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

Tough Love Is Being Pulled Apart By Horses...For Free

Some big news for Pulled Apart By Horses fans. Sophomore effort Tough Love is out today via Transgressive Records. Quick turnaround, seeing as their debut LP was released only last year, but many of the tracks floating about on that were pretty old. So this is very exciting indeed! But as ever the Leeds quartet like to throw in a curveball, and to celebrate the release of the album they are lending fans their new album via a unique facebook app: www.facebook.com/pulledapartbyhorses. Anyone visiting the band's page can borrow a stream of the album, which they can listen to for an unlimited amount of plays over the course of seven days. As even more of a thank you for their fans' awesome support, they can also receive an exclusive free download of V.E.N.O.M's b-side 'PWR'. More exclusive treats will be added to the app over the upcoming months. Direct access to the app here.
We don't do fully fledged reviews or articles here often - I leave that to my 2nd day job - but expect both in the upcoming weeks also. Times, they are a-changin...

If you are in the UK or are UK bound next month, PABH are destroying the following venues.

FEBRUARY 2012 live dates//
13 // GLASGOW, King Tuts
14 // ABERDEEN, Tunnels
15 // NEWCASTLE, Digital Other Rooms
16 // SHEFFIELD, Leadmill
17 // MANCHESTER, Club Academy
18 // BRISTOL, Fleece
20 // BIRMINGHAM, Library
21 // NORWICH, Waterfront
22 // SOUTHAMPTON, Talking Heads
23 // LONDON, Electric Ballroom

Return Not So Yucky

2011 has been a Yucky year. The quintet from London have really come into their own, dominating most festival stages, being at the pinnacle of the hip as fuck blogosphere intelligentsia, and raping the slacker rock songbook writ large.

As you can see from the above, I don't have the biggest love.

It stems from the only time I have seen them play, as a support for another massive band that I don't "get", Real Estate, back in January last year. Real Estate I found to be incredibly boring - I spent most of their set standing at the downstairs bar at the Lexington drinking Jagerbombs and talking shit to my sister and some other person to this day I cannot remember. Yuck and Colours supported, and whilst both acts exploited the Pavement MO, it was actually Colours who came away with the most points in my opinion that night.

Yet the release of Yuck has gone gangbusters for the Londoners, and although im happy for them, I haven't really given them the time of day (except for Mogwai's ace remix of 'Rubber'...). It seemed that they filled out the right questionnaire or application form, for, like Colours, there seemed to be many bands mining the 90s penchant for noodling guitars and haphazard pop hooks yet they remained on the periphery, whilst Yuck conquered the US and jammed with Jools.

Now Fat Possum is re-releasing Yuck as a double LP stacked with B-sdies and rarities. The editor at Time Off magazine in Brisbane implored me to listen, to be more forgiving (as he has seen millions of bands on many different continents, it kills him to know that he hasn't seen Yuck, an employee has, and said employee slags off his favourite new band on regular intervals).

TRACKLISTING

Get Away
The Wall
Shook Down
Holing Out
Suicide Policeman
Georgia
Suck
Stutter
Operation
Sunday
Rose Gives a Lily
Rubber
Milkshake (previously available on limited vinyl only, streamed digitally)
The Base of a Dream is Empty (vinyl and digital B-Side to Rubber)
Cousin Corona (iTunes bonus)
Soothe Me (brand new)
Coconut Bible (B-side to Holing Out)
Doctors In My Bed (vinyl B-side to Get Away, only streamed digitally)

So I have. And it's...pretty good. Im not changing my tune too much - I really don't get hooked on these tracks at all enough to spin the record on frequent occasions - but it's ok. Right place, right time perhaps? 2012 will tell...

Below are two of those "new" cuts. Believe me, there is substance here. 'Soothe Me' has seen a lot of press due to the blatant Kevin Shields stealing, but who doesn't in this day and age? It is also a sound that is stolen precisely because its a style that can go with almost any other genre, and its cool as fuck. And it probably isnt their fault that they have been lauded so hard. AND, as seen by my intermittent Real Estate posts, I will give bands a second chance if it's deemed warranted. And on the strength of these two tracks alone, I may still be bemused at the level of hype and adulation, but it has me soothing the previously held rage. These kids seem ok. Bring on LP #2.





Before the band retreat into the studio however, they are slamming the UK in one final jaunt - although the London show is already sold out (again, THAT confuses me...)



UPCOMING LIVE DATES

November
14 – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
15 – Academy 3, Manchester
16 – Leadmill, Sheffield
18 – Academy 2, Newcastle
19 – Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh
20 – King Tuts, Glasgow
21 – 53 Degrees, Preston
22 – Wedgwood Rooms, Portsmouth
23 – Waterfront, Norwich
24 – Electric Ballroom, London
26 – The Button Factory, Dublin
27 – Speakeasy Bar, Belfast

Islet Display Their Wealth Of Fortune

I was warned by Paul one fated May night as we travelled to the sadly now defunct Barden's Boudoir in Dalston, London that I should prepare to have my face melted off. We were going to yet another Upset The Rhythm gig. The headliners - Mi Ami, the nigh on impossible to categorise US band that certainly killed many cells in my body. but Paul was also making reference to the support, a small Welsh act called Islet. With their manic instrument swapping, impromptu percussion (using the ceiling, anyone?) and effervescent exuberance, these kids won me over.

Their EPs Celebrate This Place and Wimmy are great, yet its hard to believe that it has taken them this long to get around to releasing an album proper. Yet it is finally in the can, and Islet have announced their debut LP, to be released 23rd January 2012 on Shape (Turnstile), called Illuminated People. Being largely recorded on a farm in Worcestershire, Islet worked with an outside producer, Drew Morgan, for the first time - hence this may become their most coherent and cohesive record to date. Seeing as the label putting it out is run by the band's Mark Thomas, though, there will be no compromise on the band's manic maelstrom of sound.

Don't believe me? 'This Fortune' is the first taste off the album, and is available now as part of a tour-only 12", which features a vinyl only 15 minute sound collage made by the group; a swirling mass of found sounds, fragmented thoughts and previously unheard tracks.

If you are in the UK this month, you will have ample chances to pick up this release whilst seeing this exciting band in action, culminating in a show on November 16 at one of my favourite London haunts, The Lexington.

Paul, thanks for the Islet warning. Now get me that vinyl, or we're done.

Islet - This Fortune