Podcasts are everywhere these days, and it seems like everyone has one. Some are worth listening to more than others. Here are my top 5 podcasts that you should be listening to right now.

1) WTF with Marc Maron – This is the most successful comedy podcasts ever. Maron has literally had everyone you could think of as a guest. It’s also by far one of the best. If you’re unfamiliar with Marc Maron as a comedian, he has an unequalled approach to honesty (seriously!) and he brings this to the table in each episode. This can sometimes be uncomfortable, but in most instances it bring out something in his guests which rarely happens with other interviewers.

Listen here.

2) The Dana Gould Hour – Ex-Simpsons writer and comedian Dana Gould brings a series of guests to the mic to talk about weird and wonderful surreal subject matter such as Bigfoot and dead bodies. The podcast is edited segments from conversations with guests that create what feels like a great and humorous documentary. It also includes a sketch segment called Political Talk with Two Guys from Boston which I have a particular soft spot for.

You can listen here.

3) Walking the Room – I think this is the best podcast out there, but at the same time I fully understand it won’t be for everyone. Walking the Room is the result of Greg Behrendt and Dave Anthony, two Los Angeles based comedians, who seemingly fucked it up at some point. What they present here is an hilarious, argumentative, and often strange discussion on their lives and the world they inhabit. It’s odd, but when you’re hooked you’ll never be the same again.

Listen here.

4) Bill Burr’s Monday Morning Podcast – Bill Burr is a brilliant comic from Boston and contemporary of Louis C.K and Patrice O’Neal. If you’re not into him you’re seriously missing out on one of the best comics of all time. His Monday Morning Podcast is a weekly ramble about the things on his mind. The fact that Burr can make this one man show absolutely hilarious is an outstanding achievement, and something only capable because of his immense comedic talent.

Listen here.

5) Doug Loves Movies – This is the only one that makes it onto this list that takes on a different format, as DLM is a film based quiz show. What it does brilliantly is constantly have a great array of guests from movie starts through to comedians (a highlight always being Paul. F. Tompkins). Host Doug Benson takes a back seat for most of the show and allows his guests to mostly wander where they like. It’s also the most fun podcast I’ve ever listened to.

Listen here.

What are your favourite podcasts? Leave your comments below.

If you want to you can also listen to Don’t Ask, which is my kind of podcast.

Friday 17th August 2013

What is better then seeing Greg Wilson work his reel to reel DJ magic? The answer is, seeing him in a nice and intimate venue, and 2022NQ fits that bill rather nicely thank you very much.

Greg played last New Years eve, bringing his groove based music and homegrown edit set to a riotious climax at 2022NQ and the team thought it was about time he repeated that performance.

Merseyside based DJ, and scene historian, Greg has been DJing and spreading the gospal of black oriantated music since 1975, taking a 20 year sabatical from DJing between 1984 and the end of 2003. Greg has been influential in the UK DJ scene from appearing on the Tube, teaching a young Norman Cook aka Fat Boy Slim how to scratch, writing sleeve notes and contributing music to the seminal UK Street Sounds album and DJing at the legendry Hacienda nightclub in Manchester.

His ‘Credit to the Edit’ series of releases on the Tirk record label have been instrumental in pushing the groove based sound to the masses and forging the NuDisco scene.

Apart from working as a DJ, Wilson also writes on various aspects of dance / black culture with articles published in magazines and webzines including Wax Poetics, Clash, Grand Slam, Strobelight Honey and Discopia.

Greg has also recently started his new label, ‘Schooled in the Classics’. Taking inspirations from his illustrious past to record new tracks. The intention is to channel the spirit of those times gone by into new material, not simply try and re-create what went before. Tipping its hat to New York pioneers such as Shep Pettibone, Francois Kevorkian, Larry Levan, John ‘Jellybean’ Benitez and Tee Scott who’s experimental approach to dance music production has gone on to forge and inspire the current Dance music industry.

Greg Wilson

Friday 17th August 2013

2022NQ, 20 Dale Street, Manchester, M1 1EZ

22:00 till late

Tickets £8 advance / £10

Find Us – http://goo.gl/maps/hNccc

Follow Us – https://twitter.com/2022NQ

Saturday 15th June 2013

Situated just off the well trodden, beaten track of Manchesters Northern Quarter, 2022NQ is forging ahead with its policy of eclectic music events with both feet planted in the soulful spectrum of the dancefloor.

Having already invited HMD to host the opening event of 2022NQ back in April 2012, it was only right and proper that these bonvivants of Disco sleaze should be asked back in 2013.

