Friday, July 17, 2009

Mae Shi with issues too!

Just saw the pitchfork article it seems the Mae Shi is no more

This will be the only Mae Shi in the band after this weekend

jeff shi
Originally uploaded by elaine layabout

Shamelessly stolen from http://pitchfork.com/news/35943-the-mae-shi-to-become-signals/


One more reason to get your ass to the Pitchfork Music Festival this weekend: It'll be your very last chance to see the Mae Shi, at least in its current form.

Since their inception, the dizzy L.A. spazz-punks have changed their lineup the way most people change color-coordinated T-shirts, so it's not exactly shocking that the Mae Shi's cast of characters would shift again. But what's interesting about this is that the band isn't just changing its personnel this time; it's splitting into two. After the Mae Shi's Sunday afternoon performance at the festival, three of the band's four members will split off and become Signals.

Some context: At the moment, the Mae Shi consists of Bill Gray, Jon Gray, Jacob Cooper, and founding member Jeff Byron. (EDIT: Byron informs us that those four guys are the Mae Shi's current touring linep, but the group also includes two non-touring members.) But after the festival set, everyone but Byron will depart, carrying on under the new name. Signals already has a MySpace and a Twitter.

According to their publicist, the Mae Shi haven't broken up yet. Byron will continue the band with a new lineup, though nobody's yet sure when the new band will be back up and running. No Mae Shi shows beyond the festival are scheduled right now.

At the festival, the Mae Shi will play old Mae Shi jams, but they'll also debut some Signals songs.
Damn!

Thursday, July 09, 2009

Favours for Sailors split up

Earlier I wrote about a rumour that Favours for Sailors had split up.
The bad news is that it turned out to be true. You can only hope that they all go on to produce more bands of the same standard that they played at.
A statement released via their record label Tough Love reads...

"Dear FFS fans,

Sad news: our ship has been boarded by pirates, who have executed the crow's nest and made the starboard walk the plank. The rumours are true – FAVOURS FOR SAILORS HAVE DECIDED TO CALL IT A DAY.

However, we have ONE MORE GIG, at Tough Love's fourth birthday party, 25 July, at the Old Blue Last in Shoreditch. More details soon.

We'd like to thank everyone who bought our music, or ever came to a gig, especially those who came to several, and particularly to those who seemed to come to every show. Sorry if we were ever shambolic (but you didn't notice, right?). Special thanks also to Tough Love for releasing and promoting our mini-album Furious Sons, to Sally for designing the album artwork and to Rory for doing such a good job recording it.

Here's an anodyne statement for a press release: 'We're unsure of how to keep the indie rock dynamic interesting and fresh in our current incarnation'.

We will be posting a load of unreleased songs as soon as we can decide which ones won't land us with a string of libel cases.

xFFS"
statement shamelessly stolen from Drownedin sound (oops)

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Bands performing career suicide

What is it with bands?
I know it isn't cool to sell out but I don't want to see talented artists starving.
I love Twilight Sad but the word prostitute in the single tends to put folks off especially the BBC and other radio stations. OK well at least there is always video right - wrong - a video of burlesque dancers wearing outfits where the women's aureoles of their breast are clearly visible not to mention flashes of buttocks from said women twirling wearing a thong.
Guys - do you want to starve to death? Oh yes its a class song too.
Then we have the cribs who give a song away called We were aborted which references masturbation.
Jeez I just give up.

Thursday, July 02, 2009

Bad Rumours

Dananananaykroyd you better be wrong when you tweet this
RT @dananananaykroy: I think Favours For Sailors just spit up? :( :( :( :(
I so loved the EP they put out (bought it from emusic) especially I Dreamt That You Dreamt That I Loved You In My Dreams. Good bands splitting up should just stop it.

WOW- Twilight Sad/ Brakes/ Jetpacks

Checking the Phoenix this jumps out and knocks me off my feet.
The Twilight Sad + The Rakes + We Were Promised Jetpacks | October 7 at Great Scott, Boston | $12 | On sale Thursday, July 9, at 10 am | http://www.ticketweb.com
actually its Brakes aka brakesbrakesbrakes.
Three totally amazing bands at a totally amazing venue.
Who cares about Macca the boys will be back in town.
The Jetpacks album These Four Walls is astoundingly good and the teases we have of The Twilight Sad album leaves me gasping.
Brakes? well what can you say about the band that gave you Cheney, love love love them.
Go or regret it forever.