The Music Journal

"Clock strikes upon the hour..

2012-02-12T13:51:00.000Z

..and the sun begins to fade."

Very sad news, but songs like this live on.

(On a side note, my laptop has been broken hence my disappearance, but rest assured I am back in the game).

Welcome back.

2012-01-26T00:42:00.000Z

I'm delighted to see that there are finally new tracks from both The Shins and Jack Peñate; takes me back to my 2007 babysteps into the world of indie music...

The songs are exciting and reassuring of the quality of the new musical output from both artists (although given the new Shins line-up I'll remain somewhat wary 'til I hear the whole album):

Also, my laptop's being a bit odd so please bear with me through the next few posts...

Perhaps Contraption

2012-01-14T19:11:00.000Z

Eccentric London-based art pop marching band (yes; really) Perhaps Contraption are about to release their single 'Cousin / Grandma', which is easily one of the most curious things I have discovered in my inbox for quite some time. A chaotic cacophony of bizarre and brilliant vocals and instruments (wonderful brass, and as ever I'm always impressed by good use of my old instrument, the flute), there is a strange intensity to this dissonant, theatrical madness; although it seems all bright and silly, there's something very poignant when they hit the impressive refrain of "I've got no identity".

From what I can make out, the song is only half of the fun though, as Perhaps Contraption seem very into visual performance too - a hint to this might be garnered from the fact that they're a marching band. The case in point can be viewed in the overwhelming video below which can only have Alice in Wonderland as a competitor in its beautiful strangeness:

Buy the single on 11th February - you can download it here.

The World Unfolds

2012-01-13T12:26:00.000Z

Gabriel and the Hounds, aka. Brooklyn-dweller Gabriel Levine, will release his debut album, 'Kiss Full of Teeth' in early March, and judging by the sorts of artists he's friends with (many of whom have featured on his debut offering), it's fair to anticipate that this is going to be a pretty exciting album. Well, you know; that's if The National, Beirut, St. Vincent and Sufjan Stevens are of any interest to you.

...Yeah, exactly.

From the sounds of 'The World Unfolds' - the track Levine is currently offering up for free download (link below) - though, Gabriel and the Hounds is a musical project worth listening to in it's own right; jaded lyrics from deep, gravelly vocals and simple yet melodious instrumentation. It's not a "first-time-listen-crazy-amazing-impressive" kind of track, but there's certainly potential, and it definitely grows with each listen. And while I can't be sure if this is true of the entire album as yet, this particular song at least reminds me of the pleasant aural experience that was Albert Hammond Jr.'s solo work (and, as a Strokes fan, you know I mean that as a compliment).

Gabriel & The Hounds - The World Unfolds by communionmusic

Needless to say, given the strength of the names involved and the decent enough first track, I'm intrigued to hear more.

'Kiss Full of Teeth' will be out on March 5th on Communion Records.

Ooh La La

2012-01-08T12:56:00.000Z

I will be the first person to admit that my posting of late has been worse than usual, but my new year's resolution is to actually start writing this again properly because I do miss it, and I'm sorry that starting at university has kind of depleted from this in both quality and quantity.

Anyway, I was back in India over Christmas, and this song from apparently amazing film 'The Dirty Picture' was really big and I have to say I'm pretty enamoured; it's bright, vital and, frankly, a whole lot of fun. There's a nice, warm nostalgic glow of flickering old Bollywood tunes swinging through it too, with playful, soaring vocals and boisterous built-up brass sections. Very much worth a listen:

I'm just trying to find, a mountain I can climb

2011-12-16T12:37:00.000Z

It's getting to that time of year where bloggers round up their favourite music of the year in a list of sorts, and - as always - I'm standardly too lazy to do the same thing. However, I will be posting when I can about some of the songs and artists that have impressed me this year, and as such it shouldn't be any surprise that The Strokes are figuring into this - say what you will, 'Angles' was a very exciting album to add to the band's oeuvre, and bright and breezy opening track 'Machu Picchu' was particularly delectable.

Foster the People have also been massively raved about these past twelve months, and whereas I'd usually be inclined to steer clear of the hype, 'Pumped Up Kicks' was easily one of the best songs of the year with it's propulsive beats and ridiculously euphoric chorus.

So, fittingly, here's Foster the People covering 'Machu Picchu':

Mysterious

2011-11-23T00:08:00.000Z

This is very nice - an upbeat yet somehow creepier take on mellow Fleet Foxes-esque folkish harmonies, which makes for a somewhat mystical vibe. Also, the video is lovely, in a weird, fantastical, "reminds-me-of-Dark-Crystal-and-the-Labyrinth", crepuscular, kind of way.

Don Scannell's album 'Three Silver Pieces' is out on December 5th.

Follow Animal Tracks...

2011-11-07T22:03:00.001Z

Quite an old release by now given that it was out last year, but I've been late to discover that Mountain Man's album, 'Made the Harbor' is utterly sublime. Ethereal, folky harmonies which weave together gently like a finely spun piece of lace, and seraphic, tremulous vocals from the school of Joanna Newsom; you really have to listen to them:

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://mountainman.bandcamp.com/album/made-the-harbor"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Made the Harbor by Mountain Man&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

You can (and should) buy 'Made the Harbor' from the wonderful Bella Union, here.

swansea recreation centre

2011-11-07T21:02:00.000Z

I've never been to Swansea, but thanks to Joanna Newsom and then Bombay Bicycle Club, the place has held some sort of mystical, lovely depiction in my mind (and is it me, or is "how I would love to gnaw, to gnaw on your bones so white" an oddly pretty piece of lyricism?).

London band swansea recreation centre have never been to Swansea either, but their music too has a distinctly pleasant, peaceful aura about it. That du jour meeting of dazed male and female vocals over eerie electronic beats makes for some nice listening, although at times their EP, 'Hi Tom / Hey Tom Blood' veers into sounds which are perhaps a little bit too pretentious. Still, worth listening to if you're into Summer Camp and a slightly tropical take on chillwave.

surf touch (beaches) by swansea recreation centre

Win a pair of tickets to see M83 in London

2011-10-22T14:03:00.003+01:00

Midnight City by M83

I think I'm probably more excited about this than anyone of you will be, but this constitutes as the first competition I've ever run, which I think is pretty cool. The new event ticket comparison site, GoSeeThem.com, is pairing up with us to give you the chance to win a pair of much-coveted M83 tickets in London at the Shepherds Bush Empire on Thursday 16th February, 2012.

With GoSeeThem.com, you can find out tour dates and which acts have still got tickets available, but what's more is they compare concert tickets from trusted and reliable ticket sites such as See Tickets, Ticketweb, Ticketmaster, Gigantic and more. New tickets are added every day and prices are updated throughout the day, so if you're a music fan looking for gigs in the UK, this is the site for you. Every month more trusted and reliable ticket providers are being added to the site.

So, how to win this glorious pair of tickets to see master of dreamy, majestic electro-pop, M83?

How to enter:
This competition is now over, cheers to those of you who entered!

Flashguns - 'Passions of a Different Kind'

2011-10-15T16:11:00.001+01:00

Flashguns have been in the periphery for so long that it seems incredibly hard to believe that 'Passions of a Different Kind' is their debut album - I first posted a terribly written review of them back in 2007. The disjointed, manic, frenetic, ridiculously good explosion of an opener, 'Sounds of the Forest', however, seems to cement the idea that with the release of their album, Flashguns won't be keeping in the shadows for all that much longer.

'Passions...' in general is an album that twists and turns between raucous noise ('Come and See the Lights') and more soothing, smooth incarnations (the lovely, 'The Beginning', which has heart-achingly affecting moments like "but now I find something better than I ever had"), constantly subverting where you think it's going yet somehow retaining an intense feeling and a sense of cohesiveness. Some of the songs bring to mind the early Smiths comparisons the band were subject to (notably title track 'Passions of a Different Kind'), with that jangling '80s melancholy and those soulful, wonderful vocals, but there is a confidence and vivacity to the music that goes beyond such restrictive likenesses.

I've spoken before about the decline in guitar bands lately - a lot of the most interesting music right now is experimenting and innovating in completely new directions. 'Passions of a Different Kind', then, serves as a reminder that there's definitely a reason that guitar music has been so prolific in the last century; it's an affecting, bluesy album, and while there are admittedly weaker points on the album where songs seem to drag a little longer than is strictly necessary, overall it's a great debut which flourishes very pleasantly with every listen.

Flashguns - No Point Hanging Around (In Golden Tears Remix) by Humming Records

'Passions of a Different Kind' is out on Humming Records from Monday 17th October, and you can pre-order/buy it here.

Sign me up, Santa Fe

2011-10-05T11:57:00.001+01:00

I've spent my morning listening to Beirut (both new and old), whilst doing some reading for my History course. I promise I actually have some reviews/new music to be posted up soon, but until then I feel like you can't possibly not appreciate this video and the twirling intricacies and upbeat eccentricity of this rich song.

Buy Zach Condon's latest beauty of an album, 'The Rip Tide' here.

Pop Culture

2011-10-02T22:01:00.000+01:00

When we watched this last night our group all went quiet with the occasional "this is SO cool", and I think that about sums this video up. Very cool.

Little Green Cars

2011-09-26T12:13:00.001+01:00

My recent silence has been because I've started university - or 'college', as they call it here in Dublin. To mark my move to pastures new, here's a band of Dublin teenagers as recommended to me by one of my flatmates. Little Green Cars make sublime, folky, bluegrass music sometimes topped off with soulful, mesmerising, Florence-esque vocals which are made all the more intense by the spooky but powerful harmonies and peaceful lyricism. If you like Arcade Fire's 'Funeral' then I think you'll really like this band.

You can listen to their SoundCloud here, which includes tracks like their single 'The John Wayne' which has a really beautiful refrain of "it's easy to fall in love with you", and the surprisingly jaunty yet dramatic B-side, 'Glass Case'. I could go on - all of their songs are really very good, and so in short you absolutely need to listen to this lovely band.

Little Green Cars' single 'The John Wayne' is out on the wonderful Young and Lost Club and you can buy it here.

Toby's Hill

2011-09-12T00:29:00.001+01:00

Leeds band Pengilly's demonstrate in this ambient song an ability to make disarmingly warm harmonies which at the same time as melting your heart somehow cause a shiver to travel up your spine. The beautifully chilling video adds to the strange, bewitching charm of the dislocated beats and the jaded lyrics sung through surprisingly thawing, fluid vocals.

I very much recommend that you check out their Bandcamp. The 'Toby's Hill EP' by Pengilly's is out on September 26th.

Our Feathered Embers

2011-09-06T12:38:00.000+01:00

The gently picked guitars and the soft-as-a-caress vocals of London duo Our Feathered Embers bring to mind the stripped-back, starry-eyed sincerity of folk musicians such as Nick Drake. As the band name might suggest, there is a warming, comforting feel to their sound, which is aided by the intricately spun stories of their lyrics: "Whisper in my ear and tell me which way I should go - any way will do, any way will do".

Very tranquil, and very beautiful.

"You mirror-gaze while I decide the moment you were deified"

2011-08-29T18:03:00.001+01:00

My borderline obsessive love of Bombay Bicycle Club has calmed a lot in the past two years, which means that I've not been keeping up to date as much as I used to, and, much as I'm sorry to admit it, I suppose I've been a bit disinterested. However, having chanced upon their sublime performance at Reading on television this weekend, I suddenly felt a massive rush of affection and appreciation for their music, remembering exactly what it was that I loved about them all along.

And so today brings us their new album, 'A Different Kind of Fix' (which was actually the name of a weirdly brilliant demo song the band released back in 2008, posted below), a return to the non-acoustic side of things after last year's delicate, folky wonder of an album, 'Flaws'. Their third album is something of an epic sonic experience which doesn't shy away from trying new things - at times, indeed, you are very much reminded of the recent interviews in which the band profess a new love of dance and electronic music over the guitar-driven songs of their early days.

There are all sorts of different timbres and textures, those ever-beautiful slightly awkward vocals and lyrics, and yet, overall, there is a justified feeling of confidence that seems to tentatively grow with each release. For those earlier fans who worry that it maybe a mistake for the band to be toying with loops and layered vocals over their tried and tested brand of soaring guitar music, this third album offers nothing but reassurance, because I think at the heart of Bombay Bicycle Club there is always a focus on writing good songs. Indeed, there tends to be such a preoccupation on singles these days, that it's a rarity when there's an album made up entirely of strong, challenging and exciting tracks.

So I can say this relatively passively, I think, given that I've been a lot less absorbed in the band's fandom lately - 'A Different Kind of Fix' is definitely one of those euphoria-inducing rarities, and it's a real joy to listen to.

MP3 - 'A Different Kind of Fix' (2008 demo song) - Bombay Bicycle Club

'A Different Kind of Fix' is out today on Island, and you can buy it here.

I know I've been gone a long time

2011-08-24T17:40:00.000+01:00

And, while I'm mentioning amazing bands I've written about before, you absolutely need to listen to the ever-sublime Boy Mandeville's live Jai Paul cover:

It starts off a little slow, but when that beautiful, intricate, sweet guitar melody really kicks in around halfway through, you'll be left in no doubt as to why this band is so brilliant. Really good stuff.

It's OK to be normal

2011-08-24T17:30:00.000+01:00

I wrote about brilliant Irish band The Gorgeous Colours a while back, but they've recently released another wonderful video with those clever people at Tidal, this time for their track 'It's OK to be Normal'. You definitely need to give it a watch/listen:

It's a delectable, warm track with a slightly eerie undertone that crescendos into something fairly epic and orchestral, and overall it makes me think of a more upbeat, eccentric Arcade Fire. Which obviously means The Gorgeous Colours are pretty awesome.

Austra

2011-08-18T16:24:00.000+01:00

I appreciate that I always open these posts with an excuse, but - again - I've been away, but more than that I think I've had writer's block. This is probably a pretty ridiculous claim given the whole blogging about other people's creativity which requires little of my own creativity, but honestly I haven't known how to write anything on here.

But then on the radio a couple of days ago I heard a song - 'The Beat and the Pulse' - which was quite striking in the sort of Bat For Lashes-esque pretty, delicate, fragile, trancelike sound it had going on, and it was actually by Canadian group Austra who I randomly mentioned last time because they did that lovely cover of 'Alone, Together'. So this is incredibly old news seeing as their debut album was out on Domino back in May, but if you haven't listened and you'd like something a bit different (I'm thinking fans of Beach House, and possibly Beirut off the top off my head) then I'd say this was definitely music worth checking out.

And like I said last time - I love this cover.

MP3: 'Alone, Together' (The Strokes cover) - Austra

Buy 'Let It Break' from here.

People, they don't understand

2011-07-28T15:57:00.000+01:00

It's coming up to the tenth anniversary of The Strokes' 'Is This It' which seems pretty crazy, and you've quite possibly already heard that Stereogum released 'Stroked', a covers album in tribute to the band. The reception amongst Strokes fans hasn't exactly been positive, but I actually found it an interesting experience - it's fun and kind of refreshing to listen to the breezy (mostly chillwave - yes, I'm smirking a little bit) re-imaginings of the songs even if the uptight fangirl in me is occasionally like "no, this is not what this song is like. NO." And as for Heems (of Das Racist) and his take on 'New York City Cops' - probably the most controversial track on 'Stroked' - I get what he's trying to do, and I like the allusions to '99 Problems', so as a rap song in itself it's pretty decent, but really I would've quite liked to hear an actual cover of 'NYCC'. But overall it's a good album to make you remember just how brilliant The Strokes' debut album really is.

