Archives for July 2011

Andrew and Jess' MPFree EP artwork.

Here's this week's tracks:

Boots Electric - Boots Electric Theme

Givers - Up, Up, Up

Washed Out - Amor Fati

Girls - Vomit

CANT - Answer

Some tracks may no longer be available for download

This week's Memory Tapes is a thing of beauty, and a story of a friend going above and beyond on the mix tape front - just look at the hand-drawn cover!

It's the handy work of one Julia Calderwood, who writes...

"I was inspired to create a 'mix tape' for one of my best friends as she is about to leave the country and travel around the world with her boyfriend without getting on a plane! Knowing that any extra space in her bag would be limited I thought an ideal leaving present would be a compilation CD, so that the tracks could be loaded onto an MP3 player and taken with them wherever they go.

"Inspired by their 'no flying' trip I compiled a CD containing some of my favourite tracks, but where all of the song titles or lyrics linked together to create a narrative of the trip they are about to embark on. I got creative to produce all of the artwork for the CD and accompanying story and recently presented it to them at their leaving party.

"They both loved it, and although I am going to miss them loads while they are away it's great to know a little bit of my musical influence will be travelling with them!"

Massive work Julia; here's the cover:

And the tracks are:

1. Goodbye England - Laura Marling

2. Last Of The Melting Snow - The Leisure Society

3. See The World - The Kooks

4. Have Love Will Travel - The Black Keys

5. Flying - The Beatles

6. Last Boat To America - David Gray

7. Fake Tales Of San Francisco - Arctic Monkeys

8. No Cars Go - Arcade Fire

9. Night Train - Louis Prima

10. How Will I Ever Find My Way Home - British Sea Power

11. Homesick - Kings Of Convenience

12. Far From Home - Nick Cave

13. Gotta Keep Moving - Willy Mason

14. True Adventures - British Sea Power

15. Take Care - Beach House

16. Little Journey - The Avalanches

17. That's My Home - LouisArmstrong

If you'd like to submit your Memory Tape, then email Lauren today! Or whenever is convenient.

Today's MPFree comes from Girls' forthcoming album Father, Son, Holy Ghost which'll be available from 12th September. It's the follow up to the debut 'Album' which was released a whole two years ago.

If you've missed them, then you'll be please to know the duo from San Francisco have also announced details of a UK tour in November.

Girls - Vomit

If you haven't yet become aquainted with Washed Out's album Within and Without then here's another taste.

The debut album was released earlier this month and Washed Out will be in session on this show in August. Consider this homework.

Washed Out - Amor Fati

As a dedicated 6 Music listener you'll no doubt already be familiar with today's MPFree. Lauren started playing Up, Up, Up by Givers a fair old while ago, and then it made its way on to the 6 Music Playlist. Now, we offer you the CSS remix.

CSS themselves have a new album on the way in August, so if you've missed their handy work, this is a nice warm up.

Givers - Up, Up, Up (CSS remix)

NEWS

MusicPound

New iPhone app that helps you compare your music collection with a friend to see what you share, what stuff they have you might like, and gives you a score based on 'the brilliance of your music library'. Which is a bit worrying.

BandHawk

A new location-based iPhone app that lets you find unsigned bands near you. The idea being that bands sign up and create profiles, which are then shown to people using the app to see where they are and when they're playing. Bands can also upload music to BandHawk so people can see what they sound like, while fans can post photos from gigs that appear on the band's profile.

Google+

Lauren was asking about this the other week, but now its iPhone and Android apps are out. So we could talk about Google's attempt to take on Facebook and Twitter with a social network, and how the apps fit in with that.

REVIEWS

Bjork Biophilia

It's finally out! So we can play with the Bjork app and talk about whether it's any good, whether people will buy it, and what it all means for future album apps... iPhone/iPad only. You could play the Bjork song (Crystalline) in the background as an alternative to me faffing about on-mic.

Pixies Official

The Pixies have a app - iPhone and Android - which goes quite a bit further than most bands. You can stream their Purple Tape demo for free, download their 2004 Coachella festival gig for free, and register to get streams of other gig recordings - Manchester 1988 etc. It also has gamey things where you can win badges for your fanboy or fangirlism.

