PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER October - November 2009 Los Campesinos! John Peel In The City No Music Day
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Happy Autumn everyone! It’s been a little hard to believe recently that a new season it on its way (PYT’s jaunt to End of the Road in Dorset was definitely an Indian Summer), but we’re pretty excited about this one. For starters it’s rather beautiful when the leaves start to change, and it’s also the kick-start to gigs and tours up and down the country. In fact, there is so much going on over the next couple of months that we have struggled to fit it all into two pages. Head over to our blog or join our Facebook group for even more suggestions. We’ve had a busy old time recently, DJing at Asparagus Next Left’s Oxjam Special and helping to put on the fantastic Postcards From Manchester festival at Saki Bar. Thanks to everyone who came to both, we had a fantastic time! We’d like to say a massive thank you to the fabulous Dick Vincent who has produced the artwork for this copy of the zine. We first fell in love with his blend of animals (well, Dan fell for the dinosaurs!) and text some time last year and have wanted to work with him for ages. He has recently displayed work at both Sand Bar and Odd Bar, both of which venues are well known for their great taste in upcoming local artists. Head over to dickvincent.blogspot.com for examples from those shows, Hollyoaks and more!
Contents P3. Fresh from WOXY’s big move from Cincinnati to Austin, TX, Mike is back to talk about (...) The PYT Radio is Playing...
P4. PYT take time to remember and celebrate the life of John Peel; it really doesn’t feel like five years since his untimely death.
Malcolm Middleton, Tallest Man on Earth, Efertklang, AU, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Mi Ami, Liam Frost
P6. Los Campesinos! have had yet another busy year, but front-man and ‘pop star’ Gareth found the time to have a chat with us.
myspace.com/pullyourselftogethermcr pullyourselftogethermcr.blogspot.com pullyourselftogethermanchester@gmail.com
You may find it interesting that of all my friends and colleagues I chose to discuss Michael Jackson’s untimely demise with, the two who were the most vehemently outraged at the gross amount of media coverage were full-time residents of London and Cardiff, England and Wales respectively. E-mail discussions and disagreements, mind you, but nonetheless spirited debates better suited for pints of ale at close quarters rather than keyboards at 4000 miles. Nonetheless, and far be it from me to defend a performer for whom I personally cared little for, I was caught between amused and surprised at the amount of venom spewed by my British friends less about Jacko’s passing but by the excessive coverage of his death and the reminder of his keen interest in young lads. Was this merely a cultural difference? I thought that surely, after all, Britain has seemed far more likely to elevate pop stars du jour to godlike statuses than we more measured Yanks. Certainly, there’ll be no tears from these shores once Cliff Richard spins off this mortal coil. As this is an opinion piece, here’s another. The collective outpouring of grief from across the Atlantic had precious little to do with the King of Pop’s passing. I’d wager that only a miniscule number of diehard fans truly believed his next, last, great comeback would hold any artistic greatness. The O2 concerts, to call them what they were, were a cash grab. With the possible exception of Madonna, Jackson may
have been the last pop star to enjoy recognition from every segment of the US population, old and young, fan and non-fan alike. With a endless supply of choices provided by cable and satellite television, online and satellite radio, Americans have collectively retreated into our own corners, seeking the precise niche of programming music we want to see or hear, and often never coming in contact with those who may see things a bit differently. There’s not a national Radio 1 or similar here. No TV or radio coverage of a Glastonbury. No, to a great degree, Jackson’s passing represents one of the last times America was on the same page culturally. One of the last pop stars that everyone knew, that everyone could recall. He was a generation’s Elvis, and to degrade his impact on the basis of paedophilia or, as some have, that he didn’t write all of his own songs misses the mark. People mourn Jackson’s death because it marks the passage of time In their own lives. The coverage, excessive? You bet. “If it bleeds, it leads” is an old axiom about news coverage here. It’s all about competing for eyeballs, to turn into ratings, to turn into ad rates, advertising dollars, income and profits. Duh! It’s no different than why there’s tits on page 3, is it? So, all of you hand-wringers, please do us a favor and dismount those high horses you’ve been riding. Mike broadcasts on the excellent woxy.com. Head to their website for details of shows, live sessions and much more.
