Amusement ( Twitter ) are a mysterious duo made up of Andrew Smith and Joseph Sigee from somewhere in Surrey and after only playing together for a couple of months have produced a sound of soft andsoulful, introverted electronica. Carl from Illegal Tender described them to me as "a less depressing Darkstar (and I love Darkstar)" which I think sums them up rather well. Lucky I love Darkstar a good bit as well then. They're coming out of the same scene, if you can call it that, that has produced Disclosure and Auction, from a [...]
Acoustic songsmith Benjamin Francis Leftwich is to release his debut album the atmospherically titled Last Smoke Before the Storm though indie label Dirty Hit in June. He's been a particular favourite of mine since I recently saw him at Brudenell Social Club , and today we've got a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s Atlantic City in anticipation of his first proper single Box of Stones for nothing more than an email address here . Benjamin Francis Leftwich - Atlantic [...]
Our favourite acoustic songsmith Benjamin Francis Leftwich is to release his debut album the atmospherically titled Last Smoke Before the Storm though indie label Dirty Hit in June. A particular favourite of mine at the moment, Benjamin Francis leftwich’s previous releases have included his debut EP A Million Miles Out and the recent captivating EP Pictures. This second EP has received praise across the world of alternative music, inline with Benjamin’s addition to the Radio 1’s - In New Music We Trust List - and the selection of his track [...]
Blue Walrus favourites Spring Offensive have upped their game again on A Stutter and a Start , their latest self-release. The dark, brooding, jerky indie of the title track has been matched with the video below, watching the breakdown of a man's relationship through phone messages, into the drunken despair of the end. B-side The Well follows this with a sparse, softer sound, soothing and delicate before layering on top of a thumping rhythm to take the song in a different direction. Throw in a distorted, chaotic, and forceful [...]
I first came across FOE ( Facebook / Twitter ) with the Hi, Honey taster this time last year, but this week has seen the release of her debut EP, Hot New Trash , on Stella Mortos as well as her collaboration with Entrepreneurs and Ghostpoet on Fuck Tactics . On Hot New Trash, FOE (aka Hannah Clark) spits vitriol over the media's obsession with "the next big thing" that is foisted upon the ever adoring public dumbed down by the internal marketing machines of integrated exploitative media conglomerates. It's [...]
Plenty of people talk of the warmth of vinyl compared to these digital days, but it wasn't until a VHS of Mafia Lights ( SoundCloud) arrived from the fine folks at Teeth Records that I appreciated the fuzzy, grainy love for that medium. The EP is made up of bliss-drenched lullabies that would not feel out of place soundtracking that beautiful moment of change when you leave for pastures new. Where you look back over the past few years, crying for the highs and glossing over the lows. Lucky then that the videos [...]
Leeds based indie rock outfit Club Smith rocked the Waterfront in Norwich last night with a short but sweet set of new and exciting music. Recently gaining the expertise of the new Manchester based record label Front Wall Records and currently supporting The Pigeon Detectives on their UK tour, the gig was a great opportunity to see one of the most exciting new bands making music in the North. Beginning the evenings proceedings was Norwich’s own indie pop advocates The Kabeedies, who provided the audience an unsurprisingly excitable and enjoyable set; a great [...]
I was raving about Bubblegunk back when we first covered Entrepreneurs back in August last year with the release of Uv Been Robbed (Joking, But Not) , but you can now finally grab it in hard copy single form alongside Fuck Tactics featuring Ghostpoet and FOE thanks to Fear and Records . Bubblegunk is an experimental pop delight, with scattered beats, crooning vocals and one catchy as fuck synth line bang on centre. As danceable and clever now as it was eight months ago. Entrepreneurs - [...]
>South London post-punk quartet Beau and The Arrows ( Twitter ) are releasing their debut single, Fix , today on Happy Release Records , and my what a beauty it is. A-Side Fix comes thumping in with some tight drums, before the synths and vocal harmonies begin to soar and soothe. There's an innocent desperation running through, with the song deconstructing into the clarity of "I always crave you..." ..and just in case you were thinking you have heard Fix before then that would be because it was [...]
Danger Mouse and film-score composer extraordinaire Daniele Luppi are releasing Rome on 16th May bringing together the original musicians from films such as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Once Upon a Time in the West . Yes most of these musicians are now in their seventies and well retired, but the talent involved in people such as Alessandro Alessandroni’s ‘I Cantori Moderni’ choir is undeniable. The whole album was recorded straight to tape with vintage equipment in Rome’s cavernous Forum Studios, and each [...]