'Alone, Together' is one of my favourite songs on 'Is This It', and I thought Austra made a pretty nice cover, with the floaty ethereal sounds, although it loses that gritty, seductive quality that it's got in buckets in the original. A really great cover comes from the morning benders (who I think have a tendency to be quite wonderful) with their version of 'Last Nite', which turns the somewhat legendary song into sugary, tropical pop with sweet, swooning vocals.

MP3: 'Last Nite' (The Strokes cover) - the morning benders

Go and check out 'Stroked' here, and obviously get out your copy of 'Is This It' too so you can rejoice at ten years of a beautiful album.

Michael Kiwanuka

2011-07-26T11:54:00.000+01:00

With his impossibly smooth, soulful voice and that tender guitar playing, Michael Kiwanuka's beautiful music deserves your attention. His debut EP 'Tell Me A Tale' was positively bursting at the seams with a full, warming instrumentation, and Kiwanuka's vocals are deeply rich and soothing. His second EP, 'I'm Getting Ready' is out on September 18th on Communion Records, and - judging by the acoustic live session embedded above - it's going to be pretty wonderful.

And, I won't lie, it makes it all just a little bit cooler that he recorded a lot of his music here on the Isle of Wight.

You can (and should) buy the 'Tell Me A Tale EP' from here.

Amy Winehouse

2011-07-24T12:21:00.003+01:00

It's weird that I wouldn't necessarily have called myself a huge Amy Winehouse fan in spite of the fact I saw her live twice (first time, amazing; second time; completely out of it), loved all of the music that I heard from her, was full of praises for that voice and even dressed-up as her once for a fancy dress party. Which is maybe why for me her death at 27 is such a shock (I suppose I didn't really realise how much I liked her until yesterday) even though everyone is being like "oh, well, we could all see it coming, couldn't we?". Yes, the poor girl had a lot of troubles and addictions, but given that everyone knew that, it just seems horrible that in this day and age there was still nothing that could be done. No, even though they knew about her issues, instead of being in anyway helpful the paparazzi constantly hounded her for any possible story to chart her breakdown because gruesome, tragic stuff like that is what sells.

It sounds like such a clichéd thing to say, but it is such a waste of an incredible talent, and I think it's a real shame that for the short time she was in the limelight not enough of that time was spent making music; two albums when she had so much potential is really sad.

Anyway, I'm not really sure what else to say. Sorry if this is too sincere or whatever, but I'm not about to be one of those really hilarious people whose Facebook status is along the lines of "lololol maybs she should have gone to rehab". I sometimes hate that I'm from a generation where everything has to be "ironic".

I'm going to embed the 'Back to Black' video because it's...disturbingly appropriate, but I'm also linking to a video of the Billie Holiday (the brilliant singer who many feel Winehouse modelled herself on) version of 'Gloomy Sunday' because I just think it's fitting in a jarring kind of way.

Regardless of your personal views on her lifestyle, I maintain Amy Winehouse was a supremely talented singer and she paved the way for real music in the mainstream in an age where everyone else seemed to rely on auto-tune. She was something of an icon. Rest in peace.

Recommended reading: Russell Brand on Amy Winehouse and addiction in The Guardian

Norway

2011-07-23T13:16:00.002+01:00

I've been away, yes, but even then my neglect of late has been kind of ridiculous, but rest assured I am back and about to delve into my inbox and generally catch-up on what's going on in the world of music! Sorry about that...

I realise that this isn't really concerned with music at all, but if we're going to take this blog's title literally, then technically I use music as a way to journal what's happening if that makes sense (a very tenuous link, I know). It's just that it sometimes seems like the bad stuff that happens in the world gets worse and worse each year - or, I suppose, as you get older, you pay more attention to what's happening. Whichever it is, this whole Norway thing is really horrible.

And yeah, I don't really know what else to say about that because I would never pretend to be particularly knowledgeable about current affairs, but it just made me feel inclined to post up this really beautiful, pretty, haunting song called 'Norway' by Beach House (who I have to say have become one of my favourite bands of the past few years). You've probably heard it already, but here it is anyway:

MP3: 'Norway' - Beach House

No Happier

2011-07-04T09:57:00.000+01:00

I'm not actually home at the moment hence the recent lack of posting, but I keep meaning to write about Low Duo, a band made-up of two brothers: Adam and Leigh Greenwood.

They make a sort of melancholic music vaguely reminiscent of The xx and Radiohead. The instrumentation is fairly sparse and simplistic, and yet it's precisely this which gives the music a sort of primal, vital feel, with urgent rhythms like heartbeats, as well as the falsetto vocals intoning the desolate lyrics (like the should-be-cringey-but-just-about-works, "let me drown in the rain"). There are sudden crescendoes and diminuendos, both of which add to the intense dramatic feel of the otherwise nicely minimalist music.

Definitely worth listening to if you haven't already.

MP3: 'No Happier' - Low Duo

You can go and listen to/buy Low Duo's music here. They're doing some touring this summer, so might be a good idea to go and watch them too.

B.O.H.E.M.I.A.N

2011-06-21T12:56:00.000+01:00

I've written the title of Australian retro-pop musician, Joel Sarakula's debut UK single with all the full-stops in-between because if you liked the simple but appeasing jauntiness of Noah and the Whale's 'L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N' or indeed The Kinks' 'Lola', then I think you might just like this song.

'Bohemian' is out on Art Parade Records on July 4th, and you should definitely give it a try if you want a hearty, old-fashioned pop song that grows on you with each listen. Extra points for the very pretty instrumentation. Oh, and no: I have no idea what's going on the video.

P.S. if any of you Bohemians are heading out to Glastonbury right now, you need to go and check out the MSF Live events; there'll be all sorts of exciting live performances (Ed Sheeran, True Tiger, Example, Treetop Flyers to name a few) and also an amazing insight into the incredible frontline work that the people at MSF do, including an interactive cholera treatment centre which I imagine will be very poignant. If you have the time to spare, do go and give it a look!

Interview: IS TROPICAL

2011-06-14T21:32:00.002+01:00

IS TROPICAL make some really good music. I could wax lyrical about this mysterious band in the needlessly wordy reviews this blog normally delights in, but, really, that says it all. They've been making waves recently with their controversial (read: amazing) video for ridiculously catchy/frenzied/summery single, 'The Greeks' which you can watch here (though be warned it has an 18+ rating over on youtube ) and overall there's something undeniably thrilling and fun about their anarchic take on pop music. Here's an interview I did with them so you can learn more about this exciting trio - I did consider editing it to make all their sentences start with caps etc., but I'm kind of into the e.e. cummings vibe:

Who are IS TROPICAL? How did IS TROPICAL come to be? And also, to clarify, is it supposed to be in caps or do you not really mind?

caps are good. there's nothing worse than a capital 'I' next to a lower case 's'. but yeah, IS TROPICAL are a dance/punk/pop kinda band from london, we make music at home because we are incapable of real life. we met each other playing around squat parties and throwing ourselves out of windows. we wrote a song called Zombie (which is on the album) and we were like... holy shit people around the world need to hear this so we can become youtube sensations.

Is there a reason for the vaguely connected seafaring references in your band name, song titles and lyrics - e.g. tropical, south pacific, seasick mutiny, S.O.S.?

all of us independently grew up near the sea... and it's a powerful image. we went swimming in the sea once in spain at dawn, had a race to a buoy. escapism and the symbolism around mariner's culture is easy to get. everyone feels it. it's the origin.

People seem to struggle with labelling your music, so if you could make up the name of a new musical genre to describe your sound what would it be and why?

no we wouldn't want to make up a new genre name. the internet has meant that people are now free to listen to all kinds of music next to each other. why would we encourage useless categorisation of what we do? we're not even sure what it is, which is what makes it exciting for us.

Who would you say your biggest influences are?

wu tang, ratatat, lou reed, taio cruz

I hate to ask a mask-related question, but I feel like it has to be done: you famously wear masks, and when you perform live you face one another rather than the audience. Do you have particular ideas about retaining an aura of mystery when it comes to band aesthetics, or are you just really self-conscious?

when we play and face each other, it's because we're just trying to create some kind of energy on stage. we don't like the idea of frontmen and that played out, bogus posturing that bands seem to have to go through. we can thank the Beatles for inventing band's having riders when they play but it doesnt mean that a gig has to be a fashion show. so the masks started out as an attempt to make a distinction between us performing as a live show, and now it's turned into a ritual that i don't think we could forego.

Judging by YouTube your live performances are pretty amazing (sorry I haven't actually seen you live yet), but who are your favourite live acts?

i watched Rage play live at Lollapalooza when i was younger - that was one of the most impressive gigs i've been to. other bands that are really good live are Women, Pet Shop Boys (seriously), DOM (banter), and Klaxons, obvs,

Your video for B-side 'Tan Man' [I strongly urge you to go watch here] is probably one of the best music videos I've ever seen (although the bit with them in clown-ish face paint kind of freaks me out). How did it come to be?

simon just made that in the tour bus when we were fucked on our way to a festival or something. it's cool right? love the olsen twins. apparently one of them is a real party animal now. CALL ME

Who is your favourite Olsen twin?

that one i just talked about, Gis Olsen

What is your favourite retro dance move?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUBE850kay0

What would be your perfect pizza?

the pizza kebab. it's our invention. basically you get every kind of pizza, and then stack it up on a skewer and just shave bits off.

I feel like I should probably ask you something about music - your album, 'Native to', is out on Kitsuné. What can we expect from that?

lol. our album's basically a bit of a snapshot of where we've been up until now. it's quite diverse, but we spent a while getting the songs in the right order. all of the weird eccentricities from the demos, some happy mistakes, some in-jokes... alot of bass, generally a danceable ADD pop album made purely for the love of it. there's some song's people wouldn't have heard on there, as well as reworkings of our original set of demos. draw your own conclusions, answers on a postcard.

You released single 'The Greeks' as a free download - where do you stand on the whole "should people pay for music"/"mp3s vs. physical releases"/general-state-of-the-music-industry type thing? (...Pretend that makes sense, please).

err... the music industry is fine. people who complain about 'the state of the music industry' are the people who used to make a killing by exploiting music and it's fans... recent changes have made home-made recordings more viable, and have opened the way for anyone to try and create music. good stuff will always stand out, and truly great bands will always be supported by the people who are into them. music is made to be free. what you pay for is the object, the value comes from the love you have of it. if you don't really give a fuck about a band and wanna check out their music, download it. if you love it, buy a t-shirt or something. or tell your mates who have a bit of spare cash.

Any recommended listening?

have a listen to Becoming Real and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. and totally try and check out One Man Destruction Show - he doesn't have much stuff online, but if you email us we'll hook you up with some of his demos. they are brutal.

I just saw an interview with you where Dom said "if in 10 years time you’re still doing the same things you’re doing now it’s just not right. One should always be doing something different." So outside of the band, what different things do you enjoy doing?

we all make art - we get involved with the band artwork and do some painting and stuff when we have days off... we also like skating really fast down hills and jumping over stuff in service station car parks. we make a mixtape every now and then with our mates' music and new stuff we've heard. umm, there's more but i can't remember. oh and we love getting all our girlfriends together and cooking them a nice meal. awww

Highlights of the band so far?

highlights have been going to tokyo and moscow; collaborating with billabong to make a limited edition run of t-shirts...; also making the album with jimmy robertson was a really important moment for us. all of these things have been like rites of passage which have brought us together and solidified our passion for making music

Thank you so much for your time! Any final words while you've got our attention?

simon - Peace

gary - Deep

dom - Enchilada

MP3: 'The Greeks' - IS TROPICAL

Many, many thanks to IS TROPICAL and Giovanna over at Sure Shot. 'Native to' is out this week on Kitsuné and you can buy it here, or if you're an MP3 kind of person, from iTunes. You definitely need to give this music a listen if you're into raucous, sometimes-scuzzy sometimes-clean, electro-pop sounds which will woo you into trying out some of those retro dance moves. Delectable listening.

"As if every thought that tumbles through your head was so clever it would be a crime for it not to be shared."

2011-06-11T12:30:00.000+01:00

So, I'm on the Isle of Wight but not at this weekend's festival. How's that going for me? Well, let's just say for all I've brushed off Kings of Leon's newer songs, it was still fairly bleak hearing their music drifting over the fields through my open window last night; 'Knocked Up' sounded particularly good.

To distract myself I watched 'The Social Network' again for the first time since I saw it at the cinema (yes I'm pretending to be a film blog again), expecting to be disappointed; after the cinema I was singing endless praises about the film to a friend of mine and she'd thought it was "pretty good" but not as all-out amazing as I was painting it, so I thought maybe I'd exaggerated it. But months later, I think I liked it even more last night - you pick up on so much more the second-time around, the incredible details both visually and script-wise and the heartbreaking falling-apart of the friendship between the brilliant Eisenberg and Garfield and it's just... wow.

The soundtrack in general has rightfully been the subject of much praise, and on top of Ross and Reznor's brilliantly ambient compositions the use of 'Baby, You're a Rich Man' (one of my favourites on 'Magical Mystery Tour') at the end is wonderfully executed. But a very magical music-related moment has to be the trailer itself, which is easily one of the best trailers I've ever seen. The choral version of Radiohead's 'Creep' is just beautifully evocative here, and I love the way the lyrics fit so well with the theme - "I want you to notice, when I'm not around", as someone types in "where are you?" on a Facebook page.

So whatever to Kings of Leon, and then Pulp tonight and all the other exciting acts playing down the road from me this weekend. I'm watching films so good that I can't really articulate my feelings more eloquently than just writing "wow", which is at least a lot better than sitting around moping listening to the hazy sounds of the Isle of Wight Festival. There's lots more I could say about this film, but I'll refrain because I suspect we're all better off if I actually write about music in the future.

MP3: 'Creep' (Radiohead cover) - Scala and Kolacny Brothers

Buy 'The Social Network' from here, and the Academy award-winning soundtrack from here.

Towns

2011-06-08T18:23:00.001+01:00

One thing I've recently realised I'm particularly guilty of doing on this blog is saying that songs evoke a "sense of nostalgia" for me, and yet the songs in question tend to be reminiscent of eras I wasn't actually alive in. Modern music often conveys the sense of another time, certainly, but is it nostalgic if it's not actually a time you witnessed? I'm not so sure.

So, the point of the above is that it makes me quite happy to genuinely be able to say that brilliant Bristolian band Towns do, in fact, make me feel nostalgic - listening to them gives me that warm, fuzzy sense of reminiscence and fondness for the decade in which I was born and spent my early days in: the '90s. Admittedly during these formative years I wasn't actively consuming music beyond the Spice Girls, but you do subconsciously absorb the music you hear on the radio and the TV, and so when singer James McLucas sings, in that wispy voice brimming with whimsy, "can't we just be kids again?" in their song 'Fields', for me it really doubly strikes a chord. And, I'll admit, it helps that since then I've discovered a real penchant for some of the alternative music that was happening in the early '90s. It'd be doing Towns a massive injustice to just make them out as some Britpop tribute act, though; they make floaty, dazed songs with breezy backing vocals and euphoric yet poignant choruses that beg to be sung along with. Essentially, this young four-piece of childhood friends and siblings (who bizarrely only started making music together in February!) make me very eager to hear more from them soon.

