Dour Festival 2010

Dour Festival in southern Belgium has released its full line-up! This excellent festival for fans of alternative music in whatever genre you can think of has 200 bands over 4 days on 6 stages and music from 12am to 5am.

Recently awarded the prize for the best medium-sized European festival, the line-up this year really reflects its stock as one of the leading European festivals.

Band to particularly look out for include Faith No More’s reformation, De La Soul & Rhythm Roots All Stars, Simian Mobile Disco, Gwar, A-Track, Calvin Harris, The Maccabees, The Futureheads, Dave Clarke, Benga feat. Sgt Pokes, Skream, Archie Bronson Outift, Spoon, The Raveonettes, Devendra Banhart, Paul Kalkbrenner, Atari Teenage Riot Gui Boratto, Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip, Etienne de Crécy (Beats’n’Cubes), Brother Ali feat. Bk 1, Mayer Hawthorne, Third Wold, Mr. Vegas, DevilDriver, Shining, Fucked Up, The Very Best, Dum Dum Girls… the list goes on and on, so have a look here for more info.

Travel to Dour is easy either with Big Green Coach from London, to nearby airports or by Eurostar to Brussels or Lille, and for the price of the ticket (€93 + €17 camping) for 4 days of live music, even with travel it’s a bargain compared to UK festivals.

For those who don’t know the festival, Dour is in the French speaking part of Belgium. It is a very European, broad and open-minded festival that welcomes not only different nationalities, but a broad palette of different musical styles.  It has a capacity of roughly 40,000 people a day so is very humane in its size when spread over the six stages.

Here is the Dour Festival site.

Here is the Dour Festival Facebook group.

Here is the Dour Festival Twitter feed.

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straight lines single

Straight Lines was originally conceived by Welsh duo Tom Jenkins and Dane Campbell following the demise of their previous band. The pair collated ideas and wrote enough material for a new album, but strapped for cash turned to Dane’s brother Todd Campbell to help them record the new work at his home based studio.

Todd was soon drafted into the band to play bass and an old college friend of Tom’s turned up two weeks into recording to claim the fourth place in the group, on guitar.

Having recorded their efforts, Straight Lines were signed up by Xtra Mile Recordings, through whom they will release their hard hitting debut album Persistence In This Game in early 2010.

Meantime Straight Lines release the first single to be taken from the album, Versus The Allegiance on December 7th and to promote the new work are busy touring the UK, with support slots with Kids In Glass Houses, Young Guns, Attack! Attack!, The Automatic and the mighty Motorhead. The band will be selling limited editions of the single at the live shows.

Straight Lines November UK dates:

10th 53 Degrees, Preston with Kids In Glass Houses
11th Chinnery’s, Southend with The Automatic
12th New Slang, Kingston with The Automatic
13th Newport Centre, Wales with Motorhead
14th Central Station, Wrexham, Wales with Motorhead
15th Swindon Oasis, Swindon with Motorhead
18th Sigma, Swansea
20th The RAFA Club, Aberystwyth
24th Escobar, Leeds
25th Independent, Sunderland with The Automatic
26th The Brickyard, Carlisle with The Automatic
27th The Grosvenor, Brixton
28th Hammersmith Apollo, London with Motorhead
December
5th Hobos, Bridgend
22nd Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff

For more information visit the Straight Lines MySpace page.

The single Versus The Allegiance is released on December 7th as a digital download via Xtra Mile Recordings.

The genre defying album is available in digital format from October 26th via iTunes and other major download sites. The album was recorded earlier this year at Ignition Studio and produced by Lester Woodward and Patrick Jonnson (50 cent, Flood of Red, Furthest Drive Home, Skirtbox).

The electro rock outfit have progresed massively since the days when bassist Sean Shreeve and Jon Hardless pumped out guitar melodies backed only by a PS1. The band is now complete with the addition of singer Jason Mirchandani, drummer Graeme Healy and Henry Morrow adding synth and guitar.

Listen to the brand new tracks from So Silent Is the Night at Spectrum 7’s mySpace page.

