I can’t believe I’ve already knocked out a month’s worth of these mixes. Well, I will have by the time you finish reading this.
This week’s mix is all about the festivals - with my preview of some rather nice ones taking up the bulk – and some other choice nuggets.
1. Edwyn Collins – A Girl Like You
News reached us this week that a few bands had been added to the rosters of ATP’s two Xmas extravaganzas. Edwyn Collins, he of Orange Juice and surviving some horrific illnesses, has been added to Belle & Sebastian’s Bowlie Weekender, and ‘A Girl Like You’ is the sexiest song ever written by a Scotsman. Fact.
2. Crystal Fighters – I Love London
Backed by the Tragically hip Kitsuné label, Crystal Fighters are one of those dance-punk crossover things, but they do it really very well and will be doing it at this year’s Secret Garden Party.
3. Pulled Apart By Horses – I Punched A Lion In The Throat
Indietracks has an all-kinds-of wonderful line up this year, including Leeds Punks PABH. ‘I Punched a Lion…’ brings the rock in a way that will make you feel all kinds of wrong. Especially if you cringe at the phrase “brings the rock’.
4. Esben and the Witch – Skeleton Swoon
First heard on Dance To The Radio’s selection of four-track mixes (review here) Esben and the Witch are firm ATTN: favourites with their ethereal south coast-electronica in the mould of HTRK, Naked on the Vague et al. They hit up this year’s Truck Festival in a couple of weeks.
5. Wild Beasts – This Is Our Lot
Hooting and Howling is once again all over the airwaves (re-release, I guess?) as the Cumbrian four-piece embark on a festival tour fit for kings. They play near their home town of Kendal at this year’s Kendal Calling. Dire warning – the festival is actually closer to Penrith. Don’t make the same mistake I did and end up in Kendal itself.
6. Liars – Scarecrows On A Killer Slant
Without doubt, the festival to head to (if you listen to us anyway) is Standon Calling. A stellar line up, beautiful setting, and a swimming pool. Honestly, top it. I dare you to try. Plus, they have NYC scatter-punks Liars’ only headline slot on these shores this summer. ‘Scarecrows On A Killer Slant’ is off their fifth LP, ‘Sisterworld’. The review of which, you can read here.
7. Babyhead – Fluff’s Theme (Feat. MC Jakes)
Now for something a little closer to my home. It was something of an event to go and see Babyhead back at college in Glastonbury, even if you hated reggae or any of its amalgamations. Fluff’s theme brings back oh so many memories, most of them involving some terrible skanking and too much MDMA. They play Boomtown Fair (Or maybe run it? It doesn’t say anything on the site) in August.
8. Lovvers – OCD Go Go Girls
Lovvers done got their song on an advert, how delightfully Punk of them. Can’t remember which Ad it is though. Either way, it remains to be a good tune, and you should really take the time to catch their antics at Offset Festival in the Autumn.
9. Wilco – I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
Still soundtracking slightly hipper dinner parties after 16 years, Wilco headline End of the Road Festival this year along with Yo La Tengo and Modest Mouse. This is a take of ‘I Am Trying…’ off the cool-as-fuck ‘Kicking Television’ live album.
10. Godflesh – Christbait Rising
Those rad folk at Capsule done us good this year, with not one, but two flaccidity-busting reformations to headline Supersonic. New-Yoik industrial heroes Swans and ‘the-most-hardcore-band-on-earth’ Godflesh. ‘Christbait Rising’ comes from their seminal LP ‘Streetcleaner’, will scare you catatonic, and a review of the long awaited re-master can be read here.
11. Minutemen – History Lesson Pt. 2
A shit-ton of great bands are slated for Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s Nightmare Before Christmas, so it was hard chosing just the one. In the end, I chose one that doesn’t even exist anymore. Mike Watt will be bringing his solo-stylings in December, but lets hark back to when he was part of the Pedro-anarcho-punks The Minutemen, and remember just how fucking great they were.
12. Jonny Greenwood – Splitter
ATTN:Music Editor Jack Chuter was bowled over by Andrew Carnie’s ‘Dendritic Forms’ exhibition at GV Art in London. It’s hard trying to pick a track to go with it, but ‘Splitter’, from Jonny Greenwood’s ‘Bodysong’ score should compliment the “…attention paid to the aesthetic similarities between the body and trees” nicely.
13. Arab Strap – The Girl I Loved Before I Fucked
Ben D Hall writes nasty stories that will make your toes curl. His first of (hopefully) many for ATTN: is ‘Juliet’. And I can’t think of anything better than the ‘Strap boys to read it to.
WHAT TO DO NOW?