The MMP April 2013

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The MMP March 2013

Join us on Twitter for up to date gig annoucements @orchardent

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TUESday 16thAPRIL

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Cardiffuni TUESDAY 16 APRIL 2013

SATURDAY 13TH APRIL 2013

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THE GATE ARTS CENTRE

LEISU R E CENTR E

GAZ COOMBES THURS 18 APRIL

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FRIDAY 19TH APRIL 2013

ARTS CENTRE THE GATE ARTS CENTRE WED 17 APR | MERCH 17 EBR

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WEDNESDAY 24TH APRIL 2013

MONDAY 22 APRIL 2013

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CLWB IFOR BACH

FRIDAY 26TH APRIL 2013

THE GATE ARTS CENTRE

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY

TUES 30 APR / MAW 30 EBR 2013

CLWB IFOR BACH C A R D I F F

MONDAY 29TH APRIL 2013

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cardiff uni

FRIDAY 3RD MAY 2013

THE MOON CLUB CARDIFF

Box Office: 02920 230 130 | For our full gig listings and tickets please visit:

www.orchardentertainment.co.uk

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March 2013

...And a one and a two and a one, two, three, four...

Is it over? Can we emerge tentatively from beneath that big pile of coats and see Winter’s ever annoying silhouette receding into the distance? Is it Spring now? Has that happened? Is it a trap?

Hopefully not – fingers crossed its good riddance to that frosty so and so for another year, you were fun for a while old boy, but we’re looking forward to spending some time with your sexier dressed relatives for a few months…So what better way to celebrate the sprunging of Spring than to pour a refreshing glass of crème de menthe, jaunt the angle of your tasteful boating hat and settle in for a session with our little mag. This month we’re coming at you like a Jean Claude Van Damme shaped pump kick to the solar plexus. We chatted to Bridgend’s up and coming alternative rock fellas “Manhattan Coast” about just what makes them tick (bathtub, gun or boiler room vodka?), cast a dutiful eye over “Heavy Petting Zoo”- they’re from Swansea and musically their Quentin Tarantinos soggy bed dream and get wrapped up in the Welsh psych oddity that is Sen Segur. Oh do come along, it’ll be ever so fun.

We’ve got more free MP3 downloadables than you can shake a stick at (seriously, we tried…the stick just couldn’t keep up) from some of this months featured artists, they’re primed and eager to get into your mini-disc player and soundtrack your neon clad springtime rollerblade-a-thons.It goes without saying that we’ve got music news, music reviews, music charts from music stores and opinion pieces from musical humans littered amongst these digi pages just waiting to be explored with your piercing Steve McQueen esque eyes.

Editors Jonathan Day, Aimee-Jade Hayes Advertising & Accounts Kate James In-House Designer Hayley Price Listings Samantha Bull, Jonathan Day Photographer Kait Mordey Writers Hash Piperdy, Samuel Legge, Nick Merriman, Jim Swidenbank, Jonathan Day, Sam Bull, Gareth Kitchen, Kit Denison, Daniel Muller, Josh Z Duncan, Spun Tongue.

CONTACT Demos / Releases to be sent to info@ themmp.tv* Cover Artist Brogan Tickner - Artist

So read on, the king of cool would heartily approve. Turbo champion fun times ahead

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MUSIC NEWS News and round up of all the musical happenings in and around Cardiff EXLUSIVE INTERVIEW Meet this month’s featured artists!

ARTIST EXPOSURE Let us introduce you to: Manhattan Coast, Heavy Petting Zoo and Sen Segur.

CATAPULT COLUMN + CHARTS Simon Thomas discusses the latest news and events with Guest charts.

* Please note we no longer accept physical demos or CDs, only links to stream or download.

MUSIC REVIEWS + LIVE REVIEWS The month’s new albums, singles , demos and gigs.

MMP EXTRA + DOWNLOADS Get yourselves to themmp.tv for even more reviews, competitions and news!

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Music News Neon Neon & National Theatre Wales Collaborate National Theatre Wales have confirmed they will stage Praxis Makes Perfect - a touring live music/theatre show conceived

by Neon Neon - In Cardiff and as part of The Barbican’s 2013 season at The Village Underground in London. The show, which was conceived by Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals) and American producer Boom Bip alongside acclaimed playwright Tim Price and director Wils Wilson and acts as a musical and theatrical imagining of the of life of millionaire Italian communist and publisher Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, a man linked with some of the 20th Century’s most extraordinary events.

Pitched as a unique synthesis between live music and venue specific performance, Praxis Makes Perfect will see Neon Neon’s band being joined onstage by a cast of professional actors with each show also involving audience participation and slight variation based on the performance space.

Neon Neon released their acclaimed debut Stainless Style in 2008 Praxis Makes Perfect will play in Cardiff at The Wales Millenium Centre from 2nd 5th of May 2013 to coincide with the albums release on 29th April.

Tickets are £15 and can be purchased from www.nationaltheatrewales.org / or by calling WMC 029 2063 6464

Interest Shown In FOPP Brand

There may yet be hope for a high street music chain regardless of HMV’s disastrously recent collapse. Four offers for Fopp, the cut-throat music chain owned by HMV, have been received by HMV’s administrators giving many the indication that people are still interested in pushing the brand back onto the high street. Despite the offers however, Fopp is likely to remain tied up with its sinking sister brand HMV, it’s understood that the failed brands administrator Hillcot is close to making public a deal that will see various Fopp (9 stores) and HMV (222 stores) be cherry picked out for insolvency purposes.

Still, there’s been a general conscious that though HMV lost its way somewhat, Fopp remains to keep a strong cult following for its left field music stocking. So, though the future look uncertain and bleak for HMV and those attached to it, there’s a glimmer of hope that interest may gather around Fopp as a point of revival..

Ian Watkins Set For Summer Trial Though scheduled to formally receive the charges of (amongst other things) conspiracy to rape a baby, at Cardiff Crown Court on March 11th, a series of technical hitches with the videolink has forced Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins hearing to be adjourned until the end of May. Watkins will be remanded in custody until this time with the trail itself looking to begin the week of June 15th and run for approximately three weeks.

Many fans showed their support for Watkins outside of the courthouse Watkins defence team have staunchly denied the allegations and professed their client’s innocence. The entire affair remains extremely ugly, distressing and deeply shocking coming at a time when a far reaching web of similar sex abuse scandals are surface involving those in the media, and with no sign of it being resolved until the summer, it looks set to continue to bore a toxic hole into the public consciousness for some time longer..

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What we’ve been listening to Sam

Red Room Therapy - Sailing Stone Over the course of its six and a half minute run time, Red Room Therapy manage to cram an entire album’s worth of quiet loud dynamics, intricate stoned out riffs and creeping distorted menace into Sailing Stone; a real sonic journey.

Hayley

Anchor & Braille - In With The New

FESTIVAL NO.6 LINEUP ANNOUNCED The award winning Festival No.6 has announced the first batch of acts to play at this year’s proceeding. Having won best new festival at the UK festival awards and Best small festival at the NME awards, there’s a real deal of anticipation surrounding the 13th, 14th and 15th of September when the surreal landscape of North Wales Portmeirion will become the temporary home for the festival. This year’s big headliners in a festival exclusive performance will be The Manic Street Preachers. Other head acts include: Producer and songwriter James Blake, much loved cult Cardiff folk hero Sweet Baboo, art-pop-indie oddballs Everything Everything and many more yet to be announced.

Live acts include: I Am Kloot, AlunaGeorge, Laura Mvula, The Staves, Mount Kimbie, Clinic, Caitlin Rose, Chapel Club, Dutch Uncles, Jagwar Ma, Temples, Charlie Boyer and The Voyeurs, Indians and Hooksworms. Featuring alongside them will include DJ’s such as: Frankie Knuckles and Carl Craig.

And it’s not just music that takes centre stage at this festival it’s also jam packed with the best from art, theatre, nature, comedy and the best from the literary world.

In short, gonna be a good un. www.festivalnumber6.com

Sounding like what might happen if The Black Keys pulled back on their stadium fodder and focused their energies into producing a tense, groovy and restrained chunk of sound slinkier than a coiled spring being dragged down a set of stairs.

Johnny

Anne Meredith - “Nautilus” Straddling the line between comic absurdity and cosmic terror, Nautilus is a relentless crescendo of bonkers brass that coils around itself tighter and tighter until it eats its own face and implodes.

Much like Gary Busey, it’s hilarious and frightening all at once.

Joe O’C

The Dillinger Escape Plan - Prancer AUpon the release of their seminal 2004 album Miss Machine, The Dillinger Escape Plan irrevocably broadened my taste in music to incorporate a whole range of really angry and mathtastic bands. ‘Prancer’ is the first taste of their forthcoming fifth album and strongly relates to its almost decade-old forebear –at points dissonant and rhythmically complex, at others throwing out head nodding-inducing riffs, while Greg Puciato shouts out mightily pissed off vocals throughout.

Brutal.

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Lotte Mullan

Lotte Mullan writes folk tinged music that takes the vulnerability of Laura Marling and then wraps it up tightly in a woozy cocoon of British pop heritage.

She turned down major label advances in favour of keeping creative control over her second full length album “Hollow Road” due out in April.

A blog she maintained during her time as an unpaid intern at Sony is in the process of getting published and transmogrified into an American movie film. In short – she is currently trundling along a trajectory towards success that would make a petty, bitter and resentful man such as myself foam at the mouth with jealousy were it not for the fact that she’s such a charming and personable character. DAMN YOU! We had a chat with Lotte ahead of her gig at The Moon Club in May. MMP: Good morning! How the bloomin’ eck are ya?!

LM: I’m a little groggy I must admit....I didn’t realise how strong leffe beer was!

MMP: You’re gearing up for the release of your second record “Hollow Road” in April. Having had a particularly eventful year what’s changed and developed from the first record musically?

LM: Well I’ve been making this record in a way I always dreamed of which is just musicians playing the songs live and recording them... just one take from

start to finish and it’s terrifying because you can’t F**k it up! There’s a tension in the room that creates a real magic and It was such a buzz to do. I think with the first record I wanted to make a bit of a statement about the music business and media in general...this time I’m talking more in depth about personal relationships.

