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Jul 2, 2011

DAVE FIELDING: Original Artwork & Prints














Dave Fielding
(founder member of The Chameleons, The Reegs, & Coconut DF) & Rebecca Amis have created website http://www.dragonfliesandbutterflies.co.uk/ where you can find and buy all their artwork and prints.

On this page you will also find the paitining that was used for the single Singing Rule Britannia de The Chameleons:




Enjoy them!


May 15, 2011

ChameleonsVOX: New 2011 Tour Dates



This is an update of the 2011 tour dates for ChameleonsVOX, the new band of Mark Burgess, reinterpreting classic songs from The Chameleons:

May 19th - Edinburgh - The Queen’s Hall (supporting Mercury Rev)
May 20th - Manchester- Bridgewater Hall (supporting Mercury Rev)
May 21th - London - Roundhouse (supporting Mercury Rev)
May 27th & 29th - Manchester - Strummercamp

June 12th - Zuiddijk (Netherlands) - Pop & Dancepodium De Kade

June 13th - Bremen - The Tower
June 15th - Muenster - Glea 22
June 16th - Cologne - Underground
June 17th - Bochum - TBA
June 18th - Hamburg - Funbuerau

This is the actual ChameleonsVOX line-up:
Mark Burgess - Vox
Justin Lomery - Guitar
Stephen Foxcroft - Guitar
Chris Oliver - Guitar
Ray Bowles - Bass
Dug McLeod - Drums

Apr 30, 2011

Other Musics: TOUNDRA

It´s about time we dedicated a post to one of the best but (yet) unknown rock spanish bands. They are called TOUNDRA and they have released two albums of Instrumental Rock.

They have been described as a Post-Rock band, and although we do not like to use labels. TOUNDRA are really skilled in combining a powerful sound with beatiful atmospheres. If you have heard the most powerful songs of Porcupine Tree, you could have an idea of what this band is about.

The truth is that we cannot stop listening to their 2nd album called simply (II). We are in love of these marvelous architects of sound, who are able to build such powerful soundscapes.

If you haven´t listened to their music yet, just take a look at this video of ZanzĂ­bar, one of the finest songs included in their 2nd album:



Youtube URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFgeVROsqnU

If you want to listen to more songs from Toundra, just go to the Online Player of Aloud Music, their Record Label:


http://aloudmusic.com/toundrard/

Aloud Music even allows legal free downloads, because they know the first and most important thing is to promote their bands.

Legal download from Aloud Music - "(II)" by Toundra:



Nevertheless, as Aloud Music states on their Web Site, they NEED to SELL CDs, so if you really like TOUNDRA music, please support the band and their record label, by ordering it directly on their Online Store.

Update on COCONUT DF 2011 Gig Dates


















Coconut DF
, the band of Dave Fielding, has confirmed more live dates for 2011 in the UK. This is the actual schedule:

@ Soundhouse, 7th May 2011
Globe Mill, Ash St.
Bolton, United Kingdom
http://www.thesoundhouse.co.uk/
email: info@thesoundhouse.co.uk

@ 1:22 Bar, 13th May 2011
120 New Street
Castlegate
Huddersfield
West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
http://122live.com/?page_id=179
email: info@122.live.com


@ The Star & Garter, 9th June 2011

18-20 Fairfield Street
Manchester, United Kingdom
http://www.starandgarter.co.uk/

Phone : 0161 273 6726

@The Suninn Pinxton, 10th June 2011
Nottingham, United Kingdom
email:suninnpinxton@hotmail.co.uk

@The Stereo YORK, 24th June 2011

@ Star Festival Rotheham, 13th Aug 2011

Mar 5, 2011

Other Musics: THE NATIONAL


It´s about time we dedicated a post to The National, a band from Ohio now based on Brooklyn, which has obtained during last years the acclaim of critics and general public. Their tunes are unpretentious but elegant odes to sadness, melancholy, isolation and obscurity. The low voice of the singer wraps the listener in a dense atmosphere, which is difficult to escape from. Perfect sounds for atumn rainy days.

With their latest album,
High Violet, The National has evolved their style towards calmer and quieter shores.



If you look for a definition of their sound, you´ll find in internet epithets like
indie-folk, alternative & minimalist. We don´t care about labels; they are what they are, and you may like them or not. The only thing we can say is we see them like magnific architects of sound.

