Blog: The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

a voyage with the sound of arrows…

Oct 5, 2011, 12:06am The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

Tweet Safe to say that it is indeed about time. Blogosphere favourites and another in the long line of Swedish electronic pop masterminds, The Sound of Arrows are finally set to unleash their long awaited debut record next week. The album will be called Voyage and it's sure to turn the pop world on its head. This duo's brand of kaleidoscopic pop dramas has been all the rage for the last couple of years with tracks like M.A.G.I.C. and the epic Nova . We won't have to [...]

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all is not well…

Oct 4, 2011, 11:57pm The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

Tweet Continuing their tradition of fine upstanding pop, New York's The Mystic Underground present the promotional film for their new track taken from their forthcoming record. This one is called Discord And Panic . A bit of an anthemic track focuses on dichotomy between the bored and indifferent and those who are desperate and defiant. The video is both humorous and a bit serious in equal amounts. Williamsburg...where suburbia met utopia... Discord And Panic by TheMysticUnderground [...]

• TheMysticUnderground - Discord And Panic

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Artist:	TheMysticUnderground
Title:	Discord And Panic
File Name:	SoundCloud
Genre:	Electronic Pop

following the rhythm…

Oct 4, 2011, 11:45pm The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

Tweet Last June I introduced you all to a fresh-faced trio coming to us live and direct from Souf London called Arp Attack. Their tunes bursting with enthusiasm and aplomb did wonders for my dispostion and I felt compelled to write about them. It's so nice of them to think of me this time around as they sent word of a brand new single. It appears the band found themselves linked up with a supporting label to call home who will be putting out Follow The Rhythm [...]

• Arp Attack - FOLLOW THE RHYTHM

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Artist:	Arp Attack
Title:	FOLLOW THE RHYTHM
File Name:	SoundCloud
Genre:	Pop

breaking it all down…

Aug 16, 2011, 12:28am The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

Tweet And here we go.... When you think of pop music, pure and unadulterated, shameless pop, Erasure have to find themselves near the top of the heap. For over twenty years, the duo of Andy Bell and Vince Clarke have made the three and half minute electronic pop song into an art form that is often imitated but never really duplicated. The coupling of Andy's soaring falsetto and Vince's synth wizardry have garnered an worldwide audience and a legacy beyond compare. As a wee little lad myself, I [...]

• Erasure - When I Start To (Break It All Down)

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Artist:	Erasure
Title:	When I Start To (Break It All Down)
File Name:	SoundCloud
Genre:	Pop

fear and loathing…

Aug 13, 2011, 1:20am The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

Tweet Looking even more beautiful than before, Marina Diamandis has returned. Another act I couldn't get enough of a year and change ago is also about to come back. Fear And Loathing is the teaser track here and I must say this is better than I would have imagined. Evoking some Bjork action, Marina takes the track to ethereal levels with her voice. I've often said that lyrically the girl is right at the top of the game but lest we forget it's that voice that rules the day. Sometimes [...]

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rolling around and around…

Aug 12, 2011, 11:57pm The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

Tweet It wasn't too long ago when I sang the praises of a young band that went by the name of Hatcham Social. They wrote incredible pop songs that brought to mind the best of the Postcard/Kitchenware Records era of the late seventies/early eighties with their jangly sound. Their 2009 debut You Dig The Tunnel, I'll Hide The Soil was a thing of beauty that I still play consistently. It really is that good. One can imagine the smile wrapped around my head when I discovered the band [...]

• hatchamsocial - Like An Animal

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Artist:	hatchamsocial
Title:	Like An Animal
File Name:	SoundCloud

to be seduced by a white elephant…

Aug 10, 2011, 1:20am The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

Tweet "Surrender with me We’re walking in our sleep, I won’t come around for you Leave the story at the shore, In case you thought it done I guess it is we’re so modern" The evolution of Ladytron continues and it has been quite stunning to see how far they've come and how much they've grown over the last decade or so. From the 8-bit wizardry of Playgirl to now with the forthcoming release of [...]

