New Narcotics

#26: Montage Populaire

2011-03-01T15:36:00.000-08:00

New Narcotic of the Day #26:
Montage Populaire

Hey! How about some inventive and intelligent indie rock that defies the generic guitar/bass/drums attack and throws in a realm of psychadelic trance-tastic electronics, travelling in the realm of The Beta Band, a band who capitalised on the electronic accessibility in the late 90s to meld this burgeoning indie rock ideology to glitchy glimmers and shuddering robotic shimmers. Since then, the likes of Fiery Furnaces and Destroyer have expanded, exploded and explored this, which continues beating and building in the hearts and minds of the fivesome known as Montage Populaire.

'Break Up The Band' utilises a steady, driving beat until a frantic central riff starts winding towards a muffled vocal lead and a wonderful chant-like cheer. A carefree ethos with the concept of vocals are vital to the fantastic frivolity this band exude, utilising a varying degree of effects and ideas to showcase their lyrical spurts. 'Reject Reinstall' is a brooding, burning flame of a track, using heavy handed backing electronics with surprisingly chipper synth to craft that concise contrast that brings about repeated listens. There are (albeit warped and bolder) bursts of Britpop in the likes of 'Attraction Repulsion' and an Of Montreal-like series of flurrying dashes weaving a rugged path through the majority of their work, standing out like a firecracker in the monstrously madcap 'Simon Says'.

Montage Populaire have a number of gigs coming up at the likes of Old Blue Last and (forever in my heart) Lennons. Tomorrow, they play at The Bull & Gate alongside Francis Neve (previously mentioned HERE!)

Montage Populaire's Myspace

Montage Populaire's Website

#25: Small Engine Repair

2011-02-25T07:31:00.000-08:00

New Narcotic of the Day #25:
Small Engine Repair

Updates have become as sporadic as sunspots but the show must go on, stiff British upper lip, keep calm carry on etc etc etc etc...

Oh I do love to have a darn good Midlands band popping up on my musical radar. Hereford (as well as being my current career team on FIFA 11, in the Premiership after six seasons thank you very much) has spawned Small Engine Repair, a trio of musicians who craft Americana-tinged alt folk with an English ear for the blues. They utilise a deft hand in generating softly spun songs that seep a steady stirring of sadness and sweet recollections.

A new EP, fittingly titled 'An Introduction to Small Engine Repair', is available for only five British pounds and is well worth every penny. 'I Feel So Old' ekes it's way into existence with a spindly riff and Cohen-like coherence in it's sentiment and stretching guitar picks. 'This Whole Setup Is A Lie' begins with a She & Him splash of piano before the vocals of Phil Twigg forges it's worn, world-weary ferocity, coming off as a cross between Matt Berninger and Mark Oliver Everett. 'Hey Best Friend' is a beautifully realised tale of youth and friendship, lamenting and reflecting with the utterly despondent crux in 'But I still miss you, more than I can say."

The EP is available now from the link below and join me in seeing them at The Social in London on the 22nd March.

Buy their EP!

Small Engine Repair's Myspace

Hey, Best Friend by Small Engine Repair

#24: The History of Apple Pie

2011-02-19T12:53:00.000-08:00

New Narcotic of the Day #24:

The History of Apple Pie

Time away yet again and back again yet again and again and again and again.

INDIE POP TIME!

Well, a fusion of 90s indie shoegaze plus a smidge of Britpop equals The History of Apple Pie, a group started by Stephanie Min and Jerome Watson (previously of Hatcham Social). Now they have expanded into a five piece who swell and surge to craft that distinct sound of the Yuck-style, 1990s creeping their way back into music (they don't really sound a thing like Yuck BUT I can't help but mention them when talking of this mini-90s 'revival').

This is C86 shoegaze, all ripping guitar lines and shuffling drums behind a sweetly crooning female voice that hovers atop the melody, conscious of it's place in the history of such a musical narrative. 'You're So Cool' drifts along on an endlessly chilled riff, recalling the likes of Luna or The Breeders, leaning back into a melody of sunny relaxation. 'Mallory' croons "Mallory, she's wondering how on Earth they got this far", utilising an imaginary(?) individual to tell a classical tale, treading a line between The Pixies' 'Allison' and The Shirelles' 'Foolish Little Girl'. This 60s girl group backbone is a brazen, beautiful branding on their indie pop, remaining faithful to the melodic, story-telling qualities that the likes of Motown et al utilised to great effect.

The History of Apple Pie have a host of London gigs in the near future including slots at The 100 Club and The Victoria.

The History of Apple Pie's Myspace

The History of Apple Pie's Soundcloud

You're So Cool by The History Of Apple Pie

#23: Trogons

2011-02-10T14:12:00.000-08:00

New Narcotic of the Day #23:

Trogons

True psych rock is a worrying offcut of the musical realm. Truly great psych rock needs to simply slip into your own psyche, take over, muddle things up a little bit and screech the whole darn way. Trogons are a foursome who take shake, rattle and roll in their own rollicking direction, utilising driving riffs alongside 80s ideology and a set of roaring vocal chords from lead singer Gemma Fleet.

'Protest Song no.678' begins with a flourishing freight train of sound via a guitar lick that rumbles and grumbles in the short, sharp, stabbing space of a sparse two minutes. 'Rare Earth Materials' holds an almost classical sway in it's punching guitar and Siouxsie-esque vocals that vibe along on an astral plane all to themselves. This is like metal music on downers or post-punk on uppers; drugged up psychadelica at it's most potent...

Trogons are all over London like a lovely rash in the near future, performing at Brixton Windmill, Hoxton Underbelly and The Victoria.

Trogons' Myspace

Trogons' Soundcloud

Protest Song no.678 by TROGONS

#22: Kyla la Grange

2011-02-09T15:27:00.000-08:00

New Narcotic of the Day #22:

Kyla la Grange

Singer songwriters are an odd breed of musician. All alone compared to the camaraderie that a band brings (barring session and touring musicians), they must forge their way through the musical mire without a guitarist to back them up or a drummer to blame everything on. They are truly brave brave souls. And it takes a lot to grasp attention in the music world when you're all alone, especially with the glut of individuals with an acoustic (generalising pshhhhh); it's certainly tricky to find the so-called 'diamonds in the rough'. So how about a wondrous one for today's New Narcotic?

Kyla la Grange conjures up a heady form of modern pop, drenched in alternative ideology with dashes of pounding melody, smothered in a suitably smoky layer of vocals. She performs with, and relies on, a fantastically attuned backing band but it is her innate sense of mysticism, lyricism and seemingly endless awareness of modern pop music that allows the music to swirl around her, pinpointing the maestro at the centre of this maelstrom, recalling hints of Glasser fused with 80s pop.

'Vampire Smile' starts innocently enough (albeit with an oddly stiring sonic effect hidden behind the acoustic strum) with the rasping whisper of Kyla leading the way into a fusion of modern indie folk with rampaging, spiritual alt pop. This is the tribal music of old stirred together with modern pop technique and tenacity. 'Walk Through Walls' is slightly more bombastic, setting sail upwards, soaring into a sing-along chorus that must surely grace dance floors, bedroom blasts and festival stages sometime in the near future.

Kyla la Grange will surely be heading to many-a stage in the near future but, for now, placate yourself with a free download of 'Vampire Smile' from her website....

Kyla la Grange's Website

Kyla la Grange's Myspace

#21: Crows

2011-02-06T14:21:00.000-08:00

New Narcotic of the Day #21:

Crows

It feels, somewhat, with the departure of The White Stripes acting as a poignant reminder, that true scuzzy, garage-fuelled rock and roll; the kind that burns in the pit of your stomach and growls with a frazzled ferocity; is practically dead when it comes to interesting musical conception. Shoegaze has gone soft and sappy, punk is all but deep underground and the harder edges of indie rock have morphed into either soaring, melodic, rhythmic sauntering or homogenised, unintelligent sap. But, maybe it's time for a revival of rip-roaring magnifience with a four-piece from London known simply as Crows.

Crows have only two tracks on the world wide web so far but both exude a mixture of surf rock vibes with a stony edge of scuzz. 'Reyes' punches with a lashing beat, underlined with a vocal run that utilises an effortless control that manages to sound chaotically emotional. And 'Korea' may have the best intro of any song I have heard in a good long while. Pure surf rock shimmer gives way to trembling vocals and a driving riff which kicks, scratches and bites its way towards a classy collapse.

Crows are playing at The Good Ship in Kilburn on Wednesday and, if prayers are answered, will be crafting more concoctions in the very near future.

Crows' Soundcloud

Korea by CROWS

#20: Swim Deep

2011-02-04T06:41:00.000-08:00

New Narcotic of the Day #20:
Swim Deep

Wow. Well done everyone (me), we've (I've) made it to the big 20. Mazel tov all around guys! Wine and cheese night around my place! Let's cross our fingers and pray, wish and dream we make it to that big BIG 50....

ANYHOO; this is about music and here is some new narcotics to inhale, inject and ingest.

When you think of hazy, drifting surf rock, it's easy to float to images of Californian beaches, sunsets over oceanic horizons and Bethany Cosentino feeding you grapes in a hammock (just me?). How about Birmingham? And not even Alabama Birmingham. I am talking West Midlands, brummie Birmingham. As part of the West Midlands massive, Birmingham based trio Swim Deep make me immensely proud and ready to go back and surf a network of canals longer than Venices.....

Swim Deep spin a heady mix of dazed and confused gaze-rock that drips with a joyous disdain for pop melody, miring itself happily in the deeply serene drone that such use of distortion and steady, hovering sonics develops.

Even the track titles feel drenched in tropical sunrays, with the likes of 'Santa Maria', strutting along on a bed of electronic growling that is garnished with an 80s synth (that, magically, doesn't sound dated) and lead vocals that growl just as convincingly. The tuneful trip towards the finish line is poised and purposeful, heading down the highway into a sonorous sunset. 'Isla Vista' is a darker turn, albeit darkness sprinkled with handclaps, surf riffs and a meandering backing synth that sparkles rather than spits. The heavier tone provides the dark descent, sounding like an alternate world's version of Pixies where Black Francis decided to up and move to LA.

With only two tracks on the interwebz, we have a long road ahead of us before Swim Deep are spreading their sound to the world. Though they have two shows at the Victoria and the Rainbow in April and May. From these early adventures, it could very well be a glistening, sweltering and nebulous journey. Albeit, taking a trip around Spaghetti Junction to get there.

Swim Deep Soundcloud

Swim Deep Tumblr

#19: Domo Genesis

2011-02-01T07:51:00.000-08:00

New Narcotic of the Day #19:

Domo Genesis

Hip-hop time? Yes, hip-hop time.

Das Racist are the most successful frontrunners of a movement that can be labeled, simply, as hipster-hop. This is rap music that avoids the traditional vibes and concepts associated with the genre, focusing on a range of matters that delve into introspection, nerd culture and sexual adventures (well, they had to keep a lil' something from the old school). The major component of this advancement is the musical style and beats, often derived from indie, alternative and psychadelic fields of music, with many acts having alternative artists guesting, sampling or playing around with their tracks.

Domo Genesis is one such proponent of this wondrous evolution of hip-hop, and a member of Odd Future (a hip-hop group who have been making tsunami waves on the West Coast of America), produced by the madcap maestro Tyler the Creator. Rather than try to sum him up with something witty and pithy, I will just throw this quote down from his own bio " I'm Better Than You At Life. Ill. This Isn't "Real Hip Hop" Or "Jerk" Or "Really Any Bull Shit You Heard Of". I'm Not Working With You Unless Your Almost As Good As I Am. Which Is One Notch Under Perfect. This Is Nino Brown In 89. This Is Rick James In His Prime. This Is Domo Genesis."

'Supermarket' is a fantastically realised thought-splatter on the inanities, machinations and oddities when it comes to shopping, via a word-slinging face-off set to a trumping tune courtesy of a 1940s musical, of course. 'Heart of Gold' utilises a trinkling bit of synth to underlie a rant on education and knowledge, dropping references to dinosaurs, puberty, morality and, of course, sex. This is a subtle sort of hip-hop that screams in your face.

Domo Genesis has a record out, titled 'Rolling Papers' and is another US artist that will probably not get to these shores. I am fed up of grime. We need some British hipster-hop.....

Domo Genesis' Myspace

#18: Escapists

2011-01-31T14:56:00.000-08:00

New Narcotic of the Day #18:

Escapists

I have no idea where Escapists escaped from (blah-bad-punning-time) but wherever it is, I am damn sure they are missing the group of vivacious four young males who hail from London and craft a melodious mixture of indie rock and upbeat folk pop, stuck together with a confident sense and sensibility, barricading itself in the riffs and percussive elements of their tracks.

'Longest Day ' begins by moving into Arcade Fire territory with it's steadily expanding instrumentation, touching the memory synapses in just the right way, before moving into something slightly harsher, in the vein of We Were Promised Jetpacks. 'New York' is an ode to my future home (if I have anything to do with it, god damn it!), spinning out a catchy tale of Big Apple romance, whilst 'Ghosts' is a Warpaint-esque drift through ethereal , low-key plucking and harmoniously haunting vocal strains that end by floating ever upwards to the heavens.

Escapists have a bunch of demos to absorb and a host of gigs upcoming in the capital, including a show at the World's End on February 17th.

Escapists' Soundcloud

Escapist's Myspace

Longest Day (DEMO) by Escapistsmusic

#17: Melted Toys

2011-01-29T12:16:00.000-08:00

New Narcotic of the Day #17:

Melted Toys

Music that is mired in the the indie muck, full of moping vocal stretches and lazy synths and guitar lines that dawdle and diddle in the most delicious manner, sometimes grasps the heart the hardest. That beautiful form of warped pop comes streaming from the hearts of Melted Toys, a three piece from San Francisco.

'Come On' is a soppy slice of distortion that treads the line between Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti and an indietronic Grizzly Bear. This is the sort of music that has deviated and distorted it's way over the last twenty-odd years ever since The Smiths started singing exquisitely forlorn pop songs. 'Wild Waves' sounds like something the likes of The Drums have been aiming for, thanks to it's pure lo-fi heart singed and tinged with surf rock sentiment.

Melted Toys have an EP, 'Washed & Dried', out on February 22nd via Underwater Peoples Records. AND check out the beauteous video recorded by Into The Woods below. And now, they have to be added to the list of bands I need to beg/bribe to come to London.....

Melted Toys' Myspace

#16: Colours

2011-01-28T14:51:00.000-08:00

New Narcotic of the Day #16:

Colours

What is it with these wonderful little scuzzy rock bands and their ungooglebable names. The likes of Girls, Cymbals, Women and Suckers all bring up a million little web pages that deviate from anything musical or melodic. Now, we have Colours (the British spelling gosh darnit), a google search that brings up a dazzling array of imagery and spectrum based information but very little on the surf rock garage fuzz fusion that leaks from four London based musicians going under the same term.

Signed to Marshall Teller Records and with an EP on the horizon (according to the ever so informative medium of Twitter), it's time to get into the kaleidoscopic world of Colours and the variation of vivid hues that they pump forth. 'Head Germ' is a psychedelic glimpse of noise rock (accompanied by an equally disturbing/sci-fi-tastic video from Benjamin Yiend), with a repeated drone of the word 'over' closing out the track in a suitably catastrophic cauterwaul. 'Wise Woods' begins with a lo-fi drum staple alongside a lazily strummed slice of surf rock riff, reverberating with the atmosphere of the setting sun before the lamenting larynx of the lead vocalist puts a dawdling sheen across everything.