So Silent The Night features seven tracks including the single Blue Wray, the full listing is:
1. Blue Wray
2. Frozen
3. So Silent The Night
4. September
5. Everything I Learnt at School was a Lie
6. Glass Houses
7. Serafin

Having already supported the likes of Enter Shikari, The Xcerts, Cage The Elephant and Frank Turner, Spectrum 7 have been on the road since the end of September promoting the new album. The remaining gigs for October are:

15th – Jilly’s Rockworld, Manchester
17th – Alton Community Center , Alton
21st – 229, London
25th – The Cellar Bar, Bracknell
27th October – Jam, Brighton

EYE

For twenty years now Boredoms have been inspiring musicians and pushing sonic boundaries and are generally regarded as musical pioneers. Each of their albums and performances are unique and defy categorization. Fans of the band will be pleased to hear that a brand new studio album is scheduled for 2010, but in the meantime Boredoms are about to re-issue their Super Roots 1o EP.

Super Roots 10 will be released through Thrill Jockey Records on September 29th and will be available on vinyl only. It is a limited double release produced by EYE, who has also designed and created the artwork for the record, which includes a 24″ x 24″ poster.

Super Roots 10 features a re-mix from Norwegian producer Lindstrom who has recently attracted critical acclaim for his own Where You Go I Go Too album that was released on Smalltown Supersound.

Lindstrom has remixed artists such as Franz Ferdinand, LCD Soundsystem and The Juan McLean amongst many others. The EP features four tracks:

1. ANT 10

2. ANT 10/Estereo 10 (Remix by Altz)

3. ANT 10 (Remix by DJ Lindstrom

4. ANT 10/Mineral Dub Break (Remix by Altz)

With Dave Grohl on drums of course, John Paul Jones on bass and the guitar and vocals from Josh Homme it is easy to see why Them Crooked Vultures are attracting so much attention.

The Supergroup first performed live in early August at the Metro Chicago in USA and spent the last half of the month performing at major European festivals including Lowlands, Pukkelpop and Melkweg.

The busy month continued with the band appearing for one night at Brixton Academy as support for the Artic Monkeys before playing at Reading and Leeds and ended the month appearing at the Rock en Siene Festival in Paris, where they performed under the name Les Petit Pois.

Them Crooked Vultures will be arriving in the UK in December as part of their Deserve The Future tour that starts in North America in October. They will play in Plymouth, Portsmouth, Blackpool, Birmingham, Edinburgh and will conclude the tour with two night’s at London’s Hammersmith Apollo.

Despite the band having made no records, tickets for the UK leg sold out in just 12 minutes of going on sale. It is still possible to get Them Crooked Vultures tickets online, but they are going to be hot property without doubt.

Clips showing the band performing have appeared around the internet but they disappear quite rapidly too, with rumours that the group themselves are policing the net for any infringements.

This is a clip that has managed to stay up, it isn’t the best camera work but it gives a good idea of what to expect. This was shot at Lowlands 2009 Festival by a fan, the song is Gunman.

The hard rock/metal supergroup Them Crooked Vultures will be performing at the following venues in December:

10   Plymouth Pavilions

11    Portsmouth Guildhall

13    Blackpool Empress Ballroom

14    Birmingham O2 Academy

15    Edinburgh Corn Exchange

17    London  Hammersmith Apollo

18    London  Hammersmith Apollo

Them Crooked Vultures Ticket Information

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Back 2 Skool will be second track to be taken from the incredible City Of Thieves album and features Sonic Boom’s distinctive break neck guitar riffs and dance sensibilities with a massive anthemic call to arms chorus.

To support the single Sonic Boom Six will be embarking on a full UK tour throughout October where they will be supported by The Skints, who have recently signed to the Sonic Boom Six’s own Rebel Alliance Recordings label.

The Sonic Boom Six UK tour dates:

OCTOBER 2009

TUE 6th TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM
WED 7th BRISTOL COOLER
THU 8th YORK DUCHESS
FRI 9th BIRMINGHAM ACADEMY
SAT 10th NARBETH QUEENSHALL
SUN 11th UK LEEDS COCKPIT
MON 12th PORTSMOUTH WEDGEWOOD ROOMS
TUE 13th OXFORD ACADEMY
WED 14th NORWICH WATERFRONT
THU 15th LONDON GARAGE
SAT 17th LIVERPOOL ACADEMY
SUN 18th GLASGOW STEREO
MON 19th ABERDEEN TUNNELS
WED 21st MANCHESTER ACADEMY
THU 22nd NEWPORT TJS
FRI 23rd PETERBOROUGH PARK
SAT 24th SHEFFIELD ACADEMY
SUN 25th NEWCASTLE ACADEMY

What the critics had to say about ‘City of Thieves’:
‘This is witty, vital and utterly infectious fare.’ KKKK – Kerrang!
‘It’s smart, joyous music that has plenty to say and does so eloquently.’ 4/5 – Big Cheese

And my personal favourite:

‘A hundred word analysis cannot do this album justice, so let’s just say it’s one f*cking excellent album and get on with out lives? Agreed? Agreed.’ 9/10 Rock Sound

The Black Lips

Drugs is taken as on of the standout track¡s  from The Black Lips album 200 Million Thousand. The video chosen to accompany the track is made by a Black Lips fan, who sent the production to the band.