MMP: Saying that you’ve moved more into reflective songwriting, are you using this album more as a means of emotional catharsis to some degree?

LM: I think I’ve always used it that way...I was a hyperactive child and the only way my Mum could calm me down was by sitting me behind a piano and giving me a new notebook at every opportunity.

Perhaps I feel I can be more direct now than I did when I was 21...

MMP: Singer-songwriters live and die by hYours is simultaneously an invigorating story of DIY perseverance and a cautionary tale to the foibles of naivety in ruthless business. To any up and coming artists with glossy eyes and a can-

do attitude, what’s the primary piece of advice you’d impart from your personal experiences?

LM: I would say arm yourself with songs first...don’t be in a hurry to ‘make it’ .Think about what you want to say to the world and what you put across ...if not someone else will do this for you. It all has to come from the artist and then you can pick your team of the right people to push things forward. Oh and don’t sign anything in a hurry! Always go for a trial period, if anyones any good they’ll always let you do that.

MMP: One of the most interesting aspects to your rising star seems to lay within the blog you maintained whilst working as a record company temp – how exactly did the process of this happening and subsequently getting snapped up by Rocket pictures come about?

LM: I’m still not entirely sure! A couple of people seemed to pick up on it in the literary world and then this got passed onto a screen writer called Nick Moorcroft (St Trinians) who called saying he wanted to write a script for it...shortly after that I got the call from Rocket saying

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Words and Interview: Jonathan Day Photograph: LotteMullan.co.uk

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“ ... I would say arm yourself with songs first...don’t be in a hurry to ‘make it’ .Think about what you want to say to the world and what you put across ...” they wanted to make it into a film.

MMP: You favour a fiercely independent approach to the business of show. How important to you personally is this approach, to have that degree of control.

And can it seem like something an insurmountable task at times going against the industry big wigs as a smaller entity?

LM: The main challenge of doing so much yourself is not sleeping as much) and there is a risk you spend more time with the lap-top than playing your guitar!

Obviously ‘the industry’ has massive power in terms of marketing etc and

the money to do this but there are many things you can do on a smaller scale to put your music out there in the way you’d like it to be heard.

MMP: You’ll be swinging by Cardiff on 5th of May. Will this be your first stop over in the city? and at excites you musically at the moment?

LM: The Moon Club is my first gig in Cardiff and first ever headline show in Wales - I’m very exited by this! Musically ...I’m still as exited by Johnny Cash as ever before! In terms of new stuff I’ve been listening to Jonathan Wilson’s ‘Gentle spirit’ which has some beautiful Laurel Canyon vibes. Lindi Ortega is my

favourite new country singer, she really rocks it.

MMP: Final question – if all animals suddenly became anthropomorphised overnight, what would you like as your sidekick? And who’d voice it? IT’S IMPORTANT THAT WE KNOW THIS LM: Ok I’d have to go for a horse to fulfil my cowgirl fantasy...plus it’s a great method of transport....I think Tom Waits should voice it because that would entertain me forever more - I want this to happen!

Lottemullan.co.uk

Read more here at www.themmp.tv/features

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Manhattan Coast

facebook.com/ManhattanCoast

Over the course of the last year and half, Bridgend’s Manhattan Coast have gone from strength to strength. The five piece take the sonic template laid down by acts like Glassjaw, Deaf Havana and Kids in Glass Houses but add their own intricately riffed, melodically soaring and oft times rather cinematic slant to the alt-rock blueprint.

We had a chat with the guys to see just where Wales potentially huge

next alt rock act are heading and what the hell they intend to do when they get there.

book more shows & tours for the rest of the year. Quietly writing new songs for a release later in the year as well.!

MMP: Hello Manhattan Coast! How in the name of David Attenborough’s extensive collection of novelty furniture are you?! How’s 2013 treating you so far?!

MC: Hey guys, we’re doing pretty good!

We’ve been lucky enough to play a few decent shows, as well as being able to

MMP: You released your most recent E.P “Beg, Borrow Or Steal” back in September, I must say the production is outstanding! Who did you record it with and where did that choice stem from?

MC: We recorded the EP with Todd Campbell at Skwad HQ. He’s recorded

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Words: Jonathan Day & Sam Bull Photograph: Opposite Images

most of our songs over the years, and he brings out the best of our sound, and any band who works with him..

MMP: It’s a very strong follow-up to your debut EP “Never Tell Me The Odds”. Talk us through your writing process, what makes you folks tick as a unit?

MC: We practice at least twice a week at Manic Studios in Bridgend, and we always try new ideas to broaden our song-writing skills. It usually begins with a guitar riff or chord progression, and we all add and chip in to making the music sound as good as it can. We then give that to Nick, and he works his magic with the vocal melodies. The best thing about writing songs in this band is that there are no limits to what we write. Sounds pretty cliché, but its true, and that will always come across in our future releases.

MMP: What’s the best response you’ve had to the release of the “Beg, Borrow Or Steal” so far?

You’ve picked up some fine support slots off its back?

MC: We’ve had a brilliant response to the release. We have had BBC Radio 1 airplay, which wasn’t expected but always appreciated, but it’s also got us airtime on BBC Radio Wales with Bethan Elfyn. We also feel the songs have led us to playing shows with the likes of Kids in Glass Houses & Straight Lines. The release has exceeded any expectations we had, and its due to people continually coming to our shows and listening to our songs. We’ll always be grateful to anyone who takes the time to check us out.

MMP: Manhattan Coast is pretty cool name… But you’re not from Manhattan you’re from Bridgend!

(Home to a load of great Welsh bands might I add!) How do you feel that your hometown/growing up in South Wales has influenced your music?

MC: We grew up watching bands like FFAF, The Blackout, Kids in Glass

Houses etc. playing in local venues.

To see how they’ve grown and found success has shown us that we, and a lot of other bands around South Wales, can follow suit. We’re full of ambition, and to see bands that were once “local” become household names leaves us full of confidence.

MMP: Looks like you’re gearing up for a busy summer! We noticed you’ve made a few tour announcements, what tour are you most looking forward to and why?

MC: We are looking forward to playing as many shows as possible throughout 2013 and that includes a couple of shows with Attack Attack, as well as a 5 date tour with Lecarla. We’re booking more shows/tours as we speak, as well as working on some new songs for a release later on in the year.

MMP: ...Finally, bathtub gin or boilerroom vodka??

MC: Bathtub gin, all day!!!

Read more here at www.themmp.tv/features

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“They make music that’ll make you want to don wayfarers, and rob a bank before retreating to some seriously sleazy motel to do very bad things with a very bad person.”

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Words: Jonathan Day

Picture the scene – an expanse of empty highway cuts a tarmacked line through a dust blasted desert landscape.

The sun hangs high in the sky, assaulting the terrain with wave after a wave of relentless heat, the horizon shimmers like a half erased etch-a-sketch as a ragged vulture sweats it out on a toxic green cactus stump… its eyes not really focusing on anything other than how god damn hot and empty this seemingly dead place is.

Somewhere off in the distance ,slowly coming into focus, a sound can be heard approaching…a low, thunderous growl steadily getting louder and louder…something is approaching with insane velocity….then suddenly VRRRRROOOOOMMMMMMMM Into shot speeds a souped up muscle car like a metal bullet fired straight from the bowels of hell, the inhabitants are decked out all in black, wrapped in ray bans, a burning cigarette planted firmly between the fingers of all in the vehicle….behind them trails an immense wall of flashing blue lights, squawking police cars chewing up the scenery behind them. The inhabitants of the car don’t even seem to notice them, they’re far too busy looking utterly awesome to give an iota of a damn about the cops… The driver leans over and tune’s the radio into spluttering static life. Suddenly through the churning distortion, a combination of scuzzy buzz saw guitar lines, reverb laden female vocals and nuclear reserves of cooler than you could ever hope to be swagger blasts into life. The driver sits back content at the choice, flicking their cigarette ideally out towards the desert whilst simultaneously pushing deep down on the acceleration….the car rockets off towards the shimmering unreality of the horizon. The buzzard startled, flaps away as the police wail every shade of pursuit after the muscle car, the film stock suddenly begins to crackle and bleed and saturate…falling apart at the seams.

Three words are left in their place spoken aloud by a man with a voice deep as the Grand Canyon “Heavy Petting Zoo” Somewhere, a midnight screening audience erupts into woops and howls.

You see, Heavy Petting Zoo are the soundtrack to a Tarantino movie back when he was really, really good.

They’re the sort of act that if they’re not careful, will wind up underscoring a million copycat Pulp Fiction student films.

They make music that’ll make you want to don wayfarers, and

Photograph: facebook.com/ heavypettingzoouk

Heavy Petting Zoo

rob a bank before retreating to some seriously sleazy motel to do very bad things with a very bad person. They’re the sound of grindhouse double bill exploitation and terminal vice personified.

They’re also from Swansea….which is unexpected.

Indeed, listening to them you get the distinct impression that if they hailed from East London or New York they’d be enormous by now; holding the hipster masses neatly in the palms of their hands like snake charmers The handful of demos splattered over the soundcloud page sound like The Cramps bashing heads with Siouxsie Sioux all while the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s get into a knife fight with The Horrors and the car chase from Bullitt plays on a loop behind them; it’s creepy, immediate, relentless post-punk garage rock stomp saturated in late nights, bad decisions, smoke choked cinemas and tension saturated Mexican standoffs.

Since forming back in 2010 they’ve been gigging relentlessly, released an EP of demos titled “This Is Not An Exit” and picked up critical plaudits along with some serious airplay along the way.

In short, Heavy Petting Zoo are just cooler than you in every way. Your vocals just aren’t as equally and effortlessly menacing and sexy, your guitar work just isn’t as razor sharp and evocative, your drums and bass just don’t pound enough….your dancer doesn’t twitch around in nearly as twitchy a fashion.

