Monday 30 March 2009

Sex Is Boring



"The Girl who works in the record shop, well she says that i'm not avant garde enough, well so what she only works in the record shop and I don't give a fuck what she says or she thinks about me"

So start Ballboys seminal indie pop record "a guide for the daylight hours", and it's lyrical genius like this that makes Ballboy jump out from the crowd.

Why you may ask have I chosen this moment to mention this wonderful band, because dear readers we've been given the honour of packing our bags, instruments and bodies into a van driving our way up to beautiful looking Carnegie Hall in Dunfermline and playing with Ballboy.

It's May 15th, 6 days after my birthday, and I can't think of anything i'd like more!

If you've never heard Ballboy, go listen now they wont disappoint,

Sammx

Ballboy Website
Ballboy Myspace

Monday 23 March 2009

You see I'm lost without your rhythm


Wildbirds and Peacedrums-The Snake. This here is one of the best albums I have heard in a good long while, I tell no lie. Their debut 'Heartcore' already showed a whole lot of promise and 'The Snake' just takes all the amazing melodies and drum-thumping and layers it all up into great leftfield pop. It's eery and atmospheric and that voice! She sounds a little like the best bits of Kate Bush without the annoying yowling. Final track 'My Heart' gives me that strange feeling in my gut and has been on repeat in my flat for the last two weeks. So, yes, I like this album.
Sophie
x

Friday 20 March 2009

Single/tour news or Something Like It

Dearest you,

Our next release will be an utterly new single.

The A Side: "Lovers or Something Like It", named after the Florian Zeller novel, which is a crushing read, as ugly as it is beautiful.

The B side: "Sloe Gin Fizz", the song that almost never was but now is since we got our act together and finished it.

Should be out 1st June on digital download, with a very limited run of unique cds, available to buy on our end of May/June tour; there'll be dates announced soon, which is cool.

The great Ben Waddleton who operates under the name donutshop (why? I don't know) is working with us on the video, so we'll post that when we have it.

Yours in anticipation,

Jonny x

Sunday 8 March 2009

STUDIO day 2

Today was fun. We finished off the songs, and they sound great. Watch this space on news about videos, release dates, gigs etc.

Feast your eyes on today's visual treats. The first five don't need no description!







we're so hot right now!


the masters at work


me. testing that camera.


band love


Jonny's two fav things.


Lee


Angry Joel


Sexy Joel


anti gravity


cute!


Samm and Joel. They get along like a house on fire.


J Dizzle


Sophie arrived today. 25 hours late!!


bless


"we're recording!"


whit whoo!

i should probably let another band member blog about something important now. bye. Jon x

a dance a day keeps the pounds away

me band mates probably hate me doing all these posts haha. sorry. we had fun!



We have finished recording our single. It sounds beautiful.

Big up to Jamie of Mi Mye fame, and Lee of Middleman fame for being awesome producers and real funny guys. It was an all round super recording experience.

Keep looking back as i am uploading more fun photos tonight.

ciao

Jon x

Saturday 7 March 2009

a homage to MJ

since the king of pop announced his new tour dates a few days back, i thought we just had to pay homage to this great great man.



x

STUDIO - so far so good!

We've been mega busy, and it is sounding lush!

Here's what a day in the studio with the rosie taylor project looks like...


Samm doing piano

Jonny

Joel charging!

the nicest amp ever in the whole entire world.

Jamie. One half of Jamie and Lee - our producers for the weekend.

STOP!

from the control room - joel doing drum takes

Samm on the reed organ

Jamie in control room

Jonny tuning up

Jamie and Lee

Joel feasting

Jonny mirror head

Best Buds forever!

Jon x

p.s. Nick hasn't been here for most the day, and Sophie hasn't been here all day, hence the lack of their presence in the photographs. But i can assure there will be some beautiful photos of them tomorrow. x

STUDIO

so, we're in the studio, recording our single.

Drums are going down now. However, Samm and I had much more important things to do, like creating our single artwork...



work in progress innit.

i'll post more exciting studio photos later, as we do have the luxury of 5 internet ready computers. What a studio!!

Jon x

Thursday 5 March 2009

Vicky Cristina Barcelona/Sal's Paradise


Finally saw the new Woody Allen film this evening: awful narration; caricature figures; and the same existential crisis sentiment that underpins 90% of his films (perfected in Hannah and her Sisters, perhaps?).
But then I even enjoyed Match Point and so yeah, it's really watchable, beautiful cast too. True Javier Bardem, Scarlet and Penelope make for a great aesthetic but Rebecca Hall, wow, is beautiful without so much as a menage a trois.


