News

ALBUM OUT TODAY / HOORAY + other news

My new album Ships is out today. You can buy it in all manner of formats here.

It will also be available to buy on our upcoming tour which start TODAY. Woohoo!!!!!

The tour has been extended to play a few solo gigs in June. Those dates are below.

JUNE

01 – Railway Institute and Club – Bangor

02 – Looking Glass Cafe – Bristol (Tickets)

03- St Pancreas Old Church – London (Tickets)

04 – Toast – Falmouth (FREE)

05 – The New Inn – Tywardreth (FREE)

06 – The Taphouse – St. Agnus (FREE)

07 – B Side Bunters – Truro (INFO)

08 – Studio Bar – Penzance (FREE)

09 – Studio Lounge – Totnes (Tickets)

New Single New Video Album Preorder

A bit late in the day I know, I’ve been jet setting the last couple of weeks, but belatedly I’m excited to announce that I have a new single out on the 23rd of April. It’s called If I died… and is the first track on Ships also out on the 23rd.

You can listen to it here:

With the lyrical help from my friend H.Hawkline we also recorded a Welsh version of the song. Unfortunately, I don’t seem to be able to embed it so you can listen to it here.

Finally my friend Casey Raymond made a video for the song, and very good it is too. It features the acting debut of Bronwen Blatchford and me as a giant head.

 

I’ve updated the gigs page to feature all upcoming gigs and links to tickets and stuff where I can here

Finally you can preorder my album here . We’re releasing a special 12″ Vinyl version for record store day too with an added bonus disk, I’ll let you know more information when I’m better informed.

 

NEW VIDEO TOUR AND ALBUM PREORDER

Super exciting times. The ‘let’s go swimming wild’ single is finally available to buy on ITunes and equivalents from Monday the 11th of February. To celebrate my friend Casey Raymond has made this amazing and very silly Louis Wain inspired psychedelic cat video.

 

 

Props go out to Casey, Claire Roberts, Cate Timothy and Huw Evans for their help.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us and the song over the last couple of months, it’s exceeded all of our expectations 100 times over.

 

Next BIT – ALBUM AND TOUR

Ships, the album is officially released on the 22nd of April but you can preorder it here . It will soon be available from this websites shop too. I shall let you know when it is.

We’re also off on tour in April. The band practises are going well, I’ve bought a vauxhall astra estate and we’re gonna squish in. I’ve also bought a pedal board, so we better be pro. The dates are below

APRIL
22 - Leicester (Cookie Club)
23 - London (The Lexington) [Tickets]
24 - Oxford (Academy 2) [Tickets]
25 - Stroud (The Prince Albert) [Tickets]
26 - Northampton (The Lamplighter) [Tickets]
27 - Nottingham (Chameleon Arts Centre) [Tickets]
28 - Birmingham (Yardbird) [Tickets]
29 - York (The Basement) [Tickets]
30 - Chester (Telfords Warehouse) [Tickets]

MAY
1 - Hull (Fruit) [Tickets]
3 - Halifax (The Doghouse) [Tickets]
4 - Leeds (Live at Leeds) [Tickets]
7 - Glasgow (King Tuts) [Tickets]
8 - Newcastle (Heartattack & Vine)
11 - Cardiff (Clwb Ifor Bach)
17 - Rochester (Royal Function Rooms) [Tickets]

 

More exciting news as and when it comes.

APRIL GIG FEBRUARY GIG PICTISH TRAIL R.SEILIOG

Sweet Baboo news.

Today is the last day you are able to download my song Let’s go Swimming Wild. Go here if you haven’t had a chance to get it already.

Unfortunately my gigs at the Shacklewell Arms and The Roundhouse  in February are sold out but, and big drum roll, the album launch for ships has been booked at the Lexington in London on the 23rd of April. Hopefully a full tour will be announced soon.

You can buy tickets for the gig here

Kind of Sweet Baboo news and only slightly nepotistic.

This time last year I drove 11 hours in my dying ford Escort all the way up to the Scottish island of Eigg to help my friend The Pictish Trail to record his second album Secret Soundz Vol. 2.  I was in charge of pressing space bar, 3, and telling him to do it again. I bought a chorus pedal because of it and am very proud of it.

