In Photos - 03/12/13 - Dawn Hunger, Flamingods, Bastardgeist - Old Blue Last

Pretty blown away by just how awesome Tuesday's Scene Not Herd was. What a great bunch of bands! Have a look:

Photography by Rebecca Hughes

Flamingods release debut album 'Sun' on Art is Hard - 18/1/13

So one of our favourite bands got together with one of our favourite labels to release their very first album. And seriously, what an album it is. If you're not familiar with Flamingods, why the heck not? Of the record, the London-via-Bahrain self-proclaimed ‘ethno-poppers’ said:

Our individual influences vary, but for the music that we make we take our influences and learn a fair amount from listening to a lot of African dance music that we’ve discovered and shown each other.

We have tribal, folk and ritual influences too, as well as influences from bands such as Boredoms, Animal Collective, OOIOO and Sun City Girls. We find that music we make often sounds like a mixture of all these different sounds, often seeming alien but still relatable

This really is a magnificent first full length record,  so get buying and prepare to be seriously impressed.

SNH Advent #4 - Art is Hard

Hiding under door number 4 is a SNH favourite label, Art is Hard. We've put on a good number of their bands, and they seem committed to releasing quality records, what's not to like.

What were your highlights of 2012?
There's been SO many, it's always a bit like internet dating emailing these bands for weeks organising a release and then you finally meet and you're really worried they're going to be massive weirdos, but it all turns out ok and you end up going back to your parents house together and eating lots of pizza...dreamy. Getting to put out Joanna Gruesome, Playlounge, Keel Her and Gum all on one 7" was probably the most fun part.

What can we expect from you in 2013?

We're getting ahead of the game and we've already announced our first release for 2013. It's also our very first album release and is from Flamingods, it's definitely the most interesting album I've heard in years and I'm just hoping this translates into $$$ so we can put out lots more albums - there's already a few in the pipeline. We've also got a new idea for a singles club that is hopefully going to make people think digital downloads were a distant nightmare.

Flamingods, hoping for big things and more hats in 2013 

Go on, give us a link to a Christmas track that you like please?

Why this track?
Nothing says Christmas like angsty gang vocals, just ask Bono. In all seriousness this is great song and I feel Tiny Lights should receive a commendation for managing to put together a 19 track charity Christmas album before the calendar even hits December. It also features tracks from other AIH favourites Playlounge and Fawn Spots and also a track from the Futureheads!


Can we have a link to one of your tracks please?
Here's the first track from our first album which is also Flamingods first album


 Flamingods - Quesso by Art Is Hard Records 

Flamingods announce debut album 'Sun', unveil track 'Quesso' [feat. Ponytail's Dustin Wong]

We love Flamingods - we put them on last summer and have been followers of their work ever since. We're super stoked to hear that they are releasing their debut album 'Sun' on one of our favourite DIY labels Art is Hard, on 3 December. This band are truly great - their unique sound can only be described as Aztec tropical.

Of the record the band said:


“Our individual influences vary, but for the music that we make we take our influences and learn a fair amount from listening to a lot of African dance music that we’ve discovered and shown each other.

We have tribal, folk and ritual influences too, as well as influences from bands such as Boredoms, Animal Collective, OOIOO and Sun City Girls. We find that music we make often sounds like a mixture of all these different sounds, often seeming alien but still relatable.”

Have a listen below:

Flamingods release new tape 'Away'

FLAMINGODS are a psychadelic bunch who play a sound which has been described as ethnic pop, freaked folk and tropical noise. They use a number of unique instruments, collected during their travels around Tanzania and the Amazon. They have been busy toiling on a new release 'Away'. You can order it now on Belly Kids, it's being sold alongside an Aztec Zine.


In support of the release they will be playing a special show on 13th January, at Power Lunches alongside a number of great little bands. 


You can download 'Away' via the band's Bandcamp.

SNH in Photos

We had a great show last night; with awesome sets from Fever Dream, Flamingods and Hot Panda. A few poleroids of the night are below, there are more pictures to follow...

Fever Dream

Flamingods

Hot Panda

Soph

Too many drinks...

SNH Interviews Flamingods

Ahead of his show with us on Thursday, we caught up with Kamal from the wizards that are Flamingods.

SNH: So who are you guys and how did you get together?

Kamal: We are Kamal Rasool, Charles Prest, Sam Rowe, Craig Doporto and Karthik Poduval. Flamingods initially started off as my solo project, after releasing the Waves album I started to get offered a few gigs. I knew Karthik from London and Charles, Sam and Craig from when we lived in Bahrain, we were in an old band together so it just kind of worked. They started commuting to London for gigs (from various places in the UK) and we just progressed from there I guess! 

