The MMP September 2012 by The MMP

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The definitive guide to music in Wales

SEPT-12

Cian Ciaran Super Furry Animal, Acid Casuals and Strangetown Records guru speaks

The Witches Drum

Face-melting heavy-psych riffology

Golden Fable

North Walian folk-electronica indie trailblazers

Cardiff Music Festival

Artistic Director David Mahoney talks shop

Hafod and The Straw Bale Studio A studio made of straw? Whatever next?!

The MMP September 2012

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September 2012

Publisher Aimee-Jade Hayes MMP Creative Ltd

Hello petals

Editors Simon M. Read, Rowan Liggett Live Review Editor Joe O’Connell

After a summer of occasional brilliance, a pretty darn cool Olympics, and long spurts of abject meteorological misery, it’s almost a relief to have September come around again. With it comes the end of the bulk of the festival season, meaning music returns to our cities with all the eagerness of a springloaded ferret. And it also brings the return to many of us of the student population, some of them blissfully unaware of the joys of Wales and its magnificent culture.

Accounts / Advertising Kate James Writers Jennifer Allan, Rachel Boagey, Joel Dear, Dom Gilbert, Emma Gould, James Hobson, Laurie Havelock, Patrick Heery, Phil Kenny, Kait Mordey, Joe O’Connell, Jim Swidenbank, Adam Whitmore.

Across these hills and valleys lurk aural wonders that barely anyone could dream of. A diverse rainbow of musical colours spanning spectrum after spectrum. We at the MMP wish to share this with all of you; new faces and old. Let us into your world and be forever the wiser for it.

This month, we have Golden Fable, The Witches Drum and Super Furries’ Cian Ciaran all being metaphorically dissected, analysed and debated. We also take an interesting chat with David Mahoney, Artistic Director of Cardiff Music Festival, and, finally, hear about a straw bale studio constructed by Donal Whelan of Hafod Mastering.

CONTACT Demos / Releases to be sent to info@themmp.tv* Cover Illustration: Laura Redburn www.cardboardcities.co.uk

Plenty to be getting on with, then. But there’s also reviews, free downloads, news and lots more besides. Turn the page. Dive right in..

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

INDUSTRY INTERVIEW Interview with music industry linchpins.

LISTINGS All the goings on from Cardiff’s music venues this month REVIEWS The month’s new albums, singles and demos.

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

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

DOWNLOADS Join our Download Society and enjoy free downloads! COMPETITION Win free stuff!

SPOTLIGHT Monthly column highlighting issues affecting music in Wales.

The MMP September 2012

Music News Le Pub Future Remains Unclear

BBC Performing Arts Fund Launches Music Fellowship Scheme

The BBC Performing Arts Fund have recently launched a Music Fellowships scheme aiming to support individuals through the early stages of their music careers. The scheme hopes to identify the next generation of music talent, whether they are musicians, composers, conductors, songwriters, producers, programmers or any other creative working in the music sector and increase the Fellows’ skills through training and development opportunities tailored to the individual. Rather than awarding the grants, each worth £10,000, directly to individuals themselves, the Fund is looking for applications from music companies, organisations, venues and festivals from across the UK to host a Fellow. Organisations should be willing to offer an amazing opportunity – tailored to the individual and giving them the benefit and support of all aspects of the organisation from mentoring, performance opportunities, and training to access to equipment, space and audiences. For further details on the nature of the scheme, the application process and eligbility, visit the BBC Performing Arts website. prsformusic.com/musicmakeover

The future of Newport’s primary and longest established venue, Le Pub, still remains unclear following the initial announcement of it being put up for sale in June. Manager Sam Harries, along with SWN, launched the Save Le Pub initiative including an attempt to raise £20,000 on the Crowdfunder website. Unfortunately, the target was not met and under the rules of the website, this means the donations received were automatically refunded. The venue celebrated its twentieth birthday on July 27 and has since seen Kids In Glass Houses throw their weight behind the campaign to save it, contributing £1,500 in ticket sales after playing a date there in early August. In spite of this, though, at the time of going to press the threat of a sale to parties uninterested in maintaining its status as a music venue remains ominous. Watch this space, and Le Pub’s website and Twitter feed, for further updates. www.lepub.co.uk twitter.com/lepub

PRS For Music Makeover Comp

The kind-hearted folks at PRS for Music are hosting a competition for pubs which are potential music venues to secure £5,000 for a ‘musical makeover’. Aimed at those premises which would like to offer live music to their customers but are unsure of where to start, or do not have the funds to create the right space, the winner’s monetary haul will be spent exclusively on developing their live music facilities. Those interested in entering should visit the PRS website, and then complete the application form either online or by printing it out and returning it to PRS for Music by 30 September 2012. Entries will then be whittled down to three finalists who will be visited by our judges, who will be looking for a venue with untapped potential for music, and landlords who display the greatest desire to make live music a key feature of their pub. Judges include representatives from British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) and Musicians Union (MU). The overall winner will be announced by 31 December 2012. prsformusic.com/musicmakeover

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New Welsh Music Report Published

AIM Indie Champion Nominations

The Association of Independent Music (AIM) has announced the nominations for the 2012 Indie Champion Award and, it has to be said, the Welsh contingent is looking pretty strong. Each year the AIM asks its members to nominate someone who demonstrates unwavering commitment to the independent musical community, tirelessly supporting the indie sector and promoting new acts. This culminates in a final award for Indie Champion of the year, a title won last year by John Robb of Louder Than War. The nominations this year show Wales to be holding its own. Alongside the celebrated likes of BBC6’s Steve Lamacq, Mark Ellen of sadly now defunct The Word, and Katie Parsons of Kerrang, sit the Welsh alumni of Radio 1 DJs Huw Stephens and Jen Long as well as Welsh Music Foundation Senior Manager, John Rostron. Voting closed at the end of August with a shortlist to be announced midSeptember. Following that, the final winner will be announced as part of the AIM Independent Music Awards at the end of October.

University of Glamorgan’s Dr Paul Carr has recently published a report concerning the relationship between higher education and the live music industry in Wales. Following on from last year’s ‘Investigating the Live Music Industry in Wales: A Critical Analysis’, the Higher Education Academy funded project has now reached the stage of offering a set of conclusions and recommendations. The 2012 report, entitled ‘Playing Wales: The relationship between higher education and live music in Wales’, looks at the ways that higher education can assist the live music scene in Wales. The key question within this is how do the university institutions ‘engage with both the national and international live music scenes from a pedagogical, industrial and research perspective, ensuring our students gain a relevant and academically challenging experience’. The recommendations made within the report include the following: • The inclusion of factors beneficial to students’ knowledge of global and local music industry processes into taught industry modules. These would include the relationship between live music and cultural tourism, why bands often bypass Wales when touring and issues of transportation to and from venues • The development of a comprehensive mapping document of Wales which would critically investigate what can be learned from nations such as Scotland, New Zealand and Finland • Further investigation by Welsh Higher Education as to which industrial and governmental bodies can collaborate and help to address the skills gap within the industry The report can be downloaded and read from the Higher Education Academy website: www.heacademy.ac.uk

What we’ve been listening to Kate

Gringo Star - Make You Mine Gringo Star’s take on the 60s garage-rock sound never fails to impress. This lovably ramshackle, reverb-drowned three minutes touches on psych and power-pop along the way but ultimately pleases for its youthful, romantic sentiment.

Aimee

Tame Impala - Elephant Excitement ahead of Tame Impala’s sophomore release in October is building. Not least because of this stomping psych-rock lead single that’s seemingly plucked from a mud-swamp in 1977. Utterly compelling, especially with that synth breakdown. Awesome.

Joel

Wild Light - Call Home This band supported Arcade Fire at the CIA back in 2007, and since then they seem to have disappeared off the face of the earth. The hook from this breathtaking number has been rattling around in my head for almost five years now.

Jim

Cosmo Jarvis - Train Downtown The criminally underrated Devon -based musician, actor and film-maker is back with an absolute corker of a third album and this track finds him in typical tongue-in-cheek mood and as utterly addictive as ever.

Joe

Bastions - Island Living Purchased at the excellent Sundown Record Label Market in Gwdihw in July, this rare 7" by the bleak Anglesey hardcore quartet has been receiving numerous spins at high volume in my front room. Much to the displeasure of my neighbours.

Simon

Greetings - You Make Me Crazy, You Make Me Crazy With embittered, broken-hearted lyrical paeans crashing against soaringly effectdrenched guitar lines, this indie-underground trio aurally capture the sound of romantic lunacy and put it handily in a specimen jar for us to study. Awesomely grateful for its existence.

The MMP September 2012

Cian Ciaran

As a founding member of the Super Furry Animals (SFA), Cian Ciaran’s place in Welsh musical history is already assured. Which, in some ways, makes you wonder why he is keeping himself so magnificently busy. As well as SFA, he co-runs Strangetown Records with the likes of Wibidi, Huw Bunford, Gulp and numerous other projects all producing quality material. He has also produced a string of incredible acid house tunes under the moniker Acid Casuals, become something of a star remixer, and is also releasing his own solo work. Recent LP Outside In is a beautifully crafted set of melodic, Bacharachian orchestral pop tunes which eases its way into one’s heart as though it came pre-lubricated for the journey. We catch up with, perhaps, the hardest-working man in Wales to see what projects are currently floating his boat... MMP: Hi Cian - how in the name of plankton are you? CC:Great thanks! Can’t wait for the new season to begin as defending Champions!

CC: It’s a collection of songs written on the piano, some of which came during past SFA recording sessions, soundchecks or in that part of the day, lying in bed in that state you get between sleep and awakening. They were scribbles or sketches, if you like, that I documented at the time but never had the chance to see the ideas through until now. I wanted to put a coherent album

MMP: Congratulations on the Outside In LP, it’s beautiful! It seems different to what many would have expected from your acid house roots - can you tell us about how you came to write it?

MMP: There’s a wonderfully laidback orchestral feel to many of the songs - what influences do you think fed into the overall sound? CC: As usual, too many to mention. I don’t listen to music when I’m recording

much. I’m worried that I’ll be influenced by it somehow. It could be a good thing or it could also turn into a bad thing, bad influences are as easy to pick up as good ones and I can safely say when I’m finished that anything I’ve nicked wasn’t intentional (laughs). I’ve got years of listening to music behind me so I imagine all of that acuminates, if that’s the word, into my writing in some shape or form be

“Acid house was my first love so I’m always writing techno sketches”

of similar vibes together and when I had enough to make a body of work, it was time to record them. I try and document every idea that comes to me by writing it down or singing it into my phone at the point when it comes to me. I’m not really one for sitting at the piano or guitar and making a conscious effort to ‘write’ a piece of music.

it consciously or subconsciously.

MMP: You enlisted the help of fellow Super Furries Daffyd (Ieuan) and Guto (Pryce) - is it comforting to have such talented company to call on? Who else contributed to the record? CC: Of course! You can relax when you have faith in the people around you. They are family and we share similar musical tastes and some musical differences but that should be celebrated also. I love working with other musicians, I say ‘other’ but I don’t see myself as

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Words and Interview: Simon M. Read Photo: Emyr Young

a musician as I don’t really have an instrument. The studio is my instrument I guess. I’m a jack of all trades, master of none. So having the likes of Daf, Guto and the brothers Meilir and Osian Gwynedd on board, some of the best in the business, is invaluable. I also acquired the services of the Mavron Quartet who luckily could decipher my attempt at musical scores. MMP: You’ve done a lot of work remixing - any plans to continue that, and if so who are you looking to work with? CC:Nothing in the pipeline remix wise, I’m too busy working on the follow up to Outside In which is much noisier and I hope to get it finished for an early release next year. I’m working on an orchestral album as well and an audio book with musical accompaniment which will feature a very special deep Welsh voice! I’ve started work on a new collaboration with Wibidi for next summer and an electronic album which I hope will see the light of day soon. MMP: Wow. There seems to be a lot of work happening down in Strangetown Records (Wibidi, Gulp

etc). How’s the label coming along? CC: As I said busy, Daf is writing with Mark (Catatonia) and Dionne (The Peth) and they’re recording their album. Bunf (Huw Bunford) has an album on the go, Guto and Lyndsey (Leven) are writing and recording as Gulp. We are working on a docudrama, also some soundtrack work and maybe we’ll see a Strangetown tour featuring all the artists one day.

THE MMP: Are you planning to release as Cian Ciaran from now on or can we expect a return of the Acid Casuals moniker at any time soon? CC:Acid house was my first love so I’m always writing techno sketches with the intention of releasing as Acid Casuals or Paps. I do have plans for later this year but I’ve been saying that for the past 10 yrs.

MMP: What was the inspiration for setting Strangetown up? CC: An outlet for your work and something we can build as a cooperative of like minded people . It’s hard to make a living so we figured we’d have a better chance working together than alone .

MMP: Is there any forthcoming news from the Super Furries or is everyone busying themselves with their own projects for now? CC:After everything I’ve just said, what do you think? (Laughs) But I can’t wait to do something again, can’t imagine it’ll be that long. Mind you, time flies doesn’t it!

