The Thermals' new single “Now We Can See” is a massive hit of psychedelic lyrics driven by drum chops and throbbing guitars. The single is out now and the album of the same title releases April 7 on Kill Rock Stars.
The second single “White Sky” from The Brian Jacket Letdown's forthcoming debut album is a masterful composition of the usual household rock band appliances topped with a mess of unique sounds, perhaps from other, less musical household objects. Nearly reaching five minutes, somehow by the end it feels like you've just been hit and run by a sparkling, shiny two-minute pop song. Their debut album Darling Bit Me releases June 8 on The Genepool.
PT Walkley's latest effort Mr. Macy Wakes Alone is a black comedy told through a brilliant collection of songs that deliver the feelings of early 19th-century honky tonk piano bar songs and classic western film soundtracks. The tale is of a rich kid named Audrey Macy, her father the evil record executive and Calvin, the coroner's son and aspiring musician who is taken advantage of by Mr. Macy.
I won't spoil the story, but here's a chapter from the middle that introduces the protagonist, Calvin the Coroner. You can read and listen to the entire tale at PT Walkley's Song Book.
Fol Chen, the anonymous silhouettes pictured above, are outside of any distinct genre, so I'll call them comfortable couch-hop. Their debut single “Cable TV” is a heavy tune with light lyrics that feels like an evening at the cocktail bar on a beach in Cuba.
IF YOU LIKE: Hot Chip, The Knife, Len, Bran Van 3000
While mod culture and beat music were sweeping Britain in the early 1960s just before the British Invasion, their cuter and more colourful cousin yé-yé was making waves in France. Yé-yé music was the first music movement to be spearheaded by females, although Serge Gainsbourg was of course the omnipresent mastermind. The music and culture of yé-yé were distinguished by young women, kaleidoscopic fashions and indeed, charmingly addictive pop music.
Doing Time's first and only single in 2001 is a fantastic tribute, “I Was a Yé-Yé Girl”, that's even more seductive than most genuine yé-yé music.
If you like: The Beatles, Serge Gainsbourg, April March, Fatboy Slim
Doing Time - I Was a Yé-Yé Girl (feat. In-Grid)Download MP3 or Watch below on YouTube
The music video flawlessly reproduces the seductive essence of yé-yé.
Buy it: eMusicMP3, worldwide Juno DownloadMP3, worldwide The CD single is out of print, but the following links will take you to a number of compilations that contain Doing Time's “I Was a Ye-Ye Girl”. CD UniverseCD, worldwide AmazonCD, worldwide Amazon UKCD, worldwide
Stars & Crosses calls themselves the next electro-rock supercollective—far from modest considering they're only two people. After hearing their first single though, I almost believe their flaunting exaggeration. Their first single “Got Me” is cool, catchy and it has that smooth, trashy and inexplicably addictive 80s sound.
The BPA (Brighton Port Authority) is a new supergroup led by Norman Cook, better known as Fatboy Slim. The lead single “Toe Jam” delivers a perfect sampling of Cook's trademarks—playful tunes and danceable drum riffs. New wave idol of the 80s, David Byrne from Talking Heads, takes on vocal duties accompanied by the king of the London grime wave, Dizzee Rascal.
The music video will blow more than your socks off!
If you like: Fatboy Slim, Freak Power, Pizzaman, Beats International
Frankmusik is Vincent Frank, British singer and musician fueled by chiptunes and neon lights. He is known for being wired directly to his fans via MySpace, Twitter and his own site.
This past Saturday he made history with the start of the first Live & Lost Tour, powered by Channel 4, MySpace and Blackberry. He was blindfolded and dropped off in a field north of Aberdeen with his GPS-enabled Blackberry and £20. His smartphone will allow him to communicate with his fans, who can track him via GPS and send him instructions to find his way to the next gig. Follow the madness at Frankmusik.com.