Colours are appearing at Old Blue Last on the 5th January FOR FREE and have an EP on the way which I shall class as a necessity for 2011.

Colours' Myspace

COLOURS - HEAD GERM from Benjamin Yiend on Vimeo.

#15: Francis Neve

2011-01-27T13:22:00.000-08:00

New Narcotic of the Day #15:

Francis Neve

The realm of the singer-songwriter is a tricky field to navigate thanks to the glut of garbage that comes under such a banner, as various musicians roll through genre cliches without the flair or originality that allows them to break free of the musical weight of the past. Francis Neve, from Essex, manages to utilise an inventive mindset alongside a true heartfelt sentiment to craft his calm sense of indie gentility that nestles itself directly next to your pleasure points.

Francis has been writing songs since the age of 12, popped in and out of some indie bands and his debut record was released at the end of last year, garnering an understated collection of critical acclaim thanks to the understated style of storytelling that appears to innately inhabit his work. His debut album, 'The Second Time We First Met', has a slight concept in that it documents the life of a relationship, an idea close to my heart with the fiction I am attempting to complete in those moments when I am drunk and awake at 3am in the morning.

'Brian's Drying Up' is a melancholy trip that shows the songwriting prowess in the heart and head of Mr Neve, introducing ourself to the world of his records titular character. 'Come Near' utilises the general template of his work, a driving beat and a catchy riff accompanied by his alluringly, reassuring vocal tone that tells us a tale via an ear-pleasingly punch of a melody.

Francis Neve is appearing in London very soon so get along to The Strongrooms on 9th Feb, AAA on 19th Feb or Dublin Castle on 7th March.

Francis Neve's Myspace
Francis Neve's Website

#14: Ben Butler & Mousepad

2011-01-18T12:36:00.000-08:00

New Narcotic of the Day #14:

Ben Butler & Mousepad

Joe Howe is one guy who manages to sound like a group of electronic whizzes, whirring away on a host of electronica that screeches and screams with an attention deficit disorder that breeds beats. Formerly, Joe has worked as part of Gay Against You and Germlin, now using the name Ben Butler & Mousepad to peddle his brand of static stutter, stapling a heartfelt host of grooves here and there to headbop the whole thing home.

"Infinite Capacity" retreats and restarts through glitch and glimmer, shedding a skin of electronica on its way to a 90s dance pop dazzle. 'Other Islands' careens along on a precipice of sci-fi sonics whilst "Electric Bamber-Boo" is a Nintendo-fuelled, madcap dash through laser blasts that fire themselves directly through your eadrum and into your nostalgic memories of platformers, power-up and Pokemon.

He has a free EP on his Tumblr for YOU RIGHT NOW, so don't hestitate and get your glitch on to beep and bloop away those blues....

Publish Post

#13: Dirty Beaches

2011-01-17T12:12:00.000-08:00

New Narcotic of the Day #13:

Dirty Beaches

Dirty Beaches is the beautifully pun-tastic pseudonym of one musical man, concocting a low-key, off-kilter collection of ideas and moulding them in his mind until this subdued sort-of-dub leaked into the world. His music burns with an icy sunshine, which sounds implausible until you learn he lived for years basking in the heat of Hawaii before moving to his current haunt, the snowy, chilly Canadian city of Montreal.

'Lord Knows Best', the track that made me fall into sonic reverie, sways with a perfectly pitched piano pop flutter, whilst the voice of Dirty Beaches growls, almost menacingly, atop, fusing these two seperate worlds into a vat of melting wonder, dripping with a late-night, drunk swagger.

He turns The Stooges into something far more terrifying, which is something I never thought possible. But 'No Fun' becomes a warning track, blaring forth a drilling beat with dry, instructive vocals demanding and commanding atop the whole thing. His voice resonates like Ian Curtis on a comedown, mumbling in a half-intelligible saunter that enraptures as much as it creeps and crawls.

Listen to a bit of this Dirty Beaches fellow right now before his album creates another bloody genre craze. GO GO GO!

Dirty Beaches' Myspace

#12: Chains of Love

2011-01-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

New Narcotic of the Day #12:
Chains of Love

Old school sounding music still grabs me by the memory box and shakes me in ways I just can’t shake with new and modern sounds. So, when a band decides to emulate a mixture of old school rock and roll with dashes of soul and 50s boy band, my memory box goes gaga and shuts down for a little while.

But now it is back and giving you another New Narcotic, in the form of Chains of Love, a garage girl group from Vancouver who ache with the heart and soul only heartbreak and true love can instigate, break down and create. ‘All The Time’ is full of that snarky, revenge attitude, with scuzzy sounds and distant vocals aplenty, along with a wonderful bit of fairground synth that seems to spark into life towards the finale. ‘Breaking My Heart’ uses an old fashioned drum beat with precision and panache, resounding with the long lost sound of The Marvelettes and The Ronettes who decided to go garage, swigging whisky and pumping out rollicking jam after rolling melody.

Chains of Love are the highest calibre of retrotastic music, making their music sound like B-Sides to the best, brightest and boldest band of the 50s and 60s. And, just goddamn because sometimes life is wondrous, they have a bunch of songs for free to download right not from their Bandcamp…

Chains of Love Myspace

Chains of Love Bandcamp

#11: The Babies

2011-01-13T15:23:00.000-08:00

New Narcotic of the Day #11:

The Babies

It's time for an indietastic collaboration thanks to a modern day sort-of-super group! The Babies is a quartet formed of Cassie of the Vivian Girls, Kevin Morby of Woods, Nathanael Stark of Bent Outta Shape and Justin Sullivan of Ringers; a veritable indie/lo-fi explosion. Originally conceived as a temporary side project, for the sheer sonic fun of it, they seem to have cemented themselves as somewhat more serious after announcing a debut record on Shrimper Records this February.

The Babies peddle that current lo-fi lovefest style (Best Coast et al) that uses stoner mumble and grumble alongside bluesy guitar and an attitude to life that reminisces on youth, weed and lazy, sunny days spent roving around in permanent adolescence. 'Wild I' is a lazy romp through lo-fi territory whilst 'Breakin The Law' recalls garage rock roots, by way of Jay Reatard style clatter and shatter. 'Meet Me In The City' is an urgent charge through sunrays and 'Run Me Over' showcases a punching drumbeat alongside a sonically distorted riff that glides along with suitably catastrophic vocals.

Check out The Babies before they blow up and take the sun with them; the supergroup is back with a drugged up sort of vengeance....

The Babies' Myspace

#10: Grouplove

2011-01-12T15:34:00.000-08:00

New Narcotic of the Day #10:

Grouplove

Sometimes a shockingly good introductory track can lead to a whole world of devastation and disappointment when the music you suddenly love reveals itself as a short loved, one-hit-wonder of your world, as the artist in question managed to use up all available wisdom and talent by channelling it into that one track you fell in love with. Grouplove unleashed a track called 'Colours' onto the net last year and I 100%, abso-fucking-lutely fell in love with it. Jabbing indie vocal jerks and steady but steadfast pulsating percussion, coupled with a shout-along chorus made it a surefire mainstay for my summer of 2010 (blogged about wayyy back in May). The worry came when I decided to see what else they had to offer....

Grouplove are an all-American group (even though one member is from London and they met in Crete...) who exude an upbeat Arcade Fire vibe, full of vigour and good vibrations. They are based, nonetheless, in LA, and you can feel the warmth of the West Coast sunshine through their tone and tenor. A slight sense of the 90s indie revival is in the air when listening to the likes of 'Naked Kids' with the vocals almost sneering their way through the song, aided by some rapid strumming and Smashing Pumpkins bass runs and spoken word verses. 'Gold Coast' is an irrepressible moan wrapped in indie ethos, accompanied by a clatter of drums and comfortably whining vocals, whilst 'Don't Say Oh Well' echoes a US parallel version of Los Campesinos!

The group veer away from the recurrent current sound of the West Coast, swerving away from lo-fi grumbling, edging away (ever so slowly and slightly) from surf rock and stumbling, giggling the whole way, in the opposite direction of noise rock. Grouplove are five content individuals, singing about joy and smiles amidst a Californian sunset and are all the better for this display of sheer exultation. I feel that if Grouplove aim for summer release, the mixture of festivals, sunshine (fingers crossed) and general gaiety in the air will push them into the stratosphere, kept afloat atop chanting crowds, sunny dispositions and face-achingly grinning music lovers.

Grouplove's Myspace

#9: Fos

2011-01-09T15:50:00.000-08:00

New Narcotic of the Day #9:

Fos

Time for something strange, artistic and wondrous to close the weekend with Fos, the musical project of a Greek artist, Katerina Koutouzi, residing in London town. She has released two albums on Near The Exit music and is continuing her uniquely personal and emotive musical journey, crafting tracks that bob, duck and dive out of the way of genre expectations, moving in such unexpected directions that defy logic but placate the ear.

'Un Courant' is a harmonium led gem, using such a distinct sound to create a general sense of unease and cinematic tension whilst the low, humming vocals rumble atop it all. A mixture of instrumentation show's itself up in the work of Fos, with Katerina showcasing her prowess with pianos, harmoniums, accordians and glockenspiels, as well as projecting a hauntingly evocative voice.

The music of Fos has a folktastic base that spirals wildy off towards avant garde directions whilst maintaining a sense of calm pop in the way each song is constructed and the avenues they explore. 'With The Seagulls II' uses a deeply affecting piano riff to set up actual seagull effects and a sudden driving beat, adding a dance tinge to what first appears to be a folk-pop exploration. After a few listens, however, the music starts to feel like an artistic expression via sound and melody, with Fos using noise as a true artform and, more importantly, as her artistic voice. The likes of 'Mnimi' is a vocal and harmonious experiment (that works wonderfully) and 'In Harmony' takes a gentle, twinkling ideology, sparkling with a dream-like sense of awe.

Fos has developed an enormously overwhelming ability to spin together an assortment and array of oddities in terms of sound and style, weaving them together on a giant loom into a tapestry of melody, art, rhythm and hazy dreams. Catch her at the Shh Festival on 22nd January at Cecil Sharp House to try and experience her own unimaginable world in person.

Fos Myspace

#8: Trwbador

2011-01-07T13:45:00.000-08:00

Artist of the Day #8:
Trwbador

Whilst I may not be able to correctly pronounce the name of today's band (I am guessing something like Troubadour???), I can correctly claim they excite, enthrall and entice in equal measure, sparkling with a simplicity of sonic structure that twinkles and flutters all at once. Trwbador are a bilingual duo from Carmarthenshire, South Wales who make me want to move to such hallowed, green and pleasant lands, learn the local lingo and form my own indietronica act that utilises the full force of the human voice in the manufacture of melodious motifs.

'Off Beat' is exactly what it says on the tin, chopping and slicing samples of wonderfully clipped vocal efforts to piece together a track that spins around and around, never landing on anything solid but making you dizzy in the most satisfying way. 'Eira' showcases a slightly noodling math rock influence in the guitar windling and weaving, carving a slowly widening path into your mind and staying there for a damn good while. Xylophones are always welcome in my musical inbox, so the delicate sprinkle of the aformentioned instrument, alongside a gentle vocal hum makes for an immensely smiley couple of minutes.

Trwbador make music to feed that part of you deep down that needs comfort, serenity and sweetness, utilising their impressive pair of vocal chords, an undeniable talent for electronic manipulation and a host of sudden and glitchy instrumentation to whisk a concoction of heady heart-throbbing folktronica.

Trwbador's Myspace

Trwbador's Facebook

#7: Childish Gambino

2011-01-06T15:17:00.000-08:00

Artist of the Day #7:

Childish Gambino

My first new act of this new year of ours going by the numer 2011 is going to be a comedian/actor/writer/hip-hop-hipster. Yeahhhhhhhhhh....

Hip-hop is a genre that has many many detractors who primarily focus on the mainstream mush of so-called 'Gangster-rap' which ignores the huge swathes of interesting, innovative and alternative rap music being produced nowadays. And I must mention that my new artist of today is not actually all that new. He is a comedian called Donald Glover who has found fame as part of Derrick Comedy (check them out all over Youtube), as a writer for 30 Rock (check it out if you get the chance) and as part of the cast of Community (CHECK IT OUT NOW BECAUSE YOUR SENSE OF HUMOUR DEPENDS ON IT). Aside from all of this, and much unappreciated, is his music career, having released three records for free on the internet, including his latest early in 2010, 'Culdesac'.

Donald uses the pseudonym Childish Gambino, keeping his comedic and musical stylings seperate to distinguish the distinct differences between his two immense talents. He uses his word weaving abilities to craft intelligent, geeky hip-hop that echoes Das Racist and the current wave of alternative hipster-hip-hop breaking through. His unique style of self-conscious boasting namedrops references from Tina Fey to Spider-Man.

Most of his work explores his inner thoughts as a young, gifted and black rising star, ranging from worrying explorations of his early years through to diatribes on his attraction to the beautiful women surrounding him thanks to his highly-earned success. Slow R&B-esque grooves take over on the likes of 'So Fly', with Childish sounding sweet and gentle as opposed to his charging masculinity on 'Put It In My Video'. Here he clearly states that every kind of female can come and appear in his video, using an amazing sample of The Stylistics (pushing my soul buttons) and blurting forth a wondrous line that accurately describes my every thought when in NY this summer in "Mixed girls from Williamsburg, that's my fucking Kryptonite".

Strangely, a sample of Adele forms the backbone for 'Do Ya Like', a sultry seduction song that oozes sex appeal and her soul voice works exquisitely over the stop-start style utilised by Childish on the aforementioned track (whether she knows it or not). There is a vulnerability in the music here yet somehow a sincere sense of bravado alongside the nervousness, with Childish Gambino managing to tread the line with flair, eloquence and a wisdom beyond his years.

Check out the music of Donald Glover (along with every damn thing else he does) before he goes skyhigh and becomes the new Kanye (quite possibly ego and all). Oh, and he also mixes the likes of Sufjan Stevens into oddly pitched dub and dance remixes. He couldn't really get any more awesome...

OH and his latest album 'Culdesac' is free to download HERE!

Albums of 2010: #1: The ArchAndroid

2010-12-31T11:32:00.000-08:00

#1: 'The ArchAndroid' by Janelle Monae

I have always been a soul kid at heart, so it's no surprise that a form of modern soul (fused with R&B, funk and indie) has taken the top spot on my personal countdown for 2010. Janelle Monae has been creeping her way into the industry for a few years now, collaborating with the likes of Outkast and signing to Bad Boy Records in 2006. She released a mini-album, 'Metropolis: Suite One', in 2007 which set the basis for her unique blend of genre conventions, the soul burning at the heart of her sound and the sci-fi themes that make me absolutely, positively want to marry her.

Sci-fi and music often make me go slightly gaga and may explain my obsession with all things Bowie, so when this album appeared in my life, I knew it would settle into my heart and never leave. 'The ArchAndroid' is a concept album about an android named Cindi Mayweather, sent back in time to free the citizens of a city called Metropolis, looking to bring back love to the suppressed people minority. Overtures are seldom used in modern music but Miss Monae opens the album with a dramatic orchestral flourish, bringing in cinematic, historical and visual ties alongside everything else on offer. Janelle is a master of crafting a tale and presenting it with a hundred other influences at the back of your mind, whilst producing something wholly unique, original and outstanding.

