INTRODUCING MIXTAPE. MONDAY 13/08/2012

In the small hours of a Monday morning from 2-3am you can hear a selection of my favourite new tunes compiled into an hour-long mixtape of nonstop music. All the audio is sourced from the BBC Introducing Uploader - some of it recommended by friends and colleagues and some discovered via Twitter and my own Fresh On The Net blog.

From 3am each Monday the latest mixtape is available free via the 6 Music Downloads Page - where you'll also find archived episodes from the previous 4 weeks. All the tracklists and start times for each track are published here - together with a link to each artist's website. These are the listings for Monday, August 13th.

SONS BETWEEN GUNS – Calling On The Rain [Starts 0:14]
https://www.sonsbetweenguns.com
“We are” say Sons Between Guns in South East London “Paul Trivett and Thomas Whitelaw. We are both into a ridiculous amount of different types of music but we manage to fuze this all together to make a fresh and original sound… We write produce and mix all of our material, perform live and are signed To R-Lo Records.” This is the first track the band ever recorded and the second we’ve featured from the label’s debut release, EP Red 1. A followup EP of remixes came out earlier in the Summer and Sons Between Guns will shortly be preparing for a new set of live dates across London and the U.K.

EVOKATEUR – White Horses [Starts 4:18]
https://www.evokateur.co.uk
To declare an interest, I’ve been supporting the Anglo-Mexican duo of Hector and Sarah Villaraus since July 2008 back when they were known as Libelula. Based in London, they’ve flourished under the name of Evokateur – a cross perhaps between the French “provocateur” (as in agent provocateur) and “evocative”. It was gratifying to find that readers of my Fresh On The Net blog liked this track White Horses enough to rate them among our Fresh Faves last week. It comes from their second EP Chime Hours – due for release on Augus 20th – the second in a trilogy they’re putting out this year. Hector’s arrangements and Sarah vocals manage to sound simultaneously tough and lush on this – their most assured release to date.

WHALES IN CUBICLES – Nowhere Flag [Starts 8:51]
https://www.whalesincubicles.com
What can I tell you about Whales In Cubicles ? Well, although there’s no biog on their website, Soundcloud or Facebook luckily they did supply a small amount of information when uploading this outstanding track to BBC Introducing. “Stef Bernadi (sings, guitar), Leo Weston (drums), Jamie Powell (bass), Alex Pyper (guitar, keys). This is their second single released last week on the indie label Popular Recordings.” Oh and their website lists some tour dates at the end of September.

LILLIPUT – Little Wanderer [Starts 12:17]
https://www.lilliputband.com
There must be some magic mineral in the Tyne and Wear water supply. The area produces a constant succession of new and wonderful bands – plus musicianship of an unvaryingly high standard. Sunderland five-piece Lilliput are the latest bearers of that standard to come our way – with a beautifully produced tune that seems to have grown organically from the acoustic guitar and vocals of frontman James Gilling. Keep a careful eye on this mob. Just like local superstars Athletes In Paris and The Lake Poets, Lilliput have all their musical ducks in a row and are perhaps just one killer single away from a major breakthrough: it’s now simply down to The Song. They’re playing Newcastle’s Cluny 2 on August 24th, a London gig at the Strongroom Sessions on the 29th and – no surprises here – Sunderland’s own Split festival on September 22nd. Full details at lilliputband.com

DEAN ATTA – Mother Tongue [Starts 18:12]
https://www.deanatta.co.uk
London poet Dean Atta (pictured above) is man on a mission – whose powerful reflections on race, identity and sexuality make him one of the most outspoken social commentators of his musical generation. He was a deserving winner of the ‘London Poetry Award’ at the 2012 London Awards for Art and Performance and has performed at venues ranging from the Roundhouse to the Houses of Parliament, and at festivals of every stripe. Less well-known, but even more remarkable, are his talks, workshops and educational work with young people. If you enjoy this powerful piece about family, language and roots on our mixtape, then I’d urge you to download the whole of his new EP Love Or Money – sensitively and beautifully produced and mixed by Michael Antoniou. Dean Atta – remember the name. You’ll be hearing it a lot more in the months and years to come.

