Tuesday 20 December 2011

Label Day: Ghostmeat Records

Hello there, Christmassy people! Done your shopping yet? No? There a petrol station near you? Yes? Well, that's ok then.

First up we have the rather awesomely named This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb, with Better Off Dead

90s underground rocks. I know I say it every few days, but that's because it's true, dammit! Sunbrain, Gravity

This guy's good. David Dondero, The Stars Are My Chandelier

Moll x 

Saturday 17 December 2011

Song Of The Week: Coyotes and Wolves, No Sleep

Modernisation has a lot to answer for. People are used to studio gloss, and they downright demand it. Supposedly, if it's raw, it's less worthy. Not so. There's something about the tape hiss that you don't get from anything else. There's an organic feel to it, a DIY feel that's absolutely priceless. An acoustic guitar or two, soul-baring lyrics, the occasional scream - you get that on Elliott Smith's Roman Candle, on Bright Eyes' Fevers and Mirrors, you get it here. It makes for an engaging, absorbing, powerful song. And who doesn't want that? Moll x

Tuesday 13 December 2011

Label Day: Anti-Creative

I think I just found my new favourite band. Well, maybe second favourite. The National are still occupying top spot. But this is awesome, lively folk punk, halfway between Mouldy Peaches and Mountain Goats. Ghost Mice, Homesick 

My internet is being blah again. Damn internet. Can't live with it, can't live without it. Anyway, despite constant interruptions, this still sounds great. imadethismistake,  Gravediggers On Their Deathbeds Pt. 2

For this, I'm going to have to link to an album stream, but what I've listened to so far, it's great. Defiance, Ohio, Midwestern Minutes

Mollx

Sunday 11 December 2011

AOTS: Nelsonvillans, Our Evil Inside Joke

 The way it powers through with great slams of guitar and rocketing drums; The nervousness next to courage and the way it can't settle. It shudders and skids through darkness to darkness, from sober to drunk to high to rock bottom. There's no glitter on this album, no shine, just the painful shaking of some kind of truth. I haven't heard such a raw scream, or the great, tugging lyrics hidden beneath rock'n'roll coloured glass, for what must be months. The truth is, I forgot how good it could be. How good it is. Rock isn't dead, and no self important magazine article can say so, not with music like this floating around on the underground. It might not be perfect, or entirely original. When is it ever? That's not the point. The point is that this album is well worth giving time and space in your CD player. It's well worth telling people about, because someone might hear it and buy it. Someone might see them live. Someone might play it on their final drive out of town. Someone might hear it, and start a band. That's what great music does to you, it sparks your imagination. It makes you believe that next time, that singer roaring into the microphone could be you.

 

8/10

Mollx



Saturday 10 December 2011

SOTW: Elite Gymnastics, We Don't Dream Anymore

The Cure. It needs to be said, before anything else; this sounds like The Cure. But to a reviewer whose favourite t-shirt quotes Friday I'm In Love, this is no bad thing. We Don't Dream Anymore ironically floats along in the midst of a sleepwalking fuzz; with the swirling synthesiser, the thudding bass, deadpan delivery - it should be a zombie of a song, but it's not.  It stands in the middle of a frozen world, half scared, half daring. Even so, there's a glimmer of life in the gentle darkness, a hopeful tinge to the cold desolation.

8/10


Moll x

Tuesday 6 December 2011

Label Day:8bitpeoples

They were right. 2012 is the year of the apocalypse.The geek apocalypse. Yes. It started with The Big Bang Theory reruns. Then there was the arrival of the 50p Spiderman money box. Now it's chiptune. This time next year I'll have an Atari computer and a not-too-shabby collection of comic books.

This is fantastic. Really awesome. I'm not usually a big fan of electronica, but hell, this rocks. The J Arthur Keenes Band, The Bus That Couldn't Slow Down

How about this one? Firebrand Boy, Famous

This is adorable. I didn't ever think one could describe what is essentially a collection of bleeps and whooshes as "adorable", but there you are. Nullsleep, Her Lazer Light Eyes

And, you know what's more awesome? It's FREE! Well, most of their discography anyway. See?

Mollx


Thursday 1 December 2011

The TV Show Episode

Wednesday in this house is Grey's Anatomy day. Well, actually it's Thursday, as my Mum tapes it pretty late...and then watches it over Thursday lunch. Yes. Hmm. Anyway, these are three songs that have been featured in Grey's.

And, just so you know, this post might have a vaguely techno tint. The Jealous Girlfriends, Something In The Water

I really like the bounciness of this. It's brilliant. Camera Obscura, If Looks Could Kill

Eh, I needn't have worried. Business as usual for the last track today, folks! Bat For Lashes, Moon And Moon

Mollx

Wednesday 30 November 2011

(Ad) Music Monday

I know I've done one of these before, but I think it's about time I did it again!

