Vindictive Jukebox

Rough Trade Album Club - December 2011 Pack

2012-01-01T20:20:00.000-08:00

Last pack of the year!

Core Album : Jeb Loy Nichols - Jeb Loy Nichols Special + Bonus Cd 8/10

Camille - Ilo Veyou = 8/10

Unthanks - Diversions 7/10 - Could change. This is a hefty 80 min live album consisting of Anthony and The Johnsons and Robert Wyatt covers. I still need time to let it sink in.

January Pack
Trailer Trash Tracys???
Portico Quartet???
Beth Jeans Houghton???
Pollyn??

who knows?

Rough Trade Album Club - November 2011 Pack

2011-12-08T20:07:00.000-08:00

Not bad , Not Bad

Tom the Lion - The Adventures of Tom the Lion + Bonus Cd 8/10 - a full ten for the packaging though! It's not every day that you receive a cd in a box!

Summer Camp - Welcome to Condale - 7/10 (could change)

Still Corners - Creatures of an Hour 9/10 but I bought this one already from Rough Trade so I exchanged it for the Lucas Sattana one. However I didn't register the package so nothing's come in. Ah Well

Core album for December - Jeb Loy Nichols - Jeb Loy Nichols Special

Rough Trade Album Club - October 2011 Pack

2011-11-07T07:59:00.000-08:00

Pretty good

Veronica Falls + Bonus Cd - 8/10 I love indie pop so I was well happy.
New Look - Self-titled - 7.5/10 it's growing on me. In a couple of more weeks this will change into an 8
Caged Animals - Eat their Own - 7.5 - Ditto

we'll see what will feature on Friday 11th. Here's my guesses

DRC Music (album of the Month)
Atlas Sound
Halloween Alaska
Summer Camp

Rough Trade Album Club - September 2011 Pack

2011-10-19T19:27:00.000-07:00

Core album :

Lanterns on the Lake - Gracious Tide, Take me Home + 4 track cd - 9/10
Big Deal - Lights Out - 8/10
Richmond Fontaine - The High Country + Bonus Cd - 8/10

all is good

October's core cd - Veronica Falls - indie pop! woo!

Rough Trade Album Club - August 2011 Pack

2011-09-18T20:02:00.000-07:00

Best one of the year!

Balam Acab - Wander/Wonder + Bonus Cd - 10/10
Beirut - The Rip Tide - 9/10
Baxter Dury - Happy Soup - 9/10

Sept core cd is Lanterns on the Lake!!

Rough Trade Album Club July 2011 Pack

2011-08-21T21:24:00.001-07:00

Not too bad - I Wish they didn't leave out the bonus cd's though

Mara Carlyle - Floreat + Bonus cd 9/10 - utterly compelling
She Keeps Bees - Dig On - 7/10
Washed Out - Within and Without - 8/10

For August We've got Balam Acab - yay!

Rough Trade Album Club July 2011 Pack

2011-07-23T21:44:00.000-07:00

Another excellent one!

SBTRKT - Self-titled + Bonus Disc 9/10
When Saints go Marching - Konkylie - 9/10
Memory Tapes - Player Piano + Bonus Disc - 8/10

Next month the core album is Mara Carlyle!

Rough Trade Album Club - June 2011 Pack

2011-06-28T22:26:00.000-07:00

Top quality all around!

Core album : Cults + Bonus cd 8/10
Planningtorock - W + bonus cd 8/10
Pete and the Pirates - One Thousand Pictures 7/10

Rough Trade Album Club - May 2011 Pack

2011-05-31T20:21:00.000-07:00

Just couldn't get better!

The Leisure Society - Into the Murky Water + Bonus ep - 9/10
The Head and the Heart - Self-titled - 8/10
Colourmusic - My ____ is Pink - 9/10

For June we've got the cults album - yay!

Rough Trade Album Club - April 2011 Pack

2011-04-28T22:35:00.000-07:00

Wow - Superb Month

Core Album :Cat's Eyes - Self-titled + Bonus Disc - 8/10
Nicolas Jaar - Space is Only Noise - 10/10 - best album i've heard so far!
The Shoes - Crack my Bones - 8/10

May's Core album is The Leisure Society wow wow wow

Rough Trade Album Club March 2011 Pack

2011-04-01T00:44:00.000-07:00

Another sterling month!!!

Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes + Bonus CD - 9/10
Drive By Truckers - Go-Go boots + Bonus CD - 9/10 - a pleasant surprise!
Papercuts - The Faded Parade + Bonus CD - 8.5/10

Cat's Eyes album for April - woo woo!

Rough Trade Album Club February 2011 Pack

2011-03-07T23:35:00.000-08:00

Another fantastic month

Josh T Pearson - Last of the Country Gentlemen + Bonus Disc - 9/10. Totally unique.

James Blake - Self-titled - 9/10

The Time and Space Machine - Turns you on - 8/10. It's a re-edits cd ( the Album Club likes to send me re-edits) but it's pretty enjoyable so I'm not complaining.

March's core album is Lykke Li's Wounded Rhymes - yay

Rough Trade Album Club January 2011 Pack

2011-02-03T08:16:00.000-08:00

A good start to the year

Anna Calvi - Self-titled + Bonus Cd - 10/10 Can't stop listneing to this album!

Fujiya & Miyagi - Ventriloquizzing - 8/10 Business as usual for these guys but I don't mind.

ANR - Stay Kids - 8/10 great psychedelic pop - took a while to sink though.

Rough Trade Album Club December 2010 Pack

2011-01-07T21:14:00.000-08:00

Usually the December RT Album Club pack is weak but this one was pretty good!

Sea of Bees - Songs for the Ravens + Bonus cd 8/10

Anika - Self-titled 8/10

Various Artists - Tradi-Mods vs Rockers 8.5/10

For Jan Anna Calvi's debut is the core cd - hurrah!

Rough Trade Album CLub - November 2010 Pack

2010-12-11T09:06:00.000-08:00

Pretty Darn Good :

Brian Eno - Small Craft on a Milk Sea + 3 track bonus cd - 9/10

Tamaryn - The Waves - 8/10 - pretty decent shoegaze

Warpaint - The Fool - 8/10 - probably will be a nine next month

Rough Trade Album Club October 2010 Pack

2010-11-09T19:21:00.000-08:00

What a great month! - i love receiving freebies with my cds!

Core album - Twin Shadow - Forget + 6 track bonus cd 9/10

Gold panda - Lucky Shiner + 9 track bonus cd 8/10

Shit Robot - From the Cradle to the Rave + bonus mix - 8/10

woo and hoo

Rough Trade Album Club September 2010 Pack

2010-10-06T07:53:00.000-07:00

Glasser - Apply + Bonus Disc - 10/10 - fantastic album. Definitely in my top 5 of 2010

Timber Timbre - Self- Titled + Bonus Disc - 8/10 Funnily enough I prefer listening to this on the stereo than my discman

Grinderman - Grinderman 2 - 7.5/10 It's ok. Some great tracks and some weak ones.

Rough Trade Album Club August 2010 Pack 2

2010-09-08T00:16:00.000-07:00

A Sterling Month - Since a new package drops on my doorstep every three weeks, there comes one month where I am sent two parcels and it happened in August.

Dylan LeBlanc - The Pauper's Field + Bonus cd - 8/10

Zola Jesus - Stridulum II + Mixtape compiled by Zola herself 8/10

Matthew Dear - Black City + Cd of remixes and extra tracks 8/10 - my fave of the bunch

Rough Trade Album Club August 2010 Pack

2010-08-11T11:52:00.001-07:00

What a Month! with Freebies galore!

Best Coast - Crazy for You + three track bonus cd 9/10

O'Children - Self-titled + 5 track Bonus cd 8/10

Caitlin Rose - Own Side Now + bonus compilation getting beter with each spin 8/10

Rough Trade Album Club - July 2010 pack

2010-07-09T07:14:00.000-07:00

And another month goes by

Tobacco - Maniac Meat + 9 track bonus disc - 8/10
Perfume Genius - Learning - 8.5 /10
Kings go Forth - The Outsiders are Back - 8.5/10

great month

Rough Trade Album Club - June 2010 Pack

2010-06-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

Some Aural goodness here

Surfer Blood - Astro Coast + bonus cd - 9/10

Konono no.1 - Assume Crash Position - 8/10

Connan Mockasin - Please Turn Me Into the Snat - 7/10

Not many bonus cds but I'm pleased

Next month hmmm maybe Ariel Pink?

Rough Trade Album Club - May 2010 Pack

2010-05-19T08:47:00.000-07:00

woot woot another pack of indie goodness

Free Energy - Stuck on Nothing + Bonus Cd 8/10
Alan Pownall - True Love Stories + Bonus Cd 7.5/10
Holy Fuck - Latin - 9/10

Can't complain

Rough Trade Album Club - April 2010 pack

2010-04-18T19:29:00.000-07:00

Wooo an excellent month!

JJ - No.3 + JJ - No.2 - both get 8.5/10

The Time and Space Machine - Set Phazers to Stun + Psychedelic mix - 8/10

We Have Band - Self-titled + Remix ep - 8/10

Rough Trade Album Club - March 2010 Pack

2010-03-17T11:44:00.000-07:00

Quite a good month

Holly Miranda - The Magician's Private Library + 5 track cd of covers - 8/10 - this one's a grower. I expect over time the rating could rise up to a 9.

Liars - Sisterworld + bonus cd of remixes + 4 track cd of exclusive songs - 9/10 Excellent!

Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate - Self-titled - 9/10. I'm a fan of Malian music so this hit the spot.

I still think that the Free Energy album will crop up soon!

Rough Trade Album Club - February Pack

2010-02-16T11:08:00.000-08:00

WOW - this month's selection is fantastic!!! - Here we go :

Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here + 7 track bonus cd - 9/10

Yeasayer - Odd Blood + bonus 4 track cd - 9/10

Various Artists - Blank Generation - The Bob Blank Tapes - 8/10

If I'm not mistaken March's core album will be the Free Energy one - Can't wait! I'm also hoping that the new Joanna Newsom will be included as well.

Rough Trade Album Club - January 2010 Pack

2010-01-16T11:16:00.000-08:00

Well Well Well it seems The Album helped me start the new year in style!

These New Puritans - Hidden + a very good bonus Cd - 9/10 A great companion to those rainy days. I tested it out while walking in stormy weather and it felt marvelous.

Jesca Hoop - Wearing My Dress - 8/10 Another excellent winter album. Slightly unbalanced folk with great melodies!!

Fanfarlo - Resevoir + a great bonus cd of radio sessions - 9/10 Unfortunately I bought this one already months ago but the bonus cd compensates nicely.

Let's hope I don't get a duplicate for Feb!!

Rough Trade December 2009 Pack

2009-12-24T06:51:00.000-08:00

Here's what I received in my pre Christmas Album Pack :

Blakroc - Self-titled + the album in instrumental form - 8/10 - Please more hip hop in the future!!

Matias Aguay - Ay AY Ay - 9/10 Minimal techno meets human beat boxing original and melodic.

Memory Tapes - Seek Magic - 9/10 Unfortunately I already have this one - ah well

Next month's core album will be These New Puritan's Hidden. Can't wait!!

Rough Trade Album Club November 2009 Pack

2009-11-21T09:08:00.000-08:00

Well another month and another sterling three cds - well in a way it's two but let me go on.

Local Natives - Gorilla Manor - 10/10 man just what the doctor ordered. It's like every great American alt band all rolled up into one group.

Portico quartet - Isla - 8/10 my first foray into jazz. This is why I joined the club. I would have never even thought of buying this.

Dead Man's Bones - Self-titled - 8.5/10 - boo i already bought this a month ago so I decided to treat myself and I bought Hudson's Mohawke's Butter - we'll see!

As for the December - I already know that the core is Blackrok - let's see what the remaining two are!

Rough Trade Album Club October 2009 Pack

2009-11-01T07:45:00.000-08:00

What a month! Three cds of pure goodness!

Atlas Sound - Logos - 10/10 + bonus 6 track cd
A Place to Bury Strangers - The Exploding Head - 9/10
Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport - 10/10

my ears are in heaven!

Rough Trade Album Club September 2009 Pack

2009-09-24T12:47:00.000-07:00

Another strong month. It seems that this month's pack is quite ethnic:

The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa + Bonus Mixtape - I would rate the album a 9/10 but the mixtape is a masterpiece and gets a full on 10/10

Taken By Trees - East of Eden - 9/10. A very beautiful album. Victoria Bergsman went to Pakistan and recorded this album there using traditional instruments.

Amanda Blank - I Love You - 8/10 Bitchfork (mistake intentional) gave this 2.0 - IGNORE. If you're a fan of Diplo/Switch/M.I.A./ Santigold and so on this album is for you. Favela funk meets hip house.

Well that's my next three weeks sorted. Africa Pakistan and Brazil. A global treat if there was one.

Rough Trade Album Club - August 2009 Pack

2009-08-29T19:46:00.000-07:00

Needless to say that the guys @ RT have done it again and sent one excellent package

The xx - xx + bonus 3 track cd - 10/10 perfect fantastic - must have

Wild Beasts - Two Dancers - 9/10 - I already liked these guys debut and this follow up is even better!

She Keeps Bees - Nests + Bonus 10 track cd - 8/10 very good raw blues.

Happy? I sure am!

Album Club - July Pack

2009-07-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

As the club sends a new package every four weeks, I receive 13 packs July was the month where two were sent out.

What a month! I've been truly spoilt for riches.

Riceboy Sleeps - Self-titled + a first class bonus cd of the band's influences - 9/10. I have to admit that it's a night record though.

Major Lazer - Guns don't Kill People, Lazers do + quite good bonus cd of remixes - 9/10 - furious dancehall from diplo and Switch

Tinariwen - Imidiwan : Companions + an interesting 30 min documentary on the making of the album and Tuareg life. 9.5/10

fantastic - im very happy!