Well it’s out next week (I think) on Fence Records. You can buy it here

Here’s a video:

Finally. My friend Robin, who I’ve played with in numerous bands (including his and mine) has just released his first EP on the Peski record label under his alter ego R.Seiliog. It’s called Shuffles and is really brill. You can buy it here

Here’s a video

Voluntary Butler / Sweet Baboo / Peter et le Wolff

Tomorrow I start a short tour playing Bruce Springteen style saxophone for my friend, and producer of my new album Rob Jones of the Voluntary Butler Scheme .

We’re off to London, Manchester, Sheffield and Brum. I get to support on some of the gigs too. Here’s a video for his new single Brain Freeze which you buy as an app.

Imagine that, an app!

 

Some exciting Sweet Babs news. My new album is definitely called SHIPS and will be out in March 2013 (it takes that long these days apparently) it will be proceeded by a single called ‘Let’s Go Swimming Wild’ at the beginning of next year. It’s a big ballsy brass heavy ballad in E major. We’re making a psychedelic cat video to go with it and then hopefully, will take over the world (tour a bit) over the next coming months.

I played a gig, playing lots of the songs off the new album, as well as some older ones, which was streamed live on the interweb. Good times.

Watch live streaming video from iambrianjones at livestream.com

Finally a man from manchester called Pete has made a t-shirt inspired by one of my songs. Go buy it here

He also drew this picture of me up a tree. It’s brill. You can buy that too. If I wasn’t a doufus I would embed the picture underneath but I can’t seem to do it.

 

 

End of message.

 

 

GIGS

Late in the day I know but I’ve been gallivanting around America touring with my friends bands.
I have some gigs coming up, some on my own and some with the band they are all there to see in print format on the gigs page.

My news and musings to follow soon.

NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS

Right? Well in this case I suppose it is. I, along with my friend Rob (Voluntary Butler Scheme) I finally finished my album SHIPS. It won’t be out till early next year. It’s eleven songs of sea based brass heavy pop music.  There’s not much more to say about it at the moment but there’s exciting times afoot in the sweet baboo camp.

While not making my album, I’ve been fannying about making music with my friends.

We’ve been here there and everywhere with Slow Club this year. Too many places to mention but here’s some, along with a one word memory, that spring to mind. Eating poutine in Toronto, my birthday in Melbourne, watching Seals in San Diego, supporting the Mystery Jets at the Brixton Academy, recording at Edwyn Collins’ studio, and we’re off again at the end of the month supporting the mumford and sons in America. One of them is in an amphitheatre where U2 played a notorious gig (?)*.  It’s turned out to be quite the bonkers year for the slows.

I’ve also toured with my friend Catelebon, and we’re off again in September for a month. She has an e.p out soon. Called Cyrk II on it. I played bass on it*. There’s one song that sounds like Weezer. You can preorder it here

My friend H.Hawkline has an ep out on the Trash Aesthetics label. Which you can buy here. I play bass on this too*

Finally my friend Euros Childs‘ album is coming out soon. It’s called Summer Special. Here’s the video for his single Ohh That’s Better. If you look closely you’ll see a vision in sky blue.

Friends Stuff and Gigs

A quick post to back slap some of my friends

CateleBon
Her album is out on Monday proper. Cool

My friend Tim who was an original member of the Sweet Baboo band and can be heard on such songs as Tim’s Song now lives in Paris and does this

My friend Ceri who has just released a new album which you can listen to hear . I did try and embed it on the website but I failed miserably. Ceri was also an original member of the Sweet Baboo band and produced my first album, The Mighty Baboo.

I’ve a couple of gigs coming up over the summer. It’s gonna be big band tastic and we’ll be playing songs of the new album, which is slowly coming together. I’ve added them to the gigs page.

 

First Post of 2012 (It’s a long one – Wehey !!!!!)

Today is Tuesday, 27th of February 2012, my last post was December 6th, 2011. In 2 days time it will be the 29th of February. Last Friday, the 24th of February, was erased from my person cause I was a long hall flight to Awstralia therefore 2012, the year of the Olympics, still only has 365 days to me.

