Xmas Gift no.6: The Cubical

After a lengthy spell touring the UK, The Cubical's debut album 'Come Sing These Crippled Tunes' has now reached American (& Canadian) ears through Record Collection. The North American version of the album, available here on iTunes, features exclusive bonus tracks: Scuttler's Crimes, Early Morning Creep, Leave If You Must and Bended Knee from the Dave Sardy sessions at Sunset Sound studios in Hollywood.

Additionally the band have just released a colossal 19 track album: 'The Things You Throw Away' via Last.fm. This collection of live, rare and raw unreleased tracks is available for free here until February 2010. So get em while they're hot! If you like what you hear, a luxuriously packaged limited edition CD will soon be available.

A very merry Christmas from The Cubical, and Dead Young Records.

Video Blog #1

This isn't a list of the best videos of 2009, the decade or anything like that.

Just some cool stuff I found recently.

Metal on Metal - Bastard

Modeselektor - Art & Cash

A Place To Bury Strangers - Keep Slipping Away

Race Horses - Man In My Mind

Xmas Gift no.5: Banjo or Freakout

So now the snow has started falling and I've been watching Home Alone and Indiana Jones films I feel as thought Christmas time has properly arrived. So we may as well contribute to the customary alternative Christmas songs lists. Here's some gems I've found on Youtube:

The Eels - Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas

'Baby Jesus was born to rock!'

The Kinks - Father Christmas

Pearl Jam - Santa God

Slow Club - Christmas TV

The Sonics - Don't Believe In Christmas

Vashti Bunyan - Coldest Night of The Year

Cheers NME.

Weezer - Christmas Celebration

Weezer fans can find loads more of their xmas songs & covers on Youtube here.

Additionally, Banjo or Freakout are giving away a whole 9 track album of Christmas songs for free! Head over to their blog here to download. Mr Banjo, Alessio Natalizia, apparently only gives himself ONE chance to record a track. After that he is only permitted to manipulate the sound with his recording software, no second chances. The results are blissful, haunting, lo-fi, at times noisy, but alway caked in a healthy dose of reverb and delay. Just the kind of nice peaceful stuff that Nick can put on his morning alarm clock. Personally I'd need something a little louder to slap me in the face to get out of bed...

It's also worth mentioning to keep an eye on the free tracks being posted by The Crookes over at the 12daysofCrookesmas.com. 5 days left!

Xmas Gift no.4: Domino Records

King of the indies, Domino Records, have just sent out a Christmas Sampler featuring some great tracks that have been released over the past year, and a couple that will come out in 2010.

Join their mailing list here to get your frosty mittens on some free tracks from the likes of Wild Beasts, The Kills, Eugene McGuinness, Franz Ferdinand & more!

Thanks Domino!

In other Domino news, our favourite bearded mentals Archie Bronson Outfit have just announced a new album will be released in March next year. The first run of their third effort, 'Coconut', will also include a limited edition DVD featuring a video for each track from the record. Sweet deal!

Check out this Youtube trailer:

Xmas Gift no.3: The Federals

Oh Fearne! Fearne, Fearne, Fearne...

How well you've done, and how much you've grown! since that fateful day in yesteryear when you won some PR-driven talent competition bullshit, which fatefully brought you onto my TV screen.

Ahh... I remember it well! There I was watching Kenan & Kel, or something equally awesome, when BOOM! a ravishing new young presenter appeared before me. You surely created some of my fondest youthful television memories. Not because you were any good of course, you were shit. But it started my love of observing people's failures being broadcast on live TV.

But Oh! Fearne dearest, we have so much in common! A love of popular culture, television, music...

Speaking of which The Federals have their first EP up for free download here.

Gotta get me one of them T-shirts...

Xmas Gift no.2: The Crookes

Our favourite Sheffielders The Crookes have today begun their '12 days of Crookesmas'. Each day a new track of theirs will be released in various forms including covers, videos and collaborations with fellow Sheffs Richard Hawley & Jon 'The Reverend' McClure. So to begin, today, NME have posted 'Chorus of Fools' on their daily download blog which you can see here.

"They're harnessing the grace and guts of old-time swing and woozy Barbershop harmonies - packaging it up as the latest indie-disco bread'n'butter" - NME.

Guitarist Alex says:

"Chorus of Fools', the lead track and first day of the cheesily dubbed '12 days of Crookesmas', was the first of a collection to have been written in our fusty and mouldy basement - but the only song, surprisingly, which took shape in a local leisure centre. By looking at us you wouldn't expect that we'd have ever set foot in such establishment, but the drums were actually figured out in the swimming pool. Wierd, right? This is one of few songs recorded in a 'proper'studio by friend and all-round nice guy Glover."

