The video’s director Jacqueline Castel, who also made Zola Jesus’ previous videos for Clay Bodies and Night, explains her vision for it:

“The video for Sea Talk was inspired by the acts of sleepwalkers, caught in their own separate, solitary dream reality, locked into cycles of actions every night. In this dream reality, static electricity becomes an otherworldly conductor for Zola Jesus’ nightly psychic twin telecommunications. Merging influences as varied as Videodrome, the somnambulists of silent cinema, and my own childhood spent watching Midwestern lightning storms, this eerie meeting between sleepwalker and her own televised image leads to the breakdown of dream and reality, with each succession of image degeneration leading to the ultimate decay of both worlds.”

Press release:

Kick Up The Fire

Spawned from the murky depths of the London New Cross scene, Kick Up The Fire deliver angular rock & roll with strict ideals. The South-East London four-piece formed in early 2009, drawing influence from post-hardcore acts such as Q and not U, At The Drive-In and Cursive.

Childhood friends from Italy, Andrew and Kenny formed ‘Raid on the Arcade’ with art-student Thom Wicks in late 2007 after working together at a local art-house cinema in Greenwich.

Andrew and Kenny had shared various unpursued projects with Down I Go’s Marek Bereza and Alan Booth (also bassist with Johnny Truant) throughout the noughties. As a result the band were invited to play Down I Go’s album launch for ‘Tyrant’ in mid 2008 which was to be the band’s first show.

On the basis of that show Alan and ROTA agreed that he would manage the band with Johnny Truant front man Oli Mitchell. They set about recording material but after a few months, in early 2009, we collectively decided to reform with Alan on guitar and write a more angular material under a new name – Kick Up The Fire.

In January 2010 the band started recording their debut mini-album with Ben Standage (Drummer – Down I Go). First release in several years on You And Whose Army? Records, the album mixes offbeat instrumentation, influenced by all manner of DC acts (and beyond), with British trade-off vocals. Marek of Down I Go and Alan of Johnny Truant both contribute guitar.

Highlights include the superb breakdown in the last third of These Canvas Shoes and the relentless, irresistible melodies of No Fun In London. Gang vocals and enthusiasm permeates throughout – even through the gentle build of Because Of You that closes the record.

Clocking in at under 18 minutes, Kick Up The Fire deliver the same energy on record as they do live – never outstaying their welcome and rarely letting up the pace. As first impressions go, this is a fine one.

www.myspace.com/kickupthefiremusic

Portland Cello Project – ‘Denmark’ from Two Penguins Productions on Vimeo.

PETER BRODERICK returns in early September with “How They Are”, a beguiling mini-album borne out of misfortune. Earlier this year Peter spent a couple of months at home recovering from knee surgery which left him unable to walk without crutches, and which forced him to postpone work on the studio album which he’d spent much of 2009 and early 2010 creating.

“How They Are” is the product of that time spent at home, with Peter using just piano, guitar and violin as backing for his gorgeous voice on these seven new compositions. Peter will return to UK shores in October to play the following shows:

Saturday 16 October – LONDON – St Giles in the Field (£12)

Monday 18 October – BRIGHTON – St Mary’s Church (£9)

Tuesday 19 October – MANCHESTER – Academy (£9.50)

Friday 22 October – BRISTOL – Cube (£8)

Saturday 23 October – READING – South Street Arts Centre (£8)

Sunday 24 October – BIRMINGHAM – Supersonic Festival (£75)

www.bellaunion.com

Toronto-based psych rock band QUEST FOR FIRE’s hotly anticipated sophomore album, Lights from Paradise, shall be released on November 8th, 2010 via NYC’s Tee Pee Records.

Formed in 2007 from the ashes of garage-pop bastard-greats The Deadly Snakes and hardcore / crust band Cursed, QUEST FOR FIRE delivers “far-out trippiness” via long-form songs, distended, leaden riffs, heavy psychedelic swirl and solo-based jams that evoke memories of classic underground blues and garage rock from the ’70s. The band’s moody drift of layers and contrast has been called “riveting rock” by Pitchfork, who suggested the band’s sound invokes “mutual interests in Black Sabbath sludge and druggy dream-pop.”

QUEST FOR FIRE’s Chad Ross (guitar, vocals) and Mike Maxymuik (drums) were members of the recent touring band for Steve McBean’s Pink Mountaintops, and the connection between the Canadian rockers was continued when QUEST FOR FIRE teamed up with the like-minded Black Mountain for a string of summer tour dates.

“’Lights from Paradise’ is a heavy meeting of all the music we love,” says Ross when asked for comment on the forthcoming record. “It’s filled with wide open spaces of dreamy hard rock, quiet sweet moments, and pounding psych straight from the Canadian heart.”

The track listing for QUEST FOR FIRE’s Lights from Paradise is as follows:

1.) The Greatest Hits By God

2.) Set Out Alone

3.) Strange Vacation

4.) Confusion’s Home

5.) In The Place of A Storm

6.) Psychic Seasons

7.) Hinterland Who’s Who

8.) Sessions Of Light

The album features a guest appearance by Sophie Trudeau of Montreal’s Thee Silver MT. Zion. QUEST FOR FIRE is expected to premiere the roll out single from the new LP “in the future.” Stay tuned.

www.myspace.com/questforfireband | www.teepeerecords.com

Tweak Bird – Lights In Lines (Official Video) from Souterrain Transmissions on Vimeo.

Bella Union, 2010

Singer-songwriter Paul Marshall’s debut under a new moniker lays out a delicate and thought out combination of fingerpicked guitar and deceptively warm vocals – deceptive because his lyrics are often coldly candid, and brimming with wry melancholy. Added to this already solid base is a compositional adventure that hints at Sufjan Stevens, though it’s reined in enough not to disrupt the record’s consistent (sombre) mood.

After the best part of a decade, Big Scary Monsters Records, the little DIY label from Oxford, hits three figures on Tuesday 7th September with the release of ‘Partied Hard’, a DVD/CD double pack celebrating the wonderful bands who have passed through their doors since it’s 2001 inception.

BSM has worked hard to establish itself as one of the UK’s leading independent record labels, having discovered and released music from the likes of Pulled Apart By Horses, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, Tubelord, Meet Me In St Louis, This Town Needs Guns, Talons, Tall Ships, Adebisi Shank and so many more. Its reputation for quality output, strong ethics and creative ideas has earnt the company a large fanbase, who have been absolutely instrumental in it reaching the exciting milestone of a century of releases. It’s for that reason that the decision was taken to make BSM100 something special, wrapping up the 99 previous releases as a perfect little reminder of the wonderful music gone by.

‘Partied Hard’ will be available from the day after the labels 99th release (Adebisi Shank’s stunning new album) and will be deleted on October 24th, the day before the 101st (Tall Ships eagerly anticipated second EP), limited in number to however many sell during that period. Packaged in a brilliant digipak sleeve with large, foldout insert, the DVD contains promo, live and bonus videos gathered together over the past few years, including previously unseen footage such as Meet Me In St Louis’ first ever gig, Colour’s final one, behind the scenes tour footage and loads more. Meanwhile, the CD focusses on the future of the label, offering new and exclusive tracks from Tall Ships, Kevin Devine, Talons, Hold Your Horse Is, Mimas, Shoes And Socks Off, Men and others.

The double-pack is available to buy at gigs and from Banquet Records in Kingston, or via www.bsmrocks.com with an exclusive, gold printed BSM t-shirt. Look out for lots of exciting new releases, competitions and announcements from the label over the next few weeks, as they start work on the next 100.

BSM100 – Partied Hard (DVD trailer) from Kevin Douch on Vimeo.

