BLANG AT THE 12 BAR
CLUB PRESENTS:
12 BAR CLUB, 22-23 DENMARK PLACE, WC2
Map: http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?client=public&db=pc&pc=WC2H8NL&quicksearch=WC2H+8NL&cidr_client=none
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 13th
MATT DOLPHIN
ANGEL RACING FOOD
THE WAVE PICTURES
SHIBUYA CROSSINGS
And a late set from WILLIAM NEIN
£5 entry
Doors 7.30
Bar ‘till 1 am.
8 30 SHIBUYA CROSSINGS
After the demise of popular Belfast band Jude, Declan Harrington relocated
to London and recorded the first Shibuya Crossings CD on which he plays everything,
and it’s catchy infectious stuff. Tonight Declan plays those songs unplugged.
”mercurial pop” (Losing Today mag)
”a cross between Brian Wilson and Wayne Coyne, launching into the joyful
melodies like a kid in a candy shop” (UK Musicsearch)
”great things are promised from this sinister pied piper” (New
Noise)
www.shibuyacrossings.com
www.myspace.com/shibuyacrossings
9 45 THE WAVE PICTURES
Lo-fi angular thrills reminiscent of Comsat Angels and early Go-Betweens.
Herman Dune covered a Wave Pictures tune on a Peel session and they co-wrote
a song with The Mountain Goats.
”a great sound” (Dean Wareham)
”mighty refreshing” (Nick Lowe)
www.thewavepictures.com
10 00 ANGEL RACING FOOD
New incarnation for these Hackney-based mad hatters. Unhinged mental home
Christmas party pop music fronted by Jowe Head whose previous crimes against
mundanity include Swell Maps, Television Personalities and Olive’s Hairy
Custard.
www.angelracingfood.com
10 45 MATT DOLPHIN
Crepuscular brooding tunes from velvet voiced crooner Mr Dolphin. An ex-member
of legendary Archway lunatics Bedlam Opera, along with Joe Buzfuz, Chris T-T
and poet mjb.
www.myspace.com/mattdolphinmusic
11 30 WILLIAM NEIN
Last seen at Blang playing with Roxy Rawson. Manic then gentle. Raw and surreal.
Outsider songwriting located somewhere to the left of antifolk.
www.williamnein.co.uk
www.myspace.com/williamnein
www.12barclub.com
www.blang.co.uk
PREVIOUS BLANGS:
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 9TH
8 30 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
9 45 KEVIN HEWICK
10 00 ROXY RAWSON
10 45 HAPPYCASIO!
11 30 THEE INTOLERABLE KIDD
12 15 URBAN DOGS (CHARLIE HARPER/KNOX)
WEDNESDAY JULY 12th
8 30 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
9 45 STUART JAMES
10 00 SONVER
10 45 !JOHNNY HATRACKET!
11 30 WOLFPACK OF ONE
WEDNESDAY JUNE 14th
8 30 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
9 45 SIMON CHAUKE
10 00 DAVID CRONENBERG'S WIFE
10 45 DAVID HAIRCUT LTD
11 30 BEN ANSTIS
WEDNESDAY MAY 10th
8 30 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
9 45 SIMON KITCHENER
10 00 BEN CALVERT
10 45 ALBINO
11 30 PHOEBE KREUTZ
11 50 DIBS
WEDNESDAY APRIL 12th
8 30 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
9 45 THE SWAYS
10 00 NAKED AND THE BOYS
10 45 JINX LENNON
11 30 KING!
WEDNESDAY MARCH 8th
BLANG 50
In which Blang hits the big five-oh! Yes this is the 50th Blang at the 12
Bar (not including Blang Canvas at the Tate Britain). Over the last 4 years
we’ve seen astounding sets from the likes of Jeffrey Lewis, Dufus, Misty’s
Big Adventure, Broken Family Band, David Cronenberg’s Wife, Milk Kan,
Chris T-T, Herman Dune, Um, Lach, Thomas Truax, Diane Cluck, Major Matt Mason
USA, Prewar Yardsale, The Rebel, Adrian Teenbeat, Folk Orchestra, Joie/Dead
Blonde Girlfriend, Kinkajou, Lionshare, Sky Saxon, the Dirty Pins, Stuffy/The
Fuses, Just About To Burn, Partition, Kevin 2 Sheds, Filthy Pedro, Sofizel,
Ricky Spontane, The Man From Uranus, JoshuaGabriel, Katy Carr, Mink Troubador
Kamikaze Squadron, The Research, Neosupervital, Angel Racing Food, Lou Psyche,
JJ Crash, Naked and the Boys, Misterlee, Brains and Virgin, The Sways, Thee
Neerlymen, Kevin Hewick, Paul Hawkins, Stuart James and Jinx Lennon. To name
but some.
