“We are part of an industry now where there are so many bands, it’s harder than ever to get noticed,” muses Tom Buxton, vocalist of Manchester alternative rock quintet A Mouth Full Of Matches; “Hence why we named the new E.P 'Smoke Signals’ - our lyrics tackle the topic of how are new bands meant to get on the map? We want to broadcast ourselves, we want to be heard.”
With that mission in mind, the aforementioned ‘Smoke Signals’ - set for a September 8 release - is a marked step in the right direction, its anthemic vocal refrains and songwriting largess sounding positively custom built for those big rooms with the big stages in them. Ahead of this, the official video for track 'Danger High' can be viewed now.
Taking their name from a line in ‘Milos’, a work by spoken word poet Anis Mojgani, A Mouth Full Of Matches - completed by guitarists Mark Holden and Jane Hebenton, bassist (and Jane’s twin sister) Helen Hebenton and drummer Steven Hall - have woven their band’s collective self of self out of Mojgani’s words:
“[Mojgani] writes ‘Run through these streets with me with a bucket full of gasoline and a mouth full of matches’,” Buxton relays.“In short he writes about how to live free, and keep that young spirit alive. Laugh in the face of danger and live life as if it were an adventure. The poem gave us our name and our message; we translated it as being about chasing your dreams and ambitions, trying to make them real. That's what we’re all about, and we are a very passionate band.”
After a triumphant, packed and sweaty sold out show at London’s XOYO last month, today cult artist Tom Vek announces an October tour, more festival dates added to the diary, and new single ‘Pushing Your Luck’ (due 25th August) – this is the second single from his third and highly anticipated album ‘Luck’.
‘Pushing Your Luck’, in true Vek style, is another immersive, hooky and infectious track with Vek’s signature glib vocal tones and simplistic yet repetitive composition. "'Pushing Your Luck' showcases Vek at his most frustrating and teases a themes the runs through the rest of the album. This frustration comes from the juxtaposition of an instrumentally great track with the chorus of the words “all you do is push your luck” repeated again and again’ say The 405. Listen below...
Tom Vek will undertake a 10-date tour this Autumn, culminating at London’s Koko on 15th October. He plays Latitude Festival, Boardmaster, Split, Y Not and Festival No 6 throughout the summer.
Londoner Tom Vek studied design at Central Saint Martins before his self-produced music was picked up by an independent label and subsequently licensed through a major, 2005's “We Have Sound” and 2011's “Leisure Seizure” were examples of how ambitious a lo-fi rock hybrid could sound. Luck is released on highly respected London independent Moshi Moshi.
MARKETA IRGLOVA is gearing up for the release of her second solo album—Muna—on September 22 via Anti-. As one half of The Swell Season, Marketa and Glen Hansard, both starred and performed their music in the treasured film Once, for which they won an Academy Award for the song “Falling Slowly.” The film and their music has since been translated to Once the Musical where it went on to win 8 Tony Awards and is currently both still running both on Broadway and touring the world.
For Muna, Marketa wrote an ethereal 11 songs over the course of a year and recorded it in Iceland (where Marketa now resides with her new baby girl) within six months with producer/engineer Sturla Mio Thorisson at the helm.
“I had been to Iceland for the first time with the Swell Season,” Marketa says. “I fell in love with it then and was sad to leave, although I knew someday something would bring me back. I am inspired by the open space, the wilderness of the nature, the strong energy coming from the land. There is a harmony, a balance, something that allows for a freer flow of creativity. It is easier to be one with oneself and one with everything and everyone around. This makes for better art, in my opinion.” Muna (“remember” in Icelandic, is a recurring theme throughout the breath of the album).
You can hear a brand new track from Muna, “This Right Here,” at http://youtu.be/N1eotn3hWGQ.
