• Single of the Week: Ste McCabe - Accessorise s/w Stella Zine - Sex Worker's Union

31st November 2011

This week's single of the week is the limited edition split download only release from Ste McCabe and Stella Zine.

Ste is a bit of a favourite with us at The Sound Project, his queer feminist protest punk music has been like a breath of fresh air over the past few years.

'Accessorise' is yet another attack on modern culture - iPhone obsession, class, fatism, immigration, relationships and, of course, Ste's arch-nemesis The Daily Mail.

Stella's track 'Sex Worker's Union' is a good old-fashioned protest song, but not the stale kind.  Here it sounds like Stella is enjoying getting her message across.

Accessorise / Sex Worker's Union

You'll have to be quick if you want to get hold of a copy as this release will be limited to just 100 downloads only.  You can get hold of one, from Tuesday 1st November, by clicking here.

• Halloween Hit Parade

To Celebrate Halloween, The Sound Project has compiled a somewhat random selection of songs (loosely) based on the occasion.

• New Single from MJ Hibbert & The Validators


MJ Hibbert and the Validator have released the new free download single, 'Theme from Dinosaur Planet'.

It's the first track to be taken from the forthcoming 'science fiction rock opera concept album', Dinosaur Planet.  From what we've heard of it, it's sounding pretty good.

You can get hold of the single here

• Lost Gem: Monkey Steals the Drum - Injured Birds


I first heard 'Injured Birds', the second single from Ormskirk's 'Monkey Steals the Drum', on the John Peel programme back in 2000.

I'd completely forgotten about it until recently when I was going through a box of singles that had been gathering dust under my bed.

It's a fantastic single, and still sounds as great today as it did when I first heard it over a decade ago.

Sadly, singer Chris Ashcroft is no longer with us having tragically committed suicide in 2006.

 

• John Peel Day

25th October 2011

Time flies.  Today, 25th October, marks seven years since the passing of the British (global even) institution that was John Peel.

Events to mark the memory of Peel and the influence he had in music over the decades are taking place globally today.

If you want to check out what's happening, you should head over to #keepingitpeel which will point you in the right direction.

Here's the now legendary Newsnight coverage from 26/10/04.  I know this cheered me up:

• Single of the Week: Darren Hayman & Elizabeth Morris - I Know I Fucked Up

24th October 2011

Back in January Darren Hayman embarked on an ambitious project to write, record and release a video for a song a day.

The project featured guest appearances from some of Hayman's friends.  Amongst those to feature were Ballboy's Gordon McIntyre, The Wave Pictures and Allo Darlin's Elizabeth Morris.  The results were pretty impressive.

All the songs were originally offered for free for a limited period, you can now get hold of them all as an uber-download from Darren's bandcamp page.

This single was my personal favourite from the lot and a great choice to release it as a single.  On the other side is the excellent collaboration between Hayman and The Wave Pictures, 'Who Hung the Monkey'.

All the singles come with their own unique hand-painted artwork.  Nice.


You can watch the video for both tracks here:

• The Chasms: Alchemic Postcards


Isle of Man three-piece, The Chasms, released their latest album, 'Alchemical Postcards', back in August.

At present, it's only available as a download, although there is a limited CD run promised for the not so distant future (about a week).

The band are sounding as good as ever, especially on The Sound Project's favourite 'The Occult Soul Review'.

You can get hold of the download free of charge over at the band's website or over at the their bandcamp page.  You can also get hold of a free digital copy of their first two albums from the same place.

Please remember, all records by The Chasms should be played.

Update: CD copies of the album are now available directly from the band's website on a pay what you want basis.  You can buy a copy here.  Although we'd recommend you be sensible with whatever price you pay!

• New EP from 'The Joys of Sleeping'


Sam Hatchwell, aka 'The Joys of Sleeping', has released a new EP via his bandcamp page.

It's an interesting piece of ambient electronic music, which is based on "sleep/dreams/nightmares".

Have a listen at his bandcamp page here.

• The Sound Project Online Forum


Last week we launched The Sound Project's online forum.  So far not a lot has been happening there.

Surely you've all got something to say about the kind of things we post on this site?

Take the time to register for the forum - this is you guys part of the site.  It's also the place where we'll post a monthly competition to win goodies from the people we feature on here.

Check out the forum here.

• Single of the Week: Pushy Parents - Secret Secret

17th October 2011

Not a great deal is known about Sweden's 'Pushy Parents'.

What is known is that this is a project that will be solely confined to studio recordings with the band stating they had no interest in performing as a live act.

They're all members of other Swedish bands, which could be why they're reluctant to gig.

This, their debut single, is a fantastic twee-pop-rock record, worthy of the likes of Broadcast and Au Revoir Simone.  It's also one of the catchiest tunes you'll hear all year.

I expect big things of these guys and can't wait to hear what the album sounds like.


Check them out on Facebook to keep up with what they do next.
 

• Bandcamp Highlights


Another selection of highlights from bandcamp.com.

