Tandy Hard play as a part of the Cable Club, also apearing will be The Sea Will Decide.

Get out, get involved!!

They play 'Live at the Apollo", which is to be hosted in a disused video rental shop, now filled with art.

www.liveattheapollo.org

Thu 11th June
8pm
The Apollo Project
27-29 Norwood Road, Herne Hill - London

** There is a good article about the venue/shop/space on the Dazed & Confused website **

We have been displaying them all week but have now moved them all here for your reading pleasure.

On Saturday 18th April thousands of independently owned music stores across the world will celebrate 'Record Store Day.’ Over 50 independent record shops across the UK, Drift included, will participate with special offers, excusive releases and performances.

Being both a proudly independent label and shop, DRIFT RECORDS are celebrating with a month of special offers.

Between Saturday 18th April and Monday 18th May DRIFT RECORDS will offer '3-for-£10' on our entire back catalogue.

Albums by: The R.G.Morrison, Thirty Pounds of Bone, Birdengine, Matt Eaton, Tandy Hard, Thomas White, Le Reno Amps and the critically acclaimed 'Drift Collective' sampler will be available at just £5 each or 3-for-£10.

As if that weren’t enough, for the special price of £25 you can purchase the entire back catalogue, plus an exclusive Drift Record Shop 'bag for life' and badge set.

We will be running interviews with all label artists and Drift Collective members on this very website, asking them to recount tales of the record shops they grew up with and that they still love to visit.

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Saturday 18th April
The Barrel House, Totnes
£4.00 - Doors 8.00pm

www.recordstoreday.com

11th April - With Caroline Weeks at The Westhill Hall in Brighton.

18th April - With Caroline Weeks at Cafe Oto in London.

24th April - 'Wired to the Moon' tour with Krisitn McClement at the Southbank in London.

25th April - Lewes Arms.

plus head to his myspace page NOW to hear the 'omnichord version' of 'i, dancing bear'

Following there week on the road in England, Glasgow's finest Le Reno Amps are back home and ready for a session with Vic Galloway tomorrow night for his BBC Scotland program.

Monday 6th April between 8pm and 10pm

You can listen live in Scotland on 94.3FM or online everywhere else via the BBC website.

www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/music/vicgalloway

The brilliant 'Joy Collective' are hosting Le Reno Amps & Cottonmouth Rocks this Thursday evening at 'Le Pub' in Newport as a part of there UK tour.

For those in the area get out and and get involved. If you can't make it go and buy the record from Diverse Vinyl in Newport or Spillers in Cardiff as they are both brilliant indies. Fact.

www.myspace.com/le_pub

Le Pub, 1 Caxton Pl, Bridge St, Newport NP20 4BN

You can listen in every tonight (and every) Wednesday tea-time, re-run on Sunday afternoons and Monday nights on Brighton's Radio Reverb, online and 97.2 FM

www.radioreverb.com
www.simplefolkradio.co.uk
www.myspace.com/simplefolk

LISTEN ONLINE

They are all hosted at 'The Hope' - 11-12 Queens Rd, Brighton, BN1 3WA (£4)

We had five minutes to chat to Tandy Hard about the show;

1. Hello Tandy, hope this finds you well?
Evening HQ, Thank you, I'm well. I've been trawling Spotify for the great and the good. The old and the new, the many and the varied. I've bought more records since getting Spotify than I have in years. The A Camp record is excellent, though it misses Mark Linkous a little. Jake Thackray is providing the mirth, Sparks are providing the glee, Peter Doherty is providing the questions and Restlesslist live on Marc Riley are providing the length. Leonard always provides the girth.

2. So, A Drift filled night; tell us about the Hope as a venue?
The Hope is run by a very good bloke called Rob. It lies just down the road from Brighton's mighty station. This venue has succeeded in bypassing the Brighton makeover in favour of a simple black room, little bar, little stage and a big fucking PA. I saw Vic Chestnutt there the other day - far too small (and impractical what with the stairs) for such an esteemed songwriter, but you wouldn't have got that atmosphere anywhere else. It's where I spend my New Years Eves and probably a couple of nights every week for the rest of the year. This Wednesday's show is going to seriously compete for gig of the year. Or week perhaps.

3. We understand that you are going to debut a new full Tandy Hard line up; who’s involved?
This is really exciting. Tandy Hard 2000, or i guess it'll be called iTandy Hard 2.0 now, or Tandy Hard Solutions™, Whatever, the third installment of Tandy Hard consists of me, Andrew, Andrew's on drums and Andrew on bass. By way of explanation, I write the songs and play an acoustic guitar. Andrew Pigeon plays the drums. He also plays drums for a fab called band called The Dials. Andrew Claridge is the new kid on the block. As a bassist for easily Brighton's best band 'Clowns', featuring members of Poppycocks, Restlesslist plus Drifts very own Thomas White on drums.
He's taken the melodic end, the light in the swamp of dark provided by my limited pipes. He's a fucking star and we're all getting on extremely well. We can't wait to flex our muscles on April Fools Day.

- -

There is a beautiful acoustic version of 'A lot of smoke' up on the Drift Myspace right now.

Le Reno Amps and Cottonmouth Rocks have added an extra London show to there UK tour and play support to The Priscillas this Friday night at the Brixton Windmill.

Tickets (£4.00 advance) are selling fast, only 19 left as of this posting so do get involved.

THE WINDMILL, 22 BLENHEIM GARDENS (OFF BRIXTON HILL) LONDON SW2 5BZ

4th April - Playing as MORTIS TOBIAS at red roaster Brighton. This is the first live date for Birdengine's side project mortis tobias.
11th April - With Caroline Weeks at The Westhill Hall in Brighton.
18th April - With Caroline Weeks at Cafe Oto in London.
24th April - 'Wired to the Moon' tour with Krisitn McClement at the Southbank in London.
25th April - Lewes Arms.
2nd May - Brighton Festival - Brighton Pavilion Theatre. Part of the Willkommen Collective evenings; playing in the bar we believe.
5th May - Bush Hall, London
Supporting the Miserable Rich

Amongst the dates are four instores we want to bring to your attention;

Kicking things off on Sunday lunchtime the band play the Drift Record Shop in Totnes
2pm - 91 High Street, Totnes, TQ9 5PB

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On Tuesday night they play at Kanes Records in Stroud
7pm - Kanes Records, 14 Kendrick Street Stroud Glos. GL5 1AA

- -

On Friday afternoon the band will be performing in store for Pure Groove Records.
1.15pm - 6-7 West Smithfield, London EC1A 9JX

- -

And on Saturday afternoon Le Reno Amps join Rockingbirds for an instore at Rough Tade West
3pm - 130 Talbot Road, London, W11 1JA

Details

Get out, get along and support your local indie.

