Camera Obscura/Richard Hawley Split Announced

News from the 4AD website is Glasgow's Camera Obscura and honey-coated Yorkshire crooner Richard Hawley will be releasing a split 7" of sorts on May 17th 2010.

The A-side is CO's cover of Hawley staple The Nights Are Cold, taken from Late Night Final, Hawley's first full length proper, released back in 2001.

B-side is CO's The Sweetest Thing remixed by Hawley, with added Hendo's

No mention of it on their myspace or official website as yet so content yourself with this lovely clip of a young Hawley playing the popstar with the massively under-rated (in Tally Ho's humble opinion) Longpigs.

Yeah alright, so this whole story was just an excuse to post the She Said video...is that so wrong?

Fresh & Only's Live - Free Download

Our friends at the awesome new site Sick of the Radio have a streaming Fresh & Only's show that you can download for free here!

Featuring nine tracks, some of which are unreleased at the moment, the download is taken from a radio session F & O's did for independent NY based station WFMU back in 2009...Real Nice.

Happy Birthday - S/T LP

At the start of the year, the fickle inhabitants of blogs-ville went a little loco over a track called Girls FM by Happy Birthday, a band fronted by Vermont-based Renaissance man Kyle Thomas, the talent behind Tally Ho! favourites King Tuff.

Just like the saccharine sentiments the title implies, Girls FM has hooks that cut deeper than The Raspberries ever could but its cocky Casanova boasts are betrayed by an inherent frailty that suggests it was made to soundtrack the first-date-nerves of 16 year old virgins the world over...not sure what that says about us but its awesomeness can not be denied.

Well Sub Pop agreed and signed the band; which also consists of Thomas' Vermont homies Chris Weisman and Ruth Garbus; with the proviso that they deliver an LP's worth of honey-dripping, teeth rottingly sweet power pop.

Not ones to disappoint, the resulting album, Happy Birthday is the best thing we've heard so far this year. Released in the UK on 15th March, it's been on the stereo non-stop, bleeding 70's pop perfection into Tally Ho! HQ and as we mourn the passing of Alex Chilton, its a poignant reminder of the power of the genre that Chilton cut his teeth in.

Listen to Girls FM on their myspace here or visit Sub Pop's home page here to score a freebie in the form of LP highlight Subliminal Message.

Tally Ho detectives uncover true identity of band Cults

General consensus says new popular band Cults are the work of an already established artist. General consensus speaks that it could not be possible for a band to pop out of nowhere and emerge on Pitchfork. General consensus deems that the songs are too polished, too well-produced to be the work of nobodies.

Who is general consensus? I don't know. But he is right.

Tally Ho the blog has uncovered the secret through methods of detection and sleuthing skills that columbo would be pleased with. Cults is the work of none-other than pitchfork jilted indie almost-legend Travis Morrison. The same Travis Morrison that brough you Dismemberment Plan, and the uniformly awful solo album 'Travistan'.

His website claims that he is 'RETIRED! No shows, no records, no band. Just relaxing in Brooklyn. Befriend me on facebook. I'm so nice!'. But Tally Ho! Has it on good information that this is all a ruse.

Enjoy Travis Morrison in this video clip featuring some saucy babes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbNOgJai31k

NB: Our source for this also believes giants used to roam Earth, that Kate Moss was the alien in the Daily Mirror UFO hoax thing and thinks Daniel Johnston was on the x-factor.

S.C.U.M.

I knew a girl who used to talk about the midweek blues. She would refuse to do anything on a wednesday, as a miasmic three day drug comedown set it like clockwork every week. This new video for S.C.U.M. looks and sounds like the midweek blues in the best possible way. It's leaf right out of the book of old goth stuff that I like but probably shouldn't - bands heavy on concept, make-up and woozy draining synths. The Virgin Prunes even called an album 'If I Die...I Die' for christ sake. By the way, once your done looking at the S.C.U.M. video then look at the cover for that Virgin Prunes album. It's fucking ridiculous:



S.C.U.M. - Paris

Heavy Medicine

After what seems like an enternity from the first booze-fuelled rumblings of a Tally Ho cassette compilation. We are pleased to announced they will be delivered in the morning from our man in the north Terry the Tapist.

And here's the bands featured on the comp called 'Heavy Medicine':

Andrew Cedermark, Wonderswan, Dignan Porch, Fresh & Only's, Big Troubles, Grasshouse, Rent Boys, Fluffy Lumbers, The Whines, Wounded Lion, The Nicholas Cage, Treasure, Frat Dad, White Fence, Christmas Island.

Stay tuned for a release date and launch details.

Munch Munch

We'll be playing some records and dishing out some zines (providing we get them printed in time) at this one in Brixton on Saturday. Hope you can join us.....


Adentures in The Beetroot Field Present

Munch Munch - live
Tripwires - live
Portasound - live
Islington Boys Club - live
Firas dj
AITBF djs
Free Tally Ho zines!

Munch Munch are infamous for their exciting and unpredictable live set, and their frenzied instrument swapping. Their debut album, out on Tomlab records later this year presents a more focused and ambitious side of the band, without losing any of the energy. Essential viewing for fans of Why, No Age, Deerhoof and Ariel Pink.

After the live acts Firas will be playing a high energy melange of future electro beats.

From 9pm – 2am | £3 entry

Montage Populaire

Montage Populaire are going places in 2010 and with songs like the irresistible Break Up The Band under their belt, Tally Ho can't help but wish them well.

A Southampton-based six piece who've so far only recorded a handful of demos, Mon Pop's love of hooks and their ability to match wild song structures with tight harmonies has seen them receive plaudits from Artrocker and NME. They've just been shortlisted in a competition being ran by Q Magazine, which will see the winner play at Glastonbury this summer.

Having shared a bill with emerging groups such as Is Tropical and Thomas Tantrum, as well as a support slot for Vivian Girls, the boys are concentrating on getting their sound just right before they release anything officially, but in the meantime you can catch them live on April 5th when they play the Bloody Awful Poetry night at the Lock Tavern, Camden.

Check out Break Up The Band and their other demos on Myspace here

Weed Diamond - Snowmelt 7"

Denver, Colorado is the picturesque setting for the forthcoming spring release from five piece garage wreckers Weed Diamond. The aptly titled Snowmelt kicks off with a stomping glam rock beat then the sharp siren guitars join the party and it gets LOUD!

On the flip, Oklahoma turns out to be the perfect companion to the shimmer of Snowmelt. A more straight-forward rocker than the title track but no less affecting, its irresistible guitar tones will stick with you long after the needle leaves the groove.

Snowmelt is available on pre-order from Transparent Records here

and you can check out Snowmelt & Oklahoma here

Washed Out in 6 easy steps!

Ingredients:

Sampler x1 (x2 if you want to look like you are working hard at this)
Reverb plug-in (make sure it's got some huge settings like 'cathedral' and 'stadium')
Electric guitar (Don't worry you won't be making anything up on this)
Voice
Panda Bear Record

Instructions:

1. First let's make the voice right. Take your Panda Bear record. Copy the voice, put shitloads of reverb in it and sing as though you've been dumped, or your mum just told you to get a job and move out of the basement.

2. Use your sampler. Sample this:



3. Slow it down

4. Add some reverb. Shitloads of it actually - (Use setting 'Stadium')

5. Copy the spikey synth part with your guitar.

6. Record your vocals we prepared earlier.

You should have something like this:



Congratulations, you made Washed Out's 'Feel It All Around in 6 easy steps!

NB: Tally Ho actually really digs Washed Out and his jam 'Feel It All Around'.