H E L L - W A Z - E R E

Every June, a swarm of denim and leather can be found graduating towards Clisson on the west coast of France.

In comparison to some of the overcrowded and characterless UK metal festivals, Hellfest has a genuinely unique atmosphere, which can be mostly given to the fact that the attendance is much more intimate at only 20,000.

This is a place where dedicated metal fans can come to drink beer, headbang and shout/roar at each other for 3 days. There's no aggro, no over-zealous security, and importantly, no dickheads asking you for a free hug. To keep yourself alive over the festival there's also a giant supermarket just outside the site where you can load up on cheap beers, baguettes and 1 euro bottles of cava.

This place is basically 'Metal Mecca'- get your filthy paws on a ticket before they run out asap:

http://www.hellfest.fr/tickets.php

Ps. I LOVE YOU

Compare. Contrast. Enjoy.



www.myspace.com/psiloveyouband

TIME GOES BY. SO LOL-Y.

Don't worry guys. We still listen to gr8 music occasionally. We'll blog about it again one day.

But let's be cereal: when's the last time an ambient drone buzzband flew you out to LOLopolooza on a roflcopter?

BRIAN MCFADDEN GOES CREEPCORE

Mumwave balladeer Brian McSADden has dropped the b-bone in many glamorous women (and Kerry Katona). Now we know how.

The lyrics are those of the creepy pug-breathed juggalo with the quiet self-confidence of the seasoned closing time date rapist.

"I like you just the way you are, drunk dancing at the bar/

Can't wait to get you home so I can do some damage/

can't wait to get you home and take advantage."

Still your dream son-in-law, Mom?

YOU NEED NEEDHAM

It's a pleasure.

TYLER: LONE WOLF?

So OFWGKTA's sassiest funkachino Tyler is all signed up with the UK's XL. Time to kick back with a couple of 40s and watch the tonk abs and shit-eating grin deteriorate into a coke-bloated spectre with ice cream cone facial tattoos about two weeks after he cashes the advance cheque. Take us down with you Tyler. Don't forget the burbs.

SHMALENTINE

Here's a heartation from Jessie Ware + Sampha. It's deep like the bottomless heartpit you tried to fill with curly fries last night.

WU LYF CLAN

If you aren't going to watch Wu Lyf at their London gig at Corsica Studios tonight, you may as well open the window and jump. We don't know how these teenaged dudes got to sound like a road-raging Jennifer Herrema on a serious laryngitis tip; but they do and it's most excellent.

GET RICH OR DIE ANTWOORD

There's something so creepily early 90s about actual people using real drugs (well, weed) and totally tattooing themselves while dropping the f-bomb like they're not on a major label with a mostly tweenaged fanbase.

Die Antwoord's 'trailer' for Rich Bitch is the 2k11 equivalent of that guy with Slayer cut into his arm buying his first cellphone from Cypress Hill and snakeboarding home to NIN's Closer (I Wannna Eff You Like An Animal) while calling up the cast of Mallrats to 'vent'.

Oh, and 'director' Kobus Holnaaier's surname means 'holefucker' in Afrikaans.

No wonder these guys would rather be shopping for hipster accoutrements in LA and smoking fragrance-free cigarettes with David Lynch and calling Buraka Son Sistema 'Baraka Obama' and saying stuff like, "How cool is Eric fuckin Bana?".

But no pain, no gain - check out Wadkin Tudor Jones aka 'Ninja' honing his craft with some authentically scaly Cape Town dudes.

WHATTUP MY NINJA

Heroes in half shells have been trending hard on our imaginary trend radar since... forever. And when we scratched a little harder at the underbelly of wackness, we found out that, apart from living some sort of Spike Jonze skateboarding proto-bromance since before that sentence made any sort of sense, these green dudes inspired a radical lineup of musical visionaries like Thelonious Monk AND Bonded by Blood since pre-Raphaelite times.

T E N U O U S M U T A N T N I N J A T U R T L E S?

MIAOW

Sonic Youth's free mixtape sounds nothing like your mom nagging you to wash the cat's butt in that breathy Kim Gordon voice she does when she's got high self esteem and the abs to prove it. That's for sure.

JOGGER

DID MUSIC DIED?

