What next? Well we reckon these musical hopefuls could be making an impact on your lives over the coming months, starting with two Monster Truck star turns…

Gallops

2010 was a strong development year for Welsh rocktronica foursome Gallops, which started on the Clash Magazine one’s to watch list alongside overrated tripe The Drums. They were simply incredible as the March headliner of Monster Truck, they’re sci-fi dance rock adventures going down a storm, so much so that they were soon signed to the impressive Holy Roar Records who were in attendance. Having launched the likes of Gallows & Pulled Apart by Horses on the path to great things, Holy Roar seemed a sensible choice to be entrusted with the release of Gallops debut EP. Lead single “Miami Spider” went on to receive critical acclaim, decent levels of airplay and encouraging chatter amongst Radio1 DJ types. In the summer they then impressed at the Big Chill festival.

It is however notoriously hard for instrumental bands to crack the mainstream but And So I Watch You From Afar have found some success and are now touring all over Europe, even supporting Them Crooked Vultures at Brixton Academy last year. A new album from Brooklyn’s Battles, whose sound is more comparable to Gallops, remains unlikely and Gallops are more than capable of filling that void, especially with a the power of  they’re android drummer who was dubbed the best in the world by Huw Stephens. That coupled with their complex melodies, thrashing guitars and spacey synths, Gallops are the soundtrack of our future where either civilisation unites to build starships or is destroyed in a robot uprising apocalypse…

IDRchitecture

The marvellous IDRchitecture sparkled at Monster Truck last autumn and everyone in The Good Ship on that night, despite any personally favoured musical genres, instantly fell in love their quirky and cleverly arranged witty dittys about life under the sea (“Sign of The Fish”), money (“Mortimer”) or even being a fly. Similar in sound and delivery to Everything Everything, one of 2010s most interesting discoveries, so expect IDR to follow suit, especially after featuring on the 2nd volume of Huw Stephens’ influential “Music Sounds Better With Huw” compilation.

Originally a multi-instrumented 8piece, IDR finished 2010 with a stunted more acoustic lineup but hope to be back to their full compliment this year – and what a show that will be as with only 4 friendly members the wonderful harmonies and ideas were something to behold. What really sets IDRchitecture apart however is the imagination in their songwriting and white-boy science rap delivery of their talented tall frontman which is highlighted in the ingenius “Sneakerasaurus” where everything from Aliens to Terrordactyls are given a shout out. Watching IDRchitecture create their magical worlds is truly one of the most enjoyable experiences you can have at a gig, do make sure you see them for yourselves this year Truckers!

Kurran & the Wolfnotes

Threading in the nu-folk wake of Noah & the Whale and Mumford & Sons and, all be it with a sightlier rockier edge are the charming Kurran & the Wolfnotes. American Kurran and his trusty band finished 2010 in the studio committing their wistful collection of extremely catchy melodies & singalong choruses to record and the debut album will surely be heard all over the radio. The Wolfnotes have already released the brilliantly named “Whatabitch” (Rough Trade) and the forlorn “Your Four Limbs” (Chess Club).

Bouyed by a devout fanbase, 2010 saw Kurran & The Wolfnotes play to two packed shows on the Camden Crawl, sell out the notorious Macbeth in Shoreditch and support the likeable Light Speed Champion on his UK tour were live favourite “Set You Off” was sung by the crowd with vigour. In the autumn the band performed in the unusual yet grand settings of Kings Cross St Pancras station where they delighted commuters and passers by alike – if 2011 plays out right, it’s unlikely that the band will be playing in such unobtrusive surroundings again.

Which concludes part 1, part 2 (hopefully published next week) will feature Flats, Trophy Wife and Young Legionnaire. Until then…

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Fresher than ever.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 2,900 times in 2010. That’s about 7 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 52 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 53 posts. There were 150 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 186mb. That’s about 3 pictures per week.

The busiest day of the year was April 30th with 111 views. The most popular post that day was Monster Truck’s Camden Crawl Tips.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were facebook.com, thecamdencrawl.com, twitter.com, myspace.com, and mail.live.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for king charles music, king charles musician, carousel cartel, silhouette showgirls, and idrchitecture.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

Monster Truck’s Camden Crawl Tips April 2010
2 comments

Buick McKane & Kill Goliath – Rock Behemoths in Waiting June 2010
1 comment

About Us October 2009

Line-Up January 2010

Silhouette Showgirls and Secret Symphony- Opening Monster Truck January 2010

Sourced from the December Digital issue of Loud And Quiet Magazine

http://www.loudandquiet.com

The mighty rockers blazed a trail across the UK with singles ’33′ and ‘Exit Strategy’ earlier this year, recorded at the legendary Maida Vale studios for BBC Introducing and supported Feeder in the summer. They’ve been busily writing massive new songs and are getting ready to unleash them in your face this Friday in Shoreditch. We’ve been lucky enough to hear a sneaky bit of the new stuff and it’s freakin awesome!!