Album Club - July Pack

2009-07-02T19:20:00.000-07:00

Again I cannot complain - The club's been good to me

White Denim - Fits + Mix from the band - 9/10
Tony Allen - Secret Agent - 9/10
Miles Bnejamin ANthony Robinson - Self-titled - 9/10 - however I bought this one already from the rough trade shops so I found it only fair to exchange it for

Valerie & Friends - a compilation of new french electronic artists

I'm happy!

Rough Trade Album Club - June Pack

2009-06-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

After May's slightly weak selection I was pleased to see that June's package compensated me well. As I hoped Veckatimest was the core album and that definitely made my day. Here's what I got :

Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest + 4 track CD - 9/10
Joker's Daughter - The Last Laugh - 9/10 - Marvellous stuff
Sleepy Sun - Embrace- 8/10 - A grower, In a month's time I'll appreciate this more. I find slightly heavier albums a bit difficult to take in at once.

I'm hoping that The Emperor Machine will feature in July's package - you never know!

Rough Trade Album Club - May Pack

2009-05-09T12:20:00.000-07:00

So this month's selection is not as strong as the previous 4 months but I am pleased

The Horrors - Primary Colours + mixtape compiled by the band - 8.5/10 - considering that I thought that their debut was boring, this comes as a nice surprise.

The Felice Brothers - Yonder is the Clock - Last year I received the debut by these Dylanesque folkies and I liked it although I thought it was overlong. This is much better. They definitely will have a classic album in them in the near future - 8/10

Sweet Billy Pilgrim - Twice Born Men - for me this is what the album club is about - discovering these treats. I would have never bought this on a whim. In essence it's laptoptronica but oddly catchy - 8/10

I am hoping that Veckatimest will feature in the June pack

Rough Trade Album Club - April Pack

2009-04-08T08:07:00.000-07:00

My fourth pack of the year and the consistency is still high! Here are my treats :

Fever Ray - Self-titled + Three track remix cd 10/10
Terry Lynn - Kingstonlogic 2.0 - 10/10
The Whitest Boy Alive - Rules - 8/10

Great Great stuff! What will I get in May???

Album Review - The Boy Least Likely to

2009-03-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

The Boy Least Likely to - The Law of the Playground (2009)
Too Young to Die

TBLLT's debut, The Best Party Ever was one of the most whimsical releases of 2005, if not of the '00's however it seriously lacked energetic tracks in order to make it fully enjoyable.

Thankfully after a long four year wait the band are back and dutifully they have remedied every glitch that their debut contained. Not only do the songs sound more confident but at the same time there's a certain bounciness which there really was before, or at least was used sparingly (at the moment Be Gentle with me, papercuts and Warm Panda Cola come to mind). Also the songs have more orchestration (The Boy Least Likely to is a Machine. although basically every track has it's own type of flourish) which makes them more full.

Mind you there are some things which do not change and Jof Owen's penchant for writing twee lyrics, he still is the shy, child-like, slightly bumbling dreamer that he protrayed in 'The Best Party Ever' but there is absolutely nothing wrong with this as it provides a nice contrast with the record's upbeat feel.

It is also an instantly likeable album. There is a certain immediacy that makes you want to embrace the record in a split second. True it is cute and cuddly but it also danceable as seen in 'Balloon on a Broken String' or 'I Box up all the Butterflies' and there's quite a few anthems in Law of the Playground. Opener 'Saddle up' will instantly make one pay attention. Standout I keep Myself to Myself should be used as the official theme song for some edition of the Indie Pop Olympics and 'When Life Gives Lemons I make Lemonade' will make you salute to the sky.

Despite the long duration of The Law of The Playground, TBLLT have managed to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump and come up trumps with stronger album. In the track Stringing up Conkers' there's quote which sums up the band's oeuvre

I just want to change the world in whatever little way I can

with two good albums under their belts they'll soon achieve world domination....soon

Rough Trade Album Club - March Pack

2009-03-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

I've been a member of this club for three years now but I have to admit that so far i've been going gaga over past few packs. March was definitely no exception. Here's what I got

The Low Anthem - Oh my God Charlie Darwin - 9/10
The Boy Least Likely to - The Law of the Playground + bonus cd of rarities 10/10
Joe Gideon and the Shark - Harum Scarum 8/10 - I was surprised with this one.

just fantastic.

roll on April!

Rough Trade Album Club - February Pack

2009-02-23T21:38:00.000-08:00

Andrew Bird - Noble Beast + 9 track live in Montreal Disc - 10/10
Dirty Stop Out - Cuntro Classics - 7/10
Harmonic 313 - When Machines Exceed Human Intelligence - 9/10

Second great month in a row!

Album Review - Counter Culture '08

2009-02-01T10:33:00.000-08:00

Various Artists - Rough Trade Shops - Counter Culture '08 (2009)
V2

I'm sorry I couldn't find a picture - or at least on I could use legally.

After many years of denying it, I will grudgingly admit that I am am a hipster. Nothing gets me fired up than listening to new bands, especially ones that hit the big time, or grow out of their cult audience. In fact just to double check myself I went to wikipedia and looked up the definition.

A Hipster is a slang term which appeared in the late 1990's and 2000's, the term is used to describe young, urban middle class and upper class adults with interests in non-mainstream fashion and culture, particularly alternative music, independent rock, independent film, magazines like Vice, Clash and Adbusters, and websites like Pitchfork Media.^[1] In some contexts, hipsters are also referred to as scenesters.

I am 30 years old - is that young?
I am a Librarian - I assume that's a middle class profession.
I like alt and indie films.
Mag-wise I read Plan B.
I visit p-fork everyday.

I guess I qualify.

One ritual that I have which makes me on the top of my game is my annual purchase of the annual Rough Trade Compilation, punningly called Counter Culture. I have started buying these compilations when the first one was released back in 2003 and I have looked forward to this quintessential double compilation. Rough Trade Shops have been tastemakers and genre predictors since it's inception 33 years ago and it still continues that tradition today. Trust me if you want to listen to what will be in vogue in two years time do invest in this. If you like to to challenge your ears and change your view of music, well then come on in for the ride. You will get tracks released from album released in the previous year but Rough Trade, being who they are focus on the tinier releases in their shops while occaisonally mixing in some big names in the process.

However as these compilations represent the current musical climate, it usually suffers when there is a poor year. Luckily 2008 was very good music-wise so the standard of the compilation is quite high.

Disc One, is dedicated to the quieter side of music. The whole tone of the album is set with Department of Eagles woozy 'Calssical Records' and there onwards it's more folk ( Bon Iver, Festival) indie pop (Vivian Girls, The School, The High Places) and then some spacey electronica (Zombie Zombie). Well sequenced and beautifully flowing, it is the sightly better disc of the album and has more upfront tunes.

Things take a different turn on disc two as the more experimental and loud songs dominate. This year it seems that dubstep has taken over as the latter half of the disc has a spattering of tracks. Elsewhere thare's hip hop (Yo majesty, Tobacco) the droney Indian Jewelry and some brash guitar pop in the form of Correcto and The Pains of Being Pure of Heart. There are tons of highlights but it's The Shitty Limits track which I cannot stop listening to.

I can't help heaping praising upon this compilation. As with the rest it's a sterling effort and despite being a sampling of a year, it is timeless.

Album Review - Animal Collective

2009-01-25T04:01:00.000-08:00

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)
Domino

It is always exciting when a generally 'uncommercial' band flirts with pop techniques and structures and funnily enough it brings out the best in them as well, Tv on the Radio, Deerhoof, Gang Gang Dance have all had (or are going through) a pop phase and as a result are becoming critical darlings.

To be fair Baltimore's Animal Collective have always had, at least, one hugely ear friendly song on each album. Be it 'Shippi', 'Who could win a Rabbit' , 'Grass' or 'Peacebone' there is that one track that makes listeners wonder what would happen if the band themselves would release a record which would contain more of those big tunes.

On their eigth album, Merriweather Post Pavilion' Animal Collective have finally showed the world what they could do if they record an album with memorable tunes and this may be their biggest album yet and propel them from the underground.

In essence 'Merriweather ...' is a progression from 2007's superb 'Strawberry Jam' However it is more shiney, shimmery and happier sounding. The group have been compared to the Beach Boys during their 'Pet Sounds' era and now this tag will stick more for this current record carries the same transcendental pop torch. As a warning this album is not the equivalent of some mega sellout but it displays a side of Animal Collective that they have only revealed sporadically.

With songs like 'My Girls' , 'Summertime Clothes' and closer' 'Brother Sport' the band have discovered a newfound love for more prominent danceable beats. In fact the aforementione Brother Sport echoes early nineties rave music and will be a track some big name djs would love to remix and if released as a single will take clubs by storm. Another thing I noticed is that their sense of beauty is used more, I constantly have images of lovers canoodling to 'Bluish' or 'In the Flowers'

It is not a total departure though. Those echoey spacey bits still feature (although Avey Tare's traditional yelping is mysteriously subdued), voices are still in harmony and the ability to chuck in a sound effect that startles or tickles the ears hasn't diminished either and that Jew Harp in 'Lion in a Coma' is a case in point.

'Merriweather Post Pavilion' is a perfect album from beginning to end and my inner critic is dying to find at least one fault with the whole thing but there isn't. Each song has an underlying magic which reveals itself from the second you press the play button. Also it's arrived 12 days into the new year and has established itself as the first big hit of 2009 and probably one of the biggest summer albums in the long run as well.

Animal Collective constantly evolve as a band and are already previewing tracks from album number nine on tours so where they go next is anybody's question but it way too early to be discussing such matters.

Rough Trade Album Club - January Pack

2009-01-17T23:53:00.000-08:00

This month we were spoiled rotten and all ten cd's were of a very high quality. Here's what I got :

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion + Free mix compiled by the band - 10/10

Telepathe - Dance Mother + Plus a very schizophrenic mix the band put together - 10/10

Solid Gold - Bodies of Water - 9/10

An incredibly satisfactory selection :) :)

Wallpaper - Review

2008-12-23T02:17:00.000-08:00

Wallpaper – On the Chewing Gum Ground (2008)

K Records

When I listened to the first track on Wallpapers debut I yelled a triumphant YES and punched the air. Now I’m not one to hark about nostalgia or anything like that but I was instantly drifted to the heady days of the mid nineties when Pavement, Imperial Teen, Number One Cup and Weezer were my staple listening. Wallpaper fit this type of sound perfectly. There’s the hooks, a little bit of quirkiness and a lot of fun bundled too.

Although citing comparisons like this are cheap, I can’t help it. These guys encapsulate everything that’s great about U.S. Alt, that bounciness, the urge to play air guitar, the want to jump around. On the Chewing Gum Ground is like some kind of greatest hits. If these songs were released as singles they would all dominate the upper eschelons of the charts – well if this was some alternate universe that is. However, YES these songs are THAT good.

Take the track ‘Totalled’ it’s starts off with a stop/start riff, then the drums kick in and the singer belts out something about televisions and catchy songs and then everyone joins in for a big wooo wooo chorus. It’s oddly uplifting and makes me shake my head along too.

‘On the Chewing Gum Ground’ is an alt pop masterpiece and makes a fine and bold statement for Wallpaper. These guys aren’t afraid to push a great melody in your face and have a sense of humour while doing it. Great stuff!

Marnie Stern - Review

2008-12-22T07:37:00.000-08:00

Marnie Stern – This is it and I am it and you are it and so is that and he is it and she is it and it is it and that is that (2008)

Kill Rock Stars

On her debut ‘In Advance of the Broken Arm’ Marnie Stern created quite a statement. Here was a woman who did not hide a metal obsession and would shred with such ferocity and velocity that it would make Eddie Van Halen blush. Coupled with Hella’s Zach Hill’s spazzo drumming, ‘In Advance…’ was deliriously exciting. It had same danger factor as smoking in a room with a gas leak. She was ready to explode and so were you listening to her. However beneath all the wailing, and if you include her voice, shrieking, there lay a sensitive soul who really just wanted to tell the world about her feelings.

Now to listen to this once is great but to hear a second album of this will make people scream ‘one trick pony’. Luckily for us on Stern’s sophomore offering there are all the elements that made the debut a load of fun but there is a new found sense of melody which was a bit lacking in the past.

In fact opener ‘Prime’ begins with Stern reciting a nursery rhyme and then attacking us with a barrel load of dizzy riffing. In a way you could say that the album follows this vein. There are undeniably big tunes and rather than being blanketed with by Stern’s guitar poweress, they are completed by all the technical lightning bolts she shoots from her fretboard. Which leads to a certain depth her debut lacked, even it feels more complete.

Even her frail sensitivity has changed, now Marnie Stern version 2.0 will not only kick the shit out of you with her music but with her lyrics as well, female empowerment and avenging wrongs dominate a lot.

Two albums in and Marnie Stern as now not only proved what she can do but she has also taken them to another level and still has not lost what makes her Marnie Stern. She is one of the most unique artists around at the moment and ‘This is it….’ has definitely sealed that.

Rough Trade Album Club - December Pack

2008-12-22T05:56:00.000-08:00

So this month I received :

Various Artists - Dirty Edits Vol 2 - Edited by Pilooski 9/10
School of Seven Bells - Alpinisms 8/10
Unbending Trees - Chemically Happy is the New Sad - 8/10

not a bad selection

Headless Heroes - Review

2008-12-22T05:53:00.000-08:00

Headless Heroes – The Silence of Love (2008)

Names

Probably one of the most futile types of albums in the recording industry has got to be the covers album. No matter the pedigree of the band or the type of songs they cover, they are always dodgy affairs. This because of one simple rule ; you just cannot beat the original. Yet, I cannot help investing in them. The is a perverse joy in discovering a band who actually manage to outdo the original completely. It is rare but it does happens.