Some of the best nights for me were:
Blang 2 (April 02) Prewar Yardsale/Joie Dead Blonde Girlfriend bringing the
antifolk from NYC
Blang 3 Dufus(still my favourite Blang set)/Herman Dune/Folk Orchestra
Blang 8 Cambridge Vs New York Special: Broken Family Band /Um versus Major
Matt Mason USA/Thomas Truax (his debut gig outside the US)
Blang 15 me and Kate Buzfuz playing on a squashed stage with The Jeffrey Lewis
Band, Gareth from Misty’s and Paul The Girl (Simon, I still want that
video!)
Blang 24 Misty’s Big Adventure/Lach
Blang 27 where Sky Saxon turned up and played an impromptu 20 minute jam (I
turned down the offer of a tambourine so I could watch). After earlier sets
by David Cronenberg’s Wife/The Dirty Pins
Blang 28 Broken Family Band/Misty’s Big Adventure/Milk Kan/Lach (beat
that for a line-up Barfly!)
Blang 49 Milk Kan/Pete and the Pirates/Kevin 2 Sheds
These are just some highlights but every night has been great and there are
still new performers appearing out of the woodwork with something to say and
their own way of saying it and as long as that happens Blang will continue.
So support the underground: try and avoid gigs at those corporate venues,
you know the ones: Carling, Mean Fiddler, Barf-lie. Go to gigs put on by people
who love music: The Windmill in Brixton, Lloyd’s Moondog Loves You nights,
Knom, Artrocker, Guided Missile at Buffalo Bar, antifolk nights, The Dirty
Water Cub at Boston Arms, the Spitz, Tapestry at St. Aloysius, Notting Hill
Arts Club, The Bucket Of Fun In Stokey, Songbirds, dexterBentley and No Wankers
Aloud nights at 12 Bar, gigs in church halls, scout huts, squats, snooker
halls, rehearsal rooms, warehouses, Soho strip clubs, East end pubs, South
London railway arches and people’s front rooms put on by amateurs (in
the original French meaning: people who do what they love, a word which needs
reclaiming). And of course many others which I haven’t thought of while
I type this. And listen to Resonance 104.4 FM. To borrow Misty’s Big
Adventure’s current motto: “Resist the bland age”.
We’ve invited some of our favourite Blang regulars along to celebrate
with us tonight:
8 30 BAD ANORAK 404
Had enough of this endless winter? Get down early and bask in the summery
warmth of Lin Sangster’s sun-dappled melancholic pop. A bit like The
Marine Girls with a breeze of warm electronica and a Scouse accent. As approved
by Lord Peel. 2nd time at Blang.
www.badanorak404.co.uk
9 45 FILTHY PEDRO
Now expanded to a duo with Anglesey’s psychedelic historian Simon Parry
now joined by Thee Intolerable Kidd on bass and saw. For fans of impenetrable
accents, intolerable magnificently moody sidekicks, lo-fi thrills and history
lessons from a semi-naked man in a mask. And they’re threatening to
have someone called The Annihilator in on drums for a few songs! 3rd time
at Blang.
http://www.filthypedro.com
www.myspace.com/filthypedro
10 00 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
It’s our party and we’ll headline if we want to. Er, 50th appearance
at Blang.
”Fire Horse is a rich, passionate record that brings to mind Leonard
Cohen in a snug bar or a more loveable Chumbawamba. Murphy's raspy vocals
also conjure up the spirit of Strummer and many of these songs could be off
some alternative Sandinista!” (The West Briton)
“Barking attempts at singing” (NME)
www.sergeantbuzfuz.com
www.myspace.com/sergeantbuzfuz
10 45 DAVID CRONENBERG’S WIFE
The best undiscovered band in the country. Tom Mayne is a stunning lyricist
who peels back the skin of humanity to reveal it’s pustulating bleeding
sores while leaving piss stains on your trousers with his sardonic wit. The
observational skills of a novelist. The lo-fi 2 chord soul of rock ‘n’roll.