The best finds seem to be the ones you just stumble upon accidentally. Santiago , the forthcoming single release from Norwich based Indie pop band The Kabeedies , is pretty damn good. Being from the fine city I saw the band's interpretation of catchy alternative pop years ago and I am genuinely impressed by this most recent effort. The track has a summery feel that should not be allowed to go unnoticed; the band's use of brass really adds something unique to their original happy-go-lucky pop roots and the mixed gender lead vocals [...]
The best finds seem to be the ones you just stumble upon accidentally. Santiago , the forthcoming single release from Norwich based Indie pop band The Kabeedies , is pretty damn good. Being from the fine city I saw the band's interpretation of catchy alternative pop years ago and I am genuinely impressed by this most recent effort. The track has a summery feel that should not be allowed to go unnoticed; the band's use of brass really adds something unique to their original happy-go-lucky pop roots and the mixed gender lead vocals [...]
There's always a place in my record collection for some jumpy, spikey 80s-influenced new wave pop, and right now that space is being filled rather energetically with Danimal Kingdom . Daniel Murtha to his friends, has tasted critical success before with Bolt Action Five, which he fronted, and with Kissy Sellout, which he gave his vocal talents for their album Youth , but now he's stepping out alone with his debut single Vinyl Skipping Ever Backward / Through The Ice out on white vinyl on the increasingly impressive Hot Pockets next Monday. [...]
The glowing cross is back. Back in a big big way. Their new single Civilization was released today after premiering on an Adidas advert, and has them stepping a little away from their heavier sounds on † (Cross) and more towards a Daft Punk slower vocoded electropop. A little less drive, but just as much disco-swagger. We've got a stream of the official release below. Buy it. [BUY] Justice - Civilization on iTunes Justice - Civilization by thebluewalrus [...]
Hot Chip 's Alexis Taylor had already supplied the vocals to Losing My Patience , my favourite track from last year's excellent From The Cradle To The Rave by Shit Robot , but here we can here the direction he wanted to take the track. Hot Chip have taken away a little of the swagger of the original for a slightly darker an more minimal feel to the whole affair leaving the vocals stand front and centre. Still a beautiful but in a wholly different way. [...]
Indie pop always manages to put a smile on my face and the more I listen the more I like. Living in West Yorkshire puts me at a great advantage, as the diverse music scene here always has had a special place for the genre, with bands such as pop champions Blood Oranges leading the way. The Coopers, my new favourite local band, are a fusion of folk and pop. They too, are making headway, soon to release their new EP in early 2011 which ‘promises to be an authentic reflection of their live performances – full of [...]
The Chicago via Minnesota violaist Anni Rossi ( Facebook /SoundCloud) may be signed to 4AD releasing her second album (on 3 Syllables ), but she seems still to be slipping between the cracks of what most people get to hear. Maybe that because its pretty damn hard to pigeon-hole her stripped back sound that sits awkwardly between pop with her unique vocals and use of electronic keys and beats alongside some viola and cello. And then are some fascinating moves between time signatures like on personal favourite Hatchet that wouldn't feel out of [...]
The Chicago via Minnesota violaist Anna Rossi ( Facebook /SoundCloud) may be signed to 4AD releasing her second album (on 3 Syllables ), but she seems still to be slipping between the cracks of what most people get to hear. Maybe that because its pretty damn hard to pigeon-hole her stripped back sound that sits awkwardly between pop with her unique vocals and use of electronic keys and beats alongside some viola and cello. And then are some fascinating moves between time signatures like on personal favourite Hatchet that wouldn't feel out of [...]
Troubadour James Vincent McMorrow thrilled fans on Sunday with an animated and remarkable solo folk performance at Leeds’ newest music venue and bar ‘The Call Lane Social’. Despite the unbearable heat of the tiny upstairs room, decked out in a Hawaiian feel with bamboo and lights everywhere, it was a truly outstanding set. The artist, now touring here to rise his profile in the UK, has already had a number one success in his native Ireland with his debut album ‘Early in the Morning’ with The Dubliner describing it as ‘one of the first truly great albums of the decade’. [...]
Troubadour James Vincent McMorrow thrilled fans on Sunday with an animated and remarkable solo folk performance at Leeds’ newest music venue and bar ‘The Call Lane Social’. Despite the unbearable heat of the tiny upstairs room, decked out in a Hawaiian feel with bamboo and lights everywhere, it was a truly outstanding set. The artist, now touring here to rise his profile in the UK, has already had a number one success in his native Ireland with his debut album ‘Early in the Morning’ with The Dubliner describing it as ‘one of the first truly great albums of the decade’. [...]
The Blue Walrus
Listen to Arctic Monkeys’ new single, “Do I Wanna Know?”
Kanye West x DJ AudiTory – Yeezus [Chopped & Screwed]
No Title
CHVRCHES Announce Debut Album Details & Release Date
Escucha el ruidoso regreso de M.I.A.
