Empire of the Sun Empire of the Sun EMI Australia / Virgin UK (2008 / 2009) It has taken a bit of time for Australia's Empire of the Sun to make their way to our fair shores here in Europe / US. Their debut release is a breezy blend of catchy clubby beats, high hats and falsetto choruses. The project sees Nick Littlemore of the sample-happy, electro-dance group Pnau collaborating with vocalist / guitarist Luke Steele of The Sleepy Jackson (whose album Lovers is still a [...]
Sometimes bands, songs and albums just won't leave you alone. You misplace that vinyl in your parent's attic, a cassette in your younger sister's car or a CD at a party but for some reason they come back like a George A. Romero zombie. Well that's What's On The HiFi Back Again is about . Along with King, Echo and the Bunnymen and Depeche Mode came a dark clandestine sound during the early 1980's and that sound was-Hey Now-The Sisters of Mercy! Begun [...]
Futurecop! The Unicorn & The Lost City of Alvograth Beatport (2008) In a mystical world, far off in our past and future, just passed Krull and The Never Ending Story the demon wizards of Futurecop! were spawned. These English lads channel the ghost of Limahl (that's not a bad thing) on most efforts and this time we find them stirring their pot of early 80's dance synth making a batch of surprisingly palatable groove potions. Let's hope that the lovely Ladyhawke from down under never starts [...]
Alan Poon ( www.alanpoon.com ) makes his directorial debut with the beautiful stop-motion video for "In Our Talons" from the album Hymns For a Dark Horse, from Bowerbirds, a mighty fine Raleigh, North Carolina Americana trio. The video is a painstaking amalgamation of snapshots assembled at a glacial 5 seconds of animation per day. Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/bowerbi rds mp3: "In Our Talons": http://www.scjag.com/mp3/do/in ourtalons.mp3
Faded Paper Figures Dynamo Shorthand Records (January 2008) Existing between the lines of the coolness of Tahiti 80 and the energy of Electric President is Faded Paper Figures. Begun as a side-project by southern California students. John (vocals/guitars) and Kael (guitars/keys/machines) in Kael's apartment bedroom FPF found they hit paydirt almost immediately. Eventually Heather (additional vocals/keys) added some beguiling harmonies, and trio forged a brilliant blend of electronic and pop that radiates on every track of their debut album. Download: 'North By North' [...]
The Welcome Wagon Welcome to the Welcome Wagon Asthmatic Kitty / Differ-Ant (December 2008) Listening to the Welcome Wagon, I can't help but be reminded of my third grade teacher Sister Tilly who kept a rather well loved poster of Rod Stewart secreted away in the classroom cupboard -- both are earnest in faith and charmingly left of center. The Welcome Wagon are the Brooklyn-based duo of Vito Aiuto, a Presbyterian ordained minister, and his wife Monique (who, if the liner notes [...]
Fujiya & Miyagi - Sore Thumb
Goodnight Monsters Summer Challenge Bone Voyage Recording Company - 2008 Turku, Finland's export of summery and uncomplicated low-fi pop. Download: 'Hanging on to a Bad Dream' Links: http://www.goodnightmonsters.c om http://www.myspace.com/goodnig htmonsters Parts and Labor Receivers Jagjaguwar- 2008 [...]
THIS IS THE KIT Krülle Bol (Microbe Records, France / iTunes (US, UK, France, elsewhere) http://www.thisisthekit.co.uk We had the pleasure of speaking with the talented multi-instrumentalist and singer / songwriter Kate Stables about her project This is the Kit and the beautiful debut album Krülle Bol. Now living in Paris, Kate started writing and playing music in her home town of Winchester and later in [...]
GIGUIDE January 2009 New York / Paris / London 9 January Camper Van Beethoven @ Bowery Ballroom, NYC 16 January French Cowboy + Russmeyer Party @ Glazart, Paris 19 January Department of Eagles @ Bowery Ballroom, NYC 23 January Peaches + @ La Cigale, Paris 24 January Sébastian Tellier @ Shepherds Bush Empire, London 26 January Late of the Pier @ La [...]
This is the Kit Krülle Bol Captivating new folk from the Paris-based multi instrumentalist and signer / songwriter Kate Stables. All the Saints Fire on Corridor X The sounds of 2009, All the Saints roll alternately between early power-punk and Love and Rockets with equal enthusiasm. Passion Pit Chunk of Change EP [...]
CSS Donkey A truly lackluster and antiseptic commercial follow-up to the exciting Cansei de Ser Sexy. Kings of Leon Only By the Night Although this album had many critics tripping over themselves, this album has the band embracing an unfortunate arena rock tip. Lykke Li Youth Novels The stellar track / EP Little Bit [...]
Passion Pit Chunk of Change Frenchkiss - 2008 Hailing from Cambridge, MA, this soul-pop electro outfit rise above the bleeps and falling tinker toys to make a batch of smooth satisfying quotients! Download: 'Sleepyhead' Links: http://www.myspace.com/passion pitjams
Extrawelt Schöne Neue Extrawelt Cocoon Recordings – October 2008 Debut full length release of intriguing minimal and moody tech-house from Hamburg duo Arne Schaffhausen and Wayan Rabe on Sven Väth's Cocoon recordings. "It's all about hooking up our music to the emotional world of electronic music at the beginning of the Nineties, however, without falling for nostalgic references. We don't want to do cowardly Zeitgeist Techno, we want to have [...]
GIGUIDE December 2008 New York-Paris-London 13 December My Brightest Diamond @ Poisson Rouge, New York 17 December Herman Dune @ Scala, London 19 December Stereolab @ Koko, London
Gang Gang Dance Music Hall of Williamsburg, NYC 28 November 2008 Ethno-cutltural bomb Gang Gang Dance pulled off a cool if oft-times too hippy spiritual set at the wonderful Music Hall of Williamsburg. Opener the Z's were as my friend put it 'a 15 fifteen minute stream of frenzied, neurotic, agony'. The real highlight was guitar firestormer, Marnie Stern, who proved that chicks (even with an Upper Eastside name) can rock.
All The Saints Fire On Corridor X Killer Pimp Records/Revolver - 2008 The sounds of 2009 , All the Saints roll alternately between early power-punk and Love and Rockets with equal enthusiasm. Download: 'Sheffield' Links: http://www.myspace.com/allthes aints
What's on the Hi-Fi
Avicii – Two Million
Beck – I Just Started Hating Some People Today
Pitchfork Festival Paris unveils initial line-up
Princesse - Tell Me | MP3
