Temporary Update Hiatus

To all visitors of my blog:

I feel both really annoyed and sad at what I'm about to say, but as of today (23/09/10) I'm not going to be updating my blog for a while. The main reason is that I have been reluctant to update the blog, and I actually feel quite mad at myself for not updating the entries (the last one was nine days ago!). I've tried to set myself targets, but I've been seriously distracted by personal issues and a general feeling of laziness.

I should get back round to updating my blog once I've got myself sorted out. But at the moment, there won't be anything new on here for a while (which is a shame, as I've got some great uploads that won't be seen. Use this link in the meantime.)

Take care,

J.S.

Major Revamp: UPDATES

First of all, an apology to any people who have been expecting updates. I've been a bit lacklustre and non-energetic recently, and as a result, haven't been editing through the posts at the speed I wanted to be going at. Hopefully, in the next few days, I should get back up to my regular speed. So, this post will be constantly edited with the percentage completion of the revamp, plus also information about new artists who will be added to the blog, and updated content. If you want to comment on any aspect of the blog, then please use the ShoutBox to the right, or just comment on any of the posts.

CURRENT REVAMP PERCENTAGE COMPLETION: 31.7% (39/123 posts done)

08/09/10: Added Foals' Try This On Your Piano to their discography. Also updated The Futureheads' post with reworked description, and also added Nul Book Standard and First Day.

09/09/10: Added three new artists: Archie Bronson Outfit, Awesome Snakes, and Harrisons (not included in the revamp percentage of course)

10/09/10: Redated and revamped The Ghost Frequency entry.

13/09/10: Redated and revamped The Go! Team and Gogol Bordello entries.

14/09/10: Redated and revamped Good Shoes and (The) Gossip entries.

Major Revamp

First of all, many thanks to everyone who has visited this site so far.

Now, as some people have noted, the posts on this site are a bit too detailed with unnecessary band backstories that take up more than half the entry. As a result of this, there will be a serious revamp to the blog, with all of the existing articles being rewritten with shorter descriptions.

None of the downloads will be affected during the revamp, which should start on the 8th of August.

If you have any additional comments about the blog, then please comment on this post. Thank you.

EDIT 08/08/2010: There will be a slight change with the dates of all of the posted discographies; the months and years will be changed to reflect an alphabetical ordering system (with numbers and symbols before A). As with the description changes, no downloads should be affected.

(The) Young Knives

Originally known as Pony Club upon their formation in 1998, Ashby-de-la-Zouch's tweed loving eccentric threesome known as Young Knives (dropping their definite article with the release of their second full length) first attracted attention via the release of their ...are Dead mini-album in October 2002 on Oxford label Shifty Disco. Following this was a limited Shifty Disco subscriber-only EP entitled Rollerskater in April 2003. With the release of the split with Oxfordians Smilex in October 2004 on Oxford's Hangingoutwiththecoolkids, Transgressive Records signed the group in early 2005 and released their second EP, Junky Music Make My Heart Beat Faster, as their first Transgressive release in May 2005, shortly followed up by the first issue of The Decision in November. 2006 saw the first signs of an album, with lead single Here Comes The Rumour Mill out in February, followed by She's Attracted To in June, and last anticipation single of Weekends And Bleak Days (Hot Summer) two weeks before the album, Voices Of Animals And Men, was released on 21st August, gaining mostly positive critical reviews. The Decision received a full, chart eligible release on 30th October, ending their VOAAM period. The group returned to the public eye just 364 days later, with Terra Firma being released; the single itself being more aggressive and relative to their mini-album. The second single from the sophomore effort, Up All Night, was released in February, with the album, Superabundance out in March. Dyed In The Wool was released as the first post-album single in August, with Turn Tail as the final single in October. HCTRM's video is below, with downloads after.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Formed in 2000, New York's Yeah Yeah Yeahs released their debut self titled EP in July 2001 and followed this up with the Machine EP in November 2002. Date With The Night was the first single from their album, released in April 2003 with the album, Fever To Tell, coming 2 weeks afterwards on the 29th; it was highly acclaimed, overall receiving very strong positive reviews. July's Pin, February 2004's Maps and June's Y Control rounded off the album, all of the tracks also getting positive acclaim. For their second album, March 2006's Show Your Bones, the garage rock elements had been almost removed, demonstrated by the album's singles Gold Lion (released a week prior on the 21st), June's Turn Into and September's Cheated Hearts. After July 2007's Is Is EP, the electronically-aimed It's Blitz! was released in March 2009, again to positive acclaim. DWTN's video is below, with downloads after.

