Each year we give our run down of ten acts that have caught our attention over the last few months and are set for bigger things in the coming year. These are artists that we’ve either seen as emerging artists at festivals or as support acts, or those that have released teasingly good singles and EPs during 2012. Some are old stagers, some are brand spanking new bands. To be boastful for a moment, we  have a pretty good track record with our lists, with the likes of Tigercats in our bands to watch out for in 2012 list  more than delivering this year with the release of their album Isle of Dogs. Tigercats also played at our Oxjam gig in October among a raft of gigs across the UK, France and Spain. Even when we mess up we just about get it right, our top act to watch out for in 2011 Django Django ended up spending most of that year in the studio, but did eventually become a huge success in 2012 to spare our blushes.

10. Owl and Mouse

Owl and Mouse, a four piece from London, fronted by Australian born songwriter Hannah Botting are self confessed lovers of “ukuleles and bittersweet pop songs”. They came to our attention on a set of free Christmas releases by Fika Records last December in which their tender track Sandwich Day was the perfect way to showcase Botting’s intimate, beautiful vocal style.

During 2013 they have plans for a UK tour during June and July and possibly some European dates too.  A split 7” picture disc single featuring their track Canvas Bags is due for release in January and you can catch them at the Hangover Lounge, at the Lexington on January 6, 2013, where they will be launching the release. An album release is also a possibility during 2013. Hannah says: “We’ve been at Soup studios with Giles (Barrett) from Tigercats and have enough material for an Album which we’re determined to release in 2013.”

Their five track EP, called EP One, is available for just £1 here. Incredible value.

9. Evans the Death

The summery indie pop spirit of the mid 1980s courses through the veins of this London band, which released their self titled debut in 2012.  Cut them and they bleed Shop Assistants and Mighty Lemon Drops. We just missed out on reviewing the album through time constraints, but are making amends now by recommending them for 2013, when they attempt to take the next step in their career by impressing the great and the good at the South By South West annual music meat fest.

Signed to Slumberland in the US and Fortuna Pop over here they already have two respected labels of the indie pop world to promote them and further their credentials as one of the UK’s most interesting new bands. Fans of Allo Darlin and Veronica Falls will find a lot to like in their music and we’ve been particularly impressed with the vocal talents of Evans the Death singer Katherine Whitaker.

8.Southern Tenant Folk Union

One of our favourites since the release of their last album Pencaitland. While broadly speaking this is a bluegrass act, they exhibit a range of influnces from soul to cinematic music to indie rock that gives them a real edge. Those that like Miserable Rich and Leisure Society will have a lot to like here and 2013 looks set to be a busy year with the release of their album ‘Hello Cold Goodbye Sun’ and a string of dates planned. This is set to be an excellent follow up to their previous album Pencaitland, which was among our highlights of 2011.

We caught their live set in Frome last year (pictured above) and urge you to go and see them when they play near you. Superb music that adds further depth to the vibrant British folk and roots scene.

To hear tracks from Hello Cold Goodbye Sun check out their soundcloud page.

7.Soccer 96

Brighton drums and keyboards duo Soccer 96 make some of the best low budget electronic music around. Powerful and catchy hooks that adorned their self titled debut album impressed us this year and during 2012 they were named as one of BBC 6 Music presenter Steve Lamacq’s ‘new favourite bands.’ They are primed for more live shows during 2013 to build on the good publicity they’ve already received during 2012.  This includes a show at The Green Door Store in their hometown in March with Can singer Damo Suzuki and members of Sons of Noel and Adrian.

They are also in the studio working with producer Dan Swift on some new tracks which, accordng to the duo,  “promises to be a real step up production wise” A second album release is pencilled in for 2013 and a  collaboration with Stereolab’s Joe Watson is also on the cards next year for the duo, who go by the pseudonyms Danalogue and Betamax to hammer home their back to basics approach to electronic music. As our review said of their debut album “The drums are heavy and the analogue synths pleasingly squelchy and bassy, with 8-bit style squeaks and beeps adding retro texture.”

6.Fever Dream

Fever dream play music you can lose yourself in. It’s what some might call showgaze, others call indie rock and they call “dark, fuzzy menacing music that blurs the line from noisy new wave to angular post punk.”

