It's Not Hard To Make An Artful Family Portrait

Those wily sons o' guns over at Art Is Hard Records have a juicy release out (aren't they all?). Surprisingly only their second vinyl release, Family Portrait is a four band split between Grunge pop heathens Gum, Cardiff rough and ready indie types Joanna Gruesome, noise pop duo Playlounge and super sweet faux-tweesers KEEL HER, with each band contributing two tracks. These four bands are part of a greater "movement" in southern England, one where bands bond strongly, cover each other's songs and even swap members from time to time. And despite the disparity of the tracks on paper, this is a surprisingly cohesive record, chock full of effortless hooks and rambunctious melodies, all with the grand design to get people moving. If only all family portraits were this luridly addictive, rather than akin to getting a vasectomy with a blowtorch, then that old cliche of world peace may be just that little bit closer to reality. Maybe these four bands should tour the hotspots of the world...

You can pre-order Family Portrait here. They are drip-feeding these tracks onto Soundcloud, so listen below to what great stuff these kids have to offer.

Art Is Hard When Pizzas, Splashes and Throwing Up Is Involved

I really need a constant reminder from Art Is Hard - every time I head over to their site, I've missed another Biweekly Pizza Club release! So here I am again giving you the last two options. Just so you know the next one is tomorrow - that's warning for us all, right??


The fourth and fifth instalments are from Little Leagues and Splashh respectively. Little Leagues are a Falmouth four piece that make memorable math-pop - remember when that was popular, every kid and his three legged dog were into it? Yeah...memories. Well they released a new EP a couple weeks ago, worth hunting down too.

Little Leagues - A Problem Solved


Splashh on the other hand hail from London, and their track 'All I Wanna Do' is sunshine and lollipops, sprinkled with a little anthrax for added edge. All I really know about these Londoners is that one of them was in Brain Slaves. I think. Doesn't really matter, this is a pretty killer tune. Eat it.

Splashh - All I Wanna Do

But this only half of what I think is the continuing brilliance of the releases that the dudes of AIH have to offer. ANOTHER good record is on its way in the form of loud Sheffielders Best Friends' EP Throwing Up. Best Friends are a four piece that vomit (sorry) surf-inflected pop with liberal lashings of lackadaisical fuzz like it's the mid 90s again, when bleeding from the ears after listening to an indie band was still possible. Which is awesome, by the way. As always, new release means new, inventive packaging. AIH got with the band to put together a 21cm square 12 page photo booklet of Halloween parties, crowdsurfing at house shows and other rad photos, with the CD being encased within the booklet itself. It's luscious and a little bit silly, but also pretty rad - a bit like that Cyanide & Happiness coffee table book I have... Its out proper next Sunday, but you can have at it here.

Best Friends - Wasting Time

Dripping Colours Provide The Haze

All the way back in January 2010, just before Sonic Masala threw down its first entry into the blue yonder, I went to a show in London at The Lexington. The headliner - Real Estate. As many people may know by now, I found that set so fucking boring that I refused to watch it all, walked downstairs to drink whisky on my own. Support #1 - Yuck. Before the self-titled album and shedloads of acclaim. Again, I thought they were boring. Support #2 - Colours. Now THESE guys push my buttons in the right way. They nailed the 90s slacker/80s Pixies amalgam that night, something that Yuck would warm to in later months and Real Estate - well, they are Real Estate, they do what they do, perfect for a mid afternoon snooze.

Since then they have put a track out through Art Is Hard Records, but I kinda lost touch with what they were up to. Then a little while ago they founded Marshall Teller Records and put out a four way split that included Gross Magic and Echo Lake that was pretty sweet (sorry that i didn't post about that guys!! It was worthy though). They have also had a hand in bring to our ears the fairly great Total Slacker (who we do really like, and their 'Psychic Mesa' track made out hot singles of last year), Warm Brains, Weird Dreams and Dignan Porch.

Recorded by Warm Brains' Rory Attwell, Colours have a new 7" out. Its fucking sweet! Even sweeter is the launch at the Shacklewell Arms on March 2nd alongside SM faves Sex Beet as well as Dignan Porch and Yrrs.

