Top Tracks 2007: Part 1

Ok, so this started as my top 100, but there were so many great tracks this year i've posted 200. The top 20 are my favourites and then the rest are in no particular order, as they are all equally brilliant !!! I know i've missed loads of bands out, but heck, i think this is enough to be getting on with. If i get time i might post my favourite acoustic / folk tracks of the year and a rock list.

Big shout goes out to all the bloggers and people who've turned me on to some great music this year, thank you !!!

01) Black Kids - I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance Wth You
02) Art Brut - Direct Hit
03) Les Savy Fav - Patty Lee
04) Virgins - Rich Girls
05) Gruff Rhys - Gyrru, Gyrru, Gyrru
06) Future Of The Left - Small Bones Small Bodies
07) Field Music - Closer At Hand
08) Japanther - River Phoenix
09) Jens Lekman - The Opposite Of Hallelujah
10) Wombats - Backfire At The Disco
11) Von Sudenfed - The Rhinohead
12) Super Furry Animals - Neo Consumer
13) Lionheart Brothers - Hero Anthem
14) Pterodactyl - Astros
15) Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators - If This Ain’t Love
16) Animal Collective - Winter Wonder Land
17) Battles - Ddiamondd
18) The Go Team - Doing It Right
19) Digitalism - Pogo
20) Dizzee Rascal – Pussyhole



21) 1990s - You're Supposed To Be My Friend
22) A Place to Bury Strangers - To Fix the Gash In Your Head
23) Aesop Rock - Bring Back Pluto
24) Andrew Bird - Heretics
25) Antelope - Wandering Ghost
26) Apostle Of Hustle - National Anthem Of Nowhere
27) Architecture In Helsinki - Heart It Races
28) Band Of Horses - Is There a Ghost
29) Big Face - Drink Juice Like
30) Billy Childish & The Musicians of the British Empire - Joe Strummers Grave
31) Bishop Allen - Rain
32) Bjork - Declare Independence
33) Black Lips - Cold Hands
34) Black Moth Super Rainbow - They Live In The Meadow
35) Blood Red Shoes - It's Getting Boring By The Sea
36) Bombay Bicycle Club - The Hill
37) Bright Eyes - Four Winds
38) Clone Quartet - Carousel
39) Connan and the Moccasins - Sneaky Dog Friend
40) Cribs - Mens Needs
41) Cut Copy - So Haunted
42) Deerhoof - 81
43) Detroit Cobras - Leave My Kitten alone
44) Devendra Banhart - Tonada Yanomaminista
45) Dr.Dog - Worst Trip
46) Elle S'apple - Little Flame
47) Enon - Peace Of Mind
48) Envelopes - I Like To C U
49) Euros Childs - Bore Da
50) The Fall - Reformation



51) Figurines - Bee Dee
52) Film School - Letric
53) Foals - Hummer
54) Four or Five Magicians - Forever on the Edge
55) Fujiya & Miyagi - Uh
56) The Futureheads - Broke Up The Time
57) Grinderman - Honey Bee
58) Hot Chip - Shake A Fist
59) Infesticons - God Bless The Infesticons
60) Justice - Dance
61) King Khan & His Shrines - No Regrets
62) Lcd Soundsystem - Time To Get Away
63) Liars - Plaster Casts Of Everything
64) Love Like Fire - Unlighted Shadow
65) The Loyal Trooper - Nothing To Say
66) Mat and Kim - Yeah Yeah Yeah
67) Mistys Big Adventure - I Can't Bring The Time Back
68) Modest Mouse - Florida
69) MSTRKRFT - Work On You
70) No Age - Everybody’s Down




71) Office - The Big Bang Jump
72) Wry - Sister
73) Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - This Love Is Fucking Right
74) Parts and Labor - Fractured Sky’s
75) Pinback - From Nothing to Nowhere
76) Plugs - That Number
77) Popular Workshop - Channels
78) Pre - Drool
79) Prefuse 73 - Smoking Red Featuring: John Stanier
80) Radiohead - Bodysnatchers
81) The Raveonettes - Aly Walk With Me
82) Relay - Driver
83) The Shins - Split Needles
84) Sky Larkin - Summit
85) Spotlight Kid - Million Ways
86) Stop Starts - Dimondless
87) Stranger Son Of Wb - Hot Bannana Wave
88) Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - A Bottle Of Buckie
89) These New Puritans - C16
90) They Might Be Giants - Take Out The Trash