• Ladytron - White Elephant

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Artist:	Ladytron
Title:	White Elephant
Link Text:	“White Elephant” by Ladytron, taken from the forthcoming Nettwerk release, “Gravity The Seducer”
File Name:	White-Elephant.mp3
Bitrate:	192 kbps
Genre:	Electronic
Year:	2011

wibbling rivalry part deux…

Jul 27, 2011, 12:55am The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

Tweet "Let's run away to sea Forever we'd be free Free to spend our whole lives running From people who would be The death of you and me 'Cause I can feel the storm clouds coming" First blood following the untimely demise of the almighty Oasis was taken by the younger Gallagher brother, Liam as he and the rest of the last Oasis lineup in Andy Bell and Gem Archer formed Beady Eye. Their debut record was [...]

• Noel Gallagher - The Death Of You And Me

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Artist:	Noel Gallagher
Title:	The Death Of You And Me
Link Text:	“The Death Of You And Me” by Noel Gallagher, taken from the forthcoming Sour Mash release, “Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds”
File Name:	The-Death-Of-You-And-Me.mp3
Bitrate:	192 kbps
Genre:	Rock
Year:	2011

beyond description…

Jul 27, 2011, 12:17am The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

Tweet Bjork has been around long enough where it's fair to say that we are long past the point where attempts to describe her are warranted. She is a true original, this we know. She's one of the more influential artists to come along in the last thirty years. I don't think there is much of a debate there. The woman has her hand in jazz, hardcore, indie rock, and of course would become royalty in the dance/electro world while making the esoteric cool and the downright strange fun and refreshing. Her [...]

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you look aroused…

Jul 26, 2011, 1:04am The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

Tweet Thank goodness for YouTube. Seriously. If it weren't for YouTube, we would still be stuck with the likes of MTV and Fuse to satiate our thirst for videos. If it also weren't for YouTube, a video such as the one for the new Tom Vek single Aroused would never be seen by most of the general public aside from a few couch potatoes watching MTV at 2am. A bunch of beautiful people staring at us in disdain while sucking and blowing on cancer sticks wouldn't pass the powers-that-be here [...]

• Tom Vek - Aroused

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Artist:	Tom Vek
Title:	Aroused
Link Text:	“Aroused” by Tom Vek, taken from the forthcoming release, “Leisure Seizure”
File Name:	Aroused.mp3
Bitrate:	192 kbps
Genre:	Pop
Year:	2011

sweet jesus…

Jul 22, 2011, 12:39am The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

Tweet Nika Roza Danilova is an enigma. The artist better known as Zola Jesus intoxicates as she frustrates listeners who try and fail to uncover what lies beneath the veneer of gothic gloom and detached intensity.  In a very short time, Damilova has found herself backed by a fierce legion of fans and a growing legend in the blogosphere and the indie music world in general. Her new single Vessel taken from the forthcoming record Conatus defies all of pop [...]

• Zola Jesus - Vessel

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Artist:	Zola Jesus
Title:	Vessel
File Name:	SoundCloud
Year:	2011

i wanna keep her…

Jul 6, 2011, 1:09am The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

Tweet Ever listen to a band that features a singer so much sex appeal that by the time you've reached the conclusion of the song or record, you have the sudden urge to take a cold shower? I haven't...but if you have, that's cool, I suppose... At any rate, Elizabeth Harper, the star attraction behind Brooklyn's own electronic pop trio Class Actress has designs on your heart, your soul, your mind and whatever else is left when she's through. The buzz began with the band's Journal Of Ardency EP [...]

• Carpark Records - Keep You

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Artist:	Carpark Records
Title:	Keep You
File Name:	SoundCloud
Genre:	Indie Pop

look at the mirror…

Jul 6, 2011, 12:41am The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

Tweet "I've got to make sense of this blank canvas Why can't I fill it with colours in my head? So I make a mess depicting my unease This is the mess inly your love could breed" Have I fallen out of love with Lights & Offerings yet, you ask? Not a chance, I reply. This debut record from the new electronic fab four in Mirrors has left me breathless and overwhelmed time and time again with [...]

• Mirrors - Look At Me

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Artist:	Mirrors
Title:	Look At Me
Link Text:	“Look At Me” by Mirrors, taken from the Skint release, “Lights And Offerings”
File Name:	02-Look-At-Me.mp3
Bitrate:	192 kbps
Genre:	Pop
Year:	2011

god save the queen…

Jun 29, 2011, 12:00am The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

Tweet "Underneath our feet Crystals grow like plants Listen how they grow I'm blinded by the lights Listen how they grow In the core of the Earth Listen how they glow" Raise your hand if you were even the slightest bit underwhelmed by 2007's Volta . That record was pretty much the last we had heard from the almighty Bjork. In the minds of many, it was possibly the first time that the seeds of [...]