MP3: 'Heads Off' - Towns

You can and should buy 'Fields' and 'Heads Off' from here on iTunes.

Shake the Baron

2011-06-05T20:51:00.004+01:00

With regards to the current "underground" musical scene, most people will tell you that dubstep is the sound getting them excited - with reason, as it's a style searching hitherto unexplored swathes of music; wild and feral, and yet with definite crossover potential. Otherwise most music right now sees bands taking up synths, or embracing more folkish sounds; not that I take issue with this, because as previous posts will assert I love those types of music, but where does the electric guitar fit into this brave new world?

Already famous guitar bands are exempt from this - I mean, 'Suck It and See' is a really good album* but Arctic Monkeys are an established group, so their new efforts are bound to get media attention. In 2011, however, new guitar bands aren't getting quite the same coverage as they might have done say five years ago, and in the instances that they do they're not quite as good as the hype makes them out to be. It's not necessarily a bad thing, mind you; with so much (often mediocre) guitar rock/pop in the previous few years, it's quite nice that music is branching out a bit.

But then, I think NYC-based Shake The Baron do a very good job of reminding you just what can be so great about guitar music in the first place; the sweetness of a riff, the brash propulsion of the drums and enticing vocal hooks. In the context of guitar rock/pop as a whole, it's hardly innovational, but their eponymous debut album is nonetheless a nicely refreshing listen. That it was mixed by Justin Gerrish, the engineer behind Vampire Weekend's sophomore album, is not necessarily a surprise - 'Shake the Baron' displays much of that same vivacity and easy affinity with a light, airy melody, and the vocals recall the affability of Ezra Koenig, if shining through a slightly dirty window (does this even make sense as an image? I just don't know anymore). Or, actually, a bit like a less nasal James Mercer from The Shins.

The point I'm trying to establish here is that Shake The Baron are making some pretty sublime guitar pop/rock songs, and - while the album has its highs and lows - if you want to remember just what it was you loved about this genre in the first place, it might be a good place to start.

MP3: 'Tree House' - Shake the Baron

You can watch a recent series of live sessions by Benjamin Sweet here and their music is out on Super Duper Records, so go and buy some here.

*Discounting 'Brick By Brick', obvs.

An Education

2011-06-01T20:14:00.002+01:00

I do actually have so much great new music I'm planning on posting about over the next few days, but I needed an outlet to express my love for this Mel Tormé masterpiece. I watched 'An Education' for the second time last night - bearing in mind that it's actually only been a few weeks since I first saw it, it is definitely a film I would very much recommend. Uniformly superb acting, brilliant script, visually nice, and...ah, let's face it; there's a reason I'm not a film blogger.

So to head back to my somewhat tenuous area of expertise, the soundtrack in general is really fun, evoking the anticipation of the swinging sixties, but it was particularly the scene with this song that really stuck in my mind (to the point I found that I was anticipating it before it actually happened when I watched it for a second time).

I don't know why, but I genuinely can't stop listening to this, with its swaggering lead vocals and the cool backing singers. Instrumentally there's this easy but invigorating undercurrent swinging through, and there is some wonderful organ-playing going on. I feel a real need for someone to play this at a party so I can dance to it like they do in the film; the song just has such a great, feel-good vibe.

I'll finish with the discussion from the scene in question which sticks with me for reasons unknown:

"I'm still trying to work out what makes good things good. It's hard, isn't it?"

"The thing is, Jenny, you know, without necessarily being able to explain why. See, you have taste.  That's not half the battle. That's the whole war."

Go and watch this film. You can buy the brilliant soundtrack here.

Still life, you know I'm listening

2011-05-26T14:04:00.000+01:00

Fittingly for this summer, this kind of brings to mind 'Screamadelica' in the slow ambient and somewhat anthemic beauty that permeates the track, but it rises above just being a song I can make comparative points about. This is the sort of music I want soundtracking my 2011.

And this is just a taster of 'Skying', their third album released in July on XL Recordings. I would never once have believed just how much thrilled anticipation I have for this album.

"I'm just a Song and Dance Man"

2011-05-24T14:14:00.000+01:00

Today is Bob Dylan's 70th birthday. In his lengthy career he's constantly been a source of controversy, constantly subverted expectations, at times seemed a little bit weird, and in spite of all this - or perhaps, because of it - he is somewhat of a legend. It's cliché to say his lyrics are poetry, it's unoriginal and uninteresting to say I like his earlier work (everything from the '60s) better, but I don't feel like there's any point lying about my opinions. In those earlier albums I also like his voice, even though the general consensus is "lol Bob Dylan can't sing", but I personally think the vocals suit his songs. I have less interest in his newer work because I'll admit his voice now is too croaky for me, but that at 70 he's still making stuff with his raspy voice and still out touring wherever he pleases, with little interest in how anyone else perceives his actions is all pretty awesome.

Happy birthday, man.

MP3: 'It Ain't Me Babe' (Bob Dylan cover) - Fleet Foxes

Carnivores

2011-05-18T19:04:00.001+01:00

I don't know anything about Carnivores except that they're from Atlanta, they're about to start touring the UK with Black Lips, and that their 'Chandelier EP' - along with the rest of their music - makes for some pretty great listening. They make woozy yet forceful psychedelic songs that swirl dazedly yet consumingly around in your head.

Possibly because the whole "touring with them" thing makes the connection obvious in my mind, but some of their scuzzier offerings recall early Black Lips (circa their incredible cover of 'Hippie, Hippie, Hoorah'). At slightly cleaner (yet no less psychedelic) moments you might be reminded of a less poppy MGMT; or, less contemporarily, there are obviously comparisons to be made with the original tripped-out '60s psychedelia, notably on their aforementioned EP. You imagine the sultry summer sounds on display in opening track, 'I Like to Be Confused (I Love You)' and 'Second Impulse' wouldn't have been out of place at Woodstock (unoriginal first '60s hippie reference I could think of? ...Yeah, pretty much). It also reminds me a bit of Cat's Eyes and the lighter moments on 'Primary Colours' with the entrancing laced-in sound of the organ.

All the comparisons might be viewed as detracting from their originality, but that is not what I meant at all (yes; I'm channelling Prufrock) - it's just that there's a certain warmth and familiarity in these hazy songs which makes for instant lovely listening, yet they also hold the promise of longevity and interest for future listens.

Carnivores' 'Chandelier EP' was released in March, and is now available for a highly recommended free download (thanks to Double Phantom Digital) from here. Also check out (and download if you like) their session with the ever awesome Daytrotter here. They're starting their tour from tomorrow, and I suggest you go and see them.

Idiot Glee

2011-05-14T09:55:00.000+01:00

When I write that a song gives out a sense of nostalgia, this generally implies a sense of warmth and comfort; when Idiot Glee came onto the scene last year though, this idea was turned on its head. There is something a little bit creepy and discomforting about the old-fashioned pop style of these songs, as though they're being played in the dead of night in an empty diner on a haunted jukebox. And yet, as fans of Kentucky's James Friley, aka. Idiot Glee will tell you, this is exactly what makes for some really fantastic and fascinating listening.

The songs (some of which you can check out on his Bandcamp) are weirdly slow and lingering, with deep, smooth vocals floating on top of it all; dreamlike, odd, and yet strangely fun. I'm reminded of The Beatles' 'I'm Only Sleeping' in how distorted and dazed it all is, and yet his stuff doesn't really sound like that song at all.

I don't know how to put it better, I just know this is music worth listening to.

MP3: 'All Packed Up' - Idiot Glee

Idiot Glee's debut album, 'Paddywhack' is released this coming Monday on Moshi Moshi, and you can pre-order it from here. He's touring in Europe at the moment, and will be playing London tonight, so if you can I would recommend going to see him.

Boy Mandeville

2011-05-05T18:09:00.001+01:00

Last November a good friend of mine invited me to a ball at her university and, as she knows I do this whole pretentious music blog thing, she asked if I'd ever heard of the band who would be playing that night - Boy Mandeville. My answer was an honest "no", and so when they arrived I wasn't sure what to expect. Obviously by now the night is a bit of a blur, but I do remember being really impressed by their live show and telling complete strangers, "I'm going to write about them on my blog!".

If you regularly read this blog, it will not be a surprise that it's taken me this long to get around to it.

Their new single, 'Gorilla' is out at the end of this month, and has served as a personal reminder of just how good they are. It's an incredibly lazy comparison to bring up the similarities between them and Vampire Weekend solely on the basis of their leaning towards afro-pop fusions, but as a big fan of both bands I do mean it in an entirely complimentary way when I say if you like Vampire Weekend, you'll be very into these guys.

In 'Gorilla' Boy Mandeville have made music that's the perfect accompaniment to a glowing summer's day; gentle and playful with this wonderful lilting quality in the warm vocals, the smooth, agile instrumentals and the beautifully danceable calypso beats. "I found a sweet harmony" sings the chorus, and I can't think of a better word than "sweet" to describe the tone of this song - joyful and happy without being overly saccharine, it's just begging to be played at a festival for some outlandish dancing in a field under the bright sunshine.

They'll be playing at Joe Bloggers on May 19th at Dingwalls in Camden alongside some other amazing artists. It's a night curated by some of my favourite blogs, so I highly recommend you get yourself to that if you can - my memories of their performance in November combined with this amazing video make it clear that they are quite the live act:

It's really not often enough that music is just so much fun.

'Gorilla' is released on Round The Dial Records on digital May 30th, and physically on June 6th. I urge you to go and buy it.

Hunting Bears

2011-05-01T12:49:00.001+01:00

Someone posted a link to this video as a comment on a really old post the other day, and I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. I mean, firstly it might have just been spam, and secondly with the masses of folkish music coming out nowadays, you might worry it'd be getting boring or samey by now.

In this live recording of their song, 'Heavy Tree', however, Hunting Bears display a natural affinity with really intricate and intense folk stylings, as the song ripples through gentler sounds whilst slowly building into a majestic and confident crescendo. It's filmed in the clock tower of Leeds Town Hall, which certainly adds to the atmospheric performance as the ringing bells herald in the beginning of performance.

I especially love the use of the harp, which is on my list of "instruments I wish I could play"- it sounds truly sublime in this recording, adding sweet little embellishments to an already beautiful track. The band really seem to know what they're doing, and - even better - they seem to be enjoying it. There are some great harmonies between the vocals and the instruments are all played deftly.

Hunting Bears will be releasing an EP later this year. If you're into folk, their stuff is very much worth a listen.

"And did those feet in ancient times..."

2011-04-29T15:55:00.000+01:00

I appreciate that most of the people interested in the music blogdom are probably far too cool to be interested in the Royal Wedding, but I'm not, and regardless of your sentiments about today's festivities, music is music, and both musically and lyrically speaking 'Jerusalem' is just such a beautiful hymn:

...Well, I quite enjoyed it anyway. Some of the other hymns were really wonderful too - there was this Latin one which I don't know the name of that was really stunning and overall it was all just very nice. Anyway, have a good time regardless of whether or not you're celebrating today!

Go Out and Get It

2011-04-26T20:35:00.001+01:00

Oh man, what am I doing with my life nowadays? I only saw this today, and it's been out for almost two months. Two months! Poor effort.

Posting it up late anyway, because this is just a full-on explosion of raucous summer fun and heady excitement. Vivian Girls are even in it:

Black Lips' new Mark Ronson-produced album, 'Arabia Mountain', is out in June on VICE records and I for one am very excited.

Hymns from Nineveh

2011-04-20T11:46:00.000+01:00

Chances are you've already listened to Hymns from Nineveh because you're far more down with new-ish music than I am (really not that hard), but I wanted to write about him anyway because I'm reading 'Moby Dick' right now and so the ancient city of Nineveh to which Jonah was sent seemed vaguely relevant.

Hymns from Nineveh, otherwise known as Jonas Petersen, is from Copenhagen, and he makes gentle, sweet and comforting folky-pop songs which are the aural equivalent of a warm embrace from a good friend. The instrumentation is really nicely put together, and while at times it feels the songs might be lulling into an all-too-conventional easy listening territory, there are some pretty little twists and turns to keep you interested.

You can buy the self-titled debut album here. And I'd recommend getting hold of 'Moby Dick' too actually - I bought it for £2 the other day with no high hopes - I mean, I appreciate it's a classic but I really didn't think a book about whaling would be of interest - but I was wrong, and it's actually really good.

Rubik

2011-04-16T18:41:00.000+01:00

Two posts in one day seems massively keen from me as there's normally a solid three weeks or so between posts, but I had to breakthrough my poor blogging tendencies in order to acknowledge the amazingness of Finland's finest, Rubik.

Their single 'Laws of Gravity' is full of pounding drums and light, airy melodies, catchy vocals and essentially makes me want to dance around ridiculously and pretend my life is a John Hughes movie. Play it loud while the sun is still shining, and revel in the strange yet dazzling monkey noises.

You need to listen to these guys if you have any interest whatsoever in beautiful, twinkling dream-pop which has a hint of the odd and the experimental about it; this band is incredible.

Their fantastic album, 'Solar' is out in the UK on May 2nd, and you should be able to buy it from here.

MP3: 'Wasteland' (RAC Remix) - Rubik

P.S. There are no record stores where I live, so unhappy Record Store Day to me. Well, unless you count HMV, but I'm somehow doubtful they're doing much celebrating. Hope you've all been enjoying the rarities being released etc at any rate.

Is Is

2011-04-16T11:37:00.000+01:00

I feel like the general perception of Yeah Yeah Yeahs is that they did that lovely song 'Maps' and oh man, 'It's Blitz!' was a pretty fun album; all well and good, but I've been rediscovering their 2007 'Is Is EP' over the past few days and I just don't understand why people never talk about it when referring to the Yeah Yeah Yeah's oeuvre. With all due respect to the aforementioned works of the band, 'Is Is' is a far-cry from the glitzy pop of 'It's Blitz' and doesn't exactly recall 'Maps', the song that so many NME.com readers picked for the song they'd like played for their first dance at a wedding.

This five-track EP is raw, frantic and dirty and sees the band channelling that underground New York cool with a seductive shrugging indifference; Karen O could easily be the female incarnate of Lou Reed, while Zinner and Chase play with an incredible intensity. It serves as a reminder that while they're perfectly awesome at the catchy synth-laced tunes they've more recently become known for, at their heart they are undeniably one hell of a rock band.

MP3: '10 X 10' - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Buy the 'Is Is' EP here.

'Sorry I Took So Long'

2011-04-14T15:56:00.000+01:00

Seems a relevant title for my ever-sporadic posting, but it's also the title of the My Panda Shall Fly debut EP that came out at the beginning of this week.

I'm not normally a big listener of this kind of music - cool, jittering, atmospheric electronica/bass - and as such it initially proved to be an uneasy listen, in the sense that I never felt entirely comfortable or able to immerse myself in it. But then I realised I was listening to it during the daytime, and discovered that at night it transforms, and becomes a weird, slow yet frenetic, exciting and intense jungle creature of an EP - fitting perhaps, as Suren Seneviratne, the man behind MPSF, hails from London via Sri Lanka. There is certainly a sort of vivid allure and richness to the sounds on show here, and it's all pretty dazzling somehow.

If you're looking for something a bit different and perhaps something of a challenge (I'm assuming if you read this blog we have pretty similar musical tastes), I'd recommend checking this one out. You might not enjoy it 100%, but there's plenty of sounds and styles to be appreciated here.

