Eamon’s back (for another one-off gig)!

Tuesday, April 1
Lit Lounge
8pm

Visit Brakes on MySpace.

MP3: Brakes – Hold Me In The River

Eamon Hamilton’s one-off gig will take place…

3/1 Brooklyn, NY @ Galapagos

The evening will be presented by Neon Lights.

Visit Brakes on MySpace.

MP3: Brakes – Cheney [alt link]

Read my review of Brakes in NYC here.

All forthcoming Eamon Hamilton gigs below:

JANUARY
28: Academy, Oxford
29: Komedia, Brighton
31: Koko, London

FEBRUARY
4: Slaughtered Lamb, London
6: Moles, Bath
7: Social, Nottingham
8: Brel Bar, Glasgow
10: Faversham, Leeds
11: Slaughtered Lamb, London
12: Ruby Lounge, Manchester
13: Fibbers, York
18: Slaughtered Lamb, London

MP3: Brakes – Hold Me In The River

See below for Brakes (BrakesBrakesBrakes for North Americans)’ just-released clip to ‘Beatific Visions’, the title track to the band’s sophomore record. I personally prefer the video to the daft 60-second long, ‘Porcupine Or Pineapple’, to this one (watch ‘POP’ here). Read my review of Brakes’ Mercury Lounge visit via this link. Brakes MP3 at bottom.


MP3: Brakes – Hold Me In The River

See below for Brakes (BrakesBrakesBrakes for North Americans)’ just-released clip to ‘Beatific Visions’, the title track to the band’s sophomore record. I personally prefer the video to the daft 60-second long, ‘Porcupine Or Pineapple’, to this one (watch ‘POP’ here). Read my review of Brakes’ Mercury Lounge visit via this link. Brakes MP3 at bottom.


MP3: Brakes – Hold Me In The River

See below for Brakes (BrakesBrakesBrakes for North Americans)’ just-released clip to ‘Beatific Visions’, the title track to the band’s sophomore record. I personally prefer the video to the daft 60-second long, ‘Porcupine Or Pineapple’, to this one (watch ‘POP’ here). Read my review of Brakes’ Mercury Lounge visit via this link. Brakes MP3 at bottom.


MP3: Brakes – Hold Me In The River

Due to torrential flooding in South Oxfordshire, this weekend’s Truck Festival (featuring Electric Soft Parade, Goldrush, Idlewild & Brakes amongst others) has been postponed. Here’s more info: *It is with great regret that Steventon Festivals and Truck Foundation are forced to announce the postponement of this year’s Truck festival. Much of the site is under several feet of water and the Ginge Brook has completely overflowed its banks, leaving all the camping, parking and audience areas underwater and dangerous. We already have numerous acts on site as well as tshirts, programmes, CDs and the rest and we are only doing this as an absolute last resort.

WE ARE RESCHEDULING :) the event at the same location on the weekend of the 22nd September with all tickets remaining valid, and we would like to encourage ticket holders to come to that event rather than seek refunds, as it will make it more likely that we can stay afloat financially.* (via Truck’s official site)

MP3s: Idlewild – Captain + Brakes – Hold Me In The Reiver

If you like your indie-rock quirky, quick, British and foul-mouthed, check out the (NSFW) clip below. BrakesBrakesBrakes have returned with their latest conundrum, ‘Porcupine Or Pineapple?’ from their sophomore LP, The Beatific Visions. Love it or hate it? Read my review of their headlining gig at New York’s Mercury Lounge from earlier this month, here.

MP3: Brakes – Hold Me In The River

It’s not very often (in fact, it’s almost never) that I attend a gig with intentions of seeing every band on the bill. Last night was the anomaly. With a strong desire to finally encounter BrakesBrakesBrakes in the flesh, a perpetual love for Brooklyn-based Pela, and an intense curiosity to check out one of Thom Yorke’s favorite modern bands, Electric Soft Parade, I had no choice but to stay for the entirety of the evening.

