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The E.S.P. reviews and blog posts are linked in blue (scroll through to find them) I will remember that show forever - our first ever US show, Upstairs at Nuno's on 6th, 1 in the morning, out of our heads with jet-lag. The atmophere in the room was just incredible. If That's The Case, Then I Don't Know New ESP song live at SXSW. Thanks to Lemming. Click on the song to download (the play/download buttons are at the end of the page) Jackson (18 March) A noon o'clock show by a hung over Brakes at Urban Outfitters. Cheney In all its beautiful 15 seconds. Comma Comma Comma Fullstop @ Urban Outfitters (18 March) Moshi Moshi Party Brakes live video (really long!!) and interview with Eamon & Marc. There's also a photo From: yaris-sxsw.com 
 
 blog.myspace.com/dankasten 1AM: I passed on Arctic Monkeys at Stubbs to see Electric Soft Parade at Nunos. This was their first American appearance… Tom and Alex White were funny. They had great stage presence and didnt mind changing things up when their guitar pedal machines malfunctioned, as what happened during their show. It was great to hear songs from Holes In The Wall as well as new, then unreleased, material. SXSW photos: Brakes by sunggnus and E.S.P. by andersonenvy I Brake for Short Songs at watercoolergossip.net: After seeing Brakes at The Annex, I have really gotten into their short songs... If had to lump some words together to describe their music, I would say it's Country Punk with English accents. bigtakeover.com Blender Bar at the Ritz. First on was BRAKES, with members from BSP and ESP, and they played a great set of dark, dancy post-punk. inputjunkie.blogspot.com "Brakes manage to sound better and snottier than both the Electric Soft Parade and British Sea Power bands they are made up of" aquick1.blogspot.com (click link to read it all) "One of the best bands I saw at SXSW was Brakes, who comprise members of ESP and BSP. Since that gig, the missus and I have been rockin' out to their album from last year, Give Blood" Brakes instore Virgin NYC photos at: postcardfromhell.com looserecord.com on SXSW: The Brakes are one of my favorite bands and their live show completely delivered the goods. After waiting online for 15 minutes or so, George and I made our way in. After all the chaos surrounding the Annex, I have to say its a pretty rad venue. As for the the Brakes, their half hour set was rad. I was in the second row singing along to All-Nite Disco Party, Heard About Your Band, and the rest of my favorites. Other bands should take note at how deft Eamon Hamilton was in handling the sound problems with his accoustic guitar. He basically just said fuck it, threw it to the ground and started the show. Awesome. neumu.net on SXSW: UK abrasive-punk band the Brakes speed through a mad set of jittery tracks, make fun of self-absorbed, coked-up scenesters ("I heard about your band," Hamilton snarls. "I couldn't help it/ You were screaming in my ear") and have a word with Cheney. "I know it seems loony for us to sing about your vice president but it's Dick Cheney," says Hamilton, disgusted, then breaks into a speed-punk song, lasting all of six seconds, designed to cry one thing: "Fuck Dick Cheney!" artvoice.com (scroll down) pic of Eamon & small mention of Brakes @ SXSW "In a mere 30 minute set, Brighton band Brakes proved that punk is alive & well". There's also a pic of Eamon at smashingmag.com americana-uk.com Brakes @ Antones: This is the indie Brit bunch led by Eamon Hamilton formerly of BSP, their fine record from last year 'Give Blood' caused a few ripples. The record and this show works on a short sharp shock punch line sort of basis, both funny and politically sharp.The band were clearly enjoying themselves in Texas. The short set length suited their often brief songs perfectly. 'I Cant Stand To Stand Beside You' very possibly an ode to Mr Blair, sounded terrific in this venue. They also have a review of Brakes @ Blender Bar: BBC6 Music night introduced by DJ Steve Lamacq. Second time seeing Brighton band Brakes this week, not as good as the first as this venue has muddy sound which stopped the band sounding as edgy, still pretty good though. undergroundbee.com Brakes @ Blender Bar pics. They also have a review BRAKES is my first official SXSW showcase gig of the night. This is one of the shows I've been looking forward to the most. Brakes' 2005 album Give Blood was criminally overlooked, and the lack of hype continued at SXSW. In the arrays of critics' choices in the two local papers today, not a single person picked this show for the 8 p.m. time slot. Hmpf. What do they know. There is a line outside, so some people (especially some visitors from Britain) are aware of how good this band is. (Of course, some of those people were