Have you ever wanted to share your talents with the world and be on a record that you can buy in shops and stuff? Well thanks to Jonah Matranga, you can! The singer/songwriter (and Far frontman) wants you to help him make his new album, regardless of your musical talent (although some would probably be nice).

The album is set to be released on August 11th and all contributors will be credited in the album’s liner notes. Jonah is very big on interacting with fans and this is his latest, and largest, way of doing so. Of course, he doesn’t just want you to do anything. He’s provided everyone with the stuff to get them started and is keeping everyone informed with the record’s progress.

So if you want to work with an amazing, truly lovely person and be part of musical history get involved! It’s on a voluntary basis, but he’s promised if it makes millions of dollars all contributors will be taken care of. This is a really cool, fun experiment and I hope it goes really well. Ian and I are getting involved, that’s unlikely to sway anyone though.

Head over to here for more details.

This weeks musical cavaliers are, Manchester-based, Well Wisher.

I first heard of the band Well Wisher, working with vocalist Michael Cahill who, in his eternal drunken wisdom, once imparted on me a piece of advice I will take to the grave:

“People need to realise to early 90′s emo music was the best kind of music ever and just start listening to it again.”

Well Wisher’s greatest strength isn’t on record, (not that the recorded stuff isn’t wicked!) but during their live shows. They have such an incredible dynamic, you’d think watching Black Flag was a laid back gig. There is humour, great audience interaction and such raw energy in every members enthusiasm for the music they play, not to mention some D.I.Y stunts throughout the set.

Luckily, and the reason this has come out a little earlier than planned, WW are playing at the Oxford this Thursday 29/07/2010 along with half a dozen other awesome bands. No words I write could describe just how cool it is to watch this band play, you can only truly believe it first hand. With such great live sets and an upcoming E.P (which the band aim to have out by late August, if any band was gonna bring back a music scene that truly deserves reviving, Well Wisher are your men.

I give them 5/5 Special Brews, with bonus points for being so damn old school.

Details of Thursdays gig can be found via this link:

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/event.php?eid=126357054069516&index=1

You can listen to Well Wisher via their Myspace which can be found at:

http://www.myspace.com/wellwisher10

Fake Problems, a super cool band from Florida, have got a new album coming out soon. Real Ghosts Caught On Tape is set to be released on September 21st, but there’s many of us that can’t wait to get our hands on anything that Chris Farren and co put out there. Being the nice guys that they are, they’ve released the track ‘Soulless’ free of charge.

If you need your Fake Problems fix, then head on over to their official website and download the song. Trust me, it’s awesome. The new album was produced by Ted Hutt, a man who’s previous works include Chuck Ragan’s Feast Or Famine and The Gaslight Anthem’s The 59 Sound and American Slang. If you’re a fan, you won’t be disappointed. The track is an upbeat punky tune, enthused with a little bit of a retro vibe. If you haven’t heard these guys before, then what the hell are you waiting for? Download it now!

For more, visit www.fakeproblems.com and be sure to check them out on MySpace.

On Wednesday 5th August, following the success of Proud Camden’s second birthday earlier this month, residents Bandangos host their own birthday party in the recently refurbished venue. Alongside essential ‘booze and birthday cake’ celebrations, the legendary promoters have secured an exclusive London gig from Hot Club de Paris and performances from the likes of The Chapman Family and guilty electro-pleasures Starman.

Headlining the birthday celebrations are Liverpudlian art-pink trio Hot Club de Paris. Notorious for their jangly, angular giutar sound, the Moshi Moshi prodigies are touring with a more refined sound found in their new 6 track EP “The Rise And Inevitable Fall Of The High School Suicide Cluster Band“. Having spent the past two years touring with the likes of Jamie T, Joan of Arc, Battles and The Who, the band will take to the stage at Proud for a rare London gig. This is the only chance fans will get to see the band perform their new material in the capital with a new found maturity, but still clutching tightly to the feel good signature sing-along choruses, hand claps, off-killer arrangements and three-part vocal harmonies that HCdP are best known for.

With a promising debut album currently in progress, the Chapman Family will also give an intimate performance for the Bandangos‘ party. Drawing strong comparison with Joy Division and Sonic Youth, the north-east’s best kept secret have stormed the gig scene in an aim to provide a distortion-fuelled antidote in a musical climate lacking in integrity. Having already been picked up by the NME radar and described as “dark and noisy”, this 4-piece is tipped for 2010 succession.

Best known for their appearance in SkyOne’s hit TV show Pineapple Dance Studios, Starman are a 5-piece pop group fronted by dance teacher and rising star Andrew Stone. Described as the electro lovechild of Alphabeat and Scissor Sisters, Starman have enjoyed success since appearing on the television and recording their first single, “I Don’t Wanna Dance“. Guaranteed to bring a smile to your face, Stone and his Starmen promise high energy and an epic stage performance.

