MILC#3

Zero 7 and Phill Brown

As if our love for you were not strong enough, this month we've just gone potty. Yes, we've come to lavish gifts aplenty upon you, dear friends, and big gifts too. First up, we've an interview with Sam and Henry from Zero 7. The chaps responsible for every cafe-bar soundtrack of recent years were in Miloco throughout the winter of 2005 warming our weary souls with the follow up album to their gabillion-selling Simple Things and When It Falls. Click on this to find out more: Zero 7

And just in case that leaves you slavering for another fantastically invasive, personal space-invading insight into the life of a musicland head honcho, walk this way. For our second interview lets you peek into the mind and memories of the legendary producer, Phill Brown. Recently tweaking the knobs for those Zero 7 mellow merchants, his incomparable CV spans four decades of superlative music making via the likes of: The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Talk Talk, Roxy Music, John Martyn, Bob Marley, Beth Gibbons, Robert Palmer, Brian Eno, Dido, and more other names than my typing fingers and your reading eyes could stand. So nuzzle your mouse against this and see what he had to say: Phill Brown

Staff profile

Finn Eiles

Each issue we introduce you, one by one, to Miloco's wonderful array of staff. They're the cat's pyjamas, the bee's knees, the dog's bollards and more alternative animal-themed expressions of gloriousness than you can shake a shimmering shiatsu-trained Shih Tzu at. And, wonder of wonders, they're ours to share with you.

This January we snuggled up to one Finn Eiles, fast-rising engineer de rigour to indie types everywhere. Which is his favourite gatefold sleeve, I hear you ask? And just how does he feel about fried food? What about his musings on wardrobe-accessed fantasy worlds? Is there, in fact, any subject matter of significance that isn't covered in this month's profile? Click here to find out...

Miloco client watch

Client Watch

Is hiding in a closet 'too close'? What about clambering inside their duvet cover and making like a 50-tog lay about? Surely painting and decorating yourself so that you look, to the casual eye, exactly like their lounge room yucca is okay? Well, regardless of the nit-picking legality and morality issues so listed, Miloco Client Watch is still dedicated to unveiling the activities of our ever-active clients, come what may! Someday we'll be thanked...

James Dean Greenfield

Mr Bradfield and his Manic Street Preachers are to join Super Furry Animals, The Darkness, The Strokes and others at the 'The One Earth Concert'.

Due to take place at the Millennium Stadium, January 28, the event is in support of a global campaign to tackle environmental change and will be broadcast in the UK by the BBC.

The event's aim is to convert one million European households to renewable energy as part of a not-for-profit, non-political, ethical initiative (CCN), with any proceeds going to the UK-based charitable organisation One Earth Trust.
www.manics.co.uk
www.oneearthconcert.com

Fightstar springs eternal

Sprouting from the earth not unlike a host of zombie daffodils, rock/metal marvels Fightstar are welcoming in the new year with a string of spring dates:

11 Mar Southampton University
13 Mar Norwich UEA
14 Mar Leeds University
16 Mar Birmingham Academy
17 Mar Manchester Academy
18 Mar Glasgow Barrowlands
19 Mar Newcastle University
21 Mar Bristol Academy
22 Mar London Astoria
25 Mar Dublin Temple Bar Music Centre
26 Mar Belfast Spring & Airbrake
www.fightstarmusic.com

Sound of 2006: official

Specialising in raw urban underbelly fair, the man duly dubbed the English Eminem, Plan B, has come forth and fourth in the BBC's Sound of 2006 new music survey.

Plan B rose high in the recent survey of the-top-ten-to-watch-this-year, compiled from the tips of "100+ impartial music critics and broadcasters who were asked to give the names of their favourite three new artists". Congratulations Mr B.
www.time4planb.co.uk

Up, up and Hatherway!