DVD tracklisting:

1. Meet Me In St Louis – All We Need Is A Little Bit Of Energon And A Lot Of Luck (Promo video)

2. Pulled Apart By Horses – Meat Balloon (Promo video)

3. Shoes And Socks Off – Here’s My Head On A Plate (Promo video)

4. Secondsmile – Poets Unite In Hate (Promo video)

5. Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly – Whitewash Is Brainwash (Promo video)

6. This Town Needs Guns – 26 Is Dancier Than 4 (Promo video)

7. Dad Rocks! – Nothing Keeps Up (Promo video)

8. My Awesome Compilation – Our Lives: The Sequel (Promo video)

9. Hold Your Horse Is – You Show Up (Promo video)

10. Shapes – Trampled By A Horse (Promo video)

11. Colour – Chutes (Live at The Fly, London – 18.09.09 – last ever gig)

12. Kevin Devine – Brother’s Blood (Live at Banquet Records, Kingston – 22.07.09)

13. Walter Schreifels – She Is To Me (Live at Gaz and Black Metal Ian’s flat, Manchester – 04.04.10)

14. Adebisi Shank – Shunk (Live at The Twisted Pepper, Dublin – 11.06.09)

15. Tall Ships – Word Are Pegs (Live at Barden’s Boudoir, London – 15.02.10)

16. Talons – The Pearl (Live at Heaven, London – 17.11.09)

17. Blakfish – Make Your Bed And Lie In It (Live at Purple Turtle, London – 15.05.09)

18. Grown Ups – Pears (Live at Dauntaun, Milan – 09.06.10)

19. Mimas – SMOM (Live at Voxhall, Århus – 28.02.09)

20. Meet Me In St Louis – We Need To Act Like We Dont Need This Shit… (Live at The Star, Guildford – 07.05.05 – first ever gig)

Bonus content including BSM 5-a-side football tournament highlights, behind the scenes tour footage, interviews, exclusive MP3s and loads more!

Sampler CD tracklisting:

1. Tall Ships – Plate Tectonics

2. Dad Rocks! – Kids

3. Hold Your Horse Is – Mackerel Jason

4. Adebisi Shank – International Dreambeat

5. Shoes And Socks Off – CYF

6. Kevin Devine – She Stayed As Steam

7. Men – Hard Water

8. Talons – Peter Pan

9. Mimas – Application

Little Fish

8 Sep Proud Galleries Camden Town

18 Sep Southsea Festival The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth

26 Sep Underground Festival Gloucester

22 Oct SWN Festival Cardiff

22 Oct SWN Festival Cardiff

2 Nov Old Blue Last London

4 Nov Roadhouse Manchester, www.gigsandtours.com / 0844 811 0051

5 Nov Kasbah Coventry

13 Nov O2 Academy 2 Oxford

www.myspace.com/littlefishmusic

Press release:

Little Fish have announced a series of live dates in the Autumn, including several festival appearances, as well as a run of headline shows. The band have experienced a crazy ride in the last year or so since legendary songwriter/producer Linda Perry heard their demos, flew to the UK to see them play at a pub in Oxford, signed them on the spot and took them out to LA to produce their first album. This was followed by a hectic touring schedule supporting a who’s who of rock bands including Placebo, Them Crooked Vultures, Hole, Juliette Lewis and, most recently, Blondie. Little Fish also recently headlined the BBC Introducing stage at Reading and Leeds festivals.

Onstage, Little Fish are sensual thunder, drawing you in with dangerous warmth. Juju’s self taught guitar style blazes through as Nez vigorously propels himself and beats his way through the songs. The band’s visceral live show is intensified by the addition of a Hammond organ which helps the band to convey more fully what they laid down on the album with producer Linda Perry at the helm. Listening to their music, either live or on their debut album, you can really hear the band’s intense creativity in all its glory. JuJu explains the process – “I have to be by myself in a room when I’m writing so no one can hear me shouting and screaming like an exorcist. Some people can write in public, but not me. For me it’s a solitary experience, so I can unlock my lyrics and bare my soul and inspiration.”