6th appearance at Blang (including their first ever gig, something I’ll
always be proud of).
www.davidcronenbergswife.com
www.myspace.com/davidcronenbergswife
11 30 BOYD
Guitarist with no-fi noiseniks Partition in solo outing mode promoting his
new solo EP. 3 chords, 2 minute songs, one man, zero-fi. If Peel were alive
and heard Partition surely they’d become his new favourite band. 6th
appearance (Partition and solo).
www.thebandpartition.com
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 8th
8 30 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
9 15 KEVIN 2 SHEDS
10 00 MILK KAN
10 45 PETE AND THE PIRATES
11 30 BELT MOTEL
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 11th
8 30 WILLIAM NEIN
9 15 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
10 00 UM
10 45 STUART JAMES
11 30 NAKED AND THE BOYS
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 14th
8 30 PARTITION
9 15 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
10 00 JINX LENNON
10 45 HARVEY HALF DEVOURED
11 30 PAUL HAWKINS
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 9th
8 30 JOE BUZFUZ
9 15 KEVIN HEWICK
10 00 KINKAJOU
10 45 THEE NEERLYMEN
11 30 J J CRASH AND THE LIPS
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 12th
PEELING THE FRUIT MACHINE: A JOHN PEEL EVE SPECIAL
On the eve of John Peel Day as celebrations kick off a mile or so south at
the Festival Hall we’re celebrating Peelie’s legacy in the more
humble and perhaps more appropriate environs of our favourite 17th Century
music and ale establishment.
Between the acts we’ll be playing cassette tapes of Peel radio shows,
they’ll be a bit hissy but we promise not to play ‘em at the wrong
speed.
8 30 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
9 15 BEN CALVERT
From the stable of Birmingham’s Bearos Records. Dark modern folk sung
with beguiling West Midlands inflections. Peel played Ben’s “Leeds
For The Winter” several times. His latest EP “Love; Defenestrated”
is a collection of folk melancholia haunted by the shadows of Nick Drake,
Bert Jansch and The Smiths.
10 00 STUFFY/THE FUSES
The Fuses were one of the very last bands to record a John Peel session. Setting
his drums up on the 12 Bar floor singing drummer Stuffy will bash with loose
limbed abandon, scream and go walkies while the Fuses behind/above him will
pump out a lethal cocktail of high energy riffs and cooing backing harmonies.
They’re as tight as a gnat’s chuff. Playing songs from the soon-to-come
new album recorded by Steve (Surfer f***ing Rosa!) Albini.
10 45 THE SWAYS
What have we here? It’s life Jim, but not as we know it. The Sways call
their style of music “tangerine”. Judging by their new album “International
Orange” (see how we’ve worked fruit into this Peel night?) “tangerine”
appears to be a punchbowl of mariachi jazz, English tea and cucumber sandwich
eccentricity, Ry Cooder Beefheart-era slide guitar (prone to bumble bee impersonations),
double bass, nasal vocals and knees-up hoedown country punk. My, how Dave
Lee Travis and Mike Read would love this.
11 30 LEILA ZERAI
After being fused and tangerined we’ll be in need of some ear balm and
we have the perfect prescription in Leila Zerai’s soothing and fragile
melodies which verily could charm MacBeth into an untroubled night’s
dreaming. Leila is a 21 year old singer-songwriter from London via the Wirral.
She used to front metal and hardcore bands and wore very baggy jeans until
one day someone gave her an acoustic guitar and some Pavement records. Later
she was drawn to the East Village, NYC, where she played at the Sidewalk Café.
Eventually she returned to London and began work on her home recordings. She
has a soft spot for pink shoes and melancholy autumn weather.
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 14th
8 30 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
9 15 CHAMPION KICKBOXER
10 00 LOU PSYCHE
10 45 BRAINS AND VIRGIN
11 30 THE BIG FIBBERS
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 10th
8 30 ADRIAN R TEENBEAT
9 15 JOE BUZFUZ
10 00 THE ORIGINAL BEEKEEPERS
10 45 THE DIRTY PINS
11 30 MIKI HUBER
WEDNESDAY JULY 13TH
8 30 SGT BUZFUZ
9 15 SARA SCHIRALLI
10 00 DAVID CRONENBERG'S WIFE
10 45 DANIEL FELL
WEDNESDAY JUNE 8
8 30 SGT BUZFUZ
9 15 THE MORNING PEOPLE
10 BRAINS AND VIRGIN
10 45 MAERSK
11 30 BREADFOOT
WEDNESDAY MAY 11th 2005.
