Manifesto #25 March/April 2012

MARCH / APRIL

Matt Stalker & Fables FREE NEWS / REVIEWS / FIELD MUSIC / LISTINGS / THE FIX www.manifestosunderland.com

Contents

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Editorial EH has been a busy’n! Giving you her usual patter on all things local, all things musical and all things vermin!

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Guest Editor Matt Stalker & Fables delve a little deeper into GE duties with an interview/LM recommendations and a POTM track review.

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Local News Where do we start? The news is jam-packed with releases and a few more releases with a sprinkling of mega releases on-top.

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This Month...

Blogs are essential to ones existence if one is a band! We speak to one Abacus Post and Wear On The Pulse.

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Spotlight On Salivating over the wealth of LM talent, Matt Stalker & Fables have hand-picked this month’s Spotlight On.

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Label Of Love

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Reviews:CD Natasha haws

We had nowhere near enough pages for this editions reviews section, so keep your eyes online for even more.

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Reviews:LIVE From boobs to bairns, the toon then back over to the Wear, we covered it all!

Our feature focuses on the DIY, Independent Labels currently working their arses off in what has become the ‘year of the release’.

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Local Interview We caught up with the Brewis Brothers upon their triumphant return to the fold with plumb, and Sunderland (have they actually ever left?).

Top Fives Sweet as a nut!

Listings AGAIN! There is far too much going on in April/May so read our pages then go directly to manifestosunderland.com. Greedy!

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The Fix Nathan Would is back with his Spark FM fix and saying his bit about a fellow NE music advocate!

Editorial

Howe-do.

Some might pick the tinsel, others the bikini, but by far, this is my favourite time of year! Not too hot not too cold. T-shirts bought with the prospect of summer but matched with a cardigan, because it’s just not time yet.

PR’s arriving in my inbox with the tease of a release and a little taster to tide me over. Festival line-ups announced and no time at all to demolish your wage in one foul swoop inserting those last 3 digits. If you are not excited for April and May and what is about to come tumbling our way faster than teens on their back at evo, then put down your #25 of Manifesto and head for the hills.

First, a big pat on the back for Generator, not only have they gone and booked two of my favourite local acts as openers on the main stage over the weekend (congrats to Martin, Daisy & co) but they have gone and rat-napped, what I consider the best dance act in the world, Deadmau5! You may frown upon dance music but there is no denying the quality of acts lined up for this year’s festival on the quay. Speaking of which Evolution Emerging’s announcement will be too late to hit this issue, but the pre-festival-festival is a highlight in itself so make sure you head down the night before.

With regards to this issue, I have two words for you, Field Music! Absolute royalty and bloody lovely lads to boot! It is an honour to have them involved. A massive thanks to Matt Stalker and his clan for their extra effort as this month’s Guest Editors. Not that scribbling a few words comes as too much of a challenge to that lot!

Dig in, festival up and get your chops round this!

E.H

Emma Howe - Editor

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EDITOR

Guest Editor Kingsley Chapman Design Rare Bit rabbit@rare-bit.com Words Nic Wright, Seb, Nathan Would, Ruth Edmundson, Emma Howe Photography Ian West, Nic Wright, Jazzy Lemon Daniel Robson, Paul Burgess

www.manifestosunderland.com Email info@manifestosunderland.com emma@manifestosunderland.com Facebook ‘Manifesto Magazine‘ Online Editor Nic Wright Manifesto Magazine 29 Stockton Rd Sunderland, SR2 7AQ Ring Tel: 0191 567 1777

Guest Editor

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Matt Stalker & Fables

Matt Stalker & Fables

An interview with our Guest Editors, chamber-folk luminaries Matt Stalker & Fables, is nothing if not educational. Did you know, for example, that there’s a musician called Strausz from Rio De Janiero that writes songs about zombie sex? That badgers can run as fast backwards as they can forwards.

That Van Halen demanded all blue M&Ms to be removed from the bowl before their gigs?

Well now you do. What you should also know, perhaps more importantly, is that Fables are returning with new material, for the first time since their début, ‘The Man Who Said This Died Of Alchemy’, released early last year.

Fables have been through quite a metamorphosis in that time, expanding from a trio to a quartet, welcoming Adam James Cooper into the fold (on a mindboggling variety of instruments) before finally completing their line-up with Ged Robinson on vibraphone.

And it’s not just the personnel that’s changed; the band are branching out sound-wise with their new single ‘Little Sister’. “It’s taking us in a slightly different direction, musically,” explains front-man Matt, “because it’s a much fuller, richer sound.”

“The new stuff will retain the warmth, I think, we’ve always tried to get in the songs, but just generally sound bigger, and hopefully richer,” explains Matt. “The first album was quite sparse in places, deliberately so, because we were only a three piece. I didn’t want an album that sounded really dense and layered and textured, and then for people to come and see us play live and feel like the songs were missing limbs. Now we can create

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an enormously dense and complicated sound, with five people, and still have lots of space. It’s nice to have that.”

a structured approach this time, rather than putting it out there and hoping somebody would notice it somehow.”

“Thinking about how Little Sister sounds, the vibes are a totally soft instrument, and yet still the new songs have a lot of rhythm,” adds Adam. The new sound in a nutshell? “Chuggy.” “I wish I could find a better word! As a lover of the English language I wish I could find a synonym for it, but I can’t. Chuggy is the word,” says Matt, resignedly. “The first single is probably as good a reflection as any of what we’re doing right now.”

