Dreamwave on Dreamwave - Washed Out remixes Small Black's Despicable Dogs.

(Dreamwave/Psychedelic/Dance)

Long Island shoegaze duo Small Black and Pitchfork favourite Ernest Greene, aka Washed Out, have tallied up their fair share of mentions on my blog before; but the latest news of their activity has combined what were once seperate bouts of journalistic enthusiasm into a unison of musical greatness. On their latest Small Black/Washed Out 7" single there's one of the first great remixes of the new decade in the form of Washed Out's take on Small Black's Despicable Dogs. It's a far more electronic and even more distant take on a song that sounded far enough out for most to deal with before it was re-manipulated, and the new version takes what was a sleek shoegazing anthem and makes it into a subtle, Big Pink style hypnotic dance track. Its not one to miss if psyched-out electronica is what you're into, and for that reason alone, the MP3 is now up.

Small Black - Despicable Dogs (Washed Out Remix) (MP3)

Buy the Small Black EP or the Split 7" on Amazon.com, or far cheaper at PureGroove.

Introducing.. O Children

(Post-Punk/New Wave/Dance)

The Topman CTRL shows are quite a novel idea; Topman's music 'experts' pick a band once each month - this time Filthy Dukes - who then take turns to feature the music they love at a series of gigs across the country. This time it was Bournemouth's 60 Million Postcards' turn to play host to We Have Band, Clock Opera and the only band i actually managed to catch in the end, O Children. They are a 80s inspired post-punk/dance band (very keen to dispel Joy Division comparisons) with one of the tallest lead singers i've seen in a long time (supposedly around 6"6), and a name directly referencing a song by Aussie band Nick Cave and his Bad Seeds.

As far as i can tell, they formed in London out of the ashes of a band called Bono Must Die a couple of years ago and released their rather morbid dance single Dead Disco Dancers in July of last year. They probably wouldn't appreciate my observation that the first half of their twangy main bassline on this song sounds almost exactly like Passion Pit's Sleepyhead. Whatever you think it sounds like, the fantastic Golden Filter Remix (MP3) of this track picked up quite a bit of blogosphere attention late last year.

Their music is filled with tribal drumming, funky basslines and the overwhelmingly powerful, almost booming vocal of Tobi O'Kandi, who sings about all things dark and gloomy, rather unsurprisingly from the lead singer of a band where two song titles begin with the word 'dead'. Their songs consistently retain scattered background synth work and off-key percussive leads, and all of their drum sounds have that classic 80s New Order reverbial sound so typical of the era. If you remain unoffended by the post-punk revival scene that took over popular rock music in the early 2000s, then O Children are just another band pining for the 80s once again, and recreating its cultural pinnacle in the studio.

File Next To - The Horrors, Joy Division, Interpol

O Children Myspace

O Children - Dead Disco Dancer (MP3)
O Children - Dead Eye Lover (MP3)

Four Tet - There Is Love In You (Jan 25, 2010) REVIEW

(IDM/Post-Rock/Experimental)

I'm not ashamed to admit it, I had problems writing this review, or at least starting it, and the main reason behind this is that Four Tet's album has hit the spot so perfectly with me that I just don't know how to translate it into writing without letting my childish over-excitement spill through. I could say that it's innovative, you probably already knew it would be - Four Tet is quite simply one of the best in the business. I could equally say it sounds like nothing ever before, but the fact is, it does. It sounds like Four Tet. What sets it apart in my eyes at least is just how much more musically mature Hebden seems to have become in the five years or so since his last release. The mad staccato drum machines which littered every corner of 2005's Everything Ecstatic have been almost entirely cut out - the only time any kind of glitchy drum beat features on this release is on the rather misleading preview track 'Love Cry'. This time round, the drum machine, rather than being put through its paces like last time, is dropped in favour of a low murmur of a bass kick, and the effects as a result are infinitely calmer. In fact, Four Tet has never sounded so close to post-rock, the last track in particular She Just Likes To Fight sounds like This Will Destroy You. Every element of his new album, the layering, the subtleties and the soundbase points towards the genre which he spent so many years working on in the days of his frequent collaboration with former band Fridge.

Everything about this album is subtler than his previous efforts but equally as grand when his songs resolve. He effortlessly builds samples around minimalistic beginnings to cater for all in his unassuming and quietly contemplative selection of futuristic samples and overture of hushed electronic tones. Love Cry stands at 9 minutes and with unchanging percussion drives itself together to an almost hypnotic finish, which followed by the equally trippy 3/4 song Circling makes for idm of the highest quality.

