Penflick Studio podcast and a little taste of Brighton
A couple of years ago, I started drinking at an underground bar called Cosmo Bar, which sat underneath the Cosmopolitan Hotel in New Stein in Kemptown.
The Cosmo Bar, in its time, was a small, two-roomed place that hosted a variety of strange and quirky nights (cross-dress karaoke while drag kings played in Scrabble tournaments), and it was the sort of place that got crowded easily: piled up coats, steamed up windows, sitting on each other’s laps, while in another corner, someone drunker than everyone else launched into the chicken dance (usually a guy) followed by the running man.
It was there that I met Milton Johan. Milton was this incredibly calm, gentle giant, built like a bouncer, but fixed with a permanent grin on his face as he took in the mayhem around him. He worked behind the the bar amongst a team of bar staff who outshined the clientelle, decked out in glitter makeup and wigs and beaming smiles. Even if I went alone, I knew I could have a good chat with these people until the night really kicked off.
The heady days of the Cosmo Bar are long over, but the shared love of music remains, and it was by bumping into Milton - as you do in Brighton - in other places, that I learned about Penflick Podcast, a unsigned radio show which he makes with his buddy Jim Beckett.
The guys got the idea of the podcast as a way of promoting the small recording and rehearsal studio they run in the centre of Brighton, Penflick Studios. The show naturally then took on a life of its own.
Jim and Milton, both musicians in their own right, like to feature Brighton artists and bands on the monthly podcast, with an emphasis for listeners to get sticky with the music and check them out live.
They say:
Our main aim is to play Brighton music, but we are also playing other unsigned music from all around the world. We believe that there is so much really fantastic music that almost no one has heard of and we want to be the portal for people to discover new awesome music. So in short, no not all Brighton music, but mostly..
It’s early days for the podcast, with five produced to date, all put together from music people send them. The music is mainly acoustic and indie, not usually heavy, with strong vocals and decent production quality.
Bands featured so far include:
The Grams, The Blueskies, Mailorder Manouvres, Messedupjoey, Dirty Scavenger, 12 Stone Toddler, The Roots Union, The Lovers, Fidgital, Los Albertos, Sweet Lola, Doll and The Kicks, Guided By Lights, Mr Resonate, Alexis Parkin, Successum, Us And Them, Passenger, Autumn Red, Susie Ro & Ayla, Gaz Jordan & Mellowman, Caleb, Acoustic Minds, The Love Gods, Matt Rivers, Matty Devitt Band , Red Shark In Vegas, Leigh Franklin, Super U, Ghost Trains, Conrad Vingoe (feat. Kate Walsh), Gypsy Squat Pop Project, Jim Beckett & Mellowman, Vanja, Peter Boije & Folk, Glassband, Vivid Colour, No Denials, Gema Hadridge, The Great Park, /Passenger, Milton, Cordelia Fellowes & Co, The Great Park.
I’m really into podcasts and radio shows - you don’t have to be told that the amount of music you can have access on the internet is amazing, but the thing that I especially enjoy is the process of discovering new shows and music, as well as appreciating the humour and spontaneity of less mainstream shows.
Although I occasionally like listening to Mark Le Marr’s music shows on BBC or getting down to the occasional foray into fip, there’s a particular charm to homegrown podcasts, where people are just chatting complete crap and have the freedom to please themselves. It’s like being in the car with people who’ve been friends for years and eavesdropping. Close. Intimate. And not afraid to fuck up, which are the best and funniest bits. You can tell that the two have spent many an evening at the pub together.
Podcast 5 features music from, plus new year’s resolutions, sheep songs, poems, beer and soothing music to make your heart sing. If you like what you hear, I suggest you jump on board.
Penflick Podcast Playlist 5
1. The Roots Union - Rough Diamonds
2. Ghosttrains - Terrible Man
3. Conrad Vingoe - Rebuild
4. The Grams - Let Her Go
5. Neil “No Denials” Jones - Can´t Calm Down
6. Red Shark In Vegas - Bonnie & Clyde
7. The Love Gods - Heroin
8. Gaz Jordan & Mellowman - The Turkey Song
9. Matty Devitt Band - Chosen This Life
10. Cordelia Fellowes & Co - Ready To Die
11. The Lovers - Boomchikkabom
12. Super U - The Brighton Blank
13. Passenger - You´re On My Mind
Subscribe Free for future posts Add this player to my Page
If you want learn more about their studios or how to submit your music for the podcast, read on.
Penflick Studio is a small independent recording and rehearsal space. Jim and Milton offer assistance and can help produce songs and material.
Their rates are as follow:
3 hour rehearsal = £25 including backline
4 x 3 hour rehearsals pre booked and pre paid = £85 (a £15 savings)
For new bands to the studio = 3 x 3 hour rehearsal + 1 day of recording = £150
The guys are more than happy for people to get in touch regarding rates, help, etc and are always looking for unsigned local artists who want their music featured on the site.
Drop them a line on penflickpodcast[at]yahoo[dot]co[dot]uk or phoning 07929303712.
www.myspace.com/penflickstudios
http://penflick.blogspot.co.uk
Read more...