TRACKS OF THE WEEK #13

THE JAPANESE HOUSE -  CLEAN
I HAVE LOVED WHAT AMBER BAIN HAS BEEN DOING FOR AGES, SO WHEN I FINALLY GOT THE CHANCE TO SEE THE JAPANESE HOUSE LIVE (SUPPORTING THE 1975) I WAS SO EXCITED. AS I'D EXPECTED, IT'S BEAUTIFULLY CAPTIVATING TO SEE HER PLAY LIVE. CLEAN IS DEFINITELY MY FAVOURITE TRACK, BUT THEY'RE ALL WORTH A LISTEN. 

JOHNNY LLOYD - HELLO DEATH

FOR ANYONE WHO NEEDS THE TRIBES-SHAPED HOLE IN THEIR LIVES FILLING, FEAR NOT BECAUSE FRONTMAN JOHNNY LLOYD IS GOING IT ALONE, AND IT'S SOUNDING EQUALLY AS BRILLIANT AS HE AND HIS FORMER BANDMATES DID. HELLO DEATH IS THE FIRST SONG TO BE RELEASED SINCE HIS DEBUT EP PILGRIMS, AND I HAVE TO SAY ITS MY FAVOURITE OF HIS SOLO STUFF SO FAR.

PLAYFIGHTS - VERONICA

PLAYFIGHTS ARE THREE GOOD FRIENDS OF MINE, WHO ARE JUST STARTING OUT MAKING MUSIC TOGETHER. THEY'VE RECENTLY UPLOADED A DEMO EP TO SOUNDCLOUD AND ARE LOOKING TO RECORD AN ALBUM IN THE SUMMER. VERONICA IS MY FAVOURITE, NOT JUST CAUSE IT'S GOT A REALLY NICE RIFF IN THE MIDDLE THAT WOULDN'T SOUND OUT OF PLACE ON A WILD NOTHING TRACK... CIGARETTE COMES UP A CLOSE SECOND THOUGH.

WET - DEADWATER
WET ARE ANOTHER BAND I'VE LOVED FOR AGES BUT NEVER MANAGED TO CATCH LIVE. I FINALLY SAW THEM PLAY AT THE DEAF INSTITUTE ON TUESDAY AND THEY WERE REALLY BRILLIANT. THEY PLAYED PRETTY MUCH THE ENTIRETY OF THEIR DEBUT ALBUM DONT YOU, WHICH CAME OUT IN JANUARY. IT WAS REALLY HARD TO PICK ONE SONG BECAUSE ITS A REALLY GOOD ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH, BUT DEADWATER IS A DEFINITE CROWD-PLEASER.

tracks of the week #12

Tora - Jaigantic

Giraffage - Moments

Chet Faker - 1998

Jai Paul - Str8 Outta Mumbai

(apologies for the shitty sample version)

Toro y Moi - Rose Quartz (Richnuss Edit)

tracks of the week #11

Kaasi - Work With Me

A totally new sound for me, but I've really been enjoying this lately. 

Kaasi's more recent upload of new track 'Lisse' is pretty great too.

Sonder // Feel Me

Again, not my usual go-to 'genre', but very easy listening. 

Credit to Jess for getting me hooked on both of these artists.

Public Access TV // In the Mirror

Another cracking single from these guys. The B-side is brilliant too. 

Read my full review here. 

The 1975 // Medicine

This is the side of The 1975 that I adore. Along the same vein as the pre-album EP tracks, such as 'Undo'/'fallingforyou', which are some of my favourites. 

Beach Fossils // Taking Off

Love this album so much. Love Beach Fossils so much. 

song of the week : craft spells // breaking the angle against the tide

‘Breaking the Angle Against the Tide‘ is a prime example of the more relaxed, less in-your-face approach Craft Spells have taken with their second album, Nausea. It’s refreshing for us as listeners, when Idle Labor felt as though frontman and founding member Justin Vallesteros had a sizeable amount of relationship-induced angst to get out of his system. The guitars aren’t weighed down by loss and longing and sadness on ‘Breaking the Angle Against the Tide‘. Instead, they’re shimmering and sun-soaked, and backed by dream-like string melodies.It’s the perfect first release from Nausea, as it really does feel like there’s a shift in perspective during the song – like a beam of sunlight breaking through the metaphorical clouds of sadness.

But sometimes the best music is made when people are in their most raw emotional state, and that would be true for Craft Spells, because despite their best intentions, Idle Labor will always come out on top.


Written for Post Music Depression

song of the week : palm honey // palace

We're well and truly in the midst of summer here in the UK, although you'd never have guessed, but Reading four piece Palm Honey's track 'Palace' makes up for the summer vibes that aren't being provided by our typically British weather.

The track sits comfortably between the hazy, fuzzy melodies of Tame Impala, and one of By the Sea's dream-pop/rock fantasies. It's early days for the band, who have only got four demos on their Soundcloud page - 'Palace' being the most popular by a long way - but with a bit more confidence and practise under their belts, they wouldn't sound out of place on a label like Captured Tracks.

NME have already cottoned on to their potential, so catch them while you can. 



