Last week, or maybe the week before, I spent a few hours (until the early hours) making a website for my friends Encyclopedia - who happen to also be a rock band.
It's a pretty simple website - but it does the job - or will do by the time it's complete. At the minute, the basics are there, but that shouldn't stop you from taking a look at the site and subscribing to the RSS feed.
Encyclopedia have a single due for release at the start of June 2009, it's called 'Hilary' and it's their first release in 3 years. You can find it through the flash player on their site, on Bandcamp(where it'll be available to download in lossless format for a small fee) and on Last.fm(where you can scrobble the track).
Please check it out and if you like what you hear, tell your friends, blog it, tweet it, shout it from the rooftops.
The other week I went to watch Mike TV at Satan's Hollow in Manchester (Last.fm Event). The band that were first up were called 'Bears, Bears' and sounded pretty good. I bought a CD off them.
The CD is pretty D.I.Y. - complete with unique hand-drawn artwork - and the file format was WMA with some auto-launcher Jukebox thing that I didn't quite understand, or want to. But, like the big geek that I am, I ripped the music off into a more palatable format and tagged it all up accordingly. You can download the 10-track album from the following URL:
I'm going to go out there and tell you to share that link with any friends that you'd think would like the music. Post it around. But of course, if you like what you hear, try and get to their shows - or look out for any future material you can buy.
More info about Bears, Bears at the following links:
Encyclopedia have some newdemos up on their MySpace. They are worth blogging about. I've had a sneak peak of a few additionaldemos that you won't find online, and they are utterly brilliant. I can't remember being so excited about any other songs before, ever.
A few years ago, Ray Webster recommended that I listen to "Border Affair + Naked Child" by Lee Clayton and he handed me a copy of the CD. I took his advice, and upon first listening to the album wasn't too impressed - but then, the second time or third time I listened, something clicked. I remember being sat on the coach alone on my way to Leeds, looking out the window as the coach sped across the motorways, and found myself really enjoying the album.
Admittedly, it's not an album you can just 'pick up and play' but has to suit your mood. Sounding like a mix between Brakes, Nick Cave and Ray LaMontagne, Lee Clayton's "Border Affair + Naked Child" was a CD release on Edsel Records UK which brought together the 1978 and '79 Captiol Records' respective releases.
The Wikipedia entry for Lee Clayton has an interesting biography which outlines his career; notably that others seemed to have more mainstream success singing his songs than he achieved himself, including Jerry Jeff Walker, Willie Nelson, superband The Highwaymen and Waylon Jennings, who reached #11 in the Billboard Charts of 1972.
Today his career has largely gone silent; but I can't help but think I'd be slightly disappointed if he were still producing music to date. January 2008 seen the release of "Border Affair: the Capitol Years" which is a 2 disc collection featuring 1978s "Border Affair", 1979s "Naked Child" and the 1981 release "The Dream Goes On" - if you like what you hear below, I recommend you add it to your collection.
There isn't too much to say about this compilation; I bought it as part of Big Scary Monster's 'Class of 2007' package a few weeks back and meant to blog about it then - but never got around to it. Upon seeing the release, I didn't quite know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised; it features quite a varied range of music, which probably means there'd be something for everyone.
Attached below are two tracks from the compilation album that I think you might enjoy - and if you like what you hear you can sample the rest of the album buy making that purchase directly from BSM Shop for just 4 GBP (USD | EUR). There was only 1,000 of them made, so be quick.
A few months back at In The City 2007 I caught (most of) the set of The Old Romantic Killer Band - but probably gave them far less credit than they deserve.
Hailing from Leeds, the duo carry a personal style and image that is reflected in their folky-blues rock n' roll. Since I've only seen half a live set and listened to the songs that are on their MySpace Profile, I'll just throw some MP3s your way and have you make up your own mind about them.
On a side note; in researching this band, I found out that Font Bar, one of my favourite bars in Manchester, has it's own Last.fm profile that logs the music played in the bar. Be their friend - they haven't got any yet.
Tonight I watched Detroit Rock City for the first time (in full, at least). I'd seen part of the film before in high school when the year above me were watching it in their class, and I went in to watch it too. That's going back to the year 1999 or possibly 2000 - I didn't get to see the whole film though.
Since then, I'd only seen it in the shops once - but when I actually went back to the store with money to buy it, it was gone! I never really shopped online at the time, so never thought to look for the DVD on Amazon - until the other night... after I'd downloaded the torrent (magnet).
It's very much a teen movie where the story centers around a group of kids who idolise KISS(the band) and tells of their journey to see them live in Detroit. IMDB's rating for the movie is above-average (five makes for an average movie, right?) but rates it as not a being great, but I really like it; the movie carries a certain charm.
I've put the film on my Amazon Wishlist and if I don't end up getting it for Christmas, I'll no doubt buy it in the new year - because it's not likely to make its' way to HD DVD anytime soon (yes, I'd love this film in HD).
My Opera
" by Lee Clayton and he handed me a copy of the CD. I took his advice, and upon first listening to the album wasn't too impressed - but then, the second time or third time I listened, something clicked. I remember being sat on the coach alone on my way to Leeds, looking out the window as the coach sped across the motorways, and found myself really enjoying the album.
" which is a 2 disc collection featuring 1978s "Border Affair", 1979s "Naked Child" and the 1981 release "The Dream Goes On" - if you like what you hear below, I recommend you add it to your collection.