Outkast style hip-hop bursts into life on the likes of 'Dance or Die' with Big Boi himself even appearing on breakout single 'Tightrope' (the video of which showcases the jawdropping movement and grace in the choreography of our titular innovator). R&B that showcases a voice with the breadth and depth of Mary J Blige is a recurring tone, with 90s beats and nu-soul soundbites on the likes of 'Locked Inside' and 'Neon Valley Street'. Even indie rock pushes its way through the fold with Of Montreal (who Janelle supported on tour) cracking their way into the funk-laden 'Make The Bus'. Superbly strange sound manipulation is used with a deft hand in the backmasking of 'Neon Gumbo' and the echoing spiralling rock of 'Mushrooms and Roses'.

'Cold War' is the most incisive and personal track on offer, providing a profound and thrilling journey into her mind, taking on the issues surrounding roles of minoritiesm, specifically females, in society and in the music world. The music video (watch it below) is a stunning depiction of individual emotion with the camera focusing on the beautiful face of Miss Monae as she sings her heart out, recalling the famed Sinead O Connor video, especially as a tear streaks down her face at the line 'I was made to believe there's something wrong with me...'

One of the last tracks on the album, 'Say You'll Go' is a slow and steady electronic-tinged melody with Janelle's carefully controlled vocals lamenting drifting alongside, reminiscient of a Stevie Wonder ballad from his peak in the 70s. To top it all of, the track breaks down into my favourite piece of classical music, 'Clair De Lune' from the 3rd movement of Suite Bergamasque by Claude Debussy, cementing her as the love of my life and 'The ArchAndroid' as the most beautiful, beguiling and groundbreaking records of 2010.

Albums of 2010: #2: Hadestown: A Folk Opera

2010-12-31T08:36:00.000-08:00

#2: 'Hadestown: A Folk Opera' by Anais Mitchell (& guests...)

Time for something understated, underrepresented and underappreciated, yet a record I have been obsessed with, on and off, for almost the whole of 2010. Anais Mitchell is a little known folk singer-songwriter from Vermont who happens to be a bit damn clever, having created a record based around the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, set around the time of the Great Depression, using a host of guest artists as each character, creating an actual bloody folk opera. Anais plays Eurydice, Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver fame) plays Orpheus, Greg Brown plays Hades, Ani Di Franco plays Persephone, Ben Knox Miller plays Hermes and the Haden Triplets as the mysterious fates.

Nothing is underplayed here, with each chapter of the fable getting it's own vibe and sentiment, from the ballad-like 'Wedding Song' to the upbeat jazz of 'Way Down In Hadeston', taking the listener on a journey through the story, from beginning to end. It is an album that requires at least one full listen through (if not a billion) although it holds a handful of tracks that can be picked out as inventive, wondrous folk tracks individually.

Each player's voice is absolutely perfect for their respective roles; just listen to Greg Brown's growling, snarling tone on the likes of 'Hey Little Songbird' and imagine the fiery headed God of the Underworld towering over, powerful doom and gloom accompanying his rasping voice. Justin Vernon's falsetto soars and sweeps along, depicting the absolute icon of a loving, grieving, aching Orpheus; 'Wait For Me' showcases the absolute depths of human despair (alongside a wonderfuly whispering Ben Knox Miller advising our heroic but doomed character) whilst 'If It's True' is absolute loss, bemoaning the entire world for the death of love.

Our story plays out exactly as the myth, which I won't spoil for any unaware of the tale (but go get on it losers...), with melancholy mired in beauty weaving its way from start to finish. Anais Mitchell, and Michael Chorney who scored the record, have crafted a modern masterpiece of storytelling, fusing music and literature, and (hopefully) setting the basis for a host of amazing future folk operas....

Albums of 2010: #3: I'm New Here

2010-12-31T07:24:00.000-08:00

#3: 'I'm New Here' by Gil Scott-Heron

Poetry is the progenitor of hip-hop, the use of spoken words to convey something artistic or emotional, so it is beautiful to see Gil Scott-Heron back after a long absence, bringing back the personal depth, honesty and beauty of the spoken word (along with some pounding rhythms to keep everything humming, ticking and bopping along). In the 70s, he spoke out for the black community, and for America in general, about the harsh political truths tearing the country apart. With 'I'm New Here', he has decided to look within (albeit speaking out about certain truths in the world simultaneously), exploring his life, loves and relationship with the world.

The record opens with the first part of 'On Coming From A Broken Home', where Gil Scott-Heron tells the listener a pulsating tale of his upbringing, and how he came to be the man he is today. This is all set to the backing track of 'Flashing Lights', a perfect nod to the iconic hip-hop star of today, another man with the same mindset of insight and self-awareness. Kanye had previously used a sample of 'Home is where the Hatred Is' on 'My Way Home', and used 'Comment No 1' to close out his most recent masterpiece (No 10 on this very countdown). Robert Johnson's 'Me and the Devil' and 'Your Soul and Mine' plough through the emotional self-worry and sense of worry deep down in the heart of Mr Scott-Heron, whilst numerous interludes give us wonderful little snippets of poetry and thought.

Massive Attack beats and soulful growls and scowls give the record an enormous sense of age, gravitas and levity, rumbling along like a slow but steady freight train, forcing its way into your mind. Unexpectedly, but absolutely amazingly, a Smog cover provides the title track with 'I'm New Here', a track that is perfect for the return of our titular poet with lines such as “No matter how far wrong you’ve gone, you can always turn around”, sung with a perfectly-pitched low tumbling vocal strain. If Gil Scott-Heron stays on the so called straight and narrow and keeps on digging into his own mind, heart and soul, we will hopefully get another record that defines depth; and a record that overthrows the tired old hip-hop stereotypes, cliches and content, in favour of something altogether more meaningful, personal and, ultimately, powerful.

Albums of 2010: #4: The Fool

2010-12-30T08:00:00.000-08:00

#4: 'The Fool' by Warpaint

Warpaint have been around, in altered forms, since around 2004 and an EP released last year ignited the blogosphere with ravings of the supernatural stylings offered forth by the LA girl gang. And now an album exists, titled ‘The Fool’, with over half of the tracks spread out idly over five minutes yet this extensively straining sound is barely noticeable, such is the subdued ferocity that the album emits. The whole thing seeps by, filtered through layers and layers of archaic mysticism. Backing vocals embed themselves as an extra instrument, recalling choral command via spiritual rituals of old. The band drift between a Siouxsie-style gloom and a Sonic Youth growl with each passing refrain, two comparisons that still ring far from the peculiar display of euphonic whisperings on offer.

Each song title remains a short, sharp jab of similarity to the sound, in contrast to the winding, weaving, unwrapping five minute wanderings behind the name. ‘Shadows’ spins into life with the resonance of a warped record, crawling in the shade of a thick woodland cover beneath a starless eve. Opener ‘Warpaint’ strums a Joy Division throb with an unfathomably sultry vocal stride. ‘Undertow’ is a power play, with hints of seventies stoner rock and dashes of melodic indie pop combining to form an painstakingly sublime six minute ode to bitterness, where Warpaint drag you with them the whole way down.

The record treads the line between winter and autumn, full of frosty detachment and chilly uncertainty. ‘The Fool’ is an album to curl up with in the witching hour, with a fire burning and something hallucinogenic in the air. Warpaint are four females who have pursued a sound that unites melancholy and magic, beautifully haunting and enchanting in equal measure. In doing so, they have devised one of the albums of 2010, taking some sound supposedly sensual and slicing out all of the romantic lust until you’re left with an animalistic iciness.

Albums of 2010: #5: Shut Up, Dude/Sit Down, Man

2010-12-29T16:23:00.000-08:00

#5: 'Shut Up, Dude' & 'Sit Down, Man' by Das Racist

Yeah yeah I know, two records shouldn't be allowed; ALBUM OF THE YEAR, NOT ALBUMS YOU PRAT! But shut up, that's why. Two albums in the same year from three of the greatest hip-hop minds of 2010, namely Das Racist, three Brooklyn boys whose minds must consist of piles and piles of pop culture, literary references, philosophical musings and constant, incessant, jawdropping rhymes. If you shake out a few of the duds that hide themselves between the 38 songs over these two records, you have the greatest and most innovative hip-hop record of the last few years.

Sounding like a richly rhythmic Cool Kids, Das Racist first released 'Shut Up, Dude' showcasing three bright eyed, upbeat, party animals at the heart of the creation; shimmying along with head-bopping samples and sound effects amidst a clutch of rapid-fire, endlessly repeatable phrases that fire off here, there and everywhere. For example, 'You Oughta Know' speeds up a Billy Joel lyrical line whilst words spits forth references to Lionel Richie, the nature-nurture argument and Twitter. 'Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell' is a heart pounding ode to fast-food and 'Nutmeg' oozes 90s hip-hop summery vibes. Das Racist explore the world of the hipster through hip-hop, taking trips through explorations of racial stereotypes and almost-comedic observations of the world around them.

The whole process continues on 'Sit Down, Man', a release for the Autumnal months as everything slows down and seems to mature, drifting along with a more serious tone, albeit with all of the pop-culture inanities and high-speed hipster-hop that the trio of Himanshu, Victor and Ashok emanate. Celebrity cameos creep into the record, a sign of the meteoric rise and stature of the group, from Lakutis to Teengirl Fantasy but this overwhelming show of support does little to plug the flow of ferociously fabulous beats and rhymes. 'Hahahahaha jk?' highlights the smarts on offer, steeped in self irony thanks to a soap opera base and more references to both the most mainstream and the most obscure cultural symbols. Throughout this second attempt, the trio utilise and reference the likes of The Doors, the world of advertising, Garfield, Paris Hilton, Christmas, Kraftwerk and, of course, racial stereotypes, leaving no stone unturned in their pursuit of rhymes, rhythm and revolutionary hip-hop.

It is worth a mention that both of these records were free releases online and that Das Racist have utilised the net with flair, creating an 8-bit video game and running an amusing Twitter account to keep their legions of growing fans happy. They have been labelled as weedrap, nerdrap, posthip-hop and yet all that matters is that Das Racist are three artists with overflowing brains set atop their heads, full of all sorts of wisdom and words that will hopefully fill a hell of a lot more mixtapes with what they describe as "'deconstructionalist': sawing the legs out from under hip-hop as they celebrate it."

Albums of 2010: #6: This Is Happening

2010-12-29T15:20:00.000-08:00

#6: 'This Is Happening' by LCD Soundsystem

A trilogy either consists of a gradual but definite decline, plummeting from the exciting, original first attempt right through to the turgid, tired, downcast finale, or an action packed, ever-exuberant expression that only strengthens and adapts with each successive release. In music, this is usually in the former camp as groups burst into existence with a phenomenal debut and then fail to ignite the same fuses with each subsequent album. James Murphy was a Brooklynite before Brooklyn really got big, taking his electronic music and merging it with a whole realm of pop from the last five decades, bringing something labeled 'Dance Punk' to the attention of the world, and absolutely positively crafting the most wondrous kind of trilogy. This was music that indie kids could really get down and dirty to...

And, with both a heavy heart and a sigh of relief, 'This Is Happening' is LCD Soundsystem's last hurrah, an Eno-inspired blast of intelligent, mature backlash against an industry that is fast outgrowing the 40 year old hipster at the helm. 'Dance Yrself Clean' shuffles into a muffled introduction to disguise the horn-like synth that stabs into the track and shakes the speaker, and your dancing feet, across the room. 'Drunk Girls' is a lesson in all-out, 'White Light/White Heat' dance rock from a wise master whilst 'All I Want' reveals a bitter somberness amidst the 70s guitar swoons.

We get to see a glimpse at the reasoning behind the sudden retirement of LCD on 'You Wanted A Hit', with Murphy and co spending nine minutes giving the most beautiful and twitchy 'fuck you' to the music industry. 'I Can Change' is a moody Human League ballad, jerking with the resonance of regret as Murphy croons out those words we have all thought (and realised we really, really, really shouldn't have) 'I can change, if it helps you fall in love'.

James Murphy has accepted his status as an icon of cool, saying "I understand that if someone's going to make me his idea of cool I can't control that." although you can feel the indie kid inside him squirming at the thought. Well, I am sorry Mr Murphy but this record, and the entire LCD legacy, will have you cited and listed as the benchmark for 'cool' for a few years to come yet (until you decide to come back under a pseudonym and blow everything away, of course).

Albums of 2010: #7: I Speak Because I Can

2010-12-28T08:29:00.000-08:00

#7: 'I Speak Because I Can' by Laura Marling

I recall first seeing Laura Marling in 2007 at my first Camden Crawl, having found her through my regular, geeky online trawls through blogs and the world of Myspace music, and managed to fall in love with her somewhere between the time she started and the time she finished her first song. I blogged about her here wayyy back on April 9th that year (PROOF!). A jaw-droppingly beautiful first album that ached with a wealth of knowledge years beyond her young age appeared in 2008 and it took another couple of years for Miss Marling to return with 'I Speak Because I Can', another release that oozes a melancholy folk ethos that yet again evokes the wisdom of a much more mature folk mistress.

The tracks here haunt the recesses of the mind, embedding themselves via a simple array of classical instruments, cutting through the heart and soul with a preposterous precision thanks to the crystal clear clarity in the tone and lyrics tumbling from the mouth of Marling. 'Devil's Spoke' rumbles into existence to mark her return, dipping into a dark blues territory thanks to a subtely rollicking riff. She soon settles down with the melancholy-tinged 'Blackberry Stone', dropping into innately personal mutterings of 'You never did learn to let the little things go', almost whispering into your ear as if stretched out beside you (which I would love very very very much).

There is a sophistication on offer that puts the recent cutesy indie folk scene dominant in Britain (Mumford and Noah etc) to shame (however much she was a part of it), taking her cues from the likes of Joni Mitchell and Nick Cave to take heartfelt tales and transform them into soaring melodies and deeply intimate lyrical reflection. Nick Drake-like storytelling is at the heart of Marling's approach, settled so softly and yet oh so powerfully in 'Goodbye England (Covered in Snow)', a wintery wilderness of self-awareness. Each new release and appearance from Marling has my heart racing and my mind melting, such is the fragility and beauty on offer, poised in an alluring delicacy that seems both so personal and yet so distant.

Albums of 2010: #8: The Suburbs

2010-12-28T07:43:00.000-08:00

#8: 'The Suburbs' by Arcade Fire

I often drift into High Fidelity mode and ponder my ever-shifting top albums of all time which generally consists of records of days-gone-by; Bowie, Stevie, Joy Division et al. A smattering of contenders post-2000 appear every once in a while but none more consistently than Arcade Fire and, more specifically, their mind blowing debut 'Funeral'. Easily my most revisited album of the decade about to pass, Arcade Fire came together as several odd Canadians to change indie pop into something more meaningful, creating concept albums that defy the logic of concept albums.

2010 bought their third offering, an album full of the heartbreak and heartwarmth of adolescence, catching that ethos of youth so precisely, it's almost impossible to see Win, Regine and friends as fully grown adults. 'The Suburbs' veers from chipper piano to sweepingly somber orchestral fluttering, taking the listener on a teenage dream of a journey from start to finish. The concept floats from the enclosed entrapment of the so called suburbs, dreaming of escape and excitement, to the trials and tribulations of a career driven lifestyle dicated within 'We Used To Wait', where a longing for a more secure and restless time is pumped out via new wave chords and a subdued piano piece.

