Check out the new track from D/R/U/G/S
'You Are Everywhere' features vocals from Rebecca Rivers (her debut release). The track is available to buy digitally via Bad Life and will be followed by an EP, which will be dropping before the end of November.
It’s hard to see how LazyTalk could become any more efficient at what they do. The band’s populist blend of ska-punk, drum’n’bass, British hip-hop and Jamie T-style street smarts is perfectly forged to whip up any crowd, including that at the Finsbury this Saturday night. Throw in a couple of anthemic, terrace-ready tracks, such as ‘Luzaville’ and ‘Memories’, and you’d imagine it’s only a matter of time before some sharp svengali picks up the band and runs with them. Frontman Piers Robinson has assembled a fluid quintet of skilled rebel-rousers, of whom the trump card could be keyboardist Josh, who took time out to blow gear-shifting sax solos when the tune demanded. Meanwhile, Piers wrapped his tongue around contemporary grievances ranging from the corporate dilution of pop to the perils of the pre-dawn bus-ride, all keenly observed and addressed in quickfire prose. Reappropriated covers of hits by Ini Kamoze and Dawn Penn (I’ll leave you to guess which ones) gave clues to the band’s roots - and there was certainly a punky reggae party at their rhythmic core - but LazyTalk picked and mixed from myriad sounds of modern urban Britain. Most of it was delivered strictly to crowdplease, and although the doubling up of tempo following a languid intro was a trick somewhat overdone, it never failed to lively up the dancefloor. An unashamedly bang-on-it good-time act with fire in their bellies and brains behind the beats, the five-piece put a smile on the face of a sweaty Finsbury, just as they did last time they played here some 18 months previous. This is a band who, by now, should surely be instigating knees-ups at bigger venues nationwide. LazyTalk just need an action plan.
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You can catch Lost in the Manor's very own Buzzard Lope live in session with the wonderful Ruth Barnes on amazing radio.
The shows are aired from 10am - 1pm so make sure you tune in.
Buy Buzzard Lope tickets for their Album Launch on Nov 21st at the Servants Jazz Quarters - Tickets
The lovely lo-fi psychedelia of Mazes’ Ores and Minerals LP has been one of the year’s more absorbing releases, but the band were a shadow of their recorded selves at Village Underground tonight, the loops that should have augmented the guitar, bass and drums trio felt somehow shorn of all melodic depth. This meant the focus fell too unforgivingly on the jagged string-picking and off-kilter vocals of Jack Cooper, who was reticent in the spotlight. Showpiece tunes, such as ‘Bodies’, ‘Hayfever Wristband’ and the ‘Mrs Robinson’-esque cover ‘Donovan’ were still pretty fabulous, strong enough to withstand a below-par performance, but, stripped of its studio subtleties, much of Mazes’ idiosyncratic poppy Krautrock veered disappointingly close to the landfill. A blip, perhaps.
No such crisis of confidence for Parquet Courts, so full of Big Apple swagger that they barely seemed to notice a couple of false starts and even got away with some interminable drone rock in ‘She’s Rolling’ (an antidote to the hardcore snippets that peppered the rest of the set) before kickstarting the pogoing and stage-diving proper with Light Up Gold’s zippy back-to-back openers, ‘Master of My Craft’ and ‘Borrowed Time’. Looking like four insouciant college kids, the Courts’ excitingly forceful hipster punk occupies an unlikely space where The Strokes might rub up against Discharge. Their slacker singalongs slammed into the sell-out crowd via a surge of distorted adrenaline and unrelenting high-speed 4/4, delivered in a whirl of hair, sweat, power chords and feedback. Guitarists Andrew Savage and Austin Brown took turns to bellow out lyrics in a Brooklyn drawl, the latter joking how he’s made more trips to London this year than to his mother’s - the band have more than quadrupled the size of venues they’ve played while doing so. The intimate ferocity in which they specialise is best suited to compact and sweaty, though, and it’s hard to imagine them pulling off such a relentless onslaught in establishments much bigger than Village Underground. Relish the moment, of course, but the Courts may have reached a career crossroads where the snotty attitude and humour of thrilling garage nuggets like ‘Master of My Craft’ and ‘Stoned and Starving’ point the way over much of the set’s powerful but perfunctory punk rock. After all, Parquet Courts may come on like indifferent wasters, but their wise-guy lyrics betray a band whose ambitions surely lie beyond just sharing the bill with Anti-Pasti at the 2016 Punx Picnic.