P8. Benjamin Thomas of the wonderful Ribbons + Leaves blog wants to tell us all why, just for one day, we shouldn’t listen to music at all. P12. In The City is coming, check out PYT’s picks for the festival. -2-
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The Importance Of Being Indie John Peel (1939-2004) They don’t come around very often, but there are a few days in your life where the news you hear is so momentous, so shocking that you’ll always remember that moment. For music fans across the generations the 25th October 2004 was one of those days, for the saddest of reasons. Dan: I was in the University library, and having finished the section of work I was on I decided to have a quick browse of the internet before heading home. Five minutes later I was sat with tears streaming down my face having read that John Peel had died of a heart attack in Cuzco. Hannah: Just down the road in my Halls of Residence I was scanning the internet (most likely to avoid some course-related reading I’d imagine) and suddenly found myself staring at the screen in disbelief. When my flatmate came in to offer a cup of tea she must have expected the worst, and I’m still grateful that although she wasn’t a Peel listener she was incredibly sympathetic. That was the thing about John: everybody felt fond of him, whether they’d listened to him on Radio 1, Radio 4 or even Radio Caroline or they were simply vaguely aware of his work. The impact of John, both directly on the enthusiasm which we both developed for music, and possibly more importantly on the bands who we grew to love, cannot be put into words. Five years on, we believe that gone certainly does not mean forgotten.
Like many kids of our generation we started out listening to Lamacq on the Evening Session, and slowly but surely realised that this fella on afterwards was definitely worth staying up late for afterwards, even if it meant running the “headphones in bed so parents can’t hear” risk, and baffling friends at school who couldn’t understand why you hadn’t seen Sex & The City last night (ok, so that probably only happened to Hannah).
It would not be over exaggerating to say that without John Peel there probably would not be a Pull Yourself Together. For a kick off, the first place we heard Hefner was through a Peel Session, but also because listening to John’s shows created such an enthusiasm about music in us. Listening to his Radio 1 shows lit a fire, which when the right time came saw us going out to find new and exciting music, and doing all we could to make people listen to it.
It’s seemed a real shame over the past couple of years that whilst Peel’s legacy lives on in many ways across Manchester, there don’t seem to have been many John Peel Nights held in the city: of course we wanted to remedy this. As a part of the charity night we’ve put together, The Loves are coming up to join in the fun. Despite only forming in 2001, the Cardiffbased band managed to make their way onto four Peel Sessions, quite a remarkable feat. Simon Love particularly enjoyed the sessions which went out live: “We were all (The Loves & Bearsuit) sat in the green room area of Maida Vale when the door open and we heard “What’s happening popkids?” from him”. Of course there happened to be a Liverpool match to watch, and the band’s then guitarist, Pnosni, was “visibly vibrating” sitting next to the great man. Simon cites The Loves as one of a huge number of bands that were given an indispensable boost by John, when nobody else had paid much attention. So who can radio fans rely on at the moment for a similar experience? “I would say Adam Walton (from Radio Wales) has one of the best shows anywhere at the moment. He doesn’t just play Welsh related music (although that is part of his remit), he digs back and gets stuff that’s influenced current bands and artists. Plus he’s one of the most lovely and enthusiastic people you could ever meet.”
PYT’s top Peel Session choices. Dan: Predictable, yes. Brilliant, also yes. Hefner’s Maida Vale Session in 2001 was a joy to listen to. The band, making their 9th live appearance on Peel’s show, whipped through the majority of their ‘hit’ album We Love The City, but with addition of tracks like The Hymn For The Cigarettes and The Alcohol, and indeed Pull Yourself Together. No sign of The Night That Thatcher Dies, but this session was probably the band at their very peak.
Hannah: It’s got to be Belle & Sebastian’s Christmas Extravaganza - the Christmas shows at Peel Acres became legendary over the years, and the B&S one is a real treat. The whole session feels so easygoing, with an atmosphere you can’t imagine being replicated anywhere else - the band spend most of the time on the verge of fits of giggles. With a mixture of traditional carols, B&S classics and a wonderful rendition of Santa Claus, Go Straight To The Ghetto it’s essential Christmas listening.
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The Peel Legacy Who is still flying the flag? Marc Riley - He would never accept it, but Marc is possibly the closest thing to Peel on the radio at the moment. His unflinching support of upcoming bands from around the country through inviting them to play live on his 6 Music show is akin to the old Peel Sessions. That Riley’s show is now the ‘home’ of the Peel by Behest feature is evidence that the BBC probably share this belief too.
