wah pedals, akin to Mogwai's signature timing.

This isn't Mogwai's best album, but its the best in recent years, 'Zidane' aside. It has everything you want from a Mogwai album without the frills, they are still one of the loudest and entertaining bands around and this is by no means the last we will hear from them. All in all, a perfect band and a bloody good album.

[B]8/10[/B]

Level 42 + Mercurymen - Opera House, M/CR - 4 Oct 08 - Cow And Field

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0200

[I][B]James Longsden unashamedly bares his Level 42 love[/B][/I]

I had never heard of [B][URL=http://www.rcalabelgroup.co.uk/artist_spotlight/the_mercurymen/]The Mercurymen[/URL][/B] before, not a snippet so I had no idea what to expect. Now I must say I am no music fascist and I was preparing to watch Level 42 but here I was presented with a new up and coming act.

I missed the first few songs due to traffic and horrible weather, so a warm venue with folksy hooks was welcome. I did start getting into them with the Neil Young-type acoustic riffs and triple vocal harmonies, then something hit me; all I could start thinking of was X Factor, yes the "sell your soul for fame" TV show and again realised they had been put together by Sandi Thoms management and were signed to Sony.

In all fairness, it was not my thing especially the high notes with the practised-in-front-of-the-mirror look but one thing you can say about The Mercurymen is that if they want to make it big, now is the perfect time.

Everyone I know who found out I was going to see [URL=http://www.level42.com/][B]Level 42[/B] [/URL]instantly said "why the hell would you want to see them?"
My instant response was always because they are brilliant, most people think Level 42 are a casualty of the 80s pop scene but they are far from it. Of course they have the pop songs but they are a bloody good pop funk band.

[YOUTUBE=TvcUcsYjoMU]

This was a tour where old favourites such as [I]'Running In The Family'[/I] and [I]'Turn It On'[/I] were funked out and surprises in the form of [I]'The Machine Stops'[/I] took the crowd by surprise, it was also weird to see the dreaded Manchester crowd syndrome happen here, only until three-quarters through the set people were getting up and going to the front.

Of course, there is a guilty side to liking Level 42 but again, I don't care, it was a treat to see them for the first time and I am sure next time round I will go again.

Millencolin - Academy 3, M/CR - 28 Sept 2008 - Cow And Field

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0200

[B][I]Alex Phelan looks on as a slightly melancholic Millencolin watch their fanbase fizzle away...[/I][/B]

It�s undeniably testament to the musical climate in which [URL=http://www.millencolin.com/][B]Millencolin [/B][/URL]fight to survive that they play to a far-from-full Academy 3 tonight when their previous couple of visits saw them next door at Academy 1 and The Apollo albeit opening for Good Charlotte.

Despite evolving their sound from its skate punk beginnings to a more poppy and radio friendly listen, it�s obvious tastes have changed and they�re another example of a punk rock band who will have to rely on their most loyal fans from hereon in.

First on were Brummy's [URL=http://www.myspace.com/templetonpek][B]Templeton Pek[/B][/URL]. Their name has been floating around on the undercurrent of the UK punk scene for a while now. However, their somewhat disjointed sound struggles to impress, veering uncomfortably between melodic hardcore and aggressive pop punk, slightly reminiscent of A. Although musicianship is tight throughout, the songs had little flow and the vocals seemed to sit uncomfortably within the mix, often a tad flat.

Newport act [URL=http://www.myspace.com/strawberryblondes]Strawberry Blondes[/URL] then took the baton but produced little improvement. Although the vocalist was enthusiastic and got a few heads bobbing, they amount to little more than a Rancid rip-off, and even the relatively young crowd in front of them yearned for something with a little more impact.

[YOUTUBE=tW77ecge1yY]

All credit to [URL=http://www.myspace.com/millencolin][B]Millencolin [/B][/URL]then who in the face of a deflated turnout gave it their all. A pleasing mix of new and old, their set was riddled with classics such as [I]�Fox�, �No Cigar� and �Bullion� [/I]alongside fresher material from new release 'Machine 15'. Monkeying around and providing plenty of banter, the crowd responded likewise with the youthful audience going wild at the front and the older fans reminiscing contently at the back.

It must be said that frontman Nikola seemed a little distant; certainly involved but not very active onstage. Fatigue could explain that but it may be more likely he was a little fazed by the drastic dip in numbers.

Even that couldn�t take the shine off the performance though, and despite the poor support bands, Millencolin continue to deliver for those that still care.

HELLA YEAH! - Zach Hill to tour solo album - Cow And Field

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Following the release of his spazz prog masterpiece 'Astrological Straits' in August, [URL=http://www.myspace.com/zachhillmusic]Zach Hill[/URL], the percussive genius behind Hella will be touring his solo album with his 3 piece band in tow.

December 4th sees him stop by at Salford's Sacred Trinity Church for what will be, undeniably, a most momentous gig, hosted by the legendary folks at [URL=http://www.myspace.com/lambandwolf]Lamb + Wolf[/URL].

The remaining tour dates will be announced soon but Mr Hill is said to appearing at a certain festival around the same time.

Supports + details on where to purchase tickets are to be confirmed but expected to be priced around �8.00 though.

For now, arouse yourself with '[I]Dark Art[/I]', the second track from 'Astrological Straits' to be granted its own video...

[YOUTUBE=M4kVOJfZg_E]

Link:
[URL=http://www.myspace.com/zachhillmusic]Zach Hill MySpace[/URL]
[URL=http://www.myspace.com/lambandwolf]Lamb + Wolf promotors[/URL]

Grails - Doomsdayer's Holiday (Temporary Residence) - Cow And Field

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0200

[B][I]Longsden gets out his bong and gets fruity with Grails[/I][/B]

[URL=http://www.myspace.com/grailsongs]Grails [/URL]are a band that seem to just release albums without any warning or advertising.

It�s like they just write and write and write, then record whenever they can � [I]�Yep its a Monday, let�s put an album out.� [/I]

Popping out of the ever-fertile Grails fadge in May, �[URL=http://www.amazon.com/Take-Refuge-In-Clean-Living/dp/B0016Q8GTO]Take Refuge In Clean Living[/URL]� caught most off-guard, but then it emerged that �[I]Doomsdayer's Holiday[/I]� was swiftly following it out, virtually straight after!

Anyway, �[I]Doomsdayer's Holiday[/I]� is the Portlander's newest offering. Drenched in eastern influence, they�ve created some desert rock/post rock mutant. Hell they do a bit of everything but the thing is they do it well, almost as if an erratic live jam has been recorded and stuck on the CD racks.

Aptly titled, �[I]Doomsdayer's Holiday[/I]� sums up what to expect from the album; a magic carpet ride of echoed guitars, multi-layered percussion and swelling build-ups that [B][I]wouldn't seem out of place in a Hammer Horror film[/I][/B].

This is a new direction for Grails, wildly determined to shake off the �post rock� tag and �[I]Doomsdayer�s[/I]� is another step up and deviation in direction.

[I]Grails - Red Light (live)[/I]
[YOUTUBE=9GJ6ncHRVEo]

Grails often get pigeonholed with the wrong bands and for me, [B][I]they carry the torch of King Crimson[/I][/B], Hawkwind and, to a lesser extent, early Flaming Lips. Everything about this album is near perfect; instrumental music is hard to get right and Grails seem to have hit it the nail on the head.

It isn�t a record with a stand-out track per se as each track flows and binds to the next and you just have to imagine it as one big fuck-off track.

Grails have been skimming the surface for a while now, here is hoping �[I]Doomsdayer's Holiday[/I]� attracts the credit they deserve.