Arcade Fire manage to weave between genre landmarks, from the 'Heroes' sound-a-like of 'Half Light II (No Celebration)' to the laidback Americana musings of 'Wasted Hours', whilst some form of indie electro dances about on 'Sprawl II', ending up with a style and sound echoing a pot-head Blondie. Here lies the ultimate success of 'The Suburbs', with 16 tracks somehow managing to sound brisk, fresh and breezy whilst summing up every youthful triumph, mistake, opportunity and experience, using a veritable smorgasbord of sounds, instruments and ideas in order to reach the widest range of recipients, diving headfirst into their brain and yanking on all of the musical memories until something hurts.

Arcade Fire are a group with their wits about them, crafting three modern and intelligent albums that hark back whilst evoking utter emotion with an unexplainable ease. And on top of all this, they work with numerous charities, gig incessantly and manage to create videos that interact with your location and push the boundaries of what is possible with technology, music and visuals. Arcade Fire have ruled the noughties with a soft and gentle touch; it is difficult to see where else they can go, but it will be damned exciting to watch them wander.

Albums of 2010: #9: Crazy For You

2010-12-27T15:52:00.000-08:00

#9: 'Crazy For You' by Best Coast

This year I have had an inner battle over whether I would prefer the musical life of the West Coast Californian Haze or the Inner City New York Brooklyn lifestyle (more on this later in the countdown), but Best Coast, with a big dollop of lead singer Bethany Cosentino, gave me a giant push towards the Beach Boys notion of living. Lead singer Bethany has a cat famous on Twitter and was previously in the wondrous but odd Pocahaunted...so things were bound to get interesting with a debut record from the beach rock trio known as Best Coast.

They crafted a sound that went back in time and invented 1950s grunge, taking elements of surf rock and fusing them with modern indie pop and lo-fi recording techniques. 'Crazy For You' is a record that combines simple and proven ideas and stirs them in a bucket of sunshine and sentiment. Opening track 'Boyfriend' bursts into life with a surf rock drumbeat before a tale of distant attraction pines forth, setting a sensitive sensibility for the rest of the record. Everything rattles with raw passion and power, from the one-two punch of 'Summer Mood' right on through to the manic bop and pop of 'Each & Everyday'.

The majority of the content in the depths and doorways of Best Coast's musical mind consists of melancholy memories and lustful longing, aching, pining and clawing its way towards 'When I'm With You', a closing track that crawls through droning guitars and melodious musings on some kind of joyful unification, AT LAST. Best Coast is a blender full of intelligent easy listening, meandering along in a brisk half an hour, like the cool kid in sunglasses that shuffles around on their own time. It's effortless yet exciting and here's hoping it all back just in time for the sunshiny, shimmering summer of 2011...

Albums of 2010: #10 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'

2010-12-27T14:51:00.000-08:00

#10: 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' by Kanye West

Kanye jumped from crazy to disgusting to egotistical to genius in a matter of months in 2010, releasing a ridiculously anticipated fourth record with the correct amount of bombast at the tail end of November. 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' is a record full of superb samples, spot-on guest spots, heavyweight hooks and a whole host of lyrical rumination, telling the tale of Kanye and his Beautiful Dark Twisted mind...

Nicki Minaj kicks off 'Dark Fantasy' with a British accent introduction before Kanye's (possible) magnum opus kicks into gear. Nicki makes a monstrous turn on 'Monster' later in the record, almost upstaging Kanye in the process. But Mr West's ego charges his way through the heart of the record, even with a number of guests making their voices, beats and presence known, balancing themselves precariously within an album teetering dangerously close to the brink of implosion.

A 35 minute video, 'Runaway', cemented Kanye as the man of the musical moment, taking hip-hop into artistic territory with the addition of ballet and cinematography. And said track, 'Runaway', turns a simple piano plink into a weaving, diving epic 9 minute musing on fame, ego and the self. 'Blame Game' features the silken-voiced John Legend and a riffing Chris Rock take on the end of a relationship, and Kanye manages to turn Bon Iver into masterfully headbopping hip-hop on 'Lost in the Woods'. Poet and spoken word artist extraordinaire Gil Scott-Heron finishes the main bulk of the record, turning Kanye from an egotistical monster into the peerless and paramount producer and artist of 2010.

Ho-Ho-Ho Christmas: Sufjan Stevens (& The National)

2010-12-21T14:02:00.000-08:00

Christmas comes but once a year but music is FOREVER, and Sufjan Stevens is an artist with a prolific ability to pump out song after song (the majority of which is insanely good, only increasing my jealousy and lust for the melody maestro).

He has already created and released a bumper record chock full of Festive tracks in 2006 and now he is back with a cracker ready to burst with old and new Christmas songs, recorded with half of The National, namely the Dessner brothers. It takes us on folky, indie pop wanderings through jingle bells and, at one point, odd laser synth sounds that somehow sound as if you are shooting to the North Pole.
'No-one Can Save You From Christmasses Past' is the most melodious of melancholy, mired in that holiday gloom that somehow sounds sprightly (just see the likes of 'Blue Christmas' et al). And 'Barcarola' is the kind of rambling indie pop that Sufjan does best, fiddling along with the vocal saccharine that only Mr Stevens can spin and spurn.

Check out all of the tracks via Soundcloud below, drink some mulled wine and imagine a White Christmas (oh...never mind...)

Sufjan Stevens - Gloria! Songs for Christmas, Vol. 6 by rawkblog

Artist of the Day #7: Breathe Owl Breathe

2010-12-16T10:43:00.000-08:00

Artist of the Day #7:

Breathe Owl Breathe

I really do suck at this whole band a day thing BUT I like to think of myself as weeding out the terrible and horrible by only putting up bands that reveal themselves as wondrous (rather than simply drinking too much, wasting too much time on Football Manager and/or FIFA, getting to excited about Santa's imminent arrival and catching up on US television via the interweb).

All the way from over the big ol' pond (why do people call it a pond, it is quite definitely not a pond), from Michigan in the US of A, Breathe Owl Breathe are a trio who take the Bon Iver schtick and saunter down a winding road of pop, into an altogether more pretty place. The music here forms a gentle delicacy, fragile and untouchable, held together by a smorgasboard of oddity, from sweeping strings, to base computer blips.

'Own Stunts' is a track that starts to drift upwards and outwards when the choral chorus comes into play, maintaining a solid grounding in the gruffly sweet vocals of Micah Middaugh. 'Dogwalkers of the New Age' starts a little Postal Service, then trips over into indie pop before ending with a hauntingly classical note, and shows that Breathe Owl Breathe have some tricks up their charming sleeves.

A free Daytrotter recording session is available here and check out their suitable lo-fi, low key video for 'Lake Light'.

Breathe Owl Breathe - Lake Light from Miscellany on Vimeo.

Breathe Owl Breathe

Ho-Ho-Holidays are Coming: Kanye West

2010-12-16T09:58:00.000-08:00

It's a Kanye Christmas Cacophany!

Not content with crafting one of the albums of the year in 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy', Kanye keeps on keeping on, releasing another track that combines superb samples, a smattering of guests and a smooth and luscious hook.

AND IT'S A CHRISTMAS SONG!

The man, however insane and egotistical, can do no musical wrong in my eyes; 'Christmas In Harlem' samples some Motown shuffle, throws in a sultry R&B chorus and then Kanye pumps out a series of words festooned in festivity. Thank you Santa....

Kanye West (feat Teyana Taylor & CyHi Da Prynce) - Christmas In Harlem by DJRADIO718

Ho-Ho-Holidays Are Coming: Los Campesinos!

2010-12-13T17:30:00.000-08:00

On the 13th of December,
New Narcotics gives to you...
Los Campesinos!

Deck the halls with boughs of blah blah, as it is that time of year again and a smattering of alternative holiday songs begin to arrive down the musical chimney. Upbeat indie popstars Los Campesinos! have created a merry kind of melancholy with 'Kindle A Flame In Her Heart', free online and due to be released on a 7" with the band's own fanzine, Heat Rash.

Kindle A Flame In Her Heart by Los Campesinos!

Ho-Ho-Holidays Are Coming: The Forest & The Trees

2010-12-12T06:23:00.000-08:00

Tis' the season to be merry (both in the drunken and jolly sense) and I am bloody madly merry at the moment. SO, without a doubt New Narcotics will be devoting some time each day to allow your ears some holiday happiness via some musical merriment!

I may not be Santa (despite my best attempts) but I can give the gift of spirited sounds of the most wonderful time of the year!!!!!!!!!

On the 12th of December,
New Narcotics gives to you...
The Forest & The Trees

Joel and Linnea Edin are a married Swedish couple who decided to make some music for their friends one holiday season, before realising the two of them sounded pretty darn pretty on record. So, they became The Forest & The Trees and branched out into more general tales of heartbreak and love, set to a jaunty indie pop soundtrack, fleshed out with a wonderful hook or two along the way.

Here is one of those first Christmas presents, originally for close friends and families, and now for the whole wide world! 'Santa Claus is Coming' bops along through a wilderness of bells and percussion and a gorgeously entwined vocal duet, with the striving vocals of Joel and the harmonious tones of Linnea, wrap the whole thing in a beautifully sonic ribbon. AND ALL FOR FREE!

#6: Foxx Bandits

2010-12-04T11:52:00.000-08:00

Artist of the Day #6:

Foxx Bandits

It is always a tricky question of allegiance when a friend, or even close acquaintance, forms a musical making group and then invites you to a show, or to listen to their newly recorded work. God forbid, what happens if you happen to hate the sounds pouring out of your friends mind and mouths? WHAT DO YOU SAY?!

Thank GOD that a friend of mine has formed a band with their pulse on the music scene, alongside a trio of talented and musically minded individuals, who know how to manipulate instruments and words to squeeze pure emotional ethos into a track. Foxx Bandits are a foursome based out of London who have gone all over the place in one year of existence, from folk pop to shoegaze to lo-fi, all the whilst notching up a selection of surprisingly successful gigs at the likes of Koko and the Barfly.

An EP is long overdue but they are releasing 'Gold Dresses' this upcoming Monday the 6th December at the Social. This may seem like one big advertisment for the gig, which it sort of is, but HELL, when you give the likes of 'Kafka' a listen, I defy you not to get down on your knees and thank me (in a pleading rather than dirty way). 'Kafka' oozes sincerity and sentiment with the sweetest melodic mix of xylophone and softly sung vocals before dropping into an overbearing wall of sound in the final third, which rattles your heart when heard live. Similarly 'Youth' starts off with a hark back to indie rock riffdom before charging its way to an adolescent sing-along chorus that churns up shared collective memories of youth and young love, evocative of a much more upbeat (and fuzzy) version of The Smiths or a much more calm version of The Jesus and Mary Chain.

Nothing more can be said, except CHECK THEM OUT, give this wondrous cover a listen, and come to the Social on Monday FOR FREE (where I shall also be spinning some records inbetween musical acts)....

Foxx Bandits

#5: Rumour Cubes

2010-12-03T08:11:00.000-08:00

I apologise for the delay in a NEW BAND but I blame the following things; weather, work, drinks, friends, pubs, shops, transport and family.....

And NOW, excuses out of the way, and some tuneful treats!!

Artist of the Day #5:

Rumour Cubes

Post rock was originally a musical genre beyond me, sprawling out for what seemed like hours in dreamy, far-off visions of wonderment. I was a youngster wrapped up in blares of soul, R&B and the swathes of indie rock that dominated adolescent stereos from the start of the new millennium. Then Sigur Ros came into view, approachable and sumptuous, a gateway into the world of dawdling instrumental meanders into melody and ambiance.

Thankfully my mind and ears have opened in harmony to billion different genres and supposed styles of songwriting, and now I offer forth Rumour Cubes as my band of the day. Consisting of six like-minded musicians centred around London town, they blend delicacy and power within the space of the same track, towering above the world and suddenly burrowing headfirst into the dirt.

Mucky guitars stand alongside sauntering violin and relentless percussion, eking out an altogether uplifting sound that scatters patches of disconsolate despair amidst the soaring string sections. 'The University is a Factory' seeps into life with a cinematic sentiment, before setting off into madness, rising and rising before the beautifully orchestrated decline into riotous fuzz, buzz and scuzz.

You can download their EP for FREE here at Bandcamp, titled 'We Have Sound Houses Also', and then check their soundscaping potential out live at the Workshop on December 8th (where you can come and buy me a drink for introducing you to such a wondrous act).

Rumour Cubes

#4: First Rate People

2010-11-29T16:45:00.000-08:00

Artist of the Day #4:

First Rate People

I have discussed this band before, back in the bewilderingly sporadic and schizophrenic days of New Narcotics, and will continue to do so until every last man, woman and child (who drift by this blog) fall in love with them. They are a band from Toronto (the Canadian musical scene manages to churn out such effortless melody makers from time to time- Arcade Fire, Feist, New Pornographers, Bryan Adams(!)) who have spawned a musical free-for-all that churns up beautifully bop-along pop and heartfelt soul, then occasionally lobs in a grenade of electronica or folk. And yet still manage to maintain a consistently delicious sound that transcends genre.

First Rate people produce a range of songs that stretch from heartbreaking acoustic pluckings through to soul-sampling indie R&B. 'Orion' samples a snatch of 'Betcha By Golly Wow' by the Delfonics which manages to sidle up so gorgeously alongside the vocals and synth blares, it sounds like the two were recorded side by side, arm in arm (the fact that this is one of my favourite soul songs may influence my LOVE for this song and band).

But the likes of the dancefloor ditty 'Girl's Night', the electropop pulse of 'Gentleman's Club' and the deliriously weepworthy 'It's Never Not Happening' all add up to make these Canadians possibly my favourite band of the year. And all this without a proper release. I ache and screech for something to be crafted and pushed into my face at high speed from this group, and WISH AND DREAM AND HOPE that they find their way to London, hopefully to my house, to play me some of their music on our British shores.

For now, download a bunch of their tracks from Last FM here and simply fall in lust, love and longing for First Rate People.

First Rate People

#3: Yamon Yamon

2010-11-28T12:44:00.000-08:00

Artist of the Day #3:

Yamon Yamon

A math rock sensibility feels very much part of an outdated fashion, from a mid 2000's scene that flourished and faded as quickly. The likes of Foals have gone on to develop their sound into something with longer, less noodly abstractions, garnering acclaim and new fans in the process. But, and it's a big but, in music (as in all art) consider no form, genre or style dead. A fresh approach, process or even just a slice of something damn good can bring back whatever you assumed lost.

Which brings me to Yamon Yamon, a Swedish band who peddle a relaxed math rock, resembling a stoner parallel of Minus the Bear. They tread the line between pop and post rock, managing to evoke the memory of a handful of bands from your adolescence whilst maintaining a distance up and away from those teenage addictions. The smoothly nonchalant pace feels like a mature act honing their musical talent after years of practice, evident in the subtle overdrive, fingertapping percussion and sparky guitar riffs, jabbing and poking in when suddenly required.

Vocally, lead singer Jon Lennblad possesses an aural quality that sedates and subdues in equal fashion, effortless underneath the delicious array of chords and hooks. 'Alonso' opens the new album This Wilderlessness and lays bare the sheer expression, understated emotional punch and drifting peacefulness that make Yamon Yamon utterly listenable at any point of the day. Album highlights include the ridiculously rhythmic 'Fast Walker' and the impeccably restrained 'No Depression'.

Check out the new album This Wilderlessness HERE and, if you like what you hear (and why shouldn't you!) it is only five English pounds.

