Showing posts with label alternative. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alternative. Show all posts

Wednesday, 26 September 2012

Mixtape : mY Indie Soul # 53 to Ana Marr



The sounds of the summer of 2012 are to my sweet friend Ana Marr ( 1982 - 2012 )



Chelsea Wolf - Appalachia
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Baby
White Dress - No Solid State
Mac DeMarco - My Kind of Woman
Dum Dum Girls - Lord Knows
Sonny and the Sunsets - Pretend You Love Me
Woods - Cali in a cup
Ty Segall & White Fence - Time
Thee Oh Sees - Hang a Picture
Fletcher C Johnson - Send Me Your Love
Tropical Popsicle - The Age of Attraction
Halasan Bazar - Tin Foiled
Warm Soda - Reaction
The Babies - Moonlight Mile
Night Moves - Only A Child
Night Beats - Useless Game
JEFF the Brotherhood - Country Life
The Though Shits - Hombre De La Cocaina
Holy Wave - Looksee
Serfs - Spaces
Splashh - Need it
The Hairs - Duh x-12
Cosmonauts - Psychich Denim
Audacity - Punk Confusion
Terry Malts - Where Is The Weekend
The Spits - Mude und Einsam

Tuesday, 7 August 2012

New : Base Ventura debut EP


Twisted Tape Recordings are proud to announce their debut release in the shape of Base Ventura's debut self-entitled EP. 
The cassette is now up for limited pre-order, along with free streaming for all Base Ventura fans.

Check out now this amazing EP!


Wednesday, 4 July 2012

Mixtape : mY Indie Soul # 52



uberlicious new mixtape inspired in the 50s, 60s, 70, 80s, 90s w/ Lo-Fi, Psychedelic,Trash, Garage-Rock, Surf-Rock, Dark Pop, Shoegaze, Punk vibes. fresh cuts from favourite bands, slices from 2012 best albums and like always new fabulous discoveries.



Isle of Pine - 4 Again (Whistle Version w- Nancy Graves)
Actual Water - Death or Glory
Mac Demarco - Rock and Roll Night Club
The Happy Demons - Swamp Mentality
Piresian Beach - Easter
The Dictaphone - Punchcard Sex
Rayon Beach - Some Fun Before We Die
Traveling - Ed Schrader's Music Beat (Javelin remix)
Deep Time - Clouds
Andy Human - Land Of The Dinosaurs
Merchandise -Time
Terror Bird - Waiting For Nothing
Zero Toy - Michael
Girls Names - A Troubled See
DIIV - Doused
The Spyrals - Lonely Eyes
Jarama ft Keel Her - Chore
Regal - They Came Back for us
The Sunburns - Smell Like Fun
Gurr - Joseph Gordan Levitt
Fergus and Geronimo - RomanTick
Holograms - Chasing My Mind
Permaculture - Silent Service
Brat Farrar - So Overwhelming
BITCHES - Can Not Love

Sunday, 27 April 2008

mY Indie Soul # 23

mY Indie Soul # 23

Electronic | Experimental | IDM | Alternative | Punk | Electro

Artwork by Ray Caesar



Download | Listen

Raz Ohara and the Odd Orchestra - Where he at [ Apparat remix ]
" Apparat - Things To Be Frickled " - 2008

Raz Ohara is a native of Denmark who’s been resident in Berlin for some time. His first two solo albums for the Kitty-Yo label, Realtime Voyeur and The Last Legend saw Raz’s alter ego grow from quirky, original new-kid-on-the-block to confident, accomplished artist, consolidating the wit and intelligence which have made him an underground sensation. Flitting effortlessly between house, hip-hop, ambient electronics, reggae, downtempo, indie and Prince-esque soul inflections, Raz earned comparisons to US renaissance man Beck. Remixed by the likes of Richard Davis, Matthias Schaffhauser, Smash TV, Pier Bucci and Geiger, Raz Ohara was rightly earmarked for great things.
Raz Ohara and The Odd Orchestra is without doubt the most unusual album Get Physical has yet released, and it may prove to be one of their best. An album of real artistic integrity, this is avant-garde pop music at its most deep, timeless and affecting.



