Jack Penate has been on my mind the last couple of weeks, after having spoken to the extremely thoughtful Londoner last month and coming away with the warm, fuzzy feeling of, “you know what? Here is a guy who really enjoys making music“.

Just as much as Jack enjoys making music for us, we here at TGTF like to spread the music love. If you haven’t heard Jack’s latest album Everything is New yet, boy…do we have a treat for you. Follow this link to a blog on his MySpace and you can stream the album for free. So how does the ‘MP3 of the Day’ feature come in? Well, for a limited time, Jack is offering a free download of ‘Body Down’ from that same blog entry. I loved it live, and I think you’ll love it too.

I had the privilege of chatting with XL Recordings artist Jack Peñate before he and his band soundchecked for their gig at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel last Friday night here in D.C. In this insightful interview, he tells me how his latest album was unique in its recording and why working with producing legend Paul Epworth made him change his opinion of the recording studio. Jack even lets me in on the surprising inspiration for ‘Pull My Heart Away’. Have a read.

First off, welcome to Washington!
Thank you so much!
It’s so great to have you here, I was really excited to hear you were coming to our town.
Oh, great!
I came to know your music listening to 6music and other British radio stations. Is this the first time you’ve been to D.C.?
No, I came here when I was about 19 with my bassist, who is also my best friend from high school. We went across America doing the Greyhound [coach] thing. Yeah, we came here and did the White House and that sort of thing, but we didn’t stay too long. I don’t really know D.C. too well. I always kind of thought touring was the best way to see the world in a way, because music brings passionate people together, and it throws people together in a city. So it’s nice, even though I’ve been here before, you get to see venues, do meet and greets…

So you played Johnny Brenda’s in Philadelphia and the Mercury Lounge in New York before coming here. What were those shows like, are they anything like the ones you’ve played in London or in England?
No. It’s kinda like…they were kinda like the gigs we played back home maybe a couple years ago in the size and maybe what I need to do, which is hopefully make people talk about it. This tour is a lot about building things up. Hopefully…I kind of see the way I want my career to just grow, and people kind of learn about [me] through means that aren’t too unattractive, like huge budgets on advertising, which is, you know, how a lot of people get big. I like the idea of, at least for now, to do these kinds of tours, to just build up a fanbase. You know, people that really care about what you do. Instead of just momentary, they like you for a certain amount of time and go away. That’s what I did back home, I went around Britain over and over again, starting off playing off to a hundred people a night or maybe less, like 60 people, and then built it up to two, three thousand a night where it is now, and then playing to 20,000 people at festivals and stuff like that. I don’t know if that can happen here, but I know it can be done. So it’s always nice…this is my first chance to be able to start to do that here.
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By now, I’m sure you’ve heard about the two headlining acts that stopped in Washington Friday night – singer/songwriter Jack Penate and the mysterious atmospheric dance/pop band Miike Snow. They aren’t acts that are played on mainstream radio here in America, so I wasn’t sure what kind of turnout there’d be for the evening. I needn’t have worried. Thanks to the internet and a hot tip from the Washington Post weekend guide, the tightly packed crowd enjoyed all-too-short sets from both acts at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel.

Based on seeing video for Jack Penate’s ‘Be the One’ on tv here recently, I was under the false impression that when he performed live, he only sang. This impression quickly changed when I saw photos from Reading and Leeds of him toting a guitar. Upon seeing him live, I found out he also played piano. What doesn’t he do? The set he played in Washington was, as expected, heavy with cuts from his latest album ‘Everything is New’, which was fine by me because this was the material that got me interested in him as an artist in the first place.

When he wasn’t shredding it on the guitar or seated at the piano, he was frenetically dancing to the beats of his backing band, to the delight of everyone in the club. ‘Second, Minute, or Hour’, the long song he played not on the new album, was fantastic with crashing guitars pretty much unlike like the new material. I am unashamed to say that “Pull My Heart Away” was the song I was waiting for since hearing about his North American tour and live, it was amazingly gorgeous with a female backing singer who lent an additional layer of complexity to the live versions of these songs compared to the album tracks.

There are a couple tracks from the new album that I wasn’t sure was going to translate well live – well, he totally surprised me. ‘Let’s All Die’ is an example: he prefaced playing the song by talking about the certainty of death of everyone in the room (surely such morbid talk would kill the mood, wouldn’t it?), turned into a near free-for-all when he eagerly put his mike in front of amused kids in the audience who sang the repeated “let’s all die!” chorus right with him. Phenomenal.