• Bjork - Crystalline

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Artist:	Bjork
Title:	Crystalline
Link Text:	“Crystalline” by Bjork
File Name:	Crystalline.mp3
Bitrate:	160 kbps
Genre:	Electronic
Year:	2011

turning japanese…

Jun 27, 2011, 11:55pm The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

Tweet Who says nothing good comes out of Northern Ireland? Surely not I. In fact, I've been digging on this long-awaited debut record by the Japanese Popstars called  Controlling Your Allegiance for a minute now. The band has been around for a couple of years now but have finally gotten themselves a deal with Astralwerks and are getting the push they've long deserved. Check out the new single Joshua featuring vocals by Tom Smith from Editors. His smooth baritone really adds to the track and there is no [...]

• The Japanese Popstars - Joshua

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Artist:	The Japanese Popstars
Title:	Joshua
Link Text:	“Joshua” by The Japanese Popstars, taken from the Astralwerks release, “Controlling Your Allegiance”
File Name:	Joshua.mp3
Bitrate:	192 kbps
Genre:	Dance
Year:	2011

sometimes there are no words…

Jun 22, 2011, 12:30am The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

Tweet So there are a few of you out there who didn't go gaga over The King Of Limbs . You know who you are. The growing chorus of disillusioned Radiohead fans clamouring for a return to the days of The Bends or OK Computer. Hell, some of you would even take a trip back to Pablo Honey rather than listen to another minute of Morning Mr. Magpie . I understand your pain even if I actually did enjoy TKOL and found [...]

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he spit hot fiyah…

Jun 22, 2011, 12:06am The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

Tweet You've heard the single. You should have the record by now. Here's the promotional film for I Spit Roses . Can we say rejuvenation, thy name is...Peter Murphy? I have to say that the song grows on me more and more with each and every listen and the video is just charming. It really does tie everything together in a neat and tidy little package. Peter Murphy, welcome back! Share this on del.icio.us [...]

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somebody call an ambulance…

Jun 21, 2011, 11:56pm The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

Tweet Good Lord... Who are you and what have you done with Ladytron?! This is simply beautiful... The good folks over at Nettwerk were kind enough to post a new song taken from Ladytron's forthcoming opus Gravity The Seducer. This one is called Ambulances and it is absolutely transcendent. Helen Marnie never sounded so otherworldly. The voice of a siren serenading us through a lush backdrop of pitter-pattering drums and soul-caressing synths sending chills down the spine. All is well until 2.43 in and all hell [...]

• Ladytron - Ambulances

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Artist:	Ladytron
Title:	Ambulances
Link Text:	“Ambulances” by Ladytron, taken from the forthcoming Nettwerk release, “Gravity The Seducer”
File Name:	Ambulances.mp3
Bitrate:	192 kbps
Genre:	Electronic
Year:	2011

the friendly skies…

Jun 21, 2011, 12:12am The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

Tweet Friendly Fires take to the skies for the official first single taken from their sophomore record Pala . Hawaiian Air is first up and it's quite a solid tune. Granted it's not my favourite off the record. That honour would go to either Hurting or Show Me Lights but I digress... The video is a bit of a chuckle-inducer before it peters out towards the end. All in all, a solid single by a band who keeps getting better and better. [...]

• Friendly Fires - Hawaiian Air

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Artist:	Friendly Fires
Title:	Hawaiian Air
Link Text:	“Hawaiian Air” by Friendly Fires, taken from the XL release, “Pala”
File Name:	04-Hawaiian-Air.mp3
Bitrate:	192 kbps
Genre:	Indie Rock
Year:	2011

no holy ghost? lies…

Jun 20, 2011, 11:53pm The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

Tweet "Maybe someday I could move like you Well I'm not looking for a holy ghost. Maybe someday I can scream like you Well I'm not looking for a holy ghost." Yep. More White Lies. The latest and in my personal opinion, the greatest of the songs on Ritual has been deemed single-worthy by the powers that be. The Holy Ghost has indeed descended upon us. At this point, you all know how I feel [...]

• White Lies - Holy Ghost

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Artist:	White Lies
Title:	Holy Ghost
Link Text:	“Holy Ghost” by White Lies, taken from the Geffen release, “Ritual”
File Name:	06-Holy-Ghost.mp3
Bitrate:	192 kbps
Genre:	Indie Rock
Year:	2011