undoubtedly showing up at the Blender Bar at the Ritz early because Editors were playing later) Brakes' performance did not disappoint: sharp, funny and tuneful punk, with the constant presence of an acoustic guitar lending things a little bit of folkiness. Some of Brakes' songs are so damn short... "Cheney" is a political protest song that's all of about eight seconds. Even introducing these short numbers seemed absurd, like the final song of the show, "Comma Comma Comma Full Stop," which received not only an intro but also an extraneous guitar lick from "Layla" -- and then was over in a few seconds. Brakes make every second count. ijamming.net "The joyously brief songs and, yes, gleeful sloppiness of the Brakes, all the way from England, at Blender Bar. Echoes of The Buzzcocks in ‘Ring A Ding Ding’ but hints of something greater throughout" pioneerlocal.com While Arctic Monkeys attracted tons of hype, another British punk outfit flew into Austin under the radar of critics. Nevertheless, a decent-sized crowd turned out to see Brakes, and the fans were not disappointed. Brakes blasted through some very, very short songs and several normal-length tunes, all filled with sharp wit, memorable melodies and the band's trademark sound of acoustic guitar chords blending with electric riffs. They may not have the hype behind them just yet, but give them time and it'll happen. karenplusone.blogspot.com (Live From London aftershow) when i got to the annex to help set up, the bands were already well into their drinking. im pretty sure brakes were stoned off their faces and seemed to forget that they needed to soundcheck. they finally started tuning their instruments about 10 minutes before the doors were set to open. kollegedaily.typepad.com (Brakes @ The Annex reviews & pics) I only had the drunken energy to catch the Brakes, who put on an eclectic set that went from disco to country to punk and on and on... themodernage.org (Brakes @ The Annex review & photo) When Brakes finally took the stage (an hour after when they were supposed to go on) they were…good. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but live, I think the song that works the best is their ironic dance anthem, “All Night Disco Party,” which kinda makes me sad because you kinda feel like sheepish rocking out to a song that’s basically a tongue-in-cheek razz to music that is just supposed to get people to dance. Unfortunately they didn’t play “Cheney,” I would have loved to have heard what they would have done w/ that song now that the VP is a natural born face shooter. They ended their set with “Comma Comma Full Stop”–which they only played one time. kieranrocks.blogspot.com (Brakes @ The Annex review & photo) Tuesday night's U.K. music session continued at The Annex with after show performances by Brakes and The Young Knives. The doors for The Annex opened at midnight and at a quarter past the hour, the line on Orchard Street stretched past the garbage bags and parked cars. Brakes started playing around 12:30 a.m.; while waiting next to the door, you could hear the bass on the first two songs. The crowd was in good company as Boy Kill Boy's frontman Chris Peck and guitarist Kev Chase, who probably had drank enough beers while watching the Towers of London and The Rakes, also waited in line, despite being on the guest list. Keyboardist Pete Carr and his blonde gal pal arrived earlier and went straight from the taxi to the door. I am not sure which songs started off the set but singer Eamon Hamilton launched into "Hi How Are You" when I entered the room. The Brighton boys followed it with "Pick Up the Phone." The crowd eventually thinned down and there was enough room for the audience to move around to "All Night Disco Party." Drummer Alex White was supporting his countrymen by wearing a Clearlake shirt. Hamilton shared his love the city before playing "NY Pie." The audience couldn't get enough of The Brakes and they promised to return before ending the gig with "Comma Comma Comma Full Stop." SXSW pics @ bagelradio.blogspot.com Brakes feature in Day 2 and Day 4 (scroll down) Few more Brakes & ESP pics in the Gallery @ Holiday Matinee (scroll through) ESP @ Nuno's by Yewknee Brakes @ The Annex by Hanner Brakes @ SXSW pics by spangley My favourite: Marc & Alex Brakes @ Blender bar @ velocityweekly.com (with a pic, scroll down) After dinner we headed to Blender for the Brakes, a UK band opening the BBC showcase. This band has an alt-country Brit-punk sound that was fun live. SXSW Day 2: Brakes Stand Out @ chartattack.com. Next up was England's Brakes, fronted by BSP's Eamon Hamilton. I liked last year's Give Blood album, but I have friends who rave about it and said I had to see the band live. After seeing the group in person, I was sold. Almost all of the songs were under