MUSICAL MATHEMATICS

Zine #3

September & November

Thanks so much for taking the time to pick up a copy of our third zine, it really means a lot to us. We warmly welcome you to read until your eyes hurt whilst you unearth some truly dazzling music.

CONTENTS

04 BIG SCARY MONSTERS 06 THREE TRAPPED TIGERS 07 LA2019 08 ACROSS THE POND 10 LOOSE TALK COSTS LIVES 11 MOODY GOWNS 12 FREE MUSIC FOR ALL 14 GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR 15 JACK INVESTIGATES 16 WHERE ON EARTH 18 ALGERNON CADWALLADER 19 FORMER MONARCHS

A lot has happened over the last academic year since the major launch of Musical Mathematics and, quite frankly, we couldn’t be happier. Again, we’ve been getting around a hell of a lot; experiencing even more shows, festivals, acoustic sessions, albums, EPs, singles, interviews, features, bands, artists and record labels. We hope we’ve been as busy as we think we have. Our fan base continues to flourish, which is amazing, we are constantly reminded of the brilliant people that consistently visit and trust our network of suggested, promoted, enjoyed and passionately produced music. As always we only feature music that we really love listening to, and this issue is no exception. Zine 3 features Loose Talk Costs Lives, Big Scary Monsters Records, Algernon Cadwallader, God Speed! You Black Emperor, Moody Gowns and Former Monarchs to name but a few!

So get on with the rest of our zine and check out what we have been up to for the last couple of months.

Much LoveTeam MM

www.musicalmathematics.co.uk

MEET THE MM TEAM

Musical Mathematics is a dedicated team full of like-minded people who all share a common affection and deadly affliction for great music. We have now grown into a massive group of fourteen members who all bring their own ideals and abilities to the table. We aim, strive and hope to be a stable and persistent part of the Leeds alternative music ‘scene’ as well as the wider global community in the many years to come.

Writing//Andy Crowder, Edd Colbert, Jay Johar, James Fox, Jack Dooley & Liz Jones

Graphic & Editorial Design//Aaron Skipper & Luke O’Brien

Editing//Liz Jones, Holly Killip-Ross & Andy Crowder

GUEST Cover Art//Leemun Smith aka Kraffhics

Wor

ds

by

An

dy

Cro

wd

er

Find releases, news, bands,music and much more @www.bsmrocks.com

BIGSCARY

MONSTERS

Tall S

hips

, Bla

kfish

, Mee

t Me i

n St L

ouis,

Colo

ur, T

his T

own N

eeds

Gun

s, Pul

led A

part

by

Hor

ses, T

alon

s and

Gro

wn U

ps; a

ll hav

e one

thin

g in c

omm

on - th

ey ha

ve be

en pr

esen

t at

one t

ime o

r ano

ther

on th

e oxf

ord b

ased

reco

rd la

bel B

ig Sc

ary M

onst

ers. T

his s

mal

l DIY

Co

mpa

ny, w

hich

was

foun

ded b

y Kev

in D

ouch

back

in 20

02, h

as se

en ov

er 10

0 rel

ease

s fro

m a w

ide r

ange

of ar

tists

and m

usic

ians

to fo

rm a t

ruly

triu

mph

ant b

ack-

cata

logu

e of

grou

nd-b

reak

ing a

nd in

nova

tive a

ltern

ativ

e mus

ic. A

head

of ne

w re

leas

es fro

m D

Z D

eath

rays

, Big

Succ

ess, H

ymns

and K

evin

Dev

ine,

we m

anag

ed to

talk

with

the f

ound

er

of B

ig S

cary

Mon

ster

s ab

out r

oots

, rel

ease

s an

d 5-

asid

e fo

otba

ll…

MM: Hi Kev. Firstly, how are you doing?BSM: I’m good thanks. Off to Bestival this weekend and have a million things to do before it, but slowly getting there!

BIGSCARY

MONSTERS MM: If you had to choose 1 release that you were most proud of what would it be and why?I’m very proud of the MMISL album, as we all worked so hard on that and it was pretty much perfect. The Andrew WK single was also very special. That one took a couple of years to come together but it was brilliant when it finally did. I’m so glad to have that in the back catalogue.

MM: How did Big Scary Monsters come about? Did you always want to start a label or did it just happen?BSM: I started the label whilst at sixth form ‘cos I thought it would make me seem cool. I didn’t know anyone or anything about the industry so have spent the past 9 or 10 years making mistakes and learning the hard way. Also, I’m still not cool.