[B]8.0/10.0[/B]

'Doomsdayer's Holiday' is out now on Temporary Residence. Order it from [URL=http://www.temporaryresidence.com/]temporaryresidence.com/[/URL]

Links:
[URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loNv6lzsapg&feature=related]Take Refuge live[/URL]
[URL=http://www.myspace.com/grailsongs]Grails Myspace [/URL]

Born Ruffians - Night + Day, M/CR - 16 Sept 08 - Cow And Field

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Tuesday nights.
Eurgh.
They�re almost as unstimulating than Monday nights and the prospect of heading out to the city centre after a 9-5 shift should really be something to look forward to, alas, all I want to do is meh-about.

Arriving just in time to hear the final few seconds of support [URL=profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=271182758]Gallops![/URL], little warranted sticking around in a close sweaty Night + Day. Instead opting to walk a minute down the road to stroke a local shop�s dog seemed a more enjoyable idea.

Fair play, the honchos at Night + Day have played their part and invested plenty in providing decent ventilation at the Northern Quarter venue to make it much more tolerable but tonight, it was like wearing a mask constructed from a deceased homeless man�s barse - [URL=http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=barse%20]you need a definition? clicky click[/URL].

Returning to the horridly humid Night + Day had better be worth it and once [URL=http://www.myspace.com/bornruffians]Born Ruffians [/URL]pop up, right on cue, the stale air is instantly shifted.

Three-piece Born Ruffians are living proof that it ain�t what you got, its what you do with it as they pummel through highlights of debut album Red Yellow + Blue.

While the likes of Muse integrate tapes and allsorts of technical cheatery, Born Ruffians create their busy indie rabble in a more honest fashion, touching on Neil Young as much as they do Q + Not U and Les Savy Fav.

Exactly how [B]�Foxes Mate For Life�[/B]s multiple busy guitar parts would translate live proves no hurdle as guitarist and lead man Luke Lalonde utilises some pinpoint sampling with bassist Mitch Derosier and frontstage drummer Steven Hamelin beefing out those vital harmonies.

[YOUTUBE=Kz88yfdEK80]

It makes one wonder if those filming set climax [B]�Hummingbird�[/B] on their mobiles are on the Orange network, the very network that gained them so much exposure on mainstream TV recently, and while most would rely and ultimately cripple under such attention, their set is on the whole worthy of just as much in-your-face-ness.

Its been two years since these three Toronto boys passed through Manchester and its highly plausible that next time, they wont be playing a crummy Night + Day.

Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night (Capitol) - Cow And Field

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0200

[I][B]Michael Bates documents what may become the Kings' dethroning [/B][/I]

[URL=http://www.myspace.com/kingsofleon]Kings of Leon[/URL]�s career has been a fairy-tale come true; four ugly hairy blokes from American have been transformed by their fairy godmother into insanely popular superstars, and the foursome's success has continued to peak with every release. With �Only by the Night�, we can only wait to see whether the clock is about to strike midnight for the four Cinderellas, or if the sky really is the only remaining limit after all.

One thing to note is that, to be perfectly honest, not much has changed. Caleb�s vocals are still pretty much the focal point of the band as he fulls off a fucking stellar job throughout. Passionate yowls as well as soulful groans, moans and yelps all act as the dish of the day and it all works well.

The album gets off to a great start with a moody opener; [B]�Closer�[/B] which is absolutely gorgeous, dissonant and at the same time has a strange sort of swagger to it. The attitude and emotion that leak out of its sweaty, claustrophobic cocoon is utterly irresistible and gets album going perfectly. Lead single [B]�Sex On Fire�[/B] is an absolute beast of a track that showcases the band�s knack to write effortlessly catchy, hell-raising party tunes, the only downside of it being that it ends. Simply put, if you don�t enjoy this song then you don�t like fun. The joy continues into the teenage love-song [B]�Use Somebody� [/B]that would make the stoniest hearted individual reflect on past romances with a knowing smile and recollections of irresponsible and quasi-illegal sex acts.

[YOUTUBE=HHhhcKxflMY]

However, with the middle of the album come a few middle-of-the-road songs. There�s plenty to be said for keeping things simple but it's becomes obvious that the Fallowils seem to take only one idea per track and the songs somehow feel too long, even at three minutes.

Another issue is that for some reason [B]�17� [/B]features, what sound like, [URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYmIKcP7Nbc]Tubular Bells[/URL] in the opening seconds... which, for me at least, is a definite no-no. It isn�t Christmas and it isn�t clever, so fuck off.

Luckily things pick back up with [B]�Notion�[/B], which is the song that they�ve been reaching for over the last few tracks. It remains simple but just rocks so much more. This is followed by a hangover track [B]�I Want You� [/B]which is similarly good, despite sporting a drum beat that scarily reminds me of Genesis� �I Can�t Dance�.

The final pair of [B]�Be Somebody�[/B] and [B]�Cold Desert�[/B] round the album off well, even though there�s a pointless fake ending before the band waltz back in to sight and finish off the disc. [B][I]When �Only By the Night� works it�s electrifying, however it remains marred by a mediocre middle which drags the rest of the experience down.[/I][/B]

In all respects, it�s better than most other band�s shitty attempts to make a good album (I�m still laughing at Metallica), but by the Kings' own standards it sits comfortably alongside their back catalogue rather than bringing them to even greater heights of achievement. Regardless it�ll still sell a trillion copies and keep everybody happy until the next one.

[B]7/10[/B]

'Only By The Night' is out now.

Pelican/Torche - Sheffield Corporation - 13 Sept 08 - Cow And Field

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Having waddled down to Corporation ready to see [B]�Pelican, Torche + guests�[/B], I was surprised when in actuality the guests were...well, Torche as a matter of fact!

Due to Corporation�s ludicrous �club nights open at 10pm� rule, time would not have allowed for a support act so both bands have a decent set. However, as soon as Torche began, it quickly became apparent that no support act was necessary; galloping through their back catalogue - sandwiched between thick slabs of material from Meanderthal - everyone has a whale of a time, not least of all the band themselves.

Juan Montoya looked like a supercharged Derek Smalls from Spinal Tap, flailing his guitar around like it was one of Michael Jackson�s kids on a balcony, and the grin on Steve Brook�s face rarely fades. The sound was perfect; the solos cut through brilliantly and every note can be heard as a horde of dedicatees sing along to Torche�s ungodly racket. Newer songs such as �Grenades� and �Healer� were received just as warmly as oldies such as �In Return�, and �Rockit� definitely lived up to its name as the guys stormed through track after track, rarely pausing for a breather.

[B]It�s impossible to put into words just how exciting and invigorating seeing this band is[/B], and as they rumbled through set closer �Meanderthal�, I couldn�t help but feel two things; happy as fuck, and sorry for Pelican, who�d have to do something spectacular to equal this.

Corporation, as a venue, has a lot to answer for in general. Last time I was here, a few days prior to see Meshuggah, the lead guitar was so loud it gave both me and my compadre headaches, gigs always end early, prompting Silver Mt Zion to cut their encore short in the past, and worst of all; if you attend their 14+ gigs you have to be 18 to enter the room the gig is actually in, staying in the main bar area if you�re younger. I don�t know about you, but shoving a load of kids into a room full of alcohol because they can�t handle loud music sounds fucking retarded. However, the latest offence in their long list of misdemeanours is their crime against the noble Pelican tonight.

Few 14-year olds appear to be in attendance, but when Pelican appear, it seems even the 18+�s aren�t allowed to hear them. The band come on to find all their instruments drowned out by the drums and after fucking about with the sound staff for a good quarter of an hour, they finally get things to an acceptable state of affairs.

[B]It boggles the mind how the venue got Torche to sound so good but make a complete balls up of the headline act.[/B] It was pretty much impossible for me to identify the first half of their set; guitars were inaudible and it was so bad that quieter passages sounded quite heavy while the heavier bits were just plain noisy.