two minutes long and some were under a minute, including one called "Cheney" about the American vice-president. The only lyric: "Stop being such a dick." Other highlights were "All Night Disco Party," "Ring A Ding Ding" and "What's In It For Me." The show ended with two performances of the six-second "Comma Comma Comma Full Stop." If you're into in-your-face indie rock with short and deadly hooks, hit the Brakes. SXSW Day 4 @ mistylwhite.blogspot.com. We heard Brakes playing and followed the sound to another tent. Kick ass. They were definitely one of my favorites from the week. There's a photo Also see SXSW Day 2 Brakes: Ted has been in love with these guys for a while...and they did not disappoint. They were SO good. Go see them immediately. centralvillage.blogs.com (with Live From London flyer) Tuesday: There's a big SXSW runoff show at Bowery with several English bands I don't really have any interest in seeing. The afterparty, however, is a lot more enticing. Don't know much about the Long Knives aside from recognizing the name, but the Brakes have been fighting to make an impact for a few months now and seem to have finally made some waves at Southby. Brakes @ the Annex Gig review & photo @ romangame.blogspot.com: "where the beautiful nerdy crowd from the Brit Show at Bowery Ballroom afterpartied. There were so many, you had to bump into hundreds of british rock stars / after all, sxsw in Austin TX was just over and they all had a stopover in NYC. Problem with them Brits is, you can never tell if they are stars or just look the part. The Brakes really rocked..." Live From London @ Virgin Megastore - 21.3.06 Gig review & photo @ earfarm.blogspot.com. "Just as they were the last time I saw them, Brakes were on fire. Of course, their songs kind of demand to be played with energy and a sense of urgency but Brakes really shred. They play loud punk-rock indie-pop that had two people with gray hair dancing in front of me and had two kids behind me throwing their heads around" (Brakes are also mentioned at the start of the review, click link to read) ESP at SXSW @ cmikesell.com The Electric Soft Parade were amazing, and it was their first show in the States. Ever! Pretty awesome. ESP at SXSW @ Vivisecting Media I had resigned myself to no more good shows and hell, we were 13 hours in we might as well call it a night... we looked at all the clubs on the map that we would pass on the way back to the car. He recognized, or thought he recognized Electric Soft Parade so we headed over there... Once again we got in without a problem (which I thought was a bad sign) As I was standing there waiting for a drink some random guy starts talking to me about the band. It ends up they are two brothers from the UK and this is there first show in the States. The band got set up and started babbling in that fun lack of sleep, jet lag kind of way and then jumped into a fucking rocking set. These guys were amazing and even though they had terrible monitor issues you could just tell how good they were. Electric Soft Parade saved the night and we headed out to try and find a late night snack… Brakes @ The Annex, NYC. March 21 (by themodernage) Brakes @ Virgin Megastore eatsdirt says: Before playing their first song ("Hi, How Are You?"), Eamon greeted the crowd with "Hello shoppers!" My fave: this one of Alex Brakes @ Urban Outfitters 18 March (by nathan malone) My faves: Alex & Tom and Brakes ESP at Nuno's @ advocate.com I bolted to see the very-first-ever U.S. performance by Electric Soft Parade, who have a select following of in-the-know fans who bought their CD a few years back. The show itself was kind of a drag, in the sense that the room (upstairs at Nuno’s) was clearly less a music venue and possibly more like a storage space. The acoustics were appalling, but the band had good bones. The band announced that they were playing a set at the convention center the following day, and I made a note to check them out where the sound surely wouldn’t make my ears feel like they were filling with blood. ESP at the Convention Center @ advocate.com True to my word, I arrived at the convention center to see Electric Soft Parade. Much, much better! In fact, I could actually hear the singer (who sounded like Morrissey) and the keyboard-guitar combo was shimmering and powerful instead of ouchy. holidaymatinee.com (co-owner's of ESP's U.S. label) "We just returned from Austin, Texas for this year's South By Southwest Music Festival. Both Goldrush and Electric Soft Parade were fantastic" Rising stars of SXSW @ denverpost.com Of the hundreds of bands ripping through the South by Southwest Music Festival last weekend, here are a few not mentioned in The Post's main story today that left their marks. Electric Soft Parade: Brothers Thomas and Alex White create sweeping