news
September 2010
Reviews of Ivan Moult's 'The Mine Canary' on the Indie Handbook & Woodstick Videos!
The last time I saw Ivan Moult, he had just played his fourth ever show with The School at the Wee Red Bar in Edinburgh. We'd been lamenting the proposed closure of BBC 6 Music, and the generally sorry state of the music industry. Five months and 4000 miles now separate me from the Wee Red Bar. Since then, 6Music has been granted a reprieve and Ivan has released his debut solo EP, Mine Canary, through Cardiff's Bubblewrap Collective.
Mine Canary is a far cry from The School. Though there may be a dash of the 60s swirling around in the mix, you'll find no Phil Spector or Brill Building sounds here. You can trace Ivan's musical DNA through the folk scene and even deeper, dipping into the Delta blues. The songs are quite stripped down, Ivan's smoky vocals accompanied almost exclusively by his own guitar playing, their colour enhanced by generous use of open chord voicings and rare, minimal piano fills.
For a disc like Mine Canary, choosing a standout track is an exercise in futility as any one of the last three tracks could be your favourite song on any given day. But, for purely melodic reasons and the sheer unforgettability of it, "Fetch me a bucket" has got to be the high point of the collection. Like any good folk song, it has the ring of something you've loved all your life with no distinct point of origin. I cannot tell you how long I've heard "So fetch me some water, and some bread and a bucket. / Leave me to sleep it off and send me to my bed. / And tell me in the morning how I ended up corrupted. / And then I'll realise that you go straight to my head." going round in my head, because, as far as I know, it's always been there. What I can be sure of is this: when it is gone, it will be all too soon.
For years, miners in the UK and US would take canaries deep into the mines with them. So long as the birds remained healthy, the miners knew they were free from the immediate danger of toxic gas. And like its namesake, if Ivan Moult's Mine Canary is any indicator, the world is still a safe place for music.
August 2010
Reviews of Ivan Moult's 'The Mine Canary'...
Miniature Music Press 4.1/5
Taking a break from playing guitar in Cardiff's most relentlessly pop band, The School, Ivan Moult's EP The Mine Canary is a thoughtful and arresting work. The production is simple with Moult accompanying himself on guitar and occasionally piano. The sparseness of sound allows his lyrics to take centre stage and just likecanary of the album's title he inhabit's a dark world, wishes for the light and stoically accepts what ;ife has to offer. He tackles the subject of relationshipswith an urbane melancholy and disarming honesty. He literally appreciates any crumbs of comfort he is offered in songs like Fetch Me a Bucket and his observations of the seemingly inconsequential show a poetic heart. It can't be much fun being a mine canary, there is too much responsibilty to keep those around you safe but Moult accepts the challenge and leaves us wanting more. A definite grower of an EP.
www.theminiaturemusicpress.com
New Sound Wales
This excellent first release from Cardiff's Ivan Moult is an impressive calling card and wouldn't have sounded out of place coming out of the Island Records early 1970s stable of singer song writers. The songs are subdued, reflective and have subtle embedded melodies that gradually reveal themselves. The more you listen, the more impact they have. 'I Might Get Cold' is the standout track and could do for his career what 'Run' did for Stephen Fretwell. Just when you thought things had gone a bit quiet for new talent along came Ivan Moult and my faith in new Welsh music is restored once more. Classy.
www.newsoundwales.co.uk
July 2010
IVAN MOULT EP LAUNCH ON TUESDAY 6TH JULY plus early reviews...
Ivan Moult @ 10 Feet Tall, Cardiff on Tuesday 6th July. 7.30pm with support from Elephant & Soldier and The Sleepiest Trekker.
Joy Collective
Award for loveliest, fluffiest, crumbliest, flakiest (That's enough – Ed) gig of the week goes to this EP launch event. Ivan Moult inspires yelping and general perspiration from female students through his guitar playing in Cardiff's pop gems The School; this here evening however will see his acoustic side bust out (gently). Stand by for fine, unshowy and quietly beautiful folk music. Support comes from Elephant And Soldier, whose bedroom-based scrapbooks will make for intriguing live scenes, and The Sleepiest Trekker, who for all I know cover Biohazard songs on human bone keyboards while gargling fake blood. Although bear in mind they are called The Sleepiest Trekker.
Also check out the 4/5 review in Buzz this month. You can read it online here.
June 2010
NEW RELEASE! The Mine Canary by Ivan Moult
The Mine Canary EP captures the world weary ache that flows through Ivan’s songs, delivered with a trademark vocal tenderness that demonstrates an intriguing maturity and intelligence of a young man finding his own way in the world. The 5 tracks showcase a mouth watering talent, at home in gentle textures and thought provoking lyrics.
buy it here...