Oh yeah....they have a dancer. I’ll let you digest that for a moment. Read more at www.themmp.tv/features facebook.com/heavypettingzoouk

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Photograph: sensegur.bandcamp.com Words: Nick Merriman

“ ...lashes of neo-psychedelic colour that suggest a bright, in this case most probably luminous, future for the band.�

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Sen Segur If like Lou you are prone to a walk on the wild side, and MMP readership

we know that you are, then you will have stared at the sun for longer than a hypochondriac would advise. We entirely understand and will refuse to judge you; risks are there to be taken after all, so who are we to stop you from thrill seeking in whichever way you find appropriate.

What I’m asking you to do is to consider for a moment that instant after the glare of the all-powerful and life giving star that powers our planet becomes even too much for an enthusiast, and your gaze is inevitably averted.

It can be a discombobulating experience, colours aren’t quite what they used to be, and your immediate surroundings begin to resemble grainy colour footage of the 70’s where everyone had shoulder length hair and rubbish was piled high in the streets. That retina frying flash before composure returns and your eyesight recovers to somewhere close to its former potency is akin to the disconcerting effect of Sen Segur, dazed and confused doesn’t even begin to cover it. It is of course aurally that you are left frayed in this instance, but unlike gawping sunward, exposing your ears to this music is most definitely recommendable.

The whippersnappers of Penmahcno are undeniably very capable tunesmiths; shorn of some of the more whimsical touches the songs would still warrant attention, but it is the lashes of neo-psychedelic colour that suggest a bright, in this case most probably luminous, future for the band.

Undoubtedly this is progressive music in its thinking and delivery, but it is far from the pomp of po-faced sourpuss Rick Wakeman providing

accompaniment to King Arthur on ice whilst lording over proceedings from a castle constructed almost entirely of synthesizers and his own hair.

Instead we have subject matter such as swimmer and medallist at the 1980 Olympics Duncan Goodhew, and a being called Sarah who is reliably reported to be an android. Despite the apparent acceptance not to take themselves too seriously the band play with an undoubted conviction, evident in their ability to flit from lolloping grooves and blissed out vocals to leads that thrillingly recall the unassuming bona fide guitar hero that is Joey Santiago.

There are flashes of influence from across the annals of music past, echoes of Merseybeat and the band that defined it, more obviously the altogether quirky tendencies of the Canterbury scene and any number of great eccentrics from Robert Wyatt to Arthur Brown. Of course, any bi-lingual band that has more than a penchant for sounds of the psychedelic variety will inevitably be compared to the incomparable Super Furry Animals, and other trailblazers like the dearly departed Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci. But happily the sound of Sen Segur isn’t just an unimaginative pastiche of those that have come before; most importantly it is continuing to evolve and has done so via each release to date.

After forming back in 2010 the band, fired with all the energy of youth,

unleashed unto you the public three kaleidoscopic releases in three years.

Beginning this sequence a year after their formation with debut EP Pen Rhydd, recorded with John Lawrence of Gorky’s fame, 2012 brought forth Sarah b/w Nofa Scosia, a limited edition cassette single that also contained a download code which made the tracks available online, not even Beardy Wakeman would disapprove of that! An appearance at Green Man was followed by a Swn slot, where an appreciative audience repeated back the closing bass hook for an as yet unreleased song, the atmospheric Lemonad Cymelog which would go on to find a home on their most recent EP Sudd Sudd Sudd.

Far out they may sometimes be, but the madcap North Walians are a prolific bunch with a growing understanding of their craft, if they keep up their thoroughly enjoyable assault of pop music on their own terms then any album would be a compelling listen to whether you’re a Welsh speaker or not. sensegur.bandcamp.com

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Catapult Counter Culture www.catapult.co.uk

“...It’s like CastleMorton partnered with master chef with deep fat fryers and griddles replacing speaker stacks...”

Street Food Is The New Rave. it’s in my humble opinion that the new street food movement seems to have a lot in common with the DIY rave culture of the 1980/90s.

Bear with me, I’ll explain… There is a sense of people coming together to share and celebrate within their communities embracing DIY aesthetics outside the mainstream, be that club or restaurant. The uk has taken its lead from the states in food culture and seems it that the latest curbside craze is all night food raves. First it was organic then it was local then farmers markets and food trucks, now in San Francisco they are throwing all night food parties...

The recent “underground food markets” in San Francisco are late night events showcasing a host of local food vendors with live music and a drinking licence until 2am. The events are held in collaboration with publicworkssf, so have the full support

of the regional authorities and have received tremendous support from the local community with some blogs reporting cues of 2,500 waiting for over an hour to get into the events. What we are looking at here are small festivals with a focus upon the local, with the usual noodle and burger slop on offer replaced with the very best of local amateur chefs. It’s like castleMorton partnered with master chef with deep fat fryers and griddles replacing speaker stacks.

The whole street food movement just seems very right for us now in our current era of austerity. Trend forecasters the future laboratory have indicated a rise in informal street dining for sometime. These guys seem to know which way the wind blows having predicted media trends such a glamping (glamorous camping). In a recent report they highlight that since 2010 the average meal in a restaurant has risen by 7.5%, yet another stretch

on the pocket.

As with the free parties in the early nineties it seems that most of the good stuff is going on within the m25 circular.

London has its east st, a pop up food market behind kings cross st pancras under the gaze of central st martins organised by kerb (an organisation set to set benchmarks in quality street food vending in the uk). This april brings our very own street food rave to Cardiff with the now annual art car boutique taking up residence in the chapter arts centre car park on Sunday the 14th of April.

Basically a psychedelic village fete mixed with the coolest car boot sale you’ve ever been to. This year street feast cardiff makes its debut in the city at the event. The event organisers have offered pitches to local food businesses so we can get a taste of what’s on offer in our back yard. Rave on foodies. Rave on.

Words: Simon Thomas

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Live Reviews

Words: Nick Merriman Photograph: Jon Pountney

Bon Voyage gig before their appearance at SXSW The opportunity to catch Islet in the cosy confines of Gwdihw is an opportunity that feels like it won’t come around many more times in the future, especially if the band continues to entertain as much as they do here.

Islet are a gloriously anarchic presence on, and quite often off, stage. Whether it is the fixtures being scaled or the action being brought into the audience, it is a frenzied scene from the first note to last.

Instruments are traded throughout, attacked by one and all. Relaxed and jovial between songs, when the music is roaring the band are in a fearsome mood, with the intensity of their belief in the music infectious.

Illuminated People made their name nationwide and it is from this album which much of the evening’s material is taken. The tribal drums of ‘Entwined Pines’

Islet

Image: Tom Wood Photography Words: Nick Merriman

are formidable and yet their obvious power disguises a swooping melody and sing-along chorus that could be considered pure pop were it not so disorderly.

Similar to What We Done Wrong and its undulating synth riff, these melodies are buried amidst the dense and surreal bursts of gratuitous noise, but they are persistent and linger long in the memory.

Raucously bonkers and thoroughly engaging as a live act, Islet are on an upward trajectory and have been for some time. For Cardiff to be able to claim them as our own is great for the city’s music scene, and anyone who bore witness to their powerful performance here will hope that they continue to thrill our fair city even as their career advances in the future. Read more at: www.themmp.tv/live isletislet.com

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Words: Sam Legge Photograph: Paul Scott Thomas Photography

More Reviews [themmp.tv]

Howl EP Launch

Stalin’s Street Party & Heavy Petting Zoo, The Moon Club

Kicking off the night, Stalin’s Street Party take to the stage with front man Ben Field’s hypnotic vocals guiding us into the night; the trio provided a solid set that included stand out track ‘Grumble Fowl’ – a catchy tune that combined enough layers and depth to keep the audience’s attention for the entirety of their act. Swansea based Heavy Petting followed up by delivering a set that combined a loose, but evident hybrid sound of the ‘Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ and ‘The Dead Weather’. Enhancing proceedings was the group’s ‘dancer’. Who proceeded to body pop his way through the set in front of the stage with a series of odd jerks and flailing arms culminating in the guy seemingly rubbing his face against what I can only assume must have been a somewhat dirty, if not sticky Full Moon floor.

Howl snuck to the stage to set up for the final set of the night with little fanfare. Guitarist Grant Jones

introduced them before diving full force into their set.

With Jones’ accomplished, skilful guitar backed up

by Tom Rees’ proficient drumming the pair’s sound managed to travel around the room with an air of ease and unassuming swagger about it. Vocally, they started off a little shaky but this was instantly recovered as Jones’s winding guitar solos intertwined through the audience, drawing the crowd in closer to the stage to soak up some of the pair’s exuberant, infectious energy. As the second song kicked in the pair managed to find their voices and feed off the positive reception from an eager audience. The pair shared vocal duties equally, laying them upon a mixture of blues and heavier rock sounds to create that punchy, instantly recognisable, unforgettable noise - Howl sound. soundcloud.com/Howlsound

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The MMP March 2013

Gigs of the Month /////

RICHARD JAMES & NO THEE NO ESS @ THE SHERMAN THEATRE

GATHERED IN SONG @ 10 FEET TALL

THURSDAY 4TH APRIL

A stellar trip of individualistic female singer songwriters in the form of Jess Klein, Georgia Ruth and Greta Isaac.

LOWER THAN ATLANTIS @ CLWB IFOR BACH

LITTLE COMETS @ THE GATE

THE STAVES @ THE GATE

TUESDAY 16TH APRIL

By their own description, they make “Kitchen Sink Indie” - which conjures charming images of a Skins episode directed by Ken Loach

Charming folk-rock trio who’ve previously worked with none other than Big Tom Jones. Prepare to be so charmed you lose control of your bodily functions.

MINUS THE BEAR @ CLWB IFOR BACH

THE CORRESPONDENTS @ 10 FEET TALL

DOG IS DEAD @ THE GLOBE

WEDNESDAY 24TH APRIL

THURSDAY 25TH APRIL

Uplifting indie pop for those with secret jazz leanings and a soft spot for harmonious, almost choral, singing.

GUNNING FOR TAMAR @ CLWB IFOR BACH WEDNESDAY 3RD APRIL

Effortlessly melodic alt rock that takes At-The Drive In’s love of grandiose guitar lines and blends it with a distinctly more rounded, mellowed and manageable edge.

