off city limits

mind the sprawl of ink over paper

2006-07-19T23:04:00.000+01:00

Hush the ManyMP3: Paper Doll / Song of a Page (via MySpace)Mind the Sprawl [EP] (2004, Handspun)Hush the Many (Heed the Few) prove that turning up early to a gig can often be a rewarding experience. The unusually intimate setup at Wolverhampton's Wulfrun Hall for Ed Harcourt turned out to be the perfect showcase for their delicate and intense folk. Like Nick Drake and Elliott Smith before him,

this one's for you

2006-07-16T21:17:00.000+01:00

Ed Harcourt Live at Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hallwith Hush the Many and The Tiny 4th June 2006 I know this concert was over a month ago, but I finally got my photos off my old computer and on Flickr. After two nights of Radiohead, I was concerned that whomever I saw after that would pale in comparison but Harcourt put on a wonderfully intimate show. It was a bit weird walking into the Wulfrun to

a neon hum for an awkward conversation

2006-07-16T19:14:00.000+01:00

Dragonflies Draw FlameMP3: Contrails (via Stressed) Stream: Seamonster Skeletons / Minibeast Display at MySpaceHarboured Safe (2006, Stressed) When you're a music junkie, the longer and purer the hit the better, so it's always satisfying when you discover a band early on in their career when their identity is still fluid and there's so much energy to vicariously enjoy. With Dragonflies Draw

Best of 2006 So Far

2006-07-12T00:46:00.000+01:00

After over a month of not being able to blog thanks to a six (!) year-old computer finally giving up the ghost, I'm back thanks to my sexy new laptop. Poor, but happy to have a new gadget to play with. It's nice to finally join the plasti-chrome, wireless digital paradise of the 21st century. And what better way to return than with a mid-year summary of 2006? If it's good enough for everyone

louder than ritalin

2006-05-29T19:11:00.000+01:00

Willy MasonMP3: Where the Humans EatWhere the Humans Eat (2004, Virgin) Stream more songs at MySpaceI know Willy Mason’s debut album Where the Humans Eat has been kicking around for over a year now, but I was only compelled to pick it up after seeing him open for Radiohead. The 21-year-old Massachusetts native draws on Bob Dylan’s raw, direct early lyrical and musical style (think The

everything in its right place

2006-05-25T00:14:00.000+01:00

Radiohead (with Willy Mason)Wolverhampton Civic Hall, 15th & 16th May, 2006MP3: How to Disappear CompletelyMP3: 15 StepMP3: Arpeggi(All hosted at YouSendIt / All recorded live in Wolverhampton, Monday 15th May, 2006)First of all, apologies for the lack of updates. I've been working ridiculous hours at the bar lately and last Saturday I was robbed while out and about in town, which left me with a

tear it all down and build it up again

2006-04-19T22:49:00.000+01:00

CalexicoMP3s: Cruel (via MySpace) All Systems Red [Acoustic Version] (via City Slang e-card) Garden Ruin (2006, City Slang)Garden Ruin, the fifth album proper from the Tuscon, Arizona based purveyors of desert-noir marks a sonic departure from their trademark fusion of alternative country, traditional Latin music, cinematic ambience and experimental noise, with

the world is our carpet now

2006-04-11T20:40:00.000+01:00

Guillemots MP3: Made Up Lovesong #43 Stream: Trains to Brazil, Who Let the Lights Out Baby? at Myspace From The Cliffs [EP] (2006, Fantastic Plastic)From the Cliffs compiles Guillemots' debut EP I Saw Such Things In My Sleep with their first single Trains to Brazil to create a mini-album intent on introducing this multinational four-piece to American listeners. Fronted by the wonderfully

all they want is the feeling

2006-04-05T23:46:00.000+01:00

Broken Social SceneMP3: Stars and Spit7/4 Shoreline [Single] (2006, City Slang) This superb mash-up/remix fuses two tracks from the Toronto supergroup's 2003 classic, You Forgot It In People; the fuzzy bass and persistent beat of 'Stars and Sons' are united with the lethargic vocals from 'Lover's Spit'. The added distortion and bite thrown into the mix mean that it wouldn't sound out of place on

