You know we at Club Smith have been banging on about recording a lot? I suppose it makes a change from talking about boxing a lot, which I have, the entire last year, such is the lack of dimension in my personal interests since making this music video. Anyway, we sent a new track from the album we just recorded to Artrocker…
…and they only put it on their website! It’s at this link below:
http://www.artrocker.tv/features/article/first-listen-club-smith-mantra
Some nice words said indeed. I think they said we might help save the world which is pretty cool. Oh no, I think it was just saving guitar music, not quite as important as saving the world, but pretty close? No? No? Ok.
Here’s our tour!!!!
MONDAY 6TH FEB: HMV NEXT BIG THING – THE RITZ, MANCHESTER - TICKETS HERE
FRIDAY 10TH FEB: BRUDENELL SOCIAL CLUB, LEEDS, WITH THE NEAT – FREE ENTRY
SATURDAY 11TH FEB: CITY SCREEN BASEMENT, YORK. TICKETS HERE
Saturday
Woo, website is complete, new banners! I’m the only one that probably cares! woo!
We’re excited at Club Smith towers because we’re getting another album mix through, when you’re mixing a recording and you’re doing it remotely you have these periods of time where you’re just waiting for the changes you asked to be made to recordings to come through. It’s better than us breathing down the mixers’ neck for hours while they are done, but when you’re waiting it’s PURGATORY. We’re going in to the studio to finalise everything this week. Exciting. We do not yet know how we will release this yet…one thing at a time I guess…one expensive and confusing thing at a time…
Anyway, enough about me, ok just a little more about me…last year about this time I had the gumption to try and identify some new music for 2011 I thought would become awesome. I’ve learnt that was an arrogant and presumptuous move, but I’m going to do it again because I’m quite frankly well into my own opinions and when I’m alone in the house on a Sunday doing nothing it seems acceptable that the virtual world can appropriate the idea in my head that these opinions should be shared with all. It’s your fault internet.
Please note…most of this is Leeds centric as it’s where I live…
Stalking Horse
SKH LP sampler by Stalking Horse
The world needs Stalking Horse, I’m entirely convinced that their album needs to come out this year. It’s a guy who used to be in a Leeds band called This et al who recorded a really really awesome album then split up. They were very good live. Anyway the singer has a new thing, and it’s called Stalking Horse and sounds a bit like In Rainbows by Radiohead had it been more 60′s girl group. It’s true. The album has a wicked track called 99 stairs which I can’t find recorded on the internet, but I found it live…so you can hear it HERE.
Ellen and the Escapades
This lot have been doing loads of stuff like playing Glastonbury and what not, but I think their album is coming out this year. It’s overly nice folk. It’s so nice I feel like volunteering for a soup kitchen every time I hear it. Once it’s finished I return to being completely self-concerned of course. Perfect. I think what makes it stand out a bit is the vocals of the lead singer, which I think sounds a bit like when you pick up a shell at the seaside and put to your ear. Perhaps she records vocals through a really good shell, or perhaps she’s just a great singer…I love the mystery?
This video is by our friends “B-side” who have done numerous great videos for Club Smith.
Ellen and the Escapades – This Ace I’ve Burned from (b-side) on Vimeo.
Sam Airey – The Blackout
This guy occasionally plays footie with me on a Monday night, he’s outrageously tricky, but on the old guitar he’s a bit more laid back. I think, though I’ve not actually asked, that he might have his album out this year. He got his first Radio 1 daytime play this week which is really awesome, and recently a youtube video got something like a million views after youtube playlisted it. All deservedly so…this song is my favourite, it shows off his voice, which I think sounds like it is made out of wood. I hope to provide more absurd descriptions of voices later on in this post.
Alvin Purple
I’m appearing to be indulging in serious nepotism of sorts now, as this is a band we’ve played with in York a couple of times, and they have another video by B-side, and this song used the same producer as us, so basically I have no imagination? Well I think it’s good, the chorus feels pretty strong but I can’t quite warm to the voice/delivery yet, though I like the little bit of distortion on it.
Paul Thomas Saunders
Yes I did actually point this guy out a year ago. However he’s just multiplying his awesomeness. I think he’s now signed to a major label which I assume means everyone will get exposed to him more. Sounds kind of smutty but I think that’s good. Here is my favourite song off his second EP release:
Paul Thomas Saunders – Good Time Rags And Requiems by Paul Thomas Saunders
Owen Richards / Owen Brinley
Please retain these names in your mind. Confusing, because there are two, not sure which one he’ll go by this time. He is the former singer of Grammatics, a horribly under-exposed band from Leeds. He’s recording an album and the producer (who was one of ours) let me hear a bit of one song and it sounds a bit like a male Bjork or something. Massive statement of the post number 2 there. Anyway I think he’s some kind of musical genius he just needs to find his stride, let’s hope this happens this year. Here’s a track from his old band:
Grammatics – Broken Wing by James Kenosha
It’s probably the most poppy thing by Grammatics, the album they did was AWESOME. Grower. PERSONAL FACT: This particular song attached itself to me like a limpet for the month following the death of my mother. I’ve probably got a wildly affected opinion of it, but I’m hugely thankful for it as it seemed to speak to me personally without actually being in anyway related to me…I had assumed it was about missing a huge chunk of yourself in some way, and listening to it helped make me feel less than completely alone…isn’t it bloody lovely when songs do that?