Le Reno Amps have been climbing the proverbial ladder at a rather sprightly pace. With a creative spirit much bigger than any single genre of music they have brought new things to this table of ours. Things of great joy and pleasure. If you’ve a penchant for the unidentifiable then look no further than the band who make great music from a heterogeneous combination of ingredients.

Read the full interview of Subba Culture

FROM the blistering rockabilly of album opener Outlaw, it's clear Le Reno Amps are back and on fire. - The Daily Record

GLASGOW four-piece Le Reno Amps won't be caught napping on their hell-for-leather new album Tear It Open. - The Scotsman

Released nationwide (and on all digital platforms) as of today, we're awful proud of it and encourage you to but it direct from us [Drift Record Shop] or one of the following;

itunes | Amazon | HMV |

... or better still, support your local indie record shop!!

- -

"Another highly addictive parcel of musical innovation" - Subba Culture

"There simply isn’t a bad note on it. Everyone who’s ever pogoed up and down in a dark room with a sticky floor should have this in their collection, I can’t recommend it enough. It’s astonishing." - Incendiary Mag

Live tracks by Le Reno Amps, singles from Thomas White and Muddy Suzuki as well as an exclusive acoustic track by Tandy Hard.

We will swap over again next month to introduce some new friends to the label; eyes and ears peeled as we'll also make all of the tracks online available to DOWNLOAD FOR FREE for one day before they come offline.

Read the full interview with Scott Le Reno on the Comfort Comes website.

The album is reviewed on the CC website also;

"Another quality release from a band who deserve to get a little more attention. This release should help right that wrong. "

To coincide with this weeks live album launch (Glasgow 13th Note) we have decided to release the Le Reno Amps forthcoming album "Tear It Open" in the Drift Record Shop as of Today.

www.driftrecordshop.com

From this morning, MONDAY 16th MARCH, 'Tear It Open' ships anywhere in the world (including P&P) for £9.00 - The album is released nationwide (and online) as of next week (23/3).

We are also very happy to make available to you all limited 7" singles "Wound Up" and "Poison Letter" from the Bands previous album "So For Your Thrills..."

Visit the Le Reno Amps page at the Drift Shop.

Thursday 19th March, Is This Music present Le Reno Amps at 13th Note, Glasgow (8pm)

"Another month, another itm? gig, and though we are contractually bound to say so, this one does look a bit special."

Rightly headlining, however, are Le Reno Amps. It is their album launch after all, following their signing to Devon-based label Drift. The band started off as an all-teuchter duo, making noisily infectious multi-genre tunes, but since expanding to a (cosmopolitan) 4-piece they have settled upon simply being one of the nation’s top alt.folk acts, albeit with country/pop/rock/eastern overtones.

Also in attendance are www.smackvan.com & www.myspace.com/northernalliance

"fans of good music should embrace this band in all their energetic, hard-rocking glory!"

FULL REVIEW

Is this music are hosting the bands album launch this week (Thursday 19th) at 13th Note in Glasgow, they did, we should also mention, call the album "Tear It Up"... bet they get some stick from messers Nero and Maple.

We want to bring your attention to the following dates and places to ensure you see a very special live band.

We signed them on the merits of one show... true story. No regrets when we saw them for the second time. Hell of a live outfit and there is always potential for Stuart Adamson "shaaaaaa's". Live dates with fellow Drifters Cottonmouth Rocks, Matt Eaton and Tandy Hard on route, plus dates with our good friends Brakes later next month.

We'll do some features on some of the nights and venues this week on this very site...

Get out, get involved.

March 19 - Is This Music? @ 13th Note - Glasgow +
March 20 - Slanted & Enchanted @ Tunnels - Aberdeen ++
March 21 - Mad Hatters/Hootenannys - Inverness
March 22 - MFR Session - Marion Scott Show - Moray Firth Radio - 8-11pm

March 28 - Rat & Emu, College of Art - Dartington**
March 29 - The Cavern - Exeter**
March 30 - The Hippo - Plymouth*
March 31 - Duke of Yorks - Stroud***
April 1 - The Hope - Brighton****
April 2 - Le Pub - Newport*****
April 4 - Rough Trade West (Instore Show Afternoon)
April 4 - What's Cookin' @ The Sheep Walk*
April 6 - BBC Session - Vic Galloway Show - Radio Scotland 8-10pm

April 13 - Ruby Lounge - Manchester $
April 14 - Mentholmans @ West Street Live - Sheffield
April 15 - HED @ Mad Ferret - Preston
April 16 - Hull University - Kingston upon Hull $
April 17 - The Barrel Alehouse - Berwick upon Tweed
April 19 - King Tuts Wah Wah Hut - Glasgow $

+ Smackvan & Northern Alliance (Acoustic)
++ How To Swim, My Amiga & Endor

$ Brakes (Headlining)

We will post full details of there tour with fellow Drift cohorts Cottonmouth Rocks this weekend.

On the topic of Rough Trade, couple of documentaries on BBC4 tonight.

Thomas will be appearing this live MONDAY night in Brighton for the superb Bleeding Hearts Club at The Albert. Great support, promises to be a great night.

The single is the second from the forthcoming Long Player 'Tear It Open', out this spring and the band have posted a cracking live video (below) and the track in full on there myspace page.

The single is available as of today on all good download sites. (itunes)

Le Reno Amps reach the speed velocity of 88 MPH travelling back to the future to create a distinctive blend of 21st century rock mixed with 20th century hill-billy rock. As Marty McFly would say "Whoa this is heavy!" - Altsounds.com

"a riff that gallops between a Johnny Cash track and the original Batman theme" - forfolkssake.com

"everything a self respecting single should be: inventive, fun, loud, riff-laden, stomping, haunting and just plain excellent!" - loudhorizonmusic.com

"Completely mental, but at the same time strangely compelling" - getreadytorock.com

Playlist of the week - radiomagnetic.com

"a rockabilly gem" - music-news.com

Le Reno Amps were in fine vocal form when The Skinny caught up with them ahead of tonight's show at The Mill @ Oran Mor, Glasgow.

"Now, we’re by no means comparing Aberdeen indie-pop outfit Le Reno Amps to industrial noiseniks Throbbing Gristle (for a start, they all seem to have figured out a guitar’s arse from its elbow pretty adeptly), but there’s a refreshing simplicity to their music, and their attitudes towards it, that proves Genesis P-Orridge’s famous adage still rings true in the 21st Century. Why overcomplicate things when you have the talent to make fine, melodic music at your disposal?" READ MORE

... or as Birdengine explained to us direct, music that is; "to badly recorded and to weird for Island Records"

"as riotous as a teary Television riding several Scud missiles into a cymbal factory" - Bearded Magazine

"It's a very fine album and another testament to Drift Records" - Sweeping the Nation

It is available now from all good download sites.

The rough-and-ready ‘Children’s Film Foundation’ and the dreamily dissonant haze that is ‘Middle-Eight Snake’ provides convincing evidence that Waters’ time spent in the company of Electric Soft Parade was not wasted, whilst the visceral clatter of ‘D-Punk’ sounds as riotous as a teary Television riding several Scud missiles into a cymbal factory.

