Blogs
Cardiff Psych Rock phenomena 'No Thee No Ess' are poised to release their 2nd single from anticipated new 'Dimmer Switch' Album out via Surk Recordings this September.
'Dimmer Switch'' is the 2nd single to emerge from the new LP and will be released on Friday 27th August, and 'Dimmer Switch' Album will be released on Friday 17th September 2021.
No Thee No Ess is a collaboration between Paul Battenbough (The Cosmic Array, King of Despair) and Andy Fung (Derrero, Cymbient). The two musical and visual artists first met whilst working in the kitchen of a Cardiff arts centre and bonded through a shared love of The Beach Boys, Neil Young, and West Coast psychedelia.
The partnership creates spontaneously, conceiving songs and ideas in the studio and then recording straight away to preserve their freshness and immediacy. The eighth No Thee No Ess album, 'Dimmer switch' was recorded with musician/producer Frank Naughton at his legendary Cardiff studio, ‘Ty Drwg.’
Naughton contributes additional instrumentation, bringing new lysergic colours to songs like “kaleidoscopic” and "Chorus.” The result is among no thee no ess’ most adventurous works to date, rich with experimental energy while retaining their characteristic blissed out vision. Dimmer switch will be released by Surk Recordings on vinyl, CD, streaming, and digital download in August 2021.
"Dimmer Switch is among 'No Thee No Ess’ most adventurous works to date, rich with experimental energy while retaining their characteristic blissed out vision".
- PSYCHEDELIC BABY MAGAZINE
"There might be no thee or no ess but there’s plenty of effing joy pumping through this psycho-folk odyssey."
- JOYZINE
"Full of ideas from master musicians and producer at the top of their respective games. It’s got a 60’s psychedelia, space-race, trippy-swirly feel to it."
- LOUDER THAN WAR
No Thee No Ess on the Socials Here:
https://twitter.com/thee_ess
https://www.facebook.com/no-thee-no-ess-167376857062/
https://notheenoess.bandcamp.com
I’m slowly working on family genealogy and I got some wonderful family photos recently. Ceri had done his article on a Welshman who was at Little Big Horn and I have an ancestor with a very tangential connection to this.
My first (so far) Welsh ancestor in North America was James B. Morgan, Sr. I haven’t got to see much in the way of primary source documents so far, only research other people have done, so I’ve got a ways to go to reach confident certainty on his history.
James Morgan was born in Llandaff, which is now part of modern-day Cardiff, in 1607. In about 1635, James sailed from Bristol to Boston with his two younger brothers, John and Miles, an ancestor of J. P. Morgan. James became a freeman in the Plymouth colony and a farmer.
Some generations later, his many-greats granddaughter, my mother’s great grandmother, Francis Henrietta Steele was born.
Francis Henrietta (Steele) Bubb
Francis married John Wilson Bubb, who had fought in the union army in the US Civil War and had recently returned to his home in Washington, DC, after spending the end of the war as a captive on a Confederate prison ship.
John Wilson Bubb
John Bubb went on to become a lieutenant under General George Crook at the Battle of Slim Buttes, to lead an attack on a Lakota village and experience Crook’s Starvation March, also called ”The Horsemeat March" as the punishing 35-mile-a-day pace killed so many mules and horses and soldiers slaughtered them to survive when the few remaining supplies ran out. Bubb was sent to Deadwood to try to secure food and successfully cleaned out the town's stores for his men.
Soldier's camp in Cook's Starvation March, from "A Campaign From Hell", by Mike Coppock in True West, https://truewestmagazine.com/a-campaign-from-hell/
He went on to serve in the Phillipines and become Brig. Gen. John Wilson Bubb. He commanded at least one fort, I’m not sure which one(s) but in the photos I’ve received are some wonderful old shots of life at Fort Sherman, Idaho, and Fort Spokane, Washington, and I’m sharing those below.
Below is a photograph of a June 1893 game of tennis on the lawn at Fort Sherman, which was on the banks of the Spokane River in what is now Coeur d'Alene, in northern Idaho.
A group of soldiers on a porch at Fort Sherman, Gen. Bubb is seated in the center row, on the right. This photo is undated but other photos in the group had handwritten notes indicating they were from 1893 and 1894.
Frances Bubb (standing in the back) and a group of ladies at Fort Sherman 1894
Unless otherwise noted, all these photos are from a family collection of John and Henrietta Bubb's effects.
