Blog: The Blue Walrus

Here's something that should perk up your midweek lulls in the shape of Mao, with a house groove that should make your soul shudder. He's the latest signing to Bad Life , and has his debut EP, Harken / Emeralds due for release on the 4th of March. We've got the brand spanking new video for Harken aove and its huge. As an aside, we're posting videos more regularly over on the Mini Walrus , but this was too good to keep just on our Tumblr. Introducing: Mao was [...]

That up there ^ is the artwork for Scottish band North Atlantic Oscillation's new album. Fog Electric will be released on April 30th, so you'd better prepare yourself for a blast of post-rock-ish goodness, though you should also be aware that the band have this habit of sounding rather diverse, so who's to say if the sound of Savage With Barometer will have much bearing on how the whole thing is going to sound? More of what that song has to offering wouldn't be a bad thing at all, though: dreamy arrangements, thudding drums and almost more [...]

London's Torches ( facebook / twitter ) produce dark and atmospheric gloom-pop. Each song is centred on drum machine beats and grandiose vocals, with ethereal claustrophobic builds that takes you somewhere a little darker, a twisting and menacing journey with enough of a melody to stay with you. Both Towerblock Confetti and Little Ice Age make you want to close out the night. What brought this quintet to my attention, however, was a cover swap they have done with hazy lo-fi duo and Walrus favourites Crushed Beaks . They took already brilliant Close [...]

How in the hell are these guys unsigned? That was my initial reaction upon hearing the new single from inventive Scottish group PET [ Facebook ], which is appropriately titled Wear Black . It's every bit as brooding and melancholic as a song bearing that name would suggest, beginning with a squall of feedback, before being joined by echoing drums and a slinky bassline. It takes more than a minute and a half for the song to settle into anything that could be called a conventional verse, after being guided there by spine-tingling, howling vocals and an impressive sense [...]

It was only last week that I wrote of how much I was enjoying the latest art-pop EP from Free Swim ( twitter ), and today we've got a little deeper insight into the bizarre goings on in the mind of Paul Coltofeanu with the premiere of the video for The Smell Of Pregnancy. I described the song as having a rather Zappa-esque groove, a description I stand by with its odd rhythms and slap bass, but the video is a mixture of an ode to that mass-produced 90s after-dinner ice-cream favourite Viennetta, with [...]

Sometimes, all you need is a hook. Theme Park should know all about this, because their new single contains an absolute monster of one. The new song, the first to be taken from their debut album, due later this year (yep, you can officially start getting excited now), is called Two Hours, and has that much replay value that you could find yourself listening to it on repeat for that long, without much difficulty. It's one of the finest indie-pop songs I've heard so far this year: the interplay between the bass and drums reminds me a lot [...]

Here is a band who I can assure you are set to make quite a splash. Or I could say they are about to come crashing into your life, and it would be side to come along for the ride. Well, whatever; you get the point. I'm all out of cymbal-related puns at this point, but this makes what I've said no less valid: CYMBALS (and the ALLCAPS moniker is definitely necessary) could well be your new favourite band. Their new song reminds me quite a bit of Yeasayer for some reason; I haven't figured why that is yet, but [...]

Your weekly catchup on some of the best remixes of the past seven days. St. Etienne have reworked Summer Camp 's upcoming single Losing My Mind into a slow, dark and mysterious dancefloor delight, leaving Elizabeth Sankey's vocals to hang in the air bass-punctuated air. The spaced out tones of D/R/U/G/S has taken on Clock Opera 's beautiful Once And For All to remind us of our love for the band in anticipation for the release of their debut album, Ways To Forget , [...]

Your weekly catchup on some of the best remixes of the past seven days. St. Etienne have reworked Summer Camp 's upcoming single Losing My Mind into a slow, dark and mysterious dancefloor delight, leaving Elizabeth Sankey's vocals to hang in the air bass-punctuated air. The spaced out tones of D/R/U/G/S has taken on Clock Opera 's beautiful Once And For All to remind us of our love for the band in anticipation for the release of their debut album, Ways To Forget , [...]

Norwich-based artist Jess Morgan is an exciting new English folk talent. With a new album set for release next month, support dates with folk darlings Paper Aeroplanes and a very busy festival season to come this year, she's fast becoming one to watch in 2012. The distinctive storytelling quality of her songs and dynamic guitar playing combine to create a sound that is personal and interesting. She's already captured the attention of Steve Lamacq - Jess is "a rare gem", he says - and picked up acclaim from a range of other impressive sources including trad-folk royalty Megson [...]