... there is plenty here to enjoy if you like your indie in bite-sized lumps of lo-fi wonderment, bedroom-brewed for that extra earnestness.

Talking of Bearded, the hotly anticipated re-launched magazine has it's amazing new issue is out on 29 January. Make sure you pick one up, and we'd advise joining Bearded to boot!

www.beardedmagazine.co.uk
Beardaid

"Someone else we've briefly mentioned before is Muddy Suzuki, and his second album Meetoo is out on the 26th. We say 'his' as it's a one man operation - we've remarked before on how it is that members of the Electric Soft Parade always have plenty going on besides, and drummer Damo Waters is no exception. As well as gigs at the back for Restlesslist, The Voluntary Butler Scheme, Chris T-T and Jim Bob (yes, from Carter USM) Waters works under what we called "Andy Partridge-inflected compact prog-pop", but his horizons even given that fairly wide-ranging scope have broadened to variously encompass Cardiacs-esque rollercoaster English pop being shaken vigorously, shimmering adult contemplation, glitch beats, charging power-pop and the odd ambient soundscape. It's a very fine album and another testament to Drift Records as a home for artists of quality and distinction. - Sweeping the Nation

Firstly, Mary Hampton will be doing two shows in the southwest at the end of this week, beginning of the next. Sunday the 11th will find her performing at the Barrel House in Totnes with support from the Diamond Family Archive and Griselda Sanderson. Monday the 12th she will be at Oddfellows bar in Exeter.

Birdengine is taking a two day jaunt to the big city. He’ll be at Kilburns’ excellent Luminaire on the 15th and at the King’s Head in crouch end on the 16th. Lucky London! Also in London, The R.G.Morrison is making an increasing rare live appearance this Sunday (11th) at the Slaughtered Lamb in Farrigdon

On the 20th of this month you’ll be able to see Cottonmouth Rocks play at the Cavern in Exeter, and they’re also playing at Café Oto in London on the 28th as part of the brilliant Atack!!! Live night.

But if you happen to be north of the border don’t worry! Le Reno Amps will be flying the Drift flag in Scotland, playing Oran Mor on the 4th February.

We are both delighted and sorry to have to reprt to you all that we have completely sold out of the debut Cottonmouth Rocks 7”!

No sooner had we found another box of twenty ‘Witch Doctor’ singles and stuck them online they had already flown off the shelves! Cottonmouth Rocks will be heading out on the road in March in support of forthcoming single “Cherry Black” and they just MIGHT have a couple of copies of "Witch Doctor" left amongst their luggage....

We’ll keep you posted.

Album
The album I've enjoyed most this year has been 'La Cucuracha' by Ween. Genius takes many forms, and on this amazing album Ween play them all in about 45mins. Most groups wouldn't have NY Punk, reggae, West Coast, Hi NRG disco house, 80s lounge pop and an 11min exploration of human evolution in the style of Carlos Santana all on one album, but this is Ween. Its funny, sometimes employing the blackest of humours, but its not a joke. In the words of Gene Ween; "I'm gonna do something wrong / Nobody's gonna like it".

Gig
Way over and above anything else it was My Bloody Valentine at The Roundhouse in the summer. It was, and I mean this very literally, out of this world.

Highlight
Headlining the Bimble Inn with The Modern Ovens at The End Of The Road Festival and delivering my best man's speech to the newly-wedded Eamon 'Smash Smash' Hamilton from the stage was the one, really.
Also, British Sea Power's Sing Ye From The Hillsides festival at The Tan Hill Inn in Yorkshire in August was magic. Actual magic.

Disappointment
Just missing Dirty Three at End Of The Road. Will I ever get to see them play? Also, 'Pacific Ocean Blue' by Dennis Wilson. Should've remained hidden away. Listen instead to the album his (then) wife's band was making at the same time - its called 'Tusk'. Another disappointment was the amount of people telling me that I'd love the Fleet Foxes album. Its fucking rubbish. And I'm offended. The "if you liked Trials Of Van Occupanther, you'll love this" angle is an insult to both Midlake and to myself.

Personal Discovery
I've invented a 'fun' game called 'Matt Eaton's Twilight Woodland Gamble'. You walk off into the woods with a bottle of wine about an hour before sunset making random directional decisions until you've finished drinking the bottle. Then, put on some suitably disorientating music on your headphones (I use Sonic Youth myself but actually, thinking about it - Sun O))) might be better), turn around and try and find your way out of the woods before it gets dark. I keep losing the gamble, but its very exciting.

But my real personal discovery this year has been John Coltrane. I'm obsessed, addicted and completely entralled by any piece of music that has his playing on it. Why didn't anyone ever tell me that the best album called 'Giant Steps' wasn't made by the Boo Radleys?!

I like the Fleet Foxes LP (and EP) a lot, it was Caruska who got me onto them back early in the year. Can’t wait to hear where they go next year. Self titled Felice Brothers album is a hell of a record also, ‘Frankie’s Gun’ is just brilliant and they were unbelievable live. Stephen Malkmus ‘Real Emotional Trash’ is amazing and is just about the most complex pop music I have ever heard. Me and SJ listened to Vampire Weekend loads in the car (before it died) great party album. I have still not finished finishing my chips, Matt Eaton’s record is so so good. We’re proud to release all of the Drift albums but that one is something else. I’ve mostly been listening to albums containing either Crosby, Stills, Nash or Young to be honest. Vince Guaraldi Trio also, and quite a lot of Dixieland.

notable mentions to;
Metronomy - "Nights Out"
Zombie Zombie - "A Land For Renegades"
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - "Cardinology"
Madvillainy 2: "The Madlib Remix"
Hayman, Watkins, Trout and Lee
The Walkmen - "You and Me"
Beck - "Modern Guilt"
Thomas White - "I Dream of Black"

Notable disappointments
Metalica - "Death Magnetic"
AC/DC - "Black Ice"
Guns ‘N’ Roses - "Chinese Democracy"
* It does bring up the notable mention that Johny and I can sing the whole of "Appetite for Destruction" acapella.

Singles: British Sea Power "No Lucifer" - EASY EASY EASY !!!! 
MGMT - Time To Pretend - I got very excited about this... hold on, still am!!

Best live:
Spiritualized, Green Man Festival 2008 The most amazing gospel duet I have ever seen. "Good Dope Good Fun".... it was absolutely shattering.
The Felice Brothers, 100 Club London It was part gospel, part Evangelical, part Woody Guthrie, part band and totally wild. Hanging off lights.
Future of the Left, Kings College London Unbelievable screaming, stage manager dressed as a road cone, sexy wedding reception dancing and just the best end to a set I might have ever seen.