Press release:

Says director Benjamin Kutsko, “I was really excited to explore Echo Park as a character in this video, as well as the delicate balance that exists between two people whose relationship has moved from lovers to friends. Those are both ‘places’ where I have found some of my closest loves in this life! Shooting on film was important to me; the second the song begins, it is clear that Harper’s voice doesn’t live in a digital world.”

Harper Simon has been touring throughout North America and Europe since the release of his critically acclaimed self-titled debut, released in Fall 2009 in North America (Vagrant/Tulsi Records) and Spring 2010 worldwide (PIAS). Receiving widespread praise and support both in the States and abroad, Harper has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel Live! and has been championed by BBC Radio 2 in the UK. Amidst headlining tours, Harper made his SXSW and Bonnaroo debuts this year and recently opened for Kris Kristofferson, Tori Amos and Marianne Faithfull. Last week Harper played a very special solo acoustic show to a packed crowd at NYC’s City Winery and will play at the Aarhus Festival in Denmark on August 26.

Harper’s debut is a colorful illustration of his musical vision, filled with ‘60s and ‘70s psychedelic country and rock sounds that make his songs sound as if they could easily fit into the great American songbook. Warm melodies and beautiful lyrics float over lush strings, horns and Harper’s exquisite guitar playing, ushering him onto the scene as a substantial new artist with a sophisticated voice, seriousness of purpose and a boundless appreciation for American music.

Monday 8 November – GLASGOW – The Arches (£9)

Tuesday 9 November – MANCHESTER – Islington Mill (£9)

Wednesday 10 November – LONDON – The Garage (£12.50)

www.myspace.com/wavves

Press release:

Defeater

Massachusetts-based Defeater has been making waves in the heavy music scene since their inception in 2007. The band, known for their narrative writing style and avant-garde take on hardcore, began the recording process last week for their second full-length album. This new album (title TBA) will follow the same conceptual format as their prior releases, 2008’s Travels and 2009’s Lost Ground EP, and will be another musically precise album that will redefine the term “forward-thinking music”. Vocalist Derek Archambault said, “While I can’t give up all of the details on the storyline quite yet, let’s just say that this new album will incorporate themes and characters that the listener has been introduced to already, in addition to bringing some new stuff into the mix. The writing process thus far has been very personally gratifying and I can’t wait to have another chapter of Defeater’s story out for the world to hear.”

The band will spend the next month holed up at Getaway Recording Studio in Wakefield, MA, interestingly enough with their guitarist, Jay Maas, at the helm recording/producing. Maas owns and operates that studio, and has recorded bands like Bane, Cruel Hand, Soul Control and many others there. Maas commented, “The scope of this record is likely the biggest undertaking I’ve done for any band I’ve engineered. The combination of being in Defeater and recording Defeater is great – I feel like my talents as an engineer have developed to a very professional place, as have my skills as a songwriter.”

Musically, Defeater’s new material will “…sound like Defeater. Like Lost Ground, we don’t want to be afraid of trying something new and writing something that ‘doesn’t sound like us’”, said Maas. Archaumbault continued, “Having Jay on board working on the record in addition to being in the band is great and gives us creative control over all facets of the record from start to finish. I’m already really happy with where we are at thus far in the writing and recording process and I can’t wait to announce the surprises we have in store for this album.”

With two releases already under their belt and tours across the globe with bands like Polar Bear Club, Comeback Kid and Make Do and Mend, 2011 is sure to be the biggest and best year in Defeater’s career thus far. And while something called “a new artistic peak for hardcore” (Punknews.org) and “the perfect definition of modern hardcore” (Lambgoat.com) will be hard to top, this second full-length effort is sure to do it. Look for this yet-to-be-titled album to hit shelves in early 2011 and stay tuned for upcoming tour announcements for Defeater in North America and abroad.

www.bridge9.com