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news

Holy burrito! 50 Cent goes to war with Taco Bell!

24/07/2008

With a name like 50 Cent, one could be forgiven for thinking the American rapper doesn’t give a good god damn about money. If he did, he’d probably be called 'Million Cent' or 'Gazillion Cent' or 'So-large-it-isn’t-even-a-number-zillion Cent', right? But get this; 50 Cent is suing American food chain Taco Bell. For $4million!!! Which means he does care about money. A lot. 50 got the hump when Taco Bell used him in an advert to promote their ‘Why Pay More?’ philosophy. They basically used the concept of his name to plug how cheap their Mexican food is. Apparently they were phoning ‘Fiddy’ up over and over again and urging him to change his name to 79 Cents or 99 Cents. Fiddy reckoned that the campaign by Taco Bell diminished “the value of his good name”; although he failed to state whether he'll be changing his name to 49 Cents or 1 Dime as a result.,. [Please don’t sue us for diminishing "your good name" 50 Cent, we love you lots and lots] Anyway, we thought we’d show you a video of a weird American guy babbling on about a Chihuahua and pretending to be 50 Cent, because he tells the whole story better than we do… DD


tags: \| 50 cent \| more...

Borrell absolutely adores McFly... apparently!

24/07/2008

Ah, McFly. They may look like old lesbians in young garb, but they have admirers in semi-high places. It’s true. Razorlight frontman Johnny Borrell loves them… apparently. According to a report in The Sun, Borrell, who also looks like an old lesbian, went to see McFly live, and was subsequently ripped to pieces by his bandmates… who also resemble old lesbians. Anyway, Borrell wasn’t standing for such disrespect, and instantly leapt to McFly’s defense. “It was cool,” McFly drummer Harry explained. “He really stood up for us. Courtney Love did the same when someone laid into us for being a boyband”. And if you don’t agree that McFly look like old lesbians, just listen to what bass-player Tom had to say about bitchy celebrity writer Perez Hilton. “Err, I think Perez Hilton fancies me. He’s always writing about me in his column”. Yep. Lesbians. For once, Planet Notion is lost for words.


tags: \| mcfly \| mcfly news \| more...

The Mercury Music Prize 11 Degrees of Separation!

23/07/2008

So the Mercury Music Prize nominations are in, and yet again it’s a mixed bag of: “Thoroughly deserved old bean”. And: “Hold on a second squire”. And: “Oh, what a god-damn ruddy surprise”. Anyway, new website getcloser.com has uncovered a possible conspiracy with the whole shebang. Sort of. Apparently all the nominees are linked together in some screwed-up form of ‘6 Degrees of Separation’ that getcloser.com has titled: 11 Degrees of Separation… See what they did there? 1) Burial to Radiohead : Apparently Mercury nominees Radiohead selected Burial’s ‘Archangel’ as the ‘Hottest Record in the World’ when they filled in for Zane Lowe on Radio 1. Radiohead refused to comment on the ‘Coldest Record in the World’, but if Planet Notion had a say it would be ‘Cold as Ice’ by Foreigner… One of the finest rock bands of the 80s!!! 2) Radiohead to Elbow: Radiohead were sighted by Elbow as one of their biggest inspirations. “There’d be no Elbow without Radiohead”, frontman Guy Carvey once commented. Which is like saying: “There’d be no Head without the Romans”… 3) Elbow to Neon Neon: Elbow featured in the cult film 9 Songs. You know the one; it basically included loads of shagging and a total of nine songs. Super Furry Animals, the project of Neon Neon’s Gruff Rhys, also starred in 9 Songs. 4) Neon Neon to Last Shadow Puppets: Neon Neon’s album, Stainless Style, includes a collaboration with Yo Majesty, who are signed to the same label as Last Shadow Puppets. 5) Last Shadow Puppets to Adele: Jim Abiss worked with Alex Turner on Arctic Monkey’s debut album, 'Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’, whilst also working on Adele’s debut album, ‘19’... A reference to Adele’s age, not her body-weight… 6) Adele to Estelle: You know when Estelle goes all mental and has one of her tantrums and goes all diva? Well she did it on Later with Jools Holland: “Adele ain’t soul. She sounds like she heard some Aretha records once and she’s got a deeper voice – that doesn’t mean she’s soul”. 7) Estelle to Portico Quartet: They both played the Jazz World stage at Glasto. [End] 8) Portico Quartet to Rachel Unthank: This is where things get a bit wank and getcloser.com starts clutching at straws. Basically, Portico Quartet and Rachel Unthank will both be playing at this year’s Big Chill Festival… Told you it was wank. 9) Rachel Unthank to Robert Plant & Alison Krauss: Rachel Unthank sights Plant’s band Led Zeppelin as an inspiration on her MySpace page. Bada-bing, bada-bong! 10) Robert Plant & Alison Krauss to British Sea Power: Phil Brown produced ‘Dreamland’ by Plant, and ‘Open Season’ by British Sea Power. 11) British Sea Power to Laura Marling: We’re at the end! The final furlong is in sight! We’re going to celebrate with volivonts and éclairs and cider and all the things that we hold precious and dear!!!!!!! Laura Marling and British Sea Power performed together at this year’s End of the Road Festival. So there we have it… ‘The Mercury Music Prize 11 Degrees of Separation’ courtesy of getcloser.com ; a site that enables folks to get closer to the music and films they love by sharing and discovering connections with other people.... DD


tags: \| mercury music prize \| more...

Redken prepare to launch ultimate hair product for festival season!

22/07/2008

Festivals set to get nuttier with Fairtrade!

21/07/2008

The Brit is back as Spears lays into mum and Trousersnake!

21/07/2008

Kooks frontman goes Pigeon shooting!

18/07/2008

competition

Win a pair of tickets to Creamfields!

Win a Topman: Wonder Workshop and Look Presents T-Shirt!

Win a copy of Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath!

