Cougar Microbes

Relocating from California to Brooklyn did not stiffle The Morning Benders ‘Pet Sounds‘ inspired arrangements. It is somewhat fitting that Kenny, who first exposed me to the band’s sound back in February, has featured this in his top albums:

I first heard about The Morning Benders when they recorded the glorious track ‘Excuses’ for a ‘Yours Truly’ session back in February. The heart-warming video, featuring front-man Chris Chu conducting an orchestra of friends, had me itching for the release of ‘Big Echo’ – which I later learned was their second full-length. #

I wasn’t disappointed. Not even one bit. The Berkeley College graduates have released a record that is as hair-raising as it is uplifting. It serves up distant dirty guitar, less-distant acoustic guitar, solid rhythms, pretty harmonies and wit. This album is concise and brilliantly crafted – as all good writing should be.

TRACKS:

NEXT: #11 Cougar Microbes Top Albums of 2010: Lail Arad – Someone New

PREVIOUS: #13 Cougar Microbes Top Albums Of 2010: The National – High Violet

Back in March we got a little excited about the possibility of a new LCD Soundsystem album coming out. Kenny had them riding high on his list of top albums saying:

LCD Soundsytem did everything possible to stop ‘This is Happening‘ being leaked before its time. And that only added to the hype surrounding their third studio album. It is testament to the project’s reputation amongst bloggers that – on the whole – their pleas were answered favourably.

This album only reaffirms their status as kings of a genre. Filled with electro-indie goodness and wit this album is a peach. We can but hope that James Murphy – Mr LCD – backtracks on his plans to make this the last full-length from the legendary outfit.

Meanwhile Cougar Microbes caught them live at Brixton Academy for a sold out show back in April.

TRACKS:

NEXT: #13 Cougar Microbes Top Albums Of 2010: The National – High Violet

PREVIOUS: #15 Cougar Microbes Top Albums Of 2010: Kopecky Family Band – The Disaster

Frightened Rabbit returned to the fore in 2010 with the release of ‘The Winter Of Mixed Drinks‘ and bagged themselves spots not only on our full site top album breakdown but several writers personal lists (which will be published soon).

Here is why Cougar scribe Ruby deemed it worthy of a spot:

After the warm reception of ‘The Greys’ and ‘Midnight Organ Fight’ the pressure may have been on to pull yet another Frightened Rabbit out the hat.  And it is with great satisfaction that I can reveal that those scruffy haired Scots did the rabbit and the hat trick with their latest offering.

‘The Winter Of Mixed Drinks’ also saw a step away from subdued shadows of their former albums and generally provided us with a more brash and attention grabbing sound. The band have added more heart, more guts and more build than ever seen before.

Fan’s shouldn’t be disappointed as there are still plenty of nods to their staple sound; somehow FR manage to straddle the thin line between hope and horror. Yet despite this there is a notably richer and more radiant sound suggesting that things are looking a lot less miserable now for the likely lads whose efforts this year have handed them a place in my personal list.

When we reviewed the album back in april Kenny suggested that “what sets ‘The Winter of Mixed Drinks’ apart from previous Frightened Rabbit albums is a sense of heightened focus“. In his year end list he added:

I’m a big fan of Frightened Rabbit‘s previous albums but their 2010 offering is a different beast. This is a brilliantly crafted and contemplative album filled with great instrumentation. It is mature yet exhilerating; epic yet subtle. When I heard it — even early in the year — I knew it would be on this list.

TRACKS:

NEXT: #18 Cougar Microbes Top Albums of 2010: Gregory and The Hawk – Leche

PREVIOUS: #20 Cougar Microbes Top Albums of 2010: Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles (II)

Les Savy Fav have been underground indie-rock darlings for forever. This is as much a consequence of singer Tim Harrington’s eccentric onstage antics as their DIY ethos – all but one of their albums have been released on bassist Syd Butler’s Frenchkiss Records. After a decade and a half, which includes a year-long hiatus, the 5-piece have released a 5th studio album which may just catapult them into the big leagues.

The release, ‘Root For Ruin’, comes complete with the Fugazi-inspired post-hardcore quirks of previous LSF offerings. As a general rule song structures are consciously more straightforward, with the exception of midpoint ‘Poltergeist’, the result being greater accessibility for the uninitiated. There are elements borrowed from more commercially successful artists; guitars reminiscent of the Pixies, backing vocals veering towards Weezer territory and offbeat instrumentation that wouldn’t feel out of place on a Modest Mouse record. Still the band have not relinquished their edginess entirely and there are plenty of moments where you can feel the tension rising.