Muna features 27 musicians, utilizing full choral, string and percussion pieces, plus guests Rob Bochnik (The Frames), Iranian daf player and vocalist Aida Shahghasemi, as well as Marketa’s sister Zuzi on backing vocals. Inspiration for the album partially came from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar and a trilogy of books written by Neale Donald Walsh’s Conversations With God. “I believe God speaks through us in many ways, beginning with simple acts of kindness and ending with pieces of art that inspire millions for generations. All that matters is to try and get in touch with that part of ourselves and trust that which comes forth. I tried to that with this record.”
Marketa Irglova makes otherworldly music with exotic textures, tones and spirituality. Overall the album’s musical and lyrical themes take solace from the smallness of individual concerns when contrasted with the scale of the universe. “The result,” says Marketa, “is from the process of growing up—going through difficult times, getting lost and feeling left alone to find my way back.” And back Marketa is with a new album on September 22 and a new tour with dates listed below.
Nov-6th 2014 – Vondelkerk – Amsterdam (NL) – TICKETS
Nov-7nd 2014 – Rolling Stone Weekender – (DE) – TICKETS
Nov-11nd 2014 – Kulturkirche – Cologne (DE) – TICKETS
Nov-12th 2014 – Frannz Club – Berlin (DE) - TICKETS
Nov-13th 2014 – Botanique Rotunde – Brussel (BE) – TICKETS
Nov-17th 2014 – St. Pancras Old Church – London (UK) – TICKETS
The Killing US Series 1-3 Box Set makes its UK DVD and Blu-Ray debut 1 September
Based on the Danish The Killing (aka Forbrydelsen), one of the original ‘Nordic Noir’ hits that put this brand new genre on the map, with its renowned jumper-wearing detective Sarah Lund, comes the hugely popular US remake The Killing series one to three on DVD and Blu-ray.
To coincide with the release of The Killing season four on Netflix, Mediumrare brings the Emmy nominated The Killing seasons one to three to DVD and Blu-ray for the first time as one complete collection and also as single disc releases, with season two and three, all making their UK home entertainment debut on 1 September 2014.
Soaked in atmosphere, the slow burning, crime thriller stars Mireille Enos (Big Love) as Sarah Linden, the lead homicide detective who is assigned to the murder case of 17-year-old Rosie Larsen.
ENEMY directed by Denis Villeneuve featuringJake Gyllenhaal, Isabella Rossellini, Mélanie Laurent, Sarah Gadon will be released in Belgian theatres on 27th august 2014.
A man seeks out his exact look-alike after spotting him in a movie.
Jake Gyllenhaal (Prisoners, Brokeback Mountain), Mélanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds), Isabella Rosselini (Blue Velvet) and Sarah Gadon (A Dangerous Method) are featured in
'Enemy' by Denis Villeneuve (Incendies) based upon the novel 'O homem duplicado' by José Saramago
DUTCH VERSION:
ENEMYgeregisseerd door Denis Villeneuve met Jake Gyllenhaal, Isabella Rossellini, Mélanie Laurent, Sarah Gadon.
- BELGISCHE RELEASE 27 AUGUSTUS -
Jake Gyllenhaal (Prisoners, Brokeback Mountain), Mélanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds), Isabella Rosselini (Blue Velvet) en Sarah Gadon (A Dangerous Method) spelen de hoofdrollen in 'Enemy', een speelfilm van Denis Villeneuve (Incendies) naar de roman 'O homem duplicado' (De man in duplo) van de Portugese Nobelprijswinnaar José Saramago. De film is een uitdagende en verontrustende psychologische thriller over identiteit. Uiteindelijk kan maar één man overleven.
De relatie tussen universitair docent Adam Bell en zijn vriendin Mary loopt op zijn eind. Als hij ’s nachts naar een film kijkt ziet Adam in een bijrol een acteur die sprekend op hem lijkt. Hij besluit zijn dubbelganger op te sporen en vindt Anthony Clair, een acteur die samenleeft met zijn zwangere vrouw. De levens van de twee mannen raken vervolgens op bizarre wijze met elkaar verstrengeld.
