BROKEN RECORDS

“glorious, soaring bursts of exuberant, National-esque nostalgia” Clash Music

“a grand old Balkan knees-up” NME

“an epic, swirling, joyfully mysterious music” The Guardian

Download the first track of the new album,A Leaving Song, FOR FREE now:

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Sat 06 Nov

19:00

In association with Mean Fiddler: Broken Records and Liberation Works

HMV Institute, Birmingham

£7.50adv

BUY

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Criminally unsigned for 2 years, this band released their debut album in 2009. Having built up a strong following in their homeland of Scotland, where they played the legendary T in the Park festival, they are making a serious name for themselves now south of the border. They’ve supported Idlewild, Sons and Daughters and Editors as well as extensive headline touring.

All the right music magazines have tipped them for big things … and in 2010 they release their second album, Let Me Come Home on 25th October

“This is magical, engrossing and wholly enveloping, genuinely and excitingly bursting with commercial potential.” Drowned in Sound

“the Scottish Arcade Fire” NME

Find out more: http://www.myspace.com/brokenrecordsedinburgh

Tickets available here: http://bit.ly/aonvvd

ON JOOLS HOLLAND LAST NIGHT

Ok – so you can’t open a music blog or magazine without seeing something about The Vaccines right now .. they are SUCH hot property.  As you can see above they were on this weeks episode of Later with Jools Holland.

You can watch it on BBC iPlayer (click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer) !!

Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra) by The Vaccines

Like what you are hearing? Get in now and pre-order their single ’WRECKIN BAR’ (RA RA RA)/’BLOW IT UP’ here

Plus you can see them live in Birmingham on Friday!

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Clashmusic.com

The Guardian: Pop Review

The great news is that if you can’t wait to see him again, or if you missed the show in the first place, then the ‘Deez will be back in town in March for another show at the HMV Institute.

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Reviews

Counteract Magazine

From Twitter

@laurenloquax: Tonight’s @darwindeez gig at @hareandhounds ws the feel good gig of the year! gd wrk @bhampromoters & @perrypresent

Pictures

Some great pictures on Facebook thanks to Richard Shakespeare – click here

And these from http://www.principlephotography.co.uk/

More Darwin Deez News

• DARWIN DEEZ | Announces his biggest UK headline tour yet for early 2011 (hangout.altsounds.com)
• Darwin Deez – “Constellations” Video (stereogum.com)
• This week’s new singles (guardian.co.uk)

SPECIAL OFFER: 3 FOR 2 ON TICKETS – CLICK HERE

A shotgun blast to the eardrum!!! Winconsin’s Youngblood Brass Band mash-up jazz, punk, hip-hop and, of course, brass band, to deliver one of the most innovative sounds out there! (get your tickets here: http://bit.ly/aonvvd)
Playing together since 1998 they have demanded attention from all that have had the fortune to hear them while they tour both the US and Europe.

Catch them at the Hare & Hounds later this month …

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Sun 31 Oct

19:30

Youngblood Brass Band and Tempting Rosie

Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

£10adv

BUY TICKETS HERE

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“they harness the spirit of jazz big bands, New Orleans style marching bands, hip-hop, modern composition, punk rock—and just keep on going” All About Jazz

Find out more here: http://www.myspace.com/youngbloodbrass

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Support comes from Birmingham ska band Tempting Rosie

This 7 piece mix in influences from DUB and Reggae with a bit of indie and poppy goodness thrown in for good measure! Getting to the national finals of the Surface Unsigned Festival last year, they’ve also played with The King Blues, Kid British and Tinchy Stryder.

“The Rosie are a darn fine ska pop band with enough energy to power a small…nah…make that a big city” The Hearing Aid

http://www.myspace.com/temptingrosie

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A Beach Boys for this generation! 5 piece Magic Kids from Memphis are a indie pop, surf rock, lo-fi, indie, hipster garage sort of bands, There debut album is being released on the 24th of August.

We are delighted to have them play Birmingham this week!

Tue 26 Oct

19:30

Magic Kids and Riding Giants

Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

£6adv

BUY TICKETS HERE

“Their songs are so Beach Boys 1963-4 they should only be heard in a Deuce Coupe.” The Guardian
“(The Magic Kids) brim with moreish pop hooks and sumptuous melodies” BBC
“This is orchestral pop at its most potent” 130BPM
“Rarely has a band with so little output attracted so much attention” – LA Times.

• Fun Fun Fun Fest Artist Profile: The Magic Kids (austinist.com)
• Magic Kids: A Lethal Dose Of Sweet Pop (npr.org)
• Magic Kids playing shows w/ Candy Claws & Bosco Delrey – 2010 Tour Dates (brooklynvegan.com)
• Magic Kids on tour w/ Ariel Pink, playing on a boat (win tix) (brooklynvegan.com)
• [Video] Magic Kids: “Superball” (iguessimfloating.net)
• Magic Kids Celebrate New Album With Short Record-Store Tour (pastemagazine.com)

Support comes from Riding Giants

Born from the ashes of Sky vs. Sea and Malamute, Riding Giants is the collection of solo songs written and recorded my Mike Ford. Fragmented and mostly incomplete, Riding Giants is begging for input and influence.

http://www.myspace.com/ridinggiantsuk

shady bard + Victories At Sea + The Musgraves + This Is Tomorrow DJs

A pretty special show this weekend.  Shady Bard (http://www.myspace.com/shadybard) will be  launching their new album in Birmingham on Saturday night at The Flapper

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One of this city’s finest exports – shady bard’s music is making big waves in the US after appearing on Grey’s Anatomy and MTV’s climate campaign. Often compared to Sigur Ros , Low and British Sea Power, this instrumental indie band have picked up great reviews along the way and some big name fans, including Steve Lamacq.

