Big Old News Roundup (May Contain Nudity. Or Not.)
Category: Music

Hello, faithful listeners (and, of course, you slatternly ones at the back who only show up for the occasional emotionally traumatic yet extremely erotic booty call).

It's a strange old time at the moment. I can see insanely busy weeks and months ahead and I'm desperately trying to prepare for them, but I'm still working out where to begin. However, a few announcements.

Confirmation has just arrived that ist will be playing this year's Sugarhill Festival, which takes places on 5-7 September, (www.sugarhillfestival.co.uk). We're on the New Independents Stage on Sunday, 7th September, just before the headliners, The Flies (led by Spiritualised's Sean Cook). We're hoping this will kick off the process of bringing Toothpick Bridge to the masses, and we're planning a number of events, both online and in real life, to kick the latter part of 2008 off with a bang.

The next week, we will be taking part in the Shoreditch Shuffle (http://www.whos-jack.co.uk/shuffle.html) event in good ol' London Town, being organised by the fine people at Who's Jack Magazine. Over the 13/14 September, you'll be able to take in a cornucopia of art, films, music and, I have no doubt, interpretative dance.

In between times, amongst other dates to be confirmed, we will be visiting Bar None in Nottingham on 14th August. As always, new dates on the horizon over the next couple of months while we finalise plans for the now about 3 days work from completion new album. We are actively looking for some events which are a little off-the-beaten track, as well, so if you of strange and interesting gigs that may suit, feel free to let us know on kenton@istianity.co.uk or kenton.ist@gmail.com.

In fact, plans are afoot to get the first single/taster/frightener from the album out to you soon. We'll be doing this in a rather strange and interesting way, so if you'd like to be involved and get in on the ground floor of that, again with the emailing us, you little monkeys.

I have, as you might remember, recently returned from another writing sojourn in Italy and some of you might have expected another blog-fest by now. I'm still assimilating the experience at the moment, but I would like to take the chance to thank Chris D, Marti P, Linda L, Chris S, Matt D, Madelaine H, Rachel D, Jim B, Vivien S, Eran J, Athena A, Claire H and Jan B for an extraordinary time, which I'm not sure yet I can capture in words. And, of course, to our hosts Alessio and Valeria, Art and Seth - much love and awe. As with my last trip, however, I will need to introduce you to the work of these fine folks at some stage because there is a wealth of music you need to hear.

I think that's all for now. Keep an eagle eye out, cause there's soon going to be more ist about than you could shake a reasonably stout stick towards.

K.

03:22 - 3 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

ist in Leicester, 6th June

Just to remind y'all, ist will be retaking the stage for the first time in far too long, this Friday, June 6th at Sumo, Leicester. If you're around or can be around, please drop by and give us a good luck lick. Also appearing are Tom Mansi and the Icebreakers and The Falling Leaves, and we will be joined by our beautiful Swinging Laurels on brass.

02:41 - 3 Comments - 1 Kudos - Add Comment

Multiples (formerly known as Singles).
Category: Music

Hello my snood-wearing chums.
I thought it only right to keep you fed with the random thoughts of ist while our resident Chief Blogger is off on his jolly jaunt in Italy, rubbing limbs with the collection of unusual souls he finds himself thrust amongst, tales of which will doubtless be regaled to you in copious detail in the coming days, weeks and, if you're in the band, years. [sorry kenton ;) ]
At the helm today, Brett...

So, what's beating my onions then? Well, I've been looking through the so-called singles charts to keep up to speed with what the kids are listening to, not in some vain attempt to stay "with it" but because it comes in very useful in my sideline of guitar tuition.
Now, I was rather surprised to see some artists appear numerous times in this week's top 40. With such a plethora of music being slewed around constantly, it seems unusual to me to have returned to such a state; I thought the days of bands having simultaneous entries in the chart were all but over by the time The Kinks stopped releasing successful 45s. Apparently I was very wrong.
We see four acts taking up more than one slot in the top 40 alone:-

Ne-Yo - 2 entries (one solo, plus he wrote Rhianna's current1)
Alphabeat - 2 entries (sat adjacent at 22 and 23)
The Ting Tings - 2 entries (2 and 33)
Duffy - 2 entries (7 and 21)


OK, that isn't hugely excessive, but hold on one moment...
Most acts struggling to break through to a wider audience will consider a top 100 single a major achievement. The top 40 is virtually monopolised by the major label artists with marketing machines that would shame Heath Robinson. So, we minnows might be aiming slightly lower, but with single sales numbers being so slight these days, top 100 might still be just achievable. So, let's look at how that breaks down:-

02:37 - 3 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment