I may not be at Glastonbury this year, and will in fact be playing that wonderfully English game of cricket over the weekend instead, but that doesn’t mean you should miss out on the BBC’s live coverage of pretty much everything that is going on in the fields of mud.

If you’re near a digital radio or anything with an internet connection then here are some highlights of what 6Music has on offer to get yours ears around:

Saturday
1pm – 2pm – Steve Lamacq has Warpaint and Two Door Cinema Club live on the show.
2pm – 5pm – Lauren Laverne is offering up TBW favourites Noah and the Whale.
5pm – 8pm – Stuart Maconie has Graham Coxon and Bright Eyes live.

Undertow by Warpaint
Two Door Cinema Club – Undercover Martyn
Noah And The Whale – Tonight’s The Kind Of Night
Graham Coxon – Freakin’ Out

Sunday
7am – 10am – Andrew Collins have live music from Radiohead (the worst kept seceret in town), Bon Iver and Yuck.
10am – 1pm – Adam & Joe have Wild Beasts, The Kills, and The Walkmen
2pm – 5pm – Lauren Laverne has The Joy Formidable and Laura Marling
5pm-8pm – Stuart Maconie has Lykke Li, Bombay Bicycle Club, and Paul Simon (!)
8pm – 10pm – Cerys has The Eels and Mumford & Sons
10pm – midnight – Steve Lamacq hs some QOTSA to close off proceedings.

Radiohead – Supercollider
Milkshake by Yuck
The Walkmen – Blue as Your Blood
Laura Marling – Candlelight
I Follow Rivers by LykkeLi
Mumford & Sons – Little Lion Man

All that coverage and I haven’t even mentioned The Wombles that may or may not be clearing up the campsite after a weekend of muddy debauchery. I’ve heard once they’re outside of Wimbledon they become completely different people…

(Photo courtesy of Steel Wallis)

Glastonbury Coverage was originally published on The Blue Walrus

Regular readers of The Blue Walrus will be aware that I run an independent record label called Dustbowl Records, and I thought it was about time I gave a little update on all things Dustbowl, as what I’m up to with that links quite nicely with some of the music I’ve been writing about here recently…

This week we hosted The Mariner’s Children and Tristram at The Bicycle Shop in Norwich, and it was amazing. It was a sell out gig and a very sweaty one at that; much fun was had by everyone, except for the droves of people we had to turn away at the door once we reached capacity. If you haven’t already had the pleasure of hearing these two sensational bands, and indeed anything else the lovely Broken Sound Music have up their sleeves, have a gander now. You’ll be thoroughly impressed. Our next show is with the wonderful Pete Roe, also at The Bicycle Shop, and fingers crossed it’ll be another sell out!

Focusing slightly more on my own roster, many will have heard that Adelaide’s Cape quit music back in July, just a couple of months after I put out his first record, and after he and I did much touring around the country. A real shame. Anyway, the remaining copies of his EP ‘Last Sleep In Albion’ are now available for the discounted price of £2.99 through our Dustbowl Records shop – click here to buy a copy. I’ve included a free download from Adelaide’s Cape below to try and tempt you into buying a copy…

Adelaide’s Cape – Curled by thebluewalrus

Finally, I’m mysteriously going to announce that Dustbowl Records has found its latest band to sign. The only hint I’ll give you at this point is that they’ve recently been featured on The Blue Walrus, and that they fit with the vibe and ethos of the label. Feel free to hazard a guess if you’re feeling daring. More on that soon; very excited.

Oooh, and it’d be lovely if you’d “like” Dustbowl Records on Facebook please. We like to be liked. I’ll make you a cake if you like us. What kind of cake? Your choice entirely.

http://www.facebook.com/dustbowlrecords

Dustbowl Records Update was originally published on The Blue Walrus

The launch night is this friday (24/09) with live sets from The Subs and Man Like Me, and DJ sets from The Whip, Hatesy and others (flyer below) – get yourself along.

Counter Culture is just under London Bridge Station at 7-9 Crucifix Lane, London, SE1 3JW

Counter Culture was originally published on The Blue Walrus

Firstly, last month we joined the Strangers in Stereo music blog collective – which is a group of 25 of the best music from around the globe joining forces both online (the SiS website which highlights content from each member blog alongside original features), and offline (SiS launched with a party at SXSW and we are looking forward to being part of more of that in the future). We haven’t hidden the fact that we’re pretty psyched about joining the ranks of Cream Team, The Culture of Me, Disco Demons, Disco Punk, First Up!, Forward Music, Hard Candy Music, The Music.fm, The Music Ninja, MuuMuse, Nialler9, One Thirty BPM, Pigeons and Planes, Pretty Much Amazing, The Recommender, Sheena Beaston, Tastes Like Caramel, Stoney Roads, Too Many Sebastians, Tympanogram, Vinyl & Vodka, We All Want Someone To Shout For, The World in a Paper Cup, and Yours Truly.