Which leads us to Headless Heroes, a covers band but with one difference. At the helm there is Alela Diane. For those who don’t know Diane released her stunning debut in 2006 and we haven’t really heard her distinctive voice since. The backing band consists of the best session musicians in alt rock, some notable ones are Joey Waronker ( Beck) and Josh Klinghoffer (Beck, Red Hot Chili Peppers),

Yes there is strong musicianship here but what about the artists being covered?

Again this is another strong point as the band have chosen more obscure bands, the most obvious being The Jesus and Mary Chain’s ‘Just Like Honey’, other than that the rest are more cultish, hell there even early 00’s long lost group I am Kloot are covered here!

So now since we covered (no pun intended) the basic ingredients for a decent covers album, we now have to see how the whole thing is executed. Luckily I’m pleased to say that the band have steered away from sounding like the original song. The aforementioned ‘Just Like Honey’ is turned into a slowed down folk number, Daniel Johnston’s ‘True Love in the End’ is more ornate than the original, The Gentle Soul’s See my Love is a string drenched masterpiece and the gem here is Philamore Lincoln’s ‘The North Wind Blew South’ which lifts you to the heavens with it’s beauty. Not to mention that Diane’s voice is in fine fettle and it really keeps the whole project together.

Considering that none of the material on this album is original, Headless Heroes managed to do something which is rare, that is taking making other people’s songs uniquely theirs and forging their own sound in the process. Whether this is a one off or not, it would be interesting to see what elese can be offered in the near future (plus it’s a good stopgap for February’s Alela Diane album!)

Lake - Review

2008-12-22T05:52:00.001-08:00

Lake – Oh, the Places we’ll go (2008)

K Records

I know, as a general rule one should not judge an album by it’s cover, let alone from it’s title, but when a band references the legendary Dr. Seuss you just have this gut feeling that the album will be, frankly, awesome.

To the uninitiated Lake are a floating collective of musicians, who group up every few years or so. Oh, the Places we’ll go is the band’s third album and first for K Records. To be honest I can’t imagine a better label for a group such as this and they fit K Recs aesthetic like a glove (albeit a fluffy pink one).

One of the best feelings in the world is pressing play and liking the music instantly and when listening to the album’s title track I felt the urge to sway and dance along to the track shuffling beats and fey vocals (and it’s reprised later on!) Fortunately this isn’t a one off track and the other eight cuts on this all too brief album hit at the right areas, that is the feet and the brain. Oh…. Is filled with whimsy and hope, but funnily enough never descends into the sticky and drippy. It’s also worth nothing that this instant catchiness is far from throw away. There are twisting entwining melodies, that show a part of themselves throughout several listens.

I, generally, like a good optimistic sounding album that makes the world shinier and better and because of this I cannot get enough of ‘oh….’ Like the author this wonderful little record is named after, there is oodles of charm and happiness which belies a certain complexity.

Rough Trade Album Club - November Pack

2008-11-18T18:36:00.000-08:00

Every Month I receive three cd's from the Rough Trade Shops and I can't help feeling a surge of excitement when the parcel arrives.

This Month I got

The Acorn - Glory Hope Mountain + 6 track cd - 9/10
Girl Talk - Feed The Animals - 10/10
Brightback Morning Light - Notion to Reform - 8/10

I'm satisfied and the records are great - HOWEVER I did sort of want the Headless Heroes album as I'm a huge Alela Diane fan.

Love Ends Disaster!

2008-11-06T21:25:00.000-08:00

Nostalgia Moment : I remember the day when Love Ends Disaster's first ep dropped into my lap. To say that it blew me away is an understatement. Five flurryous tracks of epic guitar goodness (well with some electronic touches chucked in) I played that cd so many times I'm sure my cd laser drilled some kind of hole in it.

That was in 2005.

Three years later, the band have released some more singles and whereas the peers they were compared to in the beginning ( Bloc Party, Interpol) all sounded a bit stale, LED! have improved on their craft and have gotten better, stronger and even more anthemic. Each release is becoming a new high point in their discography.

Finally the band are recording their debut and when that is unleashed, I hope their time will come cause they sure deserve it.

Love Ends Disaster's! Myspace page

Jeremy Jay - Review

2008-11-05T21:31:00.000-08:00

Jeremy Jay – A Place where we could go (2008)
K Records

The idea of the outcast plays a big part in music. The idea of the lonesome weirdo writing out poetry and offbeat music is appealing. Thus we have characters like Jonathan Richman, Gordon Gano (Violent Femmes) and Jeffrey Lewis cropping up.

You could say that L.A. born and bred singer songwriter, Jeremy Jay is a descendent from this batch. After all he sings about being in love (the title track for starters) or he places girls on high pedestals ‘Beautiful Rebel’. ‘Hold me in your Arms Tonite’. But ironically there is some swagger in what he does so he’s no wimp. Neither does we want to be some smarty pants a la Morrissey. It’s definitely mood that he’s after.

Within this debut album’s brief 30 minutes, Jay takes the listener on a stroll through 50’s imagery, French pop, basically a time when things were innocent and simple. Furthermore, and this is more important, he manages to do this perfectly. None of these songs are drippy with sentimentality but they do convey feelings.

‘A Place where we could go’ was produced by Jay’s label boss and Beat Happening founder Calvin Johnson and, so naturally there is a sparse production. Every instrument breathes (and by that I mean big gulps of air) but it’s suits Jay and helps the poignancy of his lyrics stick out, and like Johnson’s most famous band, there is a coy dancebility lurking all throughout.

Some people may gripe about the album’s shortcomings, especially the no frills production or lack of energetic songs (in fact there’s only one here, the jaunty Escape to Aspen) but with many spins things to make sense and Jay’s romanticism unfolds, Personally I don’t find anything wrong with this stuff. It’s soulful, melodic, a bit humorous and contains oodles of charm. How can one find fault in these things. At the moment Jeremy Jay is the last of the great romantics and if you understand what his world consists of then you’ll be glad that he seduced you into it.

Rough Trade Album Club. October Package

2008-11-05T09:57:00.000-08:00

Every month I receive three wonderful cd's, courtesy of The Album Club. With the exception of one album, I haven't been disappointed once. Here's October's package :

El Guincho - Alegranza - 9/10

Department of Eagles - In Ear Park - 9/10

Phantom Slasher -Key to the Tripod - 9/10

another sterling month

Deerhoof Review

2008-11-05T09:55:00.000-08:00

Deerhoof – Offend Maggie (2008)

Kill Rock Stars

Ever since 2004’s opus Milk Man, San Francisco’s Deerhoof have been moving closer to more melodic (poppy even) waters and I just know that some time in the future they will release the ultimate guitar anthem record. It’s in their blood and with each release they edging towards it.

Last year’s ‘Friend Opportunity’ had the band experimenting with a less muddled sound, thus making their tunes (they always had those from day one) upfront and also lead singer Satomi Matsuzaki’s voice had lost it’s shrilly edge and evolved into child-like cooing.

Needless to say that latest release ‘Offend Maggie’ is a progression from ‘Friend Opportunity’, thankfully there aren’t any twelve minute dirges this time around either. Now a four piece, the band have beefed up their sound and made a no-nonsense straight on guitar record and yet it still has those quintessential quirks that makes it undeniably Deerhoof.

Offend Maggie kicks off with ‘The Tears and Music of Love’ and the listener is practically given the blueprint of the whole album. The song itself consists of a crunchy stop start riff, which becomes elasticky and floaty during the rather beautiful chorus and grounds itself very quickly. This happens quite often throughout the album’s progression. The group have become tighter and it is welcome.

The amazing thing about Deerhoof is how they manage to have the Wire-esque ability to create a great song within a short space of time. The average two minute Deerhoof song feels doesn’t feel like some short forgettable blast but develops nicely. One of the highlights of record, ‘Basket Ball, get your Groove Back’ demonstrates the band’s ability to use brevity to their advantage. Same with the frankly awesome title track.

Most of the album alternates between these two song styles, Personally I don’t have any gripes with this record. In fact I have been listening to Offend Maggie more than I should really. It’s overall catchiness and sweetness just make me press repeat as soon as the whole thing is over. As well I just can’t help feeling that the BIG album is going to happen very soon.

Soulwax - Review

2008-10-11T10:31:00.000-07:00

(not actual dvd cover)

Soulwax – Part of the Weekend Never Dies (2008)

PIAS (Dvd)

One band which has taken me completely by surprise has got to be Soulwax, I remember when watching the band’s ‘Much Against Everybody’s Advice’ video and thinking that they would be the next dEUS i.e. A solid album band with a healthy European following.

Who would have known that this guitar pop band from Ghent would have changed the face of dance music, not once, but twice! First they pioneered the mash up genre under the 2 Many Dj’s guise and then actually remixed and recorded their 2004 album ‘Any Minute Now’ thus bridging indie with dance (and maybe making them the precursors of Nu Rave??) under the name Nite Versions. Add that to their live show which is called Radio Soulwax, which includes Soulwax, 2 many dj’s, Nite Versions and touring mates and you’ve got quite a confusing mess of side projects.

Hence one of the main reasons the group release this dvd. For starters it clears the whole Radio Soulwax ,Nite Versions polemics and it shows a portrait of the whole Radio Soulwax show. Not only that there’s a documentary which focuses on Soulwax and how they cope with the rock and roll life.

Now in theory this sounds like a disaster. I mean Soulwax aren’t exactly the most exciting band in the universe and let’s face, the possibility of descending into cliché is high. Drugs, girls, sweaty guys waving their arms and lots of vans.

Thankfully the documentary, although, feature these, it strays from the usual dull scenes due to the fact that there are a lot of people who have something to say about Soulwax and we get clips from LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy and Nancy Wang, Tiga, Erol Alkan, Justice and tons of Pioneers and young pups of the nu rave scene all extolling their love for Soulwax and what makes them tick. It is also beautifully film. I have a soft spot for eye catching scenes and there are plaenty of those here. If you were to take each still and frame it, you’d have a memorable picture. I’m not exaggerating director Saam Farahmand does a wonderful job with editing and capturing every perfect moment from live performances to interviews.

The second part of the dvd consists of a 55 minute performance of Nite Versions, all edited from 120 shows and again, in normal circumstances this would be boring but due to the excellent collaging and simply energetic music your attention is grabbed from the start and can be viewed many times.

As for special features there’s a rather vapid documentary commentary by Tiga and a quite good 11 minute mini documentary about the live show. However the best ‘feature’ is an accompanying audio cd of a live show, which is pure headphone hedonism.

As a whole package ‘Part of the Weekend Never Dies’ works. It’s interesting, eye catching and captures one of the hardest working bands in the business and it’s the closest thing to experiencing the whole Soulwax experience (or if you did see them live, it’s a good memory)

Metronomy - Album Review

2008-10-05T02:46:00.000-07:00

Metronomy – Nights Out (2008)
Because Music

It seems that every time critics declare that nu rave is well and truly dead an album pops up and redefines the genre. The first time this happened was in March, When Australian duo Cut/Copy actually improved on their generic debut and released a first class second album and now history is repeating itself a second time round with Metronomy’s sophomore release. Furthermore I really wasn’t expecting it, which made my love for this album heighten.
In 2006 Joseph Mount (aka Metronomy) released his debut Pip Paine. It was good, not great and I listened to it a few times and even danced to a couple of tracks but stupidly lumped with the nu rave movement and that’s it.
Now comes this!
First of all Mount expanded the band by adding two new recruits and secondly for the first time on a Metronomy album, there are vocals. However this is not the reason why I think Nights out is one hell of an album. It is because during the albums duration mount pulls off tons of little tricks which throw the listener off course.
The first prank starts the second you press play, Mount begins the album with mournful rubbery sounding horns and this doesn’t change for quite few minutes, until the horns start to disappear and keyboards and synths weave themselves in and then the instrumental just explodes into a flurry of harmonicas and ska-ish beat. It’s six minutes long and is stretched out over two tracks. It also displays Mount’s sense of humour for not only did ‘Nights Out’ start with one fake misleading introduction but is merged with another wayward one. Basically, dear listener, you have been tricked not once, but twice and it is a great stunt.
The album proper begins with single ‘Radio Ladio’ and this sets the tone for the rest of the record, loping basslines, stinky synthesizers and deadpan vocals, mind you on the surface this may seem simple but in reality Mount creates a very complex sound, infused with the melodies are dozens of instruments flitting through the mix, saxophones, trombones and even some strings in places. Like Simian Mobile Disco’s debut, ‘Nights Out’ is an album which can be enjoyed anywhere due to the diversity that is offered. Sure ‘Hearbreaker’ or ‘Holiday’ will work on a club night but even in the comfort of your living room sofa. Again Metronomy doesn’t make predictable music so ‘Nights Out’ is not something you easily absorb in a couple of spins yet it’s very easy to appreciate what is going on due to the fact that Metronomy will never shy away from a tune.
By the time the albums ends, The band throw the last curveball and that’s in the form of closing track ‘Nights’, which is performed entirely on an acoustic guitar, it’s the ultimate comedown to a record that’s mostly electronic and maybe it’s not the best track on this otherwise stunning album but it works and is very welcome.
‘Nights Out’ is quite a special album, for the past few years it seems that most British bands, especially the popular ones tend to be inconsistent album-wise and furthermore it’s very rare for an artist nowadays to follow up a good debut with an even better sophomore effort. Thankfully Metronomy have achieved both objectives and well. In the future ‘Nights Out’ will be looked very highly upon.

Tv on the Radio

2008-10-02T10:50:00.000-07:00

Tv on the Radio – Dear Science (2008)

4AD

By now you’ve probably read all the reviews, blogs, quotes and everything else about TV on the Radio’s third release. Sorry to disappoint you folks but this one will be no different. Indeed Dear Science IS a fantastic album and the group’s best record to date. They’ve been showing potential ever since the monumental ‘Young Liars’ e.p. back in 2003 and now they’ve reached it.