We were first introduced to them via 2011’s Vostok 5 compilation CD about space flight and since then they’ve released a self titled EP, which they will continue to promote during 2013.   They are back in the studio this month to record some new tracks. As Adey from the band tells us: “If we can scrape ten or so songs together, I’m sure we’ll call it an album.”

They played the Long Division and Land of Kings festivals during 2012 and more festival appearances during 2013 are sure to follow. Adey adds: “As we’ve only played one foreign gig so far – in a toilet, in Berlin – it would be good to spread our wings and creative juices all over the World, so if anyone fancies inviting us to play abroad we’ll jump at the chance.”

Fever Dream’s Soundcloud page can be found here.

5.Ralegh Long

This London based singer songwriter’s EP of piano ballads The Gift left us really impressed in 2012. There’s more to come in 2013 with a follow up EP planned, plus the possibility of a full band record. Heavily influenced by the likes of Bill Fay and John Howard his songwriting is full of subtleties few others can match.

Long is an emerging talent that you should keep an eye out for in the gig listing, where he tours with his band Primary 3 as well as solo, as well as the new release sections. Among our favourite of his tracks is Elizabeth from The Gift.

4. Boomgates

If you are in Australia next year we urge you to check out this Melbourne based indie supergroup Boomgates, who are oozing with DIY punk spirit, catchy indie pop hooks and fronted by one of our favourite singers, Brendan Huntley from Eddy Current Suppression Ring. Other members include Teen Archers’ Gus Lord, The Twerps’ Rick Milovanovic, Sean Gionis from Trial Kennedy and Steph Hughes, ex of Children Collide.

They’ve got a raft of gigs planned in Australia during 2013 to continue promoting the release of their 2012 debut album Double Natural and are sure to continue to pick up interest in the US, where Brendan’s stock is high after  a string of Eddy Current Suppression Ring releases on US garage punk label Goner. 2013 will also see them support Wilco during the Australian leg of their tour, which is certain to bring their ramshackle pop to a wider audience.

To here more tracks from their debut album click here.

3.Rotifer

Robert Rotifer has been knocking around the indie and alternative scenes of Europe and England for a while now and with a new album planned for 2013 we sense this will be one of his band’s most successful year’s yet. Now a three piece, Robert has assembled two of the UK’s most experienced  musicians , Death in Vegas’s Ian Button and The Television Personalities’s Mike Stone.

They were our headliner for our October Oxjam gig and have one of the best live guitar sounds around thanks to Rotifer’s playing and Button’s electronic wizardry. Their last album The Hosting Couple, which featured Darren Hayman on bass, was one of our highlights of 2011 and is worth checking out while you wait for their new album.

Rotifer’s Soundcloud page can be found here.

2.Esben and the Witch

Another Brighton band on our list, who are set to release their second album Wash the Sins Not Only The Face on indie heavyweight label Matador in January 2013, followed by a 12 day UK and Europe tour ending on Feb 26 at London’s Scala. Described by NME as “gothic not goth” they are as haunting and unsettling as that description suggests.

While their 2011 debut album received a reasonable response, from what we’ve heard of their latest release it’s set to  bring them to a far wider audience and make 2013 the busiest year yet for the band.

For more information visit their website here.

1.Stealing Sheep

This Liverpool trio with a folk surf feel somewhere between Pentangle and a Quentin Tarantino soundtrack have the accolade of being the best support band we saw all year. They quite simply  blew the crowd away when they supported Field Music on their sell out tour this year. By the end of 2012 their debut  album  Into the Diamond Sun, with great tracks such as Shut Eye, had received similarly excellent reviews and they were headlining shows in their own right.

It’s at 2013 festivals where you should particularly watch out for this band, after a run of successful festival gigs in 2012 garnered them even more attention. Great live band with a wholly original sound. A deserved number one in this list.

For more information about Stealing Sheep visit their website here.

Compiled by Joe Lepper

Here is our November preview of the best music releases and events in the coming month. Items marked with an * are currently scheduled for review on the site.

Album of the Month

Darren Hayman and the Long Parliament – The Violence

In the final instalment of the former Hefner man’s trilogy about his native Essex he turns his attention to the county’s 17th century witch trials in which more than 300 vulnerable, often destitute women, were slaughtered. It marks a poignant and sad end to the trilogy in which Hayman finally realises his potential as one of the best English folk artists around. See our review here.