The high points on this album are… well pretty much everywhere to be honest. On a personal note rocking opener ‘Appetites’ ingeniously borrows from Silver Jews’ ‘Punks In The Beerlight’, a Cougar favourite. Stopping short of mentioning the entire track-list, ‘Dirty Knails’, ‘Sleepless in Silverlake’, ‘Lips n’ Stuff’ and ‘Excess Energies’ also contribute to make this a master class in dynamics, merging pop craftsmanship with ballsy rock ethos.

You’ve got to feel for LSF. They were forced into a hasty digital release of ‘Root For Ruin’ more than a month ahead of schedule after it was leaked via various torrent sites. As a result it may not have quite the impact that it would have enjoyed were it to have exploded onto the market with a co-ordinated release strategy.

It deserves more, seeing as it is arguably the Brooklyn post-hardcore outfit’s best work to date. Here’s hoping the gods smile upon “les bloody fab”.

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Post by back-to-school Kenny

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TRACKS:

Les Savy Fav – Appetites

If this were a just world then success would be the unavoidable consequence when hard work meets proficiency and self belief. Sadly this isn’t always the case and often a large wedge of luck lodges itself into the equation, overpowering all else.

In many ways LoveLikeFire’s debut album ‘Tear Ourselves Away’ has reignited a flicker of hope in me that maybe, just maybe, this isn’t such a cruel world after all. During the years of hard work preceding its release the four-piece self-released two EPs and self-booked numerous hectic tours. The resulting invitation into the Heist or Hit Records family is richly deserved.

The release itself is a well crafted affair. Ann Yu’s vocals lend a Camera Obscura melancholic quality to an often ballsy backdrop complete with shoegazey guitars. Highlights ‘William’ and ‘Stand In Your Shoes’ are on different ends of the song writing spectrum; the former a nicely drawn out anthem and the latter a more straightforward, yet well crafted, pop song.

LoveLikeFire may not be a genre defining act (there are plenty of female-fronted, folk-infused, indie-rock outfits out there) but they are more than worthy of recognition. And if female-fronted, folk-infused, indie-rock outfits are your thing then you could do much worse than to give ‘Tear Ourselves Away’ a few spins.

There is hope for us yet.

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Post by the boisterous Kenny

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TRACKS:

LoveLikeFire – Stand In Your Shoes

Remember we raved about those guys Wolf Am I and Screaming Maldini a few months back? Well record label Alcopop have only gone and unearthed another gem.

The Attika State hail from just down the road and around the corner; Sicily, Malta, Sri Lanka and Wisbech to be specific. ‘Celebration?’ is the first single from their upcoming album ‘Measures’ and by golly gosh does it a pack a power-pop-punch. Rammed full of noodly guitars, driving rhythms and the obligatory anthemic chorus this track suggests these guys know how to write a hum-dinger of rock tune.

If b-side ‘Recycle’ is any indication, I strongly anticipate a hum-dinger of a rock album to follow.

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Post by the bothersome Kenny

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TRACKS:

The Attika State – Celebration?

On the basis of Tokyo Police Club’s debut album ‘Elephant Shell’ they are a strange breed of band. There are elements to their sound, specifically the über-polished elements, which almost turn you off. Almost. But there is simply far too much about this outfit to get excited about. Firstly they are Canadian, and you wish you were Canadian. Secondly the album was released on Saddle Creek. Thirdly, and crucially, they seem to have a fresh, different, brilliant idea for every day of the calendar year.

And so it goes that ‘Favourite Food’, the opening track from new album ‘Champ’, sounds like nothing they have done before, yet provides exactly what you were hoping for. Bastards! The trend simply continues throughout the album. ‘Breakneck Speed’; infectious as hell, ‘Bambi’; creative as hell, ‘Hands Reversed’; melancholic as hell, and ‘Frankenstein’; hell raiser, albeit a slow burning one.

Tokyo Police Club have a knack of writing songs that sit somewhere between indie and straight out pop with a healthy slab of old school punk rock spirit. You can probably deduce from my transcribed salivation that their music is increasingly becoming part of my staple diet. It ought to be part of yours too.

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Post by Kenny the Scientologist innit

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TRACKS:

Tokyo Police Club – Favourite Food

Hailing from Hemel Hempstead, a stones throw from London, The Dufflefolks are not your average peddlers of Casio infused art.

True; the four-piece layer synthesised drum patterns, with laidback melodies and minimalist instrumentation. However they do so with an effortless nod to The Postal Service, LCD Soundsystem, Passion Pit and Fenech-Soler and without a hint of formulaic predictability.

This lot are yet another exciting British prospect to keep a very close eye on. Enjoy.

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Post written by Kenny the Ref hater

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TRACKS:

The Dufflefolks – Thomas Crapper

The Dufflefolks – Homegrown