We're also proud to welcome The Crookes back to Oporto tomorrow for the Gaslight Club Xmas special, also featuring Benjamin Wetherill & The Trumpets of Death, Georgian Eastern European vocal music choir bringing the festive spirit - Samzeo, and Gaslight Club regulars Ben Pike and David Henshaw. Plus guest DJs, free mince pies, and free entry as always.

Make sure to get down early if you want a seat!

This will be our last show until January 11th when The Gaslight Club returns every Monday at Oporto and as always its FREE ENTRY.

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Myspace

Last.fm

Xmas Gift no.1: Paul Thomas Saunders

Paul Thomas Saunders is a young Derbyshire lad currently residing in Leeds. He recently toured the country in support for the lovely Blue Roses, in which time he sold out his self-released debut E.P. 'Four Songs In Twilight' is available to download from the usual suspects and is also available at gigs on beautifully packaged, wax-sealed CDs. Kudos. Sounding something like Fleet Foxes if they dabbled in recreational drugs and listened to Animal Collective in the studio, its a marvelous psych-folk concoction of flowing guitar lines and slick vocal melodies caked in blissful reverb.

Make sure not to miss his set this Sunday at Nation of Shopkeepers, part of the Soup Kitchen all-dayer also featuring The Heebie Jeebies, Little Lost David, James Owen Fender & many more.

As part of our run down to Xmas, we at Dead Young are starting giving out Xmas presents early. That is to say we're either providing or pointing you in the right direction to lots of wonderful (and completely legal) free music.

So to get us started, it gives us great pleasure to present you with an exclusive track to download from Paul Thomas Saunders' E.P:

Fruit Of The Poisonous Tree.

Enjoy

LCD Soundsystem & Greenberg

Drowned In Sound just posted up an interview with James Murphy, and as we're such massive LCD enthusiasts at Dead Young I thought I'd link you guys to it: here.

In it, we're told of the next LCD Soundsystem record he's recording, due for release in 2010, and his work on the soundtrack of the upcoming film, Greenberg.

Here's the trailer:

Looks pretty cool, and I'm sure it will sound amazing.

Pity about Ben Stiller though... I can't take him seriously any more after BLUE STEEL.

Also, if you weren't already aware, LCD Soundsystem recently released 'Bye Bye Bayou'. A cover of Alan Vega from Suicide's track. Check it out here.

This disco groover was initially available as a free download for a short period, but is now available from all the regular download sites, and on 12" vinyl with a nice cover:

To continue this fetishized drooling over all things DFA, and for other enthusiasts of LCD material (especially on vinyl), I should mention four 12"s were recently released, featuring material from the fabulous 45:33 mix, with remixes by the likes of Prins Thomas, Padded Cell, Pilooski and more. Mp3s bouncing around all the usual places of course too.

Fabulous stuff that was all previously unavailable in an un-mixed format, so go buy em all from your local record shop.

Groovey baby.

A Reel Good Time & Tom Newell's art

This month's gig at The Angel's Share on Sunday 29th November sees the return of Napoleon IIIrd's brilliant experimental pop to Chapel Allerton. His latest mini-album Hideki Yukawa was released early this year to a great reception from Dazed and Confused, Whisperin' and Hollerin', Drowned In Sound & many others.

"One of the most visionary artists in the world today." - DiS

He's joined by fellow reel to reel tape playing due The Title Sequence who travel from London. They're getting some good radio play across the BBC from Steve Lamacq, Huw Stephens and Tom Robinson, and have plans for their debut single release 'Lovers'.

Also performing are some of the best local Yorkshire talent that we can't stop asking back to the Share:

The French Defence, Liam O'Donnell & David Henshaw complete the fabulous lineup for this free gig.

Music from 5pm, DJs til late.

From town you can catch the 2, 2A, 3 or 3A bus up to Chapel Allerton, and the gig will finish in time for you to catch the last one back which is just after 11pm I think...

Event links:

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Last.fm

The above poster is the latest of a long series of designs that Tom Newell has drawn for our gigs up at The Angels Share on the last Sunday of every month.

Tom is a fantastic designer and artist whose work has been published in The Stool Pigeon music paper, Dazed and Confused and +1 Magazines. On top of this and his many gig poster designs, he also produces all the artwork for the lovely record label Everything On Toast.

