Next Monday (15th) we’ll be releasing Rachael Dadd’s amazing new album Bite The Mountain, along with her new AA single Balloon / Sticking In Pins. Excited. The single comes in a very special format – a handmade badge, containing an original piece of album artwork (a huge patchwork mountain range handmade by Rachael herself), downloads for the two songs, a stop motion video, and an invite to be part of Rachael’s arts project. Rachael is asking anyone with a badge to submit a photo of it in a place of significance to them. The photos will then be part of an exhibition at the end of the year. Check out the brand new stop motion video for her forthcoming single Balloon below, and below that – Rachael making the Bite The Mountain artwork and single badges.
Bite The Mountain, and the Balloon / Sticking In Pins single are both available to buy from our shop here.
We’re excitedly getting set to release an absolute masterpiece of a new album from folk multi-instrumentalist Rachael Dadd. Her new album Bite The Mountain was recorded during Rachael’s recent travels in Japan, and sees her turn her hands to clarinet, piano, ukulele, banjo, thumb piano, organ, guitar, and percussion. You can pre-order the album now by clicking here. To celebrate, Rachael will be touring the UK with This Is The Kit, Rozi Plain, Ichi, Tristram, and Wig Smith… as well as appearances at Green Man, Wilderness, Truck, and WattsFest. We’ve also teamed up with The Local to put on two very special album launches on 15th & 16th July. Ticket links for the album launches, and the complete list of dates are…
9/7 – WATTSFEST
13/7 – MISS PEAPODS, FALMOUTH (WITH ICHI & THIS IS THE KIT)
14/7 – THE CUBE, BRISTOL (WITH ICHI & THIS IS THE KIT)
15/7 – THE KING’S HEAD, LONDON (WITH WHALEBONE POLLY & TRISTRAM) – TICKETS
16/7 – CAFE OTO, LONDON (WITH ICHI, THIS IS THE KIT, & ROZI PLAIN) – TICKETS
19/7 – THE HYDE TAVERN, WINCHESTER (WITH ICHI & ROZI PLAIN)
20/7 – SOUTH STREET ARTS CENTRE, READING (WITH ICHI & ROZI PLAIN)
22/7 – MODERN ART, OXFORD (WITH ICHI & WIG SMITH)
23/7-24/7 – TRUCK FESTIVAL
29/7 – SLAK, CHELTENHAM (WITH ICHI & ROZI PLAIN)
4/8 – CAXTON ARMS, BRIGHTON (WITH ICHI & ROZI PLAIN)
5/8 – THE BLUE BOAR, POOLE (WITH ICHI & ROZI PLAIN)
12/8-14/8 – WILDERNESS FESTIVAL
19/8-21/8 – GREEN MAN FESTIVAL
There’ll be plenty more news to come, but in the meantime why not feast your eyes/ears on this brand new live session – Tower Tower, from Bite The Moutain. You can keep up to date with Rachael’s world by visiting her blog, or her new Facebook page.
This Is The Kit has given us plenty of reasons to smile over the past couple of years, and her new single Earthquake is no exception. It’s quite a departure from the sound we know and love, but every bit as awesome. A pounding full-band vintage sound. Like a missing song from the Pulp Fiction soundtrack. Makes me feel like I should be walking around town with a gym bag full of stolen cash and guns. This can only be a good thing. Earthquake is out on 7″ via the brilliant Need No Water label, and you can get yours here. This Is The Kit will be playing at both of the Rachael Dadd album launch celebrations – on July 15th at The King’s Head as one half of Whalebone Polly (a rare performance from Rachael & This Is The Kit’s side project, alongside Rachael and Tristram), and on July 16th at Cafe Oto as This Is The Kit (along with Rachael, Rozi Plain, and Ichi). You can get tickets for Part 1 here, and Part 2 here.
Another long-time favourite of ours, Rozi Plain has just released a glorious single by the name of Humans. Like her friend This Is The Kit’s Earthquake above, Humans is out through Need No Water. GOOD EARS. You can grab a copy of the 7″ here. Rozi will be joining Rachael Dadd, This Is The Kit, and Ichi for Part 2 of Rachael’s album launch celebrations, on July 16th at Cafe Oto (Dalston). You can get your ticket here.
I have to give a quick mention to an album that’s been keeping me immensely happy the past few weeks – Limerence by Young Montana? Released by Alpha Pup Records, Limerence makes for a massively strong debut. Not a million miles away from the likes of Prefuse 73, Madlib, Gold Panda, and Star Slinger – if any of those folks are your bag, then I strongly recommend checking out this glitchy wonder. Get your copy here.
The new album from Shabazz Palaces drops tomorrow and I for one am very excited. The production is LUSH. It’s released via the solid ears of Sub Pop, and if you fancy a listen then NPR are streaming it in full here.
Very happy to be showing off another great live video of The Mariner’s Children. This time – Coal, from their amazing debut EP New Moore Island. You can of course grab this 5-song masterpiece over at our shop now.
Seeing it’s almost a year to the day that Forest Fire’s debut Survival worked it’s way into Rough Trade’s Top 10 Albums of the Year, it’s fitting that we make a bit of noise for a new song that’s surfaced. Whilst on their recent tour of Europe, Brooklyn’s finest stopped off at Subbacultcha! in Amsterdam for a special acoustic session. If there’s one thing that’s been made pretty clear on this tour, it’s that album #2 is going to be something absolutely incredible. Again.
One of my favourite discoveries of the year without a doubt. Brooklyn’s Das Racist are behind two incredible mixtapes – Shut Up, Dude and more recently, Sit Down, Man. Both are COMPLETELY PERFECT. They’re easily working their way into my most-listened-to sounds of 2010. See what I mean by grabbing Sit Down, Man over at their Bandcamp page. It’s an epic triumph in every way. Beats and lyrics on top form, it doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it definitely isn’t a joke. Love. Even better, they’ll be playing their first London show at Cargo on December 13th. IT WILL BE BRILLIANT.
Last Saturday was spent taking the edge off the previous night’s Caribou/Four Tet/Nathan Fake-related epic joy, at a very special alt-folk night at Utrophia Project Space (a rather brilliant converted ice-cream factory and barn unexpectedly located in the middle of Deptford). The event was part of Folie a Deux’s temporary pop-up art exhibition “I Have This Strange Kind Of Feeling And I Just Can’t Place It”. The exhibition closes this Sunday at 6pm and is well worth checking out. Both the exhibition and alt-folk night mark Folie a Deux’s first official offering to the worlds of art and music, and everything about it screams of triumph.
Amongst the musical wins of this particular night were a band that consistently keep me smiling- Dear Winesburg. They’re no strangers to this blog but following a gorgeous set on Saturday, and realising I haven’t written about them since their debut album came out, some words seem appropriate. Dark Water is an awesome collection of songs, and a wise man would head over to iTunes and grab a copy. Great percussive beats, phenomenal arrangement, spot-on lyrics and the always-totally-perfect violin work Emma Kraemer – of The Mariner’s Children & Peggy Sue, which kinda makes Dear Winesburg extended family in my book. Keep an eye on Bandstand Busking to see their recent live session which will no doubt be making an appearance soon…
