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Me And My Drummer release video for ‘Easy On Me’!
"...hauntingly gorgeous..." - DIY
"...an immaculate construction that feels altogether heartfelt."
- The Line of Best Fit
"...an enthralling piece of synth pop with a real sense of art." - Clash
Me And My Drummer have released their new video for Easy On Me, taken from second album Love Is A Fridge, out now via Sinnbus and available to buy on iTunes. The Berlin based dream pop duo are also set to play The Great Escape in Brighton on Friday May 20th and the Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen on Monday May 23rd.
The video for Easy On Me premiered on Glamcult, you can also watch it now via the band's YouTube channel.
The band have had to deal with their fair share of set backs over the past few years, from singer Charlotte Brandi breaking her foot and suffering from laryngitis just before they were about to head on tour, to throwing away a whole album of material and starting from scratch. The video draws on these feelings of frustration and the duo's determination to overcome these obstacles.
Love Is A Fridge is the follow-up to their critically acclaimed debut album The Hawk, The Beak, The Prey and includes recently released singles Blue Splinter View and Pentonville Road.
The video for Pentonville Road is available to watch now via the band's YouTube channel.
The album is ten perfect tracks nothing short of an electropop masterpiece as Matze Pröllochs and Brandi traverse a wide and varied soundscape. Her vocals are stronger than ever, enough to match the soulful electropop tones of Florence Welch or Jessie Ware. An album that musically covers a huge range of styles and ideas maintaining its bold feel and flavour for experimentation all the way through. If you imagine Bat For Lashes meets Lykki Li you’re close, but there’s something somewhat celestial about Me And My Drummer that sets them apart.
Me And My Drummer have received acclaim from a range of sources, but most recently, their single Blue Splinter View was played on Lauren Laverne's BBC 6Music show. The duo have also received praise from the likes of XFM, BBC Radio 1, NME, Rolling Stone, MTV, DIY, The Line of Best Fit, Clash and The 405 and with a strong following in their home country, the band are making a bold step forward once again with their second album.
Love is a Fridge is out now via Sinnbus and is available to buy on iTunes and stream on Spotify.
The Van T’s release free download ‘35mm’!
"...a surf rock band, but only if your idea of surfing involves getting pummeled by a giant wave..." - Consequence of Sound
“… the musical equivalent of a John Hughes movie.” - Clash
“… guaranteed to make waves…” - Backseat Mafia
After creating a stir in 2015 with a bold and noisy surf-rock sound showcased on the EP Laguna Babe, The Van T’s have made a swift return, releasing free download '35mm', the first track from their follow up EP A Coming of Age, out June 10th 2016 via Bloc+Music.
'35mm' premiered on Consequence of Sound and is now available to stream and download on the band's Soundcloud page.
Having begun writing songs at just seventeen years old, twin sisters Hannah (guitar, vocals) and Chloe Van Thompson (guitar, vocals) decided to start a band shortly after. Initially playing shows in and around Scotland as a duo, the twins recruited Joanne Forbes (bass) and Shaun Hood (drums) in an attempt to add more layers to an already impressive sound. As a result The Van T’s were born, complete with a sunny 50’s jukebox style sound and a twist of cathartic 90’s grunge thrown in for good measure, captivating both fans and music aficionados alike.
Taking inspiration from band’s such as The B-52’s, Veruca Salt, Smashing Pumpkins and Le Butcherettes, The Van T’s have created a contemporary, scuzz-filled record that also has an endearing raw quality pouring out from every note. Soon to be released lead single Blood Orange encapsulates the bands characteristics perfectly as electrifying guitar howls and echoes from the speakers, bridged beautifully by the twin sisters duel vocals, all neatly harnessed by the simple yet effective interplay between drums and bass.
Despite the band being in its infancy, The Van T’s have already appeared at T in the Park, Wickerman, Electric Fields, Tenement Trail and Strange Behaviours as well as supporting Catholic Action and Honeyblood. This has seen them pick up support from Clash, The Scotsman, Beat Surrender, Backseat Mafia, BBC Radio Scotland, Amazing Radio and XFM Scotland. 2016 looks like it will be another hectic year for The Van T’s with appearances scheduled at Wide Days, Stag & Dagger and Brew at the Bog, a support slot with HAWK in London and culminating with two dates supporting the mighty Yuck.
A Coming of Age by The Van T’s is released on 10th June 2016 via Bloc+Music.
The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened? screening and Q+A Confirmed For Restless Natives!
A Badge of Friendship will host a screening of documentary The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened? at Restless Natives Festival on Monday 9th May 2016, 7.30pm, at St. Luke’s, Glasgow. Following the screening there will be an exclusive live Q&A via Skype with director Jon Schnepp and producer Holly Payne.Documentary The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened? is a film about possibly the greatest superhero film never made.
Superman Lives was set to be directed by Tim Burton and produced by Jon Peters, with Nicolas Cage in the starring role as The Man of Steel. It was intended for release in the 1990s but just before it was about to go into production, the project was completely scrapped and it became the stuff of Hollywood legends… that is until film-making duo director Jon Schnepp and producer Holly Payne crowd-funded The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened? in 2015, exploring the fabled movie’s unfortunate fate in-depth.
Restless Natives Festival will run from 9th-15th May 2016 and tickets can be purchased from the Restless Natives website via Tickets Scotland.
Watch the trailer for The Death of "Superman Lives": What Happened? via TDOSLWH's official site.
