Sophe Lux

Sophe Lux are a sort of sonambulist's soundtrack, the kind of music you listen to whilst sleepwalking through a field towards the cliffs of Dover. Ah but Gloucester, wait, that's not Dover, 'tis merely a small hollow in the fields. Which is good because after your conniving children have poked your eyes out - the last thing you really want is to walk off the real Cliffs of Dover, especially as the King has gone right off it. Come back Cordelia, all is forgiven - but alas...

So what is the ideal soundtrack to nocturnal freakish shakespearean self-loathing - tinged by pre-war Cabaret kitsch?

I don't know either - sometimes your music collection just doesn't have a track that says I'm tired of the Cabaret Life I want to contemplate Nietsche, Shakespeare and the endless cycle of life, sex, death and rebirth.

Hailing from Portland, Oregon. Sophe Lux are a band who have just released their second album, Waking the Mystics on Zarathustra Records.

I've been trying to guage how successful the band is and how successful they are likely to be... the omens are mixed. One the plus side some famous people have been involved in the making of this album - (Decemberists engineers and Green Day producers - that sort of thing) on the other hand the record label's website has been suspended for non-payment. On one hand BBC says, "There are no results for "sophe lux" on the BBC website." whilst myspace says over 40,000 friends - It's hard to say. What is easy to say though is that the music is fantastic.

• Sophe Lux - Target Market MP3

More tracks available on www.myspace.com/sophelux

Stray Dog Cafe

Hailing from Wigan, Stray Dog Cafe take their cues from The Fall, Shellac, Captain Beefheart and the whole world of angst ridden, edgy alt-rock. The three piece of wiry guitar, thunderous bass and pounding, angular drums form their own self titled brand of itchy, restless and noisy Minimal Dirt Rock.

Although the band have been around since 2004, today sees the release of their first shiny 7" - "Maxamillion / Theme: From Warlock".

(Admittedly, this post is spam for some friends, but I think they rock in an interesting way that you will enjoy!)

Streaming audio from their website.

Earworm

A special christmas re-post of some tracks that were posted up by the DIY Chart Show a few months ago, but which I think are still great. Both of them unsigned but both excellent.


First of all, earworm. Those that know me will know that for me to play some industrial metal then it's got to be pretty special and indeed it is a special day. and therefore it's time for something special - especially specially special. spesh, in fact. pure spesh. 100% spesh. I'm not propounding this band or this sound as the next big thing. Or their up-coming album as the album of the year 2007 or 2008 or anything stupid like that. But it's going to win fans and they're going to love it. And that's all you can ask for right?

• Earworm - Cock It Mp3 (unreleased)
  

http://www.myspace.com/earwormuk

Tussle

OK, to start off with Tussle

I've already heard their latest release Telescope Mind Being described as the Album of 2007!! - I mean come on, it's still 2006 - and this album was released on the 30th of October, with tracks being posted on 2azzfunkgreats0j and sixeyes and also on Groovin' You (according to Hype Machine). Whatever the situation, you cannot deny that they have a great sound and an infectious energy - reminds me of ESG, Silver Apples, Dirty Filthy Mud, Liquid Liquid & the ilk (I've just realised that this doesn't make them sound particularly groundbreaking - they're not... but, well, listen and decide for yourselves). Check it:

• Tussle - Warning Mp3 (from Telescope Mind (2006 Smalltown Soundscape))

Malcolm Middleton and Bachelor Machines

First post over here under the new regime. The D!Y Chart Show's taking a Christmas break at the very least and possibly a longer break depending on how the new owners of Brno's Radio Student decide to treat us. It's very feasible that they will decide to ditch the show completely, in which case we'll go elsewhere or that they will want to have a control over our playlist (in both scenarios the DIY doesn't happen on 107FM in Brno).

If we do stop broadcasting on FM, we'll continue on the internet in one way or another.



Which brings me to the point of todays post: the music. Big thanks to Gimmie Back My Head for bringing my attention to the new Malcolm Middleton album, A Brighter Beat which is due for release in January 2007. It follows on nicely from his previous album, Into The Woods and also kind of puts the full stop at the end of the Arab Strap sentence. Anyway here for your listening pleasure is the upbeat downbeat title track:

• Malcolm Middleton - A Brighter Beat mp3
  

The unsigned track today comes from Michigan's Clint Hoagland - he's been producing music under the name Bakelite and self-released an album in 2004 called A House is a Machine for Living which I think is no longer available, so I'll try and post up some of this later on this week. The name bakelite unfortunately had to be dropped because of another band with the same name so he became Bachelor Machines check out the Mass Piss. Anyway on with the music, of late Bachelor Mchines out put has been inspired by horror movies and the track below Take My Picture is an amazing NuSkool Breaks track that should have the hairs on the back of your neck standing up - listen to this explain without using the phrase, "unclearable samples", how this is not got a proper release and distribution deal???? As I said I will post more when I have more.

• Bachelor Machines - Take My Picture Mp3