Good old fashioned British rock and/ or roll with roots that run deep into the punk scene of yore. There will be loud sounds. There will be sweat stains.

Sophisticated indie rock that’s all twitchy time signatures, glitchy electronics and absurdly nimble guitar lines.

The legendary Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci mainman unveils his latest batch of tripped out idiosyncratic psych sound scapes.

FRIDAY 19TH APRIL

One of the greatest party acts operating the circuit. Electro swing at it’s finest - completely with an utterly mental frontman. Seriously. Bonkers.

MONDAY 15TH APRIL

TUESDAY 23RD APRIL

TUESDAY 30TH APRIL

themmp.tv

Clubs of the Month ///// JUJU NATIONS @ GWDIHW SATURDAY 6TH APRIL

BUMP’N’GRIND @ UNDERTONE

HELLS BENT @ THE FULL MOON SATURDAY 20TH APRIL

The legendary afrobeat, reggea and funk night returns fully intent on making you move your body in ways that make priests gasp and monocles drop from wealthy eyes.

Nout but smooth R & B classics to inspire the pushing of that thang up onto that other thang. You know what I mean.

Premier alternative LGBT evening is hosting an event in aid of CLIC Sargent charity. Good times and all for a good cause.

FABULOUS @ FOUR BARS (DEMPSEY’S)

NOCTURNAL EMISSIONS @ UNDERTONE

BUFFALO BOUTIQUE @ BUFFALO BAR

SATURDAY 27TH APRIL

Night of Northern Soul and Mod classics - suit up, throw down some talcum powder and spin, spin, spin until you can’t spin no more.

MONDAY 15TH APRIL

FRIDAY 26TH APRIL

Night dedicated to music culled from the darkest, deepest, weirdest corners of the goth spectrum. Put on some black and get moody init

MONDAY 29TH APRIL

Potential unique bargains abound underscored by a soundtrack of esoteric whatever-they-fancy-really tunes spun by the Vice DJ’s

Festival of the Month /////

FOCUS WALES FESTIVAL @ VARIOUS LOCATIONS, WREXHAM THURSDAY 25TH - 27TH MARCH Taking place across a wide spectrum of venues strewn throughout Wrexham, Focus Wales looks to shine a light on the most exciting up and coming acts from Wales alongside special guest headliners and international acts. This year sees the likes of Charlotte Church, Man Without Country and Michael Rother (from Neu!) as well as conferences and panels hosted by a wealth of music industry insiders. Think sxsw but without the corporate shilling.

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The MMP March 2013

For Full Gig & Club Listings Click Here www.themmp.tv

Regular Nights MONDAY

Trojan Boss Sound @ Rockin Chair, 7:00pm, FREE * Jamaican, ska, reggae and funk. Funk yes.

Buffalo Live @ Buffalo Bar, 8:00pm * Live music from bands and DJs.

Late Night Live @ 10 Feet Tall, 8:00pm, £varies * Two floors of entertainment, chart hits and the latest bar favourites

Mindie @ Peppermint, 8:00pm * Fancy a bit of indie/ Britpop? Then get on down...

Hangover Cure @ Mocka Lounge, 8:00pm, FREE * What it says on the tin really.

Go and massage that sore head!

Ctrl ALT Del @ Solus, 10:00pm, £2 * Eclectic array of genres in this one size fits all club night in the Union The Capital’s Favourite Monday Night @ GLAM, 10:00pm, FREE * Full of outrageous drink deals and killer dancing tunes.

Live DJ @ The Live Lounge, 11:00pm, FREE * Taking you through until 4am with an eclectic mix of sing-along tunes and dancefloor anthems.

Jagerfest @ GLAM, 10:00pm* Every Monday night at Glam. Jagerfest is the Monday night bomb!

Bump & Grind @ Undertone, 10:00pm, £3 * Come let the DJs brush that dirt off your shoulder at Cardiff’s ONLY 90s/00s Hip Hop & RnB BASEMENT Party! Coming at you the 1st Monday of EVERY month.

The Full Moon Monday Club @ The Full Moon, 9:00pm, FREE * Every Monday at The Full Moon, the best jukebox in Cardiff, Juke Nukem provides the tunes all night, while new prospects aim to earn the colours and join Cardiff’s least exclusive MC – Monday Club!

You’re the DJ… @ Bar Icon, 8:00pm, FREE * Every Monday you get to choose what music we play, our Jukebox has over 85,000 tracks so you should be spoiled for choice!

Plus 1 @ Tiger Tiger, 9:00pm, £5 * Hosted at the slickest venue, playing the freshest tunes, and serving the cheapest drinks, Plus 1 Mondays at Tiger Tiger Cardiff is THE place to be on a Monday night for the young and the young at heart.

TUESDAY

10 Feet Live @ 10 Feet Tall, 8:00pm, £varies * New music and party tunes in the bar until 4am!

Buffalo In Session @Buffalo Bar, 8:00pm, £varies * Showcasing the best

promoters, DJs & bands. 1st Tuesday of the month is Bof! 2nd Tuesday of the month is Lindy Hop Cardiff.

Open Mic Night and Karaoke @ WOW Bar, 8:00pm * Your chance to get on stage and show the world your talent.

Salsa Classes @ Live Lounge, 8:00pm * Come and learn some sensual Salsa at a top venue.

Relax and Unwind @ Mocka Lounge, 9:00pm * Loosen up after a stressful opening to the week.

Revive @ Solus, 10:00pm * The best party classics from your early musical years in the Union Two Damn Glam @ GLAM, 10:00pm * Expect chart anthems and dancefloor fillers.

DroneBoy Industries Hella Party @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 10:00pm, FREE * Party bass noises showcased from early hip-hop to dubstep to trap to d ‘n’ b.

Live DJ @ The Live Lounge, 11:00pm, FREE * Taking you through until 4am with an eclectic mix of singalong tunes and dancefloor anthems.

ALT. Tuesdays @ The Ladybird, 10:00pm, £4 on the door or £3.50 with an Alt Wristband.* Cardiff has been waiting ages for a night like Alt. and it just so happens, Alt is a night like Alt. Drink, Dance, Repeat…

Kitsch N Sync Collective: Electro Swing Dance Classes @ The Full Moon, 6:30pm, £4 * The lovely ladies at Kitsch N Sync Collective join us at The Full Moon every Tuesday, to teach our customers how to dance to Electro Swing! Learn to jump and jive and show everyone your moves at our monthly Rave Revue, upstairs at The Moon Club! It kicks off every week at 6.30pm. Participation is £4, spectating is free!

Therapy @ Bar Icon, 9:00pm, FREE * Jukebox music all night but you have control of what you wanna hear!

WEDNESDAY

Blender @ Buffalo Bar, 8:00pm, £varies * Fashionable midweek hangout with great tunes and great people.

Bolt @ 10 Feet Tall, 8:00pm, FREE * Indie, pop, electronic & new music over 2 floors!

Cocktail Heaven @ Mocka Lounge, 9:00pm * Two words that go hand in hand. Make mine a White Russian.

The Lash @ Solus, 9:00pm * Playing the best chart, electro, R&B and a dirty little bit of dubstep all mixed by resident DJ, Scott Kirby WOMP @ The Moon Club,

Regular Nights

live PA’s, DJ’s and weekly themes, Tiki Island is set to take the Cardiff nightlife by storm.

Snap, Crackle, Punk! @ Fuel Bar & Music Room, 9:00pm, £3* Cardiff’s newest and craziest pop punk party.

decks to give you live video DJ, the club room goes off in style!

Ska and Trojan with DJ Potter and Ben Potter @ The Bunkhouse, 10:00pm, FREE * Every Friday (New for January).

themmp.tv

through until 4am with an eclectic mix of singalong tunes and dancefloor anthem.

Roots Rock Reggae @ The Full Moon, 10:00pm, FREE * DJs playing... Roots Rock Reggae! Until 2.30am

Voodoo @ The Ladybird, No Sweat: An Acoustic Smack @ Soda Bar, 9:00pm, 10:00pm* Let us charm you Wonderland @ The Full £4 * Once you try smack. you through our magical potions promoters, 10:00pm Moon, 8:00pm, FREE * Every will be back!!

RuiningDJs your& bands. 1st and spells of music* One and Mission and of the month is Bof! c combine Thursday, our pals at No saturdaysTuesday since 2010. cocktailsTraffi to entertain youto provide a 2nd Tuesday of the monththrough is broad church of dance Sweat bring some of the best and entire evening at tunes Flashback @ Bar Icon, Lindy Hop Cardiff .

– expect electro, performers South Wales has Kapu Exotic Cocktail Bar, drum ‘n’ 9:00pm, FREE * A different bass, jungle, house and much to offer, toTrojan The Full Moon.

Ladybird Night Club and our Boss Sound @ theme every Open Mic Night and Friday, Touring acts oftenChair, come7:00pm, and Rockin FREE Karaoke @house WOWto Bar, VIP suite.more everything from 90’s join the fun as well – It’s a nice * Jamaican, ska, reggae and 8:00pm * Your chance to get Listen @ Clwb Fuel Rock ClubUp! @ Fuel Bar Ifor total classics! relaxed evening to come funk. Funk yes. and on stage and show the world Cardiff * ’s & MusicBach, Room,10:00pm 9:00pm,* £4 Entourage @ talent.

Crystal listen to some quality acoustic your longest running Established in 2006, the fiindie nestnight.

Buffalo Live @ Buffalo Bar, Boutique Lounge & Club, tunes, and not sweat! full to the rafters, enjoy metal played LOUD! 8:00pm * Live music from10:00pmSalsa @air Live rock andAlways * A redClasses carpet aff current hits, motown classic Boom! @bands The Full andMoon, DJs. * Come and Lounge, 8:00pm Swing and roll with with indulgent Music, Extravaandrock indie‘n’ anthems.

11:00pm, FREE * Electro learn some sensual Salsa at DJaBen Potter @ The gant Drinks in Sensational Late Night Live @ 10 Feet Swing, Ghetto Funk, Dub, top venue.

