Here’s the full details:

Turbulent Soundscape presents… The Lost Playground Saturday 23rd September 2006 - Alexandra Palace, London 

“The Lost Playground is a celebration of the last remaining truly underground scene, a scene that takes in the crossover point between techno, electronica, goth and the right end of heavy metal” or so the press release goes. Not quite true in terms of being the last scene, the underground is and always will be an ever evolving thing - reinventing and rebirthing, the underground scene has never been so exciting as it is now, we're nowhere near the last, you maybe but we're not - anyway, back to the press release: “The genre was spawned in the late 70s by groups such as Siouxsie and the Banshees, Kraftwerk and Killing Joke, and was continued in the early 80s by bands in the vein of The KLF, Nine Inch Nails, KMFDM, Ministry, Pop Will Eat Itself, The Prodigy and Front 242. The scene was furthered through the 90s in to the present day by the likes of Dragonfly Records, Marilyn Manson, Rammstein, VNV Nation, Covenant, Apoptygma Berserk and more. 

This celebration will be under the heading The Lost Playground, and will be held from dusk ‘til dawn on 23nd September 2006 at Alexandra Palace. There will be three stages, 12 bands, and 15 of the finest DJ’s of the genre, including the established model Lydia Dischordia, London clubland legends Big D and Stevie C, New York’s finest Ian Ford, Rex Arkana - the man behind EBM supergroup Brudershaft - Caroline Vain, one of the UKís most legendary DJs, Paul of the Mean Fiddler, the highly eclectic DJ Stuart, the ever excellent Christopher who has played every legendary alternative club across the globe, and on and on....” Bloody DJ’s, they just play the damn records, who needs their damn egos – here’s the band line up: 

Stage One: Killing Miranda. Bring Me The Horizon, Pitchshifter
Stage Two: Ozric Tentacles, Therapy? New Model Army, Killing Joke
Stage Three: Inertia, Ultraviolence, Apoptygma Berzerk. Lab 4 Extreme

Other entertainment includes: Performers, Dancers, Jugglers, Fire, Giant Robot and the showing of the movies The KLF, Burn a Million Quid & The M25 Spin. 

TICKETS £45 (whooosh, how much? Underground? Looks A little tired and over priced and in need of some fresh new bands if you ask me, all looks very 1991 but then hey, we’re just bringing you the news) www.thelostplayground.co.uk
 

John on the phone......

2006 PATCHWORK GRACE UK SUMMER TOUR DATES: Friday August 18: Junktion 7, Nottingham Saturday August 19: Tyne Bar, Newcastle Monday August 21: 'Zebra' CD release party @ TBC Tuesday August 22: TBC Wednesday August 23: The Snooty Fox, Wakefield Thursday August 24: Queens Hall, Nuneaton Friday August 25th: Civic Hall, Mexborough Saturday August 26th: The Shed, Leicester (1pm afternoon matinee) Sunday August 27th: Park Hall Live '06, Mapperly Monday August 28th: The Vic Inn, Derby (free entry end of tour party)

ORGAN ON YOUR RADIO @ RESONANCE 104.4FM - NOW IT'S WEEKLY! - See, even they've noticed "An oasis of subversion within a desert of corporate ass-rimming; a place to hear tomorrow's music today" NME (shame they don't cover the music themselves though) X

The new year long series of ORGAN TV  is on your screens in the UK right now. Every   Wednesday evening, 10.30pm  on the OPEN ACCESS Channel on SKY 173. 

What's it all about? Simple, just good music, and the art of good video making...  Same musical policy as we've always had with Organ - the labels are just handy signposts, as long as the music and video making has that X factor - expect a healthy eye/earboiling mix of metal, punk, prog, beats, post rock, post punk, post man pat, hardcore, indie, alternative, pronk, whatever..... music and creativity for the open minded 

(and if you think your video should be on then shout in our direction) 

Music TV done ORGAN style 

Coming up in the next few weeks things such as Mastodon, Weapons, Liars, Colt, MC Lars, Trencher, High On Fire, Tiger Force, 65Daysofstatic, Spit Like This, Gene Serene, Hafdis Huld, Against Me, Soviettes, Amon Tobin, Deerhoof and who knows who or what.... 

