These are the things that have been in our ears this week, so much good music around at the moment, almost too much. Please explore and if it sounds interesting then just hit the links and make your own minds up, our reviews and thoughts are mere signposts designed to guide you to the things you might like to feast on yourselves... don’t you just love the instant hit of the www. 

HANDSUM PETE, who’s he then? This just in from Funkcutter: “Wonderful news all you dirty rotten scoundrels... Handsum Pete is gradually going for world domination with a sexed up musical myspace which you must join and now has a new LP to boot... You too can be the proud owner of a download version of this slithery tothe as soon as you head out to the Ex Gratia online music shop, where this piece of gluttonous revelry is yours for a minimal donation to his nematode worm farm, personal plumber and neighbour's psychiatrist...  you will witness midget gems of GG Allin, agro in the theme of Alice Donut and general perversity that is only 'pete' coming together all in one place as the planets align and Erreth Sondabeng grinds up some macerated production nips and tucks with the creations of some piss drinking handum genius. get it now - you WILL be sorry!" Ex Gratia Recordings / Punkvert.tv + + + heed all warnings - www,myspace.com/handsumpete or  http://punkvert.tv/exgratiarecordings

John on the phone...

ORGAN ON YOUR RADIO - WEEKLY on SUNDAYS AT 9.00pm via RESONANCE 104.4FM in London and worldwide via www.resonancefm.com THE DETAILS, THE FACTS, THE LINKS.... Who got played this week? How do you find our more? More details herex Motown legend Levi Stubbs died last week (October 17). He was 72. The legendary Four Tops frontman passed away peacefully in his sleep at his Detroit home. The singer had been ill in recent months (so reported the Associated Press). Stubbs was considered to have one of the most distinctive baritone voices in America, and helped lead one of the finest bands of that Motown era to achieve 20 Top 40 hits between 1963 and 1973. The Four Tops performed together with the same lineup for more than 40 years. Their biggest hits included 1965's 'I Can't Help Myself' and 1966's classic 'Reach Out” – a song that’s pretty much musical perfection to these ears.  So Larry Flynt recently posted an advert on a classifieds website reading: "Looking for a Sarah Palin look-alike for an adult film to be shot in the next...

DEMO OF THE WEEK
CUTTHROAT CONVENTION – Chapter One - One of those rare occasions when a home made demo stops us and stumps us, Cutthroat Convention really are original. London based via Japan so they kind of mysteriously say. Arrived here in a handmade package, stencil and spraypaint artwork on the outside package, same on the actual disc. Five tracks and I know not where to start - male vocals but they do kind of have a Deerhoof vibe, nothing like Deerhoof though, nothing like Rude Mechanicals either but kind of like them both if you get my drift. Strange time twitching and everything flows and grab the scissorman with that strange technique and babylondon and I really am, for once, lost for words. Different isn’t enough though, this is different and very very good. Strange other rock and Japanese details, strange jazz rock, nothing hard boiled, notes and sounds bending all over the place, and all easy on the ear in a strange new wave way. Scratched strings, drawn bows, other rock, they really are like nothing else, this is strangely good, some strange falling between the cracks thing, strange strange they really are unique, no, they got me, can’t explain this one... this is why we do this Organ thing – www.myspace.com/cutthroatconvention

Last week's demo of the week - INERTIA BLOOMS

Previous demo's of the week - SID SINGS / GIRO JUNKIE / THE ATROCITY EXHIBIT / SEA SICK / COUNTRYSIDE / MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN / GRASSCUT / COP ON THE EDGE / WILD DOGS IN WINTER / THE LAZY DARLINGS / DEBUTANT / ARCS OF RED / LE GALAXIE / PERHAPS CONTRAPTION / BLACKLANDS / THE SANS PAREIL

DEMO REVIEW ARCHIVES

ALBUM OF THE WEEK
DEERHOOF - Offend Maggie (ATP/R) - Can I gush? Can I blather? Or put it another way, can I just get this silly writing stuff over with so that I can get back to listening to this with a soppy grin on my face? Thank you Deerhoof, for giving us a medicine to keep us all alive through a messy winter. Now, this is not the shiny polished Deerhoof of 'The Runners Four', nor the no-nonsense raw reaction of 'Friend Opportunity' - its somewhere in between and something else besides. 
              First of all, it's bewildering to think that many of us had our first taste of this band seemingly decades ago on pretty much every John Peel show... and that this new, brand new album sounds as fresh, if not fresher than those first recordings.  Don't these people know the rules?  You're supposed to be running out of ideas and getting all jaded by now. But Deerhoof have the artistic energy of four-year-olds after a good night's sleep and a bag of sweets; and whilst holding on to that precious force, they've been soaking up lifetimes of listening.  Inside this marvelously relaxed and natural sounding album there are glimpses of Gentle Giant, Yes and Beach Boys... and rare groove funk, and a cheeky minor-key Stones riff to mess with your ears as an opener. Hah, and that's an Earlygenesis thing going on under the surface of the title track, hmm?  But of course, it's absolutely Deerhoof first - guitars balanced between noise and coherence, Satomi's voice seemingly naive on but delicately note perfect in reality, subtly down in the mix and not too sweet, and at one with the ideas and emotions of the others in the band.  There's a bit of darkness in there - they're human beings, they get battered like the rest of us.  But they know what's important.
              Deerhoof have always been about being in their own world, about making music to delight themselves and inviting a listener to join in that delight.  But 'Offend Maggie' takes this naturalness, this unforced pleasure to realms that makes pretty much every other band on the planet sound like straining frauds. OK, for all I know, the creative process is torture for them and they're very good at putting on a brave face to the world... but I kind of doubt it.  I think Deerhoof found the rock band equivalent of the philosopher's stone early in their career. Want to know the secret? You can have it for free: ask yourself why you're in a band. If the answer's anything, anything other that 'because I like music' then pack it in. The little team of Deerhoof worked out the truth, and kept going and growing. Their music has purpose, it has a right to be on this planet. For all it's hidden precision, it's carefully crafted foundations, it's a living extension of the people who made it, as personal as a limb or a smile, and as infinitely detailed.  They don't have to explain what they do, they just have to hang on to the joy, and keep creating.  I guess they do that. 
       'Basket Ball Get Your Groove Back'.  Genius. Pure genius, pure Deerhoof.  It sounds exactly like a basketball game.  Madrigal progressions in 'Don't Get Born' played as if by your friends, in your living room.  Totally easy going grooves on (strangely Stereolab-ish) chords on 'Chandelier Searchlight.  There's layers and keyboards and little twists and turns in the songs, but they're laid down without much studio messing around - emotions and immediacy first.  So don't go looking for the spectacular and shiny, if this album is your first listen: be charmed.  Deerhoof, as always, are just a joy, just a pleasure.  www.atpfestival.com or www.myspace.com/deerhoof
 