Yamon Yamon

#2: Matthew and the Atlas

2010-11-27T12:24:00.000-08:00

Artist of the Day #2:
Matthew and the Atlas

Americana folk should be seen as the bigger, bolder and brasher brother to the recent surge of British Mumford and Marling folk. For some reason, the home nation of Bob Dylan manages to evoke a stronger sense of true heritage when it comes to bedraggled vocals, steadily cautious guitar pickings and an array of traditional percussion.

So, to see a London band, with a vocalist from Aldershot, swell with folk stylings that so vividly recall dusty, backwater Wyoming wilderness, the split between Americana and British folk begins to shake and shatter in the wake of growling vocals about life and love. Matthew & the Atlas are fronted by Mathew Hegarty, a singer who expels a voice so mired in husk and whiskey, managing to resonate an American accent without the usual nasal schtick.

It is difficult to understand how such experience in terms of lyrical content, vocal strain and melodic meandering can spurn from such a young group of British musicians, but it is simply wonderful to listen to regardless. The Nick Drake-like purr of 'Come Out of the Woods' is singed with a slow burning flicker of soul and sadness, whilst 'Beneath The Sea' feels like Tom Waits with a taste for world music.

Give them a listen and maybe pop along to see them at the Luminaire on the 16th December, I shall see thee there.

Matthew and the Atlas

Carpe Diem!

2010-11-26T13:23:00.000-08:00

Artist of the Day #1:
Heinali and Matt Finney

Every now and again, two artists come together to form something spectacular. A great duo can produce something that digs into the musical soul of a listener and wrench or raise the spirit. Heinali is a Ukrainian composer whilst Matt Finney is a poet from Alabama, and the power of technology allows them to construct a sound that blurs the lines between poetry, spoken word, ambience, classical and cinematic cacophanies.

Heinali crafts a resonance that echoes the likes of Vangelis, Clint Mansell and Explosions in the Sky, but twists everything into a skewered sonic perspective of audible distress and emotion. The power lies in an intelligent minimalism, such as taking a simple, rapid piano line on the likes of 'Lemonade', the title track from the 'Lemonade EP', and overlaying it with an aura of distortion and some hushed unexplainable booming.

Matt Finney uses words with wanton precision, creating deep chasms of thought and deliberation with mere mutterings. And these chasms are dark, dank places that dig deep into the twilight of the mind, wrenching at the heart and tormenting anyone with a sense of empathy. This doesn't stop them reaching out to you though, beauteous and powerful in form and stripped of all shields.

Go ahead and sit in silence with nothing but Heinali & Matt Finney for company, and go ahead and purchase the two records on offer, including the bold, bleak fuzz of new release 'Conjoined'. It is a pay as you wish plan but a few quid thrown their way is much, much, much deserved, and I hope you music lovers agree.

http://heinaliandmattfinney.bandcamp.com/

A Sprinkling of Sounds...

2010-11-19T15:44:00.001-08:00

2 FREAKING MONTHS! 2 gosh darn tooting months without the net thanks to the terrible bureaucracy behind the phone lines at Virgin.

BUT onwards and upwards and forever forward into music and melody; I AM IN LONDON and finally able to listen to new bands at the touch of a button so here is a quick, crammed catchup of bands I can highly recommend to anyone who bothers to read this again....

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Previously known as Wap Wap Wow, now known as Rhosyn, whatever name they go by these Oxfordians (Oxfordites?) concoct a heady mix of archaic melody and choral ditty. The strings that braid the music together form the crux of a wonderfully quixotic sound, stitched into place with a meld of vocals perfectly poised to melt together.

Rhosyn

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Aimee Bea sounds like what I imagine Kate Nash would sound like if she could really sing (no disrespect to either artist named, I super mega promise...). Such a sweet melancholy that recalls a Joni Mitchell ethos with a distinctly adolescent British vibe. Sometimes the simple is simply effective, evident in the delightful strum and effortless strain of 'June'.

Aimee Bea

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Another singer-songwriter up to bat now, straight out of Brighton and with a surprisingly alluring voice that nestles in the recesses of the mind rather snugly. A creative approach to rhythym and cadence as well as an arty eye really shines with the work of Jade Hopcroft. The obsessively simple hook and video for 'Would If You Could' follows you around for days.

Jade Hopcroft

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Aulos are a twopiece from Hereford who churn out cosmically aware geek rock with pounding drums and insane little guitar riffs, hurtling along with breaknerd speed. Simply having a song called 'Nicholas Rage' resonates highly within the pleasure synapses of my mind but these guys manage to maintain that such pleasure throttles back and forth as spiralling symphonies hammer their way through your skull.

Aulos

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Shoes and Socks Off is simply stripped down, melodic, wonderfully lyrical modern alt pop and consists of a lone singer songwriter, Tobias Hayes who was formerly the frontman of Meet Me In St Louis. Nowadays, he takes an unconventional approach to the singer-songwriter schtick and throws together rather rudimentary sounds to form something altogether wholesome in it's musical approach yet manages to burn with a lyrical and vocal delicacy and intensity.

Shoes and Socks Off

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Time for some indie technicality with Rooftops, a Washington based group who do the whole indie tech rock thing with some finess and flourish, brandishing beats and riffs with the precision of a mad musical scientist. Add a dash of suitably comforting vocals and you have the perfect recipe for any Winter blues in the form of a wonderfully uplifting bit of instrumental exploration.

Rooftops

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ENOUGH for noooow...expect more over the weekend...KEEP your ears peeled...

x

Whispers From The Web

2010-09-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

Crawling through cyberspace, battling blog by blog and listening to the unlistenable so you don't have to......

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To Brooklyn! I know, I know, Brooklyn this, Brooklyn that. But I simply can't help it if so many damn good bands are piledriving around the place. Come on England, step your game up!

Night Manager are a fourpiece who churn out some lo-fi, unfathomable slacker indie. The vocals of Caitlin Seager are distant and harmonious, sent through a phantom zone and zapped back to our ears, aligning in a spooky coalition with grunge-tinged guitars and pulsing percussion.

'Blackout Sex' in particular is so laid back, it falls over into a scuzzy no-mans land full of wonder.

Night Manager's Myspace

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And well done England I suppose for such a quick retort (in my MIND) with South London foursome Beaty Heart. Beaty Heart are another band who have taken the spirit of African triblahblah to heart but manage to do it without sounding like a knock off copycat. They throw together a pile of rhythmic drumbeat into one big cooking pot and it all comes out sounding so very primal, allowing it to melt in your mouth (or ear).

Add in yelps for a bit of vocalisation and some electronic trimmings, and you have Beaty Heart, a true art band who know how to mix the spiritual with the musical. 'Cola' descends into mad cries and warped melody by the end of the track, echoing primitive rituals, whilst 'Get The Girls' utilises a handclap beat not too dissimilar from the world of Gospel. Go get washed away...

Beaty Hearts' Myspace

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Back over to the US, to Pennsylvania, to Philadelphia! This is where Reading Rainbow reside. Reading Rainbow are a duo who soak their music in reverb and a jolly gruffness. The vocals sound like sweet indie pop whilst the guitars rush along on some splendid amphetamine, rough and tumble the whole way.

'Restless' is a sweet pop song caked in grit and grumble, and therefore well worth a listen. They flirt with post-punk sensibility in 'Underground', then wail over the top and chant their way to a fitting finish.

Reading Rainbow's Myspace

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Finally, for now, a band I know very little about except for the fact they make soundtracks to your life. Cabaret Scene are based around London and is a project between a group of friends, started by a guitarist called Charlie Prest. They utilise a range of sounds, styles and instruments to swell everything via math rock, dreamgaze and progressive pop, adding affected vocals where necessary.
'Namaste' starts slowly but surely, steadily gaining a following of new instrumentation until 70s style riffs and electric blotches meet. 'Blueprints' resembles a desert island ditty for the insane man, careening to a crescendo of electro proportions before crashing against the shore in waves of shattered eardrums.

Cabaret Scene's Myspace

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More music arriving shortly....

Cover Me Slowly

2010-09-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

This one's rather high profile compared to previous bursts of musical release showcased on New Narcotics but I love it so much, why not share it with the WORLD (or at least someone else).

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The Raveonettes are a well established duo from Denmark who peddle a true garage rock sound via the realms of shoegaze and surf rock. They have four well received albums out, have worked with the likes of Maureen Tucker and Ronnie Spector and releasing a string of fantastic singles, including my personal favourite 'Love In A Trashcan'.

Meeeeanwhile, Dr. Martens are a shoewear brand (who do dabble in other clothing items) who manufacture a particularly heavy-looking and militaristic style which grew in popularity thanks to swathes of young scenes taking them as part of their fashion uniforms. Skinheads, new wavers and, most prominently, punks decked themselves out in the brand and, ever since, the company has remained linked to the alternative music world.

And this year of 2010 is also the 50th anniversary of the fabled footwear, so the clever people in the PR room have encouraged a bunch of bands to cover their version of a cult classic. The Noisettes and BRMC, amongst others, have put forth something (all listenable HERE and downloadable for FREE HERE) but The Raveonettes, as usual, stand out amongst the deck.

They cover The Stone Roses 1991 hit 'I Wanna Be Adored', a moody, needy sulk of a song. The Raveonettes take all of the emotion and snarl of the original but throw in some extra growling and some wailing guitar lines over the familiar riff. Add in Sharon's breathy vocals which drift up and away so breezily by the end of the track, and you've got one beautiful cover.

Watch the strangely sweet video and give it a listen HERE!

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Cover Me Slowly

2010-08-28T15:49:00.000-07:00

Yet another Cover Me Slowly, defying the implied lack of haste in the title, but when good music pops up, it has to be reported TO THE WORLD! (Or to the three people that may, possibly read this once I publish a novel and mention the Blog I run within the inlay blurb...)

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This time, for your listening pleasure and courtesy of a University chum who goes by the name of Scott (HEY, check out his website http://scottmichaeldavies.zxq.net/), I have a whole bloody album full of covers for you from an established LA duo going by the name of The Bird and the Bee.

They have toured with Lily Allen, performed on the Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel in the US of A and had their creations broadcast on the likes of Greys Anatomy and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. So, not exactly slouches but still a relatively unknown entity on these British shores.

With their third album, they bring a whole record full of slinky little indietronic versions of Halls & Oates numbers. Yup, the 1980s pop duet containing one of musics greatest moustaches. They turn classic wedding anthems such as 'Maneater' into modern synth seduction, echoing a cheesy, pop-tastic version of The xx.

Top of the pile, personally, is their version of 'I Can't Go For That', viewable here. (Primarily because that song ALWAYS reminds me of THIS)

The Bird and the Bee's Myspace

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BUH BYE!
X

Cover Me Slowly

2010-08-26T16:37:00.000-07:00

London planning and lazy days and the lack of imagination and inspiration to be found in the ol' hometown have left me starved for words and writing this past month. BUT never look back, never surrender and blah blah blah, so let's jump this engine and see what's ticking on the internetz....

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Cool Runnings are an eight piece from Knoxville, Tennessee who gyrate their way through several different stylings throughout their awesomely titled tracks. 'Burnout' drums along, sinister and heady, whilst 'Babes Forever' gets glitchy and angular and 'When I Got High With You' sounds as stoned and sleepy as implied.

However, this is all about the fabled art of the COVER! And here Cool Runnings take on 'Road To Nowhere', the Talking Heads' choral uttering on the lack of direction in life. Perfect for a band without one specific musical direction so far (which works well as far as the smorgasbord of sound emitted shows).

Cool Runnings throw some tribal drums on the song, whinny out the vocals and bring out the nihilism of the whole thing, dashing bits of archaic synth and communal singing into the mix. A delightfully offtrack take on the 1985 Byrne creation.

Oh and free to download RIGHT HERE!

Publish Post

Check out their own offerings at Cool Runnings' Myspace

GOBBLE GOBBLE

2010-08-01T13:17:00.000-07:00

GOBBLE GOBBLE are insane. Possibly actually literally. They appear to be Canadian and are touring all over North America this year. They make music that is strained through a psychedelic blender at high speed, warping and twisting everything until it makes no sense and sounds FANTASMIC! 'Wrinklecarver' is such perfect psych pop, it synths itself into a sexy little black hole of freakout. And their devastating destruction of Pixies' 'Where Is My Mind?' (self described as blasphemy) is wondrous and evokes the spirit of losing ones mind after a healthy dose of hallucinogenic drugs. I would love to see these guys go all out live but will either have to adventure to America (which I am happy to do if someone GIVES me money) or await a British tour....

GO LISTEN at their Myspace NOW!

Whispers From The Web....

2010-07-31T05:35:00.000-07:00

Whispers From The Web will see me throwing a whole bunch of new-ish bands at you to listen to, adore, praise, worship or hate (depending on your taste, OF COURSE). ONWARDS!

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I am always joyous to find a band I enjoy from le Midlands (nostalgic hometown glory coming into effect I feel...), and I have discovered one in Boat To Row, a folk group who know how to pluck heartstrings and manufacture such merry melodies. 'Night The Owl Slept' particularly shows off the breadth and width of talent in the young band.

Boat To Row's Myspace

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Oh Brooklyn, go on then give me another bloody reason to move there. ARMS are a trio who churn out moody indie rock that swells and surges with splendid energy, via combined choral vocals, driving riffs and soft percussion. Think a low-key Local Natives with a bit more intensity.

ARMS' Myspace

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I am a bit behind with Suckers, who have released a debut album, 'Wild Smile', after much online acclaim from the likes of MTV and Spinner. Suckers are a foursome who fuse angular jerky indie rock with funk and harmonic chants. They are supporting Yeasayer on tour in the UK in October so will soon be reachable in live form.

Suckers' Myspace

You can also download a free track, 'Easy Chairs', here at Stereogum

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Moving to Canada now, we have another foursome in Braids. Braids make shoegazing music with less of a lo-fi edge and spend up to ten minutes on each track, noodling around with various instrumentation phases and fading. It's all rather daydreamy and highly enjoyable, gently pulsing and breaking at numerous junctions, like the ebb and flow of some wonderful musical tide.

Braids' Myspace

Yet another free track, 'Lemonade', from the wonder of Stereogum

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Sticking in Canadian territory, Memory Screen are a band who make terrifically trippy music and seem to have an addiction to images of leaves and trees, if their Myspace images are anything to go by. Though, this does sound like the kind of music you could get good and lost in the woods to. Its etheral and beautiful and well worth a listen.

Memory Screen's Myspace

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And finally, a bit of math pop. Tangled Hair are a balls-out math rock band who throw angular guitars, jerking percussion, gently yelping vocals and a dash of keys here and there. A free EP, 'First', is available for download below.

Download FOR FREE Tangled Hair - 'First'

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I shall be keeping my eye on the blogosphere (as bloody always) and updating Whispers From The Web every few days (hopefully).

BUH BYE!
x
xx
X

Back on the Beat

2010-07-26T07:04:00.000-07:00

'Music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends.' ~ Alphonse de Lamartine

Riiiiiiight, so a broken Macbook charger meant I have been dead to the net for a week (HORROR!) but I am back and charging through new music, old music and that music that lies inbetween....

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Lo-fi R&B crooning and rumbling is pretty popular right now, particularly for a great number of solo bedroom musicians such as Toro Y Moi. How To Dress Well is Tom Krell, a New Yorker who has been rolling out EPs for a while now and managed to impress with each one.

Each track is a soothing, seething mass of reverb and ethereal vibrations, eminent in the standout 'Suicide Dream 2' and 'Ready For The World'. Vocals wail and squeal via computer distortion over steady, careful footsteps of synth, keys and percussion. It is soulful and wonderful and sinks into the self so easily.

