Monday, December 17, 2007

Beard Xmas radio on Subcity.org!




Merry Christmas, it's our final show of the year!

Wild Billy Childish - Christmas 1979 (Christmas 1970, 2007)
James Brown - Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto (Funky Christmas)
Burial - Archangel (Untrue, 2007)
Faust - Jennifer (Faust IV, 1974)
Low - Just Like Christmas (Christmas, 1998)
Baby Dee - Safe Inside The Day (Safe Inside The Day, 2007)
Vialka - Polski Ogorski (Tonight I Show You Fuck, 2002)
Bonnie Prince Billie - I Came To Hear The Music (Ask Forgiveness EP, 2007)
Orange Juice - Holiday Hymn (The Sound Of Young Scotland, 2005)
Jeffrey Lewis - Systematic Death (12 Crass Songs, 2007)
Underground Resistance - Kill My Radio Station (Electronic Warfare 2.0.
2007)
Burning Star Core - Me and My Arrow (Operator Dead, Post Abandoned, 2007)
Coasters - Down In Mexico (Death Proof OST, 2007)
Fanfare Ciocarlia - Hora De Bucharesti (Radio Pascani, 1998)
Phosphorescent – Wolves (S/T, 2007)
Don Cherry - Blue Lake (Blue Lake, 1971)
Marnie Stern - Patterns of A Diamond Ceiling (In Advance of The Broken
Arm, 2007)
Yo La Tengo - It's Christmas Time (Merry Christmas From Yo La Tengo, 2002)
Reuben Anderson - Christmas Time Again (Trojan Reggae Christmas, 1967)
Robert Wyatt - Just As You Are (Comicopera, 2007)
John Wiese - track 3 (Black Magic Pond, 2007)
The Valerie Masters – Christmas Calling (Joe Meek’s Girls)
Shirley Collins & Davey Graham – Cherry Tree Carol (Folk Routes, New Routes, 1966)
Vampire Can't - Wax Lips (Key Cutter, 2005)
Arthur Doyle - Street Prayer (Basement Tapes, 2001)
Nurse With Wound - Two Shaves and A Shine (An Awkward Pause, 1999)
Sunny Murray - Phase 1, 2, 3, 4 (1032, 1966)
John Wiese - track 1 (Black Magic Pond, 2007)
This Heat – 24 Track Loop (This Heat, 1978)
Diana Rogerson…

http://www2.subcity.org/cgi-bin/listen.m3u?beardradio-20071217-96k.mp3

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Beard on Subcity 10.12.07



Listen again to this week's Beard radio show

Led Zeppelin – Immigrant Song (III, 1974)
Karlheinz Stockhausen – Stimmung
Mothers of Invention – Mother People (We’re only in it for the Money, 1968)
Notekillers – Roll Over Stockhausen
Mountain Goats – The Best Ever Death Metal Band In Denton
Alistair Crosbie – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (A Glasgow Wassail, 2007)
Miles Davis – On The Corner (On the Corner, 1972)
Jeffrey Lewis – Do They Owe Us? (12 Crass Songs)
Cardiacs – Gen (CD single, 2007)
Wu Tang Clan – Campfire (8 Diagrams)
Nic Jones – Humpback Whale (Penguin Eggs)
Fat Worm of Error – Return of the Thin White Dook (Ambivalence and the Beaker)
Karlheinz Stockhausen – Kontakte (edit)
Temptations – Psychedelic Shack
Michel Polnareff – Ne Dans Un Ice Cream
The Monsoon Bassoon – The Very Best of Bad Luck 97 (I Dig Your Voodoo, 1999)
Karen Dalton – Something’s On Your Mind
Thoth – The Herma, Scene 5: Recitation/An (Songs in the Key of Z, 2000)
Black Dice – Gore (Load Blown)
Harvey Milk – I’ve Got a Love (Special Wishes, 2006)
Ghostface Killa – Walk Around (Big Doe Rehab)
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – Puppet Show (In Glorious Times, 2007)
Liars – Let’s Not Wrestle Mount Heartattack
Raymond Scott – Sleepy time (Sotthing Sounds for Baby, Vol. 1, 1963)
Getachew Mekuria & The Ex & Friends *

Monday, December 03, 2007

Beard on Subcity radio 3.12.07





Thought that was a good show tonight. Some cheap innuendo from Neil and myself, and a right slagging of Morrissey. Musically we had Stevie Wonder as featured artist, and a fine selection of tunes that takes in Norwegian bizarro-prog-metal, Japanese underground jazz-pop, a collaboration between Morecambe & Wise's guitarist and the dark prince of Japanese noise rock, motorik grooves both German and Canadian, Iranian classical masters, and the dadaist soundtrack to a Czech new wave Classic.

Listen again!

Neu! - Heroes (Neu! 75, 1975)
Holy Fuck - Super Inuit (LP, 2007)
Sodastream - Keith and Tina (Take Me With You When You Go EP, 2005)
Melvins - The Talking Horse (A Senile Animal, 2006)
Stevie Wonder - Work Out Stevie Work Out (1963)
Loretta Lynn - Don't Come Home Drinkin' With Loving On Your Mind (1968)
Nina Nastasia - While We Talk (Run To Ruin, 2003)
Throwing Muses - Call Me (Throwing Muses, 1986)
Stevie Wonder - Hey Love (1966)
Shining - Winterreise (Grindstone, 2007)
Bobby Conn - United Nations (Rise Up, 1998)
Tenniscoats - Rolling Train (Tan-Tan Therapy, 2007)
Stevie Wonder - If You Really Love Me (Where I'm Coming From, 1971)
Daniel Johnston - Joy Without Pleasure (Songs Of Pain, 1981)
"Man With Typewriter" - Sedmikrasky (Daisies OST, 1967)
Sebadoh - Soul & Fire (Bubble & Scrape, 1993)
Stevie Wonder - I Believe When I Fall In Love (Talking Book, 1972)
The Fugs - Boobs A Lot (First Album, 1967)
The Pastels - Worlds Of Possibility (single version) (1995)
Derek Bailey & Keiji Haino - Umi Ga Ichiban Muchi (Songs, 2000)
"Food Fight" - Sedmikrasky (Daisies OST, 1967)
Swell Maps - Cake Shop (Jane From Occupied Europe, 1980)
Butthole Surfers - Ricky (Hairway To Steven, 1988)
Stevie Wonder - Visions (Innervisions, 1973)
Payvar Ensemble - Dastgah Chahargah (Persian Music comp)
Stevie Wonder - Living For The City (Innervisions, 1973)

Sunday, December 02, 2007

Beard on Subcity.org 26.11.07




Apologies for the delay in posting this up, but you can still tune in to last week's Beard show on Subcity radio. At least until the new show goes on air. Listen in tomorrow night as we celebrate the music of Stevie Wonder. We're gonna be playing some lesser known gems from the godlike genius that is Stevie's career. We'll also be playing new stuff from Tenniscoats, Holy Fuck, Melvins and more! And our chum Ronda-Lee will be popping in with some esoteric selections from her adventures in record collecting.

Anyway, here's what we played on the current show. Shirley Collins was our featured artist.