'Sorry I Took So Long' is out now on Growing (Wichita Recordings).

Rosie Sleightholme

2011-04-03T12:19:00.002+01:00

In my previous post I mentioned a love for pretty songs, and I do wonder if the word 'pretty' doesn't quite give my sentiments justice because it's one of those words that gets overused and has ended-up as a sort of underwhelming version of 'beautiful'. 'Pretty', to me, is a word that conveys delicate, intricate beauty, fragility, and something a bit dazzling or unusual.

By that definition then, unsigned Londoner Rosie Sleightholme makes some very pretty music; rich and mesmerising in the varied timbre of piano, guitar, bass, 'cello and violin (the latter played, I am told, upside down in the same style as a 'cello). I suppose the idea of 'fragility' is a bit debatable here though, because her voice at once conveys that underlying ethereal tenderness, while at the same time showcasing some incredibly powerful and unwavering vocals, striking pitch-perfect notes both high and low with a wonderful fluidity that recalls (a British) Joni Mitchell.

Speaking of Mitchell, there's very much a captivating contrast between the old and the new in Sleightholme's intricately woven songs. While there is certainly something a bit old-fashioned about her folkish tunes, there's also often an unusual modern twist on them, with handclaps and electric drumbeats lending something a bit fragmented and jaunty to her sound. Indeed, she's comparable to more contemporary songstresses too; both Florence and Regina come to mind at their more stripped-down, melodic moments.

'Valentine' is one of my favourites, abundant with flowing piano and interweaving string parts, with the simple yet undeniably beautiful and evocative refrain of "you make me feel alive". The honesty and sincerity on display should perhaps be mawkish or embarrassing, but instead it's just very touching and calming; traits which are in fact true of all of Sleightholme's songs thus far.

MP3: 'Valentine' - Rosie Sleightholme

You need to give her a listen, so go to her SoundCloud and enjoy some of her tracks from her self-recorded EP, 'Full Circle'. I can only imagine she'd be brilliant live - a judgement backed up wholeheartedly by her YouTube page - and she's got lots of gigs coming up which are listed on her page, so go and see her too.

Looking forward to hearing more of these stunning, pretty songs.

Photo credit: Lucy Grace Norris

YBP Wilderness Sessions

2011-03-31T14:09:00.001+01:00

I'm renowned amongst my friends for having pretty weird taste in music, a perception that perhaps came about when one of my friends put my music on shuffle at a party and Devendra Banhart's track 'Sister' came on - the intro to that song is wonderfully odd, but unfortunately none of my friends quite, er, got it (for those of you who haven't heard it, it starts with him coughing and mumbling incoherently).

So I'm always very excited when someone else is actually into the same sort of artists as I am, and the bright and quirky Yellow Bird Project are - judging by the acts they've worked with - very much into the strange, hazy, pretty sort of music that I like.

Basically they're a non-profit organisation who raise money for various charities by working with with all sorts of brilliant indie artists. Previous collaborators include Beach House, of Montreal , Broken Social Scene, Grizzly Bear and - of course - Devendra Banhart himself. Suffice to say they got me very intrigued; if somewhat disbelieving that I'd never heard of them before.

In the past the artists have designed beautiful t-shirts, which the Yellow Bird Project then print and sell to raise money for the charity of the artist's choice which is obviously all very cool. This month, however, they decided to add a little bit extra to the package and so the acts involved from now on will perform a live session, of which the resultant videos will be posted on the YBP website.

Much buzzed-about young London group, Dry the River, makers of forceful yet fragile folk (points for alliteration) were the first to get involved, and you can see their sublime 'Wilderness Sessions' here in which they perform before a colourful life-sized paper-cut art installation which resembles the outdoor wilderness. Plus you can buy their awesome t-shirt from the same link.

Part 1, their song 'History Book', is below:

I can appreciate that I have essentially just written an advert for the project and you might not be interested (you heartless monster), but the Yellow Bird Project is raising money for worthy causes by allowing you to purchase the visual creations of some amazing musicians, and now there are even some live sessions in the mix which are wonderful both musically and aesthetically; as far as I'm concerned it's a pretty great initiative.

Get involved.

Also, go listen to/buy some of Dry the River's music here.

The Strokes - 'Angles'

2011-03-20T12:21:00.001Z

At a recent show in Vegas - their first gig in promotion of 'Angles' - The Strokes opened with the Room on Fire track, 'I Can't Win'. This seemed an incredibly appropriate choice, because it is exactly the problem the band will be facing with this, their fourth LP. In fact, you could say that this has been true of all their efforts since groundbreaking debut 'Is This It', which arrived in such a flurry of hype and excitement that the guys have unfairly had it very tough with the critics and the public-alike since.

They're constantly put-down by the more smug, resentful critics as being a lazy rip-off of The Velvet Underground and Television, but simultaneously when they break away from the more scuzzy rock'n'roll sound the critics - and even some fans - say they're trying too hard and wish they'd go back to "sounding like The Strokes" (because who would want a band to grow when they could try to make the same record over and over again, right?!). And after a five year break, far from being forgotten, the group played some of their biggest shows to date, and there has been much heady anticipation surrounding album number four. Regardless of what they do then, it seems they'll never please everyone, but - perhaps as a result of so much critical acclaim so early on - the great thing about The Strokes is that they don't take the media too seriously.

However, the speculation during the band's incredibly long hiatus seemed to highlight resent within the band, and issues with Julian Casablancas being the sole songwriter; an 'I Can't Win' situation with critics and fans is something they seemed to accept with a shrug, but when it got to the point that only one member of the band seemed fully happy with their output, change was in order. As such, 'Angles' saw material coming from all five members of the band and - although not quite a perfect work - it's definitely an album that proves a certain amount of compromise can be a very great thing indeed.

Again, by making an album that attempts to please everyone in the band, it's an album that certainly won't please all its listeners - forays into 1980s new wave sounds, synths and songs that wouldn't sound amiss on albums by groups as diverse as TV on the Radio and Thin Lizzy? Even guitarist Nick Valensi has agreed that it might not appeal to some of the fans.

But for those willing to branch out a bit, whilst still embracing the happy rock of early Strokes, 'Angles' is quite the album. On first listen you immediately grow attached to certain songs (notably the incredible sunshine shuffle of opener 'Machu Picchu' and the smooth beauty of final track 'Life is Simple in the Moonlight'), but there are songs that initially appear to be weaker. This is by no means a weakness of the album though, but a strength, because 'Angles' grows on you like a venomous tentacula (yes, I went for the geeky HP ref). Songs that didn't immediately grab me - 'You're So Right' and 'Two Kinds of Happiness' - are now songs I enjoy listening to, especially the former with it's awesome intensity. For swirling electro epic 'Games', guitar rock purists are given lead single 'Under Cover of Darkness' which is a song that most definitely has that fun, nonchalant Strokes "sound". There is definitely something for everyone here.

(I love the use of the YOLO video at the beginning of this, because it does sort of point to the fact that this is The new Strokes).

So for me the main problem is what was perhaps always going to be an issue with 'Angles' - the cohesiveness of the album as a whole. As the first Strokes album with five contributors - The Strokes 2.0 - I feel like the band still need to work out a balance, because from my point of view the album doesn't quite flow as nicely as it could. It's a minor flaw though, and all the new sounds combined with old make me very excited for seeing the band live again, and also fill me with thrilled anticipation for album number five.

And as Valensi said, “You can’t make everyone happy. I’ve always liked the fun swing of Last Nite, Someday and UCOD, but we have to grow too. It’s impossible to make every fan happy. The other members are my barometer. We’ve thought this way since the very first record.”

This is what's so great about the group, because it's really the attitude all bands should have; if they're happy with their music, then screw everyone else. Luckily for us, when The Strokes are happy with something, it tends to mean it's pretty bloody wonderful. They're not the same band they were 10 years ago, but why should they be? 10 years ago I was listening to Sum 41 and Shakira - people change (although to be honest I'm still a big fan of my old Destiny's Child albums. And don't get me started on *NSYNC and JT).

Anyway, at the risk of embarrassing myself and sounding incredibly cheesy: for me at least, The Strokes always win.

'Angles' is released tomorrow on Rough Trade and subjective love of the band aside, I really do think it's an album worth listening to. You can buy it from here.

Tomorrow We Sail

2011-03-18T10:59:00.000Z

So, er, when I said I'd be doing some posting in the next few days I actually meant in the next two weeks. Obvs.

Unfortunately none of my Glastonbury bands of choice made it onto the epic shortlist (although coincidentally Tristram, the band I mentioned last post for want of something topical, have made it through which is pretty cool).

But this seems all the more reason to make you aware of Tomorrow We Sail, the lovely Leeds group on my shortlist who make some really powerful songs. While their music isn't actually purely instrumental, one of the great things about them is that they give the music time to speak without the aid of lyrics; they're not afraid to let the instruments - violins, 'cellos, guitars and drums - explore the space for a bit; not urged into conventionality and hurriedly getting to a familiar part we can all singalong to, which is a brave move for such a green band.

Their songs are slow-burning and ambient, and while at points it might feel like they're getting overly indulgent, for the most-part those moments are balanced-out with moments where you just think "wow" and so overall it's definitely worth listening to them and seeing where their future releases take them.

Their debut EP, 'The Common Fire' is an incredibly peaceful listen with undertones of darkness and fragility, and stand-out track 'Threads' is just unbelievably pretty and affecting, making atmospheric use of the instrumentation as well as showcasing some beautiful interplay between the calming yet often chilling vocals.

MP3: 'Threads' - Tomorrow We Sail

Stream and buy 'The Common Fire' EP here.

Stumbling Home

2011-03-07T23:05:00.000Z

So I'm back home from India, and back to blogging properly (with the exception of that sweet, fangirl-y post about how great it is that The Strokes are back).

Today saw the announcement of the longlist for the 2011 Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition, so do go and check out my choices alongside the choices of 38 amazing bloggers; plus one collective group filling in for someone who dropped-out.

So anyway, over the next few days I'll be writing about the three acts I chose and why, as well as telling you about some other very good acts I discovered in the process.

In a vague attempt to make this relevant, I searched for the word 'home' in my iTunes ('cause I'm home now; see?), and - quite fittingly (ho ho) - stumbled upon a group called Tristram and their song 'Stumbling Home'. Fully aware I should go into stand-up or something. Obviously I downloaded this song at some point, for whatever reason, and never got around to listening to it, but I'm very glad I've found it now.

In 'Stumbling Home' we are treated to a soothing, gentle folk number which has this je ne sais quoi about it that makes it seem exceedingly sincere and special. The group's more recent offerings have seen forays into less conventional areas of the folk spectrum - think breakbeats and looping 'cellos - which are surprisingly just as affecting and romantic.

MP3: 'Stumbling Home' - Tristram

Buy Tristram's latest EP 'Accidents and Artifice' here.

Under Cover of Darkness

2011-02-10T15:43:00.000Z

The Strokes are back. It's really good.

I'm very excited.

That is all.

Just so you know

2011-02-07T04:39:00.000Z

I'm in India right now, and between that and the Glastonbury judging I haven't had time to blog properly and catch-up on what's happening in my inbox; I'll get on it again soon, promise.

For now, check out the feast for the eyes that is the vibrant, exotic and India-tastic video for Shape Worship's synthy delight, 'The Sunning Wall':

Heathers

2011-01-30T15:13:00.000Z

At some point soon, I do plan on watching the film 'Heathers', because not only does it seem like the sort of film I'd love, it's also served as musical inspiration for some pretty sweet music - Summer Camp's amazing track, 'Veronica Sawyer' definitely comes to mind. Plus it'd be satisfying to understand the meaning of, "what's your damage?" after years of pretence.

Moreover, an exciting Irish two-piece - aptly named Heathers - are making some very good music indeed, and this makes me think that the film must have been something quite special.

With surprisingly sparse instrumentation, twins Ellie and Louise McNamara make simple yet attitude-laced acoustic music, full of sometimes-clashing harmonies between the sugar-sweet vocals, forceful guitars and even the occasional 'cello; all of which makes for some really exciting listening. It's no wonder that they can list queen of anti-folk Kimya Dawson as a fan; their music evokes the sound of youthful radicalism and nonchalance, all with a pinch of good humour, and all in all definitely merits a listen.

Their new single, 'Slices of Palama' is out now - buy that and their debut album here. You can also get a free download of 'Margie' here. Get listening.

Hey Sholay

2011-01-26T23:59:00.000Z

Hey Sholay are a psychedelic band from Sheffield with a quirky penchant for dressing-up (at least, judging by the photo above and the more common shot of them dressed in bear costumes). "Calculated silliness" is the random 'History Boys' quote that comes to mind because this oddball behaviour might put you off, but it's one of the great things about Hey Sholay - they don't take themselves too seriously, and it's clear they enjoy doing what they do.

Their song 'Dreamboat' sounds exactly like you might imagine it - dreamy, really colourful and vivid like some hazy, happy nostalgia-trip. They remind me a bit of The Shins; elated and energetic with romantic lyricism and more than a hint of the past about them, but there's definitely something different about them - not least the animated, accented vocals.

Worth having a listen to for their catchy, swaying, dance-inducing melodies and the decided air of nonchalance and fun about them - judging by 'Dreamboat' at least, Hey Sholay are making some really refreshing music.

MP3: 'Dreamboat' - Hey Sholay

Mammal Club

2011-01-26T15:41:00.001Z

Mammal Club are a really exciting band who seamlessly mix jittering electronic beats with smooth and ambient pop, with an unrelenting undercurrent of funk, groove and even small nods to rock and chamber pop. Incredibly complex and yet incredibly listenable, Mammal Club are wonderfully skilful at what they do, and with an EP out later this year good times are definitely ahead for the four-piece from Newcastle.

Lazy points of comparison might bring you to Passion Pit, of Montreal, Foals and - aided by recent support slots - Everything Everything, but none of this really does them justice. With hooks that nest in your head and an intensity in their music that simultaneously makes you want to dance and weep, there's no doubt that Mammal Club are doing something very special indeed.

Definitely keep on eye on them over the next year and do check out the sublime new track below, courtesy of the lovely band.

MP3: 'Four' - Mammal Club

You can buy some of their other tracks from bandcamp here.

Cat's Eyes

2011-01-24T17:51:00.001Z

This is really beautiful. Cat's Eyes are Faris Badwan (of The Horrors), and the classically trained Rachel Zeffira.

There's a really transcendent feeling about this performance, and even though there should be something massively pretentious and over the top about launching your new musical project in the Vatican, somehow it all makes complete sense and the warming song comes off as overwhelmingly sincere. The power of the church organ is something modern groups like Arcade Fire have tapped into for the purposes of their baroque grandeur, but Cat's Eyes have captured a surprisingly intimate side of the instrument that recalls humble church services and simpler times (I really have no idea what I'm writing).

Their 'Broken Glass' EP will be out on February 28th, and they'll be touring around then too.

Their other released track, the breathy, charming 'Not A Friend' certifies in my mind that this is definitely going to be a project worth paying attention to. Very exciting indeed.

