Friday 4 December 2009

Songs From The Kitchen Sink

Songs From The Kitchen Sink

Wednesday saw the first micro event organised by Splash One and Narc scribe Ewan McIntyre.

The idea for Songs From The Kitchen Sink came to me last year as a shameless excuse to indulge in twin passions of 1960's British Kitchen Sink Cinema and 1980's Fuzzy Guitar music (some early 90's shoegaze thrown in for good measure) from independent labels such as 4AD, Cherry Red, Heavenly, Creation, Factory, Rough Trade, Sarah.

However I had been too busy with other projects to put anything together then the opportunity to host an after show party for New York shambling indie poppers The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart arrived - too good to pass up.

So the first 'Kitchen Sink' event played out like this...

Fist off BIG SORRY to PopKlub who were meant to DJ but the lack of CD decks in the head of steam mean they had to pull out.

As well as myself and Ewan, Peggy and Kurt from the Pains Of Being Pure At played a few tunes. So extra big thanks to the band.

The following records were played entirely on original pressings of 12", 7" and LP.

Deluxe - Lush


Mercy Seat - Ultra Vivid Scene


Iceblink Luck – Cocteau Twins


Jack - Moose


Brassneck - The Wedding Present


Drive Blind - Ride


Celeste – The Telescopes


Velocity Girl – Primal Scream



Falling and Laughing – Orange Juice


The Monochrome Set - The Monochrome Set


In The Rain - The June Brides



Sick Of It - The Primitives


Lola - Cud


Pearl - Chapterhouse


Catholic Block – Sonic Youth



Outdoor Miner – Wire


Lichtenstien Painting - Television Personalities


Keep It Out Of My Face – Mudhoney



Destroy The Heart – The House Of Love



Felicity – The Wedding Present


Why Does it Rain - Weather prophets


Primitive Painters - Felt


I dont Know Why I Love You - House Of Love


Staring at The Sun - Ultra Vivid Scene


Sidewalking - Jesus & Mary Chain


Other band's played included.. Catherine Wheel, The Sea Urchins, The Times, New Order and Teenage Fanclub.

While posters and flyers for the evening included images from...

Billy Liar


Twisterella - Blly Liar


Twisterella - Ride


And...

Room At The Top



Tuesday 1 December 2009

DRAGNET with MARK ALGAR - SET LIST

BIG THANKS to everyone who came down to Dragnet last Sat, we had another blinding session. CHEERS AGAIN.

After a solid month of residents keeping the Dragnet fires burning every Sat @ the Cut we thought it was about time we invited a few friends to pitch in with the music, dancing, love and laughter.

So... first up to join us behind the decks was

Mark Algar. (Tourist/Thoughts On love & Smoking)

Someone who probably needed no introduction, a right regular ace face on Tyneside's club scene for as far back as I can remember, and thats a long time. I recall first meeting Mark in the infamous Riverside just after he had played a blinding set.

Here's a little bit of bumfff about the man that may shed some light to anybody not familiar with local legend.

Since starting out in the early 90's he's played alongside heavy hitters such as...

Andrew Weatherall,
Ewan Pearson,
David Holmes,
Maurice Fulton,
Shit Robot,
Dave Clark,
JD Twitch,
Junior Boys,
Vitalic,
The Horrors

as well as cut his teeth over the years at some of the countries seminal clubs such as The 333, The T-Bar, The Bitter Suite, Club UK, The Amersham Arms, Full Circle, Hoxton Bar & Grill, The Leadmill in Sheffield, The Orbit in Leeds, Bristols Thelka and Newcastles much missed Riverside Club. With influences as diverse as dub disco, Ze records, New york Punk funk, DFA Records and heavyweight Berlin Techno as well as the typically twisted British sounds of Trevor Jacksons now defunct 'Output Records', Andy Blakes 'Dissident' imprint, Nathan Gregory Wilkins 'History Clock' label, and of course the national treasure that was 'Boys Own Records'.

As well as DJing Mark finds time to organize and write for two of the North East's much loved Blogs - Tourist & Thoughts On Love and Smoking.

THESE ARE SOME OF THE TRACKS THAT MARK PLAYED ON SATURDAY..


Shortwave Set - No Social (Optimo Remix)

Heartbreak - Akin To Dancing (The Horrors Remix)

Suzanne Vega - Love Made Real (Chalk Hill Edit)

The Phenomenal Hanclap Band - 15 to 20 (The Glimmers Remix)

Chromeo - You're So Gangsta (Playgroup Remix)

Ron Rogers - Ya Ya

LCD Soundsystem - Bye Bye Bayou (Ernold Sane Re-Edit)

Mock N' Toof - Digit 2

Radiohead - Idioteque (Bootleg)

The Presets - Talk Like That (Optimo Remix)

The Andrew Allsgood Experience - Macho Wizard

The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows (Dub Disco Edit Of The Edit)

Divine - Native Love (Edit)

Scotty Coats & Wes The Mes - Double Fisted (Prins Thomas Disko Mikss)

-------

Heres a few of them if you fancy a listen...

Shortwave Set - No Social (Optimo Remix)



Chromeo - You're So Gangsta (Playgroup Remix)


LCD Soundsystem - Bye Bye Bayou (Ernold Sane Re-Edit)


And here's a few related bit's...





Wednesday 25 November 2009

Kid Congo did it again.