ShapeMix Mobile

The latest remix app for iPhone, which lets you monkey about with songs by tapping your touchscreen. This one claims to be easier to use than the rest, as you swipe little circles around the screen rather than fiddling with a set of decks.

Today's MPFree is the new one from Boots Electric - the brand new project from 'Eagles Of Death Metal' frontman Jesse "The Devil" Hughes.

The track is from his debut album Honkey Kong,out the 20th September on Danger Bird Records.

Jesse Hughes is joined on the track by Brody Dalle-Spinnerette, one time Distiller, half sister of Channel 4 comedian Morgana Robinson and wife to Josh Homme. Juliette Lewis also chips in with some backing vocals too; a star studded single, see what you think of the sound by listening below!

Boots Electric Theme - Boots Electric

It's been a strong, strong week for the MPFrees, and today is no exception.

A track from current TeamLaverne favs I Break Horses is the final free download today. Lauren spoke to Maria from the band on Monday about the release of their debut single, and this is another taster of the forthcoming album. We're very excited about it. We were also very excited about this week's People's Playlist which inspired the MPFree EP Artwork.

It was the Greenfingered playlist this week, so we asked for photos of your gardens. You responded, and we've gone with this offering from Kathy:

Your tracks for this week are:

Tinariwen - Tenere Taqqim Tossam

Toro Y Moi - Saturday Love

M83 - Midnight City

Real Estate - It's Real

I Break Horses - Winter Beats

Some tracks may no longer be available for download.

This week we're back to boys charming girls via the power of the mixtape. This week's charmer: Christopher Queen, who writes...

"I found this tape whilst cleaning The Cupboard; it was a mix I made for my then girlfriend when we first started seeing each other and her cd player got broken after a particularly debauched party!

"We got married a few weeks ago, so it must have done the trick. I was amazed that she'd kept it!"

Here's what the tape looks like:

And this is what it sounds like:

T-Rex - Ride A White Swan

Stone Roses - Sally Cinnamon

LCD Soundsystem Losing My Edge

Frenchbloke & Son - Sexy Model

Smokey Robinson - (Come Round Here) I'm The One You Need

The Modern Lovers - Pablo Picasso

Flying Matchstick Men - John Wayne

Arab Strap - Girls Of Summer

Belle & Sebastian - String Bean

Jean The Monkees - Randy Scouse Git

The Housemartins - Five Get Overexcited

Randy Newman - Political Science

Helen Love - Punk Boy 1&2

Ian Dury - Sweet Gene Vincent

Beastie Boys - Sound of Science

The Delgados - Liquidation Girl

Pavement - Cut Yr Hair

Bis - Icky-Poo Air Raid

Gang of Four - At Home He's A Tourist

Corn Mo - Busey Boy

Sam & Dave - Soul Man

The Maytals - Pressure Drop

Booth & The Bad Angel - Fall In Love With Me

Donovan - Sunny Goodge Street

Nick Drake - Northern Sky

Lulu - The Man Who Sold The World

Ivor Cutler - My Next Album

As always, Lauren will pick out five or six to play on the show. If you'd like to submit your Memory Tape, then email Lauren right now!

Today's MPFree is the new single from the second album from Real Estate. The New Jersey band release 'Days' in October, so this is a very early taster of things to come.

The album was recorded in New York earlier this year with Kevin McMahon (of The Walkmen, Titus Andronicus fame) on production duties. The band are expected in the UK later on in the year.

Real Estate - It's Real

Your MPFree today comes from show favs M83. Another reason why we love Anthony Gonzalez's one man band is that the name is taken from the a spiral galaxy, Messier 83.

And according to TeamLaverne's Gary, in the galaxy next door (Messier 82) there a mystery object floating around, and no one knows what it is.

While you ponder on that, why not download and enjoy Midnight City which is the first track from the forthcoming album 'Hurry Up, We're Dreaming'.

M83 - Midnight City

Todays MPFree is from Toro y Moi with his new single Saturday Love taken from his forthcoming Freaking Out EP, out in September.

Toro y Moi, which means 'Bull and Me', is South Carolina born Chazwick Bundick. Bundick graduated from The University of Carolina in 2009, was signed to Car Park Records in 2010 and released his debut album Causers Of This the same year. His second album Underneath The Pine was out February this year. See what you think by following the link below to the free download!