MP3: 'Not A Friend' - Cat's Eyes

The Gorgeous Colours

2011-01-20T11:55:00.001Z

In an age where scuzzy, distorted surf-pop is the sound du jour, it's easy for sincere, slightly eccentric piano alt-pop to get overlooked somewhat. Dublin's The Gorgeous Colours, however, remind us just how good this kind of music can be; with low, sweet vocals not dissimilar to those of Noah and the Whale's Charlie Fink, their lead single 'The Creatures Down Below' - from their similarly-titled EP - is full of that loveable, childish quirkiness one might associate with Regina Spektor.

But the EP as a whole (which, as an aside, was completely fan-funded) showcases not only this indie-pop sound, but also beautiful, rural, folkish sounds in 'Animal', while 'Cloakroom' - which starts out seemingly chirpy - turns into something positively dark and melancholy, full of quaking piano and trembling choral vocals that make the song seem wonderfully mediaeval. 'No Man's Land' does less for me, but certainly offers some lovely, delicate instrumental moments.

As a whole, it's a really nice EP, and it's worth getting hold of - you can stream and/or buy 'The Creatures Down Below' EP here.

Their award-winning video:

MP3: 'Cloakroom' (acoustic version) - The Gorgeous Colours

Belated acknowledgement of 2011

2011-01-17T00:11:00.002Z

Sorry it's been so long; hope you've all had lovely festive times and the year so far is going well. I still haven't quite processed that it's a new year but nonetheless I'm very excited for what's coming up in 2011. Hell, I'm not even averse to Jessie J, because if Justin Timberlake likes her then so do I (this rule doesn't apply to Cameron Diaz; we'll agree to disagree on that one bbz).

Film-wise we get an adaptation of one of my favourite beautifully devastating books (Never Let Me Go) which involves Andrew Garfield so that's clearly going to be a little bit amazing. And Deathly Hallows Part 2? I mean, need I say anymore?

Through the title of my blog, however, you may have realised that I lean towards the more musical matters, so musically what am I excited for this year?

THE STROKES IV. Don't pretend you're not excited, you hipster joker.

Plus, Bombay Bicycle Club's next album which will see a return to electric, and further offerings from the likes of Arctic Monkeys, The Horrors and Wild Beasts. And I'm hoping to see an album from my favourite new band of last year, the wonderful Summer Camp.

On that note it's worth considering that Summer Camp were a group who rose from seemingly nowhere - a group I'd not expected to start liking when 2010 began. More than all the predictions and tips for 2011, what I'm really looking forward to is being blown-away by artists and musical territories that I've yet to anticipate or explore. I've been privileged enough to be chosen as a judge for the Glastonbury Emerging Talent competition, alongside some amazing bloggers, and through that process I'm hoping to discover some lovely new sounds this year.

Did I mention The Strokes' fourth album?

MP3: 'Ghost Train' - Summer Camp

Interview: Fixers

2010-12-20T22:09:00.052Z

Fixers, taken from NME.com

There's been much said recently about the growing tripped-out musical scene from Oxford known as 'Blessing Force'; few are quite certain what exactly this means, but apparently it's a bit like chillwave...if you know what that is - I'm not entirely sure about it, and neither are Jedward.

Whatever your thoughts on the matter, however, it's undeniable that a lot of the music springing-up is very good indeed. Five-piece Fixers are definitely making music worth listening to - psychedelic, exciting, glimmering songs which have clearly been precisely crafted and yet at the same time retain a semblance of the spontaneous in how spaced-out and intense they are.

Indeed, they're perhaps slightly more akin to the West Coast surf-pop groups they've played with than team Blessing Force - but whatever; the point is that they're really good. However, all anyone seems to know about Fixers is just that - they're a band from Oxford who make psychedelic pop.

Luckily for you (unless you were well up for more of my pretentious ramblings), Fixers' lovely Jack Goldstein agreed to answer some questions, and reveal some of the mystery behind the seemingly elusive Fixers - enjoy:

Seeing as Fixers are surrounded by a certain air of mystery, perhaps the best way to start would be to ask: who are Fixers?

Fixers are Jack Goldstein, Roo Bhasin, Christopher Dawson, Jason Warner and Michael Thompson. Any air of mystery was purely unintentional, it's just that we favour art over band photography. It's something I'm really into; I think it says so much more about the overall aesthetic of the band, it's members and the music we make.

The artwork certainly does fit nicely with your sound. Do you think being based in Oxford, and the growing Oxford music scene has in any way affected your sound - if so, how?

We were all in bands previously and that's partially how we all met...I haven't actually seen many other Oxford bands. Going out after dusk doesn't appeal to me because you never know what’s lurking in the shadows.

What else/who else has influenced you?

Mike Jittlov and Dianetics.

As far as I'm aware you're still unsigned, and yet you're generating huge buzz - is it surreal or does it all feel natural?

Nothing like this has ever happened to us and it seems to be happening rather quickly. We've been together for just over a year and our shows have only just reached double figures so it's surreal that we have managed to generate this interest in such a small pocket of time.

I'm incredibly superstitious and I've spent the majority of the year touching wood with both fingers crossed.

When you listen to 'Amsterdam' and 'Iron Deer Dream' now, what do they bring to mind for you?

I was reading a book called The Death and Life of Sylvia Plath by Ronald Hayman and it described a recurring dream as an "Iron Deer Dream". Knowing instantly I wanted that expression as a song title but not knowing what it meant, I Google searched the term and it came up with nothing - crazy right?

I visited Amsterdam once when I was a child. However, the song doesn't reflect upon that - it's about an imaginary Amsterdam, a fictional ideal made up of old photos and conjured up expectations.

Hopefully I'll get to visit it again soon.

You've supported Best Coast and, more recently, Wavves - is it daunting playing with these acts, or just exciting? Is there anyone else you'd like to play with?

Playing with Best Coast was super exciting because it was our second show. I'd seen Vivian Girls and Real Estate in the same venue about four months earlier and it was great.

Wavves was enjoyable. I think it was more of a punk rock crowd and the venue was much larger, I found it harder to relax.

I've heard you being compared with Kate Bush and Animal Collective to name a few - do you enjoy these comparisons? Is there anyone you'd hate to be likened to?

Animal Collective are a strong influence but an overall lazy comparison. We get Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys a lot too. I think our sound derives from taking influence from many different artists - Brian Wilson, Arthur Russell and Yasutaka Nakata sum it up pretty good.

Amsterdam has more of a Kate Bush/Dead Can Dance feel to it - we listen to so much music we really just like to incorporate whatever we are able to into our own music.

Yes, Brian Wilson! I'm already so up for Bestival next year. You've released 'Amsterdam' on cassette tapes, which are a pretty unusual format these days; any particular reason why?

The CD could turn out to be the biggest technological blip ever. Cassette tapes are durable, affordable and compact. We used the cassette as a production tool, the sound is much warmer and was supposed to be reminiscent of old experimentation records like The Power Of The Source by L Ron Hubbard and The Apollo Stars or Marcos and Harry by David Fulton.

When you're not being musical, what do Fixers enjoy doing? I read something about an obsession with the Bermuda Triangle, which is certainly intriguing...

I read a book on the Bermuda Triangle; it's doing the rounds within our band at the moment. It's a fascinating book, made up of little untruths here and there.

We honestly spend most of our time at the moment either writing, rehearsing, recording or performing, which is really great; I enjoy being busy.

Other than that, Meditation and watching Jacques Tati.

Ah, we recently bought 'Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot' - classic. Any upcoming plans for touring or perhaps album-recording?

We have a 7" single coming out on Young and Lost Club in February.

Before then though we will be recording a BBC Session for Huw Stephens up at Maida Vale - he invited us live on air after he had first played Iron Deer Dream. We all took it with a pinch of salt but then the e-mail came through inviting us to Maida Vale and we were all blown away. The BBC, both locally and nationally, have really supported us a lot this year.

We will also be headlining The Oxford O2 Academy on January 15th as part of Equitruck.

Recommended listening?

The Death Of Don Juan by Elodie Launten [Buy here]

Amazing downtown NY postminimalist Opera from Elodie Launten, it features Arthur Russell on Cello and Vocals too.

It's a total gem for anyone interested in the seventies downtown NY music scene - I only heard it for the first time recently and I can't stop listening to it. Its like SMiLE or A Wizard, A True Star in the the sense that once you find yourself compelled to listen to the record in its entirety from start to finish.

S/T Black Cassette (Clan Destine) by Sealings

The one local band I'm currently in love with is Sealings. I stumbled upon them on MySpace and it blew my mind, I couldn't believe they were from Oxford.

To me they sound like Dead Can Dance or The Cocteau Twins attempting first-wave black metal; I haven't seen them live yet, but would love to do a show with them at some point.

I've heard they recently absconded to Brighton in an attempt to escape Oxford's gluey porches and lingering fads. Windy beach barbecues and seafront cockles are totally the way forward in my opinion.

As someone who grew up on the Isle of Wight, I feel inclined to agree.

Pink Friday by Nicki Minaj [Buy here]

I don't really need to say much about this record other than its great. Nicki Minaj is great, Harajuku Barbie is great, Roman Zolanski is great.

Finally, any last words while you've got our attention?

I'm having a séance next week, wanna come?

Hell yes. I'll bring some candles.

Thanks so, so much to Jack and the rest of Fixers - they're making some incredibly good music, and I wholly recommend you checking them out.

Spanish Sahara

2010-12-15T19:59:00.001Z

It's getting to that time of year where everyone makes lists of their favourite tracks and albums of the year, and as ever I won't be partaking in the tradition - not that I object to people organising their thoughts about the musical year in that way, just I'm lazy and not big on list-making.

However, a brief look at the lists of best tracks that are floating around made me want to write about Foals' sublime 'Spanish Sahara' solely because I never did get around to writing about 'Total Life Forever' but I meant to - I very much liked it. While the whole evocative, intense album certainly deserves you going to listen to it if you haven't already, this song was the first anyone heard from it, and is rightfully the stand-out track - and as ever with songs by Foals, it has a stunning video:

It's so wonderfully tender; so devastatingly, heart-stoppingly beautiful. That 'Spanish Sahara' is from the same Foals responsible for that incredible, jerky math-rock was such a strange surprise, because this song has elements of that sort of sound, especially towards the end, but as a whole it's far more...intimate? I think that's the word I'm looking for. It's one of those shiver-inducing songs that just goes beyond description - musically completely lovely and a little bit hazy and tripped-out.

Lyrically too - "I'm the ghost in the back of your head", "Now I see you lying there, like a lilo losing air", and all the Mistah Kurtz-eque mentions of "the horror" in the vocals that don't shout demandingly like in 'Hummer' but almost whisper frailly, sincerely. Just wow.

I got this live version a couple of months ago, and it's perfect; have a listen.

MP3: 'Spanish Sahara' (Live) - Foals

Buy 'Total Life Forever' here.

P.S. you'll note I'm refurbishing the blog - bear with me...

Interview: Hella Better Dancer

2010-12-13T23:11:00.004Z

After a few months of being vaguely aware of their existence, I finally got around to listening to exciting young Londoners Hella Better Dancer, and was extremely impressed to discover that they make beautifully jaded bluesy rock with forceful, expressive vocals and meandering, melodious instrumentation. And luckily, since my writing about them will doubtless fail to do them justice, the lovely band agreed to an interview in which they tell me about recording their debut EP and, more controversially, how they could have been called 'Fellowship of Funk':

Who are Hella Better Dancer, and how did they come to exist?

Lucas: We are a four-piece band from Camden in London. Till, Josh and I met at a music course at the Roundhouse called ‘Live Jam’. After some band-member rearrangements we finally found Soph. Hella Better Dancer was born…

How did you end up with the name?

Josh: Sadly, I came up with it. It was a result of mixing several different ideas together, including some YouTube comments saying how Chris Brown is a "hella better dancer” than Usher. We have to spell it out to anybody who asks. It's horrifically impractical.

Lucas: ‘Fellowship of the Funk’ was a runner up. I’m not sure if that’s better or worse.

Lauren Laverne described you as sounding like a young PJ Harvey - is that something you were actively going for?

Tilly: I’ve got ‘PJ playlist’ on Spotify so that maybe could have had some affect, but it wasn’t an intentional thing. More than anything it’s just cool that Lauren Laverne heard us. She can compare us to anything. Except Kate Nash.

Who would you say has inspired your songwriting?

Tilly: I think when I was young(er) it was The Smiths. Then Regina Spektor’s amazing ability to make up stories got me thinking a lot about how to write lyrics with a narrative. Also, the production of Alessi’s Ark’s debut album made me think of how I wanted our music to be recorded. But bands like Broken Social Scene and Arcade Fire have been my A-team since we started going for a bigger sound.

Lyrically you speak about the city quite a lot - to what extent would you say living in London has influenced your sound?

Tilly: Songs are about people, and London has a lot of people.

You recently released an EP - was that exciting to record? Can you tell us a bit about it?

Lucas: It was unbelievable to record! Four of the most intense, rewarding days ever. We recorded at the Roundhouse’s EMI studio and we were lucky enough to have Kevin Paul (to us, Don Pauly) to produce it.
Tilly: We recorded our 4 earliest songs, and the next EP is the next set of 3 songs. We’ve got a kind of a chronological thing going on. Kevin really gave us the space to experiment and develop our sound – song structures were completely re-worked, and the instrumentation was given so much more depth. ‘Infinite Reverb’ is now a close friend of all of ours, and it was Kevin who pushed that. We ended up with something that we were all really happy with.

Is there a story behind the artwork?

Soph: We wanted an intimate, vulnerable image to fit the title ‘Please Stay Here’. My mum did the drawing, and it fits the title just right, even though an old man bares no connection with any of our songs.

Is it difficult to manage being in a band at the same time as fairly heavy amounts of schoolwork, or is it something you're sort of used to balancing now?

Lucas: At first it was quite hard to manage, but the longer we’ve been in the band the easier it’s been to handle. It’s just a case of making sure we give practising and gigging the time it deserves. Although it’s got to be said - I’m the worst when it comes to girly stressing about work. Admitting it is the first step to overcoming my problem…

Once school is out, what's the plan for the band?

Josh: We all quite like learning, and are hoping to continue education in some form or another. Lucas is going to do an art foundation next year while the rest of us take a year out before university. During the year we're hoping to write lots of music, play lots of gigs and hit the music industry with the hardcorest rawknrawl that's ever been made. Probably.

You played Big Chill earlier this year which is awesome - which has been your favourite gig so far? And do you have any dream venues/festivals that you'd love to play one day?

Tilly: Playing on the 2^nd biggest stage at Big Chill was pretty nuts. Playing in the Studio Theatre at the Roundhouse is always so good too cause Tony the soundman is so on it. I’d also really like to play at Green Man or Hop Farm in the summer – both have a pleasant ambience, and I for one am a massive fan of pleasant ambiences.

Lucas: I’ve got my eye on the main stage at the Roundhouse and Reading Festival.

Any recommended listening?

Tilly: A great friend of mine is in a really cool new band called ‘Big Deal.’ They’re badass. [They really are - I wrote about them here]
Josh: Also Ghosts You Echo and Evans the Death are really, really awesome.

While you've got our attention, any final words of wisdom to share?

Soph: Whilst we feel that we’ve come on a lot as a band, we probably haven’t progressed far enough to be doling out words of wisdom. But cross your fingers, our day will come.
Josh: Just don't name your band ‘Hella Better Dancer.’

MP3: 'The City Sea' - Hella Better Dancer

Thanks so much to the wonderfully talented Hella Better Dancer for their time and for the lovely mp3; I thoroughly recommend you give them a listen and keep an eye on them. You can buy their first EP, 'Please Stay Here', on iTunes now [click here].

