Grizzly Bear + Tears For Fears + Clipse + Girl Talk = ? Mashup master Girl Talk actually creates something functional and cohesive by combining these disparate sounds, taking Grizzly Bear's 'Knife' to new territory with vocal cuts from 'Wamp Wamp' by Clipse and 80s electro percussion courtesy of Tears For Fears. This one may take a while to grow on you, so don't be afraid to listen to it more than a few times. Grizzly Bear – Knife Grizzly Bear – Knife (Girl Talk [...]
When Voxtrot frontman Ramesh Srivastava mouths the words "we get bored of weakness all the time" on album opener "Introduction," there is little doubt if he means it. Voxtrot are a good band, soon to be great based on the expected acclaim for their self-titled debut full length. The "Introduction" here is one of steadily building momentum and visions of rock grandeur. They have the chops on their instruments, insight in their lyrics, and an odd Texan charm which carries more eloquence than that of dubya and his breed. There's a certain undefinable quality about well constructed songs [...]
Like the Strokes? You'll like the Rakes . It's that simple. The London band has been getting a fair bit of attention on this side of the pond since their album, Ten New Messages , was released on March 19th. Chock full of danceable, infectious tracks with names like 'When Tom Cruise Cries', how could you go wrong? The Rakes – We Danced Together The Rakes – Suspicious Eyes -Andrew M
I caught Arcade Fire last Wednesday at Brixton Academy and they were - you guessed it - amazing. The venue was buzzing with feverish energy for the band's first performance of a four-night stint here in London and a strong performance by opener Patrick Wolf only left the crowd pining for what everyone had shown up for: the most heavily touted indie band in the world. How things have changed since I first saw Win & Co in Montreal two years ago when touring in support of their debut album. That night they opened a mind-blowing [...]
Welcome to the first installment of Remix Sundays. Each and every week Bridging the Atlantic will bring you a high-calibre remix, along with the equally high-calibre original version. We'll strive to present remixes that elude most listeners and are a marked departure from the inspiring track. For the first ever Remix Sunday, I present a bold reworking of Tegan & Sara's 'Walking With a Ghost' by Miami Horror. Miami Horror is the project of Melbourne resident Ben Plant and his debut album Bravado is due to be released shortly; he describes the upcoming album as "the [...]
Maybe the reason why the new album is entitled Transparent Things is because after one listen, I immediately discerned that Fujiya & Miyagi listened to quite a bit of Hot Chip , Junior Boys , and other popular-of-late chilled contemporaries while jamming out ideas for this newest full-length. If they didn't, well, it sounds great anyhow. Most songs on this understated release carry subdued and often whispered vocals, which, aligned with funky, rhythmic bass lines, have led me to make the above comparisons. This being said, the majority of the album's tracks [...]
Yet another group hailing from the dynamic Montreal scene (although originally from Guelph, Ontario), The Dymaxions ' debut album How The Sick May Help Themselves clocks in at just under 23 minutes. But don't let the short track lengths deter you - each of the 10 tracks is a sweet and succinct little gem. 'Hard Rock In Shallow Waters' is insanely catchy and the massive guitar hook that closes out 'Birdwatching (I Was A Teenage Zombie)' will leave you yearning for more. Alas, the group called it quits in late 2006. However, the album can still be [...]
The creative forces behind Bridging the Atlantic are big fans of electro/guitar duo Ratatat . That being said, it should come as no surprise that we're all waiting with bated breath for Remixes Vol. II . For those unfamiliar with Ratatat's Remixes mixtape project, our boys take classic and contemporary rap tracks, strip away everything musical to render them a cappella, and add their own brand of beats and riffs. The results are glorious. Volume I included reworks of tracks by Method Man, Kanye West, G-Unit and Missy Elliott, among others. When a [...]
LCD Soundsystem , for those unfamiliar, are North American scum. But man, can they get the kids dancing. DFA Records co-founder James Murphy fronts the group which seamlessly blends dance-punk with elements of electronic and disco. Murphy and company create something that owes a lot to its influences while managing to bring something that is fresh and not too derivative. Sound of Silver , the group's sophomore album, is set for release March 20 with a worldwide tour currently underway in Europe. The album leaked in December, but it's going to be in high [...]
In my sloppiest criminal efforts to download the new Air album, I found myself with a copy of Air Formation's Daylight Storms . Whether it be My Bloody Valentine , Ride , The Jesus and Mary Chain , or more recently, I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness , shoegazer-type rock bands have always appealed to the daydreaming depths of my mind. Listening to Sussex's Air Formation temporarily transforms life into a Sofia Coppola movie, as time tends to slow down with songs this drenched in reverb and atmosphere. [...]