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A potent attention-grabber ahead of the band’s debut album, ‘This Haze’ is evidence of Manchester quartet Patterns’ drowned-in-sound approach. Trembling guitar arpeggios ring out from great washes of feedback and keyboard sustain, bolstered by pounding tribal toms. Blissed-out vocals deliver a final layer of irregular melody, the lyrical unintelligibility just adding to the hallucinatory whole. As if Bloc Party dropped acid at a Baggy revue and cranked up the fuzzbox, ‘This Haze’ is more intriguing soundscape than instant smash, but is certainly satisfying enough to flag up that January album as one of 2014’s early essentials.
Patterns’ Waking Lines (Melodic Records) is out on 6 January
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I can't really give you any info on the band as they are so new and fresh. This track is a blinder Please do share this with your friends. Lets just hope they come over soon to the UK from the states. We at Lost in The Manor would love to house Nuns for a show!
Here you can catch a little taster of Tristesse Contemporaine's new album
Mysterious Paris based trio Tristesse Contemporaine are set to release their 2nd full length ‘Stay Golden’ on 25th November through Record Makers. It follows the release of the ‘Woodwork,’ EP, which marked the start of their collaboration with the label, also home to Kavinsky, Sebastien Tellier and Hynolove amongst others. Inspired by the ghosts of shoegaze, krautrock and Madchester, the album was produced by the band themselves and continues their quest to soundtrack an era lost to the night.
Made up of Japanese ex-punk singer Narumi, Swedish hockey player turned guitarist Leo and Maik, a British hip-hop fan known for his role as the lead singer of Earthling, Tristesse Contemporaine embodies the concept of a melting pot. Their unique blend of brooding indie and minimal electro pop is equally diverse, effortlessly combining sparse dance beats with bouncy bass lines and providing a fitting backdrop for the more ethereal elements of the new album.
From the uplifting pop of album opener ‘Fire’, abrasive rock of ‘I Do What I Want’ and precise house sounds of ‘Going Out,’ ‘Stay Golden’ straddles a plethora of genres whilst maintaining a signature sound that is undoubtedly their own. It can also be considered as a collection of poetry dedicated to eternal youth.
‘Stay Golden’ is set for release on 25th November through Record Makers. The eye-catching album artwork was designed by Elisabeth Arkhipoff from an illustration by Guy Peelaert.
1 – Fire 2 – Stay Golden 3 – Waiting 4 – Going Out 5 – I Do What I Want 6 – Can’t Resist 7 – Burning 8 – Pretend 9 – Most Times
Have a listen to Fire, it sounds ace!
In BBC4’s ‘Synth Britannia’ doc, prolific music writer Simon Reynolds contends that 1980s electronica acts developed a ‘fire and ice’ template, wherein a boffin figure handled the technology while a passionate female or gay male vocalist provided the sensual drama. Think Yazoo, Soft Cell et al. It’s a formula that Mano’s Daughter adhere to, contemporising the image thanks to their man behind the Moog who, in stubble and distinctive tee, resembles the hip guy from your office IT department. But over and above knowing where to locate the restart button, Matthias Garrick’s expertise at sequencing steady binary beats and hefty cadences was clear, as was his musicality – sublime keyboard runs colourised his act’s cyborg sheen as much as the heartfelt reverb-drenched vocal of Sarah Carter, who injected range into the duo’s downtempo balladry. Touches of Portishead’s ethereal chill leaked into a brooding sentimentality popularised by the likes of BANKS, leading to dense slab of moody modernism, occasionally so widescreen that the songs' abrupt endings came as a disconcerting jolt. And as well-conceived as each tune was, the set never really changed gear, its constant loping pulse rendering it somewhat repetitive. Mixing up the BPM here and there wouldn’t have gone amiss on this Saturday night.
If Mano’s Daughter maxed out the melancholy, Yurs bounced in from the other end of the emotional spectrum, a sunny blast of poppy tuneage that had the crowd jumping from first number to last. Their two frontmen sharing guitar and vocals were embellished by keys, bass and drums, with four of the five-piece spreading delicious harmonies around a powerful tenor, leaving traces of Byrds here, Monkees there. Direct comparisons to such giants would plainly be overdoing it just yet, but those layered voices are a wonderful card to play, and terrifically crafted numbers like ‘I’m Allowed’ had instant impact. In the main, the group drew on the finer stuff of noughties indie, a combination of catchy riffs, the lightness of touch of good-vibe American guitar bands and, most obviously, the effervescent dexterity of Supergrass, an outfit whose versatility was key to their success. Judging by this Finsbury show, Yurs also have the proficiency to change direction with ease, a quality that should scream commercial viability. Yurs ‘oping, anyway (bad closing pun should be read with a Westcountry accent for full effect).
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The Lunchtime Sardine Club recently grabbed the attention of Amazing Radio with the first single “Rumours” and also featured on a Big Scary Monsters best of... compilation earlier this year. With the sound branded as “a happier Elliott Smith circa 1998” by Brighton Noise, The Lunchtime Sardine Club’s Icecapades is the perfect concoction of Elliott Smith’s storytelling style and Grizzly Bear’s lo-fi folk.