The delightful Miss Charlotte Hatherley has high hopes for the upcoming year, after such 'notable highlights' of 2005 as 'playing Reading and Leeds festival in August, going to Japan to fuck shit up at Fuji Rock festival, and playing with the delicious Graham Coxon at Koko'.

She spent the latter half of the year writing and recording her new album, due out mid-2006, after 'lording it up in Italy with Rob 'PJ Harvey' Ellis and Eric 'Captain Beefheart' Drew Feldman.' Touring's planned and, oh yes, she got a skipping rope for Christmas.
www.charlottehatherley.com

Duels in duality duel

Not content with being busy recording with us throughout January, Duels are also due to dish up a fair few nationwide gigs. Quite how they're going to manage this is anyone's guess, but if you see an advert sometime soon for "Four young male (and similar sole female) doppelgangers - into indie, psychedelics and britpop - needed for 12 date tour, no questions asked" please don't hesitate to get in touch. And if you get to one of the gigs, don't stare too hard. They might just be sporting wigs...

Those Duels dates in full (supporting those other Miloco customers, The Rakes):

27 Jan Lemon Grove, Exeter
28 Jan Pyramid, Portsmouth
29 Jan Junction, Cambridge
30 Jan Waterfront, Norwich
31 Jan Anson Rooms, Bristol
2 Feb Astoria, London
3 Feb Leadmill, Sheffield
4 Feb Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton
6 Feb Manchester Academy
7 Feb Newcastle Academy
8 Feb QMU, Glasgow
9 Feb Moshulu, Aberdeen

www.duelstheband.com
www.therakes.co.uk

Love bitten goat rumours...

It must have been a particularly happy Christmas this year for those feisty minxes Love Bites when their record label went out and bought them two goats and a sheep. Splendid news, of course, for the African farmers who actually got to receive the gifts, but surely a disappointment for the baying crowds on their continuing School of Rock tour (see their website for details), that won't see the hairy/wooly so-and-sos joining the girls on stage. Goat harmonies are still, it seems, cruelly underrated...
www.thelovebites.com

Grab a Grammy!

We're delighted to announce that The Chemical Brothers (clients of ours now for more years than our abacus can calculate) have been nominated for another Grammy.

They've been nominated for Best Dance Recording and Best Dance Album, and will learn their fate in Los Angeles on the 8th Feb. Other UK acts in the running and crossing fingers include: Franz Ferdinand (Best Rock Performance; Best Alternative Music Album), Keane (Best New Artist), Fatboy Slim (Best Dance Recording; Best Dance Album), Jamiroquai (Best Short Form Music Video), and Rod Stewart (Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album). www.grammy.com/awards/grammy/48noms.txt www.chemicalbrothers.com

Chimaira comes again

Already hailed as one of 2005's finest heavy metal releases, Chimaira's eponymous third album is "the sort of genre-defying, preconception-busting masterpiece that simply couldn't do without a special limited edition". And, you know what? They've gone and released one.

It contains all ten of Chimaira's original tracks - plus a bonus CD containing no less than nine additional cuts. That track listing in full:

Disc One:
1. Nothing Remains
2. Save Ourselves
3. Inside The Horror
4. Salvation
5. Comatose
6. Left For Dead
7. Everything You Love
8. Bloodlust
9. Pray For All
10. Lazarus

Disc Two:
1. Clayden
2. Malignant
3. Power Trip (live)
4. Cleansation (live)
5. Severed (live)
6. Eyes Of A Criminal (live)
7. Down Again (live)
8. The Dehumanizing Process (live)
9. Pure Hatred (live)
www.chimaira.com

Anglo/German relations sour...

British Sea Power's recent collaboration with German band Faust at Hove Old Market turned out to be far from an experimental rock love-in. Rather it ended with Faust singer Jean-Herve Peron punching BSP bassist Hamilton in the face.