Well not exactly. I've always held strong opposition to country music if it didn't come in the form of Johnny Cash. Besides the man in black, I've always detested country music's often depressing/over-emotional lyrics combined with the twang that accompanies it. Sure, I'm generalizing but I'm allowed to not like things for poor reasons - who's to stop me? Just as electronic music has stolen my heart over the past years, I see my defences weakening to the 'alternative country' of Wilco . I've heard of the rock act from Chicago for several [...]
Okey dokey. Neon Bible , Arcade Fire's new album, is to be officially released tomorrow. If you don't know who Arcade Fire is, or why every indie kid and music aficionado in general is going gaga over the Montreal collective's latest offering, I guess you've been living under a rock for some time now. So get out from under your rock, find a record store, and buy Neon Bible tomorrow. You won't be disappointed, promise. BBC Radio 1 will not stop raving about the quality of the album, the [...]
I've always enjoyed Kings of Leon and their southern rock. Understanding that it's a bit of a music writer's convention to say so and so band sounds like they're from another generation, it's still quite true with the band from Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. The drawl/guitar is as good on new album Because of the Times as it has been on the two previous albums. "True Love Way" is the standout for me, but lead single "On Call" and misspelled, pasta-ready "Ragoo" is also jiving with something upstairs. I just wanted to somehow incorporate [...]
Ed Banger Records is home to some of our favourite artists at the moment. The French label is run by Busy P, Daft Punk's manager, and hosts a stable of talented electro acts including Justice , SebastiAn , DJ Mehdi , Mr Flash , Zongamin and Uffie . The entire crew will soon be on the move; the Ed Banger North American Tour takes place March 23rd to 31st and includes stops in Toronto and Montreal. Justice - Phantom Justice vs Simian [...]
Born Ruffians are poised to become one of Canada's hottest bands, if they aren't already. 2006 saw the Midland, Ontario three-piece on a summer trek through the United Kingdom and returning home to tour North America with Hot Chip . Born Ruffians also passed the fall by with shows alongside Tokyo Police Club and Beirut . And they've hit the ground running in 2007: ending January with three shows in New York City, two of them opening for sold-out Swedish export, Peter, Bjorn and John . Born Ruffians' self-titled EP [...]
Or at least Shepherd's Bush Empire. The Decemberists last played at the London venue in November of 2004, and judging by the band members' awe-inspired glances to the top tiers of this venerable Victorian concert hall and Colin Meloy's glowing praise of the crowd throughout the night, the band was happy to be back. All three balcony levels and the venue's floor were packed. As The Decemberists took the stage the crowd roared, and then absolute silence reigned until Mr. Meloy strummed the unmistakable opening chords of The Crane Wife 3 on the 12 string electric-acoustic [...]
Scandinavians undoubtedly are some smart people. Just look at them. Attractive women. High GDP per capita. Social programs that are more or less the envy of the rest of the world. An unquenchable desire to consume vast amounts of herring. Fjords. You get the picture. It's not that surprising then to notice just how much fantastic music is emanating from that part of the world at the moment then, from repurposed pop covers to Danish jazz to something so weird and eccentric it hasn't even been given a trendy, blogosphere-marketable name yet. But it's inevitable that moments of [...]
Lymbyc Systym - Birds (zShare) Lymbyc Systym - Truth Skull Lymbyc Systym 's debut full-length, Love Your Abuser, is out now on Mush Records . Despite the vaguely sadomasochistic implications of the title, these instrumentals are richly textured, tempo shifting pop. Particularly on "Birds," we find swelling percussion sections breathing life into simple keyboard melodies, creating songs that bloom and recede with seamless precision. If you like what you hear, Montreal's Hylozoists are making similarly serene instrumentals. Hylozoists - Strait is [...]
Fans of everything from Islands to The Shins may take a liking to the new grooves of Cloud Cult . Their new album, 'The Meaning of 8', is due out April 10th (but you can buy it online right now) and contains a solid, fluid track list of complex and innovative musicianship. Check out their myspace for some more tracks. Cloud Cult - Your 8th Birthday (zShare) We're all excited for the Think About Life show next Sunday. Returning from Montreal for another [...]
Welcome to Bridging the Atlantic , the international blog sensation. I am coming in from Ottawa, Ontario and Andrew will be keeping your hipster playlist bumping from jolly old London, England. Periodically we'll have guest features from our friends, and though I am hesitant to forecast that our writing staff will multiply in both size and physical attractiveness in the coming months, it's safe to say that random contributions are a guarantee. Our tastes in music are diverse, so whatever it is you like from TV On The Radio to Sonic Youth [...]
bridging the atlantic
Bison - Quill
Neutral Milk Hotel- Aeroplane Over the Sea
Shinichi Osawa – Big Beach Mix 2012
Mr Fogg - Eleven