MM: BSM has exposed some amazing music over that past 4 years; including releases from Tall Ships, Tangled Hair, Dad rocks!, Andrew WK and loads more. Are you happy with how the label has grown?BSM: I’m delighted! There have been plenty of moments I’ve sat back and thought to myself “how the heck did this happen?!” or even “who the fuck do I think I am?”, as well as so many little things which have really made the whole experience even better. So many new bands who have matured and grown into something wonderful, it’s been awesome sitting here watching it all happen. I couldn’t ask for more.

MM: What do you look for in a band/artist? Is genre incredibly important to you?BSM: Genre isn’t a big thing at all to me. We’ve worked with a fairly wide variety of bands and I’d love to continue expanding on that over time. I look for a number of things, first and foremost for the bands to be good (at whatever style of music they play), secondly for them to be good, honest people I can imagine spending a lot of time with, and thirdly for them to be hard working and willing to put the hours in. There are other little things around these but I guess they’re the main points. I think I have a filtering system of some sorts in my head, which really breaks this down almost instantly these days! It’s quite a handy little tool!

MM: It seems every other month another band calls it a day and throws in the towel. Why do you think that is? BSM: Thankfully we haven’t had too many bands break up over the past year (I hope I haven’t spoken too soon) but there does seem to be times when you see a few give up and move onto new things. I think a big part of it is money and the strain on personal relationships which being a band places on you. It’s a very fun thing to do but only 0.01% of bands actually “make it”, a lot of others just end up in debt and spending half their lives driving all over the country, pouring everything they have into their music, only for people to never care as much as they should. There’s a lot of competition out there these days and unfortunately it’s just too much for some.

MM: If you could choose one band to reform who would it be?BSM: I’d probably have to say Meet Me In St Louis. Because of the way things ended with them I’d love for them to come back and play one last show. Who knows, maybe one day.

MM: We try to buy as many records and CD’s as I can, especially from independent record labels and working bands. Does my money go to good use? Do the bands benefit?BSM: Absolutely. Buying directly from bands and labels makes a big difference, not just for the financial side but also as it’s the kind of direct support and interaction which makes the job so fun.

MM: I’m guessing that gigs come around a fair bit, what’s the best show you’ve been to in the past year and why? BSM: That’s a tough one! I’ve ended up going to about 10 festivals already this summer and there have been some amazing moments at all of those. It’s really hard to pick just one gig which stands out. In fact, I don’t think I can! Sorry, this was a terrible answer!

BSM: I get a LOT of bands email me, too many in fact, so a lot of those unfortunately do get missed. Most of the bands I sign tend to be friends, friends of friends, members of bands I’ve previously worked with or new bands someone I trust has recommended. I can only think of one or two I’ve signed from random emails/demos and they were a long time ago now.

MM: Finally, with brilliant releases coming out left right and center, what can we expect from BSM in the future? And can we join BSM 5-a-side next year?

BSM: We’ve got a lot of new stuff coming up before the end of the year. New albums from Kevin Devine, Dad Rocks and Hymns, EP’s from DZ Deathrays, Algiers and Big Success and something new from Shoes And Socks Off. There’s also a couple more bits which we haven’t yet announced, so can’t tell you about those! Tall Ships are recording their album right now, Hold Your Horse Is are just finishing theirs and Talons are writing new music, so plenty to come from there. On the Pink Mist side (our new collective with Holy Roar and Blood And Biscuits) we have the Tubelord album, a bunch of releases from Topshelf Records and another soon to be announced label, and a whole lot of shows in London, including something very special which we’re hoping will come together for January. I feel like there’s even more stuff which I’m forgetting to mention, but that’s probably enough for now! Of course the 5-a-side tournament will be back next summer and I’ll do my best to get you in! Gotta warn you though, it gets competitive! Thanks

MM: Do you listen to bands who send you facebook messages/Emails or do you find that if a band is good enough you will find out about then on your own accord?

Wor

ds

by

Jam

es F

ox

Three Trapped Tigers

ROUTE ONE OR DIE——ALBUM REVIEW

After a trio of interesting EPs and the

well-deserved attention that came with

them, Three Trapped Tigers present

their debut full length - Route One

or Die. On this outing, they manage

to delve even further into the rabbit

warren of noisy electronics, glistening

guitars and punchy drums.

It’s clear early on in this record that

the three men who crafted it are

throwing something out there which is

teeming with energy and flair. The aptly

titled opener ‘Cramm’ literally crams in

as much as you could want to take in;

grooving drum breaks placed on either

side of a spinning flurry of synth lines,

all supporting one heck of a bouncy

riff. The lively, high-speed excitement

carries forward into the next ten

minutes, where things get a whole lot

heavier ‘Noise Trade’ and altogether

creepier ‘Creepies’.

