In Other News . . . Franz Ferdinand release double A-side Right Action/Love Illumination

New music from Franz Ferdinand arrived today in the form of double A-side singles of “Love Illumination” and “Right Action”. Both tracks are taken from the soon to be released “Right Thoughts Right Words Right Action” the bands fourth album and their follow up to 2009's “Tonight: Franz Ferdinand” with production credits going to the groups label mates, Hot Chip members Joe Goddard and Alexis Taylor.

The singles show the band moving away from the synth dabbling sounds of Tonight and more so a return to the jolty angular guitars of the first two records. Speaking to NME frontman Alex Kapranos explains how the group “wanted to get back to the essence of being creative people” whilst they also “wanted to keep it pretty raw”. 

This raw sound is evident in the tracks, notably so in “Love Illumination”, where the band's enthusiasm for Edwyn Collins is heard in infectious fuzzy guitar lines. “Right Action”, containing the lyrics giving the album its name, displays a sound more characteristic of Franz Ferdinand not to dissimilar to the catchy riffing of hit single “Take Me Out”.

The singles, released via Domino, are available now for pre-order with an official release on 7^th July. Right Thoughts Right Words Right Action is set to be released 27^th August.

Listen Via Youtube below:

Right Action-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qZa-FHRmoGg

Love Illumination-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gWjN1GctWog#at=29

In Other News . . . Glatonbury Rumor Cycle Spins Again

With the festival period coming once again and after a year off Michael Eavis, alongside daughter Emily, host Glastonbury at Worthy Farm. After announcing head-liners Arctic Monkeys, The Rolling Stones and Mumford and Sons, discussion drifted instead to blank spots on the line-up and the implication of these.

The much disputed “secret shows” have become a focal point of this years festival and as lacunas were left in the shapes of some very big acts spurring rumour after rumour of surprise appearances. The elephants in the room, or outside on this occasion, came in the shape of David Bowie, Daft Punk and Liam Gallagher's Beady Eye.

After Liam Gallagher posted a cryptic tweet 26^th June stating “11am Friday – BE there or BE square . . LG” it seems that Gallagher and co. are certain to be playing one of the festivals stages. Beady Eye who were 5/1 odds now seem definite to be airing their second album BE at Glastonbury. This may come as somewhat of a shock to Gallagher fans after Liam has famously said of the festival after appearing with Oasis, “I f***ing hate Glastonbury mate. I'm only here for the money”. Hopefully his performance with Beady Eye, their first at the festival, will inspire positive feedback.

In regards to Bowie and Daft Punk, many were expecting to see either topping the bill. This year saw both acts releasing new materials with Bowie releasing The Next Day and Daft Punk releasing Random Access Memories with both albums debuting at No.1 in the UK album charts. Bowie, having played the festival twice before in 1971 and later in 2000, has odds of 6/1 to appear whilst Daft Punk, commenting earlier in the year that they have no plans to tour their release, have odds of 6/4. It may also be that Bowie and Daft Punk may appear as guests in another acts slots with Bowie previously recording with Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones and Daft Punk previously appearing with Phoenix as they did at Phoenix's Madison Square Garden show in 2010.

Another hotly contested guest spot is to who will appear with The Rolling Stones with Jeff Beck, Bruce Springsteen and Adele being tipped.

In Other News . . . Bloc Party unveil new video for Ratchet

After announcing the release of a new E.P. entitled The Nextwave Sessions, Bloc Party unveil a video for lead single Ratchet. Although being played live on a number of dates up to five month ago the song received its first radio play by Zane Lowe as his Hottest Record in the World on 25^th June where singer and guitarist Kele Okereke confirmed reports of an indefinite hiatus, unfortunately for fans he adds that the band has “no plans as of yet” to follow their announced festival dates.

The video depicts a journey through the bands videos in reverse chronological order beginning with Octopus an ending with Little Thoughts with a slight detour through Helicopter. It also features moments where the band morph into monsters with augmented and replicated limbs with Kele's eyes being replaced by his eruptive mouth. This sort of camera trickery is familiar in director Cyriak Harris' other works who has made a name in the manipulation of creatures.

The song itself is an infectious dancey number and has more in common with Tenderoni, from Kele Okereke's solo effort, 2010's The Boxer, than the more electro influenced tracks of Mercury, Flux and One More Chance. The notable difference is the inclusion of Russell Lissack's guitar which features his often occurring pitch-shifting, this, combined with Gordan Moakes' bounciest bass-line to date, makes for a strong lead single.

