Cougar Microbes

One Eyed Jacks were never going to be boring with a name inspired by David Lynch‘s seminal Twin Peaks series. Having recently released their debut EP ‘In Memory…‘ the boys are now taking on a bunch of live dates around England including a recent Proud Galleries show.

When the London quintet are firing on all cylinders they can bring to mind an amalgamation of The Coral and The National and even a bit of early Radiohead.

Sombre tones and layered guitars are slowly unveiled in dream like crescendos offering to take the listener on a sonic journey. Strap yourself in.

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There is clearly something in the water in Athens, Georgia. Whilst R.E.M., for whom I have always had a big crush, are the city’s biggest attraction (at least in terms of sales) the place has continued to produce a phenomenal list of artists over the years. Elf Power just serve to reaffirm this belief.

Having amassed a load of releases under their belt over the past 16 years they’ve recently brought out their ‘self-titled‘ in honour of their friend Vic Chesnutt, with whom the band had collaborated numerous times. Aquarium Drunkard has a fantastic piece by Elves guitarist/vocalist Andrew Rieger discussing Vic’s music and their relationship.

‘Elf Power‘ is out now on Orange Twin Records.

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It was fitting that I would see Ash live again after, earlier in the year, I described how my dad inadvertently made me into an Ash fan and the first time I saw them live. The spirit of that youthful trio is alive and well even after all this time.

Opting to mix material from their 2010 anti-album ‘A-Z Series‘ with several fan favourites including a bunch of songs from the brilliant ‘1977‘ served not only to jog the memory but also to show how well the new material stands in contrast. Opening double whammy ‘Arcadia‘ and ‘Girl From Mars‘ set the scene and had the crowd eating out of the band’s hands immediately.

Tracks like ‘A Life Less Ordinary‘ and ‘Oh Yeah‘ were much appreciated trips down memory lane executed to perfection but the biggest smiles of the night where kept for their note perfect rendition of Weezer‘s ‘Only In Dreams‘.

Predictably ending with fan favourite ‘Burn Baby Burn‘ it was hard to spot a single person in the room not singing along and you would have been forgiven for thinking that Ash have somehow stumbled across a rejuvenation potion. What is certain is that the freedom they have enjoyed on the ‘A-Z Series‘ has given them a new lease of life.

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Great Lakes are a bit of an institution having been around in various guises since 1996. Ben Crum is the heart of the band since his partners in crime Dan Donahue and Jamey Huggins (of Of Montreal fame) focussed their talenta on other projects over the years.

For the latest release under the Great Lakes guise, and the first to feature Crum as the principle songwrriter, he assembled musicians from the likes of Mice Parade, Beirut, Ladybug Transistor, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists and Ryan Adams to deliver his folk and country influenced vision.

‘Ways Of Escape‘ is pretty distant from the sound that has become associated with the bands but in no way less elegant. Clearly benefitting from the all star cast of of musicians lending their help Crum has delivered an enchanting record boasting soulful organs, steel pedal guitars and considerate drumming.

‘Ways Of Escape’ is out now on Orange Twin Records

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There was a time when bands had to be a native of the right cities, have a sizable budget and enjoy the right connections to be exposed to the music loving public. Occasionally, we’d stumble across something new but more often than not the NYC-LON-LA music scene dictated the sound that came through the airwaves.

In many ways Satellite Stories represent everything that I love with music in the 21st Century. Hailing from the remote arctic city of Oulu in Finland the spunky four piece have sent us tracks that are both enjoyable and distinctive, largely thanks to the vocals that betray their Nordic routes and lend their tracks an charming quality.

You get the feeling the band draw strength from their position as outsiders both nationally and globally. This is evident when the band poke fun at their nations capital and cultural hub with the defiat tongue-in-cheek refrain for ‘Helsinki Art Scene’ where the band declare that they don’t need to be and definitely don’t want to be part of the aforementioned scene. Quite a statement of intent.

‘The track ‘Mexico’ is further evidence that the band remain unhindered by their geographical location and instead throw down as good an ode to escapism and travel as any other band could. This little angular number will make you want to pack your bags and leave, particularly if you are experiencing the bastard winter months that have just arrived.

‘Kids Aren’t Safe In The Metro’ is a slightly more introspective number but still maintains the bands habit for packing as many hooks and melodies as possible in under 4 minutes. It’s isolated grammatical inconsistency just serve to make the track and the boys more endearing.

Mexico

Undoubtedly it would be great to see the Satellite Stories become a success and play their music around the world. I know a few people who would happily pay to hear this lot live so if anyone is reading this snap the boys up right away. Until then, thanks largely to the powers of the internet, we can all enjoy the bands catchy anthems.

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Satellite Stories – Helsinki Art Scene

Jenny and Johnny should represent any music fan’s wet dream bringing together the talent of Rilo Kiley’s lovely Jenny Lewis and singer-songwriter Johnathan Rice. The resulting music is quite distant from the output you would associate with either artist and yet extremely logical given their much publicized relationship.

Jenny and Johnny clearly don’t believe in the old adage that one shouldnt mix love and work (as seen in their numerous collaborations) and frankly we should be quite thankful because their first official album as a duo showcases 11 fantastic pop songs.

Following support slots for Vampire Weekend on their recent European tour the duo will be touring Britain at the start of December so catch them near you.

‘I’m Having Fun Now’ is out now on Warner Bros. Records

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Jenny and Johnny – Scissor Runner

With the development of internet – online music education possibilities have increased. Nowadays you can learn how to play guitar using online resources that come incredibly close to that one on one experience.

Guitar Master Class is an online guitar playing community where you can access all the materials you’ll ever need to master guitar. Open to everyone, they offer lessons ranging from absolute beginner to insane level aimed for highly skilled players straight from the best instructors available. With just one click you’ll be able to learn famous songs, scales and different techniques in a multitude of different genres.

Cougar Microbes is offering 3 lucky readers a full access 6 months GMC memberships (usually worth 150$). All you have to do to enter is answer this simple question in the comments section of this post:

Who, in your opinion, is the greatest guitarist ever and why?

There is no right or wrong answer but the most imaginative/personal replies will be rewarded.

Remember that GMC is, above all, truly live music community which offers fun while learning – its a guitarist’s path from “Zero to Hero“. Good luck, time to START ROCKING NOW!

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AC/DC – Big Gun

On monday morning we’re launching a competition that will appeal to anyone who would like to play guitar like the legends. This post and track are teasers so make sure you check back.

TRACKS

Divide & Kreate – Sexy Hell (AC/DC vs Justin Timberlake)