ALBUM OF THE WEEK 2 MARTIN ORFORD – The Old Road (GEP) - If this really is to be Martin Orford’s final farewell, as he seems to be saying it is, then he’s certainly going out with all the defiance that he and IQ came in with at the start of the 80’s. Way back there when IQ were on the Wardour Street frontline with the defiant last taboo that was and still is the unashamed full-on prog rock deal. “Unashmedly retro and proud of it” is how Mr Orford describes this new album. Martin doesn’t like the modern world much and he certainly has no love for the way music business is conducted these days, he doesn’t have a website, don’t even mention My Space or downloads to him. IQ more than did their time though, DIY tape albums, touring in transit vans, they still run their own record label, these days the venues are big, a reputation earned the hard way – no sticking up a My Space page and then sitting and waiting for the the man to call.             This is the longstanding IQ writer and keyboard player’s second solo album. Seems Martin has now left IQ, the band he’s been a major part of for twenty eight years (not counting their previous life as The Lens), seems he left last year to get away from the music business and make this latest (last?) labour of love (one suspects IQ has always been a labour of love though, even the short lived Nomzamo major label period). Not that The Old Road in a million miles away from the garden shed that was and (still is) IQ mind you. “This is not a progressive rock album... this is not about pushing back the boundaries of music...” says Martin in his couldn’t really care less what you think sleeve notes. He’s right of course but prog albums stopped being truly progressive ages ago and this is an unashamedly brilliant prog album. This is a prog album full of everything that’s ever been good about IQ - well maybe the dark garden over me bits that I suspect come from the mind of frontman Pete Nichols aren’t to be found here, none of that darkness down the old road.             IQ, now they were a really progressive band for a while back there, probably the only ones who actually were. besides Cardiacs, but then Cardiacs weren’t really part of the early 80’s prog world of Pallas, Pendragon or Twelfth Night, they flirted with that scene, were loved by some, not really part of it – no, IQ were the real progressive band pushing the busical boundaries as part of that fine scene back there. IQ, for a while at the start, were right at the edge with their undercurrents of new romantic new wave punk and their strange haircuts and triangular cats and bits of not quite French while the rest were playing with pomp and garden parties...             What this album is is all the best uplifting English proggy bits of classic IQ, those particular chord progressions that could only be Martin Orford. All those Last Human Gateways and classics bits of melodic euphoric 70’s Yes, Genesis and Camel, those bits of Oliver Bulleid, Evening Star and Southern malachite green benches by the boundary rope – five day test match, not the sort that’s over before things have begun, not badly dressed twenty twenty. Martin Orford and a load of friends, friends who just happen to be respected musicians from the prog underworld (people from Spocks Beard, UK, Jadis, Gryphon...). This is mostly classic golden age English prog. Nothing too heavy or difficult, just really enjoyable friendly old roads, musical boxes and simple proper clever melodic complex prog done just right. Done with warmth and just the right attention to detail, rediscovering things that are taken for granted, this is not the revolution. Martin’s old road is to be found in Southern England, in conversations, in Mellotron whispers and Taurus peddle glides, in heavy horses and snowgeese, this is not something you can download from a cold flat screen, this is a proper prog album with a cover to sit and study and lyrics to unfold – there’s a ritual to these things. The various guest musicians, their playing and vocal subtle styles, leave individual signatures, nothing intrusive though, the album flows and one wonderful whole – hints of John Wetton’s various bands, touches of Spocks Beard neo-prog here and there, the melody of Jadis.           Yes it is all as familiar as an old jumper, a faithful dog or a welcome pint of Landlord, this album is like picking up with an old friend you haven’t seen for years and getting on like you last saw them yesterday. This is full on glorious keyboard led prog rock songs and tunes and everything just comfortably right. This is a very fine album, if you don’t already have a love of classic proper English lanes and falling leaf prog then it probably isn’t for you, on the other hand if you do gather in dark corners and talk of nursery crymes and parallels then this album is an absolute pleasure. And artwork that’s just right as well, that cover just invites you in, how could you not go through that tunnel?               I hope this isn’t Martin’s farewell to the music world, but if it is to be then he could not have done it better, this is a wonderful pleasure of an album, a treasure trove of proper prog to go back to time and time again – www.gep.co.uk x

