Scene Not Herd

New Band of the Week - 23/02/12 - Bronto Skylift

2012-02-23T08:42:00.000Z

We featured these noisy Scots on our last podcast, but they deserve another mention here. The two-man, guitar and drums, set-up is reminiscent of That Fucking Tank, as are the propulsive rhythms and ten-tonne riffs.

Bronto Skylift are their own men, though, and bring in elements of metal with disorientating shifts of tempo and time signature that keep you guessing and in suspense for the next massive groove to kick in.

The band are currently looking for shows in Manchester and London in March 2012. Promoters, if you've got anything, book 'em up and let us know so we can come down and party.

In the meantime, enjoy the swaggering, half-time middle eight of new song Tiger:

www.brontoskyliftmusic.com

New Video - Los Jardines de Bruselas - Changing, Just Growing

2012-02-21T12:36:00.004Z

Los Jardines de Bruselas, who featured on our last podcast, has an excellent, if not a tad creepy, new video out. Directed by Tino Raimondi, this short film pictures the story of a young girl who is chased by monsters through a dreamlike forest and she runs away scared until, finally, she decides to play with them, lose her fear and grow up.Take a look:

Los Jardines de Bruselas - Changing, Just Growing from Los Jardines de Bruselas on Vimeo.

Chapter24 US Tour

2012-02-21T10:43:00.000Z

SNH veterans, Chapter24 are embarking on a mammoth US tour this week. They will be making their presence known at Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco, 35 Denton Festival, Beau Jam, Neon Reverb Festival and SXSW, as well as a host of others!

<a href="http://chapter24.bandcamp.com/album/spindle-4454">Spindle / 4454 by Chapter 24</a>

Check out the full list of dates below, or visit their Facebook:

23/02 Noise Pop Festival San Francisco w/Dirty Ghosts +Bare Wires

24/02 Kaleidoscope Vision Seattle WA w/Grave Babies

25/02 East End Portland OR w/Di Di Mau, Pathogens

27/02 Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver, BC w/Ford Pier

28/02 Manor House, Boise, ID

01/03 Moe’s Denver, CO w/Instant Empire

02/03 Replay Lounge, Lawrence, KS

03/03 Des Moines Beechwood Lounge, IA w/Blind Shake

04/03 Turf Club, St. Paul, MN w/Blind Shake

05/03 Quarters, Milwaukee, WI w/Blind Shake

06/03 Empty Bottle, Chicago, IL w/Blind Shake

07/03 Lager House, Detroit, MI

08/03 Firebird, St. Louis, MO

09/03 The Conservatory, Oklahoma City, w/Night Beats & White Mystery

10/03 35 Denton Festival, Denton, TX w/ Atlas Sound & Best Coast

11/03 Beau Jam Festival, Beaumont, TX w/ Natural Child, Turbo Fruits and more

SXSW 12/03 Sailor Jerry Party @Spider House, Austin, TX

SXSW 13/03 Monofonus Party @Beerland Austin, TX

SXSW 13/03 Panache Party @Scoot Inn Austin, TX

SXSW 14/03 NiИXSxSWƧxƧXNiИ @ Club 1808, Austin, TX

SXSW 14/03 Panache Showcase @Beauty Bar, Austin, TX

SXSW 15/03 KXLU/The Smell Party @Domy Books, Austin, TX

SXSW 16/03 Waterloo Cycles, Austin, TX

SXSW 16/03 And So Party @Spider House, Austin, TX

SXSW 18/03 Drag Party @ Iron Bear, Austin, TX

21/03 Meat Market, Tempe, AZ

22/03 Neon Reverb Festival, Las Vegas, NV

23/03 Acrobatics Everyday/UC Irvine, Irvine, CA

24/03 The Smell, Los Angeles, CA w/Bitches

27/03 Uptown, Oakland, CA

28/03 Hemlock Tavern, San Francisco, CA

Poino UK Tour

2012-02-15T12:21:00.001Z

The lovely chaps from Poino are embarking on a rather substantive UK/Ireland tour. Cool! Be sure to catch them on the following dates:

16th - WINDMILL - LONDON
with: Chips For The Poor + Trogons + Fountains

22nd - THE STAG AND HOUNDS - BRISTOL
with: Arabrot (NO) + Manatees

23rd CRANE LANE THEATRE - CORK
with: Hands Up Who Wants To Die (IE) + Private Underground Residence (IE)

24th SAL'S - WATERFORD
with: Hands Up Who Wants To Die (IE)