First, not strictly an ad and more a promo, from a recent-ish campaign pon Universal Channel for Without A Trace. Cat Power, I Found A Reason

This is definitely an ad, not a promo, and a damn good song to boot! James Vincent McMorrow, Higher Love

The first time I heard this advert, I said, and I quote "Aww! Why did you have to cover this? Couldn't you just use the Smiths version?" (it's one of my favourite Smiths songs) but as time went on, I realized how nice a version it is. Helped of course by the fact that this is one of the most adorable adverts I've ever seen. Slow Moving Millie, Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want

Moll x

Label Day: Firebox Records

I feel I need to do something different.

This song makes me want to hide under the desk. That said, I really like it. Hmm. Swallow The Sun, Deadly Nightshade

This one is also quite...ah...intimidating, but they're being nice about it. Dark The Suns, The Rain

Gentle. I like. Forest Of Shadows, Selfdestructive

Well, I did warn you.

Mollx

Monday 28 November 2011

(Merry) Music Monday

No, not a Christmas post (heck, it's not even December!), but instead a bit of a feel-good post.

I was almost certain I'd posted this already, but it appears not. Jookabox, Don't Go Phantom

I love this song so much. I was writing my book this morning (yes, I write books, too) and there was scene that really would have fit this song. Pity it's not on my iPod. The Mountain Goats, Genesis 3:23

This is typical of my kind of happy song.
It's not a happy song.
But just look at yourself.
You're grinning from ear to ear.
Regina Spektor, That Time

Mollx

Tuesday 22 November 2011

Label Day: Quote Unquote Records

Well hello! Nice of you to join me for another Label Day, which today is apparently the first ever donation based record label. 

I love this, unsurprisingly. (Less Than Jake - ska) + The Mountain Goats = The Taxpayers, The Windows Break

Picture this. You're in a car, probably a red or blue truck, driving down Route 66; the sun is shining and the wind is blowing your hair into your mouth as your brother plays guitar on the back seat. Heavenly, in other words. The Wild, Set Ourselves Free 

This reminds of something. I can't place it though, so you'll have to listen to it and make up your own mind. Shinobu, Antarctic Stare

Aaaand here is their site quoteunquoterecords.com

Saturday 19 November 2011

Song Of The Week: Sunset Rubdown, Idiot Heart

The only way I could do this song justice is by quoting it in its entirety and leaving it at that.

Except I'm not allowed to do that, really, am I?


So am I only allowed to talk about the way the drums meander and fall, the way the keyboard sounds oh-so-Joy Division, the way it twists, twangs and builds, the way every. single. word. takes your breath away? It never stops, letting you fall over its oddly brilliant opening riff and then hitting you with a lyrical suckerpunch to the gut. It twinkles and shimmers like wax melting in the sun, like Darth Vader hanging fairy lights - sweet yet strangely creepy.  It sends you spinning as you try and keep track of all those twists and then drops the floor from beneath your feet; Wrapping itself around you, pulling you further and further into its own distorted wonderland. Sharp and sweet. Cosy and cold. Rising and falling like so many rollercoasters. Building, building, building, and then...and then it drifts away, promising an earth-shattering ending and not delivering.


9/10

Mollx

Tuesday 15 November 2011

Label Day: Catbird Records

I would like to preface this post with two tips for any newbie record labels.
First, email me. See how over there  -->
Second, and I should have lead with this, get yourself a good name. See the title of this post.

Another victim of the heard of but still unheard syndrome, sadly. This song is brilliant. Somebody Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Lower The Gas Prices Howard Johnson.

Eleven seconds. ELEVEN FREAKIN' SECONDS, that's all it took for me to fall in love with this. I'm getting Crash Test Dummies crossed with Devendra Banhart. Go on. Click the link. Pet Politics, Sunday Morning.

Twelve seconds this time. I should make a post or a page of songs that catch you within twenty seconds, really I should. Air Waves, Shine On

Also, their website: www.catbirdrecords.com

Mollx

Monday 14 November 2011

Music Monday: The Youtube Trail, VI

Remember this feature? Of course you do.

Firstly, Frog Eyes. No, don't be like that! It's not an insult, it's the name of the band! The fourth (fifth, if you count Hot Hot Heat) Wolf Parade related band I've listened to, and, well, I'm not as impressed as I could have been. Frog Eyes, The Sensitive Girls   


7/10

This is spectaculiar. It's odder than it first appears. More awesome than it first appears, too. Smog, Guiding Light

8/10

This, not so much. In different circumstances, I'm sure I'd like it, but It's just a bit too monotonous for me. The Radio Dept, The Video Dept.

5/10

Hmm. With the video, it's a bit too soppy, but without the video it's really good. Emily and The Woods, Steal His Heart

7/10


Mollx

Wednesday 9 November 2011

Label Day: Arts And Crafts

*stretches*
My blogging muscles haven't had much of a workout recently, have they? Let's warm up with a little thing called Label Day, shall we?