Live 10:00pm, DJ @ TheFREE Live Lounge, Bunkhouse, Surroundings with Exclusive Tall, 8:00pm, £varies * Two Reggae and Party Mashups, 11:00pm, FREE * Every Saturday (New for* Taking you Guests; it’s a place to meet, floors of entertainment, chart Relax and Unwind @ Mocka Great Music Mixed Badly! through until 4am with an network and party9:00pm with * LoosenJanuary). hits and the latest bar up Lounge, mix of singalong The Jazzfavourites Gallery @ Fire friends. Friday will opening toSoiree after anights stressful the @eclectic Sodaand Bar,dancefl 9:00pm, tunes oor anthem.

Island, 9:00pm, FREE * The never be week. the same as we aim £5 * Soiree has been Mindie @ Peppermint, Jazz Gallery and Fire Island to entertain and make it a One’s & Two’sthe @ The introduced to manage 8:00pm * Fancy a bit of indie/ Revive @ Solus, 10:00pm * host a weekly series of memorable, enjoyable FREE * demandLadybird, of high end8:00pm, clubbing Britpop? Then get on down...

The best party classics from collaborations from local jazz experience each and every all you night (we close inthe CardiffFree , we entry will see your early musical Hangover Cure @ MockaFriday. Entourage... groups and guest musicians Be Part years of inevery at midnight), Saturday night, drinks where between Union Lounge, 8:00pm, FREE *it... from across the UK. £1the andred £2!carpet The perfect place we roll out & What it says on the tin really.

Damn Glam forwe your social!

Womp &Two Reggae Hop @ @ GLAM, make sure give you a Go and massage that sore * Expect chart night to remember.

The Full 10:00pm Moon, 10:00pm, Gossip @ GLAM, 9:00pm * head! anthems and dancefl oor FREE * Two Rooms – One to party with Cardiff Iconic @Want Bar Icon, 10:00pm, GiganticCtrl DJsALT @ The DelFull @ Solus, Big Party.fillers. elite? is the brand the GOSSIP best chart, FREE * All Moon, 7:00pm, FREE 10:00pm, £2 **Eclectic array DroneBoy Industries Hella newand night formusic 2012 & pop, dance club ‘tilTRUST Everything caninimagine, of you genres this one size fits Party @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 3am! ME it really is “The talk of the from bebop to trip hop to all club night in the Union 10:00pm, FREE * Party bass town”. motown to jazz to ska and Vanity - It’s All About You @from early noises showcased electro! The Capital’s Favourite GLAM, 8:00pm * Two floors Soda Live @ Soda Bar, hip-hop to dubstep to trap to Monday Night @ GLAM, 8:00pm, FREE * Every of the hottest The Resurrection The *Old d ‘n’ R&B, b. hip hop, Full of 10:00pm, @ FREE Wednesday Soda Lounge Rock’N’Rolla Disco At @ 10 dance and all in between * deals and Library, 8:00pm, FREE outrageous drink Live DJ @ The Live Lounge, us as *we showcase the Bar Feet Tall,join 8:00pm Playing non-stop supersonic Five Dollar Shake @ The*Full killer dancing tunes.

Taking you 11:00pm, FREE very best in live music! industry & retail staff night (all mixes of indie, Brit-pop and * All Moon, 8:00pm, FREE through until 4am with an welcome) – Alternative Party Live DJ @ The Live Lounge, alternative tunes. sorts, from bebop, funk and eclectic mix of singalong Mash-up, Indie & New Music 11:00pm, FREE * Taking you soul to hip hop,and dancehall and Axe the DJ @ NosDa, tunes dancefl oor DJs in the downstairs bar, live through until 4am with an electro swing! weekly 8:00pm, eclectic £TBC * A anthems. bands upstairs. mix of sing-along Armageddon @ The Old event where theand bartenders Me And You @ 10 @ Feet tunes dancefloor ALT. Club Tuesdays The Cardiff’s Library, Sundays 8:00pm * @ Mocka Lounge choose the tunes. Anything * An Tall, 8:00pm, FREE10:00pm, anthems.

Ladybird, £4 onMocka Lounge, latest, greatest live* rock and 8:00pm from funk to fusion to German unruly rock ‘n’ roll party til the the door or £3.50 with anWind Alt down metal night. week a chaotic Jagerfest @ GLAM, techno metal. early hours with the coolest * Cardiff has been Wristband. with a visit Mocka 10:00pm* Every Monday OntoThe Rocks @ 10 Feet in town Smash Disco @ Glam.

Buffalo Bar, iscats waiting ages for a night like night at Jagerfest the Tall, 8:00pm, FREE * Rock ‘n @ Buff alo Bar, Dance your 9:00pm, Monday £4 / £3 * night Alt. and8:00pm, it just so happens,The Alt HopRoll, Milgi @ Milgi’s, bomb! alternative * A killer blend ofmash-ups, 8:00pm drunken night away to beats is a night like Alt. Drink, Saturday, hear FREE * Every guitar anthems and party riffs rock’n’roll, swing, jive, psych Bump & Grind that are all killer no filler @ world andDance, danceRepeat… tracks. Try untilanthems the sun comes up! & alt classic Undertone, 10:00pm, £3 * their cocktails, Fancy Footwork 10DJs Feet Kitschtoo.

N Sync Collective: Come let@ the brush that Mixtape @ Peppermint, Sunday Nite Chillax @ Bar Tall, 8:00pm, FREE Electro Swing Design @ Dance dirt off yourb4 shoulder at Twisted by * Eclectic mix of 8:00pmFREE * Chill Icon, 11:00pm, * Classic 11pm, £5Cardiff / £4 after Classes @ The Full * One ofMoon, Dempsey’s, 8:00pm ’s ONLY 90s/00s Hip hip-hop, out, maxold-skool, out, act out all cool.breaks, funk, soul, old&school disco, 6:30pm,running £4 * The lovely ladies Cardiff’s longest Hop RnB BASEMENT garage, dubstep and DNB party mash-ups atnights, Kitsch every N Sync CollectiveOr simply chillax at this fine alternative Party! Coming at you the 1st establishment.

Mocka Lounge Thursday @ Monday of EVERY Milgi @ Milgi’s, 8:00pm * month.fortnight.join us at The Full Moon every Mocka Lounge, 9:00pm * to teach our Live DJ @ The Live Lounge, CelebrateThe a collection of Monday Liven UpTuesday, Your Weekends Full Moon Chilled R&B and customers how to At dance to * Taking you House 11:00pm, FREEout world music played @ Cafe Jazz, Club @ ThebyFull Moon, Cafe Jazz music gallore.

Electro Swing! Learn to jump through until 4am with an in-house9:00pm, DJs. Resident DJshow and everyone FREE * Every 8:00pm *and jive and eclectic mix of singalong Signature @ Buffalo Bar, the 1950’s The Full* Moon,great the music TherapyMonday @ Glam,at9:00pm yourfrom moves at our monthlytunes and dancefl£varies oor * 9:00pm, up to theRave present bestdosage jukeboxofinspine Cardiff, Juke Your weekly Revue, upstairs at The anthems.Experimental, electronic, new Nukem provides all MeMoon shaking beats, bright lightsthe tunesPlug Club! It kicks off every In @ Bacchus, eld, dubstep, Sunday music, Projectleftfi @ The night, while new prospects8:00pm, week and sticky dancefl oors 6.30pm.night Participation * Weekly FREEat hip-hop, DJs, live * and a 10:00pm, FREEacts aim to earn the colours and is £4, spectating is free! Ladybird, of banging house tunes with Delete @ Clwb Ifor Bach, ne arrayIndustry of delicious Cardiff’s fifavourite join Cardiff’s least exclusive special guests popping to 10:00pm * Pushing the cocktails.

Therapy @ BarinIcon, night, every Sunday at MC – Monday Club! provide their own take barriers of house music 9:00pm, FREE * Jukebox Ladybird.Twisted This is Sunday

by Design @ You’re the DJ… @ Bar Icon, forever onwards all night butalo you have Beatboxmusic Ballroom @ Buff project. Dempseys, 9:00pm * The 8:00pm, FREE * Every Bar, 8:00pm control of what youof wanna * Weekly dose The Furnace @ Bogiez, usual, broad mixBar, of tunes Soda Sundays @Soda Monday you get to choose soul and hear! hip-hop.

10:00pm, FREE * Bringing gracing every genre under the 9:30pm, £5 * Join us every what music we play, our the very best mix of old to sun. at Soda for the Sunday night Jukebox has over 85,000 Buzz / Berlin Returns! @ new rock, metal, punk and most talked about event Propaganda @ of GLAM, tracks so you should be So-Lo, 9:00pm * All the great alternative! Anything goes as old school R&B, hip-hop the week,10:00pm, Soda Sundays. £4 * Two rooms of spoiled for choice! long as it’s rawwwkk.

Blender @and Buff‘90s. alo Bar, tunes from the ‘80s most popular, Sunday the Mass: The Full dancefloor Plus 1 @ Tiger Tiger, 8:00pm, £varies * Xerox @ Clwb Ifor Bach, anthems with cheap drinks Comeplay @ Solus, 9:00pm, Moon Open Stage @ The 9:00pm, £5 * Hosted at the Fashionable midweek 10:30pm, £4 * Downstairs in a along the way.

Party pointing Full Moon, 7:00pm, FREE * slickest venue, playing the£5 / £4 * hangout with great tunes and much loved venue, the party night comprised of The Full Moon’s brand newIfor Bach, C-Y-N-T @ Clwb freshest tunes, and servingSaturdaygreat people. jukebox keeps things a chart, dance, pop, rock and Open Stage night! Bands, 10:30pm, £4 * The original the cheapest drinks, Plus 1 kicking Bolt @ 10 Feet Tall, 8:00pm, artists, singers, emcees, midweek rave keeps Mondays at Tiger Tiger funk music FREE * Indie, pop, electronic whatever!pumping Come down and Live DJ @ The Live Lounge, out the electro, Cardiff is THE place to be Swing on and Rock ‘n’ Roll @ & new music over 2 floors!make use of our stage! all techno * Taking youthe young 11:00pm,aFREE dubstep, d ‘n’ bIt’s and Monday night for The Bunkhouse, 10:00pm * yours! through until with an and4am the young at heart. DJ Ben Potter Cocktail Heaven @ Mocka brings the lushLive DJ @ The Live Lounge, eclectic mix of singalong Lounge, 9:00pm ness of the swing and rock* Two words 11:00pm, FREE * Taking you tunes and dancefloor anthem. go hand in hand. Make era back that to modernity through until 4am with an mine a White Russian.