25th WHELAN'S - DUBLIN
with: Hands Up Who Wants To Die (IE) + Private Underground Residence (IE) +
Magic Pockets (IE) + Nanu Nanu (IE) + Bridges Of Madison County (IE) + Ginola (IE)

26th LOMAX - LIVERPOOL
with: The Eyes + Lucifer Rising + A Heretic

29th THE SHACKLEWELL ARMS - LONDON
with: Arabrot (NO) + Throne

Dead Wolf Club record launch w/Fever Dream

2012-02-08T18:38:00.000Z

Just one last shameless plug (I guess that's what blogs are for) in support of our Dead Wolf Club record release party tomorrow. We're massively excited about this! DWC have been getting some proper awesome reviews for their debut album, and we cant wait to palm some copies off on you!

If you can't wait until tomorrow, you can get yourself a copy here.

We're also dead excited to welcome Fever Dream back to the SNH stage. These guys are truly ace! Have a listen below.

Catch you tomorrow, facebook details are here!

<a href="http://underusedrecords.bandcamp.com/track/this-waste-by-fever-dream">"This Waste" by Fever Dream by Fever Dream</a>

New Band of the Week - 06/02/12 - Mozart Parties ON TOUR

2012-02-06T23:32:00.001Z

SNH Podcast Jan/Feb '12

2012-02-06T21:42:00.000Z

I trust you'll be pleased to learn we have belatedly whipped out another podcast, full of post-rum musings and musics. No Alwin this time - fear not - we found a more eloquent (and arguably better looking) replacement in the form of a delightful jar of Polish pickles. Check it it aaaawwwwt!

New Band of the Week - 01/02/12 - Clara Clara

2012-02-02T21:23:00.002Z

Francois Virot is somewhat of a genius. Every band he's featured in we tend to love (remember Reveille(?), we put them on last year and they put on a spliffing show down The Victoria in Dalston). French outfit Clara Clara mix odd rhythms with electronica keyboards and Interpol-esque virtuoso bass lines. However, as with all Francois' projects, there is always a pop sensibility in the musical DNA that sets them apart from the crowd. Do check out the following track. The change in pace and almost metal ending is worth the listen alone.

SNH 001 - Dead Wolf Club - Dead Wolf Club - released TODAY

2012-02-01T09:50:00.000Z

This is a pretty big moment for us at SNH HQ - today we release our first record! It's available on vinyl, CD and as a digital download and you can get your hands on a copy here.

New Band of the Week - 23/01/12 - Balue

2012-01-23T19:09:00.000Z

Hello! You’ll be pleased to hear that New Band of the Week is back. We’ve had a little break to put some plans in motion - thus ensuring 2012 is THEBESTFREAKIN’YEAREVER! But, yeah, I can assure you that we’ll be posting about the joys of new music, every Monday, forever more!

So, who is going to be our first NBotW of the year? Good bloody question! I’m really digging US natives Balue at the moment (as in Balue from the Jungle Book, I believe). They combine plinky guitars, that are a bit tinny at times, but surprisingly pleasant; melodic pitter-patter drums and pockets of silence, tinged by the sound of waves and suchlike. It’s quite nice really, and makes me want to sit on a beach, drinking a pinacolada, watching the sunset.

04 Worry Toobs by Balue

New EP from Crackpot on Melodica - 23/01/12

2012-01-12T18:54:00.000Z

Aussie band Crackpot have a sparkling new EP out on Melodica on January 23. It's super chilled out, jammed with fat beats, electronic zaps, and hazy, dreamy vox. Have a listen via their soundcloud.

Flamingods release new tape 'Away'

2012-01-08T17:32:00.000Z

FLAMINGODS are a psychadelic bunch who play a sound which has been described as ethnic pop, freaked folk and tropical noise. They use a number of unique instruments, collected during their travels around Tanzania and the Amazon. They have been busy toiling on a new release 'Away'. You can order it now on Belly Kids, it's being sold alongside an Aztec Zine.

In support of the release they will be playing a special show on 13th January, at Power Lunches alongside a number of great little bands.

You can download 'Away' via the band's Bandcamp.

<a href="http://flamingods.bandcamp.com/track/spirit-away-away">Spirit Away Away by Flamingods</a>

Next SNH - 09/02/11 - Dead Wolf Club LP Launch - The Native Tongue

2012-01-08T16:30:00.001Z

Dead Wolf Club will be releasing their debut, self-titled, album on Scene Not Herd, on 1 February 2012.