The fast paced action eventually does

decide to cool off for a moment, with

the arrival of the album’s middle two

tracks, ‘Ulnastricter’ and ‘Zil’. The

former starts off as a comparatively

calmer affair, but becomes more and

more paranoid as its 5:21 lifespan

progresses, whilst the latter takes the

listener on a haunting visit to

a somewhat darker realm of reverb-

drenched piano melodies. This graceful

lull in tempo is smashed clean in the

jaw by the opening moments of ‘Drebin’

- a track that has to be a defining point

of the record. Backed by some frenetic

drumming, it moves its way through

riff after rhythmically racy riff, until

arriving at a quiet spot to catch its

breath, and then building right back

up to a climactic finish.

Download ‘Route One or Die’ Via Blood and Biscuits @ www.bloodandbiscuits.bigcartel.com——Visit the band @ www.threetrappedtigers.believeband.com

The most consistent element

throughout the whole record could

be the way in which it doesn’t let up

for that long on giving your brain that

addictive rhythmical workout. There

are many times which you find yourself

clinging onto some brilliantly placed

riffs, but underneath it all Adam Betts

is doing some interesting and downright

brilliant work behind the kit.

Comparisons to established math acts

are quick to be made in the direction

of Foals and Battles, but the eight

tracks offered up by “Route One or

Die” showcase a much wider range

of influences, tying together various

strands of rock, electronica and only

the most ear-scratchingly good noise

available. So many have tried to do it

before, but none have managed to pull

it off with such genre-bending panache

and charisma.

Three Trapped Tigers

ROUTE ONE OR DIE——ALBUM REVIEW

LA2019D

ECO

——

EP R

EVIE

W

Wor

ds

by

Jay

M J

oha

r

What if, as food for thought, instead of Daft Punk we had Sigur Ros do the soundtrack for Tron: Legacy, or instead of Vangelis, we had a very synth-

obsessed Explosions In The Sky soundtrack for Blade Runner? What’s that? You’ve been wondering the same thing too? Well, wonder no more, for

LA2019’s Deco EP will satisfy that curiosity.

This EP debut from London-based producer and multi-instrumentalist Tom Skyrme is ambitious in its scope, with its far-reaching, cinematic songs basking in memories of when 80’s electronica ruled supreme. The most

obvious influence here is the aforementioned Blade Runner soundtrack by Vangelis, even down to the name (referring to the film setting, Los Angeles

in 2019).

These six tracks demonstrate hugely impressive orchestration at such an early stage of LA2019’s career. Lush, immersive and captivating, this is an outstanding introduction to the Londoner. Layers upon layers of synths,

drum machines and dreamlike vocals come together like clockwork (if that clock was crafted by a certain Dr. Emmett Brown).

This sort of thing shouldn’t work in 2011, but it does. Like repeated

viewings of Back To The Future and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, there’s something undeniably comforting about nostalgically reminiscing

about the past’s predictions on their future (our present). From the gorgeously crafted Airport Carparks to the suitably climactic Explosions via

the superb Living Amongst Others and Lightlanes, every track is a fitting tribute to the futurists of the 80’s.

The whole EP is remarkably consistent, in both quality and tone, without ever being boring or tedious. All the songs fit in together both thematically and structurally, while at the same time completely capable of standing on their own merits. Striking in its execution, Deco is a fine achievement for

any musician, let alone a debut EP.

Dow

nloa

d @

ww

w.b

lood

andb

iscu

its.b

igca

rtel

.com

——

Chec

k ou

t LA

2019

@ w

ww

.face

book

.com

/LA

2019

Wor

ds

by

Liz

Jon

es

across

THe

POND

As an American transplant living abroad in London, I find

myself absorbed in a new town, a new scene and, naturally,

a breadth of new music. As much fun and illuminating as the

immersion into all things Blighty has been, my bouts of acute

nostalgia for Jersey post-punk, Midwest math-rock, and

California easy-core are frequent. By looking for inspiration

across the pond, I hope to regularly suggest a crop of great

North American acts, some you’ve heard and some you

haven’t, and some standout tracks to get you started.

Wavelets, “Let Off Some Steam”Topshelf and Tiny Engines – good company for the new Gainesville five-piece to keep. The band’s noodley, melodic emo-core is about to get a lot of attention. The debut full length, Athaletics, will be released via Tiny Engines later this fall, and includes 9 tracks. Wavelets’ entire discography can be downloaded at http://waveletsfl.blogspot.com, and is well worth exploring prior to the new release.