Goyte
No point in pretending I’m not a thousand miles behind everyone else on this, but I only discovered it this weekend, and apparently the UK release is this year…it’s a really incredible song and video…
Lonewolf
This guy’s new album should be out on Bella Union (fleet foxes) label this year…not got any links to the music, but keep an eye out it will be Saaaweeet. Check out his previous super hit below:
Lone Wolf – Keep Your Eyes On The Road from Bella Union on Vimeo.
Probably one of the least exciting things I could be posting up, as someone in a band, but I’ve redesigned the website. By redesigned I mainly mean wordpress.org redesigned it and I put some pictures in.
Anyway, we’ll probo put some new banners up and what not but the important thing is that if you want you can now post comments about pieces using facebook. Exciting innit. I can also now post pictures from facebook onto our website automatically, like this awesome lizard I took a picture of at chester zoo. AWESOME!
Hope everyone had a good Christmas.
We’ve been asked to do the HMV next big thing festival on 6th February…and we’re doing it in Manchester. At the HMV Ritz.
Tickets are here: CLICK ME AND PURRRRCHASE OOOOH BABY
You can also read about the festival there. I’m trying to think of an image to put below to make this post more attractive to the eye.
But I can’t, so here’s one of Vijay with a clearly modified banana.
Tiny head or big banana?
Hello,
This week we’re in Music Week, which is a music magazine that reports on music industry stuff. I’m sure it’s only really a banging read if you’re involved in that kind of field, however I’m told it’s one of the finest music industry related publications on a weekly basis, that gives a summary of music within a week. We’re in the “Music Week Presents…Best of 2011 CD”. To which I’d say “Hey Music Week, thanks, I am thoroughly charmed, but 2011 was merely a warm up, we’re all geared up to be mega awesome for the olympiad”. Still a fine honour it is, but why my belief that we’re going to be mega awesome for the Olympics? Well we’re putting together some new recordings…time for a new paragraph…
Yes! Some would call it an “album” but it probably isn’t that until we finish it and say “it sounds like an album” to each other, so for now it’s a large volume of new recordings. We are hugely fortunate enough to be doing these new aural scribbles with two fine producers, Will Jackson and then James Kenosha. Just google them if you’re interested in their pedigree, but I’ll assure you they are fertile mutts and handsome chaps…the ultimate cross-breed. Here are some pictures from our initial live sessions at Soundworks Studios in Leeds with Will:
The sessions look likely to breed a different Club Smith portrayed in our singles in 2011…but a better one, we’re less “macho” these days for want of a better word to describe it. We still have razor sharp arm pythons and pectorals like that Andy Shortsenger guy though, fear not.
We have now moved on from Soundworks to the Lodge in Bridlington, with James. I only have one picture so far (the last one above), partly because we’ve been so busy and partly because I was concerned after one picture the camera on my phone may realise it will never again photograph a man so handsome as James and then voluntarily stop working.
Hey, been a while…why? Well there was a new version of the website thing I had to get and I had to upgrade some database thing and it took ages. God I’m so boring.
Anyway we had the best time supporting Shed Seven, it was a watershed (sorry) moment for us, due to them being from York as we originally are, and they also once coming third in Fibbers battle of the bands, as I once did, somehow it hasn’t held them back but I’m still bitter years on.
Here are some pictures from the night, Shed Seven were fine characters (some of the finest we’ve ever played with and a really nice crew too), they introduced themselves in our dressing room just as I was exiting the toilet which had no towels in, I had to dry my hands on the calf area of my jeans (my usual choice of jean area actually) before extending my hand. It was embarrassing, but I think we got over it as Rick Witter gave me an enormous hug after the gig. A really powerful one. I felt all the power of the 90s in his embrace and I shall cherish it.
Shed Seven performing Chasing rainbows. notice the rainbow...you see it? Oh you did...cool.
First two pics were by our buddy Helen, 3rd one by Vijay. Also if you know Shed Seven you may know they did a song called “She left me on Friday”. On Friday night onstage I said to the crowd “has anyone’s girlfriend left them today?” in reference to the song. It was a spectacular failure of a joke, and I was punished by complete indifference/bewilderment.
