Yes, folks, it is indeed, and should you be in Edinburgh (Scotland, obviously, just in case there are any other Edinburgh’s anywhere else!), Avalanche Records on Cockburn St, the finest record shop will be having a live performance from 17 seconds Records’ Ex Lion Tamer at 3PM!
They will also have Broken Records in at 4:30 PM and Withered Hand at 11:00 AM.
The weekend of May 8-10 in Edinburgh will see all three 17 Seconds Records acts playing at Cabaret Voltaire, and I am very happy and excited about this. This is part of Tigerfest, and both us here at 17 Seconds and Matthew at Song, By Toad are ‘curating’ a night. Matthew’s night is on May 7 at the Bowery, and features Meursault, Inspector Tapehead and The Japanese War Effort.
Friday May 8 sees Aberfeldy, with support from Ex Lion Tamer, at Cabaret Voltaire. Tickets are now on sale from Tickets Scotland, Ripping Records and Ticketweb priced at £10.
This is Ex Lion Tamer (below) who tomorrow (Monday March 9) will release his first single through us.
The download-only single (for now!) is called ‘Neon Hearts’ and should be available from all the usual suspects: iTunes, eMusic, Napster, Tiscali, TuneTribe, MSN, Oxfam, HMV.com, MTV and Sonic Selector.
This release is 17SEC3, 17SEC1 being the 7″/download of ‘Claire’ by Aberfeldy and 17SEC2 being this, the free download of ‘Life Support Machine’ made available through this blog and the 17 Seconds Records website.
Meanwhile, gigwise, Aberfeldy are playing at the Lemon Tree in Aberdeen on Monday March 9 (yes! tomorrow!), and Ex Lion Tamer plays the Voodoo Rooms as part of Limbo on Thursday March 12.
Popped out briefly this evening with Mrs.17 Seconds to catch Ex Lion Tamer at Cabaret Voltaire in Edinburgh. It’s about to snow here, but we had to go along and support him, and we were not disappointed.
Now, I know I’ve mentioned our second signing before, but please check him out if you haven’t already.
He deserves way more myspace friends than he currently has – and his songs sound like they were made to rip uo dancefloors to, or played stripped down to just voice and acoustic, a la Jose Gonzalez.
We will be releasing a single length version of ‘Neon Hearts’ in March, all being well (no, not the Kraftwerk song, that’s Neon Lights, yes?), and if you haven’t downlaoded this yet, what are you playing it?
hope you had a good New Year’s Eve – I had a good one, but even though I don’t drink anymore I still feel exhausted. Ah well…
So what’s up for 2009? Musically, I’m predicting that guitar rock will take a back seat to more electronic sounds. At least, I am worn out with over-produced indie by numbers. It’s not big and it’s getting less and less clever.
As for what the blog offers, expect the usual mix of the painfully obscure and the wildly obvious, bizarre covers, videos, interviews, tips on up and coming bands, occasional updates on the progress of 17 Seconds Records and much more. Including my attempts to try and get to grips with the music that’s out there and succeeding to a limited extent.
I nearly meant it when I was going to call it a day back in December, fed up with the DMCA and their taking down of posts. However, I eventually came round to it, and will be moving this blog elsewhere very soon. Keep it tuned to 17 Seconds!
17 Seconds Records is in discussion with a couple of other bands we are trying to sign, we are also hoping to do another single with Aberfeldy, and will be issuing a download only single by the second act to sign to our label, Ex Lion Tamer called ‘Neon Hearts.’ If you haven’t downloaded the free ‘Christmas’ single ‘Life Support Machine’ here is another chance:
Their singles have also included covers of Cold War Kids ‘Hospital Beds’ and Candi Staton’s ‘You’ve Got the Love’. If you like these tracks, please go and buy them! Florence and the Machine -‘Dog Days are Over.’ mp3
Meanwhile, Broken Records‘ profile continues to rise. If this isn’t the year they rise to higher prominence then there really is no justice…
Meanwhile, speaking of great electronic stuff…Ladyhawke‘s self-titled debut will almost certainly dominate in 2009…or I give up. This lady, Pip Brown, is set to become one of New Zealand’s biggest pop acts ever.
AS EVER, IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR, PLEASE SUPPORT THE ARTISTS. BUY THE MUSIC – ALL THESE TRACKS CAN BE FOUND ON EMUSIC AND ITUNES IF YOUR LOCAL RECORD SHOP DOES NOT HAVE THEM. THESE TRACKS ARE NOT HERE IN PLACE OF YOU BUYING THE MUSIC, THEY ARE HERE TO PROMOTE THE ARTISTS.
…phew. Christmas is nearly here, the school term is over…and I’m feeling absolutely exhusted and still quite some way off goodwill to all men, especially if they have anything to do with the RIAA or the DMCA.
17SEC1 is already available as a download, Aberfeldy’s first single for two years ‘Claire.’ The 7″ is now supposed to be with us in January, not that I’m getting annoyed about this or anything…It was a proud moment hearing Riley Briggs talking about 17 Seconds Records from the stage at their two gigs on Monday and Tuesday; if you pop along to their myspace, where you can make friends if you haven;t already and hear their version of a Christmas classic. They were supported on Tuesday night in Edinburgh by the rather fabulous Gillyflowers who have already been recording with Riley Briggs from Aberfeldy producing and amazing it is too. Make friends with them, before some hip record company snaps them up.
17SEC2 is Ex Lion Tamer’s fantastic ‘Life Support Machine.’ Thank you to the 100+ who have downloaded this; if you haven’t please do – it’s a free Christmas track.
It’s taken from this page whixh has lots of wonderful and not a little terrifying stuff from the likes of Om, Sunn o)), Burning Witch…and Boris collaborating with Merzbow. Two Japanese gods of noise collaborating together. Oh yes…
The second act to be signed to 17 Seconds Records is Ex Lion Tamer. His first single for us will be a song called ‘Neon Hearts’ and very good it is, too.
However, before that, as an early Christmas present, he would like to share this fantastic song with you, that evokes Kraftwerk and Postal Service, along with much of the fine eighties electric pop that influenced him. It’s called ‘Life Support Machine.’
Ex Lion Tamer is the one man band from Edinburgh consisting of the enigmatic Tony T who works…well, I won’t reveal where he works, but he does make some damn fine pop music.
Yes, cooler-than-thou people I said POP. Tony T describes his influences as being ‘Whitney Houston, Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, Yazoo, Erasure, Rob Hubbard – things that sound clean’ and says that Ex Lion Tamer sounds like the ending credits of low budget 80s teen movies – played on your mate’s Amiga. With a gift for sarcasm that would put P.E. teachers to shame, he may be making one or two of those up. Though not the bit about the Amiga.
The name does indeed come from the song by Wire -some of you were just itching to point that out, weren’t you? – but this is no three girl rhumba. Instead, check out the myspace and see how good it really is:
