Congratulations to Flatmate Tom who managed to steal a photo with lead singer/guitarist Kip, of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. I am not overflowing with jealousy as I am focusing on your non-existant eyes. Ha! Hahaha.

Flatmate Tom: "Farran [other flatmate] caught it just as I was blinking which makes it so ridiculous. My eyes aren't that small!" For evidence of how small Flatmate Tom's eyes actually are, please redirect to my twitter where you will find an all new definition for the word 'squint'.

16 SALTINES

Below is the new single by ex-White-Stripes frontman Jack White and it is soooooo good, almost White Stripes good, and still incorporating that innovative garage rock, blue-sy sound. Sixteen Saltines comes in preparation for debut solo album 'Blunderbuss' (named after a gun?!) due on April 23rd this year. 

(Saltines, in case you were wondering is an American cracker which Americans like to engage in a hilarious game with; by stuffing as many as possible into the mouth without drinking. I imagine sixteen saltines in the mouth is Jack White's party trick.)

I absolutely love this; 'The Only Place' is the first single taken from Best Coast's new album: 'The Only Place' (again), released on 15th May this year. It sounds so summery and nice and a lot fresher than some songs from their previous album which I found could get a bit drab after a while. But this sounds so upbeat and probably more pop-y and it suits them a lot more. 

June 16 Glasgow: Garage 

June 17 Manchester: HMV Ritz 

June 18 Birmingham: Academy 

June 20 London: SBE 

June 21 Brighton: Coalition 

June 22: Isle of Wight Festival

I met Miguel Demelo (left)- the drummer from Tribes last night. He was on crutches and very, very drunk but still managed to DJ- what a professional! (And he was very nice too). 

:(

What is this abomination to music? I'm sorry to give this more views (see below) but people should be aware that covers like this are in absolutely no way acceptable. So disappointed that The White Stripes sold their soul away like this; yet another sad example of the deep, dark abyss the music industry is falling into.

Interview with THE GUILLEMOTS

What should people expect to see at your shows?

Fyfe: Hopefully good energy, I think energy's the important thing. It's an exchange of energy between us and the audience and (massive pause as phone rings) does someone wanna get that?! I'm so tempted to answer it! I mean yeah it [the shows] want to be something that people can move themselves to. We have a lot of slow songs but we have a lot of up-tempo ones and gigs like festivals will tend to focus on the more up-beat stuff. But you know, I'm terrible at describing us.

Why do The Guillemots always reference birds? As the name 'Guillemots' itself is a type of bird and they constantly surface in your songs.

Fyfe: I've always bird-watched since I was a kid but it's not really anything to do with the band. I think it's not a conscious thing I just think birds come out. I guess it's a metaphor in a sense that birds are a quite obvious symbol of freedom or whatever but you, it's not something I think about too much. 

So what have you been doing since the last record?

Fyfe: Well, selling a record and making this new record. So writing. Yeah writing a lot!

Grieg: Yeah 3-4 days a week. Just sitting down and writing loads. The second record was quite a rush.

Fyfe: Well rushed in the sense it took a while to do but we started to do it straight away after touring the first one and we didn't have time to get to decide what we wanted to do and we wanted to just write and form an opinion of what we wanted to do next, naturally.

So does this mean you're more happy with the latest one (Walk the River)?

Oh we were happy with the second one too but, you know, they're all different. 

Your first album (Through the Windowpane) was nominated for the 2006 Mercury Music Prize, how do you feel about that record in relation to other?  

Well your first record's always quite easy in a way because you've had your whole life to build up to it. I mean, my solo stuff is different because it's not with the band. [Solo stuff is harder] because, yeah, people judge you, but I think you have to not care about that… when I or we make records it's just music that you want to make. Of course, there's a side to you that wants every to love it but really it doesn't matter, I mean, really, if you're doing what you think is right, that's the only thing that matters. 

I listened to you a lot through my GCSE's-

Fyfe: Oh really, thank you! Well I hope we helped you get some good marks!

…And I liked your cover of Black and Gold by Sam Sparrow. Will you be doing anything like that again?

Greig: When we were in Paris they asked us to do a cover on some TV show.

Fyfe: Oh yeah, we covered The Who, yeah. What was that other one we did?

Greig: On that French radio show we covered The Beatles: Tomorrow Never Knows.

If you can't wait to listen to the The Guillemots new material, watch them live at three dates below: 

Friday 30th Mar: Village Underground

Saturday 31st Mar: Village Underground

Friday 20th-21st Jul: Truck Festival- Hill Farm, Steventon

 

All photography on this post by Amelia Yarde Ellis

BEACH HOUSE ALBUM 'BLOOM' HAS LEAKED. IT IS TOO GOOD TO WRITE ABOUT RIGHT NOW. DOWNLOAD IMMEDIATELY.

