Even in this corner of the galaxy, Captain, 2+2=4 ... Spock
Maximo Park (United Kingdom)
Maximo Park Music and Mp3's
Bio and profile of Maximo Park
Hard Hitting Indie qualifiers from Newcastle
Maxïmo Park formed in Newcastle, Tyne and Wear in 2000, their name adapted from Maximo Gomez Park, a Havana meeting place for Cuban revolutionaries. Initially, the four founding members played only a few small shows, with Archis Tiku on vocals, frequently switching instruments. On the verge of splitting up, they instead decided to look for somebody to provide more of a focus – on stage and lyrically. Singer Paul Smith was discovered by the then-girlfriend of drummer Tom English in a pub while he was singing along to Stevie Wonder's "Superstition". Having found someone with a stage presence, they started to write their first songs together, all despite the fact that the frontman never imagined himself as a frontman of a band. He'd never sung on stage beforehand, so it was a touch of luck that he turned out to be as well-suited to the role that he has grown into over the past few years.
Around March 2004, a friend funded 300 copies of a 7" red vinyl single 'Graffiti' and later released a vinyl of their tracks ("The Coast Is Always Changing"/"The Night I Lost My Head") that they’d recorded in their house in Fenham. After some time of doing gigs around their home town, Steve Beckett of the dance-electronic label Warp Records got hold of one of these records and decided to sign Maxïmo Park.
In 2005, they swiftly rose to indie fame with their debut album, A Certain Trigger, which was produced by Paul Epworth (Babyshambles, Bloc Party) [1] and hailed by some critics as one of the best releases of the year, leading to an increasingly devoted fanbase in the United Kingdom. The success of the album was reinforced by a series of increasingly large tours and a support slot to the Kaiser Chiefs on the NME Rock & Roll Riot Tour. In July 2005, their debut album was nominated for the Mercury Prize.
The band played the Glastonbury Festival and the Brixton Academy as part of Xfm's 2005 Winter Wonderland show [2], which sold out in ten minutes, and were headliners for the NME Awards Tour in early 2006. They also contributed a song to the War Child compilation Help: A Day in the Life.
Paul Smith did a part on MTV Cribs in 2006, in which he did not show his home, but a villa in Ibiza, in which Maxïmo Park were staying.
In August 2006, the band announced that they had started working on their next album. The album was produced by Gil Norton and recorded in London. On January 22, 2007 the band announced that their second album, Our Earthly Pleasures, would be released on April 2, 2007 and will be preceded by the album's lead single "Our Velocity" on March 19, 2007.[1] On January 30, 2007 the band released details of their "Our Earthly Pleasures" Tour. Tickets to the majority of the events sold out within minutes, upon their release on February 2.
Paul Smith in The Guardian revealled that he has recently been writing a lot of material based on obituaries, and mentioned a possibility of a compilation CD of songs based on biographical content, and obituarial content.
As you all know we've recently put on sale a charity show at the Forum on 28th May. We were all disappointed to see these tickets pop up on secondary ticket sites for an inflated fee. Please don't buy these tickets, we work hard to keep our ticket cost as low as possible and never like to see people pay more than the stated price, least of all when this show is for such a worthy cause and people are profiting from it. We are collectively looking at ways to stop these tickets going into the hands of the wrong people. If you still want to buy a ticket you can try sites like scarlet mist a non-profit making site that feels more in line with where we are at ethically.
200 German fans will have the ultimate chance to win 2x150 tix for a very special Maximo Park gig at the historic Kaiserburg-Burggraben in Nürnberg on May 29th, 2008.
Just visit http://www.t-mobile-streetgigs.de/maximopark & register yourself to the T-Mobile Street Gigs Website and with a little luck you'll get your personalized tix for free.
Maximo Park are pleased to announce a special one off concert at the Forum in Kentish Town, London on 28th May 2008!
Support comes from Mystery Jets, Blood Red Shoes and Pete and the Pirates. The show is in aid of two cancer charities including The Royal Marsden. It will be one of the bands few live appearances this year and looks like being a very special evening. All proceeds from the night will go to charity.
Tickets are on sale at £20 for general admission and £50 with access to some free booze, food and dj’s at the aftershow. Good luck with getting your tickets!
Paul writes "When someone you know is up against cancer it makes sense to give them your full support. Since that is currently the case, and that person is being treated at The Royal Marsden hospital, which was recently damaged by fire, we decided to do what we can as a band. What we do best is play concerts and we intend to give all profit from our gig at The Forum to help rebuild the cancer unit where they not only look after sufferers but continue to further our knowledge and treatment of the disease. We’ve never been a preachy band or asked people to s out daft amounts for tickets, but this show will be well worth the entry fee for a number of reasons."
