Two May Shows
#36 | 24th apr 2013
We're putting on two very special shows at Cafe Kino next week:
Thursday 2nd May - Rob St John
Lancastrian Rob St John plays drawn-out and ghostly songs underpinned by the creaks and drones of the harmonium, musical saw, fiddle, skittering drums, analogue synth and field recordings. Backed by a talented cast of collaborators and co-conspirators, his first album 'Weald' combined kraut, drone and psych influences with peals of British folk guitar and wheeling gusts of rich, cryptic vocals. Since then, he's been recording illegal bird hunting in Malta, field recording in Cornwall and curating the critically acclaimed Pendle, 1612 compilation. His new 7", Charcoal Black and the Bonny Grey / Shallow Brown, will be released on May Day.
with support from The Nervy Betters.
Cafe Kino, 108 Stokes Croft, Bristol. 8 - 10:30pm.
Tickets £5 in advance, available from Bristol Ticket Shop.
Facebook event.
Friday 3rd May - Haiku Salut
Derbyshire based instrumental trio Haiku Salut are embarking on a spring tour to promote their critically acclaimed debut album, Tricolore. Mixing baroque miniatures, film music and electronica, their captivating performances are a cavalcade of instrument-swapping joy.
with support from My Two Toms.
Cafe Kino, 108 Stokes Croft, Bristol. 8 - 10:30pm.
Tickets £5 in advance, available from Bristol Ticket Shop.
Facebook event.
News from old friends
#35 | 6th sep 2012Our two latest releases, Slow and Steady and Lvov Swims the Willamette, have been some of the most successful so far, so thank you to everyone who's bought one. Jack Lewis' record is a contender for one of the best of the year according to Marc Riley, and who is better positioned to make such a claim?
There'll be a small quiet period from stitch-stitch as we work on some new releases (both musical and human: the new I Know I Have No Collar album is about to be mixed, and Aaron is due to become a father very soon!) but there's lots of great new music coming out on other labels from stitch-stitch related artists.
Bucky have finally released their new album Women, Ladies and Girls (Sing the Bucky Songbook). The title is fairly self-explanatory - female cover versions of many Bucky songs - and it features The Middle Ones and Roxy. As well as Bucky favourites, you'll recognise songs from The Lonely Ponies too. Not only is it amazing, but it's also for charity! But if you're still not convinced, perhaps you should watch this high-budget advert.
Rozi Plain's long awaited follow-up to her debut has just come out on Fence. Called Joined Sometimes Unjoined, it contains many of the songs that she's been playing live over the past few years, and has a beautiful, dreamy quality to it. Rozi's been a member of stitch-stitch bands Arctic Circle and François & the Atlas Mountains, and we couldn't recommend her new record more.
My Robot Heart
#34 | 24th jul 2012Not content with simply playing their incredible music, The Middle Ones have teamed up with the very talented Molly Naylor to develop a show called 'My Robot Heart'. They've been trying it out in workshop-style performances over the past six months, and are now taking it to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
We've been lucky enough to see it a couple of times in its development, and it's as sad, funny, beautiful and heartwarming as you'd expect. Don't miss out!
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
1-12, 14-27 August 2012
3.25pm daily
Pleasance Courtyard
Book tickets here.
For press and tour booking please contact Show and Tell.
Slow and Steady
#33 | 6th jun 2012
The Middle Ones release their long-awaited followup to 'It Is the Rehearsal That Will Make This' today, starting with a tour across the UK with Jack Lewis' Awkward Energy, also celebrating his recent stitch-stitch release! Slow and Steady is just as awe-inspiring and beautiful as their debut.
Jack Lewis and The Middle Ones Tour June 2012
W 6 - Preston - Continental
T 7 - Lancaster - The Yorkshire House
F 8 - Newcastle - The Dog and Parrot
S 9 - Bristol - Cafe Kino
S 10 - Leeds - Brudenell Social Club
M 11 - Nottingham - The Chameleon
T 12 - Hull - Adelphi
W 13 - London - Old Blue Last, Upset The Rhythm
T 14 - Cardiff - The Full Moon
F 15 - Sheffield - The Redhouse
S 16 - Manchester - The Castle, Carefully Planned
Order Lvov Swims the Willamette
#32 | 8th may 2012
A collection of all sorts of recordings from all sorts of places, Jack Lewis' Awkward Energy release their new album on stitch-stitch at the end of the month. You can pre-order it now - postage is being held at the rates it was before April.
Middle Ones tour
#31 | 3rd apr 2012
The Middle Ones are on tour this April with Ace Bushy Striptease, supporting the release of their new single, Courage. You can download it, as well as an amazing cover of Drops by The Balky Mule, at their Bandcamp page.
- 5 April - MANCHESTER – Kraak
- 6 April - WAKEFIELD - The Hop
- 7 April - DURHAM - Fishtank
- 8 April - SHEFFIELD - Audacious Art Experiment Warehouse
- 9 April- NOTTINGHAM - The Chameleon
- 10 April - NORWICH - Take Five (Alto45 album launch)
- 11 April - BIRMINGHAM - Island Bar (with ONSIND)
- 12 April - BRISTOL - County Sports Club
- 13 April - NORTHAMPTON - Labour Club
- 14 April - LONDON - The George Tavern (with Anguish Sandwich)
Some brand new Middle Ones t-shirts with a design by Joff Winterhart from Bucky will be available to buy at shows, and if you miss out you'll be able to order them from the stitch-stitch shop afterwards.
2012 news and that
#30 | 8th feb 2012So - François' new album E Volo Love is out on Domino and it's getting all the radio plays and French TV show slots you like. Incredible! And of course it is excellent, and you should buy it.
As for stitch-stitch news this year: we're putting the finishing touches to the download single for Courage by The Middle Ones, the first from their debut, and then we'll also be releasing their second album Slow & Steady later in the spring. You can watch a video for Courage below. And the promised Jack Lewis album will be along too.
Jack Lewis
#29 | 13th nov 2011
We're really pleased to announce that we'll be releasing the latest album from Jack Lewis and his band, Awkward Energy, in early 2012.
It's called Lvov Swims the Willamette. I'll update you a bit more soon, but it's going to be amazing!
Atworth
#28 | 19th jul 2011
Atworth is a piano piece by Matt Loveridge, and is the latest stitch-stitch release. Recorded using a dictaphone on top of the piano in a Wiltshire church, Atworth is a shimmering drone that requires an exhausting feat of endurance from its performer. Matt will be playing it at a launch show at Cafe Kino on Tuesday 26th July (event page). He also plays at ATP's I'll Be Your Mirror festival this weekend.
The Middle Ones start their European tour with Best Friends Forever this Friday in support of their recently released debut album, It Is the Rehearsal That Will Make This. Don't miss out!
In further European news, My Two Toms play two shows in Berlin this weekend, and then Bristol Harbour Festival at the end of July. Find all of their tour dates on their great new website. (Buy Who We Were and What We Meant By It, LP)
Dowry
#27 | 28th may 2011
Last month, Polite Records released Dowry, a 10" EP by Tiger + Panda. It's Tiger + Panda's first proper release if you class that as things available from shops, and their fourth if include CD-Rs that they've sent me in the post. It's completely beautiful in every way, from the packaging to the brittle, wintry music within. I wish we'd released this! You should definitely buy it.
News about our next release, Atworth by Matt Loveridge, early next week!
