Blog: FUCKING DANCE

check out this 30 second, creepy trailer for the forthcoming Phantasy Sound release. you can hear a preview of the dub version of the release over at the Phantasy Sound myspace . to keep up to date on the latest news on this don't forget to become a fan on facebook !

today sees the release of Manchester band, The Answering Machine 's debut album. it has been an extraordinarily long time coming for those of us there from the beginning! i last wrote about the band when they had a drum machine called Mustafa, but since then they have picked up a real live boy to do the drumming as well as racking up numerous positive reviews from all over the shop. full of 'ooh's, hand claps and insanely brilliant pop gems, The Answering Machine have created a fantastic first [...]

rising from the ashes of Bureau and Daggers , are Hurts . they make doom pop packed full of theatrical, synth highs and lows. check out the video for their fantastic track 'Wonderful Life'. props to the ever spot on Alistair . check out his NME piece on fresh Manchester talent.

this sort of seems fitting, if a little upbeat, for the slightly turbulent political and social year we're going through in the UK at the moment. and to be extra relevant and clever and shit, it also ties in with that Island Records documentary that was on the other day. whilst the original could never be upstaged, this is definitely an effort worth mentioning. Get Back Guinozzi - Police And Thieves (Junior Murvin cover) influenced by the likes of Talking Heads , The Slits [...]

guys! you've probably seen it already! but! here's the video for the bloody fantastic track 'I Don't Not Love You' by the even bloody fantastic-er Flashguns . yes mate. Flashguns myspace .

lurking away in north London creating a catalogue of dancefloor-friendly electro tracks is musician/producer/fantastic remixer Daniel Barker aka The Aspirins For My Children . having already fingered Marina & The Diamonds , Frankmusik and Thecocknbullkid with his Midas touch, it is clear to see that Aspirins is meant for big big things. his slick production and mastery over all things synth have helped him to create a definitive and poptastic sound. here's the track he made for Thecocknbullkid's new EP. [...]

"your lips look like they're on fire", sings Annie, aka Kid A , on her sultry debut single 'Wasnotwas'. at 20 years old, Kid A is busy creating a brilliant selection of tracks that fuse electro with a good helping of glam-pop. if caramel chocolate had a sound, this would most definitely be it. perfect dance pop with a nice side helping of sexiness. producer/musician EPRROM has stripped the single down and added just a touch of something more techno to create a lively and [...]

hiding all the way on the opposite side of the world are Wiffle . they are not a piece of sports equipment, but in fact a mystifying band from Melbourne, Australia. if you close your eyes whilst listening to their music you could almost be marooned (in a good way) on some South Pacific island somewhere, sun glaring, waves crashing. influenced by the likes of Bjork and Appaloosa , Wiffle take a handful of upbeat rhythms and sounds, sprinkle some hand chimes over everything and out pops a gaggle of slightly whimsical and fantastical tracks. [...]

over a year after their debut mini album hit shelves, i have been introduced to The Laurel Collective . apparently they used to be a nineteen-piece band but have thrown some members aboard, leaving just (just!) six to conquer the world. they make impossibly catchy, eclectic guitar pop songs that are seasoned with a whole host of fabulous sounds for your ears to feast on. they've just finished touring with pals Micachu & The Shapes and are currently working hard on their first full length LP which i cannot wait for. The Laurel [...]

i bloody love this. video for the forthcoming Miike Snow single, 'Animal'. Miike's upbeat electronic pop is beyond irresistible, plus the vid features some awesome 80s footage from American tv show ' Manimal '. Miike Snow - Animal well good.

on Thursday May 14th i headed down to Brighton for this year's Great Escape Festival . expanding over 36 venues and playing host to more than 300 bands, there was plenty of choice for things to see. because of the insane amount of bands playing it was inevitable that clashes would occur, and alcohol would spoil many a plan. some of the bands i really wanted to see but didn't manage to catch were: Apples , Micachu & The Shapes , The Invisible , Trailer Trash Traceys , Times New Viking and [...]

Q. what happens when you put La Roux and Little Boots in a blender? A. there's no pillow fighting in pyjamas that's for sure. aided by the soft touch of UK DJs/Producers, Crimes Against Disco , 'Stuck On Repeat' and 'In For The Kill' flow so seamlessly in and out of each other it is magical. this is how mash-ups should always sound. Stuck On The Kill (Crimes Against Disco Illigitimix) - La Roux Vs Little Boots ps. my Great Escape round-up is [...]

Grizzly Bear absolutely KILLED IT for me at ATP . in a really really really good way. in a goosebumps way. as one heckling ATPer put it, this is the "BEST SONG THIS YEAR. BEST SONG EVER... a pretty good song?!" god they are so good. other highlights included: trying to entice a seagull into a random person's chalet, Errors , dancing to 'Ace Of Spades' at the Crazy Horse and Devo . Grizzly Bear - Cheerleader (right click, save as) pre-order the [...]

• Grizzly Bear - Cheerleader

a terrible and lazy idea for a video but a fantastic remix nevertheless. Bloc Party - Ares (Villians Remix) buy 'Intimacy Remixed' here .

just before i nick off for the weekend to ATP , i want to leave you with the video for the really bloody good debut single from LoveLikeFire . in a similar vein to bands like Sky Larkin and The Duke Spirit , LLL deliver a delectable brand of female led, shoegaze-indie with a punch. it's raw sounding and intense but still manages to maintain a pop-vibe. plus they're on the ace Heist Or Hit Records , and managed by Dany from Exitfare . wrap your eyes and ears around this: [...]

and so comes the arrival of the seventh Kitsuné Maison compilation, "the lucky one". it's jam packed with brilliant tracks from some of the freshest sounding bands around like MEN , We Have Band and Chew Lips . guaranteed to make you dance your socks off. just have a look at the tracklisting and you'll see why: 1. Two Door Cinema Club - Something Good Can Work 2. We Have Band - Time After Time 3. Phoenix - Lisztomania (CLASSIXX Version) 4. Crystal Fighters - Xtatic Truth 5. The Golden Filter - [...]

here's the video for Plugs ' forthcoming debut single. Plugs - All Them Witches from Seb Lloyd on Vimeo . it is fabbity fab fab and i can't wait to hear moaaaar. Plugs - Imaginary Friend get along to the single launch on May 22nd if you're in London @ Queen Of Hoxton. and order the EP from iTunes here .

saying this band is a side-project of a former member of The Blood Brothers and a member of Schoolyard Heroes is pretty misleading. whilst completely true, Weekend sound nothing at all like either. consisting of Ryann Donnelly and Mark Gajadhar, this two-piece from Washington make seductive sounding electro that is beyond perfect for dancing to. i'm particularly fond of Ryann's sweet vocals on the track i've posted! have a listen. Weekend - Laser Eyes (Demo)

probably all of a few hours late with this one but check out the fantastic new single from The Gossip . The Gossip - Heavy Cross the forthcoming album, 'Music For Men', is out June 15th!

i really thought i'd posted about Youves before but apparently not! my first encounter with the band was when i saw them back when they were still called Mirror!Mirror!, playing in the dingy Saki Bar in Manchester on an insanely freezing cold night. the PA was shit, the lighting was shit, the drinks prices were shit, the headline band were shockingly bad but Youves brought the party (to all eleven people in attendance). then yesterday their mini album arrived in the post from Holy Roar Records . at seven tracks and [...]