Huw Stephens - Without a doubt the biggest advocate of new bands on the radio at the moment. Huw’s Radio 1 and BBC Wales show’s are the best place to check out previously unheard bands and labels - check out the recent Music Sounds Better With Huw compilation for confirmation. Dandelion Radio - The direct decedent of Peel, dandelionradio.com is the new home of the Festive 50 and more. Named after John Peel’s old record label, Dandelion is run by a fantastic group of volunteer DJs who believe that the best way to remember John is to continue to support unsigned bands and DIY culture. -5-
IN WHICH PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER INTERROGATE
Los Campesinos!
Los Campesinos! have come a long way in the past three years (and are incidentally the reason PYT met in the first place), and it’s been a delight to chart their progress towards proper indie stardom. We caught up with Gareth Campesinos! to discuss new band developments and album number 3. Hi Gareth! We haven’t seen you in a while, where the devil have you been? To put it simply: America. Pretty much this whole year has been spent playing shows in the United States, with occasional movement into Canada/South America. You’ve spent so much time across the pond in the USA now that it must be starting to feel like home. Why is it that Los Camp! have ended up being creatively based there recently? I guess there are a few reasons. A lot of the band enjoy spending time in the US, so that’s an incentive, just that it’s enjoyable and different to home. Perhaps two more important factors would be 1) we’re more popular in America than we are over here, so there’s more demand for us to play shows. It’s pretty difficult to ‘complete’ America, and anywhere new that we go seems an adventure. And secondly, recording-wise it’s made sense for us to be over there, as it’s where John Goodmanson’s based, and it’s him we’ve been enjoying working with on these last two records. Since last you were playing shows in the UK a lot has happened. Obviously the big news is Aleks’ departure to the world of further study. How are you all coping? Well, thank you. Obviously to lose a member of Aleks’ talents and, more importantly, such a close friend is not a good thing, but we always knew this to be Aleks’ intention and I’m really happy that she’s going back to university to do something she loves. I have untold amounts of respect for her for that. We’ve yet to play any shows without her, and obviously that’s something that’s gonna take some getting used to, but I think this change has given us all a huge boost of excitement and desire to be better than ever. Which we will be. So the latest ‘big news’ is brand spanking new Campesinos! #8. What can you tell us about Kim? Well...Kim’s an amazing musician and an incredible girl. She’s played music all her life and her primary instrument is the flute, but she can take her hand to pretty much anything. She’s one of THOSE annoying sorts. She’s a really positive, fun, laid back person, with great taste in music. Myself and her go way, way back. Our friendship couldn’t be stronger, we’re practically like
brother and sister, and I know she’s going to be great for the band. You filmed Kim’s arrival at Cardiff City’s new stadium; how did the ‘transfer’ go? It was a dream come true in many ways. Football’s always been my first love and to stand in that empty stadium (and a very good looking new stadium it is too) and imagine playing in such grandiose surroundings was an experience we lads relished. I was amazed at how good the final video looks and to have BBC News’ Sean Fletcher anchor the piece handed it a needed air of professionalism. I think we produced something amusing and uniquely ‘Campesinos!’ in the end. What can you tell us about new single There Are Listed Buildings? Well, it’s remarkable for being our first experimentation with horns on an LC! song. Jherek of the Dead Science and some amazing musicians that he knows came to the studio in Seattle to help out, and I think the results are amazing. Lyrically, it’s a pretty bleak and bittersweet tale of love and lust and destruction. Though I’d dare not use the word “concept” the songs on the new record can all link to tell one big story, and this song kind of represents the tipping point in the relationship between the two protagonists. It’s getting close to record number 3 (or is that 2?) coming out now. How excited are you about getting a new batch of songs out in the open? Very excited. With this record, it kind of feels like we know who we are as a band. Though I’m still fond of Hold On Now, Youngster..., I don’t feel it represents me, or us, anymore, whereas these new songs find us where we want to be at. I’m excited of the challenge of selecting a set list when we have 30+ songs to choose from, and being able to mix things around every night, or take requests. Y’know, like a PROPER BAND. Does the new LP follow on from