The Wombats

Anglo-Norwegian Liverpudlian three-piece The Wombats formed in 2003 and self-released seven EPs over two years; one EP, The Daring Adventures Of Sergeant Wimbo And His Pet Otter EP from March 2004, featured a fourth American member who left shortly after it was recorded. These EPs got them noticed by local label Kids, who released their first single Lost In The Post in September 2006. They had also already recorded an album, entitled Girls, Boys & Marsupials, which was a Japanese-only release, coming out in the same month as LITP. Moving To New York was their second single in November, with the final Kids release being the original issue of Backfire At The Disco in April 2007. By this time, the band's popularity had soared, and with this increasing notice, 14th Floor Records signed the band. Their first 14th Floor single was Kill The Director in June, followed by Let's Dance To Joy Division in October, which hit #15 in the UK Charts. Their debut album, with the very long-winded title of The Wombats Proudly Present... A Guide To Love, Loss & Desperation, came out in November. The first of three re-issued singles was the full issue of Moving To New York in January 2008, with Backfire At The Disco following in April and Kill The Director in July; MTNY being the highest placed single at #13. The KTD reissue was the last single that featured on the album. December saw the first new material since the album, with anti-Christmas single Is This Christmas? released. An indication of an album followed afterwards when new track My Circuitboard City was released in March 2009, although nothing has come to light since. The trio are still recording their follow-up to their debut. Backfire At The Disco's video is below, with downloads afterwards.

The Week That Was

The Week That Was is the solo project of Sunderland band Field Music's Peter Brewis. Field Music took time out in early 2007, and the lead brothers of the band, David and Peter, both recorded solo projects, with both of them helping out on each other's projects. Peter's was the latter of the two to be released, the self titled coming out on 18th August 2008. The first single from the album was Scratch The Surface in June, with The Airport Line being the only physical single, released in September. A video for Learn To Learn was released in October but was not released as an actual single. Since the release of Field Music (Measure) in February 2010, it's unlikely that Peter's project, as well as David's, will be resurrected. Scratch The Surface's video is below, with downloads afterwards.

We Are Scientists

Best known as one of the most humorous groups around, We Are Scientists formed in 2000 and self-released their first abum, Safety, Fun And Learning (In That Order) in April 2002. Three EPs, all self released, were to follow: Bitchin' in October 2002, In Action in October 2003 and The Wolf's Hour in 2004. These releases got the trio signed to Virgin Records, and their first major single Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt was released in June 2005. This was followed up by The Great Escape in October and was their first Top 40 single, hitting #37. Their album, With Love And Squalor, was released a week later on the 17th. It's A Hit in February 2006 and the NM,NGH reissue in May also hit the Top 40, the latter being the highest charting single from the album at #21. The b-sides and rarities compilation Crap Attack was released in November 2006. Near-on a year later, drummer Michael Tapper left the band, and for their second album Brain Thrust Mastery, lead guitarist and vocalist Keith Murray and bassist Chris Cain had session drummers and sometimes drum machines used. After Hours was the album's lead single in March 2008, peaking at the group's record high of #15. The album, Brain Thrust Mastery, came out 2 weeks afterwards on the 17th. Chick Lit in June 2008 was the band's last Top 40 single, peaking at the exact same position as TGE did back in October 2005; very strange indeed. Impatience in September was the final single from the album. The group then left Virgin and recruited ex-Razorlight drummer Andy Burrows for their fourth album, Barbara. Preceded by Rules Don't Stop in April 2010 and Nice Guys just the week before, the album was released on 14th June. NM,NGH's video is below, with downloads afterwards.

The Von Bondies

Born in Detroit in 1997, The Von Bondies have had many line-up changes since their inception, with lead guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Jason Stollsteimer and drummer Don Blum being the only persistent members. They issued their first album Lack Of Communication in 2001, with an European reissue the following year, receiving positive reviews on both occasions. It wasn't until the success of the single C'mon C'mon, which was featured in Burnout 3: Takedown and also hit #21 in the UK charts, in early 2004 got the band even more followers, and the second album of Pawn Shoppe Heart in March received much more critical acclaim than the first. The majority of the group's line up changes happened in 2006, when guitarist Marcie Bolen and bassist Carrie Smith both left, and were replaced by temporary touring musicians. The group recruited Christy Hunt to replace Bolen and Leann Banks to replace Smith, and released their third album Love, Hate And Then Theres You in February 2009. C'mon C'mon's video is below, with downloads afterwards.

Viard

Viard is an alias of Brighton-based electronic musician Justin Berkovi. He recorded an album under the Viard name, The Silver City, as part of the PerplexCity Alternate Reality Game (which has been put on an indefinite hold) in 2005, and came free with the Firebox exclusive starter pack for the game. A 12" of the track Heartfelt was put out in February 2006, and there has been nothing else released under the Viard name as the storyline involving the Viard character was completed. Heartfelt is available to listen to below, with downloads afterwards.

