Cougar Microbes

I’ve been constantly humming Telstar‘s “Karate Luv” since it was first played to me at a particularly intoxicating desert jam session back in April.

The trio recently unveiled their DIY video for the track and which immediately brought to mind the humor and creativity of the Beastie Boys‘ “Sabotage” video; not a bad thing at all.

Telstar will be playing some sporadic shows this summer so be sure to check out their site.

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Following the demise of London squat rockers The King Blues it was clear it wasn’t going to be the last time we’d hear from them. Jamie Jazz was first off the mark with his new band Bleach Blood.

The guitarist turned frontman joined forces with drummer Invisible Frank, bassist Charlie Elliot and guitarist Paul Mullen to produce a fine mix of pop, post punk and electro.

BB has already released ‘The Young Heartbreakers Club‘ EP at the end of last year and have embarked on a couple of UK mini tours.

With no plan to rest on their laurels the band has followed this up with new single “Anything Anything“, featuring guest vocals from Linda Harrison.

I can’t wait for my next Bleach Blood transfusion.

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For a band based in Birmingham, an hour and a half away from the nearest beach, there is an uncanny undercurrent of connotations relating Swim Deep to water, as their recently released video shows.

The flickering of the bands logo ‘≈’ (yet another mathematical symbol embraced by a band for its aesthetic appeal) appears before establishing shots of the two characters, in a restful, safe state on a tube home where the boy seems to be reflecting on the mesmerizing contortions in the allure of the water, where anything was possible, yet also there seems to be an trace of melancholia as if what has happened, won’t happen again due to a breakup. For a few brief moments, the band appear as delicate forms in the pool, neither sinking nor floating, simply existing in the empyrean water, before the ‘≈’ once again appears to signify yet another switch into the unknown.

The video has been released at an important time in Swim Deep’s career, just weeks after good friends Peace released “In Love” to massive critical success, showing what is possible for the new age of bands from Birmingham, or B-town as they call it. The video also comes just weeks before Swim Deep set sail on their trans-European headline tour which will quickly be followed by a flotilla of festival appearances during which their debut album ”Where The Heaven Are We” will be released in late July.

As the sign gradually fades, an epic instrumental intro builds anticipation whilst cinematic shots depict a life of discontent and restlessness in a world full of industrial estates and grey and brown bleak backdrops. A deep longing for the soothing blue water is characterised by savouring the times spent making ripples in puddles and long wistful stares out to the river. When the boy makes his way to the pool the girl is already in it, and when the boy jumps in there is a brief sense of serene happiness, yet the girl then looks away simultaneously crushing the boy’s spirit and suggesting that maybe the water is not the idyllic heaven the boy had been expecting. Such subtle moments with big implications reflect the nature of teenage relationships and the angst of categorising life into boxes, a sentiment that has been portrayed well by Georgia Hudson, the video’s director.

The ending shots comprise mainly of the girls figure being blurred by swells in the pool, drawing neat parallels with the idea that the boy was unable to clearly see what was going on in the relationship, the camera then cuts to a shot of the devastated boy lying down as an image of the blue pool fades over the top of him, representing how enticing the sea can be, even if one of the fish were not right for you.

The final image of the video is of the ‘≈’ symbol reaffirming the connection to the water and the waves but also ensuring the image has been burned to the back of your retina so many times that you won’t forget Swim Deep, as if that was at risk.

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Post by Sam

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As reported by our friends over at Fried My Little Brain (as well as pretty much everyone else with an internet connection) Daft Punk dropped a couple of teasers on us both on SNL as well as during their Coachella set.

the robotic French duo are revealing just enough to keep us all on edge without actually showing their cards yet. Still, interest in ‘Random Access Memories‘ continues to reach new heights as guest spots by the likes of Pharrell, Julian Casablancas, Nile Rodgers, Panda Bear and Giorgio Moroder (!!!) have been revealed.

‘Random Access Memories‘ is out in May… we want it now!

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Whether it is solo or as part of his Odd Future it seems Tyler, The Creator is unable to sit still for a minute. In the buildup to the recently released ‘Wolf‘ album Tyler dropped a video for “IFHY“, continuing his streak of ludicrously brilliant vids.

Having just proclaimed (rightfully) to be “dope as fuck” on last year’s “The OF Tape Vol.2” it’s exciting to see what the talented LA madman will pull out of his magic hat next.

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Glass City Vice are a bunch of sharply-cut chaps from Britain‘s ever-trendy boho seaside town, Brighton. Their clean cut Alt-Rock sound will appeal to fans of The Xcerts , Canterbury, Twin Atlantic and the likes.

Make no mistake though, these handsome young gents have a certain ‘I dunno what’ which sets them apart from their genre contemporaries. Their sound’s not groundbreaking in itself, but there’s a real urgency and hunger coming through in the music and lyrics which urges you to get amongst it.

They’ve been approached by big name producers, and the video is top quality showcase of why the band are starting to turn heads.

Without further ado, merry Easter and get yer lookin’ gear round this exclusive first video play.

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Last November the touch paper was lit. What followed sent sparks flying out the speakers of all who listened and ignited a frenzy in the expectant public. Foals were back, and back with a bang.

“Inhaler” is the first single from Foals’ new album ‘Holy Fire’ out in February and the band have taken a new direction for their new album, away from the hi hat, four-on-the floor, dancy ‘Antidotes’ and the brooding ‘Total Life Forever’ to create an album with ‘swampy, stinky grooves’.

Frontman Yannis Philippakis has admitted that Inhaler is the heaviest track on the forthcoming 11 song album but that shouldn’t come as a surprise if you’ve heard the frontman’s voice as he growls about how he, ‘Can’t get enough space’ over a furious riff. Yes that’s right, Foals now play riffs. Of course there are still the trademark staccato rhythms expertly crafted into hypnotic, swaying, oriental loops but you get the sense that the band are much less restrained than they were on their previous album and are ready to unleash something fierce in the next album.

People got a glimpse into the album when Foals embarked on their small November tour, for which some venues sold out in 3 minutes and it was these developments which hint at the biggest challenge Foals will face. With the band becoming increasingly popular it is becoming apparent that the small venues, and indeed house parties, which made this band will not be able to accommodate the masses of people who now want to see them.

My biggest hope is that Foals manage to strike the right balance between their signature style, albeit in a new direction, with a sound that can fill a much larger venue, whilst keeping the immediacy of their fresh music.

Otherwise, there’ll be thousands of people all cramming into venues to keep their fire burning and Yannis certainly wouldn’t get enough space, and we wouldn’t want that, would we?

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Post by Sam

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10 years of South London artist Patrick Wolf already (!) who, in order to celebrate his jubilee, has graced us with a new album entitled ‘Sundark and Riverlight‘ which will be released October 15th in the UK.

The album will consist of 16 songs divided into two categories or ‘stories‘, the first album ‘Sundark‘ will reflect his darker material, whereas ‘Riverlight‘ will encompass songs that relate to hope and relationships.

Until then, you should definitely check out the first release from the upcoming album. It’s a simple, tasteful, romantic video, accompanied by a 2012 version of the lovely ‘Overture‘. The video was filmed in Gloucester and directed by Wolf himself and photographer Saga Sig.

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Post by Olivia

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