NO THEE NO ESS STUNNING "DIMMER SWITCH" ALBUM OUT 17TH SEPTEMBER VIA SURK RECORDS
By Ceri Shaw, 2021-08-23
Cardiff Psych Rock phenomena 'No Thee No Ess' are poised to release their 2nd single from anticipated new 'Dimmer Switch' Album out via Surk Recordings this September.
'Dimmer Switch'' is the 2nd single to emerge from the new LP and will be released on Friday 27th August, and 'Dimmer Switch' Album will be released on Friday 17th September 2021.
No Thee No Ess is a collaboration between Paul Battenbough (The Cosmic Array, King of Despair) and Andy Fung (Derrero, Cymbient). The two musical and visual artists first met whilst working in the kitchen of a Cardiff arts centre and bonded through a shared love of The Beach Boys, Neil Young, and West Coast psychedelia.
The partnership creates spontaneously, conceiving songs and ideas in the studio and then recording straight away to preserve their freshness and immediacy. The eighth No Thee No Ess album, 'Dimmer switch' was recorded with musician/producer Frank Naughton at his legendary Cardiff studio, ‘Ty Drwg.’
Naughton contributes additional instrumentation, bringing new lysergic colours to songs like “kaleidoscopic” and "Chorus.” The result is among no thee no ess’ most adventurous works to date, rich with experimental energy while retaining their characteristic blissed out vision. Dimmer switch will be released by Surk Recordings on vinyl, CD, streaming, and digital download in August 2021.
"Dimmer Switch is among 'No Thee No Ess’ most adventurous works to date, rich with experimental energy while retaining their characteristic blissed out vision".
- PSYCHEDELIC BABY MAGAZINE
"There might be no thee or no ess but there’s plenty of effing joy pumping through this psycho-folk odyssey."
- JOYZINE
"Full of ideas from master musicians and producer at the top of their respective games. It’s got a 60’s psychedelia, space-race, trippy-swirly feel to it."
- LOUDER THAN WAR
(Curriculum vitae)
he cuts the lawns of an empty property
the cable of the mower in his hands
is the microphone lead of a famous crooner
on a 1970s television light entertainment show
cracking the whip on kitten backing singers
what will the neighbours think
in their own private theatres?
in the evening when it is more seemly
he pours two glasses of rosé wine
equally mainly by sound
and during subsequent replenishment
he thinks he can hear the chorus
of the hymn mae’r Iesu yn geidwad i mi
(Jesus is my saviour)
in the meeting of drink and glass
the music that follows work’s end
in vino veritas or so it is said
Gladfest 2021 details click here
AmeriCymru: Hi Rhian and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. What can you tell us about the location and history of the Gladstone Library.
Rhian: Hi Ceri, nice to chat with you.
Gladstone's Library is based in beautiful Hawarden in Flintshire, North Wales. The library collection was originally based in a temporary building set up by William Gladstone, who was prime minister several times over. After his death, a new building - the one which stands today - was designed and built. It has been described as an example of the Victorian Gothic style, but I'm not an architecture buff, so don't quote me on that. I can tell you it's the only library in the UK where you can stay overnight; the building houses 26 bedrooms. It has two wings - you'll find the Reading Rooms in one wing and most of the bedrooms in the other. Some of the books belonged to Gladstone himself. The beds are all new, though.
AmeriCymru: You offer accommodation at the library. Care to share some details?
Rhian: I think I accidentally answered that (and Q2) in my first response. Yes, there are bedrooms on-site, including two accessible rooms on the ground floor. They're designed to be simple and uncluttered; a lot of our guests come to Gladstone's to write or research, so the fewer distractions, the better. None of them have TVs, but they all have private bathrooms and fresh, uncomplicated decor.
Gladstone's is a registered charity, and its remit includes supporting and hosting both emerging and established writers. Our Writers in Residence scheme is part of this. Katie Hale, who wrote I am Monster , will be our next Writer in Residence, so she'll be staying with us in one of those rooms for an extended period - and she will also make an appearance at Gladfest.
AmeriCymru: There were guided tours of the library. Have these resumed 'post-pandemic'?
Rhian: Gladstone's did offer 'glimpses' of our Reading Rooms. This is a working library, and our Reading Rooms are silent study spaces, but we found that a lot of visitors who came here for cake and coffee were curious about what went on behind the library doors. Glimpses allowed us to show them the Reading Rooms, which are the really iconic part of Gladstone's, and to share a bit of the history. We are still thinking about how best to proceed when we reopen, but for now glimpses are on hold.
