just joans

There comes a time in every break up of a relationship were you start to listen to really, really sad songs because they make you feel sadder, which somehow makes you feel better. Its like picking at a scab, the pain is easier to take when you control it. So you spend night after night alone in your room playing the same sad songs again and again. Then, eventually, there comes a time when you realise you've made a bit of a fool of yourself weeping into barmaids blouses and thinking every corny, shite love song on the radio was written about you. At this point, you want to listen to something thats as poigniant as it is angsty, something that will give you hug then bark at you to pull yourself together. The Just Joans could have been created for this stage of introspection.

The motherwell 6 piece are masters of writing songs that both lie in awe of the fucked up-ness of relationships and at the same time take the piss out of it. Take, for example 'I wont survive', an ode to the joy and liberation of finding new love, with a chorus that warns of immediate self destruction should the said relationship sour.
'If you dont pull' is like a baby cousin of The Smiths's 'How soon is now?', a tale of a lonely man in a terrible nightclub who realises that as hideous as the place may be, it might be the only place he will find love.
'Hey boy..youre oh so sensitive!' is a perfect little piss take of the fey indie boy that lurks in all of us, the part of us thats convinced liking Woody Allen and carrying a book of poetry around with us will make us irresistible to the opposite sex.
Perhaps the most heartbreaking of them all is 'What do we do now?' a song about about growing older, losing friends and being alienated from your hometown. Full of achingly misplaced nostalgia, its like someone closing the indie club of your youth and holding a microphone up to it.

"what do we do now/now were are ten years older?/the bands we loved are dead/i'll always think of you/whenever i smell cider/but it wont be the same/again."

heartbreakingly real.

brilldream.blogspot.com/


http://www.myspace.com/thejustjoans

what do we do now?






hey boy...youre so sensitve

Dean McPhee

Last night, Didsbury's tiny boho-hipster cafe, the Art of Tea was the slightly unlikely but very welcome venue for one of the best gigs of the year. The unassuming, self effacing and unbelievably brilliant guitarist Dean McPhee was launching his new 12" record Brown Bear (Hood Faire Records). This guy really has to be heard to be believed. Post John Fahey, post Loren Connors mesmerising solo guitar brilliance. Plugging his Telecaster through a couple of delay pedals (I don't know exactly what he was using cus I couldn't see his feet) and into a Fender Hotrod amp, he created the most beautiful and hypnotic sound you are ever likely to hear. He picked up an Ebow at one point, but apart from that, it was all gorgeously understated finger picking. The set must have only been about 30 minutes, but he could have easily gone on all night and I would have sat there quite happily. The Art of Tea is a pretty nice venue for a gig too - with about 25 people in there it was seriously intimate, and felt a bit like someone's front room. In a good way. Basically, you need to buy his new record, and when his album comes out next year, you need to buy that too. Go and see him live too if you get the chance.

www.myspace.com/deanmcphee

www.hoodfaire.co.uk

www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=236274

I like Noise.

Really into all this churning noisy guitar music of late...


The Horrors - Mirror's Image



Health - Die Slow


^^^^^^
Off to see these guys at the Deaf Institute tonight!

Tying Tiffany - Slow Motion (Nic Endo Remix)



Woo! Always good to hear Nic Endo's productions :)

Jizz In My Pants

Groovy Proggy Krautrocky....

DAVES MIX - DOWNLOAD HERE

UKF

What the Fish!?

I stop reading the blogs for like, 2 weeks...
then i hear this! (Keep with it at least until the vocals change at about 3mins...)

UK Funky just got interesting :)

MAJOR NOTES - HOLY GHOST

Oh, by the way - it's got nothing to do with the band Holy Ghost...who, while we're on the subject, got me really confused because i thought the techno Holy Ghost (tresor!) had made a comeback...

Sunshine Lollypops

Hi there,

Things that have been buttering my crumpet>>>>


SWEDEN



GANG GANG DANCE



I've had loooads of trouble trying to describe these guys to people.
You can tell these guys were an improv band; their crazy loose tracks have elements of all kinds of genres stabbing or floating in and out of them...drum machines sit alongside tribal drumming, swirly guitars and psychedelic synths and are peppered with effected vocals...or, more like screams and yelps. They are wicked :) Also, they're on Warp, so if that ain't a healthy endorsement i'm not entirely sure what is.

I went to see these guys live in manchester a couple of weeks ago..
recommended! the amount of kit they managed to cram onstage at the deaf institute was impressive. The lead singer is an absolute mistress; she whacked hell out of pretty much every percussion instrument in her reach. Her voice is brilliant! And points go to Mr Synth man who was running about like a chicken with his head cut off prodding all manner of synths, effects units, drums machines and percussion. A great show. Loose and Primal.

KRIKOR & THE DEAD HILLBILLIES - GOD WILL BREAK IT ALL <



I LOVE this song.
Makes me dance about. Think Electronic Body Music like Nitzer Ebb or Throbbing Gristle, but more lighthearted.



TERROR DANJAH - ZUMPI HUNTER (SWINDLE REMIX)


Planet Mu just keep churning out amazing electronic music, and are really on the pulse with the party scene at the mo. I heard this Swindle Remix of Terror Danjah's Zumpi Hunter and instantly pictured 'Skate' from Streets of Rage II moving on a level into a grime party, skanking along to this tune while beating the shit out of bitches with electrical whips. Sass.

SYNCHRONOISE

This chap makes great electro, and gives it away for free! Check him out on Soundcloud (the link above).