They have been compared to Neutral Milk Hotel, Bonnie Prince Billy and Belle & Sebastian, and the band cite both punk rock and folk as influences.
Their name is a marriage of the title of one of the band’s favourite films, The Squid and the Whale, and the director of said film’s name (Noah Baumbach). They are also avid fans of the film director Wes Anderson, who helped produce The Squid and the Whale alongside Baumbach; the group’s e-mails, and many of their MySpace blog posts, are signed “Sic Transit Gloria”, a phrase frequently used in Anderson’s film Rushmore.

The band performed on Jeremy Warmsley’s internet television show, Welcome to our TV show, and have made several appearances at festivals including Leeds, Cambridge Folk Festival, Latitude, SXSW, V Festival and Glastonbury. In May 2008, the group’s side-project, The A Sides, performed a one-off show at The Push Club.

The band’s debut album, Peaceful, the World Lays me Down got to Number 5 on the Official UK Album Chart and has received a mainly positive critical response.

From January 2009 onwards, the band started work on their second full length LP, entitled The First Days of Spring. Along with the album release, Charlie Fink has made a film that runs the entire length of the album, also entitled The First Days of Spring. The band decided not to feature female backup vocals on their second LP. The album was released on August 31st 2009, a little over a year after their debut.

“The First Days of Spring” is the first single release from the album of the same name and is available for download from the band’s website. Another second single entitled “Blue Skies” was released in the summer of 2009, after the song got its first airplay on Zane Lowe’s Radio 1 show on 22nd June 2009.

The band played the 2009 Reading and Leeds Festivals on the main stage, as well as a variety of other venues on their current tour.

On August 28th 2009 Doug Fink, brother of lead singer Charlie Fink, announced he would be leaving the band to pursue a career in medicine. The announcement was made days before the imminent release of their second album ‘The First Days of Spring’. At this same time a new member Fred Abbott was brought in on 2nd guitar/piano and Doug was replaced by former Pull Tiger Tail drummer Jack Hamson.

Their song, “Give a Little Love” was used in an episode of Cougar Town titled “Here Comes My Girl” which first aired on November 25, 2009. Another of their songs, “Blue Skies,” was used in an episode of One Tree Hill titled “Some Roads Lead Nowhere” which first aired on December 7, 2009.

In January 2010, it was announced that Noah and the Whale was to be heading to the recording studio soon to prepare their third album, for which the band is considering the title Old Joy.

Recorded in Toronto and New York, the band once again called in the talents of legendary Punk-Reggae bass player Darryl Jenifer of Bad Brains to produce Street Gospels. The band also brought in Money Mark (The Beastie Boys) on keys, Wade MacNeil (Alexisonfire, Black Lungs) on vocals/guitar and the legendary Vernon Buckley vocalist of The Maytones, all lending their unique flavour to the album and helping to create the most diverse and grassroots Bedouin Soundclash record to date.

Bedouin Soundclash formed in 2001, naming the group after Israeli fusion artist/producer Badawi’s 1996 release – which pays homage to nomadic Arabic poet tribe the Bedouins. Unlike most musicians who try to mimic their musical idols, Bedouin Soundclash forges their own musical path creating music embodying each member’s personal and diverse musical preferences, creating their own innovative fusion of Reggae, Rock, Punk and Soul.

2005’s sophomore release Sounding A Mosaic exploded onto commercial radio and video stations across Canada with the hit single “When The Night Feels My Song”. The song’s massive rise to popularity started when the track was featured in a national Zeller’s commercial and ended up scoring the band a #1 video on MuchMusic, the #2 most played track at Canadian radio, “Best New Group or Solo Artist (CHR)” award at the Canadian Radio Music Awards 2006, and a JUNO for “New Group of The Year” in 2006!

With sold out shows across Canada, and performances all over the world including the renowned Leeds and Reading Festivals, London’s V-Fest, and PuklePop, Bedouin Soundclash brings their soulful, energetic live show around the world once again this year.

The band is currently working on their debut album.

Black Kids, consisting of Reggie Youngblood (vocals and guitar), Owen Holmes (bass guitar), Kevin Snow (drums), Dawn Watley (keyboards and vocals), and Reggie’s sister Ali Youngblood (keyboards and vocals), formed in early 2006. Although they initially performed only in Jacksonville, they received national attention after a breakout performance at the Athens Popfest in Athens, Georgia on August 11, 2007, which led to a sudden flurry of coverage in the music press, including NME, Vice, The Guardian, and The Village Voice. The same month, Black Kids’ demo EP, Wizard of Ahhhs, was released via free download on their MySpace page. Soon after, Black Kids began working with Quest Management, the company that manages Björk and Arcade Fire. In October, the EP received a favorable review of 8.4 out of 10 from Pitchfork Media, including a “Best New Music” commendation.

Black Kids participated in the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City in October, earning the band exposure in The New York Times and USA Today. In December the band travelled to London for a brief tour. Rolling Stone called them one of ten “Artists to Watch” for 2008 and the band was also included in the BBC Sound of 2008 poll.

Black Kids toured the United Kingdom in early 2008, including the Vice Live Tour with Friendly Fires and Ipso Facto, a Sons and Daughters tour, and a Kate Nash tour. In April and May, Black Kids toured the United States as an opening act for Cut Copy. The band played the summer festival circuit in the U.S. and the UK, including the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April, Radio 1’s Big Weekend in May, Glastonbury Festival in June, and T in the Park and Camp Bestival in July. Black Kids then headlined an international tour in the U.S. and Europe from June to November.

