by Andrew Sacher

"It's a well-worn SXSW cliche for journos to talk of British bands being "out of place" at Austin - as if they expect all UK acts to turn up suppin' rough Bourbon and unveil their new bluegrass direction for y'all.

Yet Jamie Woon does seem an odd fit in more ways than one. His slightly awkward stage presence doesn't quite sit with his calling to croon directly to the three girls who've forced their way to the front row to dance. And his clean-cut image rests uneasily with the fact he's got a pen sticking out of his pocket (sorry to start laying down the law on this, but I'm not having my pop stars adorned with biros).

Woon has taken his vocal stylings from Stevie Wonder and comes equipped with the precision-drilled, soul-funk backing band to match this - the vague traces of dubstep and electronica that glide over his records are almost undetectable here, save for the odd swipe of Woon's fingers across some tiny FX boxes." [Guardian]

London based singer/songwriter Jamie Woon (who just played a number of shows at SXSW) is releasing his debut full length Mirrorwriting on April 11 via Candent Songs/Polydor. We first got a dose of Jamie's R&B based vocals on his 2007 EP Wayfaring Stranger. He's spent the last three years honing his sound while taking advice from and sharing production duties with dubstep mastermind Burial who Woon first teamed up with when Burial remixed "Wayfaring Stranger" from the 2007 EP.

Jamie Woon has scheduled a UK tour in May and June, but before he leaves North America, he'll play three more dates here including March 22 at Glasslands with FaltyDL, Mux Mool, & Magic Mountain (Tickets) and March 24 at Le Poisson Rouge with Mount Kimbie, Com Truise, and Muramic (Tickets).

Jamie Woon is not the only person Burial has been collaborating with recently. He is also preparing a 12" single with Thom Yorke and Four Tet. The single, featuring the tracks "Ego" and "MIrror" is set to be released on Four Tet's label, Text. Both tracks debuted March 15 on the London radio station Rinse FM. Radio rips of the tracks can be streamed below.

All dates, videos, and Mirrorwriting tracklisting below...

Continue reading "Jamie Woon is here -- tour dates, new album, videos & Burial (who is also working with Thom Yorke & Four Tet)"

by BrooklynVegan Mike

A friend of mine played me some stuff and said "you're the father of dubstep."

Tricky (who kicks off a US tour at Irving Plaza in NYC Thurday night) is never at a loss for words or a strong opinion. His career has been defined as much by his viewpoints on artists and music past and present as it has his ever shifting sound pallette. He has been called "the king of trip-hop," a moniker that he never liked and never quite fit. Though his debut Maxinquaye helped forge and popularize, along with Portishead and Massive Attack, the "Bristol" sound, every album since has steadily moved away from simple categorization.

"It's coincidence. To be honest with you, Portishead and Massive Attack, I don't know anything about their music; last time I heard Massive Attack's music was when I was in it, and I've never listened to Portishead. Even if I hadn't been in Massive Attack, that's not something I would listen to, it's not my thing. I don't know much about these bands." [said Tricky recently to The Skinny]

The forty year old, who was worked with everyone, from Bjork and The Gravediggaz, to Tool and Live, is back with his first album in five years, Knowle West Boy, and many are calling it a return. When we spoke, he was in a relaxed mood. He speaks with a hyper active patter that is engaging and contagious.

We began our conversation by discussing his absence away from music. Despite being quite consistent with his releases (putting out eight albums in eight years), this is his first record since 2003's Back To Mine. When asked about the long break, he suggested that he started to break away mentally before 2003. "September 11th took me off my stride," he said. "I was in the cycle of tour, record, tour, record. I was in L.A doing some work. I was to leave on a European tour on the 11th and everything happened. I didn't want to travel for a long time. I moved to L.A. And that took a year of my life. I was also looking for another label, and that took another year of my life as well. So really, the 11th of September just changed everything for me."

He has since moved back to England, a decision that has certainly influenced the new record. But when asked why at this stage in his career he would make a concept album about his youth (as was written here, and here), he replied "That's not really true. It's not just about my youth. There are a couple of songs [including the first single, 'Council Estate'] that are about my childhood but there are other songs on there. I think people are thinking that because of those songs as well as the title. Knowle West is a place where nothing good is supposed to come out of. I named the album Knowle West Boy to say, "look at me. I'm still here." He also scoffed at the notion that the record, which has received some of his best reviews since Angels With Dirty Faces, was a return to form. "That's basically because it's more accessible then say Pre-Millenium Tension. I could have put this kind of record out then but chose not to."

This got us talking about the Tricky "sound" and if, in fact, there was one....

Continue reading "an interview with TRICKY (on his new album, dubstep, grime, Bernard Butler, Switch, M.I.A. & more) "

hi

for a while theres been some talk about who i am , but its not a big deal. i wanted to be unknown because i just want it to be all about the tunes. over the last year the unknown thing become an issue so im not into it any more.
im a lowkey person and i just want to make some tunes, nothing else. my names will bevan, im from south london, im keeping my head down and just going to finish my next album, theres going to be a 12" maybe in the next few weeks too with 4 tunes. hope u like it, i'll try put a tune up later

sorry for any rubbish tunes i made in the past, ill make up for it

a big big thank you to anyone who ever supported me, liked my tunes or sent me messages, it means the world to me

big up everyone, take care, will ( burial )

"His announcement followed rumours in a newspaper that Burial might be a pseudonym for dance DJs Fatboy Slim or Aphex Twin." [BBC]

"In February the Independent reported that Will Bevan was Burial and Burial was Will Bevan. The electronica community was relatively nonplussed. 'So noted,' they seemed to say. Hot Chip's Joe Goddard recalled Bevan being ahead of him at the Elliot Smith school in South London. And that, quietly, was that." [Guardian]

Burial is up for this year's Mercury Prize.

And this year's nominees are:

Adele - 19
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
Burial - Untrue
Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
Estelle - Shine
Laura Marling - Alas, I Cannot Swim
Neon Neon - Stainless Style
Portico Quartet - Knee Deep In The North Sea
Rachel Unthank - The Bairns
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement

Which album "album from the United Kingdom or Ireland" did they miss this year? Last year the award went to Klaxons and the year before that it went to Arctic Monkeys who were also nominated last year which makes Alex Turner 3 for 3.

Laura Marling was just here in NYC last month. Estelle played a show in Brooklyn last night. Pulp won in 1996. Jarvis Cocker also played a show in Brooklyn last night. Maybe Adele was there.

Will Burial win it this year? Roni Size won in 1997. He beat Ok Computer that year. In fact, Radiohead has never won. This year is the fourth time they're nominated. Maybe they'll finally give it to them.

The mysterious Burial....

Continue reading "Burial to Mix Next DJ-Kicks"

Continue reading "Thom Yorke remixes and whatnot"