Notion magazine

albums


		Half Past Calm 08/07/2008 Hip Hop

		X-Press2 02/07/2008 House/Electro/Other

		Flight Night 27/06/2008 80s/Electro/Dance

		Red, Yellow and Blue 05/06/2008 Punk-pop

features


		Dangerous catches up with The Crimea's Davey Macmanus! 07/07/2008 The Crimea have never been a band to do things, let’s say, the conventional way… When Warner Bros. Records dropped the boys due to poor sales of debut album, Tragedy Rocks, the four-piece shrugged their shoulders and embarked on a campaign that would change the future of music distribution. Releasing follow-up album, Secrets of the Witching Hour, as a free download was a shrewd move; a means of establishing a new and hopefully firm fan base. Their method of reaching the masses has since been followed by more established bands such as Radiohead, so you could call The Crimea trend-setters. Ahem, but rather than letting their growing success go to their heads, the four-piece have continued to show their fans the same appreciation, support, and dedication that they’ve shown to The Crimea; playing intimate, almost exclusive, candlelit shows, and releasing new single ‘48a Waiting Steps’ as another free download. Here, Planet Notion catches up with singer Davey Macmanus, to talk Dear Deirdre, crack-whores, and going for Gold! Words: Dangerous Dave When bands release a single taken from an album, it’s usually for a particular reason… Why did you pick the ‘48A Waiting Steps’, and where does the inspiration behind the track come from? We picked the ‘48a Waiting Steps’ and ‘Loop-a-Loop’ becuase we kinda’ wanted to be seen in a different light. Warner’s had always released the poppier songs so, when we became disentangled from them, it was the obvious thing to release something we thought better represented us as the successors to Siegfried Sassoon and Da Vinci before him. Sure, I mean, with ‘Secrets of the Witching Hour’ there was a clear indication of your music developing – or at least going through noticeable changes… How would you say that your music’s developed? Well I guess we just grew up a bit; went round the world a few times and got more of a sense of it. Became more humble; thankful… The reason that ‘Secrets’ developed musically is cos’ we spent seven months making it and tried a-hundred different things for every part before we picked our winner… We went round the houses but we done it all ourselves - mostly at home, but also in Latvia, Norwich, and various other studios around London. The latest stuff has further developed… I’d say it’s also developed because, financially, we’ve always ridden a fine line - so we’ve had to better ourselves each time. We still have something to prove basically. So the inspiration for the music that you’re currently producing has come from different sources, places, or moments, than your older material? No. It’s all been reaching towards the third Crimea album. I only got a guitar when I was eighteen and was in a punk band for seven years, so it’s taken me a while to find my musical destiny… I was thrown onstage way too early. And how imminent is that 100,000 Gold [download] mark with ‘Secrets of the Witching Hour’… Can you reveal any of the plans for the extended edition you’ll release in celebration? I'm not sure how soon the imminent gold is, but touch wood in the next few weeks. The new version basically has a different running order and pieces of music between the songs; a strange Kentuckian woman whispering interludes I wrote. On the original version of ‘Secrets’ it was done by a very famous American singer but, when we released it for free and it went up on Reuters, her label freaked out and we had to remove her. So we've redone it with this crazy woman we met in New Orleans. You tend to promote new releases to an exclusive sect, an in-crowd lucky enough to know: “Where and what time”. Is this a means of being in touch with your fan base or a way of breaking from the mainstream mould? Jesus, it’s basically because we’re a cottage industry operating out of the mainstream; doing our own thing. We rely heavily on the internet, we’re trying to promote to everyone, and we haven’t got the money behind us - so we have to think of ingenious methods of promoting ourselves. Once, I went in Dear Deirdre in The Sun the week our single came out. Once, I spray-painted ‘1939 Returning’ all over London, including every bridge along the Thames… Having interviewed Anton Newcombe [Brian Jonestown Massacre], I’m only too aware of his involvement with Perry Watts-Russell [Warner Bros. Records]. Was Perry equally as nuts as Anton and how did you find him to work alongside? It was tough working with him. He’s a great guy but basically, major labels in general are a humdrum of non-activity, and everybody has to ask everybody else and think about it for six months before they can take a shit. I have a good relationship with Perry; I told him at the time we were dropped that we were doing the free record, and then when Radiohead did it I asked him if he stole the idea. He said he was really annoyed when they did it because they hadn’t mentioned it to him… So, with breaking from Warner in mind, how have you found the transgression from being on a label to producing music alone; has it been a positive change? It’s been great in general; in that we’ve been free to do whatever we want. Last year we released the free record the day after we mastered it, whereas it took four years for Warner to release one album we'd already recorded before we signed the deal. Last year we toured in China twice and released the record there. This summer we’re touring the States and releasing ‘Secrets’ as a free download there through Tripwire. The launch party sees us playing Venice Beach, and we’ve just kind of been doing the English campaign since Christmas - releasing the two singles. Your live shows are generally intimate affairs; do you ever feel like you should be playing large arenas or concerts, or would that feel like “Selling your soul to the devil?” We have sold our soul to the devil; many times! Perry wouldn’t even let me meet his secretary until I got a new front tooth. When they dropped us, I knocked it out again. We’ve done lots of supports in arena style tours with big bands, and festivals et cetera. I do love having a big crowd, but these days we go for sit-down candlelit shows. It's supposed to be like going to the cinema. Away from the intimate gigs, have you ever considered doing an epic opera? You know, like R. Kelly’s rap opera: ‘Trapped in the Closet’… You could have midgets, gun scenes, and crack-whores!!! I’ve actually got a mini opera going. It’s a trilogy of songs; my version of the Requiem. It’s gonna be on the next record… Our drummer is a midget, our keyboardist is a crack-whore, our bass player shoots from the hip, and I could beat R. Kelly in a ‘rap off’ any day. Using your reputation to send out political, sociological, or economical messages to the neuro-transmitters of the masses - like Bono, Sting, and Thom Yorke are doing; where do you stand on that? Our statement is basically: Life can be terribly unjust, but there are moments of wonder out there, and some people actually think about things other than shoes and what’s for dinner. You kicked-off the free albums and downloads boom, with bands like Radiohead following suit. How do you feel about the doubters, those that say that FREE downloads are killing the industry? I'm still in two minds about it. My personal reaction to someone giving away something for free is that it must be terrible, and I think that applies to a lot of people… It seems to be an unstoppable force and everyone just downloads illegally anyway, no matter what, so that’s that. You have to make money in other ways now. But what does it mean for the future of music? Do you think the CD will continue to thrive, or will it go away before having an eventual resurgence like the Vinyl? Or will it just die a death like the Tape? I’m not sure about the future of music; that died with Dusty Springfield… The CD is doomed, as are the people who use it to fund their livelihoods. The dole will always be there to shelter us, it’s just [that] I missed the last five weeks and the fuckers cut it off. It’s all about being cool, which isn't much fun. Finally, if you were to do a fucking Bono on us, or go all Sting on Planet Notion’s red raw arse, what words of wisdom would you have for our readers? Fill your body with anything which helps you forget it’s a body in the first place. Wise words, Davey, wise words… The Crimea’s new single, 48a Waiting Steps, is available on free download through 7Digital . For a free download of The Crimea album, Secrets of the Witching Hour, visit The Crimea’s website .