I keep seeing this band around the place, and I've always pretty much gone: "Tssh, I can't be bothered right now, I'll look 'em up tonight before I go to bed." And have I done? No, not until now. Timber Timbre, Too Old To Die Young

Do you love drifty music? Yes? Here you go. The Darcys, Shaking Down The Old Bones

This gal reminds me a bit of Zooey Deschanel, and if She and Him were more like this instead of that twee thing they've got going on (although, before you all throw rocks at me, I like twee, and I like Zooey's voice, but more than a minute of listening to She and Him and it starts to annoy me). Amy Millan, Bury This

Mollx

Sunday 6 November 2011

AOTS: Clara Engel, Madagascar EP

She emailed me a few weeks ago with a link to her EP on Bandcamp, and I'm never sure what to think on the odd occasions that that happens. And no matter what I thought, this is better. The title track, for instance, is one of the few songs to have actually scared me. It's more wild than either of the other two tracks, howling, screeching, and crashing like thunder. Accompanied By Dreams is softer, more open, less like being chased through a storm and more like seeing moving shadows in an empty room. There's a strange spectral beauty to it, slight but still powerful. Watch out for her.

8/10


Mollx

Welcome Back, Stranger! (Plus, News On A Long-Awaited Review!)

Yes, yes. I know. But I've had six exams over three weeks (and I had to go down to Bristol to sit them, which is a thousand mile round trip)! Please let me have this one, please? 


So, where was I? Oh yes, that long-awaited review.

I'm gonna go put it up now.

Mollx

Monday 17 October 2011

Song Of The Week: My Brightest Diamond, Be Brave

If you remember my post on Asthmatic Kitty Records, you'll remember that it's not a run-of-the-mill indie label. And My Brightest Diamond aren't a run-of-the-mill indie band, not by any stretch of the imagination. Be Brave is a twisted track. Primal rhythm, glossy electronic highlights, an unsettling orchestra and Shara Worden's beautiful, beautiful voice. This is not "average" music. This is not an "average" track. This is one of those tracks you find every now and then that knocks you off your feet.

8/10


Mollx


P.S. Stay tuned, there's an exciting review coming up soon!

Tuesday 11 October 2011

Label Day: Young God Records

Usually, if I'm not impressed by a label's website, I just won't bother with it (oh come on. I can't be doing with hard to navigate websites at quarter to eleven! ) but today I'm making an exception.

Larkin Grimm. Brilliant name, isn't it? Her music's good too. Here's Ride That Cyclone. (free download!!!)

Whoa. I mean, whoa. There's a little Nick Cave in there, a little blues, a little rock, and a helluva lotta awesome. Wooden Wand, Ms Mowse

Unless you've been under a rock for the past...what, two, three years is it now? Jeez...you'll have heard of Marcus Mumford and his Sons (who aren't actually his sons, but that's another matter). If that slightly commercial folkpop leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, give this a go instead. Fire On Fire, Hartford Blues (free download again!!!)

Mollx

Tuesday 4 October 2011

Label Day: Rob's House Records

First off, I wanted to say I'm really sorry for all my absences of late - I've got exams at the end of the month, so I've been under a fair bit of pressure and consequently I've been too tired to think of a theme or write up a review. Y'all really awesome for reading my blog, and I've been feeling guilty about never posting. Forgive me, please? ;) I thought I'd compromise and try and do Label Day and at least one review a week. I might be erratic with the posting, but I think two a week is pretty manageable, don't you?

All girl band, singing drummer, bassist with a really cute jumper, and a touch of both Warpaint and Bikini Kill. A band made in some kind of heaven, don'tcha know. The Coathangers, Toomerhead

You'll have noticed, I'm sure, a slant toward the...quirky side of punk on this here site. Well, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Cola Freaks, Mig Mig Mig

How about this as a last song of the day? All Night Drug Prowling Wolves, Maybe Tomorrow.

Mollx

Friday 23 September 2011

Nirvana Week: Favouritism

I've been avoiding it all week, but here they are, my top three songs from Nevermind:

Come As You Are

Polly


Something In The Way


Mollx

REM

I just had to mention this really sad news - REM have split up, after 31 years and 15 albums. I know 31 years is a long time to be doing something, but that doesn't really make it any less devastating.

My favourite
An extremely close second
And a very predictable third

Please, add your own in the comments.

Mollx

Thursday 22 September 2011

Nirvana Week: Peer Pressure

Pretty close to the influences post I suppose, but I can kind of get away with mentioning Kathleen Hanna again so what the hell.

Whenever I have to explain who The Melvins are, I always say that Kurt Cobain was basically their annoying little-kid hanger-on. I can know add that they're bloody awesome. The Melvins, Lizzy

And Nirvana toured with these guys in the very early Sub-Pop days (see if you can spot Krist) Tad, Dementia

NOW WHY DO I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS???? I mean, seriously. I thought I'd listened to all of Kathleen Hanna's projects, but no. Julie Ruin, Apt #5

Mollx

Nirvana Week: Poppier Than You'd Think, Really.

It's influences time! Courtesy of MOJO magazine and Wikipedia. (well, I can't exactly interview the band themselves, can I?)

I'm starting with Shonen Knife, and Hot Chocolate. As the man himself said: "When I finally got to see them live, I was transformed into a hysterical nine-year-old girl at a Beatles concert." 