MMP: You’re involved in numerous band projects aside from your solo stuff and the Furries - how do you manage to squeeze it all in? CC:It’s a slow process and I’m lucky to have good people around who can help . Takes some organising and a lot of patience to realise your ideas. And nothing seldom works out first time so you have to persevere .

MMP: What plans have you got for the rest of the year? CC: To do what I feel what I need to do!

The MMP September 2012

Be honest with yourself: when was the last time you came across a new, awesome band whose influences include both Captain Beefheart and Monster Magnet? Not for a while, eh? Well here is one for you.

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The Witches Drum

Words : Joe O’Connell Photo: Scott Cole Photography

Since forming in 2009, the Witches Drum have been tripping the flip out of South Wales audiences with their melting pot of spooky and intoxicating intergalactic jams. Not to mention their notorious stage theatrics: this is a band who understand that great songs are one thing, but a show to match is incredibly important. The cover art of their debut EP, Future Kings Of An Empty Throne (released on their own imprint Levitation Records earlier this year), tells you almost everything you need to know about them. A vision of hard psychedelic rock, the winding font of their logo sits atop a swirling black and white fantastical landscape: naked paganisitic women melt into swirling pools, holding torches while the moon and an all-seeing eye look on. This reflects the muscular, masculine space rock of their music; heavy but sensual, studied but with its tongue often not far from its cheek. That’s not to say that their work is pastiche, however. While the influence of Zeppelin, the Stooges and the excellent 60s garage rock compilation Nuggets loom large, the Witches Drum are fiercely individual in the current rock landscape. The

guitar work of Joel McCauley and Mike Lancaster is classic in some respects (blues scale riffs, noodling solos), but fiercely modern in others: abstract and atmospheric effects show a command of technology as well as grassroots technique. The songs themselves explode in a multitude of directions. EP opener ‘Watch the Freaks Lose It’ opens with the sound of guitar-crafted gusts of wind, leading into a thumping drumbeat accompanying a rather Nirvana-like bassline – both in terms of melody and tone. The riff IS ‘the song’, treated in a variety of ways through changes in vocals, guitar effects and phrasing. ‘Filthy Closets’ meanwhile commences with a Hendrixesque jazz-chord intro, before Matthew Fry’s gravely vocals drag the song right back down into a gutter of wah-wah wigout guitars screaming over heavy blues riffs ’n’ drums. ‘Fishin’ for Ships’ is a tale of two halves: the first, an almost ridiculous blues boogie lamenting a misplaced vessel (lost during an extremely, ahem, chemical weekend by the sound of it), while after a terrifying breakdown the second is a haunting 15/8 instrumental swamp song. Get your ears around it.

The MMP September 2012

Originally of folk outfit Tim And Samâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tim And The Sam Band, last September Tim McIver and Rebecca Palin turned their attentions to this new project.

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Originally of folk outfit Tim And Sam’s Tim And The Sam Band, last September Tim McIver and Rebecca Palin turned their attentions to this new project. Of course, Golden Fable rolls off the tongue much easier than the painfully uninventive group moniker, and is greatly more indicative of their sound. The cult following accrued from their previous endeavours has laid the foundation for the success of the duo, building on the ethereal quality of the group, and maturing their own luscious, altruistic vision into some truly astounding records. Their undoubted signature is Palin’s entrancing, angelic soprano voice. Developed in church before being honed on stage, she has a piercing, choral range which evokes Welsh hymnal tradition. Not to be pigeonholed as regressive, however, both members dabble in an incredible range of obscure instruments and samples, building a rhythmic bass line before layering it with glockenspiels, clarinets, or whatever else they can lay their hands on. Recent release Sugarloaf propelled them to critical acclaim and national radio airtime. Inspired by an ascent of the imposing Sugarloaf Mountain in Monmouthshire, its majesty and prowess has built upon the successes of Always Golden and The Chill Part 2, drawing favour from peers and critics alike.

Golden Fable

Words: Dom Gilbert

Their debut album, Star Map, brings together the previous t hree singles, fleshing them out into a subtle, considered work of pure indulgence. Framed by the stunning landscape of their origins in Clwyd, even listening to it surrounded by grey manacles of brick and stone can transport you to peaks, valleys and rivers of North Wales. With deep, melancholy strings reverberating purposefully, deft instrumentals sampled with gorgeous concoctions of birdsong and trickling brooks, and hollow, echoing percussion, its wistful, gossamer ambience is both haunting and inspiring. Deeply sentimental, they have kept the contributions to this album entirely local to the area which inspired it. Many of the instruments featured were provided by a local collector who rescues and restores antique pieces. Artwork was provided by a local artist and local musicians were recruited to assist with recording. The title of the album also hints at a certain philosophy. As Palin explains, “we as humans each have a tailored set of principles with which we try to navigate our way through life. When a bird first begins its life within the safe confines of its nest, its first instinct is to look upwards and study the arrangement of stars from its own unique location. It will then store a mental image of this, its own personal ‘Star Map’, and use it to navigate from then on”.

The MMP September 2012

Cardiff music festival Words and Interview: Rachel Boagey

THE MMP: You describe Cardiff Music Festival as a celebration of high-quality music. What musical highlights have you got in store for us? DM: The festival prides itself on the variety of events and musical genres on offer. From classical to musical theatre through jazz and singer-songwriters, there really is something for everyone! A particular highlight is the finale at the Wales Millennium Centre in a spectacular celebration of musical theatre with performers including Kerry Ellis, Connie Fisher, Sophie Evans, John Owen-Jones, Mark Evans, Lucie Jones and members of Only Men Aloud. THE MMP: What motivated you to get involved with the festival? Do you have a musical background yourself? DM: I grew up in Cardiff and gained my first musical training as a chorister in Llandaff Cathedral. I went on to Marlborough College as a music scholar and Oxford University as a choral scholar, where I read Music. After this, I gained experience in the industry in London-based IMG Artists and EMI Classics, before returning to my hometown as a member of Classical Brit Award wining group Only Men Aloud, where I set up the festival in 2011. I was

really keen to establish something new, fresh and exciting, which celebrated all that the city has to offer musically. THE MMP: How do you think festivals such as this help to benefit the city? DM:The festival involves over 100 performers to about 2,500 audience members. It is fantastic to see audiences gain so much enjoyment from the music on offer. There really is nothing like experiencing live music. My hope is that the Cardiff Music Festival will put the city firmly on the map as a centre for musical excellence. THE MMP: One goal of the Cardiff Music Festival is to promote new artists. How do you feel the festival is set to achieve this and what value does it offer to new artists? DM: It is a vital aim of the festival to promote young artists. There is a lot of support for youth music initiatives and this should be applauded, but it is increasingly difficult for aspiring musicians at the beginning of their careers to get a foot into the industry. The Cardiff Music Festival offers this platform with many opportunities in the main concerts and also the Young Welsh Artists Recital Series.

Established by members of Welsh choir, Only Men Aloud, the Cardiff Music Festival arrives this October, ready to be one of the most exciting events in the city’s musical calendar. Cardiff Music Festival 2012 aims to promote music to new audiences who may have not been exposed to classical music and musical theatre before, promoting new artists at the start of their careers such as X Factor’s Lucie Jones, while raising money for charities such as the Noah’s Ark Appeal, Head to Heart and Amser Justin Time. David Mahoney, artistic director of the festival, hopes that one day it will be able to compete with some of the major European music festivals in their celebration of high quality music making. We caught up with David to hear his thoughts and aspirations.

THE MMP: Another goal is to bring classical music and musical theatre to those who may have not been exposed to it before. How are you setting about engaging with these harder-to-reach groups? DM: Unlike festivals such as the Proms, CMF does not put emphasis on specific genres of music. As a result, audiences can be watching singer-songwriters one night, and a Schubert symphony the next! By sitting these things alongside each other, my hope is that people will be encouraged to experience new things and seeing that classical music is not reserved for just a certain class or type of person. THE MMP: What plans are in place for future Cardiff Music Festivals? Are you looking to expand the format? DM: The 2012 festival is a massive step from the inaugural 2011 festival in terms of artists, venues and general scale. My aim is for it to continue in this direction, and grow from year to year but keeping the fundamental principles of the festival. cardiffmusicfestival.co.uk

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The MMP September 2012

Event Listings Gigs of the month

SEPTEMBER 1, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Sion Russell Jones; 7pm – Tony Morley Duo; 10pm – Smokin’ Aces P.S.B.T. @ The Globe, 7:30pm, £10* The UK’s premier Pet Shop Boys Tribute Band Euros Childs / The Wellgreen @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 8:00pm, £10/ £8* Euros Childs and his band to Clwb to show off their new releases, ‘Spin That Girl Around’ and ‘Just a Dream’ Five Dollar Shake: Kookamunga @ The Full Moon, 8:00pm, FREE* This popular night features everything from bebop, funk and soul to hip hop, reggae, ska and electro swing. Tonight has live music from local funksters, Kookamunga Leighton Jones & Purple Spiral Project @ The Yard, 8:00pm, FREE* Cardiff’s Mr Soul Vocal combines with the rock of Purple Spiral Project Live Music Saturday @ Pen & Wig, 8:00pm, FREE* Every Saturday brings a live act to the Pen & Wig The Big What! Band @ O’Neills St. Mary Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Rock, funk and soul covers from one of the biggest sounding bands in town Juju Nations w/ Super Chango @ Gwdihw, 9:00pm, £3* The carefully blended afrobeat-funkreggae sandstorm blusters back into town with the tropadelic tunage of Super Chango in tow Hell’s Bent: Mardi Gras Special @ The Moon Club, 10:00pm, £5* Cardiff’s best alternative gay night comes to The Moon SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Tony Morley; 3.30pm – Open Mic Afternoon; 6.30pm – Marie; 8pm – Colum Regan; 10pm – Goose The Decoy Presents Alldayer @ Buffalo Bar, 3:00pm, £TBC* Alternative rock all-dayer featuring The Decoy, Russian Blue, Jackals,

Blind Kicks and more to be announced A Shot of Jazz @ A Shot In The Dark, 8:00pm, * Regular jazz sessions in an intimate setting, featuring the best of local (and not so local) talent Les Jupes + Support @ 10 Feet Tall, 8:00pm, £5 / £4* Expansive and intelligently lyrical Canadian magic all fronted by a rich baritone Smokin Aces Duo @ O’Neills St Mary’s Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Covers of everything from ACDC to Lady GaGa ’stripped down’ on just two acoustic guitars The Tony Breen Band @ Bubba’s Place, 9:00pm, FREE* Country, blues and jazz every Friday night at Bubba’s Place just off Newport Road SEPTEMBER 3, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Smokin’ Aces Duo; 4.30pm – Sion Russell Jones; 7pm – Al Jones; 10pm – Honey Fungus Band Banner Pilot + Bangers + Dividers @ The Moon Club, 7:30pm, £7* STHC Presents Minneapolis Punk Rockers on Fat Wreck Chords Contagious Open Mic @ Pen & Wig, 7:30pm, FREE* Weekly open mic in this charming old school pub Ukulele Jam @ Gwdihw, 8:00pm, FREE* The regular ukulele jam of classic pop with spare ukes available for the brave and willing to join in Traditional Welsh Music @ Cayo Arms, 9:00pm, FREE* Traditional Welsh folk tunes each week. Come and hear, play and sing Welsh tunes in an informal, friendly atmosphere. Rob Cross @ O’Neills St. Mary Street, 9:30pm, FREE* Mr Cross bears his soul and a mighty lot of tunesmithery for the big O’Neills patrons SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Sion Russell Jones; 4.30pm – Robert Cross; 7pm – Al Jones; 10pm – Face Value