How To Dress Well Interview and Streaming Songs at Village Voice

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Maximum Balloon is a side-project of Dave Sitek, the TV On The Radio genius, where a whole host of electronic influence and fuzz takes hold, alongside hip-hip, R&B and indie rock. It's modern funk at its twinkling best and the album, expected sometime in August, includes guest appearances from Karen O, Theophilus London, Kyp Malone, Holly Miranda and David Byrne. I AM EXCITED!

Turn up your speakers/headphones/minds to full volume for the pulse and blip of 'Groove Me' featuring a timely bit of hip-hop via Little Dragon, and an occasional riff that feels like an Earth, Wind and Fire offcut.

Maximum Balloon's Myspace

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And Last But Not Least....

Having just listened to an early copy of Best Coast's 'Crazy For You', I can commend it ridicuously highly and urge you to purchase the West Coast, fuzz-rush of splendor when it is released at the beginning of August....
Formerly known as Treasure, now known as Prizes, still pretty awesome and percussion perfect....roll along with 'Canada'...
Tricky is back with 'Murder Weapon' AND it is as pounding and amazing as anything he has done before, with an amazing sample....

Albums out over the next week or so that you should probably buy include;

'Mines' by Menomena [Portland indie rock that screeches, wails, kicks, scratches and bites...]
'To All Beloved Enemies' by The Shimmies [Relatively gentle garage rock that could soundtrack some 'dramatic' TV shows with ease]
'Praise and Blame' by Tom Jones [the Welsh Maestro is back with gospel garble...JUST look at that hair....wow.....]

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More special shiz approaching from the West...and East..and North and South and inbetween..

Have fun!

x
XX
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Cover Me Slowly

2010-07-20T11:40:00.000-07:00

With Cover Me Slowly, I will aim to bring you a unique/odd/alternate cover song from some new or old artist that gives you an aural double take on hearing it.

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Keeping a bit of mystery about a band is both rare and fascinating in todays 24/7 GOSSIPGOSSIP culture. Wu Lyf, an Manchester based collective, are hiding their identities behind bandanas and a confusing concoction of songs. And Cymbals have so far only revealed a couple of tracks and the image over to the right with a hush-hush ethos on their identity. Nonetheless, they spit out of the musical barrel with both guns blazing.

Cymbals go about putting a suit on Pavements 'Kennel District', sharpening the edges with a blunt bit of yelping and a jagged guitar. Some handclaps sends the whole thing grinning upwards, taking it away from the beautiful despair in the original. Well worth a free download, as well as their own creation, 'Summer Job', which whizzes along via howling and hooting at math rock speed.

Listen to and Download both tracks from RCRDLBL.

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A Deadbeat Summer...

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

'In summer, the song sings itself.' ~William Carlos Williams

Hola once again! Yet another month or so of shuffling, moving, job searching, homelessness, kerfuffle (and losing my password to access my blogspot) and I am finally back to attempt to blog every other day or so on music and all that such a wondrously vast topic entails.

I will be attempting to bring a few ongoing sections (such as Cover Me Slowly) into constant renewal on here as well as this weekly update on what to send spiralling down your earholes!

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Seeing as I have had a penchant over the last few posts for some sort of gnarly, lo-fi-esque band, why not kick off again with one more for good measure...

Oh and they are based out of bloomin' Brooklyn (OFF TOPIC I visited recently and MUST live there; on with the music!).

Coasting are two females, Fiona and Madison, with the ability to send their sound hurtling down a grinder of sorts, resulting in the strained sophistication that stumbles out in the likes of the deliberate drubbing titled 'Don't Fight'. But don't, not for one second, think they don't know how to thrash something bone rattling out via a heady drumbeat and a growling grumble of a guitar. Just smack the self-titled 'Coasting' all the way up and feel your fillings fall out.

'Kids' is a standout piece of blurred singalong rock that gets off with its own percussive power. I pray they make it to London around the time I get there.

Coasting's Myspace

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I recently had the pleasure of reviewing a record for Middleboop by a man from LA, named Will Wiesenfeld but using the name of Baths for the musical miscellany he musters. Every song on 'Cerulean', the blue-ish title of the album, sounds like a hazy, misty memory not quite recallable yet always on the tip of the proverbial tongue.

'Maximalist' kickpushes its way through a field of samples whilst the strained vocals and beat of 'Lovely Bloodflow' pulsates with a blood-like resonance. The percussion on the record acts as a honed heartbeat, tapping and ricocheting its way amidst an emotional sea of lyrics on love and sound effects recalling birdsong and shoreline rumblings.

The full album review can be found right HERE at Middleboop so go check it out for a little more info on this suprisingly loud chillout album by Baths.

Baths' Myspace

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Folk music is always tricky to get right, with modern attempts treading the fine line between modern technology and production and the archaic, elemental factor in the original folk stylings of the early 20th century. So, it is lovely to hear it done right once in a while.

Dear Winesburg are a foursome who use a host of lush instrumentation (including a wondrous chunk of harmonica) on their debut, self-titled album. Frontman Chris Kreinczes' vocals seep out through a time machine, at times rasping like a young Tom Waits and then suddenly lighting up in full story-telling mode, as if preaching to a full campfire circle. Lyrically, the stories at hand weave and duck through wit and litany, seen wonderfully in the tale told within 'Under The Eaves'.
Violins kick in sporadically to great effect, throwing a Civil War atmosphere into the intoxicating mixture of archaic, melancholy folk music peddled by Dear Winesburg. Well worth a listen and I am deeply regretting my inability to reach their EP release gig, and hope to make it along to another opportunity asap.

Dear Winesburg's Myspace

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Last Minute Reinforcements....

Fol Chen sound like Dirty Projectors with a roomful of instruments, a heap of something illegal and intoxicating and a supercomputer...their second album 'The New December' is simply sublime...
Janelle Monae is all over most blogs and reviewers' radar after the release of her debut 'The Archandroid'. One more can't hurt. It is AMAZING. Go Get It....
I love Jenny Lewis. Literally LOVE. But her boyfriend, Jonathan Rice is also bloody talented and they are releasing an album together titled 'I'm Having Fun Now'...DAMN HIM!

Albums out over the next week or so that you should probably buy include;

'Archive 2003-2006' by Department Of Eagles [Melodically low key indie pop with a hint of the avant garde and a spot of dreaming drama...]
'Turning Lead Into Gold With The High Confessions' by The High Confessions [Loud, spindly and long with plenty of drums, fuzz and backlash]

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Keep live and kicking for a bunch of different features and sections and whatnots!

Buh Bye!
X
XxX
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Cover Me Slowly

2010-06-01T03:42:00.000-07:00

'Don't judge a book by its cover.' ~Clever people...

In the first of a bunch of new sections to arrive on New Narcotics, I will bring you a unique/odd/alternate cover song from some new or old artist that gives you an aural double take on hearing it.

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Brooklyn has been mentioned many-a-time within these pages so why not start off this new New Narcotics revolution with a Brooklyn brain. Ocotillo is a solo artist, one of many in todays fancy pants modern world who plays with electronics to craft tracks that bleep their way towards something magical.

Ocotillo has taken a simple synth line and a drum sample from a Paul Simon song, before throwing down a wonderfully calm and melodic vocal cover of 'Let Me Love You' by Mario. Taking a smooth R&B hit and taking out all the sludge and sheen, Ocotillo has crafted a wonderfully sweet cover. The simplicity of the song is the power here, as Ocotillo knows to keep it constrained to convey the passion the song needs. Worth a listen or ten...

Also, he has a sweet moustache and hat....

Ocotillo's Myspace

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More sections/ideas/music will be winging its way through your monitor sooooon..

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The Colours of the Farm...

2010-05-31T08:20:00.000-07:00

'Music is a safe kind of high.' ~Jimi Hendrix

As my pal Jimi agrees, here are some new narcotics for your earholes...

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The tale of how Grouplove came to meet has been splattered in the blog coverage they have spurned so far and who am I to rob you of that knowledge! The band met in Crete as part of an arts residency, though they come from LA, London and New York.

In one of those beautiful moments of connection, the group have span out a fantastic EP full of Arcade Fire-esque momentum. Each track bounds along in an epic fashion, prompting sing-a-longs and hand waving in a crowd on a wonderful festival evening. 'Colours' brings a ranting, chanting lyrical assembly with 'It's the colours you have, no need to be sad, they really ain't that bad." Sumptuous and fulfilling, I defy you to listen to the likes of 'Naked Kids' without a stupid grin on your face.

Grouplove's Myspace

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Fractal Farm manufacture rhythmic indie rock that snaps and twists its way along. From Wilmington, North Carolina, the threesome are working on a debut DIY ep and looking at tours across the US (but sadly not these British shores yet).

Perfect for summer, the soft angles of their music jut their way into your ribs and you can feel the energy of the band, bold and brash in the recordings. 'Walking' and 'Bone Ideas' blend psychadelia with math rock and indie pop, pushing the neat categorical types to compare them to a whole heap of bands, from Foals to Radiohead to The Shins. But comparisons be damned as these guys forge their own brand and I hope they make it to British shores sometime soon so I can see it all up close and personal.

Fractal Farm's Myspace

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Just One More Hit (or five)

Sam Buck Rosen is a soulful electronic whiz who has a record out you should find and listen to, which is titled 'Dominant Mind' and is full of wonderment and distortion.
I have rediscovered possibly one of the greatest albums of all time, in Tom Waits' 'Closing Time'...simply breathtaking from start to finish.
New Arcade Fire - wondrous as bloody always!
Janelle Monae has a new album out titled 'The ArchAndroid', a sci-fi, R&B tale of love and identity (I think I love her a little bit)
Wavves surfing back our way with 'King Of The Beach'; and 'Cool Jumper' as a teaser of what's to come from the noisy talented buggers.

Albums out over the next week or so that you should buy include;

'LP4' by Ratatat [Perfectly produced sampling and mixing masterpiece with beats that send your body trembling]
'Been Listening' by Johnny Flynn [Troubador pretty nu-folk with a buoyancy and certain sweetness]
'Memoirs' by Rox [modern soul from Londoner songstress with feeling and sass]

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So! Until next time true believers!!

Ears peeled and eyes open!

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The Haze of the Heat...

2010-05-25T09:08:00.000-07:00

'Wherever you go, no matter the weather, always bring your own sunshine.' ~Anthony J.D' Angelo

Alas, sunshine basks the British south coast as we somehow stumble and fall into the glare of a summer and music, as always, seeps out of cars, doors and headphones as festival season gets ready to explode and music lovers across the nation start putting on those summery tracks that get them glowing in the golden rays.

AND I am no different, with a summer playlist underway and twee pop beginning to filter back onto my stereo, I charge ahead with New Narcotics.

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Allo Darlin' are a foursome whose ferocious mixture of ukeleles and shiny happy singing simply sends ear splitting smiles across listeners faces. Such joy and melancholy fused into a big ball of twee within their debut, self-titled album released this year. A promising single propelled them into the eyes of the BBC for a brief while and now their debut album sets itself up as a beach accompaniment on hot, lazy days where nothing but relaxation is necessary.

The gentle ebb and flow of low key tracks such as 'Heartbeat Chilli' sit alongside the jovial, hop-a-long melodies embedded in the likes of 'Silver Dollars'. 'Let's Go Swimming' stands out as a monument to calm but effective indie pop as the vocals of lead singer Elizabeth drift across a selection of strings to create an effect not dissimilar to floating serenely atop the surface of the water. Simply gorgeous...

Allo Darlin's Myspace

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Staying with the indie pop theme for the current climate of heat and happiness, another debut album released about a month or so ago comes from a Sheffield band, Standard Fare. Debut album 'The Noyelle Beat' has recieved some blog-acclaim for its jolly melody and sharp, short riffs catapulting along amongst a backdrop of teen angst.

'Dancing' stands out as a beat-skipping hit of sorts as the vocals of frontwoman Emma almost plead in the strain and emotion behind the relationship dissolution at the heart of the track. Similarly, 'Philadelphia' pines over distant love but wins out despite the emotional whine with the rollicking chorus and careful vocals set atop a classically twee indie guitar riff.

Standard Fare's Myspace

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Hot Off The Presses (of my brainbox)

The soft approach of Brazilian/American band Little Joy does exactly what it says on the tin. Music to while away the lazy, hazy hours of heat...
Someone still loves I Still Love You Boris Yeltsin (that someone is me...). Check out new single 'Sink/Let It Sway'.
As every other pun-able body on the net and beyond have said, Male Bonding take their name a little too literally with the video for 'Years Not Long'. (Maybe more bands should do this, imagine the delightful videos of bands such as Japandroids and Crystal Castles...)
Fancy a free EP? Matador is giving away a seven track offering for Kurt Vile HERE. If you don't know him, he's a little bit lo-fi, he's a little bit rock'n'roll.
You know I love the lo-fi offerings of Toro Y Moi and this new 7" gets a little bit higher and I still love it. It does make me want to 'Leave Everywhere' (hopefully with Chaz).

Albums out over the next week or so that you should buy include;

'Say It' by Born Ruffians. [Canadian indie soul with grumbling and rumbling at its gnarly heart]
'Existence' by Detroit Social Club [Biffy meets Coldplay with a kick up the arse and a little bit of guttural songwriting]
'Twilight Saga Original Soundtrack' by Oh My God, Have You Seen Some of the Bands On Here?!?!?!?! [Metric, Sia, Black Keys, Bats For Lashes, Vampire Weekend, Band Of Horses...nuff said...]

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I am going to try and update more often, even with mini posts here and there and everywhere BUT
just enjoy the music and the sunshine and some alcoholic beverage (if you are legally allowed to of course) and CIAO FOR NOW!
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Camden Crawling Commentary and Crap... (Part Deux)

2010-05-13T04:18:00.000-07:00

'Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.' ~Maya Angelou

Here is the much belated second part of my Camden Crawl experience, as I stumbled around on a Sunday through a heady mix of booze and bands...

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Arriving at Camden around half an hour before bands were due to really kick off the evening events, we headed to the VIP bar to drink/starspot/soak up some atmosphere. I have never felt more alt-celebrity in my life. Flanked by Rox, Vivian Girls and Comanechi (trying to blag free drinks), whilst We Are Scientists played a secret, mini, acoustic set above my heads...

I could get used to this...

We headed downstairs to see Male Bonding at Dingwalls, a shabby cesspit of a venue (which is a compliment, trust me) where I had previously seen a young Miss Marling at my previous Crawl in '07.

Male Bonding fire off aggression in precise and compact blasts of music, shattering the hush of a packed room. The grunge punk ethos lies at the heart of the trio of masculine musical combatants onstage and they know how to grab attention and then punch attention in the face. Noise and movement take hold of the band with the likes of 'Nothing Hurts' rousing feelings of bile and lust in equal measure. An impressive debut album awaits on a shelf somewhere for you to go and listen...

Male Bonding's Myspace

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Next up was the wonderfully named Gold Panda at the awesomely cramped conditions of the Barfly. Nothing short of a superb sonic assault ensued upon the jam packed, sweaty room, with a little space for some jerky dancing for the few taken over by the spirit of electro. Concussive vibrations and a shattering of any silence that could occur in the waves of noise that Mr Panda emanated, wearing a sinister panda hat atop his head (I WANT ONE...)

