2010FM - January Magazine Three

We start off our third round up of new and nearly new music for January with the superb Swedish indie band Sambassadeur.

With two albums behind them, the indie pop artists have transformed their sound with the third album European (Due out Feb 23rd on Labrador Records).

Receiving a considerable amount of praise in the past through their 'DIY' approach, Sambassadeur are able to express further growth on their latest release. With the help of producer Mattias Glavå, European maintains the bands personal style, with the addition of a classic and orchestrated sound.

OK regulars to Beehive Candy know our of love for the Swedish music scene and in our opinion these folk are another fine example of why we get rather carried away as soon as you mention Sweden & music in the same breath.

Listen:
'Stranded'



Website: MySpace
Buy: Pre order a signed copy of European Previous material (mp3's) Sambassadeur

Since forming in 2003, Sambassadeur was one of the home recording artists that led to an explosive Swedish pop movement. As the years passed, Sambassadeur furthered their success through their second album Migration, leading to touring internationally. The quartet awed audiences throughout various countries including Spain, the UK, Austria, Germany, and Denmark, with offers continuing to come. Sambassadeur’s sound has evolved with each release, while their older recordings had a more aggressive sound, reminiscent of Jesus and Mary Chain, their music now conjures reminders of bands like Camera Obscura and Belle & Sebastian. European is the album that demonstrates the true talent of Sambassadeur. The foursome, along with the addition of a string quartet, three drummers, a saxophone player, clarinetist, and more, has created a unique style that will be sure to gain fans of all music tastes across the world.

From Dundee, Scotland, The Law have received considerable attention and recognition in the UK and are about to take their anthemic rock to the USA.

The young quartet delivers triumphant melodies with aggressive arena-scale rock that brings to mind a concoction of Queens of the Stone Age, The Libertines, and the White Stripes. The Law’s strong debut album, A Measure Of Wealth, was recorded at Sawmills Studios (the birthplace of Oasis’ Definitely Maybe) with producer Stan Kybert (Paul Weller, Massive Attack), and released in the United Kingdom last year on the band’s very own label Local Boy Records. A Measure Of Wealth will be released in North America in May, 2010.

Listen:
'Don't Stop, Believe'



Website: MySpace, Official.
Buy: A Measure Of Wealth

The Law’s subversive anthems and hot-blooded performances have assaulted the UK press and commanded widespread support from XFM and BBC Music. Edith Bowman of BBC Radio 1 hails The Law as “Incredible, good rock n roll”, while NME proclaims that “The Law are Dundee’s new hope”.

Finally and in keeping with Beehive Candy's obsession with different musical styles, genres, or whatever (provided we like it), we have My Son The Hurricane.

The promo said: With their roots deeply planted in the big brass sounds of New Orleans, and an indie spirit that refuses to be pigeonholed or defined, Ontario’s My Son The Hurricane is ready to hit the road with their own original 11-piece take on brass, and a debut album that will blow away your pre-conceived notions of the genre.

Combining catchy horn lines and a thumping, driving bass with uniquely phrased, hip-hop inspired vocals that drive the album, My Son The Hurricane will appeal to Hip-Hop and Indie fans alike, while paying homage to the big brass bands that came before them.

Well that was enough to gain our attention and as we are in a cut and paste mood they also added: Celebratory and fun, but balanced by well thought-out, solid musicianship, CHECK THE BAROMETER is party music at its best. With strongly crafted grooves and driving vocals unifying the album, My Son the Hurricane’s debut release is a piece of art that works best when listened to from start to finish.

A perfect introduction to the band and to their unique approach to brass, listeners will not want to miss them in a live setting. Transformed by the audience and by the energy in the room, My Son The Hurricane puts on a live show that will captivate and excite, and always leave you wanting more. With tour dates in Ontario scheduled throughout April, don’t miss your chance to see how this band works live, pushing the envelope a bit more with each performance.

As it happens, having given this a play through, I fear my car stereo will be booming out some eleven piece brass arrangements real soon.