91) Tiny Master Of Today - Hologram World
92) Vampire Weekend - Cape God Kwassa Kwassa
93) Voxtrot - Kid Gloves
94) We Are Wolves - Fight & Kiss
95) White Denim - Darksided Computer Mouth
96) White Rabbits - Kid on My Shoulders
97) White Williams - New Violence
98) Yacht - It’s Coming To Get You
99) Yeasayer - Sunrise
100) The Young Knives - Terra Firma

Top Tracks 2007: Part 2

01) !!! - Heart of Hearts
02) Amy Whinehouse - Rehab

03) Angels Of Light - Black River Song
04) The Answering Machine - Silent Hotels
05) Apples In Stereo - Sunndal Song
06) Arcade Fire - Keep The Car Running
07) Arctic Monkeys - Teddy Picker
08) Bat For Lashes - Precilla
09) Bitchee Bitchee Ya Ya Ya - Before
10) Black Kids - Hit The Heartbrakes
11) Blitzen Trapper - Miss Spiritual Tramp

12) Bodies Of Water - These Are The Eyes
13) Brazos - Mary Jo
14) The Broken Family Band - Leaps
15) Broken Social Scene - Backed Out On The…
16) The Broken West - Down In The Valley
17) Buttonhead - Boys In The Ballpool
18) Cadence Weapon - Sharks
19) Caribou - Melody Day
20) The Cave Singers - Dancing On Our Graves

21) Chow Chow - Skeleton With Hair
22) The Clientele - Winter On Victoria Street
23) Club 8 - Heaven
24) Conan and the Mockasins - There Goes Tiny
25) Correcto - Jonie
26) Damn Shames - Sex and Scenery
27) Deer Tick - Art Isn't Real
28) Deerhunter - Cryptograms
29) Dega Breaks - Wake Up
30) Dinosaur Jr - Almost Ready
31) Dirty Projectors - No More
32) Dog Day - Oh Dead Life
33) The Earlies - Burn The Liars
34) Efterklang - Caravan
35) Elk City - Cherries In The Snow
36) Fanfarlo - You Are One Of The Few Outsiders Who Really Understands Us
37) Favours For Sailors - Erode My Empire
38) Foxface - Monster Seas
39) Frances - Lighthouse
40) Gay Against You - Bicentennial Nuggets

41) Giant Robot And The City Of Tokyo - The Good Ship
42) Good Shoes - Small Town Girl
43) The Gresham Flyers - Cricket Bat
44) Honeytrap - Let's Do Naked Dancing
45) Illinois - Alone Again
46) The Indelicates - Julia, we don't live in the 60s
47) Interpol - Mammoth
48) Jakobinarina - My Television
49) Jeffery Lewis - I Ain't Thick
50) Joe Gideon and The Shark – Civilisation

51) Josh Ritter - To The Dogs Or Whoever
52) Jukebox the Ghost - Hold It In
53) Juliana Hatfield & Frank Smith - A Beer and A Shot
54) Jupiter Watts - Nothing At All
55) Kate Tucker & the Sons of Sweden - Faster Than Cars
56) Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground - Hey Momma
57) Kid Canaveral - Smash Hits
57) Kings Of Leon - My Party
59) Kings Of Prussia - Misadventures Of The Campaign Kid
60) Klaxons – Totem On The Timeline
61) Luminous Orange - Every Single Child
62) Mahogany - Supervitesse
63) Married To The Sea lion - Great Now I'm In Love
64) The Mary Onettes - Void
65) Mary Timony Band - Sharpshooter
66) Meneguar - Hurry Up
67) My Teenage Stride - Reversal
68) The New Royal Family - Anyone fancy A Chocolate Digestive
69) Noon - Underwater
70) Northern Portrait - Crazy