Nirvana covered this song, so if it's not an influence, I'll eat my hat. Fang, The Money Will Roll Right In


KC (although here with no Sunshine Band...yes I know it's an awful, awful joke. But you smiled, didn't you? No?) said they were his favourite songwriters so it's only fair that I fit in the Vaselines, with The Day I Was A Horse

Mollx

Wednesday 21 September 2011

Label Day: Wait, What?

No, I'm not posting about a label called Wait, What? I don't even know if there is one. There should be.

I was going to do Sub Pop, you see, but I've done that.
I couldn't bring myself to do Geffen.
And then I thought "Well, Calvin Johnson and KC were friends weren't they? Do K Records!" But it turns out I've done that too.
So I was at a loss until I heard this first song, and decided on the spot an obscure opposite of yesterday's post.

 Here She Comes Now (Velvet Underground)
My Best Friend's Girl (The Cars) Yes, really.
Seasons In The Sun (Terry Jacks, I think)

There are tons of others, but I won't (read: can't cause there are so many) post them all so you can have that lovely feeling of digging and digging and then finding something mindblowing.

Mollx

Monday 19 September 2011

An Announcement

If you don't like Nirvana, go get yourself to a doctor you might want to give this blog a miss for the next week.
Because, my dear awesome readers, Saturday is the 20th ANNIVERSARY OF NEVERMIND!!!

That's depressing, and I wasn't even born in '91.

So, with no further ado, I am hereby announcing NIRVANA WEEK!

So to get in to the mood, here are some rockin' Nirvana covers!

Have I said I wish I was Patti Smith? I think so. She's punk personified, and this version is the best SLTS cover I've heard. Patti Smith, Smells Like Teen Spirit

Reggae doesn't often appear on this blog. But this is so chilled I had to post it. Little Roy, About A Girl

Why do I like this? Oh yeah. Because I'm a closet metalhead. I do miss the melody of the original though. Thou, Sifting

Mollx

SOTW: Adam Green, Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division Cover)

It shouldn't work. It shouldn't. But it does. Keyboard, yes. Drum machine, ok then. American guy, he can get away with it. Acoustic guitar? Surely it has too much warmth, less Eighties Manchester and more nineties Omaha? True. But somehow it manages to fit in the same frozen emotional clout, the same tricky minimalism. And although it's not the original - nothing can beat that - it stands up as a song that, rather than copying, twists it  self into an entirely new beast.

8.5/10

Mollx

Edit: Link fixed. Sorry.

Friday 16 September 2011

Foreign Friday: Denmark

This fixture is turning out to be quite intriguing, what with me listening to bands I may never have even heard of, let alone listened to.

You tend to have two camps in rock. Alternative rock, and mainstream rock. You get crossover, of course, but I don't think it's usually all that mind-blowing. I'm looking at you, Foo Fighters. This, on the other hand, is everything crossover rock (I'm patenting that) should be. The Floor Is Made Of Lava, All Outta Love

Going off the fact that I have actually heard of the Raveonettes, I would assume they are relatively well-known.
Or maybe not.
The Raveonettes, Attack Of The Ghost Riders

I know I say this all the time, but I really wish I'd been a teenager in the nineties. Because this is awesome. Psyched Up Janis, I Died In My Teens

And as always (but especially with FF) if there's a band you know that you think I'll like - even if it's the kind of thing I don't usually post, I'll listen to anything once - let me know, either in the comments or by sending me an email via the box on the right. I say especially with FF since I use Wikipedia to find these bands, and hence  they might be quite popular in their home country and I'd rather post more underground stuff as you know.

Thanks!
Moll

Thursday 15 September 2011

A Midweek Addiction Update III

I'm going to say something now, that you may not agree with.

Buying new music is not good for the wallet.

But it's good for the soul.

This song came along at the perfect time. I've been getting more into sixties soul-pop from all these episodes of Cold Case that keep getting shown, and until now I wasn't bothered about this album. But do you know what kind of music this is? Soul-pop. And do you know what just happened? I got paid. So if soul-pop + money = x, what is x? Me buying Feist's new album, of course. Feist, How Come You Never Go There

I haven't listened to Mr Adams for a good long while, but I'm a fan of his FB page, and as a result of his little updates, I find myself looking forward to hearing this album. Ryan Adams, Lucky Now

I can't think of much to say about this song, apart from saying that it's pretty awesome. Sissy And The Blisters, Let Her Go

Mollx

Late Label Day: Better Looking Records

Well, that was a good start to the week, wasn't it, being ill for near two days with food poisoning? Grr.

Anyway, let's kick off Label Day with some good old alt.rock music. The Electric Soft Parade, If That's The Case Then I Don't Know

Well, this is a twangy electronic mass, isn't it? Meho Plaza, I Sold My Organs

As a Heatmiser and Sordid Humor fan, I love this. The And/Ors, Flexiclocks

Mollx

Tuesday 13 September 2011

(New) Music Monday

Sorry for my absence of late - it was mine and my Mum's birthday last week so everything was a bit hectic and I couldn't find the time.