It�s only towards the end of the set that Pelican�s sound was sorted, and when they hit their groove things went swimmingly with �Drought� being particularly well-received as well as the eponymous �City of Echoes�, even if Trevor de Brauw�s guitar parts were still inaudible.

Eventually Trevor and Bryan Herweg swapped instruments for �a new song�, which left everybody a little cold since it was more a couple of new riffs than the well-thought out epics that Pelican are capable of.

However, the die-hards still appreciated it, and after some polite applause the set proper could continue. Don�t get me wrong, what they had was good, it just needs some more work and will definitely sound better when it isn�t at Corporation.

As the clock reached 9:58 Pelican left the stage and the crowd, being undoubtedly aware of Corporation�s fascist time policies, began to leave. About 60 of us stayed around to see the band come out for a triumphant last song, and as the lights come up I realised that it was the first time all night you could hear each one of Pelican�s instruments, which is a massive shame since the guys were really trying their damnedest to give us a show despite being understandably ticked off.

[B]Torche: 9/10

Pelican: 7/10

Corporation: 0/10
[/B]

I've seen his face in the mirror and his reflection sometimes matches my own... - The Freezing Fog

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Well, the big, big news this time round is that The Freezing Fog have a new home!

[B]Eyes of Sound Records[/B] - the London based label - home to the newly deceased Bossk, our boys Manatees, Devil Sold His Soul, Dysrhythmia, Humanfly and many, many more, will be releasing the upcoming sophomore album! The Fog are delighted to be able to bring this news to you, and look forward to the, as of yet, undecided release date.
Check out the EOS homepage at [URL=http://www.eyesofsound.com]www.eyesofsound.com[/URL]

The album is currently being mixed and mastered in the USA, by Kurt Ballou and Nick Zampiello, respectively.

A big shout out to Chris Fielding at Foel Studios for doing a great job of recording the magic, as well as Jase Sanderson for helping finish it off in a time of great need. Diamond dudes!

The re-release of March Forth To Victory is still due, on Swedish label, Dental Records, and will be seeing the light of day in October. It comes loaded with bonus tracks, in the form of our side of the Manatees split. Be sure to 'put a donk on it.'

We have a whole heap of gigs coming up, with great bands such as The Plight, Rose Kemp, Nebula, Doomriders and SSS so check out the gig listings page and come on down.

I'll drink to that!

This Town Needs Guns � Animals (Big Scary Monsters) - Cow And Field

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Guns? This Town? Needs? With an ever-flowing torrent of knife-crime incidents in the media, how can Oxford-based five-piece be so irresponsible and downright balmy to suggest that we now need guns?

Regardless of their bobbins name, [URL=http://www.myspace.com/thistownneedsguns]This Town Needs Guns[/URL] present their debut full-length on the back of a solid, if compact catalogue of EPs and mini-releases.

Nicely limbering everyone�s ears with last year�s [URL=http://www.myspace.com/catsandcatsandcats]Cats + Cats + Cats[/URL] split EP, it�s been a intriguing 12 months since then and �[B]Animals[/B]� should have been as enjoyable as an icecream sandwich sandwich. That's right, an ice cream sandwich made of ice cream sandwiches.

[B]Individual ability amongst the ranks is obviou[/B]s, showcasing a masterclass in double guitar-tapping, faultless drumming and beartrap tight time-signatures that would have you checking the back of the CD for scratches if you didn�t know any better.

[YOUTUBE=5Bc96z-VkHY]

Sadly, [B]this only holds weight for so long[/B] and once the frankly brilliant openers �[B][I]Chinchilla[/I][/B]� and �[B][I]Baboon[/I][/B]� are out the way, TTNG quickly run out of bullets.

It�d be cruel and plain untrue to say �[B][I]Panda[/I][/B]� or �[B][I]Pig[/I][/B]� are bad songs - oh by the way, all the songs are named after animals, just like a certain 70s prog album � but the incessant time changes become tiresome while flashy guitar tapping is employed way beyond the point of exhaustion. A welcome interlude comes in the form of the delicate 'Elk' after 'Pig' shows promise of further brilliance, its never materialises and we're back in blandsville.

When they�re on it, TTNG punch to the weight of Minus The Bear and Maps + Atlases, otherwise it feels like a tragic waste of talent.

[B]5.3/10
[/B] - [I]minus one point for not having a song called 'Cat' or any feline for that matter[/I].

Link:[URL=http://www.myspace.com/thistownneedsguns]
This Town Needs Myspace[/URL]

Mister Ma�ana - Caprisun & Wrongbow (self-released) - Cow And Field

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Having three guitars in your line-up is easy. Utilising them to create something that warrants those extra six strings is a little more of a task.

Oceansize are a perfect example of how it�s done and strangely enough, mentioning them in the same sentence as [URL=http://www.misterm.co.uk/]Mister Ma�ana[/URL] isn�t an unreasonable comparison.

[B]Big riffs are clearly the agenda of the day[/B] and at points, you wouldn�t be surprised to learn that Chris Cornell and Kim Thayil had handed them leftover licks from the [URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fZ86Fh0XPk]Down On The Upside[/URL] days with �Human Fly� (a homage to the Leeds quartet? Let�s hope not) coming on like its long-lost and forgotten hidden track.

Tsunami-like grandeur soon tides for lush soundscapes which paint from the same pots as Oceansize or perhaps Isis. Delay washes over a water-tight rhythm section and while they might not possess the complexity of Oceansize, they certainly boast the swagger and ambition.

That�s the third time I�ve mentioned Oceansize.
That�s four now, meh!
It shouldn�t be even considered that Mister Ma�ana are a clone or are ripping them off. If anything, [B]there aren�t enough bands that can sound as vast and tuneful as MM[/B]. Manatees and Red Sparrows are just two other respected names that come to mind during this four-track taster.

A sneaky hidden song displays a complete departure for the ear-pummeling epicness for a dark Tom Waits-esque acoustic number and rather than being plonked on the end, it should be flaunted with pride half way through, nicely breaking up the rawwwk.

Despite the Strongbow knocking and rather silly name (pfft, Cow + Field? I can talk!), [B]Mister Ma�ana should find residence on iPods packed with tunes boasting production bigger than King Kong�s unmilked goolies.[/B]

See them [URL=http://www.misterm.co.uk/]on tour [/URL]in September...

[B]8.2/10.0[/B]

Link:
[URL=http://www.misterm.co.uk/]Mister Ma�ana[/URL]

OPENS Monday 1st September 2008 - Major Music

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Major Music will open at 10am on Monday 1st September. We have some amazing rare collectables for sale and limited amount of Free Trial Lessons available, give us a call on 01625 521435 or call into the shop for more details

Pivot - O Soundtrack My Heart (Warp Records) - Cow And Field

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Pivot's 2005 debut 'Make Me Love You' was a brilliant lo-fi record that flew under many people's radars - full of beautiful multi-layered keyboards, intricate guitar work and skittering drums.

Since then, they've lost three of their founding members and recruited one multi-instrumentalist mentalist and listening to 'O Soundtrack My Heart', it's hard to picture only three people making this massively dense and complex sound. However thanks to the power of [URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGxwY3y-dGk]Youtube[/URL], it's clear to see that they can pull it off masterfully.

With 'O Soundtrack My Heart', Pivot prove themselves to be a band of polar opposites. One minute they can be a dark, dirgy, pretty heavy guitar band before skilfully mutating into a mass of glitchy, computerised sounds - all broken drum machines and exploding modems. They can also flit between dirty funk and lilting synth-pop in an heartbeat without it ever sounding contrived or messy - take for instance, the transition from the title track to the beautifully whimsical '[URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgnttUlUcWg]Fool In Rain[/URL]'.

[YOUTUBE=EpPEsEDIJFU]

The highlight of the album is reserved for 'Sing You Sinners' with an opening guitar line reminiscent of 'The Living Years' by Mike And The Mechanics, multi-layered vocal harmonies, maniacal handclaps and Vangelis-esque synths.

If you can imagine Sonic Youth and Autechre creating a sound integrating prepared guitars and digital fuckery, or Battles and Jean Michel-Jarre concocting a sound of progressive synth-sanity, then you can imagine Pivot's extraordinary sound.

[B]8.9/10[/B]

Linky loo:[URL=http://www.myspace.com/pivotpivot]
Pivot MySpace[/URL]
[URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGxwY3y-dGk]O Soundtrack My Heart - ItaliaWave 2008[/URL]

The north of England is a wonderful place. - Cow And Field

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Hello there. It�s been a while. I haven�t contributed anything to this site for almost twelve months. My last effort being a beautiful piece of erotica in tribute to Fightstar. This, however, is much more serious. The truth of the matter is that music has been pissing me off. I�m bored of watching boring bands rip off bands that I hate and I�m bored of hearing hyped up bands that have left me feeling like a balloon that has slowly deflated over two weeks after a birthday party that only seven people attended. I�ve recently been trying to fall back in love with music.

I�ve gone back to the records that excited me when I was a decade younger to find out why I fell in love with music in the first place. Early records by Blur, Radiohead and Idlewild. In comparison to a lot of my peers I actually embraced music quite late but these were the bands that formed my first love. I felt like I haven�t heard a new release by a truly great band for quite some time. More specifically though, a GREAT release by a GREAT BRITISH band. This however, has changed.

Most people that know me know I get a huge hard on for Leeds outfit [B]Bilge Pump[/B]. One of the last things I wrote for this site was a review of a gig where I mentioned that they had started to play some new songs that weren�t part of their first album, �Let Me Breathe�. The reason I mention this is because the new album, �Rupert The Sky� is here and it is everything I had been waiting for over the last six years. I always feel slightly weird talking about this band because it feels like I�m either stating the obvious or repeating myself at every turn. These guys really are three of the most accomplished musicians I�ve ever seen and the wonderful thing about the band is that they�re clearly not satisfied with being clever. What they really want to do is make pop music. This record is made for your feet as much as it is for your mind. The intertwined vocals on �A Storm In A Teacup� are a prime example of how they can be clever and catchy at the same time while the groove they lay on �The Fuckover� is pure for dancin� man.

If you�re interested in dancing, standing at the back or listening from outside while smoking I suggest you go and buy this record and see them live at the first opportunity. I don�t know whether they�re an intelligent punk band, an experimental pop group or a rockin� jazz ensemble but it really doesn�t matter. This band can be all that and more. I suggest you get involved.

Speaking of experimental pop, I want to move across the Pennines to share some thoughts on the debut album from [B]Cats In Paris[/B], �Court Case 2000�. Three gents and a lady from Manchester that have previously been involved in making online comics, translating things, listening to Prince and having a moustache have come together to form one of our city�s most exciting prospects for quite some time. The release of their debut has marked the end of twelve months that has seen them go from strength to strength.

Like Bilge Pump, they make music that is as intelligent as it is melodious. The use of synths and violin through a multitude of effects gives them a very different sound to a lot of bands doing the rounds but that doesn�t mean that they�re hiding anything. Arpeggio keys and sections of noise create a feeling of chaos and provide a stark contrast to the pop music that is often, but not always, the sound they aim to create. Without wanting to sound pretentious (much) they use the contrast between noise and melody in the much the same way an artist will use colour theory to amplify the feeling of light and shade in a painting.

To tell you exactly what they sound like is to undermine exactly what makes Cats special. Sometimes they�re a pop band, sometimes they sound a bit French and sometimes a little R&B. The record is out now through Akoustik Anarkhy and I strongly suggest you check it out to see what all the fuss is about.

I was going to post links to Bilge Pump, Cats In Paris and Akoustik Anarkhy but I reckon you know how to use the Internet to listen to mpthreez.

Russian Circles - Station (Suicide Squeeze Records) - Cow And Field

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

The latest offering from [URL=http://www.myspace.com/russiancircles]Russian Circles[/URL] sounds eerily familiar.

Layers of sound that build up. Songs start quiet and soar to dizzying heights of noise. It's all very...done.
In parts reminiscent of [URL=http://www.myspace.com/sigurros]Sigur R�s[/URL], in parts it sounds like unused and forgotten[URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXTADlY1NMY] Minus The Bear[/URL] riffs, as though they've been hidden in the depths of a track, in the hope that no one will quite be able to work out why the tune sounds familiar.

As much of a compliment as it should be to be compared to such magnificent bands, the problem is that it's not the Sigur Ros/MTB sounds of the future, or even the sounds of now...it's the sound of last year.

As an album, it's a treat to listen to, but with a strictly nostalgic feel. This would have been outstanding back then, but now it just sounds like they missed the boat that was heading to the land that pushed post-rock to new boundaries.

It's by no means 'unlistenable' and their collective talent is obvious, but there were already hundreds of bands doing this. And unfortunately for these Chicago boys, those bands have already tried and tired this trick and then moved it up a notch.

[YOUTUBE=RmOR1I2Q-OI]

For Russian Circles to really contend with today's generation of instrumental post-rock bands, they needed to throw down the e-bow gauntlet, slap us round the face with a quiet yet thundering epic that unnerves you and comforts you in one blast.

Sadly, it seems they didn't feel the need to listen to what was going on in the world, didn't heed the progression going on around them and failed to realise that the boundaries for music like theirs had shifted. It's not as if they've not tried to throw down the gauntlet but have beat a hasty retreat back to the safety of what they know, when it's obvious they're more than capable of leaping out of their comfort zone.

It keeps you wondering if you've missed something' some small hidden trick that would justify the hype, or maybe it's just something that a real fanboy would hear.
Who knows.
It's a worthwhile album but it needs a reasonable effort to really make it stick, and it's a shame to say that I probably wouldn't take much notice if I heard one of the tracks on its own.

Saying that - 'Harper Lewis' could well be a super slowed down [URL=http://www.myspace.com/hotbone]Hot Bone[/URL].

Which is nice.
[B]
6.7/10.0

'Station' is available through Suicide Squeeze Records now[/B]

Born Ruffians mark first UK headline tour with new EP - Cow And Field

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Kooky Canadian three-piece [URL=http://www.myspace.com/bornruffians]Born Ruffians[/URL] will embark on their first UK headline tour next month.

A happy medium between [URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH6proQ8XhQ]Q + Not U [/URL]and [URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc4GethJnBg]Los Campesinos[/URL] without the infuriating and often destructive campness, you�re probably already familiar with Born Ruffians from the Orange TV ads where �Hummingbird� marks the release of pretty sealife-shaped balloons from a train much to bewilderment of many aged witnesses.

[YOUTUBE=sxzu1lIy-8M]

Anyway, they�re better than an advert and they�ll prove it to you at these dates:

[B]September
13 � Brighton, Hope
15 � London, Dingwalls
16 � Manchester, Night + Day
17 � Birmingham, Rainbow
18 � Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach
19 � Leicester, Sumo (club night)
20 � Liverpool, Korova
21 � Glasgow, Nice �N� Sleazys[/B]

The tour will coincide with the release of the [B]'Little Garcon EP'[/B] on [B]29 September[/B] via Warp Records, snapping at the heels of the Toronto outfit�s debut album �Red, Yellow + Blue� earlier this year.
The EP�s sweet acoustic title track carries five other tracks in tow including remixes from Four Tet and White Williams.

