Youthmovies

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Youthmovies
Also known as YMSS, Youthmovie Soundtrack Strategies
Origin Oxford, England, UK
Genre(s) Rock, Experimental, Jazz, Pop, Post-rock, Math rock, Puzzle pop
Years active 2002-Present
Label(s) Drowned in Sound
Try Harder Records
Associated acts Plosives, Vertical Montanas, Hamm, Traktors, Hold My Hand I'm Dying, Foals, Bins are for bombs
Website www.myspace.com/youthmovies
Members
Andrew Mears
Al English
Graeme Murray
Stephen 'Ham' Hammond
Sam Scott
Former members
Simon Jones (Hope of the States)

Youthmovies (also known as YMSS or Youthmovie Soundtrack Strategies) are an English rock quintet, comprising Andrew Mears (guitar and vocals), Al English (guitar), Graeme Murray (drums), Stephen "Ham" Hammond (bass) and Sam Scott (brass and keys).

Simon Jones, drummer from the post-rock influenced indie band Hope of the States originally played drums in Youthmovies as well as playing drums in Hope of the States. However, just prior to Hope of the States being signed to Sony BMG in 2004, Jones was replaced by current drummer Graeme Murray.

Their earlier sound included blasts of cathartic noise mingled with brooding soundscapes, spoken-word samples and a sharp canopy of feedback, drone and brass, though with their mini-album Hurrah! Another Year, Surely This One Will Be Better Than the Last; The Inexorable March of Progress Will Lead Us All to Happiness and the subsequent single "Ores" their sound suggested they were moving into a more ambitious and musically accomplished sound.

The band has toured extensively with Hope of the States, 65daysofstatic and ¡Forward, Russia!. They have also played at the Truck Festival, Latitude Festival, All Tomorrow's Parties, Bestival, Cambridge Film Festival and the Reading and Leeds festivals.

The band have developed a reputation as a compelling live act, touring regularly as well as playing improvisations, collaborations and live film soundtracks in art galleries, theatres and forests.

In October 2007 the band released a 4-track EP in collaboration with Adam Gnade entitled Honey Slides on guitarist Alan English's label Try Harder.

Between April and June 2007 the band recorded their first full-length album, Good Nature, at the Seamus Wong studio in Leicester, released on Drowned in Sound Recordings on 17 March, 2008. Ant Theaker, former guitarist with Hope of the States, produced the album, which was mixed at the Strongroom Studios in east London, and mastered in Chicago by Bob Weston of Shellac. The album introduces "a new attention to melody"[1] and is the first recording to feature the trumpet playing of Sam Scott.

Youthmovies side projects include: guitarist and singer Andrew Mears' solo spoken/experimental hiphop project Plosives, the Plosives debut album is due to be released in March 2008 through Crossword Records (Andrew Mears was also a founding member of Foals).
Guitarist Alan English co-runs a record label, Try Harder, which has released recordings by Foals, Blood Red Shoes, Adam Gnade, Blanket, Tired Irie and Jonquil amongst others. Jonquil and Youthmovies together form Vertical Montanas.

Contents

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] Mini-albums

[edit] Singles

[edit] CDRs

  • Homeless Musics I (October 2005)
  • Homeless Musics II (2006)
  • Homeless Musics III (2006)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Mears, Andrew (2008-03-31), “Band Notes - Youthmovies”, SUPERSWEET, <http://www.supersweet.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=567&Itemid=39>. Retrieved on 31 March 2008 

[edit] External links

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