I'm off on my hol's for a couple of weeks. The next post will be around the 5th September. Apologies for anyone i've not get back too as my inbox is swelling again! However still feel free to e-mail me.
See the links for more blogs to view and note that The Hits Hurts are back albeit on a weekly basis.
Oh and finally let me know how crap you think the new Franz Ferdinand single, which i've found on another site, is? Go West anybody?
Franz Ferdinand - Do You Want To
(Press Release) Welsh Indie Pop kids the Teen Anthems present another of their unashamedly pop missives. The Great Alternative Band (remix) was lovingly crafted by John William Davies in his Porthcawl pop laboratory and is available as a free download.
Teen Anthems - The Great Alternative Band (remix)
The Teen Anthems/Sonic Art Union Compilation "We Heart Rock" is being released on October 3rd 2005. I have reviewed this album for Sounds XP previously. However you can get a copy from their shop now.
Teen Anthems - What A Girl Wants (Punk Rock Mix)
Teen Anthems - The Great Alternative Band (remix)
The Teen Anthems/Sonic Art Union Compilation "We Heart Rock" is being released on October 3rd 2005. I have reviewed this album for Sounds XP previously. However you can get a copy from their shop now.
Teen Anthems - What A Girl Wants (Punk Rock Mix)
I've just discovered Love Spirals Downwards a band who have been and gone. First emerging in the late 1980's the band produced four albums from 1992's "Idylls" to 1998's "Flux". A compilation was released in 2000 titled "Temporal: A Collection of Music Past & Present". The band have since called in a day with Ryan Lum forming LoveSpirals whilst Suzanne Perry has formed Melodyguild in 2002 with former members of The Von Trapps.
The band remind me very much of the Cocteau Twins who are one of my all time favourite bands. There are also hints of Slowdive inspired shoegazing. Luckily none of it sounds dated and is still relevant today.
You can buy all their albums on i-tunes.
Love Spirals Downwards - Will You Fade
Love Spirals Downwards - Sideways Forest
Two more songs can be downloaded at the bands Music Download.Com Page
EDIT: I've downloaded a couple of the tracks by loveSpirals and sad to say they are not a patch on the Love Spirals Downwards material being a very pale imitation of Everything But The Girl's dance orientated material. Avoid!
The Bridge Gang - Two New Downloads
2 Comments Published by Tom on Tuesday, August 16, 2005 at 22:31.
The Bridge Gang, who are quite possibly the best unsigned band in the UK today according to my humble opinion, have two previously unavailable mp3's now posted for downloading. Taken from the bands demo CDR both are crackers!
The Bridge Gang - London Sky Tonight (Demo)
The Bridge Gang - The Gallery (Demo)
If you have any trouble downloading the tracks head for the bands my space page.
The bands next date is on the 27th August 2005 at the Goldsmith Tavern in New Cross. If you live in London go and see them - you will not be disappointed!
Egg Records have released their first ever download single. It's from The Prayers and consists of two tracks from their archives which didn't make the ""Everything But The Rubber Cat" compilation.
The tracks are "Forevers Over" and "Born Again" and are priced at 50 pence each (90 cents US$) which makes it the most realistic pricing I have seen for a digital download. Buy them from here.
Other news from Egg is that there will be a 27 track compilation of past, present and future releases coming late September 2005 an an Even As We Speak 17 track compilation of all the hard to find Australia singles now restored and mastered for 2005 release.
Indie-mp3 supports Egg Records and you can download some tracks, exclusive to the site, from the Egg Records page.
Decoration have a new single out. Titled ‘Escape Routine’ (b/w ‘Candidate’ and ‘Interested’) you can buy it direct from the site's shop for as bargain £3. If you like the Wedding Present or the Edsel Auctioneer this could be right up your street.
Additionally the 7" vinyl only "I Tried It, I Liked It, I Loved It" single has now been turned into a digital format and can be purchased from i-tunes, Napster and a couple of other music download stores.