[B]Video: I Need A Life[/B]

[YOUTUBE=L9dP51_WssU]

Links:[URL=http://www.myspace.com/bornruffians]
Born Ruffians MySpace[/URL]
[URL=http://www.mtv.co.uk/music/sessions/born_ruffians]Born Ruffians Spanking New MTV Session [/URL]

This Town Needs Guns assembles its own Ark for debut album - Cow And Field

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Oxford�s second finest export [URL=http://www.myspace.com/thistownneedsguns]This Town Needs Guns[/URL] (need you ask the first) have plucked up the guts and named their debut album after a 70s prog-rock classic.

Released in October, [B]�Animals� [/B]may shamelessly pinch the mammal-naming method [URL=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animals_(album]Pink Floyd[/URL] adopted in 1977 but from the snippets [URL=http://www.cowandfield.co.uk]Cow + Field[/URL] has heard, its sounding more than worthy.

The 13-track debut will available online from [B]6 October[/B] and physically a week after through [URL=http://www.bsmrocks.com]Big Scary Monsters[/URL].

The [URL=http://www.bsmrocks.com/artwork/BSM062-med.jpg]artwork [/URL]doesn't feature any floating pigs or Battersea Power Station but it is super-cute and can be viewed [URL=http://www.bsmrocks.com/artwork/BSM062-med.jpg]here [/URL]

Here�s the list of animals giddy fans will be bawling at the Oxford quartet on their upcoming tour:

[B]01. Chinchilla [[URL=http://www.myspace.com/thistownneedsguns]stream here[/URL]]
02. Baboon [[URL=http://www.bsmrocks.com/ttng-baboon.mp3]MP3 � click to download[/URL]]
03. Lemur
04. Badger
05. Quetzel
06. Panda
07. Elk
08. Pig
09. Gibbon
10. Dog
11. Crocodile
12. Rabbit
13. Zebra
[/B]

Video: '26 Is Dancier Than 4'

[YOUTUBE=IhPljk5EZ0Q]

And those tour dates:

[B]September
02 - London, Barfly (w/ Mimas and Pennines)
16 - London, Madame Jojo's (w/ Jonquil)
17 - Birmingham, Flux @ The Yardbird (w/ Jonquil)
18 - Leeds, The Library (w/ Jonquil)
19 - York, The Basement (w/ Jonquil)
20 - Edinburgh, Henry's Cellar Bar (w/ Jonquil)
21 - Glasgow, The 13th Note (w/ Jonquil)
22 - Middlesbrough, Dr Browns (w/ Jonquil)
23 - Lincoln, The Turks Head (w/ Jonquil)
24 - Manchester, Sacred Trinity Church (w/ Jonquil)
25 - Leicester, The Firebug (w/ Jonquil)
26 - Sheffield, The Shakespeare (w/ Jonquil)
27 - This Ain�t No Picnic Festival @ London, King's College
29 - Portsmouth, The Railway Rifle Club Inn
30 - Ashford, Downtown Diner

October
01 - Norwich, B2
02 - Ipswich, The Swan
05 - Nottingham, The Social (w/ Tubelord and more)
10 - Kingston, The Fighting Cocks
11 - Oxford, Carling Academy (w/ Jonquil)
15 - Southampton, Lennons
29 - Bristol, Broadmead
30 - London, The Good Ship[/B]

This Town Needs Guns will also be issuing [B]�Pig� [/B]as part of a split single with Pennines on 22 September as well as lead single [B]�Panda� [/B]on [B]6 October[/B].

Link:[URL=http://www.bsmrocks.com/ttng-baboon.mp3]
Baboon MP3[/URL]
[URL=http://www.myspace.com/thistownneedsguns]This Myspace Needs Guns[/URL]
[URL=http://www.bsmrocks.com]Big Scary Monsters Records[/URL]

Alas Laura Marling announces November tour - Cow And Field

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Mercury award candidate and professional cutey Laura Marling [pictured] has just announced a host of UK dates.

Following her recent venture round the country's churches, Ms Marling will be performing in more conventional settings.

By the time she comes to play these shows, it will be two months since the orgasmic 'Alas I Can Not Swim' won or didn't win the Mercury Music Prize.

It is understood Laura will have her backing band in tow on all dates.

Alas...

[B]November
1 - Glasgow, Art School
2 - Leeds, Brudenell Social
4 - Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
5 - Portsmouth, Wedgewood Rooms
7 - Bristol, Trinity Arts Centre
8 - Manchester, Club Academy
9 - Birmingham, Glee Club
11 - London, Scala

Video: Ghosts[/B]

[YOUTUBE=XonJJbV54BE]

Link: [URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEyCm6OOkOY]Alas I Can Not Swim[/URL]

Get your Squarepusher souvenirs!! - New album revealed - Cow And Field

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Electro-bass fiddler [URL=http://www.myspace.com/akais5000]Squarepusher[/URL], aka Tom Jenkinson, will release his new album [B]Just A Souvenir[/B] via Warp on [B]27 October[/B].

It comes just 2 years and 11 days since his last release 'Hello Everything'.

A preview track titled 'Delta V' can be heard at the Warp Records myspace now - [URL=http://www.myspace.com/warprecords]clicky clicky[/URL].

Sources lucky enough to have heard extracts claim the material to be more organic than previous records and adventures further into the style of 'Hello Everything'.

Would you like a tracklisting?
Here y'are.

[B]'Star Time 2'
'The Coathanger'
'Open Society'
'A Real Woman'
'Delta V'
'Aqueduct'
'Potential Govaner'
'Planet Gear'
'Tensor In Green'
'The Glass Road'
'Fluxgate'
'Duotone Moonbeam'
'Quadrature'
'Yes - Sequitur'

Video: 'Hello Meow'[/B] from 'Hello Everything'

[YOUTUBE=MLcxve603-4]

Link:
[URL=http://www.myspace.com/warprecords]Warp Records myspace[/URL].

These Arms Are Snakes - new tour, new album - Cow And Field

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

[URL=http://www.myspace.com/thesearmsaresnakes]These Arms Are Snakes [/URL]will release their new album [B]�Tail Swallower & Dove�[/B] on [B]6 October[/B] through [B]Suicide Squeeze[/B].

The band's third album will be their first for Seattle label Suicide Squeeze and has been produced by drummer Chris Common.

The result has been described as more of [B]a coherent whole � than a cycle of individual songs.

"The music circles around, from beginning to end, looping seamlessly and devouring any sense of arrested motion. The first single, �Red Line Season,� is all guitar-hook-squirm, leading to an anthem of a chorus. �Seven Curtains� explodes into being after thirty- seconds of gorgeous, low volume riffing. It�s here that the band�s strength in the studio really shows.
From the textural depth of the keyboards and guitar tones, to the vocal delivery, the attention to detail is incredible. Each sound sets up huge spatial relationships, creating a dynamic tug-o-war, and building up a groove that continues throughout - marked by impossibly nimble drumming - blowing up the room with resonant vibration. [/B]

Dates for a UK tour November have also been finalised with now labelmates Russian Circles in support.

You can see them aaaaaaaaaaat...

[B]November
14 - Brighton, Engine Room
15 - Exeter, Cavern Club
16 - Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
17 - Glasgow, Stereo
18 - Belfast, Black Box
19 - Dublin, Whelans
20 - TBC, TBC [possible Manc date?]
21 - TBC, TBC [who knows?]
22 - London, Islington Academy[/B]

Meanwhile, the tracklisting for �Tail Swallower & Dove� is�
[B]
'Wooden Heirs'
'Prince Squid'
'Red Line Season'
'Lucifer'
'Ethric Double'
'Seven Curtains'
'Long and Lonely Step'
'Lead Beater'
'Cavity Carousel'
'Briggs'[/B]

[YOUTUBE=5Gc3ZjkrTZk]

Link:[URL=http://www.thesearmsaresnakes.org/]
These Pancakes Are Delicious[/URL]

I am waiting with a child-like impatience - Cow And Field

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Over the past year, so many albums have come out that have just blown my mind. I mean [I]�fuck me, what was that?�[/I] albums; [URL=http://www.cowandfield.co.uk/article/reviews/2008/03/27/nick-cave-and-the-bad-seeds-dig-lazarus-dig-mute/]Nick Cave[/URL], [URL=http://www.cowandfield.co.uk/article/reviews/2008/03/09/portishead-third-universal-part-1/]Portishead[/URL], [URL=http://www.cowandfield.co.uk/article/reviews/2008/03/27/torche-meanderthal-hydrahead/]Torche [/URL]to name a few, but there is one album in the wings that I think, hope, pray is going to blow all these out of the water.

