Comfortable on A Tightrope @ The Kings Arms
Comfortable on a Tightrope are now our longest standing SFTOC conspirators, making a massive contribution to the event all the way since 2008. And what has to be said about them, is said best by themselves…
“COMFORTABLE ON A TIGHTROPE MEANS everything is okay if you concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other and looking forward. This is a metaphor and our mantra. It is a love song, a lousy dance, apolitical activism for the city we call home. With generosity and thanksgiving we have welcomed the makers of our favourite music to Manchester and Salford for the last seven years”.
Between last years SFTOC and this year, they’ll have hosted shows by Las Robertas, Kellies, Chain & The Gang, The Babies, UT, Meddicine, Sic Alps, Corpsekisser, Pheromoans, Molly Nilsson, Cass Mccombs, Jacuzzi Boys and more. 2012 looks like an exciting year on all fronts too—-hot on the heels of releasing NISENNENMONDAI / WAITERS 7″ they have new albums from IRMA VEP and WAY THROUGH and the long-awaited follow-up to the MUSEUMS compilation/ art zine all forthcoming
+ M O L L Y N I L S S O N
MOLLY NILSSON has been producing music and running her own label since 2007, releasing four albums of beautifully evocative listening. Combining swathes of nostalgic pop with the cleverest of lyrics she’s produced some of the smartest and most touching songs of recent years.
A swedish native, Molly moved to Berlin to set up Dark Skies Association, which she uses as a gloriously DIY platform in creating her sonic landscape and visual aesthetic.
On his last critically acclaimed album ‘We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves’, minnesota’s subversive pop master, John Maus covered Molly’s song ‘Hey Moon’, which she also lends her voice too, one of the stand-out tracks of a stand-out record.
‘the best pop music ever‘- Rough Trade
“dreamy, sometimes nostalgic synth-pop with simple/perfect melodies” Gorilla Vs Bear
+ T H E R E B E L
Benedict Roger Wallers is the frontman, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for the band Country Teasers. Solo, he records under the moniker The Rebel, an unhinged outlet for a deranged mind
“Lots of twisted electronics, dimestore Casio sounds, some guitars and whatever else all thrown in the pan and pressure-cooked in the oven that is Wallers’ mind. Four tracks that veer from the simply bizarre to mind wrenching melancholy, with a sound that falls somewhere in the vicinity of the Swell Maps most experimental moments, obscure British DIY lunacy, The Fall, outsider art, and just about any closet four-track recording weirdo you can think of, especially those that loathe the music industry (and most other things as well). Subtly brilliant. Perfect for those moments when you’ve just arrived home at 5:30 in the morning, and you’re sitting there wondering just what it is that you’ve done” Terminal Boredom