71) One More Grain - Having A Ball
72) The Patty Winters Show - You Are Wrong
73) Panda Bear - Comfy In Nautica
74) Piskie Sits - Big Fat Mouth
75) The Poems - I'm A Believer
76) Preacher and the Knife - The Cross
77) Ra Ra Riot - Each Year
78) Rumble Strips - Alaram Clock
79) Saint Bernadette - I Own The City
80) Sam champion - Like A Secret
81) The Scottish Enlightenment - Blue, Green & Yellow
82) Secret Shine - You are inside
83) The Silver Seas - Imaginary Girl
84) St. Vincent - Paris Is Burning
85) Taxi Taxi - Shoot The Dog, Chop The Tree
86) The Teeth - Walk Like A Clown
87) The Linn Youki Project - No Eres T A Quien Busco
88) The Total Drop - Nuit Americaine
89) Threatmantics - Don't Care
90) Thurston Moore - Fri/Emd

91) Trans Am - Obscene Strategies
92) Trolleyvox - Jean Jacket
93) Ulterior - Fifteen
94) Velcro stars - Distraction
95) The Whigs - Violet Furs
96) The White Stripes - Icky Thump
97) Wilco - Walken
98) William - Playground
99) Willy Mason - Save Myself
100) Wojtek Godzisz - The Moon And The Yew Tree

My Love For The Wedding Present

Bands like this make me proud to be British. The Wedding Present are legends in the UK. Formed in Leeds around 1985 the band released five singles on their own label Reception Records and then recorded the classic 'George Best' album, which takes pride of place in my record collection. David Gedge has the kind of voice that is able to express anguish and alienation through his songs. He manages to pack so much emotion into 3 or 4 mins for each track. I love the titles of their tracks like 'Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft' / What Did Your Last Servant Die Of? and Brassneck from their excellent album Bizarro. For me, these guys are up there with The Smiths and they are still as good as ever !!!

Brassneck


Kennedy


Why Are You Being So Unreasonable Now?

Blogs and Tunes

This week i was blown away by the track 1978 by Salim Nourallah. The good folks at Songs Illinois blog have written about him here.

bibabidi turned me onto a trio called Preacher and the Knife here.

I really love the new track by Trolleyvox that Marcy from Lost In Your In Box wrote about here. Check out the track Jean Jacket. Sounds like The Byrds / REM if you ask me, good stuff !

Song by Toad has got some mp3s of an excellent Scottish band called Found here.

Milk Milk Lemonade has posted 46 of the best multi-tasking two-member music projects here.

Hits In The Car has done a rediculously large post, showcasing an A-Z of good tunes/mp3s he thinks are worthy of attention here.

Oh and Large Hearted Boy is listing links to all the best of 2007 albums and tracks here.

Music Of The Alphabet: B

Big Face - Drink Juice - (Excellent Electro Pop)
Bikini Kill - I Like Fucking (Classic Riot Girl Punk)

Bluebird - Shiny Twitches (Rock)

Built To Spill - Alarmed (Indie Rock)

Big Business - Grounds For Divorce (Stoner Rock)

Bound Stems - Western Biographic (Rock / Shoegazer)

Big Sleep - Murder (Indie / Shoegazer)
Bright Channel - Airbourne (Indie / Shoegazer)

Beirut - Postcards From Italy (Indie Folk)

Blood On The Wall - Black Rats and Top Hats (Indie Rock)

Lamps

So you listened to the Black Lips album and thought it was brilliant. Then you wondered? Is there another band who are similar to them but a shit load noisier. Enter LA based trio The Lamps, who sound like they recorded their album on Halloween in The Gories basement with stolen equipment, surrounded by piles of scrap metal and several unsavory characters.