Now you�re probably going to laugh, but if you haven't guessed it yet its� [B][URL=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metallica's_ninth_studio_album]�DEATH MAGNETIC�[/URL][/B] - the new album by [URL=http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=0kVeZD_mAVc]Metallicaaaaaaaaaaaa[/URL]!!!

I wasn�t around back in the day obviously, but there is something about this band I will always hold dear. Of course like many, I lost faith when �[URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zbuk96kW9LM]St. Anger[/URL]� was shat out, even more so when their slapstick approach to life in a band was publicly bared in the agonising �[URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmHx2blktwU]Some Kind of Monster[/URL]� documentary. These guys were never my heroes but as I spent the best part of two hours pointing and laughing at them; part of me sympathised.

It�s obvious they just want to make music - well at least two of them; [URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SARo3wgGnw]Robert Trujillo[/URL] doesn't count - but they have a barrier forbidding the fruition doing anything good. It�s more commonly referred to as an �Ulrich�.

[YOUTUBE=2DR_fqsTPAI]

I always envisioned Metallica partying, doing drugs, smashing things and womanising. Of course they did but at some stage, something happened along the way; I think it was called �[URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY2DEIIgpHs]The Black Album[/URL]�.

Going from a thrash band to the dizzy heights of superstardom, it could have been classed as the beginning of the end. It matters not as they went on to sell close to 100 million albums worldwide, but sadly, this was the point that the egos spiralled out of control and the money side of things took over, killing off that passion and honesty of four dudes just playing heavy and fast.

So it�s almost upon us, internet talk has assured readers that �Death Magnetic� is going back to its thrash roots. Well we shall see and I am going to download it just to be awkward. Here�s hoping to a new fresh sounding album, a faster and classic sounding Metallica with no meltdowns, no Bob Rock and none of [URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyM3_u8SDNQ]Lars Ulrich's shitty snare[/URL].

Link:
Video: '[URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwsbUUEOT9g]The New Song[/URL]'

Tim And Eric Awesome Show, Great Job available to stream online right now! - Cow And Field

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

To coincide with our little interview with comedians Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, we thought we'd let you know that right now, on [url=http://www.adultswim.co.uk/video/index.jsp?bcpid=1184486285&bclid=1203050057&bctid=1]Adult Swim UK[/url] you can watch a bunch of episodes from their awesome show, [B]Tim And Eric Awesome Show, Great Job![/B] for free!

Check out one of our favourite episodes, [url=http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1184486285/bclid1203050057/bctid1569994760]"Carol"[/url] right now!

Lots to speak of... - Roadkill Records

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

So, although not much updating has gone on here as of late, there is lots to tell!

The manafog's have been going pretty fast after a successful UK jaunt by the lovely carlisle lads. The Manchester date being a particularily awesome yet blurry night for myself!!!

Secondly we are proud to announce that we will be releasing the new CD from Manchester metal troupe VEILS. Check them out at www.myspace.com/veilsband. Veils are truly out there on their own as far as metal in Manchester goes. Blending crushing riffs with an incredible technical sensibility this is sure to blow up! More details on this soon!
Check them out at the Manchester Music Box on the 18th August!

Other than that we have been continuously getting a lot of new stock on the shelves for your perusal. Some great stuff will be added later today also!

Bonza!

Tim And Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! - Part 1 of 3 - Cow And Field

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

[B]Tim Heidecker[/B] and [B]Eric Wareheim [/B]are the creators of the currently-airing programme [B]Tim And Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! [/B]

We're huge fans of the show at Cow & Field, so getting to spend a little time talking to them was a real treat. Some of the questions got a little geeky at points, but hey, we couldn't help ourselves.

If you're a fan of good, leftfield comedy then you can't afford to miss this show. You can catch Awesome Show on [URL=http://www.bravo.co.uk/index.html]Bravo[/URL] - every Friday at 1am, with repeats the following Monday and Thursday. Their first series is currently available to buy on DVD from [url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tim-Eric-Awesome-Show-Great/dp/B00113YHXG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1217968586&sr=8-1]Amazon UK[/url]

[B]Cow & Field: So can you tell us how you guys met?[/B]

[B]Tim Heidecker[/B]: Sure... Are you from the north by the way?

[B]C&F: Yeah, I'm from Manchester.[/B]

[B]Eric Wareheim[/B]: Nice!

[B]TH[/B]: I thought I detected an accent. Anyway, so Eric and I met at film school, Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We made some short films together in college, but we moved onto do other things after we graduated. We kind of came back to make some short films together as a hobby, or as just as a sort of artistic expression, but we loved doing it so much that we tried to take it a little more seriously. I sent out a DVD to people that both me and Eric are fans of, like Bob Odenkirk (from Mr. Show), Conan O'Brien and Robert Smigel (of Triumph The Insult Comic Dog infamy), and good old Bob Odenkirk happened to watch ours and enjoyed the heck out of it and got us on board.

[B]C&F: Yeah, I've noticed he's in a lot of your sketches, he's pretty awesome. Are there any celebrities that you wanted to get involved? You've already got John C. Reilly and Jeff Goldblum who are both amazing in the show.[/B]

[B]TH[/B]: We're working on Ted Danson right now, but he's very hard to get hold of in the summer because he does summer at Martha's Vinyard which is in Massachusetts.

[B]C&F: Maybe he's working on a new series of Becker?[/B]

[B]TH[/B]: Ah, no more Becker, I don't think so. We're working on Becker the movie right now.

[B]C&F: Who's been the best celebrity that you've worked with so far?[/B]

[B]TH[/B]: The best guy to work with?

[B]EW[/B]: I think the most professional guy we've got to work with is Fred Willard. He's come in twice and both times he's so amazingly prepared and so on top of his game. He's willing to just try anything. It's kind of amazing when theseguys actually trust us to direct them, it's always a weird flattering, unreal feeling when they come to us as say "You know, if you don't like something just tell me and I'll change it". Tim and I are just like, "Do whatever you want! We're just honoured to have you here".

[YOUTUBE=p5hDFHu8a4w]

[B]C&F: How much of it is scripted with them? Say, do they write a lot of their own scenes or is it more of a collaboration?[/B]

[B]TH[/B]: With somebody like Fred Willard, we'll give him a rough outline of what we're looking for and then he'll just improvise, and we'll let him go until we think we've got what we want. Sometimes it'll take ten minutes, sometimes it'll take a little longer, but you know, we just sit back and laugh but we know that we're gonna have to take something that's about an hour long and turn it into a minute.

[B]C&F: Is there a lot of stuff that's just on the cutting room floor that's unused?[/B]

[B]TH[/B]: Yeah, there's been a lot of hard choices.

[B]C&F: I heard that you've got Ray Wise involved in this new series?[/B]

[B]TH[/B]: That's right.

[B]C&F: I'm really excited about seeing him in the show.[/B]

[B]EW[/B]: He's another guy that's just an amazing performer. He did a great job.

[B]TW[/B]: There's some people that fit perfectly into our world and he's definitely one of them. He's just exactly what belongs in our show.