But why is everyone turning into a dribbling monster at the mere mention of this album? What is the magic secret? Has the band created some extreme wall of sound that they displayed on the previous album ‘Return to Cookie Mountain’?, have they gone all techno? What is it?

What makes Dear Science so appealing is that producer and band member Dave Sitek actually whittled the band back to their basics and opted for a cleaner sound. No more hazy back drops or distorted instruments. Everything is clear as a bell. However the record still has that trademark TVOTR (as they are known the trade) ‘Dancing Choose’ mutates from a punk hip hop hybrid to full on South African funk workout, Closer Lovers day merges beats with brass bands. The experimentation is still there but it’s presented in a more accessible manner.

It seems that lyrically the band have grown up. Sure love figures as usual but then there seems to be a newfound paranoia and aversion to 21^st century technology. Although this isn’t blatantly explicit, most of the songs seem to lament a type of love lost due to today’s society, want references? How about ‘Stork & Owl’, DLZ or ‘Crying’. To spout a cliché it’s the same trick Radiohead pulled off 11 years ago with Ok Computer and many bands have tried to capture this sentiment (erm Bloc Party being the one in mind at the moment) towards this decade none of them have really manages. Thankfully TVOTR have succeeded and put an original spin on the theme as well.

The centerpiece and album summation is found in first single ‘Golden Age’ . In the band’s own words it is an attempt to create a utopian ideal within the structure of a pop song. Personally I half agree with that. The utopian ideal is there as for pop song well it’s pop in TVOTR terms. A prince-like funk number that erupts into a Everest size chorus. It’s the catchiest song of the band’s repertoire and is a sign that they are certainly capable of pulling off some stunts. Also they are honestly the first group to honour his purpleness and get it right. Along with the Ok Computer compariions, I can see other homages to that other society conscious album : ‘Sign O the Times’.

TVOTR never cease to amaze me, I do appreciate their use of brass bands and so on but it’s the little details one such moment is during ‘Family Tree’ where a Beach Boys ‘Don’t Worry Baby’ creeps in or the whistling that unfurls unobtrusively during ‘DLZ’

Dear Science ends on a raunchy note the sex filled ‘Lover’s Day’ is a band letting out it’s inner caveman, it like the song is a huge phallus ready to pummel itself into the female form. It’s brilliant, furthermore, as I mentioned earlier, it is bookended by a brass band that sounds unlike something you’d hear in Disneyworld. You’d imagine kids chanting ‘It’s a Small World’ hand in hand. It’s disturbing and uplifting ending to a great record. Maybe after all the wars and computers a good shag is the ideal solution? Who knows? All I can say is that Dear Science (there is actually supposed to be a comma at the end but for some weird reason it was left out so I did the same) is essentially a magnificent love and hate letter to this decade and yet ends on the hippy ideal that ‘all you need is love’.

Rough Trade Album Club - September Pack

2008-09-27T23:49:00.000-07:00

Every month the good folks at Rough Trade Shops send three cd's (out of a selection of ten) to me here's what I got this month

Tv on the Radio - Dear Science + an 8 min Dvd of webisodes the band aired two years ago - 10/10
Metronomy - Nights out + 6 track bonus cd - 9/10
The Real Tuesday Weld - The London Book of the Dead - 9/10

An excellent selection and an improvement on last month's batch as well.

out of the seven remaining cds, I will definitely get Abe Vigoda's Skeleton (well in the near future mind you)

Micah P.Hinson

2008-09-20T07:50:00.001-07:00

Micah P. Hinson – Micah P. Hinson and the Red Empire Orchestra (2008)
Full Time Hobby

One thing I’ve always noticed about Micah P. Hinson is that he is like an old man trapped in a young man’s body. His previous two albums had a grizzled air about them. I’m usually reminded of some old grouch sitting on a porch unveiling tales of woe and heartbreak to a crowd of wide eyed children. May I remind you that his first two albums ( Micah P Hinson and the Gospel of progress and Micah P. Hinson and the Opera Circuit) were recorded when Hinson was in his early twenties.
Now 26 and married, one can say that Hinson has gotten older and his earlier efforts sound juvenile compared to ‘…Red Empire Orchestra’ This his most mature (and that’s saying something) album yet and, thankfully it’s his best one too.
I have to admit, that despite the fact that I am a fan of this talented singer-songwriter, I tend to notice that usually some songs on his albums just don’t stick. I forget them in an instant and need constant replaying in order to get them wedged in my brain. Finally ‘Red Empire is the first Micah album which has struck me instantly, each song is a winner and more importantly has a recognisable tune. It is a more delicate album than it’s predecessors and a bigger emphasis on the use of strings. Gone are the rangy guitar epics such as ‘Don’t You’ or the gypsy-ish stomp of ‘Diggin’ a Grave’ and although, in theory loss of variation may make ‘Red Empire’ less exciting, it brings out Hinson’s knack for a melody and makes the album a more pleasurable to listen so his use of limitation actually works. It is also the first time you can call a Micah P. Hinson record beautiful. The use of sepia toned women in the cd booklet matches ‘Red Empire’s’ overall feel perfectly. Another I thing I noticed is that Hinson has worn his influences on his sleeve in quite a few places around the record, especially the Roy Orbison aping ‘You Will Find Me’ and I see absolutely nothing wrong in it as it enhances the album’s charm.
“Red Empire’ is just simply brimming with great songs. The Sea Shantyesque ‘The Wishing Well and the Willow Tree’ or the jaunty ‘When we Embraced’ are just two of eleven (or thirteen if you are an early purchaser of the record) tracks which gave me chills and demanded repeat plays.
To end on a somewhat clichéd note this is an album that depicts an artist at the peak of his powers and able to manipulate his sound in such a way that it can seduce and entrance at the same time. If albums were meals then this would be the aural equivalent to a delicate dessert, savoury and long lasting memories after the initial taste.

Rex the Dog

2008-09-19T11:12:00.000-07:00

Rex the Dog – The Rex the Dog Show (2008)

Hundehaus

When I was a teenager in the mid-nineties (was that so long ago??) I remember dancing to a tune called Son of a Gun by JX. Actually the song was constantly on the radio and MTV showed it quite a bit.

Come 2008 and my past comes to haunt me a bit. I receive the Rex the Dog cd and I find out that the guy behind the moniker is called Jake Williams.

Who is also

Yes

It seems though that Williams works under different aliases and at the moment The doggy one is the current one of choice. Williams also has quite a pedigree (pun intended) as for a few years he released music under the terrific Kompakt label.

‘The Rex the Dog Show’ is quite a strange cd, as in the fact that it’s not really a proper album and yet at the same time it is a proper album, those who have followed the band well have heard half these tracks already, plus with the addition of two remixes, one would be mistaken that this is some cobbled collection of Rex the Dog’s past work and some new tracks to make everything a bit more rounded.

Let’s forget the old tracks, the remixes and so on and look at the album as … well an album. The important thing here is if the whole thing works or is an uneven listening experience.

Well I’m happy to say that this album does definitely work and at the moment, it is the most fun thing you’ll hear this year. Williams beats are sexy and the majority of the tracks will definitely get people stomping about either on the dancefloor or simply lying on your back with headphones rammed in your ears (In fact I’m listening to the album while typing and my head is shaking like a demented puppet)

See Rex is a clever puppy (pun intended!) and makes to create a signature sound and yet manipulate it. ‘Maximize’ has a Germanic thump that wouldn’t sound out of place in a Modeselektor album, however the standout Bubbilicious , with it’s very cleverly placed Yazoo sample and Frequency, is a good old fashioned rave up, While ‘Itchy Scratchy’s’ abrasiveness is best suited for headphones. One thing these tracks have in common is a buzzing, relentless energy.

Now that I’ve dealt with both old and new tracks, it’s best to tackle the two remixes here. Needless to say that they fit in comfortably and are the strongest tracks on the record, The Knife’s ‘Heartbeats’ remix is just as good as the original version is designed for club and The Sounds ‘Tony the Beat’ is excellent. A huge stomper of a tune which keeps the best bits of the song (which is basically the chorus) and will soundtrack many a hedonistic night.

Think of ‘The Rex the Dog Show’ as a patchwork quilt, tons of pieces that form a formidable whole. Really just press play and let the vibes take you over.

The Human Value

2008-09-17T21:51:00.000-07:00

Wow! even if you've Never heard of The Human Value before, I have a feeling you definitely will in the near future. This three piece have all you can want in a band. A Lead singer (Turu) with a killer voice and a rhythm section which spits out great riffs and drumbeats the second a song starts.

Two Albums in and now, hopefully the Earth is at their feet!

Link to Pretty Mouth

The Human Value's Myspace page

Wild Beasts

2008-09-14T21:01:00.000-07:00

Wild Beasts – Limbo Panto (2008)
Domino

One thing about Wild Beasts that will hit you immediately is their sense of Englishness. I’m not talking about that patriotic ‘Britain is great’ rubbish that the Libertines and countless of mid nineties Britpop bands used to spew out ad nauseum. What I mean here is ye olde eccentric English. The kind favoured by Monty Python or The Fast Show. Take a look at the album’s tracklisting ‘Veil for a Fuddy Duddy’ ‘She Purred. While I Grrred’ and ‘Cheerio Chaps. Cheerio Goodbye’
But Wild Beasts are far from a joke band. In fact at this point in time, their debut album ‘Limbo Panto’ could be one of the most interesting releases from a British band in the last few years. It’s an album with twists and turns at every possible moment. It’s an album that’s very frilly in it’s nature. If it was a person it would be a flamboyant transvestite who plays in the most lurid clubs imaginable.
However, before I start expounding on the positive aspects of ‘Limbo Panto’ I must clarify one thing and unfortunately it will determine if you will ‘get’ the album or not and that main factor is lead singer Hayden Thorpe’s voice.
This is a voice that is so high pitch that one wonders if Thorpe is some kind of eunuch but then it mutates into a throaty growl and these two extremes feature prominently throughout the album’s duration. Although there are times when his voice is not dissimilar to Antony Hegarty’s (of Antony and the Johnsons fame) For a lesser mortal though this is enough to drive someone insane.
If you are one of those who actually love Thrope’s voice then you are in for a treat. For ‘Limbo Panto’ has an oddball beauty that is so rare in British albums. These songs are anthems for a misfit generation. As I said before there is a certain type of exuberant flamboyance that cannot be ignored. Partly dramatic , partly rock, totally melodic and completely cliché free. Choruses don’t really exist in Wild Beasts world, neither do bridges or reprises but they get away with it. Clearly this band compromises of some very clever literate chaps with quite a turn of phrase. Puns and alliteration are scattered within ‘Limbo Panto’ and with each listen things become more clear. Probably the quintessential Wild Beasts song has got to be ‘Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants’ not only is it the highlight of the record but it sums up everything that makes ‘Limbo Panto’ a pleasure.
I firmly believe that music reflects a cultural situation. As one can see there is a lot of good music coming out of the U.S. at the moment, mainly because it is going through a critical phase and it’s musicians are releasing their creativity. In the U.K. most bands are presenting a hedonistic picture of the U.K. sure there’s dubstep, which is supposedly dark but there is a danceability that is infused.
So where does that leave Wild Beasts? The band represent the quirks and kinks in today’s society. Sure it may be a bit eccentric but Wild Beasts are also intense and there is a dark undertow to ‘Limbo Panto’ which is noticeable and I feel that the band are slyly telling us something about the future. If you think that the above paragraph is rubbish then let’s just sum up what I’ve been trying to say.
Limbo Panto is great when given a chance, so give it a chance.

Black Affair

2008-09-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

Black Affair – Pleasure Pressure Point (2008)

For those young pups reading this review, I’d like to bring your attention to a late nineties group that gave music a fresh outlook. This group was called The Beta Band and they were way ahead of their time. They mashed hip hop, folk, psychedelic and dub into a heady stew and, man, they were mind blowing. Soon every band from Radiohead to erm… Embrace went through a Beta Band phase, and who could blame them? With such a rich musical palette, bands were bound to imitate in some way or another.

Sadly over the course of three albums The Beta Band weren’t able to maintain the standard they set on their early e.p.’s and by 2004 the quartet split and pursued solo careers.

Now the interesting bit

Three of the members (along with a former member who quit during the early days due to health reasons) formed the psychedelic group, The Aliens and Steve Mason, the ex lead singer released solo albums under his King Biscuit Time moniker and last year he killed that off and reinvented himself as Black Affair.

Now that we have gotten the Wikipedia article out of the way, lets delve deeper.

As Black Affair, Mason pillages his past. On ‘Pleasure Pressure Point’ there are elements of early hip hop, 80’s synth artists such as Gary Numan and Depeche Mode and inevitably the more electronic leanings of Mason’s former band. It’s also worth noting that Warp artist Jimmy Edgar mixed and collaborated with Mason and P.P.P. has Edgar’s trademark squelchy sleazy beats.

What makes this unique is that Black Affair has succeeded in creating a very fun album that is aimed for dancefloor frenzy and yet he has managed to take the music to another level by writing about failed relationships in the process.

Yes you read correctly.

Gone are the days where Mason would sing about wizards and mumbo jumbo, although to be fair he has written quite a few songs about love, but never has been as introspective as this. Ironically it’s the most exuberant sounding song , ‘It’s Real’ in this batch that has an acerbic quality. It will be quite fun to see people freaking out to this track without being fully conscious about what it’s about.

On the whole, an album like this is a sign that Mason is able to manipulate genres and come up with the goods, be it folk , hip hop or electro and he will give you something to make you move and think at the same time. What his next move will be is anybody’s guess but one can guarantee that it will be always worth checking out.