The Black Lips will be appearing at the Leeds/Reading Festival this weekend, somehow squeezing a visit to Valencia in between.

Here are the UK dates:

26 Aug 2009 – Brighton
Concorde 2

28 Aug 2009 – Reading
Reading Festival, Republic Stage

29 Aug 2009 – Alaquas nr Valencia
Festival FRA Alaquas

30 Aug 2009 – Leeds
Leeds Festival, Republic Stage

The trio, consists of three brothers from the rural hills of Virginia – they deliver a clearly southern influenced approach to stoner rock. This show was a part of their first European tour, coming hot of the heels of their second album, ‘Maker’.

When the 3 bearded brothers approached the stage talking about South Park in faded tee’s, and  baseball caps, I quickly jumped to conclusions – assuming I knew what I was in for. However, they quickly proved me wrong as they jumped straight into their set opening with Laywayed.

Their unusual, acoustically  warped elemental rock, was hard hitting and energetic as the brothers pounded away at their instruments (it is not hard to believe they blew more that a few amps while recording this latest album).
The 7 song set, was marked by ambitious driving instrumental bursts, that despite being highly technical, avoided becoming overly excessive, maintaining the heavy rock roots that make them accessible.

It was novel to see all three members of the band singing along, however the brother’s voices are all so remarkably similar, that they blend into each other a little to much, not exploiting the possible impact this could have to its full potential. Despite this they definitely found themselves some new fans amongst the crowd – and are ones to watch.

Set list:
1. Laywayed
2. Blood Pride
3. Wax Workshop
4. Headless Conference
5. Maker
6. White Hands
7. Sun on Sun (played with bass instead of organ)

The band are about to embark on a UK tour to promote their critically acclaimed album, Maker, which is available on Thrill Jockey Records. Here is a clip from PONTIAK playing a gig in Baltimore earlier this year.

They will be playing VERY LOUD, along with with cosmic space rock behemoths EARTHLESS, at the following venues this summer…

Shinedown

Shinedown – The Sound Of Madness – Album Review

The Sound Of Madness is Shinedown’s third studio album.  The 11 tracks were apparently selected from over 60 tracks that singer/songwriter Brent Smith had written and a few new songs written while rehearsing in the studio.  The album represents both Shinedown’s more commercial sounding soft rock leanings as much as a harder grunge rock.

Devour is a great standalone track, but it also serves as a great introduction for the new Shinedown album, The Sound Of Madness.

Devour is an ideal start with snare & bass drum stomping its way towards the speakers, increasing in volume likened to a marching army of soldiers.  The Shinedown army is full of hard-hitting heavy progressive metal soldiers, ready and waiting to explode withpost-punk, post-grunge heavy rock raw, angst agression.

Next up is the title track, Sound Of Madness is slower in tempo, but no less heavy or menacing.  In fact the slower tempo is moreso.  Sound Of Madness has a great throbbing bass and a true call to arms – the sound of madness, when you gonna wake up and fight?

Second Chance is the third track on the album and is altogether a different animal.  Second Chance sounds like an obvious contender for the next single.  With its lighter, more melodic MOR sound, it is both radio and TV friendly, especially with its anthemic sing-a-long chorus.

Cry For Help gets the show back on the road, as the power, volume and beats per minute return and once again Shinedown are, for me, doing what they do best.  Death to timid pop metal! Lock up your daughters.  Cry For Help sounds great on vinyl and probably even better live.

Go to Shinedown Concerts for a list of tour dates.

The Crow & The Butterfly, If You Only Knew, What A Shame, Breaking Inside and Call Me are slower tempo, big anthemic productions which will have live audiences waving their lighters in the air. While Sin With A Grin and Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide return the album to a faster speed and heavier pumping bass and metal-tastic guitar sound.

Of the two sides to Shinedown’s music I prefer it when they are coming towards me like a steaming train with more decibels than lighters.  I understand that anthemic MOR tracks are good for radio, tv and more importantly commercial success but I like to see bands with long hair, tattoos and menacing looks to be loud, grungy and full of spunk; and judging by some of the photos uploaded to the Shinedown Photos website page, I’m not alone.