Secondly, I was interviewed about all things Walrus and music on Hype Machine Radio this month (thanks Dev!). If you ever wanted to know how and why I got into this in the first place, or how the name The Blue Walrus came about, or just love new music (this last one is obviously true if you’re reading this) – then go and have a listen. This month, TBW is featured alongside the phenomenal Daytrotter, Weekly Tape Deck, and Loudersoft.

Thirdly, I just wanted to give a shout out to Lauren who has come back to writing for TBW after touring with a bang (and some amazing new discoveries), and Hamish who is starting to get back involved as well. Not only that, but we may hopefully have another writer joining us in the near future, and whilst I’m keeping her identity quiet for the time being.- I’m pretty excited.

Busy busy busy – Strangers in Stereo and Hype Machine Radio was originally published on The Blue Walrus

We are lucky enough to have a pair of tickets to give away, and you can enter this competition in a couple of ways (and yes you can enter twice by doing them both):

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED

This competition is only open to those with UK addresses I’m afraid and if you enter make sure you’re free to go to the festival. The closing date for entries is 21/07/2010.

Thank you to InterCasino for providing the tickets.

Field Day [Twitter | MySpace | Facebook]

Just to get you all excited – here’s the lineup

Competition: Win Field Day 2010 tickets was originally published on The Blue Walrus

6 Music is, in my mind at least, exactly what this so called digital revolution with more space for radio stations was supposed to be for. They have taken the ideas and aims behind the late great John Peel‘s radio show and turned that into an entire station, helping struggling artists and unsigned bands get a leg up towards wider recognition. It has become a fantastic breeding ground for new musical talent, and helps foster and channel those talents so that the wider listening public will get to hear new music.

Radio 1 and Radio 2 cater to a wider listening audience and serve their purposes well, but they don’t foster grass roots talent – that is not their objective and never really as been outside of a few shows such as that of Huw Stephens and a couple of others. I don’t mean to insult Huw at all – he does an excellent job of scoping new talent, but his is just one show whilst 6 Music is a whole station. So where do the bands come from before they get the mainstream media attention, a record deal and onto the playlists of Radio 1 or 2 depending on their audience demographic? That is where 6 Music sits, as the first baby steps of exposure for new bands.

Yes, before 6 Music was launched bands had to find other ways to scramble into mainstream playlists and some found fame, but so much good music was never heard as bands never got that lucky break. And that was it, luck had a good part to do with getting discovered. 6 Music is one of the reasons that the current musical landscape is so exciting, with new coming to mainstream attention more quickly. Yes blogs (possibly like this one…) are another reason, and we’d all like to claim a role in the launch of a few careers, but the BBC has the infrastructure and access to the public consciousness that no other media entity can compare to, and using that power to foster new talent is what I see as one of the primary roles of the BBC. In their Mission Statement, the BBC claim “creativity is our lifeblood” – well this is where that comes from. The BBC = talent (not U2!), and 6 Music is where that talent gets discovered.

As Matthew over at Song, by Toad put so eloquently “Radio One is what is already happening, and Radio Two is what was never happening.  These stations are entirely dominated by the finished article, but who is going to finish that article for them?  In the absence of 6Music there will be the shiny, professional mainstream at one end, and tiny DIY enterprises like this one at the other, and absolutely not a single bloody thing inbetween.”

Mark Thomson (BBC Director General) claims that 6 Music overlaps too much with commercial stations. Really? Can someone, anyone point me to a commercial station that covers such a wide variety of musical styles and tastes? Or one that puts quite so much effort into scoping new talent? Yes Xfm offers some good indie and alternative playlists and some of the artists may not have a mass following yet, but that would conflict more with Zane Lowe’s show on Radio 1 than anything on 6 Music.  If you want commercial overlap look at both radio 1 and Radio 2, I’m quite happy with them and the BBC doesn’t seem to want to change them, but between them the majority of their shows overlap with almost every commercial station in the UK from Absolute Radio to Capital FM. The Beeb has never pussy footed around the commercial sector, and just because Murdoch’s son has started whining because he can’t monetise parts of his media empire does not mean now is a time to start. And even if it was, 6 Music is not what the BBC’s commercial competitors are complaining about.