New Band : Hockey

2008-09-10T04:44:00.000-07:00

The temptation to descend into cliche here was great. I mean the band is called Hockey and i'm not really into sports ... anyway you could see where this intro was heading.

so different tack

EVERYONE knows that the best guitar pop hails from Portland. New York may have an intellectual edge but let's face it. If you want to jump about and hear the most ear friendly music, Portland is your stop.

Hockey are no exception to this rule. Except that there is a more electronic edge to their music, but that doesn't mean that oh so wonderful infectiousness is gone. In fact these tunes are so accessible that in a parallel world each track on Hockey's myspace page (a very generous six) would be a chart topping single.

My fave track here is definitely 'Song Away' with it's breezy swagger it is a surefire winner and sums up what this band is all about. Good tunes and confidence.

A group to check out!

Hockey's Myspace Page

Chemical Brothers

2008-09-08T21:53:00.000-07:00

The Chemical Brothers – Brotherhood (2008)

EMI

In a move as puzzling as placing an eject button on a DVD remote control, dance stalwarts, The Chemical Brothers, have released a second best of, five years after their previous singles collection. The number of albums the duo have released between these two best of’s ; TWO. To make things even more ridiculous the new best of shares nine tracks with the previous ones. However this is not a total scam as The Chems (as they are affectionately known) bothered to record two new tracks.

In a bout of scientific reasoning I have tried to come up with a number of hypothesis (and answers) to why a second greatest hits collection has been released after a two album gap.

a) The group are going to split up

b) The Chems felt that an emphasis on their ’00 output would be more relevant to the younger generation of album buyers.

c) The label wants to suck up more of our money

POSSIBLE ANSWERS

a) I don’t think so.

b) Could be. I hope so

c) BINGO

Without doubt The Chemical Brothers are one of the best electronic artists today as they have managed to bridge the gap between dance and rock from day one and 15 years later they still have adhered to this. Go to any disco and sometime during the set a dj will drop a CB tune and, without doubt the crowd will turn into a frothing jumping monster. They still are relevant, even when the big beat genre they kick started has died a long time ago.

One has to admit though that The group’s ’00 output hasn’t been that great. 2002’s ‘Come With Us’ was patchy , 2005’s ‘Push the Button’ is probably the weakest album they have ever recorded and 2007’s ‘We are the Night’ saw a fusion of big beat and minimal techno and, despite critics panning the album, it was actually one of the strongest things they’ve done. In the long run these three albums wielded great singles , which TCB’s popularity.

Another aspect of The Chems which one should not ignore is that they always brought the best out of their collaborators and most of the time resurrected a career or even launched one.

Thankfully ‘Brotherhood’ does indeed preserve The Chem’s legacy to the fullest. When relistening to all these songs a complete onrush of memories flooded my brain and without doubt each track sounded great. The middle Eastern Hip Hop head mash up ‘Galvanize’ the neo psychedelia of ‘Let Forever Be’ the chunky ‘Block Rockin’ Beats’ and brain popping ‘Do it again’ (not to mention extra kudos for leaving out ‘The Test’ and putting in the glorious ‘Saturate’. I felt like I was indeed listening to the ultimate Chemical Brothers compilation, the non chronological tracklisting adding more to a loose feel. I barely like best of’s as I find them dull and predictable but this one works beautifully.

I tend to view extra tracks on greatest hit albums as signposts to what will happen next, in this case the two exclusives here leave me baffled. ‘Keep my Composure’ is a collaboration with Spank Rock’s potty mouthed rapper Naeem Juwan and is a piece of slippy digital dirty rap, may not be as immediate as their singles, but this track is the most different and interesting thing the duo have done. The other song is called ‘Midnight Madness’ and is the typical Chemical Brothers track through and through. Danceable, chockfull of big beats and filtering, it’s something these guys shouldn’t add as they’ve done this sort of thing millions of times but they get away with it.

So is this album truly necessary? To be honest, if you already own all six albums and the previous best of there isn’t any need to really invest in this. However there is a limited edition with all ten ‘Electronic Battle Weapon’ tracks, to those who do not know, these tracks contain elements of some of the main tracks that appear on the studio albums, very rare a going for silly money on sites such as e-bay. It’s a dodgy affair though, the later tracks sounding better but for the obsessive collector these tracks are the electronic equivalent to the Holy Grail so this compilation has something for them too.

If you want a taster of the Chemical brothers work and don’t know which album to start from then this is one of the best launching pad that you will get. In hindsight it is better sequenced than the 2003 edition and the extra tracks are a treat in themselves but ultimately all six albums are more satisfying affairs as they portray this talented duo’s both singles in the context of an album and (most of the time) the make a bit more sense than being isolated on a cd like this.

From the vaults : TV on the Radio - Young Liars e.p.

2008-08-31T21:11:00.000-07:00

Going down memory lane again.

T.V. on the Radio- Young Liars ep

A Looooooooong time ago (well 2003) a little unknown band called TV on the Radio released a five track ep called Young Liars on an unsuspecting public. To those who got it early found that this band used harmonies, pan pipes, jerky guitars and sampled dialogue. In other words it was something different and unique.

Two years on the Young Liars ep is still an excellent listen and although the groups debut ‘Desperate Youth and Bloodthirsty Babes’ is better, the group’s sound is already fully realized here. Satellite starts off with the group’s trademark pummeling beats and probably has the most significant quote in its lyrics ‘Waiting for a signal or sound’ and literally I feel that the world has been waiting for signals and sounds like this for a while.

Staring at the Sun is next up. Although the debut version lacks the samples this still has a lot of punch is definitely the template for the debut.

The other two tracks ‘Blind’ and ‘Young Liars’ are just as good but what really stands out here is their version of The Pixies Mr. Grieves. It’s done a cappella and is first class again it’s another trademark that would show up in the debut and in their latest single New Health Rock as well.

All in all I would say that The ‘Young Liars’ ep is a perfect introduction to the band and what was to follow. Since the group are releasing their sophomore album soon and knowing their vast experimentalism this ep may seem like something out of date but still it is a very good snapshot of a very talented band already at the peak of their capabilities.

Rough Trade Album Club - August Pack

2008-08-30T22:44:00.000-07:00

Every month I receive three albums from the Rough Trade Album Club. So far, with the exception of one cd ( A Mountain of One) I have not been disappointed. If you are constantly hankering for new and interesting music then I suggest you join.

Here's this month's quota :

Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve - Ark 1 (8.5/10) (this was the 'core' album, the cd that every single member receives, regardless of tastes and musical preferences, usually it's the best one of the batch)

Black Affair - Pleasure, Pressure Point ( 8/10)

Rex the Dog - The Rex the Dog Show ( 8/10)

Santogold

2008-08-30T22:42:00.000-07:00

Santogold – Self-Titled (2008)
Lizard King

It is inevitable but Santogold will be compared to M.I.A., After all both are outspoken women of Indian heritage who cut their chops in the music industry at an early age. Also both artists have employed the same producers (Switch and Diplo) for their albums. But in reality that’s were it all stops.
See Santogold (aka Santi White) writes pop music for other musicians such as Lilly Allen and Ashlee and this pop sensibility bleeds into her music. During the first half of the album there are hooks and choruses that are aimed strictly for the dancefloor. M.I.A.,on the other hand gives the middle finger to pop and masticates it with a barrage of beats, while dousing it thickly with irony. Like I said before Santogold is not interested in these renegade tactics, she just wants to make an intelligent pop song.
The album starts out with one of the strongest songs L.E.S. Artistes, a ditty that is primarily about what is real and fake in the world today (this is further exemplified by the track’s promo video). It displays all of Santogold’s strengths, her powerful voice, an instantly recognizable song and strong lyrics. As a mission statement to the world, she picked a great song.
Santogold, also has a knack of genre hopping, thus during the first half of ‘Santogold’ we get ‘indie’(You’ll find a way, Say aha) , Reggae and Dancehall ( Shove it and Creator, respectively), and dub ( My Superman). All with a pop sheen. These are songs that are designed to be liked by everyone and they will.
The album’s last hurrah comes with the second single and second strongest track, ‘Lights Out’, a bouncy song which is simply irresistible and will soundtrack the summer months once the media get hold of it.
Unfortunately the rest of the record does not follow up to the strengths of the first half and what we get is a clutch of half baked dub exercises, all moving at tortoise pace and the sheer exhilaration at the beginning turns into disappointment and boredom. The bonus remix of ‘You’ll Find a way’ that is tacked on to the end doesn’t help lift up your spirits in any other way either. Clearly a case of side two syndrome here.
However I am definitely not going to dismiss Santogold, after all this is a debut and as experience tells me, a not very strong debut usually leads to a much stronger second album. Santogold has now proved what she is capable of doing and I’m sure that the second time round she’ll come back with a vengeance. At the moment pretend that ‘Santogold’ is a mini album and enjoy the thrills and spills of the first seven tracks.

From the Vaults :Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth

2008-08-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

Here's another review that never was published. I'm quite proud of it. Before the reissue I already had a Belgian import so it was a breeze writing down the review.

Young Marble Giants – Colossal Youth ( REISSUE)

Domino

Sometimes patience is a virtue. Unfortunately in my case I lack it completely. If a band possesses me I will do all that I can in order to seek out the album. Take the case of Young Marble Giants. I heard one track on a compilation then I spent 3 long years looking for the album. Finally after shelling out quite a bit on a Belgian import, which was only available on an American website, I finally received the cd.

Now in 2007 Domino have decided to reissue this album, with a whopping 16 extra tracks more than the Belgian import.

Whereas the import version squished everything together, Domino have done the wise thing and divided the whole project into 2 cds ; The Band’s debut album, a second disc with their one off ep tracks and rounds up demos and outtakes. Needless to say this is fascinating stuff from beginning to end.

Wales’ Young Marble Giants were one of the products of the extremely fertile post punk scene of 1978 -1984 (roughly) however out of all the top bands out there YMG stood out as they took the concept of minimalism to new height. Armed with a bass guitar , guitar and a keyboard, the band made barely three minute long songs ( in fact not even one goes past the three and a half minute mark here) Sure Wire were doing the same thing but a Wire song would be a noisy spurt and a YMG song would creep along at a leisurely pace without any urgency at all with a bass anchoring everything down. The group also had one major trick up their sleeve though. The fact that their lead vocalist Alison Statton had a voice that would make butter melt. Honey sweet and mellifluous it would wrap itself around the chikka chikka sounds of the keyboard and give the songs direction. The band soldered on for a couple of years but split up in 1980 due to pressure. Each of the band members pursued musical careers, Stuart Moxham probably being the most successful as he produced Beat Happening’s fifth album, You Turn Me on and Marine Girls Lazy Ways – both landmarks of the indiepop genre. Although Statton’s post YMG bands were great in their own way as well.

Like I mentioned earlier the cd is divided into two parts. The first being the album ‘Colossal Youth’ Needless to say that it’s a bona fide masterpiece. Track after track of minimalist goodness just flows. Whether it’s the quirky Eating Noddemix , the slightly bouncy ‘Brand –New - Life’ or the creepy Wurlitzer Jukebox, each song is a mini classic on its own. Memorable in every aspect. Also more importantly, it gives one a sense of the type of mentality that was prominent during the late 70’s it’s a deconstruction of music but with an arty sensibility.

The e.p tracks which dominate disc two are high in quality ‘Cakewalking’, ‘The Clock’ and their best song ‘Final Day’ are all present. Maybe a little bit more frivolous than the ‘Colossal Youth’ tracks , it shows that the band were moving into a more funky and cheery direction.

The material on Disc 2 is really for collectors and aficionados of the group. There aren’t too many differences between the record tracks and the demos except that the sound is murkier and Statton’s voice doesn’t shine through but the three extra tracks on this c.d. are really for completeness sake.

A cynic might say that this post punk nostalgia is greedy record companies want to exploit a movement but when you have a collection as lovingly compiled and collected. You cannot help but admire way things worked back then. Music in itself tells a story and the one we have here is a band using DIY skills and creating a musical highpoint. Definitely THE quintessential reissue.

MGMT

2008-08-28T21:28:00.000-07:00

MGMT – Oracular Spectacular

(Columbia) 2008

Did you notice how hateable MGMT are? The garish colours of their album sleeves, the fact that the core members resemble rejects from Duran Duran’s ‘Wild Boys’ video and they sing about ecology in their songs. Hippies to boot! Not that in interviews the band come off as tossers. I have to admit that I was secretly hoping that the group’s debut ‘Oracular Spectacular’ would be a first class mess and then I would have the last laugh.

Sadly this was not to be.

Two months have passed and I am absolutely LOVING this album. It just keeps on getting better with each spin and the secret to this is that the band pull out no stops and have a kitchen sink approach their songs. No matter how bizarre or off beat a certain sound is, it will be thrown into the mix and this leads to some interesting combinations. Take the track ‘Weekend Wars’ a loping hip hop beat that’s slowed down and with xylophone dressing, then a minute in the instruments start to creep in , everything goes faster and the instruments dominate and the decoration comes from cheesy sounding keyboards. By the 3 and a half minute mark the song goes through a complete mutation and morphs into some celestial synth symphony. Elsewhere the album is filled with symphonic folk (Pieces of what) techno stompers (the majestic, must hear ‘Kids’) and warped 80’s-ish synth pop ( Electric Feel) but it never ever becomes tiresome or boring. The record company did choose Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, Mogwai), one of the best producers in alternative music today, and he did a wonderful job in reigning in and controlling every sound into a listenable whole.

The other thing MGMT have on their side is a clearly perceived sense of irony, first track and single ‘Time to Pretend’ is a firm tongue in cheek diatribe about rock star clichés such has drug taking and other trappings of fame and the most blatant example of the band’s playful sense of humor.