Vauxhall’s legendry Sunday session at The Eagle, now in its 8th year, has played host to Derrick Carter, Kenny Dope, Danny Wang, John Morales amongst others but it is the team of residents that make it so special. From festival fields to fashionista events in Berlin, Bejing, New York, Fire Island, San Francisco, Paris, Barcelona, Brussels and beyond, HMD have made their mark, HMD can WORK IT!!! Representing Horse Meat Disco will be James Hilliard, one of the founding members and DJs, and fellow resident Severino.

Horse Meat Disco

James Hilliard and Severino

Saturday 15th June 2013

2022NQ, 20 Dale Street, Manchester, M1 1EZ

22:00 till late

Tickets £8 advance / £10

Tickets – http://www.skiddle.com/events/11869346/

Find Us – http://goo.gl/maps/hNccc

Follow Us – https://twitter.com/2022NQ

@ 2022NQ, Manchester

Saturday 1st June 2013

Manchester stalwarts of Soulful House are back with long time friend of the Slammin Boys’, DJ Spen.

  Playing all night long, Baltimore based DJ Spen has a very rich taperstry, and is solidly entwined in US House music culture via his Basement Boys Record label and production outfit, and as part of Jasper Street Co. He has remixed some of clublands biggest names, including Ann Nesby, Shaun Escoffery and Everything But The Girl. He has also partnered with Teddy Douglas, Thommy Davis and Karizma to create timeless House music classics such as ‘The Violin’. A regular spinner at The Southport Weekenders, Spen will once again be delivering his inebitable gospel-edged House, Disco and club classics to Manchesters 2022NQ.

Presenting the evening will be Manchesters purveyors of Soulful House and Garage, The Slammin’ Boys. Jamie and Mark have

been the solid foundations and supporters of US led Soulful House for two decades in Mancunia, presenting the who’s who of House music, including DJs such as Sandy Rivera, and CJ Macintosh, and working with power House labels such as Defected.

 Slammin’ Boys present DJ Spen (All night long)

Saturday 1st June 2013

2022NQ, 20 Dale Street, Manchester, M1 1EZ

22:00 till late

Tickets £8 advance / £10

Tickets - http://skdl.it/Y1naEG

Find Us - http://goo.gl/maps/hNccc

Follow Us - https://twitter.com/2022NQ

]]> http://gbcmag.com/2013/05/21/slammin-boys-present-dj-spen-all-night-long/feed/ 0 http://gbcmag.com/2013/05/19/floex-re-releasing-pocustone/ http://gbcmag.com/2013/05/19/floex-re-releasing-pocustone/#comments Sun, 19 May 2013 16:26:58 +0000 Barney Khan http://gbcmag.com/?p=14487 Czech producer and instrumentalist Floex is set to re-release his debut 2001 album Pocustone. Sitting somewhere between Bonobo and Clark’s works, the album which was well ahead of its time fused Nu-Jazz with ambience and ...]]>

Czech producer and instrumentalist Floex is set to re-release his debut 2001 album Pocustone. Sitting somewhere between Bonobo and Clark’s works, the album which was well ahead of its time fused Nu-Jazz with ambience and electronica in a way that can still be considered contemporary by today’s standards.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The tracks are available now over at Bandcamp, but will be re-released in vinyl format in the middle of June. You can check it out here.

Big changes are happening at Boomtown Fair as it returns for its 5^th year to the Matterly estate in Winchester. Between the 8^th and 11^th of August the fully functional festival town will be unveiling an assortment of new districts, transportation, stages, neighbourhoods and undiscovered secrets. Prepare yourself because it’s looking like Boomtown is going to be madder and more ‘avin it than ever before!

For the 2013 instalment the site will be divided up into eight unique districts; each with their own distinct and outlandish themes for you to get lost within. Fancy dress is always high on the agenda at Boomtown with previous themes including outer space and town citizens. This year however, to mix things up a bit, you must instead chose which district you’re going to set up camp next to and pull out your finest garments that suit accordingly. The town mayor has also appointed a selection of reputable residents to be in charge of each area and ensure that optimum party potential is reached.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The first three districts are entirely new, eagerly awaiting the arrival of a whole new batch of vagabonds to be let loose onto their streets. Firstly the vibrant quarter of ‘China Town’, home to an array of oriental secrets and indulgences, that will be providing the very best in Ska and Punk. Nearby ‘El Barrio Loco’, in the Latin Quarter, will be the go to place for “bad ass bass music” amongst a crowd of Day of the Dead seniors and senoritas. The third district development is ‘Trenchtown’ which will incorporate the mighty ‘Lions Den’, the enchanting ‘Hidden Woods’ and the brand new Aztech Bar, a 15 metre high Mayan temple. Here, badman BOSS will be in charge to bring you the biggest names in Drum and Bass, Reggae, Dancehall and Jungle!