DEMO OF THE WEEK

STEAL GANDHI – Steal Gandhi – Squelchy spongy springy new wave pronk rock bendy always pleasant never horrid fizz and buzz and poisoned electric heads and (mr) bungles of devo boing. Seven rather well recorded infectious easy to listen toooooooo, clever, challenging, not hardboiled, not hard on the ear, really different, really challenging, really good. They talk of dark disco noise rock and they come from Liverpool and they boing and they fizz and they leave musical hope wherever they go. Occasional hints of grinding guitar noise, mostly this is squelchy bouncy keyboard fizz and oingo boingo. What did they say themselves? “Made in 2006 from bolts and screws of ex-kaimera type tendencies. Forged using odd rhythms and eclectic frequencies for "scope". Metal sheets collide with steel grooves and errr whacked out synthascope :-: Pleasant meets Horrid :-:Screamy-screamy Singsing :-:  Part of the BUZZbuzz?Bang! collective” – go explore more over at www.myspace.com/stealgandhi – brilliantly good

DEMO OF THE WEEK 2

ALL DARK MORNINGS – Graham Donovan, creative force behind the much missed Miocene is back. That album of Miocene’s really was one of the very best things this century has thrown up so far, that album set a benchmark. Now he’s doing it himself and those Miocene things means he’s earned the right to be taken very seriously indeed. Two albums at once is what he’s threatening (never the obvious route) and here we have three tastes of things to come. Two seven minute plus pieces one mere five minute track – down tempo classical lo-fi textures, drum and bass flavourings, instrumental  uncluttered textured, dark dark interludes – strings, pianos, randomly connected found sounds. Graham has never been one to take the safe option, these advanced tastes are certainly going to stretch people’s imaginations – dark brooding orchestral slabs or moody restraint, mostly instrumental, all extremely dark and very restrained, those textured are warm – is it just self indulgence? Is there enough here? Would we be that bothered if that Miocene album wasn’t so brilliant? We’re not sure. The open track of three – Downer – certainly is hopeful and positive in a rather clever dark minimal sparse bleak dank way. Not sure about those other two long dark introspective self indulgent instrumental tracks though, (nothing wrong with self indulgence). I think we’re going to have to wait and see how it pans out over the full breathing space of the two promised albums. Downer is an intriguing piece that says it may well be worth sticking around and soaking up what All Dark Mornings have to offer – maybe. We’re curious, we await with hope.  www.myspace.com/alldarkmornings
 

ALSO CHECK OUT

THE AUTHENTICS - It’s that fast raw in your face no messing Wildhearts flavoured punk pop thing – they do it rather well – www.theauthentics.co.uk

Last week's demo of the week - SHADY BARD

Previous demo's of the week - SHILOE / THE RAMPTON RELEASE DATE / BATTLEWITCH / THE FLESH HAPPENING / VESSELS / BLACK JACKSON / INNER RAGE / ALLERGO / BROOKE / CARTRIDGE / PERHAPS CONTRAPTION / THE PROCESS VOID