Kammerflimmer Kollektief - Seen
" Maander " - 2001

Kammerflimmer Kollektief began as the one-man experimental excursions of Thomas Weber. Trapping ambient noise, live and synthetic drums, guitars, strings, upright bass and keyboards into interlocking rhythmic explosions, Weber expanded the group to a live six piece in 1999 and has been brilliant and busy ever since. From their Karlsruhe, Germany home base, this ensemble effortlessly blends experimental electronic elements and moody free-form jazz to stunning effect.



Plat - Paling (Muse)
" Compulsion " - 2005

Plat is another in an ongoing stream of groups hailing from Iceland, but the group's sound is radically unlike that of its better-known compatriots Múm and Sigur Rós. To some degree that's attributable to Arnar Helgi Adalsteinsson and Vilhjalmur Pálsson's unusual creative approach as the duo records virtually everything they play and later sculpts the material into final form. Their hallucinogenic acoustic-electronic mix sounds both organically fluid yet deliberately considered—cool, experimental music perhaps, but one that never loses its soul.



Zoe Keating - We Insist
" One Cello x 16: Natoma " - 2005

Armed with just her cello and a small box of electronics, Zoë Keating has performed outdoors in the Nevada desert, in medieval churches, in punk clubs, and before thousands of screaming teenagers in mainstream rock venues across North America and Europe.

Classically trained from the age of eight, Zoë developed her signature style improvising for late night crowds in her San Francisco warehouse space. Her album "One Cello x 16: Natoma", which rose to #2 on the iTunes Classical and Electronica charts, is the direct result of that experimentation. Inhabiting its own territory somewhere between classical and electronica, Keating's works for layered cello have been called luminous, haunting and complex.



Apparat - Steinholz [ Monolake Remix ]
" Things To Be Frickled " - 2008

Apparat is the bridge over the German gap of melancholic glitch between Manchester and Laptop-USA. His smart wiring of emotions produces a virtual musical reality, which is based upon different genres, depending on the surrounding of the “apparat”. In his studio, dense, dark and majestic clouds of elegiac pop and heavy Electronica built up to a coherent and emotionally charged atmosphere. Live, on the other hand, the dance floor seems to be repelled to rave from the Bermuda Triangle with its axes Techno, IDM and Elektro. Those styles cannot necessarily be distinguished and heard on every of his releases, but since he started out with a much harder pace of electronic music in the early nineties, his influences are definitely Techno and Elektro as well.



Sebastian Tellier - Divine [ Midnight Juggernauts Remix ]
" Divine EP " - 2008

‘Divine’ is a supremely uplifting slice of electro funk with beach boy-esque harmonies and the single package comes complete with added doo-wop, and significant re-arrangement, in its new Radio version form and also with killer remixes from Australia’s Midnight Juggernauts and France’s latest exciting electronic producer/artist Danger.

Sebastien, France’s inspired choice as their 2008 Eurovision representative, will also perform Divine at this year’s Song Contest to be held in Belgrade on 24th May. !!!! This will be the first time in the history of the contest that the French entry will be sung entirely in English.

Now, even more than ever, Sebastien is the one true artist who clearly connects the vanguard of France's modern generations of musical magicians, from Gainsbourg to Air, through Mr.Oizo and the new electronic Ed Banger exporters. The gel which joins are the genial pioneers, Daft Punk, one half of which, Guy Manuel De Homem-Christo, has produced this and the seminal new album.



Tortoise & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Love Is Love
" The Brave And The Bold " - 2006

The Brave And The Bold chronicles an iceboat journey of co-captains Will Oldham and Tortoise into the charted but frozen waters of pop and rock’s thinning edges. As they soldier through, both singer and band rest and bathe in the comfort of what they've done recently and successfully. The rabid yodel of Oldham's quasi-Appalachian hillside adjudication, so predictably central to the Palace era, never once bubbles through the molasses yawn here. The languid drawl given to so much homespun obscenity pours itself in nicely empty molds of words by Springsteen, Elton John, and Richard Thompson, among others.