Finally the band are supporting The Wedding Present in Edinburgh tomorrow night (16th August 2005).
Bailrig FM Session 22/04/2005
Decoration - Every Dog Has It's Day
Decoration - Intercom
Decoration - Pine
I've received an e-mail from Pat who used to be a member of Screeming Custard:
There’s been a flurry of interest in the Custards since you kindly posted some of their tracks for download, so we thought we’d put together a small website. It’s a bit rough and ready, but then so were the band. Thanks again for the coverage.
Well i'm glad to help and it's nice to see a presence at last! One thing I did notice was that the site does not work under gecko based browsers (Firefox, Mozilla etc) or Opera and just seesm to work under IE.
EDIT: Pat confirms he has used a Microsoft application that does not work with non-IE browsers but is looking at using another application soon!
There’s been a flurry of interest in the Custards since you kindly posted some of their tracks for download, so we thought we’d put together a small website. It’s a bit rough and ready, but then so were the band. Thanks again for the coverage.
Well i'm glad to help and it's nice to see a presence at last! One thing I did notice was that the site does not work under gecko based browsers (Firefox, Mozilla etc) or Opera and just seesm to work under IE.
EDIT: Pat confirms he has used a Microsoft application that does not work with non-IE browsers but is looking at using another application soon!
A while back Under Blue Skies did a post on the late 1980's Dublin band Hey Paulette It wasn't long after that post that I received an e-mail from Derrick who was in the band and now is in another called Crumb alongside former fellow Hey Paulette member Eamonn Davis. He informed me that Crumb released an album earlier this year titled "Evenings & Weekends"
The album is not bad at all leaning more towards indie rock than indie pop. I particularly liked the track "Follow Me Home" which happened to be the bands debut single. I'm sure the rest of the album will grab me in the same way after a few more plays.
Crumb - Follow Me Home
You can download two more tracks from the album via bands music page.
Derrick also advised me that the band are hoping to release a new single by the end of the year. Titled "Like Goodbye" it's a track not available on the album. He also stated that all the members of Crumb are in a band called Melba whose lead singer happens to be Eileen Gogan, formerly of The Would Be's. Melba are currently recording an album which is hoped to be out next year on their own label Disques Fridge.
As for Hey Paulette a compilation will be released next year on the German label Firestation Records. The compilation will feature the singles and the session they recorded for John Peel. The band are also selling the Hey Paulette 12" single "I Really Love Penelope" again after noticing some high prices their material was going for on e-bay.
The bands 7" single "Commonplace" once got 'tingle of the week' in the Melody Maker.
Hey Paulette - Commonplace
If you want to listen to more of these tracks including the Peel session then visit the Hey Paulette music page.
Buy Evenings & Weekends
Buy Hey Paulette
The Legends have released their latest single titled "He Knows The Sun" on Labrador earlier this week. There is a preview of the track but sadly not of the whole song so i will have to wait until my order gets here to hear it in full!
However give the preview a listen. New Order anybody?
The Legends - He Knows The Sun
I received an e-mail from Magnus Larsson who records under the name Pet Politics. Seems Magnuss has been busy as he also e-mailed Swedes Please! However I actually downloaded his stuff before I got the e-mail and was well impressed. Not sure I hear the same influences as Swedes Please does although Galaxie 500 does ring a bell. I certainly can hear a bit of Guy Chadwick/House Of Love in there. See (hear?) what you think:
Pet Politics - In My Head
Pet Politics - The Cold Wind Blows
Talking of Swedes Please I came across an excellent blog called Microlips via them which features music from mainly Sweden as well as Finland, Estonia and Latvia at present.
I was well taken with the garage band Les Diamants who, judging by the track "Boob", could well be Estonia's answer to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs with a bit of the Distillers thrown in just to make sure. It's a great blues rawk track.