Of course Boomtown wouldn’t be complete without the return of ‘Mayfair Avenue’ which will be encompassing a bit of 1920s Glitz and Glamour into some deluxe debauchery alongside a soundtrack of the finest electro swing. How bloomin’ marvellous! For the scoundrels and misfits better suited to somewhere a bit less classy and a bit more mischievous head to the notorious ‘Downtown’ run by the infamous local gangster Charlie Brown. Long established ‘Oldtown’ has this year been taken over by a gang of rum swigging salty sea dogs who have been pestering the older members of the Boomtown community. Whose side will you be on? the pirates or the pensioners? ‘Holditdowntown’ will feature numerous workshops for something a little less rowdy and finally ‘Kidztown’ provides an area for the young boomers to run riot in their own dedicated district. There is even the chance to create your own Neighbour and win the chance of free festival tickets and your own established hood in 2014!

With all of these new additions the festival site is going to be much vaster than in previous years. Therefore, Downtown, The Lions Den, Oldtown and The Town Centre will now be moving out of the fishbowl and up on top of the hill. Those who have been to Boomtown before will know that this is not the friendliest of slopes especially once your legs start to feel the strain of the weekend and get just a bit too wobbly. Well, no hurdle stands in the way of this towns’ brilliance as the organisers have laid on some transport in true Boomtown style with the extravagant addition of a travelator! Yeh that’s right, a travelator! Plus the tickets, which are valid all weekend, are only £10 +BF. They are limited though, so we would recommend buying them sharpish as there really can’t be anything much better than taking to the sky upon a magic carpet and soaring over the mutated vehicles, roaming performers, raucous revellers and glitter filled mayhem that is Boomtown!

Click here to view the embedded video.

With all of this on offer is sometimes easy to forget that Boomtown is in fact a music festival with a line-up as equally impressive as the surroundings and has over 300 artists already confirmed. This years’ bill, split across numerous stages, boasts an assortment of gypsy, punk, folk, reggae, dub, bass, jungle and swing with phenomenally big names that have got us all pretty excited. In the heart of the city Toots and the Maytals, The Wurzels, Babyhead and Parov Stelar band will be amongst many others taking to the Town Centre stage. The Lions Den will once again be playing host to some bonafide legends with Lee Scratch Perry, Dub Inc, Mungo’s Hi-Fi and Serial Killas all on their way. In the Hidden Woods you can look forward to acts including Reggae Roast, Dubkasm and Solo Banton, Laid Blak and Prince Fatty to bring you a mixture of dub infused beats. The festival also dedicates a large proportion of the line-up to grassroots music so take the chance to emerge yourself in some of undiscovered talent awaiting you amongst the many winding streets.

Previous residents of the town may be wondering if the growth in its size means that Boomtown is going to lose its weird and wonderful edge. Well, from one glance at the amount of effort that is going in to create this festival it’s clear that the answer is a definite ‘No’! Boomtown is still completely independent and sponsor free. It will be the same Boomtown but on a bigger, more imaginative (if that is even possible), and mind boggling scale! There really aren’t enough words or even time to fully explain the ridiculous extent of what this uniquely eccentric festival has on offer. You will probably just have to go experience it for yourself. So bring your friends, get them to bring their friends and join this beautifully dysfunctional town for the maddest 4 days of your year!

Tickets are now at £149 + BF. Head over to www.boomtown.co.uk to discover all that’s on offer.

Eton Messy are quickly becoming part of British heritage. With fingers firmly on the pulse of electronic music they’ve grown from a small Youtube channel to a strong platform for up and coming artists. On top of this they have provided an on point mix series that’s seen them go from DJing around the country to hosting their own stage at this year’s Gottwood festival. We caught up with them to see how things are getting on:

Gone are the days of having to keep mashing the refresh button on your web-browser on ticket sites such as TicketMaster and BoxOfficeHero in order to secure tickets for your favourite artists, or worse – relying on ticket-touts selling tickets at highly inflated prices outside venues. Today there are a number of excellent mobile apps available which enable music and event lovers to buy tickets online without joining a queue on ticket-lines, dealing with operators, or getting ripped off.

We take a look at several convenient apps to for music lovers to buy concert tickets with ease.