After a somewhat lengthy shifting and arrangement of gear and equipment, it was time for Miike Snow. The live band comprises of three actual Miike Snow members – Swedish producing duo Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg (better known in the remix world as Bloodshy & Avant) and American singer/songwriter Andrew Wyatt – plus three touring band members, so you know with all of these people on stage, there was bound to be a load of gear onstage. They took the stage with white theatrical masks, which was a little unsettling to say the least. There was a problem with Wyatt’s mike at the outset but this appeared to quickly be rectified as they opened with the crowd pleaser ‘Burial’.

During this song and all throughout their set, I was impressed with the coordination of so many different instruments; synths of every description, guitars, bass, piano, electronic drumming gizmo things, a xylophone – you name it, they had it. Fans happily sang along with Wyatt to many of the songs, which surprised me because I didn’t think that many people in America would have known who they were, let alone in Washington. I relished grooving to the electronic beats arranged by Karlsson and Winnberg, imagining just how great many of these songs would sound further remixed for the dance floor. My only complaint was that there was no encore: the crowd, manically shouting for the band to return, were certainly up for it. Maybe that’s what they intended – leaving them wanting more.

After the jump: Setlists and photos…

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I might as well admit it to the world: I’m a sucker for a well-written pop ballad. (Maybe this has something to do with my two X chromosomes?) But it was quite a shock to me that Jack Penate, the London soul singer who earlier this year brought us the decidedly tropical-themed ‘Tonight’s Today’ and the dance-poppy ‘Be the One’, should come along with a tear-jerker of a tune to win my heart.

Filmed in the Jordanian desert solely on a Super 8 camera while Penate was on holiday, the bleakness of the surroundings suits the subject of the song and makes the point that you don’t need to fork over a massive amount of money to make a flashy video that’s memorable.

Jack Penate has announced a string of UK and Ireland shows for October.

Saturday 17th October 2009 – Dublin Village
Sunday 18th October 2009 – Belfast Spring & Airbrake
Tuesday 20th October 2009 – Glasgow Arches
Thursday 22nd October 2009 – Birmingham Rainbow Warehouse
Friday 23rd October 2009 – Manchester Warehouse Project
Saturday 24th October 2009 – Leeds Met Uni
Sunday 25th October 2009 – Nottingham Trent Uni
Tuesday 27th October 2009 – Bristol Anson Rooms
Thursday 29th October 2009 – London The Fridge
Friday 30th October 2009 – Southampton Uni

Looking for a review of the Saturday of the Big Weekend? Click Here.

BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend is an annual musical festival with bit of a twist. Every year, the 2 day event takes place in a different town, with past locations including Dundee, Preston and Maidstone. This 2009, Radio 1 will be bringing their Big Weekend to Lydiard Park, Swindon, on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th of May. Tickets to the event are free, and are obtained through a random lottery on Radio 1’s website (registration has now closed). Lucky winners will blag a pair of tickets to their selected day (Saturday or Sunday), with Swindon residents receiving allocation priority in order to make the event more accessible to locals.

Every year the event has boasted an impressive line-up (past artists include Madonna, Muse and Foo Fighters), and this 2009 is absolutely no exception. Snow Patrol (pictured top), Kasabian (pictured right)and Dizzee Rascal will be headlining the ‘Main Stage’ on Saturday, while Lily Allen, Akon and Franz Ferdinand will be taking over the top slots on Sunday. Other artists who will be featuring within the main arena over the weekend include The Script, Calvin Harris, The Wombats, The Saturdays, Scouting for Girls, Ne-Yo, Alesha Dixon and N-Dubz.

Meanwhile, headline acts hitting the smaller ‘In New Music We Trust Stage’ on Saturday include Basement Jaxx, Doves and Jack Penate, while Sunday will be tastily offering up The Enemy, Maximo Park and Gossip. Further impressive artists appearing on this stage across the May weekend include Friendly Fires, Florence and the Machine, Fightstar, Enter Shikari, Ladyhawke and White Lies.

Should you fancy checking out some new music while at the event, why not head over to the ‘Introducing Stage’, where you can get up and close with a range of upcoming talent including Stornoway, The Temper Trap, Bombay Bicycle Club, Thee Vicars, Gallop and Marina and the Diamonds. And if that’s still not enough, you can catch a wide-range of top DJs spinning the decks over at the ‘Outdoor Stage’, with Radio 1 favourites including Chris Moyles, Annie Mac, Tim Westwood, Zane Lowe and Rob da Bank all making an appearance.

Registration for tickets to the event has now closed, but never fear, as the BBC will be broadcasting highlights of the festival on Radio 1 and BBC Three across the weekend. You’ll also be able to catch footage online, as well as on your trusty red button. If you’d like more information on the event, along with a full line-up, head over to the Big Weekend’s website now.

