July 2009
18 posts
Yo La Tengo - Here To Fall
Is there anybody better than Yo La Tengo? No, probably not, is the answer. Over their 25 year career they are a band who have never failed to surprise and delight critics and fans alike, why stop now then eh. ‘Here To Fall’ is the opening track from the band’s upcoming album ‘Popular Songs’, and it is a stunning opening gambit. Spacey distortion intersects the...
The Centre Piece - Subteranean (Are We)
For anybody who enjoyed The Centre Piece, whom I posted about last week, well he now has a new track up on Myspace. It’s called ‘Subterranean (Are We)’ and is really quite good, go have a listen. The Centre Piece on Myspace
New Cave In EP streaming
This is a bit outside our normal realm here, but for those of you who enjoy a bit of brutality the fantastic Cave In are streaming their new EP. The band’s first release since 2006, ‘Planets of Old’ is a combination of the insanely heavy metal from their earlier records, the more space rock stuff that gave them wider exposure and the odd bit of Daughters like spazz. In short,...
Stray Ghost Album Preview
This is a little preview of the forthcoming Stray Ghost album ‘An Avalanche of Swollen Tongues’, which is coming soon on Dead Pilot Records. This track will be on the record and is called ‘Grains and Waves’. I’m loving this track so much right now. Stray Ghost on Myspace Dead Pilot Records
Atlas Sound - Walkabout
First track officially available from the new Atlas Sound record, and it features Noah Lennox (Animal Collective/Panda Bear). Not surprisingly the pairing of Bradford Cox and Lennox compliment each other very well, the saccharine vocals of AC mixed with the quirky gleeful instrumentation of Atlas Sound works perfectly . The album, ‘Logos’ is out October 20th via Kranky Records. Atlas...
Rain Machine - Give Blood
I mentioned the Rain Machine LP recently, the solo project of TVotR’s guitarist Kyp Malone. The first track from the album is out, rather than the stripped back acoustics of his normal lone ventures though ‘Give Blood’ sounds like, well exactly like TV on the Radio to be honest. Disappointing then, but there are worse things to sound like and Kyp’s soulful vocals and some...
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Amy Blue - The Fortress and the Fatalist
Written for God is in the TV In 2006 London quartet Amy Blue leaked songs from their debut EP as supposed unreleased demos by Smashing Pumpkins…and almost got away with it, this seems hard to believe now though. Certainly the band take most of their cues from that kind of American alt rock as well as shoegaze, My Bloody Valentine being another prevalent influence (as the cover art would suggest)....
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There Will Be Fireworks - There Will Be Fireworks
Written for God is in the TV ‘Colombian Fireworks’, the opening to There Will Be Fireworks eponymous debut album could scarcely be more apt. Electronic glitches and clicks give way to ethereal guitars and the dulcet tones of Scottish poet Kevin MacNeil; “there will be fireworks, and they will light up your eyes and you will feel more alive than ever before”, then erupting in to a cacophonous wall...
The Centre Piece - White Open Window
In the wake of the success enjoyed by Beirut there are many bands attempting a similar sound. The Centre Piece does it much much better than most though. Fusing traditional folk with a vast instrumental palette and wistful vocals to create a beautiful haunting sound which is often evocative of familiar times and places which just can’t quite be placed. There are many comparisons to be drawn to...
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Why? - This Blackest Purse
The first track from the the new Why? album has premiered on Pitchfork today, and much to the upset of many fans ‘This Blackest Purse’ is a big departure from the kind of indie hip hop of their more recent records. Personally I like this a whole lot more than anything on ‘Alopecia’, it’s a great combination of the witty lyrical turns Yoni Wolf always turns in with a...
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Odland
Individuality is something which eludes many a band, particularly those in their infancy, and as such it’s remarkably refreshing to stumble across something as unique and as fully realised as the music of Odland. Originally the solo project of Lorenzo Papace (formerly of Cherchat), Odland has blossomed in to a wonderous swell of wistful instrumentation and found sounds. Quite unlike...
New Atlas Sound LP
Bradford Cox, inimitable front man of Deerhunter has announced a new LP for his Atlas Sound project. ‘Logos’ will be released on October 20th via Kranky and will feature 11 tracks that Bradford has said will be less intorverted than last year’s ‘Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel’. Infact, according to Pitchfork he had all of this to say about it;...
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A Chat with Message to Bears
Message to Bears is the musical alias of 23 year old Jerome Alexander, under which he crafts some of the most beautifully arresting instrumentation one is likely to hear this side of a cinema screen. Lush strings and ambient soundscapes lay peaceful alongside delicate piano and intricate picked guitar lines. Despite being similar in essence to many of our favourite artists, Message to Bears has...
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Two New Kyte Tracks
Leicestershire shoegazing post-rockers Kyte have posted two new tracks on their myspace. Tentatively (presumably) called ‘8’ and ‘30’ respectively, the new tracks take on a much more pop feeling than their previous work, particularly the waltzing keys and hollow chorus of ‘8’. It seems to be missing much of the passion that originally made tracks such as...
New Track from Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely...
The ever enjoyable Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate) have posted a track from their forthcoming debut album ‘What it Takes to Move Forward’. Details are a bit sketchy on when it will actually be available, but it’s being released by Count Your Lucky Stars, so look there if you want it I guess. For anybody unacquainted with the band I would recommend getting a hold of the...
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There Will Be Fireworks Album: Track by Track
Over the last few days I finally got my hands on one of my most anticipated releases of the year, it hasn’t left my cd player since and probably won’t do for quite some time yet. I’m talking about the self titled debut album from There Will Be Fireworks. The Glaswegian four piece, consisting of Nicky McManus, Gibran Farrah, David Madden and Adam Ketterer, have only been...
The Twilight Sad - I Became A Prostitute Video
Last week I posted about The Twilight Sad’s comeback single ‘I Became A Prostitute’, well the song now has a fitting video. This video is brought to you courtesy of the good people over at Line of Best Fit. The single will be released on 3rd August with the album, Forget the Night Ahead, following on 5th October. The 7” single can be pre-ordered here. The album tracklist...
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Esben and the Witch Interview
Brighton trio Esben and the Witch are an intriguing prospect, named after a macabre Danish fairytale about sibling rivalry and…well…witches, the band’s myspace page presents a group consumed by the kind of twisted folklore that is the tale of Esben. This image though is a pretty accuarate indication the kind of music they produce; “Someone recently described our sound as...