Camille Delean

2010-12-09T13:40:00.001Z

Whether it be Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake, or Laura Marling and Johnny Flynn, one thing that surely hasn't escaped your attention is my love of the folk-ish area of the musical spectrum. And if so-called 'boyband of folk' Mumford and Sons have proven anything, it's that I'm not the only one digging this sort of sound right now.

So, on paper, Camille Delean seemed like she'd be just my cup of tea - an unsigned folk singer/songwriter based in Ontario with an apparently striking voice. And on first listen she definitely did have the incredibly striking vocals, pouring out of her pure, smooth and soft like a sunlit caress - a little bit reminiscent of Eva Cassidy, perhaps.

However, for the most-part her tracks had this sort of...country twang, and while many people assume that folk and country go hand in hand, they do not, and I'm really not that keen on the latter. And so, I resigned myself to the fact that perhaps Camille was not for me, although I left her tracks playing - perhaps more out of laziness than anything else.

And I'm so grateful for my laziness, because a recent demo track, 'Rivers', came on, and it had none of that "Nashville twang". Instead we're given sincere, wonderful melodies which recall early Joni Mitchell, harmonies which seem to ebb and flow; stripped away of all the country production, Camille Delean demonstrates in 'Rivers' a wonderful tranquil sound, gentle and dazed and really just lovely.

It's a sound she intends to pursue, as is evident in her beautiful cover of Neil Young's 'Homefires', here - plus it's a video of Diwali in Mumbai, which for me at least makes it seem strangely personal and affecting.

MP3: 'Rivers' (Demo) - Camille Delean

If you like country, do try her earlier stuff, and if you're a folk lover, it's very much worth giving Camille Delean's songs a listen and keeping an eye on her future releases.

Hind Ear

2010-11-28T22:04:00.002Z

Hind Ear are this amazing, amazing 'technicolour rhythm band' (not 100% sure what this means) who hail from a happy mix of Brighton and London and wish to fuse hearts to feet and headphones to dancefloors - once you've listened to them I'm sure you'll agree that it's a very conceivable aim.

They make brilliant, soulful music which seemingly does pour from their hearts; constantly twisting and turning effortlessly in exciting yet nonchalant ways. 'Rain Man', which is soon to be released as an EP, has this lovely jilting oddness which is reminiscent of Dirty Projectors' 'Cannibal Resource' with guitar twangs and this ongoing jittering twinkle of keyboards which almost harks back to the old Gameboy soundtracks and yet at the same time there's this sexy, slow electronic dance-floor aesthetic.

And if all of this is reading somewhat incoherently, you should bear in mind that I am practically falling asleep as I type - I'm so, so tired (and apparently also an old woman, seeing as it's only 9.40pm as I type).

But the prospect of sleep genuinely has to be held back for a while longer because you really need to listen to this stuff; Hind Ear are too good and deserve listening to for their dreamy mixing of new and old. Villeneuve has done a darker take on it all with a really seductive, really excellent remix which will leave you all aquiver, so have a listen:

MP3: 'Rain Man' (Villeneuve remix) - Hind Ear

The Hind Ear - Rain Man EP (which will include the Villeneuve mix as well as a squelchy retro wonder of a remix from GoldenBug) is out on December 13th and you should definitely get hold of it - you won't be disappointed. You can find out more about purchasing it etc through the lovely young Parisian label behind ridiculous amounts of other good stuff (Chad Valley, Kisses): Maman Records.

Hot Vamp Club

2010-11-26T16:01:00.002Z

While not a musical collective of Edward Cullen and co., Hot Vamp Club still manage to dazzle with their shimmering, whimsical take on indie pop (see what I did there - hot vamps, Edward Cullen, shimmering? Comic stardom here I come). And I'm not a Twilight fan anyway, so this certainly bodes well for them.

The Bournemouth-based quartet formed back in 2009, yet their music has already been praised by BBC Introducing as 'lovingly crafted, sincere Indie Pop', and thus it seems clear that Hot Vamp Club are a band worth taking seriously. Indeed, seeing as their song 'Young Hearts, Slow Shoes' is a part of the in-store playlist for all the UK branches of Topman and Topshop, it's fair to say the band are going places.

But for the more hipster amongst you who dislike anything vaguely populist, please don't let any of the above put you off - it's only happening because they're genuinely very good.

Hot Vamp Club make songs that are reminiscent perhaps of the more sombre, beautiful end of The Maccabees catalogue, with seemingly gentle riffs and melodies trembling forcefully beneath, swimming and rippling through the observant narrative of the smooth, drawling vocals.

They'll be spending this December recording their debut EP, 'I Dream of Fires' (exclusive first-look at the artwork below) which will be released sometime in early 2011 - I highly recommend you go watch/listen to some of the early sketches of the songs 'Myra', 'Lilies' and 'Drappier', here, all of which will feature on the EP alongside a couple of other tracks.

'Myra' is especially lovely with this twinkling sound going on at the beginning, but seriously - it's all sounding so good. 'Lilies' is surprisingly dark, with Fleet Foxes-esque harmonies, whilst 'Drappier' seems to showcase a more aggressive side to the band.

MP3: 'Young Hearts, Slow Shoes' - Hot Vamp Club

Hot Vamp Club are making some lovely stuff so do give them a listen. Also, much respect for the guy in the 'Phrazes' t-shirt; I do love Jules.

Kind of a Big Deal

2010-11-17T13:55:00.000Z

I always mean to write about North Londoners, Pull In Emergency, because they are just so good (and also because I want to cite that incredible quote about them; "I'd pull them even if it wasn't an emergency"), but for whatever reason I never seem to get around to it.

A lovely duo called Big Deal, made up of kc Underwood and Alice Costelloe (the latter the crazy good guitarist of Pull In Emergency), released their debut single 'Homework' on Monday and while I may have taken a while getting around to mentioning Pull In Emergency, I will waste no time in telling you that 'Homework' is amazing.

Tranquil, poetic, delicate, hazy; filled with a naivety and innocence that is wonderfully refreshing, Big Deal have made some truly beautiful and surprisingly powerful music.

'13' (Big Star Cover) - Big Deal (thanks to Abeano Music for the mp3)

Buy 'Homework' here.

Do the Hippogriff

2010-11-17T00:05:00.001Z

Because Pulp are back and playing the Isle of Wight Festival, and Deathly Hallows is out this week and I'm mad excited. And also because it's unlikely you will ever see members of Pulp and Radiohead dressed like this ever again.

Amazing.

Esben and the Witch

2010-11-09T18:56:00.000Z

Apparently, earlier this year everyone was talking about an emerging sound called 'Witch House', and exciting artists like Salem and oOoOO fell under this spooky sub-genre. Such labels are, as ever, somewhat ridiculous and confusing however, because ultimately surely they're making gothic music? But obviously I'm not an authority on such things so feel free now to blather on about how you always liked Witch House and you're so over it now.

Regardless of your feelings on the above, I recently discovered a Brighton-based group called Esben and the Witch (who are perhaps only linked to the Witch House scene through their name, although perhaps they are indeed a Witch House group - I won't profess to know either way). And you know that whole The XX sound where it's the minimalism and the spaces which make the music? Well it's sort of like that, except far more eerie and ethereal, with fuzzy, whispering music and distorted, dissonant vocals. That description makes it seem like the music should be very uncomfortable, but it's all somehow very listenable and thrilling in how unnerving it is.

I highly recommend going to give them a listen here whilst reading the story, 'Esben and the Witch', which is on the same page - surrounded by the black and white images of children and swirling vortexes, there's something shiver-inducingly chilling and memorable about the experience.

'Warpath' - Esben and the Witch

Esben and the Witch will release their debut album, 'Violet Cries', early next year on Matador - you can pre-order it here. Photo credit: Jonathan Hyde.

Perfect Day: Lou vs. Sue

2010-11-09T12:51:00.001Z

Of course, seeing as how Lou Reed actually directed the new, scenic video (below) for the former Britain's Got Talent star, pitting the tracks against one another is irrelevant; but that won't stop anybody. Enjoy...

One commenter wryly noted, "And I thought Moe Tucker had lost it."

Pogo

2010-11-05T17:04:00.000Z

Film blog extraordinaire Ultra Culture posted up this amazing video earlier today, and I'd never seen anything like it before. Essentially this electronic music producer based in Perth (Australia) has been taking sounds from films to make some incredible often somewhat trippy songs, under the alias of Pogo.

So far one of his earliest mixes, 'Alice', is my favourite. Observe the magic:

Wow. There's also a Harry Potter one, called 'Alohomora' but rather than making me feel blown-away it made me giggle.

Still, watching them all is a very entertaining means of procrastinating. Well worth checking out his Youtube channel, here.

Frankie and the Heartstrings

2010-11-05T16:36:00.002Z

It's very likely you've heard of cheeky Sunderland wonders Frankie and the Heartstrings, as they've been more or less non-stop touring of late, spreading far and wide their gospel of winsome vocals and romantic, dreamy-eyed pop. Indeed, the word 'gospel' is fitting as they've already professed to be better than The Beatles and bigger than Jesus. Plus, they apparently kidnapped Edwyn Collins' son and held him hostage whilst on tour with co-headliners, Summer Camp (who, as previously discussed, are amazing). So yeah - chances are, you've heard of them.

But I've heard of a lot of up and coming acts, and while I can perhaps nod my head accordingly when in a discussion of Best Coast's fuzzy lo-fi sensibilities, I've still never actually listened to them (sorry - promise to get on that soon). With the increasing access we have to music, it feels like there's an increasing apathy with actually listening to the stuff.

With that said, I don't think you should listen to Frankie and the Heartstrings because you feel obliged to; do it because it's just such lovely, wholesome music. On the surface their music perhaps seems quite simplistic, but that's the beauty of it - there's something worldly about the swaggering, crooning vocals, and the way their music seems to hook you in because when it comes down to it there's no pretentiousness about it, no spin; ultimately, Frankie and the Heartstrings make brilliant, swooning pop music. There's a definite nod to the 1980's and even the '50s in their work, but not in a gimmicky way - more because it's the music they grew-up listening to and thus are influenced by.

And as such, it's really quite a treat listening to them. So here's a present:

Fragile - Frankie and the Heartstrings

Enjoy, and go buy their recent single, 'Ungrateful' here. Their album is set for early 2011.

John, I'm Only Dancing

2010-10-26T18:09:00.000+01:00

As a mad David Bowie fan I was pretty excited earlier this year when I heard about the War Child charity compilation in-planning - a David Bowie tribute album, which was approved by David Bowie; 'We Were So Turned On'. And looking at the musicians getting involved, it's easy to see what was so exciting - Chairlift, Carla Bruni, current darlings Warpaint, Megapuss, A Place to Bury Strangers, and even Duran Duran. I only recently realised that said album had actually come out though, so this is somewhat belated...

As with all cover versions, it's certainly not going to be to everyone's tastes, and there are high-points with the covers (Megapuss, Warpaint, Chairlift) but low-points too (sorry, Carla Bruni and APtBS; I just wasn't feeling it). The other weird thing is because Bowie's albums were all so diverse, the choices of songs from various albums brought together into one compilation isn't necessarily all that cohesive a listen.

Anyway, one of my favourite Bowie songs to have a dance to is 'John, I'm Only Dancing', and I was apprehensive about Vivian Girls' take on it; I especially love 'Where Do You Run To', and a couple of other tracks, but I suppose I wasn't that enamoured with their album overall. With that said, many critics have coined them a one-trick pony, but even if you agree you've got to admit that they're very good at the harmonious, drawling lo-fi they're so renowned for. As such, while not a giant leap from the original, the cover is quite the grower, and the band put their own nonchalant twist on it. Well worth a listen.

'John, I'm Only Dancing' (David Bowie Cover) - Vivian Girls

Cheers to Consequence of Sound for the mp3.

Buy a copy of the 2-disc album, 'We Were So Turned On' here. All profits will go to War Child, a charity which aims to protect children living in war zones.

Bella Union Festival Sampler

2010-10-08T14:58:00.004+01:00

Bella Union are this lovely little London label who are the home to some incredible acts - I've championed Lawrence Arabia before, but their entire roster is a bit of a dream - Beach House, Vetiver, Midlake and Fleet Foxes, to name but a few.

To highlight how lovely they are, they've just released a free (FREE!) post-festival season compilation full of those delightful summery memories, courtesy of those delightful acts on their label.

Download.

Lazy blogging if ever there was such a thing.

Violens - 'Amoral'

2010-10-03T20:48:00.007+01:00

Violens are a band I know virtually nothing about, which is perhaps in many ways a blessing; there are way too many albums out there that let you down because they don't live up to your expectations, or because you've already heard half of the music on it. Essentially, when I pressed play all I knew was that they're a New York band with a considerable amount of buzz, and a penchant for releasing mixtapes.

After a few listens of 'Amoral' however, I feel I've discovered a bit about this group - the way they like taking what might seem like formulaic '80s alternative music (think Simple Minds) and making it darker, more distorted. How they make oddly memorable not-quite-polished pop music with slashes of thrashing, dirty rock and strange, trance-like electro. You know how Kasabian make catchy music, but it's also actually quite weird? Perhaps a comparison some will disagree with, but in that sense I think we've found New York's much more obscure answer to Kasabian. 'Amoral' is nostalgic, and makes use of the strange sounds of the '60s and '80s, but never to the point of blindly copying those eras, adding the weird distortion of the '90s and the odd, psychedelic twists in otherwise perfectly pop-like songs which perhaps recalls more recent bands like Yeasayer.

Reading the above, it might be hard to work out whether I'm a fan of the album; I am. It twists and turns illusively, and just when you think you've pinned their sound down (my initial thoughts were something along the lines of a darker Phoenix), they come at you with something completely different - but not to the point where the album becomes disjointed. Indeed, the sound flows fairly nicely, from the steady drums and punching guitars of your standard indie rock song, to raw distortion and ear-melting noise, then to bizarre twinkling synths, seductive bass lines and floaty Deerhunter-esque vocals. You could of course go for the old failsafe of filing them as shoe-gaze, but their music is often more melodic than that. Their sound could be defined as many things thanks to this wonderful diversity, and they're certainly not conforming to any particular genre; in fact, that's sort of the charm of it.

But it is this mysteriousness of sound that might be the very reason for which others decide to seek fault with the band - on 'Amoral', you can't help but feel Violens fail to establish themselves entirely. I started listening to the album with no idea who they were, and I've finished it feeling more or less the same way.

For now though, the issue of Violens' identity seems irrelevant, as 'Amoral' is certainly a solid album with few, if any, weak spots - it's definitely worth getting hold of.

'Amoral' is out tomorrow on Static Recital, and you can buy it here.

Melodica, Melody and Me

2010-10-01T10:38:00.007+01:00

For the past few years, the UK has been subject to something akin to a folk revival , as bands like Mumford and Sons have garnered quite the following, from the critics and the public alike. Indeed, with the surprising popularity of Bombay Bicycle Club's 'Flaws' (number 8 in the UK charts?! Gosh.), which heralded the arrival of lovely singer Lucy Rose, as well as the continuing success of folk-ish acts like Noah and the Whale, Johnny Flynn and Laura Marling, you'd perhaps be forgiven for groaning at the prospect of another folk act.