King Crimson – 21st Century Schizoid Man (In The Court of The Crimson King, 1969)
The Replacements – Alex Chilton (Pleased To Meet Me, 1987)
Yoko Oh No! – Castle Milk (CD-R 2007)
Devo – Space Junk (Are We Not Men? 1979)
Oxbow – The Stick (Evil Heat…)
MIA – Boyz (Kala, 2007)
Kate Bush – Cloudbusting (Hounds Of Love, 1984)
Shirley & Dolly Collins – Gilderoy (1978)
Shirley Collins – The Tide Flows In (Power OF The True Love’s Knot, 1967)
Richard Youngs – I Need The Light (Autumn Response, 2007)
Toumani Diabate & Ali Farka Toure – (In The Heart Of The Moon, 2005)
Halo Benders – Virginia Reel Around The Fountain (The Rebels Not In, 1998)
Deerhoof – Matchbook Seeks Maniac (Friend Opportunity, 2007)
The Troggs – A Girl Like You (7”, 1966)
Shirley Collins – Polly Vaughn (Sweet Primroses, 1967)
Shirley Collins –
Carla Bley – Long Song Sung
Pete Rock & CL Smooth – TROY (Mecca & The Soul Brother, 1992)
Dusty Springfield – Love Power (Definitely Dusty, 1968)
Bobb Trimble – Glass Menagerie Fantasies (Iron Curtain Innocence, 1982)
Basil Kirchin – Tzuris Oy Vey (Particles, 2007)
Daevid Allen –
Shirley Collins & The Albion Band – Murder of Maria Marten (No Rose, 1972)
Tom Jones – Polk Salad Annie (Tom!, 1970)

Saturday, December 01, 2007

No Age, Battles, and more, practicing!




That's right! We at Beard love No Age (see our review of their Glasgow gig earlier this year) and their righteous two-men plus pedals punk rock gospel. You can watch them practicing and shooting the shit about MC Hammer on VBS.tv.

And while you're at it check out the other clips featuring such Beard favourites as Battles, Holy Fuck, Espers, and our new favourite Philippino hardcore band, Vampire State. Alright!

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Beard on Subcity radio - Monday 19 November






Listen again!


Presented by Stewart and Reuben, this week’s show is a commotion of sweet soul, Brazilian grooves, funky breaks, rare Swedish psych-pop-jazz, Glaswegian noise, Brightonian choral indie, British jazz, and John Peel indebted folk.

Al Green – Belle (The Belle Album, 1978)
Caetano Veloso – Tropicalia (Caetano Veloso, 1968)
My Bloody Valentine – Feed Me With Your Kiss (Isn’t Anything, 1989)
Melt Banana – The Call of the Vague (Bambi’s Dilemma, 2007)
Electrelane – The Valleys (The Power Out, 2004)
Kylie Minoise – Hot Teens Hooked on Cosmetics (Spank Magic Lodge, 2006)
Meat Puppets – Up On The Sun (Up On The Sun, 1984)
Graham Collier – Lullaby For A Lonely Child
Shyster - Tick Tock
Fat Worm Of Error – Red Melting Plastic Box (2003)
Flower Travelling Band – Satori
Dick Hyman – Give It Up Or Turn It Loose
Phosphene & Friends feat Bridget St John – Ask Me No Questions (Pickled Egg 7”)
Girls Aloud – Sexy No No No (Tangled Up, 2007)
Basil Kirchin – Prelude and Dawn (Abstractions of the Industrial North, 1966)
Bonzo Dog Band – Equestrian Statue (Gorilla, 1967
Cowtown – Curtis Tigers (Pine Cone Express, 2006)
Lou Rawls – For What It’s Worth (I Can’t Make It Along – The Axelrod Years)
James Blackshaw – Running To The Ghost (The Cloud of Unknowing, 2007)
Todd Rundgren – International Feel (A Wizard A True Star, 19
Selda – Maydan Sizndir (Selda, 1978)
Doris Svensson – You Never Come Closer (Did You Give The World Some Love Today Baby, 1970)
Gowns – White Like Heaven (Red State, 2007)
Link Wray – Ace of Spades
John’s Children – Midsummer Night’s Scene

Monday, November 12, 2007

Beard on Subcity radio 12/11/07 - listen again!!!

Stew and Matt (and our new producer Jo!) bring you a lovely selection of beauty, noise and excitement! And some nonsense.

Good show this. Decided I should really do some notes about some of the tracks we played.

Absolutely loving Bobb Trimble: private press psych pop from the early 80s. He has a beautiful keening high tenor voice somewhere between Ben Chasny and Big Star's Chris Bell. And the effects laden production is amazing - genuinely woozy and psychedelic. An amazing rediscovery from Secretly Canadian.

The new Richard Youngs is stunning too, while the Daniel Higgs song is intense, Old Testament avant-Appalachia of the highest order.

Gloriously daft punk-prog-anti-folk fun from the wonderful Le Club Des Chats. We saw these cats (pun intended) in Glasgow recently and were suitably blown away and delighted by their brilliantly inventive and cute absurdism. Like Vialka crossed with Beat Happening.

Plenty of kick ass rocking sounds in this show of course. That Edgar Broughton tune is a medley of Beefheart's Drop Out Boogie and The Shadow's Apache. Brilliant!!! Awesome Acid Mothers, and nice and queasy stuff from White Mice and the Cardiacs. New That Fucking Tank single, with guest vocals from Giles, formerly of Danananaykroyd, is a belter, with plenty of twists and tangents and wrought iron riffage.

Really lovely stuff from Rock Action's latest signing Remember Remember. The solo project of Glasgow's Graeme Ronald (Multiplies, Royal We, Sexy Kids et al), he creates lovely minimalist reveries from guitar, glockenspiel, delays and loops. He's supporting AMT in Glasgow on Friday. Hopefully we'll see a release on RA before too long.

The playlist in full:

Motorhead - Motorhead (1977)
Edgar Broughton Band - Drop Out Apache (1970)
Bill Wells - Also In White (Also In White, 2002)
Richard Youngs - Low Bay of Sky (Autumn Response, 2007)
Bobb Trimble - Armour of the Shroud (Harvest of Dreams
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Helen (House Arrest, 2005)
Cardiacs - Fiery Gun Hand (Sing To God Part 1, 1999)
Les Club Des Chats - Molehill (Pump Up The Seed EP, 2006)
That Fucking Tank - The Awesome Magnet (7", 2007)
Dananananaykroyd - Hey Giles (Totally Bone 7", 2006)
Shangri Las - I Can Never Go Home Anymore
White Mice - Violence of the Lambs (Blassstphlegmeice, 2007))
Dillinger Escape Plan - Black Bubblegum (Ire Works, 2007)
Tlahoun Gessesse - Sema (The Very Best of Ethiopiques)
Robert Wyatt - You (Comicopera, 2007)
Daniel Higgs - Love Abides (Metempsychotic Melodies, 2007)
Remember Remember - Excerpt From Palindrome
(myspace.com/rememberremember)
Holy Fuck - Safari (LP, 2007)
The Spotniks - The Rocket Man (1962)
Van Halen - I'm The One (Van Halen, 1978)
Royal Trux - Stevie (for Steven S), (Accelerator, 1998)
Acid Mothers Temple - Starless and Bible Black Sabbath (SBBS, 2005)

Listen again here!