NEPHICIDE [j'uk'e]

n

1. (Psychology) the act or an instance of styling out something truly suckalicious with such ninja turtle Satanism-lite chutzpah that it totally rules/makes us want to have weird children who like Fields of the Nephilim.

GREECE: THE MUSICAL...

Would sound nothing like Keep Shelly in Athens.

Ignore the misleading Best of Wavves/Beach House/insert 2010 dankwave artist here album artwork. Now, ignore the name that makes you want to put a cat in a wheelie bin. Thanks. What's that? Don't worry - you're not listening to Chromatics on vicodin. You'd totally be fired by now. It's just some chill balearic disco from the house of Transparent to make your Tuesday feel just that little more like an alt Grand Designs reveal.

LOVE SEX POVERTY COOLNESS

LOVE SEX POVERTY COOLNESS

THE HEAD AND THE HEART AND THE EARS

When it comes to choosing good bands to promote to us common folk, the prestigious Sub Pop pretty much hit the nail on the head every time. Just when the red wine residue was starting to permanently stain your powdered teeth after the over-the-top festivities, the mateys in Seattle have brought to our attention the wonderfully kind to your battered ears, The Head And The Heart.

Their album got released digitally yesterday, but their physical manifestation will coincide nicely with Record Store Day in April (16th specifically). Sure, the lead singer might look like the vampire out of Being Human, but there's really nothing to be afraid of...unless you don't like happies. If you don't like happies, you're done for.

they're supporting The Walkmen in a couple of weeks, so that'll be nice too, non?

TW§§TED BL§§TER

WARNING: Every time you play this track by BL§§D ØU†, an animated gif of a baby otter dies...

LIVE WIRE

Rough Trade are good old boys aren't they? They provide us with a couple of lovely record shops to drag our heels around and spend the monies we don't have; they've chucked more record bags onto the arms of aspiring hipstamaniacs than there are shagbands on a cyberdog's wrist; and they give us a chance to stand excruciatingly close to incredible bands with one finger prodding our fun sacks. The best.

Tomorrow they've gone next level on our newly jaded asses and are giving you the chance to oggle Wire in the East. All you gotta do is buy the album...from them obvs. Do that.

P I N K F L A G

QUACK ON THIS

This girl and her ass apparently work in a McDonalds somewhere in New Orleans. She may or may not be responsible for the Happy Meal concept. Get out of our heads, Nick Knight. We made her up first.

JAMIE XX vs ADELE

If Jamie XX ruled the airwaves, would anything dud us out ever again?

If that question's been putting cigarettes out on your arms here, have the answer.

BE NICE TO EACH OTHER

Yuck have been nice to Porcelain Raft and, in return, Porcelain Raft have been nice to Yuck. The resulting niceness is a new 7" out on Transparent. Yuck have created a stripped back cover of PR's Despite Everything, and PR has delivered a similar compliment by putting his own spin on Yuck's The Wall. Go here to listen to both, lazy, and give those boys a liking. Weird donkey.

ASTER AWEKE

A bit of a different direction for us this one, but who wants a linear listening experience, ay? We came across this digital copy of Aster Aweke's tape on Keifa Records, and thought that you might want a listen too.

Aweke is a Ethiopian born singer, who has often been described as the Ethiopian Aretha Franklin. This is more of a comment on her stature in East African music as oppose to musical similarities as we can't really see the resemblance as such, and most of her songs aren't a pop-style three and a half minutes long.

She moved to America in 1979 to pursue her education, but due to her growing popularity in Ethiopian communities her friends persuaded her to carry on singing and recording music. She is still a massive influence in on Ethiopian music. When she performed in Addis Ababa in 1997, she drew a crowd of over 50,000 people, which is pretty good going as she wasn't exactly able to tweet about it. In recent times, she's played with Pras (Fu gee la) to crowds in excess of 10,000 in her home country. She still makes music and lives in Los Angeles.

We're really into this tape. You should listen to it too, basically, and let us know how you get on.

Side 1.

Track 1

Track 2

Track 3

Track 4

Side 2.