OPTIMIST CLUB – RIPPED AND PSYCHED: HOW TO BE A WINNER -  They just have it all so right, that mix of spiky pronk and Fugazi messing with early Cardiacs and post hardcore post rock post urgent post head legs arms feet and the very best bits of The Fall and oh yes. Optimist Club are just right, they’re Mark E. Smith coming to town, they’re Tim Smith wearing a frown, they’re all the Smiths and discordant and deranged and pointy and relentless and violently tuneful and never ever abrasive and always busy and demanding and never ever needing to stop for silly things like breath (or punctuation). Optimist Club are like falling upstairs in a most logically coordinated and chaotically in control kind of way – like it was exactly what they intended to do. The demos were excellent (treasures), the gigs are always thrilling and now they have their debut album ready to go (a self released affair, not sure of the label details, watch this space) and like we said before, they’re the only UK post rock band who really can stand right up there shoulder to shoulder with the very best US bands like Oxes or Sicbay or The Mass (they sound like this cult band who’ve been around for years, the kind of bands people whisper about and trade tapes and weep with joy when they finally come over and play for us). There’s a ridiculous amount of frenzied in control class here. And hooks and oh yes, we have a live one here, hard-boiled bendy pronk from deepest London, an optimist club indeed – is this the album of the year? It’s certainly going to right up there, do not let this one pass you by. Everything we expected it was going to be - www.myspace.com/optimistclubband

ALBUM OF THE WEEK 2
THE MINOR LEAGUES – The Pestilence Is Coming (Data Was Lost) – From Cincinnati Ohio with some rather fine home made lo-fi (that doesn’t mean low quality, lo-fi in the best possible sense) slightly left-field slightly psychedelic clever rewarding indie pop that tastes of The kinks and Brit Pop and The Divine Comedy and Sargent Pepper and Beck and it really doesn’t sound like any kind of pestilence coming anytime soon. The thing is, it sounds so American and sounds so naturally right and quite unlike anything you’ve already heard. Crafted sounds, details to hang on to, intricate details – and hang on there’s a story here, I’ve just noticed this is an epic concept album (I really should read press releases, I do like to avoid them until I’ve explore the music for myself). Some of the finest qualities of Bobby Conn and Brian Wilson and grocery stores with 56 checkout lanes and the virus is spread and 56 are dead. And 56 shots and a kaleidoscope of sounds and the further in you let it pull you the more you discover in the layers of sound and the 56 guest/ex members. This is a rather fine album, Data Was Lost is turning out to be a rather fine label, this is up there with Coltrane Motion. Fifty one minutes of beautiful home recorded melody and conceptual pop adventures and intricate details and stories of love, loss and French Canadians and orchestral lo-fi warmth. www.datawaslost.net

ALSO CHECK OUT 
ESTRADASPHERE – Palace Of Mirrors (The End) – Romanian gypsy tunes from Santa Cruz California, violins and a stand up bass and organs and accordions and harpsichords and hints of thrash metal. Instrumental gypsy metal is the easiest/laziest, Bulgarian surf, spaghetti eastern (not western) music, 60’s film jazz. Or fans of Secret Chiefs 3 and John Zorn and I don’t know, it’s alright, I was expecting a little more, far more traditional than expected, they have such a big reputation and oh I don’t know, they always turn out to be a little bit ordinary and oh well, there’s a new album out and here’s the link - www.estradasphere.com

WOLFGANG BANG – What Are You Going To Do? (ESM) -  Aging punks from LA, they mix the Pistols with The Damned and The Ramones and LA punk things like X. Actually I don’t know if they’re aging, they just sound like they are, they sound like forty-somethings holding on to their dreams. I kind of liked it for the first four or five songs, then I grew kind of bored with it and couldn't wait for it to end and now I’ve put it on again it’s kind of annoying me. Actually now it’s making me rather angry, what the hell is the point here? If I want to listen to the Ramones or to the damned Damned then I will, this is just a bad second rate copy with no X factor whatsoever and when I finish this sentence I'm gonna take out back and stomp on it. Ah shit, I turned the radio on instead and those loathsome Chili Peppers are on, now I'm really pissed off. I was in such a good mood as well – ah look, if you want a band who seem happy to sound like The Clash and The Ramones and X and The Damned and blah blah then they do it reasonably well. I don’t know, if they're actually going to bother, they should probably just release EPs or something, here’s the link anyway, I’m out of here with chewed fingernails that no longer shine of justice, put them in a lost playground or something before the wheels come off  – www.wolfgangbang.com

