Bandcamp Fan Pages

http://bandcamp.com/fans

Somehow Bandcamp have come up with another great idea for the site. It's a thing called Bandcamp Fan Page. It's just in private beta at the moment but I reckon it's really good. Really hope it takes off when it's fully available.

It adds a dash of 'social networking'. Basically, it shows the things you've bought on bandcamp. You can follow your friends and see what they've been getting. Plus you can follow artists and labels you're interested in so you know when they've released something new.

It's not pretending to be Facebook or Twitter and become you're default social networking site. Or Myspace for that matter (apparently they're trying to relaunch - good luck with that......). No, it just adds a small dash of social networking stuff. A bit like last.fm or IMDB or even Discogs.

One nice feature is a thing called a Wishlist. Handy for easily bookmarking things you might like to get. How many times have you listened to a previously unheard band on bandcamp, thought it was good but then kind of just forgot about them? Well, personally, not often enough that I'd lose sleep over it but enough that I appreciate the option is there to kind of bookmark stuff.

I think one really good thing is that it subtly encourages you to pay for music. Peer-to-peer pressure as a friend quipped. If you can see your friends buying music you feel compelled to join in. I know that sounds like I just read Nudge by R Thaler but, well, I did.

If you want to have a look at it then here's my page and here's Kevin's

Lee Gamble - Diversions 1994-1996 LP (Pan)

Lee Gamble 'Diversions 1994-1996' (PAN 33) from PAN on Vimeo.

Buy here - http://boomkat.com/downloads/593097-lee-gamble-diversions-1994-1996

It's on Pan so you know you're in for some top notch experimental electronic music. It's had rave reviews everywhere and I'm not going to dissent here. It's definitely one of the most interesting things I've heard in a while. Both the idea and the execution are spot on.

Basically, it's a cut up mix of the ambient bits on old jungle mixtapes. As a teenager this guy collected them (presumably between 1994 and 1996). He takes the bits where the million mile an hour drums stopped. The calm in the middle of the storm bits. And turns them into something new.

Musically it stands up without needing to know the concept as well. All woozey and hazy.

Give the video above a spin. If you like that you'll like the whole thing. Bought the vinyl as Pan's record packaging is always spot on but Boomkat are selling the FLAC for a quite reasonable £4.99 - http://boomkat.com/downloads/593097-lee-gamble-diversions-1994-1996

Save Us From The Archon - How Terrible, the Undergrowth's Jaws That Tangle

Instrumental tech metal. Progtastic and widdle as fuck. Bit like Behold The Arctopus crossed with Dream Theater. Maybe The Fucking Champs with added synths.

Peachfuzz - We Are Solid State

A few years back a bunch of Leeds/Bradford punk types launched the first DIY Stadium Rock Band, Threads. Full on 70s rock with no pretensions of 'making it'. Happily turning up to play with shouty crust bands in the backrooms of pubs. Just doing the usual DIY punk band thing but playing 70s rock.

Peachfuzz seem to come from a similar place. They're on Bombed Out who are stalwarts of the Yorkshire DIY punk scene. Bombed Out's 15 years of plugging away doing the DIY thing is certainly a big 'up yours' to all the dullard crust punks that bemoaned the 90s post greenday/fat-wreck generation.

Peachfuzz are more of a pop rock thing than Threads though. I swear to god i just heard a riff that plain ripped of Cheap Trick. If you don't like Cheap Trick then you and me are going to have to have serious discussions about your taste in music.

The blurb mentions stuff like Soul Asylum and Sugar and all that 90s jazz. Pretty much bang on.

It's definitely reminiscent of that lost sound without being pointless retro fetishists. Think it kind of comes from that punks that like Bruce Springsteen thing that seems to have been fairly popular recently. I'm going to come out with one of the most controversial things I've written on the internet. I don't really like Bruce Springsteen. Possibly more controversial in some punk circles than my opinion that The Clash only have a couple of good songs. Maybe the Bruce Springsteen thing comes from the occasional bits of harmonica. I'd mention Bob Dylan but I'd only start ranting again.

This is really good though. Peachfuzz have a total grip on writing actual songs with proper hooks and choruses and all the rest. It's a neat little blend of 70s power pop stuff, pop rock and the bands that came from post-major label Husker Du.