What can you do about this?

Most importantly listen to 6Music and appreciate what they do
(no-one likes those who fight for a cause because they read about it in the paper and thinks they should… *ahem* Daily Mail readers *ahem*)

Social Media and Online support
Sign the petitions at Petition FM and Go Petition
Join the Save BBC 6Music Facebook Group
Fill in this BBC Strategy Review consultation form and email them to make sure they know your thoughts.

Show your support in person

There is a free gig in support of 6 Music at 93 Feet East on May 4th showcasing some of the fantastic talent 6Music has nurtured over the years including Ian McNabb (Icicle Works), Goldheart Assembly, I Like Trains, RedTrack, We Rock Like Girls Don’t, Shabby Rogue, Isa & The Filthy Tongues, and Alexander Price.
Bands are on from 18.30.

In a band?

Do some busking in front of the BBC Broadcasting House. Record it and upload the video to Youtube and post the video to the Facebook group

(Thank you to Love 6 Music for the pictures from the protest)

Save BBC 6 Music – free gig to show support was originally published on The Blue Walrus

I’ve already waxed lyrical about how much I love the idea behind the PEACE musical atlas compiled by the Buffetlibre duo, but it gets released next month and we’ve got an update with the full and ridiculously impressive list of artists across the globe and a few more MP3s to share.

PEACE is conceived as the first musical atlas online, with more than 150 brand new  songs by artists from more than 50 countries/territories. PEACE will be available digitally worldwide on April 12 …and the best part? All the proceeds go to Amnesty International and their campaign for human rights across the globe and you can choose how much you want to pay/donate (minimum €2) And you don’t have to listen to Bono’s whining!

But to get you thoroughly enthused here are a few samplers

Marissa Nadler – I Love My Man
The Antlers – Two (Buffetlibre Remix)
The Requesters – Breakin’ Up
Ivri Lider – Mike
Plushgun – Mixtapes
Bonde Do Role & DJ Chernobyl – Dolphins
The Toxic Avenger – NU 1553
Ryuichi Sakamoto feat Christian Fennesz – PEACE
Jeremy Fowler – Lost In This Garden
Wanlov The Kubolor – Just Like You