“I still have the bedroom singer/ songwriter mentality sometimes, I just want to write a nice song and hope that somehow it filters out and people will find out about it. It doesn’t work like that.”

Part of getting out of that “‘stay and home and hope for the best’ ethos” for Fables, is getting out on the road. “It’s something that we really need to do as a band,” says Matt. “It’s fun being in this band at the moment, we just need to get out there and show people what we’ve done.”

Their new direction, say the Fables boys, is a combination of natural progression, and, on Matt’s part at least, a new-found freedom in the conception of their songs.

A more collective, free-flowing effort, Fables’ new material has benefited from having more, as they say, cooks at the broth; “Now it’s much more about bringing an idea, and allowing the song to grow and breathe and change as time goes on,” says Matt. “The single is a prime example of that. When I go back to playing it on my own, I like it, but it’s not that interesting. What makes it interesting is how that simple guitar part interacts with the strings and the vibraphone and the drums. It’s quite a different process.”

“It’s relinquishing control, which hasn’t always been easy for me, in life! But it seems to be working out pretty well.”

Indeed it does. ‘Little Sister’ is merely a taste of things to come, with an EP planned for later in the year, Fables are aiming to capture the ears and hearts of a new batch of adoring fans, something that, by their own admission, they left up to chance in the past; “I would hope that it’s something that grabs a bit of people’s attention. We want a bit more of

While promoting the new single, putting in more of their famously enrapturing live performances around the region, and preparing for a new EP will no doubt be top of Fables’ to-do list, the real, pressing issue to address is of course; what would be on Matt Stalker & Fables’ rider?

“Gin and cider. Jenny (Nendick, cello) and Baz (Crosby, drums) are both cider monsters, and play better after they’ve been drinking cider. As does Adam. I’m a man of discerning tastes, and would insist on gin. Posh gin. Probably a pile of really pretentious books, that we would never read, we would just have them in view.”

“If the room is cold, it freaks me out,” Adam confesses, “so on the rider would be maybe a specific temperature range.”

“Optimum Fables temperature – Fablesheight!”

“Kittens would be quite fun.”

“Nothing living. Expect maybe a live yoghurt.”

Rock and Roll.

Words : NW

Local News

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Announcements Bunker Dance Last month brought an end to our first remix competition which we held in collaboration with Sunderland based producer Leon Thompson. A mass of remix entries rolled in. Up for grabs was the chance to win a digital release on Leon’s label Still Standing Records, a vinyl pressing of the track and a review in Manifesto, as well as continued coverage and exposure by ourselves and Spark FM. The entries were all of a really high standard and we were pleasantly surprised when we uncovered dub step, progressive, garage and 2-step remixes coming in from as far as the US. The winner of the competition was David Heslop (Fatzo) for his trance remix of Free Love. A very well done to all who entered and a big thank you to Leon! You can check out the winning remix at soundcloud. com/bunkerdance/preview-leonthompson-free For a full review of the track go to page 19.

Words : SO

Find out more about the Bunker

Newcastle’s genre-straddling alternative luminaries O’Messy Life are to release a new single on April 23rd. The double a-side will be released through Gateshead-based talenthoggers Tiny Lights Recordings, and will feature two brand new tracks; ‘Little Vehicles’ Ajimal and ‘Space Holiday’. To coincide with the release, O’Messy Life will be playing a gig at The Central Bar in Gateshead. The show will take place on Friday April 27th, and the band will be joined by Edinburgh’s Withered Hand, who will be welcoming members of O’Messy Life and Agerskow as his backing band.

Following the success of his August début ‘Teens’, lo-fi pop act Fantasy Rainbow is releasing a brand new EP on March 19th. A launch party will be held on Friday March 23rd, at Newcastle hotspot The Cluny, with support from Playlounge. Field Music have announced a homecoming gig of epic proportions with a ‘Raise The Roof’ performance at Independent on behalf of their second home, The Bunker, on Saturday April 14th. We are all familiar with the Pop sex Tshirt Mr Harper likes to wear for bed, but now their influence as a label has spread with the signing of Ajimal and first release on the label not from Frankie & The Heartstrings. Whether it was his performance at last years Split which won them over or his pretty make-up, Ajimal has not only released Footnote (reviewed pg), but he has signed up with the F&HS lads, on a longer term basis.

Natasha Haws signs to Bunkeruk records!

South Tyneside sarcy-songstress Natasha Haws last mont released the news of her up and coming EP via bunkeruk records. Having worked alongside The Bunker since the beginning of her reckless rise as one of the most talented musicians to emerge in the region, Natasha has gone full circle signing with bunkeruk and releasing her self-titled EP in May. A pretty special gig at the will accompany the release in May and we hear there is some pretty decent merch on offer. A big congrats to Natasha and by the sounds of Stepping Stone (reviewed pg ) this is a release we can all look forward to. Team HAW! A spanking new, North East based, Independent PR Company announced its arrival last month.

Kittle PR will provide a service to many a local band/label and promoter, saving them dotting their T’s and crossing their I’s (is that the right way round?). As with all new ventures in Local Music we wish the company all our best and excuse the shameless self-plug by editor EH.