Not necessarily because you dislike that kind of music, mind you (although if you do, and you're reading this blog I'm fairly surprised as I do tend to be pretty into the folk-ish acts). The problem is that the circumstances of the current music scene might make you very cynical of an acoustic group who play folk-style music, because there's a danger that acts like this are just riding on the wave of success while they can, and in fact lack any actual talent or sincerity.

Melodica, Melody and Me are a folk group. No! No, come back! Save your cynicism for elsewhere because this sextet of Londoners are wonderful at what they do - to be honest there's a good chance you've already heard them as they've been progressing themselves slowly but surely into public awareness of late, and (I only just found out) supported Bombay on their acoustic tour earlier this year. They've been around since 2006, and they make gentle, dazzling music which is impossibly pretty and poignant.

As well as drawing on British folk music they bring in colourful, sun-filled splashes of Gallic, Mediterranean and Latino sounds, and even Reggae, as 'Dub Me Back Together' (B-Side and Dub version of single 'Piece Me Back Together') so wonderfully showcases. The melodies and instrumentation in all their songs are intricate and complex, the harmonies and contrasts between the male and female voices are beautiful, with soulful lyricism about love and loss.

Free download: 'Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes' (Paul Simon cover) - Melodica, Melody and Me

Their single, 'Piece Me Back Together', is available to buy HERE - buy it. And all other future releases. Oh, and catch them touring this December supporting the lovely Johnny Flynn. Highly recommend this group.

Winter Dreams

2010-09-27T17:46:00.006+01:00

It's not actually winter yet (obviously), but in part of my dream last night a random male voice was reciting the lyrics to the song 'Winter' by The Dodos like they were poetry (which, I guess they are) over a montage of bizarre images of me and various friends doing pencil-rolls down grassy hills in the crisp, cold sunset. Make of this what you will.

No idea what this is telling me about myself, but my subconscious picked a truly lovely song with some very nice lyricism at any rate.

Absolutely beautiful version with the Magik Magik Orchestra available for free download along with the rest of their incredible Daytrotter session here. I'm not exaggerating when I say it sounds magical.

Recommended: buy their wonderful second album, 'Visiter' here.

Summer Camp

2010-09-01T10:31:00.008+01:00

Chances are you've already heard of this group, as a clever viral campaign pretty much made sure they were the talk of the blogging world. Summer Camp make the sort of lovely, dazed lo-fi pop that wouldn't sound out of place in the soundtrack to a Brat Pack movie or something; although perhaps this image was aided somewhat by their penchant for the use of very cool scuzzy old footage in their music videos. With smattered lyrical allusions to other songs ("and we danced all night and we held each other tight") which aid that wonderful nostalgic feel, the duo of Jeremy Warmsley and Platform writer Elizabeth Sankey have made some truly outstanding music. Hazy music, dreamy vocals; incredible songs.

Free download: MP3: 'Jake Ryan' - Summer Camp Jake Ryan of course being the guy that Sam's into in Sixteen Candles; what a film.

You can attempt to buy some of Summer Camp's music here at label, Moshi Moshi, but be warned that this stuff's in heavy demand and may well be out of stock. You can pre-order the single, 'Round the Moon', there too; it's officially out September 13th on Moshi Moshi, but, oddly, it appears to be out of stock too...

Wait for me to try and get it together

2010-08-30T22:54:00.005+01:00

Bear with me, I will actually get going on this whole blogging thing again soon. Essentially I need to sort out the next year of my life, but I'm hoping it'll all come together sometime soon.

In the meantime, check out the Surfer Blood session on Daytrotter - dark disappointment disguised in the heady anticipation of summery lightness, these guys are just too good.

P.S. Please tell me you've watched Scott Pilgrim vs. The World? It's an absolutely epic film, with a kick-ass soundtrack, and if you haven't yet you should really go and watch it, even if just for the wonderful satirical look at garage bands - "We are Sex Bob-Omb! We're here to make you sad and think about death and stuff." I'm in lesbians with this movie.

Thank You For Your Love

2010-08-06T18:19:00.006+01:00

A new Antony & the Johnsons EP, 'Thank You For Your Love', is scheduled for release on August 30th in anticipation of their forthcoming October album, 'Swanlights' (both out on Rough Trade). In celebration (and promotion) Antony and co are offering a free download of the EP's title track HERE, and the main reason I'm posting it up is because I normally instantly like Hegarty et al's music (including Hercules and the Love Affair; so, so good) but I'm not actually sure about this one. The dancing pianos and tremulous vocals are all there, but - perhaps it's because I'm an awful, bitter person, and it's started raining once again here in England - on first listen it seems a bit overly sanguine. I can't quite name what it is, because it's not exactly like I despise happy music, but it's probably the same reason I love 'Nino Rojo' but I abhor and always have to skip 'Be Kind'.

Anyway, the new stuff is probably all gonna be awesome regardless considering the greatness of the group's previous work, so I still reckon it's well worth pre-ordering 'Swanlights' and getting an instant download of the EP, plus lots of other exciting extras HERE. Plus you're probably less of an embittered cynic, and liked the free download.

Arcade Fire - 'The Suburbs'

2010-08-03T12:26:00.006+01:00

It sounds a bit weird maybe, but I've always felt a closeness with Arcade Fire - I say 'always'; I actually got onto them circa the release of second album 'Neon Bible', and even then entirely randomly. I bought the album having heard absolutely nothing from the band before; I was ordering another album - I think it may have been the latest Modest Mouse - and the website I was on recommended some random group called Arcade Fire's then-new album. I took a chance - why, I'm really not sure - and it's something I've been immensely grateful for ever since.

'Neon Bible' was an epic; swirling cacophonous noise pouring out of a church organ brought you down to depressing depths, contrasting with the majestic uplifting power of orchestral melodies - you have to understand, I'm a flute player, and finding a band that can make your geeky woodwind instrument seem credible is quite something. And it wasn't all intricate yet distorted baroque grandeur either, as you'd suddenly find yourself in the stripped-down company of merely acoustic guitars and vocals, a beautiful juxtaposition to the fullness of the sound on other tracks. Truth be told, I barely listened to the Modest Mouse album, such was my newfound rapture with Arcade Fire, this wonderful band who made music unlike anything I'd ever heard.

I eagerly sought out their debut 'Funeral' next, and was not disappointed - the woeful charm of the album was undeniable, and I found I loved it just as much as 'Neon Bible', if for different reasons - musically at least, it was certainly a less weighty affair than their second album. The band have described their musical aspiration as wanting to bring medieval music to the Pixies, and crazy as that might seem if you're trying to imagine what that might sound like, that really does just sum them up; they have mastered that epic fusion of new and old, and have managed it incredibly.

So, two wonderful - somber now and then, yes, but wonderful nonetheless - albums in, and here we are now with their third offering, 'The Suburbs'; I'm not going to lie, I thought I would be disappointed, but once again this band who, for me, came out of nowhere, have left me pleasantly surprised. Once again we find ourselves greeted by darkness, but as ever with Arcade Fire, there is a crack of light - perhaps even more so than on either of their previous albums - that diffuses through the album and somehow makes listening to an album about suburban doom and gloom a relatively enjoyable experience. As well as the expected incredible mix of guitar rock and classical music, the album sees forays into weird and wonderful M83-style dazzling synths, as well as creepy and dissonant distortion. Amazing.

Time and more listening will tell if the album will achieve for me the heights of bittersweet beauty, 'Funeral', or the abundant allure of 'Neon Bible', but having listened to it as a whole a couple times now, it is thus far an amazing follow-up. Even disregarding their previous efforts this album is something to be proud of, a fantastic listen in it's own right. Arcade Fire seem to be one of the few bands out there who know exactly how best to exploit their sound, and it seems that album after album they will continue to achieve something that sounds fresh and new, yet somehow just as sublime as before.

If you'd like to try before you buy, for a limited time you can listen to a stream of the whole album on American radio station NPR [here], and, also for a limited time, and only if you're in the UK, you can listen to BBC Radio 1's 'The Story of Arcade Fire' [here] which is pretty interesting.

'The Suburbs' is out now on Mercury, and you can buy it here. Another beautiful album from this amazing band.

Goodbye, India

2010-08-03T12:06:00.003+01:00

I've been in India, hence y'know, lack of anything being written here (I know, I know; always with the excuses). Mumford and Sons' album, Sigh No More (buy here), has been shortlisted for the Mercury Prize this year which I guess is cool, though - much as I like the band - I'm not sure I'd name it as one of my favourite albums of the year thus far. Anyway my tenuous link here is that they went to India and did some recording with Laura Marling (whose lovely second album, 'I Speak Because I Can', was also nominated) and Rajasthani folk collective, the Dharohar Project (you can buy the EP here), and they recently released their videos from the tour.

Lovely. I miss India.

Porcelain Raft

2010-06-21T12:52:00.009+01:00

These are beautifully crafted, dreamy pop songs which sound as though they're being played underwater; oddly slow, trance-like, lots of reverb, and this weird melancholy that is somehow optimistic. It fills me with happy anticipation for summers to come, but also a nostalgic longing for summers past. This music is delicate as glass, but the glass is already a little bit scratched (or perhaps an image of porcelain along the same lines would be more apt?). Possibly I'm just suffering from a mental breakdown in the midst of exams and as such talking a lot of bull. Either way, London-based solo artist, Mauro Remiddi, or Porcelain raft, makes really wonderful music.

I won't recommend single songs as they're all really worth listening to - as such, have a listen and then if you like, download songs or entire EPs (Collection of Porcelain EP, Curve EP and Gone Blind EP) here - you decide the price.

Flaws

2010-06-18T20:32:00.006+01:00

So my posting so far this year has been atrocious - as in, more atrocious than usual. A quick glance at my blog showed that I still have posts from January on the main-page - I mean we're half-way through June, that is pretty unacceptable. But A-levels are annoyingly time-consuming, so I guess there's not much I can do until the end of next week when I have finished exams and hopefully, if I don't become overwhelmed by summer laziness/post-exam celebrations, I can devote more time to this.

Until then, Bombay's new album which is acoustic (and which Jack told us a little bit about last year, read the interview here) is out in July and it's looking set to be absolutely stunning. I caught their live set last weekend on the Isle of Wight, and it's the first time I've seen them since their debut album came out - the atmosphere was incredible, and their performance was really, really wonderful. The energy, the music, the everything; so, so good. As ever, they refused to disappoint, and in terms of the tightness of their set it was probably the best I've ever seen them.

With the help of those wonderful people at Watch Listen Tell, they'll be posting-up live performances of all the tracks on the new album over the next few weeks, all played in various places of some relevance to the band - thus here is enchanting title track 'Flaws', played on the roof of Jack's house with sublime backing vocals from the lovely newcomer, (who, in my new vow to actually write on this blog I will no doubt write about soon) Lucy Rose.

Hauntingly beautiful, with those delicate harmonies between the voices, singing those endearingly insecure lyrics, topped-off with intricate melodies pouring out of the guitar like liquid gold; this album is going to be blissful. Pre-order here (and go for the deluxe version because it's basically the same price but it comes with a DVD of all these lovely live videos on), the album is officially released on July 12th on Island.

Last Nite - The Strokes at IOW Festival 2010

2010-06-13T13:29:00.008+01:00

Wow. I mean, where to begin? Perhaps telling you my facebook status might help me get started - "Tara is covered in bruises, aches all over, is losing her voice, and is in a happy daze which isn't conducive to revision. But for you, Julian 'Just kidding!' Casablancas and co., it was fully worth it. The Strokes live = better than a dream come true." My friend thought this amount of gushing love for a band was "cringe", but that's because he's not a Strokes fan and he doesn't understand.

The beautiful lyrics from 'Red Light' - "then I saw your face, and I heard that song; it was so inviting it hurt my bones" kind of sum it up - that ecstasy as soon as they stepped onto the stage after that incredible anticipation of Queen's 'We Will Rock You' (nice touch) and also help to explain the achiness in my bones.

When you love a band this much and you've never seen them live before, it is of course gonna be amazing, but it was even better than I could have hoped for. The amount they themselves were enjoying it, the amount the crowd were enjoying it - that kind of atmosphere is always incredible. "Shit man. This is amazing. I guess we'll just have to take another 4 year break so we get a reaction like this again....Just kidding!" Drawled Julian with a grin on his face, in that effortlessly cool voice that sounds even better in person, because he's actually there right in front of you and oh my gosh he's so wonderful, and wow they're all actually amazing.

Indeed, throughout the night he made little jokes like that and it was amazing. When Fab started the beat for 'Hard to Explain' at the same time as Jules started saying "Isle of Wighteee", causing the drummer to stop, Julian sighed melodramatically, saying "Don't mind me, Fab! I just wanted to talk man, but you keep going", then explaining to the audience, "I was just talking over Fab's shit, sorry man...It's just there's all these people, how you doing? What's up man? Right, 'Hard To Explain'."

Singing "Isle of Wighteee" as well as swearing in disbelief at the crowd became a regular source of fun for Mr. Casablancas, who seemed in a euphoric mood which matched my own - you know at the beginning of 'NYC Cops' - "Ow...Haha - I meant ahhhhh. Hah. No, I didn't mean that at all. Ooo-ooo-ooh"? That was the kind of mood he was in. Everytime he said "I love you" my heart skipped multiple beats.

He hoped we were all having a great weekend, and commented on Blondie's amazing set before them, saying "Thanks for all the parts I stole from you. Just kidding!" He had some banter about the football causing the crowd to boo at England's disappointing lack of victory. He also got onto the topic of the girls at the IOW fest (obviously I was practically swooning by this point), after talking about how awesome England is and has been to them. "England how's it going? You guys are the best. It's good to be back. The girls, the women especially - wow - you English guys are lucky. You've got a really good crop going now. Albert here he's single, so if one you ladies plays your cards right, you might just get lucky tonight - just kidding! I kid, I kid... But I wasn't really kidding."

Another classic, "just kidding" came before 'Red Light' where he explained why he kept kidding - "Nah, I'm just kidding. And I'm kidding because I love, and I love because life is a joke... Just kidding." I can't tell if all these little details are interesting or not, because clearly to me every word he uttered was like the gospel, so sorry if this is really boring.
Julian's singing voice was perfection last night, as he crooned and the music itself was so tight it was unreal. Albert was just plain awesome he looked so happy and his playing was superb, Nikolai was his normal calm self, but there was definitely a smile playing around his lips, Nick was a full-on rock god, and although I couldn't see Fab as much, when the big screen showed him he looked like he was in the zone, and the beats he was playing were out of this world. They were just beautifully perfect.

The audience was fully enraptured, and just a glance around during any one of the songs reflected what was no doubt my own facial expression - disbelief, and a sort of enlightenment. When you saw the passion people were singing along with it proved just how much these songs and this band mean to people. Awesome. An amazing setlist which made me and everyone else stupidly happy - it's not often that every song a band plays gets a scream of excitement and recognition in the opening bars with everyone singing along as though their lives depended on it - (though I was also - paradoxically - really upset at what they didn't play - where were '12:51', 'Alone, Together', 'Trying Your Luck', 'Ize of the World'? I could go on - pretty much every other song they didn't play).

They played:

'New York City Cops' - everyone went mental after the excited wait, singing along with the riffs, with everything they could.

'The Modern Age' - thundering brilliance, the crowd even did the "wooooo"s. I loved the way he did the "do it just to please me"s.

'Hard To Explain' - Despite the false-start, Fab's drumming in this one was intense.