Top photo comes from Radio 1’s Flickr Stream.

Bestival is a three-day, action-packed music festival held every year at Robin Hill Country Park on the beautiful Isle of Wight. The bash is well-known for being one of the final music festivals to be squeezed out of the last of the summer months, and this year Bestival will be taking place appropriately late – between Friday 11th to Sunday 13th September.

The festival initially started out 5 years ago and has grown in both size and popularity since then. The brainchild of Radio 1 DJ Rob da Bank, Bestival is renowned for both it’s diverse line ups as well as it’s super fun atmosphere.

Headliners confirmed for this year’s event include Elbow, Massive Attack and Kraftwerk. Other quite simply amazing acts taking to the stage this 2009 include (and we stress, include!) MGMT, Fleet Foxes, Doves, Seasick Steve, Klaxons, Lily Allen, Friendly Fires, Florence and the Machine, Little Boots, Esser, Passion Pit, Chew Lips, La Roux and Jack Penate.

Meanwhile, DJs who’ll be spinning the decks at the Isle of Wight bash this year include Annie Mac, Huw Stephens, Zane Lowe and the boss himself, Rob da Bank.

Yet this is only a minuscule look into the massive selection of artists and DJs confirmed for this year’s event. You can grab the complete line-up over at Bestival’s website by hitting this link.

But music, no matter how impressive the line up may be, isn’t completely what this festival is about. Bestival is also a celebration of fun, and this year looks set to be one hell of a party.

Every year, for example, the festival has a fancy dress theme, and this 2009 the theme is ‘outer space’! So why not visit ‘The Dressing Up Area’, complete with a ‘Pimp My Outfit Booth’ to adorn yourself in such clothing wonderment while at the festival?

If fancy dress isn’t your thing, how about you check out ‘Heavenly Healing’ or ‘The Pamper Lounge’, two beautifully relaxing retreats providing festival-goers with a range of therapeutic treatments between their sweaty head banging sessions.

Other delights you can experience while at this dreamy festival include the tasty treats of ‘Buttercupcakes Afternoon Tea Hut’, the dizzying heights of the ‘The Big Wheel’, the jam-packed ‘The Village’ (complete with a farmers market and sushi stall!), ‘The Kids Garden’ for wee festival goers, and the famous ‘Inflatable Church’ should you fancy getting married along the way!

Wow! So, to learn more about this rollercoster of a festival, check out Bestival’s website. An adult weekend ticket for the event costs £140, and this includes camping. Tickets are still available for the fest and can be purchased from most ticket outlets. Check out the site for more information on where to purchase yours. Have fun!

Top photo is taken from alex_lee2001’s flickr stream under the Creative Commons License.

Jack Penate’s shiny new video for Tonight’s Today.

This is the time of year it seems just about every credible publication is doing a “best of 2007″ albums, so I thought I’d join them and do a quick top 10 of my favourite albums this past year. I’ve chosen the top 10 from the 74 albums I’ve “acquired” (either downloaded / bought the CD of / been given the CD of). Disagree? Just say in the comments below.

• Memorable-ness – Does it have you humming it for days after? Can you remember snippets of lyrics?
• “Car factor” - Can you put it on play and leave it going without skipping any tracks / few tracks?
• Irritability - Can you have tracks on repeat without wanting to throw the CD out of the window?
• Musical quality – Is it likely to be a classic / seen as a highlight of the artist’s career?
• Enjoy-ability – Is it fun? Get you going?
• Innovation - How innovative is it?

10. Jack Peñate – Matinee
He may just be one man with a funny swirl over his name, but his album turned out to be one of the most consistent of the year. Many of the tracks are single-worthy, fun, danceable and just the sort of thing that goes down a storm at many end-of term parties.

Tales of bitterness, nights out, missed opportunities, and images of guys in smart suits akin to West Side Story make this album the first in my 2007 top ten.

Buy the CD on Amazon

9. Mika – Life in Cartoon Motion
Who couldn’t have heard Mika’s first single, Grace Kelly, which bothered the top 10 for a few months at the start of the year. Fun, simple pop tunes that live are just quality party tunes.

Many people claimed Mika was trying to capture Freddie Mercury, and yes, he does sound a tiny bit like him, but is completely different: the tunes are quite possibly more girly than anything Freddie did, and his shows are far more like an acid trip than Queen could ever pull off.

His come down tunes, “Relax, Take it Easy,” “Any Other World” and “Happy Ending” are quality tunes in their own right, comedowns for the end of the party. All in all a quality mixture of pop, rock, and pure fun.

