MDSWP

Here’s some good news to get your mind away from the rubbish weather and stupidly long commuting times today.

On the 13th February, Brummie of the Year 2009, and Sax-god Snax-god Brian Travers will be coming in to the Rhubarb Radio studio to discuss UB40’s new album ‘Labour Of Love IV, the ongoing discussion about the future of Digbeth as a live music hub and also the astonishingly poor nominations for the Brits 2010.

We’re all pretty excited that Brian has taken the time to come in and talk to us, and we’re now inviting you, the listening public, to send in your questions for him.

Simply leave a comment below or email phil@midsweep.com and we’ll ask Brian the best ones on the 13th. In the meantime, keep it locked to The Midsweep as we confirm more guests over the coming weeks.

Edit: The comments have now been locked to allow us to collate the best questions ahead of Saturday. Remember to tune in from 10am at http://rhubarbradio.com to hear the whole interview and Brian answer your questions.

We’re back with another belter of a show for you, including a now infamous rant from @SteveTea about the shocking Brit nominations.

• The Knack – My Sharona
• Status Quo – Pictures of Matchstick Men
• The Supernaturals – Smile
• The Shamen – Ebeneezer Goode
• The Kinks – A Well Respected Man
• Marmaduke Duke – Rubber Lover
• The Killers – Mr Brightside
• The Smiths – This Charming Man
• The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army
• The Stranglers – Peaches
• Supergrass – Alright
• FA Cup face off
• Esteban – She Goes Out
• Ellie Goulding – Starry Eyed
• Brits
• David Bowie – Moon Age Day Dreamer
• Deep Purple – Smoke on The Water
• Various Artists – Everybody Needs Somebody to Love

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:00:00 — 118.8MB)

Back again with another two hours of great music for your delectation. Classics mixed in with new stuff, some strange news and the latest music goss, this is how you kick off a Saturday.

• Foo Fighters – Everlong
• New Order – Blue Monday
• Republika – Ready To Go
• Iggy and The Stooges – No Fun
• Kasabian – L.S.F
• Primal Scream – Rocks
• Squeeze – Up the Junction
• The Cure – Close to Me
• Aretha – Respect
• The Small Faces – Itchykoo Park
• Ash – Burn Baby Burn
• Stereophonics – Innocent
• Phoenix – 1901
• Delphic – Clarion Call
• Passion Pit – Sleepy Head
• Talking Heads – Same As It Ever Was
• James – Sit Down
• Jimi Hendrix – Foxey Lady
• Blur – Country House
• The Jam – A Town Called Malice

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:00:05 — 107.2MB)

We’re back with another mammoth show for you. Playing some of our favourite tracks ever as well as a few new ones.

• Stoney – Let it Go
• The Hives – Tick Tick Boom
• The Rolling Stones – Paint It Black
• Reef – Place Your Hands
• The Charlatans – Just When You’re Thinking Things Over
• Ellie Goulding – Under the Sheets
• Marina & The Diamonds – I Am Not a Robot
• Delphic – Counterpoint
• Curve – Coming Up Roses
• Stone Roses – She Bangs The Drums
• 30 Seconds To Mars – Kings and Queens
• The Beatles – Helter Skelter
• Dodgy – Good Enough
• The Clash – Should I Stay Or Should I Go
• Oasis – She’s Electric
• ELO – Mr Blue Sky
• Elvis – Always On My Mind
• Chuck Berry – Jonny B Goode

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:59:59 — 83.2MB)

We’re back after our unplanned break last week, with more cracking music for you to start your day. The first 30 minutes had just me hosting, which actually wasn’t that bad! You can Listen Again by clicking Play below, or heading to our page on RhubarbRadio to listen to previous shows.

Join us next week for the last Live show of 2009, hopefully with some musical guests. After that we’re entering the world of pre-records until the second week in January. You can also get in touch with the show by leaving a comment below, or sending email to team at midsweep dot com.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:00:00 — 94.2MB)

This week we welcomed in not one, but two live bands to perform for us. Due to some problems with the Rhubarb server, we’re hosting this file on our webspace this week. Normal service will hopefully be restored shortly.

Check both The Amateurs and The Benwahs out at their respective websites and look out for each of the live tracks on our Soundcloud shortly.

You can now submit your tracks for play on The Midsweep directly in to our Soundcloud Dropbox by clicking here.

As you may have heard a couple of weeks ago, we’re also looking for people to record sweepers/jingles for us, so you plop them in there too, if you wish. It’s all very exciting round here at the moment, as we’ve just confirmed not one, but two live bands to play for us on the 21st November. All shall be revealed tomorrow, live from 10am on RhubarbRadio.com

This week I’ll be embarking on a sort of new venture. Henry’s Children have asked me to start getting involved with their online promotion and a bit of sound engineering for their regular gigs at the Adam and Eve in Digbeth. As someone who’s currently unemployed, this could be a good little outlet for my days spent at home jobseeking and generally having trouble finding something to do.