AmeriCymru: When was the first Gladfest held? What is the history of the event?
Rhian: Gladfest was first held in 2013 and has been a mainstay of our calendar ever since. The pandemic in 2020 made it unworkable, and we were unsure whether it would go ahead this year, so we're really pleased to be able to offer what we can. It's going to take some adjusting, as our supporters are used to being at Gladstone's in person. We know the library building itself is a big part of the draw. Going online means that will change for our attendees. But if the event is successful, that will be a big boost in terms of ensuring Gladfest 2022 can offer both digital and in-person events.
AmeriCymru: What are the main attractions of this years' festival?
Rhian: We don't really have a keynote speaker or headliner, exactly. All our writers offer unique and fascinating glimpses into the world of literature, whether that's fiction or non-fiction. So, really, they are all our main attractions! There is one slightly unusual talk this year, however. Peter Francis, who has been Warden of Gladstone's Library, is launching his debut, a memoir called The Widening Circle of Us . The book features insights into the running of Gladstone's Library, as that has been a significant part of his life, so that's going to be interesting.
AmeriCymru: There is an online component to this year's festival. Care to tell us more?
Rhian: The festival is still based in Gladstone's Library. All the talks will be livestreamed from the chapel using 4k video feeds, so though it's online, it won't be like watching a teleconference through a webcam. We liked the idea of opening Gladfest up to the whole world, of having Gladstone's go global. We want to bring the library to you.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Rhian: Firstly, thank you for reading. If you do want to keep in touch, we have a mailing list which you can sign up to at www.gladstoneslibrary.org . We also have a US branch of our Friends programme. Our Friends are financial supporters, and we're very grateful to them, as they make it possible for us to do what we do. Finally, if any of you find yourself in Wales, do pop in for a paned.
TACSIDERMI - SENGL NEWYDD 'BLE PIERRE' ALLAN 13 AWST AR RECORDIAU LIBERTINO // TACSIDERMI - NEW SINGLE 'BLE PIERRE' OUT 13 AUGUST ON LIBERTINO RECORDS
By Ceri Shaw, 2021-08-11
Mae Tacsidermi yn ôl, ac O! Ry’n ni wedi’u colli nhw! Tacsidermi yw Gwenllian Anthony o enillwyr Y Wobr Gerddoriaeth Gymreig - Adwaith a’r aml-offerynnwr Matthew Kilgariff - gyda’i gilydd maent wedi creu cân bop ysblennydd - ‘Ble Pierre’. Mae pob nodyn wedi’u chwarae â phŵer ac yn atseinio hafau di-hid a rhamantus.
Mae Tacsidermi gyda chefnogaeth David Newington (Boy Azooga) ar y drymiau a chymysgu Matthew Evans (KEYS) wedi creu priodas berffaith rhwng Jane Birkin / Pop 60au Ffrengig Serge Gainsbourg, cerddoriaeth freuddwydiol y 90au gan Stereolab, The Happy Mondays a churiad calon Balearic.
Gyda llais hyfryd Gwenllian wedi’i ganoli yng nghanol y cymysgiad, mae’r gwrandäwr unwaith eto, yn cael ei swyno gan Tacsidermi!
Tacsidermi are back and how we have missed them! Gwenllian Anthony from the ‘Welsh Music Prize’ winning band Adwaith and multi instrumentalist Matthew Kilgariff have crafted a sublime pop song in ‘Ble Pierre’. Every note played is powerfully evocative of never-ending, carefree summers and romantic escape and wonder.
Tacsidermi with the support of David Newington (Boy Azooga) on drums and mixing by Matthew Evans (KEYS) find a perfect marriage of Jane Birkin / Serge Gainsbourg 60s French pop, Stereolab’s 90s dreaminess and The Happy Mondays, Paul Oakenfold infused Balearic heartbeat.
With Gwenllian’s beautiful restrained vocal delivery set at the centre of the mix the listener falls yet again under Tacsidermi’s spell!
