Tonight! Haiku Salut Album Launch with A Little Orchestra!

“Things that Thursday night's gig won't feature: a drum kit, a bass guitar. Things that it will: an eight piece orchestra, an accordion, a mandolin, a banjo, a piano, a trumpet, a glockenspiel, acoustic guitars, loopery, laptopery, and more. I'm hoping this will be the least rock'n'roll show that's ever taken place at the Buffalo Bar.” 

— Ian Watson, How Does it Feel To Be Loved

Tonight, the Buffalo Bar, London, hosts the album launch of Derbyshire trio Haiku Salut. The record's been called ‘as delicious little thing’ and a ‘fresh, summery whole’ by The Guardian's Michael Hann and it features the instrumental chops of A Little Orchestra backing up the glockenspiels, accordeons and melodicas of Louise Croft, Gemma Barkerwood, and Sophie Barkerwood. A Little Orchestra will also be supporting tonight, alongside Kate Goes, The Understudies and HDIF DJs (with Elizabeth from Allo Darlin'). You can still buy tickets here for £5 or there may still be a few left on the door for £6. Haiku Salut will also feature on A Little Orchestra's forthcoming album, due out on Vollwert Records of Berlin this summer. Doors open at 7.30. Don't be late!

Monster Bobby's Heart is (also) a Drummer

A few weeks ago, I met up with Allo Darlin' as they breezed through Paris on their European mega-tour. You can read all about their trip here, on the band's website. Now, they're back home in London, setting about recording their second album, Europe. In the meantime, you can listen to my little cover of last year's hit single, 'My Heart is a Drummer' courtesy of Soundcloud:

My heart is a drummer by monster bobby

A January Song: Darren Hayman with Monster Bobby

Throughout January, singer-songwriter Darren Hayman, formerly of Hefner, latterly of The Secondary Modern, has been writing a song a day and charting his progress on a specially constructed Tumblr blog, replete with embedded SoundCloud widgets and video diaries.

Along the way, he has been soliciting collaborations from friends and acquaintances; amongst them people I'm friends with, such as Elizabeth from Allo Darlin' (here, singing Darren's song for January 10th, 'I Know I Fucked Up'), and some people I hold in very high esteem, such as Higsons founder member and occasional Tom Waits/Robyn Hitchcock/Lydia Lunch collaborator, Terry Edwards (here, performing on January 8th's 'Old Man Hands').

What with this being exactly the kind of project that has always appealed to me, I decided to volunteer my humble assistance - albeit at a distance. And so, you wont find me hiding amongst the trains in the video below for yesterday's January song - a wistful paean to the Epping Ongar Railway entitled 'I Want to be a Volunteer' - but you will hear my trembling electronic soundscapes swelling up amidst the choruses and ebbing with the coda.

Follow Mr. Hayman's progress on Tumblr, download the songs from SoundCloud, and then - why not? - subsequently buy them all anyway on BandCamp.

I Want To Be A Volunteer from Darren Hayman on Vimeo.

It's not a star, it's a satellite

Allo Darlin' release their new single, Dreaming, on monday featuring guest vocals from Monster Bobby. Several people have said some very nice things about it - including Jarvis Cocker and Huw Stephens on Radio One who seemed to believe Monster Bobby was "that bloke out of the Tindersticks." Allo Darlin' will be playing with The School at Bush Hall tomorrow night (that's Saturday the 27th) and no doubt a certain monster will be joining them for a little sing-song midway through. In the meantime, enjoy the video for dreaming, shot on Super8 by Niklas Vestberg ....

Steve Reed's Drawings From Last Month's Special Sounds Night at Oliver's

Slightly too embarrassed to fully play the part of 'artist in residence', our very own Mrs. Reed sketched these images rather furtively under the table at last month's Special Sounds night at Oliver's.
Steve would like to apologise for spelling Xylitol wrong.
Details of this month's night of Special Sounds to follow shortly.

Thanks to everyone who came along to Oliver's last night. Write up and photos over at Records Make Great Pets. The next evening of Special Sounds will be on the last Wednesday of July, the 29th.