The Nextwave Sessions were recorded with producer Dan Carey and will be released via Frenchkiss on August 12^th. Watch Ratchet via Youtube below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3EEaPj-5qs

In Other News . . . Laura Marling teams up with Secret Cinema for a new experience

Laura Marling continues to generate interest with her latest move. Rather than fall into generic promotion rituals on album number four, Once I Was An Eagle, Marling has instead spurred intrigue by collaborating with a collective of Cinema enthusiasts who operate under the moniker Secret Cinema. This group truly know how to create a unique experience for the viewer shying away from stereotypical means of simple cinema projection they attempt to air cinema in a new light instead projecting onto office blocks and presenting cinema in different ways. It is evident that they attempt to bring a new experience to every project they engage in. Which brings us back to Marling, in this collaboration they present to us The Grand Eagle Hotel, a fictitious creation affording the collaborators the perfect setting for their performance. They intend to recreate the environment of 1927 presenting The Grand Eagle Ball, and in attempting to do so request the audience attempt to immerse themselves in the era asking that they wear “vintage black tie”. But this is by no means the full extent that Marling and co. have gone to ensure a unique experience, they have also requested fans bring with them: a photograph of an old lover, flowers for the mistress of the house Lady Undine, a secret gift for a stranger, and a choice of either an old record, a bag of unwanted books or a case of unwanted clothes. Marling is by no means a stranger to new ventures opting to play a series of theatres whilst promoting 2010's I Speak Because I Can, she is used to playing grander settings but with this project she pushes the boundaries even further as to what a Laura Marling show consists of. It seems that in departing England and setting up camp in Los Angeles she has truly embraced life as an English eccentric. Although we can't be sure entirely what to expect from the shows, it seems that through this collaboration she has found a way to make the album cycle a special thing allowing people to once again be excited, truly a stride in the right direction.
The shows take place in London from June 13th - June 30th

Jagwar Ma @ The Deaf Institute, Manchester, 20/06/2013

Gabriel Winterfield is infectious, present tonight with Sydney based outfit Jagwar Ma, he has obvious intent, to play some of the best new music to be heard this year and to have fun doing it. Selling out Manchester's Deaf Institute, not an easy feat when the city's student population have decamped to lick their wounds for another summer, the crowd seem no less eager than the band to comply to their manifesto. The band, completed tonight by full time member Jono Ma twiddling knobs on synth and beats duty, and touring bass player Jack who moves with such splendour that he most definitely would have still been present on stage if he was instrument free. The trio open with "What Love" a track that first appeared as b-side to early single Come Save Me but now takes precedence on both the début album Howlin and the bands live set list. The throbbing synth line's of "What Love" give birth to Gabriel's soaring vocal lines which, aided by delays and loops, sound every bit as luscious live as they do on record. The extended versions of tracks, witnessed in the non-radio friendly edits, glow and demonstrate a band who have truly embraced a diverse range of influences. The result is an act who have enough vocal melody and pop credibility to break the mainstream but with deep grooves and the oft referenced baggy Madchester beats that wouldn't be out of place curating the Warehouse Project. This marriage is recognizable on "Let Her Go" where a dab hand at lyrics reveals Gabriel confessing “I've become undone I want my lips stitched back together”. The song balloons to a chorus every bit as much Beck as it is Chemical Brothers before the inevitable, but nonetheless desirable, lyrical decay and dance beat influx. The band drops "Come Save Me" and "Man I Need" to rapturous reception before closer "The Throw" demonstrates best where the Madchester acid house comparisons come from as the flailing limbs of the band are reciprocated by the crowd. It seems lazy to solely reference the acid-house scene from the 80's when writing about Jagwar Ma because for a post-hacienda Manchester resident they seem to speak to more than just that generation and with Gabriel's boyish good looks, confident stage persona and most of all the strength of the music, we may see them adorning the walls of generations to come.

Toro y Moi @ Parklife Festival's Now Wave tent, Manchester, 09/06/2013

With the calendar turning once again to festival season, and thus Manchester's ever growing Parklife festival, certain acts stood raised against a intriguing and varied bill. One of these being Toro y Moi, the alias of South Carolina resident Chazwick Bradley Bundick, why a pseudonym was needed one can only wonder. Achieving recognition in certain spheres (Rolling Stone, Pitchfork etc.) with début Causers of This, Chaz was hailed as a pioneer of an emerging genre chill-wave movement but has yet to have cross over success. His follow up Underneath the Pine offered a musician differing from his début with more emphasis on vocal melodies and introducing elements of funk to his sound destined to be the soundtrack to the connoisseur's summer. Appearing on the Now Wave stage on the Sunday of the festival Toro y Moi was a promising start to the second day which boasted a billing of diversity and quality throughout the day, commendation to Now Wave as always for enriching the quality of Manchester and the festival. Backed by a three-piece band Bundick demonstrates the strength of the songs of his most recent release Anything in Return, which demonstrates the great diversity of Chaz's song writing introducing a more pop-conscious sound on his longest release yet. In the live sphere the record is given room to grow providing a stage for unreleased tracks affording them a much deserved spotlight. “Living High” is given power through the chorus that one might miss in the sheen of the album's production standing as one of the strongest moments of the set. This added energy does however in no way detract from the subtleties of the album's production and tracks swell with as much quality live as witnessed on the record. Finishing the short set with Anything in Return's lead single “So Many Details”, Toro y Moi set the bar high for the tent's acts to follow with Chaz's reserved but confident stage presence not betraying the strength of the songs and being every bit as enticing as the previously documented performer. It seems that as his Afro grows, now at a respectable size, his following and reputation will continue to do so and soon he will receive billing and reception that reflects the quality of his performance and music.