Completing the night’s entertainment, The Bandangos due Adam and Matty and the Kids in the Riot with be DJing until the early hours; playing the best indie, alternative and electro sounds to keep the birthday spirit alive.

We’re back for a second episode. That’s right, we didn’t get canceled and Paul still hasn’t chucked us so all is well. This week we’re ‘Real Idiots Caught On iTunes’. We got some beers and a better set up and hopefully this is a little bit more listenable than it’s predecessor.

We’ve tried to tidy up the show a little bit more. We couldn’t help, but give a few more mentions of Frank Turner. This episode was really all about Fake Problems. The, Florida-based, indie-punk foursome provided us with music for this week and we talked up their new album, Real Ghosts Caught On Tape, and their support slot with Gaslight Anthem on their US tour. We also try and find out which new/recent artists we’ll be listening to in 50 years time and discuss the niceness of, Against Me! frontman, Tom Gabel.

We’ve also got a new segment that comes courtesy of, tour manager extraordinaire, John Berna. He’s provided us with some ‘Words Of Wisdom’. Under The Bridge is a podcast you can live your life by. Fact!

Prepare to listen to us getting drunk. Also: We mean “stalk” in the nicest possible, non-creepy, way.

Under The Bridge – Episode 2: Real Idiots Caught On iTunes (Featuring Fake Problems)

As I mentioned, music this week comes courtesy of Fake Problems. Here’s the tracklist for this week:

• Sorry, OK, Sorry
• Alligator Assassinator
• Diamond Rings
• Born & Raised
• Rumble In The Jungle
• Heart BPM

Disclaimer: Apologies to anyone offended by this episode of Under The Bridge (especially you, Chris Farren). Everything said was said in jest and is not meant to be taken seriously. I mean, when do you ever take us seriously and, honestly, why should you? We’ll try and curb the drunkeness, but it’s highly unlikely this show would exist without the help of a few Scrumpy Jack’s. – Barlow x

First on the agenda is a beautiful band called Above Them.

Above Them have been flying just below radar for sometime now, but since the release of their “now-nearly-a-year-old” album, Blueprint For A Better Time, the trio have been well and truly making a name for themselves in the punk scene playing with other greats such as Chillerton, The 255s and even the almighty Chuck Ragan.

The bands sound itself is a hard one to pin: It’s slick, smooth and melodic but at the same time featuring all the rawness of true punk rock or a chapped arse, but in a good way. Above Them have totally found their own sound. They’ve a uniqueness that is so relieving when compared to the many ‘might-as-well-be-tribute’ bands that occupy the punk scene.

As a live act the boys don’t hold back, with high energy, hard-hitting sets and some half decent banter to boot. Go and listen to the boys from Pontefract on Myspace, buy their album, go watch them live, whatever. Just make sure you sample the sweet sound that is Above Them. Oh, and buy a t-shirt, they’re smart as fuck.

I give Above Them 4/5 Special Brews, they lose a point because they’re from Yorkshire.

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/event.php?eid=111334772244725&ref=ts

You can buy Blueprint For A Better Time on i-Tunes by clicking this link:

http://itunes.apple.com/uk/album/keep-smiling/id367479798?i=367479828&ign-mpt=uo%3D6

Lissie Maurus

With a refreshingly similar trend towards the great folk rockers of the Los Angeles underground movement in the 1960s comes the debut album Catching a Tiger by Lissie Maurus. Compared by many to the great Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac and general notoriety fame, Lissie is taking huge leaps and bounds towards establishing herself as THE adult oriented rock scene’s up and coming artist.

Having grown up in the American Mid West, it is hard to believe that this soft voiced young girl with locks of spun gold and a demeanor that would put even a daffodil to shame for extroversion, is already holding her own amongst the ruff and tumble of the music industry. With a seemingly unfathomable innocence and very marketable naivety, Lissie Maurus describes her own music as part folk and country rock and part “Freeway rock”. The latter of these descriptions more than aptly encapsulates her debut album Catching a Tiger which delivers fourteen tracks worth of her soulful voice and expert backing from Seattle southern rockers Band of Horses.

Kicking off this AOR based album are the harmonic duo of “Record Collector” and “When I’m Alone” two tracks that immediately demonstrate Lissie’s imaginative and considerable lyric writing and imagery ability. With a sound that is very warm and friendly, Maurus’ vocals add a wonderful sense of depth and completion to what is a strong musical opening. Ben Bridwell and the rest of the Band of Horses begin with strong performances here “When I’m Alone” paying particular attention to their strong percussion ability, the result a haunting, up beat ballad that gets both the head bobbing and the mind thinking.

The album then stalls somewhat, not picking up again until the eighth track “Cuckoo” Here the pace takes a much needed injection, the true potential of Maurus’ so called “Freeway Rock” description really coming into its own. A nostalgic and positive look back at misspent youth with just a pinch of regret thrown in for good country measure, “Cuckoo” is a perfect embodiment of Lissie and Band of Horses potential to fulfill a large gap within the current musical market. Rather than be bogged down by the all too easily exploited morbid and unhappy memories that plague every creative genius, this song celebrates the defiance of youth and its petulance, delivering this message in an upbeat, subtly produced number that could very well and perhaps should be the independent, folk anthem of this summer.

