Dirty Three
The Kinks
South San Gabriel
Trespassers William
Nina Nastasia
Sufjan Stevens
M Ward
Nino Ricardo
Jeff
Quickspace
Richard D. James
-ziq
Mogwai
Leadbelly
Radiohead
Nick Cave
Mike
Radiohead
Mogwai
Smog
Red House Painters
Richard Buckner
Godspeed You Black Emperor
Iron & Wine
Calexico
Ron
Elbow
Calexico
Deus
Tool
Chris Cornell
The Beatles
Jeff Buckley
Sounds Like
We are our own sound. If you need help, this is what reviewers have said we sound like: Smog, early Smith's, The Cure, Radiohead, Wilco, Joy Division, Red House Painters, Bonny Prince Billy, Badly Drawn Boy, Nirvana, Jesus and Mary Chain, Sigor Ros, Nick Cave, early Mercury Rev, Low, and Sonic Youth. But really, have a listen and decide for yourself!
The germination of the band starts with Stephen Bland, from the graveyard suburb of Enfield, North London. As a teenager, he organized and performed with several group incarnations in Canterbury, while serving time at the university, booking bands and promoting clubs. Younger brother by seven years, Michael would join him for illicit drinking sprees. To make his scrawny younger brother look older, Steve would ensconce Mike's frame in many jumpers.
After many false starts with music and his degree, Steve finally graduated five years later none the wiser and decided on a whim to see the world and write a book of poetry.
In 1998, Steve returned to London, suffered post travel depression and pottered around organizing clubs. Directionless, he reluctantly turned to the city to fund another long journey and buy time to write a novel. Michael Bland is at this time living with Steve and is encouraged to pick up the guitar and sing.
By 2000, Steve has enough and leaves the UK, writing his poetic novel while journeying through nineteen countries, Mike sporadically joining him. But by 2002, the money runs out and London beckons Steve back to the city, doing an odious office job to clamber out of debt.
Mike returned, and Steve found his brother could now sing and play. Weekly meetings in a small flat with two guitars, bass and computer/keyboards ensued. Live gigs occurred, but there was reluctance to perform without a drummer.
2003/4 finds a shakeup of the lineup. Steve, Michael, and childhood friend to both, Jeff Baskett continued to forge a unique sound, dark, intense pieces fixed with beautifully melodious song-writing. Mike took the lead vocals, Steve harmonies, both brothers dueling on guitar while Jeff played bass, sorted computer samples, and ate sugary plastic on the side.
In 2005 the band honed their performance skills in live gigs with a new drummer. The songs developed in complexity and with a harder rythmic drive. An acoustic version of their song Valley of Salt was featured on BBC TV's Hustle. Orginally the lyrics came from Stephen's poetic prose, both brothers editing and splicing from this source, until Michael delved into his life experiences to create succinct emotional portraits, offsetting Steve's detached, literary style. Despite the differences, the brothers have a harmonious songwriting collaboration that forms the bulk of The Playing Fields catalogue.
2006 After reaching the glass ceiling of the music industry in Israel with the bands Music of Coincidence and The Following, Ron Rosenblum migrated to the UK. He joined The Playing Fields on drums and provided the missing link to solidify their sound. With the completion of their line up, The Playing Fields defy comparison, and have invented a new genre for their sound: Urban Desert.
The band recorded their debut LP, Hello New World at SickRoom Studios with Owen Turner, mastered by Kramer (from Second Shimmy Label/Galaxie 500/Lou Reed/Yo La Tengo fame).
In 2007 the album hit the shops through CactiShed...Records, disrtibuted by Shellshock/Backs, receiving near unanimous fantastic reviews (see press for the LP blog). You can get it direct from the record label @: www.myspace.com/cactished (in our top friends) for only £9.99 inc. postage and packing, or from the Corporation Records, link below and download from numerous sources from itunes to www.pulserated.com & www.xiie.net. 2007 gig highlights included a UK tour, the Camden Crawl, Dingwalls & a successful stint @ the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. A single from the LP hit the shops on November 5th 2007 & is also available as above. Please visit the bands official new site @: http://theplayingfields.info where you can hear the whole album!
Having moved to Firefly Records the band are curretly hunkered down in their shiny new Soho based recording studio working on the follow up LP, provisionally titled "Hungry Ghosts" and due for release in 2009. Demo tracks from these sessions will be appearing on this very page for a limited time only.
Enjoy.