SNH: Love the name – how did you come up with that one?

Kamal: The names a funny one, were all a bit confused of the origins, but I'm pretty sure our friend Danny just blurted it out one day and it stuck. 

SNH: You’ve been described as psychedelic, tribal, tropical and lo-fi, for example, without generally being compared to any other artist; which is quite an achievement. How would you articulate your sound to those who hadn’t heard you, and what or who are your influences?

Kamal: Flamingods started as a way for me to transfer my personal experiences in other cultures into my music. We don't purposely take influence by certain bands - were just stealing from culture and putting it into our own words or ideas. Although I'm pretty positive that band influences sneak their way into our songs one way or another.

SNH: I hear that a lot of your music is made using African instruments you picked up on your travels; where have you been and what inspired you so much about the culture/music?

Kamal: I was lucky enough to be brought up in a family which saw travelling as an important investment, even though we couldn't do it all the time. Those experiences include living in a hut in the middle of the Amazon and helping to build a local school for a village in Tanzania. Both those situations saw me being up and close with tribes - often living secluded from civilisation and performing ritual as a way of living. During these rituals of singing and dancing these tribes would not read from any music sheets or take influence from anyone, but more improvise, get lost in the music in a trance and play what they thought sounded right, along with borrowing from tradition and that’s what intrigued me/influences the band most I think. 

SNH: You released a zine focusing on the Aztecs as an accompaniment to one of your tapes; what generated your interest in ancient tribal culture?

Kamal: I'm a bit obsessed with the Aztecs, it's got to have something to do with the human way of being attracted to mystery and things that are unsolved. That culture in particular had most of its belongings destroyed and therefore is shrouded in mystery. They lived in such an interesting way and had so many outrageous rituals and thoughts on life. The interest was probably generated when I was in the Amazon and my older brother would tell me stories about them. I'm also in love with the Aztec/Inca/Mayan art - it represents what we want to sound like.  

SNH: You’ve played on bills with a lot of exciting emerging bands; what’s the most interesting show you’ve played so far and which bands would you recommend we check out?

Kamal: Yeah I think were quite lucky in that, since we don't really fit in a scene or genre, we kind of get thrown around playing with bands that don't relate to us at all - which we kind of like because we get exposed to lots of new music we wouldn't have necessarily initially listened to. Our favourite bands we've played with have to be; Beaty Heart who make this amazing visual, concrete music. Sometimes I kind of think of them as the electronic version of us in terms of what their influenced by. They are incredible live. And Inca Gold who were one of the first bands we played with, who make this amazing psychedelic pop music.    

SNH: If you could play your dream show/festival, who else would be on the bill?

Kamal: The bands dream is to play at All Tomorrows Parties (ATP), Its where we first started making music as a band, playing music from our chalet room and having people jump in through the window and join, playing with pots and pans - there was something beautiful about it that can't be recreated anywhere else. We all first went about 2 years ago to the Matt Groening curated event, and we were blown away by all these bands we had never seen live - The Boredoms, Konono No.1 , The Residents, Toumani Diabate, it was insane! I guess a mixture of that lineup along with some of our friends bands would make it just perfect. 

We’re super excited to have these guys on the bill and can’t wait to check out their curious sounds in 3D. More info about the night can be found on our facebook page. 

Flamingods + Fever Dream for 29/09/11 at The Stag's Head

We are excited to announce Flamingods and Fever Dream have been added to our night with Hot Panda on 29^th September at the Stag’s Head, Dalston.

Flamingods are Kamal Rasool, Charles Prest (of Cabaret Scene), Sam Rowe, Karthik Poduval and Craig Doporto; their music sounds like a tropical sun beatings down on an exotic jungle island.

Similar to Tune-Yards’ noisy, tribal weirdness, Flamingods make original freaky, folk/ psych music that combines an array of world music influences and a general disregard for musical form or structure. They just play what they want and somehow manage to push boundaries to the outer limits without sounding in any way ridiculous, pretentions or just, well, shit.

Evoking images of tribal revellers whooping, wailing and droning as they dance round a campfire making ready their next human sacrifice, this band really is a step in the right direction of originality and deserving of a listen.

Fever Dream are dark; they play fuzzy, brooding music that shakes your soul and warms your blood. Taking their inspiration from Sonic Youth, Times New Viking  and the like, these post-punk, new wave revellers will have you up and dancing on your feet, if not somewhat moodily. Be sure to get down early and check them out.

 This Waste by Fever Dream