Vampire Weekend

Regarded as one of the more socially elite musical groups to come out of New York, African-influenced Vampire Weekend formed in 2006 and self-released an EP, titled EP, the year after, which got the attention of XL Recordings, who promptly signed the band. After their first single of Mansard Roof was released on the Abeano Music imprint in November, XL decided to let the band release their work on the XL label itself, and their first single not on the imprint was A-Punk in February 2008. This came after their debut self-titled album was released in January, receiving critical acclaim. Second post album single Oxford Comma hit #39 on the UK charts upon its release in May; their highest British single so far. The final single from the self-titled, August's Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, failed to make any significant impact. Their second album, Contra, was preceded by Cousins in November, with the album hitting #3 in the UK upon its release in January. Post-album singles Giving Up The Gun in February and Holiday in June both failed to make any significiant impact. A-Punk's video is below, with downloads after.

The Upper Room

Brighton four-piece The Upper Room formed in early 2004 and released a limited edition of Black And White in summer 2004 on the Skye label. Sony BMG then picked up the band and released their first single All Over This Town in January 2006. This was followed up by Black And White in May, hitting #22 on the UK Charts; a great success for the band. Their album, Other People's Problems, was released 3 weeks after the single on the 29th. This proved to be the group's final release as they disbanded shortly after in November, with lead singer and songwriter Alex Miller announcing a new band in January 2008 called Voxpop, which has also split. All Over This Town's video is below, with downloads after.

Tom Vek

Thomas Vernon-Kell is a London-born self-taught multi-instrumentalist best known under his Tom Vek stagename, although he did release music under the name Souvenir in 2002. He had his first Vek release on the Tummy Touch label with If I Had Changed My Mind in May 2004, a very lo-fi garage rock anthem characteristed by its downbeat vocals. A remix by Mains Ignition of the track appeared on a Touch Tones 12" split with labelmates Coco Electrik in June. His last Tummy Touch solo single, although he would still be licenced with them, was If You Want in November, which advanced on the debut but was much lighter and brighter, but still had the distinct vocals, only less shouty. Tom then signed to Go! Beat in 2005, and released the I Aint Saying My Goodbyes single in March, which contained a strong emotional feel that wasn't implemented in the Tummy Touch singles. His album, We Have Sound, was released in the UK in April, but wasn't released in North America until October due to label issues. Back in the UK, the final two singles of the jazzy C-C (You Set The Fire In Me), containing the six-minute epic experimental jam b-side Blessing In Disguise, in June and electro sounding Nothing But Green Lights in October (not being released in NA until July 2006) closed the Tom Vek catalogue. Aside from the inclusion of the NBGL b-side One Horse Race in Grand Theft Auto IV, nothing has been heard from him since. Although; he is reportedly working on the follow-up to We Have Sound, rumours speculating around include that he has quit music and is working in a New York record store and that his second album is going to be released this year (very unlikely). Whatever the truth is, his debut album is an essential in my view as it has a wide appeal; from the American rock influenced The Lower The Sun to the minimalist On The Road, there is a wide range of genres displayed from the man known as TV. NGBL's video is below, with downloads after.

To My Boy

Originally formed as a four piece at Durham University in 2005, Liverpudlian electro duo To My Boy signed to the XL Recordings imprint of Abeano Music and released their first single, the double A-side of the insane i am xRAY and the calmer outerregions in September 2006. This was followed up by the electricity anthem of theGrid just two months later. Computers and structures were stated in the lyrics of their third single model, released in June 2007, with the physics and Tomorrow's World inspired album, messages, coming out the month after. The album received very positive media acclaim, especially due to the fact that the album is very quick at times, such as during the powerful IN THE ZONE or the most maniacal 99 seconds of music ever that is the hidden track of GAME OVER, while also being a bit more slower and calmer, with tracks such as talk and the last messages-era single fear of fragility, released in September. An acoustic version of the album was released in December as a Christmas present to their fans. The twosome took time out from the music world, with lead vocalist and guitarist Jack Snape finishing his Physics degree. During this time, their imprint collapsed, and so the two decided to form their own label, Von Braun, on which their second album would be issued. May 2010 saw the twosome's long awaited return with the half-an-hour mildly conceptual album entitled The Habitable Zone; there is a huge change of sound from their debut, as it is much calmer overall and also has a folktronica feel, with a heavier implementation of acoustic instruments over electronic instruments. No singles have been officially released from the album, but a demo of Us + The Wind was posted online in November 2009 and gained good reactions. model's video is below, with downloads after.