http://www.beardedmagazine.co.uk/news Latest news on independent artists and labels. en-gb Bearded Magazine Copyright 2012 2012-02-05T05:28:26+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/albums/article/memoryhouse-the-slideshow-effect-sub-pop http://www.beardedmagazine.com/albums/article/memoryhouse-the-slideshow-effect-sub-pop#When:05:28:26Z "It's not enough to live your past through photographs" sighs camera and film enthusiast Denise Nouvion on 'Punctum'. It's an apt lyric given Memoryhouse's beginnings as a collaborative multimedia art project, which saw Evan Abeele's compositions transformed into nostalgic narratives for Nouvion's sepia toned images. 2012-02-05T05:28:26+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/explosions-in-the-sky-lanterns-on-the-lake-brixton-academy-27.01.12 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/explosions-in-the-sky-lanterns-on-the-lake-brixton-academy-27.01.12#When:10:17:23Z With a soft glow from the stage, the black ceiling and many tiers that make up Brixton Academy give the illusion of an open air venue. This, coinciding with the ambient sounds from Lanterns on the Lake, makes for an almost mystic, dreamlike show. All six members of the band look eager and ready, and genuinely grateful as the crowd praise them into their opening song. Lead vocalist Hazel Wilde is thankful, and modest without being shy, however she is more alive and animated shaking her blonde hair around on guitar than when addressing the audience. Her weightless vocals are delicate but full of passion and attentiveness, complemented perfectly with backing vocals by guitarist Adam Sykes. Making up the atmospheric sound of the evening also includes Paul Gregory on guitar, Brendan Sykes on bass, Sarah Kemp on violin and Oliver Ketteringham playing percussion, synth and piano – a very multi-talented band indeed, especially considering its members are forever switching instruments, playing each other’s instruments and playing the same instrument together. 2012-02-02T10:17:23+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/light-of-day-2012-new-jersey-usa-12-16.01.12 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/light-of-day-2012-new-jersey-usa-12-16.01.12#When:18:59:06Z David Brown travelled to Asbury Park, New Jersey to take part in the ever-growing music-led movement to help fund a cure for Parkinson's Disease. 2012-01-30T18:59:06+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/albums/article/naughty-by-nature-anthem-inc-illtown http://www.beardedmagazine.com/albums/article/naughty-by-nature-anthem-inc-illtown#When:10:55:59Z US hip-hop currently rests in arguably the strangest position it has ever found itself in. For the best part of the last decade the majority of the music that charted was the ego-inflated, testosterone soaked club anthems by the likes of 50 Cent, Eminem, Young Jeezy, Lil Jon and numerous other acts following an exaggerated version of the template set in the early-mid nineties by the likes of Notorious B.I.G, Dr.Dre, Wu-Tang and Tupac to name only a handful of the most successful. Skip forward to 2012 and the sonic landscape is an almost unrecognisable one in comparison. 2012-01-30T10:55:59+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/porcelain-raft-academy-oxford-24.01.12 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/porcelain-raft-academy-oxford-24.01.12#When:09:13:12Z Sandwiched deliciously in between Chinese New Year and Burns Night, Porcelain Raft took to the stage in Oxford for his final UK appearance on the M83 tour. Mauro Remiddi, the man behind the music, opened up the show with ‘Drifting In And Out’, the opening track of his newly released record, Strange Weekend. Immediate sonic reference points emerged, with the bustling, strung out, ethereal chords evoking obvious comparisons with the likes of The Big Pink and I Break Horses. Remiddi’s drummer helps pierce this wall of noise with drums that act as sharp punctuation points to the floating guitar and synth sounds. 2012-01-30T09:13:12+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/m83-concorde-2-brighton-22.01.12 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/m83-concorde-2-brighton-22.01.12#When:11:48:50Z French outfit M83 are really on the march at the moment. Current single 'Midnight' already boasts an Eric Prydz remix and has recently featured as one of Zane Lowe's 'Hottest Records'. With a world tour selling out fast and an ever growing live reputation, there is quite an atmosphere inside Brighton's Concorde 2 tonight as a capacity crowd eagerly await their arrival. 2012-01-26T11:48:50+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/lowend-lowlife-special-outlook-launch-party12-21.01.12 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/lowend-lowlife-special-outlook-launch-party12-21.01.12#When:10:16:47Z Cold as hell. Crowds of people milling about in duffle coats. A mild stench of human fluids emanating gently for the underground station somewhat like the delicate scent of apple blossom on a spring morning breeze. Apparently this is not Croatia. And it sure as hell isn't summer. 2012-01-26T10:16:47+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/a-winged-victory-for-the-sullen-manchester-academy-3-14.01.12 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/a-winged-victory-for-the-sullen-manchester-academy-3-14.01.12#When:11:26:13Z Whilst Ed Sheeran expels his acoustic-(c)rap combo next door, the crowd here bears witness to the beautiful A Winged Victory for the Sullen. With their recent album’s poignant symphonies tugging at heart strings, tonight’s moody surroundings could not be more suitable. Bracketing the three-piece string section with Dustin O’Halloran as circus masters, Adam Wiltzie promises “Seven pieces of music about broken hearts and dead people.” It’s a promise that could not have been delivered more captivatingly. 