Local News

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The Arts Diary

SUNNYCON SUNDERLAND JAPANESE CULTURE & ANIME CONVENTION In the world of Japanese Animation, American actors Chris Sabat and Veronica Taylor are about as big as they come. Famed for his roles in hit animé productions such as Dragonball Z ,

FEBRUARY 11TH The lasses take over the Little Room. All men leave balls at the door!

FEBRUARY 17TH John/Paul/Ringo/George seen supping a pint at IndeP

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tli

kea gun

FEBRUARY 22ND Kittle is born!

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March was rammed! Reckoner’s Ajimal new release ‘Hope & Grace’ became available for download on February 17th, Vinyl Jacket’s third single outing ‘Red Light’ comes out March 5th, Ajimal’s new single ‘Footnote to Love’ will be released March 19th, as does Fantasy Rainbows’ brand new EP ‘No Hope. Not Ever’, and Athletes in Paris’ ‘Echoes Louder Than Voices’. April kicks off too with Matt Stalker & Fables’ new single ‘Little Sister’ is released on April 1st, followed by The Lake Poets’ long-awaited début Single ‘City By The Sea’ on April 2nd, and last but by no means least, O’Messy Life unveil a double a-Side, ‘Little Vehicles’ and ‘Space Holiday’ on April 23rd.

Happy listening! May, what are you kidding? May see’s the release of Ms. Haws debut EP and on the grapevine, expect to hear plenty from Amy Holford, Natasha Haws Morris Ford and Lilliput.

JANUARY 26TH Big fat congrats on the wedding of KYEO.TV and NARC. What a match.

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RELEASES

JANUARY 5TH Stripped Back 2012 kicks off. Naked people/Pints!

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Chris Sabat is making his first ever convention appearance in the UK at Sunnycon on 24th and 25th March. Also making her first appearance in the UK is Veronica Taylor, world famous as the voice of Ash Ketchum in the global sensation Pokemon, who will meet fans at this first Sunderland convention of Japanese culture. Taylor voiced Ash Ketchum in several Pokémon spinoffs, including Pokemon: The First Movie. The convention will take place at Crowtree Leisure Centre on 24th and 25th March this year and is expected to attract devotees and fans from throughout the North, putting Sunderland firmly on the map in the annual schedule of Japanese design and culture events. There will also be Japanese graphic design in comic books and animated film, convention goers tend to be interested in everything about Japanese Culture.

Specialist presentations at the convention will include costume design, Japanese Fans, language and martial arts and visitors will gain an insight into Japanese fashions and culture with a Japanese styled fashion show.

More details can be found on www.sunnycon.co.uk

This Month

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This Month ...

We catch up with two prominent blogs with their fingers in every musical pie across the North East. Abacus post aka Dan & Neil and Ruth Edmundson from Wear On The Pulse.

Abacus Post Listening to… Zulu Winter just released their new single ‘We Should Be Swimming’ came out at the end of February and it’s brilliant. So we will be listening to a lot of this in anticipation of their debut album. (Neil) Reading… well one of us is a literature student and the other a philosophy student.

So as for reading... we wouldn’t want to bore you with that. However, an ever growing list of press release emails is filling up some time in between the academic stuff.” (Neil) Watching… the finals of Playing It Straight, Biggest Loser and a variety of other E4/ITV2 tripe served up by our lass on a regular basis. However, back in machoville I’ll be tuning into the Tyne-Wear derby, ignoring Neil and praying there’s no repeat of last years result. (Dan) Going to… Mammal Club’s return to Independent in March should be an absolute blinder and Ajimal’s single launch at the Lit and Phil in Newcastle is going to be something truly special.

Also we’re hosting the first of our Abacus Post Presents showcases in April at Independent’s The Little Room with Chased By Wolves, Lilliput and Blank Maps .Exciting times. (Dan)

Wear On The Pulse Listening to… Echo & The Bunnymen.

I recently raided my parents CD collection and have fallen in love with the 80’s, also Duran Duran and Depeche Mode.

Reading… Books on media theory for uni mixed with my monthly digest of NARC, The Fly, The Crack, Manifesto and Stool Pigeon.

Watching… Nothing much. I don’t watch TV as much as I use to, but if I do it’s either Sky News or The Big Bang Theory which is the only series I make an effort to watch on TV. Going to… I’m looking forward to seeing The Lake Poets at the Sage. I am bringing my mum along to despite her having no clue who The Lake Poets are, I am sure she will love it. I will be posting an interview I did with Martin on the blog very soon! I’m also looking forward to seeing a band called Post War Glamour Girls at The Head Of Steam, I love their song ‘Crrreep’ its infectious. Basically the more bands who approach the blog, the more gigs I’ll go to review, well that’s the plan.

Spotlight On

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Ditte Elly Goard

Words : NW

The first time Manifesto saw Newcastle singer/ songwriter Amy Holford play, she closed her set with an a cappella cover of folk standard ‘Wayfaring Stranger’; a risky move in a bar full of half-cut punters, even at a night with the respectful reputation that precedes Old Friends/ Bookends. Boy did it pay off though. That you could’ve heard a pin drop in that room should give you a rough idea of how special Amy Holford is.