The last record from Paul Coltofeanu, aka Free Swim ( twitter ), may have been about the trials and tribulations of a panda climbing Everest, but now he's back with an all the more rooted in real life in Dennis! - the story of two friends pushed apart by the emergence of love and a girl on the scene for one of the partying duo. Musically it's mostly a clever, roaring piece of indie pop reminiscent of Super Furry Animals in the heyday with simple rhythms and distorted guitar. But then he throws all that out [...]

Who's up for some jangly indie-pop? Such a thing is great in moderation, but can quickly become stale. However, the new single from This Many Boyfriends is the kind of song I can't see myself getting sick of... well, ever. It's getting released on Monday, and is out in a rather intriguing physical format, as well: Starling is being released as a fanzine, of all things! Ha, take that, all you bands who simply put out CDs for your singles. Most people buy downloads these days anyway, unless some effort is really put in with the physical release [...]

Not so much a band as Jack Colleran, a solo producer from Ireland, but MMOTHS ( facebook / twitter ) has demonstrated his talents with song that shudders, wrapped around the glorious vocals of Keep Shelley In Athens . It's the first track taken from his upcoming debut EP that he's DIY releasing on March 5th, and he's just released the video from it showing kids enjoying the warmth of nature and each other. It's slow, soothing and utterly beautiful. Lose yourself. (Hat tip to Nialler9 for this one) [...]

And then, there were two. The last time we heard from School of Seven Bells, there were three people in the band; and, more importantly, we didn't think they had an album like this in them. That is not to say that Alpinisms and Disconnect from Desire weren't great albums - they were - but what separates Ghostory from the band's previous output is that it is on another level entirely. On the whole it's a more accessible body of work, and works extremely well from start to finish. The duo's shoegaze and [...]

This just in: Tourist has revealed himself to have out-of-this-world ambitions. The second song to be lifted from his self-titled EP, which is out on March 12th, and, may I add, is very, very good - I don't like being that guy, but it's my duty to give our readers a heads-up on a release as thrilling as that - is called Jupiter , and is a good indicator of the quality that is evident on the EP. Much like Placid Acid before it, it doesn't mess around, going straight for the jugular with a bright and [...]

The wait is almost over. It's been a long time since anyone last heard from These Furrows [ Facebook / Twitter ] - their last single was 'Duke', released all the way back in May of last year. Since then, they've been away. Away doing what, you may ask. Well, I think as good an excuse as any is the fact that they now have their debut album in the can. Treasures is done and dusted, and is set for release in June. There will be another single to come before the album is released, but for now, [...]

Maybe I've turned a little sappy because I've spent the last weekend shedding tears at my own sister's wedding , or maybe I always was, but Chris Isaak's Wicked Game has always had a soft spot in my heart. A feeling apparently shared by Walrus favourites Exlovers who regularly cover the track live and recorded this during their session for their upcoming album Moth . [Free download available from the Young & Lost Club's Digital Club ] Gabriel Bruce has also put his deep dulcet [...]

Tom Honey didn't do himself any favours by naming his ambient project after the translated title of a Sigur Rós song - to compare his music to the work to that Icelandic band is such an obvious get-out-of-jail-free card when discussing his music. Good Weather For An Airstrike is only ever really influenced by Sigur Rós, though; let me make that clear. While they both make music that is by turns introspective and euphoric, Honey's creations are far more grounded in ambience. I know what some of you will be thinking at this point: "Ambient music is inconsequential! [...]

The forecast may be more snow outside, lucky then that boutique digital label Folkroom Records are releasing Andrew Butler 's debut EP - a record of soft, soothing, folk-pop lovesongs. Its a record to curl up with your loved one and lose yourselves wrapped up warm and staring into the open fire. Whether it's the sweet lullaby of A Thousand Words or the catchy folk-ballad of Kismet - it's delicate, but not fragile, soft, yet powerful and joyous - and its coming out on February 14th (Valentines Day). And then there's [...]

Bands who write would-be pop songs, but with that lo-fi aesthetic that sound like they recorded the whole thing on a dictaphone have always made me swoon, and Yoofs ( facebook / twitter ) are just such a band. Their carefree songs are full of the exuberance of youth and the lo-fi underproduction will make you nostalgic for a time before people bothered with such things as a recording studio. The Bournemouth-based band were previously known as AC Slater after everyone's favourite muscles in Saved By The Bell, but after the DJ with that name kicked [...]