The indian base of 'Quitters Raga' imbues a dreamlike electronic sense, showcasing the talent for mixing and sampling embodied in the constantly shuffling and regenerating rota of tracks in the arsenal of Gold Panda. Great one eyed monsters of light swooped and dove over the audience as the speakers pulsated, sending the audience away dazed, confused but gloriously satisfied.

Gold Panda's Myspace

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A trip to the Roundhouse with new and old friends alike to see Stornoway, an act I had checked out previously and held some small promise for after hearing a few catchy tracks here and there on the interweb. I was expecting calm melody and hum-a-long riffs scattered to-and-fro.

Instead, I got Coldplay meets Mumford & Sons minus any possibly decent hooks and interest. The band looked bored, the crowd looked bored and my interest was solely in the two drinks my best bud had decided to purchase for us. Two PINTS of white wine... [PICTURED...]

The mixture of forgettable music and slowly vanishing wine made up my mind, leading to a swift exit into the Camden night.

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My last band of Camden Crawl came in the form of Veronica Falls at the nifty little Blues Cafe. The foursome trot out an impressive set of lo-fi loveliness in muffled tones and fuzzy murmurs. 'Found Love In A Graveyard' is somehow rollicking in its slow, low key fumbling method and the hopping bop and chant behind 'Starry Eyes' buzzes the Camden Crawl to a beautifully serene finale. Until next time....

Veronica Falls' Myspace

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Some Mid-May Musical Moresomes (more crap basically)...

The National's new album, 'High Violet', is particularly wonderful, depositing the band as one of the indie rock backbones of Americana...
A collection of possible revolutionaries in Wu Lyf (or World Unite/Lucifer Youth Foundation), who have released a smatter of distinctly different and wonderful tracks, showcasing noise rock, hip-hop, dreampop amongst other stifling genres titles...
M83 are fantastic. Now, Team Ghost (led by a former member of M83) are fantastic...
Sleigh Bells kickscream their way into the hearts of the musical youufff with screeching and wailing and fantasmic upbeat tracks such as 'Tell' Em'...

Albums out over the next week or so that you should buy include;

'Sea of Cowards' by The Dead Weather [Jack White et al grind and grit their way through a second record]
'Here's To Taking It Easy' by Phosphorescent [American folk that shuffles and moseys its way into your mind]
'Infinite Arms' by Band of Horses [More beardy Americana, desolate and authentic]

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Byeeeeeeeeeeee...keep your ears open and your mind wiiiide open....
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Camden Crawling Commentary and Crap....

2010-05-07T04:27:00.000-07:00

'What should such fellows as I do, crawling between earth and heaven.' ~William Shakespeare

This update is a two parter y'all! And I promise never to use y'all ever again (unless I feel it necessary)! I journeyed to the Camden Crawl based in, hey look at that, Camden last weekend thanks to a PR based best friend and acquired some media passes, so I could do some justice to the glut of gigs and array of artists performing over the weekend at a host of venues, big and small, across Camden. I will begin, in a way that makes some sense, with the bands witnessed on Saturday!

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Thanks to our superb socialising skills, we managed to befriend a VIP who passes onto us some tickets for the Roundhouse, which is a ticketed event even with the Camden Crawl wristbands. So, we thought why not begin our wonderfully eclectic weekend with a trip to see the Sugababes!

But it was not the Sugababes. A late entrance bought onstage three women who act more as a tribute band, trotting out wonderful pop songs that they had little to no part in creating. They can sing and they don't look half bad in their outfits, but i'd prefer the original 'One Touch' line up in front of me. So we make a swift exit....

'Overload' video (still the best slice of Sugababes...)

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I have always had an affinity for the 1960s school of pop rock, circa The Byrds, The Zombies et al. Psych pop group Race Horses bring back the memories of flowery shirts and flouncing rhythms in a wondrous form, performing at the Jazz Cafe.

The Kinks style 'Cake' and the delightful falsetto that rings through 'Pony', with the frontman Meilyr Jones squealing 'I want to be your poooony', are so joyous, it is hard not to bop a limb somewhere along the way. I want someone to give them their own TV show and see them become the new Monkees. Dedicating songs to the merchant navy, screeching through a vocoder and strumming up some cosmic bleeps, there is nothing Race Horses won't delve into, and it all comes together rather remarkably at the finale of every track.

'Goodbye Falkenburg', their debut album as Race Horses is out and I will be making a purchase asap.

Race Horses' Myspace

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Remaining at the Jazz Cafe, a venue that bleeds unadulterated bliss and cool, for Best Coast, we took some balcony based seats to gain an overview of the venue, stage and band.

The stark, dark Best Coast are all attitude and they mostly pull it off. West coast dusk settles over the Jazz Cafe as they pile their way through the low key, lo-fi 'Make You Mine' and a wonderfully dreary cover of 'That's The Way Boys Are'. They stumble along with a high effort laziness and sleaze, reminding me of a 1950s grunge movement that never happened.

The grumbling voice of Bethany Cosentino sidles alongside the rumbling music to craft a sound that will, fingers crossed, produce an amazing upcoming album release. And for some reason, perhaps encouraged by the 50s emotion sweeping throughout the band, I can smell a burger bar, cooking up delicious west coast quarter pounders...I had to make do with McDonalds...

Best Coast's Myspace

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We stayed put for a few ditties from the duo Slow Club, hearing good things and being suitable impressed by the simple but effective harmonies concocted within the softly spoken indie pop jangles. A drunken audience ruined some of the atmosphere of the quiet Slow Club, who deserved more hush. Oh and Charles wore an awesome Steve Zissou hat...

We moved on to catch Teenage Fanclub, deciding to catch Slow Club at their own gig soon, which promises a jawdropping line up of new bands in Veronica Falls, Spectrals and Summer Camp.

Slow Club's Myspace

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Teenage Fanclub are a band with something of a historical alt rock following, so I feel somehow ashamed to admit I knew little of their work before investigating them prior to the Crawl. Working on their ninth album, they headlined at the Koko, although it wasn't quite what I expected.

I listened to a few songs before heading to the capital city and fell into a mini-lust with their original EP 'Everything Flows'. However, I suppose 19 years can change a band and the group onstage didn't show the oomph I was looking forward to after hearing the 1991 ep. Moments of emphatic exuberance burst forth from the tremendous Koko stage but it was all a little dull at times, despite the packed house. I feel some of the sound lost its way through the crowds and framework of the building and the laidback attitude didn't quite notch itself up to exciting music.

We trudged back to catch a last train in the rainfall that beset Camden on the Saturday eve, soggy and shattered from the crawling (and drinking) we undertook...

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Some non-Camden based Musical Moresomes (more crap basically)...

New School of Seven Bells, new Wolf Parade and new Best Coast...
Two bands from Austin, TX, have come together to release a brilliantly warped 7" in 'Dream Over' by Pure Ecstasy and 'Your World Is Night' by Sleep Over.
Crystal Castles' new album =screechtastic and bleepasmic...
LCD Soundsystem's new (and last) album = a mish mash of wonder and goodbyes...
Covers can be a tricky business but Pomplamoose do every single one perfectly, pitching an indie pop ethos behind a wide range of genres (oh and singer Nataly Dawn is heavenly...) Check out 'September' and then everything else they have done....

Albums out over the next week or so that you should buy include;

'Total Life Forever' by Foals [math rock gone all literary and rogue (and better)]
''Nothing Hurts' by Male Bonding [party metal fuzzing along with a growl]
'Together' by The New Pornographers [Canadian supergroup powerpop indie]
'The Latin' by Holy Fuck [Meandering electronica experiments...]

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Thats about all we have time for boys and girls but tune in next time (sometime next week) for the second part of my Camden Crawling Crap special!!!!!

Peace out homeboys (and girls)
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Sunshine and Sunglasses and Summery Sounds....

2010-04-22T06:53:00.000-07:00

'Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul.' ~Plato

After many broken nights, minds and bottles, I return with vengeance and all that overblown melodrama that is necessary when it comes to fantasmic, spectacular new music....

It appears Mr Blue Sky is somewhat here as sunshine streams towards us on its magical beams, bringing happiness and skin cancer, not necessarily in that order, so I have attempted to shoehorn some summery style and sounds into this post...

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Sunglasses have the most superhappyappropriate name possible for a summery band and their music offers a parallel and matching listen, also extending into a summery treat of a video, full of colourful visuals that could drive a stoner to ecstasy.

Samuel Cooper and Brady Keehn are two art school kids who have collaborated as Sunglasses to release the spontaneous and superb 'Whiplash', a track that literally vibes itself along on thumping percussion and keys. Cooper, also a filmmaker, created a trippy music video to accompany the track. Check it out, put on your sunglasses and literally freak out....

'Whiplash' music video...

Sunglasses' Myspace

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A little bit of lovely lo-fi seems to be the recurring sound of summer this year, as band after band throw in some barely audible vocals amidst a collection of assorted instruments that plod softly and sweetly along, with an occasional blast of noise or fuzz to drown out the sounds of sunshine.

So here is another one I like!!

They are called Secret Cities and sing songs about Brian Wilson and boyfriends, whilst whistling and shaking their way through a plethora of instruments. Jolly melancholy are the buzz words on tracks such as the 80's jaunt of 'Pink Graffiti pt.1' and the laid back 'Boyfriends'. Their debut album is out in June and I eagerly await the release...

Secret Cities' Myspace

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They have smug faces and hipster hair but the music that Sisters churn out is wondrously uplifting. Two guys (from bloody Brooklyn) simply making happy American indie that may sound oh so familiar but still sounds oh so superb when drifting through sunshine on your own private cloud...or even just sunbathing in a concrete garden with a smelly old BBQ burning away...

'Glue' and 'The Curse' grate away in the garage indie rock sound that reverbs and echoes around your room and head, whilst whining but comforting vocals slide alongside. Just give it a blast and turn it up if you can...

Sisters' Myspace

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The summation of summery sunbeams (more crap basically)...

Debut from Darwin Deez = Delectable (hear it all here)
LCD Soundsystem + Spike Jonze + Rapey Panda Bears = THIS!
New Foals single, aka 'This Orient', also awesome...
'Immer Etwas' is a frolic of danger and electronica from Nice Face, as well as a darn good new record listenable HERE...
YellowFever make merry noise full of Moldy Peaches meets grrrrr...
Surfer Blood covering Beach Boys makes sun shine...
The Tallest Man On Earth must have tall and wonderful vocal chords and talent...

Albums out over the next week or so that you should buy include;

'Swim' by Caribou [otherworldly uptempo dance-chill]
'Transcontinental Hustle' by Gogol Bordello [Gypsy Punk Rock...nuff said]
'My Best Friend Is You' by Kate Nash [jumpy alt-pop with screeches and bums]
'All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu' by Rufus Wainwright [simply gorgeous pop]

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Fingers and legs and arms and minds crossed for a continuation of Summery sunshine and sunny music that springs the souls and slaps the stars...or something like that...

BYEEEE.........
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Eggciting Easter Euphoria....

2010-04-04T09:47:00.000-07:00

'Music is an outburst of the soul.' ~Frederick Delius

It is the Easter Weekend so happy Easter Sunday Day to one and all, I hope that zombie Jesus and his bunny rabbit sidekicks bought you all of the chocolate eggs that you can cram down your throat until the inevitable sugar crash and rush to the toilet. I have spent a good week consistently drunk, with help from a Student Radio Conference, and Sonar Radio, who lived up to my every chundering expectation...

Onwards, with Easter comes new shit. So new music yeahhh???

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Brooklyn is currently the musical mecca of awesome, hence why I dream of moving there and starting a fuzzy band full of hope, dreams and wine...

Anyway, Fang Island are another Brooklyn band living up to the hype that emanates from the district so brightly in 2010. Existing for a few years, their first self-titled album was released a couple of weeks ago and showcases an energy that can only be described as the power of (in the band's words) "everyone high-fiving everyone."

'Daisy' comes with a delirious drive that instigates dancing without reason whilst 'Treeton' stops and starts infectiously, hopping along in waves of exuberance. Fang Island make positively life-affirming, jump-for-joy alternative pop that clicks together in simple but effective perfection.

Fang Island's Myspace

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Indie supergroups are tricky to manage and even trickier to actually pull off. Gayngs are a collective of musicians, including Justin Vernon, Megafaun and Solid Gold, pulled together by producer Ryan Olson. So far, only one track has appeared online, but its a 6 and a half minute chillout mastercraft.

Using the laidback vocals of Bon Iver as a template and a slow burning mixture of instruments and beats, the gentle ebb and flow of 'The Gaudy Side of Town' seeps its way into your mind, lulling you into a state of serene satisfaction. It is one gigantic fusion of soul, indie, folk, chillwave and electronica that must surely be setting the scene for something mindblowing...

Gayngs' Myspace

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I very rarely blog about hip-hop but when good stuff comes along, I simply MUST! Here it comes in the form of a free mixtape from Das Racist, a rap trio from (guess where!) Brooklyn. The three take the art of hip-hop, scratch a massive tear across it and try to kick things off once more, forging a new sound, rare in modern hip-hop.

From the gaudy humor of 'Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell' to the summery sampling of 'You Oughta Know' through to the auto-tune behind 'Fake Patios' and the classic hip-hop style of 'Deep Ass Shit'. Simply magnificent from start to finish, throwing new light onto an undervalued genre.

The stumbling raps, the slurring words, the lazy beats and awesome samples all pave the way towards a band who know how to party but also know their music, and know how to combine the two abilities into the awesome trio that is Das Racist.

Download out their mixtape 'Shut Up, Dude' here at Stereogum...

Das Racist's Myspace

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The evolution of emphatic Easter Eggs (more crap basically)...

Simply delicious indie pop from Leisure, a trio from Massachusets, in the form of two free songs!
Neo-Soul star Erykah Badu has been charged after stripping for a recent music video and wandering around a busy area butt nekkid in Dallas...oh well, the song, 'Window Seat', is full of awesome so check the song and video out...
I am currently planning an amazing trip to New York City with my best buddy and every NY referencing song makes me want to go RIGHT NOW...especially when they are as good as this new offering from Rufus Wainwright, titled 'Who Are You, New York?'
An amazing gig at The Joiners in Southampton on May 19th; Japandroids and Yuck = droning purity and lo-fi loveliness...
I want to do this for a living...Vivian Girls and Male Bonding cover Lou Reed...

Albums out over the next week or so that you should buy include;

'Our Inventions' by Lali Puna [inventive, innovative electronic pop]
'Yeah, So' by Slow Club [rockabilly jangle indie pop]

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So, go enjoy some chocolate whilst thinking about the crucifixion and subsequent zombie-like revival of Jesus. And listening to this lot of course. Your soul will thank you (and by extension, me) for it all later.

Have a Happy Rest of Easter!
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Music Is Forever

2010-03-26T07:28:00.000-07:00

'Music is forever; music should grow and mature with you, following you right on up until you die.' ~Paul Simon

I believe it is simply time for another assortment of music madness before the weekend, enabling you to sit inside while it rains (or suns) and simply listen, rather than having to deal with that whole 'outside' thing...

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Two brothers who used to play with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver form Megafaun, a group that revels in the current wave of lo-fi folk rock that sounds so beautiful in so many settings. A lazy weaving of sounds and vocals make up the laid back but sumptuous sound that Megafaun project, apparent in the likes of meandering 'Lazy Suicide' and the contemplative nature that lies at the heart of 'Kaufman's Ballad'.

They have two fantastic albums out and are touring relentlessly this year around the USA and I have my fingers crossed they will return with a new album and a few dates in the UK sometime soon!