popscapes from their Brighton, England, home that are as articulate as they are sloppy (but that's why we love them...) Brakes @ SXSW on BBC radio: To hear anything you had to sit infront of the radio for hours, there was no way of knowing when they'd be on, or what station. I heard 3 songs: Saturday 18th March: Brakes were on Rocket Science with Mark Riley. They played Shut Us Down. Song intro: "blink & you'll miss it". Later on the news, "a clearly refreshed" Eamon talks to them. He said he was waiting to see KT Tunstall, he wanted to maybe stroke her arm... "and Kooks, Jim Noir. Editors, what else do you want..." Disco Party live was on at the start of Mark Lamarr on Saturday. Mark Lamarr: "Apparently written during the great chorus shortage of 2005, I've not heard them before, I won't be going anywhere near 'em again" (what he said wasn't very clear but he obviously doesn't like them) Sunday 19th March: Sunday's BBC 6 Music had a SXSW special with Mark Lamarr. Brakes were on the start of the show with Ring A Ding Ding. "Is it called Ring A Ding Ding? It says Ring A Ding Dig on here..." Near the start of 6 Music's Music Week they had Eamon's quotes already mentioned, this time with added comments: they say he's sampled a bit much of the southern hospitality and subtitles are available on ceefax (the BBC DJ's were being un-necessarily cutting to our boys that weekend) torr.typepad.com Great as expected: The Electric Soft Parade - I need to get my hands on their new EP. Brakes @ austinchronicle.com with a pic (ESP get a namecheck at the start) It was Brighton's Brakes that threw the switches to the audience's pleasure centers, firing off one garishly tight, 90-seconds-and-under firestarter after another – an all-night disco party to rival anything else two-stepping around town at the moment. British Sea Power's Eamon Hamilton gave blood and then some: Micro-single (six seconds!) "Cheney," with its rousing, one-time-only chorus of "Stop being a dick!" nailed both global realpolitik and the State of the Union in less time than it takes to buckshot a face off with a single-finger trigger-slip, while ESP's Tom and Alex White and Tenderfooter Marc Beatty fell in love with a girl, 'cause she was so pretty, swathed in skin-tight blacker-than-devil's-food guitars and a palpable sense of tomfoolery done by talented men. Comma, comma – full stop, exclamation point! The Truck Party gets a mention in BBC Radio's SXSW Saturday blog "More country next at the Truck Party, where a 50s dressed cutie called Piney Gir and her Country Roadshow, probably got the most movement out of these weary legs over the past few days" Tom on March 19th: all i can say is thank you to the folks who made it happen for us. an experience i will remember until the day i die... completely blown away!! x SXSW Blog @ pitchforkmedia.com with a photo of Brakes (scroll down) Brakes should be the next Art Brut. A British Sea Power/Electric Soft Parade side project that's better than both of those bands combined, Brakes play obnoxious punk songs that take the piss out of drunks, scenesters, and people with long attention spans. At the BBC 6 showcase at Blender Bar Friday night, they assaulted an audience waiting for KT Tunstall and Editors with a brief but brutal set. Frontman Eamon Hamilton shouted with such ferocity it looked like his brain was going to explode out of his bald spot. Marc @ the Brakes forum March 19th: Alright? ive not had the time or the energy to keep a regular account of our time in texas but id just like to say that we've been having a blast. Our final performance at yesterdays Moshi Moshi label party (not the japanese restaurant) was a real stonker. We ate steak afterwards. All in all the trip has been a huge success for both brakes and esp who gave it there all for their first ever american shows. They've got to be a lot more tired than me thats for sure. We're doing some recording today and then we're off to NYC tomorrow. Take care ya'll. Brakes @ SXSW pics by mediaeater Tom's modelling a nice green top. Friday Photos @ austin360.com There's a few of Goldrush at Nuno's (the same night ESP played) You need Flash. Read a gig review "The best tracks from their Better Looking Records album “Ozona” followed with equal enthusiastic rock ‘n’ roll abandon" See some photos of Steve Lamacq on 6th Street at 6 Music including Blender Bar at The Ritz where Brakes played. Pics: Blender Bar and The Ritz SXSW 6 Music Showcase On Friday 17 March 6 Music hosts an evening of live music from a selection of bands at SXSW. Hear the performances on 6 Music throughout the weekend of 19-20 March. Brakes play the Blender Bar, Austin, TX on Friday 17th March 6 Music Schedule SXSW BBC Press Release A BBC 6 Music UK showcase features KT Tunstall, Editors, Jim Noir, The Feeling