Track 5

Track 6

Track 7

Track 8

WOONING

THE CHILDREN OF SWILL

Most of you will be familiar with the Brooklyn-based creative waste, Swill Children. However, just as some might say “one good deed deserves another”, several impressive releases deserve a mention (at least). For those of you who don’t know what we are talking about, Swill Children release records (see Lucky Dragons, Weekend, Okie Dokie etc.), produce art, put on shows and output creative endeavours like all day every day.

The last few releases from SC have been an exceptionally designed series of prints. The majority of the artwork that they produce is printed on Risograph paper, and looks insanely slick and well thought out, and above are just a quick set of our favourite bits of the multitude of stuff they continue to treat us to.

A C O U P L E O F T H I N G S Y O U M I G H T N O T K N O W

Jesse Hlebo, the schoolyard bully of the Swill Children and extremely over worked creative, has just taken up art direction duties on photography magazine, Mossless. They are lacking in funding (as all new and exciting magazines know all too well. Ahem), so have put a video up on Kick Starter to grease the wheels of financial aid. Go here to take a look at what they got and see if you fancy throwing them some coin.

As with all techno kids, and iPhone fanatics, Jesse has got a tumblr that he updates from his blower. The snaps are akin to Now I Remember or Radburner Jnr type brilliance, so if you ♥ LOLs check it.

S W I L L

BANJO FOR CHRISTMAS

OK OK, so Banjo or Freakout might not be into the most yule tidey of artworks (or usual song content for that matter), but the festive spirit is alive and raging in the BOF house this Christmas.

For the first 1,000 people who visit their Bandcamp, a free digital gift is waiting to be delivered to their wanton hard drives. For defs check it out as it's nice music and that's always good.

WOWO

S E E Y O U T O N I G H T

AMALGAMATE

A M A L G A M A T E

C60 REDUX

We are a little caught between two schools of thought. On the one hand, records and record players are the cat’s pajamas, but on the other, pushing things forward and innovative design gets the bumples-a-gooserling and is so important in every facet of life, not just music. Music is becoming a more interactive experience every year, with every new touch-screen, voice-recognition gadget that N E R D S are turning their Radiohead-loving hand to. Soon we'll all be floating around in orbs having our music disseminated to us through light-feeding robots.

I N N O V A T E O R D I E

SYMPHONIC DIET RAVES

As far as visual/drone artists go, Fatima Al Qadiri has got to be pretty much at the end of the rainbow. Born in Senegal and raised in Kuwait (currently hanging out in NYC), the Eastern upbringing is massively prominent in her music - and not just the warping and distorting of quotes from the Qur'an, smart ass - There are incredible layers of depth in her influences ranging from frantic electronics to steel drums. Chaotic at times, we can't decide whether she is mesmirising/uplifting or terrifying/unnerving...what do you reckon?

Anyways, the visual comment at the beginning of this recommendation wasn't just a crowd-drawer, it was a written tee, yeah! Fatima's acapella project "Ayshay" has brought with it the opportunity to get her video editing steez on as displayed by the hectic video underneath this blurb. Definitely on the conceptual arts tip, for sure.

Fatima has just released her new track "d - medley" (purposefully lower case, of course), which is certainly the most listenable of her creations and a firm favourite in heavy rotation right now...listen to that here.

s y m p h o n i c d i e t r a v e s

POP RE-RUB

This is a really nice idea.

Emails were sent out, ironic songs were collated, and pop was reborn over(many)nights in a bassline-heavy new format. Be cool to think that people will visit the site and give some cash to the kids at the labels concerned. After all, how many of you wasted 35p (or more. Standards tariff charges apply) voting for Rebecca last night and instead getting Daniel Bedingfield the painter? This is a way more interesting way of tossing coins. Friends of Friends could become friends of yours, you never know.

Tis the season an all that. Speaking of which, here is a Christmas song that does anything but suck.

P O P M A S S A C R E

MIDI PENCE

Ever wondered what Jenny From The Block would sound like without that idiot yelping about how streeeeeet she is? Maybe you'd, also, like to escape the pretensions of digital sound quality? Well, my hombreachino we've found your Midi Earth.

This site will cater for all your retarded musical needs, leaving you scrambling around for that long lost Amiga soundtrack, stabbing at your Stylophone in the dark.

Juke's highlights (in no particular order):

Limp Bizkit - Faith

Van Halen - Jump

DMX - Ruff Ryders Anthem

P.S. One for mum.