Anyway, new week, new slate, new music. Well, new-ish.

I really, really want to like St Vincent. And I'm trying, I promise. So far I've been a bit...not underwhelmed as such, but not as blown away as I want to be. This is extremely good though, so if I see the album somewhere I might well get it. From her new album Strange Mercy, St Vincent, with Cruel

I started to smile as soon as this track started. It's not awesome, and it's not even all that original...but I love it anyway. The Horrible Crowes, Sugar, from the new album Elsie.

Well. Yes. Hmm. HOW CAN SHE BE THIS GOOD AT 21?? Laura Marling, the title track from A Creature I Don't Know

Mollx

Sunday 4 September 2011

AOTS: The Mountain Goats, All Hail West Texas

From last week:

"When you punish a person for dreaming his dream, don't expect him to thank or forgive you!" sings John Darnielle on The Best Ever Death Metal Band In Denton. It's a killer of a title track, filled with, as it says in the liner notes, The sound of a long-broken machine, deciding, on its own and without the interference of repairmen or excessive prayer vigils, to function again. As well as a musing on the Panasonic RX-FT500, it seems that that's a stencil for the relationships he sings about with such bitter passion. His lyrics are frighteningly clever, beautifully witty, and forced to the forefront by simple strumming and then buried in the crackle of the cheap stereo condenser microphone. The songs are what one could call basic - but it takes a long time to squeeze everything out of this album, and that's the mark of a truly great songwriter.

West Texas! West Texas! West Texas!

8.8/10

Mollx

SOTW: Your Ghost, Kristin Hersh

It takes a special song to stop you in your tracks. Your Ghost doesn't just stop you in your tracks. It covers you in goosebumps, makes your hair stand on end. It's full of melancholy poetry, a simple guitar, strings, and one of the most beautifully gritty voices since Patti Smith. But somehow it's more than just the sum of its parts. The sum of its parts would make an amazing song, true, but not a song this compelling, this heartbreaking. And it's more than just Michael Stipe's backing vocals that make it so.

10/10


Mollx

Thursday 1 September 2011

TV Theme Thursday!

I'm pretty sure one of you lovely people has seen at least a little of the US version of Shameless - well, as luck would have it, the theme song is rather epic. The Highly Strung, The Luck You Got


I don't know if this has a title of its own, but it's the Big Bang Theory theme, by Barenaked Ladies, and it rocks.



And if you don't know what this is from, watch some CSI. Except watch the earlier episodes of CSI:NY because season 7 is a bit crap in my opinion. Anyway, The Who, Baba O'Riley



Mollx

Tuesday 30 August 2011

Label Day: Afternoon Records

I'm not going to lie and say that the past few Label Days have been easy. You see, I've got a list (thanks Wikipedia) and I - much like when looking for records or books - just scan until something catches my eye. Not the best method I'll admit, which is why I'm particularly happy with having found today's label.

I think this guy is really good. I can't think who he reminds me of, but his bio says: Comparisons range from Daniel Johnston to Robbie Fulks to The Mountain Goats to Guided by Voices, but he’s just trying to sound like Neil Young. Watch him closely, or he will come to your house and watch you. Here's his page. I like the first track most myself.


I'm having flashbacks to when I used to listen to folk most of the time (Jon Boden, Seth Lakeman, Kris Drever etc) but really it's only his lyrics that bring that style to mind - he's most certainly in the alt./anti-folk vein. John Vanderslice (also, if this helps, he's collaborated with John Darnielle {who's All Hail West Texas I am still in the process of reviewing for last weeks AOTS}) 

If the last Bright Eyes album had been more like this instead of a watered-down Digital Ash..., I'd have been a very happy girl indeed. Poison Control Center The first track, by the way.


Mollx

Saturday 27 August 2011

SOTW: Kimya Dawson, My Rollercoaster

Kimya Dawson. How she does it I'll never know - My Rollercoaster  is a bit of a jumble. Lyrics as fast and meandering as if she was just making it up off the top of her head, sometimes almost childishly soppy (The life I love is making music with my friends) and still full of quiet beauty. You can imagine her just sitting in your kitchen, laughing, joking, eating a flapjack...and just strumming this song, introducing it with a humble "I just wrote this, it's rough, but I'm really proud of it."  And she ought to be proud. It grabs you, shakes you, puts the biggest smile on your face, and has you humming it for the next three days.