And as a special Beardblog bonus, here are the Spotniks, Sweden's finest surf band, with The Rocket Man!!!

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Beard radio!

It's another exciting edition of Beard Radio!

This week’s featured artist – Ian Svenonious!!!

Ian MacBeth (Monorail, Missing) drops by to share his love for the man behind The Make Up, Weird War and Nation of Ulysses.

Plus absurd chat about Skrewdriver and Donovan!!!

Kiss – Hotter Than Hell
Brian Eno – King’s Lead Hat
Royal We – I Hate Rock ‘n Roll
The Go-Gos – We Got The Beat
Tattie Toes – Taiko Lullaby
Nation of Ulysses – The Shape of Jazz To Come
Animal Collective – Reverend Green
Nation of Ulysses – Shakedown
Bikini Kill – Rebel Girl
U-Roy – I’m Going To Wear You To The Ball
Make Up – Prelude To A Comedown/Can I Hear U Say ‘Yea’
Yamasuki –
No Age – Neck Escaper
Lee Hazelwood – You Look Like A Lady
Make Up – White Belts
Mission of Burma – Academy Fight Song
Weird War – I’ll Never Forget Whatshisname
Naftule Branwein - ?
Scene Creamers – Love Wuz
Roy Orbison – In Dreams
Make Up – P.O.W. To The People

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Ian Svenonious speaks to Mark E Smith!




Our featured artist on Beard radio next week is Ian Svenonious. From Nation of Ulysses through The Make Up and David Candy, to Scene Creamers and Weird War, Svenonious is one righteous, funny and cool motherfucker, communicating radical left-wing politics, mind-boggling conspiracies, and gospel power via an inspired blend of punk, hardcore, funk, psych, free jazz, mod and freakbeat. Last year he published the little pink book The Psychic Soviet, where he expounds on politics and music in his uniquely tangential and inspired manner.

And now he's a chat show host. The first season of Soft Focus saw Svenonious interview the likes of Genesis P'Orridge, Ian Mackaye, Andrew WK and Chan Marshall.

This go-round he's in England to round up and interview the cream of the UK's musical crop. First up, Mark E. Smith, frontman and only continous member of the greatest Manchester band of all time, the Fall (sorry, 808 State). If you're familiar with the man and his work with the press, you're probably aware of the challenge Ian faced in sitting down with him to chat. Well, you'll either be pleased or disappointed to learn that ol' slurry neither punched nor pissed in a bucket by him during the taping. He talked about sports.

The first part of the first ever Soft Focus UK!
Mark E. Smith talks to Ian Svenonius!

Monday, October 29, 2007

Halloween Spooky Special 29.10.07

On www.subcity.org

Featured artist Screaming Lord Sutch

Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Birthday Party - Release The Bats
The Moontrekkers - Night of the Vampire
The Mummies - House on the Hill
Mount Vernon Arts Lab - The Black Drop/The Submariners Song
Fantomas - Rosemary's Baby
Third Ear Band - Dagger & Death
France Gall - Frankenstein
Serge Gainsbourg - Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde
Tristam Cary - Quatermass & The Pit Section 5
Tom Waits - What's He Building In There
Mr Gasser & The Weirdos - Surfer Ghoul
Electric Wizard - Vinum Sabbati
Space Lady - I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night
Screaming Lord Sutch - Fallen In Love With A Monster Man
Screamin' Jay Hawkins - I Put A Spell On You
Screamin' Lord Sutch - 'Til The Following Night
Screamin' Lord Sutch - Dracula's Daughter
Albert Ayler - Ghosts
Eilert Pilarm - Jailhouse Rock
Goblin - Suspiria
Celtic Frost - Dying God Coming Into Human Flesh
The Shaggs - It's Halloween
The Frantics - Werewolf
Holy Modal Rounders - Werewolf
Scott Walker - And Who Shall Go To The Ball Part 4
Dead Kennedys - Halloween
Ennio Morricone - The Bird With The Crystal Plumage

Listen again here.

They never time the listen again thing quite right, so don't worry if you don't hear Sabbath jumping out of your speakers right away, it takes a minute or two.

And as a blog special extra, here's the Screaming Lord in action!

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Beard Halloween Special on Subcity.org


Tune in, if you dare, to the terrifying, unsettling, freaky and ghoulish Beard Halloween Special!!!!

Tremble!

...as Sinister Stew, Nefarious Neil, Monstrous Matt and Reuben The Ripper bring you two hours of sonic terror and creeping dread!

Scream!

...as we dredge up the most horrifying sounds from the Beard crypt of fear.

Monday 28th, 6-8pm and available to listen again.

www.subcity.org

Monday, October 22, 2007

Beard on subcity.org 22 Oct

Hmmm, the html is being weird so instead of nice hyperlinks this will just have to look ugly!

http://www2.subcity.org/cgi-bin/listen.m3u?beardradio-20071022-96k.mp3

To celebrate the Boredoms' return to Scotland this show mainly consists of Japanese psych, rock, prog, noise, punk and free jazz! With a few diversions into folk, Krautrock, indie and Czech surrealist film soundtracks...

Melt Banana – Cracked Plaster Cast (Bambi's Dilemma, 2007)
Maher Shalal Hash Baz – King Of The North (Blues Du Jour, 2003)
Boredoms – B For Boredoms (Chocolate Synthesiser, 1994)
Boredoms – Super AE (Super AE, 1998)
Lubos Fiser – Valerie & Her Week Of Wonders (Valerie OST, 1968)
Fiery Furnaces – (Widow City, 2007)
Nagisa Ni Te – Me On The Beach (You Don't Need Darkness…, 2001)
Makoto Kawabata & Richard Youngs – untitled (S/T, 2001)
Kaoru Abe – untitled http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6gyIHldJyg
Acid Mothers Temple – Occie Lady (New Geocentric World, 2002)
Mainliner – Cockamamie (Mellow Out, 1996)
Meg Baird – Willie O'Winsbury (Dear Companion, 2007)
Afrirampo – I Am A Bird (Kore Ga Mayaku Da, 2005)
Ruins – Celledomi Guatzo (Pallaschtom, 2000)
Koenjihyakkei – Cambell Rotta (Viva Koenji! 1996)
OOIOO – UMA (Taiga, 2006)
Harmonia – Arabesque (Live, 2007)
JA Caesar – Jashumon part 4 (Jashumon, 1970)
Flower Travellin' Band – Satori part 1 (Satori, 1972)
Ghost – Caledonia (In Stormy Nights, 2007)
Boredoms – Circle (Vision Creation New Sun, 2000)
Ground Zero – Those Were The Days (Plays Standards, 1997)
Merzbow – Spiral Blast (Pulse Demon, 1996)

Oh dear, it appears some technical mishap means the Ground Zero track is silent! Argh, my bad. We'll play it another time!

Also, if you want to hear the first two tracks, tune into the previous show, Stereo Trash. It's a tip top show so it's well worth tuning into anyway.
http://www2.subcity.org/cgi-bin/listen.m3u?stereotrash-20071022-96k.mp3

Next week, Spooky Halloween special!!!