ELECTRONIC – Get The Message: The Best Of (EMI) – I’d forgotten all about Electronic, how on earth can you forget a band featuring new Order’s Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr from The Smiths – as perfect as that combination hinted they would be back there when they emerged. Crisp clean sophisticated lush clever mellow intelligent prefect pop that dissects the two bands in a sublime way – well actually it’s a hell of lot more New Order then Smiths, I’d forgotten how brilliant Getting Away With It was. There are people around here complaining about this, how wrong they are - what a treat this is, fact is, New Order are the best band ever and this Best Of Electronic is a more than welcome reminder. Here’s some details: 
Formed by New Order frontman Bernard Sumner on vocals, guitar and keyboards, and ex Smiths guitar player Johnny Marr on guitar, bass and keyboards in 1987, Electronic released their first single Getting Away With It in 1989. Subsequently working with other artists including Pet Shop Boys Neil Tennant and Karl Bartos (formerly of Kraftwerk), they went on to release three albums over the next ten years. This is the first Best Of collection, and is the first time the videos have been available to purchase (the CD comes with a DVD as well)  The sleevenotes are written by Johnny and Bernard. 
Tracks: CD - 1. Forbidden City  2. Getting Away With It *, 3. Get The Message (single remix), 4. Feel Every Beat  5. Disappointed *, 6. Vivid (Radio Edit), 7. Second Nature, 8. All That I Need , 9. Prodigal Son, 10. For You , 11.Imitation Of Life , 12. Out of My League , 13. Like No Other , 14. Twisted Tenderness, 15. Late at Night (Radio Edit) 
*featuring Neil Tennant
DVD: 1. Getting Away With It , 2. Get The Message , 3. Feel Every Beat, 4. Disappointed , 5. Forbidden City , 6. For You , 7. Vivid 

"Our initial idea was to do some low key 12" releases for clubs and fans and maybe work with other people we liked and to get away from the rigid structure and politics of the four piece group. We had a lot in common, a lot more than anyone realized, and we were both buzzed about the new times and our new situations . We were a bit naive in thinking that we could put out white label tracks and pretend we were an obscure acid house outfit,"   Johnny Marr, taken from sleevenotes. 

“Electronic for me on a creative level, was a chance to work with other people whose work I
admired, and people that I liked it was as simple as that.” Bernard Sumner, taken from sleevenotes.

CURSIVE – Happy Hollow (Saddle Creek) - Ooooh, that first track sounds a little like C*ar**cs for a moment or two, no, couldn’t have, yes it did – nothing like that of course, but they are challenging themselves again with that trademark Cursive swell and that melodic guitar sound that’s rather distinctive. And they just might be giants, put a little birdhouse in your soul and the delight is in the detail. It was touch and go for a while, have Cursive blown it? Where did they go after Ugly Organ? Well they went away and came back stronger and as distinctive as ever. Refinded intelligent American pop that has a swell and a swagger and some rather clever impassioned lyrics that swipe at religion and intelligent design and hymns for the heathens. American pop in the fine tradition of They Might Me Giants or The Cars – they could easily have settles on what they already had, that’s not the Cursive way though, a self-assured return and this might just be their finest album so far. www.cursivearmy.com / www.saddle-creek.com

AGAINST ME – Americans Abroad, Against Me Live In London (Fat Wreck) – Against Me in 2006 are America’s finest, this is real folk music – music of the people, taking up where Bar Religion left off, the blue collar sound of defiance. Live songs from all the band’s albums and a sound that stand for something. Against me are the thinking person’s punk band.