The Glory Days, “Golden Age”Sometimes, there is nothing more perfect than raw, aggressive pop-punk energy. Heavy-handed riffs and Jersey punk sing-alongs make me miss high school, when we all had a millions reasons to listen to music like this. The band has been quiet as of late, but their Get Busy Living… EP is available via iTunes.

Laredo, “Rest”Consider this Across the Pond’s first posthumous recommendation. This band is lost in Internet oblivion, likely an unfortunate sign that they have in fact split up. The short-lived New York band released only one disc, as far as I can tell, and it’s a slice of melodic indie-punk greatness. Bury the Growth is easy to track down online as the band made sure it was free for all.

Deer Leap, “Hazle Weatherfield”With only a handful of demo tracks and a glowing recommendation from Topshelf Records, the modestly self-described “three friends that make rock music” are onto something they probably never would have expected. Soon to be a fixture on the Northeast DIY scene.

Restorations, “Broken Vacuum”If you happen to trip over your own feet (as I do) for anything Brian Fallon related, you might be extra-inflated about the new album from Philadelphia’s Restorations. The new self-titled disc gives subtle nods to the boys in Gaslight Anthem, but with its own undeniable sine qua non.

Wor

ds

by

An

dy

Cro

wd

er

Our beloved Leeds has been lucky to harbour such a hefty amount of musical talent over the past years, with new and exciting bands steadily coming to the surface. One band that are doing very well for themselves are Loose Talk Costs

Lives; a compelling new four-piece who have been pushing their own irreplaceable musical style. After the success of their first double A side single Some Nice Flowers/Wreck Ashore, they’re now back with a brand new EP Wax & Gold.

LOOSE TALKCOST LIVES

WAX & GOLD——EP REVIEW

From the instant and majestic beginning of the opener, Loose Talk Cost Lives bring us 16 minutes of truly blissful music. Buoyant and bubbly melodies couple with fluid

percussion to immerse the listener in an EP that is addictive right from the get go. ‘Seraphim’ is an impeccable first track; setting the stylistic pace for the rest of the EP marvelously. We wait patently through a section of reverberated tones until finally the

second song commences with the band’s most alternative sound. Complete with a punchy chorus line and the familiar pluck of top-end guitars; ‘Hemlock’ evolves from lighthearted musical moments and through brilliantly established hooks to form one

hell of a 2nd song.

Even as Loose Talk Cost Lives take their foot off the accelerator for ‘Calavera’, they still manage to produce the most lyrical, diverse and dynamic track on ‘Wax & Gold’. The pace relaxes for a moment, but only to introduce an array of brass instruments to further and extend the musical excitement

of this already rousing EP.

As the 4 tracks effortlessly fly by you are reminded of the undeniable charm this EP possesses, and before you realize it the last track is in full flow. ‘Amaranth’ is the

pinnacle of Wax & Gold and is the best example of Loose Talk Costs Lives work to date, which fuses feel-good instrumentation with monstrous flair, all the while giving

nods to bands like Enemies and Vampire Weekend. Whether it’s the light group harmonies that blend and stand together or if it’s the hopping, smoothly fingered full

toned bass that drives the song forward, there is always a constant emphasis on a tuneful and angled melodic narrative.

Loose Talk Cost Lives have created a unique strand of pop music within Wax & Gold, which is littered with an array of tropical nuances that will excite, elate and command the attention of almost any listener. So be prepared to have this EP on repeat for the next 6 months and to be the main feature of your summer playlist,

because you won’t be able to help yourselves.

Buy ‘Wax & Gold’ @ www.loosetalkcostslives.bandcamp.com

Check out Loose Talk Cost Lives @ www.loosetalkcostslives.tumblr.com

Wor

ds

by

An

dy

Cro

wd

er

Hailing from Leeds, UK come the eccentric folk/pop sounds of Moody Gowns with a brand new and baffling single titled ‘Nelson Skills’.

This free single may come to a close after a mere 2.20, but the infectious tones, melodies and sheer awesome sing-a-long moments will have a hold of your brain for a very long time. ‘Nelson Skills’ is a meTmorable and enjoyable musical romp packed full of guitar zings, glorious group vocals and a bubbly attitude that is completely unheard of yet most welcome in this day and age.

NELSON SKILLS——SINGLE REVIEW

MOODY GOWNS

With a chorus line infused with humor, not unlike Ska kingpins The Aquabats, and a sunny almost tropical sound like Loose Talk Costs Lives - why wouldn’t we love them?