Doing demos at the moment at Max HQ. Ultra-melodic... some Neu-pop verses... big choruses. Lyrics same as ever! Everyday= transcendent!
Speaking of which... I’m sure I had an epiphany of sorts playing on a football pitch under floodlights recently. I felt like I was floating, exhilarated by the lights that swam before my eyes on the frosty turf, doing something that, essentially, means little, but which I gain unending amounts of pleasure from. That was before the ball hit me in the face!
Listening to Beach House’s new album unfolding. Also, checking out a bit of UK dancehall through to the grime age on An England Story: 25 Years Of The MC In The UK- Tik Toc by Skibadee is rocking the speakers (rhyming ’minger’ with ’left winger’).
Right, now Calvin Johnson’s droney tone is making strangely sweet noises about a ’Tiger Trap’ and it reminds me that I need to go and listen to the new Sun Kil Moon album whilst sorting out the ephemera that’s collected on my shelves and which now obscures the books and records they were built to contain. Considering the content of your average Sun Kil Moon song, there may be wistfulness ahead!
It's morning. I can feel the frost outside, inching its way through the faults in the window-frame.
Thoughts for the day...
Cinema-speak = There Will Be Blood is still in my brain, along with The Savages, but All The Boys Love Mandy Lane didn't even deliver any shocks, never mind the dodgy soft- sub-text (the director's grasp of irony was about as subtle as that delivered by Alanis Morissette in her 'unforgettable' smash hit, Ironic) Now, if only I could grow a 'tache as impressive as Daniel Day-Lewis's...
Top of the Pops = Pete and The Pirates (the way 'indie' sounds in my head... i.e. a good thing)
Top of the Tips = Tickley Feather (if you like Panda Bear, here's a female peer)
Top of the Taps = Gershwin Goes to Hollywood (two discs of foot-tapping, heart-stopping Matinee crooning)
Top of the Bleeps = Autechre... Envane (on the eve of a new album, this lush four-tracker swims around my head)
Yo Well, I finally heard Jukebox, the new Cat Power album, today on a train up the coast.
No mp3s... I pulled out my weathered discman and went old-school. I've only listened to it once, so the jury's out on the material, but one thing I can say for certain: my favourite modern vocalist by far. Astonishing delivery, I tells ya. It confirms why I fell in love with her voice in the first place. Just one man's meagre opinion, but that's what this measly blog's for!
I also became worryingly obsessed with the first series of HBO's The Wire recently and watched 14 episodes in 3 days. Shouldn't I be writing music, you ask? Hey, TV has totally ped me by for the last four years (thankfully), so I'm due a catch-up.
... whatever you're up to, wherever you are, whatever you believe in!
I'm uploading CDs onto my computer, listening to Nana talking to my brothers in the front room. You know the drill. Family fortunes.
I haven't 'blogged' for a while, since we've been busy and I've been worn-out in the aftermath, but when you're at home in the comfort zone, the blog seems like a good time-killer as well as an online, festive kiss under the mistletoe/manly shake of the hand!!
No more upcoming shows! A nice change because we want to write and record some more songs. There will be some trips abroad next year to reach a few extra people who couldn't see us before, but such plans are a mere twinkle in our eye.
Thanks for coming to see us at the shows, especially Oxford Academy and Newcastle Arena, which are the most recent, therefore continuing to linger longest. I was so proud to play to 10 000 peeps in the city that I call my home. Still independent! Still burning with the same desire!
We are all on a bus trundling along the poorly-kept Californian freeways, which have been partly responsible for a general lack of sleep over the last two weeks. Plenty of other states in the USA and Canada also have very bumpy roads. Or maybe the bus's suspension is knackered... Hard to say. We've played to so many new people over the last few weeks which was one of the main reasons we toured with Travis, since their audience is fairly different to ours. I have no idea what half of them felt since they seemed to watch with curious faces. I'd like to think they were intrigued or amused, but there's always the chance that they thought we were boisterous freaks (especially me with my dancing, which is an oddity to even myself!). I dunno. All we can do is play these songs that we have and try to entertain people at the same time; to give something of ourselves to audiences.
I've been thinking a lot of what to do next, and if you ask any band member you're bound to get five distinct and different answers. From my point of view, I just want each song to be amazing in its own way; to carry it's own mood and avoid any over-arching concept or direction. With all of us contributing to the songwriting, it could never have a uniformity that other bands have. I've also been listening to The Go-Betweens a heck of a lot, and what makes them special is the pure quality of the songs. There's a really simple artistry at work, and each song leaps out for different reasons. Theyr'e letting their heart and their head combine to startling effect, despite their technical 'limitations' as musicians.