Megafaun's Myspace

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Radiant Dragon is a pretty awesome name. And not a bad musician from all I have heard. It is rare for an electronic musician to catch my ear but his atmospheric indietronica is perfectly pitched using instruments and software to create tracks that must be heard through headphones without distraction, allowing for the immersion that they richly deserve. Somewhat cinematic and completely drenched in a layer of pop that shines through the wandering beats, bleeps and hums that make up the music of Radiant Dragon. Check out the peaceful momentum of 'Frost Satellite' whose pace allows you to drift away for some time, in a state of alternative bliss.

Radiant Dragon's Myspace

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Only one song to listen to but its a gorgeous one. The sweetly named Kisses are a LA duo who have appeared with a song titled 'Bermuda'. The track and sound hints at disco, electronica, chillwave, indie and pop, bouncing along all-too-merrily on a wave of joy. It truly feels full of summer sun and makes me long to find a beach to dance to this song upon. A few DJ sets in London are tentatively set but I urge this group to bring out a few more tracks and get a live show on the road (to my road please...).

Kisses' Myspace

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Anais Mitchell has created a simply brilliant Folk opera titled 'Hadestown' described as "the story of Orpheus and Eurydice set in post-apocalyptic Depression-era America." The record tells the story with different musicians as different characters, including Justin Vernon, Ben Knox Miller and Ani DiFranco. Standout tracks include 'Way Down in Hadestown', 'Wait For Me' and the awesome 'Wedding Song'. Check it out at Myspace before you buy the record!

Hadestown's Myspace
Hadestown Website

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The maturing musical moreology (more crap basically)...

Haunted Stereo are a lovely set of Southampton folk musicians who have released a bunch of beauteous EPs over the last couple of years and have a double A-Side on the way on Sotones Records, 'On A Pin/Lock The Door', out 17th May (but check out some of their previous work here).
Summer Camp are an indie pop band with secret identities, appearing on myspace with a handful of simply wonderful tunes such as 'Ghost Train' and little else. A blog full of pretty, old pictures is run by them and they seem to be playing sporadic, secret shows here and there....Listen.....
Check out 'Night Animal' from the Finnish, indie pop band Burning Hearts...
I love Ben Gibbard (musically) but I hate Ben Gibbard (due to his current fiance)...here's some of his music, well a cover of someone else's music....
Music related by the weakest of links, Bill Murray is a GOD! Hanging out with Wu Tang and bartending after SXSW....
And finally, the biopic that needs to be made...WEIRD: The Story of Weird Al Yankovic

Albums out over the next week or so that you should buy include;

'I Will Be' by Dum Dum Girls [grrl-gaze awesomeness that howls along]
'Go' by Jonsi [pure and unadulterated dreampop from the frontman of Sigur Ros]
'Down The Way' by Angus & Julia Stone [folky acoustic pickings accompanied by soft, tender vocals and strings that melt hearts...]

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I shall be updating in time for Day Of Eating Chocolate Eggs and will be venturing to Nottingham before then to attend the Student Radio Award Conference, so wish me luck in meeting Huw Stephens and falling in love with him!!

Ta Ta my lovelies!!
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How To Join A First Rate Yucky Cult....

2010-03-12T07:38:00.000-08:00

'I like any reaction I can get with my music.' -Jim Morrison

My body is aching and dying thanks to something called 'exercise' that I decided to partake in yesterday, and my muscles are realising the effects of such actions this beautifully terrible day. Hopefully music, musicians and more music will alleviate my pain somewhat, as well as, maybe, a bit of alcohol and junk food. Allons-y!

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I am going to try and avoid making puns with an excellent band recently discovered via other blogs, First Rate People. An old school soul ethos (with a gorgeous sample of The Stylistics) mixed with alt rock, that feeds a musical hunger I never knew I had. 'Orion' and 'Girls Night' are endlessly listenable popping and bopping modern pop songs that stretch across genres effortlessly, similar to Dirty Projectors. Check out this first rate band (damnit...) RIGHT NOW!

First Rate People's Myspace

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Want an awesome free EP by an awesome new band?

Yes I hear you scream at your monitor?

Well, here you go: head here and listen away... http://cults.bandcamp.com/

Cults are a band without a myspace and with an un-google-able name but gosh darnit, they make some good indie pop. Drenched in the 60s and urging me to go to New York sooner rather than later, their sing-along style on the likes of 'Go Outside' pulls the corner of your mouth into something of a smile whether you want it or not. 'Most Wanted' resembles a lo-fi outtake from a Phil Spector production. Simply lovely...

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A few years ago, in my younger days (ahh), I fell for a band called Cajun Dance Party, a riotous indie party band whose yelping, youth and vigour matched my own....
Now, after splitting up, members of the band are back with a more mature, shoegazey project known as Yuck, emitting a beautiful mixture of fuzz and murmuring. 'Georgia' is slightly 1990s, slightly euphoric and completely compelling. A myspace player full of awesome tracks makes for a day spent repeatedly clicking, so set to it!

Yuck's Myspace

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Continuing the cacophony...

Joanna Newsom is simply wonderful and any who says otherwise has probably never heard of her. Her new album has been out for a couple of weeks and here she is enunciating amazingly on Jimmy Kimmel in the US. I want to kiss that mouth...
Yo Gabba Gabba is THE most amazing kids show in existence. Previous guests have included Mark Mothersbaugh and The Shins. Now we have Weezer as giant bugs, Of Montreal helping make upset tummies better and, best of freaking all, Mos Def as a superhero....fuck Postman Pat....
A lovely bit of psychedelia indie from Neon Indian via his first release since their awesome album 'Psychic Chasms'. Tis called 'Sleep Paralysist' and is not too shabby.
RIP to Mark Linkous, and whilst I knew little about him and his work before recent events, I have now chastised myself for not listening to Sparklehorse in the past and if you havent', push you to listen to 'Happy Man' as a starting point...
Sigur Ros' frontman is know working as Jonsi and this epic blast of his ability is worth a few hundred listens atop a mountaintop at least; 'Tornado'.

Albums out over the next week or so that you should buy include;

'Volume Two' by She & Him [gorgeous indie pop from one gorgeous indie popstar and one pretty cool indie folk minister]
'The Big To Do' by Drive-By Truckers [Melodic southern rock stylings]
'Under Great White Northern Lights' by The White Stripes [live recorded DVD & CD of the iconic modern rock duo]

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Happy Weekend Everybody!!
(oh and say hello to all of your lovely mothers for me!)
Ta Ta!
xXx
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Stolen Sound...

2010-03-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

'Music is enough for a lifetime but a lifetime is not enough for music' ~Sergei Rachmaninov

This week I have been mostly gaining a gamut of music via friends and their hard drives, taking my musical knowledge, breadth and width, and stretching it that teensy bit further. A mixture of soundtracks, modern folk and hip-hop has been tipped into the musical trough I feed from and in doing so, my musical joy busts open another button...

Enough with the terribly shitty description and onto some amazing music!

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The number of fuzzy girl groups is slowly growing and so far, so good, if the likes of Dum Dum Girls are anything to go by. The four LA ladies that make up the group have the shadowy west coast sound that feeds on slurring guitars and lo-fi production methods, culminating in deliciously replayable tracks such as 'Jail La La', a blast of noise and melody.

Coated in black and oozing miserabilia, the groups debut album 'I Will Be' is released on 29th March and I, for one, am highly anticipating the takeover by reverberating girl groups.

Dum Dum Girls' Myspace

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Air Waves is made up of a singer songwriter called Nicole and whichever friends she can get to play around her, and who wouldn't jump at the chance to work with such sweet and enveloping music. The current release sums her sound up in the title; 'Sweetness'. A slight fuzz sits alongside a solid beat and awesome songwriting skills, complemented by the soft and harmonious drone of Nicole's voice. Check out 'Keys' and 'Kingdom' whilst your ears are open.

Air Waves' Myspace

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A musician recently splattered across many many blogs, all with praising and loving words besides, is Toro Y Moi, a young songwriter and producer, and I thought I might as well jump on the bandwagon. His music is pure groove laced with summer and sunshine, topped off with a lo-fi buzz and haunting melodies that chase oneanother through every track. Definitely someone to get excited about even though it has pushed me into LONGING for summer days, sunshine and a relaxing collapse on the beach accompanied by tracks such as 'You Hid' and 'Blessa' (with a good batch of rum nearby....)

Check out his debut album 'Causers Of This' and anticipate
anything new that he comes out with...

Toro Y Moi's Myspace

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A bit of extra oomph...

Maths rock act Foals are back with a new release this year and a song has appeared on the web titled 'Spanish Sahara'. A real slow burner that seems to show a progressing band...
The insanely beautiful Zooey Deschanel and the talented M.Ward are back together as She & Him, ready to release their second album titled 'Volume 2' . A sumptuous track entitled 'Thieves' is out and charming the pants off everyone yet again.
A few months late but thanks to Laura J Smith (check out her movie blog here), I have found Local Natives and the beautiful 'Gorilla Manor', a strikingly cheerful delight!
Saw this guy from Leeds supporting Girls (who were immense), and not too shabby (though he is not Scouse as a friend mistakenly asserted over and over...). The act is hauntingly titled Spectrals ...

Albums out over the next week or so that you probably peek at;

'Sisterworld' by Liars [paranoid loner post punk with a heart of awesome]
'The Brutalist Bricks' by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists [intricate, intelligent punky rock]
'The Winter of Mixed Drinks' by Frightened Rabbit [Scottish trembling indie folk]
'Plastic Beach' by Gorillaz [cartoons & cameos = awesomely soaring modern pop]

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I am off to steal more music (in the sort of legal way of course)
Go listen and love and learn and let me know...
byeeeeeeeeeeee....eeeeeeee...
xxx
XX
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Bright Lights of Sound...

2010-02-19T04:53:00.000-08:00

'Music is moonlight in the gloomy night of life.' ~Jean Paul Richter

A quick blast of new music before I escape this mortal realm this evening and sweep away on a magical mystery train to the musical mecca that is Brighton in order to revel and rebel in debauchery, alcohol, dancing, music, friends, floors, oceans, beaches and arcades....

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Damon Albarn is nothing short of a modern musical maestro, stretching his mind and vision across so many artists and creations and managing to maintain such a high standard. His cartoon crafts, known internationally as Gorillaz, are set to release 'Plastic Beach', their third album. And joining the madcap, animated foursome on the record are a range of ridiculously awesome guests, including Snoop Dogg, Lou Reed, Gruff Rhys and Mick Jones.

The new single 'Stylo' is a simmering track featuring Mos Def and Bobby Womack, that stumbles along a dark corridor and emerges into a Disco Ball lit room where Womack growls amongst waves of noise. Definitely a slow burner that sets very high hopes for the upcoming record.

Gorillaz 'Stylo'

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Rox is a beautiful singer songwriter from London town who has been featured on the BBC's Sound of 2010 but don't hold that against her. I was lucky enough to stumble across her myspace last year and played a track of hers on my radio show and want to continue the promotion of her voice, stylings and music as her new single, 'My Baby Left Me', is released

Ignore comparisons to Winehouse et all, she has elements of Lauryn Hill with a jazz background and the debut single bounces along atop lush production and an emotionally outright style. Check out her nu-soul before she explodes.

Rox's Myspace

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A new band just cropping up on the musical radar are based in London as well, known as Foxx Bandits. They have a hard hitting debut demo titled 'Vodka Lines' which breathes a modern folk exhale even though the vocals ooze emotionally crippling lyrics through a subtle lo-fi effect.

One to watch out for, especially with a cracking gig lined up at the legendary Camden Barfly on the 18th March.

Foxx Bandits' Myspace
Go Get Tickets to see them...NOW!

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Some Tuneful Tidbits...

Serena Maneesh are back with a second album titled 'No 2. Abyss In B Minor' and the Norwegian's alt-rock act is as strong as forever in this cascading wall of sound and vocals that sidle up alongside you in a most seductive manner....Listen to a couple of tracks here
Japandroids are pretty awesome if I haven't mentioned them before... LISTEN!
I am going to see The Drums & Girls next week...you should too...

Albums out over the next week or so that you should buy include;

'The Golden Archipelago' by Shearwater [Simply pretty indie rumblings...]
'Dear God, I Hate Myself' by Xiu Xiu [Insanely amazing experimental fuzz]
'Magic Chairs' by Efterklang [Danish indie rockers post rock tinklings]

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Ok, that is all, I shall update you all on new music
next week if I somehow manage to survive
Brighton town after everything I ingest...
BUH BYE! XXX xx X

What Would I Want? Music?

2010-02-11T07:14:00.000-08:00

'Music is the poetry of the air.' ~Sviatoslav Richter

We near that event that some call Valentines Day but, for reasons too depressing to head into, I shall call Fuck You, Let's Listen To Some New Music Day. Not quite as catchy but it's a national holiday in progress. So, let's give you an agenda of new music for that lazy Sunday...

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Way back when I was still a student (last year), I hosted a specialist show on student radio (now known as Sonar Radio) all about brand spanking new music and the older influential artists that inspired the current trends, and had the pleasure of falling over many awesome artists, one of which I had the pleasure of seeing in Winchester not long ago.

Alessi's Ark is a solo folkstress with a style of music that can only be defined as Gorgeous, with a big ol' capital G. She has supported the likes of Mumford & Sons and Laura Marling, complementing their folk tales of woe and twee with her inventive and sweet songs such as 'The Horse' and 'Constellations'. The majority of my friends were deeply depressed that they missed the chance to purchase a copy of her album, wrapped in a hand-knitted bag, and I was deeply depressed that she didn't spot me from the stage and whisk me into a folk heaven involving her singing to me every night....

Alessi's Ark's Myspace

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She was supporting a huge group of folk troubadours from Brighton whose combined musical output swept the stage and the crowd into a folk frenzy (aka quiet, content and intelligent contemplation). Sons of Noel & Adrian use whistling and a whole host of musical instruments to craft intricate folk pop that tugs at the heart (and head) strings.

Sons of Noel & Adrian's Myspace

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Yet another group from Brighton AND another musical artist who I played on my specialist show last year, Esben and the Witch are making waves in the music-sphere at the moment, popping up on various Festival announcements. Very much a group rooted in literature and storytelling, tracks such as 'Marching Song' project an eery foreboding captivating when trapped within a four minute ditty. Echoes of Bjork and Portishead resonate through the sound of the group whilst allowing an individuality thanks to the emotion that embeds deep within their music.

Esben and the Witch's Myspace

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A few quickies to make sure you don't run low on New Music to munch on...

Male Bonding popped in to play for Huw Stephen's last night, whose show remains the last bastion of decency on Radio 1, showcasing their grunge-gaze rock that I love so much... Check out their Myspazz

Los Campesinos have a new album out NOW, so give this a listen and then go spend your pennies on it...Romance Is Boring...

These guys are pretty good; well I have listened to 'The Chemical Song' a few times over. They are called Citadels.

Gil Scott-Heron, the freaking legend that he is, has an amazing new album out called 'I'm New Here'. Hear the whole thing here on le Guardian and then go get it so you can listen to it FOREVER....

Finally, I have never been a big Peter Gabriel fan but this may change with an album covering David Bowie, Radiohead, Regina Spektor and Bon Iver...The Guardian, lovely people that they are, let you hear it here...

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So, go forth, listen and keep loving (except on Valentines Day, that is now for NOTHING but listening to new music, no lovey dovey crap there...)

Buh bye!
XxX
xx
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