Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Hookey And Barney- The Good Old Times


Cut/Copy- Zonoscope

The Third album by the Australian electro pop group Cut Copy is in the shops. It was released on February 8, 2011 on the Modular Recordings label. Two singles were already released from the album, "Take Me Over" and "Need You Now". Zonoscope cover artwork features New York City engulfed in a waterfall, created by the late Japanese photo montage artist Tsunehisa Kimura.


Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Retrovision: Blancmange- God's Kitchen

"God's Kitchen" performed by Blancmange on the Tube show in December 1982. The song was released in the same year as a double a-side single with the songs "I've Seen the Word"

Martial Canterel- You Today

Wierd Records have announced the release of Martial Canterel's new album entitled 'You Today'. The album features nine songs with bright, urgent melodies that snake and and swagger between major and minor keys. The songs emanate a subtle melancholic darkness and a rhythmic, militant propulsion keeping things moving against all odds. You can preview few clips from the album via Wierd Records official page.


Saturday, February 5, 2011

Kate Bush- Reissues

Four Kate Bush albums are expected to be re-issued this year after the singer won back control of them from EMI, but there is no confirmation yet about any new material coming from her in 2011. The Dreaming, Hounds Of Love, The Sensual World and The Red Shoes, which EMI originally released between 1982 and 1993, are all lined up to be re-issued with former EMI and PolyGram executive David Munns now acting as a consultant to her.

http://www.katebushnews.com/index.php


Pet Shop Boys- The Ballet Score

Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe will release the music for their first ever full-length ballet, 'The Most Incredible Thing', on March 14 through Parlophone Records. The ballet is a collaboration with choreographer Javier De Frutos and Britain’s leading contemporary dance theatre, Sadler’s Wells. Based on the Hans Christian Anderson story of the same title, it runs at Sadler’s Wells in London from 17-26 March 2011.

www.petshopboys.co.uk/news


Thursday, February 3, 2011

Blancmange

Blancmange was formed in Harrow, Middlesex in 1979 by singer Neil Arthur and instrumentalist Stephen Luscombe. The duo released one EP, three albums and several singles during early-mid eighties. They were among the synth-pop pioneers of that time a long with Human League, Soft Cell, Depeche Mode who made edgy but accessible synth-pop for wider audience. Almost 25 years after their last record release, they are back with a new album.


During the late 70's, Neil and Stephen were in a variety of alternative rock bands. In 1978 they decided to join forces with Neil on lugubrious vocals and guitar and Stephen on keyboards. Their motto was “anything goes” and it showed, what with their use of Tupperware and tin foil for percussion, tape loops and borrowed synth equipment. Following a mad moment during which they toyed with the idea of calling themselves A Pint of Curry, Blancmange were born.


They became "official" in 1980 with the release of their debut EP, "Irene and Mavis", a 1000-copy affair with the image of the nattering old dears on the cover that led Daniel Miller of Mute Records to christen Blancmange the “maiden aunts of techno”. Further exposure came over the next 12 months when they toured as support to eccentric performance artist and multi-instrumentalist Nash the Slash and appeared alongside Depeche Mode, Soft Cell and The The on the celebrated ‘Some Bizzare’ compilation album of new electronic pop acts with their track “Sad Day”. This would attract the attention of London Records and, in 1982, secure the pair a major label deal.


By the following April, they were heading for the charts: the Talking Heads-influenced "God’s Kitchen", the follow-up single "Feel Me" and the supremely infectious “Living on the Ceiling” with its blend of Indian textures and World Music flavors with primitive but powerful electronics which reached number 7 and remained on the charts for 14 weeks. There followed tours with Depeche Mode and Japan and further hits featuring "Waves", "Blind Vision", "That’s Love, That Is", "Don’t Tell Me".


In July ’84, Blancmange made the last of their many appearances on Top of the Pops when they charted at number 22 with an unexpected cover of Abba’s “The Day before You Came”. In September ’85 they had their last top 40 entry with "What’s Your Problem?" and in May ’86 they grazed the top 75 for the final time with "I Can See It". They had released three albums of dark, compulsive electronic pop – 1982’s 'Happy Families', 1984’s 'Mange Tout' and 1985’s 'Believe You Me' – and they realized they had probably taken things as far as they could. Blancmange formally split up in 1987.


They didn’t exactly retire from the music industry after the split. Neil worked on a project called Saturn 5 with Malcolm Ross and David McClymont of Josef K and Orange Juice and reggae producer Dennis Bovell. He began composing music for TV back in the UK and also released solo album entitled ‘Suitcase’. Meanwhile, Stephen collaborated with longtime Blancmange associate Pandit Dinesh as West India Company. He did soundtrack work for film and TV, music for the Channel 4 series Lonely Planet, a score for BBC film The Legend of Leigh Bowery.


Throughout it all, Neil and Stephen resisted offers to reform, although they did communicate regularly and even tentatively worked on new material. Finally, in 2010, perhaps encouraged by the use of Living On The Ceiling on the Berocca TV advert, the Faithless remix of "Feel Me" or the regular citing of Blancmange as an influence by the new wave of electro acts, from Hot Chip to La Roux, they began working on their first album for a quarter century.
The result is 'Blanc Burn', an album of creeping atmospherics, crunching electronics, chart-friendly melodies and lyrics that explore the darker recesses of the human condition. There may have been a 25-year gap between it and the third, but Blancmange’s fourth album is worth the wait in gold.

Source: http://www.blancmange.co.uk  edited version

Editors- Unedited

Editors will release a deluxe edition collectors box set entitled 'Unedited' this February. Tom Smith from Editors has announced that they've been picking through the archive recently, looking back at their 3 records, many b-sides and some material that has never seen the light of day and decided to compile it into this wonderful box set. 'Unedited' box set contains all three studio albums plus four CD's b-side collection, 7  heavy weight vinyl LP's, an photo-art book and much much more.

For additional information visit this page.






Wednesday, February 2, 2011

The Human League's 'Credo' on pre-order

The new Human League album 'Credo' is scheduled to be released on March 28, 2011. The album which features the single "Night People" is available to pre-order now. Check out the New Human league Facebook official fan-page for more info about where you can buy it as well as the most recent Human League press shots.

www.facebook.com/thehumanleague





Sunday, January 30, 2011

Next Wave: Silk Flowers

Silk Flowers are a synth-driven music trio based in New York. Their songs balance parts of pop and noise with melodies that evoke emotion from the listener. Countering typical notions of electronic music as a purely recorded listening experience, Silk Flowers write their songs for live performance, creating a visceral dynamic event that fluctuates between gleeful dance music and rough-edged dissonance. New album 'Ltd. Form' will be released February 8, 2011 on PPM. Produced by Amanda Warner.

Band info: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Silk-Flowers/
Silk- "Band of Colour" from the new album!


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