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Beard restocks - Monorail, Rough Trade

Hello,

Monorail
Music in King's Court, Glasgow, has a fresh batch of Beards on sale now. They have a bunch of the current 6 at £2.50 and a limited number of 5 for the bargain price of £1!!!

We've also dropped a few copies of Beard 6 off at the new Rough Trade East, just off Brick Lane, London.

Beard 6 (Summer 2007)

Featuring interviews with:
Vashti Bunyan
Silver Jews
Jeffrey Lewis
Howe Gelb
Gay Against You
Dananananaykroyd
Nina Nastasia
Kaz

Beard 5

Featuring interviews with:
Robert Wyatt
Shirley Collins
and more!

Other stockists...

Analogue
and Avalanche in Edinburgh
Glastonbury High St!

Beard is also available through mail order.

Beard 6 is £3.50 via paypal to beardmag@yahoo.co.uk
Beard 5 is £2.00 via paypal to beardmag@yahoo.co.uk
Or buy both for £4.50!

We'll also post overseas - email us to check the postage price.

Beard radio on subcity.org - current show available to listen again. New show every Monday from 6-8pm.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Beard radio

No featured artist this week. Instead the thread loosely hanging the show together (ahem!) is the stuff I found in the MVE Basement in Notting Hill Gate - everything from Pentangle and the Tornados, to Atahualpa Yupanqui and Duane Eddy. Nice!

Radio Birdman – Aloha Steve & Danno
Mothers of Invention – Who Needs The Peace Corps? (We’re Only In It For The Money, Reprise, 1967)
Dirty Projectors – Gimme Gimme (Rise Above, Rough Trade, 2007)
Mr Bungle – Ars Moriendi (California, Warners, 2001)
The Tornados – Telstar (Decca, 1962)
Marnie Stern – Every Single Line Means Something (In Advance Of The Broken Arm, Kill Rock Stars, 2007)
The Blow – Parentheses (Paper Television, Tomlab/K, 2006)
Gay Against You – Telerad (Musclemilk, Adaadaat, 2006)
Duane Eddy – Guitar Man
The Spotniks – Galloping Guitars
Os Mutantes – Ando Meio Desligado
Atahualpa Yupanqui – Cancion Del Canaverel
Garnett Mimms – As Long As I Have You
Sir Richard Bishop – Free Masonic Guitar (Polytheistic Fragments, Drag City, 2006)
Bill Wells & Maher Shalal Hash Baz – On The Beach Boys Bus (Osaka Bridge, Karaoke Kalk, 2006)
Pentangle – Train Song (Basket of Light, Transatlantic, 1969)
Lucky Luke – Fear Eats The Soul (Patrick The Survivor, Invada, 2005)
Can – Vitamin C (Ege Bamyasi, Spoon, 1972)
Tinariwen – Maladjem Yinmixan (Anam Iman, World Circuit, 2007)
Rezillos – Top Of The Pops (Sire, 1978)
Pulsallama – The Devil Lives In My Husbands Body (Y Records 1982)
Final Fantasy – Arctic Circle (He Poos Clouds, Tomlab, 2006)
Buck Owens – Who’s Gonna Mow Your Lawn (1969)
Shirley Collins & Albion Band – Poor Murdered Woman (No Roses, Harvest, 1971)
Magik Markers – Empty Bottles (Boss, Ecstatic Peace, 2007)
Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band – Michael
The Rutles – I Must Be In Love

Monday, October 08, 2007

Beard radio 8 October playlist



This week's show is available to listen again

Our SST special went a bit like this...

This week's bed music was from Supersonic Guitars Vol.2 by Billy Mure (MGM, 1959)

Husker Du – New Day Rising (New Day Rising, SST, 1984)
Minutemen – Corona (Double Nickels On The Dime, SST, 1984)
The Monks – Shut Up
Fiery Furnaces – Egyptian Grammar (Widow City, Drag City, 2007)
Hank Williams – Long Gone Lonesome Blues
Dinosaur Jr – Little Fury Things (You’re Living All Over Me, SST, 1987)
Black Flag – Rise Above (Damaged, SST, 1981)
Electrelane – To The East (No Shouts, No Calls, Too Pure, 2007)
Guanoman – 14 Deaths of Monroe Simmons
Baby Huey – Hard Times (The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend, Curtom 1970)
Meat Puppets – Plateau (II, SST, 1983)
Meat Puppets – Two Rivers (Up On The Sun, SST, 1984)
Scatter – Mountain Announces (The Mountain Announces, Blank Tapes, 2006)
Opal – Rocket Machine (Happiest Nightmare, SST, 1987)
Negativland – Car Bomb (Escape From Noise, SST, 1987)
Robert Wyatt – AWOL (Comicopera, Domino, 2007)
Sonic Youth – Expressway To Yr Skull (Evol, SST, 1986)
Sonny Sharrock – Black Woman (Black Woman, Water, 1969)
The United States Of America – Coming Down (S/T, Sundazed reissue, 2004)
Husker Du – Pink Turns To Blue (Zen Arcade, SST, 1984)
Minutemen – Vietnam (Double Nickels, SST, 1984)
Blind Idiot God –
Dirty Projectors – Six Pack (Rise Above, Rough Trade, 2007)
Firehose – Brave Captain (Ragin’, Full On, SST, 1986)
Dinosaur Jr – Sludgefeast (You’re Living All Over Me, SST, 1987)

We said we'd play My War by Black Flag at the end. But I miscued the cd. Argh! Nevermind, you got an awesome Dino song instead. And we'll play said BF song next week.

Sunday, October 07, 2007

Beard Subcity radio playlist for Monday 1.10.07

Beard Subcity radio playlist for Monday 1.10.07

You can tune in again by going to www.subcity.org and selecting Listen Again.

Jean Claude Vannier special!!!

Bernard Hermann – The Man Who Knew Too Much (The Essential Film Music Collection: Bernard Hermann, Silva Screen, 2006)
Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band – Moonlight On Vermont (Troutmask Replica, Reprise, 1969)
Panda Bear – Comfy In Nautica (Person Pitch, Paw Tracks, 2007)
The Congos – Children Crying (Heart of the Congos, Blood & Fire, 1978)
MIA – Bird Flu (Kala, XL, 2007)
Andre Herman Dune – Here With Me (AHD Sings Dido, CDR, 2006)
Little Tommy Brown – Don’t Leave Me (All Tore Up, Bluesbeat Records, 1999)
*Jim O’Rourke on Jean Claude Vannier*
JC Vannier – L’Enfant Au Royaume Des Mouches (L’Efant Assassin Des Mouches, Finders Keepers reissue 2006. Original 1972)
Francoise Hardy – Dame Souris Trotte (Soleil, EMI France, 1970)
Magik Markers – Axis Mundi (Boss, Ecstatic Peace, 2007)
Betty Davis – Ooh Yeah (Betty Davis, Just Sunshine, 1973)
Peter Brotzmann Octet – Machine Gun Take 2 (Machine Gun, FMP, 1968)
Serge Gainsbourg/JC Vannier – La Horse (La Horse, 1969)
JC Vannier – L’Enfant la Mouche et les Alumettes
*Jean Claude Vannier interview!!!*
Serge Gainsbourg – Ballade De Melody Nelson (L’Histoire De Melody Nelson, Polydor, 1971)
Fanfare Ciocarlia – Hora De Bucharest (Radio Pascani, Pirhana,1998)
Alasdair Roberts – Firewater (Amber Gatherers, Drag City, 2007)
The Royal We – All The Rage (Single, Geographic, 2007)
Jim O’Rourke – All Downhill From here (Insignificance, Domino, 2001)
Parliament – Testify (Up For The Down Stroke, Casablance, 1974)
Sensational Alex Harvey Band – Next (Next, Vertigo, 1973)
Robert Wyatt – A Beautiful Day (Comicopera, Domino, 2007)
Fleetwood Mac – The Ledge (Tusk, Reprise, 1979)
Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg – Chanson De Slogan (Slogan, 1969)
Charalambides – Walking Through The Graveyard (Likeness, Kranky, 2007)
Comus – Diana (First Utterance, Dawn,1971)