I can’t quite get this round my headbut in 3 days time it’ll be St. David’s day and in five days time it’ll be my 30th birthday. Wowzers! And what do I have to show for it, well, for one, 2012 has been a pretty splendid year so far! as well as being the year of the Olympics, it has been pretty kind to all things Sweet Baboo.

In January I was inducted into the Guiness book of World Records for appearing on more albums in one month than anyone else ever had in the history of music. I was visited by Chris ‘Awooga’ Akabusi and Cheryl Baker who awarded me a medal and my very own engraved copy of the book.

It started, very excitingly, with Johnny Pictish Trail who invited me to the island of Eigg off the west coast of Scotland. The island has about 80 people, 1 shop, is governed by the islanders, and in one home I went to a neumatic circular pool table. I would advise anyone to go there. It’s pretty incredible.

I spent, nine (ish) lovely days in a cottage overlooking the harbour pressing the record button for Johnny and his new album. Even if I do say so myself, it sounds pretty cool, is chorus (the effect) heavy and features Kenny King Creosote on accordion.

Without trying to sound too much like a kiss ass but the fence collective are seriously brill and inspiring people and I am lucky to know them.

I then went straight into playing acoustic guitar on a new record for Euros Childs. I felt like Roy Ordbison or Jeff Lynne in the Travelling Willburries. We learnt and recorded about 12 or 13 songs in 4 days and although I can’t quite remember all of them, I do remember it sounded super poppy and great.

I can’t wait to hear the finished versions.
A sweeping statement I know but in my world Euros Childs is king.

Next up, the big one, well at least for me. I recording a new sweet babs album, still tentatively called ‘Ships’. We took a break in the middle ( more of that below ) but myself, Avvon Chambers, my brother, Dave and Rob Voluntary Butler Scheme ( at the helm ) spent two weeks making a brass based, upbeat, underwater sounding smashpop record. Rob is mixing it as we speak, and I hope it’s gonna sound like a cross between the dexy’s, Smokey Robinson, Belle and Sebastian, SpongeBob Squarepants and Weezer.

I’m not sure who is gonna release the album, or when, but when it’s finished, we’re gonna give the website a makeover to celebrate and pop some songs up for you to listen to.

If anyone is interested in remixing one of the songs (no cash obviously ) then please get in touch and I will be able to send stems when they’re done. I hope to be more proactive on the website in 2012, it is the year of the Olympics after all.

I’m pretty proud of the album and everyone who helped me with it, especially Avv and Dave for playing, Broombox for helping with the lyrics and, especially, Rob everything he’s done. He’s a clever cunt and an bloody nice guy.

Finally, and no less excitingly, I played bass on H.Hawkline’s third, as yet untitled, record. It’s loud, melodic, sexy and I can’t wait to hear it. He’s going into the studio at the end of March to finish it. It’s gonna be ace.

Since then, I’ve been off moonlighting for Slow Club, travelling to America, Canada and Awstralia (please see loosing a day quondry at top of post ) I’ve been super lucky and have got to, am still to, go to the following places. New York, L.A, San Fransisco, Sydney, Toronto and Melbourne to name a few. It’s been super fun, and the gigs have been super busy.

Tomorrow I have a day off and am gonna go swimming on Bondi Beach, like I said 2012 is a good year for the Olympics and a good year for me, except for the fact that I’m hitting middle age and still can’t grow more than a smattering of facial hair.

On the babs gigging front 2012 is pretty quiet at the moment. There are a couple of festival appearances booked and hopefully more gigs for when the album is released. I will update the gigs page when everything is finalised.

Finally, my best friend and landlord’s, Cate Le Bon’s album has come out in America and will be out in Britain sometime in April on Gruff Rhys’s OVNI label. You’d be a doufus not to buy it.

And that is the end of my post. Hooray for (my) life!