There is Love in You is quite clearly Kieran Hebden's most personal release to date. Its entirely instrumental (minus the odd Burial-esque cry/sample which filters through on occasion), but in spite of this you can just tell by the album title and the range of moods he creates with exclusively his cut-up and manipulated samples, that this album deals with a whole range of emotions and experiences that he's quite simply not dealt with before. I always assign far more meaning to subtle and ambient music than i do to anything in major (here as much as ever), and its fairly clear that Four Tet feels the same. As i always say, its the albums which feel complete, and take you to the darker places, which manage stick with you forever. There is Love in You comfortable collects the title of my favourite release in 2010 to date.

Four Tet - Circling (MP3)
Four Tet - Angel Echoes (MP3)
Four Tet - Love Cry (Previous Post)

9.2

buy There Is Love in You on amazon.com

Girls announce Spectrals as UK tour support

(Lo-fi/Psychedelic/Pop)

Spectrals is a British 60s influenced noise pop project fronted by one man, simply known as 'L'. Working and promoting exclusively through his myspace, he's conveniently attached a few blurred photos, as well as a handy picture of his recent Captured Tracks 7". To top it off, there's a lovely photo of his self recorded four-track cassette and a note that all of these items can be 'bought at shows'. For such a clearly unnassuming character, its a wonder how he got himself in the situation that led him to be supporting Girls on their UK tour next month - but hey, this could be his big break. In the same sort of London-DIY 'Art Fag' scene that sees PENS and MALE BONDING in the spotlight, Spectrals is just another name on the list of questionably recorded garage pop artists currently sweeping the nation. With such an incredible opportunity in his hands, it'll undoubtedly be interesting to see how he lives up come February 25.

Spectrals - Don't Mind (MP3)
Spectrals - Rot With Me (MP3)

buy on amazon.com, not a chance.

The Invisible w/ Colours @ 60 Million Postcards, Bournemouth (Jan 23, 2010)

I'm going to be honest here, i find it totally incredible that The Invisible played in Bournemouth - as far as i'm concerned, the sunny seaside town is more often than not restricted to the occasional visit from Status Quo and Jools Holland at Christmas, as well as all of your obvious Snow Patrols, Kasabians and Kings of Leons which start here as a warm up for their now-routine world tours. Its only recently that new(ish) venues are vastly pumping up the standards. The Bournemouth Opera House is now O2 Academy, which means that it gets booked up to the point that once a month, you can pop down and see bands like Hot Chip, and The Temper Trap. Another recent turn of events is that i've got close enough to 18 years old to be able to blag my way in to clubs and pubs, and bars - and as a result, see something much closer to the kind of music that i spend all of my time listening to. The Invisible are one of these bands, and although i don't pretend to have known that much about them beforehand, i have been aware of them ever since their debut, the self-titled LP and Mercury Prize nominated 'Invisible', came out on Accidental Records in 2008. They had been playing music together for years, but during their collaboration on what was at first intended to be lead singer/guitarist David Okumu's solo project, The Invisible was formed in late 2006, and what was to follow were ecstatic reviews, semi-justified comparisons to Bloc Party and Tv On The Radio and a reputation as having one of the best keyboardist/bassist beards in the business.

The support band was originally intended to be dance-punk trio Chew Lips; i have no idea what happened to them, but in their place were Colours, a band i'd never heard of before and still can't find anything about on the internet. From what I can remember, they played music much like what i'd expect from Chew Lips had they been playing - loud and aggressive indie/dance/punk music which clipped the speakers and took over the room. The vocals were barely audible and they managed to get a few members of the crowd dancing down at the front. What can i say, they weren't brilliant - but they banged out some solid and cheery tunes which were totally countered by the next band to grace the stage.

The Invisible were quite obviously what the bulk of the crowd really came to see; with a fairly slow-starting set on a low-cut stage they proceeded with their ecletic blend of post-rock, dance and colourless shoegaze for 90 incredibly tight minutes, forming without doubt one of the most inspiring live sets i've seen in a long time. I find them to fit in perfectly with everything that the Mercury Prize is supposed to stand for, even if in reality the Prize has lost sight in recent times (come on, Elbow?). They manage to make dark and inspiring music which doesn't seem to adhere to any 'band formula' but still falls comfortably within their own sound. As dark as their music gets, there's always a parallel track somewhere else in their discography that counters it with almost poppy guitars, all the time retaining the classically hazed out vocals Dave has mastered so well. The live set gave The Invisible the opportunity to really jam with their current material and really showcase the new stuff. This effortless ability to get such an intense sound out of their songs and make it look that easy really showed up what incredible musicians make up this London based trio. They couldn't have been more professional about the whole thing, there were countless faces in the crowd (including myself) that were more in awe than anything else - i definitely got a lot more than what i expected from a band i really didn't know that much about before. On top of all of this, after chatting to them all after, they are not only great musicians, but really nice guys as well - i bought a signed CD off them after the set and in future won't hesitate to both see them again and buy their new record.