WABWAD, or are you going off on a tangent? Lyrically, there are a lot of the same themes. Obsessions with death and sex, destruction and decline of the human body, eating disorders, failed love affairs. Perhaps notably on this new record I allow myself to sing about football a lot more. I think I know “who I am” now, and am writing in a way I’m happy with, and think I will be for a while. Musically, Tom’s written some incredible stuff. All full of a lot more patience and ambience and subtleties. It’s a complete honour to be able to write songs with Tom, and this album is head and shoulders above anything we’ve made before. How has the songwriting process for the band changed over time? Marginally. I think the only change is the way that Harriet has come into her own as a composer, and the way that she’s now capable of writing string arrangements; she’ll come to the recording studio with beautiful arrangements for us to swoon over. Who would you say are the current major influences on Los Camp!? Musically, it’s always difficult to say. I think Stuart Murdoch once said something along the lines of “Do you think Eric Cantona thinks of George Best whilst he’s scoring a goal?”. Generally I think I
don’t notice the influence in what I’ve written until it’s too late. I want to be Kevin Rowland though, so maybe I’ll just go with: “Dexys” Tell us more about your Record Box Project. Is this something that you are going to do on the UK tour too? Y’know, I’m not sure if we could. I know that Manchester still has some decent record shops, as do a lot of big UK cities, but one of the best things about the US is that wherever we play there’s a sound guy who can give us directions to a great independent record store just a couple of blocks away. You just can’t do that in the UK, sadly. Not even Bristol has a decent record shop any more. I’m stranded here in deepest Somerset. We see that you have got the ace Copy Haho coming with you on tour. How do you know those guys? Can you tell anyone who hasn’t heard them what they be like? I was a fan of theirs for a while, and then at the end of the Shred Yr Face tour last year we had a show in Edinburgh. I asked if they could support and they were rad. Afterwards we didn’t get to speak for long as we had to head back to Cardiff overnight (and I had a football match at 10am the next morning) but what little chat we did have, it was clear we were going to get along. We’ve kept in touch on various internet networking sites since, and I’m excited to get to hang out with them properly come October. Another Manchester show, another venue. If we stop opening new venues you are literally going to have played everywhere in the city. Do you enjoy your trips this way? I was speaking to a friend about this the other day. Have we ever played the same venue twice? Members of PYT gave us our first ever Manchester gig, and that was a riot. Since then we’ve experienced such exotic locales as the Klondyke Club... but I’m really looking forward to the Deaf Institute. I ended up there in a drunken stupour after our last Academy show, and from what I can remember, it looked beautiful. Manchester is always a pleasure to play, or visit. You must have been finding some really good new bands on your travels. Please can you recommend us some people to be checking out? I think the band that I’m most excited about at the moment is Former Ghosts. They’re a project between my friend Freddy Ruppert (formerly of This Song Is A Mess But So Am I) and Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu. It’s this really emotional, industrial synth pop music that drives me crazy. Their album Fleurs is easily my favourite record of the year. And finally: Football Manager – 442 or 4312? 4-2-3-1 Two proper old school wingers with incredible crossing ability. Lautaro Acosta has to be my favourite for that. Los Campesinos! play the Deaf Institute on 26th October with Copy Haho. There Are Listed Buildings is released on Wichita, mainly available on their UK tour and possibly through record shops towards the end of the month.
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Ribbons & Leaves | You’ve probably noticed that PYT are pretty massive music fans. Well, so is Benjamin Thomas, but he’s here to advocate cutting yourself off from those familiar sounds, just for one day, as No Music Day comes round in November.
TAKEOVER
music and arts festival in aid of oxfam sponsored by SUN 25 TheSunshineUnderground(DjSet) OCT TheParisRiots(FullBandAcoustic) 2009 £7www.wegottickets.com or £8 on the day of the event PeterHook(Djset)RichReason(Djset) SuzukiMethod*May68*Shmoo*LizGreen*Sophie’sPigeons CatsInParis*Onions*RainbowTrout(Acoustic) AidanSmith*Briggzy*TheMinx(Acoustic)
Manchester’s most diverse charity event is taking over 8 of the finest venues throughout the Northern Quarter from 1-11pm to bring you the best established and upcoming music, art, film, dance, comedy and poetry in the city.