Highlights of the year:
1. Greenman was a lot of fun, nice to be a collective. Also touring with Bones and Hampton, staying with Amps... Leaving Inverness alive. Also Tanned Tin festival in Spain, traveling there and back with SJ and Caruska.
2. I’m quite excited for indies that Woolworths, EUK and Pinnacle have all bitten the dust. I do like the Pinnacle sales team a great deal so best of luck to you all.
3. BSP’s Phil Andrews appearing on various national news services for his ill fated swan dive.
4. BSP’s Phil Andrews not dying as a result of his ill fated swan dive
5. The Darjeeling Limited
6. The nice new stuff we got after crack addicts smashed up the Drift office and stole the laptops

ALBUM(S) OF THE YEAR:

Matt Eaton - Finish Your Chips
When friends make records -– and all of them, might I add, wonderful individuals with impeccable taste, humour, and integrity - it is somehow still something of a rarity to find in your hands one that you return to quite so regularly. And frequently. At least weekly. well, here's one. If it had been issued on vinyl - which one day, surely, it must - then needles would have been blunted many times over in the playing and replaying of it. Out of time? Certainly. Out of touch? Never. Not in a million years. Often these kind of year-end album picks end with a flourish of hyperbole and scatterings of superfluous exclamation marks: This may well be the album of the year; that's a fair safe wager! But... (here's said flourish) this might just be the most finely crafted collection of songs to come out of the UK this entire decade!!! ! !!! !! ! !!!! How's that for hyperbole. And exclamation marks. Ya fucks.

Max Tundra - Parallax Error Beheads You
A work borne of punishing method and painstaking attention to detail. With a gestation period of six years -– since 2002's similarly dizzying and equally wonderful Mastered By Guy At The Exchange - Ben Jacobs confirms once again that he is in a class alone when it comes to contemporary pop composition. With this Max Tundra should finally affirm himself as both national treasure and brave adventurer (in the Herzogian sense; not some twat climbing mountains so many times climbed). It's piss and vinegar, and a real treat. Just buy it.

Gonzales - Soft Power
Jason Beck / Chili G / Gonzo / The Worst MC / The Entertainist, returns following the deftest of professional shimmies: 2002's Presidential Suite, through 2004's Solo Piano and, finally, to this 2008's Soft Power. If you don't appreciate Gonzales then I feel for you, I really do; and simply because I don't think there is any other musician that has coaxed from within me such genuine laughs and smiles. Ok; maybe JoJo. And maybe Noel Coward. And maybe Jake Thackray. And maybe D.C. Berman. But apart from JoJo, Coward, Thackray and Berman; there's no-one. The liner notes list a selection of 1978's Grammy Award winners and make clear the influences that run through the record: Bee Gees, Paul Williams, Fleetwood Mac, Thelma Houston, Al Jarreau, Lou Rawls, and Steve Martin (yes, that Steve Martin). It's a romp from start to finish and there simply are not a great many artists capable of making records like this: devoid of irony but with a keen eye for the power of humour in song.

Other notable mentions...
School of Language -– Sea From Shore
The Week That Was –- The Week That Was
Mary Hampton –- My Mother's Children
Plush - Fed (UK release)
Thomas White -– I Dream Of Black
Sebastien Tellier - Sexuality
V/A - Haruomi Hosono: Strange Song Book (A Tribute To...)

HIGHLIGHTS OF YEAR
The countless hours spent with Todd Rundgren, Randy Newman, and Smog's respective back catalogues, Dubya ousted, Obama elected, capitalist financial institutions the world over being propped up with state cash (oh, the irony...), The Watt From Pedro Show, Max Tundra's Rotogravure on Resonance, Blossom Dearie, Borges, Foucault, Roger Chartier, Hayden White, Edward Soja, Zygmunt Bauman, literary Utopias (any), Murakami (again), Sweet 'n' Spicy, Sam Smiths pubs, Curb (Season 6), Arrested Development (Seasons 1-3), Gilmore Girls (Seasons 1-7), 30 Rock (Seasons 1-2), Californication (Season 1), Summer Heights High (Season 1), LoveFilm, Zizek! documentary, Philip Seymour Hoffmann in Charlie Wilson's War (DVD), Birkbeck, almost involuntarily embarking upon a Paul Newman movie marathon on hearing of the great man's death, and playing from 1am to 3am on Saturday night/Sunday morning with The Modern Ovens to an absolutely packed Bimble Inn.

GIG OF YEAR

High Llamas @ Whitechapel Art Gallery, July 4th
Sean O'Hagan and troupe are one of those groups – very much like Electric Soft Parade, who count among their number the madly talented, Drift Collective member, Thomas White – that achieve excellence with befuddling consistency, and who, inexplicably, are far more popular abroad than they are here in Blighty. The Llamas play live rarely at best and even more rarely here in the UK. Tickets were bought well in advance, and the weeks preceding were spent nurturing our expectations. Such activities have, in the past, been precursor to substantial deflations come the event. On this occassion, however, we were graced with a two hour selection, gem after glorious gem selected from right across the Llamas back catalogue: Leaf and Lime, Harpers Romo, Glide Time, Doo-Wop Property, Nomads, Triads, Campers in Control, Bach Ze, The Old Spring Town, Rotary Hop, Three-Point Scrabble, The Passing Bell, The Sun Beats Down, and Janet Jangle and Checking In, Checking Out for an encore. It was absolutely sublime.

Other notable mentions...
Gonzales @ ICA, April 28th – a peerless showman on exceptionally good form.
The Chap @ End of the Road, September 13th – festival highlight bar none and shamefully the first time I've seen them live since falling in love with The Horse way back in 2003.
BSP @ The Roundhouse, October 17th – a triumph for BSP that brought a tear to the eye.
MBV @ The Roundhouse, June 21st & 23rd (yes, I went twice) - Saturday trumped Monday. Both were exhausting. In a good way.
School of Language and The Week That Was @ The Luminaire, May 16th - The brothers Brewis bring both existing "Field Music Presents..." projects to Lungdung for a blast of some of the most ambitious and well crafted guitar-pop being made at the moment.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO MENTION?
Nope.

Album of the year: Again, Bonnie Prince Oldham has released another couple of corkers with his live release with Harem Scarem being a real delight, but praise indeed must go to Neil Young. His latest instalent of his archive series from 1968 is possibly the best thing I have ever heard from him. Way before the classic tracks from 69 - 72, his enchanting versions of both Springfield and soon to be released solo work shows Young in fine, sweet voice. It also gives us the rare opportunity to hear him in cheeky schoolboy mode with great between song banter, jokes and anecdotes.

Single of the year: Elbow have had a year I'm sure they didn't expect. Top ten album. Mercury Music Prize. 2008s best single. Grounds for Divorce.

Film of the year: This year has been the year of the live action comic book, Hulk, Iron Man, Hellboy2, but there is one film that has taken it to another level, The Dark Knight. This dark, downbeat delve into the complicated residents of Gotham City has taken the Batman series to where it should have been from the outset. Heath Ledgers performance will surely win him an oscar, if there is any justice.