The Invisible - Monster's Waltz (MP3)
The Invisible - Passion (MP3)

buy the debut album by The Invisible (Import) on Amazon.com

Three More Bands To Watch in 2010 #2: Technoir MA, Ellie Goulding, Sleigh Bells

bands to watch #1 - #3

4. Technoir MA (UNSIGNED) (Noise Pop/Alternative/Live Electronics)

Technoir MA are a drum machine/electronics duo from Somerville, Massachusetts made up of Justin Vassalo and Colin Greene. They formed in Summer 2009 and put out their first self-titled EP in Autumn (download here for free via Gimmesound) and their follow up, the four-track 2/B EP, is out this month. They are in the process of booking their US tour and are starting it on February 5th with their Massachusetts-located EP launch party. Their sound is almost the perfect crossover between 80s alternative dance and 90s shoegaze - creating Jesus & Mary Chain style walls of sound broken only by the blistering New Order style alternative lead lines. Roundabout (MP3) from the first EP is the best example of this. With a strong drum-beat, drowned vocals and thick dual guitar lines, the song weighs in at almost 6 minutes, and not a second of this epic alternative anthem is wasted. Sparks (MP3) is the promo track from the new album, and does something quite different within in the sonic boundary Technoir MA have spent the last 6-7 months creating - it is an equally overdriven, but far more 90s affair than Roundabout. Its far less dance and far more shoegaze, venturing further from New Order and more towards the J&MC and MBVs of our generation.

buy the music direct from the bands myspace, they aren't on amazon yet!



5. Ellie Goulding (Pop/Indie Pop/Folktronica)

I have mentioned Polydor Records signing Ellie Goulding a number of times before, after all, she has been on constant rotation on my itunes since the release of her EP back in November (download: Under The Sheets (MP3)). But despite me raving on about how she's going to be huge for the last few months, I feel the size of her impending launch to stardom in 2010 needs reiterating. Just think how huge Florence & The Machine and La Roux were in Summer 2009? Well Ellie Goulding is 100% set up to equal that success, if not eclipse it. With Radio 1, BBC and NME behind her - she's already picked up the Brit Awards Critics Choice (as did Florence) as well as the prestigious BBC Sound of 2010 award. Her debut album (produced by Starsmith of Marina & The Diamonds fame), is going to be called 'Lights' and, following single Starry Eyed (Feb 22) (MP3), March 1, 2010 will see the LP released in the UK. Whether you like it or not, Ellie Goulding is going to be everywhere you look in 2010.

preorder Lights on Amazon.com (due March 1, 2010)



6. Sleigh Bells (Lo-fi/Pop/Experimental)

Sleigh Bells are a hardcore noise punk duowho burst on to the scene after last year's CMJ Marathon and since then have got down to work on their latest album with esteemed producer Diplo. Lead singer Alexis Krauss used to sing in a pop band before turning public school teacher, and electronics man Derek Miller used to sing for Florida hardcore band Poison The Well; once more, former members of the band in turn went on to form Surfer Blood. The duo that remains make production clipping noise pop, with huge hip hop beats and warm crunchy overdrive. They sound like Vampire Weekend and Ra Ra Riot love child Discovery when they first discovered the overdrive on their amps (like that would ever happen?), or Crystal Castles recorded on a four-track. Both Crown on the Ground (MP3) and A/B Machines (MP3) take massive percussion and mix it with hard-edge electro to make ecstatic and noisy punk tracks with all the attitude of Karen O and Alice Glass and all the underproduction of lo-fi bands like Wavves and Small Black. What results is nothing short of incredible, and with the perfect sound manipulation of Diplo and the ecleticness which comes with so many years in the business - Sleigh Bells new album looks likely to do nothing short of blow us all away when it finally heads to stores in 2010.

stream tracks and find out more about this band on their myspace.

Detroit Social Club Announce New 10" + Full UK Tour

(Indie Rock/Psychedelic/Alternative)

UK band and Fiction records signing Detroit Social Club (original post), already branded the 'new Kasabian' have announced their latest release - a new 10" scheduled for release on March 1st by name of 'Kiss The Sun'. The four-track will feature a re-release of Black & White (MP3) as well as 3 new songs, eponymous 'Kiss The Sun', 'Thousand Kings' and 'Never Too Late To Try'. I branded the band One To Watch for 2010 back last December, and already their schedule reflects this, Kiss The Sun is their first release of the New Year and will be followed by a full-length UK tour, details of which can be found below.