Although this far from a perfect debut, Lead singer Andrew Van Wyngarden’s voice can grate a bit and sometimes one feels that MGMT have to mature a little bit more and shed the corny image. Other than these minor irritations, this a very consistent debut which bears many plays. Already I have a feeling that we will hearing about this band quite a bit as Wyngarden and other member, Ben Goldwasser are collaborating on different musical projects. Give them more experience and musical maturity and a classic album will definitely be on the way.

Sigur Ros

2008-08-27T20:20:00.000-07:00

Sigur Ros – Med Sud I Eryum Vid Spilum Endalaust (With a Buzz in our Ears we play Endlessly) 2008

Emi

When I first heard Sigur Ros’ 2005 album Takk I felt that the band had fallen into a rut. True their ambient passages and high pitched cooed vocals sung in a made up language is quite haunting, but over the course of four albums it does sound tiring. Something had to change or the group would be forever flogging the proverbial dead horse.

Then in June Sigur RAos released a taster mp3 of their upcoming fifth album. The track was called ‘Gobbledigook’ and it sounded totally unlike anything the band has ever done. A thumping drum, a jagged acoustic guitars and general sense of joyous abandon. Yes it did sound similar to something Animal Collective would have cooked up but, who cares this is Sigur Ros we are talking about. A group who’s songs move at a tortoise pace and blanket you with textures. It was a fresher than a newly caught fish and it was a clear sign that album number five will shock.

Upon receiving the album, I ripped off the plastic covering and flung the disc so savagely that I was sure I damaged my discman in the process. I already heard ‘Gobbledigook’ (and trust me it sounded glorious when listened to on headphones) and then second track ‘Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur’, a orchestral convoluted folky tune – and there’s no other way of describing it - confirmed that Sigur Ros have changed tack (not takk) and introduced new elements to their traditional sound.

Unfortunately the rest of the album does not follow up on the shock of the first two tracks. However it’s not business as usual with the group either as a sunny vibe permeates the record as a whole. Whereas in the past Sigur Ros used orchestras to create a melancholy feel. Listen to the epicentre track ‘Festival’ and you’ll see what I mean. It also one of the few examples of the band embracing a celestial aura which they lacked. In other places there is a playful, loose approach to songs and it suits them perfectly. Med Sed is also the group’s most ambitious album to date. Recorded in their native Rekjavik , London , New York and Havana. Enlisting Flood (Smashing Pumpkins, Goldfrapp and Pj Harvey – to name a few) to produce and utilizing a 90 strong orchestra/choir (both the London Sinfonietta and the London Oratory Boy’s choir) and one track is sung in English, this is a grand statement of a record, but it’s not bloated overstuffed one and more importantly the listener doesn’t tire of the album, in fact it’s the opposite, it’s many delights actually entice more spins.

It seems that Sigur Ros chose the right time to create a career turnaround and an excellent one too, plus add that to the dazzling live shows that have gotten people foaming at the mouth and one can see why they are considered one of the best bands in the world today.

From the Vaults : The Boy Least Likely to

2008-08-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

(This was one of my first reviews. Now looking back I feel that it's amateurish and I am a bit embarrassed re-reading it. The album hasn't lost it's sparkle though.)

The Boy Least Likely to - The Best Party Ever

OOOHHHH! (reviewer’s squeal of delight) I ADORE whimsical music, and newcomers ‘The Boy Least Likely To’ have bucketloads of it. Images of picnics, monsters and warm panda cola (whatever that is) are abundant and give you an idea what you’re prepared for. When I heard the first xylophone twinkles on opener ‘Be Gentle with Me’ I was seduced proper. This music sounds so pure. If no drugs or groupies were involved in the recording of this album (or singles collection) I wouldn’t be surprised. ‘The Best Part Ever’ embraces you with a soft fuzzy hug and will make you smile.
I have been addicted to this album for days, weeks and months, listening to it wherever I go. Why? It just feels so good. It’s like a medicine. The more you take the stronger you feel. In a world full of depressing events we need a ray of hope and ‘The Boy Least Likely...’ provides it. I think the most poignant quote in this ‘I have nothing to worry about so I worry about nothing’. This is the philosophy TBLLT is trying to put forward. Don’t worry be happy. It may be twee but it makes sense. If you are a fan of Belle and Sebastian, Salako, Teenage Fanclub and The Beach Boys then I’m sure you would be enthralled by ‘The Best Party’. Here’s another newcomer to the great family of indiepop, and he’s welcome!

Dengue Fever

2008-08-25T20:57:00.000-07:00

Holiday in Cambodia
Dengue Fever – Venus on Earth (2008)
Real World

If I were to actually write about the band Dengue Fever, this review would be about ten pages long. Disease , Jail, prolonged visas you name it, it has happened to this sextet. But in that long journey a lot has shaped up Dengue Fever and it is all culminated in this third offering. Without going into the finer details of the band’s history I still have to give some background on the band as their unique take on rock affects the sound on this album.
Essentially the band hail from L.A. however one band member, Ethan Holtzman went to Cambodia and fell in love with the style of music, which is roughly a mixture of lounge rock, pyschedelia and surf rock. Lyrics are sung in Khmer, which give the music an overall eerie feel.
On returning to America Holtzman managed to form a band with like minded intentions and, the biggest coup of all, roped in Cambodia’s biggest pop star, Chhom Nimol as the frontwoman.
Now there is a LOT more to this tale but I’m going to cut to the proverbial chase and get straight to Album number three.
‘Venus on Earth’ marks a change for the band, it is the first time that Dengue Fever have steered away from covering Cambodian rock standards and filled an album with original material.

Furthermore it is marvelous.

It is not an easy album to get into at first, most of the tracks are sung in Khmer and Nimol’s voice borders on the squeaky in places but give it a chance, maybe a few spins and you’ll understand what it’s all about. In fact what is off putting may be endearing by the next spin.
I find that the album starts to find it’s feet by the third song, ‘Tiger Phone Card’. A call and response ditty, with a swagger, in fact there is a lot of swagger in these songs. It’s not an arrogant swagger but one of confidence and know-how. That is not to say that it’s all twangy surf guitars and big drums and psychotic saxophones . ‘Tooth and Nail’ is a flute driven ballad of wide eyed beauty and closer ‘Mr. Orange’ will make you sway and to those lucky enough to get the U.K. version will be treated to a bonus track that will make you gawp, you’ve got to love a group who’s extra material is just as good as the main songs on the album.

Within the pages I have been extolling constantly on how traditional indie rock has been able to incorporate different cultures within it’s musical schema, whether it’s the African beats of Vampire Weekend, MGMT and TV on the Radio or the Romanian folk cribbed by Gogol Bordello and Devotchka, rock dalliance with foreign cultures is becoming more prominent (to be fair during the late seventies and early eighties there were groups who combined music from different countries together but now cultural hegemony has made critics more aware). Dengue Fever are not bandwagon jumpers but rather part of this 21st century new wave of bands and to be honest they are one of the more interesting ones at the moment. I thought of ending this review in a clichéd manner by saying that Dengue Fever (the band) are similar to Dengue Fever (the disease) but it’s better to end on this point.

The Mummers

2008-08-25T04:32:00.000-07:00

Ok I apologise for the long gap, mostly due to my computer being repairewd. Anyways I'm back and updating will resume on a near daily basis.

There's something about The Mummers that make you stop in your tracks, Maybe it's orchestral pomp that lurches straight at you, perhaps it's Rice clear as a bell voice or the gorgeous melodies that assault you. Whatever it is you can feel that there is greatness afoot.

On the band's Myspace page there are four tracks (albeit snippets) and trust me they will change your life. This is music that is unashamedly pop and is heavily decorated without losing any of it's charm.

If you are interested and want to check out the rest of this prodigous band's material(and I don't blame you!) , there is an e.p. out on general release.

A truly special band.

The Mummers Myspace

Summercase - Day 2

2008-07-30T04:46:00.000-07:00

DAY 2

So there we were rushing like madmen (well actually I was running) to the site in order not to miss Pete and the Pirates. Knowing very well that their songs last about 2:00, I didn't want to be a second late. Thankfully I arrived on time and the band burst into action.

On record Pete.... are very unhinged, messy and sloppy even. Live the band are tight, punchy and take no prisoners. They played the album in full with no chit chat or banter whatsoever. One thing I noticed was how loud they are, the fact that they have two bassists (yes not guitarists) so they have this rumbling earthquaking sound to their music. Although it was boiling the whole crowd were jumping about, especially to an ear shattering version to 'Come on Feet' true i felt like a paedo king in the middle of tattooed, t-shirt/ bikini clad 18 year old brits and spanards but when a band sounded this good I didn't care.

After a three hour wait (i really didn't feel like seeing Ragdog and The Kooks) we gathered round the main stage to watch The Breeders Considering that this group tour every five years or so, I saw this as an opportunity.

One thing you notice about the Deal twins is their earthiness. In fact both of them didn't even bother on making a grand entrance and appeared on stage to check their amps a good deal (no pun intended) before their actual playing time. On stage the sisters crack jokes, make fun of each other and it is completely natural (Kim Deal talks A LOT). Setwise the show consisted of a spattering of songs from all four albums and some tracks from The Amps album 'Pacer'. The obvious highlight was Cannonball and their cover of the Beatles Happiness is a Warm Gun'. Another thing you notice is how instrumental Deal was in constructing The Pixies sound. While credit usually goes to Frank Black, you can see that Deal had her part to play as well. A very satisfying gig which left one warm afterwards.

As we were waiting for Kings of Leon to start we noticed two things. 1) there were enough lights to blind the human race and 2) there were tons of speakers littered all over the stage. This was going to be an almighty gig.

As soon as the band took the stage and started to play 'King of the Rodeo' I knew this was going to be one hell of a performance. I was partly right.

Although the band have the tunes. energy and noise they are surprisingly lacklustre when it comes to stage presence. Caleb Followill looked at the sky most of the time while the rest of the band just amble about. Mind you it was the most violent crowd i've met and my glasses were nearly crushed twice. It was the only gig I partially attended due to the fact that the next band clashed. So after 45 mins (each gig was an hour) we spent ten minutes going through the constant moshing crowd to watch ....

Mogwai! yes in the past i have berated post rock bands - but I have heard so much about Mogwai live that I was gearing to see them. Also they were playing their debut 'Young Team' in full and I know that album very well (and consider it their best one).

When the band took the stage, the silence was tremendous and it stayed that way till the very end of the gig. Live Mogwai are extremely tight and the chemistry between Stuart Breathwaite and John Cummings is very intense. Plus the way the band shift from mousey quiet to ear bleeding loud is something to be seen. The obvious highlight was Aidan Moffat appearing on stage to sing R U Still 2 it and trust me it was the most goosefleshy moment of a performance made up of goosefleshy moments. Even when John Lydon's caterwauling drowned out Mogwai fears Satan, the group were unfazed and even cracked a smile at the situation. The best gig of the evening.

CSS played directly after Mogwai so there wasn't any need to move around. After about 20 mins we were surrounded by 18 year olds, pervy looking men with pencil moustaches and a clutch of andrgynous looking people. However when CSS took the stage and lead singer Lovefoxxx beleted out, the new single 'Left Behind' the crowd united.

Live CSS are not great. In fact the group i was with had trouble deciphering the songs and we would recognise them whena distinguishable line would be sung. BUT Lovefoxxx has bucketloads of charisma, very energetic and tries to involve the crowd as much as she possibly can (she gave the mike to yours truly and I helped continue the song 'Alcohol'. In this respect CSS are a very fun band to watch live more than anything else and the hour sped by breezily. The most entertaining gig of the night.

We were buzzed up and in an excellent mood and we trundled up to the Walkman stage to catch Kaiser Chiefs. Needless to say that we got bored after 15 mins so after buying a burger the size of my baby finger we found out that foals and Neon Neon were playing at the same time. After debating the pros and cons we decided that Neon Neon would be the best choice.

I have spoken on these pages about the band but i'll expound again.

Neon Neon is the oft talked about collaboration between Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys and electro wizard Boom Bip. The debut album is a concept record on the life of barmy scientist John Delorean (his car can be seen in Back to the Future). There are a lot of guest stars on the album and I didn't expect them to show up.

when we arrived Gruff and Boom Bip took to the stage and started playing the intro and then after gruff explained the concept of the album.

Four songs in and s far things were going smoothly till Har Mar Superstar arrived.

For those who don't know Har Mar Superstar (aka Sean Tillman) enjoyed some fame in the early 00's, mostly due to the fact that he would perform in his Y fronts and do headstands while singing. He plays a crucial role in Neon Neon and I was surprised to see him.

That's when things started to go wrong. The sound went completely and neither musician could hear their instruments so this lead to a lot of improvisation.

Har Mar started to ad lib and did his headstand act, went into the audience, stole a t-shirt off a punter , wore it then ripped it off and stripped to his waist.

finally things got working again and har mar lead the whole crowd ( 200 + ) into a big sing and clap along. When the group left, the audience were still clapping and whistling,

it was a first class gig and we were buzzed up on that too!

I also caught bits form other sets as well
Foals - tight band
Maximo Park - paul smith is a showman
Juan Mclean - very dfa-ish
Tiga - so so
Kaiser Chiefs - Boring
The Kooks - Mediocre
Ragdog - even worse
Verve - dull as dishwater
Los Planetas - I can see why they have a great following in Spain. They also attracted the biggest crowd of the night.

Best Gig of day 2 : Mogwai
Worst (full) gig - None

In all my one and only complaint about summercase is that it should have given more prominence to younger bands (in fact the only newbies were pete and the pirates, Los Campesinos and rex the dog) - but benicassim did clash so guess that's the reason. I had a blast and hopefully i'll go next year.

Summercase - Barcelona Day 1

2008-07-24T11:39:00.000-07:00

Last week I went to Summercase in Barcelona and here's my experiences.