Open Mic Night @ The Old Library, 7:00pm, FREE* Awesomely wellattended open mic on The Hayes Bof! @ Buffalo Bar, 8:00pm, FREE* Gwenno from The Pipettes presents a night of afrobeat, psych, exotica, film soundtracks & electronica in the bar Live and Unsigned! @ The Globe, 8:00pm, £4* Every Tuesday, new and upcoming acts showcasing their talents in front of industry professionals Louise Latham + Support @ 10 Feet Tall, 8:00pm, £4 / £3* London based folk-pop pays us a visit, soft and ethereal vocal naturally accompanying her Smokin Aces @ O’Neills St Mary’s Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Covers of everything from ACDC to Lady GaGa Capital City Jazz Orchestra @ Dempsey’s, 9:00pm, £5 / 4* A rousing night of trad jazz from this million-strong virtuosic jazz orchestra The Wessex New Orleans Band @ Cafe Jazz, 9:00pm, £4* The Preservation Jazz Society present good-time jazz and swing in the traditional styles of the ’20s and ’30s in a friendly café bar atmosphere SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Tony Morley; 4.30pm – Tony Morley Duo; 7pm – Robert Cross Duo; 10pm – The Groovinators Action Bronson @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 7:30pm, £10* The Albanian-American rapper brings his rhyming hip-hop skills to Clwb Anthony Lee Wickham’s Open Mic @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE* The uber-talented performer Wickham welcomes all to this North Road open mic Colum Regan @ O’Neills St Mary’s Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Irish born troubadour Colum entertains us all with his covers Florian Wolff @ Gwdihw, 8:00pm, £3* Technically precise Netherlands acoustic singer-songwriter on first

tour of UK John Godwin @ O’Neills Trinity Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Fantastic weekly acoustic set from the human jukebox! Stripped @ Bogiez, 8:00pm, FREE* Jolly tunes, stand-up comedy, theatre and beat poetry in one wonderfully poisonous cocktail. Open Mic Night @ NosDa, 8:30pm, FREE* A regular open mic night with great offers on Welsh branded drinks. Iechyd da! Cal Newman @ Cafe Jazz, 9:00pm, £4* Cardiff’s favourite smokey voiced blues man returns to entertain with his versions of blues, ragtime and slide guitar Dan Messore @ Dempsey’s, 9:00pm, £5 / 4* Inventive jazz guitarist playing a mix of standards and originals, with Ross Stanley on keys, Trish Clowes saxes and James Maddren drums SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Sion Russell Jones; 4.30pm – Tony Morley; 7pm – The Spokes Live Music Now @ Glanfa Stage, Wales Millennium Centre, 1:00pm, FREE* Afternoon concert from a virtuosic clarinet and piano duo Africa Express 2012 feat. Damon Albarn @ Solus, 7:00pm, £15adv* Over 85 musical legends, emerging new artists, vocalists, DJs and producers from Africa and the west Last Mic Standing @ 10 Feet Tall, 7:30pm, £1* Open mic with music, comedy and spoken word Pearl Jem @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 7:30pm, £10* Come down to Clwb for a tribute to Clarissa Explains It All’s favourite band Captain Hawkins @ Rockin’ Chair, 8:00pm, * Live Soul night with Captain Hawkins on piano and accordion Clic Cardiff Open Mic @ Rococo, 8:00pm, FREE* The only open mic in Cardiff with an in-house baby grand for all to use! There’s also a featured

band and a free beer for every performer! Fast Back Saloon @ O’Neills St Mary’s Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Get off your horse and drink your rock and pop covers James Kennedy @ The Yard, 8:00pm, FREE* Mr Kennedy picks up the live music mantle in The Yard Jealous Lovers w/ The Cads @ Gwdihw, 8:00pm, £3* Indie-mathrockers The Cads drop by for the Jealous Lovers club night with support from Big Colours Los Cripis / Big Joan + More @ Undertone, 8:00pm, £6* Headliners arrive from Buenos Aires bringing DIY guitar pop, support from Big Joan and Personal Best with DJ Casey Raymond too No Sweat: Frederick Imp + Support @ The Full Moon, 8:00pm, FREE* An Acoustic Wonderland showcasing the best local talent Open Mic w/ Box Fort @ Owain Glyndwr, 8:00pm, FREE* Regular weekly open mic hosted by the acoustic talents of Box Fort Scream The Headlines + Support @ The Moon Club, 8:00pm, FREE* Four alt rock bands all the way from West Wales Smokin’ Aces @ O’Neills Trinity Street, 8:00pm, FREE* The rocky covers of the Aces fill the O’Neills music room The Spoilers @ The Promised Land, 8:00pm, FREE* Alternative rock, punk and ska covers for a sunny summer evening Nick Knock by CF5 @ Koko Gorillaz, 8:30pm, FREE* Popular jam night featuring a houseband with a full backline setup, hosted by the gifted talents of Nick Walker The Jim Jam Session @ The Claude, 8:30pm, FREE* A sweet open mic night with a special guest band as the icing on the cake Entee @ Cafe Jazz, 9:00pm, £6/ £5* Rob Haddon returns with a jazz-rock band which many will remember as ‘Time Out’ Miss Maud’s Folly @ Bunk House, 9:00pm, FREE* This roving band of minstrels perform a blend of gypsy, jazz and folk tunes, full of beautiful imagery and delightful instrumental arrangements Signature: Spar Warz Take Over @ Buffalo

Bar, 10:00pm, £TBC* The Signature crew invite the artfully party-making Spar Warz team to come and help out SEPTEMBER 7, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Tony Morley; 4.30pm – The Little Giants; 10pm – The Blades Strictly Golden Oldies’ Tea Dance @ St David’s Hall, 1:30pm, £4* Stan Stennett offers up an afternoon of dancing and fun Emma Black + Tracey Browne @ Norwegian Church, 7:30pm, £8 / £6* An evening of beautiful, original folk and country-blues songs brought to you by Welsh based singer songwriter Emma Black with support from Manchester based Tracey Brown Babyhead + Support @ The Moon Club, 7:30pm, £6 before 11pm* Festival favourites, Babyhead hit The Moon Club with their unique blend of ska, hiphop and dub Funhouse + Johnny Cage & The Voodoo Groove Birthday Celebrations @ The Globe, 7:30pm, £7.50* The Birthday Party of all Birthday Partys! It’s going to be explosive with plenty of tunes and grooves, ska, rock and funkasms Magenta @ Bogiez, 7:30pm, £10* One of the UK’s most celebrated prog-rock bands visit Bogiez Zachary Cale @ Dempsey’s, 7:30pm, £6 ADV* A songwriter originally hailing from Louisiana, ranges from lyrical folk balladry and inspired guitar instrumentals to experiments in popular song Andy Huntley @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE* Singer-songwriter takes on the entertainer role in North Star Bragod: Birds @ Chapter Arts Centre, 8:00pm, £10/£8/£6* Welsh instrumentalist Robert Evans and Trinidadian singer Mary-Anne Roberts perform unique interpretations of Welsh music and poetry using original instruments and sources Goose @ O’Neills St Mary’s Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Colum Regan fronts a whole band and brings us high quality pop and rock covers Gramercy Riffs @ The Yard, 8:00pm, FREE*

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The MMP September 2012

Sublime country rock covers Iron Eye @ The Full Moon, 8:00pm, FREE* Iron Eye consists of two saxes and a drummer who play funky, danceable street music straight off of New Orleans and New York. Followed by the Gigantic DJs til late Our Groove, Your Move @ Bunk House, 8:00pm, FREE* Jazz, dub, rhythm & blues, funk and soul Tomos Lewis @ Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, 8:00pm, FREE* Pure and simple Welsh folk perfected in the foothills of Snowdonia Knees Up! @ Gwdihw, 9:00pm, £3* The monthly mod ‘n’ roll night is back with live bands and DJs Blues Dragon @ Cafe Jazz, 10:00pm, £4* Late night blues sessions presented by Blues Dragon every Friday night at Café Jazz Obey! @ Undertone, 10:00pm, £TBC* Regular pumping night held downstairs in the basement club The Chris Cobb Band @ Cafe Jazz, 10:00pm, £4* Blues/rock all the way from San Francisco SEPTEMBER 8, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Sion Russell Jones; 2.15pm – Gilo; 10pm – Three Dead Men Absolute Zero Viola Quartet @ Glanfa Stage, Wales Millennium Centre, 1:00pm, FREE* An inspiring concert from this classical viola quartet Cardiff & Vale Music Service Youth Orchestra & Big Band @ Glanfa Stage, Wales Millennium Centre, 3:00pm, FREE* Tomorrow’s stars of the jazz and classical worlds take to the Glanfa stage Greg Ryan @ Glanfa Stage, Wales Millennium Centre, 6:00pm, FREE* A concert of classical piano from rising star Greg Ryan WNO: La Bohème @ Wales Millennium Centre, 7:15pm, £40 £5* The Welsh National Opera bring Puccini’s best loved opera to life Crusades @ Dempsey’s, 7:30pm, £6 ADV* A night of heavy rock, with support from Survivalists and Fire Season Elvis: The Ultimate Performance @ St David’s Hall, 7:30pm, £22.50-£18.50* Chris Connor mimics The King

in a performance charting three of Elvis’ famous TV appearances The Oasis Experience @ The Globe, 7:30pm, £7* The UK’s premier Oasis tribute band are mad fer it in the Globe Bragod: Birds @ Chapter Arts Centre, 8:00pm, £10/£8/£6* Welsh instrumentalist Robert Evans and Trinidadian singer Mary-Anne Roberts perform unique interpretations of Welsh music and poetry using original instruments and sources Five Dollar Shake: Moondog @ The Full Moon, 8:00pm, FREE* Everything from bebop, funk and soul to hip hop, reggae, ska and electro swing Graffiti @ O’Neills St Mary’s Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Rock and pop covers from the ’60s to the modern day painted illegally on walls Live Music Saturday @ Pen & Wig, 8:00pm, FREE* Every Saturday brings a live act to the Pen & Wig Monkjack @ The Yard, 8:00pm, FREE* The funky tuneage of Monkjack fills the Brewery Quarter Salvation Duo @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE* The covers band par excellence are lighter in number but as heavy as ever in tunes Fat City w/ The Bongolian @ Gwdihw, 9:00pm, £3* Mind-bending psychedelic funky rhythms from the eccentrically wonderful The Bongolian Starving Artists: Caxton Press @ The Moon Club, 9:00pm, £6* Starving Artists present Intellectual Hip Hoppers Caxton Press City Bass @ Undertone, 10:00pm, £TBC* The City Bass crew perform their regular eclectic party feast for all and sundry SEPTEMBER 9, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Tony Morley; 3.30pm – Open Mic Afternoon; 6.30pm – Marie; 8pm – Colum Regan; 10pm – Goose Planet Earth in Concert @ Wales Millenium Centre, 2:30pm, £60 - £15* The Philharmonia Orchestra and special guest soloist Haley Glennie-Smith, in a breathtaking production of Planet Earth in Concert. Two performances at 2.30 and 7.30

STHC Acoustic Show w/ Jeff Rowe @ Gwdihw, 5:00pm, £5* Jeff Rowe’s acoustic folk punk with support from members of local bands Question The Mark, Defiance and Three Pairs Of Shoes Cheviot Hill @ Glanfa Stage, Wales Millennium Centre, 6:15pm, FREE* A six piece Soul/ Folk/Country band from Cardiff Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds @ Motorpoint Arena, 6:30pm, £65.50 / £50.75 * The genius behind Oasis brings his new brand of rock to the arena Marillion @ Solus, 7:00pm, £25* Marillion are one of the UK music scenes best kept secrets; purveyors of soulful, powerful, and often deeply-moving music, with a long-standing reputation for blistering live shows! A Shot of Jazz @ A Shot In The Dark, 8:00pm, * Regular jazz sessions in an intimate setting, featuring the best of local (and not so local) talent Cardiff Tea Club Reggae DJs @ The Moon Club, 8:00pm, TBC* Take yourself over to Jamaica with this night of reggae, dub and ska The Tony Breen Band @ Bubba’s Place, 9:00pm, FREE* Country, blues and jazz every Friday night at Bubba’s Place just off Newport Road High Flying Birds Unofficial After Party @ 10 Feet Tall, 10:00pm, FREE* After Noel Gallagher’s through, special live guests and DJs unofficially entertain the party mob SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Smokin’ Aces Duo; 4.30pm – Sion Russell Jones; 7pm – Honey Fungus; 10pm – Honey Fungus Band Grown Up Music: DJs & Jam Night @ The Moon Club, 7:00pm, £3* Pi and Hash present a night of old school rock & roll Contagious Open Mic @ Pen & Wig, 7:30pm, FREE* Weekly open mic in this charming old school pub Gemma Ray + Support @ The Globe, 7:30pm, £9 ADV* Psychedelic folk singer-songwriter Gemma Ray comes to Cardiff Jazz Revhŵ w/ The Cat Jones Quartet @ Gwdihw, 8:00pm, £2* The

monthly night features The Cat Jones Quartet’s bossa interpretation of jazz Motown Monday @ Buffalo Bar, 8:00pm, FREE* DJs Graham Weeks and Jiminoli bring the glittering glory of Motown to Buffalo’s downstairs Oxjam: Music Heroes @ 10 Feet Tall, 8:00pm, £5* Shortlisted Battle of the Band acts competing for prizes with some musical heroes fancy dress A New Old-Fashioned Jazz Band @ Cafe Jazz, 9:00pm, £3/£2.50* Classic jazz and swing, light-hearted songs, and original writing, in the style of the 1930s New York Traditional Welsh Music @ Cayo Arms, 9:00pm, FREE* Traditional Welsh folk tunes each week. Come and hear, play and sing Welsh tunes in an informal, friendly atmosphere. Rob Cross @ O’Neills St. Mary Street, 9:30pm, FREE* Mr Cross bears his soul and a mighty lot of tunesmithery for the big O’Neills patrons September 11, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Sion Russell Jones; 4.30pm – Robert Cross; 7pm – Tangent; 10pm – Goose Afternoon Concert: From Spain to England @ Wales Millenium Centre, 2:00pm, £11.50 / £8.50* Michael Francis returns to his university city, conducting music ranging from the vivid colours of Spain through to an English wood at midsummer Open Mic Night @ The Old Library, 7:00pm, FREE* Awesomely wellattended open mic on The Hayes The Burning Crows @ Bogiez, 7:30pm, £5* Bravado rockers promise mayhem on their first headline UK tour Tom Hingley / Rory Mckee & The Brightsparks @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 7:30pm, £8* The former lead singer of 90′s indie band, The Inspiral Carpets will be performing their 2nd album The Beast Inside with a new band The John Davies Quartet @ Cafe Jazz, 8:00pm, £4* The Preservation Jazz Society present goodtime jazz and swing in the traditional styles of the ’20s and ’30s in a friendly café bar atmosphere

