Now in its seventh year, Rob Da Bank’s Bestival continues to stand out among the wealth of festivals that take place over the summer. After 2009’s crowd were wowed by German electro pioneers Kraftwerk, expectations were certainly high for this year. Thankfully the Radio 1 DJ has pulled yet another stroke of organisational genius and has come back with a veritable feast of musical goodness. This year’s event takes place on the Isle Of Wight on the 9th to 12th September. Headlining the opening day will be East London’s own Prince of Grime, Dizzee Rascal. Stepping up to the headline slot will surely be no problem for the rapper and no surprise for anyone who witnessed the reaction ‘Bonkers’ received during his Glastonbury set last summer. Also playing will be psychedelic pop masters The Flaming Lips, whose enchanting stage show will no doubt fit in perfectly with the festivals trippy aesthetics.
Making their fifth festival outing at this year’s event will be Hot Chip, whose appearance comes hot on the heels of fourth album, ‘One Life Stand’. If that wasn’t enough, LCD Soundsystem will also be showcasing tracks from their highly anticipated third – and rumoured to be final – album.
As always with Bestival, the headliners are just a small portion of what you will witness over the weekend; with many other bands and DJ’s equally vying for your attention amongst the masses of fancy dressed revellers and unexpected sideshow attractions. The list of acts is already jaw dropping and as the event isn’t until September – it’s only going to get better. For the full line up and ticket info, head to the Bestival website.
The Flaming Lips once again stormed our shores with their fantastic live show. This time it was held in East London’s former Bingo, The Troxy. A venue that has preserved its art deco charm and was described by Wayne Coyne himself as the perfect place for a Flaming Lips gig.
Their set hasn’t changed much through the years; visually excellent, with a video wall alternating psychedelic images with Coyne’s face being filmed live. None of the classic live tricks that have gained them plaudits as one of the best live experiences in today’s rock world were missing: the space Ball; huge balloons; festive confetti; furry animals; lasers and gong, all of it surrounded by an exhilarating atmosphere.
Musically, they still rely on the classic, feel-good psychedelic moments from the “Soft Bulletin” and “Yoshimi”. No surprise then that the Oklahoma band only included a couple of songs from their new album “Embryonic”, hailed by the critics as a return to their more experimental ways; but too dark and challenging to fit well next to their more colourful, pop-friendly moments.
To celebrate the releases of their latest album, ‘Embryonic’, gnarly psychedelic rockers The Flaming Lips are planning a special one off gig in Hollywood’s Ricardo Mountalban Theatre. The intimate venue, which only holds 1200, is more used to showcasing sedate plays but for Thursday’s show will feature Flaming Lip’s multi layered and mind bending space-rock – something that is likely to give the Theatre’s usual clientele quite a surprise. With industrial amounts of confetti, giant papier-mâché hands and ‘crowd zorbing’ from lead singer Wayne Coyne often featuring in The Flaming Lip’s show, let’s hope the proprietors of the venue know what they’ve let themselves in for. Tickets for the gig will be available from the venue. For those wishing to see the band in the UK, Flaming Lips have also announced the following dates.
London Troxy (November 10) London Troxy (11) Portsmouth Guildhall (13) Glasgow O2 Academy (15) Manchester Academy (16) Birmingham O2 Academy (17)
Autumn is coming, and with it the usual landslide of music heavyweights will bring their newest efforts on time for the lucrative Christmas market. These days, in such a clogged market, it’s becoming common practice to preview albums in full a few days before their release. And this week there’s been a number of long awaited records available to stream. We’ve chosen a selection of the most interesting ones for your own listening pleasure, after the jump Read more…
It’s already been quite a year for the four men from Staten Island who make up Cymbals Eat Guitars. After earning glowing praise from the likes of Pitchfork and NME and touring with The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, the band have now announced they’re debut album, ‘Why There Are Mountains’, will be getting a UK release through Memphis Industries. If that wasn’t enough, the band were personally asked by The Flaming Lips to support them for two London shows at The Troxy.
While this rise may urk many a struggling musician, the attention Cymbals Eat Guitars are recieving is more than justified. Their lush melodic indie, recalling Pavement and Modest Mouse, is sure to continue to win over new fans throughout 2009. The band are currently on tour in the US; for more tracks and tour dates check their Myspace.
