A double page feature on London antifolk in this week’s Timeout features an interview with Joe. He stressed in the interview that he doesn’t think of Buzfuz as antifolk, despite loving the scene and Blang being a major platform for AFUK acts. However, not for the first time, Buzfuz are presented as an antifolk band. “Everyone keeps calling us antifolk so maybe we are” said Joe today. “It’s not surprising, I put on loads of antifolk and I play at the antifolk festivals so I can’t complain. I said I don’t consider us antifolk but I suppose that doesn’t fit with the story.”
This month’s Blang night is tomorrow and features Shibuya Crossings, The Wave Pictures, Angel Racing Food, Matt Dolphin and William Nein, see Blang.

‘Swallows’ was played on Radio 3’s Mixing It programme on Friday night. You can still here the programme online here:

Joe was interviewed by Timeout this week for an upcoming issue on London’s music scenes. Joe was asked about the antifolk scene, many of whose performers have played at Blang. Issue should be out Sep 12th.
In the meantime the new album has a 9 star review at Room 13
Ok, it’s 9 out of 13, but who’s counting?

The launch gig for new album “The Jewelled Carriageway” is happening on Friday September 22nd at The Camden Rock Café (formerly The Caernarvon Castle). See gigs.
Meanwhile Disorder magazine have given the album an 8/10 review in the new issue. You can also read it online here.

Joe is in Avignon researching the next Popes song as the band are having a break before a bout of activity at the end of the month. The gig as support to Jeffrey Lewis at the Windmill on Sat 26th is SOLD OUT. Joe is then playing the Valley festival in Cromer, Norfolk on Sun 27th and the band are to finish filming the video for Swallows on Mon 28th. Meanwhile Jon is playing with Chris T-T at the Green Man festival this Saturday. News of a launch gig soon, we hear it’s to be in Camden.

“An album of quietly staggering beauty… enchanting, engaging and totally absorbing with more passion and integrity than you could shake a stick at… new British folk at it's very, very best - challenging but accessible. Buy it.” A second review for the Jewelled Carriageway, at Get Ready To Rock.

“Amongst the neo-folk revolution, it's good to hear a group who have not lost sight of playing songs you can sing along to”. Yes the first review of The Jewelled Carriageway has appeared, in The Skinny, the Edinburgh/Glasgow listings mag.

We’ve just found a review of Joe’s 12 Bar Antifolk Fest appearance in May, and a nice little review it is too: Opposition T

The release date for The Jewelled Carriageway has been put back to Monday September 25th.

The band are making a video in August. It’s for the song Swallows and it’s to be directed by Tom Mayne of David Cronenberg’s Wife. More news soon.

Wednesday’s Blang turned into a hastily arranged Syd Barrett tribute with Joe playing a set of Syd songs accompanied by Thom Alder of David Cronenberg’s Wife on violin. Adrian Whittaker, editor of the Incredible String Band book “Be Glad” got up to play “Effervescing Elephant”. For a review see Dave Bryant’s blog.

At the previous Buzfuz gig in Oxford last month Joe, Filthy Pedro and Thee Intolerable Kidd went out busking on the streets of Oxford to drum up support for the gig, watched by occasional curious passing cop cars.
Next Buzfuz gig is the Antifolk Night at The Barfly in Chalk Farm this Wednesday where Joe is playing a 15 minute set and DJ-ing, see Gigs.

Filthy Pedro, currently being heard every Friday night on Channel 4’s Transmission music show, where his Rock’n’Roll Points track heralds the weekly item of the same name which was inspired by his song, has been added to the bill for Joe’s solo gig at the Sheffield Green Room on Wednesday August 2nd, see Gigs. Joe plays solo with Filthy and with David Cronenberg’s Wife this Wednesday in Oxford, again see Gigs page.

Joe is performing 2 songs this Friday at a late night ‘happening’at the Royal Court Theatre at Sloane Square. As part of the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the theatre there’s a late night fringe show titled ‘Come Together, Again’ in commemoration of a counter culture happening which was staged at the theatre in 1970.

The loose theme is of the end of the 60s dream and changing attitudes to sex in society. Joe will be performing Here Come The Popes Part 1 dressed in a Gandalf style cloak and long curly wig. Possibly for the first and last time. As well as Joe Buzfuz there’s also music from Malcolm Kaksois, improvised dance and theatre, re-incarnations of 1970s happenings, impersonations, cabaret numbers, burka striptease, performance poetry, ‘twisted party-games’, an extract from anti-war America Hurrah by Jean Claude van Itallie, cabaret from The People Show, Roddy Maude-Roxby’s legendary masks, DJs, late bar, etc. Directed by Robert Cook and Elina Manni.

It happens both in the main theatre and up in the 4th floor Studio Theatre which is where Joe and Malcolm will play.
So get down and get with it Daddio! This Friday 23rd. Tickets cost £7.50, available at the door. Show starts 11 pm, ends 1.30 am. The Royal Court is next door to Sloane square tube station, just turn right and it’s there.