8 30 SGT BUZFUZ
9 15 FILTHY PEDRO
10 00 MILK KAN
10 45 THE FUTURISTS
WEDNESDAY APRIL 13th 2005.
8 30 SGT BUZFUZ
9 15 LOU PSYCHE
10 00 MISTERLEE
10 45 THE MINK TROUBADOR KAMIKAZE SQUADRON
WEDNESDAY MARCH 9TH 2005.
8 15 JJ CRASH
8 30 SGT BUZFUZ
9 15 DAVID CRONENBERG'S WIFE
10 00 ANGEL RACING FOOD
11 00 NEOSUPERVITAL
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 9TH
8 15 SPINMASTER PLANTPOT
8 30 GREEN PEPPERS
9 15 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
10 00 THE RESEARCH
11 00 SARA SCHIRALLI
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 12th 2005.
8 30 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
9 15 PARTITION
10 00 ANNA PAGE
10 45 LIONSHARE
11 30 CHLOE AND MR CUSTARD
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 8th 2004.
THE BROKEN FAMILY BAND
SERGEANT BUZFUZ
MILK KAN
And a late set from THE MINK TROUBADOR KAMIKAZE SQUADRON
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 10th 2004.
8 30 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
9 15 KINKAJOU
10 00 MISTY’S BIG ADVENTURE
10 45 EMMY THE GREAT
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 13th 2004
8 30 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
9 15 KATY CARR
10 00 CHRIS T-T
11 00 NORMAN LAMONT
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 29th 2004.
8 30 JIM FLANAGAN
9 15 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
10 00 DAVID CRONENBERG’S WIFE
10 45 BREADFOOT
11 30 SARA SCHIRALLI
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 8th 2004.
8 30 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
9 15 THE MAN FROM URANUS
10 00 RICKY SPONTANE
10 45 JOSHUAGABRIEL
WED AUGUST 11th
8 30 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
9 15 SOFIZEL
10 00 UM
10 45 FINK
WED JULY 14th 2004
8 30 BUZFUZ
9 15 THE REBEL
10 KEITH JOHN ADAMS
10 45 ADRIAN TEENBEAT
WEDNESDAY JUNE 23rd 2004.
8 30 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
9 15 MISTY’S BIG ADVENTURE
10 15 THE BROKEN FAMILY BAND
11 15 MILK KAN
12 00 LACH
WED JUNE 9
8 30 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
9 15 THE-LOW-COUNTRY
10 00 DAVID CRONENBERG'S WIFE
10 45 THE DIRTY PINS
11 30 RAGGY FARMER
12 30 SKY SAXON AND THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC BAND
WEDNESDAY MAY 12TH 2004.
8 30 THE ARGONAUTS
9 15 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
10 00 BEN CALVERT
10 45 MILK KAN
WEDNESDAY APRIL 14TH 2004.
8 15 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
9 00 FILTHY PEDRO
9 45 SPINMASTER PLANTPOT
10 00 PARTITION
10 45 SASSPRILLUH
WEDNESDAY MARCH 10TH 2004.
8 15 SERGEANT BUZFUZ (dope)
9 00 LACH (speed)
Songwriter. Wit. Godfather of antifolk. Iconoclast. The one. The only........Lach.
Prime mover behind New York's antifolk community Lach is a Woody Allen film
starring Jonathan Richman as a poet wandering Manhattan in a caffeine induced
psychosis. Caustic, tender, hilarious. Lach at last plays the club named after
his 1998 album Blang! Unlike the other nights of this UK tour to promote new
album "Today" Lach gives Billy (Television/Marquee Moon!) Ficca
and Roy Edroso a rest tonight and plays a special solo set.
