Some good people we know just launched a little blog called Dear Albion. It is mostly about pop music and is meant to be serious but doesn’t take itself too seriously… Bookmark them as ones to watch, I’m sure they are about to unearth some gems.
TRACK
M.I.A. – Teqkilla (Lost my fone out wiv Nicki Minaj Remix)
Muse pulled this out of the bag at Glastonbury this weekend with Mr The Edge providing a helpful hand.
TRACKS:
Muse – Where The Streets Have No Names (Feat. The Edge)
I find it difficult to be impartial about a group who have named themselves after the best left-back football has ever known. Screaming Maldini clearly know world class when they see it parading around a football pitch in a red and black striped shirt. However, do they have the expertise to compare with the majesty of their namesake in a parallel musical universe? It’s certainly a big ask.
Alcopop, landlords to Wolf Am I and My First Tooth, are the label to have taken the leap of faith in the Sheffield six-piece. On the evidence of five-track EP ‘And The Kookaburra’ the leap is anything but a blind one.
From the get-go the words that spring to mind are ‘angular’, ‘melodic’, ‘orchestration’ and most certainly ‘pop’. Screaming Maldini are experimental with song structures, as you would want your emerging artists to be, without disappearing up their own buttock valleys. They weave rock breakdowns into pop songs as effortlessly as they drop atmospheric horn sections and light percussion over their boy/girl harmonies.
Often with EPs it is difficult to know how many ideas an artist has left in the bank and hence how they would transfer their energy to a full length. Screaming Maldini show enough variety within each track, from opener ‘Secret Sounds’ to closer ‘Miniatures’, to reassure the doubter that they could make the transition with the greatest of ease.
These folks are definitely worthy of that oldest of clichés used pretty much whenever referring to emerging artists; ‘ones to watch out for’. Having said that, I’d still rather have good old Paolo over to dinner.
‘And The Kookaburra‘ is out now on Alcopop Records
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Post by Kenny the World Cup medal winner.
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TRACKS:
Screaming Maldini – The Extraordinary
Northampton’s premiere purveyors of indie-folk My First Tooth returned with a consolidated lineup and the release 4-track EP ‘Margaret Yen‘ last month.
Singer-songwriter Ross Witt was officially joined by violinist Sophie Galpin meaning that the guitar and violin interplay seen on the ‘My First Tooth And the Rubies’ EP has gained further prominence.
With a full length debut expected later this year these tracks are a good indication of the direction the band is moving in. Check out the special “quiet” rendition of ‘Margaret Yen’ dedicated especially to Cougar Microbes (and the blog readers too I assume).
The ‘Margaret Yen’ EP is available now on Alcopop Records.
TRACKS:
My First Tooth – Silent Spring
Twin Falls started off as a solo project for frontman Luke Stidson but slowly took on a life of its own adding members and instrumentations along the road. The “We Will Begin To Flicker” ep was the first I heard of them, its bitter-sweet tones becoming a fixture on my commute.
These acoustic anchored songs benefit from a deliberately lo-fi production, succeeding in giving the impression the tracks are being recorded right in front of you in a cosy room in front of a fireplace. Despite the warmth that emanates from these tracks an underlying heavy-heart rears its head occasionally adding new dimension.
Admittedly this post is long overdue. I had written a glowing review way back when I received the EP in the Summer but proceeded to lose my notebook with all my scribbled thoughts. Even though this review is not nearly as long or articulate as the previous version, at least in my mind, I would be doing anyone reading this blog a disservice if I didn’t at least try write about them again.
Fortunately there is a new EP due in January to keep me longing for Twin Falls‘ alt-country song structures.
TRACK:
Twin Falls- Matters Of The Heart
In case you need any more reminders Skunk Anansie are back and touring hard. Here is an exclusive video for new single ‘Tear This Place Up‘, created by the talented Adam Powell . The track is the first of three new tracks bundled with their upcoming greatest hits album.
‘Tear The Place Up‘ is available for free to fans (albeit through quite a torturous process) through this site.
TRACKS:
Skunk Anansie – Tear The Place Up
Rescue Cat hit me up with his impressive new single, £10 Bag, a couple of months ago. Had it been a tape I would have worn it out by now. Imagine a collision between White Town‘s legendary ‘Your Woman‘ single and Popcorn, the theme from my favourite 80s pc game Digger. With an official itunes release scheduled I thought I should share it with the world.
Listen out for it during my monthly DJ set at Hands Up Who Cares this Saturday 18th.
With a Glastonbury performance this year under his belt and international endorsements its time to adopt Rescue Cat this summer.
TRACK:
Rescue Cat – £10 Bag
Band Of Skulls could be forgiven for thinking The Gods Of Rock started smiling down on them the minute they changed their name from Fleeing New York in late 2008. Going from relative obscurity on the London club scene to bagging the prestigious iTunes Single of the Week in April as well as a commercial (and artistic) understanding with Californian label Shangri-La has meant the band has not looked back since.
The Southampton three-piece direct approach and catchy choruses fill the void somewhere between The White Stripes‘ simple yet effective grooves and passionate lo-fi guitar licks and Wolfmother‘s old school rock ambitions. Bassist and vocalist Emma Richardson provides a melodic edge, duelling and trading verses with singer and guitarist Russell Marsden while Matt Hayward hits a dancable backbone.
The band are heading out on an extensive tour of North America in addition to dates opening for Metric and Spinnerette (Brode Dalle new vehicle). Judging by their display in the ‘I Know What I Am video’ those Gods are still smiling.
MP3′s:
Band Of Skulls – I Know What I Am