This album satisfies my every need for everything scuzzy and reckless. They sound similar to bands like The A Frames and The Hunches. I love the lo fi / over distorted drum beats, the swamp fueled, psycho guitar riffs, the excellent bass lines (Now That I’m Dead) and singer Monty Buckles rawcas, primal vocals. On tracks like Anvil he sounds like a drunken Mark E Smith, repeating the phrase ‘I’ve always been good with my hands’. Other tracks resemble bands like The Cramps if they had a real bad hang over, had died, gone to hell and come back again. Basically, this album is one nosier mutha, they’ve been blowing my mind and ears off the last few weeks !!! (Buy)

Mp3 - Eliseo / Poolfish

My Love For Mudhoney

Here's another band that everyone has obviously heard of. What can i say really, i got into these guys after hearing Nirvana. The 1st record i bought of theirs was 1990's Superfuzz Bigmuff on Sub Pop. I was totally blown away by tracks like Touch Me I'm Sick and You Got It. For me this album and the cover art represents everything i loved about 'Grunge'. Sludgy distorted guitars, slacker vocals, flannel shits, greasy hair and x generation apathy.

All this stuff is brilliantly documented in various books (Our Band Could Be Your Life) and video's like Hype and The Year That Punk Broke.

Singles include:
Touch Me I'm Sick / You Got It (Keep It Outta My Face), This Gift / Hate The Police / You're Gone / Suck You Dry / Blinding Sun / Into Yer Shtik / Generation Spokesmodel / Night of the Hunted / Butterfly Stroke / Sonic Infusion / It Is Us

Big Dipper

I have to admit, i knew nothing of this band until i heard the awesome comp Gimme Indie Rock which Lou Barlow helped create, giving us a brief history of alternative indie rock in the mid 80s / early 90s.

Big Dipper hailed from Boston, Massachusetts and members included Embarrassment vocalist Bill Goffrier and bassist Steve Michener and guitarist Gary Waleik who were both in a band called Volcano Suns, which was Peter Prescott's band (after Mission Of Burma split).

The track used on the comp (She's Fetching) is a super catchy tune, it sounds really English, abit like The Smiths or Wedding Present. They released a string of records on the Homestead label between 1987-1988 before signing to Epic when the grunge explosion happened. I actually found their 1990 record 'Slam' for £1 in my local record store, but their earlier work is regarded as being much better. Their first EP Boo-Boo included the awesome song Faith Healer and was recorded in the now famous Fort Apache Studios. Their 1st full length album 'Heavens' is worth getting as it's got 'She's Fetching' and the power pop classic 'All Going Out Together'.

My Love For Dinosaur Jr

Oh man, where do i start with these guys. First of all, J Mascis is a genius, his guitar style is totally unique, as soon as you hear him play, you know it's him. I love the way he controls feedback / noise and makes it sound ear piercingly beautiful. His voice is great, sometimes when i listen to him i think he's just making another guitar part with his voice. His croakyness really compliments his wailing guitar solo's. My favourite albums by DJ are Bug, Green Mind and the 93 classic Where You Been.

Before Dinosaur Jr Lou Barlow (Bass) played in a hardcore punk band called Deep Wound. J Mascis joined the band after answering an ad for, "drummer wanted to play really fast". They split in 1984 and then formed DJ later that year with drummer Murph.

It's widely know that Lou Barlow & J Mascis didn't always see eye to eye, but i think thats what made the music sound so good. Bands that make you want to make music are good bands in my opinion, and DJ had this affect on me i.e. you don't always have to sing in tune, you can be noisy and still melodic at the same time etc...they really opened my eyes to an alternative.

Key Tracks include:
Repulsion 85/ Little Fury Things 87/ Freak Scene 88 / The Wagon 90 / Whatever's Cool With Me 91 / Get Me 91 / Start Choppin 93 / Out There 93 / Feel The Pain 94 / I Don't Think So 95 / Take A Run At The Sun 97 / I'm Insane 97 / Almost Ready 07

Scrawl

Scrawl were a 3 piece band who hailed from Columbus Ohio and consisted of Marcy May (Singer / Guitar), Carolyn O'Leary (Drums) and Sue Harshe (Bass). They formed around 1985 and put out a few albums (Smallmouth 1990 / Velvet Hammer 1993 ) on Rough Trade Records before it went bankrupt. Sadly this meant that these albums were deleted, so thats probably why i never heard of em. although they eventually signed to Elektra and released 2 more albums Travel On, Rider (1996) and Nature Film (1998).

