i am starting to get super excited about next year, not just cos of Fleet Foxes and The Low Anthem returning with new albums, though that is truly going to be fantastic fun, but also watching the continued growth of all the bands that have been coming through in the last few years, the underdogs if you like.
John Grant's rise this year, in response to the reactions to his solo debut Queen of Denmark, has been a joy, and his arresting performance on Jools Holland's Later...this week, fill me with pride.
Beach House have also had a fabulous year and there is still lots of great things coming, new iTunes EP out this month, sold out show in November at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Our Broken Garden return with a brilliant second album Golden Sea in October, with amazing mixes from School of Seven Bells and Stairs to Korea to come, Philip Selway from Radiohead released his debut album on Bella Union this month, Abe Vigoda's Crush, a magnificent electro-shoegaze sound married to their roots of tropical punk has taken them into a new bold world, and Peter Broderick's How They Are reminded us, as if we needed reminding, of what a unique talent he is with the one-day recording session illustrating how simple is best.
I Break Horses are close to finishing what will be a magical set of mixes. The Acorn remix album is due very soon, Lawrence Arabia are planning on a new recording session very soon, Lone Wolf has been on a songwriting spurt in between shows with Philip Selway this month, and Heidi Spencer made her first visit to UK, which was a treat for me, as i got to play piano each night!!
Midlake will be releasing the new version of Fortune shortly and the MOJO Best Live Artist of 2010 will be back here in NOV for a headline tour, with support from their friend JOHN GRANT.
Alessi's Ark will have their debut album for Bella Union complete very soon and i can tell you only this, it is a revelation. Alessi, still only 20 years old, went to a remote house in north wales to record these gems and there is a remarkable freshness and energy to these new songs. Look out for something in the early part of 2011.
Mountain Man have had a wonderful few months in Europe with their own dates among shows with The Low Anthem and Jonsi. We hope to see them back here very soon.
Pearly Gate Music will be back here soon to support Blitzen Trapper which i am excited about, as anyone who saw them on their last visit will have been blown away by Zach Tillman's voice and his all-girl band of Heather Cowan (amazing bassist) and Faustine Hudson (superb drummer)...
The Walkmen album 'Lisbon' is out very soon here, having entered at #13 in the US Billboard chart first week. Very exciting times.
Snowbird (Stephanie Dosen and yours truly) are close to finishing the recordings of our debut record and i am seriously excited about this too...some great friends have added very special bits and pieces too which has been lovely.
and well, thats about it for now, so more news on the new signings next week when i have.....signed them!
Sunday, 26 September 2010
Saturday, 14 August 2010
dubstep
i am sure a lot of folks are realising that just calling something 'dubstep' doesnt automatically make it good.
my second job was working in a dub record shop in Goldhawk Rd, and i was heavily into the on-u sound scene in the 80s and in particular the London dub scene with Singers and Players, Bim Sherman, Noah House of Dread, African Head Charge, and so when dubstep arrived a couple of years ago, i was sceptical. But there is some amazing music being made here, and for me the shining light in amongst it all, is ramadanman and this is brilliant. such a good understanding of architecture of beats, building a tune.
my second job was working in a dub record shop in Goldhawk Rd, and i was heavily into the on-u sound scene in the 80s and in particular the London dub scene with Singers and Players, Bim Sherman, Noah House of Dread, African Head Charge, and so when dubstep arrived a couple of years ago, i was sceptical. But there is some amazing music being made here, and for me the shining light in amongst it all, is ramadanman and this is brilliant. such a good understanding of architecture of beats, building a tune.
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
JOSH T PEARSON 'WOMAN, WHEN I'VE RAISED HELL'
one of my favourite artists of all time.
we worked together on his band Lift to Experience who were signed to Bella Union.
he has a new label now and i am excited to hear his new lp when it lands.
i found this online and thought i'd share it with you
PETER BRODERICK // SHE ANIMATES ' a year is round '....
like all the loveliest of things, this just 'happened'.
matt and kate, who are animators who go under the banner of She Animates, loved Peter Broderick's music and started making a little film inspired by it.
