Lail Arad – When We Grow Up

London-based singer-songwriter Lail Arad gets up to mischief in MoMA in the video for new single When We Grow Up. This latest offering from the versatile artist is a cheerful folk-pop number sure to lift the spirits and ease the burden of modern life as she reflects: “We try to be realistic, but we're so damn artistic.”
A cheerfully irreverent song packed with wit and tongue-in-cheek philosophy.

The song comes from forthcoming album The Onion.

Headsound: Gaze is Ghost - Untitled

A treat for the eyes as well as the ears as Irish singer-songwriter Laura McGarrigle aka Gaze Is Ghost previews a new song in The Leper Chapel. Harmonium, ambient guitar and McGarrigle's haunting vocals creep up and engulf the listener for a few beautiful dreamy moments.


In the session for Brother Bear she also performed this cover of David Bowie's Heroes.

Headsound: Idiot Songs - Villages of Ether

Cambridge-born singer and multi-instrumentalist Justin Grounds plays a homecoming gig at CB2 on 18th February with his new project with Pearse McGloughlin, Idiot Songs.

Strings, pianos, angelic vocals and warped spoken word come together on the epic Villages of Ether. The hi-definition video takes you flying, floating and falling through a surreal world full miniature people and giant crows where unexpected doorways lead from dim lit warehouses to vast open plains. The basement of CB2 could easily be a set from the video and the duo are sure to create a magical atmosphere.

They will be supported by Tom Adams who played a phenomenal set at Shindig last Friday. I was one of the first to pick up a copy of his new EP 'In The Constant Noise' which includes former Headsound Migration.

Details of the gig are on Facebook. Be sure to get there early.

Headsound: Will Varley - Weddings & Wars (An 8-Bit History Of The World)

Check out the history of the world according Will Varley and Nintendo in this terrific 8-bit video. Varley created the video using 90s software and his lyrics ingeniously sum up mankind's occupation of the planet with observations like 'Now instead of hunting we go to Tesco / Instead if talking we wear headphones.'
It's a brilliant piece of English folk that leaves us wondering if we can or even deserve to make it to the last level.

Headsound: Guillermo Sexo - Fall Lens

Boston four-piece Guillermo Sexo play psychedelia and indie pop with a rough swagger. A scintillating blend of dirty guitar and clean vocals sifts in mood and texture, "like Sonic Youth on shuffle with the Jesus and Mary Chain," according to the The Boston Globe. 

Fall Lens comes from their latest album Dark Spring which you can listen to here.



Guillermo Sexo- "Fall Lens" from Reuben Bettsak on Vimeo.

Headsound: Euros Childs - Tête à Tête

Barely a week goes by without the energetic former frontman of Gorky's Zygotic Mynci Euros Childs coming out with a new collaboration or solo project. His album Summer Special is nominated for this year's Welsh Music Prize but it's already slipping off the front page of his website The National Elf Library as the releases continue.

His latest solo album Situation Comedy is out on October 21st and this lead track Tête à Tête is classic Childs his melodic pop vocals at the fore and lyrics with characters and cultural references worthy of Dylan. The song is available for download by donation at euroschilds.co.uk.

Childs is on tour in October/November and plays Brighton on November 2nd at Sticky Mike's Frog Bar which sounds like the name of one of his bands.

Headsound: Chris T-T and The Hoodrats - The Bear

Brighton singer-songwriter Chris T-T returns with new album The Bear out 7th October. The title track is an anarchic anthem which manages to reference Joan Rivers and Louis CK and Lenny Henry in his lead role in 90s sitcom Chef.
It has the bite and intellect of The Pixies and the humour of Half Man Half Biscuit.
He's on tour absolutely everywhere in the UK from October - December.

Headsounds are weekly recommended music and spoken word tracks. If you'd like to nominate a future Headsound get in touch with a link to a video or embeddable player (eg. Bandcamp) and 50 - 100 words on why you recommend it.

Tour dates

OCTOBER
10 Aberdeen Lemon Tree
11 Ullapool The Arch Inn
12 Inverness Ironworks
13 Glasgow Oran Mor
15 Brighton Komedia
16 London O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
17 Gloucester Blackfriars Priory
18 Cardiff The Globe
20 Leicester The Musician
21 Bromsgrove Artrix
22 Oxford St John's Church
23 Bury St Edmunds The Apex
25 Norwich Open
NOVEMBER
7 Manchester St Philips Church, Salford
8 Kendal Brewery Arts Centre
9 Newcastle Cluny
10 Leeds Brudenell Social Club
11 Cambridge Junction
13 Winchester Discovery Centre
14 Exeter Phoenix
16 Hastings St Marys In The Castle
17 Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
19 Birmingham Glee Club
20 Sheffield Greystones
21 New Brighton Floral Pavilion
22 Bristol Folk House
CHRIS T-T ‘THE BEAR’ UK TOUR – SOLO
24 Cardiff Moon Club
28 Ipswich Town Hall
29 York The Black Swan
30 London Bush Hall Supporting Jim Bob (Carter Usm)
5 Manchester Kraak Gallery
6 Leeds All Hallows Church
7 Durham Old Cinema Launderette
DECEMBER
8 – 11 Scottish Tour, Dates Tba
13 Bexhill Eras Of Style
14 Margatetom Thumb Theatre
15 Milton Keynes Watershed Arts
18 London The Monarch
19 Brighton Venue Tba
20 Devizes The Lamb

Poem: Unhinge - Afrodita Nikolova

Macedonian poet Afrodita Nikolova has became a distinct voice on the Cambridge poetry scene since coming here to study. Here is one of her poems, and you can hear more on the next show this Sunday.

