It's all coming back to me now...
Preceeding Myracle Brah at the Barfly last week were Philly psych-pop freak-outs the Three-4-Tens whose show culminated in a hail of feedback and Ye Trashing of Ye Instruments. To be specific, their hyperactive bass-player decided to test his guitar's aerodynamics, launching it like paper dart from one side of the stage to the other, crashing into the wings stage-left. Phew, we gasped, rock'n'roll. And now a little relief is in order as reallyrather realises it has come across this character - his name's Jamie - before, back in April at the Borderline. He's also in Marah. reallyrather watched the whole of their show that night from the staircase which descends in to the venue stage-left, at almost precisely the spot where I now estimate a flying bass guitar would've landed, had our excitable hero so chosen. But there wasn't much chance of anyone overheating that night as they showcased the shiny new Marah sound. Float away with the Friday night gods finally surfaces next week but you can hear the whole thing here if swaggering, anthemic rock'n'soul does it for you...

"Older readers will note Blood Brothers striking resemblance to the theme of Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads? Younger readers will probably just melt" -- The Tyde waste no time in pasting up NME's review of the new 3-track EP just out on Rough Trade...

...and on the subject of British TV comedy landmarks, the first series of Peter Kay's brilliant Phoenix nights begins a re-run Thurs July 4, six spanking new epidsodes to follow (hurrah!). Devotees of this tale of one wheelchair-bound northern bloke's heroic efforts to breathe new life into his Working Mens club include..er..veteran drum ace Steve Gadd! (Steely Dan, Paul Simon, etc, etc; the tapes are a staple on the Clapton tour bus, apparently). Channel4, 11pm...

NY's Hem bring their poised folk-pop back to the UK later this year:
Thu Sep 26 Brighton, venue TBA
Fri Sep 27 London, Queen Elizabeth Hall
Sat Sep 28 Fareham, Ashcroft
Mon Sep 30 Dublin, IRL Spirit
Tue Oct 1 Birmingham, Ceol Castle
Wed Oct 2 Milton Keynes, Stables
Thu Oct 3 Salisbury, Arts Center
Fri Oct 4 Leicester, International Arts Center
Mon Oct 7 Sheffield, Boardwalk
Tue Oct 8 Edinburgh, tba
Wed Oct 9 Glasgow, Arches
Thu Oct 10 Hartlepool, tba

Also coming back for half-a-dozen dates in August are nicely off-kilter indie-popsters Death Cab For Cutie. Band-member Chris Walla seems to be developing a sideline as producer. As well as the Death Cab albums and The Long Winters, he helped out on Andrea Maxand's attractive debut. Anyone into DCFC will find plenty to enjoy on Angel hat (Montesano, 2001). Mostly a solo effort, Maxand accompanies her light, pointed vocal with chiming, slightly edgy electric guitar, Walla judiciously layering both instruments to produce some lean, promising alt-rock. Peace on tv, Velveteen and Learn how to crawl stand out; the latter is the only track with rhythm accompaniment and bodes well for a new release later this year on which Maxand re-records several Angel hat tracks with a full band. Old hat, maybe...?

Amazing, just amazing ... Jo Whiley's record of the week this week on her daytime BBC Radio1 show? Remixed with beefier guitar, out soon on FiercePanda, it's Soldier girl by The Polyphonic Spree! Go see/hear for yourself...