MINOR SOUNDS – The Humming [Starts 22:27]
https://www.facebook.com/minorsoundsmusic
This electrifying tune is the result of an international collaboration between vocalist and songwriter Mirna Stanich in Brighton and producer Martin Zietek in Warsaw. They’ve drawn influences – according to their Facebook page – from their diverse experiences including “roots in Croatia and Poland, and living in the States and the UK.” It’s always a joy to discover music on the BBC Introducing Uploader that doesn’t sound quite like anything else you’ve ever heard. If CDs of this song arrived on producers’ desks at 6 Music with stickers proclaiming it to be the new single from Cat Power, Feist or Regina Spektor, it would be all over the airwaves in no time. We DJs meanwhile would be blethering about a “major new direction” or a “stunning return to form” or some such nonsense. It’s worth downloading this week’s Mixtape for this track alone.

MYLITTLEBROTHER – NoseDive [Starts 26:20]
https://www.facebook.com/mylittlebrothermusic
Nosedive is the title track of a free download EP by Mylittlebrother – a group of people who liked music and got together in a practice room to drink gin, eat haribo, and start writing together. The songs were recorded at home and at Hanking’s Rehearsal Room in Carlisle. On the one hand you couldn’t say there was anything remotely modern about this song – stylistically it draws on exactly the same traditions as Mahoney And The Moment. On the other hand, in the last 10 years major US artists like Iron & Wine, Fleet Foxes and Grizzly Bear have managed to transcend their influences to create a fresh strand of country/roots music that is all their own. In their own unassuming way this modest North Country combo have pulled off something similar. Without attempting to reinvent the wheel their writing, playing, singing and production are delivered with such integrity – and such quiet, understated conviction – that they sound effortlessly contemporary. Another worthy contender for this week’s Mixtape.

HANNAH SCOTT – Only Way Out [Starts 28:41]
https://www.hannahscott.co.uk
The sound of a professional musician who’s paid her dues, done the groundwork and is now poised for a serious assault on the Radio 2 playlist. I’ve been long aware of Hannah Scott‘s talent, having worked with her on a songwriting retreat in 2008 and heard her perform as a finalist in last year’s Mojo New Voice competition. Hannah has kept her powder dry and is finally releasing this song Only Way Out – produced with top musicians in a hilltop studio in Italy – as her debut single. It comes from a new EP called Still Static, due to be launched in London at the Camden Barfly this Thursday (August 9th) and followed by a European tour. Sooner or later Hannah’s combination of talent, charm and determination is certain to her the breakthrough she’s seeking – and as far as I’m concerned it can’t happen soon enough.

BIRD – Shadows [Starts 32:26]
https://facebook.com/birdmusicofficial
There have been lineup changes with our friends Bird up there in Liverpool, but their new sound as a three piece is more distinctive than ever - featuring frontwoman Adele Emmas plus guitarist Sian Williams and Alexis Samata on drums. Dave Monks from legendary radio show The Pool (now more prosaically renamed BBC Introduicng In Merseyside) remains a longstanding supporter of the band. They put out their first EP Phantoms on Jack To Phono last November of 2011 and Shadows is the title track of their followup EP released this month. And on a personal note, meeting them at Abbey Road was one of my highlights from the BBC Introducing Masterclass in January of this year.

FEEL MY METHOD – Now Looks Like Then [Starts 35:38]
https://youtube.com/chazegee
Feel My Method doesn’t even deign to HAVE a website, still less any kind of online biog. Luckily Al Mobbs provided some background in his review of this track for Fresh On The Net: “Chazegee – aka Feel My Method is basically a complete genius who can’t hold it together for long enough to make anything of his music – probably how a proper, old fashioned rock star should be. Last time I saw him live, he was attired in a see through plastic shirt, some chaps and if memory serves me right a jock strap. His music, recorded in a house with no amenities in Slovakia, is a mixture of old school soul and blues vocals slapped on top of hip hop beats and often accompanied by outrageous videos. The vid for this song (by Wallace Wainhouse) is actually quite artistic but some earlier numbers including Dirty Disco are just plain bonkers (and not for Granny). Oh and who the hell does field performances accompanied by an AK47?”

REMIMILES – Perfection (Yolo) [Starts 38:34]
https://www.facebook.com/remimilesmusic
Oh blimey, not gain. Look, artists, its as simple as this. However great your track is (and this one’s very fine indeed) if you don’t tell us anything yourself then we can’t tell our listeners anything about you.
ABOUT: Artist.
DESCRIPTION: Enquiries emailadress
BAND INTERESTS: Music, films, cinematography
GENRE: Psychedelic pop / burning chemistry
MEMBERS: Remi Miles.
INFLUENCES: Marvin Gaye, Jim Morrison, Basquiat, Jimi Hendrix, Warhol, Nina Simone, Bob Dylan, Rod Serling.
CURRENT LOCATION: Brighton.
Er, that’s it.