If you like: Soulwax, Justice, Calvin Harris, Empire of the Sun, La Roux
Music video of “Better Off As Two” (original version)
Buy it: CD UniversePre-order CD single Better Off As Two—releases April 14, worldwide AmazonPre-order CD single Better Off As Two—releases April 14, worldwide Amazon UKPre-order CD single Better Off As Two—releases April 13, worldwide Amazon UKPre-order CD album Complete Me—releases June 22, worldwide For digital downloads, check the usual stores on the above release dates.
One eskimO is a two-dimensional (literally) acoustic band dreamt up by London singer-songwriter Kristian Leontiou. Produced by Rollo Armstrong (Faithless, Dido), their debut single “Kandi” and its animated music video are fantastically enchanting. Toby Green of The Independent says “Kristian Leontiou...possesses a voice you could imagine appearing in Simon Cowell's wet dreams.”
If you like: Sia, The Bird and the Bee, The Submarines, Chairlift
FOUND culls clangs, clunks and crashes from everyday household objects and then, from a bedroom studio, they push the limits of digital music. Their unconventionally brilliant formula rejects all cliché synthesizers and forges a resonant electro vibe that's more than likely to get stuck in your ear.
Armed with a guitar, a Farfisa and a laptop, Les Handclaps are a 60s kitsch-influenced band from Montreal. Pure, campy yé-yé tangled with an equal portion of electro, the result is silly, catchy and altogether brilliant.
If you like: France Gall, April March, CSS, Nous Non Plus, Cheese People, The Ting Tings
Howard Eliott Payne comes from a musical family who, including himself, are local legends in their home of Liverpool. His former band The Stands parted ways in 2005 and he's now working on his solo debut.
Payne's first single “Come Down Easy” begins with deep blues strumming on his acoustic guitar and adds a tinge of folk with a sharp fiddle. His throaty alto vocals produce the feeling of authentic modern bluegrass, the kind you would hear in the park at sunset while reclining in front of the stage. The debut single releases April 6 on Move City Records.
If you like: Tim O'Brien, William Elliott Whitmore, The Be Good Tanyas
Buy his debut single: The single releases April 6 and there are no stores taking pre-orders yet. For more information and updates, see Howard Eliott Payne on MySpace.
Operahouse describes themselves as “a big, epic, sci-fi thing”. An accurate summary for an English rock band with a breathtaking sound that soars beyond the boundaries of Britpop and post-rock. Their full-length debut Escape from the Sun is set to release April 6 on Marrakesh Records.
If you like: Pixies, White Lies, Interpol, The National
Classy, trashy and a bit freakish, Esser fashions an offbeat style of pop that recalls vintage cabaret, modernising it with the magic of his laptop. He is working on his full-length, but in the meantime he has released several singles to give us a taste of his forthcoming LP.
If you like: Florence and the Machine, Beck, Gogol Bordello, Firewater
Underground hip-hop superstars Pigeon John and Flynn Adam team up once again to bring us Rootbeer and a tasty debut The Pink Limousine EP, just released last week. The duo and the various projects they've been involved with have always been known for their playful beats, catchy melodies and entertaining raps. Rootbeer is all that plus a few shots of dance-friendly fizz and spice.
If you like: Josh Martinez, Blackalicious, Murs, Lyrics Born
Rootbeer doesn't have a music video yet, so here's an 8 year-old L.A. Symphony video. Pigeon John mentions the Pink Limousine at the start of the song!
Dublin songwriters The Guggenheim Grotto never stray far from folk music's most important piece of hardware—their acoustic guitars—but their latest album finds them delving into new territory with keyboards, sampling and electronic beats.
The opening and standout track “Fee Da Da Dee” completes its voluminous sound by way of electric guitar, keyboards and the graceful vocals of both musicians plus a female guest, but the basis of the song is its devastatingly seductive bassline. Listen to it with decent speakers, then do what I did next—find the biggest sound system you can, crank it up and listen with your chest.
