www.myspace.com/rotheray
www.myspace.com/jimcausley
www.myspace.com/bellahardymusic

David’s first solo album, entitled “The Life Of Birds”, is scheduled for release 16th August 2010, on the Proper Music label. The album features collaborations with Eliza Carthy, Jim Causley, Julie Murphy, Alasdair Roberts, Eleanor McEvoy, Nat Johnson, Kathryn Williams, Jack L , Bella Hardy and Camille O’Sullivan.

David has played in various local bands from the age of 13 In 1988 formed crypto-vegetarian pop group “The Beautiful South” with songwriting partner Paul Heaton, and signed to Go! Discs records. Over the next 19 years the band released ten albums plus various compilations, most famously “Carry On Up The Charts” (1995). The Beautiful South finally split up in 2007. Also formed the acoustic folk band ‘Homespun’ as a side project in 2003, and released 3 albums on own “Homespun Recordings” label. Homespun split in 2008.

David Rotheray has announced the release of his first ever album under his own name for August 16th 2010, on the well-known “Proper Music” imprint. Entitled “The Life Of Birds” the record is apparently intended as a ‘modern folk concept album’. Although a ’solo’ effort, the record in fact features collaborations with ten different singer/songwriters drawn from the contemporary scene: Kathryn Williams, Alasdair Roberts, Jim Causley, Eliza Carthy, Camille O’Sullivan, Bella Hardy, Julie Murphy, Nat Johnson, Eleanor McEvoy and Jack L.

Despite the array of talents on show, this is in no sense a compilation album: Rotheray has arranged and produced all the tracks, and contributed all the lyrics, which follow a vaguely ornithological theme (eg “The Sparrow, The Thrush & The Nightingale, sung by Jim Causley; “Crows, Ravens & Rooks”, sung by Kathryn Williams; “The Digital Cuckoo”, sung by Bella Hardy). David has announced some gigs (see the TOUR page) for the summer of 2010, to coincide with the release of “The Life Of Birds”.

Jim is a young singer/musician from Devon who performs an exciting mixture of traditional and contemporary songs including many of his own compositions. He performs solo and also with Emily Portman & Lauren McCormick in a trio called The Devil’s Interval who also tour and record with Waterson:Carthy. Jim’s debut album ‘Fruits of the Earth’ came out in July 2005 and he has been nominated for the Horizon Award in the 2006 BBC Folk Awards. He has rapidly become renowned for his warm rich voice and his wickedly cheeky stage presence.

Though only 26 years old, Bella has already been nominated three times in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and has been well known on the folk circuit for many years, playing fiddle in a variety of popular line-ups as a teenager and reaching the finals of the BBC Young Folk Awards in 2004. However, it was following the launch of her debut album Night Visiting in 2007 that she quickly rose to become one of the shining lights of the folk scene, famed for entwining her hypnotic voice with her own fiddle accompaniment to stunning effect. Night Visiting secured Bella a raft of rave reviews, and 2008 saw a packed year of gigs and festival appearances.

Damon Butcher, one of the finest keyboard players in the UK, is a veteran session musician who has recorded with many top producers, arrangers and and bands during the past 25 years.

From 1993 until 2006, Damon toured and recorded with popular UK band The Beautiful South, emerging occasionally to do gigs with other bands and artists, such as Cayenne and Peter White, and to do session work.

at the Musician on Tuesday 14 September 2010

£6.50 adv £8 door

Doors - 8pm

+ Anders Griffen + Peter Wyeth + Wig Smith + Michael Liggins

www.myspace.com/dianecluck

www.myspace.com/andersgriffen

www.myspace.com/peterwyeth

www.myspace.com/wigsmith

www.myspace.com/michaeljliggins

Diane Cluck creates songs in an intuitive folk style. She sings because it feels good. Her unusual finger-picking and strumming style grew out of years spent playing the piano. Basing song on ‘feeling’, her music communicates beyond barriers of language and genre. She’s bang-on happy to be touring with Anders Griffen.

Anders Griffen (Regina Spektor, Frank Lowe, Jeffrey Lewis) is a multi-directional drum set player who performs with a range of choreographers, jazz musicians and song writers. He is characterized by his unique, supportive accompaniment and ability to play in acoustic situations with sensitivity and nuance. He holds a degree in music composition and is the head catalog librarian at the Manhattan School of Music.

