Young Knives to release Vision in Rags

BELTON born indie rockers Young Knives will release their new single Vision in Rags on September 12.

The track, the third to be taken from their latest album Ornaments from the Silver Arcade, will be available to download a week earlier.

Bassist Thomas ‘The House of Lords’ Dartnall said: “The lyrics were done by chopping up the original song lyrics and re-arranging them and gluing them back onto a big piece of paper.

“The final recording of this song as we used an old analogue rhythm generator set to ‘Bossa Nova’ to get the hissy drum machine noise. You can also hear congas being played by the legendary percussionist Lenny Castro, who has played with Toto, Steely Dan, Quincy Jones and Stevie Wonder.

“All recorded in Steely Dan’s drummer’s studio over a Woolworths keyboard and a toy steel drum, while the crickets serenaded the night sky.”

Wave Pictures return

WYMESWOLD'S Wave Pictures are set to return with a new album, Beer In the Breakers, on April 18.
The album has been produced by their friend and frequent collaborator Darren Hayman of Hefner and was recorded entirely live in one day at Hayman’s house in Walthamstow.
Singer David Tattersal said of the recording “We’d been enjoying playing together live more than ever on recent tours and simply wanted to record the band the way it sounds these days.
"When you do things live, you obviously sacrifice perfection in the hope that instead you will capture these kind of strange and glorious spontaneous moments that musicians create together, that no one could do on their own, and that you can only get with live performance.
"It was probably the happiest record experience we have ever had.”

Young Knives return

THE best ever band to have two-thirds come from Belton near Loughborough, Young Knives, are back with a new single and album.
The three-piece will releasing their third album on April 4.
Ornaments From The Silver Arcade, the follow-up to 2008’s Superabundance, was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Nick Launay, who has worked with The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Cribs.
And a new track, I Love My Name, was aired for the first time this week.
Check it out below -
Love My Name (radio edit) by helpmedarling

Coritani - Death And Rebirth

CORITANI'S new CD is heavy going - but that's what you'd expect from a band who are, to quote Vivian from the Young Ones' jacket, very metal.
Each track is an epic patchwork of chugging riffs, throat-ruining growls and thumping drums, with only one of the five tracks shy of five minutes.
Stylistically, the band's sound is a brave take on traditional heavy metal, groove metal and sludge - with no relent and no concession throughout, although the band clearly don't take themselves so seriously, with tracks like Electric Donkey Zombie Sheep and stand-out Trevor The Ice Turtle.
Death And Rebirth - a reference to the group's rising from the ashes of the outstanding Evangelion - is a snarling beast of an EP, and if you don't run scared it really gets its teeth in.

Ben Matravers - Step One

LONG Whatton's Ben Matravers Step One starts out on the right foot with Say.
The opening number is an emotional effort which communicates through a Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly-style guitar and vocal laced draped with fleeting ornaments like guitar harmonics, warm hums and tinkling keys.
Pianos take over with Blood On My Hands, with the singer-songwriter stripped bare of Say's production bar a desolate echoing effect, before title track Step One steps up proceedings with a full band, a less introvert approach and, I imagine, a dark twinkle in his eye.
My Place Is Here rounds off the four-track EP with a guitar picking exercise which teeters between being melancholy and upbeat throughout.
A dark, folk-tinged, atmospheric effort, I can't wait to see how Mr Matravers steps things up from here.

Kelpe taster

LOUGHBOROUGH knob-twiddler Kelpe is releasing a new EP in September.
The Margins EP will be put out by Bristol label Black Acre on vinyl and as a download.
Kelpe said: “I’ve grown pretty fond of a lot of Black Acre’s material recently, having released artists such as Loops Haunt, Blue Daisy, Tokimonsta, Fantastic Mr Fox, Brokenchord and a load more.”
As an appetite whetter, Kelpe has also uploaded a taster of some of the EP tracks, which you can hear below -

Wave Pictures festival Q&A

WYMESWOLD'S The Wave Pictures have carried out a Q&A ahead of their appearance at this year's Summer Sundae festival in Leicester -

Q) Summer Sundae Weekender kicks off in August. What’s your favourite thing about summer festivals?
A) Getting to see loads of your favourite bands for freeeee!
Q) What can we expect from your show?
A) Lots of sweat, a little bit of dancing and at least one check shirt.
Q) Summer Sundae is renowned for showcasing emerging talent. Which new band are you most looking forward to catching?
A) Looking forward to seeing Fool's Gold. I've heard a lot of good things about them...
Q) The festival has also been graced by legends like Patti Smith, Billy Bragg and Chrissie Hynde. What’s your fondest festival memory?
A) We had such a splendid time at the first ever End of the Road festival in Dorset. Watching Josh Ritter cast the field into total silence was incredible.
Q) The festival turns 10 this year, how did you celebrate your 10th birthday?
A) I probably had some friends round to eat cake and watch a crap video.