Gig of the year: Having left the house twice this year my choice is limited, but The Green Man Festival held some lovely moments, Spititualised and King Cresote being real highlights.

Highlight of the year: Apart from discovering the wonder of the mighty DS, the promise of a half decent US President, turning carnivore, finding a t-shirt that fits, it must be this years Tanned Tin. Castellon has simply the most interesting and best run festival around.

this year was a good one for me.

End of the Road was brilliant and very moving to play back in Dorset (home). Also playing in Croatia was Fun.

Finishing my first full length LP was a bit of a mile stone i guess, getting better at the accordion, and i guess going for tea with miss p harvey was pretty inspiring too. i think that's about it.

- -

Stop past Birdengine's myspace page to hear a couple of new tracks from the forthcoming album "Le Goon".

I have been an audient at some very extraordinary live performances this year. In fact, I’ve been pretty spoiled I’d say.

Here is a short list of those whom I nod the most:

- Phil Elverum as Mount Eerie and Sam Amidon looping like a buzzard at Tanned Tin Festival in Spain.
- David Thomas Broughton holding a microphone up to a desk-lamp during his set at Cafe Oto...
- The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment playing Matthew Locke’s music for The Tempest.
- The Sons of Noel and Adrian and Birdengine at The End of The Road Festival.
- Sharon von Etten at the Red Roaster in Brighton, who slayed us all without even moving her face.
- An old boy playing gipsy tunes on a phono-fiddle in a doorway in Cardiff.
- Come in Tokyo at the Fence Homegame. (They make that rock music about which there is so much talk).
- Men Diamler being as mad as a house at the Slak bar in Cheltenham.
- Jo Burke playing her version of Lord Randalph at The Bleeding Hearts Club.
- The Pentangle at Greenman, who fully abide, as do Clinic who played in Stockton when I was there.

Recorded music of the year for me goes like this:

- Diane Cluck’s Ova Nil, which always sends the wild deer running round all over the place.
- Any recording I ever hear by Caroline Weeks.
- The surprising entry of a jazzless saxophone on track 9, the flamenco track, of Honest Jon’s Sprigs of Time collection (78’s from the EMI archive); it effects my eyes quite a lot.
- Michael Hurley ...what can I say? The man likes beans.

I think I may have spent 2008 somewhat out of the loop. I also seemed to be making up for lost time in the early 90s, hence, top gigs this year include Sebadoh (Koko), My Bloody Valentine (Roundhouse) and The Breeders (Shepherds Bush Empire). I somehow got backstage at both MBV, (where I watched Patti Smith dance around the room all shoegazery) and The Breeders show, from which I came away with a prized signed Breeders CD.

My favourite album of the year was Sea From Shore by School Of Language. David from Field Music did this album, 'cos he was bored' and it's been in my ears more times than any album in recent years, I love it, I love the prog, the arrangements, and live you get to see just how awesome the guitar parts are. I saw him play acoustic early in the year, and he kinda plays all the instruments parts on one guitar - it's amazing.

Although I didn't get their albums yet, Micachu and Fight Like Apes both floated my boat this year too.

Next year watch out for the new Charlotte Hatherley album Cinnabar City, it's a stormer (and, yes, alright I play guitar on a couple of tracks, but that's not why I am plugging it). Also, you could do worse than checking out these ladies, Anneka Williams and Sandra And The Memory Machine... and of course our very own Something Beginning With L album should make it into the real world at some point too!!

Jennifer x

So…I can't really remember this year in its entirety; I have been mainly stage-managing and guitar teching on tour with Hadouken. I finished in September and have since been living the dream, playing harmonium, living alone in Suffolk and volunteering for Oxfam. Through that I guess drinking and this stuff was on the agenda, unfortunately I feel as if ive been under a rock..

Best bits would have to be:
• Finishing off a Something Beginning With L Record and meeting the Drift Collective
• Vida Jean Mills
• Going to Japan, buying a mini instamatic camera
• Playing Pixies riffs in line checks
• Hearing three questions by Bonnie Prince Billy unbelievably for the fist time
• Flatling with Jen SBL and trying to say Townes Van Zandt when I am drunk on my own
• Being Endorsed by Hagstrom and them letting me play some beautiful guitars.
• Being given a Harmonium for my Birthday
• Seeing Janet Weiss be beautiful and rock for Steven Malkmus in Ireland

Best Gigs
• Band Of Horses – Australia
• Dr Dog - Borderline London.
• Iron and Wine - Somewhere in Belgium
• Autolux – ICA (well Dec 07 but near enough and frikkkkin awesome it carries over you know..)

The Songs that kept me sane:
• Nebraska – Bruce Springsteen
• Three Questions – Bonnie prince Billy
• Window Blues – Band of Horses
• Old Man – Neil Young
• Buddy, stay off the wine – Betty Hall Jones

Bits that were rubbish:
• Missing Grinderman and My Bloody Valentine due to loading out backline to a bus in the dark.
• Generally just loading out in the dark

New Years resolution:
• Learn to drive…
• Finish painting the flat.
• Be able to say Townes Van Zandt without hesitation or help of alcohol by february

much love and too many mini mince pies

Album Of The Year?
Well, it’s a tie between I Dream Of Black by Thomas White and CSI:Ambleside by Half Man Half Biscuit. There are many, many reasons why I love I Dream Of Black, but right now the biggest one is the inspired coupling of Wartime Love and Solar Collapse into one track. I’ll leave it at that or I’ll risk being overly sycophantic about it all… As for CSI:Ambleside, well maybe it’s not quite as strong as their previous outing Achtung Bono (close thing though), but with titles like Took Problem Chimp To Ideal Home Show, Bad Losers On Yahoo Chess, and National Shite Day, Nigel Blackwell remains one of England’s funniest and most idiosyncratic lyricists.

Gig Of The Year?
Another tie, three way this time (have you ever worn a three-way tie?). The muso in me was absolutely obliterated by Mike Kenneally at the Riffs Bar in Swindon, where he played solo for two hours, excepting a handful of songs where he was joined by Dave Gregory of XTC, thus raising my being to a higher level of consciousness. Mike’s musical ability is superhuman, especially when playing piano with one hand and a Gibson SG with the other… The Residents at The Forum, where we witnessed a performance of The Bunny Boy, a nightmarish multi-media extravaganza dealing with obsession, insanity, amnesia, delusional paranoia, the internet, the apocalypse, and bunny rabbits… and Thomas Truax at the Swn Festival, Cardiff. The notion of performing solo with loop boxes is perhaps in danger of becoming old hat, but Thomas Truax circumnavigates this potential pitfall by inventing his own bizarre instruments like The Hornicator (seemingly a French horn with kazoo, microphone and rhythm pads welded on), The Stringaling (made out of what looked like a tumble drier’s flexible exhaust tube with tensionable string attached), and his unique drum machine Sister Spinster, adapted from a sewing machine. Extraordinary, as are his songs.