These New Puritans - Infinity Ytinifni
" Beat Pyramid " - 2008

In common with their influences, These New Puritans' sound is eclectic. In a recent interview with The Cuckoo Press Magazine, Jack said that "Wu Tang Clan are massively influential. "'Spitting the code', as Roots Manuva puts it, is what I do". While The Guardian said that "These New Puritans make stern threatening punk inspired by The Fall, Franz Kafka and Elizabethan magician John Dee". Artrocker Magazine has described TNPS as sounding like "Sheffield and Berlin synths, '90s alt rock Sonic Youth and Yo La Tengo drones; Underworld beats, and all in the most contemporary of contexts," while in a review of Beat Pyramid, Vice Magazine said "Sharp, strange and enchanting, there aren't many bands around like These New Puritans. Contrary to this though the NME review of their album states "Somebody once attempted to convince us that These New Puritans are original. They failed: onstage, the guy looks and twitches just like Ian Curtis, and musically, they sound pretty much exactly the same as The Fall." Barnett often states that he really doesn't think much about influences.



Duchess Says - Ccut Upp (Original Version)
" Anthologie des 3 Perchoirs " - 2008

Duchess Says was created in late 2003 in Montreal by four influent members of the Church of Budgerigars who decided to collaborate together in a common musical project. Their goal was to insure a faithful representation of the message of the Duchess (or spiritual budgie) through a precise artistic dialog. Composed of A-Claude (vox, keytar, guit, programmations), Ismaël (keyboard,guitar, programmations), Phil (guitar, bass,feedbacks) and Simon Says (lo-fi beats, drums and doubtful noises). Duchess Says is serving a repertory of “moog rock” songs strong in images and enormoustly intense live performances! Their musical influences range from no wave, new wave, punk, to cinema and visual arts. If you pay attention, you could see them perform in the most unusual places such as golf courses, shop windows, vacant buildings, etc. Duchess Says has the mandate to decontextualise the rock and to promote simultaneously their Church on the way.



Does it Offend you Yeah - With a Heavy Heart i Regret to Inform You
" You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into " - 2008

Does It Offend You, Yeah? are often compared to dance-oriented acts like Daft Punk, Justice and Digitalism.[attribution needed] However, NME has also compared them to bands like Muse and !!! due to their heavier, more 'live' sound. The group are known for their raucous live shows, which often end in stage diving and broken instruments

The band revealed the origins of their name as being from British sitcom The Office. In an interview with NME.com, synth player Dan Coop explained: "Everybody thinks the name is some kind of statement but it's a quote from David Brent in an episode of 'The Office'. "When me and James Rushent first started writing music together we decided to put it up on MySpace. We needed a name to put as our profile name so just put what was the first thing that was said on TV, we switched it on and Ricky Gervais said 'Does it offend you, yeah? My drinking?' so we just went with that. No thought went into it whatsoever."



Digitalism - Yes, I Don't Want This
" Moshi Moshi EP " - 2008

DIGITALISM is dirty electro pogo shit hammered by the two studio junkies Jens "Jence" Moelle and Ismail "Isi" Tuefekci and comes directly from the underground electro-indie scene.
It all began a while ago when Jens was working in Hamburg's "Underground Solution" record store , same store where Kid Alex began his career as a record seller - when Isi stepped in the store and had a first chat with Jens. Shortly after they went in Jens Studio and DIGITALISM was born. Jens did have keyboard practice for around four years and vocal practice for a year. He is writing the lyrics and sings them in his post-punkish way while the music is written and produced by the two knock-out musicians together.



Holy Fuck - The Pulse
" LP " - 2007

Holy Fuck is a lo-fi improvisational experimental band from Toronto/Halifax, Canada. They are a part of Dependent Music, a music label/collective that began in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in 1994. Called “Toronto’s evil supergroup”, Holy Fuck includes, at various times, members of other notable bands King Cobb Steelie, By Divine Right, Wintersleep, Enon, and Blue Rodeo.

