Son of Skooshny "Lovers Leap of Faith" This is the project of Skooshny founder Mark Breyer and its a pretty good combination of power pop and roots based rock and roll. "Another Time" has a touch of Tom Petty and a terrific buzzing guitar riff. Breyer's vocal cadence also resembles Petty on the wonderfully written "Candy Air." The multi-tracked harmony of "The Right Idea" and bass driven "You Can't Love Me" keeps things on a slow but steady course. The nicely melodic "Science Changes Everyone" picks things up and it's chorus will be humming in your head. [...]
Sometimes it makes sense for a power pop artist to test out a different sound. That's exactly what Justin Kline is doing with this new band Origami Hologram. Using a noise pop template Justin is joined by Dan Wax (Bass, background vocals) and Jamie Mclane (Drums) recording it all in his home studio in Murfreesboro, TN. "Bats In The Attic" uses textures like Robert Pollard, with amp hum and feedback as part of each song (mostly as a backing layer) and extra fuzzy guitars. Justin's earnest vocals and harmonies still work each on composition, the standout being "Ghost Horse". It's all [...]
Dark Ocean Colors "Dark Ocean Colors" The duo of Scott Hunt and Mark Mikel have worked on many projects together (including The Pillbugs and The Sprags) to create a rich tapestry of psychedelic textures and looping melodies using numerous instruments (guitars, Mellotrons, violins, etc.) and old analog gear to give it an authentic vintage sound. "My Barbara Closed The Doors" gets started right where the Pillbugs left off and it sounds great. "Crashing The Sky" sports a marching beat to the swirling guitars and vocal harmonies. Fans of progressive rock will also love this, as it's a got a strong [...]
For those who wish their days were filled with just a bit more surrealist rock music overlaid with meandering female vocals, this collaboration between the Flaming Lips (pictured above) and Yoko Ono is sure to pique the interest. Initially released as an ultra-rare, limited to 2,000 copies 123 EP sold at the Lips' recent New Year's Eve gig, now all the tracks are available to mere mortals to stream. At 9 minutes long, lead-off track 'The Fear of Litany' is a formidable piece of work: a low-budget '70s sci-fi [...]
A few quick EP reviews before the ball drops on 2011... LL Cosmonaut "Why X-53 EP The new project from Paul Steel is described as kalaedeoscopic, irreverant, melodic Lazer Pop. Call it whatever you like, it's pretty darn good. A stellar mix of guitars, effects and dance beats all greet us on "Why X-5." I'm sure if Roger Manning Jr. had joined the band OMD it may have sounded like "We Came in Peace" with it's sunshine friendly harmonies and electronic loops. Each [...]
1. Daughter - The Wild Youth // Reviewed 9th December by Jon Sidwell "Elena and Igor have an ear to create space within their music, moments where their instruments can breath and the listener can fully appreciate the beauty that is being played out before them. The poignant combination of Elena's lingering vocals and the delicate acoustic/electric guitars demonstrate how simplicity in music is something to be applauded." || Daughter [...]
A few quick EP reviews before the ball drops on 2011... Kurt Baker "Rockin' For A Living" EP Former lead singer of The Leftovers , Kurt has made a big splash with an album of cover tunes, and now his own material wows us on Rockin For A Living . This EP proves to be one of the best of 2011, opening with "Just Forget About It" with a memorable chorus similar in style to classic Elvis Costello. The handclaps and harmonies [...]
Likes Lions are an alternative rock quintet from Sheffield, UK. They are not the indie band In Like Lions , nor are they the electro-pop band Live Like Lions . And they are certainly not the hardcore punk band Like Lions from New York. Ever heard of SEO boys? This Likes Lions formed in 2009, and ' Future Colours ' - released in October 2011 - is their debut EP. They take the more accessible aspects of math-rock and post-rock, and fuse them together to [...]
Released earlier last month, ' Atlantis ' is the new EP from FaltyDL . Known to his friends as Drew Lustman , FaltyDL has steadily been making a name for himself stateside as ' one of the hottest names in electronic music '. He has an impressive work rate, putting out two albums, an EP, and three singles all since 2008. Now the New York based artist is ready to release another in the shape of this four-track EP, which is his first record for Ninja Tune . 'Atlantis' [...]