As well as undertaking a mammoth UK tour, they will be playing a very special show for us, on 9 February 2012, at the Native Tongue, Barbican, to celebrate the launch. You can find more details here.

Dead Wolf Club are: John Othello (vox/guitars), Alwin Fernandez (guitars), Martha Supajirawatananon (bass), Serra Petalle (drums)

They specialise in loudness, quietness, darkness and light.

Download free track 'Radar' here and watch promo video of 'Alison' below:

New download from Breathe Out

2012-01-04T20:43:00.000Z

Top cats Breathe Out have two new downloadable tracks available on their bandcamp - these slacker-pop purveyors aren't such slackers after all, as it turns out. The tracks are available for free, but any money raised goes directly to Shelter. Have a listen and get downloading.

<a href="http://breatheout.bandcamp.com/track/the-payback-2">The Payback by BREATHE OUT</a>

Dead Wolf Club video teaser

2012-01-04T20:14:00.001Z

Happy New Year! This is the first post from us lot this year - so I guess we'd better make it a gooden! If you're a fan of spiders, you'll definitely appreciate what our very own Duncan (D-money, D-dog, Big-D) has come up with. Behold a treat for your eyes and ears, for he's only bloody gone and done us a promo video for our first release. Have a watch - get involved people!

Yo ho ho! Free music from our favourite Action Beat!

2011-12-24T13:32:00.001Z

We've never hid our love of Action Beat, and why should we? They're noise-tastically up our alley way so to speak. Ignore my ramblings, these are their words -

"All tracks available to download from now until NYE! In 2012 we will give all our newly created music away for free!! The future is sharing. Loads of love, Action Beat!!"

Unless you don't like presents, get your sorry asses over to their soundcloud. Merry Christmas eve!

Latest tracks by Action Beat

Art is Hard release The Black Tambourines EP 'Chica' - 19/12/11

2011-12-21T18:55:00.000Z

Top DIY label Art is Hard relased their 7th record on Monday. The stonking 'Chica' is out on cassette now is an EP from Cornish slackers The Black Tambourines. If you'd like 5 tracks of surfy grunge pop in your stocking - get buying!

Have a listen here:

Chica EP by The Black Tambourines

Fear of Men release cassette and new video - 21/12/11

2011-12-21T18:50:00.000Z

The excellent Fear of Men self-release the “Alice Munro Demos” on December 21 i.e. TODAY! These newest demos will be available to buy on limited tape cassette are are available here.

You can also have a look at their brand new video while you're at it.

DOLDRUMS from FEAR OF MEN on Vimeo.

Spirit House by FEAROFMEN

SNH top gigs of 2011: Shugo Tokumaru (with full band) at Cafe OTO, London, 06/04/2011

2011-12-20T22:17:00.003Z

Us Scene Not Herder’s are usually an unassuming bunch of gig-goers; satisfied with the promise of flowing beer or strong vodka, a half decent sound-system or set-up, booking fees of less than 2 quid, and a modicum of inventive musical tomfoolery.

We like to take the occasional risks and when the mood takes us we venture out to see bands or acts that we've scarcely heard of or listened to before. More often than not this ends up with us huddled in a sweaty pseudo-dungeon listening to pale-faced boys trying to kill each other with reverb, and everybody else trying to drink through the aural pain; but sometimes... SOMETIMES... random ticket-buying splurges result in us seeing an artist so fantastically, brilliantly, wonderful that it all becomes worth the previous misjudgements. Shugo Tokumaru's gig at Cafe OTO, London, in April was a fine example of this.

It's fair to say that Shugo Tokamaru is not exactly unheard of. A quick search of You Tube is enough to reveal a healthy handful of quirky and twisted videos supporting numerous well-received albums to date. Outside of his home-country Japan he is loved by a growing fan-base, most of whom probably have not got a clue about what the lyrics are about (myself included) yet are open-minded enough to accept that good music and a finely crafted song can be all you need.

And boy, Shugo Tokumaru can craft a song! His style is somewhat schizophrenic in that his songs often fall in somewhere between ballads and outright pop songs, but also come incorporated with such invention and unorthodox instrumentation that you can't pin them down to any genre. He plays guitar beautifully, the challenging nature of the fretwork never showing on his face, but he never appears ostentatious - sat onstage quietly in barefeet and seeming almost apologetic throughout. The candle-lit, intimate interior of Cafe Oto was perfectly suited to this musician.