What Amy isn’t however, is easy to pigeon-hole. And that’s the way she likes it. “When I play my stuff, or write it, I don’t hear a genre in my head. I know I love the blues and acoustic music, stuff with a soul, so when I play I just want to emulate a feeling rather than write to a mould. Not one person I’ve met has just one taste in music, it expands over loads of different styles, so why can’t an artist explore?” A lifelong writer, Amy picked up the guitar aged twelve, and as she puts it “the two just came together. I’ve really started taking it seriously over the last few years, finding where my words belong.” Alongside a slew of upcoming gigs, including spots at The Cluny and The Polite

Eeves

Room, Amy also hopes to get an EP released in the New Year, and has had some capable hands on deck to help her achieve it. She’s recently recorded with Morris Ford and is currently working with burgeoning produced Michael Fitzgibbon, on a track Amy hopes to release in the near future. We recommend keeping your ear firmly to the ground for Amy Holford.

Words : NW

An indie rock/post-punk outfit from Teesside, Eeves have been keeping a low profile recently, writing new material and tuning up a solid set list for their upcoming live appearances. And they’ll soon be getting a good chance to test it out; the band have just been confirmed to play at this year’s ‘Stockton Calling’.

They’ve also just finished recording their newest track ‘Silhouette’, and are currently mixing it before unleashing it on their awaiting public. The busy five-piece recently put in an appearance down at BBC Tees, recording some acoustic tracks at the request of Bob Fischer; a new experience for the usually strictly-electric band. Although they’ve been continuously well-received in their home town, the band are keen to spread their wings; “we’re hoping to get a string of gigs following the Stockton Calling date, and hopefully a good selection of ‘out of towners’”, they say. With the attention they’ve been garnering recently from the likes of

Tom Robinson, Amazing Radio and Generator, they’re on the way to fulfilling their ambitions.

“On top of that, we’ve got some cool new ideas for other tracks which we’re working on right now,” they say, “and as soon as we’re happy that they’re ready it’ll be back in the studio to get on recording those.“We’re in a good position right now, the vibes are good, ideas are strong and everyone’s got the same goal in mind so we’re just going to do what we can to bring that to fruition.”

Label

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Labour of love With a furore of releases causing a bit of a ruckus in the last couple of months, it appears that now, more than ever in our region, there are labels popping up here and there to support what is a crop of high-end, radio-release-ready music in The North East.

We give you the low-down on who’s who and who’s doing who!

Bunkeruk Records

Base: Sunderland Origins: bunkeruk records has a back catalogue spanning 8 years. As one of the most experienced labels in the North East, bunkeruk has been responsible for releases by the likes of The Golden Virgins. The label has now expanded to include sub-label Bunkerdance who have a very successful show on Spark FM. Roster: Natasha Haws Recent Planned Releases: Natasha Haws will release her debut EP in May 2012 with a very special launch night in Sunderland. The Bunker plan to release with 2 other artists from the region in 2012.

Ethos: We aim to work with artists who represent some of the great talent we have worked with in our rich history as a label.

Find bunkeruk records: www.bunkeruk.com

Sapien Records

Base: Teeside Origins: Sapien Records Ltd began in 2009 and has since diversified into incorporating other companies including: Publishing (Sapien Songs Ltd), Management, Events, Tour van hire and Video production Roster: We Are Knuckle Dragger, Arches Ethos: Sapien Records Ltd was formed to create a platform to empower artists in achieving their goals.

Find Sapien Records: www.sapienrecords.com

Calico Print

Origins: Calico Print is the brain-child of Bob Allan. Through a combination of learning how to self-release through his time as part of Ever Since The Lake Caught Fire and taking on the role of manager for Vinyl Jacket, Bob set up Calico Print to release the bands debut single with great success. The rest, as they say is history!

Roster: Vinyl Jacket, Mr Ben Sir, Young Liar Recent/Planned Releases: Red Light- Vinyl Jacket/Cameras Don’t Click- Mr Ben Sir/ EP2- Young Liar Ethos: ‘I think you have to be really passionate about the music and artists if you want to release them, it shouldn’t be just for the sake of it’. Bob Allan Find Calico: thecalicoprint.bandcamp.com

We Are Knuckle Dragger

Label

Cottage Industries

Base: Tyneside Origins: having both been musicians themselves, Andrew Forster and Sean Goldsworthy grew tired of talented bands and artists being overlooked by the industry, and decided to provide a suitable platform by starting up their own DIY record label and give those bands an official release.

Roster: Minotaurs, Symphonic Pictures, Soundtracks for a B-Movie, The Union Choir, YoungLiar.

Releases: Symphonic Pictures debut EP - Release date 23rd April (12” vinyl) Soundtracks for a B-Movie Release date Summer Ethos: Andrew Forster and Shaun Goldsworthy aim to release music from artists who inspire and ignite their passion for music, not because of but in spite of fashion, trends and scenes.

Find Cottage Industries at: www.cottageindustries.tv

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Tiny Lights Recordings

Base: Gateshead Origins: Established in Gateshead in June 2011. Tiny Lights Recordings is the ‘baby’ of Paul Brown.

