Victories At Sea are a Birmingham based experimental 3 piece. They cite influences as wide and diverse as My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive through to more euphoric, unadulterated alternative such as Echo and The Bunnymen and mid 80′s Cure. As they ready their first EP, the lads presented us our next This is Tmrw mix featuring the likes of Washed Out, Broadcast, Boards Of Canada and WorriedAboutSatin. Victories At Sea play The Flapper this coming Saturday (Saturday 23rd October) as part of the launch for Shady Bard’s 2nd Long Player ‘Trials’.

Our very own Greg will be spinning tunes in-between the bands too, see you there!

Tracklisting
1. Dayvan Cowboy – Boards of Canada
2. Salut France – Errors
3. The National Anthem – Radiohead
4. You’re In My Thoughts – WorriedAboutSatin
5. Boxes – 35 Seconds
6. Procession – New Order
7. Feel It All Around – Washed Out
8. Stay Close – Delorean
9. Firesuite – Doves
10. Over The Wall – Echo & The Bunnymen
11. Love + Pain – Clor
12. Black Gold – Foals
13. Papua New Guinea – Future Sound Of London
14. America’s Boy – Broadcast
15. JC – Sonic Youth

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1:09:45
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This coming Friday, perhaps Birmingham’s most famous export (or at least up there!) UB40 return to the place where it all began…The Hare and Hounds.

Most people I’d imagine have a love / hate relationship with the band and that is understandable. But the worrying thing is that most people are completely unaware of the fact that they released one of the finest debuts of all time, which was recorded right on This is Tmrw’s doorsteps.

“Signing Off” was written in the bands communal house in Moseley, where they would wake up, smoke, sign on, and head back to rehearse for 10 hours straight moulding and crafting their sound, whilst immersing themselves in dub from U -Roy, Lee Perry and beyond.

The songs the band were writing, could only of been written by politically charged, young Brummies with nothing to lose.

“Food For Thought” tackled the nations ignorant attitute to famine in Ethiopia (years before LiveAid), “Madam Medusa’ could only be about one person – Maggie Thatcher (Not surprisingly most members of the band’s families were involved with the unions) and “King” mused over people’s loss of direction following the death of MLK.

These were and still are complex songs, both lyrically and in terms of song structure (Brian Travers stated in a recent interview that the “Signing Off” music could only of been wrote by 20 somethings, because the bass- lines, melodies and rhythms chop and change so regularly).

To us, it seems madness that only the die- hards seem to get this album, in fact it is criminally ignored from most ‘best debuts ever’ lists, yet I personally consider it one of the best records to ever come out of Birmingham and a record that still speaks volumes even to this day.

For anyone from Birmingham, or more specifically Moseley / Kings Heath (where most of the band still reside) this album should feel close to home and I for one am massively excited about hearing the full 12 minutes of “Madam Medusa”, the breezey dub of “Signing Off” and hopefully some of the b-sides and 12″s from the same period “Dream A Lie / Earth Dies Screaming”.

Thisistmrw have put together a Spotify playlist with music from some of the bands contemporaries in the late 70′s / early 80′s, some of their influences and our own personal favourite off the album right here…

LINK: “Signing Off ” inspired playlist on Spotify

Riddims from Augustus Pablo, King Tubby and Burning Spear as well as a selection of bands from one of the most fertile period in Brum’s recent past in the shape of The Beat, Dexys and the excellent Au Pairs…

Last Wednesday marked the end for local punk – steppers Scarlet Harlots, as they supported Mount Kimbie to a capacity crowd at The Hare and Hounds. We always loved the band for crossing boundaries and creating a sound that summed up the diversity of Birmingham today.

Add to this the fact the lads were involved in hosting some of the biggest names in dubstep with Bigger Than Barry and that Sam is now involved with a future bass night called Panacea are testiment to the fact that the band always had one eye on the future.

We fully expect to see them all go onto bigger and better things over the next few years but for now here’s a mix the lads did a while back featuring the likes of Dirty Projectors and The XX and I can safely say this is one of the best mixes we’ve had on the site. Check it…………..

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01. DIRTY PROJECTORS – STILLNESS IS THE MOVE
02. (SILVER) SOUVENIRS – YOUTH (KING SINGH REMIX)
03. THE XX – ISLANDS (NOSAJ THING REMIX)
04. NITE JEWEL – WANT YOU BACK (PHASEONE REMIX)
05. TIMBALAND – TO MY (FEAT. NAS & MAD SKILZ)
06. JUNIOR M.A.F.I.A – GET MONEY
07. CRAIG MACK – FLAVA IN YA EAR
08. C.R.S.T – INSIDE
09. AMIRA – MY DESIRE (DREEM TEEM REMIX)
10. IKONIKA – PSORIASIS
11. MOUNT KIMBIE – SKETCH ON GLASS
12. GORILLAZ – EMPIRE ANTS (FEAT. LITTLE DRAGON)
13. CAPLETON – MANKIND
14. SCARLET HARLOTS – HALCYON (RAFFERTIE REMIX)
15. UNTOLD – NEVER WENT AWAY
16. WILEY – COME LAY WITH ME (FEAT. RACHEL)
17. THE BUG – JAH WAR (FEAT. FLOWDAN)
18. PARIAH – ORPHEUS

BIO
Born out of the melting pot that is the Midlands, with a love for pirate radio, 80’s indie and charming rhyme, Scarlet Harlots wear it all on the sleeve.

This five piece, recently signed with local party kings ‘Bigger Than Barry Records’, referencing the essence of dub, punk, soul and garage, unleashed debut EP ‘Word is Bone, Back is Strong’ in 2009, touring the nation.

Having recently produced closely with Radio 1 DJ Toddla T, and supported by Lauren Laverne, Mary Anne Hobbs and one professional Monday hater Sir Bob Geldof, Scarlet Harlots are currently working on what promises to be a standout Long Player, while stopping off at a select few Summer Festival hot spots.

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