TRANSIT KINGS – Living In A Giant Candle Winking At God (Malicious Damage) – Alex Paterson, Dom Bekan, Jimmy Cauty (although how much he actually did have to do with the final album I’m really not sure) and friends sound pretty much like you’d expect them to sound (and finally getting the much talked about album out). All very Orb like, KLF flavoured and all very easy on the ear and expansive and mellow ambient beats and a kaleidoscopic ride around the world and collaborations and all is well with the world watched over by lighthouses that are giant candles winking at god (watching little fluffy clouds flow bye and dogs rowing boats and....). www.maliciousdamage.biz

TRANSMISSION – Beyond Light (Malicious Damage) – Youth and Big Paul Ferguson (and on the Malicious Damage label as well, that should mean something to Killing Joke fans) along with Subsonar/Dreadzone’s Tim Bran and Blur/Gorillaz guitarist Simon Tong. Effortlessly flowing mellow guitar instrumentals that do have a bit of a restrained Killing Joke feel to them. www.maliciousdamage.biz

DUN 2 DEF – Every Weekend (Lick My Records) Old school shout along streetwise punk for those who like it all ready to ruck and aggro’d up and all GBH and UK Subs and Rejects and Upstarts and right in your face. They from Milton Keynes and besides their rather doggy name, they’re rather good - www.myspace.com/dun2def

PHOENIX BODIES – Raise The Bullshit Flag (Holy Roar) - Extreme noise terror, extreme hardcore noise and screaming grind and chaotic ear violation from Indiana. Relentless musical violence for those who think Converge are a little too mellow and The Locust a little too cleaver. www.holyroarrecords.com

THE RUSSIAN FUTURISTS – Me, Myself And Rye – An Introduction To The Russian Futurists (Memphis Industry)  - A pulling together of the pick of their first three albums to serve and an introduction, and yes they do sound like My Bloody Valentine playing at being Pet Shop Boys for Flaming Lips fans, of maybe Brian Wilson for the Casio generation. www.memphis-industries.com
 

Last week's album of the week - WHORES WHORES WHORES / THE LOW LOWS Previous album's of the week - WEAPONS / THE SOUND MOVEMENT / PINK MOUNTAIN / YOU AND THE ATOM BOMB / VIKING MOSES / MOTORHEAD / THE WEEGS / JOHNNY CASH / TRIGGERMAN / FRESHKILLS / THE DEATH SET / ABOUT / DODDODO / THE KNIGHTS OF THE NEW CRUSADE / CARTRIDGE / LEAFCUTTER JOHN / LORDS / IMMUNE / THE UNIT AMA / BEATNIK FILMSTARS / CHAMPION KICKBOXER / THESE MONSTERS / SUNS OF THE THUNDER / TELEVISE / SONIC YOUTH / PSAPP / ENABLERS / SUNN O))) / CATNAP / THE DRESDEN DOLLS / PROUDFLESH / all the past has been deleted (for now)

EMPEROR RETURN TO LONDON
Re-united black metal legends Emperor are to play the Astoria in London on October 28. They'll be supported by To-Mera and She Said Destroy.

HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS QUIT LABEL
Hawthorne Heights have announced that they've quit Victory Records. What's more they've filed a lawsuit against the so called punk rock label who don’t pay their advertising bills.
 

THE DRESDEN DOLLS – Backstabbers (Roadrunner) – Another single from the very very fine album up front of the gloriously unique two piece band’s return to the UK for festivals and the Edinburgh fringe and more stripey legs and bowler hats. Tales of backstabbing and gloriously devious piano melodies and stories of satisfying revenge and that unique pop noir cabaret and dark musical theatre and Amanda Palmer’s beautifully extracted revenge. Dresden Dolls can never do wrong – there’s a previously unavailable b-side, frustratingly this is one of those damn promo things labels send out, why can’t we have it all? www.dresdendolls.com 
Hang on, stop the boat and the dancing clowns and we got the b-side, it jsut got here, today’s another special day (snip snip snip snip) hold on to all organs and turn the page and she told me I knew just what to laugh it, or was it he? Double organ pun things, I’m a friendly organ – a previously unreleased track that hacks at you with her choice of objects – Lonesome Organist Rapes Page Turner is more great revenge (are all the songs about revenge?) and she who laughs last laughs loudest and golly who would have believed it? God bless strawberry jam, vaudeville and variety, we love these Dresden Dolls -  www.dresdendolls.com

