Covers, B-Sides, and Rarities: Mystery Jets' "One (Blake's Got A New Face)"

UK’s Mystery Jets seems like an interesting band, interesting because they’re the only group that I’m aware of, who’s made a cover song of hipster’s highly loathed and most overrated band of the moment, Vampire Weekend. But does the intriguing factor still remains after learning that the London four piece have also made a cover of Leona Lewis’ ‘Bleeding Love’? Yeah…, I thought not.

|mp3| Mystery Jets - One (Blake's Got A New Face) [Vampire Weekend Cover]

To hear to that said Leona Lewis cover, stay tuned till the following weeks, to see it magically appear on these pages.

New Release: The Little Ones - Morning Tide

The Little Ones’ first full-length proper, Morning Tide is perfect reminiscent of bright-coloured candy pops and sweet, tantalizing, ice cream cones savoured underneath the clear, bright summer sun. Despite the unremitting joy and cheerfulness exuded through the tunes, the band struggled during the release of this record after being dropped by former labels, Astralwerks. However, with high hopes and spirits still intact, the band was as adamant as ever to pursue their dream of a lifetime:

Putting their faith in major chords and mild psychedelic flourishes like the Mellotron pop of the opening title track, backed by relentlessly cheery chorus whoops. Their sunshine-infused optimism-fuelled material is made more poignant by this defiant refusal to be disheartened by a world so jaded. Every cut apparently only made it to tape if it made the band want to dance. By the end you can almost taste the ice cream sweetness of it all.

I have to say, I was quite shocked by how great the album sounds, an opinion I made based on earlier assumptions after listening to an EP released prior to the debut. What can I say, feel-good pop songs have never looked or tasted this good, and like bright-coloured candy pops and sweet ice cream cones, this is one record that’s best savoured underneath the clear, bright summer sun.

Four mp3s? I spoil you guys too much. This is only a fragment of how deliciously good the album sounds, trust me, you’ll want to hear the rest to be fully blown away by its effect.


|mp3| The Little Ones - Morning Tide
|mp3| The Little Ones - Ordinary Song
|mp3| The Little Ones - Tangerine Visions
|mp3| The Little Ones - Gregory’s Chants

:: The Little Ones ::
[ Official website | MySpace | Buy Morning Tide ]

Good Golly, By Jolly, This Is Really Good! #56

Just when I thought the slew of albums that’s been released this year, especially the ones I’ve anticipated, grew into a downward spiral of lackluster-dom, I finally found a true glint of hope in the dreamy, experimental works of Portland based Liz Harris who goes by the stage moniker of Grouper. Recently discovered by way of Gorilla Vs. Bear, Grouper’s fourth and latest release awkwardly titled, Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill, exhibits some of the most breathtaking and ethereal creations this year have yet to witnessed, thus providing me enough conviction to place the record at the top rankings as one of the best 2008 has to offer.

The minute you put the record on, you’ll notice a soporific, sepulchral vibe trickling out from your speakers, instantly filling up the corners of your room till it’s thick of a dreamy blurriness. As Harris murmurs her way, steered by faint vocals that’s heavily coated in a vaporous resonance and through celestial landscapes of haunting yet swooning melodies, you’ll feel an undeniable heaviness fall upon your eyes. Needless to say that Dragging a Dead Deer… contains that much of an intangible quality to put anyone into a much needed, deep, and restful slumber; perfect to soak into during those bare periods of late-night listening. In ‘Heavy Water/I’d Rather Be Sleeping’, Harris conjures up an obscure mixture of hypnotic drones and grainy, looped sonics, formulated into a dense atmosphere of exquisite, hazy, lullaby-esque echoes.

If there was a paragraph that could perfectly depict the music of Grouper, than perhaps this would be it:

…I realized that Dragging a Dead Deer was reminding me not of another album, but of an experience; waking up in my own bedroom in the middle of the night and not knowing where I am for a brief, disturbing instant. Dragging a Dead Deer was not itself familiar to me, but, rather, evocative of the experience of delayed recognition and un-place-able familiarity. Grouper had managed to viscerally express in song with startling specificity one of the most ineffable of human experiences; that of "The Uncanny," the simultaneously familiar and foreign, the comfortable and the frightening. The resultant album is breathtaking in the full sense of the word.

|mp3| Grouper - Heavy Water/I’d Rather be Sleeping

:: Grouper ::
[ Official website | MySpace | Buy Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill ]

Keren Ann

I have a distinctive feeling that many of you may have already heard of the Parisian chanteuse singer, Keren Ann. But fair enough if you have, this is for those who haven’t.