		Dangerous Dave interviews Jay Reatard! 09/06/2008 The Proud Gallery, Camden, is an unusual setting to be interviewing the saviour of the Memphis punk-rock scene, Jay Reatard. One of the more stylish venues in Camden, the crowd verge on semi-alternative and smart casual, giving an impression that they’re either pretentious creatives or attach themselves to a “hip-crowd” like leeches on a day-trip to Baker Beach. One certainly feels out of place with unkempt hair, armpits rising damp and a gut feel to the brim of a days steady drinking. No doubt Jay Reatard feels a similar sense of bewilderment; the venue’s hardly jam-packed full of punters, and those that are here to see Jay perform could be counted on one finger. But when Jay takes to the stage, his brown wavy mane coupled with bassist Billy Hayes’ afroesque (sic) fuzz, and drummer Stephen Popes’ long blonde locks - teetering on the realm of surreal and sublime, even the ne’er-do-wells stand-up and take notice. The performance is a 100-mph punk-rock ride on a schizophrenic LSD wig-out; riding a beast of a chopper down the M25 in the early hours of Sunday morn. Blood Visions, a relatively unknown LP that remains one of the most original of the past year, has given Jay Reatard a lot to live up to; but not only does the performance fail to disappoint, particularly astounding given the venue, but the blend of paranoid punk-rock, 80s post-punk, and a pinch of new wave, far outreaches expectation. Having witnessed an internet clip of Jay punching out a stage-invader with a vicious right-hook at the Silver Dollar, read countless reports of the multi-instrumentalist’s sporadic temperament, and listened to both anger and bitterness in his music, I was expecting Jay to be a bit of a loose cannon; Anton Newcombe all over again… Perhaps it was the Vodka-and-Tonic I bought him or the countless beer stains down my top, but I like to think it’s because Jay’s a jolly nice chap that all preconceptions were thrown out the window with a resounding BANG! It’s been said that you had a turbulent home-life when you were younger, and that your problems led to you turning to music and leaving school at fifteen. Would you say that you used music as a form of escapism from your problems? I suppose; I mean, I think all art is some form of escapism. Mostly just from boredom man, you know? I didn’t really like… I stopped going to school, so, when you’re fifteen, you know, the majority of people you’re going to meet are going to be at school and there’s not really a lot of places where you can be social with fifteen year-olds outside of school. So it was purely out of boredom; I hadn’t really… I wasn’t around anyone so I kind of just created my own group of friends out of my four-track. You know, I was like: ‘Oh, okay, I can play guitar and drums’ , and it was like interacting with another person, you know, just over-dubbing; and then once I realised I had a four-track and I could do the guitar and the bass, it was like… It was just an escape from boredom man, I had nothing else to do… I think there’s a lesson to be learned there for kids of today. Turning their misdemeanours and all the hate into something far more beneficial… Sure. I mean like, around that age, I was doing the same thing. I was doing petty crimes and going to jail for fighting and stuff; but I knew there was probably - it sounds like a close shave, but definitely something better to put all the negative energy into. And I figured that if music and punk-rock could kind of inspire me, than why not do something while you’re, you know, pissed-off, rather than sitting around like some jerk who’s angry at the world? So would you say that punk-rock was more of an inspiration to you than the Memphis music scene you grew up with? Well, you know, Memphis as a city has always inspired me more than the music. I mean, I’ve only ever… The last ten or fifteen years, I’ve only really enjoyed a few bands from Memphis. It’s more like the city, it just kind of… There’s this kind of ominous negativity that always exists there. It’s quite a violent place that teaches you how to hold your outlook on life. I mean, most the people there are pretty friendly, but it’s definitely more the city that’s inspired me than the music itself. But Stephen (Pope) and Billy (Hayes) (Jay’slive Bassist and Drummer) are from The Barbaras who came out of the Memphis scene. You must have had respect for their music to bring those guys in? Yeah, I thought they were doing cool stuff, you know, and they were young; they didn’t have anything tying them down, and it just seemed like a good situation for all of us. Like, they can help me by giving me a band to play with live, and I can help them by getting more people into their music as well. I think it’s just the perfect relationship… Sure, that's the impression I get. So does the Memphis music scene have quite a close community? Well, you know, it’s tiny, it’s small and it’s very accentual. It’s the same group at any given time; the same fifteen people all playing in service bands. I suppose it’s just like anywhere else where there aren’t a whole lot of people. I mean, Memphis is a pretty small town - it’s like 800,000 people… Maybe. So, it’s not so much that there’s a scene, it’s just a small group of people that try and get along well enough to collaborate together. There’s no certain movement or anything, it’s just very slow; and people are really - most people are pretty uninspired. Most people are pretty non-ambitious, they just wanna kind of sit around and play some local gigs at their local pubs and then work their jobs, you know? There aren’t a lot of people who want to work a seventy-four hour life just to get a pay-check and a place to sleep, you know? Yeah, definitely man, I‘m the same. So how does the Memphis scene compare to other areas nearby, like Nashville for example; somewhere that produces shed loads of music? Nashville ’s like a really music industry town… It’s just like, you know… Nashville’s like Country music that’s all mass-produced, it’s a pretty soulless place, you know? It’s not very interesting. It’s fun though. I get the impression that heart and soul in American music comes from growing-up in the smaller towns and suburbs. The Black Lips recently told me that growing up on the outskirts of Atlanta helped them create better music… Sure, absolutely - I mean they’re from Atlanta , so that’s a pretty big fucking city; it’s like five-million people. But you know, Memphis definitely - I’ve always felt like I could create things without anyone really paying much mind and that’s always something that… I think if you try to do something with people looking over your shoulder or people anticipating what your next move is, then you become a little bit subconscious. Now I kind of get that feeling that people are watching my every move because I’m on a bigger label and - I’m never at home anyway, so I’ve gotta figure out a new process, because the old one doesn’t work anymore… (laughs) What about the transition to solo artist, because you’ve played in a lot of bands; The Reatards and Lost Sounds… You produce your own solo material as well. How have you found going from working in bands to putting all your energy into solo work? It was pretty natural because in the Lost Sounds we gave it our all; everyone tried their hardest. I mean, our goal with that band wasn’t really to be a band that fully collaborated with each other; our goal in that band was to try as hard as possible and things didn’t really work out. We tried it for six years and… I like the records we made and I’m proud to have worked on them, but I guess everyone’s a little disappointed about some people in the band wanting a little bit more - a little higher success than we did. So, you know, we figured it was best to go our ways and - I was so bummed in being with a band at that point; it’s kind of like dating a girl for six years and you break-up, you probably wouldn’t wanna jump straight back into another relationship. So I was very apprehensive, and I took a year off from even playing music and… The next thing just seemed like: ‘Okay, I can’t stomach the idea of being in a band right now, so I’ll start making stuff myself…’ Sure man, I like that. Good answer. But what about the music, how would you describe it? It seems to be heavily influenced by punk but there’s also a touch of New Wave about it; especially on the last track (Waiting for Something)… Well, you know… It’s essentially punk-rock music in spirit; but from song to song, you know, I definitely don’t try to stick to a strict hole or anything. But I would say it’s… It’s the sound of nervousness. It’s kind of like really nervous punk-rock music and, you know, I was a kid who grew-up and was born in the 1980s, so of course it’s going to have a lot early 80s’ influence or something. It’s a good sound to hear. But it’s just punk-rock music as far as I’m concerned man; in my humble opinion it’s just punk-rock. So you were heavily influenced by punk bands of the late 70s? Yeah, I mean the solo stuff has been more inspired by, like… I never really listened to a huge deal of punk until a few years ago. I kind of just wrote it off as shit; and then recently I’ve started listening to The Adverts and bands like that. I guess the solo stuff’s been more influenced by English music, I suppose. Does the inspiration for your lyrics stem from your sub-conscious; are your songs completely made-up; or are they autobiographical in some way - which is the impression I get from songs like My Family ? No. Every lyric I write I try to like, take an aspect of my personality and exaggerate it so that it becomes a bit more interesting, or more severe, or over-the-top. I mean, if I’m writing a song that’s about a guy stalking a girl and killing her at the end of the song, it’s nothing that I would ever do in reality but, you know, maybe it’s a passing thought that went through my brain that I really fucking want to kill that person. So I write a song about it. Shit man, that’s some heavy shit. Good though. What about the recording process; would you say that you prefer performing - the experience and reaction of a live audience - to producing and recording your music? I definitely prefer recording because music’s a pretty personal thing to me; it’s like, something that I like to do alone. It’s like this weird thing where I spend hours in my bedroom working on these songs alone, and then I figure out that: ‘ Oh, I might have to perform them in front of a few-hundred people, or whatever, and play them.’ So, you know, I honestly prefer recording; it’s more of a creative thing. But as far as like, the charge I get from playing live, they’re two different things, you know? I… Playing somewhere like this though; I guess it’s not ideal… (let‘s just say that the majority of the audience rank among the upper echelon of smart-casual; hardly the finest fodder for fast-paced punk-rock) Kind of not ideal but, you know, sometimes I like being thrown to the tigers. I kind of like the complication of playing to people who are unsuspecting, you know? The kind of look on their faces, and how disgusted they are sometimes, makes me realise I’m doing exactly what I was meant to do. There was that incident at the Silver Dollar where a guy climbed on stage mid-performance; you pulled him back and punched him in the face. Do you get pissed off with fans that try and disrupt your performances? Well, you know, I used to - when I was a teenager; I was in bands that were kind of like… It’s so depressing for all these people to say: ‘Jay was in these crazy bands’. I mean I was a kid, so like, when I was eighteen I didn’t think I had a future; so I didn’t mind like, having my shit broken, or having something thrown in my face, or cutting myself up or whatever - because I didn’t think I was gonna be 28 anyway… If I’m gonna be hit it’s apparent I’m not writing a tight tune - probably. I just feel pretty misunderstood by some of these people; they expect me to act like I acted ten years ago or something, but people grow-up man, you know? People say: ‘You’re losing your edge’ and all this stuff; but it’s fucking growing up just like anyone else. You can’t keep doing that shit forever; and there’s nothing more depressing than a forty year-old man who likes to get on stage and, you know, throw shit at people and roll around in broken glass or something. It’s like, I don’t wanna be Iggy Pop. Sure, definitely man. I mean, when I interviewed The Black Lips I got the impression that they’d matured somewhat; that the music is more important to them than pissing about… Now their audience acts that way! Yeah, exactly. So would you say that’s fairly accurate; that you’ve matured as an artist? Yeah, I mean, you know… It’s just this thing where it’s like… Some people just come to the show and they come to Black Lips shows, and they’re like: ‘If you guys aren’t going to create violence, we’re going to create it.’ Fuck ‘em! It’s irritating, you know - it’s silly! I think, yeah, most of those bands - we were young and we did stupid shit, pissed in our mouths and all this stupid stuff - but now we’re in our twenties and we write songs. What about moving to Matador Records… How big has the change been for you; from being signed to smaller labels and then signing for a major company? Essentially I can afford to make any record I want now, so that’s a change. But I’m gonna do things exactly the same way; there’s no reason to change just because you get a big budget to change things… Yeah, you know - it’s good; it just allows me to relax a little bit and not have to worry that I’m gonna be like, old and broke and homeless. And, you know, I think they’ll be able to get a lot more people exposed to what I’m doing, as opposed to some of the tinier labels I was working with; which all did good jobs with what they had to work with, but… You know, Matador, as far as internationally and what not, I think they’ll help us maybe get away from just playing to Indie people and those close-minded punk-rockers they mix with. My goal has always been to play music to like, your common person. The album, Blood Visions, has had some excellent write-ups - it’s been received really well. Are you surprised by how successful it’s been? Sure, I mean, you know - it’s doing alright. I thought it would just be another record; it’s like the eighteenth full-length record I’ve made. So yeah, I think that if you’ve made eighteen of anything, and then the eighteenth thing that you’ve made is the only thing that people pay attention to, it can be a bit confusing. It’s like: ‘Well, hey, I did all this other stuff, what was wrong with that?’ It can definitely fuck with your mind a little bit, but, you know - it’s good . I kind of feel like Blood Visions - the idea behind the record, was to take every band I’ve been in, and take the one thing I liked about the band and put them altogether into one big like… One good idea; one big focus of ideas. Some of the other bands I picked and watered down, I wanted to strip everything away that I hated about all these bands and just combine them all [into something better]. Some artists are talented but lack the passion and drive to carry on with their music once they start making the money. Do you see music merely as a career path or do you have a genuine passion for it? I mean, obviously I see it more as a passion or… Until recently I haven’t really… I’ve always made a living out of music but the quality of life is - I guess its called living what you’d call living; but people wouldn’t call what I’ve been doing living too well. But until recently it hadn’t really paid off and now I’m comfortable for a while and I don’t have to worry about it. But, you know, I’m making it so that the way I’m making records I wouldn’t have to tour if I didn’t want to. I mean, coming and carrying the gear up this fucking cobblestone road and going to all this trouble, of course it has to be a passion otherwise I’d just give up on it, you know? Words: Dave Dryden NOTES: The Blood Visions LP is available to buy on on 'In The Red Records'. Matador Records will be releasing six Jay Reatard singles, on limited edition vinyl, by the end of 2008, and a singles collection album. A follow-up to Blood Visions is due for release in early 2009.