Album/EP Releases

Nov 5 Friendly Fires – Late Night Tales•
Nov 5 Revival Hour – Clusterchord•
Nov 12 Crystal Castles – III

Live

Rotifer

Nov 3, London, Half Moon in Herne Hill, with Willard Grant Conspiracy
Nov 17, London, Rambling Rose/Haringay Arms, as part of The End festival

Rotifer

Tigercats

Nov 17, Paris, L’international
Nov 27, London, The Lexington with Let’s Wrestle
Dec 8, Nottingham, Chameleon Arts Café, with Fever Dream and Young Romance

First Aid Kit

Nov 20 and 21, Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London
Nov 22 HMV Ritz, Manchester
Nov 24, Queen Margaret Union, Glasgow
Nov 27, O2 Academy, Bristol

Our second live music showcase of 2012 at Brighton’s Quadrophenia-esque Green Door Store, which is tucked into the arches underneath the city’s giant Victorian railway station, featured three of our favourite UK acts Rotifer, Tigercats and Danny Kendall. The night was held as part of the Oxjam festival, with all profits from the night being donated to help causes in Africa through Oxfam.

Danny Kendall

First on the stage was Danny Kendall, the pseudonym of part-time Chris T-T and Jim Bob drummer Ben Murray, an act named after the troubled mid-80s Grange Hill character. For this gig his line-up was completed by Jen Macro and Lucy Parnell, two thirds of the band Something Beginning With L . The three piece took to their stools  for a quietly beautiful set of acoustic melancholia played on guitar and harmonium. ‘We’ve Never Been To Singapore’ was a high-point in an accomplished set of songs that showcased some lovely three part vocal harmonies and delicate melodies.

Tigercats

Tigercats, from east London, are spending much of 2012 touring venues across Spain, the UK and France promoting this year’s debut album Isle of Dogs. What makes them such an interesting act live and on the album is the mix of styles. There’s plenty of upbeat, indie guitar pop in their set, on tracks such as Banned at the Troxy and Full Moon Reggae Party, but it’s never relentless as their repertoire includes more thoughtful moments, perhaps best shown tonight through the tragic ballad Jonny and the sardonic call to arms from lead vocalist Duncan Barrett on Coffin For The Isle of Dogs. Highpoints  of tonight’s set included their dream like tour of London and one hit wonders on Vapours,  guitarist Stefan Schafer’s intricate guitar playing and the relentless energy of bassist Giles Barrett, who like Duncan was mysteriously barefoot for the performance.

Rotifer

Rotifer, the band fronted by Austrian born now Canterbury based songwriter, journalist, broadcaster and festival organiser Robert Rotifer, proved a worthy headliner, as they showcased a number of new songs from their forthcoming 2013 album as well as highlights from last year’s excellent mod-era influenced album The Hosting Couple and The Children of the Hill (2009).

What became apparent from their first few bars of opener Aberdeen Marine Lab, from The Hosting Couple, was what an accomplished live trio Robert Rotifer has created. With Death in Vegas’s Ian Button on drums and Television Personalities’ Mike Stone on bass they are seasoned pros who know all the tricks to a successful live set. Robert’s engaging banter about futuristic kitchens and newspaper practices won over those that were unfamiliar with his previous albums. While the raft of new songs: Now On There Is Only Love, By The Time November Comes, Ms Pendantovic Resigns, I Just Couldn’t Eat As Much As I’d Like To Throw Up and set closer Black Bag, proved an enticing glimpse of their forthcoming album for fans such as Tigercats, who later described Rotifer’s set as “furious” on their Facebook page.

Rotifer

Final mention goes to Robert Rotifer’s sumptuous guitar sound, played on a Japanese reissue of a custom 1962 Fender Telecaster through a Vox amp. The special ingredient we are told is the use of a EMR valve-driven spring reverb unit made by Button. “Every guitarist should have one,” says Robert proudly. We implore you to check out these three bands, who are not only a fine advert for the vibrancy of the UK music scene but also gave up their time for free for a good cause.

Words – Dorian Rogers and Joe Lepper. Pictures – Nic Newman.

More of Nic’s pictures from the night can be found on our Flickr page.

Forthcoming gigs by the bands.

