Monday, September 29, 2008

Mogwai DJ in Barrow

22nd nov 2008
the canteen arts centre, barrow-in-furness, cumbria

mogwai (dj set)
spokes (live)
plus further support

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Desalvo - 29th September (and other Rock Action action)



desalvo's 'mood poisoner' album is released on 29th september.
http://www.myspace.com/desalvoland
http://www.rock-action.co.uk

envy's 'transfovista' dvd will be in the shops on october 6th, as will errors 'pump' 7". errors are on tour around the uk from the start of october.

james orr complex's 'com favo' album follows on 27th october, and the debut remember remember album hits the shops on 5th november.

more details on these and associated live performances in craig's post on the forum

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Saga Mogwai

all five parts of magicrpm!'s video interview with stuart are now online:

http://www.magicrpm.com/artistes/mogwai/videos

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Barry on teaching

Before he joined Mogwai, Barry Burns was a music teacher. He's put together some thoughts on his time in the profession for The Quietus. It's a fascinating read.

http://www.thequietus.com/articles/mogwai-s-barry-burns-on-teaching-why-failing-in-the-classroom-brough-forth-the-rock

thanks luke.

Monday, September 22, 2008

UK/European shows NOT cancelled

pitchfork's news story suggesting that mogwai's uk and european shows have been cancelled appears to be inaccurate.

from mogwai.co.uk/

US/Canada dates cancelled
We are sad to announce that we have had to cancel our remaining American and Canadian shows due to ill health. Our other dates in Europe and Japan will be going ahead as planned. We will re-schedule the shows in 2009.

..and UK/European shows too?

from pitchfork:

Following Mogwai's set last night (September 21) at ATP New York, drummer Martin Bulloch was rushed to a nearby hospital due to complications stemming from his ongoing heart condition. Bulloch has since been discharged, but was urged by doctors to return home to Scotland to seek additional treatment.

This necessary change of plans, of course, means that Mogwai have been forced to cancel all of their forthcoming dates, including the remainder of their North American tour with Fuck Buttons and a spate of upcoming European dates they would have shared with the Twilight Sad.

A statement from the band notes plans to reschedule the shows for "early 2009."

North American cancellations - update

from martin bulloch:

I was taken into hospital last night almost immediately after the show at ATP. I've been having some problems with my pacemaker for the duration of the tour and it unfortunately culminated in me being sent to the emergency room. The doctors there initially thought i would have to have corrective surgery at a larger hospital nearer NYC but i have been given the all clear to travel home on the understanding that i go straight to my cardiologist on arrival back in Scotland.

To be honest, i'm really bummed about having to go home and feel for the folk who had bought tickets for our upcoming shows but i can honestly say it would be almost impossible for me to carry on at this point as my pacemaker has broken skin and the surrounding area has become infected.
thanks martin. the only sensible course of action then. best wishes for a speedy recovery.

just to restate then - this week's shows in boston, montreal, toronto, pontiac, chicago and minneapolis are cancelled, to be rescheduled in 2009.

Remaining North American dates cancelled?

from the crofoot website:

We regret to inform you that our MOGWAI show (Thurs 25th Sept) has been cancelled due to health reasons. We wish them a speedy recovery and look forward to hosting them when they return in 2009. Refunds at point of purchase.
seems the Boston show tonight (Mon 22nd Sept) has also been cancelled, as has Montreal tomorrow (Tues 23rd Sept). Tickets are still on sale for toronto, chicago and minneapolis, although this may change.

mogwai have very rarely cancelled shows in the past, and always due to serious illness. our best wishes for a speedy recovery to whoever is affected.

Saga Mogwai

french magazine MAGIC! has the first part of a video interview with stuart:

http://www.magicrpm.com/artistes/mogwai/videos/saga-mogwai-1-5

parts 2 to 5 will be published, one per day, this week.

thanks jean-paul.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

The Hawk Is Howling - 22nd September 2008



as if a reminder were needed...

'the hawk is howling' hit digital stores today (21st september) and the various physical formats are on sale tomorrow (uk/europe) or tuesday (north america).

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

The Hawk Is Howling on MySpace



You can hear our new album in full on our Myspace player. It's called 'The Hawk Is Howling' and is out September 22nd/23rd on Ltd CD/DVD, Double LP and a regular CD. Download from all the usual iTunes and suchlike as well.