Tacsidermi Online Links
https://twitter.com/tacsidermi?lang=en
https://www.instagram.com/tacsidermi/?hl=en
https://www.libertinorecords.com/
http://www.pyst.cymru/?lang=en
RITUAL CLOAK + AUTUMN JUVENILE - SENGL NEWYDD 'YOU'RE THE SUMMER' ALLAN 13.8 AR BUBBLEWRAP // NEW SINGLE 'YOU'RE THE SUMMER' OUT 13.8 ON BUBBLEWRAP COLLECTIVE
By Ceri Shaw, 2021-08-09
‘You’re The Summer’ is the first taste of the collaboration between Cardiff electronic post-rock duo Ritual Cloak, and writer, comedian and spoken word performer Autumn Juvenile. The track is taken from: 'A Human Being is the Best Disguise’; a reworking of Ritual Cloak’s self-titled debut release, albeit this time with added lyrical and vocal contributions from Autumn Juvenile.
Autumn Juvenile reflects on the origins of ‘You’re The Summer’:
“I remember him bending down, hugging her with thick tattooed arms, tears in his eyes: “Thank you for the birthday card. We’ll be together soon. The ball is rolling, baby.” He was trying to get back into his daughter’s life. The files stated she had special needs.
I was still a support worker. The father had either been in prison or working abroad, the family couldn’t tell me. It had been hard to arrange a meeting. Lots of paperwork and listening to dial tones. But father and daughter were finally scheduled to meet at Roath Park. That day she’d dragged me all around town looking for stationery. It was summer, baking hot tarmac and car fumes. I was stressed. He called to say he’d be an hour late.
Me and her waited, fed the swans, sweated, watched the pedalos. An hour went by. Two. Two and a half. He never showed. I bought her ice cream. She took it well. I felt annoyed on her behalf. But the lyrics were written before this. That’s why they are hopeful and always will be.
I never saw the father again. She wrote in her diary that she knew he’d made mistakes, but she missed him. The family told me they reckoned he’d gone back abroad.”
The album was recorded at Kings Road Studios, Cardiff, produced by Ritual Cloak and Autumn Juvenile and mastered by Charlie Francis. It also features vocals from Jemma Roper, as well as Ritual Cloak’s Daniel and Andrew. The cover photography is by Daniel Barnett.
Ritual Cloak is comprised of Daniel Barnett, formerly of the band Samoans, and drummer / producer Andrew Sanders. The duo met in 2013 after Daniel answered an ad for a guitarist to join the backing band for singer Jemma Roper. An instant kinship was struck, with both Daniel and Andrew embracing experimentation and a shared love of electronic music. After the split of Samoans in 2018, the pair began playing around with instrumental textures and piano-led ambient soundscapes, all resulting in their well-received self-titled debut in 2019. They followed this with their second album, ‘Divine Invasions’, released on Bubblewrap Collective in 2021.
LOS BLANCOS - EP NEWYDD 'DETHOLIAD O GANEUON TRADDODIADOL CYMREIG' ALLAN NAWR / EP 'DETHOLIAD O GANEUON TRADDODIADOL CYMREIG' OUT NOW ON LIBERTINO
By Ceri Shaw, 2021-08-09
Beth am glywed am y broses o ysgrifennu a chreu EP newydd Los Blancos‘Detholiad o Ganeuon Traddodiadol Cymreig’ gan y band ei hun:
“Yn ystod y cyfnod clo, wrth aros i fynd nôl i'r stiwdio i orffen ein 2il albwm, aeth pawb nôl trwy hen demos oedd wedi casglu dros y blynydde dwetha, a’u rhoi mewn un ffeil ar dropbox. Odd rhyw 40 o syniade yna felly gatho ni y syniad o ryddhau casgliad yn cynnwys un cyfansoddiad gan bob aelod tra bod ni’n aros i gallu fynd nôl i'r stiwdio.
Mae hyn wedi arwain at EP amrywiol ac mae modd gweld dylanwad pob aelod yn gliriach a sut maent yn cyfrannu at sŵn Los Blancos. Odd hyn yn wahanol i'r band achos ni fel arfer yn ysgrifennu gyda’n gilydd mewn ystafell ymarfer gyda pawb yn dylanwadu mewn rhyw ffordd ar bob can.”
‘Detholiad o Ganeuon Traddodiadol Cymreig’ yw deunydd cyntaf y band ar ôl rhyddhau eu halbym ’Sbwriel Gwyn’ a gafodd ei nomineiddio ar gyfer Y Wobr Gerddoriaeth Gymreig. Recordiwyd yr EP gan y band yn eu cartrefi a chymysgwyd y cyfan gan eu cynhyrchydd hirhoedlog Kris Jenkins. Mae’r EP yn amrwd, yn llawn angerdd ac yn llawn melodïau heintus Los Blancos.