JANUARY
29th Jan Sunderland Independent (http://www.seetickets.com)
30th Jan Friends of Manchester Festival @ Jabez Clegg (http://www.ticketline.co.uk)
FEBRUARY
4th Feb Dundee Doghouse (http://www.ticketweb.co.uk)
5th Feb Edinburgh Sneaky Pete's (http://www.gigsinscotland.com)
6th Feb Leeds Cockpit 3 (http://www.lunatickets.co.uk)
8th Feb Stoke Sugarmill (http://www.thesugarmill.co.uk/tickets/php< /b>)
9th Feb York Duchess (http://www.wegottickets.com)
11th Feb Glasgow King Tuts (http://www.gigsinscotland.com)
12th Feb Darlington Club Strut @ Inside Out (http://www.ticketweb.co.uk)
13th Feb Middlesbrough Empire (http://www.ticketweb.co.uk)
15th Feb Sheffield Leadmill (http://www.ticketweb.co.uk)
16th Feb Scarborough Basement Jam @ Vivaz
18th Feb London Cargo (NME Awards Show) (http://www.gigsandtours.com)
19th Feb Derby The Royal (http://www.seetickets.com)
20th Feb Coventry Kasbah (http://www.kasbahnightclub.com)
25th Feb Liverpool The Masque (http://www.ticketweb.co.uk)
26th Feb Crewe The Box (http://www.seetickets.com)
MARCH
1st Mar Newcastle The Other Rooms (http://www.ticketweb.co.uk)

pre-order the new 10" directly from the band

Three More Bands To Watch in 2010 - Run Toto Run/The Middle East/Small Black.

1. Run Toto Run (Twee/Electronic/Folk)

Run Toto Run are a relatively new Manchester band who garnered a lot of blogosphere attention last summer thanks to their electro-folk cover of Passion Pit's Sleepyhead (MP3). They combine fragile female vocals with what often becomes hard-edged electronic experimentation; don't be caught out by the ecstatic violins and merry harmonies of the Passion Pit cover - if you look hard enough there are themes much darker than they first appear. They finished last year with another cover - this time of Bombay Bicycle Club's Always Like This (MP3), and began 2010 with a 7" single Catch My Breath (MP3) (Jan 11). You can order their new Plastic Gold EP on Itunes or via their website.

Download the Plastic Gold EP from Amazon, for just $4.45

2. The Middle East (Folk/Acoustic/Indie)

The Middle East are a band from Queensland, Australia which I came across recently on the Hype Machine. Their perfectly executed, rich, slow-strummed acoustic folk songs quickly won me over. With dreamy vocal harmonies, Blood (MP3), and a careless, late summer evening feel - The Middle East are probably most accurately described as 'Local Natives in minor' down to not only the uncanny vocal similarity (best showcased on The Darkest Hour (MP3), but also the sliding acoustics which ring ever so clearly in the way the music is recorded. This is music anyone can relate to from a band about as far away from me as its possible to be. They formed in December 2005 and their debut Recordings Of The Middle East hit stores on October 27, 2009. Soon after this, they supported Grizzly Bear on their Melbourne Dates at the end of last year.

The Recordings of the Middle East on Amazon.



3. Small Black (Shoegaze/Electronica/Dream Pop)

I first introduced Small Black on to the blog in November 2009 (original post), as 'dancefloor-filling shoegaze' and I stick by that to this day. Their Small Black EP came out on Cass Club in that October, and now the rumours are starting to stir of a debut full-length from the band dropping some time this year. Single Despicable Dogs (MP3) got almost instant Pitchfork love - and they certainly appear to be another solid bet for what the magazine will throw its full weight behind in 2010. Bad Lover (MP3) is another top track from the grim NYC shoegazers, where shady echoes of the Big Pink and MBV more prominent than ever before shine through in their full force.

buy the Small Black EP in cd format for $8.99 or via Amazon MP3 for just $4.45.

Surfer Blood - Astro Coast REVIEWED (January 19, 2010)

(Surf Pop/Psychedelic/Lo-fi)

Exactly as Easter decorations are already up (its mid January), and typically Christmas festivities take over the shops from October 1st, Surfer Blood are already pining prematurely for Summer time once again, and its not even February. Astro Coast is an album filled with both late summer nostalgia and that onset of Spring optimism that the days are getting longer, seized and drenched in Lo-fi reverb and warm crunchy overdrive. Combined with the punkish vocals tones and the accented East Coast-inspired lyrics which seems to flow naturally from all bands in such locations - Surfer Blood make for the most unlikely bunch of non-surfers the US surf punk scene has to offer. Once more, the album doesn't mess around in the slightest. Floating Vibes is the epitomy of their sound and also one of the album highlights - without doubt winning me over from the outset with its perfect placement for a top first impression.