Live Nation

LiveNation is a really well-designed app which gives instant access to concert tickets for artists in many genres. If you’re just browsing for a good event to attend (nothing specific) – there are plenty of featured/highlighted gigs and events listed on the app for your consideration too. Other excellent features include mobile tickets (via scannable barcodes – for entry to events), Interactive venue maps and for in-concert information, the app also serves live set lists too!

Image source: http://promo.livenation.com/iphone/images/iphone.png

Download via iTunes

StubHub

This app is for both ticket buyers and sellers alike.

The StubHub app gives buyers access to ticketholders wishing to sell concert tickets due to not being able to attend or friends having dropped out, resulting in spare tickets.

Tickets can be purchased by credit card or with an existing StubHub or PayPal account. With a great search facility, useful price alerts, reminders, location based searches (GPS), and even interactive maps of over a thousand venues which allow you to tap a seat or area to bag your preferred seating – StubHub is definitely an app worth having in your pocket if you’re an avid concert-goer.

Download via iTunes

eSeats Tickets

Buy tickets for both musical events and sporting events through concert ticket suppliers. Exceptionally useful as often eSeats has tickets for events which are not covered by other ticket apps such as Live Nation. The shopping cart makes it easy to make multiple purchases quickly and efficiently.

Download via iTunes

i ConcertCal

One of the coolest concert-ticket apps we’ve seen – as well as offering an upcoming concert-calendar (like many other apps), the app will also display a calendar of upcoming concerts/events featuring only artists for which you have music on your ‘droid, PC or iPhone. Exceptionally useful! Other app functionality includes the ability to remind yourself (and relevant friends) about specific upcoming events, and a useful iTunes link for each artist to enable you to preview their tracks.

Download via iTunes

Eastern Electrics are making their intentions to be one of the UK’s finest electronic festivals clear. Take one look at their lineup and you’ll see they mean serious business/fun.

Building on the momentum of their exciting lineup, Eastern Electrics have announced some festival production that will match the level of creativity seen in the bookings of the festival itself. The smallest stage on its own is very exciting: a custom built pub will provide draught lager, cocktails and that intimate-venue vibe usually absent at festivals. The epic moments are all lined up too: The main stage itself has been designed and built by some of the internationally regarded team behind Glastonbury, we can’t (and don’t need to) say any more than it will resemble a giant transformer!

Elsewhere there’ll be a 1000 capacity igloo with 360 degree projections and an open air arena built within a rectangle of shipping containers with raised dance platforms.

Festivals are constantly popping up and it’s nice to see projects like Eastern Electrics and We Are FSTVL pushing production boundaries and smashing people’s expectations. Needless to say all at GBC are very excited for this one.

For all things Eastern Electrics including tickets, mixes and more; head to http://www.easternelectrics.com/

Egg London Friday 24^th May 2013

As a fixture on the capital’s clubbing scene since 2003, Egg London clocks up a heady decade of activity with a full month of shows all set to showcase the stunning variety of the club’s musical output. Lasting twelve months in the modern clubbing landscape is an accolade worthy of renown, so making ten of those timeframes, in the most hyper competitive city on the planet, is one certainly worth doffing your cap towards – May 2013 will be a month that rightfully basks in that achievement.

With the venue undergoing refurbishment, Egg London will be transforming the cavernous and intimate surroundings with extended dancefloors, re-jigged smoking areas and world class soundsystems building on the venue’s endearing qualities. Circus themselves hit the same figure last year, and consequently has pulled together a monumental bill to celebrate – Laurent Garnier joining Yousef all night long.

Arguably the most loved of all the guests to play at Circus in its litany of residencies over the years, Garnier rightfully remains revered across the full spectrum of dance music. He retired his LBS project last year at both Circus Liverpool and London, and his history of extended sets for Circus stretches as far back as 2004 and numbers several epoch defining moments. Special occasions call for special measures, and few can match Laurent’s ability to bring poignancy and emotion to the forefront via his extended journeys through sound.

In fact only one man has been capable of doing that at Circus consistently – Yousef. Like Laurent he too has commanded the attention of the Circus dancefloor for the entire evening on numerous occasions, joyous excursions through every facet of house and techno for a fully panoramic insight into not only his musical personality, but that of the club itself.

Circus London – 10×10 Egg 10^th Birthday

Friday 24^th May @ Egg London

200 York Way, Islington London, N7 9AX

Yousef & Laurent Garnier

ALL NIGHT LONG

Room 2 & 3 – Artists TBA

10pm – 8am

£13 Earlybird £15/£20/£25

TICKETS – http://ow.ly/k4Z6i