		Cassius discuss their Nike+ workout project! 02/06/2008 Following in the footsteps of Crystal Method, Aesop Rock, and LCD Soundsystem, French house/electronica duo Cassius have recorded the latest Nike+ Original Sport Music track. In collaboration with the sporting brand, Philippe Zdar and Boom Bass took on the challenge of recording a 45-minute continuous downloadable track with the specific goal for people to workout to. Zdar and Boom Bass, real-names Philippe Cerboneschi and Hubert Blanc-Francard, are two of the most highly respected producers to come out of the French electronic scene. Collaborations with Wu-Tang Clan, Leroy Burgess, Jocelyn Brown and Ghostface Killah, as well as production for hip hop artist MC Solaar and electo-pop/dance trio Cut Copy, are just a few examples of the pair’s credentials. The Cassius duo are also renowned as perfectionists of their art, their attention to detail highlighted in the fact that single tracks alone have taken them years to finalise. These are just a few reasons why, when discussing the Nike+ 'CASSIUSPLAY' track with the duo, Boom Bass is quick to point out that Nike approached them as first option for the project . The limited time given to record CASSIUSPLAY, and the structure of a seven-minute warm-up period, a thirty-minute workout, and a seven-minute cool down, created quite a challenge for the band. Furthermore, both Zdar and Boom Bass set themselves the added objective of recording a piece that wouldn’t just appeal to runners, but their long-established fanbase too. “It was challenging because it was new to us,” commented Zdar. “We had the guide that it was for runners, and so you need a ten minute slow-track at the start and a ten minute slow-track at the end. But the biggest challenge for us was to do it not just for runners, but also for Cassius fans that prefer to their running on the dancefloor.” Whereas previous exponents of the Nike+ series have recorded the track as a single-entity, Cassius decided to combine a number of individual tracks and meld them together to create the flow necessary for a continuous workout. “We had a lot of tracks and a lot of ideas,” explains Boom Bass, “we didn’t want to do just one track. So we tried a lot of things, put a lot of things together, and ran to them to see how they worked.” Of course, that’s all very well and good, but what are the components necessary for a project as specific as a workout track? “In fact, that’s what we asked ourselves,” laughs Zdar. “We realised by asking friends and by checking what each of us listen to whilst working out. When I was running I was running with a walkman, listening to The Clash, and then I’d have forty-five minutes of mainly disco, disc-funk, and Italo-disco. We realised that you can run to anything.” Boom Bass is quick to agree. “There are no rules,” he adds with a smile. Trying out the warm-up section, the workout section, and the cool down period firsthand, was an essential element of perfecting the track. “At the start we said let’s do everything really fast,” recalls Zdar. “And then we tried it and said ‘Oh, it’s too purposey [sic]’, so we turned-down some beats and took-out some kicks. “Then we made a little beat with some reggae, tried it, and it worked. It didn’t take me off the running, so I knew it was going to work. Some people might say ‘I can’t work with this because it’s changing too much.’ Whatever, I don’t know. But with me, if I’m running I like the music to change every few minutes.” This approach will come as no surprise to those familiar with Cassius’ sound. The pair have dabbled in a range of genres; blending rock and blues with their synonymous house and electro sound is just one example of their limitless scope. As a result, the final 45-minute-track offers a diverse blend of influences. The opening seven-minute warm-up, the reggae section that Zdar refers to, was a particular highlight of the recording process. “The first song we knew would be perfect, the one with the reggae,” Zdar beams. “We had it finished maybe two months before Nike called us and we knew: ‘This one’s going to be perfect for the starting warm-up!’” Despite having the opening section already at their disposal, Zdar points out that it still presented a problem in context with their goal. “The problem was that it was twenty-five minutes and we knew we’d have to make it nine; otherwise it’s building very slow and then going nowhere.” Something far from ideal when the warm-up period’s over and you’re waiting for a 30-minute intense workout to kick-in. As for the ten-minute cool down period, this was another section that Zdar instantly fell for whilst experimenting with their objective. “I remember I was walking to the beat - ‘dmm, dmm, dmm’ - after listening to it; and I said ‘this is just too perfect for the last track!’ You can just cool down to it; get home, sit down and say ‘Ah, I just ran like a man!’” Zdar and Boom Bass, who both contribute vocals alongside French artiste Gladys, also decided to include the theme of running in their lyrics, an approach in stark contrast to bands that have collaborated with Nike+ in the past. Gladys is no stranger to the Cassius set-up; as well as being Boom Bass’ wife, she has collaborated with the duo on a number of occasions and, according to the pair, will soon be a long-term addition to the band. “She’s been singing with us for some time and now she’s really part of Cassius,” Zdar explains. “She has two sections of the track where she sings; I have one and he [Boom Bass] has one. We’re a team with Gladys; we write fantastic melodies, we write lyrics… I think the next album will be very good because there’s going to be the three of us as a vocal group.” CASSIUSPLAY is available for download via i-Tunes. For further information visit the Nike+ website: www.nikeplus.com