"Lach is a star! More Woody Allen than Woody Guthrie and a raised middle
finger to the folk purists."-NME
"Lach is the mastermind of Antifolk, a loose concept involving acoustic
guitars and punk-rock attitude, like a Lower East Side rendezvous of Bob Dylan
and Patti Smith. Like black snow, stalled subway cars and random violence,
Lach is a Manhattan institution."- NY Times
"NYC's living legend, riotously catchy!"-Timeout London
"Something admirably maverick is stirring!"- Mojo Magazine
"Speed assaults and whimsy. Recommended!"-Uncut
"Genius"-Penthouse
Lach will leave you stunned and our next guests will then wave their wands and send you floating, laughing and dancing to the ceiling like that scene in Mary Poppins, yes it's the return of....
10 00 MISTY'S BIG ADVENTURE (acid)
Grandmaster Gareth leads the 8 merry minstrels and their mix of psychedelia,
pop, jazz, ska, nursery rhymes, nightmares, day dreams, fun, chaos and melody
down the M6 and straight down our synaptic pathways.
"impeccable musicianship, melodies to die for and best of all it makes
you grin like an idiot for hours" (The Big Issue)
"wonderful stuff" (TimeOut)
11 00 PRETTY MOUTH (heroin)
It's comedown time so let Folk Orchestra guitar man Toshi's new "oufit"
soothe you down with their intense lo-fi visions.
Wed Feb 11th '04
8 30 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
9 15 SOFIZEL
10 00 STUFFY/THE FUSES
10 45 KEITH JOHN ADAMS
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 14TH 2004.
8 30 DIET OF SPIRES
9 15 TIMOTHY VICTOR
10 00 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
10 45 DAVID CRONENBERG'S WIFE
MONDAY DECEMBER 8
8 30 BEN CALVERT
9 15 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
10 00 MISTY'S BIG ADVENTURE
10 45 JUST ABOUT TO BURN
MONDAY NOVEMBER 10th.
8 30 PARTITION
9 15 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
10 00 KINKAJOU
10 45 STEVE SHIFFMAN
11 30 ANTHONY ATKINSON
MONDAY OCTOBER 13th.
8 30 SASSPRILLUH
9 15 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
10 00 PICTUREBOX
10 45 THE CONTRABAND
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 8th.
8 30 BOYD
9 15 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
10 00 MISTY'S BIG ADVENTURE
Misty's are Pop music with a capital P, fulfilling the 4 definitive criteria
of "brilliant pop group" ie, they're fun, they're melodic, they're
experimental, and, crucially, they look like a gang of mates who formed the
band at a school disco and first rehearsed at the back of the coach on the
zoo trip. Listen with amazement to their 2 classic singles. Gasp as the 9
piece (nontet?) squeeze onto the stage. Grin at their eclectic mix of Julian
Cope, The Specials, Dufus, Happy Mondays, jazz and The Goons. The best new
band in the country. By a country smile.
"fun-loving multi-instrumental outfit from Birmingham. Comparisons with
the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band are not unfounded - arguably the most original
band to come out of Birmingham in a very long time" (ents24.co.uk)
Just be there!
10 45 MATT DOLPHIN
MONDAY
AUGUST 11th
8.30 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
9.15 BEN CALVERT
10 00 STUFFY AND THE FUSES
10 45 THE LOVELY LADS
12 BAR
CLUB MONDAY JULY 14th
8.30 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
9.00 THOMAS TRUAX
9.15 JET JOHNSON
10.00 CHRIS T-T
10.45
GARY DUNNE
12 BAR
CLUB MONDAY JUNE 30th
8.30 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
9.15 PAUL THE GIRL
10
00 RACHEL LIPSON
10 45 THE JEFFREY LEWIS BAND
Genius songwriter and comic book artist Jeff Lewis returns to the 12 Bar to
play songs from forthcoming 2nd Rough Trade album 'It's The Ones Who've Cracked
That The Light Shines Through' accompanied by brother Jack on bass and legendary
antifolk drummer Anders Griffen. Songs that are horrified and bewitched by
the beauty and brutality of life. Songs that are sad, sweet, hilarious and
dark, often all at the same time. As if the lyrics weren't spell-binding enough
on their own they're sometimes illustrated by home-made 'videos', ie, giant
books of drawings held up and leafed through Subterranean Homesick style.
Roberts Zimmerman and Crumb dancing in the street.