Moody Gowns are a brilliantly strange but undoubtedly incredible 5-piece who play a truly unique style of music. Pop, folk and indie are all interwoven in the most delightful and enjoyably quirky way I’ve experienced in a very long time.

Download Nelson Skills for FREE @ www.moodygowns.bandcamp.com

Check out Moody Gowns @www.moodygowns.com

Wor

ds

by

Jay

M J

oha

r

FREEFOR

Hello again. I hope you’ve enjoyed the last instalment of my list of free downloads. Having recently moved back home to tiny Brunei (look it up), I thought it apt that in this issue I will make it a regionally-themed special. So forget about digging deep into your pockets and enjoy this collection of free downloads from exotic Asia. Be aware that this issue is very post-rock heavy, as it turns out Asian post-rockers are both aplenty and more willing to give out free albums. Also, make sure you check out the whole Japanese roster for Zankyo Records. The quality and quantity they have is insane.

Bottlesmoker - Let’s D

ie Together In 2012 [Indonesia]W

hile B

ottlesmoker m

ainly fu

nction

s as an electropop ban

d somew

here in

the m

iddle of Holy

Fu

ck and Jam

es Yuill, th

eir new

est release Let’s D

ie Together In

2012 is very different to th

eir fi

rst two. It’s n

o won

der, as this is in

tended to be a b-sides an

d rarities album

, displaying th

e m

ore experimen

tal and eclectic side of th

e Indon

esian du

o. Indon

esian folk m

usic in

tertwin

es freely w

ith syn

ths, toy in

strum

ents an

d the sou

nd of ch

ildren, m

aking th

is album

a truly u

niqu

e proposition

. Th

eir two albu

ms, S

low M

o Sm

ile and B

efore Circu

s Over are also available to

down

load for free on w

ww

.misspelledrecords.ban

dcamp.com

Apollo1300 - Discography [Japan]Formed in 2002, Apollo1300’s career managed to only record two short CDs before they

disbanded in 2008. They’ve since made the six tracks they’ve recorded in that timespan available to download for free. I don’t know why they decided to split, but it certainly wasn’t because of

the quality of their music. Mostly instrumental with occasional Japanese lyrics, Apollo1300’s body of work owe much of its sound to Japanese post-rock legends Toe. Apollo1300 effortlessly moves

from a standstill to light speed in a matter of seconds, and then still have it in them to take it up another notch.

www.soundcloud.com/apollo1300

X Is

Y -

LP [C

hina

]S

han

ghai

-bas

ed X

Is

Y i

s h

eade

d by

a F

ren

chm

an n

amed

Gu

illa

um

e, s

o I

mig

ht

be c

hea

tin

g a

litt

le

her

e, b

ut

once

you

list

en t

o th

e L

P, y

ou’ll

no

dou

bt f

orgi

ve m

e. I

nco

rpor

atin

g el

emen

ts o

f m

ath

ro

ck, p

ost

rock

an

d fo

lk, t

he

resu

ltin

g m

usi

c in

th

is m

elti

ng

pot

is a

bsol

ute

ly lu

sh a

nd

ripe

wit

h

voca

l har

mon

ies.

Th

e al

bum

has

a c

onsi

sten

t so

un

d th

at c

ombi

nes

Min

us

Th

e B

ear-

ish

voc

als

wit

h a

cru

nch

y sh

oega

ze f

eel c

ompl

emen

ted

by t

he

post

-roc

k m

eth

odol

ogy

of s

low

ly b

uil

din

g u

p te

nsi

on a

nd

laye

rin

g in

stru

men

ts u

pon

in

stru

men

ts.

ww

w.x

isy.

ban

dcam

p.co

m/a

lbu

m/lp

Gespenst - The Saint [Malaysia]Gespenst is a duo made up of the Rawi brothers, Syahmi and Zuhair. Taking their influences

from the likes of Olafur Arnalds, toe and Mono from Japan, and Jonsi of Sigur Ros, Gespenst aim to create heavy soundscapes that bring with them an amalgamation of powerful riffs and strikingly well-crafted atmospheric ambient sounds. The formidable force with which they execute this feat is at times breath taking. If you visit their soundcloud [http://soundcloud.com/ahmdsyhmi], there

is an extra downloadable track on the set for The Saint called Departures, a beautiful tribute to their recently deceased friend.

www.gespenst.bandcamp.com [Malaysia]

Furniture - Twilight Chases The Sun [Malaysia]Another post-rock band from Malaysia, I hear you cry! Well, you would anyway if you somehow are quite knowledgeable about the Malaysian post-rock scene. But I promise you Gespenst and