Here's the label blurb which is a fair assessment of Peachfuzz's sound:-

Determined not to simply re-trace their steps and release Everything Takes Forever Part 2, Peachfuzz have instead turned everything up to 11 and thrown caution to the wind with 10 tracks that somehow manage to bridge the gap between balls-to-the-wall rock and roll and their softer, more measured power-pop sensibilities.

This is all neatly illustrated by the opening track, a Social Distortion styled punk rock anthem that straight away sets the stage for what's to come.

Only it doesn't. Not really... "Like I Do" comes across like Screaming Trees at their best (Adam even goes a little Mark Lanegan as he repeats the song's title at the end), "If It Makes It Easier" harks back to the Teenage Fanclub influences that have been a part of the Peachfuzz DNA since day one and Nowhere Calling gives definite nods to Neil Young. The album ends with the epic Oh Cordeliah! - the longest track ever to appear on a Bombed Out release which ends things in style with a coda the aforementioned Fannies would have been proud of back in their Bandwagonesque days. Oh, and we've not even mentioned the solos! Dear God... The solos!

Yep, make no mistake - Adam Jones and the lads have gone and done good. We seem to be going through a 90s alt-rock resurgence and 2012 has already blessed us with a great Soul Asylum album and Bob Mould returning to his Sugar-y best so perhaps it's fitting that Peachfuzz have chosen so confidently to push onwards and upwards with We Are Solid State. To put it bluntly, it's a fucking beast.

Wolfbait - s/t tape (Art For Blind)

This is sick.

Horrid, slow, relentless, pulverising dirge.

Swans.

Describe themselves as "kraut violence". Imagine Man Is The Bastard covering a Neu song. But a Neu song written by Chrome at their bad acid addled worst.

Like being tarred and feathered and thrown into a cesspit.

Not sure how I can recommend them much more!

The #1s - s/t 7" (Art For Blind)

2 euros for 2 songs of killer punk/power pop stuff. Been eating stuff like this up recently. Exploding Hearts, Marked Men and older stuff like the Poptopia compilations and Pointed Sticks. Proper memorable pop songs played by punk types that aren't trying to pretend to sound shit. Kind of ramshackle and lo-fi but still trying to be pop if you see what I mean. Been listening to these songs repeatedly and even found myself humming them at work. Great stuff. I'll be surprised if Maximum Rock n Roll and Terminal Boredom don't love em. Get on it now.

Godspeed You Black Emperor - Allelelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!

http://boomkat.com/downloads/585516-godspeed-you-black-emperor-allelujah-don-t-bend-ascend

OK, I'll admit that I was Mr Sneering Cynical Music Snob when I heard that Godspeed were another album. Y'know, "ooh, another load of the same old endless arpeggios". I guess it's not their fault that their sound has launched umpteen thousand dull post rock imitators.

Friends were giving it good reports though so I checked out a youtube video or two. Sounded great. Totally remembered why I liked the band in the first place.

Been listening to it loads recently and it keeps throwing up new things. Oh, and it's a million miles away from generic post-rock blandness. Definitely worth getting, especially as Boomkat are charging just £3.95.

British Murder Boys - Where Pail Limbs Lie

Buy here - http://boomkat.com/downloads/590693-bmb-british-murder-boys-where-pail-limbs-lie

British Murder Boys are back. If you're unaware it's a techno duo of Regis and Surgeon. And it's as good as that sounds.

Boomkat are selling the FLAC for a mere £2.50 Here's a bit of their blurb on it:-

Following a successful live reunion at the maiden Blackest Ever Black night in October 2011, Birmingham's infamous sons have re-entered the studio together, resulting in 'Where Pail Limbs Lie' for Mute's Liberation Technologies. They've practically picked up where they left in 2006, dealing in first class darkside techno. 'Dead Sun' works out their demons on a coercive, roiling rhythm - equal parts Surgeon shunt and the sort of body-gratifying rollige of Regis' Cub or upcoming Ugandan Methods material - mixed with howling synths and garotting strings leading to a superb outro. 'Another Country' is more reserved, introspective, built around hydraulic dub bass and steppin' drums with fibrillating synthlines and icy metallic drones for hypnotic effect. A welcome return. massively Recommended.

Nacht Und Nebel - 466 Days

A new tape of blackened industrial drone made with treated cello and Togotronic electronics.

The tapes are a mere £2 but you can also get a pay-what-you-want download of it.

Nacht Und Nebel have been at this for several years now and it's top tier noise stuff (ie not just any old random sounds). Real powerful stuff.