Peter Wyeth - I make noises with acoustic instruments and sounds. Sing songs with them. Take rubbish photos that I like. Love riding bicycles. Love stereo recording. Hate mixing. Play in made up tunings. Sing songs to the night, the sky, the birds.”knee deep in looped acoustic guitar” - Drowned In Sound

“A man and his guitar that transcend what you’d expect from such a simple combination to become more than the sum of the two constituent parts. Adding loops, found sounds and bird noises alongside his voice and guitar constructs moments of absolute beauty. You won’t witness an audience as enthralled by one man anywhere else this year.” - White Noise Festival

Leicestershire based recording artist Michael J. Liggins creates melodic and fervent acoustic music. Believing the silence as important as the musical notes surrounding it, songs are usually performed carefully and accompanied with poetic and abstract lyrics. His first self released recording ‘A Blessing to the Hours’ was produced in the bathroom at his home. It is a warm lo-fi collection of songs lightly contaminated with unintended noise, neighbours bounding up their stairs, automobile ignitions and bird song.

at Academy 2, Leicester University, University Road, Leicester £12 adv £15 door

in association with Andy Wright

www.myspace.com/getcapewearcapefly

So starts the second album from 21-year-old Sam Duckworth, aka Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. And it really is some journey, one that adds a roomful of musicians to the laptop and guitar that populated his critically acclaimed first album, 2006’s The Chronicles Of A Bohemian Teenager and that quantum leaps his sound into musically broad and defiantly joyful new territory. It marries GCWCF’s proven lyrical talent with expansive orchestration, razor-sharp laptop beats, folkish, fervent guitars and even a touch of afro-beat. “I started making it on my computer as we were touring, but the more I got into it, the less I wanted to make a bedroom sounding record. I wanted a tangible step forwards.” So he called in an orchestra and realised a new vision that is both intimate and raw. You can hear the strings emote – but you can also hear ‘em scrape.

It’s a long way from his early teen beginnings as a gig promoter prone to playing agit-emo sets in-between the hardcore punk acts he booked at local scuzz-holes. Since he signed to Atlantic in 2006 zipped up and down the British rail network gigging intensively, had two tracks featured on The O.C, supported The Flaming Lips and Funeral For A Friend, played three riotous shows at 2007’s Glastonbury Festival and a show-stealing performance at the Carling Weekend, and picked up a 2007 NME Awards nomination for Best Solo Artist. “We headlined the Astoria on my 21st but I’ve always been more of a punk rock person than anything else and I’d love to headline Brixton Academy. It’s the holy grail.”

Listen carefully and you’ll hear a few musical influences making their collective presence felt. There are shadows of The Manics and Fela Kuti on ‘The Children Are (The Consumers Of) The Future’; of Simon and Garfunkel and Elliot Smith on ‘Postcard From Catalunya’ and shades of a mystical, clear-eyed Shaun Ryder and DJ Shadow on ‘Could’ve Seen It All’.

+ guests

‘A serious young talent.’ - TOM ROBINSONOn ‘Girl on an Unmade Bed’:

‘At 21, Lisbee Stainton already has the ear of Radio 2, BBC 6 music, and a song destined for United Nations Peace Day next year. Her appeal is clear and simple: slowly revolving rhythms, wistful English melancholy with a soulful undertow and a sweet folk-pop voice. “Peace and quiet is not a London thing/This is why birds migrate to sing.” she croons on Practice Room, a song about the art of song-writing. Produced by Rupert Christie, this debut is augmented by warm, subtle strings, and the odd mandolin. Some tracks sound affected (Harriet is marked by a Lily Allen-style whimsical ‘charm’) but the strongest songs are her simplest, the focus on Stainton and her 8-string guitar, as in the quietly moving Wait For Me. More like this, and we will.’ - MOJO MAGAZINE

‘What’s it made of? Cultured folk-pop arrangements built around the thrum of Stainton’s guitar, gently cushioning her unaffected toy-soprano mini-voice. How is it woven? Intimately, subtly, sophisticatedly and with a keen ear for the play of the language of very young women. She wears it well.’ - INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY

‘Lisbee Stainton’s sun-kissed guitar pop made a rainy night in Soho feel like a sunny Glasto afternoon.’ - Andy Jones, thelondonpaper