Rotifer: Nov 3, London, Half Moon in Herne Hill, with Willard Grant Conspiracy; Nov 17, London, Rambling Rose/Haringay Arms, as part of The End festival

Tigercats: Nov 17, Paris, L’international; Nov 27, London, The Lexington with Let’s Wrestle; Dec 8, Nottingham, Chameleon Arts Café, with Fever Dream and Young Romance

Jim Noir, aka Greater Manchester based singer songwriter Alan Roberts, has been knocking around for a few years now peddling his DIY Beach Boys take on English pop with increasing critical acclaim. We are fans here, his music is interesting and full of wonderful hooks and influences from 60s psycheldia, Brian Wilson through to 80s electro pop.

So what does Jimmy’s Show, his latest album, add to the Noir collection? More of the same sumptuous pop harmonies and nods to English pop through the ages. But there’s an added edge with this album, which is arranged in two halves; the first full of his usual 1960s whimsy and the second turning darker, more austere with more of a 1980s synth pop influence. It’s a good mix, as while I enjoy the first half, there is a limit to how many songs about the Queen’s corgis, drinking tea and driving  an Escort Cosworth I can take.

Key songs in the whimsical half of Jimmy’s Show are the album’s first single Tea, and Sunny, with typically odd ball lyrics such as “riding a bike is tricky when your stabilizers are set in stone” amid lashings of harpsichord. Ping Pong Time Tennis, the one about the Queen’s corgis, is another highlight as it takes Noir’s whimsy to Bonzo-Dog Doh Dah Band proportions, complete with Vivian Stanshall impression.

On the second half Old Man Cyril with its new wave electro sounds and the slow psychedelic folk of Fishes and Dishes are among my favourites, with the latter providing a fitting close to the album.

Noir is one of those artists like Voluntary Butler Scheme and Rotifer that use their knowledge of pop music and skill in arranging to please both musos and those that just like a good tune.  Noir may not have hoards of screaming fans after him, but he’s still a pop star to us.

8/10

by Joe Lepper

Neon Filler is very proud to present a fabulous bill of bands as part of the Oxjam Festival this October. The three bands playing are Rotifer, Tigercats and Danny Kendall.

Rotifer

Rotifer is the work of Austrian born, England based, songwriter Robert Rotifer. His sixth album, The Hosting Couple, was the first release on Edwyn Collins’ AED label and was described by our reviewer as “Part Stones, part Kinks, part Bowie and even part Neil Innes in places”. Rotifer’s current line-up sees him backed by Ian Button (Death In Vegas) on drums and Mike Stone (Television Personalities) on bass. Listen to ‘Star City‘ from the Vostock 5 compilation and watch the video for ‘Canvey Island‘.

Tigercats

In 2011 we named Tigercats as one of our “ones to watch in 2012″. When they released their debut album this year they received a perfect 10/10 score, living right up to our high expectations. Our review described the album as “teaming with radio friendly, infectious hooks” and you can judge for yourself by listening to ‘Banned From The Troxy‘ or watching the video for ‘Full Moon Reggae Party‘.

Danny Kendall

Danny Kendall is the work of Ben Murray, sometime sticksman with the likes of Chris T-T and Jim Bob (of Carter USM fame). As Danny Kendall he released his debut EP this year and it is an understated gem, all sweet melodies and bittersweet lyrics. Listen to the fuzzy pop of ‘You Can’t Go Home Again’ or watch him in more melancholy mode playing ‘Waiting On The Engines’.

Click the image below to buy tickets on line.

Click on the Oxjam logo below to find out more about this great nationwide event.

If you are coming to the gig please add yourself to the Facebook event.

Many thanks to Nic Newman for the design work, The Print Room for posters, flyers and tickets and SWAT for posters and distribution.

Rotifer, fronted by Robert Rotifer the Austrian born musician, artist, broadcaster and writer, may just be the most familiar band you’ve never heard of.

Now a trio, with Darren Hayman on bass and former Death in Vegas man Ian Button on drums, this latest album is full of recognisable musical influences, mainly from the 60s and 70s.

It is perhaps  no wonder Rotifer has become one of the first acts to be signed to AED, the label created by Edwyn Collins whose career has been formed through a love of those decades.

Part Stones, part Kinks, part Bowie and even part Neil Innes in places this sixth album, and the first to get a UK release by Rotifer, focuses largely on the young Robert’s journey from Austria as a schoolboy to stay with a hosting couple in Canvey Island  during the summer of 1982.

The album, produced by Wreckless Eric in his studio in France, is full of references to English culture, mostly seen through the eyes of a child from Austria, from run down seaside towns and low quality 1980s English television to his  less than enthusiastic hosting couple, who spent most of the time sunbathing in their suburban garden surrounded by the stench of creosote stained fences and sheds.