ALSO CHECK OUT MAYORS OF MIYAZAKI - Buffalo! (Self Release) - Already hinting at imagination head and shoulders above their peers, The Mayors Of Miyazaki have self produced a magnificent little album. Close to filling the hole left by The Optimist Club (yep, that good), it's an angular, multi-layered and fiercely mathy stew, packed with twists and turns and steaming with energy. Songs are packed with detail and chunky, riffage and hookline filled contrasts, detail that keeps coming after endless listens.  Hailing from south London, they're one of the few home-grown avant rock bands you want to shout about to the rest of the world.            There is, unfortunately, a bit of a bloody great elephant in their living room that can't be ignored, no matter how much I'd like to give them ten out of ten or a max five throbbing Organs or whatever.  Way too many of the vocal lines are delivered in a hideous squark that makes the yelping bloke in Maths Class sound like Isaac Hayes. I mean, really hideous, a seriously strangled yelping emoscreamo gulping screech that just has you gritting your teeth. Now, I listen to pretty hard boiled stuff, pretty much all the time, but it was driving me crazy - and underneath there's this beautiful stuff going on, which is just frustrating. There's an occasional female voice, and the two bounce off each other and a splendid 6/4 riff to thrilling effect in Hot Kids, then its back to the teeth gritting on 650US... but wait, Butter Stinker is great - he sings, and pushes his voice just a touch when its right, and the spoken word bit's great... and I can think of few bands currently doing this kind of storytelling light and shade and progression through one song.  Beggar Wears Like A Monk is another mini-epic, packed with superb rough-edged proggy dynamics, only a moment of emostrangling, getting to some fine unforced singing and a humungous uplifting finale.  For such a mathy band, the changes and twists and turns are not too angular/atonal at all - its those subtle killer tunes knitting it all together that work.          Aargh, I hate to pick at this album at all - it's got fire and 100% dedication and great musicianship and fantastic drumming, and the songs are mini masterpieces - you wouldn't want to change a note.  I guess you're forewarned enough to get past that first (brilliant but particularly yelpy) opening track and keep listening... and maybe you just lurve that emoscreamo style for its own sake.  Personally, I reckon this band are just starting out on a big journey; that the music The Mayors Of Miyazaki are making has more depth and real emotion and originality then even they realise and that this just might be the rather good debut album from a potentially rather special band. www.mayorsofmiyazaki.com

DIAGONAL – Diagonal (Rise Above) - God damn, we’re swamped with the glories of ‘proper’ prog this week, Diagonal are from Brighton and this debut album is a no holds homage to self indulgence. Long tracks, side swipes in to dark 70’s psychedelia, fusion and b-movie horror soundtracks. Bits of Latin flavoured funk curving into long (very long) passages of indulgent organ jousts and freaked out progressive rock that’s pure early 70’s retro beards and flares. The last great taboo of course, so called punk rock long ago became the marketing safety-belt establishment – marketed fashion, hair styles and bands that all sound the same – My Space Hot Topic corporate fashion parades, a marketing department dream, culture neatly packaged and sold back, 30 year old same sound you packaged for us last year and the year before – well here’s a chord, here’s another, here’s a Mellotron, a mask and a counter-balanced riff that last twenty minutes, now go form a band. This is the real underground, the real DIY ethic, this is the music that causes real offense, that gets the old men who still think The Clash are the cutting edge raging and frothing. Sure it all need cleaning out and putting down back there but this is where we’re at now and Diagonal are not in the mood to compromise for anyone. Alright it is far too retro and the real prog is in the hands of cutting edge bands like Kayodot, Upsilon Acrux, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and such. This is more like the 70’s and the psychedelic prog of The Nice, Stone Cold Uriah Heep and strange Italian porno films. Bits of Gentle Giant here, Sun Ra there, a touch of Van Der Graaf, space rock, jazz, Colosseum, Nucleus... oh yes, they got it right and they’re doing it now. Sniff glue to that one, real punk rock – www.myspace.com/diagonalband or www.riseaboverecords.com x