My Live Review | Buy the CD on Amazon

8.The Wombats – A Guide To Love, Loss and Desperation
I only really got into this a couple of weeks ago after the release of “Let’s Dance To Joy Division”, but it was on repeat all the way home from the US, with their amusing tales of urban English life. Songs like “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” celebrate English irony brilliantly, tunes that just have everyone dancing for the hills.

They’re knowledgeable, and the whole album is very tongue-in-cheek, which is just what modern indie-pop should be.

Buy the CD on Amazon

7. I’m From Barcelona – Let me Introduce My Friends
I’ll admit it, I didn’t think I’d like this album. 29 people on a record sounds like a recipe for destruction if you ask me, but somehow they pull it off without sounding as chaotic as the Polyphonic Spree do at times.

Songs like “We’re From Barcelona” are fun, simple tunes which has all the vibe of a secondary-school band gone pro. EP song “Britney” unfortunately doesn’t make an appearance on this album, but if it did, the album would be even higher up my list.

Buy the CD on Amazon

6. Band of Horses – Cease To Begin
Opening song, “Is there a Ghost” is enough for Band of Horses to deserve their 6th place position on this list. A quality, haunting tune that just captures the whole vibe of the album – musically capable, listener – accessible.

The entire collection sounds far more polished and consistent than their debut, “Everything, All the Time”, which whilst had moments of brilliance, failed to capture the consistency of this collection.

Buy the CD on Amazon

5. Radiohead – In Rainbows
A suprise release, Radiohead seemed to garner more headlines for their “Music Industry ruining” way of release and letting people choose the price they wanted to pay for the download of the tracks as an MP3 file.

However, the album wa, in my opinion, one of their strongest yet. A distinctly electronic feel, they combined their solo efforts into a collection that was strong, consistent, and interesting. I wouldn’t be suprised if it turns out to be one of their strongest of their career.

My Review of In Rainbows | Buy the CD on Amazon

4. Stars – In our Bedroom After the War
I bought this one on a whim – I didn’t know much about Stars, but quickly grew to love them. Songs like the haunting “Barricade”, the danceable “The Night Starts Here” and the yearning “Bitches in Tokyo” make for a collection that builds on their previous albums (which I’ve since acquired), and makes a strong and consistent collection that I’ll be listening to for months to come no doubt.

Buy the CD on Amazon

3. Tegan and Sara – The Con

They may be two lesbian identical twin sisters, but don’t let you think they’re a novelty act – far from it. They’re a quality duo, who make amazing short stories for the 00’s generation.

Produced by Death Cab For Cutie’s Chris Walla, The Con is their most accomplished yet, full of drama like their previous records, but a bit more believable, and a bit more stable now that they’re settled down with partners. They seem happier, if that’s possible, which is always good.

Buy the CD on Amazon

2. The National – Boxer
The National’s fourth album, Boxer is a very consistent record, though unfortunately not quite as good as their break-through “Alligator”.

They seem to be more at home with themselves, not quite as angry as standout songs on Alligator “Mr. November” or “Lit Up”. Instead, all of the songs are accomplished, but not as much emotion, which is a shame

The National @ The Astoria Live Review | The National – Boxer – My Review | Buy the CD on Amazon

1. Bloc Party – A Weekend in The City
I’ll admit it here. I wasn’t a big fan of their debut, Silent Alarm. I thought it was crap. However, once I listened to A Weekend in the City I “got” Bloc Party, and fell in love with both albums at once.

Songs such as “I Still Remember” and “Sunday” are the standouts for me, both quality songs that deserve the huge audience Bloc Party have garnered. I’ve possibly listened to this album more times than any other album, and will continue to do so for 2008 no doubt.
My Album Review | Buy the CD on Amazon

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Both The Enemy and Jack Penate have announced new dates instores next week.

You will need to collect wristbands from the store in the morning for entry to each of the Enemy’s three shows outlined below:

Monday 17 September – 6.00pm – HMV, 90 Market St, Manchester
Thursday 20 September – 5.00pm – Chalky’s, 78 High Street, Banbury, Oxon, OX16 5JG
Friday 21 September – 6.00pm – Virgin on Oxford Street in London

Meanwhile Jack Penate is doing two instores to celebrate his new single “Second, Minute Or Hour”, playing the below two dates. Wristbands are limited to two per person, available on 24th September at both stores.

Wednesday 26th September – Virgin Megastore, Oxford Street, London
Thursday 27th September – Manchester Arndale Centre

Photo from Radio 1 interactive’s flickr stream. under the Creative Commons License.