LOW AND BEHOLD!

For anyone that was lucky enough to catch their show at Primavera in the summer, this'll bring back some incredible memories.

08/12 & HEARTBREAK

08 / 12 & H E A R T B R EA K

MAMUTHONES MAKE POP MUSIC

No, "they" don't.

Mamuthones is the solo project of Alessio Gastaldello (Jennifer Gentle). Named after the festival in Sardinia, where there's a parade of people wearing these epic masks and outfits like the one you can see above (it's far more interesting than that but this is a music magazine, dummy), the music that Gastaldello has created for ear valves is so ambient and free-flowing that we think we are starting to turn into harem pants. His latest record SATOR is out on Italian imprint, Boring Machines, who have a juicy roster of visually incredible and healthily satanic bands, but this sounds a bit more special.

To be honest, whilst listening to this music and reading about this music, two things started to happen. Firstly, we felt as though we were slipping into a worm hole, clawing at astral plains for an explanation, and secondly, it seemed like we were reading about a lost cult or Da Vinci code follow up rather than a musical experience. The album is described as "truly a shamanistic take on Catholic rituals, all performed with an intensity that smells of incense as much as of fire and brimstone. " at one point, which is where my mind started to wander and I feared as though I had become dark matter. However, this is a really diverse drone project and infinitely more emotive than the majority of art students holding their Fender against their amp because they just heard Salem.

M A M U T H O N E S

SO THAT'S HOW YOU DO A MUSIC VIDEO

If this is what a "rave" looked like, I would go more often.

Everyone is talking about it, now we are too. Rad cover, totally rad EP. Listen to it here.

I T S C O L D O U T S I D E

THRASH MUCH?

TO THE SONIC TIME MACHINE!

Who needs lyrics, right? They go on a bit, you usually can't hear them properly, they get in the way of basslines, and they're just a bit unnecessary...well, sort of. A band that don't need voices, warbling harmonies or, indeed, lyrics are Memphis born garage-surf killers, Impala. For the best part of 20 years (sporadically, anyhow) the band have making boogie-down, cocktail stick-chewing, surfological riffs and bringing the party vibes all over the South East States and beyond.

- PERSONAL NOTICE: LISTEN TO R&B FAVOURITES IMMEDIATELY -

Being as though the vast majority of scum suckers (us included) rarely listen to instrumental music, we thought we would get Scott Bomar from the band to give us his top 5 instrumental bands, with his favourite songs by them and a little brief on why they are awesome...because we like to be spoonfed.

Top 5 Instrumental Band's Songs

1. Bill Jennings "What's New" King Records. 1954

"When Impala was touring a lot in the 1990s, we bought a King Records instrumental R&B compilation called "After Hours" at a truck stop in the middle of America and we literally wore the copy out. We would play Bill Jennings take on the standard "Whats New" over and over, it sounds magical. The perfect late night mood music."

2. Booker T and the MGs "Melting Pot" Stax Records 1971

This song gives me chills every time I hear it, Booker T and the MGs are my favorite instrumental group and this is them at their finest.

3. Issac Hayes "Pursuit of the Pimpmobile" Stax Records 1974

"This is from Issac's score to Truck Turner. Issac's scores to Truck Turner, Tough Guys and Shaft are all incredible. Skip Pitts who is the guitarist in my band, The Bo-Keys, is playing on this and he also played the wha wha part on "Theme From Shaft" and all of Issac's 70s recordings."

4. Willie Mitchell "20-75" Hi Records 1964

"Willie passed away this past January, he was my mentor and one of the greatest people ever. Everything he did is great, "20-75" is a good starting point."

5. Henry Mancini "The Pink Panther Theme" RCA Records 1964

"It doesn't get any better than this. I love Mancini but the star here is the amazing tenor sax of LA session saxophonist, Plas Johnson who was originally from New Orleans."

JUMPSUIT BABBLERS

Not a massive surprise that Will Oldham's new strange little band sound pretty sick (well, in between the bad sound quality on this video. Apols). What is surprising are those outfits. Furry. The Babblers played their debut show in a tiny venue in Tennessee and didn't tell anyone about it...but it's on the internet any way. Not so smart now are you Oldham?