Here are some more examples of the fabulous work he has done for us:

Gringo Star

Gringo Star are a rather good 4-piece guitar band from Atlanta, Georgia - US of A. They have recently toured Europe with ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead, and the UK with hometown buddies Black Lips. Their current European tour includes dates with Wavves and A Place To Bury Strangers.

Their latest album "All Y'all" was released in the US in 2008 to strong reviews:

"A little scuzzy, a little jangly and a lot awesome" BLENDER

"All Y'all" is an exuberant rush of early Kinks guitars, tambourines, handclaps, multi-part harmonies, and bits of tinkly piano, all catchy." PITCHFORK

“With their excellent debut album, All Y'all, this Atlanta garage-rock band validate the CMJ buzz.” SPIN.COM

“This Atlanta, Georgia foursome add layers of rural lilt to their Brit-ish pop, garagey grit to others, while sneaking out slight-psych guitar blasts and gang yalps when least expected. If not the wheel rebooted, their self-titled full-length on My Anxious Mouth is stunningly seasoned for a debut.” CMJ.COM

"Gringo Star should be literally showered with the same kind of exasperated stammering and fawning heaped onto the stars of the early days of rock and roll, as if these guys were new versions of the Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Beatles’ and all of the American standards in doo wop and R&B that were raging through Detroit and Memphis and Harlem." DAYTROTTER

Gringo Star play a free gig at Oporto on Tuesday 17th November with James Owen Fender & Wonderswan.

Event pages on:

Facebook

Last.fm

You'll be seeing more from these fellas...

Gringo Star - Come On Now from Justin Malone on Vimeo.

The Cubical

The Cubical are a Liverpudlian 5-piece playing raucous Garage Psych Blues Rock. Debut album 'Come Sing These Crippled Tunes' out now on Dead Young Records.

Following a seal of approval from Mojo magazine as one of the ‘coolest bands of the year’ and a string of support slots with such luminaries as The Magic Band, The Stands and The Coral, The Cubical recorded their debut LP ‘Come Sing These Crippled Tunes’ with Dave Sardy (infamous producer to the likes of Johnny Cash, The Rolling Stones, Oasis, Primal Scream, Jet and Marilyn Manson).

Following in the well-trodden footsteps of The Doors, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, Captain Beefheart and Tom Waits they recorded the album at Sunset Sound Studios, Hollywood, over 4 “very intense, sweaty Californian days”.

The fantastic live energy of The Cubical was captured using reel-to-reel tape and an old 60’s mixing desk. Sardy also had them using vintage guitars, amps and even an old piano missing a few keys, in order to capture their sound the way he had heard it on stage. Any imperfections were just viewed as welcome additions to an intentionally rough and ready album.

‘Like Me, I’m A Peacock’ is the lead single from the album. Sounding like it has been pulled straight off the decks at a 60s freak-beat party and drenched in psychedelic blues, Dan’s voice is so filthy, unique, and gut wrenchingly raw it commands your utmost attention as he manages to both chastise and plead with us in the same rasping breath.

The record is in shops now in the UK and will be out on Record Collection in the USA and Fuse in Australia in the next few months.

Press:

'If you like your rock'n'roll primal and pounding, and your vocals gritty and growly, then meet Liverpool's answer to the Magic Band' – (The Guardian)

“Mind-warpin’ mutated blues. Don’t let it pass you by.” (Shindig)

'Out of tune guitars clang and the bass and drums shuffle just right enough to raise the ghost of Willie Dixon, track down Captain Beefheart circa Safe As Milk and have a chat wtih The La's. And the singer’s raspy vocal might just shatter your lightbulbs' - (Mojo)

'The key difference between The Cubical and the other thousand odd Beefheart / Waits acolytes, is that they actually pull off this primal, experimental form of rock 'n' roll with considerable poise' - (Drowned in Sound)

'an easy album to get into first time round, full of melodic songs with driving rhythms' 4/5- (Music OMH)

"Wilson makes Waits sound like Tiny Tim" (The Guardian)

"Tracks like 'Woman, I Need Your Love So Bad' and 'Baby Don't Treat Me Bad' sound like they could eat the 22-20s for breakfast.'Come Sing These Crippled Tunes' with them and, oh Lordy, you'll soon be a believer." 4/5 (Whisperin' and Hollerin')

"The Cubical might just be the band to drag Liverpool's music scene kicking and screaming in a new direction." (Liverpool Echo)

Order 'Come Sing These Crippled Tunes' on CD HERE

Download links:

Amazon

Play.com

Free Downloads:

‘Like Me, I’m A Peacock’

‘Baby Don’t Treat Me Bad’ (link to Reverb Nation)

Find the band on Myspace & Facebook