8/10

Mollx

Wednesday 24 August 2011

Late Label Day: Cooking Vinyl

I  have often said that Buzzcocks' Ever Fallen In Love is one of the best songs ever. And together with this song, I'm pretty sure they also should have the title of  "Most Epic Band".  Buzzcocks, Fast Cars



I listen to the radio, but I respect his views. The Vines, Don't Listen To the Radio



Well well well. This band've been on The LIST  for a few months now...and who'd'a guessed it? They're good! The Wedding Present, I'm From Further North Than You



Mollx

Tuesday 23 August 2011

(Hair-brained) Music Monday

I dyed my hair purple today. And I think I did it just so I had an excuse to post this song. Can you guess which one I'm talking about? ("I really don't care, did you see the drummer's hair?") Pavement, Cut Your Hair



This is just under six years old. Doesn't sound it, does it? Devendra Banhart, Long Haired Child



...And I miss your ginger hair...The Zutons, Valerie


Mollx

Sunday 21 August 2011

AOTS: Sunset Rubdown, Shut Up I Am Dreaming

Most of the time, an album focuses on one or two things. Lyrics, maybe, or the fact that you've got a great guitar player, even, perhaps, that you bought a new distortion pedal last week and are desperate to show it off. Shut Up I Am Dreaming focuses on none of these things. Or at least, not just those things. Like in Spencer Krug's day job Wolf Parade, everything is thrown at your ears all at once. And boy do I mean everything. In Wolf Parade, you get the feeling that at least one person in that band knew the meaning of the word restraint. No such word appears in the dictionary of Sunset Rubdown. Krug, however, has a fantastic ear for melody, for contrast, and for making songs that on paper sound shambolic and clumsy sound perfectly centered between what-the hell-am-I-doing-now and military precision. The band pulls back when they need to, like on The Empty Threats Of Little Lord, and goes full throttle on others - Snakes Got A Leg III, for instance. Krug's lyrics are pretty much genius: "And I'm sorry that your mother died / But that one wasn't my fault." from opener Stadiums And Shrines II, or  "I've heard of creatures who eat their babies / And I wonder if they stop to think about the taste." from the stand-out track Us Ones In Between. They're a band that transcends genre boundaries and throws conformity out of the window along with most of their sanity. It works for them though, this crazy, hard to swallow collage of sound. Of course it works. Maybe it's too much at first, maybe the best way to take it is to listen to the tracks separately. But listen to it, please. It's beautiful, fascinating, confusing, and very possibly one of the best albums of the last ten years.

10/10

(and here's the album on streaming site We7)

Saturday 20 August 2011

SOTW: Charlie Simpson, Down Down Down

I have one problem with commercial singer-songwriters: the very fact that they're commercial. It's a fine line sometimes, between commercial-with-merit and popular-indie - which is, say, the line between Charlie Simpson and Marcus Mumford. I'm going to say it right out - Down Down Down is an ok song. It has an acoustic guitar or two, strings, et al, and the man himself has a decent voice if that's your kind of thing. The most glaring thing about it, however, is that it's a song without substance. It's a tune, a group of musicians, in dire need of a good lyric. Case in point: "And the nights are so long without you / And the days speed up." Seriously, Charles. I mean, seriously. Much like his first outing as "the one from Busted with the terrifying eyebrows" (he's still got those, by the way), it's a diluted copy of a decent genre - first doing brain-numbing pop-punk, and now only-slightly-less-brain-numbing pseudo-folk. But it's ok! It does what it says on the tin. It's radio-friendly folk pop, and that's all. It won't change the world. Hell, it's not even trying to. 


But can someone please tell me what the deal is with that weird tempo change? 


3/10


Mollx

Friday 19 August 2011

Foreign Friday: Ukraine

The second instalment of FF comes from the Ukraine, which accounts for sixty-four of my blog hits (ie forth highest country)

I'm loving this. Am I insulting anyone if I call this harmonic industrial metal? I hope not, they don't sound like the kind of people you want to get on the wrong side of. Komu Vnyz, Shiva


Something totally different now - ethereal folk music, flutes, the whole shebang. T'are good. Fleur, Remont


I always look in the "Metal" section of HMV now. I don't know quite why - they don't stock very much music I like generally, so why should they stock a good range of metal? To be honest I think it's just the first step on my way to coming out of the metalhead closet. Drudkh, Distant Cries Of Cranes


Mollx

Thursday 18 August 2011

Further Evidence of a Musical Apocalypse

It seems David Bowie may be retiring. 
gfvbgvfbyfhghv
Sorry, my forehead hit the keyboard. I accept if he doesn't want to be in the business any more, but I just lost hope for music. We've still got the underground stuff to fall back on, I suppose, although I've just looked at the top forty and it's dire. At least if Bowie tossed us a new track it might make the top ten a bit more interesting and a bit less manufactured. 

Here, then, are three songs to light up a very dire chart.



A rockier Reason 2


Did you ask for piano? Course ya did. Reason 3


And I think I should just chuck in a bonus Reason 4



Mollx

(oh, and more on the PIAS story)


Cold Case?

Yeah yeah yeah, watched Cold Case this evening, decided to scrape the barrel of one-hit-wonders and tried to find something good, yeah yeah yeah. So, where ARE these bands? Is the trail cold? Maybe.

