SnC 235 – Wed 01 September 2010

Podcast: Play in new window

Music right back to 1932 on Suffolk’n’Cool this week – along with lots of newer stuff!
Having spent the past week in winter clothing here in Suffolk, the remains of the summer appear to have gathered themselves up to make a decent show of a few days. The hops growing on the barn seem to appreciate it today releasing clouds of pollen.
 
A Harbour Fair – The Good Ship (Melbourne, Australia)
From the album Avast! Wretched Sea (described as “undulating tales of woe and intrigue”).
John from the band got in touch through mutual contact Mark Muggeridge and popped the album in the post at the end of last week, just before flying off back to Australia.
It’s a wonderfully theatrical album which extends last week’s maritime theme for just one more week. 
As Rave Magazine pointed out “a loud burly chorus of men’s voices it sounds very much like something ole’ sea dogs might sing out at ocean…These rollicking tunes are great for a dance and a laugh, but be warned, these are true sea shanties, complete with coarse and crude lyrics that sometimes tiptoe very closely to the offensive” Oh good!
Wonderfully theatrical songs and a great live show I would imagine. Part of what I am assured is a thriving music scene in Melbourne. The extensive line-up comprises:
Darryl “Graybeard” – wailing, strumming
John “No Time To Wallow In The” Meyer – caterwauling, plucking
Geoff, Son of Will – plinking, clowning
Benny the White Russian – scratching
Janey Mac – plucking
Kat Cooke – blowing
James Lees – hitting
Elly the Ship’s Cat – meowing
Roger the Cabin Boy – comforting
Various scurvy dogs and scoundrels – clapping, cheering, heckling
www.thegoodship.com.au
www.myspace.com/thegoodshipisaverybadship
 
Damn Honey – Simon Fagan (Navan, Ireland)
Simon Fagan is not our typical Irish singer songwriter. Blending elements of gospel and folk with acoustic rock, Simon and band produce a big Americana sound. He’s opened for both Lionel Richie and Smokey Robinson and has sold out shows in Ireland, The UK and Egypt.
Currently on the festival circuit in Ireland, he will be touring throughout Ireland and the UK in September and travelling to Toronto and New York for Indie Week and CMJ Marathon respectively to showcase his music. Further plans are in place to bring his band to Dubai and Qatar in November.
www.simonfagan.net
www.myspace.com/simonfagan
@simonfagan
 
Wings of a Wounded Raven – The Rhythm Kills (Vacaville, CA, USA)
The Rhythm Kills (TRK) started out as an instrumental band in 2005, once the group was fully organized in late 2008, the immediate goal was to rewrite their original music. This brought in a new sound, a new focus and a renewed excitement.
Band members include the talented vocals of James Hopkins, Andrew Gregg (guitar/vox), and Joe Sullivan (bass/vox), formerly from a local Bay Area metal band Murder York , Chris Campbell (guitar/loops) formerly from Romancer and Thee Holy Roman Nightmare. In late 2008, Alex Espinoza (drums) joined the band.
TRK brings the element of surprise into their music. Their signature sound comes from the group’s talent and drive. 
www.myspace.com/therhythmkills
 
Addicted to you – Brother Magnum (Austin, TX, USA)
From the album Feel like a King.
He first started making music at age 11 when he snuck onto his oldest brother’s drum kit and surprised him when he walked in and heard how Magnum had a natural knack for the backbeat. The guitar and keyboards soon followed, and at 13 he played his first show. “All the girls that were there saw me and they were all screaming my name as the lights were flashing. Needless to say, I haven’t been right ever since,” he explains with a chuckle.
His family background and itinerant youth as the child of a career military man also contributes to Magnum’s expansive music, attitudes and world view. His father’s family has Afro-Cuban roots and his mother’s lineage boasts a Native-American heritage. He grew up in various parts of California as well as Texas, Oklahoma, Virginia and Florida, finally landing back in Central Texas by his senior high school years. “The cool thing was that you experienced every kind of culture and all kinds of people, ideologies, and music,” Magnum observes. “My parents are very unique in that they always encouraged us to accept people for who they are, not what they are.” The sum of his considerable musical experience led him to ultimately make the music closest to his heart as Brother Magnum. “For me, it’s more than trying to make it and be a big rock star,” he explains. “I want to do it my way. I want to be able to write the music I feel and bring it to people so they can enjoy it too.”
www.brothermagnum.com
www.myspace.com/brothermagnum
www.cdbaby.com/cd/BrotherMagnum1
 