Live and Unsigned! @ The Globe, 8:00pm, £4* Every Tuesday, new and upcoming acts showcasing their talents in front of industry professionals The Spokes Duo @ O’Neills St Mary’s Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Rock and pop covers from the ’60s to the modern day Jim Funell / Akiko Horii “afuriko” @ Dempsey’s, 9:00pm, £5 / 4* Jim on piano, Akiko on percussion, playing originals mostly derived from the vast and spellbinding traditional repertoire of West Africa Hold Your Horse Is + Support @ Undertone, 10:00pm, £5 / £4* The post-hardcore rock-pool of HYHI visit the basement club – expect noise and plenty of it The XX Unofficial After Party @ 10 Feet Tall, 10:00pm, FREE* Another unofficial after party, this time for the late night chilled indie pop of The XX SEPTEMBER 12, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Tony Morley; 4.30pm – Tony Morley Duo; 7pm – Robert Cross Duo; 10pm – Face Value The Missive EP Launch @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 7:30pm, £5* Femalefronted melodic pop-rock band, The Missive, release their new EP Cardiff Tea Club @ Buffalo Bar, 8:00pm, FREE* An evening of reggae, dub, hip-hop, funk and more all backdropped by magnificent tea and cake offers Colum Regan @ O’Neills St Mary’s Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Irish born troubadour Colum entertains us all with his covers James Kennedy’s Open Mic @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE* Open mic duties in the North Star taken on by James Kennedy John Godwin @ O’Neills Trinity Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Fantastic weekly acoustic set from the human jukebox! Opra Cymru: Macbeth @ Chapter Arts Centre, 8:00pm, £12/£10/£8* A Welsh-language version of Verdi’s masterpiece opera with an awardwinning cast Stripped @ Bogiez, 8:00pm, FREE* Jolly tunes, stand-up comedy, theatre and beat poetry in one wonderfully poison-

ous cocktails Sue Denim / Ellie Makes Music @ 10 Feet Tall, 8:00pm, £8 / £6* Mighty Boosh cameo queen and Robots In Disguise member, Sue Denim brings her solo work to 10FT Open Mic Night @ NosDa, 8:30pm, FREE* A regular open mic night with great offers on Welsh branded drinks. Iechyd da! Emily Saunders @ Dempsey’s, 9:00pm, £5 / 4* Talented singer with a devotion to Brazilian based grooves Jazz Attic Jam Session @ Cafe Jazz, 9:00pm, FREE* The chance for all budding jazz musicians to sit in with the talented house trio. All instruments and singers are welcome. SEPTEMBER 13, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Sion Russell Jones; 4.30pm – Tony Morley; 7pm – The Spokes Firewind / Leaves Eyes @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 7:30pm, £16* A night of extreme leather-clad heavy metal from Greek band, Firewind and metal giants Leaves Eyes Peski w/ Gwenno @ Gwdihw, 7:30pm, * Gwenno of The Pipettes showcases her lusciously inventive sounding new material with support from David Mysterious and Llwybr Llaethog DJing Captain Hawkins @ Rockin’ Chair, 8:00pm, * Live Soul night with Captain Hawkins on piano and accordion Clic Cardiff Open Mic @ Rococo, 8:00pm, FREE* The only open mic in Cardiff with an in-house baby grand for all to use! There’s also a featured band and a free beer for every performer! Dan Messore Trio w/ Trish Clows @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE* The impressive jazz arrangements of Messore and trio with Clows on vocals Jim Johnston and Paul Diello @ The Promised Land, 8:00pm, FREE* Live summery music from this dynamic duo Making Marks / The Knox @ Undertone, 8:00pm, £4* Norwegian indie-poppers with more than capable support from The Knox and The Almanacs No Choice + Solutions + Bear Be Good @ The Moon Club, 8:00pm,

presents/yn cyflwyno

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SUNDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2012

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CLWB IFOR BACH THE MOON CLUB CLWB IFOR BACH SUNDAY 7TH

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Box Office: 02920 230 130 | www.orchardentertainment.co.uk

The MMP September 2012

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

27 35

09 The Globe 10 O’ Neills (Big) 11 Shot in the Dark

13 Students Union 14 Tommy’s Bar 15 The Promised Land

13 21

16 Koko Gorilaz

17 Gwdihŵ

18 Dempsey’s 19 Owain Glyndwr 20 The Bunk House

BUTE PARK

20 28 10

21 Cardiff Arts Institute

22 The Vulcan Lounge

25 The North Star

26 Cafe Jazz 27 The Pot

36 33

23 St David’s Hall 24 Nos Da

19 07

28 Rococo 30 Funky Buddha 31 Bar 147 32 The Live Lounge 33 Mocka | Peppermint 34 Pen and Wig 35 The Claude 36 Cardiff Central Library

Don’t see your venue listed? Contact Us info@themmp.tv

37 Motorpoint Arena 38 The Old Library 39 The Yard 40 GH2 41 The Full Moon 42 Bogiez

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The MMP September 2012

£4* Cardiff punk rock legends smash up The Moon Club No Sweat: Lach + John Mouse + Support @ The Full Moon, 8:00pm, FREE* A night of masterfully constructed hilarity from the king of anti-folk Open Mic w/ Box Fort @ Owain Glyndwr, 8:00pm, FREE* Regular weekly open mic hosted by the acoustic talents of Box Fort Opra Cymru: Macbeth @ Chapter Arts Centre, 8:00pm, £12/£10/£8* A Welsh-language version of Verdi’s masterpiece opera with an awardwinning cast Salvation @ The Yard, 8:00pm, FREE* Wellperformed covers of upbeat pop standards Smokin’ Aces @ O’Neills Trinity Street, 8:00pm, FREE* The rocky covers of the Aces fill the O’Neills music room This River @ O’Neills St Mary’s Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Rock and pop covers played just yards away from the Taff Nick Knock by CF5 @ Koko Gorillaz, 8:30pm, FREE* Popular jam night featuring a houseband with a full backline setup, hosted by the gifted talents of Nick Walker The Jim Jam Session @ The Claude, 8:30pm, FREE* A sweet open mic night with a special guest band as the icing on the cake Joe Webb Trio @ Cafe Jazz, 9:00pm, £6/ £5* New graduates from RWCMD and this years Brecon Jazz Festival bring original music and original twists to standards Signature: Uprising Birthday Party @ Buffalo Bar, 10:00pm, £TBC* Signature celebrate the birthday of the Uprising crew with a drum n bass, dancefloor filling party – hell yea! SEPTEMBER 14, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Tony Morley; 4.30pm – The Little Giants; 7pm – The Spokes Sleepy Panda Club + Paper Factory + Nine Plan Failed @ The Moon Club, 7:00pm, £4* CrossWire Presents 6-piece indie post-punk band Sleepy Panda Club The Genesis Tribute Show: ABACAB @ The Globe, 7:30pm, £10* The best Genesis tribute show anywhere in

the world The Homens @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 7:30pm, £TBC* Power-pop all the way from Santiago de Compostela with great live renown 3 Amp @ The Yard, 8:00pm, FREE* Expect some noise from this almost ungoogleable act – not one, not two but three amps! Free Beer @ O’Neills St Mary’s Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Apparently, you have to pay for your own beer. Rock and pop covers from these liars Gramercy Riffs @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE* Country-rock infused covers and originals Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer Jazz Duo @ Norwegian Church, 8:00pm, £8.50* Ian and Dominic play melodic improvisation on jazz standards and originals Little Night Terrors @ The Full Moon, 8:00pm, FREE* Fantastic live rock music from Sheffield followed by the Gigantic DJs til late Maggie Boyle with Paul Downes @ The Minstrel Rooms, 8:00pm, £12* Traditional Irish folk singing and storytelling from these stars of the folk scene Bhangra Mumbo Jumbo w/ RSVP Bhangra @ Gwdihw, 9:00pm, £3* RSVP Bhangra’s crowdlivening grooves summon the party beneath your feet Nocturnal Emissions @ Undertone, 9:00pm, £3 b4 11, £4 after* Goth night in the basement club covering traditional to cyber-industrial Blues Dragon @ Cafe Jazz, 10:00pm, £4* Late night blues sessions presented by Blues Dragon every Friday night at Café Jazz Tim Crahart Band @ Cafe Jazz, 10:00pm, £4* A late night blues session from Tin Pan Alley’s former frontman SEPTEMBER 15, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Sion Russell Jones; 7pm – Italics; 10pm – Graffiti Barrow-in-Furness Male Voice Choir @ Glanfa Stage, Wales Millennium Centre, 1:00pm, FREE* Favourite popular songs from the world of male voice choirs Taunton School @

Glanfa Stage, Wales Millennium Centre, 6:00pm, FREE* Advanced vocal ensemble from the West Country Stone Foundation & Broken Vinyl Club + Cafe A Go Go DJs @ The Globe, 7:00pm, £8* A night of mod rock & roll and northern soul The Long Tenon + Support @ Buffalo Bar, 7:00pm, £TBC* Newport based alternative-rock and grunge two-piece comprise this early show in Buffalo WNO: La Bohème @ Wales Millenium Centre, 7:15pm, £40 - £5* The Welsh National Opera bring Puccini’s best loved opera to life Colum Regan @ The Yard, 8:00pm, FREE* The Irish troubadour brings his extensive catalogue of songs Five Dollar Shake: Skunkadelic @ The Full Moon, 8:00pm, FREE* Funky and brassy hip-hop from local rhyme slinging MC Skunkadelic Leighton Jones @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE* The soulfully endowed Mr Jones brings his raspy roar and songbook to North Star Little Giants @ O’Neills St Mary’s Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Oxymoronic pop and rock covers band Live Music Saturday @ Pen & Wig, 8:00pm, FREE* Every Saturday brings a live act to the Pen & Wig Tender Trap + Support @ Undertone, 8:00pm, £4* Indie-rock-pop comes to the basement club with Modern Life Is Rubbish DJs assisting TV Smith (The Adverts) / Punks Not Dad @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 8:00pm, £7 / £6* Proper British punk rock from the legend that is TV Smith Candela @ Gwdihw, 9:00pm, £3* Resident DJs Harmonics and DJ Nort showcase their encyclopaedic array of funky world tunes SEPTEMBER 16, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Tony Morley; 3.30pm – Open Mic Afternoon; 6.30pm – Marie; 8pm – Colum Regan; 10pm – Goose Ian McCulloch Acoustic Set @ The Globe, 7:30pm, £22* Echo & The Bunnymen frontman Ian McCulloch plays a beautiful set of acoustic

music

atmosphere.

A Shot of Jazz @ A Shot In The Dark, 8:00pm, * Regular jazz sessions in an intimate setting, featuring the best of local (and not so local) talent

Rob Cross @ O’Neills St. Mary Street, 9:30pm, FREE* Mr Cross bears his soul and a mighty lot of tunesmithery for the big O’Neills patrons

Kymo @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE* Folky-pop tunes up on North Road

SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

S + M @ O’Neills St. Mary Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Duelling acousticism of Simon and Marfunkal entertain the crowds at O’ Neils Sam Forrest / Jets To Zurich @ Undertone, 8:00pm, £5* Forrest, lead singer with alt-rockers Nine Black Alps, plays some of his solo material with Jets To Zurich as support Sunday Jazz @ Chapter Arts Centre, 9:00pm, FREE* An evening of melodic acoustic jazz in the Caffi Bar with the Glen Manby Quartet The Tony Breen Band @ Bubba’s Place, 9:00pm, FREE* Country, blues and jazz every Friday night at Bubba’s Place just off Newport Road SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Smokin’ Aces Duo; 4.30pm – Sion Russell Jones; 7pm – Honey Fungus; 10pm – Honey Fungus Band Amnesty International Present: Rusty Shackle + Maddie Jones @ The Moon Club, 7:00pm, £5 Entry* Folk and soulful country-pop from Rusty Shackle and Maddie Jones Contagious Open Mic @ Pen & Wig, 7:30pm, FREE* Weekly open mic in this charming old school pub Best Friends + Support @ Buffalo Bar, 8:00pm, £4* The Sheffield based artful pop-rock of Best Friends comes down to Wales Under The Influence / The Effect @ Undertone, 8:00pm, £4* The sound of rocky pop fills the basement club this evening

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Sion Russell Jones; 4.30pm – Robert Cross; 10pm – Face Value Open Mic Night @ The Old Library, 7:00pm, FREE* Awesomely wellattended open mic on The Hayes The Safe House Album Launch @ The Gate, 7:00pm, £5* Indie rockers The Safe House release their brand new debut album, ‘Steady As We Go’. Live and Unsigned! @ The Globe, 8:00pm, £4* Every Tuesday, new and upcoming acts showcasing their talents in front of industry professionals Oxjam Takeover Warm Up Party @ Gwdihw, 8:00pm, £5* Bands, comedy, art and stalls – a showcase of what’s to come from the Oxjam Takeover Roots Unearthed – Kan @ St David’s Hall, 8:00pm, £13 / £12* Members of Flook and Lau combine to create a new folk sound comprising Irish and Scottish traditions Smoke Fairies / Bear’s Den @ Buffalo Bar, 8:00pm, £10 / £8.50adv* The splendid and beautiful folk-blues of Smoke Fairies visits off the back of newish LP Blood Speaks The Spokes Duo @ O’Neills St Mary’s Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Rock and pop covers from the ’60s to the modern day Asaf Sirkis / Eyal Maoz @ Dempsey’s, 9:00pm, £5 / 4* A night of jazz featuring magical drummer Asaf, playing with American based virtuoso guitarist

