Tagged: singlereviews

After burning bright on Philly's indie scene for two solid years, local popsters Post Post fizzled out somewhere around late 2010/early 2011. Thankfully, that band's jangley guitars and uplifting melodies continue in a post-Post Post project, Little Big League . Singer-guitarist Michelle Zauner and bassist Kevin O'Halloran carry the torch, teaming up with friends from Titus Andronicus (Ian Dykstra on drums) and Strand Of Oaks (Deven Craige on guitar). To date their only release has been the single "Tokyo Drift", today's Philly Local Phile that you can grab a free download of below. You definitely hear Zauner's songwriting stylings [...]

Huxley (aka Michael Dodman) looks set to be the new kid on the block when it comes to laying down expertly judged House music. Since early 2011 he has been catching the eye of label heavy weights such as 2020 Vision and Left Room Recordings with a brand of Deep House that carefully treads the fine line between commercial viability and underground credibility. His music clearly draws influence from a variety of genres with elements of garage, rave, and bass all making it into the mix, resulting in a freshness that is all to [...]

You wouldn't have thought it but Lostprophets have been together since 1997: that's a whole 15 years! What's even more remarkable is that they're still loitering around the edges of mainstream success. Yes they've had big hits with 'Last Train Home' and 'Rooftops', but they're still not headlining the O2. That said, 2012 could be the the year for the Pontypridd boyos. With their fifth studio album 'Weapons' hitting the shelves in April, Lostprophets have released the first single to tease us with. Entitled 'Bring 'Em Down', it's (as the name suggests) [...]

Dead Wolf Club are pretty energetic. Single ' Radar ' starts with a lone guitar line that sounds like the song is going to explode into a raging flurry of head-nodding, chaotic rhythms and riffs that will make you want to lose track of space and time in a dingy indie club somewhere off Charing Cross Road as you slowly inhale tequila and cover yourself in a thin balm of stale beer and sickly sweat on a packed dance floor. It's unfortunate then that such a hypnotic climax seems [...]

Feeder return to form with a new single Borders, as a preview for their new album Generation Freakshow, the follow-up to the disastrous Renegades project. Thankfully Grant Nicholas and Taka Hirose (now officially a duo) with session musicians Tim Trotter and Damon Wilson, have ditched the new persona and gone back to the Feeder of old, writing and performing great pop songs and delivering power, melody and energy. This bodes well for the new album which Nicholas describes as much more commercial and like Yesterday Went Too Soon and Comfort In Sound - both great albums. [...]

Jack White certainly likes his dark lyrics, doesn't he? Following his trajectory from the White Stripes through the Raconteurs and the Dead Weather, there is certainly an abundance of dark images. On his latest single, "Love Interruption," White does not hold back from filling our minds with dark images as he sings, "I want love to walk right up and bite me / grab a hold of me and fight me, leave me dying on the ground." That being said, he certainly plays to his strengths, as "Love Interruption" is a hauntingly good song. [...]

This is a debut that should keep listeners day dreaming until a full length album appears, scheduled for release later this year

Bog standard manu(factured) pop electro from Pnau. Was expecting more and It's a let down. The original is redeemed (as is this single release) by a great garage remix from Douster & Savage Skulls. Wookie tries his best to make something listen-able and nearly succeeds. Raffertie made some industrial thing that although unusable in any normal environment might provide a useful soundtrack for the next instalment of the Blade franchise, if there ever is one. That was my favourite, strangely, after several listens. There are also some hands in the air remixes including one from Kris Menace [...]

It's been 3 long years since New Zealand's Ladyhawke (aka Pip Brown) released her self-titled debut album and we were dancing to the rhythms of 'Paris is Burning' and 'My Delirium'. (Don't lie. I know you were tapping your toes to those songs. Even in America I'll hear one of these come on the PA while I'm trying on clothes in Express.) It's been a long wait but we've now been assured by the lady herself that the new album 'Anxiety', to be released on 19 March, will be [...]

If ever there were a more indie band name, then Real Estate it would be difficult to find. The name alone conjures an image of a group of tall, skinny, Topman clones gathered round there synths, playing guitars and generally looking a bit cross. And while Real Estate generally conforms to this most stereotypical of stereotypes, it is still worth mentioning that they do write fantastic music. Their debut album 'Days' has received favourable reviews from most outlets, while their self titled EP has also done favourably. The Ridgewood, New Jersey band [...]

