If you didn’t have plans tonight, great! now you have some. If you do have plans, cancel them, because you got new ones. Our favorite Mississippians Bass Drum of Death are coming over to the UK to Zorn everything, starting tonight at the Green Door Store with thanks to all of our friends at One Inch Badge and Teen Creeps. If you haven’t listened to their Fat Possum debut LP GB City, I’d advise you grab it now and then grab four quid and come down to Green Door Store tonight, November 4th, to see them rip. Find the FB information on the event here.

mp3: Bass Drum of Death – Spare Room

I have spent the entire past year yelling (literally yelling) about how Black Mekon might be one of the greatest bands ever that nobody has ever heard and how the Castillians are the best, most underrated band in England at the moment. Have you listened to me? If you have, you will rejoice in knowing that our great friends at PNKSLM have done the seemingly impossible. They’ve gotten Black Mekon back to Europe (from Brazil) for their first show in TWO YEARS! They’ll be joined by Cold Rice buddies The Castillians who rip live at the Old Blue Last on November 19th, FOR FUCKING FREE NINETY NINE. I don’t need to waste one more minute discussing why you should come. You better be there. There is actually not one thing I could think of that would stop me from coming to this.

mp3: Black Mekon – Brown Lullaby
mp3: The Castillians – I Don’t Wanna Kiss You Girl

Once again two of my favorite things in the entire world come together to make the worst part of the year into the best: The Growlers & The Echo come together once again to save Christmas/New Years. For the third year in a row, The Growlers (plus excellent supporting cast of TRMRS and Tomorrows Tulips!) will be playing at the Echo — two years ago they graced us with the best NYE ever, last year they gave us the chance to have TWO New Years celebrations by playing the night before, and this year we get three nights of Growlers goodness at the Echo on the 28th, 29th, and 30th. If you do want to attend this, and of course this is highly recommended by yours truly, I would grab your tickets early through Ticketweb, based on every show that I’ve seen of theirs for the past two years — it’s going to get crammed and sweaty, just the way a Growlers show should be.

mp3: The Growlers – Oh, Sweet Spirit

Our friends Theme Park are finally coming down from London to play their first ever Brighton show with the incomparable Purity Ring the Friday after next, October 28th at the Green Door Store. Our friends John from Dark Party, The Recommender and Danger De Morte are DJing. I heard last months Vice Launch had a line down the block with a one-in, one-out policy so I would get down early. Yay.

Although I’m not in Brighton at the moment, and although I’m enjoying LA thoroughly, I’m somewhat excited to get back. If I was in town though, I would be headed to The Green Door Store for the new Vice night that features both Milk Maid and Jerry Tropicano. Both bands have become bands I truly love this year. Fat Cat’s Milk Maid do that effortless, breezy 90s throwback jams including Such Fun which is truly an apt name for the cut. Jerry Tropicano though, if you have been following this blog you’ll know, is one of my favorite newcomers of this year. Starting 2011 off in a Swedish prison didn’t hold this band back as they’ve become one of the most underappreciated, tightknit garage groups that mix heavily 60s influenced garage with lighter and more sparse jams. Having seen them multiple times, I’m just so impressed on the improvement of each show. Danny also has the best moustache in British music. Get down tonight it’s only 5 quid on the door and our bffz Sex Is Disgusting is DJing.

mp3: Milk Maid – Such Fun
mp3: Jerry Tropicano – 19/4/89

You guys, I have been talking about this band for absolute ages & they’ve finally come over to the UK for a set of what turned out to be 3 headline shows and the last one is in my adopted town of Brighton. The Growlers playing at the Green Door Store tonight and if you miss this, honestly, we are not friends. That is all.

The Growlers @ The Green Door Store, doors 7:30pm, £7 in advance

mp3: The Growlers – Empty Bones
mp3: The Growlers – Heehaw Stomp
mp3: The Growlers – My Forehead’s Dripping Ocean

The Growlers play tomorrow at the Lexington in London with Two Wounded Birds who go on at 9pm, followed by the Growlers at 10pm. The Gs are the best live band in the world and if you miss this, you are a fool.

Wednesday, September 7
at Lexington (96-98 Pentonville Road)
£8.00 / Grab yr advance tickets here

mp3: The Growlers – Gay Thoughts
mp3: The Growlers – Drinkin’ the Juice Blues

Keen readers of the blog will recognize every single one of these names playing on August 23rd, this coming Tuesday, at White Heat @ Madame Jojos in London. Sex Beet, Jerry Tropicano and The Castillians are absolutely three of my favorite garage-rock bands that come out of the UK. I have seen Jerry once, and was suitably impressed and have a long documented love of seeing Sex Beet live, as they never disappoint. But, really, it’s Birmingham’s the Castillians who I’m looking forward to seeing the most. I’ve never caught them live but have been obsessed with them since the second I heard them. If I haven’t mentioned it enough yet — their debut LP will be out later this year and I absolutely cannot wait. To see the best of English garage-punk for a fiver is a sweet deal & I will see y’all there.

mp3: The Castillians – I Don’t Wanna Kiss You Girl
mp3: Sex Beet – Dreams
mp3: Jerry Tropicano – Christmas Line

Two of our favorite bands, one from Australia chilling in London, the other from London properly are playing together at  Servant Jazz Quarters in Dalston on Tuesday, August 2nd. Bleeding Knees Club and French Kissing both do incredibly (almost too) catchy, garage surf pop. Bleeding Knees Club are incredible live as well, and I look forward to seeing French Kissing play for the first time, though I have it on good authority that they tear shit up. For only four quid in advance, this is a steal. I’ll see y’all there!

mp3: Bleeding Knees Club – Have Fun
mp3: French Kissing – You Just Dont Know What Love Is For

As you can see above, next Friday the 29th of July, I’ll be chilling at the Green Door Store for the Vice Issue Launch #3. We’ll see Spector & I.R.O.K play live and most importantly, I will be playing records back to back with one of my favorite people ever (after a long and storied history) Andy from Sex Is Disgusting. It’s going to be fab and I will accept any and all drinks bought for me. Grab a song I will definitely be playing next Friday. Better see y’all there.

mp3: TV Colours – The Kids Are All Grown Up