Highlight Of The Year?
Hmm… well again, there’s a few. Touring Europe with The Electric Soft Parade was one (I think Vienna and Lyon were my faves). Touring California with Abdoujaparov was another (particularly as there weren’t many gigs and it was more like a holiday). Playing a future-fancy-dress party in Tenby with Restlesslist was quite something, having only discovered that it was fancy dress on the day I had to improvise a space station repair man costume with mask, goggles and metal fruit bowl, whilst the rest of the guys became shape-shifting reptiloids! (I really should have bought a shell suit and gone as 80’s David Icke…). Also notable as I was suffering from a mild concussion at the time! Joining The Voluntary Butler Scheme has proved to be a lot of fun, with our first gig in Halifax being a particular stand-out. And of course, Drift Records saying ‘yes’.

That’ll do, pig.

Best albums: not necessarily out this year but my favorites have been, Future of the Left "curses", Stuffy/ the Fuses "Angels Are Ace", Mary Hampton "My Mothers Children", Hayman, Watkins, Trout and Lee, Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs "Dirt Don't Hurt", Jimbob "A Humpty Dumpty Thing", Marnie Stern "this is it and i am it and you are it and so is that and he is it and she is it and it is it and so is that" and i liked the Felice Brothers.

favorite song: Okkerville River "On Tour With Zykos"

best gigs: RTX in Bristol, R G Morrison in Aberdeen, Carter USM in Brixton, the Archie Bronson Outfit at the Greenman, Mr Jack Cooper in Brighton, Mary Hampton in Lancaster.

Highlights: Playing Bass for Jimbob, the Cottonmouth Rocks single, Driving a 1951 Cadillac limozine, recording the second R G Morrison album, getting to be in a band with Jen Macro, Ben Murray and Chris T-T, possibly the world's greatest music people. touring. surviving my twenties.

seasons greetings, see you at mass. x

Um, not had a very exciting year, highlights that spring to mind are new Nick Cave album, Dig Lazarus Dig plus live show at Glasgow Academy where i now work, ditto for Sigur Ros. Recording an awesome Le Reno Amps album and rediscovering Cherry Lambrini.

Lots of love from The Wolf x

"Off the top of my dome...."

Best Album: Gonzales - Soft Power
Best Single: Johnny Flynn - Tickle Me Pink
Best Gig: Heavy Trash - Stereo, Glasgow
Best Phrase: "oh ma heed!"
Best Meal: Kedgeree, 23rd November
Best Soul-Patch: Johny Lamb
Best Buy: DAV Electronics BG1
Best Spoonerism: Colina's "Dum and Mad"
Best T-Shirt: purple independent
Best Film: Lakai's Fully Flared - ok it was actually the end of 2007 but I only saw it this year!

2008- Even though it was a reet stress fest it’s been the most rewarding. Soon as we all got back to Glasgow in January with our big holiday tummies (I can’t git rid of mine!) it was straight in to Chem 19 studio’s to do the Amps album. Andy Miller produced us and is the MAN! It was a "we were all on the same page" type thing. No hissy fits, fighting their corners or any of that stuff. Loved working with him.

After that I went off to Record the Cuddly Shark album which is still getting tinkered with but will see the light of day soon.

Since recording the albums we’ve (Le Reno Amps) been and still are filming DIY music video’s for the new album. Over the festive I’ll be filming one for the Cuddly Shark single. I’m right into video editing but its loads of work.

I don’t really follow much music now so dinna go to many gigs, tend to follow more local act and if summin good comes along I learn from Scott and Al…. What a faker eh!

Little highlights:

Joining Lovefilm.com!! Changed my life!

Finding out that I’m known to the Drift bunch as High Tower, didn’t know that till I was asked to do this.

Conning the government to fund the Shark album, this was a coo.

My new sooper dooper PC to edit stuff on! Its right sooper!

Learning to make tandoori chicken!

Right, that should do you. Have a good Christmas and god bless each and everyone of us.

What to make of 2008… well the highlight for me was recording the new Le Reno Amps' record at Chem 19 Studios in Blantyre, Scotland with Andy Miller. It was our first time getting to record a whole record in a proper studio and we really just went to town with it. All the stress and anxiety that we had before hand was gone in a flash as soon as we started with Andy – who it has to be said made the whole experience really enjoyable…so yeah getting to work with Andy is definitely my highlight (oh by the way he co-runs an indie label called Gargleblast which has released some brilliant stuff like Foxface and De Rosa…check ‘em oot). Other than that it goes without saying being welcomed into the Drift Collective was pretty cool too!

What else, well my favourite records of 2008, always a tough one this, TV On The Radio’s ‘Dear Science’ is brilliant, finally fulfilling their potential, School of Language from the first half of the year is a real good one. De Rosa, who I mentioned before, have been releasing a song a month through their website and myspace collectively called ‘Appendices’. I’ve been getting them all year and they’re just bloody brilliant, you can still download them all for free ‘til the end of the year so go and do it. Oh and Gonzales new record, ‘Soft Power’, that’s been on my stereo more than most, totally lush.

Gigs, Christ I can’t remember last week let alone right back to January but Shellac at ABC in Glasgow was pretty amazing, first time I’ve seen ‘em, funny old buggers! TV On The Radio, same venue different night was brilliant too. The Week That Was and School of Language at Mono in Glasgow in the summer, that was pretty special. I can’t think of any others, seen too many, still got Ben Kweller, RTX and Malcolm Middleton before the year is out which I’m sure will all be great too.

Other general habits and highlights, been eating a lot of halloumi cheese this year, and I’m no fan of cheese so it must be good. Grill it, get it in a toasted bun, cannae beat it. Watching Lost, yeah missed the boat by about 5 years but hey better late than never. I also loved listening to Russell Brand’s radio show ‘til he resigned – which I was gutted about. Think that’s about it, I’m off for a halloumi salad.

LP of my year: "Lie Down In The Light" by Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy. His best produced record yet, if not necessarily the best songs, though there are contenders. ‘So Everyone’ being a personal highlight. As Caruska said, “He knows his voice so well”. Wish I did...

Single of my year: "No Lucifer" by British Sea Power: Everything about this song is perfect, containing my favourite lyric of the year.

Gig of my year: Leonard Cohen, Manchester Opera House. Made a six-piece band sound like the keyboards in his recent material. Thank God, but why?

Surprise of my year: Stephen Malkmus at Komedia, Brighton: Bloody hell.

Meal of my year: A whole plaice in butter with capers at Mistley Thorn, Suffolk, where the original Witchfinder General used to drink.

Film of my year: Man on Wire. I braved my vertigo to see it in the cinema.