I just want our band to be unique, moving and joyful. I don't ask for much, eh!!??
Anyway, if anyone reading this came to see us then thankyou. I can't imagine being on tour with a nicer band than Travis and their crew and whilst it's great to be heading home to Newcastle, the last two weeks have been like a holiday in some ways: our little road trip down the West Coast of this gigantic landm.
I'm listening to Slowdive's clic 'shoegazing' record Souvlaki now, and dreaming of a static bed.
Yeah!
Take care, blog-readers... a new diary entry should appear soon on the big, bad, official site.
Now we're in Canada, and, boy, do they like to check criminal records here... Anyway, after a lengthy stop at border control I sit outside La Tulipe theatre listening to On Leaving by Nina Nastasia, one of my favourite records of recent times. It leaves me heartened yet lonely. Opposite is the Mont Royale bingo hall. Even the McDonalds bins have Merci printed on them instead of Thankyou. It feels a long way from home, but, as such, it's still fresh territory.
Dunc and I were working on new songs on the tourbus as we drove along today. I'm very excited to see where we go next as a band, as well as playing the songs from OEP to as many folks as possible. Lyrically, the weather plays a part, in keeping with the psychological effect that our surroundings have on us. Small details make up individual lives. Why I chose to tell you this is neither here nor there.
I am too warm now, and I'm only wearing one sock. The other has gone walkabout...
We made it through security (I got a nice immigration officer who thought Lukas was a record producer) and we are, finally, back in the USA; Boston, to be exact. Our hotel is in the shadow of the Red Sox baseball ground and I'm looking to add to my collection of sportswear. I have my eye on a white cap with a red B on it. I found a mini-mart with Polaroid film, too, so I can't wait to wander around tomorrow and look for some unique images.
I'm listening to the new Interpol album as well as Nick Lowe's new platter, which is cly and worldly-wise. On the plane, I had a sneaky listen of clic MOR pop album Rumours by Fleetwood Mac... I also watched the involving, but somewhat unsatisfactory drama Half Nelson, where Ryan Gosling exuded a quiet desperation...
By the way, our recent European festivals all had their plus points, thankfully, even though the electricity died during Evreux, in France. We saw Metallica in Belgium, which was fun. Now there's a band who know about the dual-horned rock sign!
I could bore you for ages with mundane details, but I only really wanted to say something instead of nothing. Who knows when the next internet connection will be?
I hope to see a new bunch of North Americans as well as the old-school minority who like our music here. Starting tomorrow!
o, I had a look at our myspace and thought I would write something...
I'm in love with the music of The Go-Betweens at the moment. That's a fact.
I watched the videos for Spring Rain Head Full Of Steam the other day. The first is black and white and lovely; the second is unnervingly Warhol, but in a charmingly inept way. The lights and white set reminded me of the Our Velocity video, but Robert Forster is showing his skinny midriff, which, as I recall, did not happen in our little promo. Check it out if you, too, want to feel a bit odd and chuckle at his camp glances. 'Camp Glances'... hmmm it has a ring to it... if anyone's thinking of forming a band, this could be the name for you! Enough, I've got to go and cook my tea, there's a film-maker called John Smith from east London who is talking at the Star and Shadow cinema later on. We bid farewell to Newcastle tomorrow for a weekend of fun and performances (which should also be fun).
I'm currently listening to Most of the Time by Bob Dylan. It's a killer. Rueful:
"I'm halfways content... most of the time I know exactly where it all went I don't cheat on myself I don't run and hide Half of the feelings that are buried inside I don't compromise and I don't pretend I don't even care if I see her again... most of the time"
We are looking for a bunch of fans to feature in our upcoming video, as part of the raging crowd at a gig.
We need 80 fans in total - filming will be on 28th June somewhere in West London - it will be a long day.
If you think you're made of the right stuff and you want the chance to engrave yourself into our history please send the following to laura@warpfilms.com:
1. A Photo (of Yourself) 2. Your Height, Hair & Eye Colour 3. A MySpace/Bebo link (optional) 4. Your email address & phone number
Please don't miss out any of these details or we may not consider your entry...
To coincide with the release of 'Books From Boxes' the band will be making a special performance and signing records at the Manchester Arndale Virgin Megastore on Monday 11th June at 5.30pm.
This is a wristband only event: Wristbands are available on a first come first served basis to personal callers only, from 9.00am Monday 11th June at the Manchester Arndale Virgin Megastore. Max 2 wristbands per person.
See you there!