First up, from North Carolina: Estrangers - Sprague

Second pick, from East London: Florida Room - Make Your Move

Third selection, from London: Thompson - Soliloquy
 

• The Blanche Hudson Weekend Release Debut Album

17th October 2011

The Blanche Hudson Weekend this week released their debut album 'You Always Loved Violence'

The Leeds-based five-piece were formed by Darren Lockwood and Caroline McChrystal after the demise of the Manhattan Love Suicides.  Initially they were a studio only band but now venture into the live scene on a regular basis.

On first listen this is a excellent album.  Twee but with a kick.

If you want to check out the band you can do so by joining them on their Facebook page.

• Split Ste/Stella Single Coming Soon


The fantastic Ste McCabe and Stella Zine release a brand new split download only single on 1st November.

This is being released by Glasgow label, Bubblegum Records, and will be limited to just 100 download, so you'll need to be quick to your hands (if hands is the word) on a copy!

Ste's track is called 'Accessorise' and Stella's is a track called 'Sex Worker's Union'.

Ste will be playing a few shows over the next couple months, for details click here for Ste's events page.

• New Herman Dune Single


French-duo Herman Dune this week release their excellent new single 'Be a Doll and Take My Heart'.

The single is taken from this year's fantastic album 'Strange Moosic'.

The band are currently on a UK tour:
October 12th Union Chapel, London; 13th Joiners Arms, Southampton; 14th Rescue Rooms, Nottingham; 15th Islington Mill, Manchester; 16th King Tuts, Glasgow; 17th Brudenell Social Club, Leeds; 18th The Duchess, York; 19th The Harley, Sheffield; 20th Swn Festival, Cardiff; and 21st Academy, Birmingham.

Check out the band's website here.

• 25 Years of Fortuna POP!



This year London-based label Fortuna Pop! are celebrating their 15th birthday!

To celebrate they have a trio of gigs at Scala, in the English capital at the beginning of next month:

Tuesday 1st November: The Primitives; Cinerma Red & Blue; Bearsuit (left); and Monnone Alone (ex-The Lucksmiths) plus guest DJ Paul Wright (Track & Field).

Wednesday 2nd November: Crystal Stilts, Comic Gain; Shrag; and Evans the Death plus guest DJ Ian Watson (How Does it Feel to be Loved?).

Thursday 3rd November: Allo Darlin'; Darren Hayman & the Secondary Modern; Tender Trap; and The Ladybug Transistor plus guest DJ Paul Richards (Scared to Dance).

You can get more details of this plus everything else happening at Fortuna Pop! on their website here.

• Listen to the New M83 for Free!


M83 release their new album 'Hurry Up, We're Dreaming' on Monday (17th October), but if you can't wait until then, you can listen to a full stream of the album here.





• New Forum


This week The Sound Project launch our band new online forum!

It can be found here.

• Single of the Week: The Cathode Ray - Train

10th October 2011

This week Edinburgh four-piece, The Cathode Ray, finally release their third single, 'Train'.

It's the first single not to feature the vocals Paul Haig, who left the band to concentrate on his own solo career.

'Train' is a fantastic slice of three-minute guitar pop - the kind not enough bands make these days.  It has a retro yet modern feel, something that has been evident in the band's previous two singles.

This is a taster from the their debut album which is due in spring of next year, which we at The Sound Project are already excited about.

• Sister Rosetta Tharpe: The Gospel Singer Who Rocked

by Rik Wolters 9th October 2011

It was on this day in 1973, that the extraordinary talent that was Sister Rosetta Tharpe died.

I first became a fan of Tharpe when I bought a copy of her 1960 LP, 'Gospels in Rhythm', from a car boot sale when I was 14.  I was drawn to the sleeve, which depicted a black congregation on a small river boat.  This was an American release - the UK version was titled 'Spirituals in Rhythm' and featured different artwork.

The music within was like nothing I'd ever heard.  Sure, I'd heard gospel music before, but this was gospel music with an electric guitar!  Not only was it gospel music, but there were heavy influences of blues, jazz and country.  To say I was blown away is an understatement.

Now, I could rattle on about how great she was etc, but I think this BBC Four documentary does the job nicely.

• Obituary: Bert Jansch 1943-2011

by Rik Wolters 5th October 2011

Today, 5th October, Scottish folk singer Bert Jansch sadly passed away..

Rik Wolters looks back at the career of the talented Scotsman.

• Album of the Month: Half Man Half Biscuit - 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

by Rik Wolters

This month's album of the month comes from Birkenhead's finest, Half Man Half Biscuit.

90 Bisodol (Crimond) is the band's first new material since 2008's CSI:Ambleside.




• Single of the Week: KEEL HER - Emanuel EP

3rd October 2011

We featured this EP on our Bandcamp favourites a few weeks ago!

London's KEEL HER is Rose Keeler-Schäffeler.  She makes wonderfully old fashioned lo-fi blues pop.

You could be forgiven for thinking this EP was a re-release from the sixties - the vocals sound like they've been lifted straight from some American late 60's pop, much in the same vain as Best Coast.

You can download the EP from her bandcamp page for whatever price you wish to pay.  You can also buy a cassette (yes, really!) copy of the EP, which comes complete with original KEEL HER artwork and 16 page zine.

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