The onset of fuzzy overdrive is almost instantaneous for Astro Coast, and takes precedence throughout, reaching its peak on the albums second installment, and in my opinion a clear-cut 7" single 'Swim (To Reach The End)' As with the opening track 'Floating Vibes', grainy chords clutter the first few bars of the song before descending into echoey garage rock, with every essence of 'tiny venue euphoria' which so few bands manage to whip up. Like Christopher Owen's Girls before them (and the Beach Boys long before them), Surfer Blood manage to perfectly reciprocate basic 60s chord sequences into easy-going reverb soaked pop songs with the amount of skill and ease that would typically evidence years in the business. As maybe a less accomplished band would, Surfer Blood avoid the temptation to scatter their rallying cries across the entire album - and instead supply us with some equally well-crafted downbeat songs until the close of the ten-track LP. They come in the form of the pair of 6-minute wonders that are 'Slow Jabroni' and the slightly more turbulent 'Anchorage' as well as the unsurprisingly harmonic filled song 'harmonix' - which after a short introduction of whammy bar harmonics unleashes darkened interludes of shattering overdrive.

With such a solid release, Surfer Blood look all set to head the dance/surf movement in to 2010, which has seen the roots of the imminent rise of Dum Dum Girls, Best Coast, Girls, as well as the soon to be chartered success of NME-favourited bands like The Drums. With slight variation, each act relates back to the same starting point - a musical longing for the summer, which, serving as inspiration for the lo-fi tunes and nostalgic lyrics makes for an extremely exciting musical concoction, which we are fated to be seeing a lot more of in the coming months. From me, Astro Coast picks up a high 8, consistently recorded and setting a fantastic mood amongst the open minded of us. The more you familiarise yourself with this album (i've had it a week now), the more personal it becomes, and although such disconnected themes as surfing, the beach, and cocaine use might subject discussion - this album is easily accessible to all who allow it the time it needs.

8.7

FILE NEXT TO - GIRLS, WAVVES, RA RA RIOT

Surfer Blood - Floating Vibes (MP3)
Surfer Blood - Take It Easy (MP3)
Surfer Blood - Catholic Pegasus (MP3)

Buy Astro Coast on Amazon.com

Hot Chip all set for One Life Stand + world tour dates.

(Electronic/Indie Pop/Electropop)

Hot Chip's One Life Stand is due February 1, 2010 (Feb 9 in the US) and is already shaping up to be one of 2010's best early electronic releases - they've dropped a series of previews from the new album over the last couple of months, the best of which i've collected here for your ears. They've also announced a new European (and UK) tour which kicks off 11 days after the album release in Glasgow, Scotland. The new album marks a far darker approach to the quirky carefree and danceable synthpop tunes of the previous albums. 'I Feel Better' shows off expansive 90s organs and equally 90s dreamy vocals with heavy voice alteration taking place, just as 'Take It In' places a brooding vocal over a perilous bassline and quirky off-key synth leads. Check out the One Life Stand tracklisting below and the link to the UK/Euro tour dates below.

Tracklisting to 'One Life Stand'
01 Thieves in the Night
02 Hand Me Down Your Love
03 I Feel Better (MP3)
04 One Life Stand
05 Brothers
06 Slush
07 Alley Cats
08 We Have Love
09 Keep Quiet
10 Take It In (MP3)

You can check out the UK/European Tour dates here - with USA dates to follow later this month.

Pre-order One Life Stand on Amazon

Vampire Weekend - Contra (Jan 11, 2010) REVIEW

(Electropop/Indie Pop/Worldbeat)