Mariola Fiedorczuk
If you like our sound please vote for us on UK Bands.Net
You must be registered to vote on ukbands.net, if you register after clicking on the vote button your vote will be added after registration
The Playing Fields-
debut LP "Hello New World"
Order now from www.myspace.com/CactiShed
Track Listing: 1) Nonesuch Nameless 2) Sylvia Thompson 3) The Girl in the Machine 4) Drawings 5) Valley of Salt 6) Lights Out 7) Protect the Humans 8) Glass & Concrete 9) Simply Confused 10) Hello, New World...
Glass & Concrete/ Protect the Humans Double A-side Handmade numbered 7" single. Only £2.99 inc. Postage and packing. Order now from www.myspace.com/CactiShed
Inmiddels zijn 200 boeken verkocht en de pers is positief over Muziekreis door het Berlijn van toen en nu - van jazzhel tot technohemel.
Duits.de: ‘Ik vind dat Jonker … die klus heel goed geklaard heeft.’ ‘Het boek is over de gehele linie - algemene geschiedenis en muziekgeschiedenis - toegankelijk geschreven en bevat talrijke anekdotes.’ ‘Alles wat langs moet komen komt dan ook langs: de jazzgekte van de jaren '20, de Schlagers van de jaren '30 en '40, Rock'n Roll, Punk, Techno - alles.’
Festivalinfo.nl: '... geeft het boek een zeer goed en uitgebreid beeld van de muziekcultuur in Berlijn.'
FONK: 'Al met al is het werkje een leuke alternatieve reisgids voor wie binnenkort naar de Duitse hoofdstad gaat. Kort, krachtig en vlot opgepend.'
Trajectum: '... is vooral voor Berlijn- én muziekfans een must voor in de trein richting Berlin Hauptbahnhof (waar je na het lezen van de eerste pagina's meteen op wilt stappen).'
Het boek is t/m 31 juli met korting online te bestellen voor EUR 14,-. Daarna geldt de normale winkelprijs van EUR 15,95. En ook in de winkels gaat het hard. Velvet Music moest al bij bestellen, nadat ze uitverkocht waren. Bestel jouw exemplaar nu!
SAUSAGEFEST 2009 is coming up on Sunday 5th July, featuring the best on local and national metal and hardcore. THE RED CHORD, THE ARUSHA ACCORD, MARTYR DEFILED, RANDOM CONFLICT and loads more!
Thanks for all your support! The show went really well at the Laugh Factory, and the turnout was great!
If you couldn't make it, I have uploaded to my profile seven ten-minute segments from this outstanding variety show featuring Old Time Music, magic, dance, comedy and fun!
Described as: 'like Soulfly if Trent Reznor were part of the band,' their debut album "There's No Profit in Truth", mixes the pent up frustration of acts such as Rage Against The Machine with the raging, highly charged riffs of classic Machine Head. Good, honest, politically aware and highly charged Metal at its best...
Thanks for spreading the word about my documentary film.
I have posted the entire film at my profile.
POWER AND CONTROL: LSD IN THE SIXTIES
Features Groucho Marx on Acid, Doc Ellis pitches a no-hitter high,Ram Dass, LSD and the protest movement and counter-culture war with the FBI.
We have our next mini-festival at 93 Feet East on Saturday 25th July with an amazing line-up along with our usual Burlesque, performance art and Electro DJ’s.
Tickets are only £6 adv. Check out the ticket link below. See you there.
rescued from the eighties!!! alkes-fradkin co-authors of the Plimsouls' and goo goo dolls' "million miles away." With their “girls in this town” And “Missing In Action.” Sunday at Noon (Eastern) on ScrubRadio.com for ShockPop! http://scrubradio.com/
Register your interest now at www.topoftheox.co.uk to compete in the first UK song contest of it's kind. Win a huge record deal, tour, management, merchandise, perform at a world class venue and become a household name. www.topoftheox.co.uk is supported by Marshall, StarNow, SAE, Turan Audio and many more key industry names.
Hi guys, don't forget next Tuesday 30th June sees the almighty DEATH ANGEL and KATAKLYSM playing live @ SEVEN with KEEP OF KALESSIN
We will be doing an aftershow party with the Total Annihilation DJs in the bar downstairs for those who don't want the night to end- so stick around and see if you can spot anybody interesting! ;)
Im asking you all from the bottom of my heart... To PLEASE take the time to watch the movie Invisible Children. You can find it on YOUTUBE. These cihldren are killed and abducted everyday. If we the people scream and shout or voices will be heard and some of these precious children could be saved from a life of pure hell. I urge you to send this to anyone you know and to also write your government including Obama. Let your voice along with many many others be heard. It takes a second to write your concern and will help save hundreds of dieing children in Uganda. Look inside your hearts and see that we are all connected and all of us should be helping our brothers and sisters. Not just Americans but the world! And we can live in harmony if people would really care.
Online Now!
..