[URL=http://www.cowandfield.co.uk/article/interviews/2008/08/05/tim-and-eric-awesome-show-great-job-part-2-of-3/]
CONTINUE READING[/URL]

Tim And Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! - Part 2 of 3 - Cow And Field

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

[B]C&F: Does he have a kind of Leland Palmer quality in the show? (Ray Wise played the character of Leland Palmer in the TV show Twin Peaks)[/B]

[B]EW[/B]: Not really, but there is in everything he says because he just delivers everything kinda creepily. But it's kind of a business tutorial, so he plays it pretty straight, but it's what he's talking about and how enthusiastic he is that makes it funny-slash-disturbing.

[B]TH[/B]: There's some real good creepy music under it too.

[B]C&F: Do you have any plans to come to Europe. Have you had any offers to come and do anything?[/B]

[B]EW[/B]: We're trying to get over there. Our show's on Bravo, so we're trying to get those guys to come over. We do a live tour of our stuff and we've been meaning to come over to do some performances and meet with some people. We're huge fans of what's going on over in the UK.

[B]C&F: Yeah, some of it is good but some of it's pretty lame.[/B]

[B]EW[/B]: What's everyone loving over there?

[B]C&F: British-wise, I think just The IT Crowd, that's pretty cool. Do you guys know of Chris Morris?[/B]

[B]TH[/B]: Yeah, we love Chris Morris.

[B]C&F: He had a part in the first series but wound up getting killed off in the second.[/B]

[B]EW[/B]: Is he just acting in it or does he write for it too?

[B]C&F: I think he was just acting in it. He only had a small part.[/B]

[B]TH[/B]: Is Matt Berry in it now?

[B]C&F: Yeah, he plays Chris Morris' son.[/B]

[B]TH[/B]: I just met Matt this weekend. We're good friends with Robert Popper and Peter Serafinowicz from Look Around You.

[B]C&F: Is Peter doing stuff over in America now?[/B]

[B]TH[/B]: Erm, no, actually they're both trying to do a show with Adult Swim called Praise Tarvu which is a fictitious religion, so it'll be a religious show for this fake religion, which sounds amazing to me.

[YOUTUBE=b1Lnyr6JBK8]

[B]C&F: Anyway, just gonna mention some of the other characters, well not even characters, just some of the regular people that you have on your show - people like Ruth Carr and James Quall - how do you get those guys involved? How much of the show do they understand?[/B]

[B]EW[/B]: People like James Quall we got introduced to by a guy named David Liebe Hart (David is a regular guest on Tim And Eric Awesome Show... The majority of his scenes have him singing some slightly ramshackle, yet deeply infectious songs alongside some truly unusual-looking puppets). A lot of what we use of them is what they really do, that's James' comedy that you see in the show. David sings, well, they're his songs but we just kind of help him with the music and put it out there. Ruth Carr is an actress, so we wrote the music and the concept and she performs it. There's two different levels of people that are on the show - there's bad Hollywood actors and also eccentric musicians/performers.

[B]C&F: Is Ron Stark (another regular in the show) a genuine actor?[/B]

[B]TH[/B]: Yeah, he is a genuine actor.

[B]EW[/B]: (laughing) I love that you brought Ron Stark up!

[B]TH[/B]: The reason we did a bit called Stark On Stark is because when he's not on camera he just loves to talk to you about the most boring things like computers, printers, fax machines and stuff. He's like the expert on everything, so we wanted to have him go and talk like he normally talks, but unfortunately usually when people get in front of the camera they tend to try and be funny. But, Ron Stark, we just love his name.

[B]C&F: Is there anything you can tell us about the Steve Brule spin-off show? (Dr. Steve Brule is a recurring character played by John C. Reilly)[/B]

[B]TH[/B]: Yeah, we just finished editing and submitting the pilot, which turned out really great, and we're gonna shoot the rest of them in September. It's basically like a Saturday news magazine show, so it's a little educational - it's about the human body and how it works, with Steve just sort of exploring that in a really retarded, fucked up way.

[URL=http://www.cowandfield.co.uk/article/interviews/2008/08/05/tim-and-eric-awesome-show-great-job-part-3-of-3/]READ MORE[/URL]

Tim And Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! - Part 3 of 3 - Cow And Field

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

[B]C&F: You guys have got a lot of short films up on your website, [URL=http://www.timanderic.com]timanderic.com[/URL], it seems like you have a lot of freedom to do whatever you want in those. Do you prefer doing those kind of episodes, where you can get away with doing absolutely anything that you want?[/B]

[B]EW[/B]: Well, some people would say that we already do on our TV show! We love doing live performances and live TV shows, almost more sometimes than an edited TV show because it's more of a spur of the moment, live kind of thing.

[B]C&F: How did the live tour go? Was it a success?[/B]

[B]EW[/B]: Yeah, it's kind of crazy as every year the show gets more poplular so more people come out. It's really shocking to see people freaking out to our ridiculous stage show and our songs.

[B]C&F: Did it translate well from the TV show to the stage show?[/B]

[B]TH[/B]: Yeah, we try to make it into a different kind of show, it's a little bit more... classic entertainment but with our fucked up sensibility attached to it. We don't necessarily try to recreate what the show is.

[B]C&F: Kind of make the live show it's own spectacle, in a way.[/B]

[B]TH[/B]: Yeah.

[YOUTUBE=YBPn2VJcGKI]

[B]C&F: What are your plans for after this new series of Awesome Show?[/B]

[B]TH[/B]: Well, we're actually making the fourth series right now. Or as we say in America, "season". Series makes more sense though. Then we're gonna try and write a movie.

[B]C&F: Do you have any ideas for that?[/B]

[B]TH[/B]: No. Haha, but that's the first step - sitting down and coming up with ideas. It'd just be a mystery.

[B]EW[/B]: Kind of like about medical technology, about coroner reports or something.

[B]TH[/B]: Or maybe like a Whodunnit.

[B]C&F: You could make a musical whodunnit? Kind of like a musical version of CSI.[/B]

[B]TH[/B]: Well we just wanna tell a mystery. That may be a little bit too sarcastic to have songs in it. We'd have somebody score it, so it'd have a dramatic score, if that's what you're interested in.

[B]C&F: Haha, I suppose so! Anyway, coming back to the third series, did you film it around the same time as the previous one, or was it something that you made quite recently?[/B]

[B]EW[/B]: No, we did the first one seperately, then the second seperately. But we were asked for forty episodes, which Adult Swim consider as two series (each series of Awesome Show has ten episodes). So we're making twenty in a row right now, which we've been doing for about a year. Is season 2 of our show on TV there?

[B]C&F: No, it's just the first series at the minute. I'm a bad internet pirate though, I'm afraid, so I downloaded it! It definitely could do well on mainstream TV over here though. There's definitely an audience for slightly absurd, more leftfield comedy.[/B]

[B]EW[/B]: Are people hearing about the show? Is it getting popular out there or is it still pretty underground?

[B]C&F: It's still pretty underground, but there's definitely some kind of buzz arond the show right now. People are definitely starting to hear about it. Okay, finally what are you guys particularly interested in at the moment - is there anything TV-wise or music-wise that you're enjoying?[/B]

[B]EW[/B]: I'm watching a lot of late night poker. It's a horrible, horrible show but it's the only thing that calms me down.

[B]TH[/B]: I just love the pleasant sound of metallic saws cutting through wood. We have some construction going on outside our office so I hear that all day long.

[B]C&F: Okay, that's pretty much it, do you have anything you'd like to say to your fans in the UK?[/B]

[B]TH[/B]: We love them and we wish there were more of them so that we could come and play the Albert Hall. We wanna come over and check out Big Ben!