He was the founding member of 'The Heist And the Accomplice' however the sound of his solo stuff is very different, being labelled 'chillwave'.

He is currently on tour in the United States but will be playing ATP: Night Before Christmas, Minehead England come December.

Saturday Love-Toro y Moi

The band are a musical collective from Mali who have gained wide recognition for their brand of desert blues. Their style incorporates Algerian rai, Egyptian pop and Led Zeppelin and their last album, 2009's Imidiwan won an Uncut award for being "the most inspiring and richly rewarding album of the last 12 months".

Their new album Tassili is out on the 25th of August, and the first single from it is available for free. See what/who you think they sound like by following the link below.

They are playing the KOKO in London on the 26th October, The Roundhouse on the 27th October and also ATP in Minehead, Somerset in December.

Tenere Taqqim Tossam - Tinariwen

Every Friday we highlight a listener's vintage compilation tape, play some selections from it and display its unique handcrafted artwork.

Cerian Absolom's Memory Tape/CD 

"This tape (well CD sadly...) dates from the heady days of 2006 and was made for me by Jack Pop, boss of indie wonder-label Alcopop.

I went through a massive mixtape phase around that time, making and sending mixes anonymously to people I thought were cool, and this is one I received back. The tracklist of the mix contains some indie pop gems and came in a case with tea bags taped to it (is there anything better than tea and indie pop?)

At the time, Alcopop @ilovealcopop was just starting up (my mix was delivered at their first live night at The Social) and now they are celebrating 5years of innovative indie pop releases (last release was on 'frisbee format') including stuff from the ace My First Tooth, who I think you've played on your show!

Alcopopalooza, the all day summer party celebration is this weekend, Sat 9th at the Windmill in Brixton so this mix is topical right now!

Anyway, put the kettle on and enjoy..."

Track Listing

Glo Starz - Urusei Yatsura

Flowers By The Roadside - Family Machine

Star Damage - Earthtone 9

Summertime Girlfriend - Am60

Concubine Blues - Angelica

F***** Bored - Baron Zen

The Model - Belle & Sebastian

Tip Your Bartender - Glassjaw

Folk Singer - Brendan Benson

Computer Camp Love - Data Rock

Jihad - Liberty 37

Drive Away - Gratitude

Power Trip - Monster Magnet

Paris & The New Math - Jarcrew

Atomic Beat Boy - Helen Love

Kylie & Jason - Midget

Sur La Plage - Ooberman

Major Leagues - Pavement

She Came Home For Christmas - Mew

The Consultancy - Amplifier

Below are the four MPFree's we've featured this week along with today's offering.

Harlem River Blues - Justin Townes Earle

Justin Townes Earle is from Tennessee, his new album Harlem River Blues is out on the 14th Septemberbut he has made the title track available to download frmo his webisite. He has some UK dates coming up including:

20th July - The Stables, Milton Keynes

22nd July - Southern Fried Festival, Perth, UK

24th July - Truck Festival, Oxfordshire

26th July - The Duchess, York

Four out of five days through the working week and we have a remix by New York electronic duo MNDR, of Austra's track Spellwork.

This is the opening track on Austra's new album Sparkle, available digitally on the 25th July and 12" vinyl on the 22nd August through Domino Records.

Todays MPFree is a remix by Metronomy's Olugbenga Adelekan of Esben And The Witch's single Hexagons IV.

Olugbenga has taken Hexagons IV and transformed it into a track of frenetic beats and fairground sirens, while retaining the spooky ambience of the song. See what you think by downloading it for free by following the link below!

Both acts are playing a plethora of festivals this summer with EATW playing Pukklepop in Belgium and Summersonic in Tokyo, and Metronomy are at The Big Chill, reading and Leeds and Melt! Festival in Germany.

Hexagons VI - remixed by Olugbenga Adelekan of Metronomy

Tuesdays MPFree is from four piece Welsh band Howl Griff, and their new single Sunrise from their current album Hum.

With members from Aberystwyth, Bolton, Merseyside and Texas their sound is as mixed as their members origins. They have been described as a little bit new wave, psychedelic and pop, singing in multi part harmonies in English and Welsh.