Furniture are two different beasts. Furniture is more Explosions In The Sky than Gespenst’s Talons. Twinkling guitars and a driving drumbeat build up to inevitably grandiose climaxes. It might feel a tad formulaic and overdone at times, but there are choice highlights in TCTS,

especially Hush, The Dead Are Dreaming, with the tension mounting to a crushing end. There are elements of dreampop in the occasional vocals however, and it’s up to you accept it in its grand

package. If that’s your cup of tea, then you’ll find it nothing short of brilliant. www.soundcloud.com/furnitureband

MUSIC ALL

Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Wor

ds

by

Jack

Doo

ley

I can’t deny that the morning after purchasing tickets in a drunken stupor to see Godspeed You! Black Emperor I was a little sceptical of what to expect, after all I’d never seen an instrumental band that are renowned for their 20 minute long songs. I arrived to the gig in true Musical Mathematics style, which was late enough to catch the last two songs of the support act. Maybe its about time I put my watch to good use. Trumpets of Death took the support slot and from what I heard, they were quite a good match, Check out ‘Jason’ for a taster of what these guys are all about.

Post T.O.D. me and Crowder went in search of a toilet, 4it’s pretty bad when you don’t know where the toilet is in your own S.U. after being at uni for over a year.

After purchasing a beer that had a distinct taste of feet, both Crowder and myself were drawn back to the stage by an ominous tone. It was the brooding introduction of ‘Dead Flag Blues’ which slowly evolved into ‘Motherfucker = Redeemer (Part Two)’, one of the first and most brilliant songs I had ever heard by Godspeed. As the song came to

an end the crowd erupted in applause and the band gave a slight nod as a humble acknowledgment.

As the crowd died down the violin part from ‘Moya’ echoed through the room, my attention was slowly drawn to the talented projectionist towards back of the room. He was running running three, maybe four old school projectors in and out of sync with each other, often burning individual frames as they passed through, managing single-handedly interpret Godspeed into a visual format. The only bad thing about

the entire gig was that there was a severe lack of movement, which is understandable, as you can’t exactly bust a move to Godspeed, but I felt bad when I found myself yawning at times.But after what was roughly a two-hour set, each band member slowly departed from the stage leaving just two guitarists ending on a wall of sound. Ending a truly memorable and unforgettable concert. For gig listings @ Leeds Met visit www.leedsgigtickets.co.uk/leeds-met-uni-gigs

Check out God Speed!

@ w

ww

.brainwashed.com

/godspeed

Wor

ds

by

Jack

In

vest

iga

tes

Jack

inve

stig

ates

Jumbo Records was first established in 1974 by Hunter Smith, the name and logo being taken from the successful disco and DJ business he was involved with called Jumbo Mobile Discotheque. Jumbo started out as a small room rented for £5 a week on a balcony in Queens Arcade.

Around September 1974 space was a thing of the past, and relocation was in order. For the first few months business picked up, but then it became stagnated, luckily for hunter he was still participating in some late night DJ-ing.

Business continued to be slow for a few years and BOOM along came punk rock and jumbo were in the right place at the right time, from then on they broadened the variety of music they stocked bringing us the Jumbo we all know and love today.

Now if I’m honest I can’t say I’ve been to many record shops, but upon my first visit to Jumbo I was extremely impressed, solely by the magnitude of genre’s that everything was organized into, as oppose to a certain dog with a record player’s ‘Rock and Pop’ section that covers everything that isn’t either the top 40 or drum and bass.

Along side Jumbo’s better organized catalogue of music, they also stock a wide range of vinyl, and I’m sure by now you all know how we at MM love our vinyl.

You should all go and check it out for yourself either in person or online: www.jumborecords.co.uk/index.asp

Jumbo is for fans of: Good music, Copious amounts of vinyl, and anyone who has a phobia of dogs who sit on music playing devices .

Wor

ds

by

Ed

d C

olb

ert

Pizzas, pasta, (leaning tower of) Pisa and punk rock? For many of us Brits mentioning Italy may limit our thoughts on bands to scream acts such as La Quiete or Raein. However, Europe’s boot has got a lot more to offer. I’ve added the following four bands to the Where on Earth collection because they all provide something a little different to each other whilst holding

together some core aural similarities. Maybe the similarity is just the Italian vocals, or perhaps the fact that two of the bands are on the record label Triste, but nevertheless let us bask in their fine Mediterranean glory. I’ve gone for bands rather than releases this time because I don’t speak a word of Italian and it was bloody hard trailing through a load of their blogs etc.