Live Dates: Servants Jazz Quarters Oct 22nd - More info
Fé announce ‘She Came’, the band’s second single and the follow up to ‘Time’, an inspired debut which caught the attention of BBC 6 Music, The Guardian and reams of flattering blogs. It was a flawless signal of intent from Ben Moorhouse and Leo Duncan, a band we consider to be an extremely significant new discovery.
Fé play London Kings Head Members Club on 23rd & 30th October 2013 Get on the guest list here
Release date: Monday 25th November 2013
In May 2013 London collective Jungle sprang out of the blocks with debut track 'Platoon', which saw a release, along with track 'Drops', through Chess Club Records on 15th July. Now they are preparing for their first ever live shows by revealing the video to new single, 'The Heat'
'The Heat' will be released on 21st October 2013 on Chess Club Records in the UK and B3SCI Records in North America.
Jungle play the following dates...
10/10/2013 - Manchester - The Roadhouse 17/10/2013 - Brighton - Sticky Mike's Frog Bar 24/10/2013 - Leeds - Belgrave Music Hall 30/10/2013 - Sheffield - The Harley
I've been listening to this non stop over the last few days. I highly recommend this as my 'Album of the week', 5 stars all round!
‘Long Mind Hotel’ is, without doubt, Jack Cheshire's most accomplished work to date, a real treasure trove, longing to be discovered and its spoils shared.
You can catch Jack and his band live on these dates Servant Jazz Quarters, Dalston, London. with House of Trees. 09/01/2014 The End Festival, The Pavillion, Crouch End, London. 16/11/2013 The Vortex, Dalston, London. with RM Hubbert. 10/11/2013
Stream and buy the album in full
These ultra cool producer duo H A R T E B E E S T chose to leave London to return to their native island, where they found their voice living in isolation. The result was analogue synth laden hooks and R’n’B falsetto vocals follow minimal hip-hop beats and dreamy guitar landscapes. The result is a breath taking adulterate that is both nostalgic and contemporary.
What the Press already have to say "H A R T E B E E S T are going to immediately impress you" - Hilly Dilly "Melodramatic yet undeniably catchy, ‘death.’ is certainly reason enough to keep an eye on the development of H A R T E B E E S T" - Crack In The Road
Check out their debut single Death
Here is your chance to get a ticket for the official Album Launch of The Bishops at the Sebright Arms for Oct 23rd. We at Lost in The Manor have been working with The Bishops for a few years now and we are so excited for the show. The supports are excellent also and will be The Lazlo Device and The Shallows Tickets are £5 in advance which you can purchase here
If you fancy checking out the facebook event you can see it here
Stream the new album 'All Things Lost' by The Bishops in full
This is not but any means a new album but it must be heard. They are also one of the best live bands in London!
Super Best Friends Club we salute you!
I'm having one of those mornings when my gig bookings don't really go the way I want them to which frustrates my brain... Suddenly you get I an email from a band I've have never heard of before and on a rare morning those bands are a ray of sunshine. That morning was today and the refreshing sounds of Fourth and Folsom flowed into my ears and became an instant booking for January 9th at the Finsbury.
Enjoy their classy track Bloodfire and also stick 9th January at The Finsbury in your diaries.
In their own words: Fourth and Folsom are an original, multi-instrumental London based band influenced by early 'west coast' harmonies and bands such as Crosby, Stills,Nash and Young and Half Moon Run.
Much like the oft-bewildering vagaries of modern life in the metropolis from which the trio hail, London’s Benin City are a mixture of gloss and grit. Their fresh fusion of percussive electro and sparse soul is captured on new single ‘Wha Gwan’, a regretful lament of friendship gone sour, which finds Joshua Idehen’s rapid urban patter flowering into song over the expansive chorus – “We used to start/Fires in the park, you and I” – while, underneath, Theo Buckingham’s fluid rhythms embellish a metronomic pulse that anchors some weighty synth chords. As the track builds, Tom Leaper’s horn riff creeps in almost unnoticed, until its sombre melody becomes the focal point of the coda, and the listener is left wondering whether this is some new take on dubstep, trip hop or even 21st-century jazz, yet never doubting that ‘Wha Gwan’ is a truly original arrival, a new sound of the contemporary capital.
‘Wha Gwan’ is released via Audio Doughnuts on 7 October.