60 Seconds


		Planet Notion shoots the 'you know what' with Madcon! 14/07/2008 If you’re not from Norway, as in you’re not a Norwegian, there’s a strong chance you wouldn’t have heard of Madcon. They’re a hip-hop duo, Critical (Yosef) and Kapricorn (Tshawe), who cross over into R&B, African music, Latino, rock, reggae and, um, television. Yeah, they’re so huge in Norway that they have they’re own TV show. Anyway, now Madcon are set to conquer the world with new single Beggin, a rework of the classic song by Italian/American crooner Frankie Valli. On the back of the track being made Radio1 DJ Scott Mills’ ‘Single of the Week’, we caught up with Critical to shoot the shit… Who are Madcon? Madcon are me (Yosef) and Tshawe, children of exile who originate from Africa. Located in Norway we founded Madcon in the early 90s. What really sets us apart from the competition is how we put a lot of our own background into our music, which brings both originality and honesty to the table. Many artists are influenced by or copy music that comes out of the US, but Madcon don’t! We express our truth and address issues that people over here can relate to. Also we try to spread a positive message; the world needs it. What does the name 'Madcon' stand for? As young kids we used to ‘obtain’ what we needed in life by not paying for it. Not by being thugs or gangsters, but by being smalltime hustlers or cons; hence the name Madcon. It's such a fantastic re-working - where did the idea for Beggin' come from? Me and Tsahwe were out one night, and Tshawe was feeling broken hearted. The guys were sitting down having a heart to heart conversation, when all of a sudden Beggin by Frankie Valli came out the speakers. Tshawe really felt the lyrics, and the track was a banger. So we took the song and made a 2008 new and approved version, that even Frankie Vallie himself approved of! So in short it was a coincidence; we were at the right place at the right time. What can we expect from your album, 'So Dark The Con of Man'? The title ‘So Dark The Con Of Man’ indicates the state of mankind being in a dark place. But, despite the name, the album is very uplifting! It’s a melting pot of musical influences touching everything from reggae, to African music, to Latino music, to rock, to Motown, to hip hop, r&b - and the list goes on. We’re very unafraid to cross borders and break boundaries when it comes to music; why limit oneself to being just one thing? What's your biggest achievement? Beggin went 7xplatinum in Norway, and the album went 2xplatinum in 30 days; that felt pretty nice. What's next for Madcon? The UK baby! Here we come! If you’re not from Norway, as in you’re not a Norwegian, there’s a strong chance you wouldn’t have heard of Madcon. They’re a hip-hop duo, Critical (Yosef) and Kapricorn (Tshawe), who cross over into R&B, African music, Latino, rock, reggae and, um, television. Yeah, they’re so huge in Norway that they have they’re own TV show. Anyway, now Madcon are set to conquer the world with new single Beggin, a rework of the classic song by Italian/American crooner Frankie Valli. On the back of the track being made Radio1 DJ Scott Mills’ ‘Single of the Week’, we caught up with Critical to shoot the shit… Who are Madcon? Madcon are me (Yosef) and Tshawe, children of exile who originate from Africa. Located in Norway we founded Madcon in the early 90s. What really sets us apart from the competition is how we put a lot of our own background into our music, which brings both originality and honesty to the table. Many artists are influenced by or copy music that comes out of the US, but Madcon don’t! We express our truth and address issues that people over here can relate to. Also we try to spread a positive message; the world needs it. What does the name 'Madcon' stand for? As young kids we used to ‘obtain’ what we needed in life by not paying for it. Not by being thugs or gangsters, but by being smalltime hustlers or cons; hence the name Madcon. It's such a fantastic re-working - where did the idea for Beggin' come from? Me and Tsahwe were out one night, and Tshawe was feeling broken hearted. The guys were sitting down having a heart to heart conversation, when all of a sudden Beggin by Frankie Valli came out the speakers. Tshawe really felt the lyrics, and the track was a banger. So we took the song and made a 2008 new and approved version, that even Frankie Vallie himself approved of! So in short it was a coincidence; we were at the right place at the right time. What can we expect from your album, 'So Dark The Con of Man'? The title ‘So Dark The Con Of Man’ indicates the state of mankind being in a dark place. But, despite the name, the album is very uplifting! It’s a melting pot of musical influences touching everything from reggae, to African music, to Latino music, to rock, to Motown, to hip hop, r&b - and the list goes on. We’re very unafraid to cross borders and break boundaries when it comes to music; why limit oneself to being just one thing? What's your biggest achievement? Beggin went 7xplatinum in Norway, and the album went 2xplatinum in 30 days; that felt pretty nice. What's next for Madcon? The UK baby! Here we come! 'Beggin' Released 1stAug (Digital), 11th (Physically) 'So Dark The Con of Man' Released 18th Aug www.madcon.co.uk

