To celebrate we're going whole hog to introduce you to as many new bands we love in one week as possible. Sadly we've only managed to muster most of this action up in London but coaches are cheap and if you get really stuck and really wanna come down from faaar away, some of our staff and readers have sofas/floors.
Heres your link-loaded guide to birthday happenings, including links to websites and audio. See you next week...
Tues 30th SEPTEMBER 2003 [Monthly Hi-Jack]
@ Club Fandango, Dublin Castle, Camden (clubfandango.co.uk)
Doors: 8pm
Price: £5 / £4 with a flyer.
THE ROBOCOP KRAUS
...formed in Germany in 1998 and have built themselves a bit of a cult reputation from relentless gigging round Europe and Japan. Their abrasive sound has recently drawn lazy comparisons to Radio 4 and The Cure, and their new album 'Living With Other People' is released this month, which even the folks at the NME gave 8/10. This is only their second London gig and the first night of their DiS-sponsored uk tour. ON STAGE AT 10.15PM
Web: therobocopkraus.de / Audio: 'Fashion'
HOOKERS GREEN #1
...are a collective from Aberdeen who've been flooring all and sundry with their three-track demo which is, by turns, haunting, studious, abstract, quaint, scatty, powerful and, quite frankly, amazing. This will be their first London gig. ON STAGE AT 9.30PM
Audio: 'Love Ballad for The Cold Robot'
Web: geocities.com/hookersgreenone
REAGAN
...are the fitting combination of synth-driven old skool Primal Scream and nu school Radiohead. They have supported The Cooper Temple Clause, Kid Galahad, King Prawn, 80's Matchbox B-Line Disaster, and, best of all, Bez. ON STAGE AT 8.45PM
Audio: 'With The Current' / Web: reaganised.com
Then an allnight Birthday even party @ White Heat. Lots of discount drinks and quality tunes. Full Details Here!.
Weds 1st OCTOBER 2003 [3rd Birthday Party!]
@ The Spitz, E1 (spitz.co.uk)
Doors: 8pm
Price: £6 on the door / £5 advance(+booking fee) BUY TICKETS
CARINA ROUND
...there are some artistes that once they enter your life, you just want more and more. Carina is one of those people who has obsessive fans already. Her debut album 'First Blood Mystery' was criticially acclaimed and compared to Nina Simone, Mazzy Starr, Pj Harvey, and even Gemma Hayes. The new album 'The Disconnection' (out on Dehisce, October 6th), we think sounds more like Cat Power cuddling Jeff Buckley. Carina has established herself as an outstanding live act and we're very excited to have her playing our party.
Audio: n/a / Web: carinaround.co.uk
HOOKERS GREEN #1
...as above. Because they've come down such a long way and we like them a lot, we thought we'd make it worth their while and give 'em two shows.
Audio: 'Love Ballad for The Cold Robot'
Web: geocities.com/hookersgreenone
+ Guest Dj: Ollie from Meanwhile, Back in Communist Russia...
Fri 3rd OCTOBER 2003
@ The Barfly, Camden (Barflyclub.com)
Doors: 8pm
Price: £5 buy tickets
JETPLANE LANDING
...party punk rock from quite possibly the most hardworking band in britian. The tour we're helping to promote is huge. Check 'em out.
Audio: 'What the Arguement Has Changed' / Web: jetplanelanding.com
INTENTIONS OF AN ASTEROID
...we'll bet they're probably still riding high off an Evening Session single of the week for their last single which was out on kickass indie and our friends in Bath, Purr Records. Some of the band used to be in Stumble, but not a lot of people know that. They're a spikey, Fierce Panda-type pop-rock band.
Audio: 'The Gospel'
Web: ioaa.co.uk
DISTOPHIA
...the jetplane guys inform us this lot are one of the best new bands in britian, so who are we to disagree?
Audio: 'Winifred White'
Web: distophia.com
Sat 4th OCTOBER 2003 [The Loud Alldayer]
@ The Windmill, Brixton (windmillbrixton.co.uk)
Doors: 4pm - Late
Price: £4 (includes free BBQ).
TODD
Brash, loud, funny.
We said he: "pummels you with the autistic intensity of Suicide, while scaring you with the acid-fried lunacy of the Butthole Surfers, straddling the line between genuine freak-show and deliberate mind-fuck, a carcrash Frankenstein's monster of Krautrock and classic rock carnage."
Audio: n/a / Web: n/a
AFTER THE SILENCE
Are the subject of much A&R interest, having only
played one London gig in the past. The Sheffield
four-piece have been compared to the Cooper Temple
Clause without all the crap samples.
Audio: Queen of Troubled Teens / Web: afterthesilence.co.uk
PANDA LOVE UNIT
Young and drunk and from Birmingham, who recently
released their debut single on Awkward Records.
They're a bit Sonic Youth, a bit Seafood.
Audio: Knowledge Is... / Web: pandaloveunit.tk
YOUR CODENAME IS:MILO
packed a recent London gig full of industry and
journalists. They're much-liked by 'Rock Sound',
despite still being unsigned. They are from Newcastle.
Audio: n/a / Web: yourcodenameismilo.co.uk
THE NEXT AUTUMN SOUNDTRACK
Verge from post-rock to more angular guitar and emo
shouting, and they are very very good indeed.
Audio: Lost Fondly / Web: thenextautumnsoundtrack.com
Sun 5th OCTOBER [The Quiet(er) Alldayer]
@ The Windmill, Brixton (windmillbrixton.co.uk)
Doors: 4pm - Late
Price: £4 (includes free BBQ)
TRADEMARK
Three males who make songs with synthesizers. Every
sound is carefully programmed in their lab & then
recorded & placed into its own special space in the
song. Perfect vocal melodies are then added to the
formula. This is done totally without the use of
presets. Onstage: 10pm
Audio: 'Sine Love' /
Web: trademark-online.co.uk
AMITYVILLE
The new band fronted by the vocally gifted ex-frontman
of Geneva. Kinda like Crazy Horse with added Jonny
Greenwood, a hint of 'Mezzanine', topped off with a
voice like a ferociously sharp, diamond-studded
circular saw that will take your head clean off.
Onstage:9pm
Audio: n/a / Web: amityvilleuk.com
*special guests*
When they're not having their photos taken for all the
style mags (see 'Dazed And Confused', 'The Face' etc),
they are swashbuckling punks who recently came off tour with Electric Six. Onstage:8pm
THE AFTERNOONS
Welsh septet who have a new album out which is a mini
Super Furry Animals-meets-powerpop classic. Onstage:
7pm
Audio: n/a / Web: dockrad.com
SHIP'S A GOING DOWN
New instrumental post-rock combo from Essex, tipped
for big things by their peers. Onstage:6pm
AIRPORT GIRL
Influences range from the Scottish pop of Belle &
Sebastian and The Pastels to the American flavours of
Jonathan Richman and Pavement, with an added dose of
The Go-Betweens. Onstage: 5pm
Audio: n/a / Web: airportgirl.com
Guest DJs: JOHNNY BOY
..a duo recently signed to Mercury Records, who you
will be hearing a lot more of in future.