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Jack Paradise would like you to know that 2009 will birth the third coming of the “Summer of Love” and he personally would like to wish you “Happy Hunting”.

I can’t tell you with any certainty just what in the hell he his talking about at this moment, as I’m a tad busy getting my ass kicked at Connect-Four by Red Dog Consuela. Not to mention that it is bat shit loud in here and he could’ve said something else.  You see, I happen to be at a press junket with three quarters of Late of the Pier.

Late of the Pier – Space and the Woods

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Late of the Pier, for those of you whom might still be under a Coldplay rock, is the new synth mesh off-kilter pop issue from Parlophone Records.  Their debut album Fantasy Black Channel has been flying off the servers since it’s late summer release 2008.  The album’s herd of idiosyncratic beats is deftly rained in by remix master Erol Alkan, whom the blokes befriended whilst garnering their huge teenage fan base playing to all-ages shows.

“It’s the kids, it really is”, exclaims Dudly Dance when pressed about why they feel that the group has gone from high school dance band to playing before droves this SXSW. I’m personally quite surprised how humble these guys are about their roots. Considering they are now signed to a label which a while back launched the careers of another unknown band from a place called Liverpool.

Their future, plainly put in an accent only capable of someone raised Castle Donnington, England, is to not be just another “really shit band, not even a shit band.” These gents seem to feel that they bring to the table a different bucket of  talent. They are a “true instrument playing band, not some wankers with a background track.”

It may have only been fifteen minutes of shop talk and a quick listen to their The Rapture & Jarcrew sounding debut, but I’m 90%/10% their going to be “on time” for  a good bit.

Words and photos by Dustin Downing