Then they wrote to Peter and asked rather than them just be inspired by him , whether he'd like to compose the music FOR it!
and hey presto....
a year is round from she animates on Vimeo.
matt and kate, who are animators who go under the banner of She Animates, loved Peter Broderick's music and started making a little film inspired by it.
Then they wrote to Peter and asked rather than them just be inspired by him , whether he'd like to compose the music FOR it!
and hey presto....
a year is round from she animates on Vimeo.
Monday, 9 August 2010
ORSON WELLES 'Touch of Evil' opening sequence...
for the longest time, one of the longest one-shot opening sequences in movie history and shows Welles, as does the whole film to be one of the greatest exponents of film noir in history. He also played a truly ugly character Hank Quinlan in the film which for me only adds to his legend....
LOVE LAKE 'Curses'
from minneapolis this is from what i can discern is the work of one Anders Carlson who sounds pretty darn fantastic to this man's ears...
Overtime (a tribute to Jim Henson by Damien Ferrie)
one of the most incredible short films you'll ever see...
i watch it at least once a month whenever i think about making a film..
Sunday, 8 August 2010
ian walsh surfing Jaws on xmas day....
this is something to behold......watch full screen, action from around 5 minutes
Ian Walsh - Jaws Christmas Day from ACL Productions on Vimeo.
">Ian Walsh - Jaws Christmas Day from ACL Productions on Vimeo.
Ian Walsh - Jaws Christmas Day from ACL Productions on Vimeo.
">Ian Walsh - Jaws Christmas Day from ACL Productions on Vimeo.
I BREAK HORSES
I work with alot of young bands and even after 13 years of doing this, there’s still something magical about that moment when ALL the shit you know a band went through suddenly is forgotten when they hit upon that one mystery thing that unlocks the door that seemed so determinedly shut for so long. I first heard Maria Linden’s music about 2 years ago and even though her bedroom demos were not ready for release, we both knew there were certain things that were SO great about the demos (the excitement, energy, the excess, the edge..) but also knew what was wrong with them! Because this music is so much about the vibe, the atmosphere, the subtle balances of music and voice, it is not straightforward how to get it right. So many things can go wrong when you take demos like this out of the bedroom..
We found a studio in Poland that seemed to have lots of analog equipment, seemed a cool place to retreat to and Maria who is from Sweden, bravely headed off there on an adventure. The studio and experience probably wasn’t quite what Maria hoped for if I read the situation right, and yet Maria knew that the recordings were good and with the right mixer would be amazing. I know exactly the difficulties that followed and over the next year, Maria tried 6 different people, all fantastic in their own right, but unable to get what Maria and I knew it should sound like. I never doubted she’d get there but I am sure she must have had some dark days…wondering if anyone would be able to take out what was in her head and make it a reality…...but today she sent me the first 2 mixes, done by a feller called Hans Olsson, who worked with The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Wildbirds and Peacedrums, and as they were mixed at svenska grammofon studion one of the best studios in sweden, I had a feeling from the tone of her mail that she was quite happy….? Well holy fuck people, remember this moment, that i am telling you that I BREAK HORSES, Maria Linden’s band, are creating something that will change our lives for the better….if you love Washed Out, Wild Nothing, My Bloody Valentine, Boards of Canada, Mogwai, Cocteau Twins, Sigur Ros, but have never found a band for a long time that made you FEEL like hearing those bands made you feel, you just found it. I BREAK HORSES, it just made my weekend and my weekend was already made! you can hear an early mix of 'Wired' here now:
I Break Horses - Wired by Bella Union OUR BROKEN GARDEN new music/
the album 'Golden Sea' will be out on Oct 18th.
to whet the appetite, you can hear the song 'Garden Grow' here
Our Broken Garden - Garden Grows by Bella Union
ZS the band........
i love the originality of this band
http://www.myspace.com/zstheband
and this video rules...