[B]END[/B]

Dartz announce new mini-album + tour - Cow And Field

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

[URL=http://www.myspace.com/darts]Dartz [/URL]have reaffirmed their return with a new mini-album and a burst of live dates.

The Teesside trio will release a mini-album of new material entitled [B]�The Sad History Of The Village Of Alnerique� [/B]on [B]22 September[/B] through [B]Xtra Mile[/B].

It marks a confident return to the forefront after a brief hiatus to concentrate on their studies and other non-band related activities.

The drums, bass and (most of the) guitar were recorded live in an old warehouse in Stockton-On-Tees by Nathan Stephenson, who has headed sessions with the cream of North East Hardcore - Voorhees, Spitfire Down, Thirty Seconds Until Armageddon etc. The vocals and all additional instrumentation were recorded in Billingham by top up-and-coming producer Simon �bigWOW� Whelan, who mixed and mastered all of the tracks.

[B]Video: Once, Twice, Again![/B]
[YOUTUBE=v2OLoHk8Cs0]

The follow-up to last year�s accomplished debut �This Is My Ship�, �The Sad History�� apparently sees the band adopt a mellower approach and turning the spotlight on their lyrics more than they have done in the past.

Guitarist Henry J. Carden said: [B][I]�For all of our old songs, the writing process basically consisted of us working on the music first and then once that was sorted, we�d work on the lyrics. For this release though, Philip had written some words and we thought it�d be interesting to try and write some music which suited the lyrics. It was a different approach for us but I think it�s resulted in �The Sad History Of�� being a much more cohesive collection of songs than any of our past releases.�[/I][/B]

The tracklisting for �The Sad History�� looks like this�
[B]
1. The Arrival, Building Alnerique
2. Oskar and Ofelia
3. A New Venture from Mordecai & Sons
4. The Clandestine Choir
5. What Happens to Places Where Spaces Should Be
6. The Lay of the Land
7. Embers
8. The End, Moving On[/B]

A track, �The End, Moving On�, will be available to download for free from Xtra Mile�s myspace page � www.myspace.com/xtramilerecordings - for 24 hours only on Monday 1st September. The track is also the first Dartz song to feature drummer Philip J. Maughan on guitar and guitarist Henry J. Carden on drums.

[URL=http://www.cowandfield.co.uk]Cow + Field[/URL] will have the verdict on the new mini-album shortly.

The band will be embarking on a short UK stint to mark the release of �The Sad History Of The Village Of Alnerique�

[B]September
17 � Edinburgh, The GRV
18 � Sunderland, The White Rooms
19 � Leeds, The Cockpit
20 � London, The Luminaire
21 � Southend, Chinnerys[/B]

Link:[URL=http://www.dartzisgood.co.uk/]
Dartz is good[/URL]
[URL=http://www.myspace.com/darts]Dartzspace[/URL]

Collectable Music Figures - Major Music

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Major Music have some rare and collectable McFarlene and Spencer Figures arriving shortly.

You will be able to purchase Beatles Yellow Submarine, Elvis, Ozzy, Kurt Cobain, Slash official products.

New Drum Kit - Major Music

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Our brand new DTX Yamaha Drum Kit has arrived, this electric kit is touch sensitive with over 250 different drum kit sounds from rock to hip hop and even jazz scat....

Torche + Pelican ready September meandering - Cow And Field

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Miami metallers [URL=http://www.myspace.com/torche]Torche[/URL] [pictured] are set to pummel Europe next month with eight dates in the UK before harassing the rest of the EU into October.

[URL=http://www.myspace.com/pelican]Pelican [/URL]will be found on tow with the Meanderthals pleasuring themselves at these places�

[B]September
12 � Brighton, Engine Room
13 - Sheffield, Corporation
14 - Glasgow, Oran Mor
15 - Belfast, The Limelight
16 - Dublin, Whelans
17 - Birmingham, Medicine Bar
18 � London, Underworld
19 � Bristol, Croft[/B]

[URL=http://www.cowandfield.co.uk/article/reviews/2008/03/27/torche-meanderthal-hydrahead/]James Longsden got a bit giddy [/URL]when �Meanderthal� dropped earlier this year and it�s highly likely these dates have caused more than a little arousal amongst the masses.

Link:
[URL=http://www.myspace.com/torche]Torche myspace[/URL]

Errors announce October tour - Cow And Field

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Mogwai�s Scottish sweethearts [URL=http://www.myspace.com/weareerrors]Errors [/URL]have announced tour dates in support of their debut album 'It's Not Something But It Is Like Whatever'.

Leading on from triumphant summer appearances at Supersonic, Latitude and Lovebox, Errors have a slew of headline dates around the UK in October.

That is if they get their gear back from Manchester Airport in time�[URL=http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=21640832&blogID=401949317][confused? Click here][/URL]

These tour dates�

[B]October
2 � London, Concrete + Glass
3 � Sheffield, The Shakespeare
4 � Manchester, Night + Day (As part of the In The City Showcase)
5 � Liverpool, Korova
10 � Glasgow, Oran Mor
11 � Aberdeen, Barfly
12 � Dundee, Doghouse
[/B]
But before that, Errors will wind up the summer with the remaining festival shows in August:

August
Fri 8 � Leicester, Summer Sundae
Sat 16 � Brighton, Loop Festival
Sat 30 - Inverary Connect Festival

Link:
[URL=http://www.myspace.com/weareerrors]Listen to Errors[/URL]
[URL=http://www.seetickets.com/see/event.asp?e%7Cartist=ERRORS&n|artist=null&resultsperpage=20&filler1=see&filler2=art-srch]Buy tickets
[/URL]

Tellison & Tubelord - Split 7" (Banquet Records) - Cow And Field

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

There's a fine line between perfectly encapsulating the joys of Summer and just sounding like a bunch of tacky annoying cunts.

If you're wondering who falls into the latter classification, think Alphabeat, Dashboard Confessional, but this split from two of the finest upcoming bands unequivocally belongs to the earlier category.

It's as if the air becomes flooded with pollen the moment [URL=http://www.myspace.com/tellison]Tellison [/URL]strike the first ringing chord of 'Wasps Nest' and the next seven minutes will bring much comfort to those mourning another Summer's death come September; if Summer ever gets started that is.

Tellison have been banging their [B]Stapleton-esque pop rock[/B] for a few years now and the formula isn't tiring. 'Wasps Nest' bunches together cracking melodies, intoxicating harmonies and enough clever little structure deviations to ensure a genre that can be easily criticised for rehashing old ideas, remains as fresh as when Get Up Kids had something to write home about.

[YOUTUBE=pdYTQaNlaDw]

[URL=http://www.myspace.com/tubelord]Tubelord[/URL]'s arse might not be as fragrant as Tellison's but they make up for their hint of scattery showers by picking up where [URL=http://www.myspace.com/biffyclyro]Biffy Clyro[/URL] left off when they came out with [URL=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackened_Sky]'Blackened Sky'[/URL]. As a three-piece, they specialise in the quiet-loud, start-stop trick that everybody's favourite hairy Scots have made a career out of but with a fresh naive approach that makes the jaunt more progressive.

'Night Of The Pencils' drum sound could be seen as offensive at first but it's quickly forgotten when you find yourself trying to keep up with their sporadic changes, being flung from riff to riff. [I]"It's such a ride" [/I]wails vocalist Dave and with such turbulent shifts, it definitely is.

Two great bands, two great songs, one glossy little 7". Done.

[B]8.7/10[/B]

Link:
[URL=http://www.myspace.com/tellison]Listen to Tellison - 'Wasps Nest'[/URL]
[URL=http://www.myspace.com/tubelord]then listen to Tubelord - 'Night Of The Pencils'[/URL]
then clear your conscience and [URL=http://www.banquetrecords.com/index.jsp?item=9557]buy the 7"[/URL]