The Monday Swing Quintet @ Cafe Jazz, 9:00pm, £3/ £2.50* Mainstream modern jazz played by these five jazzy cats

Jelly Roll Jones @ Cafe Jazz, 9:00pm, £4* The Preservation Jazz Society present good-time jazz and swing in the traditional styles of the ’20s and ’30s in a friendly café bar atmosphere

Traditional Welsh Music @ Cayo Arms, 9:00pm, FREE* Traditional Welsh folk tunes each week. Come and hear, play and sing Welsh tunes in an informal, friendly

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Tony Morley; 4.30pm – Tony Morley

SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Duo; 7pm – Robert Cross Duo; 10pm – The Groovinators Guitar Masters @ The Glee Club, 7:00pm, £17.50 / £15* Andy McKee, Preston Reed and Jon Gomm visit with their riffs echoing masterfully LF Party: Local Foreigners + Behind The Line @ The Moon Club, 7:00pm, £2* Party Night Curated by Local Foreigners Greta Isaac / Osian Rhys @ 10 Feet Tall, 7:30pm, £4 / £3* The charmingly youthful folkish talents of Isaac are complimented by the equally gifted Osian Rhys as support Thousand Fingers / The Venture / Behind The Line / Rise In Our Time @ The Globe, 7:30pm, £5* Monmouth-based Thousand Fingers host a night of melodic rock Anthony Lee Wickham’s Open Mic @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE* The uber-talented performer Wickham welcomes all to this North Road open mic Colum Regan @ O’Neills St Mary’s Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Irish born troubadour Colum entertains us all with his covers John Godwin @ O’Neills Trinity Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Fantastic weekly acoustic set from the human jukebox! Stripped @ Bogiez, 8:00pm, FREE* Jolly tunes, stand-up comedy, theatre and beat poetry in one wonderfully poisonous cocktail. Folk in the Owls Nest w/ Maddie Jones @ Gwdihw, 8:30pm, FREE* The soulfully gifted voice of Maddie Jones visits the monthly Gwdihw nest Open Mic Night @ NosDa, 8:30pm, FREE* A regular open mic night with great offers on Welsh branded drinks. Iechyd da! Mark Sambell Quartet @ Cafe Jazz, 9:00pm, £4/ £3* Pianist Mark Sambell explores harmonic depths in classic and contemporary compositions Partikel @ Dempsey’s, 9:00pm, £5 / 4* Internationally acclaimed dynamic and original sax led jazz trio SEPTEMBER 20, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Sion Russell

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EVERY THURSDAY FROM 8:30pm SHOWCASING SOME OF CARDIFFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BEST NEW TALENT

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The MMP September 2012

Jones; 4.30pm – Tony Morley; 7pm – The Spokes; 10pm – Electric Soul Last Mic Standing @ 10 Feet Tall, 7:30pm, £1* Another open mic night featuring comedy, music and spoken word Rock4Life: Blackhouse / Calum Ross & The Scarlets @ The Globe, 7:30pm, £5* Rock4Life is part of a series of gigs throughout the city raising money and awareness for Cancer Research UK Captain Hawkins @ Rockin’ Chair, 8:00pm, * Live Soul night with Captain Hawkins on piano and accordion Clic Cardiff Open Mic @ Rococo, 8:00pm, FREE* The only open mic in Cardiff with an in-house baby grand for all to use! There’s also a featured band and a free beer for every performer! Cat Wright @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE* Jazzy standards performed in North Road’s favourite venue Face Value @ O’Neills St Mary’s Street, 8:00pm, FREE* More covers to be taken at face value No Sweat: Cheviot Hill + Out Of The Woods @ The Full Moon, 8:00pm, FREE* Live soul/folk/ country band Cheviot Hill don their dungarees and take to the stage Open Mic w/ Box Fort @ Owain Glyndwr, 8:00pm, FREE* Regular weekly open mic hosted by the acoustic talents of Box Fort Rob Lear and Dom Lewis @ The Promised Land, 8:00pm, FREE* Lyrical and melodic singer-songwriting style summer music Smokin’ Aces @ O’Neills Trinity Street, 8:00pm, FREE* The rocky covers of the Aces fill the O’Neills music room Typical Stereo w/ Palomino Party @ Gwdihw, 8:00pm, £3* The 2nd birthday of Typical Stereo is celebrated with the eccentric indie-glam of Palomino Party Under The Driftwood Tree @ The Yard, 8:00pm, FREE* Pared back acoustic set from these fine folkish party soundtrackers Nick Knock by CF5 @ Koko Gorillaz, 8:30pm, FREE* Popular jam night featuring a houseband with a full backline setup, hosted by the gifted talents of Nick Walker The Jim Jam Session @ The Claude, 8:30pm,

FREE* A sweet open mic night with a special guest band as the icing on the cake

Withered Hand @ Dempsey’s, 7:30pm, £7 ADV* Lyrical folk all the way from Scotland

Maddie Jones @ Bunk House, 9:00pm, FREE* Soul singer Maddie Jones shows off our vocal skills

Freeman Street @ The Yard, 8:00pm, FREE* Vintage soul and funk from this Cardiff based five-piece

Time Zone @ Cafe Jazz, 9:00pm, £7/ £6* Afro-Cuban music with a contemporary Jazz feel from this East London 6-piece

Julie ‘Soulful’ Gordon @ The Full Moon, 8:00pm, FREE* The souliest sister this side of the Severn, followed by Gigantic DJs til late

Signature: F.A.O. Takeover feat. Synkro @ Buffalo Bar, 10:00pm, £TBC* F.A.O. take over the Signature slot bringing electronica wunderkind Synkro with them

Stacey Cohen in Concert @ Norwegian Church, 8:00pm, £6* Spell-binding alt-folk songs described as “offbeat and quirky, haunting and poignant”

SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Tony Morley; 4.30pm – The Little Giants; 7pm – The Wonders; 10pm – The Wonders Duo Tradicional Cubano Trio @ RWCMD, 1:15pm, £6 ADV* The Tradicional Cubano Trio gets right down to the vibrant roots of Cuban music Rumney Folk Club Festival @ Rumney Folk Club, 5:00pm, £TBC* Annual 2 day festival, celebrating the club’s regular performers with a traditional folk club as well as special guests and ceilidh Michael Card: The Beginning Of The Gospel Tour @ The Gate, 7:00pm, £10* Beautiful interpretation of the book of Mark by Michael Card BBC NOW – Season Taster Concert @ St David’s Hall, 7:30pm, £27.50 - £10* An evening featuring some of highlights coming up in the BBC National Orchestra of Wales’s forthcoming Cardiff season The Ian McMillan Orchestra @ RWCMD, 7:30pm, £15 / £12* Here be tales told by an Orchestra, ring-mastered by composer Luke Carver Goss and up-fronted by Bard of Barnsley and English National Opera poet-in-residence Ian McMillan Thomas Nicholas Band @ The Globe, 7:30pm, £10* The star of The American Pie Comedy Series comes to The Globe with his band Vile / Lacerated and Carbonized @ Bogiez, 7:30pm, £8* Californian death metal facemelters visit as part of the Metamorphosis tour

The Lounge Lizards @ The Claude, 8:00pm, FREE* Live covers in the formidable Albany Road pub The Pirate Ship Quintet + The Death of Her Money @ The Moon Club, 8:00pm, £4* PostRock, Classical, Screamo bands from Bristol The Undecided @ O’Neills St Mary’s Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Rock and pop covers from the indecisive crew Under The Driftwood Tree @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE* Finely tuned folk-party-pop up in North Road’s finest The Gas Station Bop @ Gwdihw, 9:00pm, £3* Solid rock n roll, garage rock and surf tunes blare out of this party ginseng Blues Dragon @ Cafe Jazz, 10:00pm, £4* Late night blues sessions presented by Blues Dragon every Friday night at Café Jazz Pat Grover & The Hawks @ Cafe Jazz, 10:00pm, £4* Pat Grover leads this 5-piece blues band late into the night System 909 @ Undertone, 10:00pm, £TBC* Ceaseless fun and beats and breaks to shimmy your sweats along to SEPTEMBER 22, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Sion Russell Jones; 4.30pm – Daisy B; 7pm – Bespoke; 10pm – Electric Mayhem Brother Culture @ The Boiler House, 2:00pm, £6* Billed as the last gig ever in the current Boiler House incarnation, this reggae all-dayer features the likes of Rasta MC Brother Culture, Positive Vibes Crew and Dub in the Pub DJs Still Life with Guitar @ Glanfa Stage, Wales

Millennium Centre, 5:45pm, FREE* Beautiful classical music arranged for viola and acoustic Guitar WNO: Jephtha @ Wales Millenium Centre, 7:00pm, £40 - £5* Handel’s Jeptha excellently performed by the Welsh National Opera Roxy Magic @ The Gate, 7:30pm, £15* Apparently the UK’s No.1 Roxy Music tribute band Wussy @ Dempsey’s, 7:30pm, £6 ADV* Critically acclaimed indie-rock band from Cincinnati Alasdair Roberts @ Chapter Arts Centre, 8:00pm, £12/£10/£8* Glasgow-based musician, Alisdair Roberts sings traditional roots folk ballads accompanied by unique acoustic fingerstyle guitar Five Dollar Shake: Bad Juju @ The Full Moon, 8:00pm, FREE* Live funk and soul music, followed by DJs’ playing everything from bebop, funk and soul to hip hop, reggae, ska and electro swing! For Those About To Rock @ St David’s Hall, 8:00pm, £17.50* The high energy rock n boogie tour visits featuring tribute acts Live/Wire (The AC/ DC Show) and The ZZ Tops Live Music Saturday @ Pen & Wig, 8:00pm, FREE* Every Saturday brings a live act to the Pen & Wig Race Horses / Y Niwl / The Lovely Wars @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 8:00pm, £6.50* The giants of the Welsh indie music scene, Race Horses release their new album Furniture Salvation @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE* Anthony Wickham’s covers band strut their cheeky touches The Beavers @ O’Neills St Mary’s Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Rock and pop covers from this dam fine band Under The Driftwood Tree @ The Yard, 8:00pm, FREE* Catch the UDWT troupe in their full, upbeat splendour – party folk a go go Signor Funk w/ Afrocluster @ Gwdihw, 9:00pm, £3* Unadulterated funk DJs are flanked by the stellar hip-hop afrobeat of Afrocluster SEPTEMBER 23, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Tony Morley;

3.30pm – Open Mic Afternoon; 6.30pm – Marie; 8pm – Colum Regan; 10pm – Goose Elizabeth Pike @ Glanfa Stage, Wales Millennium Centre, 1:00pm, FREE* Soloist Elizabeth Pike takes to the stage for a free concert on The Glanfa Stage Paul Lewis: Schubert Sonata for Piano nos.19/20/21 @ RWCMD, 2:00pm, £12 / £10* The three haunting sonatas that Schubert wrote in the final year of his short life Harmonyz Acapella @ Glanfa Stage, Wales Millennium Centre, 3:00pm, FREE* Popular favourites sang by this acapella choir Sundown Print Market @ Gwdihw, 4:00pm, FREE* The monthly market focuses on prints this time with artists, graphic designs and bands all clubbing in WNO: La Bohème @ Wales Millenium Centre, 4:00pm, £40 - £5* The Welsh National Opera bring Puccini’s best loved opera to life 2 Piece Sweet @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE* Lively covers from this incredibly named act A Shot of Jazz @ A Shot In The Dark, 8:00pm, * Regular jazz sessions in an intimate setting, featuring the best of local (and not so local) talent Amen Dunes @ Undertone, 8:00pm, £TBC* Lo-fi alt-pop with an assured route straight into the melodic psyche, all the way from New York Smokin Aces @ O’Neills St Mary’s Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Covers of everything from ACDC to Lady GaGa The Tony Breen Band @ Bubba’s Place, 9:00pm, FREE* Country, blues and jazz every Friday night at Bubba’s Place just off Newport Road SEPTEMBER 24, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Smokin’ Aces Duo; 4.30pm – Sion Russell Jones; 7pm – Honey Fungus; 10pm – Honey Fungus Band Buffalo Acoustic Night @ Buffalo Bar, 7:00pm, FREE* An evening of charming acoustica in the downstairs of Buffalo New Lows + Full of Hell + Outrage CC @ The Moon Club, 7:00pm, £7* Straight-up hardcore from Boston, USA