This band really passed me by in the 90s, i guess it's cause they weren't as big as bands like Throwing Muses or Madder Rose over here in the UK. They were about before the whole riot girl thing took off and made some great albums with honest lyrics about first-person failings and emotional subject matters. It's easy to see how they might of influenced the sound of people like Liz Phair and Juliana Hatfield.

Recommended Album - Velvet Hammer
Record Label - Simple Machines

Everyone To The Anderson

I wrote about Everyone To The Anderson back in September for my piece on bands from Brighton. Since then they've released a super rockin 5 track Ep called Doodlebug, which they were kind enough to send to me, with a toy soilder included in the package (thanks).

They blend instrumental soundscapes with really good guitar riffs, interesting bass lines and big fat drum blasts. The singers voice actually reminds me of Jason Pegg from Clearlake or Bloc Party (West? west! West?). They stray into different musical territories throughout the ep, bringing to mind bands like The Cure, early Ride (Activate) and The Jesus Lizard (Harpoon Flesh Wound) in places.

Alot of their tracks have really good close fretted guitar riffs, with ‘Sitting in the waiting room’ style, Fugazi esq boppy rhythms, before kicking into grungy riffery, top Shiat !!! (Buy)

Mp3 - Harpoon Flesh Wound

Festive 50 Time

Over the holidays the Contrast podcast will be running a three episode special based on John Peel’s Festive 50 called The Contrast Podcast Festive 50! It will be a run down of your favourite 50 tracks of 2007.

To take part you need to follow these steps:

1. Decide on your 5 favourite tracks of 2007 and put them in order from 1 (your favourite) to 5 (your fifth favourite).

2. Send this list to tim.young@rhul.ac.uk with ‘Contrast Podcast Festive 50’ in the message title by the 27th November.

3. This is open to all contributors and listeners to the podcast .. so spread the word. The more votes we get the better it will work.

4. Three lucky list-makers (pulled out of the hat randomly) will win a copy of the ‘The Trucks – Titties ep’ including Tims remix!!

5. The lists will be put together to make a chart and contributors will be invited to introduce the songs they have liked.

6. The podcast will go out from 18th December to 1st January with a countdown of the top 50 .. hopefully!

Jesus h. foxx

Right, there's only 2 tracks on their myspace page, but i'm totally addicted to em. I meant to include these guys in my 56 cities thing for Scotland. They sound like a cross between Talking Heads / Yummy Fur and have a real good mixture of ideas / sounds in there songs. I really like the singers sultry vocals, check em !!!

Mp3 - I'm Half The Man You Were
Myspace

Music Of The Alphabet: A

American Princes - Open Letter (Southern Rock)
Anglo Spencer - Hazil Adkins (Lo Fi Country Scuzz)

Anais Mitchell - Your Fonder Heart (Acoustic)

Aaron Ross - Warlock (Acoustic)

Arrah and the Ferns - Emo Phillips (Indie Pop)

American Anolog Set - Hard To Find (Indie)

Augie March - Song In The Key Of Chance (The Ozzy Midlake)

Awsome Snakes - These Snakes Get High (Garage / Punk Rock)

A Graham and the Moment Band - Blurred Back (Indie)

A.R.E Weapons - Fuck You Pay Me (Electronic Punk)

Air Waves - Ernie and The Sand (Indie Rock)

Adept (Electronic)

Pierre Aderne (World)

Afrobots (Electronic)

Akala (Rap)

Tan Sister Radio

I was listening to the Mike Watt Podcast the other day and one of the Truckee Brothers played a track by a band called Tan Sister Radio. They hail from CA and have just recorded an ep called “Damn The Salsa Witch” which was recorded at Chaos Recorders in San Diego, home of Populuxe Records.

Considering their average age is 16, they are pretty damn talented bunch. What is it with all these youngsters? There seems to be a whole wave of really good young bands (Tiny Masters Of Today / Lo Fi Culture Scene / Bombay Bicycle Club / Kets). I guess kids are being exposed to loads of different types of music (via the net) at an earlier age, so that makes for better influences and better music. All good stuff if you ask me.