Right. Just got back from the Kid Congo Powers gig at the Cluny.

WOW. The Kid did it again. All the uber cool chops and camped up suss we've come to know and love from this true legend. Yep that's right Legend, an over used word in describing musicians for sure but hell when you've spent your life playing with three of the greatest front men of all time - Lux Interior, Jeffery Pierce and Nick Cave - you must have done something right. No one can tell me its not a justified description for someone who was in not only one LEGENDARY band but three - The Cramps, The Gun Club and Nick Caves Bad Seed's.

These days Kid Congo is hipper than ever with his own band The Pink Monkey Birds, who's charming, sexy mix of 50's Rockabilly, 60's Garage Trash, 70's Vegas Lounge Muzak, 80's Post Punk all put together with an authentic Hispanic twist - serves up some serious cool medicine both on record and live.


Tonight the band came out dressed uniformally in Matador outfits - drop dead cool, the perfect look for a Hispanic garage band rocking the sex beat.

And rock the Sex Beat they did, as alongside tracks from Pink Monkey Bird albums Kid Congo took us on an exhilarating journey through his past and blasted out The Gun Club classic 'Sex Beat' in his own slinky style. Another treat included a link Wray style version of The Cramps stormer Goo Goo Muck. It's fair to say that the whole gig came over like a tribute to Kid Congo's fallen comrade Lux Interior. Paying his respects inbetween songs with dedications to the late great shaman of voodoo beat rock n roll.

Kid Congo's voodoo mojo however was far from dead tonight, as he tapped into the source - right into the well of voodoo juice, so that for a few hours at least us mere northern Brits could feel the magic of that goo goo muck drenched underbelly Americana.

The band were incredible, giving Kid Congo just the right platform to do this thing.
Mesmerising, enchanting, groovy, rocking and above all original.

Shame on those who didn't make it, hope to see you there when the Kid next rolls into town. Cant wait.


Heres some footage of KID CONGO playing with The Cramps...





And some footage of KID CONGO playing with Nick Cave..


He's not doing anything in this one but being there and being cool..


And some fantastic Gun Club footage..




Thursday 19 November 2009

THESE NEW PURITANS - HIDDEN

THESE NEW PURITANS.
Hit Newcastle Friday 5th Jan. 2010.

One of the most interesting and musically exciting British bands to emerge in the last few years, These New Puritans unleashed their debut album 'Beat Pyramid' in 2008, however despite gaining a fair amount of critical acclaim they didn't break above the radar as far / high as they deserved. While Beat Pyramid was certainly one of Jukebox/Splash Ones albums of that year, their forthcoming album looks set to be the record that pushes them into the national conscious.

TNPS are a four piece from Southend On Sea (with Splash Ones love of British Sea Side towns this just endeared them to us that whole lot more) who come on like a gang of well read post punk junkies with a Wu Tang Clan obsession. It's a bizarre filter for sure but that's why we love them.

Artrocker Magazine has described TNPS as sounding like "Sheffield and Berlin synths, '90s alt rock Sonic Youth and Yo La Tengo drones; Underworld beats, and all in the most contemporary of contexts," while in a review of Beat Pyramid, Vice Magazine said "Sharp, strange and enchanting, there aren't many bands around like These New Puritans."

Enchanting is definitely a word to describe TNPS, but maybe desingned and controlled noisy enchantment would be a better description, or tailored magik even.

Their single ELVIS was a smash at Jukebox, played on heavy rotation for about a year, the Band also played live at the club captivating the crowd with that very same special brew of noisy (but refined and controlled) enchantment.

So it is with huge excitement that we anticipate the bands return to the Jukebox stage - THESE NEW PURITANS PLAY JUKEBOX ON FRIDAY 5TH OF FEBUARY 2010.


Another crucial release that we have hammered is the Wu Tang influenced, 'Swords Of Truth'.


The bastard upstart urchin off spring of Mark E Smith & The Fall, some have derided the band for that, but fuck that, if I want to see any new band taking influence from another band and taking that influence somewhere new, a place of their own then I want to see it done with The Fall. Mark E Smith may moan about Fall copy bands but he moans about everything, this band are special, and stand above the pale Fall apeing underachiever's of indie land.

They look good too, which is important.


Splash One cant wait for HIDDEN to drop from the sky,

Here's a few factoids for anyone new to the band.

• The Band have toured with Crystal Castles, British Sea Power, The Kills, Blood Red Shoes and The Klaxons.

have been involved with fashion designer Hedi Slimane, having recorded the song ("Navigate, Navigate") for the Dior Homme Show 2007.

They were part of the Southend scene that gave birth to The Horrors, known as the 'Experimental Circle Club' involved in the semi legendary 'Junk Club' nights - responsible for popularising such bands as Neils Children, The Violets, XX Teens, No Bra, and most of course The Horrors themselves. It should be noted that Jack Barnett performed solo on the first ECC night on 18 November 2006.

New album Hidden has been mixed by Dave Cooly who has worked with underground Hip Hop giants J Dilla and MF DOOM.

• Press release states that the sound of Hidden will include..."Six-foot Japanese Taiko drums, a thirteen piece brass and woodwind ensemble, sub-heavy beats, prepared piano, a children's choir and Foley recording techniques".

• These New Puritans are signed to the very fine Domino records.



THESE NEW PURITANS PLAY JUKEBOX ON FRIDAY 5TH OF FEBUARY 2010.