		Welcome to the sex-crazed world of Muddyloop! 20/06/2008 Blonde Peterson and Metro Williams, otherwise known as Muddyloop, are a pair of randy Prince enthusiasts with a penchant for 80s, cheese-tinged, electro grooves. A distinct hip-hop, synth-heavy, sexy-electro sound, the kind that makes one want to pull the nearest floozy and have their oh-so wicked way with em’, is the lads’ forte; the knife that butters their bread. Planet Notion caught up with the sex-obsessed cheeky chappies to talk about debut album Flight Night, girl on girl action and, um… she-males? Tell us, how did Muddyloop come to be? Metro: Me and Blonde are cousins, so we pretty much grew up together. We clicked from a young age cos’ we both had a warped sense of humour and an unhealthy obsession with Prince. About 7 years ago we bought a drum machine and an 80’s sounding synthesizer and started writing songs to impress girls. That didn’t really work; but by chance, one of our tracks got signed to New York house label, Chez Music, so we had to come up with a name for our outfit. Blonde: Metro wanted to call us something dumb like ‘Spandex Death’. I came up with Muddyloop cos’ when we started making music our loops were real dirty cos’ we sampled everything from cassette tape. Then everyone would tell us our music sounded muddy; hence the name. I personally think that your music’s a tad on the cheesy side; but that’s by no means a criticism. It’s infectious cheese - kind of like fungal foot-rot, except it makes you want to spontaneously get into the groove. Was it your intention to make infectious cheesy music? Blonde: Thanks for the compliment. I guess, to be honest, it wasn’t our intention to make it like this. It’s just our personalities coming through. We just wanted to make music that was fun and not too serious. Metro: But still kind of fresh and cool. Like myself of course. Blonde: You love yourself too much! The problem is that people think we’re actually being serious when we sing songs like ‘Hairstyle’ and ‘Girl on Girl’, when in fact it’s all just tongue-in-cheek. We just make sure that we work the groove so that it makes suckers move. The track ‘I Could Do Things 2 U’ is definitely about the karma sutra or sado-masochism or something, right? Is most of your music and lyrical content of a sexual context? Blonde: The concept’s a guy letting a girl know that he fucks like Rocco Siffredi. Metro: Damn man! You’re so crude. Blonde: We do love the sexual side of things. I guess it’s all those years listening to Prince and watching porn. And the fact that we didn’t actually get much sex growing up cos’ we were strange and geeky. I guess we’re making up for it now in our music. Metro: Sex is just one side of our characters. We’ve also got tracks like ‘Glamour Magazines’ which talks about everyday modern relationships and a song about the end of the world; there’s even one on the album about a time traveller. There’s a good balance of topics, moods and tempos. Do you write lyrics for the music or music for the lyrics? And if you write lyrics for the music, surely that means that you see music as more important than lyrical content? Blonde: Lyrics to the music; always. It’s the music we make that inspires the vocal melodies. Then once we come up with those we start writing lyrics to the beautiful melodies that ooze out our hearts (laughs). Metro: We see lyrical content as very important. We always try and avoid coming out with lyrics that ain’t really saying anything. Even if we are talking about quirky shit, like on ‘Hairstyle’ or ‘80s Love’, the lyrics still have to be humorous and cool. Blonde: Me and Metro really take our time over the lyrics and make sure they’re at least better than Usher’s. That’s the minimum standard. Tell us about the inspiration behind the debut album (Flight Night)? Were you inspired by other artists or does the album tell some kind of story? You know… About a night flying around on the town and all the shit that happens; something like that? Blonde: I guess the album is a melting pot of everything that inspires us artistically. Sure, it was inspired by other artists - you can blatantly hear the Prince and Michael Jackson influences. But you can also hear the old school hip hop and soul influences on the album too. Metro: The album doesn’t tell a story, but the title points towards some kind of late night journey through the world of Muddyloop. The production and sound of the album is very 80s influenced. Combining classic 80’s hip hop and soul with synth pop, electrofunk and groove. Blonde: With catchy songs all over it. Finally, anything you’d like to add? Some words of wisdom perhaps? Blonde: Metro needs to bath more often Metro: Blonde is into she-males Blonde: Metro’s mum is a she-male Metro: I think we’ll leave it there. Muddyloop's debut album, Flight Night, is available now on Muddytrax Recordings. Click here to buy. www.muddyloop.com / www.myspace.com/muddyloop Words: Dangerous Dave

		Bashy chats about Adulthood The Movie! 18/06/2008 Gang culture is on the rise in London. Stabbings are becoming more prolific and post codes are sparking turf wars. But rather than the government installing X-ray machines to scan weapons at school entrances, it's films like Adulthood that are likely to have the most effect. Bashy, the emcee who did the lead single for the film, ‘Kidulthood to Adulthood’, is hopeful that this is the case. He’s all for people approaching their lives more positively. “The film concentrates on choices you make in life and what kind of path you take. On the street, a lot more is happening but at least it conveys the correct story,” he says. “Now, my response to all the stabbings is that I’m not as shocked anymore. We as a nation of people are becoming accustomed to it.” Bashy’s the man behind last year’s ‘Black Boys’ single and this was yet another contribution to encouraging people to raise their game. “The song’s a celebration of achievement, and it’s not only for black boys. I’ll go and do a show and it’ll just be white kids and then they’re all like brap! White people are struggling, black people are strugging, Asian people are struggling. Especially in London, we’re all in the same community,” he says. This is represented in Adulthood, which has a multicultural cast – “an accurate reflection of London’s society,” says Bashy. He reckons more films need to be made in this spirit. “I think a lot of the violence is bred through slavery – people were bred to hate each other,” he opines. “We need to get out of this.” The film itself is a brutal 24-hour journey through a west London underworld, where director Noel Clarke's dystopic universe offers little to those caught up in the vicious circle he's desperately trying to break. But its brutality puts a mirror up to the proceedings, and this is where its social relevance lies – especially in the current climate. To recognise that these lives yield little promise, and violence is becoming endemic, is the first step towards healing. www.bashy.com Words: Helene Dancer

who the f**k?