The music crafted by the Israeli-born, Parisian raised, and New York based songstress, often unveils at a hushed and languid momentum. With a guitar intro (as well as a guitar solo at the end) - that could distinctly be linked to New York’s avant-garde rockers, the Velvet Underground - and sweet, frail vocals that seldom rises above a whisper, ‘Lay Your Head Down’ stands out among the rest and is sure to leave you captivated under the soft, sultry spell of Keren Ann Zeidel. It’s the intricate textures comprised of dithering strings, handclaps, and the doleful harmonica, that makes the seraphic beauty of ‘Lay Your Head Down’, truly Zeidel’s own and not quite similar to any you’ve heard in the past.

|mp3| Keren Ann - Lay Your Head Down

:: Keren Ann ::
[ Official website | MySpace | Buy Keren Ann ]

New: Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks

Extremely busy this semester; already taking the course for my final year project although I'm hardly in my final year yet. So expect updates to stream in - collectively, since I've accumulated them for the past few days - in no more than twice a week. It's actually also because the internet connection is giving me the hardest time lately-- damn you, Maxis!

Aiyoh, so good one this new Grizzly Bear song. Just when you thought this Brooklyn gang couldn’t get any better, they push boundaries and progress way beyond your wildest expectations. I have no idea how the guys do it, how they're still capable of digging deeper into their musical crevasses to extract and produce something as equally captivating if not more, to their previous material. The Beatles-esque ‘Two Weeks’ comprise of stunning electronic nuances, appearing slightly removed from quintessential Grizzly Bear, yet still sounding every bit equivalent to what a Grizzly Bear tune should sound like-- it’s just too good to the point of ridiculousness.

The follow up to their critically acclaimed 2006 Yellow House will be released sometime in April of 2009. It’s a torture to let us wait for that long, a torture I tell you.

|mp3| Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks

Also that other new song, though not so relatively new in comparison.

|mp3| Grizzly Bear - While You Wait for the Others

:: Grizzly Bear ::
[ Official website | MySpace | Buy ]

Good Golly, By Jolly, This Is Really Good! #55

Via popmatters:

If you go to Pitchfork for their review of the new record by Black Kids, you’ll see a SORRY message with two long-faced doggies. Cute but you have to wonder if they’re not tooting their own horn a bit here. True, they named Black Kids a phenom not long ago (hence the apology) but do they really think that they alone were responsible for the band’s ascendancy and now have to apologize about this because the group put out a crappy record? It’s not their fault that the band can’t follow-up a good EP. That’s like saying ‘we built them up and now they suck and so don’t get mad at us about it, OK?’ That’s a lot of assuming and even more chutzpah.

First things first, seriously Pitchfork, give the album a rating of 3.3 for all I care, but refusing to justify said ranking by writing a review, and instead leaving a bunch of pugs to fill in the space is kind of lame, disrespectful so to speak. Jeez…, pretentious much?

I first discovered the music of the Jacksonville quintet, Black Kids by way of another source, not surprisingly, from an online zine who’s often been said of owning the supremacy to make or break upcoming artists. This album is not a 3.3, I can assure you that, but given that you’re experiencing the desperate pangs of hunger to really need to give it a low score, it’s 5.5 and not an integer lower. Overall the frolicsome tunes throughout the record bears a thick sheen of 80s treatment, which served as the chief reason that initially drew me into the musical realms of this retro-pop five piece. Though admittedly, yes the album does contain a few hits and misses, and at some point it can get a tad bit annoying with frontman’s Reggie Youngblood’s discordant, uncaring wailings, coupled with lyrics that are often bleak and inane to the point of cringe inducing.

