JoeDiddly has written the following articles:
This week's Spotify playlist, formed from the various bits of content on our site in the last week or so. This one features some Norwegian goodness/badness, Perfume Genius, Darren Hayman, Skream, Tweak Bird, Eels and a few other luminaries. Click here to »
Beardy-folky country types Midlake will be heading this way in the Autumn, following on from a tour earlier in the year to support their new album. Obviously. This time it's just a few days, but welcome none the less. Of course there aren't any dates outside of England, what did you expect?»
Our (if not everyone's) favourite Leeds-based noise-merchants (and there are a few of these) Pulled Apart By Horses have announced a batch of live dates for September, as well as the next single from their debut self-titled record. The dates of the shows you can see below, but the single will be 'High Five, Swan Dive, Nose Dive', which comes out via Transgressive on September 6.»
Young American and talented is how you'd best describe Caitlin Rose, whose debut record Own Side is released at the end of the month. Looking deeper into the record you'd have to ask the woman herself for the finer points, which is exactly what we've done. Read below for Caitlin's in-depth and fascinating breakdown of the record, complete with a few embedded tracks for you to hear what all the talk is about!»
Yesterday we furnished you with our tips for this year's Øya festival and today it's time for a mixtape. A free one. Containing three sides (if you want) and a variety of acts and tracks both Norwegian and non-Norwegian. Not much more introduction is need»
Earlier last month we gave you the Salem remix of the These New Puritans album track 'Hologram', taken from the wonderful - and Neptune prize nominated - Hidden. It really contains a thousand levels of greatness. Now the band have released the video for »
Stadium rock gods Kings of Leon have confirmed the release of a new album, out in the UK this October. It's called Come Around Sundown and will be released through Columbia Records on October 18. It's their fifth studio album in total and the first since 2008, when Only By The Night was released. »
There's a new video from Sigur Ros bloke Jónsi. Of course, he know performs and releases records under that name too, and that's what this one is. It's 'Animal Arithmetic' and it's a fairly full-on audiovisual experience. At times you won't be able to catch your breath, but it's so full of life. I think there's a bit which slips into Icelandic, but I can't be certain. Can anyone confirm or deny?!»
Napoleon IIIrd will release a new record on November 8. Hoorah! It's called Christiania and will come out through Brainlove Records. Christiania refers to the area of Copenhagen which is a commune for lots of pleasant things and is allowed some kind of autonomy. Read up on it, it's quite interesting. It will - we hope - be seven shades of brilliant. »
New video!»
As the summer festivals continue to end (boo) our eyes draw focus towards the ones which happen later in the year. There's a couple of fairly famous and renowned ones going on in December - both ATPs, but it's the Nightmare Before Christmas which we're concerned with at the moment, as a new raft of acts have been announced for the festival, curated by the re-united Godspeed You! Black Emperor.»
Just a quick one to let you know that Jamie Stewart and Xiu Xiu will be making their way back to the UK in October to play a few dates on these shores. Of course there are none in Scotland or Wales, but don't get too down about it. »
Weirdness. »
Berlin-based label Souterrain Transmissions are one of our very favourites. They keep releasing an absolute ton of brilliant stuff and I guess we should celebrate this somehow. Well done to them and keep up the good work. Anyway, another release on their roster is the new Tweak Bird record, which is self-titled and comes out August 30.»
Some good news for you and good news for Mute, as Yann Tiersen has signed to their record label and will release a new album later in the year. Dust Lane will come out on October 4 and is the first full studio album since 2005's Les Retrouvailles. 5 long years.»
We get some people in the know to tell us about which Norwegian bands and artists they're looking forward to seeing at this year's Øya festival, which takes place in Oslo from August 10-15. There's a bloody lot and a bloody good lot, so this perhaps wasn't the easiest, still, they all managed to narrow it down to five (apart from one!). Read on to investigate and keep your eyes out for our Øya 2010 mixtape.»
Do you ever feel that a whole remix album is a bit overblown? Y'know, especially if the source material is less than overwhelming? Yeah, we sometimes get that feeling too. Perhaps an EP would be better. Cut the fat out and all that.»
The prodigal and most, most welcome and most, most brilliant Perfume Genius will be heading back our way again later in the year, following on from the wonderfully enchanting debut album, and an equally enchanting show at London's Hoxton Hall. »
We know we've said it many times before, but we're not going to stop saying it. Because it remains true. Darren Hayman is genuinely one of the best songwriters to have emerged from this country in the last couple of decades - both as part of Hefner and latterly with The Secondary Modern. Even the record which was about town planning. Seriously. »
Last year's Offset festival was pretty damn good. This year is looking like it's going to be just as good if not even better, judging by the latest lot of additions to the festival's bill. Pretty mouthwatering all in all, including three bands who have produced fantastic records this year, two British, one Canadian. »
I don't know about you but I've not been on a proper treasure hunt in a long, long while. One where the treasure isn't food or alcohol, anyway. Green Man festival have just unveiled one, though, and one where the prize is actually something worth winning. Guess it wouldn't be treasure otherwise...»
Free download from Shrag. »
New(ish) video from PWL.»
If you live in Europe and like Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti then you're in for a treat, because they've just confirmed a fairly substantial tour around the continent for later in the year, October to be precise.»
New single. New video.»
So, as the announcement of bands for the rest of the festival season slowly dries up for obvious reason, let us not forget that there are festivals which take place outside of the Summer months. Some of them are actually pretty good. Such as SWN festival, which returns for its fourth year in 2010.»
As you're probably aware, there's a new Sky Larkin album on the way, middle of next month. You've probably heard it already what with the whole leaking and streaming fiasco, so I don't need to tell you how good it is. Things kick off with 'Still Windmills' both on the album and as the first single and it embodies both what we know, expect and love from the Leeds trio. It's a poster girl for 'how to do 3-minute guitar pop', to be sure.»
Two of the most loved bands in the world have announced that they'll be playing a few dates together. It's Hot Chip and LCD Soundsystem, by the way, in case you were wondering or anything. They've confirmed a total of eight dates together, some of which are very soon and very far away. There are others which are further away in time but closer to home, including four in the UK.»
Another edition in our weekly round-up of things what appeared on the website in the form of a Spotify playlist»
The duo have just announced a handful of dates for later in the year, where you'll presumably get a chance to hear much of their record. That's the sort of thing you'd expect, anyway. You can catch them on these dates at these places in the UK and Ireland. »