Contagious Open Mic @ Pen & Wig, 7:30pm, FREE* Weekly open mic in this charming old school pub Cigar and Rum Night @ Gwdihw, 8:00pm, £TBC* A night of Cuban beats, fine smoking and delicious rum – how positively groovy! Underground Heroes / Sunshine Riot @ Undertone, 8:00pm, £6 / £5adv* Polish those knee joints – time to do some ska dancing to these indie-punkers Jelly Roll Jones @ Cafe Jazz, 9:00pm, FREE* Old time jug band/hokum blues from the 20s and 30s Traditional Welsh Music @ Cayo Arms, 9:00pm, FREE* Traditional Welsh folk tunes each week. Come and hear, play and sing Welsh tunes in an informal, friendly atmosphere. Rob Cross @ O’Neills St. Mary Street, 9:30pm, FREE* Mr Cross bears his soul and a mighty lot of tunesmithery for the big O’Neills patrons SEPTEMBER 25, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Sion Russell Jones; 4.30pm – Robert Cross; 7pm – Daisy B; 10pm – Goose Mayuko Katsumura & Noriko Kawai @ St David’s Hall, 1:00pm, £6.50 / £5.50* Violinist Mayuko Katsumura and pianist Noriko Kawai perform Handel and Prokofiev Rougemont School @ Glanfa Stage, Wales Millennium Centre, 1:00pm, FREE* A children’s choir from Newport-based Rougemont School Bassplayers Jam Night @ Gwdihw, 7:00pm, £2* Monthly jam night for lovers of funk, electro, reggae and drum n bass – participate yourself or just dance your socks off Falling With Style + Trails @ The Moon Club, 7:00pm, £3* Get the full ponty with this valleys based post-hardcore band Open Mic Night @ The Old Library, 7:00pm, FREE* Awesomely wellattended open mic on The Hayes Live and Unsigned! @ The Globe, 8:00pm, £4* Every Tuesday, new and upcoming acts showcasing their talents in front of industry professionals Mode Moderne +

Fri 7th Sept 2012

Sat 22nd Sept 2012

Sun 4th Nov 2012

ZACHARY CALE

WUSSY

BEN HOWARD

w/SUPPORT

Dempseys, Cardiff £6 adv/ 7:30pm / 18+ show

Sat 8th Sept 2012

CRUSADES w/SURVIVALISTS FIRE SEASON

w/AMERICAN WEREWOLF ACADEMY Dempseys, Cardiff

£6 adv / 7.30pm / 18+ show

Various dates in Wales

JODIE MARIE

w/WILLY MASON

Cardiff Uni, Great Hall

SŴN IS ALSO PRESENTING MUSIC AT:

SOLD OUT / 7:30pm / 14+

Mon 12th Nov 2012

LAETITIA SADIER w/SUPPORT

ONE OF THESE DAYS

‘A Festival of Festivals’

Muni Arts Centre, Pontypridd Sat 29th Sept

The Globe, Cardiff £10 adv / 7.30pm / 18+ show

Winter Gardens, Blackpool

St David’s Hall, Cardiff Mon 1st Oct

Wed 14th Nov 2012

Mon 10th Sept 2012

Saturday 8th – Sunday 9th December 2012

GEMMA RAY

Gwyn Hall, Neath Fri 5th Oct

The Globe, Cardiff

Theatr Hafren, Powys Sat 6th Oct

FRANK TURNER & THE SLEEPING SOULS

Dempseys, Cardiff £6 adv / 7.30pm / 18+ show

w/SUPPORT

£9 adv / 7.30pm / 18+ show

Tue 11th Sept 2012

THE XX

Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Aberystwyth Wed 10th Oct

w/2:54

Wed 10th Oct 2012

Cardiff Coal Exchange

RACHEL SERMANNI

SOLD OUT / 7:30pm / 14+ show

Sun 16th Sept 2012

IAN MCCULLOCH (from ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN) (Acoustic Set) w/SUPPORT

The Globe, Cardiff £22 adv / 7.30pm / 18+ show

w/GRETA ISAAC

10 Feet Tall, Cardiff £7 adv / 7.30pm / 18+ show

Sun 28th oct 2012

LEE ‘SCRATCH’ PERRY

Fri 21st Sept 2012

w/SUPPORT

WITHERED HAND

GLEE CLUB, CARDIFF

w/THE VESTALS

Dempseys, Cardiff £7 adv / 7.30pm / 18+ show

£24 adv / 7:30pm / 18+ show

Kilimanjaro Live & SŴN presents

w/SUPPORT

Brangwyn Hall, Swansea 7:30pm / £18adv

Wed 28th nov 2012

GARY LOURIS (THE JAYHAWKS) w/SUPPORT

The Globe, Cardiff £14 adv / 7:30pm / 18+ show

Sun 2nd Dec 2012 kilimanjaro Live & SŴN presents

BAND OF SKULLS w/FOLKS

Cardiff Coal Exchange £15 adv / 7.30pm / All Ages. Under 14’s must be accompanied by an adult

www.oneofthesedaysfestival.com

OUR 4-DAY ANNUAL SŴN FESTIVAL TAKES PLACE IN VENUES ACROSS CARDIFF OCT 18TH – 21ST SWNFEST.COM

The MMP September 2012

Support @ Buffalo Bar, 8:00pm, £4 / £3* Another in the wave of great Canadian bands, Mode Moderne bring an indie new-wave edge to the city

Star taken on by James Kennedy

The Jazz Cafe @ The Gate, 8:00pm, £3 / £2* A professional house jazz trio provide the music, inviting budding jazz musicians from the audience to join them throughout the night on rhythm, piano, wind and vocal sections

Keith James Concert @ Norwegian Church, 8:00pm, £12* The poems of William Blake set to the guitar arrangements of Nick Drake

The Memphis Seven @ Cafe Jazz, 8:00pm, £4* The Preservation Jazz Society present goodtime jazz and swing in the traditional styles of the ’20s and ’30s in a friendly café bar atmosphere The Spokes Duo @ O’Neills St Mary’s Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Rock and pop covers from the ’60s to the modern day Alex Merritt Quartet @ Dempsey’s, 9:00pm, £5 / 4* Alex on sax with Kit Downes on piano, James Maddren on drums and Calum Gourlay on bass, playing Alex’s original jazz compositions SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Tony Morley; 4.30pm – Tony Morley Duo; 7pm – Robert Cross Duo; 10pm – Face Value Opera Preview Concert @ RWCMD, 1:15pm, £7 / £5* Fill your lunch hour with pure bliss as the RWCMD previews this season’s upcoming opera productions Balderdash @ Gwdihw, 7:30pm, £3* The luscious psych-rock of No Thee No Ess with the electronica of Y Pencadlys and acoustica of Alex Dingley ably supporting Pierce The Veil / Crown The Empire / The Getaway Plan @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 7:30pm, £10* A feast of American posthardcore from our star’d and stripe’d cousins Cardiff Tea Club @ Buffalo Bar, 8:00pm, FREE* Another evening of reggae, funk, hip-hop and more with tea and cake forming the component landscape Colum Regan @ O’Neills St Mary’s Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Irish born troubadour Colum entertains us all with his covers James Kennedy’s Open Mic @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE* Open mic duties in the North

John Godwin @ O’Neills Trinity Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Fantastic weekly acoustic set from the human jukebox!

Stripped @ Bogiez, 8:00pm, FREE* Jolly tunes, stand-up comedy, theatre and beat poetry in one wonderfully poisonous cocktail. Open Mic Night @ NosDa, 8:30pm, FREE* A regular open mic night with great offers on Welsh branded drinks. Iechyd da! Jazz Attic Jam Session @ Cafe Jazz, 9:00pm, FREE* The chance for all budding jazz musicians to sit in with the talented house trio. All instruments and singers are welcome Paul Jones Tryfan Trio @ Dempsey’s, 9:00pm, £5 / 4* Super jazz pianist Paul comes to Dempsey’s with a new project SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Sion Russell Jones; 4.30pm – Tony Morley; 7pm – The Spokes; 10pm – The Domino’s Malefice + Silent @ Bogiez, 7:30pm, £6* Reading based melodic metallers Malefice descend upon Bogiez Aidan Thorne Trio @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE* Jazz trio entertaining the North Star dwellers this evening Andy Huntley @ The Yard, 8:00pm, FREE* Cardiff based singersongwriter takes all the tunes to the yard… Beard Of Wolves + Secateurs + Efa Supertramp @ The Moon Club, 8:00pm, £3* An eclectic and ferocious fusion of rock, garage and drum and bass from the North Walian artists formerly known as ‘I Am Austin’ Captain Hawkins @ Rockin’ Chair, 8:00pm, * Live Soul night with Captain Hawkins on piano and accordion Clic Cardiff Open Mic @ Rococo, 8:00pm, FREE* The only open mic in Cardiff with an in-house baby grand for all to use! There’s also a featured band and a free beer for every performer!

Gunning For Tamar @ Gwdihw, 8:00pm, £3* One of Rock Sounds’ ones to watch in 2012, Gunning For Tamar bring the classic rock ‘n’ roll all the way from Oxford No Sweat: Climbing Trees @ The Full Moon, 8:00pm, FREE* Six piece folksters influenced by the likes of Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Edward Sharpe Open Mic w/ Box Fort @ Owain Glyndwr, 8:00pm, FREE* Regular weekly open mic hosted by the acoustic talents of Box Fort Sleepy Weasels @ O’Neills St Mary’s Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Rock and pop covers from the weasily recognised folk Smokin’ Aces @ O’Neills Trinity Street, 8:00pm, FREE* The rocky covers of the Aces fill the O’Neills music room Weak(end) Arrows and Elite Days @ The Promised Land, 8:00pm, FREE* Live alternative music for the end of summer Nick Knock by CF5 @ Koko Gorillaz, 8:30pm, FREE* Popular jam night featuring a houseband with a full backline setup, hosted by the gifted talents of Nick Walker The Jim Jam Session @ The Claude, 8:30pm, FREE* A sweet open mic night with a special guest band as the icing on the cake Busnoys @ Cafe Jazz, 9:00pm, £6/ £5* Martin Pyne makes imaginative use of electronic processing and a toy piano to lead his band of jazzy men Miss Maud’s Folly @ Bunk House, 9:00pm, FREE* This roving band of minstrels perform a blend of gypsy, jazz and folk tunes, full of beautiful imagery and delightful instrumental arrangements Signature feat. Todd Edwards @ Buffalo Bar, 10:00pm, £7 / £5adv* Signature bring in LAbased Edwards to show us all how to DJ house and garage SEPTEMBER 28, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Tony Morley; 4.30pm – The Little Giants; 7pm – Robert Cross Duo; 10pm – 2 Tickets 2 The Gun Show William Bennett Flute @ RWCMD, 1:15pm, £8 / £6* A lunchtime of music from three centuries, filled

with melody, colour and panache, and performed by one of the finest players in the world Traffic Light Records Night @ Buffalo Bar, 7:00pm, £TBC* Local label Traffic Light Records bring some of their rock ‘n’ roll gusto acts to Buffalo Warrior Soul @ Bogiez, 7:00pm, £10* Legendary American power hard rock masters return to the Welsh capital WNO: Jephtha @ Wales Millenium Centre, 7:00pm, £40 - £5* Handel’s Jeptha excellently performed by the Welsh National Opera The Dirt / Trade Street Riot @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 7:30pm, £4* Local rockers take to Clwb with equally as hard rocking support The Last Carnival @ The Globe, 7:30pm, £7* Born from the vinyl dust of yesteryear this five piece deliver a fresh new British rock/pop sound bristling with crunching guitars set over groovy rock beats! Trish Clowes @ RWCMD, 7:30pm, £12 / £10* Saxophonist and composer Trish Clowes performs music with her quartet which inhabits that intriguing world at the ill-defined edges of jazz and contemporary classical music Adam Barnes + Richard Walters @ The Full Moon, 8:00pm, FREE* Haunting melodic folk music from this Oxfordbased duo Rock Factor @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE* It’s rock to the factor of God knows how many in North Star Salvation @ The Yard, 8:00pm, FREE* Cheeky and cheesy covers from these splendid practitioners The Spokes @ O’Neills St Mary’s Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Rock and pop covers from the ’60s to the modern day Water Tower Bucket Boys + Support @ The Moon Club, 8:00pm, £3* A delightful evening of US Americana/bluegrass, presented by Peches Mignon F.A.O. feat. Eliphino @ Undertone, 9:00pm, £TBC* Relentlessly eclectic range of sounds from Leeds-based Tom Wrankmore with hip hop, garage, house, r ‘n’ b, dancehall and jungle Ska Mumbo Jumbo @ Gwdihw, 9:00pm, £3* Mumbo Jumbo presents another night of ska-

fuelled mayhem Blues Dragon @ Cafe Jazz, 10:00pm, £4* Late night blues sessions presented by Blues Dragon every Friday night at Café Jazz The Mark Pontin Group @ Cafe Jazz, 10:00pm, £4* Having played with Route 66 for many years, Mark’s blistering guitar work and vocals can be heard with his new band SEPTEMBER 29, 2012

