Remember Host? No, I didn’t either. However, it seems that back in 2014 I wrote about them. The post didn’t really say much except that Heartbeats In The House, the track in question (and now removed from the web), was very dance floor friendly. Oh, and that the band was adopting the ‘mystery identity’ approach. Since that time there’s been nothing from them until this new tune, All Night Every Night cropped up in my in-box. Once again it's highly danceable and once again I know very little about them, except that from the tiny bit of information I’ve received, they appear to be a duo called Ben and Tom. Hardly riveting information I’m sure you’ll agree, but at least there’s a picture, which confirms that yes, they are two men. Of course it’s all about the music isn’t it? And this is where All Night Every Night wins. It’s a delightful dance pop tune that throbs in strobe lit ecstasy. I can imagine this one shaking the walls and floors of the Haçienda back in the late 80’s or early 90’s with its near-Balearic high speed fluidity that’s somewhere close to New Order circa Technique but with an unhurried and soothing vocal that’s similar to John Marsh of The Beloved. Let’s just hope they don’t leave it so long till next time. Host - All Night Every Night
At the end of January I hopped on a ferry from my home city of Portsmouth to a place which was one of Queen Victoria's favourites to visit; the weird and wonderful Isle of Wight. I was there for an evening of musical finery presented by Sunday Best Records at the Quay Arts Centre in Newport, with a celebratory DJ set of David Bowie tunes by Rob Da Bank, complete with colourful Bowie visuals. Plus there was live music from Alice Jemima (who has been long supported through this blog, first featuring in April 2011 and being named as One To Watch in 2012 - a little early perhaps?). Alice is now signed to Sunday Best so you can fully expect an LP this year. Heading up the bill was Xylaroo, another act that I named as Ones To Watch in 2016, so I thought I had better take my own advice and go and watch them. Xylaroo was excellent. Wonderful sisterly harmonies backed by just one acoustic guitar and a very cool, almost casual, delivery. The obvious comparison remains First Aid Kit and I can imagine Xylaroo having spent a fair amount of time rifling through the same record collection as the Swedish sisters - the presence of the likes of Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and Rilo Kiley could all be heard in their heartwarming songs. With an album called Sweetooth due for release in June, the first single from it is Sunshine. It's a tune with a positive outlook on life, focusing on leaving life's negatives behind and absorbing those natural rays of hope. "If you want the rainbow, you've got to put up with the rain," they sing. Sunshine has a timeless appeal to it and the video, which streams below, is also full of a charming warmth. Xylaroo - Sunshine (Video)
I’m interrupting the normal music posts for a short commercial advert break. Some of you may have read about a successful new music festival I helped run in Portsmouth last year called Dials (here) or remember an earlier post (here) about a new event the team are running. The new event is called Dials Days and it’s an all-day affair at Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms and its sister venue The Edge of the Wedge. I’ve had an input into booking a small handful of bands on the bill (regular readers will probably be able to tell which ones quite easily!). You might also remember that I wrote about the fact that one of our headliners was due to be Viola Beach. Tragically the band members and manager were all killed in a car accident the day after we booked them. Following these terrible events the team has been working hard to secure new headliners whilst keeping within the festival’s concept of providing a full day of live music at a value price of just £10. I’m now pleased to confirm that the two bands who will be topping the bill are Brighton’s Fear Of Men, their show at Dials Days being the final date of their new tour which includes a number of gigs at South By South West in Austin Texas. Joining them will be Champs, whose second album Vamala received rave reviews; the Guardian, Independent and Q Magazine all giving it 4 out of 5, with the Guardian calling it ‘highly effective pop’. These two groups complete a line-up that offers a full day of entertainment for around the same price as going to the cinema for a couple of hours. It's a bargain. What more is there to say? Just grab a ticket quick from the link below. The prices will be more on the door. Come and be a Dials Dayer (and stay and dance into the night with the DJs after the bands finish till 2am) Tickets are available from this link here. Watch Fear of Men and Champs here: Fear Of Men - Tephra
Champs - Desire
The full line up is: Fear Of Men, Champs, Estrons, Femme, Fake Laugh, Avec Sans, Dead Rabbits, Wyldest, Shallows, Thyla, The Boy I Used To Be, Is Bliss, Melt Dunes, Hey Charlie, Little Robyn, George Regan
Here's a Soundcloud playlist with all the acts except 1 below:
Ok that’s the commercial break over… back to the regular posts next!
Welcome to today’s new genre. What do you get if you combine a harp, a sprinkling of delicate hop-scotch electronic beats and a rather pretty voice? The answer is Twinklestep. Silly? Yes - but Abigail Blake, who seems to have invented this fairy-dance sound, has turned the silliness into something rather refreshing. There’s a feathery lightness to her song Liar that is both charming and alluring - even if the subject matter is somewhat heavier - the lyrics deal with the subject of people she thought she could rely on turning their backs on her when she was struggling with severe depression. It isn’t the first tune from this 21 year old lass from Norwich, but her previous efforts have all been way more acoustic. Liar is an impressive development; the skittering beats suit her well. It’s a fascinating start to Abigail Blake's new chapter. Abigail Blake - Liar