And the full line up is finally here – one hell of a mixture.
- JAPAN: Ryuichi Sakamoto
- BRAZIL: Bonde Do Role & DJ Chernobyl
- TIBET: Karjam Saeji, Loten Namling, Techung
- USA: Micah P Hinson, Steve Wynn, Crocodiles, Dan Deacon, Voxtrot, Marissa Nadler, A Place To Bury Strangers , The Antlers, Asobi Seksu, Spinto Band, Port O’Brien, Bart Davenport, Dent May, Ki:Theory, Mike Viola, Flashmen, Her Space Holiday, Pretty & Nice, Ra Ra Riot, Sic Alps, Blacklist, DeLeon, Gala, Jeffrey Lewis, United States of Electronica, Gregor Samsa, Thao + The Get Down Stay Down, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Still Flyin’, Plushgun, Softlightes, Princeton, Odyze, This Will Destroy You, The Low Anthem, Cruel Black Dove, Avian X
- UK: Marc Almond, 4hero, Mogwai, Patrick Wolf, Dubstar, Rose Elinor Dougall , Si Begg, frYars, Gyratory System, Darren Hayman, Cicada, GoldieLocks, Lucky Soul, Official Secrets Act, Frankmusik, The Ultrasonics, Trouble Over Tokyo, A Certain Ratio, The Boy Least Likely To, You Love Her Coz She’s Dead, Gala, Catherine AD
- CHINA: The Pet Conspiracy
- SENEGAL: Malick Pathé Sow
- CHILE: Javiera Mena, Francisca Valenzuela, DJ Raff
- BURUNDI: Eric Baranyanka
- CANADA: Apostle Of Hustle, Buck 65, Malajube, The Hidden Cameras
- BELGIUM: Vive La Fête, The Neon Judgement, Girls In Hawai, King & Svenson
- TUNISIA/ALGERIA: DuOud
- AUSTRIA: Fennesz, A Life A Song A Cigarette
- AUSTRALIA: Jeremy Fowler, The Vines, Aeons, Sarah Blasko, Operator Please, Birds Of Tokyo, An Horse
- ALGERIA: MHD & Starlight, Maghrebika, Baäziz
- HONG KONG: Marshmallow Kisses, Tramgirl Karaoke Club
- NEW ZEALAND: The Veils, The Phoenix Foundation
- CUBA: Martha Galarraga
- REPUBLIC OF KOREA: EE
- GREECE: Marsheaux, Mikro
- NORWAY: Rockettothesy, Ane Brun, Ingrid Olava
- GHANA: Wanlov The Kubolor
- GERMANY: Stereo Total, Ascii Disko, Console, Escape With Romeo, Jeans Team, Kissogram, Maral Salmassi & Zero Cash, Kitbuilders, Locas In Love
- FRANCE: Tahiti 80, Black Strobe, The Toxic Avenger, Titi Robin, The Delano Orchestra, Amelie Les Crayons, Outlines, Saï Saï, My Broken Frame, Debmaster
- FINLAND: Jori Hulkkonen
- LEBANON: Abaji
- GREENLAND: Angu
- DENMARK: Cartridge, The Broken Beats
- COLOMBIA: Frankie Jazz
- MALI: Vieux Farka Touré
- ITALY: Dusty Kid, Amari, Amycanbe, Le Man Avec Les Lunettes, Perturbazione
- FRANCE/ISRAEL: Keren Ann & Shlomi Shaban
- ISRAEL: Ivri Lider, Tamar Eisenmann, Karni Postel, Nico Teen, The Biting Sheep
- IRELAND: Mundy, Hystereo
- UGANDA: Seby Ntege
- INDONESIA: Mocca, Efek Rumah Kaca, White Shoes & The Couples Company
- INDIA: Motherjane, menwhopause, Shaa’ir + func
- RUSSIA: Tesla Boy, Cut2Kill
- ICELAND: Amiina, múm
- HUNGARY: We Plants Are Happy Plants
- EGYPT: Bikya
- SWEDEN: I’m From Barcelona, Sally Shapiro, Peter Von Poehl, Lacrosse, Napoleon, Air France feat Jack Wilson
- SPAIN: Miqui Puig, We Are Standard, Olimpic, Boat Beam, The Requesters, After After Hours, The Pinker Tones, Triangulo De Amor Bizarro, Elastic Band, Undo, The Amplid, Mendetz, Niki
- SOUTH AFRICA: DJ Mujava, 340ml
- FINLAND/GERMANY: AGF/Delay
- SERBIA: sevdahBABY
- IRAQ: Aida Nadeem, Salaam, Aïwa
- PORTUGAL: X-Wife
- BOLIVIA: Surfin Wagner
- PALESTINE: CultureSHOC, Khalas
- TURKEY: Gooseflesh
- NEDERLANDS: Don Diablo, Marike Jager, a balladeer
- ARGENTINA: Entre Rios, Manosanta
- MEXICO: Mexican Institute Of Sound, Sussie 4, Hello Seahorse!
- CONGO: Kiala
- THAILAND: Cyndi Seui
- VENEZUELA: Kid 606, Fordelucs
- SINGAPUR: sonicbrat
- SWITZERLAND: Heidi Happy (feat. Paul Niehaus of Calexico), Low Motion Disco

Buffetlibre – PEACE w/ Amnesty International (update) was originally published on The Blue Walrus

So…have a look around. This is brand new, and whilst  have been testing it for a little while I’m sure I will have missed something – if you find any problems let me know.

-Tim (Editor)

New look Walrus was originally published on The Blue Walrus

So its the end of the year and the end of the decade and that means that you can’t move but for the lists of the best and worst of times. Saam from Faded Glamour had done the honourable thing and managed to convince a bunch of British bloggers (myself included) to share their favourite British albums of the last ten year, and then condensed our ramblings into a couple of lists.

First of all we’ve got the top 10 albums of the decade with all our thoughts compiled together

Then we’ve got all of our top 3s with a bit more of a description

If you want to know what really floats our boats then read on – some of the choices and justifications are fascinating.

British Albums of the Decade was originally published on The Blue Walrus

I’m a little behind schedule with this one, but Anthony over at the fantastic Tastes Like Caramel asked me to introduce one of my current musical obsessions as part of his “Your New Obsession” series. So if you want to know who I picked (and maybe pick up a song of theirs that I didn’t post) pop on over to my guest obsession at TLC.

My Obsession on TLC was originally published on The Blue Walrus