While in the UK in early 2008 the band recorded their debut album, Partie Traumatic, with producer Bernard Butler, former guitarist of Suede. Their first single, “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You”, was released in the UK on April 7 and debuted at #11 on the UK Singles Chart. “Hurricane Jane”, the followup single, was released in the UK on June 23, where it charted at #36. The album Partie Traumatic was released on July 7 in the UK on Almost Gold Recordings, debuting at #5, and was released two weeks later in the US on Columbia Records, debuting at #127.

In 2009 Black Kids performed at the Big Day Out festivals in New Zealand and Australia. They have also toured with Kaiser Chiefs in the U.K. and Mates of State in the U.S.

Detox Retox is a DC-based band consisting of lead singer Michael Parker, lead guitarist Nate Frey, bassist Kevin Glass, and drummer Kabir Khanna. The members of the band performed together in various configurations for several years, eventually settling on their current lineup in late 2007. They made their live debut on WMUC-FM at the University of Maryland soon thereafter, performing on the station’s long-running Third Rail Radio program.

Influenced by classic rock bands like The Police and the Rolling Stones, as well as modern rock bands like Head Automatica and Franz Ferdinand, Detox Retox plays catchy, danceable rock music. They have performed high-energy shows for enthusiastic crowds throughout the DC metro area as well as the broader mid-Atlantic region, opening for such notable national acts as Asobi Seksu, Tyvek, and Girl in a Coma, among others.

After gaining some renown in local circles in Jacksonville and competing at Scribble Jam, Astronautalis self-released his debut album, You and Yer Good Ideas, in 2003. After signing with Fighting Records, it was re-released on July 12, 2005, followed by his second album, The Mighty Ocean and Nine Dark Theaters, in 2006. As of May 2008, a new album is in the works. New album released 9/23/2008, titled Pomegranate.

Astronautalis has toured across the country, and is known to party with fans. He has a brother living in China (his “China!” EP was released to raise money for a plane ticket to visit him).

He has been described as “if Beck were a decade or so younger and had grown up more heavily immersed in hip-hop,” with his rapping style noted for “blending styles of indie rock, electro, and talkin’ blues” with hip-hop, although his second album showed a turn towards a style close to shoegazer rock.

Albums

You and Yer Good Ideas (2003, self-released)
The Mighty Ocean & Nine Dark Theaters (2006, Fighting Records)
Pomegranate (2008, Eyeball Records)

EPs

China!, (2006)
Dang!, (2006)
Split EP with Babel Fishh, (2006)
The Very Unfortunate Affairs of Mary and Earl, (2006)
The Young Capitalist’s Starter Kit, (2008)

The band began when two friends, Jack Antonoff and Scott Irby-Ranniar, sharing a common love of music, began playing together. They busked in subways and alleyways in New York, and in 1999/2000 recorded a demo that garnered a large degree of record label interest. Despite the array of offers, the guys, now called Steel Train (after lyric in a Sublime song) eventually chose to sign with Drive Thru Records particularly drawn by the support but also artistic freedom the label offered. In 2002, the band recorded their debut ep entitled ‘For You My Dear,’ recruiting Evan Winiker (formerly of NJ emo band Random Task) and Matthias Gruber to help with recording and touring. The two later became full members of the band, first Winiker (who was presented as a full member in the promotional pieces for that same ep, released in January 2003) and later Gruber, who joined with second guitarist Matthew Goldman to complete the band and create Steel Train. Together the band went on to record the ‘1969’ ep (a CD of cover versions of songs from that year that inspired the band and their sound), and a year later their debut album ‘Twilight Tales From The Prairies Of The Sun,’ released in 2005. In December of 2006 the band announced that they would be departing ways with Matthias Gruber (drums) and Matt Goldman (guitar) who chose to pursue other interests. The positions were filled by tour manager Daniel Silbert on guitar and Jon Shiffman on drums.

The band often polarizes opinions, mainly based around the fact that the style of rock they play is more ‘classic’ (Jack often jokes the band was “30 years too late”), yet people see them as very much a part of the emo/pop-punk scene (mainly due to their Drive Thru Records connections). They are well noted for their impressive live shows and ‘jamming’ ability.

Formation

Hot Chip formed in 2000, though members Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard had previously worked together and had been at the same sixth form college at Elliott School in Putney, London. In an interview, Goddard jokingly compared early Hot Chip releases to sixth-form poetry with acoustic guitars, although an interest in dance music rhythms and electronic experimentation is present in even the early recordings and releases such as the ‘Mexico EP’. The current line up was completed when occasional collaborators Owen Clarke, Felix Martin and later Al Doyle joined the band full time in 2003.

Coming on Strong

After years of self-releasing records, they signed with Moshi Moshi in 2003 and released their debut LP Coming on Strong in 2004. During this period, they were joined by Felix Martin and Al Doyle. They started working on their second album and signed a UK & US record deal with DFA Records and EMI. DFA and ASTRALWERKS released their debut album for the first time in the US in late 2005.

Members

Alexis Taylor – vocals, synthesizer, guitar, percussion, piano
Joe Goddard – vocals, synthesizer, percussion
Owen Clarke – guitar, bass, synthesizer
Al Doyle – guitar, synthesizer, percussion, backing vocals (Also plays guitar, bass, synths, and percussion for LCD Soundsystem)
Felix Martin – drum machines, synthesizer