SOUTH CENTRAL – The Owl Of Minerva (Egregore) – I guess we’re supposed to call this nu-rave, don’t let that cloud your head though, this is a little more than another round of Hoxton glo-stick waving Klaxons annoyance. Machine driven dance rock that gets right in there, grabs you by the collar and demands you go with it from the off. A collection of all their recent single action all pulled together on one convenient headrush of an album. They of the bootleg mash up thingy, The Bounder and all that, and here’s where their maximalist outlook is nailed together, neatly book-ended and thrown in to a never ending rush of higher state, here’s where they’re marked out as a cut above...  A hyperhazard hyperactive blizzard of dance machines, vocodered vocals, rave horns and driving baselines that really should annoy the hell out us all and somehow doesn’t, hit the repeat button, play it again. Electro balls and does it offend you? Hell no! The rats are on the run now, blood everywhere, recommended - www.myspace.com/southcentralmusic CONSOLATION PRIZEFIGHTER – Share Music (UPR) - Earworms at work here, worming away, through your ears without you really noticing, getting inside your head and.... Share Music isn’t an instant “wow” kind of album, not one of those albums that instantly stops everything and demands attention, no, it more kinds of worms in there slowly and really without you noticing you find you’re listening to something rather impressively good. Nothing about Plymouth’s Consolation Prizefighter is obvious now and yes, there is a freedom of spirit here. Scratchy punk and slices of ska, but not your obvious ska-punk mind, there’s a band demanding a little more from themselves here. Using little ska nuances as well as a lot of that ska-punk energy without ever getting within a thousand miles of just being another one of those Less Than Jake kind of bands. All kinds of little hints here, bits of Fugazi, bits of poppy Black Flag. Rocket From The Crypt, X, the punkier side of Cardiacs (maybe just a healthy touch or two of Panixphere), some really nice melodic restraint - they’re a band with soul, a band on the move. Nothing stands still, forever shifting the ground, the posts, nothing is obvious, a band clearly trying to find some musical space of their own, a band who want to be a little bit more than a good copy of their record collection – and that’s something rather refreshing these days, especially refreshing for an English punk rock band. Every so called punk band in England sounds like someone you’ve already heard these days, and Consolation Prizefighter have those earworms and something worth giving the once over twice – www.myspace.com/consolationprizefighter.  DAN BAIRD & HOMEMADE SIN – Dan Baird & Homemade Sin (Jerkin’ Crocus) – One time battleship chain wearing frontman with those Georgia Satellites with a band and album fitting of a man who once held down that spot. Fourteen slices of righteous law breaking Southern American country rock ‘n roll ‘n blues ‘n foot to the floor slide guitar attitude. Just proper authentic no messing unpretentiously good American rock – www.myspace.com/thedanbaird or www.jerkincrocus.com THE RAMPTON RELEASE DATE – Relax You’re Nearly Dead (Casket) – Ah, they dropped an album at last, don’t say too much though, loose lips sink ships and they’re probably on the run from some not very secure high security establishment well before their release date. They do their shopping at night time and they’re all wired up and as scuzzed as a scuzzed thing. Gaye bikers on acid crazyheads and all nosedive karma and shotguns coming at you. They’re from the Midlands of England and is it really the way a person is brought up that creates the musical psychopath? Steaming no holds bared wired up scuzzy punk rock, grebo we love you, watchman we love you all, pop will eat itself and where were we? TheRampton Release Date follow up some well received DIY demos and such with a full on bomb of a thirteen track dirt under your nails, bodies under the floorboards punk rock album. No hope of any relaxation here and they lived up to all that early promise at last. Filthy riffs and motorheads and sonic violence and oh yes, open the door we got a live one running...  The three of them nailed it, the bullet you don’t see coming – www.myspace.com/theramptonreleasedate NANAS REVENGE – Man Down (Lockjaw) – Seven track mini album from the Leeds based outfit, a rather blustery set of energetic indie-punk songs should you need or want it. Bits of lots of things in there, all those Propagandhi, Fat Wreck, Ignite moves that you’ve heard so many many times before. Generic punk pop delivered with committed energy and professional enough intent, they do it as well as anyone and I guess they’re a healthy blast live should you accidentally find yourself in some venue that they happen to be performing in – not sure why you’d purposely be in an venue they happened to be playing in mind.  Don’t really get why bands are happy to make records that add nothing new to the recipe, don’t get why bands are happy to just sound so obviously like their record collections but hey, who cares what I don’t get, frigging on the punk rock rigging and all that, last thing we need is bands sounding original or a tiny little bit dangerous or different, they’re a tribute to something or other, here they are and here’s the link – www.myspace.com/nanasrevenge DISTANCE TO FAULT – The Fate of Momentum (Casket) – Old school melodic heavy metal/hard rock from Hampshire, further investigation should you feel the need via www.myspace.com/distancetofaultofficial  x

MARSHALL LAW – Razorhead (DR2) – Surprisingly good hard-edged clean-cut power metal album from the born again Midlanders.  Wasn’t expecting that much, previous albums had been a little under-whelming and let’s be honest here, back then first time around (twenty or so years ago) they were never the greatest of English metal bands. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since we last encountered Marshall Law and not a lot was expected when this album turned up rather unexpected in the post... Hold on, stop the presses, if you like your Megadeth/Testament/Priest style metal then go take a fresh listen, Marshall Law are back and they suddenly sound rather impressive! Far more impressive that the last Megadeth album actually. One of the best melodic power metal albums for quite some time – colourful playing, epic twists, we’re surprised and rather impressed. www.marshalllaw.co.uk

SPEED THEORY – Blood Money (Ant Hill) – Raw throaty brutal thrash metal from the Midlands of England, decent enough without ever being anything near something we haven’t heard before, little lacking in terms of dimension, just raw relentless brutal thrash should you want it that way, I guess they’re happy enough, living the dream, getting in the van and all that stuff, I need  a little more, even Marshall Law are challenging themselves while all these new English metal bands are happy to just churn it out and sound like a good copy of their heroes...  www.myspace.com/speedtheory

JUD – Sufferboy (Fading Ways) – Fifth album from a band who’ve been about in an on-off way since the mid 90’s. Ambitious expansive alternative rock with a melodic edge. They’re from the Berlin, they're not setting out ears on fire – www.myspace.com/judband

SOLITARY – Requiem (Casket) - Growling slashing thrash metal, standard issue stuff, professional enough. They’ve been making records and trawling around the UK toilets for more than ten years now. The bloke from Xentrix guests on vocals on one track, they throw in a Testament cover, those tw ofacts will tell you more than enough. Guess once again they’re happy with life and having a blast doing something they love but there really is very little here that you won’t have encountered a thousand times. Just well played conservatively produced standard issue same old same old thrash metal (see Speed Theory) . www.solitary.org.uk

FAILSAFE – The Truth Is... (Small Town) – Emo indie pop-metal whatever, the same as we’ve heard from a thousand and eleven other bands, a million and four times already. Why would anyone want to make an album like this? What the hell is the point here? Every note, every phrase, every move, every nauseating whining harmony, every punchable line. Everything has already been done already, there isn’t an original moment anywhere in this album, get it out of here! Put it in the CD crusher over there and stop throwing poop at kids in glass houses, yeah yeah I know, we have this policy of only reviewing things when we have something positive to say, but this really is a cowardly album and the truth is sometimes needed and arrghhhhh... 
 