DAY 1

After the routinely nonsense involving wristbands, tickets,security checks, we finally were let in the site and just in time to see one of the first major acts of the day : Ian Brown. Now admit i'm not a huge fan of Ian Brown's solo work, However I did know that he's been including Stone Roses songs in his sets and I was waiting for that. After being ten minutes late, Brown sauntered on staged, To be honest he looked worse for wear and was dressed in a pink and black tracksuit and burst into the turgid songs of his recent solo album. During these awful songs I kept wondering if this guy actually penned she bangs the drums and other songs which i listened to in my youth. Plus the crowd, consisting of English people yelling FOOKIN MAN FOOKIN CHESTAAAAA and FOOKIN' IAN BROOOOOOOOOOOOOON didn't really help.

then it happened.

Brown introduced his band and then Mani (ex Stone Roses bassist) came onstage and they burst into Waterfall, Made of Stone and I am the Resurrection. Every single person cheered jumped and clapped.Thankfully he ended his set with another of his better solo songs F.E.A.R and that was it. Started weakly but came out strong.

After brown departed, there was a 20 minute wait, then out of nowhere Jim Sclavunos, Martyn Casey and Warren Ellis all take their places and start and an almighty racket,in this mad rush, Nick Cave runs in an bursts into song. A great introduction to the Grinderman experience. To say my jaw dropped was an understatement. The man captivated the whole audience for his one hour slot and whether he played a vox insanely, wore a t-shirt as a skirt, screamed at the audience he kept everyone's attention. The man is a natural showman (and so is Warren Ellis for that fact), even when there's a technical fault he took it coolly and made it seem as part of the act. He also debuted (or so he said) a new track from the forthcoming second album (out late this year or early next) which was called Dream, which sounded like a sinister version of U2's 'One'. Obviously the highlight was 'No Pussy Blues', which started a violent bout of moshing. Personally this was my highlight of the day.

Due to hideous timetable clashes I had to miss out Blondie so instead I opted to stay at the main stage and watch Interpol. Now I have slagged this band a lot in the past due to the fact their last two albums did not reach the heights of their glorious debut. However once they opened the gig with 'Pioneer to the Falls' I got gooseflesh and everything single thing about them made a lot of sense. First of all the band's stage presence is amazing. Paul Banks has a stare which can kill at 50 miles and guitarist Daniel Kessler is the complete opposite, his goofball persona provides a great counterbalance to Banks steel stance and he was the only one who didn't freak out when technical difficulties occurred. Also their fans are dedicated and sang along to nearly all the songs in their set.
First the group started out with rockier numbers such as slow hands narc and so on but towards the middle of the set they played the lighthouse and wrecking Ball and then closed their set with more energetic numbers, last two songs being evil and obstacle 2.
in a word the gig was hypnotic and there was a heavy moshpit to boot.

After feeling quite high after Interpol we trundled down to the other side of the area to watch Cornelius On the whole, bar maybe five songs, I'm quite unfamliar with his work. In fact I thought it would be one guy and a laptop.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

When the dropcloth fell down (yes they played behind one for a couple of minutes) I saw a six piece band, a movie screen and lights all in sync with the group's trademark poppy noodling. It was an eye popping hour. The star of the show was not lead singer Keigo Oyamada but the awesome drummer that seemed to have total control over the band, in fact it was the only show I saw during those two days that did not have a technical difficulty and pleased both the eyes and the ears.

After Cornelius relaxed every bone in our body, we decided to bring up our energy levels again, so why not go over to the walkman stage and check out Primal Scream.

I have heard and read over the years about how the Scream are a thrilling live band and since i know their discography quite well, I was looking forward to the gig.

tha band started off with a ripping version of new single 'Don't go back' and equally eart quaking version of Miss. Lucifer and then a great rendition of sonic sister love. Bobby Gillespie was in his full lanky glory, dropping the mike prancing across the stage and looking cool.

then the decline happened.

for the rest of the gig, PS previewed four new tracks from their new album and they didnt sound good AT ALL, in fact they lulled the audience to sleep. Maybe they were still trying the stuff out and it will sound better in the future but here it created a lull.

finally they got the pace back up playing Swastika eyes, an ultra fast version of rocks and closing with a rousing version of 'Country Girl' A song i never really liked until now.

on the whole it was a good gig but I felt there was something lacking, anti climatic even. The mid gig lull affected me and I couldnt really get into the band, even when the strains of Swastika Eyes could be heard.

and thus ended the first day

Band of Day 1 - Grinderman
Worst band of Day 1 - Ian Brown
Nice Surprise of day 1 - Cornelius

Mercury Prize Shortlist

2008-07-22T21:57:00.000-07:00

So once again the Mercury Prize Shortlist has been announced, and there are quite a few surprises, Mostly the addition of Burial (finally Dubstep is being recognised!) and Neon Neon to the list and, for once there isn't a huge focus on first and second albums. There seems to be a bias on women led pop such as adele and laura marling but there's nothing wrong with that. On the whole it is more diverse than in previous years. Anyway here's the list :

Adele - 19
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
Burial - Untrue
Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
Estelle - Shine
The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement
Laura Marling - Alas I Cannot Swim
Neon Neon - Stainless Style
Portico Quartet - Knee-Deep in the North Sea
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Rachel Unthank and the Winterset - The Bairns

Enl

2008-07-21T09:37:00.000-07:00

Talk about urgency! 0.1 seconds of logging on to London's Enl I am greeted by an onrush of thumping drums and music that sounds so fast you feel that the band were making their very last album! not to mention that the melody is so infectious that putting it in quarantine is an absolute must

And when THAT first song is over, you won't even have time to breathe as the next track (Mrs.Madame) still has that 'play as fast as you can' feel (with added bouncy bass) and is better then the last.

and this happens another three times.

Enl just reek of youthful energy, guts and blood, To believe that these five songs are demos is a definite sign that the fully developed version will make you run for cover, or at least to the indie dancefloor.

now clear your room, listen to Enl and pogo about. This is not an option!

Enl's Myspace

From the vaults: The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes are a dark horse

2008-07-20T01:17:00.000-07:00

The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes are a dark horse

(Jagjaguwar, 2007)

The release of The Arcade Fire’s debut album woke the world up to the fact that Canada is not all about Celine Dion, Nickleback and Bryan Adams. It seems the quality of these Canadian bands is far from reaching its expiry date.

Its also impressive how incestuous the Canadian scene is. Bands swap members like there’s no tomorrow and the Besnard Lakes are no exception. A super group with members of (or contributions from) Stars, The Dears and Godspeed You Black Emperor, their music has all the elements from these bands too.

Sound-wise they are like an apocalyptic Beach Boys. Think of everyone in the band singing in perfect harmony. Now stretch those songs to seven minutes and add lots of whooshing noises and extended jams.

Its remarkable how this album will take over your senses. Take third track ‘And you Lied to me’ which will transport you to another dimension. The spacey sound and those lovely voices take over your body and give you an inwardly joyous feeling. Few bands can do that ……

Dark Horse is an album of two halves. The first has the core of the post-rock influence, but as you go along the songs become more structured and bring you back down to reality. Cedric’s War is a stand-out, and I know I shouldn’t say this but it does sound like some long lost song from Pet Sounds. Quite a way of closing an album of unconventionally structured songs: with a conventional track!

Can I heap more praise on this album? Let the record speak (in harmony) for itself.

From the vaults: Tap Tap – Lanzafame

2008-07-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

Tap Tap – Lanzafame (Catbird Records/Stolen Recordings)

Whenever I listen to Reading’s Tap Tap (aka Thomas Sanders) I really have to resist the urge to pretend that I’m part of some kind of gospel choir. You know - waving my arms and exuberating joy. Hey, I’d even don a gown if given the opportunity! Tap Tap’s music inspires this sort of call to arms and celebration atmosphere. Let’s face it, British music is dominated by Britpop or post-punk imitators so its refreshing to find someone who shrugs off the trends and does his own thing.
Tap Tap remind me of Clinic, and they even share the same influences: Beach Boys, early Pink Floyd and Velvet Underground. However, whereas Clinic turn these influences into a down and dirty trash, Sanders will churn out a sweet and cheery mixture instead. You could say that the former take their cues from Sister Ray while the latter uses Pale Blue Eyes as a template.
Tap Tap keep things simple throughout. Its a home recording and proves that a lot can be done with the simple guitar and drums format, especially on the ultra-contemporary To Our Continuing Friendship and I am a Kite. Anderson’s Spencer Krug-like (of Wolf Parade) vocal delivery is particularly effective.
Lanzafame could prove to, erm, tap into people’s consciousness. A perfect debut!

The Poverty Beat

2008-07-15T22:58:00.000-07:00

I get obsessed by new bands/artists very easily. But I say if I like the music then I don't care and trust me here, The Poverty Beat's (aka Kin Pitchford) music hit me in a million different ways. This guy's tunes have all the components of something great. I simply love the fact that each song is different from the last and yet still holds on to a unique style (kudos for the rhyming clever song titles as well' April Showers, Mayflowers! - Hah). I'm reminded of Ariel Pink albeit Pitchford has a much better ear for a tune. Also notice how the tracks have an adhesive quality to them. I know you'll be thinking about a song like 'In Orbit' or 'The Singularity' long after it has been heard.

If I go on it will be nothing but lavish praise so let's wind down and we'll go straight to the links
:

The Poverty Beat part 1

The Poverty Beat part 2

enjoy - I have!

William

2008-07-15T01:29:00.000-07:00

Oh man, the urge to quote a certain Smiths song with William in title is soooooo tempting but i will try to resist it. Thankfully there is nothing remotely Smitsh-y about London band William. In fact their rough, ragged sound is like a breath of fresh air to these ears.

combining the quirky art rock of groups like Sonic Youth, Pavement and No Age and then there own special twist, William are a treat to listen to. The proof? listen to the four tracks on 'William's' myspace page and it's a true testament to something different. You have never heard a British band like this for eons and now with a debut album out i'm sure that they will make waves among people who are simply bored of nearly every UK second band sounding like The Libertines.

erm William, it was really nothing! (sorry)

William's Myspace Page

When Feist went to Sesame Street

2008-07-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

Come on don't you know that you really hit the big time when you appear on this show! Counting has never been so fun!

Feist teaches us how to count to 4

From the vaults : Kieren Hebden and Steve Reid - Tong

2008-07-14T07:23:00.000-07:00

Kieren Hebden and Steve Reid – Tongues

Domino (2007)

Kieran Hebden can barely put a foot in the wrong place , whether producing or remixing and making music under his Four Tet ( there’s his band Fridge as well) moniker, the results are usually perfect. One very admirable thing about him is that he is totally unpredictable in what he does. Honestly who produces Adem, and Sunburned Hand of the Man and has top ten chart albums?

At the moment though its seems that he is focusing quite a bit of his time on his collaboration with legendary drummer Steve Reid who’s thumped the tubs for Fela Kuti, Sun Ra, James Brown (and trust me to be James Brown’s drummer is a feat!) and Martha and the Vandellas, to name a few of the more famous stints. The duo met in 2005 and collaborated on an album called Spirit Walk for the Soul Jazz label.

This led on to 2006’s double album ‘The Exchange Sessions’, which was essentially music built upon improvising ( or if you want to be blunt 15 minute jams). Sometimes it was great and sometimes it was dull. But the effort itself was admirable and face it, not too many artists do this sort of thing and (sort of) get away with it.

This time round Hebden decided to take the idea a step further and use a vague melody as the basis of the music and then improvise with Reid around. The catch being that it had to be done in a relatively short space of time.

Does it work?

Well like the exchange sessions, there are some fine moments. The opener The sun never sets’ is the duo working at their best, creating some catchy, highly rhythmic music. ‘Rhythm dance’ is another eye opener as it evolves from an ambient drone to a full funk workout’ even the version of ‘Greensleeves’ is not too bad. But there are the fair share of stinkers. ‘Superheros’ is plain awful, ‘Squid’ isn’t to great either, a number of tracks are ok but they don’t have a punch and meander too quickly. On the whole it is an album with a bit more tweaking and care, could have yielded better results. Considering Hebden’s near impeccable output this is rather disappointing but I wouldn’t brand it as unlistenable or something to discard.

Like all talented guys now and then they slip up a teensy bit. I would consider Tongues to be a minor blip at the moment it’s quiet on the Four Tet front so I’m assuming that there is something brewing in the future that will open eyes once again.

Dent May and his Magnificent Ukulele

2008-07-13T04:28:00.000-07:00

Charm. I love it when an artist exudes bucketloads of it and believe you me Dent May and his Magnificent Ukulele are the kings of it.

Go on and listen to the (unfortunately) two songs on his myspace page. 'Meet me in the Garden' is a lovelorn ditty with the ukulele his moniker mention, a wonderful backing choir and then there's his plaintive voice going la la la la (of which i am a sucker for). Listening to him makes one feel like they've lost a piece of their past and should recover it asap.

The other song, Pierce Avenue features the uke much more and has the same swaying charm as Meet me in the Garden. Really what makes these songs great (besides the charm factor) is that
they are so honest sounding and it helps you relate to it.

Hpefully there will be more releases by Dent May in the future for I feel this is one talent that should be noticed and loved by everyone.

DMAHMU's Myspace

Death By Kite

2008-07-13T03:58:00.000-07:00

It's seems that today's band also hails from Denmark. Copenhagen's Death By Kite manage to combine intense guitars with a sky high melody. You'll dance and reflect at the same time. It's very powerful stuff. Whether it is the chiming 'Scared of Heights' or the turbo charged, menacing 'Sweet M', Death by Kite will make inject some emotion into you.

However I'm saving the best for last, which is the awesome 'Pills'. In a parallel universe this would scale the charts and become an anthem that will haunt people's memories forever. Excellent!