Will you dare cross the gate to their world? Be aware there´s no turning back... you´re warned.

Here is a link to a live performance of
Sorrow, one of the saddest but most beautiful songs I´ve ever heard. A gem included in High Violet




Here is a very intimate & beautiful performance of Start a War a tune from Boxer, their album from 2007, which is considered by many people as their best work. This video is available in http://www.blogotheque.net



Enjoy...

Mar 2, 2011

Backwards Message in Fan & Fellows Vinyl Edition


Did you know that the vinyl of The Fan & Bellows. A Collection of Classic Early Recording released by Dead Dead Good Records contains a backwards message at the end of Side-B, after Nathan´s Phase song?

The message is, in fact, a small excerpt of the lyrics of Nostalgia sung by Mark Burgess.

The excerpt does not appear in the CD edition.

Here you can listen to the original excerptand then the reversed version:

Original Excerpt:



Reversed version:

Feb 27, 2011

Other Musics: STOFFER & MASKINEN

Don´t you believe in casualities? Visiting last summer Copenhagen, I was strolling around Nyhavn and then bumped into a band which was playing live as part of some summer cultural friday events in the danish county town.

From the first chords I heard I got shocked. They are quite a new band called Stoffer & Maskinen, but their sound is as if they were from the 80´s. Strong bass lines and razor edge guitars, and they could be easily labelled as a dream-pop or shoegaze band, but you will also notice some eletronic and even progressive influences, sung with melancholic beauty.



Although they are quite static on the stage, intentionally avoiding the visual contact with the audience (no wonder why someone labelled a music style as shoegaze, although it´s more related to an attitude on stage rather than to a proper music style), Stoffer & Maskinen have without any doubt great magnetism.



They have released their debut self-titled album, which we recommend to all of you without any doubt. All songs are sung in danish, and that gives them a distinction from all those european bands which adopt english as a must for expressing themselves. Perhaps the less interesting song from the album is the opener, a catchy and instant song called Flader mod Flader, which is too comercial for me, but the album is full with gems like the Indeni, a magnific song with a fantastic guitar line. Here is the youtube video from this song:




After that amazing concert I was lucky enough to find by casuality, I rushed into the nearest record store to look for their album and since them, Stoffer & Maskinen has turned into one of my favourites band, and I´m looking forward to listening to new material from these young guys.

I have to mention that their Live sound is much better than theirs in studio, perhaps due to an excess of post-production. Good things are better without condiments,a nd if you are a fan of bands from the 80´s like The Chameleons, The Sound and bands like Editors, Interpol, The Boxer Rebellion are in your list of favourites, you won´t be deceived with this danish group.

Good luck Stoffer & Maskinen! You´ve got a magnific sound, so keep on the good path, and for sure you will be recognized outside Denmark. From our blog, we´ll do our best to try and spread the word, so that your songs are listened from all over the world.

For those interested on this band you can visit their following websites:
http://www.myspace.com/stofferogmaskinen
http://stofferogmaskinen.dk/

... and if you like them we encourage you support them by buying their album


Feb 2, 2011

Want Wishville back?


Wishville, the official Chameleons forum was shut down indefinitely.

Wishville was a pretty extended database of Chameleons related threads worked and supported with the collaboration, hard work and contribution of their fans since 2001
.

Wishville, like the Chameleons, exists no more, but you can join the facebook group "Bring Back Wishville", where Cham related discussions are still alive

Interview to Mark Burgess in [sic]magazine

The online Magazine [sic]Magazine, administered by Brett Spaceman, has published an interesting and quite long interview with Mark Burgess.

Burgess talks about past, present and past of his musical career, included his recent Chameleons Tribute Band: ChameleonsVOX. He also gives his point of view to the split of The Chameleons and his differences with Dave Fielding.

The interview can be read on [sic]Magazine Web-Site.

Note:The other side of the story can be read on the Bring Back Wishville Facebook Group

Other Musics: NOSOUND

This is a recommendation for all of you, who visit every now and then this lonely island.

In search of new atmospheric & introspective sounds, looking for bands not related to The Chameleons, I came up with this fantastic group called NOSOUND who could be labelled somewhere between Pink Floyd & Sigur Ros.
Their long and melancholic compositions are their highlights on their albums.

Spend some minutes of your life to let the music of this song called Constant Contrast, included on their album A Sense of Loss, transport your soul to other world





More information about this group on their Official Website: http://www.nosound.net