They really are a band that is a bit different and have not gone unnoticed with our very own Lauren Laverne saying "lush..a new band we love", Clash magazine calling them the "Welsh Brian Wilson" and The Independent "life affirming".

Catch them live at Chagstock in Devon (with the Magic Numbers) on Sat 23rd July and Cloud Cuckoo Land in Somerset on Sunday 7th August. However if you can't make these then follow the link below to hear their free track Sunrise.

You will need to provide your email address in order to get the mp3, but they do promise they will not spam you!

Sunrise - Howl Griff

It's that time of the week when our app specialist Stuart Dredge gives us the lowdown on what's hot and what's not in the world of apps.

NEWS

15 billion downloads on the App Store

Apple announced this big milestone last week- 15 billion apps have now been downloaded from it's App Store for iPhone and iPad - and it's currently doing one billion a month (with Androids store doing another half a billion). The average iPhone or iPad user has downloaded 75 apps (this includes pais and free).

Music apps are the most popular apps!

New research from Nielson says that 44% of app users have used a music app in the last month. It's the fifth most popular category behind maps, social networking, weather and games.

The latter is the most popular - 64% of app users have played a game in the last month, and according to Nielson's survey, the average iPhone gamer plays for 14.7 hours a month.

Polyphonic Spree interactive video app.

They're back! And they have more than just their robes as a gimmick this time.

The Polyphonic Spree's new single is available as an interactive video app for iPhone and iPad, where you play a little character called You-Me exploring a world while the song plays.

Coldplay Piano Songbook

Coldplay? There's an iPad app for them - one that gives you the sheet music for 15 of their hits and backing tracks to play along to.

REVIEWS

TV Guide

This is an Android app from Virgin Media which lets people browse their digital TV and set recordings. It's very slick - and there are simple apps for Sky+ too and it's a very good example of how your phone is becoming and extension of your TV.

Tiny Tower/CityVille Hometown

There's a big trend at the moment for mobile games that are;

a) free (but you pay for stuff with them), and

b) rather awesome.

Tiny Tower and CityVille Hometown are two new and good ones which we can be really excited about!

Songify

TV Guide Songify claims to 'turn speech into music' - you talk into the mic and it gives you a backing track. It's tied in to some people called the Gregory Brothers, who do the AutoTune and News Videos on YouTube. You buy 'packs' in the app for 59p each with different styles - rap, club, pop, 'bed intruder'.

It's the start of the week and do we have a beauty of an MPFree for you today! The Acrylics, aka Molly Shea and Jason Klauber, new single Molly's Vertigo is out now to buy on Gung-Ho! Recordings and also available to download for free.

The band are from Brooklyn, New York and having released their All of the Fire EP in 2009 were one of the first singings on Grizzly Bear Chris Taylor's Terrible Records imprint. For the new single they have released a very smoky and ethereal video,which was directed by Brendan Harman and Weird Days.

Follow the link below to download the track for free!

Molly's Vertigo - The Acrylics

The sleeve design theme this week was 'dearphotograph', inspired by the website set up by Canadian Taylor Jones where you can submit an old photo with a new twist and a caption of your choice. Some are moving some are funny but all are a fascinating insight into peoples lives, past and present. The one below was sent into the show by Alistar English.

Below are the four MPFree's we've published so far this week along with today's offering; Beastie Boys' collaboration with Santigold on the group's recent Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2 album. The track is called Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win. Have a listen below!

Seeds We Sow - Lindsey Buckingham

100 Acres Of Sycamore - Fionn Regan

Moany - We Are Losers

Battlescars - The Travelling Band

Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (Major Lazer mix) - Beastie Boys

Today's eclectic selection comes courtesy of Charlie Ivens who tells us the story behind the tape in his own words.

Charlie Ivens 'We're All Guilty' mix tape.

"I used to tape a lot off Peelie and Gary Crowley on GLR, which is why you can hear snippets of their voices before and after some tracks. We used to listen to this tape on the way to rehearsals for our school band, which is why two of our songs ended up on here too (I'd re-edit tapes when I got bored of certain songs).