Heebie Jeebies – The Boswell Sisters
“Heebie Jeebies” is a composition written by Boyd Atkins and achieved fame when it was recorded by Louis Armstrong in 1926. The recording on Okeh Records by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five includes a famous chorus of scat singing. This recording by The Boswell Sisters dates from 1932 a couple of years after they moved to New York and started getting some attention. Their career only lasted until 1935.
There are some videos on YouTube of The Boswell Sisters’s performance in The Big Broadcast try: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jld2Z0TmaXo 
Just a trio of young girls from New Orleans having a great time making music – timeless.
www.bozzies.org/
 
Amsterdam – Hippie Uprising (Vallejo, CA, USA)
Hippie Uprising is a collection of the best musicians from the San Francisco Bay Area playing and singing an eclectic blend of original music in various musical styles including rock, jazz, country, blues and everything else in-between. Many old and new friends were assembled for the first and lat time to make this music and CD truly memorable in more ways than one. Featured performances by Norton Buffalo (harmonica/vocals), Ernest Boom Carter (drums/vocals), Greg Douglas (lead guitar), Naomi Ruth Eisenberg (vocals), Nick Gravenites (vocals), Kathi McDonald (vocals), George Michaelski (piano), Maria Muldaur (vocals), Ben Perkoff (sax), Si Perkoff (piano), Lorin Rowan (guitars/vocals), Bobby Riddell (drums), Jay Russio (vocals), Pete Sears (keys) Lonnie Showtime Walters (percussion) and Steven Webber (bass).
The list of bands that they have produced, performed in recorded or toured with is remarkable.
www.hippieuprising.com
 
Peaceful Buddhist Warrior – The Beautiful Losers (California, USA)
The Beautiful Losers are:
Raj Ramayya – vocals and acoustic guitar
Brett Boyd – electric guitars, 6 and 12-string acoustic guitar, Variax sitar, and banjolin
Appealing to The Beautiful Losers’ vast Indian fan base, “Four Corners Of A Tiny Planet” includes a remake of the blockbuster Bollywood song classic, “Yeh Dosti”, known by virtually every Indian throughout the world.
The Beautiful Losers “Peaceful Buddhist Warrior” (mp3) from “Four Corners Of a Tiny Planet” (Strawberry Hill Music) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album
 
www.reverbnation.com/thebeautifullosers
 
Guiding Light – play_rewind_eject (Ipswich, Suffolk, UK)
“After almost 10 years playing in a rock band I had a mountain of untouched songs, ideas and lyrics that I really wanted to work on” enthuses Pete Thompson who writes, records and performs under the name play_rewind_eject. “I didn’t want to make music that just sounded the same as the band I was in so I took an adventure into the world of samples, midi and synths to create something a little bit different”
The album Never Before but Maybe Again is available for free download at his MySpace and website.
He is playing a local gig (for 18+) on Friday 1st October at The Cork Bar in Felixstowe along with Elephant, Jackknife Horsebox and T Leaves. Starts at 7.
www.playrewindeject.com
www.myspace.com/playrewindeject

Atlantic Castaways – Small City Calling (San Diego, CA, USA)
From their album Oceanus.
Washing up on the shores of San Diego, California, Small City Calling has taken what it means to be an unsigned artist in 2010 and raised the bar. No longer can “potential talent” stay in hiding. The bands frontman and producer, Ryan Erwin started writing, producing and mixing his own records in 2006 and is currently enrolled as a music production/composition major at San Diego State. While living in the student housing his freshmen year, Erwin met and began writing music with Kevin Adams and Jake Falzone. In late 2009 the trio decided on the band name “Small City Calling,” and released their first record The Living Room Demo. Featuring “Hold On” and “Change You” which Erwin wrote and recorded in Los Angeles earlier that year with Keith Cooper of Chamberlain Records. The rest of the 7 songs on The Living Room Demo were recorded and produced by Ryan Erwin and Small City calling in their apartment living room. In early 2010, Hanna Hoffman joined the mix and after a few more shows Small City Calling wrote and recorded The Oceanus EP, a 4 part adventure for any listener. While Small City Calling continues to write and record in their home studio, they never stop playing live shows in the San Diego Area and plan to keep infecting the internet and music scene with their unstoppably catchy blend of acoustics and electronics. P.S- we love you! Thanks to all of our friends and families who support our crazy, overly ambitious dreams! 🙂
www.smallcitycalling.com
www.myspace.com/thesmallcitycalling
 
Adnams Coastal Clean – Saturday 18th September
More information and Contact Emma to book your place.