Today has possibly been the dullest day in all of history.  I have concluded that all things wrong with everything is the fault of lecturers who have monotone voices; why do they exist? Why do they get paid? However it has also enabled me to hide like a little mousey at the back of the room and source better things.
Bear In Heaven's new album 'I Love You, It's Cool' is almost ready to arrive as they announce the release date of April 3rd.
From that, they've already unveiled a track sounding typically Bear In Heaveny; synthy, electro, experimental. Also, I'll probably get gunned down by my Dad for saying this, but they do remind me of Talking Heads, particularly in Sinful Nature (listen here).
Also with a spring album planned, Santigold releases the second single from it: Disparate Youth. With M.I.A. also releasing a 2012 album, she'll never compete judging by this track but then again does prove with first single from new album: Big Mouth that she is no one hit wonder and has finally moved on from LES Artists which was released in 2008 and has nothing decent to compete with since. You can see her this summer at Radio 1's Hackney Weekend (23rd Jun) and Heaven, London (26th Apr). She's also rumoured to be collaborating with Odd Future's Earl Sweatshirt (Odd Future, so 2011).
Also excited by recently announced Dot to Dot festival line up. See above and click here for full list.

This is the day I met The Maccabees (also know as: Best Day of Life), posted in celebration that they have been announced for Radio 1's Hackney Weekend (which I shall not be attending but I just wanted to talk about them).

Village Underground (01/11/2011)

Will (synth for live shows and brother of Hugo/Felix) and me

An 8 year-old and Felix (guitar)

Hugo (bass) and Flatmate Tom

Hugo

Whilst on the topic of Radio 1's Hackney Weekend, I understand that it is free, but why must the line-up be so terrible? Flatmate Tom and I counted a total of 56 artists performing an d out of these, there were only 8 acts we both agreed we'd see! (Jay-Z, Florence, Jack White, The Maccabees, Michael Kiwanuka, Santigold, Lethal B, Bombay Bicycle Club, Sub Focus). 

Radio 1 is clearly a very powerful station, and definitely has the ability to make or break an artist by one daytime play. So why oh why can they not organise a decent line up? Please?

Completely retract previous statement. This song is so good! Really unsure as to how I missed the album: Welcome to Condale as it was released last October. Listening to the album right now so far it's a beautiful amalgamation of being misunderstood and teenage heartbreak, hoorah.

At first I hated but now I love this. It sounds lusty- pity a lot of Summer Camp's other stuff sounds disappointingly average.  

THE MEN AND HOOKWORMS

On Tuesday I met Leeds band Hookworms and the now critically acclaimed band The Men after they performed at Soho bar, Madame Jojo's. The hairy one was sick on my ginger friend's floor this night- true story.

 

Hookworms

It was so great meeting The Men- a thrash punk quartet from Brooklyn. Very hairy but very nice and recently released album 'Leave Home' which is just insane and you should listen if you like anything loud and shouting.

Flatmate Toms thoughts: "You had opportunity to interview The Men, but got unspeakably drunk and completed wasted the chance. Now they've just released a critically acclaimed album." Yeah yeah yeah Tom whatevs, you stay jel.

HOOKWORMS

Soho’s Madame JoJo’s: its old, it’s dark, it’s grungy and it’s perfect for Leeds indie band, Hookworms.

The ominously named 5-piece, produce fast paced, rocky songs, with reliance on a heavy guitar distortion, that could make them a grungier version of The Joy Formiddable. 

They are not original. However, this is not to put anyone off; they put on a fierce show, energy culminating into their final song, Teen Dreams which is a clear favourite with both them and the audience. Elements from the likes of Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, Band of Skulls and even Nirvana have been blended together into one big, angsty, winning combination which could very easily offer success in the future.

Their set, although not completely water-tight, still produces vibrancy and spark- feisty enough to get the crowd moving along to their songs- a feat which none of the previous 4 bands at Madame Soho’s had achieved, and one which was greeted with a smile from the bassist. 

Hookworms continue with their European tour until 22nd March 2011 in various little cozy venues around England. For a decent night of new music, you can check their tour dates here before they head back to Leeds: 

03/03/12- British Wildlife Festival, Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

22/03/12- Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, w/White Hills

HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY

HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY! You must all dress as a Leprechaun for me. Or at least educate yourself with some good Irish music. And this does in no way include 1. Westlife 2. The Corrs 3. The Cranberries (although I accept 'Linger' as a guilty pleasure. Any other is unacceptable).

I hope you all have a good day/night. You may find me tonight surrounded by all things stereotypically Irish and insulting everyone with my terrible impression of the accent. I'm doing my bit so the least you can do is listen to this excellent song by Belfast punk band Stiff Little Fingers.

