Click here to view the embedded video. Fuck twee, let's rock. Obviously I'm only kidding, but the mood of the moment requires things that are heavy, fast, and very, very loud. So it's great to get some new material from Hold Your Horse Is , a band name that I still can't decide is good or bad eighteen months on from first hearing them. Forgive and Forget is, whisper it, a little cleaner than some of their previous work, and possibly even a little more mainstream, but it's no less enjoyable for it. [...]
Well this is an odd one. Jack Hayter was in the past a member of the legendary Hefner, meaning you might be expecting something at least somewhat in that vain from his solo work. But Hefner this certainly isn't. Sucky Tart is, at it's heart, a brooding folk record, made unique by it's theatrical flourishes. It's an odd combination, and one that doesn't necessarily work on every song, but when it does, it's spectacular. I Stole the Cutty Sark is wonderful, with an increasingly odd around of noises punctuating Jack's terribly world-weary voice perfectly. [...]
There's a very fine line between throwing back to an older style and just purely mimicking it, and it's one that causes me to struggle with a lot of 50s or 60s "inspired" pop. I can appreciate bands like Lucky Soul, but only in reasonably small quantities as I find the novelty wears off pretty quickly. So I have absolutely no idea what my long-term feelings toward Chalk and Numbers will turn out to be. At the moment though, He Knew is a perfect little slice of nostalgia pop. He Knew is taken from [...]
Click here to view the embedded video. Johnny Foreigner continue their trend of cutting out the middleman by releasing their latest video to "us" (fans to do with whatever they please) before any "proper" publications. Not quite sure how this differs from what so many small bands do these days, but no matter. It's the thought that counts and all that. Still, the video for Harriet, by Proxy may be the most well produced one they've put out yet. The single itself is pretty much [...]
Click here to view the embedded video. I can't really tell you very much about Bear Pilot beyond the fact that they are Swedish. Hell, I don't even know if they are a 'they' or just one guy, and their website and Myspace aren't proving too helpful when it comes to clues. It doesn't really matter though, as this is lovely regardless. A nice little electronic vibe to it, while still remaining incredibly gentle. I also adore the video too. Exactly why don't we have drive-in bingo in this country? [...]
Click here to view the embedded video. Two weeks into January and The Lovely Eggs have already put in a strong contender for single of the year. I suspect this is the kind of thing that will divide people pretty much down the middle. It's very rough and ready, and singer Holly's heavily accented vocals are an acquired taste to put it mildly. If The Lovely Eggs formula works for you though, Don't Look at Me (I Don't Like It) is very likely the best thing they have ever recorded. That it [...]
Click here to view the embedded video. Darren Hayman (who I'm legally obliged to point out was the front man of Hefner) is writing, recording, and releasing a new song every day throughout January. Each day, you're able to track exactly what he is up to through the process, with his notes, video diaries and all sorts of extras being made available throughout. At the end of the day, each song is released for free for a limited time, before being offered as a paid download later on. It's [...]
Yes, this is from 2002, and no, I couldn't really care less. It's my blog and I'll post whatever the hell I like, thank you very much. Death From Above 1979 never did very much for me. At least in album form, I find it all a bit of a struggle. Loud and fast is one thing. Being assaulted in such a way for half an hour is pushing it. In short bursts though, little tops things like Romantic Rights, or the chronically misplaced You're Lovely (But You've Got Lots Of Problems). Somehow today I ended up on their website [...]
Click here to view the embedded video. One of the most pleasant surprises of last year's Indietracks was Be Like Pablo . I'd actually been put off of them from their contribution to the Indietracks CD, which alarmed me with it's use of rapping. Not that the song itself was inherently bad. If I'm honest, I only went to see them because they were on early on Sunday when little else was around. Not knowing quite what to expect, it was rather nice to be treated to some catchy 90s US power-pop style [...]
Click here to view the embedded video. Some indiepop goes to great lengths to disassociate itself from the seemingly dreaded "twee" tag. Then there is some that completely embrace it. Which would you expect a Norwegian band called My Little Pony to go for? If you're still not sure, a quick glance at the video above should answer the question. Balloons, animal costumes, party hats and dancing. What more could one possibly ask for? Myspace / Twitter [...]