At the end of the day, Partie Traumatic remains as a fun and fairly enjoyable listen, plus the old-school riffage that adorns the corners of each track has already gotten me deeply fixated to the music. Surely, this tune is too overrated to be posted but no harm done, it’s the bubbly bass lines that really did it for me.


|mp3| Black Kids - I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You

:: Black Kids ::
[ Official website | MySpace | Buy Partie Traumatic ]

Covers, B-Sides, and Rarities: Basia Bulat's "Someday"

Of all the artists that Basia Bulat would choose to do a cover of, the garage-rock New Yorkers, the Strokes, would definitely have been my last bet. How would a pastoral, mostly acoustic-oriented musician adapt the raucous, gritty, upbeat, electric guitar hooks in the rollicking sonics of ‘Someday’ to her own style? The answer lies within the tune itself. I never realized that a jazzed up version of ‘Someday’ would sound similarly appealing; the fast-driven melodies are slowed down a couple of notches to reveal the music in its barest and most untreated form-- and yup, the tune’s still brilliant as expected.

|mp3| Basia Bulat - Someday (The Strokes cover)

Basia Bulat

Truth is, I’ve previously came to known the music of Basia Bulat - through a rather popular music blog, whose link you could find on the right-hand side of this page - for far longer than most of whom I’ve posted on. When I learnt Bulat’s first full-length, Oh, My Darling was also short listed for the Polaris Music Prize, it felt like the right time to resurrect previous adorations that I’d especially held in reserve for the Canadian singer-songwriter.

Basia Bulat may appear no less different from the rest of the singer-songwriter clan at first glance, but through further inspection of her outstanding craftsmanship, there is nothing even slightly ordinary about this 24 year old. The soft, translucent, and smoky vocals of Basia Bulat graces each tune with a natural and effortless aptitude, while enfolding simple, unadorned, minimalist folk music that’s tastefully brewed to warm your heart. ‘I Was a Daughter’ starts out with sharp strums of the acoustic guitar, soon followed by sounds of piano keys trickling in, one after the other, while accompanied by a barrage of rapid hand-clappery before building into gentle violin sweeps, as vocals hover above and glides on top of the impressive mixture of orchestration. Most dazzling of all, is the sparse, melodic tapestry of the 3 minute ‘Little Waltz’; Bulat’s warm raspy-ness quietly seeps in hushed, billowy movements alongside a melancholia of violins and acoustic plucks that softly treads across the song.

Exquisiteness at its best, highly recommended.

|mp3| Basia Bulat - I Was a Daughter
|mp3| Basia Bulat - Little Waltz
|mp3| Basia Bulat - In the Night

:: Basia Bulat ::
[ Official website | MySpace | Buy Oh, My Darling ]

Two Hours Traffic

“I will let you sing my song if you can relate, let you get the lyrics wrong, they’re not that great”.

This week we foray into the short listed nominees for the Polaris Music Prize, a music award that’s held annually to honor the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label. One band that’s been rippling the airwaves, is the pop quartet from PEI, (that stands for the Canadian province, Prince Edward Island) who calls themselves Two Hours Traffic.

Their 2007 sophomore effort, Little Jabs, is one album that is highly worth your time, offering ten virulent chunks of vibrant pop music garnished with incredibly catchy hooks and a set of melody that’s meant to get you instantly synchronizing to the music. With their conventional, straightforward pop creations, Two Hours Traffic recalls to mind just how great it is to fall back into familiar territory once in a while. Little Jabs takes off at an energetic stride with ‘Nighthawks’, taking you through a glittery guitar maze and an ebullient sounscape built up from rapturous sing-alongs. Passionate with and unrelenting sense of young vigor, the song just overflows with brazen fun, a perfect start to a perfect record. Further into the album, the band impeccably shifts from perfect power-pop tunes to pleasing portions of folk-rock. By the time you get to the third track, and you’re still not tapping your feet or moving your hips to the buoyant, surging rhythm of the jangly guitar lines, then dude, I think you need to get your pulse checked. ‘Stuck for the Summer’ swells up into rapid, scrumptious hooks close to the climax, accentuating the crisp, clear melodies as it concocts the ideal theme song to soundtrack your summer.