Listen:
'Glass Joe'



Website: MySpace.
Buy: itunes

Steve Winwood - Cleveland, Ohio 1987.

This is Steve Winwood during his first 'High Life' solo American tour. The concert was recorded by Westwood One (for the Superstars series) and has circulated as a bootleg, both as a double vinyl album and silver disc CD.

It is also sometimes available in slightly more legitimate forms as a Westwood One radio disc through dealers of radio shows who advertise in collector's magazines.

This is the most complete version of the concert I have been able to obtain and runs as a 45 minute single track. Although it has been circulated as recorded in 1986 it is in fact from a concert at the Blossom Music Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA in 1987. Audio quality is extremely good.

Source: FM Broadcast

Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@320kbps.

Genre: Rock, blues rock.

Set: Broadcast element of concert.

Set List:

1. Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys-Glad
2. Freedom Rider
3. While You See A Chance
4. Valerie
5. Band Intros-I’m A Man
6. Higher Love
7. Gimme Some Lovin'

Links: Official site HERE.

Comments:

Constant artistic differences and personnel changes led to Traffic's final break-up and Steve Winwood's release of his self-titled first solo album in 1977. This was followed by his 1980 hit Arc Of A Diver and Talking Back to the Night in 1982. Both albums were recorded at his home in Gloucestershire with Steve Winwood playing all instruments.

Steve Winwoods first solo tour in the US had Low Spark as the opening number with him playing alone on the piano, before he counted the rest of his band in, for a stomping version of Glad.

Download link in comment below or click on the picture.

2010FM - January Magazine Two

Parisian band Caravan Palace made their live debut in the United States on January 10th with a performance at globalFEST 2010. Although I failed to mention this prior to the event I did want to bring this intriguing band to your attention. I like to discover different and maybe quirky musical styles and there is something about this act that I really enjoy. Another act to keep an eye (and ears) out for this year...

Comprised of Charles Delaporte (bass, programming), Arnaud Vial (guitar, programming), Hugues Payen (violin, programming), Colotis Zoé (vocals), Toustou (electronics, trombone), and Chapi (clarinet), Caravan Palace is chiefly influenced by Django Reinhardt but also cites Vitalic, Cab Calloway, Justice, Lionel Hampton and Daft Punk as influences. They made their debut on the French independent label Wagram Music and promoted the release with the single "Jolie Coquine.” After a year of intense touring of clubs, theatres and festivals in support of it they reached as high as Number 11 on the French albums chart and are now the 4th best selling artist of 2009 in the country.

Listen:
'Jolie Coquine'



Website: MySpace
Buy MP3:Caravan Palace

I new little about Beast until I received a press release informing me that 'In the recent announcement for the 52nd annual Grammy Awards, acclaimed Montreal group Beast was recognized for their first-ever Grammy nomination in the category of Best Short Form Video for “Mr. Hurricane”. The band is in good company with industry heavyweights Coldplay, The Black Eyed Peas and Depeche Mode populating the category. The video was directed by Ben Steiger Levine and produced by Sacha Baylin-Stern at Nu Films; “Mr. Hurricane” appears on the band’s self-titled debut, released on Verve Forecast earlier this year'.

Having listened to album I have to say they have ticked the vitally important 'refreshingly different' box, and clearly I am 'doing different' at the moment. Hailing from Montreal via France, Beast’s music has been described as Portishead meets Rage Against The Machine with elements of rock, trip-hop and jazz thrown in for good measure. Their self-titled debut has won over the critics and fans alike, with The Globe & Mail calling the album “One of the best albums of the year” and The Toronto Star referring to it as “One of the most strikingly original and swaggeringly bad-ass Canadian albums to rear its head in recent memory”. Hey don't say Beehive Candy doesn't do attitude sometimes!

Listen:
'Finger Prints'



Website: MySpace.
Buy MP3: Beast

OK it's my warped English sense of humour but the promo that introduced Standing Shadow to me has to be read in the a deep growling movie promotion voice over style, see if you get what I mean or should I up my medication?