Monday 11th June @ 5:30pm Manchester Arndale Virgin Megastore MSU1, New Cannon Street, Arndale Centre, Manchester, Manchester, M4 3AJ
If you're interested in hearing some BIG Maximo Park news tomorrow (Friday 25th May) please make sure you are signed up to our mailing list (you mean you aren't already!?).
The last time the band went to Reveal was when the first Apply Some Pressure single was released.. since then there's been 2 albums and big world tours. This is somewhat of a thankyou to the people who have been supporters from the off.
TELL A FRIEND.. OR TEN.. and make sure you get there early as it might get busy.
They call out your name behind the counter. It seems so informal. Outside, a man slumps against the kerb. His hair is spreading silver at the sides, around his ears, with the blackness of his skin creating the effect of a fire that has recently died out. Inside, surrounded by smooth plastic surfaces, a lady swings her little ghetto blaster like it's a handbag. "It's been a long night," she says. A purple Christmybauble hangs from her blouse. I could stay in this fast food restaurant all day listening to the true stories, the embellishments, the all-out lies, and the long-time-no-sees.
On the street, away from the mist that obscures buildings only a few blocks away, a guy makes chuffing noises, his hair stuffed beneath his baseball cap, which seems like a standard look for hustlers in San Francisco. A lot of casualties inhabit the neighbourhood around the Phoenix hotel, with its pastel blue paint that stands incongruous alongside the crooked and the crippled, as if to hint at the city's breezy West Coast reputation; some kind of faded, baby-blue souvenir of a counter-cultural heyday.
Along the way. Gold teeth flash. Kids deal out bundles of dollars into little piles as if they were trading cards. I stride along the middle of the sidewalk so as not to look interested in the deals being struck or the goods on offer. I'm aulted by different smells and coded talk, both betraying illegal activities that symbolise a vague power in defiance of the parked police car behind this group of men.
A shop window shows multiple childish renditions of the American flag. In their infant hands the stars become sequins and the stripes look like the irregular flicker of a broken television.
In a bar that plays punk rock music, I can get a cola for a dollar, but the bartender keeps asking if I want another so I leave.
A nearby cinema is showing Harold and Maude, but it's getting late and I've seen it. Over the road, two shadowy figures try repeatedly, and unsuccessfully, to throw a tied up pair of shoes over the telephone wires that traverse the road. The weight of each shoe acts against the other as they see-saw upwards and, knocking together, they tumble down in a limp freefall, as if dangling in miniature from a rear view mirror in one of the shaky taxi cabs that bump across this hilly city.
But it's dark now and all this shady activity is like a faded chalk equation on a dusty blackboard: it just wears out my eyes.
Wow! A live bootleg of the inimitable Karen Dalton has just been officially released and it's a revelation. I bought it in Edinburgh on a trip to see William Eggleston's 5x7 photographs (which are timeless, unflinching and poignant).
Her voice is so strong, especially compared to the recordings that already exist. It comes, by turns, wobbling and charging out of the speakers alongside her banjo and guitar playing.
"I wish I was a lizard in the spring", she sings. It's odd, but you know exactly what she means when it's delivered in such a parched, weathered manner. Haven't we all felt that need to be refreshed!?
Old Hannah is performed acapella and shows the common thread between Karen and Lal Waterson - both so direct, even when singing traditional songs with their own, attached context.
And that's how I'm spending this Wednesday morning, before I travel to Belsay Hall in Northumberland, which has its own rich history.
I'm listening to Suicide playing their echo-techno-doo-wop rock n' roll. It's 1988 and it's A Way Of Life.
I saw a film by Bruno Dumont last night. It's called Flandres. I thought it was great, although enjoyment wasn't a large part of the appreciation process. A cloud hangs over mankind, but there are shafts of light bouncing off people's faces. Uneasy viewing.
It seems there are cyber-gremlins infiltrating this site - someone will deal with it.
Walking between the raindrops in dreary Newcastle...
o, We landed in Germany this morning for the beginning of our European mainland shows. I heard some duff info on the web in general about the extra songs on our next single, so I thought I'd reinforce the truth. Which is to say... George Brown is a song about a calypso singer who went by the name Young Tiger, although it's more about the situation he found himself in as part of the 'Windrush' generation of Carribean immigrant workers. Secondly, Jonathan Cole (NOT Coleman-still alive, Australian DJ!!!) was a painter who was recently killed whilst filming in Vietnam. The information about Jean Baudrillard was correct! He was a French philosopher whose theories attempted to make sense of a world that changed dramatically during the information age that continues to this day.
Anyway, as an additional comment, thanks to everyone who attended the UK leg of this never-ending tour. I was touched by the responses that followed us around the country, both during the shows and also the comments we received afterwards. I even managed to vomit onstage for the first time - new barriers are being broken all the time by our band of crusading popsters!
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