Can I have your details?

Finally, after many attempts and much messing about, I have a business card design! I had much creative feedback from my worryingly tasteful boyfriend, he helped me realise my ideas into something that looked simple and striking. Yay!

Do you take requests?

Popstarz9 was a nice stressless one as middlemanager was gone. He makes me nervous and comes up to me making suggestions which messes with my flow and my creativity. Filling in at Kambar was fun, but much more stressful than I thought as every punter there had ideas about what should be played. Neil summed it up best when he said "they don't want to hear good music, just the ones they know". Moreover, I forgot my computer had crashed during my music transfer so a lot of good tracks didn't get copied to my set. I've not been at my best this week and I definitely let everything get to me. Today I'm going to make enquiries about a day job so hopefully I'll feel better this week.

Indie Thing

Popstarz8 was ok, except due to horrible rain it was very slow starting. I got told off for playing Girls Aloud and henceforth lost my mojo. Bah. Vik played great set from 2-4 in Rave room - not sure how he got away with it cos he just played electro all night, then again, it was a quiet one, so we could've got away with anything really. Heloise and the Savoir Fair played at 1am; They were good apart from their attempt at shockrock performers: A man dressed in tight gold suits, so tight you could see his penis, flouncing about on stage like a drunk whore and a lady with a greek crown of flowers and lots of neon makeup dancing coldly and deadpan, but at one point getting her tits out. Rubbish. Too bad the lead singer has talent.

Neil de Generator has asked me to fill in for him on Saturday night til 12 at Indie Thing at Kambar. This should be a bit of fun. Kambar doesn't fill up til 12, so I'll just mess around on the decks playing my favourite tunes and hopefully enjoying the company of friends. I'm not going to try and play what Neil does, there is no point. I'm going to play all my favourite kicking Indie tunes mixed in with some of more staple dancy indie and electro. Been having fun getting tunes together.

Free lunch

Yesterday I signed up to three promotion companies so as to get free cds for DJing; It will be easier to stay on top of new music. I was sensible and didn't sign up to any I didn't *need*. There were some great ones, which had music I'd love, but not play. We'll see how it goes.

Going to sort my webspace so all my music related stuff is available through one page. Link to come soon!

Embomusic

Popstarz7 went well, I did the main slot from 12-2, which was good, cos there was a decent amount of people jigging about - including Pet Shop Boys, who were in the house. Awesome! I left early with headache from cold I've had all week.


So, went through my music mailouts this morning, and as I've not done it in a month there was lots to get through! Excuse this quick rundown's listlike nature. Started with a Futureheads video diary, which they explained how instead of signing to a label they've got involved with distribution networks.
I listened to The Dodos who are Wichita's new babies, they are soft spoken yet mathrock -good clean drumming.
Then checked out Cadence Weapon, who are a bizarre mix of hiphop and IDM. I couldn't believe Myspace description til I heard it! Crazy sampling, slow rapping, whizzing bleeps and squeals throughout!
Next checked out Telepathe, whose music is oddly structured, it's slow repetitions and minimal lady lyrics make you think of an unemotional Goldfrapp or a Gary Numan chick - sometimes break beats, sometimes mathrock, it's quiet and controlled fun - but not my bag.
Dirty Projectors were just too weird - experimental, but not in a good way; Zappa without the funk; Happy Scott Walker.
Then Jonquil, who like Band of Horses and Islands are lovely dreampop, only with fun instruments like accordions and trumpets and slow building songs that never break into craziness, but keep you bobbing along the happy river.
Next, for fun and plezure I listened to Fuck Buttons, who I could listen to forever. If you haven't listened to them yet, now would be a good time. They are opening for Mogwai next month and I plan to be there listening quietly and feeling the dirty euphoria climb all over my brain like a lemon wearing stilts.
After that I felt compelled to give Times New Viking a listen, if only cos the name kicks ass! Establishing themselves as Lo-Fi from the first note, they let their influences be known. With completely pointless keyboards of Velvet Underground, Crazy churchy singing of Arcade Fire and fuzzy production of Clap your Hands Say Yeah they blast out silly tunes which seem punky but not punk.
From their myspace stumbled across Psychedelic Horseshit, which is a Dada/nihilist approach to shoegaze - as he confesses in his bio "Shitgaze is abysmal...this band is either a load of idiots on speed who suddenly thought they could play music while tripping, and sounds like a very massive pile of utter drunken shit, or it’s just some very clever chimpanzee’s who’ve evolved and suddenly realise they ’might’ be able to play some music". An inspired crew, who
dare to sound truly awful.
Then, as usual missing the boat, finally listened to HEALTH several months AFTER they played in Cambridge. Of course, they are as good as everyone said and fling you about at high volumes smashing your mind to bits. They have done some very improbable but fantastic collaborations with Crystal Castles, the song Glitter Pills has the diiiiirtiest electro keyboards at the end it's a crime if someone doesn't do a remix.
After that, found myself terrifyingly listening to Shit and Shine who I find hard to describe - part death metal, part experimental drone - each song incredibly short bursts of spazzed drumming or screaming or just humming noises. The great thing about their music is they never make the sound too busy - they build, but never spazzing on all instruments - like a boat at half sail; they know the limitations of the human ear. I did have to take a silent break afterwards though!
Continuing, Fleet Foxes delighted my ears. The kind of beauty you don't want to share, but sit quietly under a blanket with headphones on, watching the world go by as it all sparkles past. Sub-pop and Bella Union do it again.
On the tail of that sound, came My Brightest Diamond, too soft to quite catch my attention - but it was like Massive Attack without the groove, PJ Harvey on beta-blockers, fairly unexciting.
Midnight Juggernauts are like Michael Jackson and Daft Punk on MDMA. Pure loved up funky electro. Showers of bleeps in calm indie rock and a scent of Bowie.


I've also got myself a sweet little deal with Simon Baker whereby I sort his Facebook needs and he supplies me with free giggage. Nice one.

No, I didn't see Jay-Z

Well! What a week!
We travelled down on the Wednesday, enjoyed some lovely weather and food and company and many beers. Too much to tell so here is a quick rundown with links!
Began with Vampire Weekend, who were really good! very enjoyable set and really connected with the crowd. Plus lead singer is cute! Later went to MGMT which was really good, but the audience was young and silly and a detriment to enjoyment. Stuck by left speaker, so not the greatest sound. Lots of Time to pretend sang around camp all week!
Next day was Holy Fuck who I can't find any glasto footage of, probably cos BBC is too pussy to write their name even though this was one of the highlights of the whole festival. They were unbelievably good. Prog in song form. Truly inspired me. Later that day saw the secret gig by Franz Ferdinand with a sneaky glance at Foals as I passed the Other Stage. Foals were more Mathrock than I had realised and I enjoyed them although I was only waiting for Cassius to come on. :) Franz pumped out hit after hit and no one could resist dancing. So fun! Finally was the amazing Schlomo presenting "Music Through Unconventional Means". A human beatboxer who was absolutley stunning. He had a triple slot on the Park Stage which he used to bring on as many special guests as he could, from Jazz to Indie he got his guests to sing while he beatboxed over the top. Amazing.

So I got back and have so so many ideas for music I want to write now. Want to work out how Secret Machines and Holy Fuck do it and create things along those lines. I think with a sneaky nudge it would lend to some dark electro. Have been messing around, still finding it difficult to get things working, will probably go through the tutorials again. having been trying ot work out wjat I'll need to record some music using my computer - STILL don't understand. I probably should ask a friend, but it means opening myself to critism. Pride is for losers. :)