It’s a nostalgic concept that works well, especially as years later Rotifer made Kent, the county located over the other side of the Thames estuary his home. Among my  highlights is the album’s centrepiece Canvey Island, full of lovely turns of phrases such as “white sock summer”.

Another is the first track I heard, Aberdeen Marine Lab, which was released on Youtube earlier this year. It’s my favourite on the album. Perfect pop.

Mr Extra Item Seat, like a mash up of Neil Innes and the Kinks, is another great track and riff of the album belongs to Ernst Jandell at The Albert Hall. The Kinks link is unsurprising given one of the young Robert’s highlights of his stay was experiencing the mod revival of the time. There’s also a hint of Elvis Costello on Ernst Jandell at The Albert Hall, also unsurprising as he was no doubt a familiar voice on radio at the time of Robert’s visit.

The album’s slow track, Art for the Spare Room, is perhaps the only one I’ve yet to warm to, although I concede it provides a necessary change of pace to the smart riffs and jangly pop of the rest of the album. I’m sure I’ll get there though.

While plundering the music of the 60s and 70s for influence can often go wrong (see Oasis) Rotifer’s genuine fondness for  the music and culture of the country he now calls home gives this album a warmth and honesty that other plunderers can only dream of.

8/10

By Joe Lepper

As I walk into the Buffalo Bar for the album launch of Rotifer’s new album ‘The Hosting Couple’, it seems strangely empty given that the first band is on in only fifteen minutes.  But this crowd are seasoned gig goers with expert knowledge of set times, within a few minutes of first band Ralegh Long & The Primary 3 taking to the stage the venue  soon fills up with a noisy and dedicated midweek crowd.

Ralegh Long eases the rabble into their evening with two songs which he confesses are “boarder-line depressive”.  This piece of honesty calms any doubters as the band play ‘their most upbeat number.

Ralegh Long

Despite their slightly grungy persona Ralegh Long & The Primary 3 are tight, but in a small venue like this, Ralegh’s voice struggles to make the impact that it would in a larger venue with more echo.  The group’s style is good though, and the chorus of ‘Range’ hasan uncanny resemblance to Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘America’.

Next up is Rotifer , the band fronted by Austrian born indie-popster Robert Rotifer and now a three piece featuring former Hefner man Darren Hayman on bass  and Ian Button (ex-Death in Vegas) on drums.  The atmosphere instantly changes as Rotifer jumps into the set head first making the crowd and most of all Hayman bop along to their 60’s and 70’s influenced music.  The band churns through their set which includes The Hosting Couple opener ‘The Drone’ with comfortable and experienced ease, with rocky solos being made to look simple.

Rotifer

In between songs Rotifer gets laughs from the crowd as he explains the how ‘The Hosting Couple’, one of the first released on Edwyn Collins’ AED label,  is based on his first holiday without his parents to Canvey Island.  Rotifer declares himself “challenged” when his beer froths up (probably on his guitar), but he certainly is not when it comes to captivating the crowd.  They happily bounce along to humorous songs about the contents of a kitchen and space, including The Cosmonaut Who Never Flew, one of two Rotifer songs on the Vostok 5 album released this year to honour the heroes of space travel.

The set finishes with an almost ‘London’s Calling’  rendition of ‘Jazz Cigarettes’, which concludes a highly polished yet relaxed and entertaining set.

By the time Allo Darlin take to the stage the small room is packed.  The four piece rip into the set and the overriding impression is how much the band enjoy playing their music.  Bassist Bill Botting jumps around with a huge grin on his face, making the small wooden stage shake, spilling his beer in the process.  He doesn’t care one bit though.

Allo Darlin'

Just as the band have got the crowd dancing more than they have done all night, lead singer Elizabeth Morris tells the crowd in her shy but affectionate way, ‘we only play this at this time of year’.  The song they play is ‘Will you please spend new year’s eve with me?’.  The performance is quite beautiful, with soft and cute vocals and completely in-time whistling from the other three members.  The crowd is so transfixed by the song that when it finishes there is a pause before they realise it has finished.