Vampire Weekend's sophomore release is more a showcase of their versatility than a confirmation that they can make innovative, fun and beachy acoustic tunes - that was more than proven on the debut back in 2008. What January 11 of this year does mark (other than a media frenzy) is a solid release which definitively shows VW to be more than a one-trick pony. Ezra Koenig's voice in my opinion was strong enough, but (to the horror of all the 'natural talent' activators out there, already put off by the heavy increase in electronics on Contra) that didn't stop some serious Discovery style voice manipulation taking place at times. The sound pallette also has vastly widened, and more instruments (both electronic and organic) make appearances. As well another showcase of crisp clear production from producer and multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij, Contra retains the full works of carefree indie pop epitomised by the 'quit your day job' attitude the band not only aimed for this time round, but also lived out. With their full attention turned to the album and its production, the attention to detail really shows; you might have heard a silence or an instrumental rest on Vampire Weekend, but now, gone are those days. Lyrically dense, there are at least two instruments playing (bar track endings) throughout the LP. Not only this, but the band introduce something relatively unheard of before in any Vampire Weekend discussion - overdrive. It makes appearances here and there (with most force on last year's 7" single Cousins), but its punkish overtones are matched by the ambient interludes which litter the rest of Contra. Album closer 'I Think Ur a Contra' is a great example, and also one of the best tracks so far this year. I find this album to be so much more energetic than VW - parts of it even drift into ska of the purest form. However this tendency to overload and at times overcomplicate the new tracks with such ecletic influence works for and against, providing an exciting and distinctive development from the sound of 2008, but sometimes at the expense of the simple acoustica and basic melody VW made their name with. To me, it feels almost like Contra is the extremified and high-brow remake of the simple but well-humoured Vampire Weekend. For predominantly this reason, upon my first three or so plays through this album, i was left feeling slightly sold short - and what i've concluded from my emerging affection for Contra is that this album is a true 'grower', and if you're going to put it on a scale of one to Vampire Weekend its not going to score quite so highly. Embrace it on its own level, because its own level is what it has created - and in spite of the Paul Simon rip-off jibes which Ezra Koenig and band increasingly seem to have to deal with - you will find Contra an original, highly entertaining and easy going piece of music, and one which i would be deeply and honestly proud of (as well as very rich) had I been its creator.

8.0

File Next To - Ra Ra Riot, Paul Simon, Discovery

Vampire Weekend - Giving Up The Gun (MP3) (link removed by request)
Vampire Weekend - White Sky (MP3)

order Contra from Amazon.com for just $7.99.

New Tunng track, album and tour.

(Folk/Folktronica/Experimental)

After a long break from writing and almost 3 years since their last studio album (2007's Good Arrows), Tunng have teamed up with Full Time Hobby records for their fourth full length - '...And Then We Saw Land' scheduled for worldwide release on March 1, 2010. After spending the greater part of last summer on tour with Tuareg rock band Tinariwen (including a Glastonbury Park Stage performance in June), the band entered the studio during the onset of Winter 2009, emerging earlier this week to reveal details, a release date and a sample track from the new LP. Their new-found fascination Tinariwen certainly had more of an impact than you'd think, moving away from the rigid electronic structures and mechanically executed vocals of the band's youth - the new song takes a turn into uncertainty, retaining the crisp acoustics of old as simply a precursor to grand, anthemic chorusses and overdriven leads. The new album is supposedly also going to feature Tunng's latest musical innovation - the 'mega-chorus', the result of one rainy night in Summer when a 15-strong set of drinking buddies lend their hand at vocals for 3 tracks from the LP.

File Next To - Adem, The Books, The Accidental

'...And Then We Saw Land' is out March 1, 2010 via Full Time Hobby,

order the third album 'Good Arrows' via Amazon

Tunng - Don't Look Down or Back (MP3)

mini-tour:

23rd March, Manchester, Band On The Wall - www.bandonthewall.org / 08452 500 500

25th March, London, Relentless Garage - www.eatyourownears.com / 0844 477 1000

26th March, Bristol, Arnolfini - www.arnolfini.org.uk / 0117 917 2300
28^th March, Brighton, Concorde 2 - www.concorde2.co.uk / 01273 673311

Dirty Projectors drop new 7" single 'Ascending Melody'

(Indie Pop/Acoustic/Experimental)

'Ascending Melody' to me is not only the title of Dirty Projectors latest (FREE) 7" single, I also find (maybe you do too?) that if one was to step up to the challenge of summing up the rather erratic Brooklynites' unique sound with just two words, there would be few better candidates than the title of this early 2010 musical treat. Its a limited edition digital release from the Projectors taken directly from the coveted Bitte Orca sessions, and features a previously unheard of track with an equally unheard B-side, titled respectively 'Ascending Melody' and 'Emblem of the World'. Keeping the lazy of us in mind, Dave Longstreth and friends have manufactured and distributed a widget with the sole purpose of helping you download the single, which I strongly advise that you do, immediately.

Previous posts on the Dirty Projectors

Dirty Projectors' Bitte Orca on Amazon

Introducing.. Esben and the Witch (Unsigned)

(Gothic/Pop/Trip-hop/Ambient)

Esben and the Witch are a Brighton three-piece who don't just have some of the most haunting gothic pop songs of the last decade to boast - they have one of the most concise and chilling band images to match. Naming themselves after a Danish fairytale, they fill their music with ancient medieval references and litter their myspace page with wood-styled carvings of skulls and forests. In keeping with the mystery surrounding their descent - they provide only first names, and quote their musical influences as simply 'glaciers, caverns and waning moons'; their lone headline is "nightmare pop." The heavily blurred and deliberately ambiguous photo above is about as clear as I could find.