Poster Design for Fortuna Pop's Basement Scam Gig
New gig poster up. check it out here...
May 2010
Lucky Delucci's New Single December 1986 is out now, single launch, BBC introducing and more reviews!
You can buy it from our shop or download it for a free download for the next month by clicking here (right click and save as...). You can also get it from the Miniature Music Press for a limited time. It is also available to buy from Spillers records, itunes and cdbaby.
Come and celebrate the launch at Buffalos in Cardiff on May 5th with great support from Hail! The Planes, Silence at Sea and Ivan Moult. See the facebook Page here.
You can listen to Lucky Delucci's BBC Radio 1 inroducing in Wales with Bethan Elfyn here.
AND...
Miniature Music Press said this:
December 1986 is the first of a string of singles building up to Delucci’s potentially magnificent full-on album later in the year. Producer Kris Jenkins (SFA, Cate Le Bon) is on board and collectively he and the band have conjured a formidable sound. At first, it’s reminiscent of a pastoral Modest Mouse with its jerky guitar line and percussion but as it progresses it steadily develops into a sweeping epic resplendent in string, voices and glockenspiel. Equally pleasing is B-side Old Sound Of The River which is like the soundtrack to a flower wizard’s riverside walk. It shuffles and brims with sunshine. Bring on the album!
City Life, Cardiff said this:
Part of a group in Cardiff who seem to mix and match members and ideas. The single release demonstrates a growinf confidence and maturity in its tale of lost innocence. Their sound is loose and relaxed and will appeal to fans of Gorkys and Sufjan Stevens
April 2010
Early reviews for Lucky Delucci's forthcoming single December 1986
We've had a few reviews in from the States and song of the day on Music That I Like.
See the reviews here:
www.knoxroad.com
lesenfantsterriblesmusic
March 2010
The tenth and final E.P from Cardiff's twee poppers.
Featuring 4 great covers performed in their distinctive lo-fi style. The final of the decology of EP's is released on March 10th 2010 - celebrating their 4 year anniversary and timely exit from the stage. Out 10/03/10. PRE-ORDER NOW!
Tour poster designs for 'The School's' UK Tour
Posters for Cardiff & London shows as well as the uk tour.
Some things have been said about Little My's Ninth and their inpending death...
You can read them by clicking these links... The Indie Handbook & Pull Yourself Together.
Keep your eyes peeled for a brand new release from Little My very soon...
February 2010
Little My's Ninth on Bubblewrap Records!
Bubblewrap are very happy to announce that Little My's Ninth EP is coming out under Bubblewrap Records from next Monday! The 4 track EP is now available to buy from our shop. Preorder now!
December 09
12 Days of Christmas on Huw Stephens Festive 10!
Click the link to see what he has to say and to see his other top 10 including Cherryade 'A Very Merry Christmas Volume 5', and Slow Club's Christmas, Thanks for Nothing EP': http://drownedinsound.com/news/4138748-huw-stephens-names-his-festive-ten
Lucky Delucci Feature on New Sound Wales
Check out an interview with Lucky Delucci frontman Josef Prygodicz on www.newsoundwales.com
Days of Christmas available now from itunes
You may have missed the Christmas post but download 12 Days of Chistmas now from itunes!
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/12-days-of-christmas/id344253219
More Reviews...
The Indie Handbook: http://theindiehandbook.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/a-switched-on-christmas-spectacular/
Buzz Magazine page 56: http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1j724/BuzzmagazineDec09/resources/index.htm
New Sound Wales:http://www.newsoundwales.co.uk/cd.htm
and Miniature Music Press gave it 3.5/5!
First Review of 12 Days of Christmas is in!
The Music Fix give us our 1st review! (7/10) Check it out here... http://www.themusicfix.co.uk/content/review/8054/various-artists.html
12 Days of Christmas Release, 1st December.
The twelve bands involved were hand-picked by Richard Chitty (The School, Lucky Delucci, Little My) and Harri Davidson (The School, Little My), and were given 31 days to write and record a Christmas song incorporating one of the Twelve Days of Christmas. From a partridge in a pear tree to drummers drumming, each band has brought their own artistic style to create a fruitful spectrum of genres ranging from indie pop to folk to tweepop. See the music section for more details...
November 09
Magazine Cover Art for 'The Miniature Music Press', Issue 2
A bear playing a saxophone and an inquisitive monkey. Just a few of the details on offer here. Click the image to see the whole thing...