‘If you thought folk music was all bearded men with long fingernails wailing about another bad harvest, think again. Angel-voiced Lisbee, 20, proves that folk has undergone a young, fresh makeover.’ **** - New Magazine

in association with Andy Wright

@ Academy O2 Leicester, Leicester University, University Road, Leicester

This is an early show - 7pm - 10pm

Our favourite gig of the year at a brand new spanking venue….

www.myspace.com/midlake

Every once in a while, a band comes along that undoubtedly evokes something special. You don’t know what the elusive ingredient is, but you are certain that they belong set apart from amongst the crowd of musical peers in which they lay. You quickly find yourself coming to the foregone conclusion that such a band’s music is to be revered and will remain relevant for some time to come. Midlake embodies this idealism in the hearts of many already and continues to adopt more and more believers today.

Midlake formed in the small, quirky Texas town of Denton. There, the five diligent musicians toiled to create a sound that was both pleasing and of their own. They were soon discovered by Bella Union Records owner Cocteau Twins bassist, Simon Raymonde. Simon fell deeply in love with the band, and together they began to cultivate a relationship focused on sharing Midlake’s music with the world. The band worked continuously day and night to create what would become their debut album, a work of incredible vision, talent, dedication and eccentricity: ‘Bamnan and Slivercork’.

Released in June of 2004, ‘Bamnan and Slivercork’ became a instant favorite of critics and fans worldwide. After a series of touring stints, both domestic and abroad, Midlake rapidly found themselves embraced by a much larger fan base than ever before. One notable member of this fan base is skateboarding legend turned actor, Jason Lee (My Name is Earl, Mallrats, Almost Famous, etc.). Jason joined forces with Midlake as a huge supporter, promoter, and collaborator, even directing and filming a video for their single, ‘Balloon Maker’.

Midlake then retreated home to begin work on their next musical venture. With a desire to reach deeper within and accomplish something even stronger than before, Midlake’s determined efforts produced ‘The Trials of Van Occupanther’. Tim Smith, Singer/Songwriter for Midlake says, “Compared to Bamnan and Slivercork, this album uses less keyboards in favor of acoustic guitar, piano, more vocals and electric guitar. The sound is something more related to 70’s folk rock but not in a gimmicky way, hopefully. I have a great affinity for those bands from the 70’s, the music just seems to move me more. So when writing this album of course those sounds came out in the music.”

The album, released in the summer of 2006, was greatly received and saw the band reach new heights like never before. On the strength of songs like ‘Roscoe’, ‘Head Home’, and ‘Young Bride’, along with a live show that left audiences worldwide in awe, Midlake continued to grow and establish themselves as an important band of our time.

Now with the release of their third studio album, ‘The Courage of Others’, Midlake has delivered an album that merits the high anticipation and expectations that continues to be showered upon them.

in association with Andy Wright

www.myspace.com/caitlinrosesongs
www.myspace.com/peterwolfcrier 

http://www.richardwarren.info/www.richardwarren.info24/Richard_Warren_1.html

in association with Andy Wright

www.65daysofstatic.com

To describe 65daysofstatic is not an easy task. Indeed, most who have tried can merely hint at the depths these guys reach with their wide-open sounds, melding seamless guitar shapes with ferocious drum ‘n bass styled beats, live drums and c-c-c-computer g-g-g-g-glitch. A soundtrack to a new dimension, where rock, dance and electronica are equals. A refreshing glimpse into the future at a time when the music industry has arguably been far too obsessed with all things retro.

To describe a 65daysofstatic live show is an even harder task. Viciously euphoric, frenetic, overwhelming, bordering on chaos and really, really loud. It’s what the band thrive on and how they win armies of new admirers every time they go out on the road.

Following the release of their hugely acclaimed debut album The Fall Of Math in 2004, 65daysofstaic spent several months touring the UK, playing to packed venues and festival tents. They recorded three radio sessions for BBC Radio 1 - for the late John Peel, Zane Lowe and a live from Maida Vale Studios 40-minute set for Huw Stephens. They were also ‘artists in residence’ on John Kennedy’s XfM X-Posure programme.

‘One Time For All Time’ was written on and between tours and is a mixture of confusion, guilt, exhaustion and anger. Furious drum’n'glitch beats collide with walls of guitar noise, broken laptop clicks and tranquil pools of piano. There are still no words. The band are still trying to articulate all that stuff that no-one’s really invented words for yet. Senses are pulled in every direction - this is not a happy album - yet the overall effect remains an uplifting experience…