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Ambient Birmingham duo Malpas have a fancy for melding their sequences and loops with traditionally bucolic stringed instruments. You might fear this would result in an even-more lightweight take on the fragility that marks much British indie-electronica. Fortunately, this songwriter/producer pairing are deft enough to create a densely textured whole from their diverse instrumental parts, interweaving folksy melodies and flabby synth swells to pack quite the emotional punch. Sure, there’s a vulnerability to the four songs on Malpas’ debut EP, but it’s the wavering upper-register vocal that delivers it, granting an aptly plaintive edge to the “When Will You Return To Me?” refrain of lead track ‘Charlemagne’. Commencing with a choppy mandolin overlain with acoustic arpeggios, then segueing into a wobbly dubstep base, ‘Charlemagne’ soon settles into the poppiest and most radio-friendly track here, if the least interesting. Better the catchy, bittersweet ‘Here Comes The Rain’, an absorbing three-minute mashup of new-folk and sub-bass, while ‘Us Afloat’ steadily crescendos from gentle pizzicato to obese digital outro, turning the mournful “I Can’t be Trusted” lyric on its head. It’s ‘Promise’, with its haunting vocal and stunted skiffle groove that really impresses, though, its blissful choral progression all too fleeting, a near intangible few bars of loveliness that demands repeat due to its very brevity. Fragile, yes, but disarmingly so.
‘Promise’ is released via Killing Moon on 23 September.
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Electronic duo Vimes originate from Germany’s capitol of techno – Cologne. They release their third single ‘Celestial’ via Berlin tastemaker label, Humming Records on 30th September.
The duo have received international recognition thus far for their unique brand of electronic music, combining both live instruments with electronic elements and a stirring visual live show made for dancing.
The past 12 months has seen the band support Hot Chip in Mexico, play headline sets across Europe as well as numerous continental festivals including Dockville, Eurosonic, First We Take Berlin and Reeperbahn Festival. Vimes were also invited to play at this years SXSW and Canadian Music Week, unfortunately neither of these happened due to visa complications.
Vimes are made up of Azhar Syed & Julian Stetter. Azhar is Nigerian born to Indian humanitarian workers who grew up all over Europe. He met Julian when he moved to German to study visuals arts and thus Vimes was born.
‘Celestial’ is an electronic dance track reminiscent of fellow Cologne resident and long time friend Roosevelt’s most recent work. The single will will be available from all digital stores on 30th September via Humming Records.
On occasion a reviewer will chance upon an act so familiar that any florid turns of phrase seem surplus to requirements. Blues-rock is the only appropriate descriptor of The Jack J Hutchinson Band, a trio with a decadent Seventies bent but very much of a genre that has been with us since white boys first turned their hands to Elmore James licks. No bad thing, of course, as when well-executed it is a sound to offer timeless pleasures. This outfit were reliant on theirs from main-man Hutchinson, a good ol’ guitar hero giving up all the hammer-ons and hirsute gurning you could desire. His adroit fretwork was at its most expressive in shorter bursts, however. Come the set’s end, and despite ably brandishing a bottleneck, his soloing had become so pervasive it was like listening to a medley of everything ever recorded by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Hutchinson’s extended lead play may have been cover for an enforced line-up reshuffle necessitated by the disappearance of his regular bass player. The replacement did a steady job, if tentatively, his look of studied concentration a little at odds with a music so evocative of carefree rock’n’roll excess.
No such incongruity from Tied To The Mast, a rum-looking bunch who were as effective a band-as-gang as you’re likely to witness. Blasting out overdriven slacker punk, their three guitarists interwove thrillingly, also trading lead-vocal duties to subtly alter the feel of each song. Employing a powerhouse drummer and a muscular bassist, the band’s default setting was ferociously full-on, but they had a fine ear for dynamics, breaking down and dropping out in all the optimum places, constructing tunes from layers of contrasting volume. There was something of Dinosaur Jr to their distorted vibe; dirty and joyous, rather than dirgy, mainly thanks to those ever-fresh vocal interjections. ‘Bubblegum’ ended proceedings with a flourish, proving TTTM could pull out a blinding pop tune too, albeit with a white-noise sheen.
If anything, the volume pots were pushed further clockwise when Zoo Zero took to the stage, the four-piece announcing their arrival with a swirl of feedback, setting the tone for a set that enveloped The Finsbury in a six-string sonic shroud, darker than Tied To The Mast’s, more shoegazey and stoutly psychedelic. The clarity of the lead vocal, appearing occasionally amid the guitar maelstrom, offered footholds in the wall of noise, further enhanced by harmonies from the drummer. Peaking during songs built on near-Hawkwindish driving krautrock, Zoo Zero’s set may have struggled to sustain its high for the full 45 minutes, but affirmatively found fifth-gear again for the finale, a slab of pounding, glistening electric thrash that... well, that rocked really fucking hard, as even the most erudite reviewer would be content to admit. Zoo Zero’s debut album is out 30 September.
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