I’ve started by getting their first EP, Woodbine Street, submitted to iTunes and Spotify, so you’ll soon be able to sample it all for yourself. You can also go straight to the band and grab a CD for £5 + P&P at their website.

In what could perhaps be called a coincidence, I’ve also been asked by the lovely Suzie from The Benwahs to help out with the regular night at Gosta Green starting on the 29th October. It’s all for free at the moment, but hopefully someone, somewhere might see my talents and throw a stack of money at me. If not, I’m sure I’ll make loads of friends with bands that can then appear on The Midsweep!

So this week saw the introduction of Phil’s “sweeper skillz” as I played out the sum total of an afternoons work in front of the microphone after our weekly production meeting at Cafe Nero on Corporation St. We introduced our second regular feature, iPod Shuffle. As the name suggests, it’s a chance to potentially expose questionable musical content on each of the team’s iPods.

As features go, it’s potentially damaging if, for instance, Steve’s hidden cheeky girls fetish is revealed for the whole of Birmingham and beyond. It’s also a chance for listeners to find out exactly what they might find were they to steal or “borrow” one of our iPods for the evening. We’re hoping to have more new features in the coming weeks, with our next “People on the Pavement” debuting (hopefully) on Saturday.

The Benwahs are coming in to the studio next week to perform a specially prepared acoustic set just for us, so be sure to tune in at 10am or listen again whenever you like at http://v2.rhubarbradio.com

Take a look at the playlist below and listen again here

(continue reading…)

…and welcome to the brand new Midsweep.com. We’ve neglected this over the past few weeks, but fear not -it’s all going to change quite quickly.

Regular features from guest writers will keep you up to date with all your independent music news, while the team will also be chipping in with their thoughts on various music and show related news.

If you’d like to be involved, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below and we’ll be in touch.

Right, I’m off to catch the bus in the freezing cold. The things I do for you lot eh?

In just a little over 24 hours, it’ll time for the Midseep. For the next three weeks, we’ve got bands booked in to come and play live for us and we’re looking for some support.

If you’re around the Custard Factory from 10am tomorrow, pop down and meet the band, the team and rock out to some delicious music. We’re trying to create a party atmosphere every Saturday, and would love to see some of the people who listen every week.

Obviously if 50 people turn up (we can hope, right?) we may not be able to get all of you in to the studio, but if you’re in to live music and fancy a bit of a jaunt in to Brum on a Saturday, why not come down?

On tomorrow’s show are Outspoken. Local pop/punkers who recently supported New Found Glory after the band heard them and personally invited them down. Sound good? Leave a comment or send an email to phil [at] midsweep [dot] com so we have an idea of numbers.

If you can’t get down, you can always listen live at RhubarbRadio.com or, in fact whenever you want to.

Today was a very interesting show for me. We’ve been asking for bands to come in and play live acoustic sets since the show started, and today Crimson Joy were the first to rock the Custard Factory studios.

Normally I’d have relied on Tammy and Steve to help get them settled and ready to go, but as the law of sod would have it, they couldn’t make it through illness and other commitments. Luckily for me I’d done a small amount of sound engineering before, as well as some solo interviews when we were down in Camden, so nothing to lose by doing it all on my own, then

After a few inital hiccups instrument-wise, we kicked off the session at around 11am (you can listen again here) and the guys played some songs from their new album, Tales of Ordinary Madness which will be out on October 29th.

It’s always hard for a band that are used to playing with a full drumkit/bass etc to transfer the edgier songs to acoustic form. In the studio, it definitely sounded like Jordan and the guys managed to do this and although a little bit weird having someone play live for the first time, I bloody enjoyed it!

Fingers crossed we’ll have another one with us next week which will hopefully signal a regular occurence on the show. It’s definitely something I enjoy doing and brings us one step closer to bringing new local music to the masses.

I’d love to hear from you on today’s show. Give us a call on 0121 288 4955 or leave a comment below.

After last weeks hiatus due to illness, Midsweep will be back tomorrow, albeit in a pre-recorded form.

The team at Rhubarb are undergoing some training, so we’ll be putting out a pre-recorded show instead of the usual live shenanigans.

Now the Summer break for most bands is over, we’re looking for people to come in to the studio and play a few tracks. We’re also going to be stepping up the number of interviews and “outside” broadcasts we do.

As always, we could use some help. If you think you could add something to the team, either as someone behind the scenes or in front of the mic, get in touch.

Christmas comes to Rhubarb Radio as the team attempt to follow on from The Big Paws and their actual Christmas Day show. Plus we interview 29 Hours Later Director, Matt Unsworth.

That’s right, after two weeks off the airwaves Midsweep is back tomorrow morning from 10am-12pm BST with a brand spanking new phone number for you to call in to.

A 24 hour voicemail line is active on +44 0121 288 4955 which will also double as a LIVE link in to the studio every Saturday morning.

We expect messages to be left whenever you’re near a telephone as well as your input on the live shows.

So what are you waiting for? Go forth, leave messages! And remember to listen live tomorrow for a special guest.