Conventional and straightforward? Nope, not these guys.

|mp3| Two Hours Traffic - Nighthawks
|mp3| Two Hours Traffic - Stuck for the Summer
|mp3| Two Hours Traffic - Heroes of the Sidewalk

:: Two Hours Traffic ::
[ Official website | MySpace | Buy Little Jabs ]

Good Golly, By Jolly, This Is Really Good! #54

My previous encounter with the Ruby Suns didn’t manage to leave a lasting impression. So, when I learnt that the Auckland based, pop trio had a new release out, I made sure to work my way as to avoid the record, no matter how highly people spoke of them. But obviously, that only lasted for so long, because boy oh boy, do I regret not listening to them sooner.

Sea Lion is the follow up to their 2005’s self-titled debut, offering a batch of ten fresh songs formulated to ooze a strikingly wondrous world-music quality with generous sums of influences dissected from the African, Polynesian, and South Pacific sights and sounds. But it’s sunny psychedelic pop music that the band truly carves out in this record, sometimes emanating the tones of folk experimental a la Animal Collective, while other times, experiments are substituted to settle for shoegazey, twee pop instead. Included in the dazzling ten song selection is the wistful, woozy collage opener, ‘Blue Penguin’, the joyous and buoyant, ‘Tane Mahuta’ that’s sung entirely in Maori, and the hypnotic, dreamy, indie pop, ‘There are Birds’.

But the real masterpiece goes to the luminous, spellbinding, breathtaking beauty of (though inopportunely named) ‘Kenya Dig It?’ giving the record, its most ethereal experiences yet. Remember how Nick Hornby wrote in his book about Dave Egger’s theory, that we play songs over and over because we have to ‘solve’ them? Well, I can’t seem to stop listening to this tune, because I’m still not quite done solving it. And of course, because it’s also an undeniably brilliant tune.

Anyway, because I’m more of this type of person, so I highly recommend listening to this one right here:


|mp3| The Ruby Suns - There are Birds

But also because the song above doesn’t truly indicate the band’s music, and that it would be a huge disservice to them, I’ve decided to post these up as well.

|mp3| The Ruby Suns - Tane Mahuta
|mp3| The Ruby Suns - Kenya Dig It?

:: The Ruby Suns ::
[ Official website | MySpace | Buy Sea Lion ]

Random Pick of the Week: Liars - The Wrong Coat for You Mt. Heart Attack

Here’s a tip: whenever you hear people raving about a particular band, and you’re not joining the rave party because you simply don’t get what the fuss is all about, think of it as this way, maybe you’re just listening to the wrong track.

In nature, I'm just not the kind of person who could cultivate an interest towards a band like the experimental, post-punk, three-piece, Liars. I remembered the band quite well through my past experience; I also remembered associating one of their songs to the word, ‘Horrendous’. But after identifying with Thom Yorke’s highest confidence for the trio, I realized maybe there’s more to the Liars than just ghastly horrendousness. Although I was correct for the most part, that Liars did posses a catalog of tunes that were “designed to frighten people”. However in between those songs, were laid a few gems that would’ve been most unfortunate to miss.

‘The Wrong Coat for You Mt. Heart Attack’ sends the world in a complete standstill. Beautifully mystifying and hauntingly bleak, it’s one of those few tunes that’s greatly affecting even as soon as the first note creeps into view. Still, undoubtedly, the song was meant to scare, throughout it, the music carries a dark, somber vibe with a spoonful of sinister in the air. But it remains as one of the more comprehensible pieces in their 2006 release, Drum’s Not Dead; inspiring, beautiful, and engaging, all in the most extraordinary and mysterious of ways.

|mp3| Liars - The Wrong Coat for You Mt. Heart Attack

Covers, B-Sides, and Rarities: Au Revoir Simone's "Oh, You Pretty Things"

Though being an ardent follower to the music of Brooklyn based synth pop trio, Au Revoir Simone, I rarely hear the girls performing cover songs, though I’m sure, there comes those odd days, where they don’t strictly stick to their own repertoire and insert a cover or two to perform. But when these Brooklyn gals do perform a cover, they do it…fairly well, decent so to speak. The band’s vocal part softly seeps in, in an effortless and languorous approach that is proverbial of them, because any other way, then it wouldn’t be the Au Revoir Simone we’ve previously came to know and love.