"the product of fevered imagination, you should hear the stunning vignettes
on Lewis' debut album 'The Last Time I Did Acid I Went Insane', a collection
of thrillingly scuffed, home-recorded songs culled from the last few years
spent busking and playing open-mic nights around NYC - not unlike Roky Erickson
chainsawing apart Lou Reed's 'Transformer"... featuring the hilarious blow-job-that-got-away
'The Chelsea Hotel Oral Sex Song' and the hellish title track recollection"
(Rob Hughes, Uncut)
MONDAY
JUNE 9th
8.30 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
9
15 MINDLOBSTER
10 00 ADRIAN TEENBEAT
10 45 THE CONTRABAND
MONDAY MAY 12th
8 15 BRENDAN
BE
9 00 BAD ANORAK 404
9 45 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
10 30 SPINMASTER PLANTPOT
11 00 BREADFOOT
MONDAY APRIL 14th
8 30 UM
the return of cambridge's one man whirlwind of family entertainment. All families
are dysfunctional right? 'one bloke on a stage singing and talking over mini-discs
of himself singing and talking. Sounds crap, but is in fact…totally
120% inspirational. The songs were humorous, short and absolutely hilarious.
Um delighted us with his clownish dance moves and self-effacement. A breath
of fresh air" (Silver Juice zine)
9 15 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
10 00
THE BROKEN FAMILY BAND
Returning from Cambridge with 1st Peel session under their belts and the Bard
of Norfolk wearing out the grooves on their upcoming 1st single.
'wonderful, fractured, off-kilter alt.country compositions' (Nigel Williamson,
Uncut)
'the lyrics mix wry Ray Davies mundanity with starry-eyed surrealism'(Careless
Talk Costs Lives)
'halfway between Smog and Bonnie Prince Billie' (www.soundsxp.com) (but far
more uplifting than that dour combination sounds - Buzfuz)
'charmant, vrolijk, met een melancholieke ondertoon…typisch Engels,
maar toch ook Hank Williams…een moderne varian op Parsons-Harris' (http://www.altcountry.nl/)
10.50 SIMON KITCHENER
Poptastic tunes, quirky lyrics and punkoid energy. Kinda early Bowie meets
Wreckless Eric. Songs about car crashes, the effects of tube suicides and
never getting the Xmas presents you really wanted.
'Punk cabaret. A vaudevillian take on Bowie and Nilsson' (Pinkypoos Experience
website)
MONDAY MAR 10th
8.00 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
8.40 ADRIAN TEENBEAT
9.20
KEITH JOHN ADAMS
10.00 DIANE CLUCK
Diane Cluck's music reverberates with the same unearthly sensual ache of mid-period
Tim Buckley. Her 2 and a ? cd albums recorded in her Brooklyn apartment
are a kind of lo-fi minimalist soul music, her voice accompanied either by
sole acoustic guitar or accordion or piano, occasionally augmented by spooked
vocal harmonies like the paeans of haunted angels.
I had the privilege of seeing her perform in nyc in the summer. It was as
if the music was just falling out of her like water, like she was receiving
it from some distant planet. All the songs sounded as though they were being
composed on the spot. Like she hadn't so much written them as breathed them.
Diane's song 'Monte Carlo' features on Rough Trade's 'Antifolk Vol 1' compilation.
Jeff Lewis fans over here may also have the 'Collaborations' cd he sells at
gigs containing 3 beautiful duets co-written and performed with Diane.
And does she have a record deal in the US? No, she's a waitress. A fucking
waitress. American record industry: die in shame.
11.00 TURNER CODY
MONDAY FEB 10th
8 30 SERGEANT
BUZFUZ
9 15 MEETS GUITAR
10 00 THE FOLK ORCHESTRA
10 45 PICTUREBOX
MONDAY JAN 13 '03
8.30 SERGEANT
BUZFUZ
9.15 LIONSHARE
10 00 THE LOVELY LADS
10 45 ROBERT WARD
MONDAY
DEC 9th '02
8.15 SPINMASTER PLANTPOT
8.30 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
9.15 THE MOOKS OF HAZARD
10.00 BREADFOOT
10.45 JOAN COFFEY
MONDAY NOV 11tH
CAMBRIDGE VS. NEW YORK SPECIAL
wherein 2 colossal songwriters and 2 oddball weirdos, one of each from each city, do battle, refereed by sgt. buzfuz
8.30 THOMAS TRUAX
the mad scientist of the antifolk scene. in addition to guitar and looped
layers of noise TT plays instruments he invents and builds himself. he's bringing
a portable version of one of these, the Hornicator, to the uk. this comprises
an antique Victrola horn with tunable strings and springs stretched across
it. and a kazoo attached. sounds gimmicky, right? wrong. thomas applies equal
care to songwriting as he does to his inventions. embraced by the city's antifolk
and experimental scenes TT plays to packed houses and a growing buzz in new
york. catch his 1st visit here.