2012-01-25T11:26:13+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/eps/article/stevie-mac-the-cleansing-fire-self-released http://www.beardedmagazine.com/eps/article/stevie-mac-the-cleansing-fire-self-released#When:13:27:57Z Great teaser of the work of Stevie Mac 2012-01-24T13:27:57+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/albums/article/krate-krusaders-volume-2-when-the-needle-drops-self-release http://www.beardedmagazine.com/albums/article/krate-krusaders-volume-2-when-the-needle-drops-self-release#When:05:49:54Z Producer led albums can be a fickle beast. Get it right, and you may have classic on your hands; a full unified vision with consistent production levels and beats which showcase a variety of styles, hopefully alongside a diverse mixture of emcees to suitably adorn them. Get it wrong, and you are left with the sonic equivalent of a Jackson Pollock painting (or a John Squire if you wish to be more derogatory) and a seemingly random selection of emcees bolted on top to really drive home the mantra of "if you throw enough shit, hopefully some sticks." 2012-01-17T05:49:54+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/albums/article/vaporous-light-vaporous-light-aa http://www.beardedmagazine.com/albums/article/vaporous-light-vaporous-light-aa#When:05:32:54Z The self-titled debut album by Manchester trinity Vaporous Light is the perfect antidote for anyone who needs an escape route from the hum drum banalities of daily life. 2012-01-17T05:32:54+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/albums/article/diagrams-black-light-full-time-hobby http://www.beardedmagazine.com/albums/article/diagrams-black-light-full-time-hobby#When:05:17:11Z There’s always going to be a place for well-crafted pop music with a soulful edge – and as the continuing inventiveness of Hot Chip has shown, there’s life in the genre yet. 2012-01-17T05:17:11+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/tubelord-the-haunt-brighton-10.01.12 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/tubelord-the-haunt-brighton-10.01.12#When:16:34:58Z Tubelord's second album 'Romance' has been rumbling its way through the undergrowth for a few months now, and making quite a lot of noise as it goes. Characterised by the use of an eclectic range of styles and sounds, all bets are off as the Kingston four piece take to the stage of Brighton's 'The Haunt' to show off exactly what it is that they do. 2012-01-16T16:34:58+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/foxes-buffalo-bar-london-10.01.12 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/foxes-buffalo-bar-london-10.01.12#When:16:58:57Z After a brisk walk through a cold evening in Islington, Buffalo Bar seems a good place to shelter from the elements and see some bands looking to make an impact on the London scene in 2012. 2012-01-15T16:58:57+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/albums/article/claps-wreck-guilt-ridden-pop http://www.beardedmagazine.com/albums/article/claps-wreck-guilt-ridden-pop#When:05:00:45Z Bringing some synthpop into 2012 2012-01-14T05:00:45+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/albums/article/standard-fare-out-of-sight-out-of-town-melodic-thee-spc http://www.beardedmagazine.com/albums/article/standard-fare-out-of-sight-out-of-town-melodic-thee-spc#When:08:11:10Z From start to finish, Out of Sight, Out Of Town impresses. 2012-01-10T08:11:10+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/the-lemonheads-liverpool-academy-2-07.12.11 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/the-lemonheads-liverpool-academy-2-07.12.11#When:10:05:07Z Wayward genius Evan Dando leads this week’s line-up of The Lemonheads through a stunning rendition of 1992 classic LP ‘It’s a Shame About Ray’ at a capacity Academy 2… 2012-01-04T10:05:07+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/albums/article/nine-days-gone-nine-days-gone-self-release http://www.beardedmagazine.com/albums/article/nine-days-gone-nine-days-gone-self-release#When:07:54:03Z A troubled teen's dream record. 2012-01-04T07:54:03+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/filthy-whisky-the-workshop-london-10.12.11 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/filthy-whisky-the-workshop-london-10.12.11#When:14:42:40Z Fresh off their listing in Q Magazine’s most essential tracks to download for ‘Borderline’, the Filthy Whisky boys are back. They played the late night venue of The Workshop in Old Street with new bassist, Tom Evans in tow. 2011-12-20T14:42:40+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/albums/article/kyle-pederson-12.25-self-release http://www.beardedmagazine.com/albums/article/kyle-pederson-12.25-self-release#When:19:29:15Z Not just an essential Christmas record, but an essential record 2011-12-19T19:29:15+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/eps/article/gryff-rhys-athiest-xmas-run http://www.beardedmagazine.com/eps/article/gryff-rhys-athiest-xmas-run#When:18:55:12Z Is this the true reality of christmas? 2011-12-19T18:55:12+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/hawk-eyes-newcastle-academy-2-09.12.11 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/hawk-eyes-newcastle-academy-2-09.12.11#When:16:45:27Z Hawk Eyes or Chickenhawk... different names, same brutality! 2011-12-19T16:45:27+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/albums/article/hymns-cardinal-sins-contrary-virtues-pink-mist http://www.beardedmagazine.com/albums/article/hymns-cardinal-sins-contrary-virtues-pink-mist#When:14:29:11Z Ex-Blakfish man forms new band with great results 2011-12-16T14:29:11+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/art-brut-bull-gate-london-07.12.11 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/art-brut-bull-gate-london-07.12.11#When:08:28:16Z With a (marginally) less bitter, southern equivalent of Mark E Smith as front man, Art Brut’s visceral punk sound is infectious and addictive. For two nights they brought their distinctive sense of humour and whimsical riffs to life at the famous Bull and Gate, Kentish Town. James Labous was there with his punk-o-meter. 2011-12-15T08:28:16+00:00 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/the-magic-band-the-wicked-whispers-kazimier-liverpool-03.12.11 http://www.beardedmagazine.com/live/article/the-magic-band-the-wicked-whispers-kazimier-liverpool-03.12.11#When:16:23:50Z The second Butterfly’s Ball and Grasshopper’s Feast headlined by Captain Beefheart’s legendary backing band, with event organisers The Wicked Whispers in support. 2011-12-13T16:23:50+00:00