The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Sion Russell Jones; 4.30pm – Tangent; 7pm – The Spokes; 10pm – Imposters Welsh National Opera @ Glanfa Stage, Wales Millennium Centre, 5:45pm, FREE* A showcase of songs from The Welsh National Opera’s repertoire Cardiff Music Festival @ Glanfa Stage, Wales Millennium Centre, 6:00pm, FREE* Live performances featuring young, local musical talent in the build up to the 2012 festival Back to Mono @ Rockin’ Chair, 7:00pm, FREE* Back to the 60′s and 70′s with the finest tunes from the soul, funk and RnB scenes Jesca Hoop + Support @ Buffalo Bar, 7:00pm, £TBC* American singersongwriter acclaimed by the exalted likes of Tom Waits WNO: La Bohème @ Wales Millenium Centre, 7:15pm, £40 - £5* The Welsh National Opera bring Puccini’s best loved opera to life My Winehouse @ The Globe, 7:30pm, £10* Europe’s No. 1 Amy Winehouse Tribute Band Mise En Bouche Presents: Paper Tiger + Skunkadelic @ The Moon Club, 8:00pm, £3* Innovative Six-Piece Electro Funk, hip-hop, post-dubstep from Leeds Gaudy Orde @ The Full Moon, 8:00pm, FREE* Where’s me washboard? It’s on stage with that there skiffley, vaudevilletype band Goose @ O’Neills St Mary’s Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Colum Regan fronts a whole band and brings us high quality pop and rock covers Keith James: Songs of Leonard Cohen @ The Minstrel Rooms, 8:00pm, £12* Keith James brings his unique interpretation of Leonard

Cohen’s best songs to Wales Live Music Saturday @ Pen & Wig, 8:00pm, FREE* Every Saturday brings a live act to the Pen & Wig Peeping Toms @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE* Lock up your daughters, here comes the covers of Peeping Toms Rock Factor @ The Yard, 8:00pm, FREE* You better factor in the rock, if you’re thinking of coming to The Yard tonight Yr Ods @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 8:00pm, £5* The alternative pop of North Walians Yr Ods bristles with melodic charm and natural energy Hully Gully @ Gwdihw, 9:00pm, £3* Funk and hip hop party treats from DJ Veto, Double Cee and Mr Soulsbury’s vinyl labyrinth SEPTEMBER 30, 2012

The Full Moon’s 1st Birthday Party @ The Full Moon, 12:00pm, FREE* Live music and DJs until the early hours, with over 20 bands confirmed so far, including: Statues Of Us, Hip Route, Johnny Cage’s Hopeful Sinners, One Eyed God, Tree House Fire, Ginger Rogers, The Knox The Live Lounge @ The Live Lounge, 12:00pm, FREE* Live covers throughout the day: 12pm – Tony Morley; 3.30pm – Open Mic Afternoon; 6.30pm – Marie; 8pm – Colum Regan; 10pm – Goose The Lazy Sunday Sessions @ The Globe, 3:00pm, £1* A vintage fair complemented by live music and DJs until the early hours Chains Of Love / Totem Terrors + More @ Undertone, 7:30pm, £6 / £5adv* Undeniably awesome Vancouver based garage-rock-soul with hints of Phil Spector with excellent support Jazz Morley + Support @ Buffalo Bar, 7:30pm, £8 / £7* Stiff Promotions presents the honeylunged soul vocals of Dorsetian Jazz Morley Jim Lockey & The Solemn Sun / The People The Poet @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 7:30pm, £6* Come down to Clwb to find out what anarcho-anglo folk rock is all about The Dead Famous @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 7:30pm, £6.50* 4-piece rockers with burgeoning reputation visit the main hall of Clwb

A Shot of Jazz @ A Shot In The Dark, 8:00pm, * Regular jazz sessions in an intimate setting, featuring the best of local (and not so local) talent Robin and Bina Williamson @ Chapter Arts Centre, 8:00pm, £12/£10* A soulful blend of Indo-Celtic song, story and music accompanied by harp, bowed psaltery and a diversity of other instruments S + M @ O’Neills St. Mary Street, 8:00pm, FREE* Duelling acousticism of Simon and Marfunkal entertain the crowds at O’ Neils Thoby Davis @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE* The charming skills of a man and his loop – all embrace Mr Thoby Davis The Tony Breen Band @ Bubba’s Place, 9:00pm, FREE* Country, blues and jazz every Friday night at Bubba’s Place just off Newport Road

Clubnights Clubnights of the month

SUNDAYS

Sunday Social @ 10 Feet Tall, 8:00pm* Chill out and socialise ahead of a new week to alternative party tunes! Mocka Lounge Sundays @ Mocka Lounge, 8:00pm* Wind down a chaotic week with a visit to Mocka The Hop @ Buffalo Bar, 8:00pm* A killer blend of rock’n’roll, swing, jive, psych & alt classic anthems Sunday Nite Chillax @ Bar Icon, 11:00pm, FREE* Chill out, max out, act out all cool. Or simply chillax at this fine establishment. Live DJ @ The Live Lounge, 11:00pm, FREE* Taking you through until 4am with an eclectic mix of singalong tunes and dancefloor anthem. MONDAYS

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* 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... Salsa Classes @ The Owain Glyndwr, 8:00pm* Get those hips gyrating at these weekly classes. Hangover Cure @ Mocka Lounge, 8:00pm, FREE* What it says on the tin really. Go and massage that sore head! 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 singalong tunes and dancefloor anthem. TUESDAYS

F.A.O. feat Eliphino @ Undertone, 28th September* Leeds-born, London-based Tom Wrankmore incorporates hip-hop, house, garage, jungle and dancehall into his eclectic DJ sets.

These are generally known for being floorfilling wigouts that would strain even the most athletic of thighs. Definitely one to go to.

10 Feet Live @ 10 Feet Tall, 8:00pm* New music and party tunes in the bar until 4am! 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. Two Damn Glam @ GLAM, 10:00pm* Expect chart anthems and dancefloor fillers. Open Door Tuesday @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 10:00pm, FREE* Good tunes, cheap drinks and a willing DJ who will play those requested tunes. Live DJ @ The Live Lounge, 11:00pm, FREE* Taking you through until 4am with an eclectic mix of singalong tunes and dancefloor anthem. WEDNESDAYS

Blender @ Buffalo Bar, 8:00pm* Fashionable midweek hangout with great tunes and great people. Bolt From The Blue @ 10 Feet Tall, 8:00pm* 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. Cookies ‘n Cream @ So-Lo, 9:00pm* Student night featuring incredible discounts with an NUS card. Wowzer. Prophecy - Future Jungle @ 48 Below, 9.30pm* Old school jungle rhythms meet new school production techniques. Expect battles, competitions and free giveaways. 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. THURSDAYS

Armageddon @ The Old Library, 8:00pm* Cardiff’s latest, greatest live rock and metal night. On The Rocks @ 10 Feet Tall, 8:00pm* Rock ‘n Roll, alternative mashups, guitar anthems and party riffs until the sun comes up! Signature: Uprising Birthday Party @ Buffalo, 13th September *Clubnights associated with birthdays are normally that extra bit special with DJs going a little further to celebrate. Expect this to be the case tonight with Signature and Uprising coming together with a mix of reggae, dub, electronica, hip-hop, house and glitch.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* Experimental, electronic, new music, leftfield, dubstep, hiphop, 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. Hammer’d @ Bogiez , 10:00pm, FREE* Contemporary rock and metal tunage with some classics thrown in for good measure. Propaganda @ GLAM, 10:00pm, £4* Two rooms of the most popular, dancefloor anthems with cheap drinks along the way. J U I C E R @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 10:30pm, £3* House, disco and rave classics all the way to 4am Live DJ @ The Live Lounge, 11:00pm, FREE* Taking you through until 4am with an eclectic mix of singalong tunes and dancefloor anthem. FRIDAYS

Gigantic DJs @ The Full Moon, 7:00pm, FREE* Everything you can imagine, from bebop to trip

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hop to motown to jazz to ska and electro! Funky Fridays @ So-Lo, 7:00pm, £3 / £5 after 9* Guest DJs making you feel funky on a Friday. Simple. The Resurrection @ The Old Library, 8:00pm, FREE* Playing non-stop supersonic mixes of indie, Brit-pop and alternative tunes. Axe the DJ @ NosDa, 8:00pm, £TBC* A weekly event where the bartenders choose the tunes. Anything from funk to fusion to German techno metal. Hyena! @ Buffalo Bar, 8:00pm* Dance your drunken night away to beats that will blow your addled mind Xerox @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 8:00pm* Downstairs in a much loved venue, the music is ideal for you hipster lovelies. Fancy Footwork @ 10 Feet Tall, 8:00pm* Classic funk, soul, old school disco, party mash-ups Milgi @ Milgi’s, 8:00pm* Celebrate a collection of world music played by in-house DJs. Therapy @ Glam, 9:00pm* Your weekly dosage of spine shaking beats, bright lights and sticky dancefloors The Furnace @ Bogiez, 10:00pm, FREE* Bringing the very best mix of old to new rock, metal, punk and alternative! Anything goes as long as it’s rawwwkk. Live DJ @ The Live Lounge, 11:00pm, FREE* Taking you through until 4am with an eclectic mix of singalong tunes and dancefloor anthem. SATURDAYS

Juju Nations @ Gwdihw, 1st September* The regular dancefloor filling sounds of afrobeat, funk, reggae and more is accompanied by live act Super Chango who are taking us on a trip of tropical-tinged live funk soundscapes. It all sounds like the perfect reason to drink, dance, sweat and be extremely merry. Sweet Chocolate @ So-Lo, 7:00pm, * Old Skool R’n’B alongside Berlin classics, would you believe it? Vanity - It’s All About You @ GLAM, 8:00pm* Two floors of the hottest R&B, hip hop, dance and all in between Five Dollar Shake @ The Full Moon, 8:00pm, FREE* All sorts, from

bebop, funk and soul to hip hop, dancehall and electro swing! Me And You Club @ 10 Feet Tall, 8:00pm, FREE* An unruly rock ‘n’ roll party til the early hours with the coolest cats in town Milgi @ Milgi’s, 8:00pm, FREE* Every Saturday, hear world and dance tracks. Try their cocktails, too. Twisted by Design @ Dempsey’s, 8:00pm* One of Cardiff’s longest running alternative nights, every fortnight. Saturdays @ Lava Lounge, 8:00pm* Commercial hits galore at Lava Lounge tonight Liven Up Your Weekends At Cafe Jazz @ Cafe Jazz, 8:00pm, * Resident DJ and great music from the 1950’s up to the present Beatbox Ballroom @ Buffalo Bar, 9:00pm* Weekly dose of soul and hip-hop. Buzz / Berlin Returns! @ So-Lo, 9:00pm* All the great old school R&B, hip-hop tunes from the ‘80s and ‘90s. Swing and Rock ‘n’ Roll @ The Bunkhouse, 10:00pm* DJ Ben Potter brings the lushness of the swing and rock era back to modernity 3 Floor Party @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 10:00pm* Three floors of mouthwatering Motown, soul and Vinyl Vendettas top floor takeover. Bogiez Saturday Mayhem @ Bogiez, 10:00pm, FREE* Intensely chaotic rock night down in Bogiez – bring the mosh! Analogue @ Undertone, 10:00pm, £TBC* House DJs will be there to bring you the best in tech tunage. Live DJ @ The Live Lounge, 11:00pm, FREE* Taking you through until 4am with an eclectic mix of singalong tunes and dancefloor anthem.