		Reemer 23/07/2008 Reemer: Dave Hunter (Vocals), Nick Murray (Guitar), Dan Evans (Drums), Max Redfern (Bass) Reemer may have the sort of name you’d associate with a guy who enjoys licking arse out, but they’re actually a pop-punk band from Manchester. It’s true. Their name has nothing to do with anilingus at all; they took it off a guy from cult film ‘Baseketball’. Think Busted, dunked in a blender with a blotter of LSD and a bottle of fizzy pop, and you’re almost there… almost. Anyway, Reemer are so popular in Manchester and the North-West that a recent gig at ‘Sonic Boom’ was oversold by like, 200 tickets. Everyone stormed the stage like a scene from Zulu, and then, get this… they kidnapped Reemer’s bass player, Max Redfern! Mental isn’t it? Reemer even featured in everyone’s favourite C4 soap opera, Hollyoaks, which has storylines including teen-junkies and a guy who’s faked his own death. The band repaid the favour by roping in Leah Hackett, who plays Tina McQueen in the soap, to star in the video to new single ‘Maniac’. Tina McQueen’s latest storyline was giving birth to her boyfriend’s brother’s baby for her ex-jailbird sister, who goes out with her boyfriend’s brother… or something like that. It’ll all end in tears. In fact, so popular are Reemer up North, that Johnny Vegas is set to ditch the knitted tea-drinking monkey to star in their next video! Alas, Reemer have recently been asked to contribute a track to the Mighty Boosh podcast, have an extensive upcoming tour schedule, and are set to release a debut album on ‘Reaction Records’. This suggests that they’re going to explode like a liquid fart! The upcoming album, Snakes and Ladders, is being produced by Andy Macpherson and Chris Kemsey, who have worked with the likes of Blondie, The Cult, New Model Army, The Who, and The Rolling Stones! Anyway, you can check Reemer out on their MySpace . DD New single ‘MANIAC’ is out now on ‘Reaction Records’. Debut album ‘SNAKES AND LADDERS’ is released September 2008. Check out the video to Maniac starring Tina from Hollyoaks:

		Detroit Social Club 16/07/2008 From an area of the North East more recognizable for producing adolescent soaps than generating musical talent, there is now emerging one of the most promising bands of the modern era. Detroit Social Club, a six piece only formed just prior to Christmas, has already been astonishing music lovers and A&R personnel alike with their heavily-distorted, dirty-bluesy riffs, profound bass, thudding drums and powerful, soul-inspiring vocals. Although singer/songwriter David Burn, 27, has exhausted a hefty quantity of the past year in his personal studio vigilantly assembling his songs and mastering a unique sound, only recently has this incorporated some of Newcastle’s finest musical talent – including long term friend, Chris McCourtie, Davids Green and Welsh, along with prodigious teens Bondy and Dale Knight. Despite the solitary beginnings, this crew around Burn have become vital ingredients of his vision to “Bring back the feeling”. Burn explains further: “It’s not just about making something sound nice… but also getting something from someone and getting something out of it, where you listen to something and you believe it”. This deluge of spirit is encapsulated in the quite simplistic yet brilliant ‘Black and White’; likewise, in the swaggering vibe of the formidable ‘Sunshine People’, through which even the most passive listener is transcended into a world of alternative realities. Burn, self evidently the band’s clear leader, speaks of Detroit Social Club as a “schizophrenic band” in seeking to maintain a boundary between the recordings and the live performance. “Recordings-wise, there’ll be a lot of soul - it’s gonna be about the colouration of the tracks, a lot more about the vibe and different sounds we can implement”. He continues, “live is very much about dragging you by the balls from the back of the room! You’re gonna be fuckin’ jumping around, not even realizing. Getting to the end of the gig, they’ll be like, how did I get here? It’s gonna be like two different things; by keeping your live presence and your recording separate you’re always gonna surprise people”. Already evident is how much this young band offer, and so it comes as little surprise that a growing amount of record labels, including several majors, have been eager to be associated with a band that is breeding so much enthusiasm. This has led to what Burn defines as a “stroke of luck” – by chance, a demo landed on the desk of Artic Monkeys manager Geoff Barrowdale one Saturday afternoon. By the Sunday morning contact had been made and within weeks he had became their manager. Happenstance shines on the deserving! The initial “excitement”, in Burn’s words, has now been replaced by “apprehension… apprehension to stop talking about it and start doing it”. With a tour of northern cities announced recently, and the album recording set to commence in September, it has been a hectic, tumultuous journey for a band that non-existent but six months ago. With a number one single in the metro charts, “the best manger in the business”, Razorlight’s engineer collaborating with Burn in his production, a host of top bands clambering for them as tour support, there is no doubt that they are in good stead for an extremely promising career. What cannot be denied is that the management has enabled the process to be accelerated. Nevertheless, nor can it be ignored that this has only been possible due to the implausibly good collection of songs that Detroit Social Club has amassed. Talent shines. It is little wonder that there is so much exhilaration: finally, in Detriot Social Club, a band has emerged eager to challenge that hangover the industry has been nurturing since the demise of the Libertines; the hangover the precedes the ebullient, transcendental presence of a defining rock’n’roll band. Richard Duncan

		Golden Animals 07/07/2008 Nuts and Bolts: Tommy Eisner (guitar/vocals) Linda Beecroft (drums/vocals) Stomping Ground: Southern California/Brooklyn Set to Soundtrack: A journey across Arizona in a 1960s Black LeSabre. Destined to Upset: Anyone who hates the bygone period of free-love, smoking pot, and dropping acid. You’re in business if you like: The Doors, Jim Morrison, Cream, Jimmy Reed, hobos on trains, Jimi Hendrix, early Rolling Stones, and music that’s refreshingly, um, fresh… It’s inevitable that should Golden Animals acquire a glowing reputation, which itself seems inevitable, there are going to be comparisons made to the White Stripes. Why? Because: (A) they’re a two-piece playing music deep-rooted in early blues; (B) ones a bloke, the other isn’t; and (C) Tommy plays guitar and Linda plays drums. However, Planet Notion can safely say, that is where the comparisons end. The fact is that Golden Animals don’t sound like the White Stripes and they don’t seem to be trying to. In fact, Tommy and Linda sound like a throw-back to a period in 60s music when blues was transforming into a psychedelic incarnation; eg: The Doors, and albeit, with their own unique approach. “Early blues recordings are the fountain”, the pair have commented. “Even in 200 years, people will find completely new ways to create all within those rules and algorithms”. Indeed… Tommy met Swedish-born Linda on her first day in Brooklyn; you could call it fate. The pair immediately hit if off and soon set-off travelling Europe and America armed only with the bare essentials. You know; a guitar, a tambourine, a suitcase… A chance meeting with a fortune teller, who predicted music would be the pair’s destiny, sent them packing back to Brooklyn to pursue their interest, and thus Golden Animals was born. A ‘marching band’ drum-kit, acquired from a dumpster outside a church, and Tommy’s distinct slide-guitar, would provide the basis of Golden Animals' sound. However, tiring of the Brooklyn scene, the pair soon headed west, eventually settling in the Californian desert. Alas, it was here that they recorded debut album, ‘Free Your Mind and Win a Pony’, due for release in August and recorded under the guidance of ‘Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ and ‘TV On The Radio’ producer, Chris Cody. Their tale may sound like something from a Mark Twain novel, but the album speaks for itself. Five months recording in the isolated Californian desert has clearly influenced and helped the duo develop their blues inspired sound. Hence the opinion of Planet Notion that Golden Animals are one of the most exciting acts to emerge this year. And just because we find Linda sexy, Tommy friggin’ dope, and have an almost voyeuristic fascination with their music, that doesn’t mean we continually wank over our ‘promo’ copy of ‘Free Your Mind and Win a Pony’. Ahem, well, there was that one time... Words: Dangerous Dave Golden Animals debut album, Free Your Mind and Win a Pony, is released on HappyParts Recordings, August 4th. For more information, visit the Golden Animals MySpace page.