Death By Kite's Myspace

Velour

2008-07-10T05:29:00.000-07:00

Today's band hail from Denmark, They are called Velour and they simply have tunes bursting from every seam. You could call them Suderdiscofrothyguitarpopalicious. Not only that but their knack for creating a cute song makes one wonder if they made an evil pact in order to achieve this.

Enjoy the music!

Velour's Myspace Page

Operahouse

2008-07-09T06:06:00.000-07:00

I've this a million or billion times but i just am in seventh heaven when I listen to a band for the first time and the tunes just slap you in the face and keep you stunned for 3 minutes or so.

Welcome to Operahouse.

Songs that stick out for a mile, make you want to dance and just are great. There's no other words to describe the tracks here, unless you want a long line of superlatives.
just check them out

Operahouse's Myspace

Lonelady

2008-07-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

Imagine I take a pencil and shove it in your eye. Then after ten minutes I do the exact same thing and in the same eye too!

This is what Manchester's Lonelady sounds like.

What i'm trying to get at here is that her music is stark, direct and straight to the point. No mucking about. Just a drum machine and a guitar so angular that it would have to be studied in Geometry class and great voice too. Somewhere between PJ Harvey and a less yowly Scout Niblett. It's feral but listenable.

The best track on the myspace page is definitely 'Intuiton, with it's upfront melody and catchy drum machine beat.

I like!

Lonelady's Myspace.

James Yuill

2008-07-07T08:51:00.001-07:00

Man James Yuill is so cool that a pair of sunglasses should accompany each release he unleashes onto the unsuspecting public. Two singles under his belt and just KNOW that there's a great future up ahead.

Why am I making a fuss? It's not everyday you meet a guy who can effortlessly mash bruising beats with folky sounding guitars AND make it sound so damn easy oh and so damn danceable. In fact i've been so hooked on these tracks that i've put off mentioning this guy on the blog for a few days. The five tracks on Yuill's myspace are worth checking out, especially the amazing 'No Pins Allowed' which shows Yuill at his best. Trust me they will make your day better!

there's only one last thing left to say

License to YouILL?????

James Yuill's Myspace

Joy Division (dir Grant Gee)

2008-07-05T21:46:00.000-07:00

After the quite good 'Control' I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical of a second feature film on Joy Division. I mean, how many things can be said about the band. Unlike Corbijin, Gee takes a different route. You will not learn anything new from watching 'Joy Division' but you will feel more satisfied.

The format is not dissimilar to a documentary a la Don Letts. (i.e. every member of the band is interviewed and cut with scenes from Curtis' life and various places where the band played) Here Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris present themselves as serious people who are ready to bare all, and they do as well. It is a very personal documentary, with a lot of reflection. The other interviewers ( The late Tony Wilson, Paul Morley, Peter Saville , Pete Shelley, Annik Honore etc) all give their slant and views on Joy Division and Curtis' descent into epilepsy.

Yet I am finding it difficult to write something about the film itself, mainly cause it has all been documented before. I know the ex members of the band should give a new perspective but in retrospect they don't, so the fan of the band will just have an entertaining, well filmed and visually interesting documentary. It will blow the mind away for the Joy Division virgin though and it is better than Corbijin's (he's interviewed as well) effort has it provides a much wider spectrum of the group.

Vivian Girls

2008-07-04T06:55:00.000-07:00

Once again good old New York donates another one first class band to the music world. This time round it's Vivian Girls.

Imagine all the greatest mid to late 80's guitar rock bands, That loving lo fi sound, a punchy chorus, a prominent drum and that shambolic but thrilling guitar sound. To top it off all girls sing in harmony woo!

Now give all these elements a noughties sheen and maybe you're close to this band's sound. Vivian Girls are like the best rollercoaster ride you've got to experience one day in your life!

and yes, there is an album hitting your record shelves very very soon. A must have!

Maybe this paragraph is a bit on the short side
but really it's a case of the music speaking for itself - and it does that in volumes!

Vivian Girls Myspace

One Little Plane

2008-07-03T08:28:00.000-07:00

There is something about One Little Plane's voice that will grab you from the the start. It's dreamy but with an edge that makes you how both vocal qualities work so well together.

and then there's the music.

think of some sort of tapestry unfurling in slow motion. It's a beautiful electronic kalaedoscope with some homemade sounds chucked in for good measure.

The track that is the most immediate is Sunshine Kid. A hip hop beat melded with an acoustic guitar and a very pretty doe eyed chorus. This music designed for watching sunsets and sunrises with a lover by your side. Gives you chills and warm feelings at the same time. OLP's debut album will erm.. be landing soon so make sure to doouble erm.... book early! (sorry for the flight puns)

one helluva talent here.

OLP's Myspace Page

Fleet Foxes

2008-07-02T10:31:00.000-07:00

Fleeting Moments

Fleet Foxes – Self-titled (2008)

Sub Pop/Bella Union

Back in June 1999 I bought an album from the now defunct Virgin Megastore. The record was by a group called The Flaming Lips and the album was called ‘The Soft Bulletin’. I had never heard of this band before, nor did I preview the album as mp3 technology was still in it’s infancy and it would take a week to actually download a substantial amount of tracks. It was on the strength of a very positive NME ( it was surprisingly credible back then) review. On my first spin I was amazed and flabbergasted. The orchestral magnificence, the overall warm fuzzy feeling and the ability to make the listener go into another dimension.

Fast forward to June 2008 and while listening to Seattle’s Fleet Foxes debut proper (there was an e.p. preceding this album) and I’m going through the same feelings as that fateful June day in 1999 (well there was a moment in 2004 when The Arcade Fire’s debut made me feel the same way to but that’s another story altogether).

Although Fleet Foxes Modus Operandi is totally different to The Flaming Lips, both manage both manage to evoke a sense of warmth through the use of harmonies and strings (although Fleet Foxes use this effect sparingly) and both have a lead singer with a distinctive voice. In essence the band take their cues from the classic age of Americana (The Band and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, are without doubt big signposts to their sound) but add on a bit of medieval music and some psychedelic flourishes and you can see why this quintet are going to be slobbered on by everyone. Unlike most bands though, Fleet Foxes do not wear their influences on their sleeves (say like Kings of Leon) and thus as a result this debut record stands alone as an original piece of work. In some places it is bare and acoustic (Tiger Mountain Peasant Song, Meadowlarks, Oliver James) and in other areas there is a grandeur splashed among the songs (White Winter Hymnal, Your Protector, He doesn’t know why) Either way within the all too brief 40 mins of this record your skin will crawl, you will feel like curling up with a loved one, you’ll feel harmonious with this world and see the beauty of all that’s around you. I’m not exaggerating. Fleet Foxes is that good and although I have searched for some kind of flaw here, I can’t. It really is a perfect album. Give a few months and Fleet Foxes will be band that will (rightly) be loved and embraced by the many.

The Joy Formidable

2008-07-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

It seems that lately i've been coming across monikers that describe the band well. The latest in this series is London based band, The Joy Formidable.

The music is all about textures. Synths weave in and out, heavy drumming and a wall of guitar noise dominate their latest song 'The Greastest Light is the Greatest Shade' it's a HUGE tune in every way and then just as you thought that the song could not go further there is a spine tingling multi tracked choir of Ritzi ( the lead singer) concluding the whole thing. Breath taking.

the remaining two tracks are early songs ( I assume) 'Austere' (the band's first forthcoming single) is bouncy tune which plays on quiet/loud dynamics perfectly. It's also a breath taking song, but only cause you'll jump around to it till actually run out of air to breathe.

last track 'Cradle' is all pretty cooing and buzzsaw guitars. It's cute and bruising at the same time.

The Joy Formidable? oh yes! Definitely!

The Joy Formidable's Facebook Page

The Joy Formidable's Myspace

Real Ones

2008-06-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

I am a huge sucker for banjos and when I heard the first pluckings of Every Dog Has it's Day' I knew I just had to write something about this band.

Besides the banjo pop perfection the songs are just so damn good! totally irresistible and will make themselves a prt of your life somehow. The amount of talent this band have is simply jaw dropping. Listen to the strings on the aforementioned 'Every Dog Has it's Day' or the sexy bass on outlaw and how about the psychedelic opening of Orlando. wowowowowow

yes I am using quite a bit of hyperbole here but this band deserve it. Furthermore there is an album out soon so their will be more tunes for me to drool on.

and did i mention that the band hail from Norway! excellent!

Real Ones Myspace

Thomas Muller - Seduction/Crash

2008-06-29T07:27:00.000-07:00

If you thought that the French were only capable of sounding like Justice ( I was about the say anything on Ed Banger but then I realised that they all sound like Justice) then think again. New signing Thomas Muller hails from aforementioned country and his sound is totally different. Taking his cues from minimal techno and microhouse Muller injects a more energetic feel into the two tracks of his second single. Seduction is a micro masterpiece. A snaking beat beat which gets shaken with a sound that's not dissimilar to marbles falling into a bowl. It's nine minutes literally fly by.

Crash is more heavy hitting and funky. It literally thuds its way across your speakers. I have to admit I found 'Seduction' more exciting but this one works perfectly, if not a bit too functional.

Will France start spawning tons of Muller copy cat artists? I personally doubt it but then who cares Muller is a talent worth checking out.

Darlings of the Day

2008-06-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

Never has a band moniker been so misleading. DOTD create danceable, hip swaying guitar pop. Think of the early Long Blondes but with a better ear for a arm flailing tune. This is pure fun all the way. There's no shortage of great riffs or choruses. This band has it all. Did O mention that the majority of the tracks here are demos! If these caused damage then the fully fledged version will create a full scale disaster. Watch this group with a wary eye! Darlings for long time I reckon

Darlings of the Day Myspace

Modeselektor - Godspeed/White Flash

2008-06-27T10:02:00.000-07:00

Modeselektor - Godspeed/White Flash (SINGLE)
Bpitch Control
2008

I somehow guessed that the two best tracks on Modeselektor's sophomore album (called Happy Birthday) would see the light of day in the near future. For those who don't know Modeslektor are one of the best electronic acts at the moment. Not only can they shift to any electronic genre at the drop of a stylus but they don't really have any weak tracks in their repertoire . 'Godspeed' ranks as one of fan's favourites due to the fact that displays a more mature side of the duo. A slight beepy track which grows more layers and get more chunky as it proceeds, only to fade out in what sounds like the most sinister choir on Earth.

but that's only one side of the story.

The absolute standout of Happy Birthday is The White Flash, which features a certain Thom Yorke on vocals and STILL is the best track he's lent his vocals to ( including 2006's The Eraser)
It's an ethereal track and Yorke unleashes the full potential of his voice. It's oddly calming and creepy at the same time. I put it down to those swathes of noise (in the best sense) which crop up in intervals.

The whole package is rounded off by The White Flash remixed by the elusive Trentemoller. It's an interesting rerub of the track ( adds heavier beats, Keeps Yorke's vocals) but it doesn't surpass the original, although he does keep the same feel and it is more dancefloor friendly. It does it's job well.

Although two of these tracks already exist in c.d. format (and probably digital as well) it was good listening to them in a different context but it still makes me wonder what the group will pull off next time round?

Aleks and the Drummer

2008-06-25T21:10:00.000-07:00

How the hell can one describe Aleks and the Drummer? you simply can't. One thing I can say is that this New Yorkian duo's music has got me glued to my seat. Listen to the first song, Closer. A Stinky sounding Farfisa, an errant drum and haunting female voice wrapping itself around the whole song. It's oddly arresting.

If you thought that was good then check out the other songs Alexs .... myspace page. All of them have that off beat pop feel. Most of these songs have been on rotation all morning and they just make me like the band more. This is powerful stuff. Furthermore they have an e.p. which was produced by no other than David Andrew Sitek (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, T.V. on the Radio, Scarlett Johansson) so hopefully in the near future we'll be hearing a lot more from them.

Alexs and the Drummer's Myspace

Ellen Allien - Sprung/It's

2008-06-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

Ellen Allien
Sprung/It's (SINGLE)
Bpitch Control 2008

What can I say about Ellen Allien? Sure there are the cliches like innovative, techno's first ady yadda yadda yadda but what excites me is the fact that she has never taken a predictable route as an artist. All her albums are never developments of the last one but rather separate entities which stand on their own.

Sprung is the first taster off her new album Sool ( review will be on the horizon) and it's a more minimal and darker affair. Whereas her beats are a bit frothy, here they thud and unravel but not at a slow pace, rather at comfortable one. In the spaces inbetween there are flecks of electronic lashes. Sometimes during the song's progression it goes a bit spacey but resumes it's hypnotic pace easily.
Hypnotic is a good word to describe 'Sprung'. It's the type of track to grab hold of you, keep you seated and staring into a blank void for it's duration. Very clever.

The flipside 'It's' contains the same feel as the a side. I guess one can call this a spacious thumper as it consists of a heartbeat like thump pulsating quietly, again with speckles of beeps sprinkled on to fill in some gaps. It is totally mesmerising.

It seems that these two tracks have ushered in a new phase for Allien. Less clutter , less upbeat and mood creating. However there is tons of soul spread out in this 12 minute delight. Judging by Sprung and It's. Allien has once again proved that she can still make heads turn and eyes open.

Grand Pocket Orchestra

2008-06-23T23:36:00.000-07:00

The first thing I noticed about Grand Pocket Orchestra is that I instantly liked the band title. It's like creating a maximum sound in the most minimal way possible. It turns out that I was right.

GPO contain every single trait that I adore in a band. An air of joyous abandon, harmony galore, silly song titles and bucketloads of tunes. Yes the happy button is pressed to the limit but other than annoying the listener, it ensnares you to a candy coloured world. From the glorious single 'Little Messy' to positively hyper 'Chongo pop' you' ll dance and bop till you faint with exhaustion to these four songs. This band truly want to brighten your day and they succed marvelously.

Now excuse me while i dash off to jump around to Little Messy again.

Grand Pocket Orchestra's Myspace Page