At the Pictures

THE Wave Pictures' six track Sweetheart EP is out tomorrow.
Check out their video above.

Listen to new Young Knives material

A DEMO of a new Young Knives track, ILoveMyName, has been posted on the internet.
Henry Dartnall, the Leicestershire group's frontman, uploaded the track, saying: "Demo of a new track which will almost probably be on our new album maybe."
ILoveMyName (demo) by helpmedarling

Icelandic Volcano scuppers tour

THE mighty Eyjafjallajokull volcano has forced local band the Wave Pictures to cancel their European tour dates.
A spokesman for the Wymeswold band, who were due to play Milan, Pordenone, Pescara, Ravenna, Molfetta and Ferrarain Italy this month, said: "Very regrettably, The Wave Pictures Italian tour has been cancelled due to transport problems caused by the Icelandic volcano.
"We hope to have new tour dates soon."
Meanwhile Basement Jaxx, whose Felix Buxton went to school in Loughborough, are trapped in Dubai after their flights were cancelled following a Middle Eastern gig.
According to reports, the dance act have been deep-sea fishing, played golf and have been to the Royal Mirage hotel.

Wave Pictures EP announced

INDIE darlings The Wave Pictures have a new EP coming out.
The Wymewold group will release the Sweetheart EP on June 7 on Moshi Moshi records.
The group will mark the release with a headline show at Bush Hall in London on June 16.

Egyptian Hip Hop on board

DON'T walk, dance like an Egyptian, courtesy of a remix of up-and-coming Mancunian indie act Egyptian Hip Hop.
The group's debut single Wild Human Child, which features production from Castle Donington band Late Of The Pier's Sam Eastgate, has had a going over by friend-of-Sound Advice Radient Dragon.
And you can grab a free download of his "spaced out" reworking of the track here.

Sweet gig for Wave Pictures

WYMESWOLD band The Wave Pictures have been named for Leicester’s Summer Sundae Festival this August, alongside the likes of Tinchy Stryder, Mumford And Sons, The Go! Team and Local Natives.
Visit www.summersundae.com for more information.

That's Snat

NEW Zealander Connan Mockasin’s debut album Please Turn Me Into The Snat features Late Of The Pier’s Samuel Eastgate.
The Castle Donington-based frontman has lent his drumming to the album, which features “cats with larger-than-life personalities,” “unicorns in uniform” and “alter egos such as Don Dicaprio” and was part-recorded in a haunted house.

Kelpe a webslinger

LOUGHBOROUGH electronica act Kelpe has revamped his website.
He said: "My new website is now up and running. The old one was kind of hard to keep up to date but the new one will be maintained regularly-ish with news of some importance.
"If you like my music I'd appreciate if you'd sign up for the mailing list so I can let you know when there's something new coming out. Don't worry it won't be an overload of spam.
"There's a lot of free downloads there so I recommend you head there."

Knives are out

NEW material from the Young Knives will be showcased at new gigs announced today.
The local group will preview tracks from the forthcoming album Royal Sunlight at three gigs in Keele on May 6, Aldershot on May 7 and Leicester on May 8.
A band spokesman said: "I bet you have missed us, we have definitely missed you.
"We have been keeping our heads down and our noses clean in our Oxford studio and the next album is well underway.
"We can't wait to play you some new songs - these are the only dates we have planned for 2010 so if you like the idea of an intimate setting and a special preview of our new smash hit songs before anyone else then get some tickets fast."

Classy video

THE video to Castle Donington's finest Late Of The Pier's new single has been released.
Check out Best In Class using your eyes below -

Loughborough Uni gigs lined up

A NEW line-up of acts have been announced at Loughborough Students' Union.
DJ Zane Lowe appears at the venue tonight (February 18), with Britpop band Ocean Colour Scene playing on February 27.
Then on March 6, up-and-coming indie band Egyptian Hip-Hop, who are produced by Late Of The Pier's Samuel Eastgate, visit the venue.
Then hip hop Chipmunk gets his teeth into Loughborough on March 11, and Mr Hudson performs on May 1.
For more information on the gigs, all open to the general public, click here.

Free for all on Friday

CASTLE Donington band Late Of The Pier are DJing at the In The Woods free party at Cargo in London this Friday, February 19.
Also performing DJ sets are The Invisible, Laurel Collective, Innercity Pirates and Clash DJs.

Envy's Nadine video out

RAPPER Envy's video to her forthcoming single Nadine, out on March 15, is now available to view.