Mp3s - Tough Nuts / Everything Chrome

Bleach 03

Man, these girls rock !!! They hail from Okinawa in Japan and sound like a cross between Primus / Melvins / Pre or Oiooo !!!!



Mp3 - The Head That Controls / Samurai Jungle
Myspace / Website

Brute Force & Daughter Of Force

I was looking back over some of the mix tapes i'd compiled over the last year and found myself checking out the Father and Daughter duo Brute Force & Daughter Of Force. In this day and age of single tracks and mp3s, i must admit, i only listened to the Space Mission mp3, but the other tracks on their myspace page are just as good. They remind me of a more straight laced Fiery Furnaces. I think it's really sweet that they are Father and Daughter making up songs together etc...hopefully when i'm abit older, i'll be an eccentric dad with loads of children and i can start a band with em all, ha !!!

Mp3 - Space Mission / Dwayne of The Upper Regions / No Olympian Height

Joe Gideon and The Shark

I was a big fan of Bikini Atoll, so you can imagine my joy at finding out that Joe Gideon and Viva (The Shark) have formed this wonderful duo. To me, they sound like a cross between The Fall and The Kills, with abit of Nick Cave thrown in. The lyrics are really good, they are like mini storys, with Joe speaking over the music. I love the mention of "working 9 to 5 at Debenhams" in the song Civilisation. Which is fast becoming one of my favourite tracks of this year. They are playing tomorrow so hopefully i'll be able to get a few snaps of em to stick on the blog.

This Friday, i erge everyone to av a few pints, download the track Civilisation and listen to it walking home from the pub / club in the wee ours of Sataurday morning, it's the perfect companion for a debauched weekend !!!

Mp3 - Civilisation
Myspace

Blood Music: Don Quite

Have you heard of Sweden's Blood Music? Well if you haven't go seek out the album 'Sing A Song Fighter' (Buy). It was released on Static Caravan last year and was one of my favourite albums of 06. If you like Jens Lakeman or Sufjan Stevens you will defo like this.

Mp3 - There is a war in almost every corner

Blood Music is essentially Karl Jones who uses an array of instruments on his records. When he plays live, it's usually just him and his piano, although sometimes he uses a band which can include up to 8-10 people playing drums, violins, bass clarinets etc...

I was listening to 'Sing A Song Fighter' the other day and wondered what Mr Karl Jonas was up to, so i emailed him on his myspace page and was blown away by his response. Just read what he says about the inspiration for his new album Don Quite, it nearly made me weep.

Me - Hi Karl, Why the name 'Don Quite'.

Karl - Well, the new album was going to be called "Three Eps". The idea was to make three Eps with different styles and then collect them on "Three eps". Then my grandfather died. The closest relative I have. Me and my brother went to empty his house and it was filled with things. Some weeks later, the house was empty. It took him over 60 years to fill it up. Only 8 days for us to empty it.

Just before I was going to close the door to the house for the last time I went through all the attics to see if we had forgotten anything and between two paper-thin walls I found this old drawing. It was done by my mother and was dated the same year that The Beatles released "Rubber Soul". She was 13 years old then. There was a man on a horse who looked like a famous character known for fighting against windmills. But below it said "Don Quite".

I don't know if she got the name wrong, misspelled it or if she just had created a cousin to Don Quijote. My mother is sadly not around to tell the tale. But I grabbed that drawing and it really got to me. When I came home, I put it up on my wall and decided to name Don Quite a song.

After the song was written, I decided it was not enough. I had to dedicate the new album to Don Quite. So I did.

Mp3 - Eagles in the water
...........................................................................................................

Don Quite will be released on the 29th of Nov in Sweden through the label Make it Happen.

Also worth checking out is a 3 piece girl band called Rubies who Karl has been producing. He's also in another band called First Floor Power, so check em out !!!

Dega Breaks

West London band The Dega Breaks have been knocking round the London scene for a while now. They sound somewhere between Magazine / Soft Cell with newer influences ranging from Good Shoes to The Rakes. They do that whole indie synth thing really well, check out the catchy as fuck All Night , it sounds fairly new wave, with lots of keyboard action, angular guitars, cocky vocals and discopunk beats, tune !!!