End of 2011 (Welcome London 2012)

It’s been exciting, I’ve played some gigs, made some records, joined some bands and most importantly avoided growing up for another year.
Here is, in Monthly order, some stuff that me (and my family) are proud of:

JANUARY
Finish sweet baboo EP Girl Under a Tree
Help H Hawkline record his second album ‘The Strange Uses of OX Gall’
Play on Cate Le Bon’s records ‘Cyrk 1′ and ’2′

FEBRUARY
Help H Hawkline mix his album
Make Video for Sweet Baboo song ‘The Day I lost my Voice’ with Film Ryan in a petting zoo in the dark.

MARCH
Finish H Hawkline’s album.
Join Slow Club the band and start rehearsing

APRIL
Mix Spencer McGarry Season album ‘Episode 3′
Help record a live free improvised record with Euros Childs, H Hawkline, Laura J Martin, Megan Childs, and R Seiliog under the name Short and Curlies to be released sometime in 2012
Sweet Babs plays at Laugharne Festival, H Hawkline and Cate Le Bon also play. We watch Robert Wyatt in chat.
First gig with Slow Club on the day of the Royal Wedding. Am proud to be British.

MAY
Sweet Baboo, Cate Le Bon and Slow Club all play at Fence Collective’s Home Game in Fife, I get blown away by Francois and the Atlas Mountains, I also get dangerously close to water while I am under the influence. A good time is had.
Record Saxophone for Slow Club’s song Hackney Marsh

JUNE
Help record album for Cate Le Bon and Meilyr Racehorses band Yoke
Play Saxophone at the Royal Albert Hall and Glastonbury for Gruff Rhys
Play bass for Jonny at Glastonbury and on tour
Release Sweet Baboo e.p (Girl Under a Tree) on Shape Records

JULY
Nothing of note as far as I can tell, all I’m doing is going through my diary whilst sat on the sofa being all Johnny big balls and unfortunately July seems to be pretty empty. I must have done something I think.

AUGUST
Play at Applecart Festival with Cate Le Bon, I go watch Kevin Rowlands sing along to his own songs while djing.
Play at Green Man Festival with H Hawkline and R Seiliog. Loudest and most fun gigs of the year, All right!
Play at Rough Trade East in London with Slow Club

SEPTEMBER
Go on tour with Slow Club, Sweet Babs supports.

OCTOBER
Swim in the sea in Margate
Sweet Baboo and band do Marc Riley session for six music
Sweet Baboo song gets played on Radio 3 – Mum and Dad boast to friends that University Education was worthwhile.
Wickes record and Scrap album.
H Hawkline, Slow Club and Sweet Baboo play at Swn Festival in Cardiff
Sweet Baboo album, I’m a Dancer gets nominated for the Welsh Music Prize. It doesn’t win but I get royally excited (pissed) at the ceremony and embarrassingly whoop when I see myself dressed as a hedgehog on a projection screen.

NOVEMBER
Go to America with Slow Club.
Get Fatter in America with Slow Club.
Meet (See) Jo Whiley and Francis Rossi from Status Quo.
Record Saxophone for Voluntary Butler Scheme’s new album

DECEMBER
Go to Sweden and Denmark with Slow Club and dance to techno music.

Still to come in December as of Tuesday the 6th of December

Wickes Farewell tour of Berlin, London and Dresden – 2 years, 5 songs and 7 gigs we decided to call it a day due to laziness
Gruff Rhys christmas ep comes out where I play a very squeaky saxophone on one song.
Slow Club play some christmas gigs

END

***So I realise this sounds like a long list of boasting, but hey ho, the internet is a perfect platform to do such things.
There’s one other thing I’m really proud of too – Helping to record H Hawkline’s EP Run Zatopek Run which sounds like the most obnoxious and loudest thing we’ve ever recorded. I don’t even know if it’s available. It sounds cool though. I should have put this in July I suppose.

2012

I’m not quite sure what’s gonna happen. There will be a new Sweet Baboo record out at some point, tentatively called Ships (sounds like a bit like shits though done it!)
I’m also gonna help out on records by The Pictish Trail, H Hawkline and Euros Childs. Cate le Bon and The Voluntary Butler Scheme’s albums will be out sometime next year and Cousins, an album by Meilyr Racehorses and Euros Childs which I helped record last year will be out too!!! I’m off with Slow Club too so hooray for life!

***Please see sentiment above as regards to 2012 too.



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