Standing at seven tracks in length, Sea Oleena's new release ' Sleeplessness ' could be considered more mini-album than EP, but that still wouldn't justify the enormity of the music recorded by Montréal multi-instrumentalist Charlotte Loseth . The record is a beautiful warm blanket of songs, each one an epic cacophony of layered sounds, reverb and haunting female vocals delivered with the unassuming charm of a girl humming a song in her bedroom. Each hushed swirl of a song bleeds into the next, joined together by the rumbling and eerie ambient sounds throughout. For [...]
Recently released through Highline Records , ' British Explorer ' is a new three track EP from Oxford's Alphabet Backwards . With apparent support from the likes of Huw Stephens , Tom Robinson , and Steve Lamacq , the band have been making steady inroads during 2011, with their simple mission statement being to ' champion the noble art of pop music, dancing all the way '. Opening track ' Big Top ' brings up a clear comparison with Cardiff's Los Campesinos! with the [...]
Currently preparing for a small tour of Australia, @Specimen_A have this new genre-spanning EP hitting us next week that covers some wondrous Electro , the wobbliest of Dubstep and DnB that can kill high wattage speakers. 'London Calling' is the title of the release and it shows the rest of the world that London is indeed home to some fabulous and freakish tunes. To show this, the top track on the release is in fact 'London' . An broken beat, electronic glitch fest with a pumped-up, symphonic foundation and [...]
Daughter are Elena Tonra and Igor Haefeli , a double act that have swept through 2011 with numerous gigs across the UK, put out an EP titled ' His Young Heart ', and they end the year with another record, ' The Wild Youth ', which is out through Communion Records . Personally I first discovered Daughter whilst they were supporting Benjamin Francis Leftwich during his Autumn tour, catching their intimate and spell-bounding show at the Union Chapel in Islington, where their exquisite performance equalled if not better that of [...]
We first caught up with Gabrielle Aplin back in August 2010, when we carried out a quick-fire interview with her, learning lots of interesting things like discovering her favourite sandwich is " Brie, Grape, and Cranberry ". Since that momentous occasion she has released a couple of EPs alongside some constant touring up and down the UK, as well as playing at this years Glastonbury Festival. 2012 see's the release of her third EP titled ' Home ' through Never Fade Records , of which the title track we have the [...]
There is a joke now going around. It is not a nasty joke, just one which causes a little embarrassment which I will get to at the end of this post but first, let me tell you about this absolutely shocking EP release from one of the best newcomers onto the DnB and Dubstep scene in quite sometime. This is the 'Skyward' EP by Xilent . Eryk Kowalczyk is @Xilent and he currently dwells in Edinburgh, Scotland after leaving motherland Poland to study. After a small string [...]
I am quite fond of the work by @nonlive and once again, we have a quality delivery. This time however, we have got to go a little bit deeper. The 'Echo EP' has got two original tracks. The first is of course the title tune but instead of the glorious Breaks that we had on the previous release of the '00 EP' , we have some deep, gritty and sordid dubstep from the dark side of the moon. This tune has that sombre Nine Inch Nails [...]
I am quite fond of the work by @nonlive and once again, we have a quality delivery. This time however, we have got to go a little bit deeper. The 'Echo EP' has got two original tracks. The first is of course the title tune but instead of the glorious Breaks that we had on the previous release of the '00 EP' , we have some deep, gritty and sordid dubstep from the dark side of the moon. This tune has that sombre Nine Inch Nails [...]
"Soño Vivo" means "Live your dream" and for Wigbert is a very special project, also his personal mission was to produce the first release for the new imprint. 'Locean Damour' includes remixes from: Pascal FEOS & Frank Leicher and Remerc.
The Moogs are back with the latest release from House music moguls Audiojack and their 'Get Serious' EP with four original numbers created entirely from square number one. All of the sounds and samples from this release have been made from scratch rather than picking a few out of there library of loops. Having a new start means that we have a some freshness on this latest seductive outburst which takes the genre of House into deep territory. The title track 'Get Serious' is a soft, [...]
The Sunbears "You Will Live Forever" Jonathan Berlin and Jared Bowser are the orchestrated indie rock band from Florida known as The Sunbears. Opening with "You Will Live Forever," it's a solemn piano intro akin to Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata with harmonies. It charges right into the heavy handclap and beat of "Give Love A Try" with it's echoing hippy chorus. The classic influences are spread around, like if Radiohead, Muse and Phil Spector are all sharing a toke. Both "I'm Crazy" and "Together Forever" share that wall of sound, with the latter tune evoking Lennon's "Give Peace A [...]
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thetruejoe90 Music Blog![Specimen A "The London Calling EP" Trailer [Out 19.12.11]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/youtube/feMYxRVTYoU_130.jpg)
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