Yoro Diallo by Egyptian Hip Hop
Check out this totally psych vid from Manchester’s Egyptian Hip Hop, a kind of 60s pastiche which looks as if it could’ve been filmed in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park circa ’67 (it’s probably Runcorn). Alarmingly, the large pipe at the beginning brings to mind the storm drain entrance to Pennywise’s lair in terrifying clown-horror TV flick, It. London fans should float on down (‘they all float down here Richie …’) to Corsica studios tonight to catch them live; clown suits optional.
11 Oct 2012
Snipe Likes: Someone Needs a Ritual by Torches
To the casual observer it may seem as though some of us here at Snipe are guilty of supplementing our meagre incomes with fortnightly bungs from London’s Torches, so frequently do Charlie Drinkwater and co. appear on our pages. However, if these stylish gloom-poppers continue to churn out dramatic, fist-clenching indie anthems like the track below, it’s nothing less than our duty to bring it to your attention. Someone Needs a Ritual, their second single, is out November 5 on Heart Throb Records. Catch them tonight at White Heat, at Madame Jo Jo’s.
09 Oct 2012
08 Oct 2012
(This is Why) I Can't Wear White by Flock of Dimes
It’s great when a song starts inauspiciously and you’re just about to press the stop button and then a huge, spine-tingling chorus comes along and it’s the best song you’ve heard for ages and it restores your faith in the human race and art and … you get the picture. Flock of Dimes, brought to you by Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner, are releasing a series of limited edition 7” singles via French Kiss, the third and final of which is streaming below. Buy it physically November 20.
08 Oct 2012
TRUST a stranger
Snipe caught up with New Yorker and rising gothic-techno artist TRUST, aka Robert Alfons, amidst the flurry of preparation for the UK release his eponymous debut album.
Adjectives that spring into mind when listening to Trust: dark, heavy, sludge, muffled, gothic, disco. I like the description: “a hit factory buried deep in the mud”… tell us about your aesthetic, and how it was born?
Thanks John. The songs on this record definitely started from a small setting, sometime just a melody or on the piano. It’s also inspired by my odd digestion of pop music. No matter where the songs started, the dream for each song is the stars.
You created this project with the wonderful Maya Postepski – how did the project come about? Did you work in same physical space, or was it an internet-recording project?
It was great to collaborate on this album with Maya, I think we did some great work together. But I’m really excited about all the new stuff I’ve been writing while on tour this year. The next album is really shaping up.
You are probably tired of answering this – but was a difficult decision to start playing shows without Maya? I guess her touring commitments with Austra would have been quite crippling otherwise.
The live show is the best it’s ever been, and I’m so happy with my band! The audiences’ response has been great.
Who are the new personell? Was it fun translating the album to live?
I’ve got two babe lady backup musicians. It’s always a pleasure to rework the material for the live setup, it really reinvigorates the songs.
Tell us about the visual world of TRUST. Do you have specific artists and designers (fashion & visual) you work with, or are inspired by?
I’ve been lucky to work with some very talented people, Petra Collins, Norman Wong, Kristie Muller, to name just a few. I hope that my music brings me more collaborative opportunities in the future.
Do you feel like part of a specific community or scene?
It’s always great when I get away from the insular world of writing music and play shows because I start to feel like I’m a part of a musical community. I feel so lucky to have shared the stage with so many talented performers.
Are there new material, remixes, projects, singles on the way?
I’m going hard on material for the next record, looking forward to sharing some sneak peeks soon.
It seems like the internet has shrunk the distance between bands and their fans. Do you like to talk to your listeners and fans online, or hang back? If you do, where should people reach you?
You can find me on Twitter and Instagram ‘tr_st’ and ‘robertalfons’ respectively.
See TRUST live on 9th October at the Shacklewell Arms. The album is released in the UK on Arts & Crafts on October 22nd.
05 Oct 2012
Snipe Likes: Become Someone Else's by Jens Lekman
Earnest Swedish troubadour Jens Lekman has a knack for writing acutely observed songs concerning the minutiae of adult relationships. He’s also rather handy with a tune too, as this cut from his recent full-length I know What Love Isn’t – out now on Secretly Canadian – ably demonstrates.
04 Oct 2012
Dan Deacon - Crash Jam
We’ve been in love with Dan Deacon‘s hyper-positive mood-boosting electronic noise since the epic and euphoric track Wham City. His new album America, out now on Domino, keeps the manic energy rolling. Listen to the latest single culled form that collection, Crash Jam (released November 19th on Domino) below.
03 Oct 2012
Snipe Likes: Sparrow by Woodpecker Wooliams
Is there anything more terrifying than dancing paper silhouette puppets? No there isn’t, which is why this video from Brighton’s Woodpecker Wooliams makes for a pretty tough watch, but that shouldn’t detract from the really very cool song contained within. Gemma Williams has been compared to a ‘homicidal Disney heroine, singing songs of violence and desire’ and her new album, The Bird School of Being Human, is available now through Robot Elephant Records. Catch her at the Union Chapel for a lunchtime show, October 13.
02 Oct 2012
The Wheel by SOHN
Those who’ve heard London/Vienna-based SOHN’s previous online-only tracks, Oscillate and Warnings, will be aware the producer and multi-instrumentalist’s weapon of choice is his voice. Vulnerable and quivering, its timbre perfectly suits his fragile songs. On The Wheel, his first single release, SOHN – the character at least – sounds more emotionally confident, chastising his lover with ‘all this fuss over nothing, re-inventing the wheel’ – or is he chastising himself? The Wheel is out Nov 5 through fledgling label Aesop. Head to his website for a free download of those aforementioned online-only tracks.
01 Oct 2012
Snipe Likes: The Silicone Veil by Susanne Sundfør
Glacial Norwegian pop princess Susanne Sundfør plays London’s Communion October 7 and releases her new album, The Silicone Veil, October 15, so we thought we’d post the video for the title track. Check out the equally stunning White Foxes, here.
01 Oct 2012
Snipe Highlights
Some popular articles from past years
- Only 16 commuters touch in to Emirates Air Line, figures reveal
- The five spookiest abandoned London hospitals
- The best church names in London, and where they come from
- Nice Interactive timeline lets you follow Londoners' historic fight against racism
- Random Interview: Eileen Conn, co-ordinator of Peckham Vision
- An interview with Desiree Akhavan
- A unique collection of photos of Edwardian Londoners
- Nice map of London's fruit trees shows you where to pick free food
- Diary of the shy Londoner
- Hope and despair in Woolwich town centre
© 2009-2025 Snipe London.