Roster: Fantasy Rainbow, Perfect Little Circles, The Lake Poets, O’Messy Life, Patterns In Plastic, Pale Man Made, Styles Make Fights, Rejections Releases: No Hope. Not Ever- Fantasy Rainbow/ City By The Sea- The Lake Poets/ Little Vehicles/Space Holiday- O’Messy Life Ethos: ‘We aim to release music by the best musicians in the North East of England, but we aren’t too scared of venturing outside its geographical boundaries’. Paul Brown Find Tiny Lights Recordings: tinylightsrecordings.com

NUL Records

Base: Sunderland Origins: The Futureheads set up this record label some time after they split with their former record label 679 Recordings in late 2006, Roster: The Futureheads Up and Coming Releases: Rant- The Futureheads (April 2nd) Ethos: ‘The best thing is the creative control you get, you know, you can pick your own singles, video’s and art work without asking someone’s permission. And not having someone shouting at you saying, do this, do that. The worst thing is you don’t have any financial security. I’ll be honest like, you don’t get paid a wage off anyone, you pay yourself. It’s a lot riskier but the rewards are a lot greater’. Barry Hyde Find Nul at: www.nulrecords.com

Pop Sex ltd

Base: Sunderland Origins: Frankie & The Heartstrings very own DIY label Roster: Frankie & The Heartstrings, Ajimal Releases: Footnote To Love- Ajimal Ethos: We have all seen the t-shirts! This is DIY at it’s best. The lads regularly put on their own Pop Sex nights around the country. Rumour has it they will be starting these up in Sunderland on a very regular basis!

Find Pop Sex ltd at: www.popsexltd.com

Others

Big Ugly Fish/Travelled Music/Overground Records/ Kitchenware Records/Global Underground/ Cosmos Recordings/ Demolition Records/ Fragile Records/ Distraction Records/ Charrm Records/ Siren Music/ Orange Sync Records/ Malady Music/ Viral Wax Recordings

Interview

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FIELD MUSIC So why did Field Music decide to leave us for so long? How is the new line-up working out? Is it easy letting people in on the sibling-creative-relationship That was years ago! In 2007 we decided to just stop you work within? and see what happened. We’d ran out ofenthusiasm, money and patience. We weren’t enjoying being part of the game and couldn’t afford to keep plugging away, trying to build an audience. We were probably getting on each other’s nerves a bit too. So,we just stopped. We all agreed to help each other out making whatever music we wanted to. Dave came up with School of Language, I did The Week That Was, and Andy wrote an album too. We still haven’t finished that yet but Andy’s songs are incredible.

The live band is working very well indeed. Kev and Andrew have done an amazing job of figuring out how to play the arrangements from the new album. We’re very fortunate to have them playing with us. In rehearsals, we work on the arrangements together, using the record as a template. The recording side and live side of things are very different and it’s important to treat them differently.

It’s very important that when we play live we are a real, dynamic band; not some bunch of faceless session musicians providing karaoke style backing.

Interview

www.manifestosunderland.com

Kev and Andrew a great musicians and have a lot of personality to their playing and that’s what I want to hear.

You have a very different relationship with your local audience to that of say The Futureheads and Maximo Park, what do you put that down to?

I don’t think we do really. We have a smaller audience than The Heads or Max Park, that’s for sure, so theres a few more people for them to try and connect with. But, they do connect in a very tangible way with their audience. I should know because I’m a part of their audience.

The Structure of ‘Plumb’ seems to abandon the conventions of ‘Measure’. Was it a deliberate move to go back to the style of the first two albums?

I think the idea was to let the music and lyrics dictate the form rather than trying to fit the ideas into standard ‘radio song’ conventions. I mean, I love big radio hits, don’t get me wrong! But, that’s not all there is to music. Our main goal is to make albums, or to put it another way, we try to make music that works over an LP or CD type length, which is probably a bit archaic. It does mean however, that we don’t try and write 10 radio-friendly singles and put them out as an album. Mind you, that can really work too. Ever heard ‘Bad’ by a certain M.Jackson?

Unbelievably good.

You have both recorded individual albums. What individual strengths do you feel that you both bring to Field Music?

David is organised and motivating. I’m neurotic and a day-dreamer. It works really well for me.

Dave might have something else to say. But, seriously, we generally just have a good time doing stuff together and making it all a game. We encourage each other to be wilful!

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You have been running through a petty full on tour schedule, but you have found time for a very special gig in Sunderland. Do you think it ’s always important that you return home to play?

Sunderland is very important to us, but we don’t play here very often (having said that we don’t play anywhere very often!). I get nervous about the idea of playing in Sunderland. What if nobody turns up? What if people don’t like it? I suppose the opportunity to do something hasn’t really come up till now and the idea of raising a bit of cash for The Bunker really, really appeals to us.

A MINI BREWIS-BROTHER QUIZ...IF YOU LIKE

EH: Who was born the fattest?

PB: What the fuck is fat? Who gives a shit, seriously?....quote me! Next question!

EH: Which Brewis makes the best brew?

PB: Tea, me. Coffee, Dave.

EH: Who was most successful with the ladies at school?

PB: Depends what you mean by success? Dave successfully avoided them mostly. I did not.

EH: Who is the best footballer?

PB: Pele. Oh, you mean out of me and Dave?

Dave is a better defender but I’m probably better in midfield.

EH: Who does your mam love the most? (biggest slice of cake on a sunday etc) PB: Come on! My mam is a champion of equality, as everyone in Sunderland well knows. This interview is over!

Words : EH

Reviews:CDs

Pick of the month POTM: Ajimal: Footnote to Love Ajimal is the ‘in ear experiment’ of Newcastleborn, Edinburghbased Fran O’Hanlon. Despite a rising profile, he remains enigmatic; I like my idols that way. For ‘Footnote to Love’ think of the controlled intensity of Jeff Buckley’s Grace; think of the goose bump-inducing emotional wrench of a bellowing Thom Yorke; think of the driving guitars of pre-crap-U2.