As unclear as their past and present are, what we do know is that the three came together in 2008, are currently residing in Brighton and released their debut EP, titled simply '33' on October 26, 2009. They have a UK tour coming up and judging by the small selection of darkened live shots, they are well worth seeing - in true Fever Ray fashion, their stages are draped with low and coloured lights to match the low and melancholy mood.

Chilling, shivering late 80s gothic synthpop is where the musical result of all this background lies - this is downbeat and haunted electronic music not for the light-hearted. Taking all the hypnotic sentimentality in vocals of Beth Gibbons and combining it with the darkened themes of the Siouxsie & The Banshees inspired gothic movement of the early 80s leaves the bare bones of a candlelit tribute to all music of that mood. There are echoes of The XX in that this band are one of the more subtle bands out there at the moment, and its perfectly possible to read just as much into what they leave out as what they include. You can download the full EP '33' at the band website - esbenandthewitch.co.uk

File Next To - Siouxsie & The Banshees, The XX, Portishead

Esben and the Witch - Marching Song (MP3)
Esben and the Witch - About This Peninsula (MP3)

Introducing.. Gigi

(Pop/Showtunes/60s)

GIGI are a band of collaborators spawned in 2005 by songwriter Nick Krgovich and producer Colin Stewart, who after the former's acquisition of two authentic 60s plate reverbs back in summer 2005 figured that their time had come to create some authentic sounding 60s showtune pop songs. Citing Phil Spector and "The Brill Building Sound" as their influences, the duo proceeded to feature guest collaborators on every single one of the resultant tracks, which in turn contributed to a collection of these recordings, under the moniker of Maintenant, due out January 26th on Tomlab records.

In terms of recording history there's a hell of a lot of big names scattered around, many of which make their way on to the tracklisting - Stewart has produced The Cave Singers, Black Mountain and Destroyer in his Vancouver based studio and Krgovich is a full-time member of NO KIDS. In true Dangermouse & Sparklehorse fashion, with all of these industry links and footholds they've gained themselves a whole host of prestigious guest appearances including Owen Pallet of Final Fantasy, Zac Pennington of Parenthetical Girls as well as Katie Eastburn, Rose Melburg and Karl Blau.

With the sole aim of professing their lust for the sensibility of 60s popular music and recreating the same inspirations that launched the hit parade around that time, ideas naively spawned in just 2005 - they could never have known just how well-timed the context of the debut album would eventually turn out to be. Coming at a time when 60s influences can be heard in just about every element of contemporary music - from the alternative pop/rock musicianship of Kasabian's latest album through to emerging artists like Best Coast, Girls, and their seniors M. Ward and Adam Green, Maintenant comes at a time where its success is somewhat guaranteed. If all goes to plan the end of January, a month which also plays host to Four Tet's There Is Love In You, could turn out to contain quite a few early contenders for album of the year.

There's not a lot in the way of tracks knocking about for our eager ears to hear - they've done a fairly good job of keeping the anticipation high by only letting four tracks loose through the myspace. I've managed to get hold of a couple of tasters in the form of MP3s, which I've attached below. Strolling Past The Old Graveyard features Karl Blau and provides us with a mellowed out intro, quickly developing into a regular downbeat 60s revivalist anthem. No My Heart Will Go On is all together a more optimistic affair, with female vocals of Chorus not leaving us sold short at the slightest. It works comfortably and originally within the 3 minute retro hit-parade pop song formula, building in intensity with brass and tight strung backing music. Gigi are recycling old ideas and inspirations into new music of an unseen quality, and look set to stun the world with this release. When it comes time to purchase said release, a cash advance can place it in your hands that much quicker.

File Next To - (Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse/Phil Spector/Kinks)

Gigi - No, My Heart Will Go On (w/ Chorus) (MP3)
Gigi - Strolling Past the Old Graveyard (w/ Karl Blau) (MP3)

Preorder Maintenant on Amazon.com

Introducing.. Stornoway (Unsigned)

JOHN BULLOCK AUGUST 2009

(Folk/Indie Pop/Psych-folk)

My first experience of Stornoway came in seeing them at the bottom of last year's Glastonbury festival bill, and despite never getting around to watching them play that year, coming across them again months later somewhere on the internet was an unexpected, but welcome surprise. They remain unsigned despite recently making it on to the BBC's sound of 2010 longlist, being introduced on Radio 1 (and soon XFM) and picking up mentions in the esteemed music section of the News of The World, as well as that of The Guardian and Independent. All of this coming from a band who are yet to release an album or even sign to a label. Their self released debut 7" 'Zorbing' came out Monday 8th June 2009.