Next week we're doing a featured label rather than a featured artist. And that label is legendary post-hardcore stable SST!!! Expect lots of Black Flag, Husker Du, Minutemen, Meat Puppets and Descendents, as well as less obvious stuff like Negativland. That's Monday 8th October, 6-8pm.

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Jean Claude Vannier and Jim O'Rourke on Beard radio!



It’s Monday, it’s 6pm, it’s time to tune into Beard on Subcity radio for some smooth drive time sounds…

Fuck that, it’s time to blow your mind with two hours of cult and underground music!

Our featured artist this week is Jean-Claude Vannier, the unsung French hero who arranged Serge Gainsbourg's masterpiece L'Histoire De Melody Nelson, and created the insane orgy of orchestral-psych-raga-funk-prog-concrete that is L’Enfant Assassin De Mouche.

"This is one of those records that you really can't believe whilst you're listening to it; maybe someone spiked your drink? Or maybe you are actually dreaming, it doesn't really exist? So you put it on again just to check, pinching yourself to make sure. Yep, here it comes again - insane guitar? Check, unhinged orchestra? Check, demented choir? Check. Haunted by the ghost of Gainsbourg this record is real, you really need it in your life."
JARVIS COCKER (PULP)

Beard shall bring you an exclusive interview with Vannier himself!

And what’s more, we’ve got super-fan and US underground polymath Jim O’Rourke waxing lyrical!

All this and new music from Magik Markers, Charalambides, Robert Wyatt, Panda Bear, Sunburned Hand of The Man and more!!!

Beard radio
www.subcity.org
6-8pm, Monday, 1st October.
Available to listen again throughout the week.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Y'all Is Fantasy Island, Tues Oct 9


Y'all Is Fantasy Island


Y'all is Fantasy Island's debut album "In Faceless Towns Forever" was recorded in an abandoned house late in August of 2005 in a 19 hour session and is available now.

The band plan to issue the EP "Once, To Sunshine No More" in late October 2007.

"Falkirk's Y'all is Fantasy Island temper their knowing indie literacy with pretence-free presentation, their faded polaroid confessionals created from with bowed guitar and cold, sepulchral drone." - Plan B Magazine (Louis Pattison)

Support to be confirmed!

Shambolic DJ goodness from the Beard gang.

13th Note Cafe
King St
Glasgow
Tuesday 9th October, 8pm
£4

Monday, September 10, 2007

Beard on Subcity radio!



Beard magazine takes over the airwaves for a new show on Glasgow University's Subcity radio.

Stew and Neil present two mind blowing hours of cult, underground and esoteric music. Expect pop, punk, psych, folk, prog, jazz, noise, country, improv, funk, electronica, hip-hop...

Special session guests! Like the Velvet Underground and Fairport Convention having a hoedown in Kelvingrove Park, the mighty Lucky Luke will be in to play some new songs!

We'll be celebrating the career of Beard hero Robert Wyatt and previewing some tracks from his amazing new album, Comic Opera. And you can hear excerpts of Beard's interview with the great man.

We'll be previewing Monorail film club's Sep 23 screening of Silver Jew, a documentary on David Berman and his merry band, and Holy Modal Rounders, a film about the 60s cult legends.

And listen out for our jingles, recorded specially for us by some of the leading names in the music industry. Not 'alf!

You can listen live on the radio and online. But don't worry if you're otherwise engaged, you can listen again online throughout the week.

Tuesday 29th September, 7-9pm on 106.6FM or www.subcity.org

There are a host of new shows for the new term. We can heartily recommend the show from DIY promoters extraordinaire, Nuts & Seeds. That's on Monday 27th from 2-4pm and is sure to rock your socks. And big Beardy love goes out to Black Static Transmissions, who will be bringing the NOISE right after we go out on the Tuesday.

To whet your appetite, here's a sublime clip of Robert Wyatt performing Sea Song with trombone goddess Annie Whitehead...

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Drunk at the Pulpit





Warning: our DJ set may contain prog. Bwah ha ha!

Drunk at the Pulpit



Warning: our DJ set may contain prog. Bwah ha ha!

Thursday, August 30, 2007



Various artists
Now We Are Ten
(Trunk Records)


Trunk Records’ slogan is Music, Sex and Nostalgia. You’ll find all those pleasures here and much more to boot on this delectable celebration of Jonny Trunk’s diligent decade of unearthing and bringing to a wider audience all manner of aural exotica and fruity musical fare.

The ignoramuses out there (and, boy, there are loads of you walking around Brighton like some fuck-witted, Chelsea booted extra from Austin Powers) might use the dreaded adjective or, heaven for-fucking-bid, the NOUN “kitsch” when speaking about the plethora of musak Mr Trunk has spent a long time lovingly excavating cardboard mould encrusted record boutiques for. Sure, Mike Sammes’ Timex advert included here (It’s a gift/It’s a Timex!) might sound decidedly, er, ‘swinging’ but there’s a sophistication about the music that typifies this wonderful collection. Listen to that bass, those vibes, close your eyes at the start when the train station ambience kicks things off and the Timex advert (yes, an advert for a watch) could almost be an out take from Pet Sounds! Advertising executives don’t make music to make you buy shit like that any more.

It’s as genuine and as damn ‘authentic’ as Mr Wilson’s ode to long haired girls and getting married young and that’s why the collection works so well – don’t let the kitsch crowd tell you any different. What else is on offer? John Cameron’s Kes soundtrack…words fail me. This is perhaps the most sublime piece of music put to film, to listen to it is to remember all the innocence, anger and enquiring naivety of early adolescence - bucolic and beautiful: here be the human condition in all its confounding complexity and it makes me weep; the British jazz of Michael Garrick’s Trio and their smoky, late night lament, Sketches of Israel; Sammes again on the harp assisted, sleepy-time Sandman groove, Sweet Young Fumbles; Mark Wilkinson’s Blood on Satan’s Claw soundtrack outtake and the ubiquitous presence of stern faced hard-body, Delia Derbyshire, gift us some sublime and eerie primitive electronica; the staccato, strident drum fills that underpin the gorgeous chord progressions of Sven Libaek’s melancholic Moog music film score before it erupts into this peculiar, bittersweet horn crescendo to signal the song’s end; the warm and fuzzy folk of Orriel Smith – like Vasthi Bunyan with candy rotted dentures…so much, there’s so much to dive into. Did I mention the Herbie Hancock rarity?