Pre-order the Drip Haze 7" here.

Colours - Drip Haze

Friday Cover Up - Killing Three Posts WIth One Pizza

We have always been fans of Art Is Hard Records - they put the fun back in loving music. But I have let the last couple of releases slide by me.

NO MORE!


Firstly, there is the cassette by Mazes' main man Jack Cooper, Art Is Cheap. It's some splendid shimmery lo-fi pop, lovely for a sunny Friday afternoon - or pretending to be lying around in one. Cooper may have superseded his band on this one, which makes this an imperative purchase. There are still some of these available, which is a goshdarn crime, so let's amend this and buy them up, pronto! (I'm a big fan of the song titles too - I too have always wondered what Fanfarlo means...)




Secondly is this lovingly packaged EP tape from Gorgeous Bully, The Young Obese. The physical version of this release is packaged in a handprinted cigarette style case, a ferociously DIY tactile notion from a ferociously DIY Thom of Gorgeous Bully, a prolific song writer and the cassette features a 'secret' bside filled with Gorgeous Bully demos previously unavailable to own. This sexy package is unfortunately sold out, but you can hit AIH hard to make them re-release it, ok? In the swingtime, you can get a digital copy of The Young Obese here, and listen below.




Finally, AIH are three singles deep (dish) into their Biweekly 5" Pizza Club. They've pledged to release a new single every other Friday afternoon for the entirety of 2012. The single will be available for free download via their Bandcamp, but if you are quick off the mark and are the first purchaser, you can glean for yourself a one-of-a-kind CD in a 5" pizza box. Sweet huh? The bands to delve into this rad concept thus far have been the ever-excellent Bos Angeles (dying for the longer release guys...), Fruschian Void And The Headfolks, and Perfect Hair Forever. They are all great, and below. Two of them are great cover versions - hence today's elongated Friday Cover Up. So not only does this end a pretty good week, but hopefully instills in you a heady sense of anticipation for the rest of AIH's ideas for 2012. Have a good weekend people!

Bos Angeles - When You Look At Me (KEEL HER cover)
Fruschian Void and Thee Headfolks - Youth (The Black Tambourines cover)
Perfect Hair Forever - My Teen Idol

Kicking Back In With Some Black Tambourine(s)

Wow, a quiet week (IE no posts AT ALL). I apologise. It isn't going to get much better over the next few weeks though, what with the avalanche of international bands bombarding Brisbane and the heady Christmas celebrations going on around here. I had such a handle on December last year too...sigh.

Well, I thought Id give you some good stuff anyway. Here is the EP from Cornish devils The Black Tambourines, Chica. Art Is Hard are putting out this hedonistic slice of dark-corner-of-the-garage fuzz, and it'd make a lovely little Christmas entree. In fact, I will have a multitude of cool Christmas gifts in the forthcoming posts that you could consider for those you truly love. Anyway, listen to Chica below, then take '27-25 Blues' home with you. Go on - you deserve it.



The Black Tambourines - 27-25 Blues

Fear Of Alice Munro

First turned onto this London via Brighton band through Art Is Hard Records, Fear Of Men recently recorded a set of songs in anticipation of their forthcoming tour with another SM "One To Watch" (I have never said that about another band, at least not given a definitive label - but it's kinda true, we are fans here) Bos Angeles. The avid experimenting with mic placement and an eight-track tape recorder produced some gems, called the Alice Munro demos (to be released December 12), and the best of which is 'Doldrums'. Suitably gloomy and jangly, akin to Brisbane's own Keep On Dancin's that we showcased yesterday, or even another Brissy band Feathers, the track shows a gloss that we haven't associated with the group in the past, and may be a slight glimpse into their beautifully morbid future...

Fear Of Men - Doldrums

You'll Have A Lot Of Friends With Some Black Tambourines

UK's "Kings of the Southwest Slackers" The Black Tambourines put out a new track just on the eve of Halloween (yes, about a fortnight ago, I'm so lame and shit...) It's been a while between recording drinks for these guys, but this track is ace of base! Art Is Hard are putting out the EP in December, which is great news and even more exciting considering the quality of this first off-cut.

The Black Tambourines - A Lot Of Friends