Holy Fuck mimics modern electronic music without using modern fail-safes like laptops and programmed backing tracks For 2005’s NXNE festival they armed themselves with a drum set, a bass guitar, a myriad of toy keyboards, guitar pedals, mixers, and even a 35 mm film synchronizer and hit the stage, without even rehearsing.



The Bloody Beetroots - Mac Mac
" I Love the The Bloody Beetroots " - 2008

The Bloody Beetroots are an electro/club collective currently ripping up Italy with their own heavy beats, and continuously throwing out remix after remix as they make themselves known to the rest of Europe.

As well as featuring on Hostage’s ‘Gluttony’ EP - along with Felix Cartal - The Bloody Beetroots have remixed tracks by the likes of Fox n’Wolf, Etienne De Crecy, The Toxic Avenger, and their own take on Michael Sembello’s ‘She’s a Maniac’

The Bloody Beetroots are currently making their way around Europe with a number of slots on the continent and in the UK.



Ascii Disko - Black Summer
" Total Destruction is The Only Solution EP " - 2007

Daniel Holc, born in Hamburg (Germany), known in electro-music world as Ascii.Disko.
He played guitar in the band Slown and now plays keyboard and guitar with his other band of indie-rock Sci-Fi, Venus Vegas.
He is able to do new sounds that fit between electro and indie, and his albums sound between acid house and 80’s techno, similar to italo-disco.
Ascii.Disko(2003) and recently Alias (2006) are his two albums.

Thursday, 24 April 2008

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago ( 2008 )



Justin Vernon moved to a remote cabin in the woods of Northwestern Wisconsin at the onset of winter. Tailing from the swirling breakup of his long time band, he escaped to the property and surrounded himself with simple work, quiet, and space. He lived there alone for three months, filling his days with wood splitting and other chores around the land. This special time slowly
began feeding a bold, uninhibited new musical focus.

This slowly evolved into days filled with twelve-hour recording blocks, breaking only for trips on the tractor into the pines to saw and haul firewood, or for frozen sunrises high up a deer stand. All of his personal trouble, lack of perspective, heartache, longing, love, loss and guilt that had been stock piled over the course of the past six years, was suddenly purged into the form of song. The end result is, For Emma, Forever Ago, a nine-song album comprised of what's been dubbed a striking debut by critics and fans alike.

Bon Iver (pronounced: bohn eevair; French for "good winter" and spelled wrong on purpose) is a greeting, a celebration and a sentiment. It is a new statement of an artist moving on and establishing the groundwork for a lasting career. For Emma, Forever Ago is the debut of this lineage of songs. As a whole, the record is entirely cohesive throughout and remains centered around a particular aesthetic, prompted by the time and place for which it was recorded. Vernon seems to have tested his boundaries to the utmost, and in doing so has managed to break free form any pre-cursing or finished forms.

For Emma's tracks consist of thick layers draped in lush choral walls, with rarely more than an ancient acoustic guitar or the occasional bass drum providing structure. Vernon sings the majority of the record in falsetto, which painfully expresses the meanings behind its overt, yet strangely entangled words. This newfound vocal path acts as each song's main character and source of melody.

Despite its complexity, the record was created entirely by Vernon with nothing more than a few microphones and some aged recording equipment. This homemade aspect shows itself in sections as creaks and accidentals are exposed in the folds of the songs, but is hidden well by the highly impressive and almost orchestral sound that Vernon managed to produce by his lonesome, within the creaky skeleton of his father's cabin.