What I’ve listened to most: lots of ragtime, Louis Jordan, Jim Jones Revue, Restlesslist, Clowns, Monkey-Journey to the West, lots of different classical composers in a vain attempt to tell the difference between them, Angels of Light, my good friend Matt Eaton, over and over again I’ve listened to my favourite song “The Ballad of John & Yoko” and Billy Preston’s “That’s the Way God Planned It”

Album of the year - Randy Newman "Harps and Angels"

This is Mr. Newmans first studio offering for about a decade and it does not disappoint. A luscious mix of strings, honky-tonk piano and song-writing that could melt the coldest of hearts. One for the Xmas list if you don't already own it.

Highlight of the year - The end of the M.B.V set at the Roundhouse.

Gig of the year - Gonzales at the ICA
Probably in my top 5 gigs of all time, Gonzales live was as fresh as it gets. Swapping between classical piano, rap and 70's soul, it has all the necessary ingredients to spark a musical genre based-armageddon. Lovely.

Anything else you want to mention? - Merry Xmas, yawl.

- -

Portslades finest has a uploaded a phenomenal cover of Randy Newman's "Marie" on his myspace page

My personal highlight of this year (and probably every year to come for a long while) has to be touring Europe with The Electric Soft Parade. Having spent months piecing together a set of films to accompany our 'No Need To Be Downhearted' album, it was a joy to be able to take the show around the UK late last year. To then take it all around Europe, and to have it received as warmly as it was (especially in Germany) was touching, to say the least. It was a truly rewarding experience, having spent so many lonely nights meticulously recording click-tracks and synching edits etc.......we felt like we'd truly arrived as a band.

Other highlights were, of course, working with Drift on 'I Dream Of Black', ESP supporting Sparks at their 21 nights in London, and being part of the continuing gestation of Clowns, a project which is finally coming to fruition right about now! In addition, much fun was had playing with Restlesslist (new record coming soon) ....making the new Brakes record, oh and another couple of solo albums, all of which will hopefully see the light of day sometime next year.

Other notable mentions are:
- The imminent downfall of the worldwide economy...arf!!!...
- Discovering Richard Linklater - 'Waking Life' and 'A Scanner Darkly', in particular...
- Sparks - 'Exotic Creatures Of The Deep' ...
- Elbow winning the Mercury Music Prize (brought a wee tear to the eye!) ...
- Obama winning the election (hell, yeah)...
- RTX finally touring the UK properly...
- Wild Beasts - 'Limbo, Panto'...
- The Levellers 20th Anniversary show at The Royal Albert Hall, London (great gig - insane evening all round)...
- The first 'At Home By The Sea' Festival in Brighton (great line-up...bring on next year)...
- People finally waking up to the magnificent genius of Of Montreal, even though Skeletal Lamping kinda sucked...
- Playing Summercase Festival w/ Brakes and witnessing the full force of Grinderman on the main stage...
- Blondie at the same festival...
- Cornelius at the same festival...
- The Week That Was............. THE WEEK THAT WAS!!!!!!!!!!!...

......and that's about it!

Le Reno Amps strike again. As the dank dullness of winter descends upon us, they go and release a song to raise your spirits... Not only can they actually play but they don't seem to feel the urge to be the same as everyone else. - Bluesbunny

it’s got something about it that makes you press the back button on your CD player. 8/10 - Die Shellsuit, Die

Country rock with an indie persona, janglesomely enjoyable! - Subbaculture

Drift and Fresh Deer Meat have hand picked seven songs from the Drift roster. Tracks from releases this year by Matt Eaton and Cottonmouth Rocks, with forthcoming tracks from Muddy Suzuki, Le Reno Amps and exclusives first listens from Thirty Pounds of Bone, Thomas White and The R.G.Morrison.

Follow the links on the Fresh Deer Meat website to download them all.

Rather than your average poll, Drift asked everyone on the roster to give there summery of the whole year; opinions on records, live shows, clothing, dinners and acapella rock music.

Next week (starting with Thomas White) we'll start posting the great Drift end of year chit chat.

You can listen to the track exclusively on the band's myspace now, and below is the official video for the song; handcrafted, snipped, washed and posted by the band them very selves. The threat is that there will be a track for every song!!! that is a whole lot of shower scenes.

"Keep a keen eye on Le Reno Amps as they are on the conveyor belt of fine Scottish music just waiting to get to their destination which I'm sure is somewhere between critical acclaim and commercial success" - Altsounds

Get your ears pricked to the radio tonight for the exclusive FIRST PLAY of the forth coming Le Reno Amps single "Send me on my way" on Vic Galloway's Introducing show on BBC Scotland.

www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/vicgalloway

The all new LRA website is up and running; www.lerenoamps.com

Featuring the lovely Jane Bartholomew the track was featured on this weeks Tom Robinson BBC 6Music introducing show and can be downloaded on the podcast until next monday tea time.

Best hope Meat wasn't listening or it’ll be Tandy’s Execution Day.... Well he’ll certainly be Out of the frying pan (and into the fire)... Or maybe Amnesty Is Granted.... Oh come on... Two out of three aint bad....

Fine.

LIVE DATES

3rd November
Cafe Oto - supporting Doveman - 8pm

22nd November
St Giles inthe Fields Church - Supporting Shearwater - 8pm

24th November
Komedia Brighton - Supporting Shearwater - 8pm

14th December
Cavendish Arms. (Stockwell, London) All dayer (on at 9pm)

19th December
Permanent gallery, 20 Bedford Place Brighton.

There'll be new material for sure, plus special arrangements of tracks from the stunning 'Finish Your Chips' LP.

"This album provides a tide of serenity with humble, grumbled folk songs that feel like they have a history, the resultant sense of peace is gorgeous." - PlanB

More info on the calmer night here.

It doesn’t end there as we're delighted to announce the forthcoming “Hurricane” EP. On the 28th October the four track EP will be available as a download-only through iTunes (and all the usual reputable digi-merchants). Complete with artwork by Alice Stevenson and 3 exclusively recorded B-sides with the generous help from the wonderful Jane Bartholomew (along with her incredibly talented and very funny cellist Mark Jesson), The “Hurricane EP” successfully bridges the gap between Tandy Hard’s recorded pop sensibilities and his arresting, soulful solo performances.

Subscribers of the superb Beardaid will also be able to download the EP from the Bearded Magazine website as of today.

Tandy Hard is out on the road this month solo in the following cities:

Please come along if you can, say hello, have a drink with him.

British Sea Power bring there roadshow to Birmingham with support in the form of Drift messieurs Eaton and Moon. Tickets here.

Drifters Matt Eaton and Darren Moon (Tenderfoot) are of course also members of the Modern Ovens.... with all four ovens in attendance what might get cooked?... oh god, last time we try the culinary jokes on the Drift website... promise!

Matt Eaton will also be supporting BSP in Manchester (Ritz Ballroom) this Sunday with a solo showcase to his beautifully orchestral album 'Finish Your Chips'

Birdengine will be supporting Serafina Steer at Brighton's Freebutt. (Doors 7.30pm, tickets £6 advance from Resident or Rounder records)

Serafina is quite a unique talent on the excellent Static Caravan records and with Birdengine playing new material it will be a great night out.