On paper it sounds like God’s own stuck elevator music compilation….now that’s what I call musical purgatory 235! But it all sits together as a coherent and sublimely accessible album. Quite a feat and more than reason for you to investigate. There’s a whole world of this out there…

Rich Hanscomb

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Vibrational mashup

Ok, so our blogposts are going to be a lot more regular from now on. No, really! There are some exciting things happening in Beardland and we want to keep you updated.

Firstly we're starting a radio show on Glasgow's Subcity on Tuesday 18th September. Expect our usual mix of underground pop, punk, prog, psych, folk, noise, jazz and stupidity, except in radio form. More news about this soon!

And in October we're starting a monthly live music and DJ night in the 13th Note. Again, more details to follow!

More regular posts will follow: gig and record reviews, band and song recommendations, interviews and various musings. We'll have a review of this year's Green Man festival up in a couple of days.

In the meantime, check THIS out!!! A mashup that actually works (and how!) twixt Beard's favourite fret tapper Marnie Stern and r n b lady Lil Mama. It's so good we're lost for words. All we can really say is that it totally rules doods and you should listen to it. LOUD!

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Yes, Beard #6 is out!

That's right, the brand new, long awaited Beard #6 has been unleashed! It's been out since late May in fact. I just don't keep this blog updated much now that we have fallen for the evil corporate charms of myspace. Anyway...



Vashti Bunyan
The folk-pop legend brews up a cuppa and tells Beard about her remarkable life, from working with Andrew Loog-Oldham to the Animal Collective, and travelling through the Scottish Highlands and Ireland in between.
Silver Jews
David Berman on poetry, faith and happiness.
Howe Gelb
The Giant Sand major domo on the power of gospel and how Keanu nearly joined the band.
Nina Nastasia
Peel's favourite songstress sheds light on Steve Albini's culinary skillz.
Jeffrey Lewis
The anti-folk comic book hero communes with the Beard.
BMX Bandits
Duglas T Stewart looks back on 20 years of ultra-romantic pop.
Gay Against You
Armed with laptops, a keytar and skimpy gymn shorts, Glasgow noise/pop/breakcore/gabba mentalists bring the ruckus.
Danananaykroyd
"You bastards, you've brought slam-dancing back to Glasgow" complained their friend. "Good!" they replied.
Kaz!
Underground comics hero and Spongebob writer sicks it up.


We're at large at all the best festivals - ATP, Green Man, Instal and Triptych - and have been reviewing a plethora of gigs and records.

Follow the saga of Beatnik Whaling Comix!

It's our best issue yet! A bumper, jam packed edition for only £2.50

Mail order from beardmag@yahoo.co.uk

Or buy from (so far) Monorail and Missing Records, Glasgow, Analogue Books, Edinburgh.

Meanwhile, the next issue is beginning to take shape - due in the Autumn.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Win TrocaBrahma tickets!!!



We at Beard are huge fans of Os Mutantes, Tropicalia and Brasilian music in general. So we're super stoked that the TrocaBrahma festival is pulling into town, bringing together UK and Brasilian acts for a colourful musical jamboree. What's more, we've teamed up with Trocabrahma to give away five pairs of tickets to a show of your choice! You can pick from the legendary Os Mutantes, truly one of the greatest, most inspiring bands of all time, getting down and dirty with Optimo, Diplo and Bonde Do Role bringing the Baile Funk, Tony De Gatora with his headbands and homemade guitar/drum machine contraption, Maher Shalal Hash Baz loving choristers Open Field Church, as well as UK Beard faves like Four Tet, Gruff Rhys and King Creosote... Ach, you know it's gonna be amazing already. For a chance to win, simple answer the following question...

Os Mutantes is Portuguese for...

(a) Australian Mutton
(b) The Mutants
(c) The Mutt Aunts

Answers to beardmag@yahoo.co.uk or message us via www.myspace.com/beardmag

TrocaBrahma 07: July 26 – 29: London, Liverpool, Glasgow

* Brasilian psych-rock superstars Os Mutantes to play first-ever live shows in Scotland & Liverpool (plus rare London date): they’ll collaborate with JD Twitch (Optimo) on exclusive new music.

* Also: exclusive live collaborations and brand-new material from Gruff Rhys, King Creosote, Bonde Do Role, Four Tet, Diplo, Ben Westbeech, Radioclit and many more at TrocaBrahma.

Brahma invites you to celebrate the spirit of Brasil this summer with TrocaBrahma.

TrocaBrahma 07 will synthesise the finest in established and emerging UK and Brasilian music talent for an incandescent series of must-see live shows, urban art and truly exclusive collaborations. It runs through London, Liverpool and Glasgow from July 26-29.

Converging a fiery cast of UK stars – including champion rhapsodist King Creosote, electronic alchemist Four Tet, wily Welsh pop warlock Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals), global groove maharishi Gilles Peterson, clamouring party-starter JD Twitch (Optimo) and urban jungle wunderkind Ben Westbeech; and a blazing range of Brasilian luminaries – such as psych-rock behemoths Os Mutantes, incendiary genre-benders Bonde do Role, counter-cultural superstar Tony da Gatorra, exquisite pop collective Open Field Church, celestial samba bard Romulo Froes, (and Favela sonic archivist Diplo), TrocaBrahma 07 is set to deliver an exhilarating culture jam of UK and Brasilian talent.

Much of the carnival's fruit will be borne from the TrocaBrahma Exchange: a project during which the aforementioned UK acts will visit Brasil in May to engage and create with like minded – and unlikely – indigenous counterparts.

Thus, expect an impassioned alliance of oddball arias and post-punk clatter from Gruff Rhys meets Tony da Gatorra; kaleidoscopic ghetto-pop chaos from Bonde do Role meet Radioclit / Amanda Blank; sublime Scottish folk and balmy bossa nova from King Creosote meets Romulo Froes; electronic wizardry and choral serenades from Four Tet meets Open Field Church; downtown samba-jazz and inner-city soul from Tita Lima meets Ben Westbeech; and ground-breaking mayhem from Tropicalia lodestars Os Mutantes with club-land tearaway JD Twitch (Optimo).

All of the participating artists (full details below) will re-converge in the UK to perform their unique collaborations live for the first time at TrocaBrahma. All artists will also perform full live sets during July’s chromatic festivities – after which a related series of exclusive podcasts will be unveiled.

Last year’s inaugural TrocaBrahma gala ran through London, Edinburgh and Manchester, and included sell-out shows and one-off aural alliances from the likes of Seu Jorge, Sway, 1990s, Soweto Kinch, Instituto and Gilles Peterson.

TrocaBrahma is now an annual event and a vital highlight on the global music calendar.

TrocaBrahma continues Brahma’s celebration of Brasilian art and music. First brewed in Brasil in 1888, Brahma is the country’s most famous and best-selling beer and is synonymous with Brasil’s distinctive and verdant cultural legacy.