" For Emma, Forever Ago " - jagjaguwar 115 - 2008

Mp3 | Bon Iver - The Wolves (Act I And II)
Mp3 | Bon Iver - Flume

Video | Bon Iver - The Wolves (Act I & II)


Visit
Bon Iver

Sunday, 20 April 2008

These New Puritans - beat pyramid [2008]



One of the key acts in the great 2008 hype frenzy, These New Puritans could hardly sound more 'now'. You can hear the influence of perennially hip new wave touchstones like The Fall and XTC in here, but this band's grasp on excitable, electronically reinvigorated rock music is bound to see them touted as 'this year's Klaxons' (along with any other indie band you could dance to). Deerhunter would also be a valid name to throw into the mix, particularly when you consider short vignette tracks like 'Doppelganger' breaking up the flow of acoustic four-to-the-floor rhythms. Don't let any of this fool you into thinking Beat Pyramid is derivative or standard-issue in any sense though. There's a real intelligence behind the album in terms of its writing, its instrumentation and the way it's all presented. The song titles alone should give some indication of how distinctly non-standard all this is, reading like a list of randomised, computer-generated text ('C. 16th ±', '£4' and '4' spring to mind immediately) and tending to flow like some shuffle-generated playlist based on what you'd imagine Thom Yorke's iPod to be filled up with. While the record is structurally very smart - very in keeping with the anti-album zeitgeist - there's a real intelligence behind this music in terms of its writing and instrumentation, from the impeccable, angular pop of 'Elvis' and 'Mkk3' to the jerky glitch textures of 'En Papier', it's all flat-out brilliant. An enormously impressive debut album this, and one that comes very highly recommended. - Boomkat



" Beat Pyramied " - Angular - 032 - 2008

Mp3 | These New Puritans - Numerology aka Numbers
Mp3 | These New Puritans - Infinity Ytinifni


Videos | These New Puritans - Elvis


Click here to watch the whole concert!



Visit

These New Puritans

Sunday, 13 April 2008

Stereogum Presents - Enjoyed , Bjork's Tribute



After completing and launching Drive XV, our tribute to R.E.M.'s Automatic For The People, we gathered at 11th St Bar one night to figure out which album we should tackle next. OKX, our inaugural step into the compilation world, had been a no-brainer: 2007 was OK Computer's 10th Anniversary, and we wanted to honor the milestone. This time, though, when we started off thinking of possibilities based on release dates -- Drive XV was celebrating 15 years of Automatic after all -- nothing seemed quite right. (We've already discussed our decision not to go with the recently 10-year-old In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, for instance.)

After discarding our release-date almanac, someone suggested Björk. It was late, and we don't remember who said what, but it was a great idea. Debut, her first post-Sugarcubes album came out in 1993, which could count for a nice and even 15 years in 2008, but Post was the obvious choice: It's a stronger album top to bottom -- a culmination of her work to that point. It includes any number of iconic tracks and due to the richness and variety of Björk's self-described "spastic" palette, an infinite number of interpretive possibilities. Think, for example, of "It's Oh So Quiet," Björk's big-band cover of Betty Hutton's "Blow a Fuse," the almost industrial noise of "Army Of Me," the wispy, avant ambiance of "Cover Me," etc. When we spoke with Björk about her thoughts on Post, our choice seemed even more appropriate.


I listened to it when we did the surround mixes of it like two or three years ago [Note: Post was re-released in 2006 with surround sound mixes] and I have to say I was kinda surprised how the odd spastic thing of the album had actually aged well. I was very aware of it at the time that I needed to be musically promiscuous and have almost every song [a] different mood/style and so on. The picture on the cover is me on Piccadilly Circus (Times Square of London) too excited, too many things, Bright Lights Big City kinda thing, and me eager to consume. So my musical heart was scattered at the time and I wanted the album to show that.

We also asked the contributors for their thoughts on Post. Accordingly, each track has its own page with the artist's statement, as well as a dedicated comment section, so please click around.

Completing Enjoyed took a number of hands and plenty of elbow grease. We are deeply thankful to Björk for taking time out of her tour to answer our questions and offering commentary. Þakka þér kærlega, Björk! We'd also like to thank to Scott Hansen for his gorgeous album art, Phillip Klum for the absolutely amazing job mastering the project, the video team of Jon McMillan/Matt Neatock/Raphael Rodriguez/Shea Hess for shooting the band interviews, everyone at Sacks & Co., and Haukur S. Magnússon for help with our Icelandic. Finally, a major major thank you to all the bands for their participation -- folks juggled hectic tour and personal schedules and managed to get us amazing interpretations of Björk's originals. All is much appreciated.