The MMP September 2012

Reviews

Bomb Alaska Bomb Alaska EP

Bomb Alaska classify themselves as ‘modern rock n’ roll’, but in truth they perpetrate a rather fascinating fusion of classic punk with traditional rockabilly. The upbeat bouncy rhythm evident throughout each of these tracks pre-dates the rock n’ roll of Chuck Berry and his peers yet frontman John Vedmore passionately snarls over each with the punk attitude of Joe Strummer; and it’s a marriage that really works. Each track is certainly infectious - albeit with some questionable subject matter - and they emanate an atmosphere of fun and frivolity on each. There’s a lot of promise evident on these five short tracks to suggest that a live show may just be worth watching the gig guide for. JS

Albums Singles Demos

www.bombalaska.co.uk

Them Dead Beats Them Dead Beats EP

Spillers pick of the month Winter Villains February

Winter Villains’ early demos showed a promise built on layered, quasi-choral vocals and lush, snowdrift instrumental arrangements. They got us all very excited. And with the full-length album here, they have expertly cashed in on all of that potential. From the moment We Stepped Into The Night’s minimalist piano and percussion slowly usher the listener in, it expressly displays consistency and quality. The Air’s vocal dynamics are then spellbinding. Thorns builds and builds a la Sigur Ros, while incorporating sensitive and soft electronic glitches. Icebergs’ is perhaps the finest of all, aurally capturing the essence of cold, white landscapes. And, yes, all round, it is incredible, singular in its purpose, achieving it with seemingly no effort whatsoever. Just superb. SMR

wintervillains.bandcamp.com

soundcloud.com/the_dead_beats Paid To Fake It

The world is a noisy place, with all kinds of audio stimuli vying for your attention. TV, radio, music, computer games and the internet are constantly pushing sounds in our direction for one reason or another. Pembrokeshire-native Michael Simmons, aka Conformist, resides in our capital city collecting these sounds and messing to hell with them, before constructing them into heavy beat infused soundscapes. And it sounds unlike anything else. You hear old school computer game glitches (‘Mr Grosse and Mr Playfair’); you hear thrash metal guitar (‘Ladybug Ladybug’); you hear indecisive voices and flamenco guitars (‘Hack Green Bunker’). But they’ve all been squashed into a terrifying post-dubstep soundclash. Imagine the Avalanches flipping out into a murderous rage and you’re probably not far off this. JOC

www.conformistmusic.co.uk

Episode 3: A Quick Win

After the excellent indie-pop of Episode 1 and slightly overblown baroque pop of Episode 2, Cardiff stalwart Spencer McGarry returns with the third instalment of his ‘hexological Season of music.’ Loosely conceived as a synth-pop project, Episode 3 finds Spencer drawing on elements of both of his previous LPs to create a happy medium between the two. ‘Mass Decisions’ stands out as an example of his talent as a quirky pop writer, while ‘A Feature Not A Bug’ uses deep synths and huge sounding drums to make head-bopping impact. Some of the melodies meander a tad, and his vocal style isn’t hugely versatile, but this Stephen Black (Sweet Baboo)-produced album is full of interesting musical ideas and enjoyably baffling lyrics. JOC

spencermcgarryseason.bandcamp.com

You certainly couldn’t accuse Them Dead Beats of lacking in passion and raw energy, something which is evident in waves on these crudely produced demo tracks. For a trio they’re also tight and manage to create some lovely rhythm and grooves. However, there’s one huge area where they come up quite short; originality. Unfortunately it’s not 1995 anymore and bands perpetrating grunge-inspired punk-rock are an increasingly isolated commodity in modern times. Most of these tracks sound so heavily influenced by legends Nirvana or Mudhoney that you’d be forgiven for mistaking this for one of the aforementioned pioneers’ early demo tapes. Although it’s not a painful listen by any stretch and does have some enjoyable moments, original or unique it ain’t. JS

Conformist

Spencer McGarry

Al Lewis

Our Lines Remain EP

The ‘Our Lines Remain’ EP follows up Al Lewis’ ‘In The Wake’, an album which was nominated for the Welsh Music Prize. Add to that an entry into the Amazon top 10 folk chart, it’s fair to say there was a certain level of expectation from the Welsh singer songwriter. The 70s influence is present from the first track, with a modern twist that is reminiscent of Ryan Adams, Iron and Wine and perhaps the lesser known Summer Fiction, and it’s not difficult to believe this EP was recorded and mixed by Phil Brown (Laura Marling). What makes it really stand out, however, is the collaborations from Sarah Howells (Paper Aeroplanes) and Mary Erskine, who add a depth that really completes Al’s sound. PK

www.allewismusic.com

The Witches Drum

Future Kings Of An Empty Throne 4* This is quite the party invitation. Packed with psychedelic riffs and licentious lyrics, the four noise-jams that make up this EP sound like tracks that Nick Cave recorded at the bottom of a tar pit. Watch The Freaks Lose It, which clocks in at just over eight minutes, is one hell of an opening statement, but it’s Climb Aboard The Bus Of Devotion, at the other end of the record, that really sums up the band. It urges the listener to join their ranks, promising him a proud space in a world of swamps and scantily-clad ladies. The Witches Drum inspire an almost religious devotion amongst their fans; this is your chance to get on board and lose it with the rest of the freaks. JDE

thewitchesdrum.bandcamp.com

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Hullabaloo Landslide EP

For anyone harbouring nostalgia for bouncy 90’s punk rock, this could well be the band for you. Combining funk, soul and ska with occasional hints of power-pop and punk, the majority of tracks on this EP are nuanced, cleverly constructed while also incredibly energetic. Unfortunately, opening track Found A New Way is no indicator of the broader quality of the work; juvenile, clichéd lyrics with a repetitive, albeit enjoyable, Buzzcocks style riff. Thankfully, this gives way to an exuberant tangle of horns and keys, catchy choruses and startlingly pleasing solos, epitomised by All Shapes And Sizes. This, alongside the similarly volatile title track are the real testament to Hullabaloo’s prowess, as their obvious joy onstage is reined in by astute song-writing. DG

hullabalooband.bandcamp.com

Major Triadz Major Triadz

Major Triadz display very little of the swaggering arrogance that is so often associated with hiphop music, instead choosing to focus on laidback beats and dark, understated raps. The result is a quietly intense record that doesn’t exactly slap you in the face, but rewards a close listen. Characterised by minimalist hooks, vinyl scratching, and fantastic rapping with Culture Vulture particularly containing some quick-tongued flow. The scratching gets incessant after a while, and some of the more obviously fake MIDI instrumentation sounds a bit duff, but these are minor complaints, and the human heart at the centre of the album beats loud and strong. Major Triadz expertly juggle chilled-out hip-hop sounds with a menacing undercurrent, and for that they should be congratulated. JDE

majortriadz.bandcamp.com

Colorama Good Music

Colorama’s suite of releases over the last few years is a stunningly beautiful thing. Here with Good Music, Carwyn Ellis and co, along with producer Edwyn Collins, have pushed their sound into new and, dare we say, funkier, directions, while retaining the key elements that make it so joyous. Take the title track. It sprawls through layers of danceable guitar and bass lines, with Ellis clearly enjoying the raw simplicity of it all. Do The Pump then glides along like a long, lost rock classic. Best of all, though, is the spooky, epic Delaware that builds threateningly through lyrical suggestion and piano sprinkles. All round, these are consistently great, carefully arranged songs that showcase Ellis’ ever-expansive musical palette. SMR

www.colorama.org.uk

Osian Rhys

Long Time Gone

Osian Rhys’ debut single is a work of complex beauty. With the purity craving hymn ‘Long Time Gone’ and the forlorn, forbidden love song ‘A oes ‘na le (i oeri gwres fy nghalon)’, what you have here is two tracks of intermingling acoustics, organs and splendid falsetto all floating along together, melodiously creating airy crescendos set against the backdrop of the North Walian coastline, and all ultimately amalgamating to create this singular release of tradition, wonder and rare-to-befound honesty. Check it out and experience it for yourself. JH

soundcloud.com/o-s-i-a-n-r-h-y-s

Crying Wolf Club I Am The Architect

www.cryingwolfclub.com King

Klash Gabriel’s new single is a well-produced, accessible three minutes of poppy hip hop that could stand alongside similar material in the charts. Unfortunately, it is somewhat too similar to other examples of its genre to have any real charm of its own. Lyrics are unoriginal, at times bordering on plain silly (‘life is a mystery, coded in alphabet’) and the refrain is weak, a shame considering Gabriel’s strong voice. The track’s production redeems to a degree – displaying an appealingly busy blend of textures over a solid drum track – but this doesn’t create enough

www.iamklash.com

Demo

Self titled ‘music maker’ Rhys Lloyd Morgan hails from the southern wilds of Bridgend, where he writes and records thoroughly home-made songs. Such is the care and attention lavished on each that they are leant a realism too often dismissed as grit or earthiness. Morgan’s stand-out track, It’s Been Days Since I’ve Slept, sees interweaving finger-picked guitar sit underneath strained yet un-aged vocals, sounding like a zygotic James Yorkston who’s been at the whiskey. Lyrics belie a melancholy without solipsism, as befits its South Wales origins, and at times have the linguistic bite of a more considered Modest Mouse. LH

soundcloud.com/rhyslloydmorgan 3*

Crying Wolf Club’s new single, ‘I Am The Architect’ is a journeying song. Hypnotic and dreamy, it’s like the soundtrack to your life discovering jaunt through the Arizona desert. You can imagine a huge expanse unfolding before you and the sense of time passing on a profound adventure. Although the listening is light, the track doesn’t let you drift away, you are held in place with the rhythmic pitter-patter of the snare, held there and left to drift away into your imagination. An excellent track, an offering of initial simplicity that develops into the most complex, ethereal landscape. JH

Klash Gabriel

Rhys Lloyd Morgan

Luci Vernon Demo

Whimsical is a word all too easy to use of a 15year old singer songwriter (as is consecutive use of ‘wise’, ‘beyond’ and ‘years’) but Luci Vernon follows boldly in the steps of many of her more successful peers. With a vocal style that gently motions towards Laura Marling, and in smaller measures Regina Spektor, Vernon’s songs are wrought with all the heart you might expect, but imbued with accomplished songwriting which you might not. Highlight ‘Wasting Time’ in all its 1:53 of glory exemplifies this with a catchy chorus, interesting harmonies and, above all, an endearing sound. LH

soundcloud.com/lucielizavern

The Brwmys Demo

Cardiff-based future folk four-piece The Brwmys are, at heart, a re-sounding of a folk sound you might already know and love. Listening to their songs is like wearing a familiar piece of clothing: you know what goes where, and what to expect even in the more interesting crevices. Paul Cottrell’s vocals have a time-worn yet soulful quality and are well-supported by energetic yet precise accompaniment. Opener Peace, however, displays something more interesting from the band, with maudlin lyrics interplaying with a constantly shifting, expansive sound that at times imitates an arabian orchestra, and at others a rock band. LH

soundcloud.com/the-brwmys

The MMP September 2012

MMP Online themmp.tv/features A Flaming Lip

Gig Photos A Go Go

Live Reviews Lunacy

MMP TV Videos

The Flaming Lips’ Kliph Scurlock is a huge fan of Welsh music. Who’d have thought? Well, we caught up with the international psych-star-drummer to test his knowledge and see where the love affair began.

Our brave photographic contributors have been roaming the country this summer taking shots of gigs and festivals in spite of weather that would deter even the most ardent rambler. The least you can do is take a look at their snaps of Truckers Of Husk, Man Without Country and Steelhouse Festival amongst many others.

We don’t have space for our live reviews in these jampacked 32 pages. But that doesn’t mean we’re not out and about on the streets. Indeed, our website is crammed full of dozens of live reviews a month for your regular delectation. Check them out.

Our friends at On Par P ro d u c t i o n s , along with independent submissions, have been incredibly helpful in building a library of music videos for your perusal. Recent additions include Denuo, Ralph Rip Shit, Among Brothers, Charlotte Church and Colorama. Beautiful.

themmp.tv / features

themmp.tv / live

themmp.tv / mmptv

themmp.tv / features

Free Downloads Free downloads! Free downloads! Free for one, free for all! Yes. That’s right. We are simply giving away those ethereal little downloads all for your sonic delight. Each month we take a pick of some fine, grade A Welsh cuts and suture them all together into a magnificent electronic stew. Feel free to dip in your ladle and take a soupy bite of the best September has to offer by visiting our website: www.themmp.tv 1. Charlotte Church 2. Cian Ciaran 3. Golden Fable 4. The Witches Drum 5. Bones of Saint James 6. Al Lewis

7. Spencer McGarry Season 8. Conformist 9. Bomb Alaska 10. Winter Villains 11. Hullabaloo

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The MMP September 2012

Hafod and The Straw Bale Studio Mastering is the oft-overlooked final creative stage in the music recording process. Artists in all genres of music use it to add the finishing touches to their recordings, to balance the tracks and ready a single, EP or album to go to print and be played on the radio. Yet most people have never heard of it, let alone know what it is. Thankfully, in 2004 South Wales found itself in possession of the country’s only purpose-built mastering studio when Hafod Mastering was established by Donal Whelan in a small village ten miles west of Cardiff. Since then it has provided post-production services to such Welsh legends as Geraint Jarman, Cian Ciaran, Euros Childs, Mal Pope and Mary Hopkin. August saw a bit of a change for Donal when he decided to build a temporary straw bale recording studio on the site of the National Eisteddfod in Llandow in the Vale of Glamorgan. The studio took Donal and a team of eco-

builders just a week to build, with the bales loaned by a local farmer and the turf for the roof coming from the lawn outside his Hafod studio. The studio was sited on the Maes Gwyrdd (Green Field) part of the festival - the first time that the Eisteddfod has set aside a corner of the festival to promote alternative and sustainable ways of living. The plan was to invite the bands and artists who were playing during Eisteddfod week to do unplugged acoustic sessions at the studio. Not knowing what to expect, they reassured themselves - “if we build it, they will come.” And so they did, in droves. Stalwarts of the South Wales recording industry - Charlie Francis, Llion Robertson, Gethin John and Ed Truckell – took turns manning the helm as guest producers, and each in turn worked furiously as more and more artists booked slots in the cosy studio that smelled of straw.

The recordings that came out of the week have turned out to provide a remarkable snapshot of the Welshlanguage music scene, from well known artists The Gentle Good and Al Lewis to time-honoured legends Geraint Lovgreen and Tecwyn Ifan. New talent was discovered in Elan, Marged and Gwilym, and other established acts including Trwbador, Yr Angen, Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog and Colum Regan also showed up. Out of leftfield came accordionaccompanied storytelling from Guto Dafis and a rousing call-to-war 16th century poem from Y Datgeiniaid. There were also beautiful instrumental tracks from Olion Byw and flute-harp duo Tornish. All of this amounted to a final collection of 35 artists and almost 100 individual tracks. The entire collection is available to stream and download on www.stiwdiogwellt.com. www.hafodmastering.co.uk

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The MMP September 2012