future gigs


		Lost Vagueness and BE Present: Lost in Camden! 19th July! 16/07/2008

		Okay, it's not a gig, but... Lucha Libre Mexican Wrestling at The Roundhouse! 24/06/2008

		New Generation Arts Festival with Julian Lloyd Webber! Birmingham! From June 5th! 29/05/2008

future clubs


		La Bomba Summer Payback Special at Ministry of Sound! July 31st! 23/07/2008

		Hyponik present: Love Music Hate Racism Fundraiser! 19th July! 16/07/2008

		Smartie Partie to launch Scala residency, July 12th! 02/07/2008

gig reviews


		The Great Escape Festival: A Diary Review! 29/05/2008

		Breakin' Convention: 'Hip Hop and Dance Performance' at Sadler's Wells 21/05/2008

		'Smirnoff Electric Cabaret' featuring Pete & The Pirates, ABC Glasgow 12/05/2008

club reviews


		Friends and Family featuring Guilty Simpson 20/02/2008

		AREA51 Launch Night 08/02/2008

		Trojan vs Rawfuion 29/01/2008

film & tv


		Frijj Film Festival kicks off this August! 14/07/2008 Ah, memories. A step on the pedal, the trap opens, the squirrel runs away. It was the 80s, and I was trying to catch rodents in my replica Ghostbuster Ghost Trap. And failing. Still, nothing bought me more joy than those trips to ‘Video Wow’ and the weekly rental of all things Peter, Ray, Winston and Egon. I even had a grey knitted top with the famous Ghostbuster logo on it. Back then, knitted tops were the norm. Now it’s all hoodies and flick knives… Anyway, picture my excitement when I received news that Ghostbusters is going to be shown on the big screen once more. HOORAH! It’s all part of the Frijj Film Festival, where a whole host of top films will be shown in all their glory, over a six week period, in Carlton cinemas across the capital. A total of 27 films will be shown from August 14th, and as an added incentive they’re going to be absolutely free to see. Which is like, brilliant and fantastic all rolled into one. Um, brilltastic? As well as Ghostbusters, recent films including Kill Bill, Snatch, and Shaun of the Dead will be shown alongside timeless classics such as Scarface, the Godfather, Blade Runner, and Jaws. The festival will be kicking off with back-to-back viewings of Lord of the Rings at a glitzy red carpet event at the Covent Garden Odeon. Those wishing to attend screenings are asked to register on the Frijj Film Festival website from July 14th. Check out the video (below) from the Frijj Film Festival’s viral campaign. The viral films are set in a small 1950s town in America, where a massive blob of Frijj goop is terrorizing the local community. There’s a whole series of them that you can find on the official website. This one's our favourite because it features old people using zimma frames. Ha! Poor helpless fools.

		Teeth (Cert. 18) 23/06/2008 They’re sharp. They bite. And they’re not in her mouth...Woo yeah! At last, that classic tale of the small town girl who grows a set of angry choppers comes to the big screen. How can we have wasted all this time making RomComs and things about unscrupulous police detectives when the perfect storyline has been sitting under our noses all along? I say “noses”.. Jess Weixler is the superprim Dawn, the darling of her local church and spokesperson for True Love Waits. Both serenely beautiful and the paradigm of chaste purity (much like myself), she refuses to countenance having any form of sex. Her nether regions are strictly ‘out of bounds’. Somewhere that, despite seeming exciting, you should never go in – not even to look around for a bit - a bit like the Teacher’s Common Room at my Primary School. Unfortunately there’s a hidden terror lurking deep down in Dawn’s dangerous dark dungeon and it’s getting peckish! In retaliation, presumably, for 50,000 years of leaving the toilet seat up, Dawn and her carnivorous twat embark on retribution. The reckoning is coming fellas. And it’s going to be pret-tee painful. This tongue-in-cheek (ahem!) horror-comedy is really funny. Joss Weixler satirises the bible-belt anti-evolution America, whilst admirably retaining her dignity – not easy when you’re being upstaged by your own vagina. This can be painful viewing – people do get their penises bitten off. If you’re a guy who ever feels even the mildest performance anxiety, you might want to steer clear. If you’re a rampant feminist who hates cocks, you’ll love it. Words: Matt Harvey

		Robbie Williams at Knebworth the biggest selling music DVD! 29/04/2008 The DVD player has been around for ten years. We’re talking British shores obviously, as the Americans and the Japanese are way ahead of us when it comes to technology. I guess you could say they’re ahead of us as far as the health service goes as well but – hey, I’m no expert. Still, we don’t have licenses for guns and stuff and the Americans do, which is crazy, so I guess that’s one-all. But then gun-crime is on the rise in the UK and people don’t even have licenses. To borrow a quote: “We are indeed drifting into the arena of the unwell”. To the story and further proof that “we are indeed drifting into the arena of the unwell” with news that Robbie Williams’ ‘What We Did Last Summer’ DVD has been named (by industry experts) as the best-selling music DVD of the last decade. Cough, choke, spit and splutter! Bang you head against a wall and fill the room with claret. “How can this be true?” “Who are these experts on DVD sales”, I hear you cry as you scratch your balls, befuddled and confused, “Where’s the evidence? Where’s the science? We need proof damn-it – SOLID PROOF!” Well, proof comes from the British Video Association (BVA), who obtained their data from the ‘Official UK Chart Company’. Well, if they’re official , it has to be true; despite sounding as barmy as the Tooth Fairy and Joe Pasquale. Here’s some data to drool over; history, if you were. By the end of 1998 UK DVD (disc) sales stood at a meagre 200,000. When you consider that an estimated (non-official) forty million people own four TVs and some households own more than four TV’s, 200,000 is a pretty low number. These statistics are ‘predicted’ and cannot be proved as scientific fact. They’re a rough estimate. But rest assured they’re close enough. So, the sale of DVD discs was a meagre 200,000 in 1998, but exactly one year later (to the second, minute and hour) in 1999 that figure had risen by 4 million. Now, this represents that people in the UK were either breeding like sex-starved nymphs and the population had rapidly grown, or that the DVD craze was spreading like an STI (probably originating from those god damned nymphs). It gets even crazier. 2007 marked new heights of 248 million DVD sales with that figure increasing by 63.3 million in 2008. We’re nearly in May. About four month’s into 2008. There are twelve months in a year. 4 x 3 = 12. So we can predict that 63.3 million will treble to 189.9 million by the time the year is over with experts (yes, experts) predicting that the Christmas period will push the figure up by more. Wowzers! So there we go; the science is done and dusted and, I’m proud to say, no calculators were used. So back to the story. Robbie Williams’ ‘What We Did Last Summer’ has sold roughly 500,000 copies. It was recorded live at Knebworth and, yes, people do apparently like Mr. Williams because he has two entries in the top ten music DVD’s of the last decade. That’s two! 2. Deux. It would appear the public are like lemmings; Williams sings “LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU” and they’re happy to jump into musical oblivion... The fiery gates of hell. Allow us to present a quote from ‘What We Did Last Summer’. An indication, if you were, of why the nation have ingested