If you like: Iron & Wine, Great Lake Swimmers, Crowded House, VAST, The Frames (Glen Hansard)
Last summer at a music festival, I settled down in my lawn chair to watch The Handsome Family, a grim-looking married couple whose supposed gothic country style interested me. Little did I know that they had just inexplicably stepped out of a dusty and forgotten black and white horror film. Shadowy clouds started to creep across the formerly sunny sky as Brett and Rennie Sparks began to sing beautifully gruesome songs about deadly swamps, burning forests and drug-fueled suicides. It began to rain and Rennie commented that they may have angered the gods somehow. After they finished their set, the rain stopped and the clouds began to disperse.
The gloomy duo was scheduled to play another set later that afternoon and I was spellbound by their first set so I went to see them again. The sky was shimmering from the rain earlier but when their turn came to perform, the heavens came showering down again. Rennie commented again, apologizing for the dreadful weather they had caused, but at least the canopy extended over the audience this time. Rennie began to play while Brett's captivatingly abrasive baritone serenaded us with more haunting songs of despair and misfortune. I was looking out towards a young tree not ten steps outside the tent when suddenly from that exact spot where it stood, a tremendous bolt of lightning exploded with a deafening crash and a blinding flash. The music stopped, the power cut off by the surge, while the audience spent several seconds blinking and looking around in shock, ears ringing. My ears and my eyes, and likely everyone else's, had never experienced such a massive overload. The power came back on but Brett and Rennie played the rest of their set unplugged to stave off the vengeful thunderclouds.
The Handsome Family not only tell frightful tales of misery and tragedy, but they have the remarkable ability to bring them to life.
If you like: Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, Neko Case, Steve Earle
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour started in Lars Iversen's one room flat-turned-studio in Copenhagen, where many hard days' work and drunken nights slowly revealed their signature sound. Drowsy space-rock beats funktified with psychedelic guitar stabs and steamy, soulful voice of Mette Lindberg dissolve to create a dazzling stellar sound.
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour's debut album Fruit releases May 19 on Small Giants Records.
If you like: Little Boots, Ladyhawke, The Submarines, The Bird and the Bee, The B-52s
Buy it: The album is not available to pre-order yet, but there are a few singles and EPs available to purchase. › iTunesWorldwide › BeatportWorldwide › Play.comMP3, UK only › Amazon MP3US only › Amazon MP3UK only While you're waiting for the album, you can also download free and legal MP3s of “The Sun Ain't Shining No More” and Thomas Gold's remix of it from their marketing companies RCRDLBL and Girlie Action.
Josh Martinez and Sleep are The Undeniably Fresh and Unquestionably Hot Chicharones. Self-proclaimed kings of cheap tequila, they combine addictive tunes and ridiculous raps with fake mustachios and high kicking Elvis dance moves. They're all you wish you could be, leading the lives of both rap stars and rock stars, drinking free beer and touring the world without ever having to ask a crowd to scream and throw their hands in the air. These crazy nutballs are one of the greatest acts I've ever seen live.
Their brand new EP Swine Country is out now on Camobear Records.
If you like: Josh Martinez, Buck 65, Sage Francis, Classified, Pigeon John
Starfucker's brand of guitar-based indie pop comes as unconventionally as their name. Synths are sprinkled sparingly on the songs while the guitar, bass and drums take the lead. Typically, these instruments create the sound of rock music but Starfucker brilliantly fashions them into their own distinct form of pop music.
South by Southwest's 2009 music festival begins next week Wednesday, and although I (unfortunately) won't be there, I know many of you will be. It's a daunting task to sift through 1,986 artists performing at 88 venues in Austin and decide which ones you can make time for. I'm going to make your planning more troublesome by recommending one SXSW artist each day from now til Saturday, the last night of the festival.
If you're not going to SXSW, it's still business as usual here—one excellent song every day.
Brandon Bethancourt spent an icy winter in Alaska recording music on a laptop in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. After he gathered the help of his friends from Beirut and A Hawk and a Hacksaw, the project came to be known as Alaska in Winter, recently releasing its sophomore Holiday. The opening track “We Are Blind and Riding the Merry-Go-Round” starts with a ukelele but quickly becomes an experiment of dark sweeping synths harmonized with beautifully dismal vocals.
