Zebra and Snake - Money In Heaven

We love this Finnish alt-pop duo. Money In Heaven is the shiniest jewel in their sparkling collection, and finds them doing what they do best – putting a human heartbeat back into synth-pop. There’s a reason this genre was at it’s best in the 1980s; it still referred to the kind of emotions found in the music that had come before. Zebra and Snake have distinct traces of religious music in their sound, courtesy of Tapio’s strict Lutherian upbringing in rural Finland, and they freshen up the classic synth-pop template with youthful energy. The album, “Healing Music”, is out in May.

Timelapse video of London after dark December 2011 - March 2012

London // Night // 2012 from Theycallmejan on Vimeo.

Created by Theycallmejan and filmed from Paramount in Centrepoint.

London agenda for Tuesday 27 March 2012

1. Listen to author Pat Long, Quietus editor John Doran, Pitchfork UK editor (and one-time Snipe writer) Laura Snapes, music prof Stevie Chick, and PA editor Andy Welch discuss the history of the NME at Rough Trade [Le Cool]

2. Discuss ‘Trout Fishing in America’, followed by stephenmcaines, at the Working Man’s [Run Riot]

3. Hear the swooning but raucous take on doo-wop and frazzled, fragile representation of soul inspired rock of Slow Club [Don’t Panic]

4. Really, Time Out? Tonight you recommend Mad Men? [Time Out] Try harder.

5. Put down the brick and contemplate What Are The Legitimate Ends And Means Of Protest? [Ian Visits]

6. Sit in the Channel 4 Garden [Tired of London]

Adele gets her tax cut, but don't expect the musicians to stop moaning yet

 “The tax man’s taken all my dough” lamented Ray Davies in the Kinks’ Sunny Afternoon. That was 1966, but, says Mike Bonnet, the 2012 budget has finally answered the question: “Won’t anyone think of the multimillionaire musicians?”

Echo Of Love by The Shutes

Is this the best (only) band to emerge from the lush, green pastures of the Isle of Wight since The Bees? On the basis of Echo of Love, the title track of their new EP out April 2nd on Cross Keys Recordings, the answer is a resounding yes. Catch their delicate, note-bending, pastoral guitar-pop at the George Tavern, April 4th.

London agenda for Monday 26 March 2012

1. Join the anarchists discussing the intelligence of crowds and crowd control [Le Cool]

2. Then discuss how the aesthetics of protest are informed by the visual arts and vice versa at the Museum of London [Run Riot]

3. Viddy the stage production of A Clockwork Orange at the Arcola [Flavorpill]

4. Listen to Porcelain Raft at the Lex [Don’t Panic]

5. Explore the churches, theatres, sex shops, brothels, restaurants and pubs of Soho with Simon Fanshawe [Ian Visits]

6. See the Mottingham Ice Well [Tired of London]

Brainlove Festival Is FIve - 2012 London Festival Announced

London indie label Brainlove has announced that the fifth annual Brainlove Festival will be held this May 26th at the Brixton Windmill.

The lineup includes bands form the label’s roster such as Napoleon IIIrd, Mat Riviere (pictured) Bleeding Heart Narrative and Andrew Paul Regan, with guest appearances from promising outfits like Crushed Beaks, Female Band, Dad Rocks! and Keel Her.

There’s more about the festival here and tickets are on sale now priced £12 in advance.

Get a taster of the Brainlove roster via the MPfree compilation below.

London in the year 2000 as seen by the 1960 film, Beat Girl

Islingtongue has found this vid of the 1960 film, Beat Girl. Press play to see an architect tell his wife about the fantastic world of tomorrow, a London, where “Grime, filth, poverty, noise, hustle and bustle, these things will be unknown.”

The whole film is there – it’s actually a cracking good exploitation flick.

From YouTube

Paul, a divorced architect, marries Nichole, a woman from Paris. His teen daughter Jenny has fallen in with the English beatnik scene and likes to hang out in cave-like clubs to listen to jazz and rudimentary rock’n‘roll. Jenny takes an immediate dislike to her mother-in-law, who is not that much older than she, and goes out of her way to make life miserable for Nichole. When Jenny discovers that Nichole is a friend of one of the strippers from the dance hall across the street, she investigates and uses Nichole’s sordid past to embarrass her father. Meanwhile Jenny attracts the lecherous eye of Kenny, the owner of the dance hall.

Hat tip to The Great Wen

The Shape Of Things To Come by Nick Zammuto

Since calling time on decade-old, New York two-piece the Books late last year, Nick Zammuto has been busy putting the finishing touches to the self-titled debut from his new, eponymously named band. Zammuto is out April 3rd on Temporary Residence. Fans of the Books will find solace in the quirky musicality and experimental vibes of today’s MPFree.

London is home to some of the fastest walkers in the world. But we need to get faster

In 1989, researchers found that Londoners walk fast. Morning commuters were clocked at an average speed of 1.68 metres per second.

For context, world record pace for the 10,000m walk is 4.4 metres per second.

A further study in 1999 placed us fourth on the list of fast walking cities, behind only Dublin, Amsterdam and Zurich.

This is something to be proud of. There’s nothing worse than being stuck behind a slovenly ambler when you’re desperately trying to forge ahead with your busy busy urban life.

And it’s something we can all help with, as a matter of civic responsibility. I suggest to all readers that you download a speedometer app and monitor your own pace as you go about your daily lives.

If you’re consistently below 1.68 m/s, I’m afraid you’re letting the side down. You should buck your ideas up, get your head down, and feel those calf muscles burn.

Or expect to be shouted at to get out of the bleedin’ way. The choice is yours.

The Atlantic Cities – Why People in Cities Walk Fast