For further information on Brahma and TrocaBrahma: www.trocabrahma.com

GLASGOW

TrocaBrahma: Four Tet meets Open Field Church
Friday 27th July
Glasgow, The Classic Grand, 18 Jamaica St
Tickets £10
Doors 10.00pm
www.trocabrahma.com

TrocaBrahma: King Creosote meets Romulo Froes; Gruff Rhys meets Tony da Gatorra
Saturday 28th July
Glasgow, Old Fruitmarket, Candleriggs
Tickets £14
Doors 7.00pm
www.trocabrahma.com

TrocaBrahma: Ben Westbeech meets Tita Lima – hosted by Gilles Peterson.
Saturday 28th July
Glasgow, The Classic Grand, 18 Jamaica St
Tickets £10
Doors 10.00pm
www.trocabrahma.com

TrocaBrahma: Os Mutantes meet JD Twitch (Optimo); Bonde Do Role meets Radioclit / Amanda Blank – hosted by Diplo
Sunday 29th July
Glasgow, Old Fruitmarket, Candleriggs
Tickets £14
Doors 7.00pm
www.trocabrahma.com

Friday, April 27, 2007

Beardstock!!!





Up to date info here

A Hawk And A Hacksaw & Jack Rose

Beardstockers might be interested in this fantastic gig:

A Hawk And A Hacksaw
support from Jack Rose
The Arches, Tuesday 8 May
box office: 0870 240 7528





A Hawk And A Hacksaw is Jeremy Barnes and Heather Trost from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Informed by their travels and adventures around the world, their sound is a fantastical and emotive mix of Eastern European folk, gypsy song, klezmer, Mexican fanfare and gorgeous cinematic flourishes, with flashes of classic songwriting. Blending eastern and western sensibilities, both poetical and socially conscious, bucolic and urban, AHAAH are a rare band, steeped in tradition yet plotting their own idiosyncratic course, not so much breaking from musical history as singing its essential values in wholly new forms.

For this very special Contemporary Music Network tour, Jeremy and Heather have taken in a group of four adventurous musicians from Hungary and one from the UK (collectively known as The Hun Hangár Ensemble) to present their music at its most ambitious and uproarious. Featuring bagpipes, clarinet, saxophone, taragoto, trumpet, drums, accordion, upright bass, viola and violin, the show will include stunning new music, re-workings of traditional Hungarian and Balkan folk songs, and material from AHAAH's back catalogue. These are modern day troubadours whose beguiling compositions will combine ancient folk song, subtle global commentary, and allusions to marching tunes, jazz and modern composition. If 'purity is a myth', this is a beautiful and new reality. With a similar approach to Brazil's Tropicalia movement, or George Harrison’s forays into the Indian subcontinent, AHAAH have seamlessly synthesized an armful of world musics and counter-cultural influences into an irresistible and otherworldly whole.

AHAAH's travels have always played a defining role in their sound. Following journeys made through America's indie underground, life as a postman in the UK, settlements in France and the Czech Republic, Jeremy dispatched himself to a Romanian village for two weeks in the spring of 2006, living and breathing music with local (and internationally renowned) musicians Fanfare Ciocărlia. His sojourn resulted in the recordings that became AHAAH’s incandescent third album, The Way The Wind Blows, released on UK indie The Leaf Label towards the end of 2006, boosting an already feverish word of mouth reputation, further enhanced by a headline slot at The 2006 Green Man festival and a recent tour with Beirut and Calexico.

Jeremy continued his travels with an exploratory trip to Hungary in the autumn, where he developed a huge respect for Budapest’s Fonó, a music shop, venue and centre for Hungarian folk music. Following a succession of concerts and impromptu sessions with Fonó-affiliated musicians, The Hun Hangár Ensemble was born. These musicians have vast experience and respect for Hungarian folk traditions but are also well versed in other idioms such as avant-garde jazz and minimalist composition and play in some of Hungary’s most esteemed groups as well as small ad hoc bands and projects. They share AHAAH's desire to tread new ground, and when they were invited along for a new ride they took up the challenge.

Multi-instrumentalist Béla Ágoston, an inspirational figure within the Budapest music scene, known for his freedom of thought and expression, has worked with The Odessa Klezmer Band and Szvorák Kati among others. Ferenc Kovács, a self-proclaimed ‘contemporary peasant’ and a phenomenal trumpet and violin player, is a member of the Balogh Kálmán Gipsy Cymbalom Band and the Romano Kokalo, and has played with Archie Shepp, Roscoe Mitchell, Hamid Drake and more. His solo recordings combine a Reichian approach to minimalism with a Hungarian folk influence. Upright bass player Zsolt Kürtösi, a member of the Budowicz Klezmer Band with considerable experience in traditional Hungarian and Transylvanian folk musics and klezmer. Balázs Unger, a young maestro of the cymbalom (a dulcimer-like instrument central to traditional Hungarian music) has played since the age of 14 in a wide variety of styles, including jazz (with the Mihaly Dresch Quartet), and Hungarian and Balkan folk. AHAAH have also invited Alex Nielson, a highly gifted and original young English percussionist, to join the ensemble (he is also a member of Directing Hand and Scatter).

With Jeremy and Heather moving to Budapest in February for the foreseeable future, the whole group will be ensconced in the city for rehearsals until the tour in May, and will record a selection of new and traditional songs to be released as an EP to coincide with the tour. This tour will be the first time A Hawk And A Hacksaw have been able to present the arrangements and instrumentation of their records live on stage, and anticipations are high.

Monday, April 23, 2007

It's Triptych time

Yes, it's the last week of April and that can only mean one thing (well, it can mean many things, but let me run with this): Triptych! Four days and nights of musical mayhem!

This year I'm super excited about seeing Terry Riley, Einsensturzende Neubauten, Billy Childish, Pastels and Evan Parker.

Here's what Beard did at last year's Triptych...


Triptych, Scotland’s tri-city rolling music festival, is always a jamboree of fun for left-field pop fans. Favourite past Triptych moments include seeing Karlheinz Stockhausen heckled by a disgruntled Glaswegian (“gonnae play something wi’ a fuckin’ tune?”), a Brazilian-Caledonian supergroup performing songs by Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, and Candi Staton leading the crowd (or was it the other way round?) in several choruses of Young Hearts Run Free. So did Triptych 06 turn up any moments as memorable? Well, read on...

Wednesday

Perhaps you’ve seen the footage of Odetta in Scorcesee’s Dylan film. Absolutely stunning isn’t it? So much power to her blues holler, as she slaps her guitar and grunts. Now in her 70s and visibly frail, her voice might have lost some of its gutsy impact, but she still sounds soulful and dignified as she tackles folk and blues classics. The digital piano accompaniment detracts from her performance, but there’s no denying her chilling reading of Leadbelly’s TB Blues, horribly relevant in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Earlier that evening James Blood Ulmer, an artist who’s travelled from free jazz to raw blues, left me deeply moved with a song he wrote about the disaster. Over almost dissonant bursts of guitar he howled out in rage at the treatment of “those lost in the flood”. The political engagement and righteous anger of these two veteran artists is inspiring.