JKLMNO – Before I Wash Away (Acoustic) [Starts 41:55]
https://www.jklmno.co.uk
Named after a random row of letters in the alphabet, JKLMNO was formed in Wrexham by friends Carl Harrison, Daniel Pierce, Daniel Kehlenbeck, Elliot Knox and Nick Roberts. Their first EP was in 2007, their second drew support from BBC Wales and BBC Shropshire’s Introducing show The Friday Night Gerbil. In 2008 they were selected to play Benicassim 2008 alongside the likes of Morrissey and Sigur Ros. They’ve since played the BBC Introducing stage at T in the Park. Before I Wash Away is a bonus acoustic track accompanying the Double AA single released in April via their Bandcamp to preview their forthcoming debut album. From which we heard Where Sorrow Lays earlier in the year

FUZZY EMPIRE – Chroma [Starts 44:57]
https://www.facebook.com/fuzzyempire
Continuing the theme of immaculately-produced electropop, FUZZY EMPIRE consist of Irishman Emmet (a rocker) and Englishman Tim (a raver). They met in 2009 while on the same sound engineering course in Dublin and formed a duo in late 2010. Hil, a frequent collaborator on bass and guitar, subsequently joined the band full-time in late 2011. ” We don’t know” they say “if we’re an electronic band writing live rock music or a traditional band with lots of modern toys, but that doesn’t really matter. All that counts for us is The Song.” The writing on Chroma is certainly forthright and strong but, as you might expect from Tim and Emmet’s background, the arrangement is creatively adventurous while the recording itself positively leaps out of the speakers.

DEBS McCOY – Nightingale [Starts 48:27]
https://www.debsmccoy.com
Warm and engaging music from an exceptional musician and visual artist, who has no problem writing a thumbnail biography. The result is both fascinating and painfully honest. “Played in bands with my brother Jay McCoy and Carl Stafford who played in Elia Drew, KT Tunstall’s former band. Also played with Sean Harrington from Mishaped Pearls and Pill Box. Background in Fine Art/art education. Worked as an Art Psychotherapist in the NHS for the past 6 years, resigned from job – awful court/tribunal case (that I won) relating to my Dyslexia – the stress anxiety and isolation from it all propelled me back into music.” I recommend checking out https://www.debsmccoy.com for more of that music and to check out some of the oustanding visual images in her gallery.

A SEA WITH 3 STARS – 24th & Mission [Starts 52:05]
https://aseawith3stars.com
A Sea With 3 Stars is the musical project of London-based actor and folk-rock musician RICHARD INGS – and this track comes from his debut album For Nothing which tells the story of “how powerful an enemy hope can be.” He names Lloyd Cole and The The as seminal influences from his teens, while this song offers a cheery naive energy that would do justice to The Modern Lovers and the kind of motoring backbeat you’d expect from the Happy Mondays. The object of our Listening Post each weekend is to allow artists to find out if their music wins the hearts of strangers. 24th And Mission did that in spades this weekend: the fact it was such a big favourite with readers bodes well for A Sea With 3 Stars in the future. Onwards and upwards.

THE CREEPING IVIES – Chicken Voodoo Blues [Starts 55:08]
https://www.thecreepingivies.com
It was regular 6 Music listener and walking musical encyclopedia JP Cooling who tipped me off about this pair of miscreaants. Ever since The Cramps propelled Lux Interior and Poison Ivy to global stardom, any psychobilly band worth its salt has to be based around a talented male/female duo with daft names. It's the law. In this case we have Becca Bomb (who “grinds the guitar”) and Duncan Destruction (who “beats the pans”). Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Dundee’s finest: The Creeping Ivies, purveyor’s of wild – and frankly irresistible – garage rock n roll. They've just released their debut 3 track EP called – what else – Rock N Roll Party.

MAHONEY & THE MOMENT – If You Only Asked Me To [Starts 57:35]
https://www.facebook.com/MahoneyandtheMoment
Steve Mahoney and Emily Moment are from London and Massachussets respectively and first formed their musical partnership at the start of last year in New York City. They released their selftitled debut album in September 2011 and are currently based in Harrow. Their brand of traditional upbeat jugband folk has won them fans on both sides of the Atlantic and indeed here on our Listening Post this weekend. Their next few dates are in London – at the Stag, Hampstead on August 19th, Notting Hill Arts Club on September 4th and The Albion on the 16th. More details on Songkick and via their Facebook page