I like this, mostly because Linda Perry reminds me of Joan Armatrading in a pretty big way ('cept Joan's a lot better. Well, I think so, anyway.) 4 Non Blondes, What's Up



Mum's been singing this so much lately it's become more a conversation starter:
Mum: You know, I get knocked down.
Me: But do you get back up again?
Mum: Oh yeah.
Me: Am I ever gonna keep you down?
Mum: No. Do you want a brew?
Chumbawamba, Tubthumping




Is there anyway I was going to dislike this? It's got Kim Deal from't Pixies and Tanya Donnelly from Throwing Muses, plus an awesome bassline. The Breeders, Cannonball


Mollx

Tuesday 16 August 2011

Label Day: Smells Like Records

Well, this is awesome. Take Spectoresque bubblegum pop, adopt it, raise it on Sleater-Kinney, and then give it a band. I'd say it'd sound like this. The Rondelles, He's Outta Sight


If you'd asked me yesterday, I'd have said "Yeah, I like Cat Power. Why?". Now, I say, "I love Cat Power. Why don't you buy me Myra Lee, since you brought it up?". Cat Power, Ice Water



Now this rocks. Be honest, who's going to give Pixies-esque alt. rock a miss? John Wolfington, Shotgun


Mollx

Thursday 11 August 2011

The Youtube Trail, V

Further to this whole music-for-a-non-existent-summer thing...

The 6ths, Falling Out Of Love (With You)
I like it. Perfect summer sun music.


Sunometer: 8/10

The Magnetic Fields, I Don't Really Love You Any More
I like this too...but more rainy summer/autumn than summer sun



Sunometer: 6.9/10

Drop Nineteens, Winona
I think I like this most of all...it's perfect for this strange summer we're having.



Sunometer: 8.5/10


Mollx

Wednesday 10 August 2011

The Sony/PIAS Fire

You might have heard about the riots in London these past few days, and I just wanted to let you all know about the Sony warehouse that was burnt down - home to lots of indie labels' stock; Beggars Banquet, XL, Warp, and many others. Given how much independent labels depend on physical sales, and how little money they have due to the recession, it's looking like some are going to go under. The good news though, is that a fund is being set up to minimise the damage - http://cognitvedissonancerecords.com/labellove/.

Here's an article with more information, and a list of labels distributed by PIAS.

Mollx

Tuesday 9 August 2011

Label Day: Sub Pop

Tell me something.

Why has it taken me so long to feature Sub Pop?

Oh, and you know what I was saying yesterday about free music? All the following rockin' tracks are FREE!!!

I - somehow - didn't like this when I downloaded it. I love it now. Dum Dum Girls, He Gets Me High (download)



*looks meekly at floor* It's not riot grrrl, it's not, it's not! Sleater-Kinney, Entertain (download)



I haven't listened to this in ages. I'd forgotten how good it is. Oxford Collapse, Please Visit Your National Parks (download)

Mollx

Monday 8 August 2011

(A Special) Music Monday

The tagline on my blog says "There's good music everywhere, if you know where to look". To be honest, I find it somewhat pretentious, so I'll probably take it down. But the idea behind this post is really to share with you where I find stuff. (by the way, it'd be awesome if you could leave me comments saying where you find yours!)

So, 1a) the radio. Yes, the radio. Before switching to BBC Radio 6, I listened to Radio 2, which wasn't great for finding new music or anything particularly alternative (at least, during the daytime shows), but sometimes they'll throw in a wildcard. I found the evening shows had a bit more variety, and it's by listening to them that I first heard No Name #4 and Bloodbuzz Ohio by Elliott Smith and The National respectively, to name just two.



1b) Internet radio. I remember quite vividly hearing This Year by The Mountain Goats for the first time, after putting Elliott Smith into the Jango internet radio generator. After becoming more aware of these things, I found Last FM was better, but Jango, as far as I remember, doesn't play ads between songs.



2) Youtube. Yeah, unsurprising I know, but you really can find some great songs just from going from video to video (also, fantastic for when you're bored and still want to feel like you're actually doing something). I've found so many people like this I can't even begin to name them.



3) Looking for free (or at least cut price) stuff! Amazon and iTunes do free songs and reduced-price promotions, though the problem with those is it's usually just mainstream things, although iTunes did once offer Georgia by Yuck, so just have a look 'coz you never know. Record label websites quite often have free songs available too, like Team Love, Sub Pop, Joyful Noise etc. (There's a very extensive list of labels on Wikipedia I usually use for Label Day). Record shops themselves also sometimes have albums stupidly cheap, and I've occasionally found albums in charity shops for 50p-£2 (and some places will cut the price down for you if you get loads, or if it's a bit damaged).




Mollx

Saturday 6 August 2011

SOTW: Karen, The Trouble With Sweeney

There must be something in the August air that makes people unable to do anything but lie in deckchairs and eat ice-cream. Karen's a slow candyfloss whisp of a track, a song built on soft guitars, floating drums, lazy brass and sweet harmonies. It sounds frail, barely more substantial than the head of a dandelion, and yet it sticks in your mind - not catchy, as such, but just so pretty and fragile that it takes over your life for three minutes and twenty-six seconds. It's sweet but slightly heartbreaking, like coming to the end of your last bottle of lemonade.