The album closes with “This Much I Know”, a plodding ballad that is, admittedly, a little clichéd and predictable despite being once more wonderfully crafted and sincere in its own belief. In all Catching a Tiger is a strong and gutsy debut album from this excellent new talent. With a strong work ethic and growing notoriety of experimentation, a recent semi acoustic performance of Lady GaGa’s Bad Romance at numerous live appearances, has only credited and developed this young woman’s talent and exposure in a positive light. What lies ahead for Lissie and her backing band is potentially very encouraging.

However, the question of “Does the music industry need another blond, plaid shirted folk singer” is unfortunately a very relevant one. Although a brilliant debut, a certain lack of originality still underlies the work as a whole, a great pity considering Maurus’ talent. Only time will tell, as it so often does, whether this dove will fly, or be crushed by corporate blood letting.

Jonathan Whitelaw

In a genre filled with over auto-tuned drivel, Janelle Monáe might just be what old-school R&B fans have been looking for. Her, retro-styled, sultry tones are bound to take the world by storm, with ArchAndroid (Suites II & III) already a big hit on the other side of the pond.

I’m not the biggest fan of R&B by any means (something you might have already gathered), but there’s something about this album that really works for me in a way that other albums in the genre don’t. I can’t really put my finger on it, but I think it comes down to the music having some kind of substance. Lyrically, this is not your typical modern R&B fare. There’s little (if any) mention of ‘the club’ or some posh champagne or material goods. With this album, it seems Miss Monae is trying to bring the genre back to basics, whilst sending it an a completely new direction and forcing it to it’s knees.

You might think that this has come at a price, but the substance has been coupled with an unrivaled  amount of style. The production is top-notch, if the lyrics don’t hit you the beats definitely will. This being a concept album, it really has to be a cohesive experience for listener. I’m happy to tell you that it’s been pulled off without any of the drawbacks and cheesiness associated with concept pieces.

I forgot to mention, The ArchAndroid is a concept album. It follows the story of an android and her quest to free The Metropolis. Not the most grounded of concepts, but that’s what makes it interesting. This futuristic approach allows for an ever-changing sound, which keeps the album interesting. Is calling an album ‘well paced’ weird? Well that’s what I am doing. There’s rarely a dull moment listening to this and, like a good book, I was looking forward to each new chapter.

If you’re a fan of music, you need to give this a shot. That’s right, it has a broad enough scope to appeal to everyone. When I say you’ll find it hard to not like this album, I’m serious. Janelle Monáe has created a masterpiece that deserves all the praise it’s getting. For me, The ArchAndroid (Suites II & III) is up there with the best albums of 2010 and I think you’ll agree. You might be unfamiliar with her now, but watch this space.

‘Tightrope (Feat. BigBoi of OutKast)’ The first single from this album is now available in the UK as the ‘Single Of The Week’ on iTunes. Download it here.

L-R: Martin, Ian, Jonah Matranga, Anthony

I bet some of you are reading this and wondering what the hell ‘Dicking Around Presents’ is and that’s what we are here to tell you. If you’re a reader of our work you’ll remember (hopefully) that, back when we interviewed Chris Farren, we mentioned “Dicking Around with Fake Problems” (we also brought this up to Tom Gabel too). Well that film is the works, but before that happens we decided to set up a little ‘production company’ and do a bit of video work for Moon & Back.

With Dicking Around Productions, we aim to bring you cool, music-based video content. Our first project was with, the lovely, Jonah Matranga. He allowed us to film some of his gig in Manchester last month and this is what we bring to you now. Sorry about the audio quality, we’ll be sure to fix that for our next video. Enjoy!

Jonah Matranga – ‘Smile’

All videos recorded and edited by Dicking Around Productions ©2010

‘Under The Bridge’ is a music podcast hosted by us two – Anthony Barlow & Ian Critchley – in which we chat bollocks about music for a while, tell some stories, give out some recommendations and promote some up and coming new bands. This week we have an interview with, Far frontman, Jonah Mantranga as our “main topic”. We also discuss the merits of the film ‘Riding In Vans With Boys’. how good Crazy Arm are and stalking Frank Turner.

Under The Bridge – Episode 1: Something To Do With Trolls (Featuring Crazy Arm)

This week’s music was provided by Crazy Arm. You can find out more about the band on their MySpace and be sure to buy their album here.

The tracks used are as follows:

• Roasting River
• Still To Keep
• Kith And Kingdom
• Henry Fabian Flynn
• Poverty And Spit
• Broken By The Wheel

Each episode we want to feature a different, up and coming, artist. So if you have any suggestions you can contact us by email, by leaving a comment below or on Twitter.