Retro full-scale melt-down

Remember all those blog posts in the final throws of my undergraduate degree where I'd castigate and denounce the theorists I was struggling to come to terms with?

Well this is similar. Except that I'm the twat that has gotten me into this situation by and large! Why am I blanking and unable to explain my own proposed research?! I should be shot! In the face. At least I'd have a viable excuse for being a useless, fumbling, tongue-tied non-sociologist loser.

I would like to crawl into a cave/hole/pit and be left with only this song for company and hibernate until all the stressful things just disappear.

Marriage by Gold Panda

Moments of 2010

1) Seeing Paul Banks of Interpol fiddling with the tuning of his guitar for the pitch-bends in the song The New is possibly one of the most amazing things I have witnessed. Only Interpol.

This is the gig I was at. So the quality could be better. But I was here! So you are having this one.

2:31 for those amazing pitch bends.





2) Whilst attending Leeds Festival this year was something I did a lot of complaining about when I think back to it I definitely do not get all nostalgic and think of it for something better. It was dirty. I was cold. But, fuck me, Funeral Party were incredible. An absolute force. I cannot wait for their tour in the spring and their album which you can pre-order here!

Giant Song by Funeral Party



3) Which leads me onto my next moment. The moment I discovered SoundCloud... Well, probably not so much that moment in the moment, but it certainly had major repercussions after. A brilliant medium to discover new artists and share them. Or hoard them to yourself. Whatever works for you.

Without SoundCloud I wouldn't have stumbled upon the next artists when I did.



4) The first time I heard Odessa by Caribou I knew my life was going to be irrevocably changed thereafter. Words fail me. I cannot adequately express what this album has come to be to me. But suffice to say it is seminal.

And here is the bloody whole album thanks to SoundCloud!

Swim by Caribouband



5) I've only gone and possibly saved the best til last!

Gold Panda has literally rocked my world. Upon discovering You I wondered what the point in continuing with this whole musical journey was. A bit how I felt after discovering The Field. And whilst not a million miles away from one another. I think Gold Panda is wholly more accessible and gives me much more the inclination to dance.

The pinnacle moment was seeing him live. In that funny little club The Cut in Newcastle. Seeing him jump about and hit those buttons with perfect precision for his awkward rhythms and the crowd absolutely lapping it up was the best gig I have been to in a long time. Sometimes your idols fail to inspire you and there is that cliché that goes along with it, but Derwin Panda has made my 2010. I am very grateful.

Here is the infamous You, followed by Snow & Taxis:

You by Gold Panda

Snow & Taxis by Gold Panda

Ghost Eyes

When we went to see Gold Panda at The Cut in Newcastle two weeks ago I was pretty taken aback by the whole evening.

The venue was odd to start with. Odd in an intriguing and kind of good way. It is supposed to look like a dilapidated warehouse/falling apart apartment block. Which whilst it had its charms, like the strip lights in the ceiling and interspersed between half formed stairs coming through the ceiling, which looked great when dim and acts were playing. I didn't understand the tables submerged into the floor. But a very cool little place. If it got more gigs like this I would be definitely going back. There is nothing worse when you really look forward to a gig only for the venue to be rubbish and spoil it.

Anyway, the real purpose of this post is to share the first support act. I'd suspected that there was two support acts, only to be told I was wrong by one of the people involved with the night, got there and there was two support acts. The Boys both sighed and agreed that they were fools and that I am always right. It is quite often the case this happens. And bloody hell, I wish I'd have been more prepared. I had a drink in hand and parka in a ball by my feet. Ghost Eyes seemed to rather coyly introduce themselves, no particular expectations, then proceeded to explode the club! And I mean explode. Various different looks were exchanged, but I failed to see anyone looking at their gig buddies with anything less than a particularly impressed face. The sound quality when they nearly killed us with bass was fantastic. Executed with perfection. It would have been an favourable way to have slipped into the afterlife/black hole for eternity.

For a band that only have only 11 followers on SoundCloud they really are very convincing and fully-fledged. I can only see them improving. But it was their live performance that was so amazing I just had to talk them up! There recorded stuff is good, but if you get the chance to see them live, I seriously recommend it! They have an upcoming gig in London that sees them on the same line-up as the almighty Matthew Dear.

Here is a track of theirs:

Kill Friends by Ghost-Eyes

Oh, and yes, obviously Gold Panda was amazing. I saw him kicking around for ages before he went on and wanted to say something. But I literally had nothing to say that wouldn't have embarrassed me or him. At least one of us would have blushed.

Banjo or Freakout

Banjo or Freakout is the act supporting Gold Panda at the above gig -- and the other dates on the tour -- which I am going to tomorrow night and am rather giddy about.

Could be promising...

Upside Down by Banjo or Freakout

Go here for more tracks.

Gold Panda Tour

It is not usual that I'll be so motivated by an upcoming gig that it'll end up on here. But this is pretty special. A November headline tour by Gold Panda.

Thu 11 Nov 2010 Brighton - Audio
Sat 13 Nov 2010 Newcastle - The Cut
Sun 14 Nov 2010 Leeds - Constellations Festival
Mon 15 Nov 2010 Manchester - Ruby Lounge
Tue 16 Nov 2010 Glasgow - King Tuts
Thu 18 Nov 2010 London - Corsica Studios
Fri 19 Nov 2010 Bristol - Start The Bus
Sat 20 Nov 2010 Norwich - Arts Centre

I think tickets are available through Ticket Web. I will be in keen attendance at Newcastle. Very excited. And I can't remember the last time I bought such bargain priced tickets. £6! Bloody brilliant.

Here is the video for the very wonderful Snow and Taxis.

Snow And Taxis from Gold Panda on Vimeo.

And here is a little gadget to help you sign up for the mailing list. Including a free gift when you do!

Gold Panda

There is a new centre to my universe.

Gold Panda.

I seriously cannot get enough!

I stated recently that had I not only discovered Gold Panda last week on Sound Cloud that I think the album Lucky Shiner would have been definitely one that I was eagerly anticipating. In fact, having not purchased the album myself yet, but finding a little player from which to stream it I have found myself listening to it upto 6 times a day depending on the amount of time I have to be sat at a computer.

Maybe I have gone Gold-Panda-crazy. I've heard it can happen. Maybe it just solidifies my status as a square.

Either way the man of whom I have come to form a non-real, but very real affiliation for, based primarily on this interview, produces some great awkward-techno and will be up there now with my religious-type love for The Field. There is actually a Gold Panda remix of The Field, but I am having to work myself up to something quite so momentous.

Here is Lucky Shiner..