8.5/10


Mollx

(The link I've given is also a free download link from Burnt Toast Vinyl, have a look around their site because they've got tons of downloads)

Friday 5 August 2011

Foreign Friday: New Zealand

Possibly to become a semi-permanent fixture - Foreign Friday! (I did promise alliteration)

Not quite what I was expecting, but it's really good. Tall Dwarfs, Nothing's Gonna Happen


Some eight years before that whole C86 wave - jangly, trippy and a fair bit kooky: just my thing! The Clean, Are You Really On Drugs


You probably caught a few seconds of this on the beginning of Nothing's Gonna Happen, and here you have the whole thing. The Bats, North by North 


Mollx

Wednesday 3 August 2011

New Adventures In Vimeo

I did have an idea for today, but it was better suited to Friday for alliteration purposes.

So now I have no idea, but I think I might just mooch around the interweb and see what happens.

Well, it is summer (supposedly) and you can't expect me to put any effort in on holiday, can you?

I haven't long known this video sharing site, Vimeo, but if this is the standard of music people post on there then consider me a convert. The Greff Band, I Want To Go Home 



This isn't strictly a music video. There's music in it, oh yes, and it's by Sigur Ros, but just watch it for the sake of the beautiful animation. Carlos Lascano, A Short Love Story In Stop Motion



I'm sensing there's a hole the size of a music video featuring Jenga and an abandoned factory (or other such thing) in your soul. Here's the perfect thing to fill it with. Northern Labour Party, Failure Won't Fail Me



Mollx

Tuesday 2 August 2011

Label Day: Sarah Records

I'm in love with the idea of fanzines. I'm especially in love with the idea of a fanzine that releases flexi-discs (a flexible record! I had no idea such things existed!), and the record label that springs up as a result.

Where is this summer I ordered? Out of stock? Damn. Well, at least we've got this little bit of C86 sunshine. The Orchids, Apologies


Good god. The 90's music scene really was awesome. I listen to music like this and just imagining how terrible it is that these bands just fall by the wayside, and that the members are probably doing the nine to five in an office block somewhere. It's heartbreaking. Even As We Speak, Blue Suburban Skies


It's the same with this one. It sounds like it was recorded on a rainy summer afternoon, while everybody was praying for sunshine and candyfloss. Another Sunny Day, I'm In Love With A Girl Who Doesn't Know I Exist


Mollx

Sunday 31 July 2011

AOTS: Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights

Put early Radiohead and Joy Division in a blender, whiz it up with some crushed velvet and an abandoned cityscape, and you've got Interpol. They're a band with a strangely massive sound - not stadium-expansive, but instead straining against the walls of a small club. They're a band with a sound suited to the dark, a dark filled with insomnia and expensive hi-fi. Listen to them through the best headphones you can find, and loose yourself in the moodiness, the gloom and weird freedom of asking where did it all go wrong? It's a beautiful sound. It's got all the warmth of the dim light at four in the morning, the loneliness of being the only one awake, the exhaustion of still getting on with life after a night lying awake. It's a comforting sound, interesting enough to hold your attention, but still has that kind of vague monotony you could fall asleep to if you wanted to. It's a simultaneously strong and delicate album, beautiful to listen to once, but endlessly rewarding if you have the time.

8.9/10


Mollx

SOTW: Face Parade, Child Bite

For a band called Child Bite, the amount of death metal in Face Parade is pitiful. Non-existent, in fact. Instead it sounds like The Shins-meet-Sunset-Rubdown, having been introduced by Roxy Music. It's a song that can't really seem to settle - the sound rises and falls, glam one minute and synth-pop the next. It's a strange song, on first listen sounding uncertain, but the more you hear it the more confident it grows, until it dares you to dislike it.

7/10


Mollx

Friday 29 July 2011

The Eric Club

Did you hear Eric's Club in Liverpool is reopening? Heartwarming, even though it's OMD that are behind it. 

I like this song, very, very much. Always have. Anyway, I'm led to believe that's Eric Burdon on vocals.


No prizes for guessing this Eric. 



Woah! What is this, 60's/70's rock day?



Mollx

Wednesday 27 July 2011

A Midweek Addiction Update II

So, again, just some tracks I've been really loving this past fortnight:


Something in the same kind of vein happened with Chapel Club's Surfacing - Ok at first, but the more you hear it the more you like it until it comes on and you yell "I LOVE THIS SONG!!!"

I really want to like the Pixies. I've never though much of them (probably because I was expecting something harsher) but I'm actually liking Frank Black. I should give his band another go.



I've always really liked this song, but I never paid attention to what it was or who played it until now.


Mollx

P.S. I just looked up Here Comes Your Man by the Pixies, and found out that I am in the same situation I was in with Lloyd Cole an't Commotions.

Curses. Where have I been, eh? Crazytown?

Tuesday 26 July 2011

Label Day: Kill Rock Stars

I'm surprised I haven't done this one yet.

I think this might be how Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory might be if he embarked on a alternative rock project.


This is really good. Dirty, heavy guitars and one of those awesome basslines I like so much, with Warpaint-esque vocals. Absolutely gorgeous.



Smudgy, muted rock. Good stuff.



Mollx