Restless Natives'; heart and soul lies within the DIY scene as the festival not only aims to bring people together in and around the East End of Glasgow, generating income for the local community, bands and charities, but it also aims to promote ethnic diversity and gender equality throughout the program.
Restless Natives is reflective of a truly modern DIY ethic that showcases talent from a broad spectrum, mirroring the diverse talent the creative scene has to offer.
All events will be individually priced as affordably as possible to ensure accessibility for people from all economic backgrounds and the organisers will also be donating a portion of gate receipts towards specially nominated East End charities to help their community.
A number of film events have already been confirmed including a screening of In The Loop with an exclusive pre-recorded Q&A with writer, producer, director and satirist Armando Iannucci, a screening of Instrument plus a Q&A via Skype with Fugazi’s Ian MacKaye, The Skinny presents Couple In A Hole with live Q&A by Geoff Barrow (BEAK>, Portishead) and Billy Fuller (BEAK>, Robert Plant Band), The Room featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes documentary and live Q&A via Skype with Greg Sestero, Song, By Toad presents The Ambiguity Of David Thomas Broughton with exclusive unseen footage and Restless Natives’ own national exclusive of Blood, Sweat & Vinyl : DIY in the 21st Century starring Neurosis, Godspeed You Black Emperor and ISIS (the band!) with live Q&A via Skype with director Kenneth Thomas and A Page of Madness with an exclusive live original score by Adam Stafford. Plus special guest-curated screens by Scottish Refugee Council in association with Take One Action Film Festivals presents Salma, Africa in Motion, the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival and Radical Film Network Scotland amongst others.
The festival also boasts a strong music line-up including Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah, LAW, Cardiff's alt rockers Future of the Left, Sheffield mathcore champions Rolo Tomasi, Canadian composer Tim Hecker, electronic maverick Blanck Mass, Chicago favourites Into It. Over It, US cult heroes The Hotelier and Glasgow’s own Tuff Love, United Fruit, Happy Meals, Spinning Coin and Lightwave. Full details of further showcases, film nights and talks programmed by Hotgem Music, Nightschool Records, No One Knows Records, Winning Sperm Party, Stretched, Fuzzkill Records, Nice n' Sleazy, Bloc+Music, Song, By Toad and Struggletown are also set to be announced very soon.
Restless Natives Festival will take place May 9th - 15th 2016 and tickets are available via the Restless Natives website.
Adam Cleaver’s latest single ‘Narrow Spines’ out now!
“…poetic lyricism is matched to a voice capable of swooping up into the heavens.” - Clash
"...uplifting and anthemic..." - TMRW Magazine
Adam Cleaver's latest single Narrow Spines - out now via Veta Records - is an eerie glimpse into Adam’s soul as he explores anguish and fragility. You can download Narrow Spines for free via Adam's Soundcloud page now.
The video recently premiered on Gigslutz and you can also watch it via Adam Cleaver’s YouTube channel now.
“Narrow Spines is about weakness,” explains Adam. “When someone is so trapped in their own grief they aren’t able to comprehend the people around them”. The song has a much broader intensity to the sound than on his previous single Man or Beast - Narrow Spines embraces a much larger sound. However, the themes remain close to Adam’s heart as he uses his music to express raw, personal emotions which are also portrayed in the video.
You can also stream the track via Adam Cleaver’s Soundcloud page now.
Adam’s incredible voice paired with post-rock influenced guitars and echoing drums is a beautiful and captivating combination. His sound is not dissimilar to acts like Frightened Rabbit and Dry The River but also draws comparisons to Ben Howard and Death Cab For Cutie. This single shows another side to Adam, an intriguing side that feels like a progression from his previous singles.
Adam’s previous supporters include BBC 6Music’s Lauren Laverne, Clash, Artrocker and Radio X’s John Kennedy. Working again with producer Matt Harris (HAWK), Narrow Spines demonstrates another side to Adam’s songwriting in advance of a new EP due later this year.
Narrow Spines is out now via Veta Records and is available to download for free via
Adam's Soundcloud page now.
Luke Howard releases new album ‘Two Places’!
"...will leave you breathless." - The Line of Best Fit
"...introspective and triumphant..." - Earmilk
Luke Howard's beautiful new album Two Places is out now via Lukktone.
The video for album track The Ends recently premiered on The Line of Best Fit and is available to watch now via Luke’s YouTube channel.
The Ends is available to stream now via Soundcloud.
The album’s title track Two Places is also available to stream now on Soundcloud.
Trained as a classical pianist, Luke worked for many years as a session musician and score writer for both television and film before taking the plunge and releasing his own solo records. Based in Melbourne, Australia, his previous releases have received rave reviews from the likes of BBC 6Music and The 405. Luke has also worked with Ben Frost and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra as well as opening for 2015 Mercury Prize winner Benjamin Clementine at The Great Escape festival in Brighton.
With is new record Two Places, Luke continues with his exploration of piano and electronic music that he begun on his previous release Sun, Cloud. Each track is composed beautifully as Howard draws influences from composers like Arvo Pärt framed around the modern sounds of acts like Grandbrothers and Rachel’s. A triumphant, cinematic journey of sound, each of the thirteen tracks on the album feel like their reaching out beyond time and space, spanning every emotion imaginable, and will leave you in a quiet state of euphoria by the end.
With a fantastic musical pedigree behind him and great praise from a number of key tastemakers, Two Places is sure to cement Luke Howard as one of 2016’s most promising up and coming solo artists and composers.
Two Places is out now via Lukktone and is available to buy now on Luke's website.