THE CORAL INTERVIEW

THE CORAL

PAUL DUFFY (BASS)

Liverpool band, The Coral have gone relatively unnoticed over the past year. Lack of any new material, or even any shows at all since last August has sunk the band nonchalantly beneath the radar. But, after bumping into the band at Bristol's Real World Studios, bassist Paul Duffy and drummer Ian Skelly exclusively reveal some sneaky details on what will be their first studio effort in a year, how they became successful and why they would like fingers as big as legs.

As we’re at Real World studio’s, would this suggest there's a new album on the way?

Ian Skelly: Yeah we’re doing our new album!

Paul Duffy: Yeah so far, it’s pretty good.

Ian Skelly: We’ve done six songs so far.

So which sounds have evolved on this album from the previous six?

IS: It’s heavier.

PD: Yeah! A lot heavier yeah. It’s very layered, it's like you have one thing and you just keep adding things on top, and it just sounds big cause we've gone in as a six piece. We’ve got the bass, got the six members down, you know, doing them parts. We’ve been sticking on vocals and stuff like that so it’s a different kind of approach to what we usually go down which is, y’know, drums, bass, guitar. A lot of the stuff’s kinda set in stone now though, finished for the album.

"Dreaming of You" is is arguably your most successful song to date. Are there any similar tracks on the new record?

PD: Yeah, deffo, yeah.

PD: Well, ‘In the Morning’ always gets good reactions from crowds when we play it, but ‘Dreaming of You’ is obviously the one that everyone knows.

IS: There aren’t really any similar ones to ‘Dreaming of You’ on this record though, no.

So what you would describe the new tracks as?

IS: Erm…I don’t really know what they are, we haven’t really lived with it for that long. Just wrote it and arranged it in about two weeks, got on the phone [and said] “Lets make a record!” So, I don’t really know what it is yet. 

PD: We haven’t even got a name for it yet.

IS: But it has got some catchy ones on it…it’s good…it’s good so far. 

Riot Rhythm is a blog for all good music. What would you like to tell those wanting to make their own?

IS: Rehearse and just get good. Write good songs, just get good enough so you can go out there and do things. Once you're on a roll then things will start happening. You do [have to have talent] but you also have to, y’know, work hard at it, get good at it.

PD: Yeah that’s what you do, you go out and get gigs. I went uni for a bit but it weren’t for me really so…I left and concentrated on the band. You can get more and more gigs there so, and we just built up a bit of a name.

No back up plan?

PD: No! I still don’t! Never! It's always been The Coral, y’know, full time, all the way. 

IS: We just went for it. You can do that when you're young, you got time to mess about, you know what I mean, we've been doing since about 15/16.

PD: We've been doing it properly for about 20 years…yeah, signed for about 10 years.

So would you say its just persistence to get into the industry?

PD: Yeah!

IS: Well you do it cause you love it, that’s why you do it really. We did it just for the love of it, and you don’t get paid a lot for years. It's never been about the money, it’s always been about the art…well I always thought we’d get signed, it's just one of them where if you get good enough and you believe in yourself.

Finally, would you rather legs as big as your fingers or fingers as big as your legs?

IS: What legs like that? (measuring an inch gap with fingers)

PD: Or MASSIVE fingers?

Or massive fingers, yeah.

(Pause, PD drumming fingers)

PD: That’s a tough one.

IS: Yeah!

PD: Probably legs as big as fingers. (Pause) cause then, you know, you’re not that disabled, whereas if you had massive fingers, you couldn’t pick things up could ya (performs demonstration). Although you could walk on your hands…hmm, I wouldn’t like that. At least I could sit in a chair with little legs.

IS: So it’s five legs… on your hands? 

Yes.

IS: All the same length? 

Yep.

IS: Think I’d go for that one.

That’s what Fyfe Dangerfield said, because then he could take up boxing...

PD: Oh but that’s kicking now, that’s against the rules! Well I’d choose fingers as legs, cause then, y’know, at least you could join the circus.


The Coral have also recently announced a string of DJ sets, fronted by keyboardist Nick Power and joined by Magot from Goldie Lookin Chain. Janice Graham Band, The Sundowners, SULK and The Draymin will also be supporting.
If this (what could only be described as) fusion of contrasts takes your interest, visit http://www.thisfeeling.co.uk/ for more info. If not, here are some dates for you below:

London Queen Of Hoxton (March 10)

Sheffield Leadmill (15)

Manchester FAC251 (16)

Dunfermline PJ Malloy's (30) 

Glasgow Chambre 69 (31) 

London Queen Of Hoxton (April 14) 

Liverpool Magnet (May 6)

Melodica, Melody and Me

Piece Me Back Together

As requested by Flatmate Tom who suggested that Riot Rhythm's audience would enjoy this twee piece of shit by Melodica, Melody and Me. 