One of the tracks recently recorded by Buzfuz cellist/bassist Jon Clayton in his One Cat Studio where Buzfuz rehearse and record is currently featuring every week on Channel 4. A 15 second edit from ‘Rock’n’Roll Points’ by Blang night regular Filthy Pedro is being used each week on Transmission (Fridays, 11 30 pm) to herald the weekly Rock’n’Roll Points feature inspired by the song.

“The Jewelled Carriageway” is out on August 21st. It’s the first album to feature the full band. Like the previous 2 Buzfuz albums it has 11 tracks and was recorded by Jon Clayton at One Cat Studio. Timothy Victor (Folk Orchestra, Broken Family Band, Chris T-T) who played on “Fire Horse” plucks his banjo on “Blanket TV”. “The Jewelled Carriageway” will be the 2nd release on the Blang label.
Tracklisting:
1 Swallows
2 It’s Not What You’ve Got It’s Who You Give It To
3 The Television Will Not Be Revolutionised
4 Pour It from The Kettle
5 Windscreen Wipers
6 Who Are You?
7 Bone Tired
8 Blanket TV
9 Grade A
10 Something To Lose
11 Here Come The Popes Part 1 (1st Millenium)

See Gigs page for details of summer gigs, mostly Joe playing solo.

The new Buzfuz album, titled “The Jewelled Carriageway”, is to be released in August on the band’s own Blang label. A release date will be confirmed very soon. Finished last summer, the band have spent a year choosing the running order, sorting the artwork, saving up funds and writing another album’s worth of songs!

There should be regional gigs around Britain and Ireland in the summer. Expect announcements shortly.

RIP Grant McLennan.

In addition to the tracks at www.myspace.com/sergeantbuzfuz (currently Swallows from the next album, Obedience from Fire Horse and Infinity from the first album) you can now hear and download, for 89p, 3 tracks at www.overplay.co.uk/sergeantbuzfuz. These include Windscreen Wipers from the next album, news of which soon.

Wednesday sees the 50th Blang night at the 12 Bar Club with Sgt Buzfuz headlining at 10. Also celebrating the big five-oh are Filthy Pedro, Bad Anorak 404, David Cronenberg’s Wife and Boyd, see Blang.

The Whisperin And Hollerin music site has a review of Sgt Buzfuz, Kevin 2 Sheds and Milk Kan at the last Blang here.

Joe joined The Jeffrey Lewis Band onstage at The Windmill last Friday to play guitar on 3 songs. This Friday Joe plays solo at The Songbirds night at The Harrison, Kings Cross, see Gigs.

Joe is playing a solo set on Friday Feb 10th supporting The Jeffrey Lewis Band at the Windmill in Brixton. Two days before (8th), the band play Blang at the 12 Bar with Milk Kan, Pete and the Pirates, Kevin 2 Sheds and Belt Motel, see Blang.

A message from the band: "Our highlights of ’05 were: our tour of the North and Scotland in June, the release of the Fruit Machine Blang compilation CD in the autumn and finishing recording the 3rd Buzfuz album (due out as soon as we know when).

2 gigs this week: Blang at the 12 Bar on Wednesday with the return of the brilliant Um, see Blang. And we headline the Betsey Trotwood on Saturday 14th see Gigs. Happy New Year!" Sergeant Buzfuz

There are now 4 songs at www.myspace.com/sergeantbuzfuz with the addition of Swallows from the next album, Obedience from Fire Horse and Infinity from Obsessive Compulsion Pour Homme.

The band now have a Myspace page. They’ve got ‘round their misgivings about Murdoch's Myspace shares by uploading their TV song "The Television Will Not Be Revolutionised", which namechecks Uncle Rupert, as their first Myspace song. It’s the first track to be made available from the next Sgt Buzfuz album "The Jewelled Carriageway" due in ‘06. More Buztracks will appear on Myspace very soon. In the meantime visit www.myspace.com/sergeantbuzfuz to hear/download the track and say hello!

Joe plays a solo gig on Thursday at The Betsy Trotwood in Farringdon. See Gigs.

Sorry about all the spam currently infesting the guestbook, we're trying to sort a way of blocking it but it'll take a bit of time. In the meantime we've just wiped all the shit off for the moment.

Polly MacLean from Kinkajou joined Joe at his Blang solo slot last week to perform 2 new duets. The full Buzfuz band return to Blang on Wed Dec 14 with guests Harvey Half Devoured (Bod from Fonda 500 fronting her own band), Jinx Lennon, Partition and Paul Hawkins. More details soon!

Joe plays solo at next Blang night Nov 9th along with ex-Factory Recorder Kevin Hewick, Kinkajou, Thee Neerlymen and J J Crash. See Blang.

As the Fruit Machine compilation CD finally came out on Blang Records today a review appeared at Londonist describing the Buzfuz contribution, live favourite 'Indelible', as "the funniest track we've heard for a long time". See Londonist for full review.