Last week's album of the week - ORIGINAL SILENCE Previous album's of the week - RELIGIOUS KNIVES / F*CKED UP / NISENNENMONDAI / HILDE MARIE KJERSEM / GRAILS / BEATGLIDER / UNIVERS ZERO / CONSTANTINES / YOUNG WIDOWS / AMANDA PALMER / LUSTMORD / SLIPKNOT / HEY COLOSSUS / ROSE KEMP / VESSELS / ELEPHANT 9 x

ALBUM REVIEW ARCHIVES

LIVE REVIEW ARCHIVES

PEPPERAZZI: COPS ATTACK AS SMASH EDO DEMO PAINTS THE TOWN RED AGAIN...

Over 400 people gathered in Brighton on a very wet Wednesday in the latest protest called by Smash EDO against local bomb factory EDO MBM/ITT. The last demo, in June (See SchNEWS 634), saw protesters invading the factory grounds and smashing windows. This time the cops were determined to have an overwhelming presence. At noon Sussex University campus was occupied by large gangs of cops as people arrived at the demo’s start point at the uni entrance.

Police tactics soon became obvious. As the crowd gathered they issued a Section 60 notice, giving them the power to remove masks. Trying to stamp their authority, they quickly set about the gathering crowd demanding people remove any kind of face covering, photographing everyone and generally using any tactics to intimidate, attempting to seize banners and alienate as many onlookers as possible.
Initially shocked – the mob soon found the resources to fight back and just after midday the march burst into life. The red and black-clad crowd sprang into action to the rallying call “Get behind the banner”. Behind the sturdy, massive SHUT ITT! banner – reinforced with a wooden frame - and waving flags, the noisy bloc moved at pace through Stanmer Park and out onto the Lewes Road, filling both lanes.

At least ten pairs of police evidence gatherers with long lenses, video cameras and spotter cards, including the Met’s Forward Intelligence Teams (FIT) were in evidence from the start but spent most of the march foiled by FIT Watchers (See SchNEWS 639). Hundreds of copies of FIT Watch’s spotter cards were distributed complete with photos, names, numbers and descriptions of FIT police likely to be in attendance. Whenever FIT teams appear, shouts of ‘Block That Shot’ is becoming a call to arms for activists sick of only being able to protest whilst constantly under surveillance.

CAGE FIGHTING
Multiple sound systems and makeshift instruments kept spirits up in the procession towards the factory. Police seemed to have taken a leaf from the anarchist book and handily blockaded the whole of Lewes Road for several hours, with 8 vans bumper to bumper, urging people towards their sanctioned ‘protest pen’ at the bottom of Home Farm road. Unsurprisingly the idea of being herded into a massive steel cage surrounded by a sea of fluorescent baton wielding cops didn’t appeal to anyone. Determined to march on, people surged towards the police lines, pushing the cops back behind their line of vans. Heavy use of pepper spray and batons on those at the front took the sting out of the crowd, who, nursing bruised bodies and the ill effects of an impromptu chemical eye-bath at the hand of Sussex’s finest, split into two groups. Half the crowd stood their ground, eyeballing the cops, whilst others in small groups gradually headed off-piste, up the slope and into the woods towards the back of the factory.

PUT THE KETTLE ON

Marauding bands of masked militants swarmed through the forest, whilst clueless coppers couldn’t see the hoods for the trees. In a hail of irony, laser-guided paint-missiles bombarded the factory’s roof - staining the factory walls blood-red in a spot of unrequested decoration. After scuffles in the woods and open fields where someone narrowly avoided castration via a police dog bollock-biting attack, a group of about 50 managed to reclaim Lewes Road nearer town before being joined soon after by other cross-country cells and marched towards town. By half two, the crowd on Lewes Road had begun to disperse and the police line had moved across the road, freeing up one lane of traffic. The remaining crowd were able to launch themselves down Lewes Road towards the Level. Fearing that 100 or so anarchists might not cause enough trouble, the cops kindly contributed towards the mayhem by sending some 25 vehicles to create a police traffic jam stretching halfway down the road.

When the converged marchers arrived at the Level (traditional end point of Brighton demos), police backed off, thinking that the crowd had had enough. As it turns out, the up-fer-it protesters saw the police begin to disperse and made a break for it to storm the city centre, with the local Army recruitment centre as a goal. Still singing and chanting, they carried on, pursued by police until they were finally kettled near Queens Road. Seeing their plight, locals started harassing the cops, kettling in the kettle and throwing food and water to the stalwart marchers. Police eventually followed the protesters to the beach for their final push, where they nicked a pebble-thrower.

With a total of around ten arrests, one sore scrotum, plenty of bruised knees, inflamed sinuses, and stinging eyes, the last 100 intrepid protesters completed the 5½ mile anti-arms trade mini marathon to bathe aching feet in the sea. Andrew Beckett, spokesperson said “We didn’t let the police control events. We went where we wanted, when we wanted. All the police from four counties weren’t able to stop us making our stand against EDO/ITT”.