Here’s their monthly newsletter telling you more about it…

—

“This month: new tunes, new gigs and that bit between your genitals and your bumble.

Oh God, we miss you. The months have seemed like years since last we gazed longingly upon your countenance, and gasped at the wonder of your beauty. We miss you like the desert misses rain… like the bee misses the flower… like… like a pubic louse misses the 70s before everyone started having Brazilians and Hollywoods. We are your pediculosis pubis: you are our hairy bush. Do you mind if we jump straight back in?

Yes, yes, yes: ladies, gentlemen and those of you who tuck it under, we are very pleased and not-just-a-little bit turned on to announce that NIXA are back with new songs, new shows and renewed vigour. But you knew that we were back already, didn’t you? Subconsciously at least: that morning, a week or so ago, when you got up and through the usual fog of mundanity, you felt a little tingle, a tiny sparkle of excitement you hadn’t felt for ages? That was us. Back where we belong, tickling your perineum.

Rest assured, friends, we have not been idle*. We have spent the summer working hard on some stonking new tunes that we’re really, properly excited about and happy with and think you will like them too. Hopefully they show a progression in our songwriting with a couple of curveballs you might not expect… but there’s enough of the old NIXA in there to make sure they not just tickle but positively pummel your fancy. And of course that means lots of thundering riffs, harmonies and sexy rock with a capital ‘C’. Current working titles include ‘Moxy’, ‘Saved By Drowning’, ‘Knives You Stole’, ‘Make Mistakes’ and ‘Fuck You In Your Facehole’. Guess which title Russell came up with. Well, we say ‘come up with’: he grunted once for yes and twice for no as we pointed at the letters of the alphabet.

We’re working towards going back into the studio in December with the genius arch-alchemist and all-round god (small ‘g’) that is Neak. Before that though, we will be back playing live on October 29th at the Zigfrid Von Underbelly in Hoxton Square, Olde London Towne. We would love it if you could come down, and if you do we promise that we will give our all in appreciation.

It’s 8 of your English Pounds to get in, but we’ve sorted an ‘early-bird’ system that will get you in for 6 of your quids. Just go to the event page on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=156534271031577 – put yourself down as attending, and then be at the venue *before* 9:30pm. Give your name at the door when you arrive: but when you do, make sure you do it like your Kate Moss turning up at The Ivy: huff a lot and roll your eyes. Then go to the bog, blow coke up someone’s bum and give your baby an E.

Don’t do that last bit.

As ever, we recommend going down early… because it gets pretty busy in there on a Friday and Matt’s new pheromone spray ‘EZ-Lay for Losers’ is pretty potent.

So that’s it. Ahhhhh, it will be good to get out again. We’ve really enjoyed the writing process, but it has meant we’ve been out of the loop somewhat. We hope you will welcome us back into your ‘loop’. And you know what we mean by ‘loop’. Grrrrrrr! Yes!

We mean ‘warm and tender arms’.

Lots of love and a knowing smile from across the room that says a thousand words,
Matt, Jam, Russ and Andy

* – except Jambo, he basically hasn’t moved from his couch all summer; he employs four New Guinean pygmies to move him from his living room to the practice room, press his effects pedals, then move him back to his living room and pass him his acoustic. He calls them Eeny, Meeny, Miney and Hieronymous Balthazar von Chomsky III.”

scurry along to www.nixa.co.uk to have wee listen

October’s instalment of the new music machine Monster Truck promises to be a mighty show indeed. Headlining are rebellious Lewisham punks Athens Polytechnic. The Goldsmith students are bringing back proper classic punk and have a powerful intelligent political message to shout out at The Good Ship.

Heading to Kilburn from the West Country are Bath’s next big things Dinosaur Outfit. With a favourable hint of The Maccabees and all the good bits from every decent English band from the last few years, Dinosaur Outfit write great tunes which better be on the radio in the coming months else we & certain radio producers are going to be having serious words!