So here’s that David Bowie cover-- the Au Revoir Simone-ized version of ‘Oh, You Pretty Things’.

|mp3| Au Revoir Simone - Oh, You Pretty Things (David Bowie cover)

Crystal Castles: Vanished

So, just what exactly possessed me into writing about the hipster-ridden, dance-punk, electronic duo, Crystal Castles? All blames can be directed to this little song right here:

|mp3| Crystal Castles - Vanished

A brilliant tune, although in truth, it’s actually a remix version of Australian band, Van She’s ‘Sex City’. As much as this duo actually scares a small part me, ‘Vanished’ takes a more accessible, people-friendly approach; simple, swirly, looped synths underlie obscure, distorted lyrics with an 80’s, industrial feel that I can never say no to. More for me please.

:: Crystal Castles ::
[ Official website | MySpace | Buy Crystal Castles ]

Fanfarlo

Been listening to a lot of really nice, heart-warming tunes these couple of couples, most of them just merely simple, straight up pop music. Some of the tunes comes from this band; Fanfarlo cleverly weaves in the sounds of horns and violins into basic, undemanding, everyday pop songs, culminating in sweet, uplifting tracks that are both simple yet elaborate. Interestingly, this London-based pop group borders on music that’s more folky and pastoral, sounding slightly more Americana than the rest of their native music peers, overall adding a quiet, quaint, heartstring-tugging charm with its sumptuous, warm melodies. Great to see the band progressing from their previous materials, shedding layer after layer, till finally reaching some place spectacular like these two songs right here:

|mp3| Fanfarlo - Fire Escape
|mp3| Fanfarlo - We Live By the Lake

Fanfarlo have yet to release a full length debut, though it’s rumored to be currently in the works. For now though, enjoy these two cuts from their 2007 ‘Fire Escape’ single that does great justice to the band-- once you’ve gotten into the groove, there’s no looking back really.

:: Fanfarlo ::
[ Official website | MySpace | Buy ]

New Song & Video : Bombay Bicycle Club - Evening/Morning

Yeah, well I'm a sucker for any songs by these young English lads. This a video to their forthcoming single, 'Evening/Morning', slated to be released on the 4th of August.

What's that, you want the song in a portable form? Here you go:

|mp3| Bombay Bicycle Club - Evening/Morning

Bombay Bicycle Club are such young, raw talents with immensely amazing potential. Trust me, you do not want to overlook this one.

:: Bombay Bicycle Club ::
[ Official website | MySpace | Buy ]

New: Chad Vangaalen - Willow Tree

I’m still relatively new to songs of Calgary singer/songwriter, Chad Vangaalen, but after listening to this little piece, I couldn’t resist posting it up-- it’s too good to pass. ‘Willow Tree’ is a slice of Vangaalen’s newest upcoming release, Soft Airplane that drops on the 9th of September. A warm, fragile, folky tune, the opener track, sends quavering vocals ricocheting over lightly strummed magic of acoustic balladry. Lyrics reflect a murky tale on the quiet themes of death, rested against stripped-down yet memorable melodies put to great effect. The way Vangaalen’s song crafting are always varied and experimental, and never settling for one place at one time makes the creation of this talented tunesmith far from being insipid or just simply ordinary, nondescript tunes.

I’ve got the song on constant repeat for quite a while now; when it comes to music like this, moving on to other tracks can be hard to do sometimes.

|mp3| Chad Vangaalen - Willow Tree

:: Chad Vangaalen ::
[ Official website | MySpace | Buy ]

Video: Santogold, Julian Casablancas & Pharell - My Drive Thru

So, the highly anticipated music video to ‘My Drive Thru’ is finally out, although it’s the chopped up version, because Converse probably thought that Julian’s high notes were completely unnecessary. The video carries a really close concept to the billboard ads, washed-out black and white images, but that’s cut out to form a series of animation through the techniques of stop motion. Well, there you go, stop motion is a technique that’ll never get old and can do absolutely no wrong.

It’s a fun video to watch, because I realize that a Julian Casablancas without a mic stand or anything remotely, resembling a microphone to hold on to just makes him look plain awkward. Good to see him not moving that much to the music either, keeps me assured that this is the same Julian Casablancas we’ve came to know from previous times.

Also, here's an interview with Pharell and Santogold sans Julian, because he doesn't like to be interviewed (that's my theory though), complete with snippets of footages from behind the scenes of the 'My Drive Thru' video.

New Release: Albert Hammond, Jr. – ¿Cómo Te Llama?