It seems he was annoyed because BSP's drum spot was "too avant garde and freeform. The rest of Faust were a credit to their Krautrock renown, but this most un-forward-thinking goon was a twerp of the first order," sources report.
www.britishseapower.co.uk

Spirit in the land of The Duke

Duke Spirit are busy asking around for handy tips on all things US and A ahead of their travels there in March and April 2006. Specifically they'd like to know about "good places to go for music, food, drinking and sex." So should you be in the know, please don't hesitate to hotfoot it to their web presence and spill, as it were, the beans.

Before heading yankside they're also due a performance at the Astoria alongside Elbow, iforwardRussia and Larikin Love, and one at a nice 18th century fort in Saint Malo. Bon.
www.dukespirit.com

Human kindness

Push The Button

Welcome to MILC's bi-monthly quest for us all to help spread a little human kindness...Just click on the following button and lend your support to some honourable cause or another. It'll only take a moment.

This month we're doing something a little different and pointing you in the direction of a few off-setting firms, those people who plant trees or some such to counteract your flight to Tenerife or Turkey or Teesside (no, it doesn't matter where) so that your actions have no negative impact on the world around you. So bookmark this page and next time you fly somewhere, pop along to one of these and slip them a couple of quid. It's a planet/life thing. Cheers.

www.carbonneutral.com
www.co2balance.com
www.growaforest.com

Band Profiles

Hurrah! It's W month here at New Band Profiles. An orderly queue duly formed outside our editorial office, bustling with eager artists reveling in names such as Wibble, Warts 'n' All, Wetter Than That, alongside the woefully underrated death metal feedback specialists What The!?! But, regrettably, we could only choose two, and here they are...

Whitey

Queasy? Nauseous? Honky? Probably at some point, hopefully not too often and, yes, he is. He was also in The Toyshop back in the days of still-wrapped presents and unfallen pine needles, and this is what he had to say for himself: Whitey profile.

Winnebago Deal

Caravan Bargain? Mobile-home Discount? Double-Decker Shuffle? No. They weren't in the studio this month. However! These fellas were, and this is what they had to say: Winnebago Deal profile.

Recent releases

Recent Releases

Emmanuel - D'Illusions of Grandeur

Released 23rd January 2006. Emmanuel is Colin Emmanuel, aka C-Swing. English hip hop, soul, r'n'b and occasional rock producer, he's remixed and produced people like Rodney P, Beverley Knight, En Vogue, Definition of Sound, Nas, and Mary J Blige. This is stuffed full of guest vocalists like KRS-1, Michelle Escoffery and Braintax and is just the sort of thing for a hot summer. January release I hear you say? Colin recorded some of the brass in our Toyshop studios in 2005. www.iamproductions.co.uk

Plan B - No Good

Released 12th December 2005. A blend of hip hop, r'n'b and acoustic guitar replete with confrontational lyrics aplenty. Mr B's single was playlisted by music week and has a delightful stop-motion video into the bargain. Paul Epworth produced this single in The Garden with Ben Thackeray on Protools duties. www.time4planb.co.uk/

The Mystery Jets - Alas Agnes

Released 5th December 2005. Alas indeed! The story: in order to win Agnes's heart a young pretender takes the drastic step of a sex change only to return and find Agnes has already fallen for a younger, prettier muse. But did he keep the receipt? This single was recorded in The Garden Studios by engineer Finn Eiles and with James Ford producing. www.mysteryjets.com

Outlandish - Closer Than Veins

Released on the 31st Oct 2005 but one we need to highlight now as it has received critical acclaim. European hip-hoppers Outlandish release this topical and much anticipated album. Previously a hit in their native Denmark, and featuring the influences of their various backgrounds (Arab, Indian/Pakistani, and Hispanic), the language is primarily English, but also includes lyrics in Spanish, Urdu and Arabic. Perfect practice for your holidays, then. A large part of the album was mixed in The Neve Room by our own Pete Hofmann with Lucas Secon producing. www.outlandmoro.com

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INTRODUCTION

Music to milc cows by...

Contents

Interviews