Pop, Bubble, Rock! @ The eclectic mix of singalong 3 Floor Party @ Clwb Ifor 10 Feet Live 10 Feet Tall, Bunker, 10:00pm, £4 *@The tunes and dancefloor anthem.

The Lash @ Solus, 9:00pm * * Three fl oors Bach, 10:00pm 8:00pm, £varies * New Most Super Fun Alternative & music Playing theMotown, best chart, electro, mouth-watering Tiki Island @ The Ladybird, and party tunes in the bar of until Pop Clubnight....pretty much dirty little bit of soul and R&B moreand withaVinyl 10:00pm* Accept no 4am! ever. all mixed Vendettasdubstep on the top floor. by resident limitations, there is only one aloLadybird, In Session @Buffalo DJ, Scott Kirby Scratch Buff @ The Thursday night in Cardiff for Bogiez Saturday Mayhem @ 8:00pm, £varies mark the end * Bogiez, 10:00pm, 9:30pm, Bar, £4* To the student elite. With huge WOMP @FREE The Moon Club, * Showcasing the best of the week Ladybird lay Intensely chaotic rock night down some of the best old down in Bogiez – bring the skool beats with the sounds mosh! of ‘KISSTORY’ in the main Live DJ @ The Live Lounge, club room & with 11:00pm, FREE * Taking you UrbanFusion taking to the

MONDAY

10:00pm * One Mission and Traffic combine to provide a broad church of dance tunes – expect electro, drum ‘n’ bass, jungle, house and much more

Listen Up! @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 10:00pm * Cardiff’s longest running indie night.

Always full to the rafters, enjoy current hits, motown classic and indie anthems.

Live DJ @ The Live Lounge, 11:00pm, FREE * Taking you through until 4am with an eclectic mix of singalong tunes and dancefloor anthem.

One’s & Two’s @ The Ladybird, 8:00pm, FREE * Free entry all night (we close at midnight), drinks between £1 and £2! The perfect place for your social!

Gossip @ GLAM, 9:00pm * Want to party with Cardiff elite? GOSSIP is the brand new night for 2012 & TRUST ME it really is “The talk of the town”.

Soda Live @ Soda Bar, 8:00pm, FREE * Every Wednesday At Soda Lounge join us as we showcase the very best in live music!

THURSDAY

Armageddon @ The Old Library, 8:00pm * Cardiff’s latest, greatest live rock and metal night.

On The Rocks @ 10 Feet Tall, 8:00pm, FREE * Rock ‘n Roll, alternative mash-ups, guitar anthems and party riffs until the sun comes up!

Mixtape @ Peppermint, 8:00pm * Eclectic mix of old-skool, hip-hop, breaks, garage, dubstep and DNB

Mocka Lounge Thursday @ Mocka Lounge, 9:00pm * Chilled out R&B and House music gallore.

Signature @ Buffalo Bar, 9:00pm, £varies * Experimental, electronic, new music, leftfield, dubstep, hip-hop, DJs, live acts and a fine array of delicious cocktails.

Twisted by Design @ Dempseys, 9:00pm * The usual, broad mix of tunes gracing every genre under the sun.

Propaganda @ GLAM, 10:00pm, £4 * Two rooms of the most popular, dancefloor anthems with cheap drinks along the way.

C-Y-N-T @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 10:30pm, £4 * The original midweek rave keeps pumping out the electro, dubstep, d ‘n’ b and techno

Live DJ @ The Live Lounge, 11:00pm, FREE * Taking you through until 4am with an eclectic mix of singalong tunes and dancefloor anthem.

Tiki Island @ The Ladybird, 10:00pm* Accept no limitations, there is only one Thursday night in Cardiff for the student elite. With huge

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FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

THURSDAY

WEDNESDAY

TUESDAY

The MMP March 2013

Record Charts WELSH

1

Al Lewis Battles

2

DC Gates Misandry

3

Zinc Bukowski Nature Finds A Way In The Face Of Woe

4

Little Arrow Wild Wishes

5

Plant Duw Lliwiau

6

Christopher Rees Stand Fast

7

Threatmantics Kid McCoy

8

Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog Draw Dros Y Mynydd

9

Denuo Wolf River

10

Paper Aeroplanes Time To Be

GENERAL

SPILLERS

24

1

David Bowie Next Day

2

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Push The Sky Away

3

Daughter If You Leave

4

Atoms For Peace Amok

5

John Grant Pale Green Ghosts

6

Richard Thompson Electric

7

Low Invisible Way

8

Palma Violets 180

9

Johnny Marr The Messenger

10

Various Artists Deutsche Elektronische Musik 2

themmp.tv

DIVERSE

GENERAL

1

David Bowie The Next Day

2

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Push The Sky Away

3

John Grant Pale Green Ghosts

4

Son Volt Honky Tonk

5

Suede Bloodsports

6

The Cave Singers Naomi

7

Caitlin Rose The Stand-in

8

Eels Wonderful, Glorious

9

Steve Mason Monkey Minds In The Devil’s Time

10

The Bronx The Bronx IV

CATAPULT

GENERAL

1

Rike Wade Players Theme

2

Cassegrain Tiamat

3

Komon & Appleblim Gas Jam

4

Om Unit & Sam Binga Small Victories EP

5

Break Love So True VIP

6

Magda Late Night Woodward

7

DJ Marky & SPY Yellow Shows ‘Calibre Remix’

8

Nick Anthony Simoncino Animal

9

Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy & Dawn McCarthy What The Brothers Sang

10

Various Artists Think & Change 5 Piece Ltd Edition Vinyl Box Set

25

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The MMP March 2013

Reviews Albums Singles Demos

Our Pick of the Month Laurence Made Me Cry Diary Of Me

4*

Despite the best intentions from that Get. Cape.Wear.Cape.Fly bloke, I’m not sure if folktronica was ever really a bonafide genre in its own right; seemingly existing as nothing more a microcosm of a particular niche for a very specific period of time. The Diary of Me is a collection gentle, introspective folk songs that seamlessly blend delicately plucked guitars and strings with jittering postal service esque beats and glitches, all guided by Jo’s effortlessly listenable vocal talents. One of the most appealing aspects of the record is the inherent sense of motion in the music. Folk, often times can seem to exist in a static slump, going so far into the minutia of the singer’s personal neurosis that the music never really moves. The Diary of Me is marked by a constant gentle pulse of sorts, with each of the tracks feeling like the music is in transit. It makes for a listening experience that sweeps you up in the immediacy, and holds you by the hand, tugging along until the last chord. It often feels a little like being stuck in a very pretty time lapse, the crackling electronic pulses that smother “Remedy” and “Northern Lights” emerge as particular highlights, Jo’s got a knack for a nice chorus hook as well. Beautifully crafted and elegantly presented, it’s a tremendous debut.

Laurencemademecry.com

Soft Hearted Scientists False Lights

3*

We have a rich legacy of psychedelia in Wales yet SHS do not merely follow in the footsteps of such luminaries as Gorkys Zygotic Mynci and the Super Furry Animals, they’ve created something certainly unique that has its own legacy. Though laudable in its vision, False Lights is a mixed bag when realised. There will be those who instantly dismiss this album as twee nonsense; quirky for sake of it… but also those who find it genuinely inspiring and uplifting. It is indeed difficult to take the waddling, Playbus sound of lead track ‘Seeing’ seriously, or indeed the somewhat sickly sweet fairground sound of ‘Turn the Tables’. But ‘Golgotha’ pleasingly has something of King Crimson about it and the catchy refrain of ‘Song for the River’ will satisfy many listeners. Where they really hit the mark though is on ‘Seaside Sid and the Giant Squid’, a track that, despite the subject matter, errs toward the most revered of 60s psychedelia.

When elsewhere their lyrics could be considered cringe-worthy, here it all makes sense. Lyrically, regular, genuine allusions to the real world can be jarring, breaking down established barriers between the subject matter of songs and the squirrels in your backyard. They are unashamedly fanciful, observant and playful and to a certain degree reminiscent of The Divine Comedy or Pulp in this regard. Whatever you make of it, their commitment to their cause is worthy of praise and the way they go about it cannot be ignored.

Gareth

softheartedscientists.com

Firewheelbombfire

Square Peg Square Hole

5*

On the evidence of this album, “sonic scientist” would be an appropriate moniker to gift upon Matt Strangis, aka Firewheelbombfire.