You’re somewhere close. ‘Footnote…’ is layered; musically, semantically, emotionally, yet remains spacious, expansive and glorious throughout its tiny, 2:46 life. And it is delicious enough that one listen never brings satiation. Go on: dine out on it. Gorge yourself. This is music at its most edifying. (Matt Stalker) 5/5 Air To Achilles: Diamonds in the Snow Shimmering, moody indie rock is what Airto Achilles do best, and ‘Diamonds in the Snow’ is another larger-than-life example of their talents. A bristling riff is allowed to reverberate through huge swathes of space, making the track swell and brood like a black hole. The skill in how Air To Achilles put it all together however, means it’s never bogged down. Paired with Andrew Bell’s tortured vocals, there’s a slow burning intensity at work here, lending a dark, satisfying underbelly to a vast, attention-getting track.

(NW) 4/5

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Vinyl Jacket: Red Light This track is a perfect slice of Indie-Pop. The rhythm is so infectious your nodding along from the start. The chorus feels like a natural progression from everything that has happened before and once “take down the red light” kicks in, you’re immediately singing along (even on a first listen – if that’s not perfect pop, I don’t know what is). With layered tracks of drums, bass,guitar, vocals, synths and sounds not heard since the Atari, Red Light is a well arranged infectious pop song.

(PB) 4/5

Natasha Haws: Stepping Stone The first track to surface from her début EP, Natasha Haws’ ‘Stepping Stone’ illustrates a remarkable step forward. Building up space, atmosphere, and haunting emotional depth around nothing more than vocals and her trademark finger-picked guitar, ‘Stepping Stone’ is a heart-breaking work of mature, affecting and gratifying songwriting. The track is exemplary of the incredible things you can do when you have a song that is so abjectly, spinetingingly sincere; blooming beyond the realms of ‘girl-with-a-guitar’, Natasha Haws is an artist. (NW) 5/5

Mammal Club: Toward You With Lust

Mammal Club, what an infuriatingly elusive bunch you are. Trying to describe a track like ‘Toward You With Lust’ is one of those experiences that makes you want to throw in your netbook and move to a cave in Siberia.

Delicate, spacious yet endlessly driven, the entire song is a build up. There’s no great crashing climax; technically it goes nowhere, and yet it feels as though it’s everywhere. It completely transcends its parts. There’s piano in there, I know that much, a singular, dynamic drum beat. Lush, exquisitelymathy indie. I’ll be taking this track with me, to my cave. (NW) 4/5 Cornshed Sisters: Dance at my Wedding A charming indie folk song by the Cornshed Sisters.

The nylon strings and melancholy piano belong on the Juno sound track. The lead vocals, lonely for the most part reflect the downhearted lyrics; they move with a fragile beauty and yet, when accompanied by lush harmonies singing sound harrowing but elegant. At times, reminiscent of the Beatles, which is now a prerequisite of popular music and the cadence provided feels complete and fitting with the song.

The song is four minutes of indie folk beauty wrapped in melancholy, and could be served in a coffee shop without at all being pretentious. (PB) 4/5

Reviews:CDs

Tomahawks for Targets: Invasion on a Budget.

With the likes of Vinyl Jacket and Little Comets blazing the jaunty, twinkly pop trail of late, those coming upon Tomahawks for Targets now might find their bright, Casio-infused offerings less than avant-garde. But that’s not to say it’s not still very, very good.

There’s plenty to enjoy here; kitchen sink optimism, bubbling, squealing electronics, Queen-like drama that borders on the operatic. There’s layer upon layer at work here, a constantly rewarding listen. 3/5 Field Music: Plumb You know what they say; “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

And I doubt anyone could argue, after the consistently brilliant double-album epic that was ‘Measure’, that anything about Field Music’s sound was broken.

Happily then, new record ‘Plumb’ offers more of the offbeat yet grounded art-pop. Laden with funky riffs and jarring time signatures, ‘Plumb’ is a complex, unpredictable listen, for all its dynamism, rooted firmly in the doldrums and niggles of everyday life.

Perhaps not as instantly appealing as it’s predecessor, it’s a more challenging endeavor, but with tracks ‘(I Keep Thinking) ‘Bout A New Thing’ and ‘A New Town’ providing stand-out moments, it’s definitely worth the effort. (NW) 4/5

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Matt Stalker & Fables: Little Sister Though the warm, hollow tinkling of the newly-added vibraphone opens on a gentle note, ‘Little Sister’ is quick to show off the transformation that Fables have undergone since their début. Intact is Fables’ unmistakable gravity, but there’s snap, rather than swoon. It’s nippy, driven and more grounded.

Finger-picked guitars create an inexorable rhythm, the fat strings of the cello stab at its melody unrelentingly.

There are parts that soar, in a way that only Fables can, but it’s an entirely more sturdy affair. Textured, earthy, and with a closing refrain you could shout at the top of your lungs, it’s Fables but not as we know them. (NW) 4/5

The Railway Club: Clouds A song about cloudwatching? By rights it should should be unbearably twee.

