68 – ‘Turning Plates’ and ‘Howl Griff’
Turning Plates:
“Turning Plates are an award winning group of musicians based in Glasgow. Using theirdiverse classical, jazz and rock backgrounds they create a uniquely alternative style. Founded in 2009 their mixing of synthesizers and effect laden guitars with the more melancholy sounds of clarinet, cello and trombone, combined with the use of unusual time signatures, have led to the band quickly finding a distinct and individual sound. The band sites an eclectic mix of influences from the Smashing Pumpkins to Sigur Ros to Baroque music.
On the back of early successes the band has recently recorded an EP comprising 6 songs at Glasgow’s prestigious Chem19 studios with producer Jamie Savage which is due for release in April 2012. During 2011 the band’s song Tin Man won an award in Playmusic Pickup magazine’s unsigned band competition and finished their first tour taking in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Stirling Falkirk and Ayr over Easter 2011. In addition the band have gigged frequently in Glasgow doing both electric and acoustic shows, supporting several touring bands including Silversun Pickups, Scanners, Slaraffenland and The Neat.”
(Info obtained from the band’s Official Website)
Howl Griff:
“After receiving much press and public acclaim for our debut, Welsh-language record Howl Griff, we unleashed our second album The Hum – this one in English. Along with single releases Bluebirds and Sunrise, the album has garnered heady acclaim.
“Bloody lush – a new band we love,” said Lauren Laverne on her daytime BBC 6music show. She’s not alone in liking what she hears. “Life-affirming,” wrote The Independent. “Gorgeous harmonies and warm ’60s melodies – the result is quite lovely,” added Stuff magazine. “A Welsh Brian Wilson,” claims Clash magazine.
So when the lovely Lauren Laverne asked if we were interested in giving away an MPfree on her show, who were we to argue? Thanks to her and the 6music crew, you can download the Sunrise single for zero pence on our free MP3s page.
We’ve been played widely across BBC 6music, Radio One, Radio Wales, Radio London and noted Californian station KCRW too, which is nice.”
(Info obtained from the band’s Official Website)
67 – ‘The Badje’ and ‘The Approval’
The Badje:
“Since they formed in January 2009, the Brighton ensemble all share one common aspiration: to make music that matters and combines the unique individuality of all four members.
The band has drawn similarities as wide-ranging as The Beatles and The Pretty Things to more current groups such as Kasabian and Gorillaz. Distinctive and harmoniously obscure, they describe their influences as eclectic as ‘50s rock ‘n’ roll, soul music, ’60s pop & psychedelia, film scores & classical!
The Badje released their debut album “Ride Out” in the Summer of 2009…only one month after meeting! Since then they have played numerous gigs in and around the UK. On Friday 3rd June 2011 the bands’ second album, “Taste Music With Your Ear Tongue” was unleashed on the unsuspecting ears of their hometown fans of Brighton, UK. The Badje (supported by an astronomical cast of Brighton’s best performers) hosted a lavish launch party at Brighton’s venue the Green Door Store.”
(Info obtained from the band’s website)
The Approval:
66 – ‘King of Spain’, ‘YOUAREHERE’ and ‘P. E. Tripp’
King of Spain:
“King of Spain are a five-piece from Balham (famously dubbed ‘Gateway to the South’ by Peter Sellers), South London. After years of sending home-recorded demos of varying degrees of quality to anyone who’d listen, their debut album ‘Battleships & Aeroplanes’ was released in 2008 on Oxford’s pioneering Shifty Disco label. Recorded on a dairy farm near the Oxfordshire village of Steventon, the record was received by the media with a mixture of delight, consternation, confusion and downright anger. NME loved it, Artrocker did not.
Album track ‘Bacon’ was selected by William Ravenscroft (son of the late, great John Peel) as one of his gems of 2008, and received airplay on the legendary Tom Robinson’s BBC6 radio show. Once a clean edit had been hurriedly produced to remove a particularly offensive swear word, Tom also took to spinning live favourite ‘Menagerie’. Last year the band returned to the cow shed to beach some fresh tunes, and begin the process of recording Album Numero Deux, ‘thirtydegreeshandsonhipsleanforwardsmile’, with long-suffering producer/engineer Rowland Prytherch (a.k.a. Badger). It will be released October 7th 2011 on Shifty Disco records.
King of Spain run ‘flux=rad’, an occasional showcase of lo-fi and alternative music that usually happens at their spiritual home, the 12 Bar Club in Soho, and sometimes at the Notting Hill Arts Club in, err, Notting Hill. They also play gigs in places from Berlin to Bournemouth, but can be pretty much persuaded to go anywhere given the promise of beer and/or food.”
(Info obtained from the band’s facebook page here)
YOUAREHERE:
“YOUAREHERE is a Rome-based electronic project formed in 2011. Inspired by the likes of Apparat, M83 and Sigur Ros, the band offers a fusion of styles reflecting the previous musical releases of its three members: the glitchy and powerful beats of micro (Claudio Del Proposto), the wrapping, rhythmic patterns of edPorth (Patrizio Piastra), and the melancholy crescendos of French Teen Idol (Andrea Di Carlo).
YOUAREHERE’s debut album, As When The Fall Leaves Trees, perfectly encompasses the characteristics of the three Italian artists. This 9-track, 50-minute long concept album is a musical journey through fast-paced rhythms, obsessive loops, reverberated vocals and dreamy piano melodies, leaving the listener with an unusual feeling of pleasure and disorientation. ”
(Info obtained from the band’s facebook page here)
P. E. Tripp:
“Cross over the river Thames and make your way through the dark streets of South London to Waterloo where P.E Tripp has been working a sound over the last couple of years. A mixture of Electropop and RnB he calls “LDN Funk”.
2011 signals two release for P.E – an E.P “By the Starlight” and a debut album “Into the Stars”. The recordings are underway and are being produced and arranged all from a bedroom, by Tripp himself. Having learnt most of his instruments from playing in Church as a youngster, the recordings feature him performing every vocal & every instrument (Guitar, Piano, Synthesizer, Bass, all Drum/Rhythm Arrangements, Beatbox, Vocoder, Octapad and Djembe). Look out for these recordings in 2011 alongside the previous single release “Miss Artois” from 2009.”
(Info obtained from the artist’s facebook page)
London Unsigned Music 