If you like: Beautiful music with a bassline that your chest can hear.
One would think the influence of roots rock/Americana on indie rock bands—like Arcade Fire, Calexico, Wilco and many others—should be at its tipping point by now. Nonetheless, Wild Light's debut Adult Nights, just released last week, is irresistible despite the same influence.
The sharp opening track “California On My Mind” joins vocal harmonies with vocal obscenities while a harmonica wails over sweeping guitars. The song is bright and soothing while the unrestrained perspective of the lyrics is delightfully entertaining.
If you like: Arcade Fire, Interpol, Beirut, The New Pornographers
Buy it: iTunesNorth America only InsoundCD, international AmazonCD, international Amazon UKCD, international Amazon MP3US only If the album is not available in your country in your preferred format, you can at least get a free and legal MP3 of “California On My Mind” from AOL Spinner.
She's a touring member of Foo Fighters, but it's her solo work that deserves attention. Jessy Greene's song “Time Bomb” was featured the other day on the explosive season finale of Burn Notice.
When a show or movie gets to its final climactic scene and a dramatically sublime song starts, it can make the scene profoundly powerful, like Imogen Heap's “Hide and Seek”, made famous by its tactful placement in The O.C.'s second season finale, or AFI's “Prelude 12/21” in a midseason finale of Smallville. Jessy Greene's “Time Bomb” is clearly one of those songs.
Modern Skirts has a sound that is inexplicable. Their new sophomore album, All of Us in Our Night, transitions from downtempo acoustic rock to electropop and back to piano rock. Most music is predictable to a degree—past the first minute, the rest of the song can largely be foreseen. This band breaks that mold with twists and surprises of unexpected sounds and instrumentation. The result is saturated sound that flows smoothly as the album progresses.
The final song on the album, “Like Lunatics” has an epic feel with a baffling combination of acoustic guitar, lofi synths and fluid orchestrations.
If you like: Alaska in Winter, Starsailor, Mando Diao
From time to time, I chance upon a song that simply takes me by surprise. Rigo & the Topaz Sound, collaborating with Red Fox, are a most unlikely genre collision—a snappy, soulful doo-wop tune electrified with dancehall reggae.
With the exception of Red Fox, the band is from Sweden and today they are competing for one of the last two spots in the final round of Melodifestivalen, Sweden's contest to determine who will compete in this year's Eurovision Song Contest.
If you're not from Europe, Eurovision is an annual competition where each country submits one song to be performed on live television, then each country votes to determine the most popular song. It's bigger than its American counterpart and the songs cover everything from trance to pop to power metal. Having been broadcast every year since 1956, outside of sporting events it's one of the most-watched events in the world.
The most effective way to discover this song is by watching the videos first.
Rogues' debut single “Not So Pretty” is an icy cool slice of savoury pop goodness. Not to be excessively descriptive, but a flaunting description is obligatory for such a flawlessly smooth mix of electropop grooves and 80s synths.
If you like: La Roux, Empire of the Sun, Ladyhawke
When I first heard Napoleon's new single “I Love My Baby (But If Anyone Touches Her I'll Kill Them)” I chuckled at the parenthesized portion of the title and I couldn't help getting hooked by their feelgood blue-eyed soul.
Soon after, I discovered two things that ruined the song for me. The tune of “I Love My Baby” is identical to the tune of The Four Tops' 1981 single “Don't Walk Away” but it's not a cover and it doesn't count as an homage if no credit is given, either in written form or in the song itself. Then I watched the music video, which features a douchey-looking young man who manages to look more pretentious than silly while puffing his cheeks and singing. Now I can't listen to the song without a mental image of his mental performance.
I still enjoy this song and would recommend it, just don't watch the video, although I know most who read this will watch it anyway.
Buy it: Amazon MP3UK only Play.comMP3, UK only 7digitalMP3, UK only The single has not been released in physical form, nor has it been released outside the UK.