so the yanks have laid down the 1st gauntlet. who can fly in to represent
us brits against such oddball power? especially when we're being represented
by cambridge? but wait, who is that besuited figure?
9.15 UM
looking like a cross between ian curtis and pike from dad's army Um stumbles
across the stage pressing 'play' on his DAT player and singing/reading diary
extracts/'hand jiving' to the ensuing wobbletronica. occasionally assisted
by his mysterious friend Kevin.
'not fitting into any particular musical genre...the all convention defying
Um is the most original thing you will ever see in cambridge...trust me, you
will leave the room a changed person, and want to take Um home with you, prop
him up in your bedroom, and just have him there on constant tap' (Varsity)
10.00 THE BROKEN FAMILY BAND
fresh from touring with goldrush and supporting the incredible string band
steve adams brings a stripped down version of cambridge's finest to blang!
to celebrate the release today of debut single 'The Perfect Gentleman' (Snowstorm
Records). Are they alt-country? Country punk? Anticountry? Who gives a flying
one Cosmo? Cos like the Silver Jews on their 'Bright Flight' album Adams may
be working within the country idiom but ya don't have to be a countryhead
to be affected by his tender, cheeky, poignant and unflinching lyrics. You'll
cry into your gin and dance with the barstaff.
beat that yanks! ha! we can even equal you at your own genres. who you got
to equal the melodic nous and the wit of the BFB? what? someone from Kansas?
ha, ha, ha! but wait, who is this songhero wading through the crowd with just
an acoustic guitar?
10.45 MAJOR MATT MASON USA
from Kansas originally but now a driving force in NYC's antifolk movement
running Olive Juice Records (home to the legendary Prewar Yardsale) and recording
many AFNY artists in his home studio. debut album 'Me, Me, Me' was picked
up here by Teenage Fanclubber Francis MacDonald's Shoeshine label. every 1
of it's 19 songs has at least 1 killer couplet. and he ain't just a worder,
his tunes stick in your head for days on end. 2nd lp 'honey are you ready
for the ballet?" out soon.
'ramshackle-yet-poetic lo-fi folk....the joy of MMM comes through his lyrics,
perfectly formed vignettes, invariably bittersweet' (drownedinsound.com)
'the sort of album you buy so you can learn the words, big melodies with understated
vocals... like all the folks i've seen from this east village collective of
eclectics MMM does what he does fucking great, without trying to be someone
else' (trakmarx.com)
'a pioneer of the antifolk scene that includes the moldy peaches and lach,
matt shares a similar ability to laugh at his misfortunes while simultaneously
tugging on heartstrings' (jerry thackray, mojo)
11.30 SERGEANT BUZFUZ
after ensuring fair play in tonight's contest sergeant buzfuz wraps up the
evening. with the sergeant on bike and kate arnold hitting her strings in
the side-car the world's most talked about guitar-and-hammered-dulcimer-duo
go speeding and kerb crawling, blanging and chiming up a variety of musical
avenues checking that the citizens of london can go safely home to their beds.
PREVIOUS 2002 BLANG LINEUPS:
OCTOBER
spekki chris/the folk orchestra/ little big mouth/sergeant buzfuz
SEPTEMBER
blusher/brendan be/sergeant buzfuz
JULY
the rebel/the lovely lads/adrianne sebastian-scott/sergeant buzfuz
JUNE
seth uv dufus/kinkajou/the beggars/sergeant buzfuz
MAY
dufus/herman dune/the folk orchestra/joan coffey/sergeant buzfuz
APRIL
prewar yardsale/joie dead blonde girlfriend/sergeant buzfuz
FEBRUARY
the folk orchestra/joan coffey/matt dolphin/norman lamont/sergeant
buzfuz