Poetry From MikeGarry*TheOtherRoom Art Collective Unite To Support The W8*NegotiationOfSpace African Drumming Workshops By CreativeHands Comedy From Ladygarden
Volunteer & Info www.oxjammanchester.org Myspace www.myspace.com/oxjam-manchester-09 Facebook Oxjam Greater Manchester
+Special Guests &Lots More Still To Come...
‘Oxjam is a volunteer fundraising venture on behalf of Oxfam GB (Registered Charity no. 202918 (England and Wales) and SCO 039042 (Scotland)). All profits from individual Oxjam events go to Oxfam GB.’ Illustration: Laura Callaghan Design: Kristian Parry
www.oxfam.org.uk/hereandnow Raising funds and awareness for Oxfam’s Climate Change campaign HERE AND NOW.
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THE LISTINGS Fantasies, Follies and Disasters: The Prints of Francisco de Goya | Until 31st Jan 2010, Manchester Art Gallery Francisco de Goya is generally regarded as both the last of the Old Masters and the first of the New Masters, and this collection of pieces from three of his best known groups of etchings displays both why he is held in such high regard, and why Gallery itself is. Goya’s subversive style has meant that his work took on greater meaning than that of a mere court artist, with his embittered Black Paintings being amongst the best examples of his anti-establishment work. That Manchester Art Gallery has the breadth of collection to present this show confirms once again why it is one of our favourite places to go in the city. Trespassers William + Glissando | 7th Oct Sacred Trinity Church Seattle’s Trespassers William are the latest in a long line of amazing shoegaze bands we have discovered thanks to the excellent Gizeh Records. The band have been working together in various guises for around ten years, and are touring Europe in support of their recent EP, The Natural Order Of Things. One reviewer has suggested that you would need to have an ‘ashtray for a heart’ not to feel their music running through your soul. Sacred Trinity Church will be the perfect surrounds for their music, and with support from the magnificent Glissando this is sure to be a night of high emotion and soaring music. PYT presents... John Peel Night | 10th October, Night + Day It’s the biggest show PYT have attempted thus far, and it looks set to be the best. Five years on from the last of his radio shows we’ve put together a line-up which we feel represents both Peel favourites and those who never had the chance to become favourites. With maudlin Scottish humour from Malcolm Middleton, upbeat korg-pop from Sky Larkin, The Loves’ raucous rock ‘n’ roll, local art-pop favourites Dutch Uncles and some folky loveliness from Sweet Baboo - as well as the DJ and compere skills of Marc Riley! It’s set to be a good’un, so make sure you get your tickets and head on down! Bring on the Dancing Horses presents... CASIOKIDS | 14th October, Deaf Institute A show we’ve been looking forward to for a long time, as somehow we keep missing the Casiokids when they’re in town. The last time we saw this Norwegian electro-troupe we were drawn to the front of the crowd almost instantly to be closer to
their crazy, happy take on electro, it’s infectiously upbeat and more than a touch silly. We appreciate silliness in music. They are also the first band to release a Norwegian language single in the UK but don’t let any language barriers put you off, just sing along anyway! Super Furry Animals | 16th October, The Ritz SFA-OK! The Super Furries have been absent from Manchester for quite a while now, so expect this one to be a big ol’ party. The veteran psychepopsters are well known for putting on immensely entertaining shows (at Academy 1 in 2005 they arrived on stage in a golf buggy), and with over a decade’s worth of records to choose from there’s no doubt they’ll play a perfect set - PYT are hoping for a Man Don’t Give A Fuck rave to close the night! Brendan Benson | 19th October, Academy 3 As good as The Raconteurs were, Brendan Benson fans were always a bit gutted that the project seemed less of a collaboration and more a vehicle for White’s ever-expanding ego. Never fear though, Benson is back with his fourth solo album, My Old Familiar Friend, and a tour to boot. It should prove to be one of those pure and simple feel-good nights; there’s no pretension here, just a number of pop gems. Twilight Sad | 21st October, Ruby Lounge OR No Age + Drums | 21st October, Deaf Institute Oh come on. Who the hell decided that it would be fair to put on both these gigs on the same night? WHAT THE HELL ARE WE MEANT TO DO? (Sorry, tirade over.) The Twilight Sad are easily one of the best bands in the UK at the moment, and we are stupidly excited about their second album Forget The Night Ahead. However, they are from over here, unlike No Age and The Drums. No Age are a mainstay of The Smell scene in LA, and put on one of the best live shows which we saw last year on the first Shred Yr Face tour. Backed up by the latest darlings of the hype machine, The Drums, this is sure to be an incredible gig. Oxjam Takeover | 25th October, Across the Northern Quarter A variety of delights, from acoustic, comedy and poetry reading at Dough/ Apotheca to a very special day of musical treats at Common featuring the seventeen piece Fairey Band presenting Acid Brass, the lonesome blues of Liz Green, the weirdness of Paddy Steer and a live outing from Graham Massey. All topped off with dj treats from Demdike Stare & Marc Rowlands.
