TINY LIGHTS RECORDINGS: Tissue Culture, Natasha Haws and Gum.

Tiny Lights Recordings: Tissue Culture, Natasha Haws And Gum.

Firstly, let’s all admit we’ve never heard of any of these bands. Some of you probably still aren’t up to speed with Tiny Lights Recordings! The best new label in the North. In fact the best label anywhere at the moment. We’ve been pushing this label from Gateshead for over a year now and they’ve given us some great stuff; The Lake Poets, O’Messy Life and Blank Maps to name but three. Well, they’ve got at least three more stars waiting for you to discover. So, instead of watching X-Factor and other such crap. Instead of buying your music because it’s on the Christmas advert of some multi-national department store. Start discovering things for yourself. Don’t wait to see a band at the Stadium of Light. Go see a band at The Independant. Go buy one of… if not all… these three releases.

TISSUE CULTURE “SAINT WALERIC” EP (TINY 15)

A 5 track EP with songs called things like “Bleak Northern Beaches” and “Newbiggin by the City” these boys wear their northern credentials on their scruffy snot stained northern sleeves. Like the Maccabees if they weren’t so posh! (Ok I like the Maccabees but Felix? Orlando? They’re not from Ashington are they?) These boys make a great noise. I’ve yet to see them live but by all accounts their even better in the flesh. There’s so much going on in these 5 songs that at first I wasn’t too enamoured. But they worm their way in and Like James and his Giant peach they live inside your head getting bigger and better until they’re exploding all over the place. Favourite track for me is “Satelites” but don’t take my word have a peek at the superb video they,ve made for it here:
http://tissueculture.tumblr.com/

Think Pale Saints. Think Shoegazers. Think The Music. Think… another great band from the Tiny Lights stable.

GUM “SEVENTEEN” EP (TINY 16)

Noise annoys…. Even more wayward and noisy are Gum. Like Ride, My Bloody Valentine and Dinosaur Jr they blend dreamy vocals with guitar melodies soaked in reverb and feedback. Like the Mary Chain without the riots. Sonic Youth at their best. Gum are a bunch of teenagers from London, two boys, two girls who haven’t discovered that they’re great yet. Which is good because as soon as they do they’ll develop an attitude and we wont like them any more!!! So, while they’re still all fresh and new go buy this EP. Dig the new breed.

NATASHA HAWS “STRANGER” (TINY 17)

Now out of the three Natasha is the only one I’ve actually seen live. She supported the Lake Poets at the Sage which was undoubtedly one of the gigs of the year. I am shortly to see her again at the Westgarth on December the 8th as part of The Kids are Solid Gold Christmas Spectacular. I tweeted about her the other morning on my way to work and she re-tweeted it. I am becoming a bit of a stalker!!! Is she worried? She shouldn’t be as I am sure she’s going to have loads of stalkers this time next year. She might as well get used to it!!! Srangely I prefer the B side to the A side. This is very strange as I love the A side; “Strangers”. A kind of Eurythmics meets folk get together. And the B side is a cover!!!! I know, a cover!!! She takes the Futureheads’ “Heartbeat Song” and claims it as her own. Just as the boys stole “Hounds of Love” and gave it a good kicking. Natasha has stolen their tune and given it the Kate Bush treatment!! What goes around…. Her Shield’s twang reminds me of the Unthanks as she delivers a passionate plea to a lover who doesn’t seem to care. I liked the Futureheads version but I love her version. It allows you to appreciate what a great song it is. A lyrical masterpiece. Barry Hyde and Jafe drop in for some backing vocals and just to make sure their tune has not been stolen away forever.

As always those kind people at Tiny Lights have given us a complete set of these CDs to give away. So, a question: The Futureheads first EP featured a cover version. What was the song and who was it by? Easy, peasy. Answers as always on a text, tweet, post, letter, postcard, back of a cigarette packet, whatever….

A big thanks to Paul Brown at Tiny Lights and all the great bands that he has allowed us to discover. Don’t forget Natasha Haws and The Lake Poets are on at TKASG Christmas do. A great night if ever there was one.

LINKS:

TISSUE CULTURE: http://tissueculture.bandcamp.com/