Headsound: Balloon Ascents - Cutout

Sofar sounds made a welcome debut in Cambridge at the weekend. The global movement curates monthly gigs in living rooms and other unconventional venues in 86 cities worldwide with more being added all the time.

Oxford group Balloon Ascents were an uplifting opener, harmonising dreamy pop melodies and helping the 20 odd audience members squeezed onto the living room floor to forget the cramps and backache.

The band have previously played Sofar in Oxford and are set to play more dates around Europe in the Summer. Cutout is one of several songs on their Soundcloud page.

Headsound: Half Japanese - In Its Pull

Half Japanese are strong contenders for the best new old band of the year. Brothers David and Jad Fair started making music in 1974 and have been influencing the great and the good in alternative music ever since as seen in the mini documentary below. Contributors include Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo, R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, the Velvet Underground's Moe Tucker, Wye Oak's Jenn Wasner and more.
They are returning after a 13 year break with album 'Overjoyed'. The first song to be shared 'In It's Pull' is a snappy manifesto.  Jad calls on you to 'Refresh the life you have and be the best that you can possibly be,' over a mutilated bed of rock and roll. It's uplifting, visceral punk rock with a distinctive twist. 

The album is out in September giving a couple of months to catch up on their back catalogue. 

  

Show: 8.7.14 with Tom Adams

It was great to be joined by musician and composer Tom Adams who talked about his soundtrack to the forthcoming film The Knife That Killed Me and played a few songs including a couple of new songs from his new solo album, due to be released next year.

8.7.14 with Tom Adams by Headstand on Mixcloud

Headsound: Tom Adams - All is Lost

My guest on next week's show on 8th July will be Tom Adams. Adams' music regularly features on the show but it's been too long since he joined me in person. He will be playing some songs and talking about new film The Knife That Killed Me which he has done the soundtrack for including this song, All is Lost. The film is released on July 15th.

Show: 24.6.14 with Mal Faloon

Local writer and performance poet Mal Faloon made a welcome return to the show. Despite not realising until the last minute the show was live she gave the most relaxed and wonderful reading of a selection of her poems I've ever heard her do.

We also marked the imminent return of Evening Under Lamplight to Cambridge 105 with some Bob Dylan and I shared Fenland Poet Laureate Poppy Kleiser's call for war poems for a new anthology she is producing. Email submissions to poetlaureatepoemsforpeace@gmail.com by 1st July.

Enjoy the show:

24.6.14 with Mal Faloon by Headstand on Mixcloud

Headsound: Kate Tempest - Lonely Daze

I've been so caught up listening to this album I almost forgot to feature it on the blog. Everybody Down is a standout album of the year so far. It's a musical, literary masterpiece by Kate Tempest, a young poet, performer and writer bursting with energy and creativity. Lonely Daze opens with a killer hook but listen to the lyrics and the vivid characters they portray, then listen to the rest of the album to hear their stories in full.

I was looking forward to seeing Kate Tempest this weekend at the Hammer and Tongue national final due to be held at the Albert Hall loading bay. It's been postponed till September now but hopefully Kate will still be joining us.

Buy 'Everybody Down' on

Show: 10.6.14 Night Watch

New music and spoken word including some of the artists who will be keeping me awake at Night Watch at the Junction this Saturday.

Colouring Lesson - Mea Culpa Blues (It's My Fault)

Horse Party - In-between

Japp Blonk - Cadenza

Crookram - Balboa

Ergo Phizmiz - Consequences

The Breaches - Jesus Wept

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - We No Who U R

Euros Childs - Give The Girl A Hand

Kate Tempest - A Hammer

Mouth - Blood Beat

Gaze is Ghost - In Love of Post Apocalyptic Watch Towers

Hollow Mountain - Untitled

Meta-Ex - Spiked With Recursive Dreams [Live Coded Session}

Girl Band - The Cha Cha Cha (Peaks remix)

10.6.14 Night Watch by Headstand on Mixcloud