Written for Post Music Depression

tracks of the week #10

Låpsley - Station
For those of you who loved the SBTRKT/Sampha collab, or if you just like chilled out music.
She uses her own vocals to create the effect of male/female co-vocalists, and writes/produces it all herself of course. Did I mention she's only 17?

Craft Spells - Idle Labor (album)

Is this album as good as it looks? Yes - in fact - it's even better.

I adore Craft Spells, and whilst their latest LP is nice, it's not a patch on this.

Egyptian Hip Hop - Moon Crooner
Why did Egyptian Hip Hop bring us Some Reptiles Grew Wings EP
back in 2010, only to follow it up two years later with the biggest anticlimax of an album ever?
All four tracks on the EP are great, but Moon Crooner remains my favourite to this day.

Shy Nature - She Comes, She Goes

Infectiously catchy. 

If this doesn't make you want to dance, then I don't know what will.

Jaws - Be Slowly

Very late to the party with this one, but I was put off by their earlier releases.

It's  suspiciously similar to Mint Car by The Cure..

Alvvays - Adult Diversion

A new discovery for me, and I love them a lot already.

I even wrote a whole post on this song over here, because I like it that much.

ALL IMAGES BELONG TO THEIR ORIGINAL SOURCES

new musical discoveries #1

The past couple of weeks have a been weird. With music I sometimes find myself getting stuck in a rut - due to the release of a fantastic new album (Salad Days, anyone?) - or simply through laziness. I get recommendations of bands all the time, or feel intrigued by something I've read, but I'll usually put off listening to them and then regret it when everyone's talking about them six months later. 

I think its difficult these days to know what you like, there's so much out there, and you've got to sift through all the shit to get to the good stuff. So here's some good stuff:

I'm not one for R&B but New Yorkers Wet are doing it well.

Really well. Check out their bandcamp here, and you'll understand.

Faux Fur combine all my hopes and dreams of surf rock with a hint of post-punk. 

Absolutely wonderful. Listen to Rough Palms (and everything else they've ever created).

Public Access TV are a grittier version of Circa Waves. It makes sense, given that they're

from NYC. They've only posted two tracks on their Soundcloud page, but things sound good so far.

Ex-Tribes frontman Johnny Lloyd has released a solo EP, Pilgrims.

I couldn't be happier; this guy has incredible talent and I was gutted when Tribes split.

Blaine Harrison of Mystery Jets produced the EP (as if it wasn't cool enough already) which you can find here.

Can someone please tell me why I'd never listened to DIIV until now?

I feel like I've wasted the last two years of my life, because Oshin wasn't part of it.

A few others you might want to check out: 

Palm Honey / Hooton Tennis Club / Moats / Viola Beach

ALL IMAGES BELONG TO THEIR ORIGINAL SOURCES

tracks of the week #9

Mac Demarco - Let Her Go

The Black Keys - Fever (reviewed here)

The Orwells - Who Needs You

Hooton Tennis Club - Kathleen Sat On The Arm Of Her Favourite Chair

Widowspeak - Fir Coat

The Shins - Phantom Limb

ALL IMAGES BELONG TO THEIR ORIGINAL SOURCES

album of the week #1 : wild nothing // nocturne

photo: wikipedia

Wild Nothing's website states that they are 'an American indie rock/dream pop band'.
Well it's safe to say the 'dream' part is certainly true, being the overriding theme on the band's second album, 'Nocturne'.

There are elements of surf-rock in places, take 'Midnight Song' for example. 
Title track 'Nocturne' is something along the lines of Foals' 'Interlude'-meets-mellow-Washed Out-with-echoing-deep-vocals. Just testing your imagination there. 'Paradise' provides some rather unexpected 80's pop guitar riffs, but we all know I love a bit of Prince..so who's complaining?
All in all, this album is 45 minutes of pure heaven. You'll probably like it if you're a fan of:
Craft Spells // Washed Out // Egyptian Hip Hop // Surfer Blood

I wanted to share this, rather than a regular 'tracks of the week' post, because 'Nocturne' is pretty much all I've been listening to over the past week or so. Hope you love it as much as I do.

tracks of the week #8

The War On Drugs - Red Eyes

Dirty Pretty Things - Last of the Small Town Playboys

Arcade Fire - Haiti

The Shins - We Will Become Silhouettes (originally by The Postal Service)

Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks

Catfish and the Bottlemen - Kathleen

Metronomy - The Upsetter

Wild Nothing - Shadow

ALL IMAGES BELONG TO THEIR ORIGINAL SOURCES

tracks of the week #7

Blood Orange - Hold On We're Going Home (cover)

I thought Arctic Monkeys' cover of this Drake song was going to be 'unbeatable'..

Then I heard Dev Hynes' version and my mind was changed.

Seriously groovy, but what else would you expect? It's Dev, after all.

Exclamation Pony - Pseudo Individual

"Who on earth are Exclamation Pony?"

 I declared, upon reading the recommendation in a recent order from Banquet Records.

 (does anyone else get super excited when they write you a little note? no? ..just me).

