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...

Interview: Frankie Rose (without her Outs)

Bursting out from the long shadows of various Brooklyn hipster bands, Miss Frankie Rose finally finds herself fronting up and facing the limelight on her own merit. This year she’s already struck a chord with her excellent 60s-girl-group-cum-garage-pop self titled debut record. More recently though, she’s just announced details of her first tour of the UK which, excitingly, is kicking off tomorrow (dates in full below). Ahead of the tour, we caught up with the former Vivian Girl, Dum Dum Girl and Crystal Stilt to see just what she had to say about life in the limelight and get her thoughts on going it alone as well as hearing what she had to say on some of her favourite records of this year….


Firstly, for the benefit of those less familiar, would you care to introduce yourself and give a reason why people should listen?


I am Frankie Rose. Listen or dont listen. It’s honestly all the same to me!


Good work on the debut album and also news of the first UK tour, where and when was your first live show, what do you remember about it?


My first live show was a generator show in a park in San Francisco. I must have been 20 or something. It was with my first punk band: “Shitstorm”.


What has been the most memorable gig that you’ve played? And how about most memorable you’ve attended?


Watching My Bloody Valentine from backstage last year was pretty incredible.


After playing in the shadows for a few bands in the past, how does it feel to have given up the sticks and finally be out front taking the limelight?


Its been a bit scary, but I get better at it everyday. I’m used to being able to hide. In the front, you just can’t do that, it’s sink or swim.


The album has a lot of high points. ‘Candy’ is my favourite track on there. What is your favourite song on the album and why?


I like the Aurthur Russell cover (You Can Make Me Feel Bad).



If you could have written any song, what would it be and why?
Hmmm. Too many to count.
The record drew lots of Phil Spector comparisons, who would you say are your main songwriting influences?
I wish I could write songs as well as Kate Bush.
It’s just gone Thanksgiving, how did you spend the holiday?
In Spain at the winter Primavera festival.

It’s getting to that time of year again, where we all become fascinated with lists, what are your top three albums of this year?
Tamaryn The Waves
Wild Nothing Gemini
Deerhunter Halcyon Digest

Catch Frankie Rose and The Outs during their brief UK tour:
December
10 – Manchester, St. Philips Church w/Wooden Shijps
11 – Sheffield, The Harley
12 – Glasgow, Nice n Sleazy
13 – Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
14 – London, The Luminaire “Memphis Xmas Carol” w/ Banjo or Freakout and Elephant

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 BloodFloating 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...