Les Diamants - Boob
If, after all that, you still want something to listen too then I recommend Radio Indie Pop. It is an online radio station which plays a wide range of artists under the "indie" genre from indie pop to shoegazing. It's just a shame that you cannot stream the station in your own player of choice rather than having the actual page open.
Finally another blog covering indie is Indie For Dummies. It's written in Italian but don't let that put you off as they have featured the likes of Sons & Daughters and The New Pornographers recently.
After overdosing on the joys of Scandinavian indie, mainly that from Sweden I thought I had better head back, metaphorically speaking, to ol' blighty and see what I could find.
I'm glad that I did as I came across England And The April who, judging by their pictures on their site, could well be the youngest band i've featured on this blog. The band were formed by ex members of The Bed, MoonDaySpeaks and That Fateful Day and describe their sound as a mix between Folk, Pop and Punk. And what a mix! These are some of the strongest songs I have heard this year and if these are the rough mixes I cannot wait to hear what the final versions sound like. "Lorraine" is my particular favourite at present.
According to their site the band started recording an album in May but there seems to be no more news on it's status. In the meantime download and enjoy these tracks:
England And The April - Lorraine
England And The April - I Know I'm Nice
More tracks availble on the bands site or stream them from My Space.
The Simple Carnival - Debut EP Release
4 Comments Published by Tom on Wednesday, August 10, 2005 at 18:48.
The Simple Carnival (aka Jeff Boller) have released their first EP. It features 11 tracks in the mould of The Beach Boys meeting lo-fi indie pop. You can listen to samples and buy the EP here.
I have featured the band on the main site by previously posting an exclusive track of the week. That track is no longer available but you can download another version of it plus other tracks that did not make the EP release.
The Simple Carnival - Super Robot Toy
The Simple Carnival - She Won't Look At Me
The Simple Carnival - The Girls Upstairs
Pello Revolvers recently released their third and latest EP. Titled "No Spare Tyres" it features four tracks of which two have been made available on their site.
The tracks mix traditional sounds and instruments with later influences such as electronica or indie and i'm sure I heard a bit of dub reggae in there too. A welcome release which has adds a bit of diversity to my current playlist of Swedish artists.
Pello Revolvers - Shot By The Priest
Pello Revolvers - Two Miners
There are a number of mp3's available from their two previous releases available from the Pello Revolvers site.
Buy Pello Revolvers
The Drawbacks play catchy indie powerpop and although not totally original the songs are quite infectious! They have released three CDR singles so far and are in the process of recording some new songs.
The Drawbacks - Celia
The Drawbacks - Straight Lines & Circles
You can stream tracks from the bands Myspace page.
I've been listening to the Malmo's Moonbabies new mini album "War On Sound" quite a bit of late. It features eight excellent electronica inspired indie-pop tracks and is one of 2005's more welcome releases. You can listen to tracks from the release via the bands Myspace page. In the meantime you can download some earlier tracks:
Moonbabies - I'm Insane But So Are You
Moonbabies - We're Layabouts
Buy Moonbabies
If you are not an e-music subscriber you can join their trial which allows you to download 50 free mp3's including "War On Sound" from the Moonbabies Artist Page
Dutch band Persil recorded a session for Bailrigg FM, which is the student radio station based at Lancaster University, in March this year. This session has now been uploaded for your listening pleasure.
Persil - Arkadelphia
Persil - Music
Persil - New Zong
Persil released their excellent Tune-Up EP earlier this year which followed last years 2004 "Duotone" album. You can buy them both at Trangressive Records. You can download previews of tracks from both releases here but note these are 64 k/bits wma files.
Bonus Track
Persil - Kennedy (Wedding Present Cover)
Head here for more sessions from Bailrigg FM. Give their live stream a listen too. I found it to be an enjoyable listen when I erm, tuned in!
