ARTISTS
Keyboard Rebel
www.myspace.com/keyboardrebel
Manchester indie mavericks Keyboard Rebel release their explosive debut album “Pop
Grenade” on 13th October 2008 – a tale of justice, guerilla war and love in the forest.
Having begun their career on the city’s Twisted Nerve imprint with an intimate cover of
Destiny’s Child’s “Bootylicious” on limited edition 7” vinyl, the band’s first long player
appears on their own Slick Nine label, recorded in a Welsh 17th Century farmhouse and
featuring the group’s trademark warmth and eclectic instrumentation.
Themes of swashbuckling justice, hard fought romance and villains who get their
comeuppance permeate through the album, with the band opting to donate all proceeds
from the record to Amnesty via the lovingly created www.popgrenade.net, which features
the sumptuous artwork of regular Rebel sleeve designer Bea Turner.
Guest producers on the album include Ruth Skipper (sister of The Holloways’ Rob), who
takes time out as one half of the delectable “The Moulettes” to produce, sing backing and
play bassoon on the “Forest Song”. The rest of the record is kept closer to home, with
production duties shared between the band themselves and friend and engineer Jonny
Duncan.
The album’s title reflects not only the record’s political slant, but also the band’s overarching
musical philosophy, with only three of the eleven songs breaking the three minute
barrier, and all recorded with a firm commitment to get in, deliver the hooks, and get out.
Man And The Vertebrates
www.myspace.com/manandthev
Man And The Vertebrates contain former members of the legendary And The Adventures Of and are based in London. Their previous incarnation The Bedford Rascals have supported acts ranging from The Others to Babyshambles. They're awesome.
Yossarian
MySpace Profile
Facebook Page
Yossarian is the side-project of lone Keyboard Rebel, Tom Butlin. He has this to say:
Yossarian, sadly, is not my real name. It's Tom. I'm slightly ashamed to count myself amongst the thousands of budding singer-songwriters out there who think you might want to hear about their sad and meaningless lives. Two things make me stand out, however: my consciousness of the absurdity of the above, and my almost complete inability to play the guitar. Instead I fight a losing battle to sound like the Mountain Goats using just a Yamaha PSR-220 electronic keyboard and a decidedly English voice. This results in something darkly humorous and musically not very accomplished which I'm hoping has a peculiar charm of its own. Audiences at all... however many there've been now of my gigs so far have been surprisingly attentive, and a moustachioed man at the first said I was 'like Serge Gainsbourg on temazepan,' which I took as a compliment. I represent a particularly young and tender new branch of the sapling Manchester label Slick Nine Records, whose gnarliest living limb Keyboard Rebel also tolerate my meanderings in their line-up.
Oh, and by the way, my debut album The Selfish Gene is now out! Order a free copy from the shop.
Pop Martyr
www.myspace.com/popmartyr
Pop Martyr biog coming soon.