Brighton natives, Electric Soft Parade, opened the show with their unique and adoring blend of mid-’90s Britpop and straight-up indie, alongside hints of atmospheric post-rock. For a reference point, attempt to imagine Super Furry Animals, The Strokes, Badly Drawn Boy, Doves and Damon Albarn all trapped in the same room working on a charity single. Good pick, Thom. Learn more about ESP here on the band’s MySpace page.

MP3: Electric Soft Parade – If That’s The Case, Then I Don’t Know

Second on the bill was Pela. The last time I saw the quartet was at their record release show, also at Mercury Lounge, for, Anytown Graffiti, roughly a month and a half ago (review here). The energy that the band brought to Houston Street that evening in April was met, if not surpassed, with last night’s remarkable hour-long set. Highlighting the majority of their debut, the sold-out crowd was insatiable, shouting and pleading for the band to keep playing well past their slotted set time (much to the chagrin of BrakesBrakesBrakes’ tour manager). The group will be traveling endlessly for the second half of the year. Keep up to date on all things Pela here on their official site.

MP3: Pela – Lonesome Hearts (Cassettes Won’t Listen remix)

Closing out the evening was the folk-punk sounds of BrakesBrakesBrakes. It’s worth noting that two members of ESP are also in BrakesBrakesBrakes; much kudos to the White brothers for working double duty all tour long! Quite impressive (and presumably exhausting). BrakesBrakesBrakes is a particularly difficult act to describe. For every tongue-in-cheek sixty second (or under) track, the band has an equally exciting selection of full-length tunes ranging in topic from spring chickens to American politics to name-dropping hipsters. Last night’s set was the perfect combination of the band’s debut LP, Give Blood, and their sophomore release, The Beatific Visions. For some reason, I am eager to describe BrakesBrakesBrakes as a sort of unmasked version of (my beloved) Clinic, if the Liverpool rockers removed their surgical outfits, threw on a pair of jeans and picked up an acoustic guitar. Both bands achieve the rare feat of perfected randomness. Learn more about BBB here on their label (World’s Fair)’s site. Setlist & MP3 below.

Setlist: Hi How Are You?/Hold Me In The River/Margarita/Ring A Ding Ding/On Your Side/Spring Chicken/Pick Up The Phone/I Can’t Stand/Cheney (x2)/All Night Disco/Shut Us Down/What’s In It For Me?/Beatific Visions/Cease + Desist/Porcupine Or Pineapple/NY Pie/No Return/Jackson/Huevos Rancheros (x2)

MP3: BrakesBrakesBrakes – Ring A Ding Ding

This follows news that the band’s headlining show at NYC’s Mercury Lounge on 4/24 has just sold out. Ya shoulda taken our advice and acted quicker!

However, don’t frown too hard as you’ll have plenty more opportunities to see Brooklyn’s finest alongside the zany Brits in BrakesBrakesBrakes (formerly just Brakes) on the following dates throughout North America this spring:

May 30 – Los Angeles, CA – Spaceland
May 31 – San Francisco, CA – T.b.a
Jun 02 – Portland, OR – Dante’s
Jun 03 – Vancouver, BC – Media Club
Jun 04 – Seattle, WA – Chop Suey
Jun 06 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
Jun 07 – Denver, CO – Hi Dive
Jun 08 – Omaha, NE – Waiting Room
Jun 09 – Minneapolis, MN – 400 Bar
Jun 10 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
Jun 12 – Toronto, ONT – Lee’s Palace
Jun 13 – Montreal, QB – Club Lambi
Jun 14 – Cambridge, MA – TT The Bears
Jun 15 – Hoboken, NJ – Maxwell’s
Jun 16 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge
Jun 17 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge

MP3s: Pela – Lost To The Lonesome (Cassettes Won’t Listen remix) + Brakes – Hold Me In The River

Our review of Pela’s debut LP, Anytown Graffiti, can be found here.