Taking elements of ambient music, electronica, heavy metal and stoner rock before cramming them into the audio equivalent of the Large Hadron Collider, smashing them together at high velocity and expelling the results across ten gloriously strange and visceral tracks that wilfully dodge genre convention, surprise at every turn and slither through the darkest recesses of the mind painting vivid pictures as they go. It’s an album that has been purpose built to be consumed as that rarest of things in modern music, an actual cohesive album; each of the tracks running seamlessly into the next building an increasingly interesting and engaging landscape of sounds to wander through. From the opening surges, stutters and slippery turns of “Doggone” the music never stops taking you by surprise; the melancholy piano of “Francis” conjures black and white photographs of some bombed out European cityscape, the creeping

bass lines and whispered vocals of “Pissing Guilt” evoke Massive Attack at their most menacing whilst the gentle optimism of “September” proves there’s a heart beating somewhere inside this machine. When devoured in one sitting it feels like the soundtrack to some nightmarish cyperpunk thriller about the imminent collapse of human civilisation, you can practically hear the words of William Gibson floating just out of earshot. In a word – Fantastic. JD

soundcloud.com/firewheelbombfire

Little Arrow Wild Wishes

5*

Little Arrow have gone and produced such a devastatingly charming collection of wistful, energetic and at times beautifully strange folk tinged songs that there simply must be room for them within the plethora of acts operating in a similar vein out there….hell, I’d go as far to say they may even be at risk of rising above them… Primarily dealing with songs that build increasingly intricate music around the William’s sonorous vocals, pirouetting between optimism and melancholy with wide eyed grandeur, the influence of West Wales natural beauty bleeding in at times (as on “State of You and Me” and “Red Sky”), the album waltz through a series of relentlessly pretty musical injections, undercut occasionally with splattering’s of odd left field weirdness; such as the short lament of “I Man Ogre” and the ketamine drenched fog that sees the album off with “Lead Us Now”. What the album conjured up primarily where images of Maurice Sendak’s renowned children’s book “Where The Wild Things Are” - its music with a sense of childlike adventure and imagination, but the apparent innocence is shadowed by something frightening lurking just out of sight .JD

littlearrow.bandcamp.com

Chris Phillips Keep Movin’ On

4*

If there is one overriding chunk of fact that can be gleaned about Chris Phillips from the very first moments of “Keep Movin’ On” right through to its final chords, it is the following; Mr Phillips loves the brothers Gallagher. If I was going to hazard a guess I’d say he’s a particular fan of the quieter (albeit only marginally) and altogether more talented (arguably) Noel. If it weren’t for the fact that Chris actually does a startlingly good job of emulating the style of his hero(s), the material would risk falling into a flat pastiche; but luckily what we have here is a debut from a clearly talented performer with a real knack for evocative, cinematic song arrangements and an ear for an uplifting stadium styled anthem. Consciously or not, it doesn’t have the same glossy sheen that the Gallagher’s like to lather over their music, rather it’s

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often fuzzy and oddly distorted; Like listening to the music through a light fog of static; At times it sounds a little like Oasis had they been filtered through Frank Blacks more manic Pixies moments.

For all its (slightly derivative) strengths however, the record is overly long. Leaving a few tracks on the cutting room floor and keeping the whole record leaner would have alleviated the lull that emerges two thirds of the way through.

However, it’s a seriously enjoyable and excellently put together debut; though, Gallagher fans however form an orderly parka clad queue. JD

softheartedscientists.com

Bridges

Colour The Sky

4*

Epic; if there was a single word that could be used to sum up this debut release from Welsh five-piece Bridges it would simply be that. Everything about this release is simply gargantuan. Each track is dripping with thickly layered and catchy guitars, the vocal harmonies are immeasurably stacked up into a deep wall of sound and a cavernous reverb even affords the percussive parts a certain level of grandeur. The songs themselves are quality, and along with the strong production levels, slot these particular tunes quite comfortably into the same bracket as the likes of 30 Seconds to Mars or fellow Welsh musical brethren The Blackout. It’s arguable however, that such favourable comparisons come at a cost – they plethora of commercially accessible rock acts saturating the market mean that nothing short of revolutionary runs the risk of being overlooked. The baffling faux-American accents on display are unnecessary also. Sure, Welsh acts don’t need to sing like the cast of Twin Town, but there’s no need to continue mimicking our trans-Atlantic cousins for little or no reason.

That aside, this really is a great little release which smacks of huge amounts of promise. JS

facebook.com/bridgesband

Twlc

Radio/ Dim Radio

confusion over what the tracks are actually trying to achieve - most suffer from a lack of melody or a failure to truly capture the unsettling atmosphere Twlc is clearly striving for. Though an interesting… if peculiar sonic experiment, it just doesn’t quite grab the imagination enough to worm down into the primal fearful parts of the brain to linger and ferment.. JD

twlc.bandcamp.com

Nathaniel

Kick Out Of You

Despite sitting un-moving smack bang in the middle of the road and existing within the same ballpark as Radio 2 friendly soft-rock X Factor turd cannon splattering’s that sad eyed housewives can hum along to whilst listlessly scrubbing dishes, Nathaniel has got some serious vocal and songwriting chops on him. Opener (and standout track) “Kick Out Of You” is a catchy little number that does a fantastic job of exhibiting the glossy production values and sterling voice work that remain consistent throughout the E.P, whilst final track “Don’t Stop” features some really nifty and unexpected chorus chord changes that add an extra dimension to the songs musicality. They sound not too dissimilar to what Matchbox Twenty vocalist Rob Thomas gets up to in his time away from the band. “Let Me Drown” is the obligatory ballad, but even that manages to get some testosterone by the end despite a somewhat melodramatic and saccharine start. Ok, so the whole thing is a little cheesy and unashamedly aiming directly at the mainstream. But hey, if you do it well and you’re honest in your intentions to try and clog up day time radios in the near future, why not go for. Nathaniel certainly has the skills to act as a musical blockage for housewives to hum along to in the near future.. JMS

soundcloud.com/nathanielofficial

Scriber 3*

Sounding like John Carpenter scoring a horror themed 80s arcade game Radio/Dim Radio makes for a strange, at times disquieting though primarily baffling listening experience. Midi horns and synth lines warp on top of simplistic reverb drenched drum beats whilst modulated vocals mutter incomprehensible phrases just out of earshot. There are no real songs as such, each of the tracks is a three to five minute instrumental jog through the fog machine drenched, degraded film stock landscape of some forgotten Hammer horror. At times, as on the steadily building synth stabs and relentless choral hums of “Lwp” it actually comes together really well crystallising into something genuinely creepy that wouldn’t be out of place in one of Dario Argento’s more surreal sequences. But predominantly, there’s a sense of

3*

Every Particle

4*

Simon & Garfunkel, Bon Iver, Leonard Cohen, Thom Yorke and weirdly David Lynch are just some of the people which self-confessed Garage/Folk connoisseur Scriber (Joshua Price) has been compared to. “Every Particle” is a robust set of 4 songs. The melancholy crooner is clearly talented, with wistful lyrics and a voice which sounds like Damon Albarn via Tom Waits while deserted on some isolated, overcast island with only a football for company. “Famous Men” with its crisp acoustic guitar ramblings, awkward vocal pauses (reminiscent of a bygone Johnny Cash era) and subtle percussion queues do well in beginning proceedings. With “Bethlehem” taking the mantel as my favourite song from the EP due to the pounding drums, oscillating guitar and husky Albarn like vocal delivery. The Charming “Corridor (Split a Light)” meets your standard folk

expectations, breaking no new boundaries but giving you more of the same. Whilst the final track “Thunder” a brooding piece with atmospheric undertones, darker lyrics, and a swooning backing track of vocals from the Bon Iver school of harmonies, shows that he is still experimenting with his sound. Apart from all of the comparisons, Scriber has done well to define his own style in this latest EP. With a good, clear sense of direction.

And with standout tracks like “Thunder”. There is no doubt we will be hearing a lot more from this artist in time to come. JMS

soundcloud.com/rocking-chairrecords

Kyshera Ft Tut Tut Child Vote With A Bullet

4*

Politicised stuff with guitars is so 90’s isn’t it? The days of bands using long words and actually having a message has been passed up in favour of seeing if they can, you know, get their song title, like, trending on Twitter. For the megalolz. Retweet!

Fortunately, there are bands willing to blend quality music with a message. Kyshera bring their ‘konic’ sound (nope, me neither) to centre stage with ‘Vote with a Bullet’ which doesn’t explicitly seem to be about guns but definitely has an anarchistic bent to it. Crunching into life directly after the vocal sample, the industrial guitar whine and rolling bass give urgency to solid vocal work – there’s immediately evidence of some decent production – far more than the “recorded in a studio owned by a mate” offering that some local bands offer. And while there’s a place for that in a diverse Cardiff canvas, this is the sort of track that the city should be known for exporting. There’s a couple of bizarre dubstep breaks here. Under the Geneva Convention of music clichés, all dubstep sounds like two Transformers energetically bonking, but even that can’t wreck the quality of this track. Forget about the debate about the best band to come out of Cardiff and not get recognised, once you’ve heard this, the debate is over. Bullet optional. HP.

www.facebook.com/kyshera

Bloodflower

Indigo 4* Google the word ‘Bloodflower’ and you’re presented with numerous definitions. A South African plant, a recently broken up heavy metal band, the Cure’s sombre (But rather good) comeback album.

The last one is highly relevant given this recent single from the latest incarnation of the word.

Bloodflower came into being last September and consist of Jonnie Owen (Artist) and Tom Manning (Producer) with Indigo marking their first release.

What we have here is a veritable smorgasbord of new romantic bands wonderfully stuffed together. In fact, so super condensed is the 80s synthy charm that’s been blended to form this

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rather epic ballad that you can easily imagine Erasure and The Pet Shop Boys fighting one another for the honour of producing a remix.

Minimalist bass tones offset the track throughout, with Hurts esque harmonies, cheeky maracas (the new cowbell) and gorgeous synthesized organs.

I can safely say that Bloodflower’s Indigo has me overwhelmed. I expect great things from their soon to be released album (Circadian Clock).JZD

facebook.com/iamBloodflower

Volente

Broken Promises

3*

Originally hailing from South Africa, Volente Lloyd has spent the last twenty years plying her trade throughout the UK in various areas of the music industry from singer and musician through to independent record label owner. Here we find her in singer/songwriter/producer mode working very much within the constraints of the trip-hop/ electronica genres and it’s an interesting little track to say the least. A short intro gives way to a static and slightly hectic drum and bass beat which rolls unbroken throughout the majority of the track, nestled between distant distorted guitars and dreamy, psychedelic vocal harmonies.

As compelling a sound as this creates the track suffers badly from its distinct lack of variation and dynamics between verses and choruses. It feels as though it desperately wants to kick it up a notch when the chorus arrives but the refusal to either alter the beat or seriously thicken out its backing – with the exception of a short, stabbing string section – mean that it arrives and departs a little like a drunk stumbling home after a heavy night before quickly slipping off to bed unnoticed.