There are a load of classics on here - the Weddoes, Huggy Bear, 'Weirdo', Ozrics' 'Sploosh', which still sounds amazing - but if you were to play any one song I'd love it to be E-Zee Possee's 'Breathing Is E-Zee', a weird slinky post-acid house pop tune from Boy George's More Protein stable, featuring Joan Collins' daughter on vocals! It also samples a teeny snippet from Prince's 'Hot Thing', which is awesome in itself.

Track listing;

SIDE 1

Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy - Television the Drug of the Nation, A House - I am The Greatest, Cheeze - Dancing Queen, Electronic - Getting Away With It, The Wonderstuff - Who Wants To Be The Disco King, The Wedding Present - Kennedy, Morrissey - Pregnant for the Last Time, Permanent Coma - Top 20 (We're All Guilty), Huggy Bear - Her Jazz, The Charlatans - Weirdo, King Missile - Jesus Was Way Cool, Rage Against The Machine - Killing In The Name Of, Faith No More - I'm Easy

Nirvana - Sliver

SIDE 2

Ride - Walk on Water, Fin - Give Me The Gun, Starpower - Hit By A Girl, Madder Rose - 20 Foot Red (Peel Session), Madder Rose - True Religion (Peel Session), Elmerhassel - Almost At One, Colourbox - Hot Doggie, Ozric Tentacles - Sploosh!, Metallica - Enter Sandman, Permanent Coma - Close To Me, E-Zee Possee feat Tara Newley - Breathing Is E-Zee, Capella - U Got 2 Know

Please feel free to contact the show if you'd like to hear some of your Memory Tape selections played on air.

It's Thursday, four fifths through the working week and we have a single from The Travelling Band, whose sound by our very own Marc Riley has been described as Mancunian Americana.

Hailing from Manchester thier debut album Under The Pavement, released in 2008, was very well recieved and has been an Album Of The Day here at BBC 6 Music.

There second album Screaming Is Something is out now and the new single, out physically on August the 8th, is available to download for free from their website.

Gig wise they are playing Eastleigh Festival on the 9th July, The Tonefest Festival in Poole on the 22nd and will be in London playing The Bedford on the 25th.

They also have an extensive UK date tour coming up in October which you can get more details by following the link below, and obviously where you can download the single!

Battlescars - The Travelling Band

It's a Wednesday and on this mid-point of the week we traditionally look at a website that's been making waves.

This week it's the evocative world of photographs as reimagined by a young Canadian called Taylor Jones via his wonderful website dearphotograph which inspired us on to a nostalgia-based theme for Peoples' Playlist tomorrow.

Musically we venture off to County Kildare in Ireland for today's MPFree from We Are Losers, a three-boys-one-girl group who describe themselves as "Pavement jamming with Go West." See if you agree via this wee blast we're gifting you today.

We Are Losers - Moany

Just to illustrate the story behind the show's theme for the last hour, here's an example of one of the photos from Taylor's site, dearphotograph. 

With thanks to Taylor Jones.

If you can think of a song that captures a general mood of nostalgia, please contact the show with your suggestion and put it in the hat for tomorrow's Peoples' Playlist.

It's only eighteen months since Irish singer Fionn Regan released his second album Shadow of an Empire, which itself came out a relatively tardy three-and-a-half years after his debut End of History.

100 Acres of Sycamore is set to be released next month on the Heavenly label, and as a taster he's releasing the title track as a free download. He's also about to embark on an Irish tour, supported by Trevor Moss and Hannah-Lou.

If you're unable to make any of the dates get a taste of his new sound here.

Fionn Regan - 100 Acres of Sycamore.

Lauren's back following a well deserved week's break from Glastonbury, introducing the first session of the month from Manchster's Dutch Uncles.

There's also a return from the man responsible from some of the biggest songs of the 70s, Lindsey Buckingham. A couple of weeks ago we were delighted to welcome Stevie Nicks into the studio to preview tracks from her new album. Today we focus on a new track from her longtime songwriting collaborator.

On September the 6th he releases his sixth studio album Seeds We Sow, and we're delighted to offer the title track to it as the first free download of the week.

Lindsey Buckingham - Seeds We Sow

New Music Monday features the Caribou remix of Radiohead's 'Little By Little'.