You can visit our Myspace here:
myspace.com/mogwai

On you go then.
Love,
Mogwai

Monday, September 15, 2008

More YouTube



documentary filmed at ancienne belgique, brussels on 16th april 2006

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Stuart and Barry on Japanese TV

from a recent posting by stuart at mogwai.co.uk:

Barry and I have just come back from a three-day trip to Japan to do press for our soon to be released album "The Hawk Is Howling". Much thanks to the lovely people at Hostess Records who are putting the record out there for looking after us really well. The most memorable moment was probably our tv appearance where Barry and me had a competition with a guy in a wrestling mask and a Rangers top dribbling a football round some cones. Hopefully it will end up on youtube as it was very amusing.
myspace.com/hostessentertainment (via a very rough babelfish translation suggests that this televisual feast is due for broadcast either here:

http://www.spaceshowertv.com/transporter/ [weds 17th sept, 9pm]

or here:
http://www.bs-asahi.co.jp/usa/ [tues 23rd sept?]

Hawk DVD trailer



mogwai have a youtube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/mogwaiTV

Batcat animated video



animated video by Fernando Mena, part of the cd/dvd package for 'the hawk is howling'.

whilst we're on the subject of 'batcat', it's worth noting that a different mix of this track appears on the album to that released on the 'batcat' ep last week.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Strasbourg, Jan 27th

mogwai - la laiterie, strasbourg (27th jan)
tickets went on sale yesterday

hopefully an indicator of a wider european tour?

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Japanese tour dates

from http://smash-jpn.com:

"JAPAN TOUR 2009"
Special Guest : Remember Remember

- TOKYO -
1.11 (sun) Shinkiba STUDIO COAST

- NAGOYA -
1.13 (tue) Nagoya CLUB QUATTRO

- OSAKA -
1.14 (wed) Osaka BIG CAT

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Free agents



issue 16 of rock-a-rolla magazine has a substantial interview with stuart, including confirmation that 'the hawk is howling' marks the end of mogwai's deal with pias. future mogwai releases will come via rock action, presumably licensed outside the uk?

the magazine can be purchased from http://rock-a-rolla.com for £4 inc shipping (uk). overseas pricing on their website.

US tour update



(last night's los angeles setlist above)

thank you for all the reviews/setlists/photos from the six us tour dates so far this month. you'll find them here: gigography

keep 'em coming!

anyone with further info on the setlists for the shows at sled island, calgary (june), ilosaarirock (july), øya festival, oslo and debeschaving festival, utrecht(august) and last week's show in victoria, bc - please get in touch.

update: mogwai used the countdown clock music at the start of the set in san francisco. have they been doing this everywhere?

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Batcat and Aloha Hawaii out tomorrow

as if a reminder were needed....



'batcat' ep
8th september 2008
pias/wall of sound
cd: [WOS037CD]
12": [WOS037T]

in addition to the pre-orders we listed last week, there appear to be some decent digital deals around (digital sales started today). 7digital has the full ep for £0.99, for example. further links welcome.

also out tomorrow:



aloha hawaii [stuart braithwaite and aidan moffat]
'towns on the moon' b/w 'i've been bad for years and years'
10" vinyl only (no digital release)
ltd to 1000 copies
chemikal underground

single of the week at norman records:
It starts off amazingly with quite industrial beats and a mental little processed riff that morphs around until it's eventually complemented by some lovely string action. It's bright and sunny shit that totally lives up to the Hawaii thing. The closest comparison I can think of is that track off the new Mogwai LP that they put up for free download, 'The Sun Smells Too Loud'. It's got definite hints of the Lucky Pierre stuff but most of all I'm reminded of Black Dice. The track on the other side is called 'I've Been Bad for Years and Years' that's also got a bit of a grinding factory feel to the drums, like the lead track it's not hugely abrasive but it works a treat along with the droning synths and squeeling guitar solos.. It's making me think of stuff like Cluster and Guru Guru, a real Krautrock feel. Things get taken down notch about halfway through and we go out all floaty and content. To round off the package it's all packaged up in an ace little retro design too. Brilliant, best thing I've heard on Chemikal Underground in years!

Japanese Hawk



'the hawk is howling' is released in japan on 17th september by hostess [HSE30201]. as with previous japanese editions of mogwai albums, a number of bonus tracks are included:

Dracula Family (from the rock action 2008 sampler)
Stupid Prick Gets Chased By The Polis And Loses His Slut Girlfriend (from the 'batcat' ep)
Devil Rides (from the 'batcat' ep)

Saturday, September 6, 2008

PIAS - a strange beast

apologies for this, but i am out of options.

in the last couple of days, brightlight has been pleased to receive two 'thank you' messages from THE WEB SHERIFF on behalf of mogwai's label pias.

we have long tried to 'do the right thing' - not posting downloads (or links to downloads) for any of mogwai's official releases at any point in our ten-year history, for example. we (and i'm including tom and iain here as well) have worked tirelessly to promote mogwai's various activities, and the band have been unstinting in offering their support in various ways.

you'd think that, under the circumstances, we might have attracted some degree of interest and involvement from pias, given that mogwai have been signed to the label (or their offshoot wall of sound) since 2000. and, during nic shanks' tenure at the label around the release of 'mr beast', you'd be right. beyond that, they have been fucking useless. at the time of writing, i have been repeatedly attempting to get someone at pias (or bad moon pr) to answer emails since the end of last year. i have not had a single reply.

i am not interested in hearing from the WEB SHERIFF again. but some contact from pias or bad moon would be most welcome.