Personally, I’ve always seemed to enjoy watching Albert perform, playing the guitar during Strokes live shows. He brings a certain coolness to the band’s live gigs, a certain ‘Albertness’, a something extra that balances out the band so we’re always intrigued enough. So, stating out loud that Albert needs to leave the band is simply uncalled for; the Strokes wouldn’t make much sense without him.

At first hearing, ¿Cómo Te Llama?, does cease to impress, but then comes the second time, and the third time, and the fourth and so on…and then it becomes kind of…… meh. I can’t quite figure out what it is, is it the production, is it the vocals, is it the lyrics, is it the music itself? I think at some point or another, one or two of those elements might have contributed to the drawn out feeling of the record. At some point too, when I was listening to this latest release from the Strokes’ guitarist, it became somewhat of a chore, it became tedious, I was enjoying the tunes lesser and lesser by each subsequent listen.

But, on a brighter note, some songs come off stronger individually; tracks such as the Strokesey, jangly guitar sounding tune, ‘You Won’t Be Fooled By This’ and the piano driven, John Lennon-esque ballad ‘Feed Me Jack’ sounded a million times better consumed on its own. Another one of my favourite is the darker sounding music of ‘Rocket’, that recalls the heavy, thick riffs of GBV’s ‘Postal Blowfish’, which Albert have also previously covered. It starts off with a brooding, menacing vibe, but transforms into a lighter mood, as soon as Albert steps in singing words that feels instantly familiar. His howling, inept vocal also works great in this tune. On the other hand, ‘Spooky Couch’ sounds too much like schmaltzy, sentimental sponge to me, I mean, “Hello Korean ultra-cheesy Soap dramas, are you picking this up?”

Having said that, the video to the first single ‘GfC’, makes up for what all the record lacks. I love how Albert is more flexible and creatively open-minded in taking on new forms of music video making, or whichever way is best that suits his music. The video is innovatively cool and way better than my lame idea, but we can discuss about doing another video-- for ‘Rocket’ maybe? Also, Matt Romano looks like he’s put on tenfold of years on his age since I last saw him, which was in the ‘In Transit’ documentary. How long ago was that?


|mp3| Albert Hammond, Jr. - You Won’t Be Fooled By This
|mp3| Albert Hammond, Jr. - Rocket
|mp3| Albert Hammond, Jr. - Feed Me Jack: Or How I Learnt to Love Peter Sellers

:: Albert Hammond, Jr. ::
[ Official website | MySpace | Buy ¿Cómo Te Llama? ]

Covers, B-Sides, and Rarities: This Is Ivy League's "Crown of Love"

This cover of Arcade Fire’s ‘Crown of Love’ performed by the folk-pop two piece, This Is Ivy League, is deeply mesmerizing and truly sublime. A complete departure from its original, this is a more delicate, softer, and folkier rendition to one of Arcade’s most underrated pieces. If the Canadian troupe dragged their feet through the initial version, the Brooklyn duo drifted across the stripped down melodies made up of gently plucked acoustics. It’s a must-listen to-- can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t.

|mp3| This Is Ivy League - Crown of Love (Arcade Fire cover)

Get Well Soon: I Sold My Hands For Food So Please Feed Me

Calling your band Get Well Soon may not be the best of ideas, but for German songwriter Konstantin Gropper, you could almost get away with calling your band anything you want when your debut record comprises of beautiful, weightless, pristine soundscapes that gently invites you into a restful sense of quietude. The music is perfectly reflected in the band’s personal website; overcast, dark, and old video footages of forgotten sceneries from the past, quietly adorns the background, sending a still, haunting vibe that’s equally chilling and picturesque at the same time. Gropper names the album, as though it’s a continuation of where he left off from his moniker, aptly entitled, Rest Now, Weary Head! You Will Get Well Soon. Best of all, it doesn’t end there, overflowing the album, are tracks that are charmingly named, 'If That Hat is Missing I Have Gone Hunting' and 'I Sold My Hands For Food So Please Feed Me', which if anything, are most probably a rather vague indication of what to expect if you enter into the expanses of Get Well Soon, without knowing a single thing about the band first hand.