i woke beneath a clear blue sky

2006-04-03T21:06:00.000+01:00

Josh RitterMP3s: Thin Blue Flame / Girl in the WarThe Animal Years (2006, V2) [click here to stream the album]All MP3s via JoshRitter.comIt's been a good year so far for Americana, with new releases from Cat Power, Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins, Calexico (more on them shortly) and Ireland's favourite adopted son, Josh Ritter. The Idaho native's previous two releases have both been solid

there is no certainty, only opportunity

2006-03-30T00:42:00.000+01:00

I just got back from seeing the Wachowski Brothers’ adaptation of Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta (directed by James McTeigue). While it does dispense with some of the moral ambiguity and political nuance of the original graphic novel, it certainly does not deserve the critical tongue-lashing it has received at the hands of the broadsheet newspapers (both The Times and The Guardian awarded it a

just to take the edge off

2006-03-27T21:09:00.000+01:00

Wow... no updates in a year. I really suck at blogging. It's an exciting time for me musically at the moment though, so hopefully I'll be able to keep this up for more than, oooh, a week. First off, it looks like I'll finally get to promote and DJ my own indie and alternative night at the bar I work at, so I'll be spending a lot more time on the web looking for the next Arctic Monkeys or whatever

on the first bus out of town

2005-05-24T12:57:00.000+01:00

Belle and SebastianLazy Line Painter JaneFrom the 2CD EP collection Push Barman to Open Old Wounds (2005, Jeepster/Matador)purchase: UK/USWhen I first read that Belle and Sebastian were collecting together their seven EPs for Jeepster Records as Push Barman to Open Old Wounds, I have to admit my reaction was mixed. Of course, it’s nice to have the 25 non-album tracks readily available on one 2-CD

turning away from the light

2005-05-21T20:10:00.000+01:00

off city limits will return properly early next week, now that I've finished University. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this downloadable mix I put together. I wanted to make an indie compilation that mixed funky basslines, electronica and lo-fi fuzz with a little late night attitude. I'm pretty sure I'll be writing about some of these artists in the coming weeks, so consider it a preview.

just saying hi

2005-04-19T00:17:00.000+01:00

I just wanted to let you know that off city limits isn't dead in the water, it's just taking a brief hiatus while I finish up (in other words, write most of) my dissertation. I will be posting far more frequently after the first week of May. I have a huge amount of stuff I am dying to write about; sadly, Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg are the only things I can allow into my head right now. In '

don't let it get near you

2005-04-10T16:16:00.000+01:00

Beck Forcefield He's a Mighty Good LeaderFrom the album One Foot in the Grave (1994). 'He's A Mighty Good Leader' via Epitonic.Purchase: UK/USSatan Gave Me a TacoFrom the album Stereopathetic Soul Manure (1994).Purchase: UK/US. With the release of Beck's eighth album Guero a couple of weeks ago, I thought it would be as a time as any to take a look back at the stripped-back blues of One

take what you're given and keep what you have to say

2005-04-03T20:38:00.000+01:00

RivieraAshes on the Moon/Stranded (right-click to save)From the album At the End of the American Century(2005).Purchase: US & UK.Friends in CaliforniaFrom the Broken Hearted Dreams EP (2003). Purchase: US & UK. Recently I heard someone bemoaning the lack of great alternative country bands around at the moment. Anyone feeling that way should look no further than Chicago's Riviera, a

i've never been much for stories

2005-03-31T19:10:00.000+01:00

tom thumbBoot(y) Camp/ Gracie's Mine/ Time's ArrowFrom the album ...Songs From Holiday (2004)To purchase click here. Lyrically, I think the best solo singer-songwriters are those with an eye for detail, those who can make the minutiae of everyday life sound compelling. After all, there are only so many themes to be ploughed. Rhode Island artist Tom Thumb (aka Andy Arch) is no exception;