Owl and Mouse (Also - The Hangover Lounge EP)

This Saturday, I'll be playing in Cambridge with Allo Darlin' and Moustache of Insanity. I'm looking forward to it very much. But I am also very sad to be missing out on the London debut of Owl and Mouse.

So - If you're in London, get along and see them. It's quite beautiful stuff. I hope there will be lots more shows to come, but at the moment this is the only chance you'll get.

Here's a taster - delicious stuff.

Owl and Mouse - Country

And on Sunday, I'll be playing at The Hunga Munga festival at The Bethnal Green Working Men's Club. If I can manage it, afterwards I'm going to swagger over to the Hangover Lounge at The Lexington. It's a very special one, because it's the launch of the very first Hangover Lounge 10 inch. Elizabeth (from Allo Darlin') whose track Tallulah is on the record, will be playing a solo set to help celebrate - if you can get along it's going to be really beautiful. Here's Elizabeth playing Tallulah for the BBC in the wonderful Maida Vale studios.

The Lovely Eggs

The Lovely Eggs.

A very excellent band. I love the lyrics, which are clever and funny but also quite sweet. Musically they have a great sound - reminiscent occasionally of the best nineties garage/noise bands (or whatever more appropriate genre tag you might apply). Just enough to make you think how great it was in the 90's for music and how great it is that The Lovely Eggs are treating us to their music.

This is an excellent Video for their song - I like Birds But I Like Other Animals Too

Tickets for the show this Friday are available here!

Hexicon - Part 2 (Shrag - Part 1)

So, I noticed that the video for 'Something Strange Beneath The Stars' no longer exists, and thought that this is a perfect opportunity to let you know that Where It's At Is Where You Are records have released Hexicon's beautiful song 'Narissa, I Won't' as a free download - get it here.

You can also get a free Shrag track - 'Tights In August' there as well! Double trouble. This is the video for 'Talk To The Left' from their last record. Just a bit sexy.

The Queens Head

The Queens Head! Is it a band? Is it a pub? Is it the rostral(?) part of a royal lady?

It's a band!

Lead singer of The Queens Head Mr Speaker (aka Daniel Griffith) is also the frontman of Australian band Subaudible-Hum. To me they sound like Radiohead and David Bowie around the Low era. But a bit more fun. They've been on tour for a few weeks now of amongst other places Estonia - where they did this excellent version of Gary Numan's "Are Friends Electric" at The Schilling Festival

The show this Friday at the Wilmington Arms will be their last in London on this tour.

http://www.wegottickets.com/event/87057

I've mentioned SubAudible-Hum before. Here's a song from their debut album... excellent stuff!

SubAudible-Hum - Today Is The Day

Hexicon

So, Hexicon.

I really, really like Hexicon. I play in another group with two of the Hexicon boys, so you could say I have a bias, but in fairness to myself, I really, really liked Hexicon before that was the case.

Their new record, The Blossom Sighs, is beautiful. The vocals are soft and lovely and the harmonies lay alongside them in just the right way. Sometimes they go where you expect them to in that way that you can sing along with some pop music the first time you hear it and sometimes, they do not, in the way that makes you really happy they made the effort. The instrumentation is a touch different from the usual with some nice old synth sounds and french horn, but not enough to make it seem like an attempt to be different.

I shouldn't go on too much, except to say that I highly recommend you get along to see them.

http://www.wegottickets.com/event/87057

And here is a video for 'Something Strange Beneath The Stars'...

Hexicon - Something Strange Beneath The Stars from Duncan Barrett on Vimeo.

And here's a flyer!

Okay, so I'm new at making flyers too.

I'm putting on a show!

I'm putting on a show. I've not promoted a show before and I think I may have a few things to learn. I've played loads of shows - I should really know more about what someone who's promoting needs to do. My friend Nik (www.recordsmakegreatpets.blogspot.com) has put on a load of shows. He's quite good at it now.

Anyway.

The Lovely Eggs
Hexicon
Moustache Of Insanity
The Queens Head

at the Wilmington Arms.

It's an odd mix. I like it though. The Lovely Eggs are really wonderful. Indiepop fun times and great tunes. Hexicon are beautiful and have made one of my favourite records this year. I play in Moustache of Insanity - I think we're pretty good and other people have said so too, so I think can safely say we're definitely playing. The Queens Head are an Australian group who are fronted by a fellow called Mr Speaker who is the frontman of another great Australian group 'SubAudible Hum'. I haven't seen them live yet, but I'm quite excited - sounds to me a bit like 'Low' era David Bowie crossed with Thom Yorke's eraser. I'll write a little more over the coming weeks about each band. But for now here's a couple of examples...

Moustache of Insanity - Postcards to Strangers

Hexicon- Narissa

The Lovely Eggs - Have You Ever Heard A Digital Accordian

The Queens Head - Burning Into Falling Stars

(mediafire links)

Hope to see you there!