Although I’m currently in the convenience of listening to only one of the band’s song, already, Get Well Soon, has shown a huge promise. ‘I Sold My Hands For Food So Please Feed Me’, is gorgeous and lush, stretched out across the song, is a stunning sonic upsurge that builds into flourishing, dramatic melodies that’s escorted by mournful vocals, carrying distorted riffs heavenwards into a triumphant summit.

|mp3| Get Well Soon - I Sold My Hands For Food So Please Feed Me

:: Get Well Soon ::
[ Official website | MySpace | Buy Rest Now, Weary Head! You Will Get Well Soon ]

Covers, B-Sides, and Rarities: Regina Spektor 's "Real Love"

Regina Spektor will never make a song sound bad, won’t she? Take a listen to this stunning cover of the John Lennon composition, ‘Real Love’:

|mp3| Regina Spektor - Real Love

Good Golly, By Jolly, This Is Really Good! #53

The Vivian Girls makes music that’s a mixture of borrowed shades from shoegaze, thickly layered noise-pop, and garagey rock beats. It’s a heady concoction, but one that’s sure to leave you begging for more. The Brooklyn trio’s self-titled debut LP has already sold out, with a reissue coming out sometime during the fall. I’ve taken a listen to that said LP, and it doesn’t really make a compelling listen during the first time, so I’m assuming that these girls must put on one hell of a live show to have attracted so much attention.

In order to satiate my Electrelane craving for the time and fill in that empty gap while the Brighton quartet is gone on an indefinite hiatus, songs by the Vivian Girls seems to do the trick and fit into that fissure quite perfectly. In ‘Tell the World’, the music closely resembles the rocking tunes of the aforementioned alternative-rock, all-girl group, especially during that first minute. But, the more heavily inspired shoegazey number, ‘Where Do You Run To?’ is the true highlight of this record: set against the fuzzy, dreamy backdrop, are airy, girl-group, vocal harmony parts, that’s given an all round lo-fi treatment, thus quickly proving that these Brooklyn gals are anything but ordinary.


|mp3| Vivian Girls - Where Do You Run To?

:: Vivian Girls ::
[ Official website | MySpace | Buy Vivian Girls ]

Pete and the Pirates

Pete and the Pirates are another addition to the immense repertoire of indie art-rock bands that comes all the way from England. Although the type of music a band like Pete and the Pirates would normally bring to the table are pretty commonplace and nothing ground-breakingly new, there’s a certain freshness about their sound that you'll seem to hugely enjoy nevertheless.

The long awaited debut just recently dropped last February, entitled, Little Deaths, compiling a number of 13 perfect pop nuggets especially made to whet your appetite for glorious indie pops like these. The record itself serves as a thrilling experience with vivid, raucous pieces that translate into toe-tapping, knee-jerking moves of unified rapture. It wouldn’t be complete, if not to associate the music to the sense of awesome quirksome-ness, that the quintet so joyously pervades deep into the lyrical content and sonic progression in tunes such as ‘Come On Feet’ and ‘Mr Understanding’. Little Deaths may be some of the most invigorating albums to come out this year, oozing songs that inject a joyful attribute into life which is great obviously, because there’s nothing wrong with that.

|mp3| Pete and the Pirates - Come On Feet
|mp3| Pete and the Pirates - Mr Understanding
|mp3| Pete and the Pirates - Moving

:: Pete and the Pirates ::
[ Official website | MySpace | Buy Little Deaths ]

Foxboro Hot Tubs

So Foxboro Hot Tubs is really Greenday taking on the garage rock revival scene; well, it sounds like a match made in pure garage-rock heaven to me. The band definitely gets an ‘A’ for effort, for the way they seamlessly, seem to fit into that cluster of music. Stop, Drop, and Roll is a compilation of twelve 60’s retro rock pieces infused with the 70’s punk stylings of Greenday. Definite standouts include the catchy rock jangle, ‘Mother Mary’, which sounds like they might’ve taken some tips or two from another garage-rock clan, situated in the area of New York, whatjamacall ‘em? The Strokes, or summink like that.

I could get use to music like this, I really could.

|mp3| Foxboro Hot Tubs - Mother Mary
|mp3| Foxboro Hot Tubs - Stop, Drop, and Roll

:: Foxboro Hot Tubs ::
[ Official website | MySpace | Buy Stop, Drop, and Roll ]