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OCT / NOV 09 Kissing Just For Practice | 30th October, Star + Garter A couple of years back PYT were devastated to see that KJFP had disappeared from the Star’s regular schedule, so it’s been great to welcome the night back on various occasions throughout 2009. We’re big fans of dancing around like fools, and Jamie Harrison’s DJing provides ample opportunity for this. Yes, it’s a Belle & Sebastian night, so yes, of course we’ll love it, but so will you: B&S fan or no. Hey! Manchester presents... Bowerbirds + My Sad Captain | 1st November, Dulcimer North Carolina’s Bowerbirds make music which has been termed as leafy folk-pop in some circles. We don’t know what that really means either, but their Vetiver-esque take on folk sits very nicely for us. This is their first Manchester show, so should be a very special occasion. They will be joined by Mad Sad Captain on the night, whose Wilko-cumGrandaddy-sum-Pavement sound is well worth checking out. Hey! Manchester have done it again, wonderful line-up. Grizzly Bear | 4th November, Manchester Cathedral The folk behind OH Productions have struck gold with this one; gigs in churches are always a stunning affair, but Grizzly Bear? In the Cathedral? It’s enough to make anyone swoon. Veckatimest has been one of the albums of the year, and has made PYT dig back and start listening to the earlier Grizzly albums again too; the band’s blend of pastoral folk and modern glitchiness is stunning on record and even better live. You’d be a fool to miss this one. Manchester, Television & The City: Ghosts Of Winter Hill | From 5th November, Urbis Following on from the success of the Videogame Nation exhibition, Urbis moves onto a investigation of the impact of Television on Manchester. Launched on the day of the digital switch over, this show looks back at 50 years of programming and forward to the future of TV in the city. Whilst Channel M was forced to lose near enough all of its original programming, this is actually a very exciting time for broadcasting in the area, with MediaCity and BBC North moving closer and closer to completion. With the end of Winter Hill’s signal comes a new age. RIBA | From 5th November, CUBE Always a highlight of CUBE’s calendar, the Royal Institute of British Architects’ Competitions Office showcase is a chance to see some of the best architectural design being produced in this country
at the moment. This is a must see show for anyone with even a passing interest in architecture, and represents commissions ranging from civic buildings through public space to grand structures such as the ‘new London Bridge.’ WOTGODFORGOT presents... Tickley Feather | 15th November, Retro Bar Tickley Feather’s self-titled debut LP is reminiscent of Ariel Pink, downbeat CocoRosie and hints of Animal Collective and Casiotone For The Painfully Alone. She wrote the album whilst adjusting to life as a mother, and the very bare bone lo-fi on offer contains songs which mix heartfelt emotion and experimental charm. Well worth checking out, and another great find by one of Manchester’s best promoters. Flaming Lips | 16th November, Academy 1 Possibly the most exciting date in the Oct/Nov calendar: 16th November will mark my first ever waltz into the strange and delightful world of Wayne Coyne, and I cannot wait. With as much of a talent for showmanship (whether firing glitter guns, covering a white suit in fake blood or even acting at roadie for his support acts) as for perfectly honed psych-pop stomps there’s nobody out there quite like Coyne. Shred Yr Face 3 featuring Espers, The Cave Singers + Woods | 17th November, Academy 3 The third incarnation of the Shred Yr Face tour seems to have less focus on shredding any faces, and more on messing with the heads of everyone involved. Espers blend of baroque pop, trad folk and neo-psychadelia has brought them quite a reputation and deserved following. The Cave Singers are an interesting prospect, three guys who used to make pretty vicious hardcore who now throw the same intensity into their post-folk. Last but not least are Woods, who may be a bit better known for their Woodsist record label. They make lo-fi pop tinged with campfire folk, which could well prove to be a great combination. Exposures 09: New Talent In The Moving Image | Cornerhouse + Urbis, 17th-19th Nov The Exposures festival is a firm fixture in the Manchester calendar now, and rightly so. Since 1994 Cornerhouse has been supporting the work of upcoming short film makers, and the festival has grown to be recognised as one of the best forums for exhibiting new work across Europe. Make sure to check out the full programme in advance, though from our experience the animation section usually provides a number of highlights.