Click here to view the embedded video. Some indiepop goes to great lengths to disassociate itself from the seemingly dreaded "twee" tag. Then there is some that completely embrace it. Which would you expect a Norwegian band called My Little Pony to go for? If you're still not sure, a quick glance at the video above should answer the question. Balloons, animal costumes, party hats and dancing. What more could one possibly ask for? Myspace / Twitter [...]
..and now for something completely different. While the majority of what I listen to tends to fall under the indiepop banner these days, it's my dirty little secret that I have a soft spot for loud, fast, shouty emo type stuff. I don't listen to such things as much as I used to, but Saves the Day's Through Being Cool remains one of my favourite albums and I'll fight anyone who has a problem with that. Which should give you an idea of what to expect from Mixtapes . They like to make [...]
The song list this year has a lot of crossover with the records list from yesterday. I suppose that is to be expected to a certain degree, but I get it's a little repetitive for me to be banging on about the same bands over and over again. Still, that's the nature of these lists, and I'm not going to throw in other things for the sake of it. 1. Los Campesinos! - A Heat Rash in the Shape of the Show Me State, or, Letters from Me to Charlotte [...]
So 2010 turned out to be the year where my enjoyment of indiepop turned into a full blown obsession. Pretty much everything I've listened to (or rather, listened to and liked) this year falls into the genre, or at the very least, flirts with it in some way. So any end of year lists will be rather myopic genre wise. I simply haven't listened to most of the critically acclaimed albums released this year, nor do I care to. Regularly now I will look at Pitchfork and not even recognise a single band on it's front page. A few years [...]
I just watched the news for fifteen and goddamn am I depressed And I just spent an hour on fucking Facebook until I realised I couldn't care less There's something to be said about the first lines of a song immediately winning you over. It shouldn't be that simple, but given the way I listen to music these days, it's become somewhat essential. It's not a good thing at all, but these days I'm judging the majority of songs on the first twenty or thirty seconds of one listen. So [...]
If I'm honest, I hadn't quite considered what a Christmas EP from The Just Joans might sound like. I certainly wasn't expecting such a record to appear either, particularly as they only just released their last proper EP only a few months ago. If Card From A Multipack is any indication though, The Just Joans doing Christmas is just like the Just Joans at any other time of year. As you might expect, it's not exactly the happiest song, but there's a certain wit to be found in the crushing realisation that [...]
Click here to view the embedded video. I'm really not sure I have words that can come close to equalling the video above, so I'm inclined to let it speak for itself. I've had this song a little while, and thought it was good fun, if a bit nuts. Nothing prepared me for the video though. Quite possibly the best/worst thing I have ever seen. Probably should give it a miss if you're prone to seizures too. Don't Worry is out now on Slanty Shanty Records . The band [...]
Los Campesinos ! are one of those bands where even their weakest material is still infinitely more interesting than what most other bands put out. Too Many Flesh Suppers is the ideal demonstration of this. Recorded as part of the Romance is Boring sessions, it was eventually left off of the album, finally being used as a b-side and an iTunes bonus song. It's not hard to see why it didn't quite fit. It's not as coherent as most of the other songs on the record, jumping around all over the place, and it also has [...]
Click here to view the embedded video. I came late to The Broken Family Band party, so I'm jumping in early with Singing Adams , the new band of BFB front man Steven Adams. If you're already familiar with his former band, you know what to expect here. The alt-country leanings may have been toned down considerably, but there's more than enough of the same catchy pop sensibilities and witty lyrics to go around. As a debut single, I Need Your Mind is remarkably self-assured and firmly cements the [...]
Acid House Kings have apparently been going since 1991, which makes me feel slightly guilty for only latching on to them now. I'm not entirely sure why it's taken this long. Usually if you say the words Swedish tweepop to me, I'm there. Yet somehow they have escaped me. That was until I got hold of Are We Lovers or Are We Friends? , which may well be one of my favourite songs of the year, for a whole number of reasons. It's playful enough to be a nice easy listen, while also resonating a little more for [...]
Another Form of Relief
Azealia Banks - '1991' [Listen]
Metric Debuts Album via Synthetica Hide+Seek, Tickets On Sale Now For Fall Tour
THE MASTERSONS — BIRDS FLY SOUTH