Well i'm another year older today so to celebrate (commiserate?) i'm off to the Great British Beer Festival which may mean a lack of an update tomorrow!!! As for my age just say that it's now a higher number than my waist size.
Here is a quick "mixtape" i've knocked up featuring some of my favourites of tracks I have featured from 2005 so far. I've been playing these over the past day or two and 2005 has not been a let down by any stretch of the imagination. The tracks from Sambassadeur and Wan Light demonstrate how strong the Swedish scene is at present. The Charade are my favorite new band at the moment. Their album "The Best Is Yet To Come" must be a contender for the best of 2005.
Sambassadeur - Between The Lines
Wan Light - That Grim Reality
Dorotea - My Guilty Conscience
Maths & Physics Club - Weekends Away
The Charade - Monday Morning
Saturday Looks Good To Me - The Girls Distracted
Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - Rent A Wreck
The Lucksmiths - A Hiccup In Your Happiness
Pipas - Wells Street
The Happy Couple - Another Sunny Day
Bonus Tracks:
Persil - Happy (wma file)
Wan Light - Airborn
Sambassadeur - New Moon
Maths & Physics Club - Movie Ending Romance
Here is a quick "mixtape" i've knocked up featuring some of my favourites of tracks I have featured from 2005 so far. I've been playing these over the past day or two and 2005 has not been a let down by any stretch of the imagination. The tracks from Sambassadeur and Wan Light demonstrate how strong the Swedish scene is at present. The Charade are my favorite new band at the moment. Their album "The Best Is Yet To Come" must be a contender for the best of 2005.
Sambassadeur - Between The Lines
Wan Light - That Grim Reality
Dorotea - My Guilty Conscience
Maths & Physics Club - Weekends Away
The Charade - Monday Morning
Saturday Looks Good To Me - The Girls Distracted
Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - Rent A Wreck
The Lucksmiths - A Hiccup In Your Happiness
Pipas - Wells Street
The Happy Couple - Another Sunny Day
Bonus Tracks:
Persil - Happy (wma file)
Wan Light - Airborn
Sambassadeur - New Moon
Maths & Physics Club - Movie Ending Romance
Like Interpol and Franz Ferdinand before them Copenhagens' Neon Machine draw their influences from the likes of Joy Division/New Order and other scions of the early 1980's music scene. They have then taken these influences, given it a fresh lick of paint and updated and shaped it thus reflecting the current Scandinavian indie scene.
The tracks below are from their 2004 single "Suzie (Where Are You)".
Neon Machine - Suzie (Where Are You)
Neon Machine - Inside/Outside
The band have released another single titled "Just For You" but this can only be streamed at present from their site.
Buy Neon Machine's "Just For You" and/or "Suzie (Where Are You)"
They Live By Night is not only the name of a 1948 movie about bank robbers but is also the name of a Swedish (Gothenburg based?) band.
However that's all I can tell you about the band with the exception that they make a nice little racket which, genre wise, is hard to place. They do sound like a mix of their compatriots "The Hives" mixed with more than one or another of the bands influences - I can hear the echoes of Wire or Franz Ferdinand in the tracks for instance. Indie pop or Twee this certainly is not but it certainly blows the cobwebs away.
They Live By Night - Truth Or Dare
They Live By Night - Night Out
If these tracks take your fancy head for their homepage where you can download another track, "House Of Addicts"
EDIT: The band now have a blog. For some reason i feel a little bit guilty LOL!
I came across The Bigger Lovers recently via Music Download.com.
These tracks come from their 2004 album "This Affair Never Happened... And Here are Eleven Songs About It" which remind of a cross between Built To Spill and 60's inspired jangle pop. It's all very similiar to some of the sounds coming out at Sweden at present.
The band are working on their fourth studio LP which should see the light of day late 2005 or early 2006.
The Bigger Lovers - I Resign
The Bigger Lovers - You (You, You)
You can stream more songs via their My Space page. You can buy the Bigger Lovers here.