Website

About: Think Niles Drink

I first came across About when i was searching through the various bands that were playing the SXSW festival last year. Hailing from The Neverlands, About is the brainchild of Rutger Hoedemaekers, who makes distorted, playful, amp fulled, electronic, pop rock. Think Niles Drink sounds like Weezer if they were ramed through some sort of electronic device. There's hints of The Faint in his music and loads of catchy choruses / good song structures, which sometimes gets overlooked in electronic music. Make sure you check out his album 'Bongo'. (Buy)

Mp3 - Think Niles Drink / Strike You As The Enemy

Think Niles Drink

Connan and the Mockasins

New Zealanders Connan and the Mockasins are a great 3 piece band who have been playing round London for a while now. I'm totally in love with em, big style !!! There singer has got the best voice ever, he sounds like a naughty little child. The nearest band i can compare them to is Jennifer Gentle. They blend together an impressive selection of retro styles, ranging from surreal psycadelics to low fi Beatles esq funky / bluesy mayhem.

Check out their excellent single Sneaky Sneaky Dog Friend (Buy)

Sneaky Sneaky Dog Friend


There Goes Tane


Mp3 - Naughty Holidays (Live) / Morfaa (Live) / Beans Pean Is Hot (Live)

Paper Cuts: Exit This Topic

This weeks Contrast Podcast is Musicians Introduce Thier Own Songs and papercuts have submitted the track 'Exit This Topic' (Cough Cough, Huthum..hee hee). There's loads of good bands this week, so check it out here. You can download all 13 of Paper Cuts tunes here. Or download the zip album here.

Mp3s - Exit This Topic / 82 Doo Doo Doo / Big Faced Child / Jai Douze Ans / Borrowed Time / Slippery slope / Stand Up Be Counted

Foxface: Last Waltz

I stumbled upon Foxface when i was looking for bands for my 56 cities ting and was totally charmed by their song Last Waltz. They have a really unique sound and splice together folkish storytelling with boy/girl shared vocals, interesting rythmical ideas (Monster Seas) and beautiful, enchanting, melodic songs.

Michael Angus and Jenny Bell's vocals really compliment each other when they sing together, the track Across To Texa reminds me of Sufjan Stevens with it's exposed intrumentation. I love the Banjo and use of instruments like the Accordian and Mandolin.

How to listen to this album:

Go deep into the woods with a picnic, surround yourself with mythical creatres, put this album on (prefably play the record on a gramophone) and loose yourself in this gem of a record, with a bottle of Absinthe !!!

Their debut album 'This is What Makes Us' has been recorded by producer Andy Miller (Mogwai, Sons & Daughters, Delgados, Arab Strap) and will be released on Gargleblast Records on 5th Nov.

Mp3 - Last Waltz

Myspace

California Snow Story

I have to thank mr SAS for this tip, The California Snow Story are not from CA, but yes, you've guest it, Scotland !!! David Skirving started California Snow Story in 2001 after leaving Camera Obscura. David was a founder member of Camera Obscura, playing lead guitar and writing a few songs on their early releases. Vocalist Sandra Belda Martinez joined the band in 2006 and was previously in Valencie-based Superété. If your a fan of bands like Stereolab / Yo La Tengo or Kings Of Convenience, you'll bloody love Suddenly Everything Happens !!! (Buy)

Mp3 - Suddenly Everything Happens

Myspace

Xcerts: Just Go Home

The Xcerts hail from Aberdeen in Scotland and combine clean and clever melodies with triumphant rock riffs, similar to bands like Biffy Clyro and Idlewild they churn out super catchy songs. Aberdeen 1987 is a really nice acoustic gem, singer Murray MacLeod has got a really sweet / fragile voice. At points they actually sound like Death Cab For Cutie, if they came from Scotland. Good shiat !!!

Their single Just Go Home / Aberdeen 1987 is released through Mannequin Records on Nov 19th.

My Books Laughs


Mp3 - Just Go Home
Myspace