ZS from TERROREYES.TV on Vimeo.
Sea of Bees
Sea of Bees is one of my favourite artists of the moment.
i wanted to sign her but couldnt..simply cos my label is just so damn (good) tiny and we dont have the damn room.
one day we will work together...
till then enjoy one of her great tunes here
Peter Broderick is back...
after some shitty year in agony from a knee problem, peter returned to Portland and had an operation. It didnt make things much better and the only answer was to do nothing for 3 months...
the album peter had recorded, and was due to tour had to be shelved for a while, as he literally couldnt walk.
this period of enforced inactivity lead Peter to write some sparse songs to reflect this time, and managed to get into a studio for one day, whereupon he recorded the whole album and mixed it all in this one day!
the result is How They Are which Bella Union will release soon..
a little home made video Peter constructed from 3,446 stills he took during his recuperation is posted on his website now. The song is the opening track of the new lp called Sideline, here it is..
the album peter had recorded, and was due to tour had to be shelved for a while, as he literally couldnt walk.
this period of enforced inactivity lead Peter to write some sparse songs to reflect this time, and managed to get into a studio for one day, whereupon he recorded the whole album and mixed it all in this one day!
the result is How They Are which Bella Union will release soon..
a little home made video Peter constructed from 3,446 stills he took during his recuperation is posted on his website now. The song is the opening track of the new lp called Sideline, here it is..
Thursday, 8 July 2010
UNION CHAPEL JUN24 2001
WAS A VERY SPECIAL NIGHT ALL ROUND
ALESSI'S ARK, LONE WOLF, MOUNTAIN MAN, AND JOHN GRANT ALL CAME TO TOWN TO PLAY 'A SUMMER EVENING WITH BELLA UNION' AT THE GORGEOUS UNION CHAPEL IN ISLINGTON.
I RARELY ENJOY SUCH OCCASIONS, AS I AM ALWAYS WORRYING ITS GOING OK BUT I HAD A SURREAL SENSE OF CALM THROUGHOUT.
READ WHAT THELINEOFBESTFIT CHAPS THOUGHT AND SEE WHAT THEY SAW BELOW..
http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/2010/07/label-profile-2-bella-union/
ALESSI'S ARK, LONE WOLF, MOUNTAIN MAN, AND JOHN GRANT ALL CAME TO TOWN TO PLAY 'A SUMMER EVENING WITH BELLA UNION' AT THE GORGEOUS UNION CHAPEL IN ISLINGTON.
I RARELY ENJOY SUCH OCCASIONS, AS I AM ALWAYS WORRYING ITS GOING OK BUT I HAD A SURREAL SENSE OF CALM THROUGHOUT.
READ WHAT THELINEOFBESTFIT CHAPS THOUGHT AND SEE WHAT THEY SAW BELOW..
http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/2010/07/label-profile-2-bella-union/
Sunday, 21 March 2010
RIP Leesa Beales-Cocteau Twins' webmistress and so much more...
March 20th 2010...Leesa Beales passed away yesterday after a battle with cancer.
this is so so sad for all of us who knew leesa. no one could have been a more dedicated and loyal fan than leesa and the efforts she made to spread the music of her favourite band were indeed heroic. having lost a parent to cancer when i was still young i have an inkling, as many of us will, of what leesa's husband and children are going through and all we can do is send them our collective love from wherever we may be. i am sure they will feel the comfort of our combined prayers and thoughts.
cocteau twins fans in all the corners of our wide world have been connected by the love of this woman, and deep friendships formed as a result of these pages. now 13 years since our last recorded release, the cocteaufest is still going strong each year, and the music we made somehow lives on. leesa and i have been in contact on and off over the years and recently her occasional emails to me indicated that things were perhaps not going so well.
knowing someone you love is in pain is hard to bear, and i know that now she is out of this pain, her family will at least take small crumbs of comfort in this. Dealing with the loss will of course take time for her husband, for Aidan, Liam and Quinn, and we can only hope that the hole she leaves will slowly heal and what will remain will be only the fondest of memories of this special woman.