'Reptilia' - Nick, you absolute rock god.

'Whatever Happened' - the opening chords made everyone go wild, and it was just too good.

'You Only Live Once' - "let's see, let's see - what's next? Ah yeah, 'You Only Live Once'" - cue ear-piercing screams and the misguided but wonderful dance moves.

'Soma' - I'm really not sure I've ever been in a crowd this happy and excited - more singing along with just about every possible part of the song.

'Vision Of Division' - Albert's solo killed it, and from his cheeky grin I'd say he knew it. Amazing.

'I Can't Win' - the band really seemed to love this one, and Julian's crooning was other-wordly. He sang the "oh, I...can't... win" bit several times, it was lovely.

'Is This It' - the bass in this one really hit you right in the gut - wonderful from Nikolai.

'Someday' - The crowd was truly euphoric. The lighting was playing various retro games, like pong and tetris and pacman - was awesome.

'Red Light' - Nikolai's bass-playing was incredible in this one, and everyone was loving raising their hands as they sang "can't you see the sky is not the limit no more?".

'Last Nite' - fairly certain even the one person in the crowd who'd been dragged along unwillingly must have loved this one. Incredible singalong from everyone, and Albert's solo was fantastic as ever.

As they came back for the encore - "So yeah we're fucking playing again, doing this shit for you. Just kidding. We fucking love you." We love you too.

'Juicebox' - first moshpit. Ouch. I wasn't sure how Julian would handle the more intense vocals in this one, but he took it in his stride.

'Under Control' - Stunning. They did the beginning with just vocals and guitars, then eventually the drums came in. "We used to play these songs in empty bars and now...shit, man."

'Heart In A Cage' - The amount of people raising their left hand with passion at the relevant moment ("left, left, left") was awesome. The passion the band put in was really evident.

'Take It Or Leave It' - the final thank yous made it clear that this was gonna be the last one, so everyone - band and audience - really made the most of it. An excellent finish to an excellent set.

Julian said one last thank you to the amazing crowd, saying "see you soon" which he no doubt will because now I've seen them once it is necessary to see them again, and again and etc.. Once is really not enough, but it was definitely an incredibly satisfying start.

Fab then threw his drumsticks into the audience, and after their set made some crazy distorted noises like a rocket had landed, the lights went out and we knew it was over. Everyone walked away with goofy grins on their faces and someone was singing 'Someday', in a blissful sort of way.

Already it feels so surreal, so much like it was a dream - probably, if not definitely, the best gig of my life. Bring on Paul McCartney tonight.

And if I wasn't already aware of it, last night really cemented the fact that I love The Strokes.

Photos from, and with many thanks to, She's Fixing Her Hair , I will get my own developed and uploaded as soon as I can.

TREEFIGHT FOR SUNLIGHT

2010-05-22T10:55:00.009+01:00

Now that the sun has at last decided to make an appearance in the at last blue skies, there's nothing quite like dancing in the dappled sunlight whilst listening to sugary indie pop with smooth-as-liquid melodies, nostalgic, twinkling pianos and upbeat, playful vocals. It's a good thing then, that Danish band Treefight For Sunlight's new single, 'Facing the Sun' typifies just that kind of music.

As the beautiful video seems to exemplify, this dazzling track is a lot of fun, and while perhaps not entirely reflective of their sound as a whole - their other released track 'The Universe is a Woman' [click to watch the video], is perhaps more majestic and serious - this new single at least is wonderfully light-hearted and summery, and both tracks do seem implicit of plenty of exciting promise.

If I was a lazy writer I would perhaps liken them to a slightly more eccentric Phoenix, or a fun-loving Grizzly Bear (if you can even imagine these things). I am a lazy writer, and do vaguely agree with my own sentiments - but judging from the two tracks I've heard - Treefight For Sunlight's music goes beyond these lazy comparisons, and thus they are well worth giving a listen to.

Buy digital single, 'Facing the Sun', out now on label Tambourhinoceros, HERE.

Folk, Adam Green, and Butternut Squash: An Interview with Lail Arad

2010-05-19T20:37:00.005+01:00

Lail Arad is an amazing up and coming singer who writes brilliant songs which often bridge the gap between delicate, sincere folk, and extravagant show-stopping Broadway tunes, if not heralding an age of catchy folk songs with captivating, witty stories to tell; in short she is truly worth having a listen to. This is an interview I did ages ago, A-levels are taking over my life hence the lack of blogging recently - apologies!

Anyway, enjoy this and do listen to her, you won't be disappointed. She's a 26 year old with an obsession for classic folk music (think Joni, Woody et al) and once was picked from the audience to perform on stage at a Devendra Banhart concert. Thus the story begins...

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and the music you make? How did you decide to pursue music?

Well it wasn't so much a decision as a natural progression. I sang a lot when I was growing up, school concerts, musicals.. I loved it. On my gap year I started trying to write songs - i wouldn't let you hear any of them now! But I didn't want to go to music school.. I went to study theatre, and I knew that when I graduate I'll give music a real go.. and thats exactly what I've been doing. So the music I make isn't hugely trained.. I can play piano and a bit of guitar, but i approach song-writing quite naively.

Where does your song-writing inspiration come from? With 'Who Am I' and 'Winter', for example, it's sort of hard to discern between whether you're singing about personal things or they're just stories you're making-up?

I'm not sure it really matters, once the song becomes a song, because everyone reads what they want into it and, hopefully, relates it to their own experiences. But actually for the most part the songs are very autobiographical and close to my reality. Who Am I is maybe an exception, I got carried away with the character somewhere around the 2nd verse...

Your parents are originally from Tel-Aviv; to what extent would you say that your heritage has had an impact on you and your songs?

My upbringing certainly influenced me, our house was very fun and laid-back, I don't know whether to attribute that to my parents' nationality, or to their hippy sensibilities - probably both. I've never lived in Israel, yet people always ask me (after about 11 seconds) where I'm from, where my slightly strange accent is from.. I quite like being a little bit of an outsider. Having said that I went to english schools, I was born and raised in London.. Lyrically maybe this funny combination comes out, in how I see the world - but musically my influences are English - or American.

You've done some interesting cover songs - Sexyback for one [click here to watch] - what's your favourite song to cover and is there a story as to why?

Sexyback was funny, with my cousin Galia. We were just fooling around.. There's something great about covering a song from a completely different genre. I loved doing 'Lets Talk About Sex' by Salt'n'Pepa. Uh-oh, all these songs have sex in the title. Maybe I have to cover Sex & Drugs & Rock'n'Roll next. Recently my favourite cover to sing is 'Brand New Key' by Melanie Safka ("I've got a brand new pair of rollerskates") - the story there is that since I cut my fringe I've been trying to model myself on her.

How goes the pursuit of Adam Green? And how did the idea for that song/video come about in the first place?

Well the idea came exactly as the song says, during his show: "i got the idea when you sang that song about Jessica Simpson." The pursuit goes well, I met him for the first time not long ago. He heard some of my album and said he was very disappointed that the song I wrote about him was not on the level of the new songs..

The Devendra Banhart incident. What made you decide to showcase your song, and what was it like being up there?

I can't answer this question very accurately because the whole thing is a bit of a blur. Lucky someone caught it on camera and put it on youtube! Devendra specifically asked if someone wanted to sing a new song they'd never shared before.. so I took him very seriously and sang Winter that I'd written 3 days earlier. It all happened very fast. The crowd were so amazing. It was a crazy thing!

What can you tell us about the upcoming album?

Its colourful. And friendly. And mountainous. And a little sneaky. Some new songs, some older. Some trombones, some Fender Rhodes.. I can't wait for you to hear it!

Could you recommend us some music? On a sort of related note, I checked out your Q mixtape [click here to listen] and really loved it; yesss to the Little Joy love, they are under-appreciated.

Little Joy are wonderful, I'm glad you agree! Hope I see them live somewhere soon.I recommend everyone I put on that mix. What else.. check out some french bands - Moriarty, Coming Soon, Herman Dune.. Ils sont merveilleux!

Well, that's it - any final words while we've got your attention?

No because I'm cooking and I have to run before I burn the butternut squash!!

Thanks so much to Lail for the interview, I can't recommend giving her a listen enough. You can get a free download of her song, 'Who Am I' HERE, and her debut album 'Someone New' is out on June 14th on Notify Music.

O.N.E.

2010-03-29T16:28:00.004+01:00

First up, my neglect isn't as bad as it looks - those lovely folks at the DMCA took down my last post because it contained a two-year old demo version of a song that's not even a single; my mistake.

Anyway; less complaining, more music and it's a testament to how weird the video for 'Ambling Amp' was that the eccentric Yeasayer's latest video, for single 'O.N.E.', seems relatively normal.

The song is also amazingly summery, colourful, danceable and just so much fun; it has a lovely tropical/African feel which is mashed-up with some beautiful, catchy electro beats . I'm not really getting into their second album, 'Odd Blood' as a whole (after the first few listens, at least) but this single is incredible and you have to buy it [iTunes UK link].

Free MP3, courtesy of NME.com: Yeasayer – 'One (XXXChange remix)’

Yuck and other really good musical acts

2010-02-28T21:13:00.007Z

My lack of blogging has been atrocious as ever, and thus many apologies are required. I've had loads of coursework deadlines, was on a school trip (sans internet) for over 10 days, plus I turned 18 and celebrations were had, and I've had uni open days and the like - it's been disgustingly busy times.

But this isn't called "yuck" because of that; this is to inform you of the musical wonder that is the band, Yuck. Sporting two members of a band I was pretty much obsessed with, they span between both nostalgic and catchy as well as beautifully endearing and delicate. Well worth giving them a listen; their first record, 'Georgia', is a joint single out on Transparent, with 'Paul Blart and the Death of Art' by another great musician, Herzog; he's all the way from Ohio and makes exciting music that's familiar somehow yet not with heavy riffs and drawling, knowing vocals.

Go to the band's blog to download some of their tracks, and try to see them live; they're playing shows with all sorts of good acts like Dum Dum Girls (they make really good frantic, distorted garage rock which harks back to Blondie, or more recently Vivian Girls), Egyptian Hip Hop (they're really exciting and fun and kind of defy being labelled, but I'd say if you're a fan of Late of the Pier at their funkiest, you might just love these guys) and Times New Viking (dirty, in-your-face, raw and really loud, it's like the guitars are melting your ears. Beautiful).

Pure Groove probably has all of this music, go and buy or pre-order.

Pre-order New Late of the Pier

2010-01-31T21:29:00.003Z

On February 8th the eccentric and incredible Late of the Pier are releasing a limited double A-side 12" single which you need to pre-order and cherish - frontman Sam Eastgate has said this might be one of the few things we hear from the band this year, although a new album maybe on the horizon for 2011. They'll presumably all be focussing on side-projects for a bit; Eastgate has announced he will be fulfilling his dream of working in a two-piece band with an as-yet unnamed drummer.

So, instead of dwelling on all of that, I highly recommend you immerse yourself in 'Blueberry' and 'Best In The Class'. 'Blueberry' - which was actually released as a low-key download late last year - is incredible, shimmering, weird, soft and loud. Beautiful harmonies are followed by squelchy, chaotic dissonance. There's acoustic ballad, powerful electro, hints of tripped-out glam, and just general deliciousness. It's a genuinely excellent song, and it fills me with excitement for things to come. 'Best In The Class' is an upbeat, funky little Mario-esque number which is a whole lot of fun, and reminds me of the amusement and abandonment of their live show.

They are just too, too good; I really have missed them.

Download: Late of the Pier - 'Random Firl' (demo version)

Pre-order the double A-side slice of heaven here, and if you haven't already it is pretty much necessary that you buy their debut album, 'Fantasy Black Channel' here.

Beloved Rogue

2010-01-17T15:14:00.006Z

I've been meaning to write about this band for a few months now, but let's not pretend it's a massive surprise it's taken me this long to get around to it; my recent aptitude for up-to-date blogging might as well see me posturing Lady Gaga as the next big thing.

Beloved Rogue, a talented three-piece based in New York, make amazingly whimsical shoe-gaze, their songs bringing to mind a slightly poppier Deerhunter. Their debut, the Polaurora EP, showcases a dazed and dreamy band, although their songs sometimes build-up into more aggressive and distorted numbers (notably in 'Capital Sense'). It's that epic sort of music you can just close your eyes and get lost in, and even if you're only hearing it for the first time it already has a weirdly nostalgic feel about it. Considering that this is only the beginning, Beloved Rogue have crazy amounts of potential. The band are already getting to work on their second EP and so - hopefully - we'll hear more from them soon.

Until then, you should download the fantastic Polaurora EP for free from their website, or you could go one better and buy the 7" of 'Amber'/'Daysleeping' here.

"Winter kept us warm, covering Earth in forgetful snow"

2010-01-07T11:06:00.005Z

There's something really surreal about the world when it's been snowing. Everything seems to go oddly quiet, you suddenly understand what it means for the air to be "crisp", the sky turns white with tinges of this glassy grey, pink and purple, and everything's covered in this white blanket that makes it hard to remember what things normally look like - there's a Noah and the Whale lyric which says something along the lines of, "when the wild was all covered in snow, I forgot the colours that the grass tends to glow". It probably wasn't meant for deep contemplation, but I do find it really difficult to remember the exact shade of green the grass is in my garden when it's all blanketed white. I like the word "blanket" when it comes to snow, I don't really know why.

Although in terms of getting anywhere it's a bit annoying, I do love the snow. It looks really beautiful, and it paints the landscape in this way that you never normally see it. So yes. I am liking the snow days.

Weird, sleepy babbling post over.

"the trouble with dreams, they're not what they seem, cos when you awake they fall through your fingers in flakes"

MP3: 'Flakes' (Mystery Jets Cover) - Florence + The Machine (thanks to Tastes Like Caramel for the mp3)

Buy both of the Mystery Jets' albums here, they're easily among my favourite of the last decade.

Photo credit: Oblivion Head

Things I Liked This Decade: M.I.A. and Bat For Lashes

2009-12-30T15:27:00.005Z

Maya Arulpragasm and Natasha Khan are both from southern Asia, but grew up in Britain. They’re both amongst my favourite female solo artists this decade, and have both inspired me through their making of some very powerful music (yes, this post might just be cheese-fest ’09). They're both strong women who aren't afraid to take liberties with the music they make or, indeed, the clothes they wear.

Musically, however, they’re both very, very different

M.I.A. is probably just as famous for her politics and odd dress-sense as her fantastic fusions of just about every type of music; perhaps most notably the electronica, hip-hop and world genres, and her lyrics visit both the upbeat world of relationships and grittier subject matter such as war, drugs and immigration.

Conversely, Bat For Lashes almost lives in a dream world, with strange but wonderful songs about inner-conflict, love and wizards; the songs seem hard to place chronologically as the instruments vary from harpsichords and musical saws to synths and drum kits. In a world where there are so many problems, Khan’s fantastical songs are perhaps just as relevant as M.I.A.'s - escapism through music is just as important, if not moreso, than making some sort of statement.

They didn’t have to do scantily-clad dance routines or win a reality TV show to get an audience, they just made relevant music and stuck by their convictions. I have much respect and love for these two.

MP3 - Bat For Lashes - 'A Forest (cover of The Cure)'

MP3 - Buraka Som Sistema ft. M.I.A. -'Sounds of Kudura'

Or go to the HMV website or something and buy their stuff.