SINGLE OF THE WEEK 2

THE ANSWER – Under The Sky (Alberts) - They nailed it down for sure this time, the Northern Irish band have been releasing decent records since day one, this is the single that seriously marks them out as the real authentic deal though, this is the one. Time to join everyone else, come down off the fence and yell about the brilliance of The Answer (up until now we’ve been polite and reserved and kind of positive in an if you like Free kind of way). We’re talking classic 70’s flavoured (massive lumps of 70’s goodness) hard rock and classic blues done just right, done so that somehow The Answer don’t sound dated (don’t ask me to explain that, just go with it, enjoy it, celebrate it) – think Thin Lizzy, Humble Pie, Pat Travers, Rory Gallagher and all kinds of wholesome proper hard rock like they somehow don’t make any more – only The Answer do and now they do it as well as any of those old band. The Answer are right up there right here right now, they’re the real deal – www.theanswer.ie

ALSO CHECK OUT

THOM YORKE – Harrowdown Hill (XL) – Another one of those pesky one track promos when we want to explore it all, b-sides, bonus track and everything. Sounds like Thom Yorke (of course it does), that bleak distinctive voice of his, sounds like Thom Yorke fronting some dark 80’s funk heavy bass driven synthesizer band, Level 42 meets that creepy dark Ultravox things or something like that. You kind of expect him to be there in some minimalist long trench coat arty video wearing one glove in the dark reflections of the rain. Thom Yorke is turning in to Peter Gabriel in the late 70’s. I like kind of like this, it’s Thom Yorke, no slippery slope, how could it be, he thinks the same things at the same time... 

Last week's single of the week - DEAD DISCO

Previously - THE BLACK TULIPS / METRO RIOTS / PATCHWORK GRACE / TANGAROA / SHRAG / LOSTPROPHETS / STASI / DOLIUM / SERENA-MANEESH / DECORATION / i LIKE TRAINS / THE OXFAM GLAMOUR MODELS / PSAPP / GREENSPACE
 

PAST ISSUES -

ORGAN 169

ORGAN 168

ORGAN 167

ORGAN 166 - 

ORGAN 165 - THE FLESH HAPPENING, MOTORHEAD, RUSSIAN CIRCLES ,TERROR, THE HUCKSTERS, TANGAROA, SHARP END FIRST, TOUCHSTONE, And just who is MOIST PAULA?

ORGAN 164 -

ORGAN 163 -

ORGAN 162 -

ORGAN 161 -

ORGAN 160 - 

ORGAN 159 - INNER RAGE, THE GHOSTS, ALPHA DISTRICT, INTEROGATE. ABOUT. DODDODO, DEADSTAR ASSEMBLY, AD AAD AT, ROBIN GUTHRIE, BANG! BANG!, FEU THERESE, CERBERUS SHOAL, HERESY, SERENA-MANEESH, PUNISH THE ATOM, The RampArt Community, GO SPIDERMUM - A gang of anarchist Robin Hood-style thieves, ORGAN TV will be back for more, ORGAN on your radio 

ORGAN 158 -

ORGAN 157 -

ORGAN 156 -

ORGAN 155 - 

ORGAN 154 - 

ORGAN 153 - 

ORGAN 152 - 

ORGAN 151 - Out in print now, 40 pages 

ORGAN 150 - NEXT LIFE, CRETIN, HAWNAY TROOF, SYMMETRY, GREENSPACE, DRUGDEALER CHEERLEADER, LAST PARTY, ALEX WARD, BURNT, INTENTION, TRACTOR SEX FATALITY, THE DRESDEN DOLLS, PROUDFLESH, THE GHOSTS, SPEED THEORY, EL TOPO, THE CULT WITH NO NAME, THE PROCESS VOID. 

all the past has been deleted (for now)