See www.smashedo.org.uk or www.schnews.org.uk
 

SINGLE OF THE WEEK 2

OVER THE WALL – The Rise And Fall Of (Motive Sounds) – They’re a rather refined Glasgow all-male two piece - delicate, young and thin. Delicate folk and relationships (not necessarily with each other), drinking away the ills and so so simple and heartfelt and not a million miles away from Speech Debelle’s folk acoustic tales of life in her city – well they are really, with their slightly lo-fi indie folk that’s some perfectly crafted sounds. This is so likeable, Frightened Rabbit good, euphoric simplicity, pop music that’s from the heart, spot on sounds and textures, laptops and guitars, trumpets, mandolins, hurdy gurdies, kazzoo and played and sung with such heart – www.myspace.com/overthewall or www.myspace.com/listentomotivesounds

ALSO CHECK OUT

EASTER – Hob Talk EP (Loose Faith) – Slowcore laid back post rock flavoured simple sparse loose kind of sound and a debut four track EP from the mellow quiet Manchester band. Melancholic melody and all the time in the world to soak up their colour and delicate restrained beauty – www.myspace.com/easterx

THE ACORN – Flood Pt 1 (Bella Union) - Feral alt.folk otherness from Canada, awkward fingering (as they say), beguiling, delicate rhythms to lift your head from wild and wicked sleep... They sound crafted and intriguingly African here on this single, in an adventurous North American alternative folky kind of way of course – www.myspace.com/theacorn

FROM MONUMENT TO MASSES – Beyond God And Elvis (Golden Antenna) – New material from the US post rock outfit and yes, all very nice and heroic and epic once again. Slow moving clowds of riffs and glitchy twitchy pleasantary, lush strings and all very nice instrumental post rock with the spoken word/film soundbite bit and all the Godspeed You Sixty Five Explosions that they probably influenced in the first place and yes it is all very nice and epic and haven’t we kind of been here waiting at this same post rock junction enjoying this same view for rather a long time now? From Monument were one of the inovators but...  www.goldenantenna.com

STONE GODS – Don’t Drink The Water (Intergal) – Poppy radio friendly hardrock from some people who were once most of The Darkness. Do they really deserve a second chance?

VOO – Same Mistake / What Will Happen And When? (Spank) – Two more very melodic, very ‘nice’ indie rock songs, politely paced and lovingly played. Heartfelt simple intelligent indie rock and I guess if you’re the kind of person who gets a little more emotional about Death Cab For Cutie then we do around here then Liverpool’s Voo should be registering on your radar sometime soon – www.myspace.com/voorock

Last week's single of the week - THE RAYOGRAPHS

Previously - THE KABEEDIES / VOICEsVOICEs / THE QUARRY / F**K BUTTONS / THE ALL NEW ADVENTURES OF US / FRIGHTENED RABBIT / THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART / DARK CAPTAIN LIGHT CAPTAIN / PRINTS / PETALS ON A WET BLACK BOUGH / LITTLE JACKIE / MARY EPWORTH AND THE JUBILEE BAND

SINGLE REVIEW ARCHIVES

PREVIOUSLY - THE BUG / TEMPORARY RESIDENCE / WOODBOX GANG / ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES / EX-GIRL / DELIA DERBYSHIRE /  F**KED UP / THE REVELLIONS / LIZ PHAIR / OASIS / THE CLOUD ROOM / HERZOGA / THE MELVINS / SHEARWATER / THE REAL McKENZIES / VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR / SIGOR ROS / VASECTOMY EGGS NAILER / FAT WRECK, ME FIRST... / THE DANDY WARHOLS  / SKIN GRAFT RECORDS / WIRE / BUTTHOLE SURFERS  / CARDIACS

Previously: EXODUS / DEATHROW  / THE GATHERING / BLACK DIAMOND HEAVIES / CLIFF / KILLING JOKE / THE SAVAGE RESURRECTION / BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB / DOOM / LIFE OF AGONY / DEAD HEAD / DAVID BOWIE / STUPIDS / AMEBIX / BLONDIE / THOR / STUMP / KOENJIHYAKKEI / SEBADOH

BLACK'N'READ ALL OVER - When wandering around ye Anarchist bookfayre forget thee not to pocket the latest issues of local newsheets from around the country. Primarily vehicles for getting propaganda into communities, these free publications are paper first and foremost. You can’t reach the laundromats and chip shops in yer community with a blog! Like everything these days they’re on the damn web too. (SchNews)

GAGGED – the South Wales anarchist rag has its 24th issue out - southwalesanarchists.org

PORKBOLTER – from Worthing has it’s 88th issue out this month - www.eco-action.org/porkbolter

HEREFORD HECKLER – issue 5 - www.herefordheckler.wordpress.com

BATH BOMB - issue 15 - www.myspace.com/bathactivistnetwork

PREVIOUSLY - MAXWELL DAVIES ON DUMBING DOWN / ACT ART 6 - DYING FOR IT! / DAMIEN HURST / JOE MEEK / IMPROV EVERYWHERE / AARON KRATEN / HURRA TORPEDO / BOOK: THE STOOGES – A JOURNEY / JUNK SALES:SLAVES OF NEW YORK / BITTER PIE / SF ZINE FAIR / GIANT PAW – ART CARD SERIES / L. GABRIELLE PENABAZ @ FIERCE / ZINE: LIGHTS GO OUT #1 / LESS THAN JAKE

WHITE NO SUGAR - Stand Uptivist Mark Thomas will be joining a Brighton demo against Starbucks, Guantanemo torturer’s favourite coffee chain, on October 24th. A new branch was recently opened in St James St, heart of the independent cafe culture, without proper planning permission – and it is currently trading as a ‘shop’, most certainly not a cafe. But You wouldn’t know by looking at it. Then again you wouldn’t know from their cheery décor how they ban union membership, screw third world suppliers and do their bit for climate change by ordering staff to leave taps running at all times. There are regular protests outside every Saturday 12-2pm. See www.brightonactivist.net (SchNews)

Schhhhhneeeeews? What's that? - go see, where would we be without the balance that SchNews offers, not saying that they'r always right, not saying we agree with everything thay sa, everything should be questioned, damn glad they're there to throw out a question or two and tell us what's really going on out there  - www.schnews.org.uk

libcom.org is a resource for all people who wish to improve their lives, their communities and their working conditions.