and Brakes. BBC Radio’s programmes will be supported by a comprehensive website which will include photos, audio and video - bbc.co.uk/southbysouthwest With festival info, on-air schedules and a Best of British section. The website will be behind the scenes at the shows and out and about at the festival bringing all the latest news. Brakes played Blender Bar at the Ritz at 8pm More info ESP played Nuno's at 1am More info Flyer ESP also played on 18th March at SXSW Day Stage at 2pm More info  KT Tunstall, Editors, Brakes, The Feeling, Jim Noir, The Kooks. British Music at SXSW 2006: sukonthis.co.uk Click on Navigation when it loads (Flash needed) There's a page on Brakes (it's the same bio as below if you can't see the website) Brakes, uhhhhhhh, is three years old. It was born in the UK in Power's Bar in Brighton. It was fine, received water and gig offers sporadically, was offered a single deal by Tugboat Records, released "Pick Up The Phone" in late 2004, and found its 26-second video on rotation on MTV. Then it all got crazy. Now it's like a dream. Rough Trade released its debut album, Give Blood, sometime around the Fall of 2005. It received universal appraisal, and it went out on tour with Buck 65, Belle and Sebastian and Editors. It's not enough. Running through water. It had its live US debut in Piano's bar, Ludlow St., NYC, where it sold out two consecutive nights and made someone shout "You're the best band in America." "OK," said Brakes. Interview with Marc @ somasomascene.com Tell us a bit more about your dates in the States? Marc: We're doing SXSW with Jim Noir and KT Tunstall and playing the afterparty of Live From London in NYC which should be fun. SXSW preview @ memo57.blogspot.com Eamon Hamilton from BSP and Tom White from ESP get together for drinks with a drummer and this is what happens. UK Music at SXSW @ austinchronicle.com With some 120 English, Scottish, and Irish bands slated to perform during SXSW 2006, this year's continental armada promises to be no less imperious in its storming of south by southwestern shores, even if perpetual court jester Pete Doherty, late of the Libertines, Kate Moss, and, more recently, Her Majesty's Clink, will sadly be unable to attend due his current state of shambles, baby. No matter. Anyone with an ear to Radios 1 through 6 of the BBC will recognize the sovereignty soon colonizing the United iPods of America and beyond. (scroll down to find both Brakes & ESP's which has a photo by Kirstie) Brakes: "Frisky, brief moments of hectic punk joy". Ex British Sea Power forms a supergroup with band also playing SXSW Electric Soft Parade. Makes me want to pogo stick all the way to John O'Groats with Surferrosa as my soundtrack. Electric Soft Parade: High point: Got nominated for a mercury music prize. Low Point: Dropped by Sony/BMG. High Point: Soon to play SXSW and they are back on form and looking for a label. Genius pop songs. I'm really glad they're still making music. The only band who can write songs that sound like Christmas ballads all year round. And hey, who doesn't like christmas ballads? The British Are Coming (To SXSW) @ antimusic.com. Every year, a cadre of the United Kingdom's hottest new artists set sail for Austin to partake in sUKonthis -- the annual British invasion of the South By Southwest Music Festival. Some already have major label deals in the States; others are new even in their home country; but they all have one thing in common: the potential to explode in the months following SXSW. They bring with them a coalition of British music business and international trade entities, ready to help pave the way for the next generation of exceptional English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish musicians in America. In 2003, it was The Darkness. In 2004: The Futureheads, Aqualung, Jamie Cullum and Athlete. Last year, The Go! Team and the Kaiser Chiefs were the talk of the festival, while the Magic Numbers and James Blunt went from virtual unknowns to Next Big Things. Read on to see what 2006 brings... Brakes at SXSW Page Download or stream Ring a Ding Ding. ESP at SXSW Page You can download or stream Cold World. After parting company with BMG in 2005 the world might have been a cold place for ESP. Roll on a great new EP on Truck, press and airplay and the ESP wagon is rolling again. Mercury nominated for their debut, in 2006 they're now entering their best era yet. Looking for licenses for the EP and new LP, forthcoming in '06. You can get recommendations of similar music you may also enjoy. There's an interview with Marc at exitfare.blogspot.com Marc says: I said what does it take for us to play SXSW and they said all you have to do is fill in the form. So hopefully we’ll be out in Texas and I heard Texas is a really great place to play live... |