R O L L I N G D E E P L I K E E W O K S

LUCKY US

Photo by Christina Kernohan

For those of you who don't know (and you kinda should), Lucky Me are a Scottish-based record label/creative collective made up of artitsts, musicians, promoters and producers who have been burning their own brand on to the faces of everyone who has the pleasure of taking a look.

With a strong sense of style, and a determination to keep matters as they want them, Lucky Me's innovative attitude to being creative hasn't gone unnoticed. What started as a group of mates putting their heads together because they had similar tastes has now gained international acclaim and is keeping them really busy.

Lucky Me have the look, the style, the sound, and all are very much their own. They give away music, stream mixtapes on their site constantly, put out dynamic records, and treat people to a party or two.

Juke spoke to Co-Director, Martyn Flyn, about all the things that make their label different and what he thinks about a bunch of other stuff...

Lucky Me is a very distinctive brand/operation – how important to you think it is now for record labels and musical collectives to maintain their own style?

I think it's hugely important- not even limited to labels and music. Maintaining our own style is a reflection of us and hopefully people who identify with what we are doing, and recognise our influences, will feel that they can be a part of it.

For your own artwork, who would you say has been the greatest inspiration?

Glasgow School of Art, 90s skateboard graphics, too many books and magazines.

What movements in music right now are impressing you the most?

Theres always so much great music locally in Scotland- UK wise always love what comes out of Hessle Audio, Night Slugs and Numbers , always listening to lots of new HipHop RnB production. We, also, clearly love the new Montreal scene of producers: Lunice, Jacques Greene and Ango. They all make really unique music filled with tons of personality and swagger.

In the past 30 years, whose whole package (record sleeves, music, style, performance) has blown your mind the most?

Wow 30 years... Prince, Mahavishnu, Hudson Mohawke, Jodeci, Warp records, Stones Throw.

Which direction do you see yourselves going in the next few years? Are there any new endeavours in the pipeline?

Lots of plans I'm worried about jinxing by talking about. Id like the Art side of our collective get more shine , theres some really great musical projects on the way and some more international label showcases coming soon.

Finally, let us get a top 5 off of you...what are your top 5 hip hop tunes?

Changes all the time...

1. Royal Flush "Worldwide"
2. Juelz Santana "Santanas Town"
3. Pastor Troy "Are We Cuttin?"
4. Baby and Clipse " What Happened to that Boy"
5. Freeway "What we do"

BEATS RHYMES AND FIGHTS

After years in the making, and even longer of us all waiting, it looks like Phife Dawg, Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammed and Jarobi are finally getting their story told. Compiled by actor Michael Rapaport over an extended period, the documentary features everybody from Kanye to ?uestlove all giving testimony to just how important and influential the four were in bringing an intelligence to hip hop that was sadly lacking from a lot of groups. From Bonita Applebum to group fall out, this promises to be an excellent use of your time. Words can't describe.

M A R A U D E F O R E Y E S

JEEP TRACKS

This week Sara down at Work It was kind enough to step up to curate our Spotify player with some of her girls favourite tracks at the moment.

We got her to give us a quick run down of the reasons she likes each track as a way of introducing the playlist. Cheers Sara!

Mary J Blige- Be Happy

"Swinging bass, positive lyrics about being…well…happy! Enough to make you do the "Mary Stomp"."

En Vogue - Don't Let Go

"The ultimate power soul ballad. Could these girls have any more soul?! Great track to sing along to, everyone knows the lyrics."

LL Cool J - Hey Lover

"Any song with Boyz II Men flexing their skills on the hook is going to be hot."

Janet Jackson - Thats The Way Love Goes

"This is "Jeep Music" at its finest. Number one for eight weeks in the US."

Shola Ama - You're the One I Love

"Got to have some UK flavour up in here. Sugary sweet stuff from everyone's favourite nineties teenager. Perfect soundtrack to crush to."

A Tribe Called Quest - Find a Way

"Banging party song, and an instant floor filler."

Erykah Badu - On & On

"A neo soul anthem. Will always be reminiscent of that particular time of consciousness in the nineties."

Be sure to check out the next Work It on December 11th at Visions Video.

T U N E S T O B O U N C E T O