Thursday

Balanescu Quartet’s schtick is to play Kraftwerk on the violin, viola and cello. It’s a neat trick and highlights the elegant neo-classical structures of the songs. It’s ingenious - the wood of the bows are tapped against strings to emulate the electronic beats, and a swooping glissando apes the whoosh of Trans Europe Express – but it’s no match for the melancholy electronic textures of the originals.

They have beards! They have stools! They’re Akron Family! Their first song is beautiful, a gentle drone developing into sweet harmonies and crystalline guitar. Then, whoomph, the fuzz kicks in and half the audience flees in terror, while degenerates like myself twitch with pleasure at the free-form racket. Their set alternates between noisy improv and lush psych-folk, and they follow their final feedback meltdown with an un-amplified gospel sing-along. Tremendous.

Friday

On his first ever tour David Berman of the Silver Jews seems a little tentative, looking to wife Cassie for reassurance and referring to printed lyrics. He’s been through a lot, yet his wit and humanity shine through. It’s a greatest hits set, performed in chronological order, so we begin with the languid Boats Across the Sea and end with a raging Place Beyond The Blues. The three guitar line up rocks, threatening to obscure the lyrics at times, but overall this is a small triumph of a show, played and received with great warmth. To the max!

I dash across town to find human-beatbox and hip-hop funny man Biz Markie in a rather grumpy mood. Old favourites like Hookin’ Boogers and Nobody Beats The Biz should be bouncy and silly and fun, but Markie’s mush-mouthed delivery and half-assed showmanship only disappoint. Fellow Juice Crew veteran Roxanne Shante fares a little better by actually putting some energy into her performance, but her Spinal Tap worthy shout out to Switzerland loses her the crowd’s support. It’s a pale reflection of the classic records these guys made with Marley Marl back in the ‘80s.

Saturday

Battles make math-rock fun, infusing it with hardcore energy, African-polyrhythms and playful electronics. The dizzyingly intricacy of their music is matched by the sheer intensity of their performance. Superhuman drummer John Stanier has a ride cymbal high above his kit, forcing him to reach far – a reflection of their admirable reluctance to make things easy for themselves.

Steve Reid and Kieran Hebden’s fourth world electro-acoustic improv doesn’t quite come off on this occasion. While there are moments when the afro-beat drummer’s rhythms coalesce with Hebden’s chaotic digital skree, all too often he is left keeping time, while Hedben punctuates the beats with saw-tooth blurts and pre-programmed sequences.

Space is the place as the Sun Ra Arkestra power up their rockets for an intergalactic jazz odyssey. Dressed in gourd shaped hats and sequined capes, the band, featuring veterans and space cadets, ensure the music and spirit of their late leader lives on. It’s a well balanced set, encompassing funky big band numbers, cacophonic blow-outs and and trippy sci-fi weirdness. During one ecstatic climax several of the band leave the stage and wind their way through the crowd. Having a bunch of horn wielding alien emissaries blow wild and free right in front of me is an experience I’m unlikely to forget.

Sunday

The Tramway is the venue for Belle & Sebastian’s Sunday Social. It’s far from the twee-pop overload some might expect however, as Lucky Luke and Voice of The Seven Woods opening proceedings with some excellent dark, droney folk-rock. Alasdair Roberts turns in a gem of a set. Accompanying himself on electric (!) guitar he uses his second Triptych appearance to explore the more eccentric and romantic sides of his music. So instead of medieval murder ballads we get an Elizabethan lute song (put that in yr pipe and smoke it Sting!) and a tender take on the Magnetic Fields’ Josephine.

Over in the main room the Concretes are a little disappointing. Their cosy melancholy doesn’t quite translate to such cavernous surroundings, and let’s face it, their new material just isn’t as good.

Despite this being her first ever gig on Scottish soil, Vashti Bunyan has no trouble in creating an intimate atmosphere. She might seem a little shy, but it doesn’t affect her performance, which is a delight. The young band - multi-instrumentalist Jo Mango plus a guitarist and string duo - provide graceful accompaniment as Bunyan draws us in with her wisp of a voice and wistful melodies. If the set seemed a little on the short side that’s only a reflection of how special it was.

After Friday’s Biz Markie debacle Edan and co-hort Insight leap on stage to prove live hip-hop doesn’t have to suck. So what if he’s backpacker, indie friendly hip-hop? He fucking rules, with his freaked out psych guitar samples, fuzzy beats and brilliant showmanship. Marvel as Edan scratches and rhymes simultaneously! Bug out as he runs his voice through a delay pedal! Smile as he busts out some deft bossa nova guitar picking! It’s spontaneous, thrilling and super-funky - kudos to Belle & Seb’s funkmeister Beans for getting him on the bill.

As for Belle & Sebastian themselves, well, they’re terrific. A slick live act these days, their set offers little in the way of surprises but is as sweet and fun and swoonsome as you’d expect. Stuart Murdoch bounces around like a cross between Tigger and the Go Betweens’ Robert Forster while Stevie Jackson twangs away, looking like Hank Marvin in his thick-rimmed glasses and mod suit. The glam and soft-pop pastiches of The Life Pursuit might grate a little, but old school fans are kept sated with outings of The State That I Am In and Dog On Wheels. A fantastic day altogether, and I haven’t even mentioned Jerry Dammers’ DJ set in the foyer.

Saturday, March 24, 2007

BEARDSTOCK!!!

Beard and VGB Concerts present...

An all day musical extravanganza on Saturday May 19th at Glasgow's newest venue, the Regal Social Club. Clear your diaries now!

Featuring:

One Ensemble

Daniel Padden's (Volcano The Bear) Eastern European tinged avant/psych folk troupe.

Shining

Norwegian prog-metal berzerkers. Like Goblin meets Mr Bungle! FIRST EVER SCOTTISH SHOW!!!

PuMaJaW

Ptolemeic Terrascope faves Pinkie MacLure and John Wills (ex Loop) bring the psych-folk laments and dark incantations. And maybe a Jacque Brel cover too.

Napoleon IIIrd

Kaleidoscopic DIY pop from the Brainlove Records favourite.

Team Brick

Playful noise insanity and fun from Bristol!

Wounded Knee!!!

Sea shanties, looped vocals, drones and percussion from Edinburgh. Thoroughly mind bending and excellent.

Gilded Angels!!!

Glasgow's finest country rock revue!!!

Skeleton Bob!!!

Lovely melancholy country and folk tinged songs about girls and getting drunk!

Snakebelt!!!

New duo from one half of the mighty Bubblewrap Holocaust (Textile records). Killer Beefheart psych blues riffs, surreal Mark E Smith/Alex Harvey rants, and monster movie samples!

Remember, Remember

Twinkling reveries from Graeme of Multiplies/Royal We/Matchsticks/Mogwai fame!

Guanoman!!!

Insane bass, laptop and glockenspiel molestation from the man behind the Transdimensional Sushi label!!!

Plus Beard and Brainlove DJs!!!


All for a bargain £12!!! Tickets on sale very soon.

12pm 'til late.
Sat May 19th
Regal Social Club
Bell St, Merchant City
Glasgow

www.myspace.com/beardmag
_________________
Beard
Best music fanzine, EMAP Awards 2005
www.myspace.com/beardmag