Kicking off proceedings in a raucous manner will be the riff-tastic Norwich instrumental duo Balaclava Kid & Dad and London post rock nobodies The Glitter Shit Penguins. You NEED to get to The Good Ship as soon as physically possible to see both of these brilliant bands as they compete with their intricate melodies and the right to be known as the best named band around right now.

Stage Times

Athens Polytechnic 22:15

Dinosaur Outfit 21:30

Balaclava Kid & Dad 20:45

The Glitter Shit Penguins 20:00

… doors (not the band!) 19:30

Tickets are £5 and can be purchased in advance online here

Read the ‘Where’ tab for directions & transport info.

Not much is known about these frosty rockers, apart from their fondness for glitter, shit and glittery shit. Whether they are in fact penguins is open to debate but one thing is for sure, they do walk like idiots. Oh & at least one member of the flock can swallow a fish whole.

Get there early (that’s 20:00) anyway because whatever happens it WILL be something special.

Joining The Glitter Shit Penguins will be headliners Athens Polytechnic, Dinosaur Outifit and Balaclava Kid & Dad.

Facebook…

Tickets…

Norwich it seems is a hotbed for amazing new music. Office punk rockers Men & pscyh funk kids The Fuzz have already starred at Monster Truck & next up from East Anglia is the brilliantly named Balaclava Kid & Dad.

The mental instrumental drum & guitar duo make powerful melodic rifftronica akin to That Fucking Tank, Talons & those Irish juggernauts And So I Watch You From Afar.  They released their Dead Sheep EP last year and the more interesting radio shows have been playing single GiL throughout the summer. The last instrumental band to feature at Monster Truck were the unbelievably incredible Gallops – if Balaclava Kid & Dad are even half as good as the mighty Wrexham boys then we are sure in for a treat! – The Good Ship, October 21st with Athens Polytechnic, Dinosaur Outfit & The Glitter Shit Penguins.

http://www.myspace.com/bkanddad

http://balaclavanoise.co.uk/

’Two Door Cinema Club’

Single ‘Young Hearts’ has been championed by Huw Stevens (BBC Radio 1) and Tom Robinson (BBC Radio 6), with the added accolade of being the sound track to Sky Sports Euro 2012 advertising campaign.  Rock star trainer maker Converse has this to say … “Rocket-paced indie, preparing to take, quite literally, many a young heart. More lyrically proficiant than many of today’s jaunty lot – prepare for ‘Young hearts’ to get your girl friend dancing, and for you to begrudgingly admit that it’s pretty darn good.”

Download it for free from their myspace page – http://www.myspace.com/dinosauroutfit.

Dubbed “The best new band from Bath in years” by the infamous Moles Club (and they should know as every decent band has passed through their cavanous walls at some time or other) the westcountry outfit promise much.

Dinosaur Outfit will be joined at The Good Ship on 21st October by Athens Polytechnic, Balaclava Kid & Dad and The Glitter Shit Penguins.

The Goldsmith College students got to know each other at a two day sit in protest during the Gaza war and their revolutionary ideals are shouted out in songs ‘Good Citizen’, ‘The Kids Will Not Have Their Say’ and future punk anthem ‘Cameron Youth’ with its propaganda chorus “We want you for the Cameron youth!”  This is proper punk, reigniting the spirit of The Clash like similarly minded New Yorkers Cerebral Ballzy and hotly tipped NME bother-ers Flats.

Athens Polytechnic’s lo-fi garage punk went down a storm at the cooler than cool Offset Festival where twin vocalists Rory & Tommy screamed their lungs out, wrestled with each other, improvised dance routines and chased the audience around the Loud and Quiet tent (photos…).

Their debut 7” will be released in the autumn and they’re off to play in Lyon in November but first the raucous 5 piece will tear into The Good Ship for Monster Truck VII on Thursday October 21st.

http://www.myspace.com/wearefashionable

Athens Polytechnic http://www.myspace.com/wearefashionable Short blaster blasts of intelligent classic Damned/Cramps punk from these London anti-hipsters

Dinosaur Outfit http://www.myspace.com/dinosauroutfit - Uber cool Bath student types playing uber cool ‘Maccabee’-esque indie

Balaclava Kid & Dad http://www.myspace.com/bkanddad – Mental  instrumental Norwich duo akin to ‘That Fucking Tank’ & ‘And So I Watch You From Afar’

The Glitter Shit Penguins - Mysterious hairy London alt post rock scumbags

Taking place once more at The Good Ship from19:30 – Tickets £5 on the door & online.