Talking to a few more experienced Shugo followers before the gig I found there was a buzz about the fact that Mr Tokumaru was performing with a band. He has previously visited these shores as a solo act, playing smaller venues such as The Betsey Trotwood. His supporting musicians really did not disappoint either; the drummer a constant source of entertainment, and a second musician creating a beautiful and wacky range of noises with various toy instruments, toy xylophone, and keys. It's only on reflection, and after repeated listens to his albums, as I try to recapture some of the magic of that evening, that I've come to realise how true to the spirit of the recordings this performance actually was.

The effect was mesmerising and enchanting and made the more energetic pieces in the set, such as the breathless melodic summerpop of songs like "Rum Hee" and "Parachute" irresistible. Just as impressive were the couple of songs where Shugo played and sang unaccompanied. His voice frequently accents the rhythmic changes of the song and sounded wonderfully pure in unison with the guitar.

You didn't need to turn around to know that everyone in the room was smiling simultaneously. The mirth and delight reached dangerously potent levels when Shugo broke out the Ukulele and performed a ludicrously endearing version of Buggles' 'Video Killed the Radio Star' for an encore. We were his. Completely and totally at his mercy.

This video should give you a rough idea of what put the smiles on our dials:

Shugo Tokumaru - Lahaha by Polyvinyl Records

Honorable mentions: The Antlers playing "Burst Apart", The Screen on the Green. Tune-Yards at The Haunt, Brighton. True Widow at The Macbeth. - DF

SNH 001 - Dead Wolf Club - Dead Wolf Club - available 01/02/12

2011-12-19T20:55:00.004Z

We could not be more excited to announce the release of our first record: SNH001 - Dead Wolf Club – Dead Wolf Club.

Building themselves a reputation as a vitriolic live band, from the debris of smashed guitars Dead Wolf Club rise to present their debut album, due out on Monday, 1 February 2012.

Tracklisting:

1. Headful of Horrors 2. Radar 3. News at Ten 4. Allison 5. Creatures 6. Wave

7. Disappear 8. Colossus 9. Not What it Seems

In accompaniment of their debut release, they will be touring the UK – catch them on the following dates:

February 2012

1st Lincolnshire - Horncastle Old Nicks Tavern

2nd Leicester - Lock 42

3rd Doncaster - Social Bar

4th Inverness - Ironworks

5th Leeds - Brudenell Social Club

6th Coventry - Kasbah

7th Manchester - Night and Day

8th Bristol - Louisanna

9th London –Native Tongue, Barbican

11th Southampton - Joiners Arms

12th Kilmarnock - Kilmarnock Festival

Radar by Dead Wolf Club

Dead Wolf Club - News at Ten by Dead Wolf Club

New Band of the Week 19/12/11 - PAWS

2011-12-19T19:09:00.000Z

Raw, scuzzy Glaswegian noisemakers, PAWS, are our new band of the week. In their short career, they have supported the likes of The Dum Dum Girls, Ariel Pink and No Age and I’m sure there are even better things to come from the melodic, lo-fi, garage pop trio.

PAWS - 'Jellyfish' by The 405

New Band of the Week - 12/12/11 - WALLS

2011-12-14T00:57:00.001Z

Not so much our newest band we've featured, but I feel compelled to give these guys our Band of the Week after they blew me away as the support band for The Field last Thursday.

WALLS are an incredible blissed out cut of shoegazed laden sonically challenging electronica, with some mean beats to get your groove on to. Veering towards a dancier sound, this duo pull influences from everywhere apparently, from everything to Mogwai to Daft Punk. Hints of early M83 lie scattered amongst the shards of echoey guitars and industrial landscapes.

Again like all my favourite artists, they find a way to pull a plethora of sounds together to create real substance and real melody within the walls of sound they create (mind the pun). This is demonstrated rather well on their track Heat Gaze.

The future looks bright for WALLS. Rave reviews follow their every release, and their live show, as referred to earlier, is nothing less than ear bleedingly brilliant.

Walls - Coracle (Kompakt) by walls_band

SNH top gigs of 2011 - CocoRosie + Ólöf Arnalds - Sydney Opera House - 25/01/11

2011-12-12T21:39:00.000Z

Because we like you so much, dear readers and Scene Not Herd enthusiasts, over the course of this month, we will be bringing you the highlights from our year.

