PREVIEW: One Inch Badge Presents: Sea Monsters

ONE INCH BADGE PRESENTS: SEA MONSTERS

Brighton's most awesomest label and promotions crew One Inch Badge have thrown the city a 5 night showcase of their pick of the most crucial Brighton bands next week, all at the Prince Albert, Brighton for just £4 each night, or £15 for a full 5 night pass with an 18 track compilation featuring tracks from all these bands and more.

The series of shows are the live counterpart to the label's very exciting new CD and Download release ‘OIB023: SEA MONSTERS’, an 18 track compilation of the very best bands of Brighton in 2011.

Here's more details from the OIB mailout:

Across the 18 tracks you’ll hear the cool surf-rock of The Squadron Leaders and the Sticks; the slick pop perfection of Pope Joan and Nullifier; the enveloping folk-noir of Sons of Noel and Adrian and Birdengine; the 8-bit brutality of Drum Eyes and Soccer96; and the harsh garage rock of Illness and Cold Pumas; alongside a whole host of other artists and genres.

The CD will be available exclusively from Resident Music,  Rounder Records and Edgeworld in Brighton from ther 31st January, then international CD and Download from 4th April.

Tickets for the festival are available from these places - and on the door each night:
www.seetickets.com // www.ticketweb.co.uk // www.wegottickets.com/oneinchbadge // Resident Music (01273 606312) // Rounder Records (01273 325440)


Full-colour programme detailing the schedule and artist descriptions: http://tinyurl.com/63l2ezx

Gig list details:

>>>> Wednesday 26th January

SALTER CANE – 10:15pm
Salter Cane deal in tales of whiskey-soaked madness, bloodied hands and long dark nights of the soul. Variously described as melancountria, gothic country and folk-noir, Salter Cane fall somewhere between Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen, or Joy Division and Johnny Cash.

CROWNS ON THE RATS ORCHESTRA – 9:15pm
Relative veterans of the local post-rock scene, Crowns on the Rats Orchestra remain without a doubt one of the most exciting bands around, part A Silver Mont Zion and part Gogol Bordello, COTRO are creating something very special indeed

THE SQUADRON LEADERS – 8:30pm
Born out of the Ashes of Fission Ignition (an experimental fusion of electro, surf guitar & BeBop Brass) came The Squadron Leaders, a group of true instro/surf originals, 2010 saw the release of The Squadron Leaders debut album ‘In Which We Surf’.


>>>> Thursday 27th January

DRUM EYES – 10:15pm
Arranged around Shigeru Ishihara (better known as DJ Scotch Egg) and E-Da (ex-Boredoms drummer), Drum Eyes combine duelling drums, cornets and game boys to form a devastating and mind expanding live show. 2010 saw the release of debut album ‘Gira Gira’ to mass critical acclaim.

COLD PUMAS – 9:30pm
Cold Pumas specialise in pounding, motorik repetition that grabs the groove for deal life. These three spirited men combine cyclical, harmonised guitar riffs, impressionistic vocals and interwoven rhythms to great effect. At times recalling the metronomic tendencies of Abe Vigoda and the extended, mesmerising pulse of !!! or Boredoms.

THE STICKS – 8:50pm
The key elements of the trio’s unique sound are undoubtedly drawn from the rudimentary ideas found in the more inept efforts of mid0sixties teen bands such as The Chimney Sweeps and The Keggs, as much as their modern day equivalents The Black Lips, The Coachwhips or The Hospitals.

SPEAK GALACTIC – 8:20pm
Scratchy, ambient pop music, layering detuned guitars, samples and percussion over playful song structures and unsettling arrangements. New on the scene and already an all-time OIB favourite.


>>> Friday 28th January

POPE JOAN – 10:15pm
Falling somewhere between the kinetic playfulness of Les Savy Fav, quirky pop of early-era XTC and the sonic spectrum of TV on the Radio, Pope Joan are a band that demand serious attention and have quickly established themselves as part of the new wave of exciting and experimental UK art-pop.

NULLIFIER – 9:40pm
Recent signings to OIB Records, Nullifier deliver perfectly formed infectious hyper-pop tunes on the subject of space, waves, girls, and the Armageddon associated with all of the above… ‘Most Evil’ – out Spring 2011.

HIND EAR – 8:50pm
Hind Ear are an experimental technicolour rhythm band who utalise guitars, electronics, voices and drums to fuse hearts to feet and headphones to dancefloors. Like Black Dice on a diet of Chicago House and Fleetwood Mac.

ILLNESS – 8:15pm
Illness are an electric guitar and drums two-piece who create fast, catchy, and abrasive noise-rock. Their sound is equally raw, fast, abrasive and very heavy. Think Lightning Bolt meets Pavement!


>>>> Saturday 29th January

MARY HAMPTON – 10:00pm
Delicate and sparse folk-noir from a true Brighton legend of the scene. Over the past few years Mary has continually captivated audiences and critics around the world with her beautifully harrowing poetic tales.

JANE BARTHOLOMEW – 9:15pm
Jane Bartholomew writes delicately crafted songs of quiet beauty with the subtle precision of a surgeon’s krife. Making use of a travelling string section to powerfully compliment her voice and acoustic guitar, Jane’s music is elegant, hypnotic, and totally enthralling.

CURLY HAIR – 8:30pm
Taking Brighton (and the rest of the UK) by storm, Curly Hair are a prominent part of the infamous Willkommen collective and create self-professed “thrift-hop-pop” that sounds like a very fun, kitch and particularly British version of Jeffrey Lewis and The Moldy Peaches.


>>>> Sunday 30th January

STUART WARWICK – 10:00pm
Stuart Warwick is a writer and artist, but when engaged in neither of these artistic pursuits he entertains small crowds in dimly lit venues with his blend of dark, ethereal, melancholic pop music. Over the past decade Stuart has released many influential albums under the guise Jacob’s Stories.

US BABY BEAR BONES – 9:15pm
Us Baby Bear Bones are Daisy Emily Warne and Puff Gandolfo. Creating often ethereal sounds, they combine uncomfortably honest lyrics, sweetened vocals and flights of fancy, with sounds akin to Why?, Pinback and Broken Social Scene. The most exciting new band in Brighton?! Perhaps!

BIRDENGINE – 8:30pm
Birdengine is a Brighton hero and a true pioneer of the freak-folktronica scene. His trademark haunting melodies and dark lyrics transport you to another realm, a unique place where kings are trapped in glass jars, feral children run amok and dead mermaids litter the sea shore.