Wit

h t

he

maj

orit

y of

th

e vo

cals

bei

ng

sun

g in

ch

oru

s th

is t

hre

e pi

ece

fills

eac

h t

rack

wit

h h

eavy

yet

com

plex

ri

ffs

and

balls

y dr

um

rh

yth

ms

– yo

u k

now

th

e ty

pe, t

he

one’

s th

at le

ave

you

look

ing

like

an

old

roc

kin

g bi

rd t

oy

on s

peed

. Th

ese

guys

hav

e be

en a

rou

nd

for

ages

, hav

ing

rele

ased

Pen

guin

vasi

on b

ack

in 2

005,

wh

ich

is

slig

htl

y te

chie

r th

an t

he

rece

nt

L.E

.G.N

.A. (

avai

labl

e ph

ysic

ally

la

ter

this

yea

r). T

he

latt

er a

lbu

m h

as b

een

acc

ompa

nie

d by

a c

omic

al v

ideo

for

th

e fi

fth

tra

ck ‘T

ropp

o F

acil

e’

(too

eas

y in

En

glis

h)

show

ing

the

ban

d as

bea

rded

lu

mbe

rjac

ks r

un

nin

g ar

oun

d a

fore

st, a

n i

mag

e th

at I

ca

n’t

get

out

of m

ind

wh

en I

list

en t

o th

em n

ow.

ww

w.g

azeb

open

guin

s.co

m

GAZE

BO PE

N-G

UIN

S

VALERIAN SWING

DISTANTI

where on earth?On listening to the first track of A Sailor Lost Around The Earth you may think that you’ve stumbled on an instrumental Horse The Band track. Then you hear that they have a trumpet. I know it’s hard to imagine, especially as half way through the same first song there appears to be an Explosions in the Sky-esq breakdown followed by a rampant ending with dreary vocals and a trumpet solo. Anyway enough talk of other bands because Valerian Swing bring something brand new to the table. These guys can be harsh and chaotic one minute whilst providing lucid soundscapes the next minute. Even while their dynamics fluctuate from track to track they still manage to squeeze in some odd time changes for you math heads.www.myspace.com/valerianswing

D I S T A N T I, as they seem to be better known online as, are a quintet from Forlì signed to Triste. On close inspection of the names of band members I’m pretty sure they share the same vocalist as La Quiete, and this hunch is reinforced by rawness of the vocals heard across their tracks. The music constantly drives forwards in an aggressive and distorted style yet the guitars retain a jangly texture to the overall sound. If you like your screamo loud and in your face then pick up Enciclopedia Popolare della Vita Quotidiana from their bandcamp.www.distanti.wordpress.com

It wou

ld appear as thou

gh F

BY

C h

aven’t released an

y n

ew m

aterial since 2009 bu

t they are still playin

g live sh

ows an

d are also signed to T

riste. Th

ese guys seem

to bridge th

e gap between

Crash

of Rh

inos an

d Distan

ti playin

g mediu

m len

gth em

o tracks with

hu

ge buildu

ps, m

elodic screamin

g and gan

g vocals. Th

ey have an

exten

sive amou

nt of live footage on

line, w

hich

for us

stranded B

rits is great because you

can really get a feel

for the ban

ds passionate stage presen

ce. w

ww

.fin

ebeforeyoucam

e.com

FINE BEFO

REYO

U CA

ME

Wor

ds

by

Ed

d C

olb

ert

& J

ack

Doo

ley

Alge

rnon

Ca

dwal

lade

rT

hey

’re

from

Ph

ilad

elph

ia, t

hey

pla

y tw

iddl

y-em

o an

d th

ey ju

st fi

nis

hed

th

e U

K le

g of

th

eir

Eu

rope

an t

our

wit

h 1

994.

Th

ey a

re A

lger

non

Cad

wal

lade

r, a

nd

we

man

aged

to

cat

ch t

hem

in

Sh

effi

eld,

Sou

tham

pton

an

d B

righ

ton

– b

angi

n’!

Sh

effi

eld

– C

rash

of

Rh

ino’

s jo

ined

199

4 an

d A

lger

non

Cad

wal

lade

r fo

r th

eir

Sh

effi

eld

show

, de

live

rin

g th

eir

blen

d of

exp

erim

enta

l, em

o/pu

nk

wit

h n

ot o

ne,

bu

t tw

o ba

ssis

ts (

wh

ich

sti

ll am

azes

me)

an

d I

cou

ldn

’t th

ink

of a

bet

ter

ban

d to

be

adde

d to

th

e bi

ll. 19

94 b

rou

ght

on t

he

noi

se a

nd

I di

dn’t

hal

f n

otic

e. I

t co

uld

hav

e be

en d

ue

to t

he

fact

th

at I

was

sta

ndi

ng

righ

t n

ext

to t

he

spea

ker,

bu

t th

ey’r

e a

ban

d th

at d

eser

ve t

o be

hea

rd a

t fu

ll vo

lum

e, l

et m

e te

ll yo

u.