EVENING MUSIC TO ENJOY WITH WINE AND A SIDE OF GUACAMOLE

Sal's Paradise from Leeds/London,ridiculously attractive band complete with violin and, at times, greyhound fast finger pickin'. Watch the Soviet inspired videos and then have a quiet moment to "The Flood" and "19th June".

Jonny x

B is for Basil assaulted by bears


I recently came across the artist and author Edward Gorey. I may be behind the times, particularly because he's now dead but his pen drawings are completely wonderful. He has a great black humour in his work which saves it from irritating cutesiness. Please have a look, it's charming stuff.
Sophie
x

Wednesday 4 March 2009

Camomile and Spiced Apple Tea

I don't work for Twinings but I do think their tea infusions are terrific. Try the above, if you live in Leeds you'll know Opposite Cafe (I don't work there either), they really care about this stuff and you can pick it up there.

Jonny x

A handful of strangers, all friends of mine

, THello folks,

We're just awakening after our trip to London to play at The Big Chill house with Tim & Sam's, Tim & The Sam Band with Tim & Sam (who have loads of tour dates you can check them out at!).
As ever with playing one off london shows by the time you role into bed at 3am (which is earlier than usual thanks to our fantastic driver Slurpy of Mi Mye and Middleman fame) you feel a little bit disheartened,tired and generally underwhelmed but once again on waking I feel cautiously optimistic and pleased we played another tight set of mainly new material.

I'm sure the bands photographer extraordinare Jon will soon be plying your eyes with the beautiful sites he spotted along the way so expect to hear more about our trip soon.

Anyway for now i've decided to take some time out to discuss the most unfairly labelled of one hit wonders The Walkmen.



The Walkmen Website
The Wakmen on Myspace

Many people probably remember The Walkmen as that band that did that "when I used to go out I knew everyone I saw, now I go out alone if I go out at all" song that you used to here in any indie disco worth your pennies.
Unfortunately for far too many people that's where the walkmen love started and ended, hardly anyone ever talks about the fantastic album spawned from that song. Bows + Arrows is one of the most wonderfully dark, atmospheric and moody albums you'll here. All crashing percussion, wailing vocals, deeply atmospheric keys and stacato guitar parts. It was so good they even got to play on the o.c!

They've since released two more albums the oddly upbeat A Hundred Miles Off and latest offering You & Me. Both are wonderful albums, with "you and me" being the one that rings truer to me with it's darker themes and wonderful opening line "it's back to the battle today but I wouldn't have it any other way"

Give the band you over enthusiastically danced and screamed along too (or was that just me?) another chance,

much love,
Samm
xxx

Monday 2 March 2009

the brand spanking new practice room

Hi, it's Jon here. Super skilled lightning fast lead guitarist of the rosie taylor project.

So, this is our new practice room. Based in my basement. Me and Samm spent a good day sweeping, feather dusting, nailing, sweeping, etc. Samm did the majority mind. Thank you Samm. I was more a creative director overlooking the whole project.

Here are the results:

by the way, this is soooo exclusive as 2 of our band haven't seen the room yet. You'll get this kind of exclusive gossip at THE ROSIE TAYLOR BLOG!!!!! ha


the carpet. Samm and I picked various bits of carpet from various skips. It's a bit dirty, but we came slightly addicted. Every time I pass a skip now, i take a peak inside. Who knows what you will find ey?!


Sound proofing (my arse!!). These were from poverty aid on cardigan road. £5 each. Oh and notice the "sound proofing" on the right wall. We found loads of off cuts of foam in a skip. But it turns out it's quite hard to put a nail in brick. So Samm just made this beautiful piece of art out of it. Isn't it just beautiful and so avant garde!!


The focal point of the room. Exposed brick work with a Taiwanese Black Bear light fitting. With 2 of my personal favourite pictures hanging either side. Especially man/woman on the right.


Isn't it beautiful! The bear head actually has some significance to the band, as it was used on a flyer for one of our gigs in the past.

Oh here is is:



i made it :)

That's it. Bye for now. Come back soon.

x

Sunday 1 March 2009

WELCOME!!

Welcome to our blog. We are going to try our very hardest to keep this blog updated with all things rosie taylor project. So please keep checking for new photos, songs, news, gossip, etc etc. Whatever really. Maybe we'll record a comic relief single or something. WATCH THIS SPACE!

for now, the rosie taylor project are:

NICK WILSHER


JONNY DAVIES


JOEL BORKIN


JON AUSTIN


SOPHIE BARNES


SAMM COTTIS


peace x