The remainder of the set is high tempo and there is a genuine air of disappointment when they play their last song.  The hyperactive crowd asks for an encore, and the band are more than happy to satisfy with what they describe as a “jumpy one”.  Their choice is Woody Allen which seems to do a good job of sending the crowd home satisfied, and ends a successful night at the Buffalo Bar.

by Danny Foy

Edwyn Collins launched his new record label AED with an exceptional live performance from label signings and Neon Filler favourites Rotifer at a party held at Notting Hill Arts Centre.

Analogue Enhanced Digital Records is the work of Collins along with James Endeacott, A&R supremo who found the Libertines when at Rough Trade and launched 1965 records- home to The View, but everyone’s allowed off days.

Rotifer

Throughout October the label release a single a week, the second being Rotifer’s Canvey Island, released October 10. Rotifer’s  sixth album is also due out on the imprint later this year.

AED signings Broken hands and Wide Sea also made live appearances as well as Collins and Endeacott DJ sets, with extra showbiz  pazzazz from cocktails mixed especially for the event- an Edwyn Collins, a New Morning Glory , and a not so appetizing sounding Rob Rot Roy.

Despite being a fairly small venue and being first band on, Rotifer quickly filled the performance area within seconds of taking the stage- everyone had been milling around the bar sampling the cocktails obviously.

The trio, completed by Ian Button on drums and Darren Hayman- yes, that Darren Hayman- on bass, didn’t need to work too hard as they were preaching to the converted, but that didn’t mean they were about to hold back.

Melodic 60’s tinged indie-pop is what was expected, and received, but Rotifer quickly dispelled any notions of twee as Hayman’s funky and somewhat erratic bass playing hugged the simple yet effective guitars.

The Cosmonaut Who Never Flew in particular was one of those songs where story-telling and melody combine in a gentle poppyness, while maintaining melancholic understatement.

Rotifer’s music is not exactly ground breaking, but when there are three musicians brought together by a love of indie-pop and melodies and oozing natural enthusiasm this barely matters.

Chummy band banter was scarce but this freed up time for an unplanned song between The Frankfurt Kitchen and set closer Canvey Island, gifting the audience an unexpected treat.

Rotifer produces gloriously simple indie which is timeless while acting as a compass to what AED hope to achieve. With help from other singings, Broken Hands, Wide Sea and Linden, and of course Collins’ and Endeacott’s contacts, it’s a label which is destined to generate a unique style and fan-base.

8.5/10

by David Newbury

An art gallery isn’t the normal venue we cover here on Neon Filler, but when some of our favourite musicians have produced the artwork it seemed too good to miss. The opportunity to see a selection of the artists perform songs was an added incentive on the first weekend of the group show.

The show is called Vostok 5 and is a collection of images on the subject of people and animals in space. Darren Hayman, Robert Rotifer, Paul Rains, Sarah Lippet and Duncan Barrett have supplied a range of cartoons depicting space dogs, cosmonauts, the moon, space monkeys, Star City and other similarly themed pictures.

Duncan Barrett

On the Saturday of the show three of the Vostok 5 treated the small packed gallery space to songs from the CD they have produced to accompany the show. Duncan Barrett opened proceedings with two delicate songs accompanied on an old organ. He was followed by Robert Rotifer who provided his tracks as well as offering up a song apiece by Paul Rains and  Sarah Lippett who were unable to perform on the day. Last up was Darren Hayman with his space themed songs, including a rendition of Hefner favourite ‘Alan Bean’, and one of the songs from his forthcoming album about the Essex witch trials.

Robert Rotifer

The songs were accompanied by interesting stories, facts and information about the songs and the subjects of the exhibition. If you managed to get to the show over the next few days (and I highly recommend you do), and any of the artists are present, then ask them some questions about the pictures. There is a real profound sadness about many of the images as well as reflection of human endeavour and a desire to reach the stars.

It is an excellent and understated exhibition and you can also pick up some original artwork, the limited edition CD, or one of the prints and posters on sale.

Darren Hayman

The show is at the Outside World Gallery in Shoreditch until September the 7th and you can find out more information on the Vostock 5 website.

There is also an opportunity to see all 5 of the Vostok 5 bands play at London’s Willmington Arms on Wednesday 21st September.

By Dorian Rogers

Really enjoying this first single from Robert Rotifer’s sixth album, which is due out later this year.

Recorded in France, at the home of  Wreckless Eric and American singer-songwriter Amy Rigby, it features Ian Button (formerly of Death in Vegas) and  ex Hefner frontman Darren Hayman as his band. For more information about Rotifer click here.