1994

dis

play

ed a

hu

ge a

mou

nt

of e

ner

gy;

so m

uch

th

at t

he

dru

mm

er t

ook

a br

eak

to b

e si

ck i

n a

gla

ss (

talk

abo

ut

a di

rty

pin

t).

Loo

kin

g ar

oun

d th

ere

was

a l

arge

abu

nda

nce

of

peop

le n

oddi

ng

thei

r h

eads

in

un

ison

wit

h o

ne

anot

her

, on

e gu

y w

as e

ven

air

dru

mm

ing,

he

late

r ap

olog

ized

to

me

afte

r th

e se

t bu

t I’

m n

ot r

eally

su

re w

hat

for

. A

lger

non

too

k to

th

e st

age

swif

tly

afte

r 19

94

equ

ally

su

ccee

din

g in

de

afen

ing

me

furt

her

. T

hey

re

ally

di

d pu

t on

a

grea

t sh

ow w

ith

th

e gu

itar

ist

knoc

kin

g m

icro

phon

e st

ands

ove

r an

d al

mos

t K

.O-

ing

mem

bers

of t

he

crow

d w

ith

his

gu

itar

h

ead,

not

bef

ore

lau

nch

ing

him

self

in

to

the

crow

d fo

r so

me

off

stag

e an

tics

. P

ost

Gig

w

e em

bark

ed

upo

n

a tr

ip

thro

ugh

th

e va

riou

s h

ills

of

Sh

effi

eld

to

atte

nd

the

afte

r pa

rty,

bu

t th

e m

ajor

ity

of t

hat

is a

bit

of b

lur

(see

pic

ture

bel

ow).

Sou

tham

pton

– P

acke

d in

to a

sec

lude

d pr

acti

ce r

oom

, a

crow

d of

fift

y pe

ople

gathered to get sw

eaty wh

ilst the gu

ys played a slight varian

t on th

eir set from th

e previou

s week. O

nce again

‘Spit F

oun

tain’ got th

e crowd excited an

d towards th

e en

d of the sh

ow everyon

e was sin

ging alon

g and n

odding th

eir heads like dogs tryin

g to sh

ake off sun

glasses. Joinin

g the tw

o bands for th

is show

were G

reat Cyn

ics – I’ve w

aited a long tim

e to see these gu

ys, and G

iles & co. su

re fulfi

lled my expectation

s du

ring a set fi

lled with

fun

sing-alon

gs. Th

ose guys look real h

appy wh

en th

ey play, som

ethin

g that alw

ays makes a sh

ow better for m

e! Next stop B

righton

! B

righton

– I stupidly forgot m

y ear plugs for both

of these sh

ows an

d after an

afternoon

of rocking ou

t in S

outh

ampton

and n

ow in

Brigh

ton, m

y ears were

screwed. B

ut it w

as still one h

eck of a show

– best thin

g about lou

d mu

sic, you can

’t h

ear the rin

ging! A

nyw

ays, after plying m

yself with

beer since 11 in

the m

ornin

g (roaaaddd trrrrippp) th

e second sh

ow of th

e day proved slightly m

ore interestin

g. W

ith th

e aid of a more en

thu

siastic and en

ergetic crowd th

is time A

lgernon

con

tinu

ed to impress th

eir fans. T

he ban

d were prom

oting th

eir new

album

‘Parrot

Flies’ w

hich

comes ou

t in th

e UK

(via B

SM

) on

the 22n

d of Au

gust available in

blue or

black vinyl or on

CD

. Th

ey played a few

of the n

ew tracks from

this albu

m, w

hich

received a great respon

se from th

e crowd.

On

th

e w

hole

a brillian

t ban

d to

see live. If you

missed th

em th

is year, tough

. W

ait till next tim

e they com

e and m

ake su

re you actu

ally get a ticket! Favou

rite son

gs to hear live h

ave to be ‘na n

a na n

a (sim

ulation

) and ‘F

oggy Mou

ntain

’.

Chec

k out

Alg

erno

n Ca

dwal

lade

r @

ww

w.al

gern

onca

dwall

ader

.blo

gspo

t.com