Crippled Black Phoenix update

as we reported previously, crippled black phoenix started work on two albums back in 2007. justin greaves posted the following on the band's myspace blog earlier this week:

OK

There is a plan, whether or not we'll stick to it is anyones guess, but for now here's the pitch...

Both albums "The Resurrectionists" and "Night Raider" will be released together in or around December as a limited box set which will also include a vinyl version, a book of sorts and maybe some other limited artwork type stuff....This release will be in advance of the "regular" version which will be out early January. The length of time this album has taken has been a little frustrating but at least there's some light now, this is one reason there has been a few previews posted on the profile player.

The full tracklist for the two albums is as follows (some songs we have been playing live over the last year!)...

THE RESURRECTIONISTS
Burnt Reynolds
Rise Up And Fight
Whissendine
Crossing The Bar
200 Tons Of Bad Luck
Please Do Not Stay Here
Song For The Loved
A Hymn For A Lost Soul
444
Littlestep
Human Nature Dictates The Downfall Of Humans

NIGHT RAIDER
Time Of Ye Life/Born For Nothing/Paranoid Arm Of Narcoliptic Empire
Wendigo
Bat Stack
Along Where The Wind Blows
Onward Ever Downwards
A Lack Of Common Sense
Trust No One
I Am Free, Today I Perished

....proof of actual work being done!

There may well be a video done for the song "Rise Up And Fight" but i'll believe it when i see it!

We also intend to be touring later in the year and early next, the first thing looks like it will be a few UK dates with the great band Manatees. There's some other plans too...maybe i shouldn't say anything just yet...don't want to curse it!

So anyway, just a bit of something if yer interested.....there may be another preview if ye lucky.......go on.....pick a tune, y'never know, i might feel generous.
further details to follow as they emerge.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Hawk pre-order - exclusive t-shirt



from mogwai.co.uk

We're pleased to announce we're running a special offer for those pre-ordering 'The Hawk Is Howling' from our online store. People buying the album on ANY format (take your pick of regular CD, Vinyl or the ltd. CD/DVD format) from the online shop can get hold of an exclusive t-shirt and the 'Batcat' EP at a discount.
http://www.resonancemusicstore.com/mogwai/index.html

US tour underway

most of wednesday's mogwai show in portland has appeared on youtube. setlist details and links can be found in the gigography

apparently a mogwai/fuck buttons split single has been produced for the tour - more info welcome.

if anyone's in a position to pick up a copy for me, i'd greatly appreciate it.

update:
Tracklist:
'Colours Move' (Shibuya Drunk remix by Mogwai)
'Mogwai Fear Satan' (Fuck Buttons cover)

2-track CD single for the US tour, 10" vinyl for the uk shows in October.
Thanks Stuart.

as the tour progresses, reviews/setlists/photos are most welcome.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Mogwai do art and advertising

stolen wholesale from the forum (thanks kahlo):

A Mogwai track is to be used as the soundtrack of an art installation in Bucharest for the Urban Art festival on September 20th. The track Friend of the Night will be used while images are projected 84 metres high onto the Romanian Parliament - Europe's largest building.

From: http://www.alexboyd.co.uk

Scottish post rock heroes Mogwai have kindly let me use one of their tracks "Friend of the night" as the soundtrack for the upcoming projection show in Bucharest.

The track is taken from their 2006 album "Mr Beast", which is among one of my favourites, and was what I was mainly listening to when I took many of the photos from the "Sonnets from Scotland" series.

Many thanks to Barry Burns for giving permission to use the track.
Here is the mock up of one of the pieces:

http://flickr.com/photos/alexboydphotography/2817780358/

and whilst we're on the theme of other people using mogwai's music, many of you will already have seen the nike commercial 'a dream deferred', featuring 'i know you are but what am i?', first aired during the beijing olympics last month.

The Hawk Is Howling reviews and pre-orders



thequietus
(apparently barry's written an article for thequietus titled 'failing at teaching'. link to follow when it's published)
slant magazine

links to any further reviews welcome.

cheapest uk pre-order for the cd/dvd package:
hmv (£8.99 inc shipping)

links to further pre-orders welcome.

update: play.com (£8.95 inc shipping). thanks 'twinmaker'.