Scouse by Scouse West...

After a week of Labour Society socials gone awry (and by awry I mean finding ourselves in Asda after Heebies shut buying more vodka 'just in case'), unplanned trips to Manchester to see The Babes resulting in TOO many Zombies and a fucking Domino's Hot Dog Crust (YES!) and trying in vain to find myself a part time job in this beautiful, irritating city, I've got like, fifteen minutes of my life to post something on this blog.

So folks, Sound City this weekend. I saw someone refer to it as 'Scouse by Scouse West' on Facebook this morning which I thought was EXCELLENT and seems to be spreading like wildfire, much to Leah's distaste, but whatever, that's coming up this weekend and I have to say, I haven't been this excited in a long time. There's something about metropolitan festivals that makes them stand out from rainy, fieldy, tenty, welly-y summers; whether it's the roof over your head, the mixture of venues, or the visible buzz of the city as music-lovers race from venue to venue, it's kind of amazing that a city can come almost to a pause for a weekend and devote it's central bars, basements and bistros to live music. And, given its previous status of Capital of Culture and its rich history of musical talent, where better to experience this first hand than Liverpool? This will be my first Sound City and thanks to my lovely friend Leah I get to attend as a SPECIAL PERSON. No kidding, we're so VIP that we got invited to some Korean pop event that's going on with free Korean food and spirits or something. We're not going cause it can only end badly, and by badly I mean it can only end in karaoke.

Anyway, these are some of the artists I'm most looking forward to seeing at Sound City 2013:

FUTURE OF THE LEFT

A noisy, angry and sarcastic bunch from South Wales formed from the remnants of Mclusky, Future of the Left took the festival circuit by storm in 2012, touring their latest album 'The Plot Against Common Sense' with standout performances at Leeds and Reading plus an impromptu gig at Beacons Festival. Mixing scathing lyrics commenting on everything from the Olympics to crap movie sequels with piercing yet contagious riffs, the Cardiff 4-piece are set to blow up Sound City's pop up 'Screenadelica' with material from their latest album along with fan favourites such as 'Arming Eritrea' and 'Manchasm', interspersed with frontman Andrew Falkous' sarcastic crowd-baiting. For those who like it loud and fans of Les Savy Fav, Fucked Up and of course Mclusky, Future of the Left are not to be missed.  Catch Future of the Left at 1:45am on the Friday at Screenadelica.

MOUNT KIMBIE

Mount Kimbie's ambient 'post-dubstep' has been the talk of the town since before the release of their 2010 debut, mixing beautiful ambient sounds with beats that'll catch the ear of even those reluctant to stray away from guitar bands this weekend. The London duo will be showcasing their finest, and maybe even some material from their forthcoming second album 'Cold Spring Fault Less Youth', at The Garage at 1:30am on the Saturday. This promises to be a unique and electrifying show with a complex set up but a blissed out atmosphere, which will round off Saturday night's proceedings in not just style, but substance.

COFFEE AND CAKES FOR FUNERALS

Far from the twee-meets-nu-grave vibe the name suggests, Coffee and Cakes for Funerals are actually a Liverpool based R&B act blending smooth, jazzy sounds with velvety vocals reminiscent of Justin Timberlake taking some downtime. Performing at The Garage at 7pm on Thursday, Coffee and Cakes for Funerals look promising to be the perfect soundtrack for a few relaxing drinks in preparation for the night ahead, setting festival-goers up with a perfect mix of pop, soul and R&B in their home town of Liverpool.

TEMPLES

Taking influences from 60s psychedelia and jangly guitar-pop, Temples seem at home in the Beatles' home city of Liverpool. Drums, flutes and haunting vocals combine on single 'Prisms' to create a kaleidoscopic sound, harking back to the days of peace and love, and their live show seems set to provide a dreamy, hazy backdrop to some serious after-hours cocktail action. Playing the beautiful Leaf Cafe on the famous Bold Street on Friday night at 1am, Temples will be the perfect way to wind down with a bevvy after a night of dancing, drinking and debauchery.



Spotify playlist can be found here, thanks for reading!

xxx