‘Trials’ is the second album by shady bard. Telling the story of a village ravaged by fire, the new songs fuse cinematic instrumentation and vivid imagery to create textured symphonic pop with explosive postrock crescendos.

- ‘The spoken word symphonies of iLiKETRAiNS and the evocative harmonies of Low’ Drowned in Sound
- ‘very engaging’ Steve Lamacq
- ‘A band it would be easy to fall in love with…dazzling.’ The Sunday Times
- ‘Songs alive with quiet texture and glowing colour. Beautiful.’ Organ
- ‘Touching tales of our polluted world.’ Uncut

Support comes from Victories at Sea (http://victoriesatsea.co.uk/), The Musgraves (http://www.myspace.com/themusgraves) and This is Tomorrow DJ’s (http://www.myspace.com/thisistomorrowuk)

Victories at Sea debuted at this years Off the Cuff Festival with their electronica, vocals and guitars – think Explosions in the Sky meets Sonic Youth meets New Order

The Musgraves play pop-folk and have recently released their pop-fuelled debut album “You That Way, I This Way”. This crosses over the ages and would appeal to both listeners of Radio 2 and Radio 1 alike.

This is Tomorrow DJ’s will be providing musical interludes

Nursing sore necks following the metal fest that was Forlorn, Collision Process, Amongst The Survivors at The Flapper on Friday. Today’s question: are we getting too old for this?

Desperately trying not to blab about a blummin’ big announcement we are making on Friday. On pain of death we’re not saying ANYTHING – (but if you get one of us half a lager shandy we’ll probably spill)

BP boss Carlo has discovered that latest recruit Simon snores – like a bear with a trumpet up it’s nose. Not a sackable offence in it’s own right, unless said boss is putting said-snorer up in his “penthouse”. I give him 2 weeks … (Simon – beware)

Getting strange rashes and trying not to scratch (because Mummy told us not to).

Eating nomnom cookies baked by the fair Rhiannon. (not actual size)

Telling Trash Talk‘s driver that the band MUST behave themselves when they come back to Birmingham. They’re currently banned from The Flapper after causing all kinds of mayhem there. So, no hanky panky after last time or they’ll be sent to see the big boss Mr Carlo Solazzo in his office for a good telling off! (although the next point may not help him in his authority position)

Laughing uncontrollably at Carlo’s quite frankly impressive (yet creepy and cheeky) drumming techniques (55 seconds in)

IMPORTANT UPDATE

A few of you seemed slightly concerned about our missing Graphic Designer, Mikko. It’s ok – we found him wandering the corridors of the Custard Factory with his MacBook Pro, a copy of Design magazine under his arm and a can of fly spray in his back pocket. He hasn’t spoken since but we’re hoping it’s just a phase.

We’ve also been spending some time listening to Wounds as they have their first show next week since James nearly killed himself falling from a balcony! The silly billy …

Also spinning on the communual hifi in our collective minds:

The Levellers, Gaslight Anthem, Mona (again), The Crookes, Darwin Deez, shady bard, Guns N Roses (to remind us of when they were good) and The Communards (we can explain … )

Until next time BPickers!

xx

Previous entries:

What’s keeping us entertained? (16/10/2010)

At the moment we’re involved in the following activities (which range from dull to the downright dangerous via dubious and disgusting)

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Still a little head-mashed from Ozrics + Old School Tie last night …good huh? Both bands were amazing …

Enjoying watching 90′s TV show This Life – the triphop/90s indie soundtrack is a total winner!

Wondering why Young Guns are buying BREAD whilst they tour Sweden  - and reading about other associated nonsense on their blog (here)

Some of us, who will remain nameless, have been getting in a pickle with the task of bra-shopping. Other people, who also remain nameless, offered to help. It was politely refused.

Wondering how the hell we got Japanese Voyeurs to support Young Guns in the same week The Guardian give them much love (here)

There’s been a night out at the Adam and Eve. Alcohol was consumed. The rest is kinda fuzzy … let us know if you saw any members of the BP team wandering off  into the night.  Could you catch them and send them back – we’re missing a few! (ps we’ve also lost our graphic designer Mikko – can we have him back please too?)

Thinking that Mona really could be the next big thing … tickets are flying already so get in there.

GUTTED we’re missing Cajole Cajole at Oxjam – hope it’s going/went well …

Deciding what to wear for Halloween at The Flapper (one idea) and thinking ahead to some juicy Christmas shows…

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We’ve also been listening to at LOT of Mona plus The Computers, Domino State, This Love Affair, Youves, Fleetwood Mac (what?), The Vaccines, Serge Gainsbourg’s reggae-dub album, Gaslight Anthem and Orange Juice.

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There’s clearly something in the water in South Wales. It’s the only way to explain the amount of pop punk heading out of there. Lostprophets, The Blackout, Attack Attack and now Straight Lines (http://www.myspace.com/straightlines). They released their self-produced debut album ‘Persistence In This Game’ in Feb 2010 – with the singles ‘Versus The Allegiance’ and ‘Runaway Now’ (check out the video to Say It For Your Sake, below)

“plenty of attitude and stomp” Alter the Press

“Full of adrenalin and aggression but equally concerned with catchy choruses and driving, full-throttle hooks” The Fly

Support comes from FOR EYES are a 4-piece post-hardcore/punk band from Liverpool – although one of them is from Birmingham – so this is a bit of a homecoming for him! (http://www.myspace.com/foreyes) and KYOTO DRIVE are well known on the Birmingham scene – delivering pop-punk and emo. Their debut full length album came out earlier this year (http://www.myspace.com/kyotodrive)

This is a 14+ gig. If you are over 18 please bring your ID Under 16′s must be accompanied by an adult. Doors open at 7pm and tickets, £5 advance, are available here http://bit.ly/aonvvd