Bright Eyes return with a free download and new album

Excellent news that Bright Eyes are back with a new album (The People's Key) which is all set for release mid February via Saddle Creek Records. From the sounds of the debut track 'Shell Games' we're in for a real return to form.


It seems to fall out somewhere between Digital Ash... and I'm Wide Awake..., which is just fine to me...


Check out the track right here.

Read More...

Some good stuff that passed us by over the last couple of weeks...

Well, let's face it, things round these parts have been a wee bit quiet of late. This has been caused mainly by the fact that 'Proper Work' got mad hectic, baby daughter became increasingly all-encompassing and well, Christmas kinda happened upon me...


Anyways, excuses out of the way, the upshot meant that there has not really been much time dedicated round these blogging parts over the last few weeks, which has meant that we missed out on quite a few decent little single/EP releases...


Here's a quick roundup of what we missed over the last few weeks...


Roman Photos - Decline

Roman Photos come out of Atlanta and play really quite an ambient electro vibe, without sounding anywhere nearly as horrible as that description makes them out to be. They released a 7" on Double Phantom Records and recently had another track released on Josh Fauver's (Deerhunter's) label. For more info and to buy the 7"  click here.

The Savings And Loan - Pale Water
The Savings and Loan are a Scottish duo who are making some waves up north. They released their album 'Today I Need A Light' via Song, By Toad Records back in early November. Their sound is quietly dark and is compared to Cohen, National Nick Cave amongst others so you get the jist of what it sounds like. I'm digging it quite a lot at the moment, which perhaps suggests I'm nit quite in the Christmas spirit just yet. Anyways, Have a listen to this track and then go buy the record here via the label for just £8.

Satellite Stories - Mexico
Scandinavian 'Party Indie' anyone? Pretty much ticks all boxes right? So when I stumbled across 'four daring and unsigned satellite heroes from the arctic city of Oulu, Finland' and realised that they were singing a song called Mexico, I just had to give it a wee whirl. Turns out, it's really rather catchy. Party Indie isn't a million miles off, neither is 'What Vampire Weekend's second album should have sounded like'... Check them out here.


Showstar - Building A House



This is a bit of a funny one really as I'm not 100% certain if I really enjoy how belgian-britpop/indie this is or if it drives me a bit crazy. Either way it's eliciting a response of some sorts so that has to be a good thing right? Check out Showstar on their website here.


So what do you make of this little lot? Anything in here capturing the imagination?

Read More...

Favourite Tracks - Top 20...

OK, so we listed out our favourite albums of the year last week, but below we have another list for you, because it's that time of year just now, and everyone loves some list action, right?

I've not obeyed the usual rules of conduct here, in as far as we have some artists here that appear on both album and track lists... but let's face it having a favourite list without the National and Arcade Fire would somehow seem lacking...

1. Ready To Start - Arcade Fire

2. Bloodbuzz Ohio - The National

3. Boyfriend - Best Coast 

4. The High Road - Broken Bells

5. Swim Until You Can't See Land - Frightened Rabbit

6. Automobile - Gospel Music

7. Undertow - Warpaint

8. King of Spain - Tallest Man On Earth

9. Girls FM - Happy Birthday

10. Floating Vibes - Surfer Blood

11.  Chinatown - Wild Nothing

12. Next Girl - The Black Keys

13. Remember Last Time - Avi Buffalo

14. Thieves - She and Him

15. Blow It Up - The Vaccines

16. Get Some - Lykke Li

17. The Darkness Rises Up - Broken Records

18. A Glamour - Phantom Band

19. Becoming a Jackal - Villagers

20. Never Stops - Deerhunter

So, what do you think? How does your top tracks list marry up? Let me know...

Read More...

The Top 10 Albums of 2010

Well, the temperature has dropped, the snow is out, Christmas ads have been on the telly for at least 3 months, that can mean only one thing... We're in December and the run up to the new year. The time where every man and his dog start to organise things into lists.

Surprisingly enough, I am no different and have done just that... So should you be in the midst of putting your Santa list together and looking for inspiration, I'd heartily recommend any (or better still, all of the following records).


Things I've noticed in putting this list together this year:
- British Music is massively under-represented
- It's unsurprisingly guitar based
- There was a lot of synthy type stuff out again this year
- Much of the 'nu-folk' type stuff was really not that great
- January was an unnecessarily strong month for releases

Before we hit the top 10, it's also worth mentioning some other fine records that never quite made the final cut. Some albums I enjoyed this year include:


Goldheart Assembly - Wolves and Thieves, Woods - At Echo Lake, Best Coast - Crazy For You, Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record and Phosphorescent - There's To Taking It Easy... all of whom would definitely have made a top 20 list were I have to have made one...