It’s even got a glockenspiel in if for Pete’s sake. But in the hands of The Railway Club, it’s a delightful pop accomplishment. The charm of the song, and of The Railway Club on the whole, is the absolute fundamental joy of it. That everything they make is so unimpeachably amiable may seem like a banal evaluation, but it’s absolutely not. Haircuts and reverb are of no concern here; it’s rare to find music which has no agenda besides than to be affecting, catchy and utterly relishable, and ‘Clouds’ ticks all those boxes with a big fat marker pen. (NW) 3/5

Bunker Dance Francophilippe- Action Hero This is a strange one, we love the glitch, electro vibe of French House and Francophilippe does it so well, you would think he was from France, but in his words he is a ‘Franceobsessed electro artist who’s not from France’. His latest EP Action Hero was released on the 19th of this month and features 4 tracks.

Out of the 4, the 1 that caught my attention was his original mix of Action Hero. It’s a tight production with an uplifting groovy bass line a vocal sample that seems to catch the imagination so well. 5/5 D&Z - Shake (Original Mix) Make way for D&Z as they release a floor filler of a track with their latest submission to the progressive house world. Shake starts with a tight, energy driven intro, which builds up and gives way to a melodic, progressive breakdown, the contrast works beautifully. Then everything builds back up again with a chilled out riff and back into the beat. This is Newcastle based Goldshore Records latest release and it’s great to witness the talent they keep on discovering from around the world, D&Z hail from Serbia! Yet it took a local label from the Northeast to unearth this chilled out duo, great work guys!

4/5 Words : SO

Reviews:LIVE

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Bridie Jackson & The Arbour, Matt Stalker & Fables, Natalie Stern @ The Sage, 12th JanuaryÂ

Opener Natalie Stern has a cracking set of lungs, and a reasonable set of songs. The problem is that her over-reliance on looping and backing tracks leaves her performance feeling selfindulgent and lacking depth. Matt Stalker & Fables however, have exactly what Stern’s set is missing; grit, sincerity and a whole lot of noise. Celebrating the launch of their album Bridie Jackson & The Arbour put on a show of unquestionably impressive musicianship.

Mesmeric harmonies weave effortlessly through their ethereal folk songs, making for a beautiful, if a little genteel, performance.

Words : NW

Reviews:LIVE

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Old Friends/Bookends #14: The Cornshed Sisters, Annie Dressner, Ditte Elly Goard, Natasha Haws @ The Little Room, Independent, 11th February

New York’s Annie Dressner takes the stage tailing local(ish) lasses Natasha Haws and Ditte Elly Goard; tough acts to follow for the best of musicians, and unfortunately Annie Dresser doesn’t quite manage it. While simplicity is by no means the mark of a dull song, Dressner’s tracks are a little too green for their own good, and the basic nature of her music, coupled with clichéd lyrics, prove amateurish. The Cornshed Sisters seat themselves like school teachers at story time, and exude a similar sense of warmth and playfulness, their quirky, perfectly harmonised folk songs delighting and impressing in equal measure.

Retriever, Shinies, Arkham Karvers @ Head Of Steam, Newcastle, 11th February 2012 All Words : RE

The basement that is the Head Of Steam was fairly full by the time Retriever hit the stage with their mood-inducing set. Together with all-black outfits channelling The XX, strobe lighting and despite a near amp-malfunction, this band completely commanded my attention . Backed by a simple drum machine, and swathing the room in their darkened lyrics, Retriever used the stage to its full capacity, getting lost within their performance. Admittedly not ones for small talk, the band make it up for it with the passion and fire that they bring to their set, especially from lead singer Jackie, who never lost contact with the crowd throughout new single “Happiness Falls”, fully conveying the meaning behind every line she sang.

Contents

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Dave

Josh

Paul

Top 5 Intros

Top 5 Comebacks

Top 5 Most Expensive Big Macs

1. Apply Some Pressure- Maximo

1. Red Rum 2. Liverpool V Milan 3. Taylor v Davis 4. Man Utd v Bayern Munich 5. Tina Turner

1. Iceland $6.67 2. Norway $6.06 3. Switzerland $4.96 4. Denmark $4.49 5. Sweden $4.48

2.

3.

4.

5.

Park Baba O’ Riley I Wanna Be Adored Money- Pink Floyd Johnny B Goode- Chuck Berry

Paul

Anth

Sam

Top 5 Lakes

Top 5 Music Films

Top 5 LM Facial Hair

1. The Lake Poets 2. The Lake District 3. The Great Bear 4. Michigan 5. Coniston Water

1. 24 Hour Party People 2. Control 3. High Fidelity 4. Quadrophenia 5. Almost Famous

1. Beast 2. Sean WIlkinson 3. Alistair Henderson 4. Matt Robson 5. Nathan Would

Listings

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MARCH 1st March//////////////////////////////

30th March/////////////////////////////

Loud Sound Promotions Presents: ‘Black Tie’ with Sunday League, King Sloth, Wrestling, Arcs and Trauma @ Plugged Inn

Athletes in Paris, The Running Chelsea, Village Green @ Arts Centre Washington

31st March//////////////////////////// 2nd March/////////////////////////////

17th March/////////////////////////////

Off Your Heed Pet with Baron Von Alais, Bird Island, Tissue Culture @ The Head Of Steam “One lass and her razor will be joined by a cracking line up at The Head Of Steam on Saturday March 31st.