Time Passes... A Time Lapse Tour of Cambridge

Take a 4 minute tour of Cambridge with this time lapse video by Marc Abraham. If you've been in Cambridge for any time you're sure to have come across this denim clad one-man camera crew and production outfit. Wherever there's a party, protest, community event or avant-garde concert in Cambridge you can be sure to find Marc there with his camera.
This film starts at The Gwydir Street Party blends seamlessly into The Big Weekend, takes in various other locations before a high velocity trip down Mill Road, the cultural heart of the city. All this is accompanied by a catchy soundtrack also composed by Marc.

Poem: Ex's Facebook - Riaz Moola

Next Sunday I'm joined by poet Riaz Moola who has been making an impact on the local scene recently including winning a place in the final of the Cambridge Hammer and Tongue poetry slam. Check out one of his poems below and tune in on Sunday.

Musical museums and poetical musings ousing

This week's recommended poetry event is one I haven't yet been to. Ouse Muse is a regular poetry open mic night in Bedford. Host Ian McEwen is a fine poet and a regular at poetry events in Cambridge so if you can get to Bedford this Thursday go and support or even read. See https://www.facebook.com/events/571255309562960/.

Friday is Museums Night. Over the weekend museums worldwide will be holding special events at night. The Fitzwilliam will be offering a variety of music in its galleries along with talks and other activities from 6-9pm. admission free. See https://www.facebook.com/events/468638009872040/.

On Saturday John Grant plays the Junction. Here's the video for the latest single from the recent album Green Ghosts which won't be getting played on the show.

Poetronica - Cambridge Poets on Video

Blazej Mikula's new site poetronica.co.uk features videos of Cambridge based poets performing their work. Many of them have been on Headstand. Now you can see them in action. There are live performances from Hammer and Tongue and studio productions. Check out a couple of his videos of Fay Roberts and winner of the March Hammer and Tongue slam Tess Gardener below and find more on the website.



 I first met Blazej through Polish Waves, Cambridge 105's Polish show. Here's an episode on which I contributed a piece about my experiences living in Poland. You can hear all the latest episodes on Mixcloud too. Good luck to Blazej with Poetronica. We look forward to more videos.

Polish Waves 2012-04-08 by Polish Waves On Cambridge 105 on Mixcloud

3 Short Poetry Films

As a radio show, visual art is rather overlooked on Headstand. In this guest post Cambridge-based film maker Simon Mullen presents three of his short films featuring his poems.

These short films are at the end of two threads. One is an exploration of the highly textured and awesomely imperfect medium of Super 8. The other is an epic quest for audience engagement. The films exist because I love Super 8, and their narration exists because I need the films to engage the audience. If you don't make films to engage an audience, why make them at all. The films originally had no narration, although they did have a sound track. I found that the general reaction to them was flat. When I attached a narration to the films, everything changes, people liked them! I present here three one-minute films I made in just the last few months. There are more to come, check my website for updates.

 The first film is FIRE 150: This film is about an empty house on the Buckden roundabout of the A1. Its a hugely busy roundabout and Ive driven past this boarded up property many times. And from the first moment I saw it, I knew it must be haunted! Because if any house should be haunted, it's this one. The roundabout is a modern crossroad and crossroads are rich in mythological tradition across the world. I found this really nice Radiolab podcast, where the reporter goes looking for the devil at a crossroad as part of an investigation of American blues singer and musician Robert Leroy Johnson. So who knows what the denizens of an empty boarded up house on the crossroad would be like? I know . . .
FIRE 150 from Simon Mullen on Vimeo.

Credits

Film by Simon Mullen Sound Effects: all sound effects hosted by freesound "very noisy traffic heavy", "motorbike around 1", "passing truck 9" by Robinhood76 "ufo pass", "jetbike flypast" by tigersound "swosh" by man "passingcar01", "passingcar02" , "passingcar03" by Pingel "woosh5" by damco "woosh 02" by Glaneur de sons

The second film is WATER: Life is complicated. Sometimes its a battle just to locate your towel!


WATER from Simon Mullen on Vimeo.

Credits

Film by Simon Mullen Camera Operator Lucy Evens Sound Effects Waves at New York Point by Rob House Hosted by The Internet Archive Length: 1:00 Produced: 2012


And the third and final film is My Friends Are Always In The Woods: Everyone has one or two special friends. Unusual people with unusual habits and habitats. But the strange thing with me is, all my friends are that special. And I don't remember when that happened.
My Friends Are Always In The Woods from Simon Mullen on Vimeo.

Credits

Film by Simon Mullen Sound Effects Wind Storm in Los Ranchos by dhattman Hosted by The Internet Archive Length: 1:00 Produced: 2012