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From the 18th to the 20th October Manchester will once again be a hotbed of musical entertainment (more so than usual, that is) as In The City kicks off in its new improved format. The main cause for skepticism regarding Tony Wilson’s festival brainchild has been that it’s just too ‘industry’ based, so this year the brains behind ITC have introduced a punters’ wristband, leaving no excuse for missing out! As ever the breadth of choice is just a tad overwhelming, so PYT would like to offer you some friendly viewing suggestions for the weekend:
Esben and the Witch One of our chance encounters at End of the Road in September, and we’re very excited about being able to catch them once again. Their name is taken from a Danish fairytale, and there’s something otherworldly in their music which fits perfectly with this. Swirling vocals with a gothic edge, postrock guitars, digital beats... this Brighton trio took us by surprise and made our jaws drop. Vocalist Rachel stands apart from the past year’s spate of chart-bothering females, bridging some gap between an earthly sound and one which drifts further, becoming almost nightmarish - especially when juxtaposed with the band’s stage dressing of old globes, skulls and dim, dusty lamps - Deaf Institute, 19th October, myspace.com/esbenandthewitch
The Northwestern There are a fair few people out there who will just never get over the loss of Hope of the States. Luckily for us, two of the band have popped up again in their latest incarnation as The Northwestern. After toying with minimal post-rock in Troubles, Sam Herhily and Simon Jones are back to their more direct roots: although not as dark as much of the HOTS material, The Northwestern provide some proper back to basics indie-rock. Having seen them play The Roadhouse back in June we can confirm that they make a good ol’ racket in an early nineties American style flecked with Dinosaur Jr tendencies. Deaf Institute, 20th October, myspace.com/thenorthwesternmusic
Sophie Madeleine A friend of PYT has already made clear his intentions to marry Sophie Madeleine, and a quick listen shows why: she’s a lo-fi delight. On paper she may sound just a little too twee: she plays the ukulele. She has a song called The Knitting Song. Her myspace page is adorned with the phrase ‘Ladies and gentlemen lend me your cardigans’. Don’t be fooled however, and certainly don’t dismiss: here you have gentle folk with delicately layered guitars, uke, melodica and glock, and atop it all a soothing, heartfelt vocal in the vein of Sufjan Stevens. Electric Boogalo (fka Bedlam), 19th October, myspace.com/sophiemadeleine
Egyptian Hip Hop One of the most exciting prospects in Manchester at the moment, Egyptian Hip Hop have been building themselves a name in the best way - writing interesting songs and putting on a great show. The chiming guitars and swoony synth of their track Rad Pit has had everyone from the NME to The Independent clawing over themselves to make an oh so funny comment about the fact that, hey this isn’t new sound of Cairo kids. Chicago Rock Café, 18th October, myspace.com/egyptianhiphop
Wonderswan Leeds based Wonderswan like to party like its 1994, and they also like to make music which sounds not too disimilar to Pavement and Dinosaur Jr. Scuzzy, loud and fantastic live, they are Yorkshire’s best lo-fi slackers, and we would definitely suggest checking them out live. Think Times New Viking, No Age and Lovvers. Hatters Hostel, 18th October, myspace.com/wonderswanband
Clues A band formed by former members of The Unicorns and Arcade Fire sounds like a great idea to us, and it turns out that Clues live up to their previous bands. The band built up a reputation in Montreal despite a self-imposed media blackout, mainly due to their frenetic live shows. Promises of multiple drummers, unlikely instrumentation and a Commodore 64 add up to what is sure to be a great stage presence, whilst their music does sound like a more accessible take on The Unicorns. Check the band out at Drowned in Sound’s showcase - Deaf Institute, 19th October. myspace.com/cclluueess - 12 -