Newcastle based rapper Baron Von Alias makes a rare appearance with Mr Breeze, alongside Teesiders Bird Island and Tiny Lights Recordings Tissue Culture. Money raised from the evening will be donated to Sam’s Trust, a children’s charity raising money for families of children who suffer from leukaemia and cancer. I will be bidding for the bit of hair just behind the ear!”

Lone Wolf Presents: Reckoner, Morris Ford, Agerskow @ The Little Room, Independent

5th April //////////////////////////////

Deep:Nature #6 w/ GOW, Marc Vexar @ Bar One

8th March///////////////////////////// Stripped Back 2012: Skylark Song, Village Green, ESO @ The Ivy House

15th March//////////////////////////// Stripped Back 2012: Bright Lights, Delphians, Mammifere @ The Ivy House

16th March///////////////////////////// SUMO: Hey! Alaska, Attention Thieves @ Independent

Mich Whitnall and Drew McConnell: Babyshambles Acoustic Set @ Bar One

22nd March///////////////////////////// Stripped Back 2012: Wrestling, Young Hegelians, Chloe Chadwick @ The Ivy House

24th March//////////////////////////// Thieving Penguins @ Independent

7th April ////////////////////////////// Future Sounds: Hatcham Social, The ABC Club @ Independent “Future Sounds presents Hatcham Social with support from The ABC Club. London based indie pop band Hatcham Social formed in 2006 and their line-up includes former Klaxons’ member, Finnigan Kidd. They have since had a string of singles leading up to their début album, ‘You Dig The Tunnel, I’ll Hide The Soil’, which was described by The Guardian as ‘irresistible’.

Listings

www.manifestosunderland.com

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& APRIL Support comes from indie five-piece, The ABC Club, whose 2010 ‘Thieving Magpie’ début was touted by Rough Trade as one of the most exciting débuts of the year.”

21st April ////////////////////////////// Lone Wolf Presents: The Union Choir, Hollywood and Vines & Mick Rolfe @ Plugged Inn “Lone Wolf are knocking up some incredible gigs these days, and this one is no exception. Well it sort of is, actually, because it’s absolutely free. That’s right, performances by The Union Choir, Hollywood and Vines and Mick Rolfe, all costing you diddly squat. Get down early, you don’t want to be peering in sadly through the window of Plugged Inn, like a downtrodden Victorian beggar child.”

Hatcham Social

The Union Choir

7th April ////////////////////////////// Liars Lie! Moonrunners, Bright Lights @ The Ivy House

8th April ///////////////////////////// Vinyl Jacket @ The Little Room, Independent

12th April ///////////////////////////// Clock Opera @ Independent

24th April /////////////////////////////

14th April //////////////////////////////

Running From Wolves, Cities, Moonrunners @ Arts Centre Washington

Field Music @ Independent “The prolific and ever-lauded Brewis brothers are finally back in Sunderland, following the recent release of their fourth album ‘Plumb’. Not only is this a rare chance to see Field Music play in the intimacy of Independent, all the proceeds from the gig will go to The Bunker’s ‘Raise The Roof’ campaign. That means you can enjoy one of the best bands ever to come out of the North East, and also keep a roof, literally, over the heads of the future Field Music’s plying their trade at Sunderland’s premier music development organisation. Isn’t that nice?

Please submit your gig listings to us at info@manifestosunderland.com

The Fix

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The Fix Oh dear, there’s no cash! The economy is on the ropes! Ginger swordsman, Mick Hucknell was right; money is too tight to mention. I even understand I won’t qualify for my pension. Cutbacks are rife, closures imminent. Previously profitable organisations face financial embarrassment, families huddle together around 2 bar fires, Tory MP butler’s quake in their boots; awaiting that dreaded P45 that seemingly never arrives.

So with all these cutbacks, the dear old Beeb followed suit at the tail end of last year, announcing atarget of a 20% reduction in their outlay. Currently haemorrhaging money, their long-term strategy is to achieve a saving of £47 million per annum by 2016/17. It’s not so big a sum to recoup when you consider roughly £85 million is spent on BBC Three EVERY year.

BBC Three, of course, responsible for such programming atrocities as Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, Lee Nelson’s ‘Well Good’ show (note use of inverted commas there), and the Frankenstein’s monster of Snog, Marry, Avoid, ironically presented by Frankenstein’s bride herself.

Yet in the face of cutbacks, the fanfare bellows out for BBC 6 Music! The ripe ‘ole age of 10! Who’d have thought that it would have made it this far after staring into the abyss on so many occasions? (For the record, 6 Music costs just £8.2 million per annum. Compare and contrast, folks.)

Now, I have it on exceedingly good authority that one of the most important shows to all unsigned mand emerging musicians, Tom Robinson’s ‘Introducing’ slot faces the axe. It’s to be downsized and outsourced to other areas of 6 Music, a dichotomy of the programme’s very nature.

Tom’s show may be marginalised to the small hours of the morning – a similar decision to that made in the latter days of John Peel’s years at Radio 1 – but Mr. Robinson is a key figure in flying the flag for emerging artists country-wide, and has been fervently supportive of North-East acts since the show’s inception.

The chiefs at the Beeb need to consider what’s in the public’s best interest: A show with a positive agenda aimed at the arts, produced on a relative pittance, or some dross featuring Will Mellor on BBC Three’s gravy train. Hmmm.

Words by Nathan Wood, Local Music Show Presenter.

Tune in from 4-7pm every Sunday on 107 Spark FM

Nathan Wood