 The lovechild of Ryan Jarman (The Cribs) and Jen Turner (Here We Go Magic), that's who.

If you like The Cribs then you'll like this, as there's a strong similarity (I wonder why)..

Phoenix - Armistice

Do I even need to explain? Phoenix are probably in my top 3 favourite bands.

This is an album that everyone should own, it is pure brilliance from start to finish.

I saw Phoenix earlier this month and they never fail to impress live, or on record for that matter.

(if anyone is interested, I was considering doing a review of the gig.. let me know!)

The Virgins - Wheel Of Fortune

Another of my all-time favourite bands, I just can't get enough of The Virgins.

This track is a perfect example of the slower pace of the second (and final..) album 'Strike Gently'.

I love how these guys can manage to do catchy, non-cheesy, slow songs.. that's pretty hard.

Bombay Bicycle Club - It's Alright Now

Back in the day I was a huge Bombay Bicycle Club fan.

Admittedly, I've loved everything they've ever done, but this wasn't a release I was looking forward to.

After hearing 'Carry Me', I was truly disappointed at the new direction Jack Steadman seemed to be taking.

However, I've now listened to the album in full, and I can see that it's simply an evolution.

It's noticeably Bombay Bicycle Club, with a different, more electronic, spin on things.

It's nowhere near as good as its predecessors, but if that's what they want to do, then so be it. 

'It's Alright Now' was (clearly) the stand-out track for me. 

Cage The Elephant - Cigarette Daydreams

I've only recently properly got myself into Cage The Elephant (thanks to Mollie).

Melophobia is so good, but the old stuff didn't ever interest me at all. 

I saw them supporting Foals (bit of an odd pairing?).. and they outshone them in every way possible.

Honestly, if you ever get a chance to go to a Cage The Elephant gig.. then please GO!

Matt Shultz was clearly born to be on the stage, it was a truly incredible performance.

tracks of the week #6

Prince - I Wanna Be Your Lover

Biggest guilty pleasure, and yes, I'm admitting that on the internet.

Everybody needs a bit of Prince, right?

The Cure - Let's Go To Bed

Oh Robert Smith.. why is your voice so dreamy?

Tip: listen to this late at night, for maximum effect.

The Jesus and Mary Chain - Just Like Honey

At this point, I'm questioning why I wasn't in Glasgow during the 80s. 

And is it okay to fancy Jim Reid's teenage self? Because I do.

Ok Go - End Love

If you've never seen an Ok Go video, I'd advise you to do so. Very entertaining.

They also happen to be pretty good at making music.

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (album)

I (finally!!) got this record, for Christmas.

 It's definitely my favourite Phoenix album.

The Libertines - Music When The Lights Go Out

Just lovely. I usually listen to this when I'm having a sad-fest.

Regardless of your opinion of him; there's no denying that Pete Doherty is a brilliant lyricist.

The Virgins - Flashbacks, Memories and Dreams

Yes, I am still mourning the loss of The Virgins.

A friend bought me this single for Christmas, which was a special edition/release.

Needless to say, it's been put to good use. 

PHOTO CREDIT: ALL IMAGES BELONG TO THEIR ORIGINAL SOURCES

best of 2013

The past year has been a great one for the music world. 

Plenty of talent has emerged, and old favourites have continued to impress us with new releases.

Here are my top 10 albums of 2013 (in no particular order) :

The Virgins - Strike Gently

2013 brought us The Virgins' second album, as well their split.

'Strike Gently' wasn't as strong as their debut, but still a great album nonetheless.

Foals - Holy Fire

After initially being unsure of Foals' new direction, it grew on me.

Again, this isn't their best by any means, but there is some great stuff on there.

Arctic Monkeys - AM

Perhaps I'm biased (track 4..) but this is my favourite release of 2013.

Totally different to anything they've done before and (unsurprisingly) they got it spot on.

Haim - Days Are Gone

A highly anticipated debut, which lived up to (and even surpassed) its expectations.

Nice one ladies.

Cage the Elephant - Melophobia

Having not been a massive fan prior to this release, I think it's safe to say this was a game-changer.

An excellent album, from start to finish.

Phoenix - Bankrupt!

Not as good as its predecessors, but there were some definite hits on here.

Phoenix's longevity is proof that they're a great band. 

Peace - In Love

Another highly anticipated debut that lived up to its expectations.

I just wish Harrison Koisser didn't put on that false voice so much, it's totally unnecessary.

Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City

'Contra' was always going to be a hard one to follow, and I don't think they quite did it with this.

Still, there are a few good ones that are definitely worth listening to.

Washed Out - Paracosm

This album sends me into a dream; it's so beautiful.

Great in the summertime especially.

Palma Violets - 180

A fantastic debut; great for dancing to in your underwear, or even in the shower.

(I can tell you that from personal experience).

And one more for good luck.. 

The Vaccines - Melody Calling EP

I know this is sort of cheating as it's not technically an album..

But this has completely changed my opinion on The Vaccines, so I think it's worthy of a mention.

ALL PHOTOS BELONG TO THEIR ORIGINAL SOURCES