Leesa you will be missed by ALL cocteau twins listeners everywhere. To your family, my thoughts are with you all,
Simon x
this is so so sad for all of us who knew leesa. no one could have been a more dedicated and loyal fan than leesa and the efforts she made to spread the music of her favourite band were indeed heroic. having lost a parent to cancer when i was still young i have an inkling, as many of us will, of what leesa's husband and children are going through and all we can do is send them our collective love from wherever we may be. i am sure they will feel the comfort of our combined prayers and thoughts.
cocteau twins fans in all the corners of our wide world have been connected by the love of this woman, and deep friendships formed as a result of these pages. now 13 years since our last recorded release, the cocteaufest is still going strong each year, and the music we made somehow lives on. leesa and i have been in contact on and off over the years and recently her occasional emails to me indicated that things were perhaps not going so well.
knowing someone you love is in pain is hard to bear, and i know that now she is out of this pain, her family will at least take small crumbs of comfort in this. Dealing with the loss will of course take time for her husband, for Aidan, Liam and Quinn, and we can only hope that the hole she leaves will slowly heal and what will remain will be only the fondest of memories of this special woman.
Leesa you will be missed by ALL cocteau twins listeners everywhere. To your family, my thoughts are with you all,
Simon x
Monday, 15 March 2010
how lone wolf and shaun the sheep met...!
ashley dean, a york-based animator decided to make a homage to peter gabriel's seminal sledgehammer video. it was one of the reasons he became a filmmaker.
together with Bella Union's Lone Wolf, he has come up with something quite extraordinary, that has had peter gabriel, the aardman animation team who worked on the original, and folks like ed o'brien from radiohead raving about it already!
for new artists like lone wolf, it's wonderful to have supporters like these who genuinely are loving the work that is being done.
now 6Music's Video of The Week, it should get even more patronage!
The video is brilliant, but hey! the song is superb too!
enjoy this again and again
together with Bella Union's Lone Wolf, he has come up with something quite extraordinary, that has had peter gabriel, the aardman animation team who worked on the original, and folks like ed o'brien from radiohead raving about it already!
for new artists like lone wolf, it's wonderful to have supporters like these who genuinely are loving the work that is being done.
now 6Music's Video of The Week, it should get even more patronage!
The video is brilliant, but hey! the song is superb too!
enjoy this again and again
Saturday, 27 February 2010
alessis ark
alessis ark has signed to Bella Union. our fave gal from Hammersmith and has put together a fabulous ep, which goes by the name of Soul Proprietor which will be released in APRIL 2010...
you can check some info out here too http://www.independent.co.uk/communion
alessis ark will be touring to support the release, with Laura Marling and her own dates.
6th March
Lancaster Library
with the Ark
9th April
Limelight, Belfast
with the Ark & Laura Marling
10th April
Academy, Dublin
with the Ark & Laura Marling
12th April
Lowry, Salford
with the Ark & Laura Marling
13th April
Fruitmarket, Glasgow
with the Ark & Laura Marling
14th April
Queens Hall, Edinburgh
with the Ark & Laura Marling
16th April
Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham
with the Ark & Laura Marling
17th April
Corn Exchange, Cambridge
with the Ark & Laura Marling
20th April
Opera House, York
with the Ark & Laura Marling
21st April
Colston Hall, Bristol
with the Ark & Laura Marling
22nd April
Tyne Theatre, Newcastle
with the Ark & Laura Marling
23rd April
Guildhall, Southampton
with the Ark & Laura Marling
25th April
Palladium, London
with the Ark & Laura Marling
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