As promoters, it’s always nice to go to someone else’s gig and let them do all the hard work. We have, as a collective, and independently, been to A LOT of shows this year. Some have been stupendous; some have, well, just been shit. But, in the spirit of SNH (and Christmas) we’re just going to talk about the performances that we’ve enjoyed and loved the absolute most. So let me get started...

In January, on a whim, more or less, I decided to go to Australia. I think I went to about three or four gigs while I was there – but this one has completely stuck with me.

I really wanted to go to a concert in the Sydney Opera House while I was down under, so I paid $59, to go and see a band I’d actually never got around to listening to – CocoRosie – rationalising the slightly excessive spending with the argument that if it’s in the Opera House, it must be good.

Opening, and the act that I really want to focus on, was the enchanting Icelandic songstress Ólöf Arnalds; who is perhaps better known for her role in the electronic act múm.

Beguiling, with an air of simplistic innocence, her crystalline voice cut through a transfixed audience as she recited pieces both in English and her native tongue. There was a charming purity to her song 'Vinur Minn', which commences with a passage from an Icelandic poem before transitioning into a joyous, uplifting melody which consists solely of ‘la-la-las’; she later joked that it wasn’t like we understood her singing in Icelandic anyway. Throughout, Ólöf cracked jokes, explained songs and even experimented with the venue’s acoustics; which only served to endear her further to her onlookers.

I think one of my favourite parts of the night was the song ‘Klara’; which, she explained, she had written for her sister’s 18^th birthday. The other highlight for me was Ólöf’s delicate interpretation of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘I’m on Fire’ which was sung with an earnest honesty and full of depth.

Ólöf Arnalds - With Tomorrow / I'm On Fire by One Little Indian Records

Throughout her set, what struck me was the audible silence of the crowd; whose encapsulation said more than a million applausive handclaps.

As you may imagine, Ólöf was a hard act to follow. The lights dimmed, in what I thought was in anticipation of CocoRosie. I was surprised, instead, to be treated to a fifteen minute intense bout of beatboxing, courtesy of super-human French beatboxer Tez. In his set he managed to deliver phenomenal looped beats and complicated synth melodies which had his onlookers captivated in awe.

Enigmatic sisters Bianca (Coco) and Sierra (Rosie) then joined the beatboxer on stage. Surrounded by helium balloons, their fairytale capes glowed and shimmered under bright florescent lights. Behind them, visuals were projected conveying random images that added a eerie, otherworldly layer of occult weirdness to their playful aesthetic.

Amalgamating various genre interpretations including pop, folk, hip hop, opera and electronica, into their eclectic sound, they proceeded to wow their audience with a set, consisting largely of songs from their release, 'Grey Oceans'.

Grey Oceans by subpop

The girls commenced with the downbeat, insular 'Lemonade', which contains moments of dark tenderness, juxtaposed with Sierra’s upbeat chorus. Highlights from their set included the up-tempo 'Hopscotch'; with the girls playing handclaps together and dancing around on stage; as well as the sad and moving 'By your Side'.

The great thing about CocoRosie is the girls' uniquie ability to play off each other; balancing two extremely different types of vocal, one opera, one childlike, to create a combination so affecting.

I think this is my concert of the year, because I came away, musically, with so much more than I went in with. Both Ólöf Arnalds and CocoRosie, have become two of my absolute favourite artists. Had I not gone, I wouldn’t have known or cared about either act at all and I am extremely grateful that I do (and now you do too).

Honourable mentions must go to: Shugo Tokumaru at Cafe Oto; Primavera Sound 2011; and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at Scala - SA

Oliver Tank - Dreams - released 21/11/11

2011-12-04T14:56:00.002Z

Having not dipped into the old SNH inbox for a while, I was pleasantly surprised to find an assortment of excellent music at my fingertips. Our buddies over at one of Australia's most exciting independent labels, Yes Please, have just released a killer EP in the form of 21 year old Sydneysider, Oliver Tank's 'Dreams'. Tranquil and lucid this is a release capable of making even the most severe of Sunday hangovers fade. So, if you, like me, overindulged on the booze front last night, have a listen below, you’ll feel instantly better. If you like this, don’t forget to check out the label – they have some really excellent past releases up their sleeve too.

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://yespleaserecords.bandcamp.com/album/dreams"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Dreams by Oliver Tank&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Photos - M83 - Heaven - 01/12/11

2011-12-04T13:36:00.001Z

Three of us went to Heaven last week to catch M83. Here are some photos:

Midnight City by M83