These, as is customary, are in reverse order, and make up my Top 10 albums of 2010 with a 'twitter friendly' note on why they are so good...

10. Surfer Blood: Astro Coast

Grabbed attention with 'Swim' at the back end of 09. Happily, rest of Astro Coast's surf rock lives up to early hype. More so than The Drums.

Listen: Surfer Blood - Floating Vibes

Watch: Surfer Blood - Swim (To Reach The End)

9. Wild Nothing: Gemini
Wild Nothing picked up on the dreamy shoe gaze sound of 2009 and released an immediate, accessible and, frankly, damn fine album in 2010.


Listen: Wild Nothing - Chinatown
Watch: Wild Nothing - Summer Holiday



8. Deerhunter: Halcyon Digest

Ever prolific Bradford Cox found his old Deerhunter hat + produced an incredible record that's both intimate + anthemic in equal measures.

Listen: Deerhunter - Never Stops

Watch: Deerhunter - Helicopter

7. Midlake - The Courage of Others
How a band from Texas can produce such perfect winter music is baffling. Midlake's Courage of Others is akin to a grandiose audio hug.
Listen: Midlake - Winter Dies
Watch: Midlake - Acts of Man

6. Black Keys: Brothers
This is the White Stripes album that Jack White never made. The Black Keys' Brothers is stripped back, bluesy and, put simply, it rocks
Listen: Black Keys - Next Girl
Watch: Black Keys - Tighten Up



5. Avi Buffalo - Avi Buffalo
The debut album by teenage prodigy Avi Buffalo provides a healthy dose of musical sunshine. Lyrically foul at times, but musically delicious throughout.


Listen: Avi Buffalo - Remember Last Time
Watch: Avi Buffalo - What's In It For

4. Beach House - Teen Dream
Every spin brings something new. Whether it's heartbreaking lyrics or getting lost in instrumentation Teen Dream has something for everyone.


Listen: Beach House - Zebra
Watch: Beach House - Silver Soul

3. Magnetic Fields - Realism
Realism is a fine return to Magnetic Fields we know and love following the electric Distortion. Merritt's poetic lyrics are second to none.


Listen: Magnetic Fields - I Don't Want To Get Over You
Watch: Magnetic Fields - You Must Be Out of Your Mind (live)

2. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Arcade Fire are a phenomenon, one of only a few bands who are universally adored. This is because they produce music as fine as The Suburbs.


Listen: Arcade Fire - Ready To Start
Watch: Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

1. The National - High Violet
How to follow up an album like Boxer? Well you take your time and come up with something even better. Dark and brooding ballads done with impeccable style. The most accessible record of the year and one that does not fade with time. Has been on pretty much constant rotation round these parts.


Listen: The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio
Watch: The National - Terrible Love (Alternate version)

So, there we have it, my top 10 records of this year. You can listen to them all (well most of them - Arcade Fire and Avi Buffalo are not available) via Spotify here. 


What you make of this little list? Let me know your thoughts... and your top 10s...

Read More...

Band of the week: French Wives

Artist: French Wives
Label: Unsigned
From: Glasgow
Info: Myspace / Facebook


Fancy a little grand indie that packs a punch? Then why not give Glasgow quintet French Wives a whirl? They have the sort of catchy choruses that will live long in your head and are backed by spiky riffs that are just begging to be played live and loud.


Somewhat surprisingly, they remain unsigned for now, but surely with a couple of nice self-released 7"this is sure to be remedied in the near future. They have also just won the inaugural On The Radar prize for best unsigned act so can;t be long surely?


Have a wee listen to a couple of their tracks here and then hop on over here or here and show them the colour of your money.


French Wives - Give Him America
French Wives - Big Brave Boy
French Wives - Hyndland Weather Bear


Watch a video for their track 'Halloween' here:


What you think?

Read More...

Telekinesis announce new album (with new MP3)

Michael Lerner, aka Telekinesis, has announced this week that they are releasing the follow up to their self titled debut record through Merge Records. The new album, '12 Desperate Straight Lines' is out in February. Given that we're already adding to the hyper perhaps gives some indication of the anticipation levels that are mounting round these parts on this album.


Have a listen to the first track from the album 'Car Crash' which comes via Spin Magazine.


Telekinesis - 'Car Crash'


What you think of it?

Read More...