Consequently this release manages to be both fascinating and a little tedious at the same time, leaving a decidedly alien taste in the ears after listening. JS.

facebook.com/VolenteOfficialPage

Ghost Carriage Phantoms A Special Kind Of Cold

3*

The most definitive part of the song is certainly the vocals, which provide a deep, evocative element to the piece. On first listening to the track, the voice of lead singer Michael Hall is enough to sustain your attentive ears. However, once you really attune to the lyrics, the song reveals itself to be a rather dreary, pessimistic take on life, with lines such as ‘when you’ve had too much to drink and

you start to think that only you might kill you’.

Other elements of the song compliment this slow, doubtful tone, with the rather simplistic guitar chords giving a sustained flow to the lyrics and the track as a whole. The only breakdown in the song occurs through a heavy use of church bells which continue to echo once the main piece resumes, thus continuing the eerie theme that is embedded in the song’s vibe. Overall, A Special Kind of Cold demonstrates Ghost Carriage Phantoms potential to create this slow melodic sound which appears to rely heavily on the singer’s fairly unique voice.

It’s a more than fitting soundtrack to a particularly crappy Monday morning. DM

ghostcarriagephantoms.bandcamp.com

Sweet Baboo If I Died...

3*

Stephen Black certainly lives up to his alias on If I Died..., taken from his fourth album, the soonto-be-released Ships. Simplistic, sugary-sweet indie pop in the vein of The Zutons and The Coral is very much the order of the day. And for the most part, it’s an enjoyable listen, despite barely deviating at all from its models. Lyrically, If I Died... is as cutesy and light as the surrounding instrumentation, albeit with occasional moments of humour; “Daniel Johnston has written hundreds of great tunes, and I’ve got six. So I guess that’s some catching up to do.” Indeed, Johnston’s influence on Black is clear, who has adopted a very similar poetic stance. Black’s lyrics, which are charming at best and highly derivative and precious at worst, are tolerable and even quite enjoyable in the medium of a three minute pop song, but it’s easy to imagine this style becoming tedious rather quickly over the course of an full-length album.

If I Died... does however feature some lovely touches, including the thick brass arrangement in the chorus which sounds as dense and delicious as warm chocolate cake, and the unashamedly cheesy keyboard solo. KD

to know’ is a simple, looping track which is bouncy and pleasant and drives itself forward upon an enthusiastic vocal and an undulating hypnotic melody. ‘Ni ddaw hwn byth yn ôl’ is an abridged acoustic jaunt to the backdrop of guitar and harmonica, but really it’s John Wright’s voice that’s the star of the show, that Celtic choristic register being a distinctive mark in his work, and most of his tracks continue in that same vein, regardless of language. There’s a richness in his voice which few artists really achieve, perhaps in contrast to the sparse musical canvas that Wrightoid adds deep swathes of colour to. I mentioned the word folk at the start of this, and upon repeated listening, I’m wrong. If you’re desperate for a pigeonhole, try alternative Celtic chillout. There’s a remarkably cooling, soothing quality to this and if you’re looking for something different to relax to, this should be high on your playlist. HP

soundcloud.com/wrightoid

Them Dead Beats

Get Mine 3* Sounding like Tom Waits blitzed out of his mind on Meth and swerving an open top pickup truck wildly through the set of trailer park boys, “Get Mine” is a distorted baseball bat of righteous blues punk and scuzzed up scratchy vocals right to the temple. Even comes complete with a pretty solid harmonica solo two thirds of the way in, just in case you feel like pulling your best Bruce Willis smirk and leaping away from an explosion.

It would certainly aid from beefier drums and guitar, they sound a little thin and lack the punch they rightly deserve – but the lo-fi fuzz is oddly endearing, surreal and a little bit freaky.

Interesting to see what these folks could do with some proper . JD

reverbnation.com/thedeadbeats61

ghostcarriagephantoms.bandcamp.com

Wrightoid

Demo 4* What the hell is folk anyway?

Middle aged men? Thick woollen jumpers? Cattle? It’s time to update our perceptions, and John ‘Wrightoid’ Wright is just one of many striving for a new definition. I’d like

All reviews have been edited down for publication for full length reviews and details visit: themmp.tv

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How Not To Make It In The Industry Punk Rock: (/pʌŋk/rok/) Noun - definition unknown [ // Reports From Our Man On The Inside ]

There are fewer combinations more dangerous in music than the words ‘punk’ and ‘rock’; to some it’s an attitude, to others it’s a hairstyle. Personally,

after many years of putting on gigs with the word ‘punk’ involved, the only thematic link I can see is the continuous use of cider.

Misuse of the phrase can and will cause arguments, and as much as I’ve always tried to keep my opinions to myself, I once found myself in a strange sort of punk rock sandwich situation …

Here’s the scene: I was working in a live music venue simultaneously hosting two shows, one on each floor and both in-house (the money is ours to lose)… I was tasked with manning the downstairs gig, which featured Lach from New York, the apparent pioneer of antifolk…which is sort of a punk take on folk. Meanwhile upstairs, The UK Subs were to headline a night of British punk rock, and seeing as they’re often referred to as the godfathers of said genre; it appeared an evening heavy on the “P” word was ahead.

By this point, I’d put on a lot of punk

shows, but always local acts. Generally they were simple door deals with no monetary stress. However, this was an evening comprised of two acts supposedly responsible for defining their respective genres; surely egos would abound…

Lach was as friendly and unassuming as they come. So much so I actual questioned if he really was the man behind this whole “antifolk” thing…

He explained to me in incredible depth how the genre had been born; absorbing the folk of the 60s then getting his mind blown by punk in the 70s. Being unable to attend expensive folk gigs in NYC so opting instead to play on the street opposite the venue, thus becoming the “anti-folk-gig”. How his NYC open mic, “The Antihoot” helped launch the careers of pretty much every antifolk act you’ve heard

of (Jeffrey Lewis, Regina Spektor, The Moldy Peaches). As he passionately explained to me how he single handedly formed the roots of an entire genre, I couldn’t help but think, ‘that’s pretty punk rock dude’…

During this talk, the room had filled with many a leather jacketed man, waiting for the doors upstairs to open. The UK Subs peaked in the late 70’s, so as you can imagine the crowd weren’t the young pups they once would’ve been for such a gig, and whilst I appreciate the ‘reliving of youth’ that was occurring that night, it felt a little bit fancy dress…

As Lach was called for soundcheck, he politely requested a cup of tea.

Panic struck me; the kettle was in the backstage area occupied by The UK Subs....All sorts of clichés started running through my head, butting in on

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a proper legendary punk band before they go onstage? What would I see?

Partying? Violence? Nipples? A violent nipple party?!!?!

Donning my best ‘oblivious to everything around me’ face the scene I walked into wasn’t exactly the backstage brawl of sex and drugs that I’d imagined. I was greeted by the sight of one band member trying fit some in pre-gig sleep on a tiny sofa, whilst another with a laptop and an incredibly friendly grin informed me he was “just photoshopping a guitar onto a kitten’…

I’ve often wondered what went on backstage at gigs, I’ve heard stories from friends who’ve been backstage with Pantera and witnessed naked groupies using bananas in a manner not normally associated with bananas…

My backstage experience? A member

of the UK Subs photoshopping a guitar onto a kitten as I waited silently for a kettle to boil…

Once the doors upstairs opened and we were finally a two floored venue, the playing field levelled to a small collection of music geeks downstairs, whilst grown men tried to recapture their youth upstairs….

Now, I’m not here to question which band rightfully deserves what, or who is ‘better’….

Far from it, instead the slippery question that crystallised in my mind that night and has remained there unanswered ever since is “Just what the hell is punk rock anymore?”

As I sat watching Lach, I couldn’t help thinking about what the band upstairs were earning in comparison to his small fee…and the stress that had caused

us. I knew that the show upstairs was ticketed as one of our most expensive to date, whilst the downstairs one was totally free … I knew how on top of their fee the band upstairs had requested a huge catering bill alongside several hotel rooms, whilst Lach drank a cup of tea, before disappearing post-gig with a stranger who’d offered to put him up for the night (probably on a sofa)… I knew that the band upstairs, despite all of this, turned up 3 hours late for soundcheck, whilst Lach came in early and happily chatted to me and other fans…

Does punk rock even know what it is anymore?

Words: Spun Tongue

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The MMP March 2013

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Looking for a cavalcade of sonic inspiration to coax jovial expressions of rictus Cheshire cat smirking’s from your turbo-attractive facial space you beautiful life form you? Well look no further than the border-lineillegal dose of 100% free downloadable M and P and 3’s from some of this months featured artists. Listen whilst constructing a rudimentary pillow fort! Whilst spin kicking a pack of genetically enhanced assailants!

Whilst looking on all grumpy at the fun people having fun in the park!

LOTTE MULLAN • SEN SEGUR • MANHATTAN COAST BLOODFLOWERS • WRIGHTOID • CHRIS PHILLIPS • TRWBADOR KYSHERA • HEAVY PETTING ZOO • THIRD PARTY •

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The MMP March 2013

Cardiff Music Map

01 Clwb Ifor Bach 02 Gate Theatre 04 10 Feet Tall | Undertone 05 Buffalo 06 The Coal Exchange 07 O’Neills (Little) 08 Kama Lounge

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09 The Globe 10 O’ Neills (Big)

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11 Shot in the Dark

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13 Students Union 14 Tommy’s Bar

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15 The Promised Land 16 Koko Gorilaz

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17 Gwdihŵ

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18 Dempsey’s 19 Owain Glyndwr 20 The Bunk House

BUTE PARK

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21 Bacchus

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22 The Vulcan Lounge

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23 St David’s Hall 24 Nos Da

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25 The North Star

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26 Cafe Jazz 27 The Pot

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28 Rococo 31 Bar 147 32 The Live Lounge 33 Mocka | Peppermint 34 Pen and Wig 35 The Claude 36 Cardiff Central Library 37 Motorpoint Arena

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Don’t see your venue listed?

Contact Us info@themmp.tv

38 The Old Library 39 The Yard 40 GH2 41 The Full Moon / Moon Club 42 Bogiez