Meanwhile to download (free) and watch a selection of SchMOVIES short films click
here - www.schnews.org.uk/schmovies

THE ORGAN MAILING LIST -  If you want to be on the ORGAN/ORG Records e.mail list then you need to get in touch E.MAIL HERE.
 

ORGAN 278 - ORIGINAL SILENCE, INERTIA BLOOMS, TRANSMISSION, REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITIES, THE RAYOGRAPHS, ABIGAIL WILLIAMS, THE BEDROOM PROJECT, MISPELT (TWOPOINTZERO), MONKEY FIGHTERS, EXODUS, BONNIE PRINCE BILLY, PAUL J.ABBOTT, DEERHUNTER, KILL THE CLIENT, RAY, HELGRIND, MARTUTA, ROBIN TAYLOR, INCASSUM, FLOWING TEARS, DANIEL LAND & THE MODERN PAINTERS, THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE, I HATE KATE, AIRBOURNE, EXIT CALM, THE PADDINGTONS, SILVERY, MAYBESHEWILL, HER NAME IS CALLA, WE ROCK LIKE GIRLS DON’T, HAYMAN WATKINS TROUT & LEE, MAXWELL DAVIES... 

ORGAN 277 - yeah yeah, a non stop operation....

ORGAN 276 - Oh go have a look, do we have to list it everyweek, we had loads of great stuff last week, classic week for new music... 

ORGAN 275 - GRAILS, BEATGLIDER, THE ATROCITY EXHIBIT, TO THE BONES, SEA SICK, F**K BUTTONS, STE McCABE, THE BARDO, GENTLE GIANT, THE ALL NEW ADVENTURES OF US, HANSON BOTHERS, RUMORS OF GEHENNA, ACID MOTHER TEMPLE & THE COSMIC INFERNO, JMC, P.G.LOST, UGLY STICK, A TEXTBOOK TRAGEDY, NO RETURN, TRIVIUM,  AMANDA PALMER, THE DeBRETTS,  TEMPORARY RESIDENCE...

ORGAN 274 - UNIVERS ZERO, HAUSCHKA, COUNTRYSIDE, MANIQUI LAZER, MAB, MILK ROAR, HYDRA, MAGICIAN, KIMYA DAWSON, STRIBORG, ROSE KEMP, VOLBEAT, THE BOBBY McGEES,  THE MAY FIRE, MOOSE FACTORY, PRO-PAIN, TRIP LAVA, A POETIC YESTERDAY, LORD BELIEL, FRIGHTENED RABBIT, FROM PLAN TO PROGRESS, BOWERBIRDS, BLACK DIAMOND HEAVIES, DAMIEN HURST, CLIFF'S SINGLE, ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES... 

ORGAN 273 - CONSTANTINES, WOODBOX GANG, RA RA RIOT, MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN, PERHAPS CONTRAPTION, AMANDA PALMER, BYE BYE CANDY, OF THE I, RUDE MECHANICALS, ANARCHISTWOOD, GIRLSCHOOL, ICED EARTH, ICED EARTH, BLOOD CEREMONY, TONAL OAK, SOULS, FALLEN, PURE INC, BULLET, THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART, DARK CAPTAIN LIGHT CAPTAIN, THE TAMBORINES, EX-GIRL, DESTINATION:OBLIVION, JOE MEEK....

ORGAN 272 - YOUNG WIDOWS, AMANDA PALMER, EHNAHRE, GRASSCUT, PRINTS, THE FRENCH QUARTER, POPE JOAN, THE VERVE, BUFFALO KILLERS, MISERATION, DRAGONFORCE, THE MONO EFFECT, BONKERSFEST ‘08, NOUGHT, GERTUDE, TO THE BONES, ROLLINS, BOBBY BARKER, ONE TRUE DOG, BLUEZZ INTOXICATED, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, F*CKED UP, IMPROV EVERYWHERE, CLIFF... 

ORGAN 271 - LUSTMORD, SLIPKNOT, LOVELY LITTLE GIRLS, AARON KRATEN, FIGHT LIKE APES, TOY GUN COWBOY, IMMERSION COMPOSITION SOCIETY, PICTURES PAINT WORDS, LITTLE JACKIE, RUBY THROAT, TO THE BONES, THE MIRIMAR DISASTER, AGRYPNIE, CITY 13, LORDS OF BASTARD, THE DONKEYS, GOLDBLADE, BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE PRESENTS: BRENDAN CANNING, BLAND BLADEN, EUREKA MACHINES, BRIAN WILSON, PETALS ON A WET BLACK BOUGH, NARRATION, KISSING KALINA, THE REVELLIONS, KILLING JOKE... 

ORGAN 270 - HEY COLOSSUS, ROSE KEMP, MOTORHEAD, COP ON THE EDGE, GNOMES OF ZURICH, LITTLE JACKIE, JOY OF SEX, GNAW THEIR TONGUES, GEOFF SOULE, UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, JAGUAR LOVE, HELLFIRE, CRUISER, THE CHAIR, GORGOROTH, SONNY, REGURGITATOR, LAGWAGON, MILLENNIA, UNBUNNY, TZUN TZU, SUPENIK, ZEBRAHEAD, MOURNING RISE, SINISTER, THE BIKINI BEACH BAND, ZAG AND THE COLOURED BEADS, WHIMWISE, SUSAN GEORGE BOOTH, SERGEANT BUZFUZ, POPE JOAN, FOUR DEAD IN OHIO, THE VIEW FROM BELOW, THE INCONSOLABLES, THE SAVAGE RESURRECTION, LIZ PHAIR, BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB... 