I have been a big fan of Hurt since their first album dropped several years ago and have anxiously awaited each new release. There next album, The Crux , is set for a March 27th, 2012 release and I couldn't be more excited for an album this year. Goodbye To the Machine, their last album, has been on constant rotation for listening since it's release in April of 2009. Now, they have released the first single for their upcoming album, 'How We End Up Alone' and it has been a great was to start the [...]

GoldFFinch first came to our attention with their sublimely accessible bass single Red Mask on Numbers , and now the Belguim duo are back with their 3rd single - 'Point of Entry/Arabian Prince' on 877 Records . Leading off with 'Point of Entry' GoldFFinch demonstrate again that they have a sound that gives them both an air of credibility whilst appealing to the wider dancefloor. The combination of ground shaking sub, booty vocal loops, punchy drums and almost fidget type leanings mean [...]

Of all the Norwegian electronica chanteuses in the world, Kate Havnevik is probably my favorite. I first discovered Havnevik back in 2006 with her debut record Melankton , a dreamy collection of electronica-infused tunes produced by Guy Sigsworth ( Frou Frou , Alanis Morrissette ) and Carmen Rizzo . She's also the voice behind my favorite Röyksopp production (and one of my favorite songs of all time, ever), 20052s "Only This Moment." After releasing her Me EP back in November 2009 , [...]

By now you should be aware that Hessle Audio took the torch for Bass music in 2011 and under the guidance of label owners Ben UFO and Pearson Sound they have helped solidify a genre of music into a brand of electronic music that both excites and pushes the boundaries, despite its often self indulgent nature. Next up on Hessle is Berlin based Objekt with a two track bass shaker. At first listen the lead track Cactus comes off as [...]

'Hold me Like the Sun' is my least favourite of Brother and Bones ' recent singles; however, don't take this as me putting it down as I still love the song. I just REALLY love the other tunes they have been releasing of late. The song benefits from the same rustic charms as its predecessors: the acoustic guitars are there, the strong baselines are there, but all with an injection of pace and high tempo. Richard Thomas's vocals are easily the best thing about this single; his writing sublime in perfect harmony [...]

Various Cruelties ' latest single 'Great Unknown' has a fitting title, given the band is currently treading on the cusp of their debut album. The London-based band formed in 2010, and since then have honed their formula, crafting a series of indie pop hits to build up tension before their highly-anticipated release. 'Great Unknown' progresses naturally, building upon a catchy riff that carries the tune through an explosive, almost anthemic ending. Lead singer Liam O'Donnell, whose voice almost echos the style of Band of Horses ' Ben Bridwell, is missing a bit of edge towards [...]

FOE is in for a seriously good 2012 as things look at the moment: the album 'Bad Dream Hotline' is set to be released on the 16th of January, and has already been well received by critics. This song is the lead single from the record, and the way it starts epitomizes the ballsy rock 'n' roll edge that you can come to expect from FOE's Hannah Clark. 'Cold Hard Rock' is a perfect mix of Hannah's girl next door charm and her dream inspired lyrics: "I saw my lover take another / on the cold hard [...]

We begin our round up of this year with our top 5 tracks that we reviewed in 2011. This will be followed later this week by our top 5 EPs, Music Liberation writers picks of the year, and finally our top 10 albums of the year... 1. Cloud Nothings - No Future / No Past // Reviewed November 18th by Jon Sidwell "Beginning in a haunting fashion with distant [...]

So, this is the new video for Lana Del Ray 's single, 'Born to Die', the title track off of her forthcoming album, due next month. Yawn. Am I the only one who is completely bored by Lana Del Ray? Sometimes I think I'm the only one. Bored, and vaguely offended. I honestly did try my best to get why she is currently being offered so much critical praise. Other than her looks, I'm not seeing anything to be excited about. [ Editor's note : to not detract from this review, [...]

Following on from the release in March 2011 of their 8th studio album 'The King of Limbs' ( review here ), the evergreen Radiohead have revealed singles 'The Daily Mail' and 'Staircase' released digitally this past monday. It's testament to their musical ingenuity that they can afford to miss two such infectious tracks from their recent album release. However, 'The King of Limbs' stands as a polished and succinct mirror to our ever-decreasing attention spans, and it seems apt that for such a dystopian-sounding band, that this powerful aside is allowed to drift [...]