Flatmate Tom: "This delightful piece of twee folk is a summer anthem waiting to happen."

(Well not really Tom as it is two years old.)

Flatmate Tom: "I pointed out it was two years old you cunt, I'm going to spit in your hair, stop quoting me."

Some of you may enjoy this, similar to early Noah and the Whale. The band will also be playing Camden Crawl on May 5th/6th, later this year. 

PINS

I CHING

Last night, Paper Dress Vintage hosted an in-store event to celebrate the launch of Best Fit Recordings; a brand new record label, focusing on signing London-based 'indie' bands. 

The record label has already snapped up Fanzine who produce lovely lethargic melodies and have already toured with  Yuck, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Cults.


The launch however, introduced three of the new sign ups: 

Being There who we somehow managed to miss but have this really cute song: 

Pins v. alluring lo-fi girl band, originally from Manchester. Obvious comparisons to Le Tigre but they sound like a girl version of My Bloody Valentine. The drummer also walked in on me having a wee, hoorah.

I Ching terrible name nice (average) music! I 

enjoyed this band a lot but may have been due to my merry mood. They're also playing at The Lexington, London on the 26th of this month.

Flatmate Tom's thoughts: "We missed Being There because of you, Amelia."

Gossip yesterday have finally unveiled details of their forthcoming album named 'A Joyful Noise', due out on May 22nd. 

The 'indie-rock' three-piece, fronted by infamous Beth Ditto also revealed their first single, 'Perfect World', played on Radio 1's Zane Low's show last night.

Voice of the people, Flatmate Tom asserts: "['Perfect World'] draws instant comparisons to Europe's 'The Final Countdown', but is nothing more than a bit of catchy disco by numbers, disappointing."

Well Tom, thank you very much for your opinion but you're wrong as the new single is wonderful. Listen on Soundcloud here.

A Joyful Noise:

                                                            01 “Melody Emergency”

02 “Perfect World”

03 “Get A Job”

04 “Move In The Right Direction”

05 “Casualties Of War”

06 “Into The Wild”

07 “Get Lost”

08 “Involved”

09 “Horns”

10 “I Won’t Play”

11 “Love In A Foreign Place”


The band have also announced a have announced a one-off show in London on the 15th May at XOYO.

I love this so much. Is this right? Should I be ashamed????? I feel I don't know myself anymore.

Hooray M.I.A. is making a new album! 'Bad Girls' is the first release from the currently untitled record, and if the album shows consistency of the standard of this first single, we are definitely going to have an M.I.A. dominated summer. 

W A N D E R L I N G S

Isn't this song just lovely. Bursting at the seams with indie psychodelic pop, S W I N G I N',  is brand new track from the recently re-formed Nottingham band, Wanderlings.
I used to work with these guyz and they're really lovely so let's all make a joint to effort give them more youtube views (i.e. click above).
If you like My Bloody Valentine/Slowdive listen too their older stuff on their Myspace for shoegaze galore.

R U Mine by Arctic Monkeys which was released on the 26th Feb. I really hope this grows on me cause I think this is really boring :(

Today has been such a good day. I have:
                       a) Been sent my Sleigh Bells ticket
                       b) Been sent my Zulu Winter ticket
                       c) My flatmate bought me a Pains of Being Pure at Heart ticket (three cheers for Thomas)
                      d) My best mate has bought me a Jay-z and Kanye ticket for my birthday (which isn't till July?!?)
                      e) I went outside today without a coat on, and it was ok.
I am so so so so excited for Sleigh Bells! Haven't stopped listening to 'Treats' since it came out in 2010 and muchos excitement to hear the new album live. 
I don't know too much about Zulu Winter but my flatmate Tom (henceforth referred to as 'Flatmate Tom') just bought me a ticket and was appalled when I said I wasn't really up to date with them. 


I'm also going to pretend I hate Pains of Being Pure of Heart as my boyfriend is obsessed and there's this unwritten rule where I must hate everything he likes. (But I am secretly a bit delirious from this mounting excitement). 
The no-coat thing was good too. This definitely means summer's approaching, although I did get a nip-on.


Also had the most fantastic revelation last night when I discovered my all new favourite band of all time!!! I cannot believe I've only just found them! 
Alabama Shakes EP has been available for a good few months, but they're album is being released in early April. Fortunately for me and you, it has been leaked already.
They are a bit like The Black Keys but a lot better. Listen to track one 'Hold On': 

I love them and I want you all to love them too. 


Also, congrats to The Maccabees for choosing Feel To Follow as their second single release as it's my favey.