Real Ones

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

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

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

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

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

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

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