Based in Oxford, and naming themselves after an Scottish island on the Outer Hebrides (the relationship they have with which i am unsure), Stornoway innovate downbeat and optimistic folk pop tunes to counter the rather desolate implications of their name - music which uplifts with classic orchestral outros and airy backing vocals. Tight folky harmonies and jarring basslines accompany rich acoustics beneath the crisp-clean soulful voice of lead vocalist Brian Briggs. His vocals express every essence of a state of care-free psychedelia which comes across in every release to date - and are typically accompanied by a rising haze of urgency which crops up all around the unsuspecting listener, helplessly drawn in by the chillout psych-folk which exults from the first few minutes of each track.

They are heading out on a UK tour early this year (details on the myspace), including dates with Fyfe Dangerfield (of Guillemots), but as of yet there appears to be little or no news of an album release date - in the meantime, i've attached two MP3s below - their debut single Zorbing and the more ambient affair On The Rocks.

File Next To - Local Natives/Vetiver/Slow Club

Stornoway - Zorbing (MP3) (link removed by request)
Stornoway - On The Rocks (MP3) (link removed by request)

Stornoway's Second Single Unfaithful on Amazon

Introducing.. Fez (Unsigned)

(Indie Rock/Indie Pop/Alternative)

British guitar pop music is never something i've been a huge fan of; I like it when it finds me, but i never find myself making a conscious effort to actually hunt it down or listen to it, let alone buy it. Fez (or their latest recordings) are currently in the process forcing me to rethink, and for that reason, they are definitely a first for me in that sense - even though they definitely aren't a first in any other. They draw elements of all the bands who have gone before them, and although none of what they make is particularly original, it is made in such good spirits and to such a high standard that where their influences lie becomes irrelevant. The squealing post-punk guitars and charismatic four-part vocals make for an interesting compilation of the best bits of The Maccabees, Talking Heads and even more modern contemporaries such as The Courteeners. From what I can gather they formed in 2005 and are currently based in London - they are not currently signed and have a fairly limited future gig schedule, but with the creation of a new myspace, a set of new tracks and some new-found internet buzz Fez could be a potential underground indie rock band to make it in 2010.

File Next To - Talking Heads/Pigeon Detectives/The Maccabees

Fez - Lowlight (MP3)
Fez - Harmonix (MP3)

PENS - hey friend ! what you doing?

PENS - hey friend ! what you doing? (September 28, 2009)(Garage Pop/Lo-fi/Noise Punk)

Fitting in perfectly amongst the pioneers of 2009's musical explosion of 'beach/noise punk' al No Age, Japandroids and Wavves - all girl garage pop trio PENS make energetic and noisy punk-pop with bite. The sample track I picked up 'Freddy', gave me very high hopes, but to be honest, across the whole album there's not much in the way of structure, melody, tune, lyrics, subtlety or any particular creativity; most of the chord sequences are borrowed and re-used, and to top it off, the terrible microphone PENS used during their recording with De Stijl records means that the lyrics (or intermittent girly screams and shouts) are barely audible above the grinding overdrive on the amps.

As bad as that may sound, there is definitely something strangely satisfying about listening to all-girl musical chaos - and as much as I appreciate finely tuned songwriting, grand arrangements and experimental instrumentation - it is sometimes, for one reason or another, more satisfying to listen to a band that know full well but don't care in the slightest that the music they make sounds awful. Album opener Horsies, coupled with mid-album (and my sampler) Freddy are the standout tracks, not only because for the latter the usual clattering of drums is dubbed down, but also because for once the guitar follows a nice simple, cascading sequence and regular punk-pop beat, taking the song as far away as possible from the usual 70s rock caricatures which clutter the rest of the album.

At the end of the day, PENS do nothing groundbreaking, but through turning their volume notches up to 10, shouting, screaming and giving their guitars a workout they come dangerously close to putting out a decent debut. They're perfectly within fashion, but whether anything of hey friend other than Freddy is going to mean a thing to anyone five years down the line remains to be seen. As with synthpop in the 80s, shoegaze in the 90s and indie rock in the 00s - there's following fashion, and then there's sounding cliche.

4.5/10

Hey Friend, What You Doing? on Amazon for less than $3.

read my introduction post for more information and more mp3s.


File Next To - Wavves/Best Coast/Dum Dum Girls

PENS - Freddy (MP3) (via mediafire)
PENS - High In The Cinema (MP3) (via mediafire)