Rhestr Traciau / Track Listing
100 AD (ysgrifennwyd gan / written by Osian)
Diogi (ysgrifennwyd gan / written by Emyr)
Mil o Eirie (ysgrifennwyd gan / written by Gwyn)
Noi Vogliamo (ysgrifennwyd gan/written by Cian)
Trwmgwsg Tragwyddol (ysgrifennwyd gan / written by Dewi
Let’s hear the story of the writing and making of Los Blancos new EP ‘Detholiad o Ganeuon Traddodiadol Cymreig’ from the band themselves:
“During lockdown, while waiting to go back to the studio to finish the second album, everyone went back through old demos that we had been collecting over the last few years, and put them into a dropbox file. We had about 40 ideas, so we had an idea of releasing them as a collection which included one composition by every band member.
This has lead to a very mixed EP and you can see each members influences clearly that create Los Blancos’ sound. This was a different process for the band because we usually write together in a practice room with everyone influencing on the song in their own way. "
‘Detholiad o Ganeuon Traddodiadol Cymreig’ is the band's first material after the success of their Welsh Music Prize nominated debut album ‘Sbwriel Gwyn’. The EP was recorded by the band in their homes and mixed by their long time producer Kris Jenkins. It’s raw, impassioned and full of Los Blancos' infectious melodies and personality.
Rhestr Traciau / Track Listing
100 AD (ysgrifennwyd gan / written by Osian)
Diogi (ysgrifennwyd gan / written by Emyr)
Mil o Eirie (ysgrifennwyd gan / written by Gwyn)
Noi Vogliamo (ysgrifennwyd gan/written by Cian)
Trwmgwsg Tragwyddol (ysgrifennwyd gan / written by Dewi
In this collection of bizarre tales from the Welsh master of the absurd we are introduced to a Professor with a small class and an unusual subject matter. Rhys explains thusly:
There are few students in my class. When one considers what the subject is, this isn’t surprising. I teach myself.
In other words, I impart to my students facts and fancies based on my life and ideas. It’s the least popular class in the university and I doubt it will be funded for another term.
As a homework assignment the students are asked to write an essay in which they must try and imagine how the Professor spends his spare time. Needless to say he has told them nothing of his personal life.
The eighteen essays which follow offer an extraordinary and hilarious variety of imaginings, some of which are, worryingly, partially accurate. Is the Professor being spied upon? Who is the woman waving from the street below, and which of his students is prowling around on the roof presumably watching him? Of course you will have to read the book to a conclusion for answers to the above questions.
Meanwhile the 'homework assignments' on offer here will delight Rhys Hughes fans. There is the strange case of Professor Spark who we meet walking the corridors of the university thinking about the meaning of life. His musings are of little interest because:
It could be the case he was about to make a major discovery in his field, to prove that viruses have knees or that aardvarks are descended from dragons, who knows? I didn’t care much.
The situation quickly deteriorates, however, when Prof Spark returns from a local bookshop with a copy of 'The Pop-Up Book of Fire'. The consequences of his purchase are at once, tragic, absurd and hilarious.
Then there is the tale of Miss Diane Ra who loves labyrinths. The problem is that clothes have a habit of unravelling whenever she is accompanied on a walk through town. And who is the madman who prowls the city streets with the strongest lamp he can find looking for darkness?
Towards the end of the book the Professor is advised by one of his students:
You have taught yourself. Now teach others.
Is this further foreshadowing of Rhys Hughes forthcoming emphasis on non-fiction and essay writing?Readers may remember the following announcement in Weirdly Out West :
I will switch to non-fiction and start writing essays and articles. In fact I began last year to take my non-fiction much more seriously and I am hoping that my first book of essays will be out in the next year or two.
Whatever the truth of that, 'Students of Myself' is another triumph from the pen of Rhys Hughes and will delight both fans and new readers alike. If you are not familiar with Rhys's work this would be as good a place to start as any. If you are, you will need no further recommendation or encouragement.
The Eisteddfod of The North American Festival of Wales is on, with a wide range of opportunities to participate! Poetry Composition is back and available to anyone, anywhere, while for the Festival itself in Utica (Sept. 2-5, 2021) the Visual Arts competition returns along with some stage competitions.