ORGAN 269 - VESSELS, DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS, ELEPHANT 9, ART IN EXILE, WILD DOGS IN WINTER, DISSENTIENT REVOLT, TONAL OAK, THE STRIPPER PROJECT, GUTZ, 31KNOTS, INDIAN JEWELRY, KASAI ALLSTARS, NEW MECANICA, LONELY GHOSTS, AGNOSTIC MOUNTAIN GOSPEL CHOIR, RYE, RYE, LAST HARBOUR, THOSE WHO BRING THE TORTURE, RE-RENAISSANCE OF THE CELTIC HARP, BEN MARWOOD, VALKYR, EGEBAMYASI, THE CLOUD ROOM, HURRA TORPEDO, FIGHT LIKE APES...

ORGAN 268 - DOSH, VILE IMBECILES, QUEEN ADREENA, Z's, MOGWAI, DDD, ISOR, PURE REASON REVOLUTION, BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE, HEAVY HEAVY LOW LOW, SOUTH, SILVERY, THE LAZY DARLINGS, THRACIA, LATE OF THE PIER, FANTASY BAR, BLACK FLAME, THE VERVE, HERZOGA, THE STOOGES, FIGHT LIKE APES...

ORGAN 267 - KAYO DOT, SHEARWATER, OXBOW, HARVEY MILK, ONE DAY AS A LION, KONG, DEBUTANT, IDIOT SAVANT, THE JET BOYS, NADJA, THOMAS FUNCTION, SEBASTIAN BACH, ORGHIA, SANCTORUM, GROUND MOWER, DISARM, RON FRANKLIN, BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME, SABATRON, KAROSHI BROS, THE VIVIANS, THE HAIR, UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, THE EMERGENCY, DOOM. BIFFY CLYRO... 

ORGAN 266 - FIGHT LIKE APES, WE ARE SCIENTISTS, SAY BOK GWAI, THE KINGSIZE FIVE, THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE, SON VER & ELEPHANT LEAF, DAVID CRONENBERG’S WIFE, TRIPWIRES, DRAGONFORCE, LIFE OF AGONY, SCUL HAZZARDS, SOULFLY, RON ATHEY, ARCS OF RED. EPIPHANY, SHADE EMPIRE, YETI RAIN, SCHIZO FUN ADDICT, FAITH, SOFIA, LAVONDYSS, ROSE HILL DRIVE...

ORGAN 265 - LE GALAXIE, FIGHT LIKE APES, SCORCH TRIO, SUSAN GEORGE BOOTH, THE REAL McKENZIES, THE MARCHES, 28 DEGREES TAURUS, GHOSTED, PHANTOM FLOAT, ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMIES, Marie Vesco, Bonkersfest.. 

ORGAN 264 - VILE IMBECILES, THE LAST PEOPLE ON EARTH, BODIES OF WATER, ALGHAZANTH, TEASING LULU, THIS IS RADIO FREEDOM, BLAZE BAYLEY, EMPYROS, PLASTIC HEROES, THE BRUTE CHORUS, PORT O’BRIEN, VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR, DEAD HEAD, junk stalls, bath bombs... 

ORGAN 263 - FIGHT LIKE APES, LE GALAXIE, CAPILLARY ACTION, PEDRO, THE PSYKE PROJECT, SERPENTONE, MOTORPSYCHO, SLIM CESSNA’S AUTO CLUB, ALLA, HARVEY MILK, ZENITHAL, L.A. GUNS, VESSELS, LESS THAN JAKE, DAVID BOWIE, STUPIDS, NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS, THE 1990'S, HONKEYFINGER, SOUNDSHOK, TV SMITH, RICHARD LLOYD, THE DODOS, JAPANCAKES, SOULFLY, GLORIA CYCLES, VASECTOMY EGGS NAILER, SIGOR ROS...

ORGAN 262 - LAYMAR, WIRE. THE ROTTED, COLDPLAY, VERJNUARMU, THE COKE DARES, STONE GODS, URN, VILE IMBECILES, ROYAL TREATMENT PLANT, JESSE MALIN, AMEBIX, BLONDIE, PERHAPS CONTRAPTION, DOUBLE HANDSOME DRAGONS, KANEDA, WAVES UNDER WATER, SOSUMI, IRVINE WELSH PRESENTS THE BOOK SLAM, BITTER PIE and the SF ZINE FAIR

ORGAN 261 - MARIE VESCO, RESONANCE FM IS TEN, BLACKLANDS, STRAY DOG CAFE, HIGHTOWN CROWS, WE THE FACELESS, HEAR O ISRAEL – A PRAYER CEREMONY IN JAZZ, GRAND MAGUS, Q WITHOUT U, FREE KITTEN, MAMBO MANTIS, RUSSIAN CIRCLES, GUNSLINGER, BLACK LIGHT BURNS, CALABRESE, SIX REASONS TO KILL, GIANT PAW, DARK CAPTAIN LIGHT CAPTAIN, THOR, CROCUS, HADDONFIELD, ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES, FAT WRECK.....

ORGAN 260 - RUDE MECHANICALS, OPETH, BLACK DIAMOND HEAVIES, THE SANS PAREIL, RABBIT SEASON, LITHURGY, TASHA FIGHTS TIGERS, RING, MOSS, ZERO HOUR, TREES, MOCKINGBIRD, AKPHAEZYA, THE MORE I SEE, HISTORY OF GUNS, AMBERIAN DAWN, NUESTROS DERECHOS, ZAG AND THE COLOURED BEADS,  WIZARDS OF TWIDDLY, STUMP, THE DANDY WARHOLS, THE HYENAS, AIRBOURNE, NO 2 PAY 2 PLAY....