Tuesday 30th September, Freebutt in Brighton.

It's directed by Drift's good friend Rupert Noble and charts a roadtrip through the back yard of nowhere... via voodoo, werewolves and witchcraft. Cottonmouth Rocks... spread the word.

The Pictish Trail LP is released today nationwide (it's a corker) and Fence's finest will be performing it tomorrow night in a showcase in Brighton.

Drift's Tandy Hard will be playing tracks from his recently released self titled LP which is available from the Drift shop.

Tickets are still available on the door at (£12.00) but are in fairly short supply. It's one to watch for the future as they book good bands and are very nice chaps.

More info here on there myspace page.

Coverage in Mixmag, Artrocker and Rolling Stone (Germany) has made copies fly out of the door and we do really only have VERY few copies left.

Avoid disappointment!

£4.00 ships anywhere in the world.

Music for your pleasure here and be sure to buy one of the beautiful limited edition gatefold digipacks from the Drift shop.

£10 ships worldwide.

The tension builds and makes you feel worried for the poor girl. Hearts explode and it makes you come out in a cold sweat.

However that's not to say the record isn't a catchy or enjoyable affair, more that it's at times unsure character, helps to create a more intriguing template. Psychedelica and that decade of the 1960's stamps a strong presence on proceedings throughout, indicative in the treated drone vocals and layered, inventive guitars.

Soundtracks and the whole genre of film music also stamps an influence over instrumentals such as 'Starry Nite #3' and the title track. 'Will The Moon Ever Rise Again' meanwhile opens with a Jeff Buckley snake-like guitar pattern reminiscence of 'Dream Brother' before drum machines and spooky keyboard noises enter to mutate and take the track somewhere else entirely.

As previously mentioned overall proceedings are versatile, essentially original and engaging. Moreover 'I Dream Of Black' is a somewhat unusual album, in that it is as much of itself while simultaneously sounding like some distant album soundtracking a lost, forgotten 60's film.

In essence then, 'I Dream Of Black' represents a record where for once, the oft used 'solo album' terminology is wholly appropriate.

With an opening that recalls Brian Wilson's awe-inspiring teenage symphony "Surf's Up," I Dream of Black is an exquisite solo debut from Electric Soft Parade's Thomas White.

A gorgeous album that leans heavily on Wilson's lush orchestral pop-edelia, it's a homemade LP that sounds like it came straight off the beaches of California. Lead U.K. single "The Runaround," however, is off-kilter indie-pop that owes as much to The Jesus & Mary Chain as it does The Beach Boys. "I Dream of Black" is world-weary atmospheric acid firmly rooted in Smile's sandpit craziness. Borrowing from both Pink Floyd's experimental ambience and The Beach Boys era-defining harmonies, I Dream of Black effortlessly bridges the gap between U.S. and U.K. psychedelia. Anchored by White's typically understated indie vocals, it's a sublime slice of contemporary British acid-pop. Like Wilson writing Pet Sounds in a Brighton bed-sit, White proves that this kind of orchestral pop music can come from anywhere. A beatific album of considerable depth and beauty...

'I Dream of Black' is chameleonic from start to finish. 'Starrry Nite #2' recalls psychedelic McCartney, 'Will The Moon Ever Rise Again' is My Bloody Valentine minus the wall of noise and the title track is one of many instrumentals employing atmospheric string swirls colliding malevolently with crisp, slithering analogue noise. Conveniently at the midpoint, 'This is Just a Little Interlude' is exactly that, a jolly, shuffling surf guitar workout which should just give you enough time to secure one of those tiny ice cream pots from a hostess.

Largely experimental, slighly mental, 'I Dream of Black' may very well be the best thing Thomas White has ever produced, just what brother Alex thinks of that is another matter!

www.brotherselectric.wordpress.com/6-music-interview

Turns out White is a wee psychedelic kid at heart, over the course of these ten fuzzy, lo-fi-reaching-for-the-sky numbers, White displays song writing maturity way beyond his years and some delightful chord changes to boot. 'The Runaround' is rightfully chosen as the lead single, it's undeniably ripped straight from 'Come Down' era Dandy Warhols but who cares when it's this damn good, a slacker-rock anthem and easily the most accessible track on here. The not so snappily titled, 'Is It Wrong to Lose Faith in the Person You Used to Love?' and 'The Silence Stops Tonight' are more intimate affairs but showcase Whites beautiful voice and twisting melodies wonderfully, the latter breaking into an epic wig-out.

Elsewhere the quirky instrumental aptly named, 'This Is Just A Little Interlude' is a sheer delight, in a similar vein to 'Coffee in the Pot' by Supergrass you’re guaranteed to have the surf-guitar line in your head for days, it's so infectious I ended up learning the guitar line myself, anything to impress a lady. The songs weave in and out charmingly with ambient-electro passages and some avant-garde numbers, not my usual cup of tea at all but they work a treat especially on 'Starry Nite #3' which plays like some sort of early Gershwin recording before breaking into spits and spats of drum machines and electro pulses.

Apparently this was all recorded on a Tascam 4-track although I'm pretty dubious of that claim, it's certainly a striking slab of old-school lo-fi indie, if you like early Domino or Drag City stuff then you'll lap this up. It's out on Drift Records who are fast becoming one of the best UK indie's ever.

Alan Souter

So why a solo album with so much going on in bands? Well, this is succinct; it's almost like the expression of a person's various moods. Download single 'The Runaround', is some kind of nightmare, like a Flaming Lips meets Throbbing Gristle it's dark, propulsive and addictive, with endless twists and turns. 'Starry Nite 2' is surely an expression of some kind of love and 'Starry Nite 3' is a gorgeous electro-orchestral arrangement that swells and recedes, showing White is no stranger to melancholy and electro eccentricity.

'This Is Just A Little Interlude' is exactly that – boogie-woogie rock 'n' roll that isn't offensive enough to summon up old Jools, and is in fact discreet enough so as not to offend. It's 'Will The Moon Ever Rise Again?' that really steals the show – a song as worthy as any crooner or blue-eyed soul boy. It's simply heartbreaking in lyrical content and emotional arrangement. Thank heavens Thomas White is a workaholic, as this solo album is one of the most remarkable albums of the year, and all recorded in a basement to boot.

Mary’s ten-track debut is a truly exceptional record and we are delighted to be working with Navigator to bring it to you all. Navigator are a very fine imprint run by a very fine man who is responsible for not only the exceptional Reveal Record shop (r.i.p) but also releases by Joan as a Police Woman, Madam, BBC folk winners Lau, Benji Kirkpatrick and Jon Redfurn.

Click here for MP3

Delighted that a video surfaced:
Forthcoming single "The Runarourd"

There are other tracks here and here.