From the streets of Los Angeles comes the powerful, energetic, and driving sounds of Standing Shadows, and with the release of the EP, High Rise on January 5th the combination of longtime friends David Miltenberger (lead vocals, guitar) and Dan Silver (lead guitar, vocals) have hit the sonic jackpot.

Having already earned placements in television shows such as the new 90210, The Cleaner, and The Shield, among others, Standing Shadows is taking your television screen by storm. The band is also featured in the in-game trailers of Guitar Hero 5, backing the interviews with Matt Bellamy (Muse) and Shirley Manson (Garbage).

Over five years in the making, Standing Shadows is the product of the long distance collaboration of Miltenberger and Silver. The group could be defined as electro-obscura-shoegazer-rock, while conjuring audio reminders of groups like Silversun Pickups and My Bloody Valentine. The EP is a precursor to the band’s full-length album, “Five Years of Darkness,” set to be released on March 9th.

Anyhow excusing my strange imagination for a moment the good news is that this band sound just great, and I will add them to my January list of bands to watch out for in 2010.

Listen:
'High Rise'



Website: MySpace.
Buy MP3: itunes or Amazon UK Standing Shadows

That's all for the moment, Beehive Candy have received quite a few demos and intros in recent times, we are trying to work our way through them and we will mention any material that captures our imagination or ticks some of those 'virtual' boxes, so please bear with us...

Boomtown Rats - North London 1978

This is the Boomtown Rats live in concert at the Middlesex Polytechnic in Hendon, North London, back on the 16th September 1978.

This recorded version has been circulated as 'Dont Believe What You Hear' and is reckoned to be the best audio quality boot of the show, however it unfortunelty misses the last song of the gig (Do The Rat).

BBC TV recorded the concert, and from distant memory I think it was shown 'live', I remember watching it, and from Bob Geldof's comments it would appear to be the case. The sheer energy and the incredibily professional performance from a 'band of the time' bring back great memories.

Source: BBC TV Broadcast (audio).

Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@320kbps.

Genre: Rock, pop, New Wave.

Set: Broadcast element of concert.

Set List:

1. Mary Of The 4th Form
2. Me & Howard Hughes
3. I Never Loved Eva Braun
4. Don't Believe What You Read
5. Rat Trap
6. Kicks
7. Joey's On The Street Again
8. Living On A Island
9. She's Gonna Do You In
10. Like Clockwork
11. She's So Modern
12. Looking After No. 1

Length: 00:49:45.

Links: Official site HERE.

Comments:

All six members were originally from Dún Laoghaire, Ireland. Formed under the name "The Nightlife Thugs," the group agreed on the name change to the "Boomtown Rats" after a gang that Bob Geldof read about in Woody Guthrie's autobiography, Bound for Glory. They became a notable band, but one whose accomplishments were in part overshadowed by the charity work of frontman Bob Geldof, a former journalist with the NME magazine.

The group moved to London in October 1976, and became associated with the punk rock movement. Signing a recording contract with Ensign Records, they released their debut single, "Looking After No.1", in August 1977. It was the first of nine straight singles to make the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart. Their debut album, The Boomtown Rats, was released in September 1977, on Ensign in the UK and on Mercury Records in the United States, and featured another single, "Mary of the 4th Form". As music journalist, Martin C. Strong noted, "Bob Geldof's moody charisma helped to give the band a distinct identity".

The Rats' second album, A Tonic for the Troops, appeared in June 1978 in the UK. It featured three hit singles, "Like Clockwork", "She's So Modern" and "Rat Trap". A Tonic for the Troops was released in the U.S. on Columbia in February 1979, with two tracks from The Boomtown Rats substituted for tracks on the UK version. Mutt Lange produced "Rat Trap", which became the first rock song by an Irish band to reach Number 1 in the UK, and the first of any description by an Irish band to top the official chart used by the BBC. (The Bachelors had topped the Record Retailer chart in 1964 with "Diane", but only reached Number 2 on the UK Singles Chart). In addition, "Rat Trap" was also the first new wave song to claim the number one spot.

Download link in comment below or click on the picture.