As you may have noticed, this is our first compilation without Roman Numerals in the the title: We took the name from track "Enjoy." Of course, we also get the possible plays on "Post." We are bloggers, after all. Stereogum

download Here

Tracklist

Liars - "Army of Me"
Dirty Projectors - "Hyperballad"
High Places - "Modern Things"
Bell - "It's Oh So Quiet"
Pattern Is Movement - "Enjoy"
Evangelicals - "You've Been Flirting Again"
Xiu Xiu - "Isobel"
Mp3 | Final Fantasy & Ed Droste - "Possibly Maybe"
White Hinterland - "I Miss You"
El Guincho - "Cover Me"
Atlas Sound - "Headphones"
No Age - "It's Oh So Quiet" (Alternate Take)


Visit

Bjork
Stereogum

Saturday, 29 March 2008

Julia Kent Interview

Julia Kent left Rasputina in 1999, after releasing two albums on Columbia Records, and shortly thereafter became a member of Antony and the Johnsons. She played on and contributed string arrangements to the group’s Mercury Prize-winning record I Am a Bird Now, and, as a Johnson, has toured Europe, North America, and Australia; played at Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall; and appeared on numerous television shows. In addition to her ongoing participation in Antony and the Johnsons, she also has performed and/or recorded with many other artists and ensembles, including the Angels of Light, Burnt Sugar, Larsen, Angela McCluskey, Leona Naess, Teddy Thompson, Devendra Banhart, Mi and L’au, and Rufus Wainwright.

Her debut solo effort, Delay, is a cd of multitracked cello and found sounds. It was inspired by airports, by transitoriness, and by the private emotional worlds that we create amid the disorientations and disjunctions of travel.
Delay was recorded over the course of a year (or so) at home in between touring and traveling. After so many years of playing with other people Julia felt that it was time to do something entirely on her own. As a result she is the sole composer/performer on all tracks. The title refers to both the effect, to traveling and to the fact that it took so long to record. It is also an homage to Arthur Russell's World Of Echo – a masterpiece of (among other things) externalizing the intimate. Important Records


AP ) What does the Cello represents to you and why did you choose it as your reference instrument ?

JK )For me the cello is almost like a human voice: it has the same range and the same expressive possibilities. I think it offers interesting possibilities as a solo instrument, because of its range and because of the different textures you can create with it.

AP )What was the most bizarre thing , that you saw yourself involved in a airport ?

JK ( I always feel that I look a bit bizarre, with my cello and my mountain of luggage!

AP )Why did you choose these airport names ? are they special among so many others ?

JK ( They are all airports I have traveled through and I selected the names because the sound of them evoked certain things.

AP ) In songs like "Dorval" you can sense a much bigger approach to the classical than with "Tempelhof" , that suggests something much more aggressive and radical , how can you combine so different realms in your music ?

JK ( I'm interested in exploring as many different musical realms as possible, and I like the fact that the cello is capable of creating sounds that are quite aggressive, as in "Tempelhof."

AP ) You studied cello in a classical way , why did you decide to a much more alternative approach to exteriorize your relation with the cello ?

JK ( After studying classically I ended up playing in rock bands and in other nonclassical projects, which is how I ended up exploring the nontraditional side of the instrument.

AP ) You use a lot of pedals and samplers on your songs , why did you choose to use this equipment that normally is not asociated with a Cello solist ?

JK ( I like using effects in the same way that I think a guitar player might: to expand the sonic possibilities of the instrument and to create unexpected textures.

AP ) How did the specialized classical reviewers received your record ?

JK ( The only piece I saw from a classical reviewer was really perceptive and positive.

AP ) Where do you think "Delay" should be in a record store ? In a classical , Alternative or World Music area , and why ?

JK ( That's a very good question! I generally describe the music as "ambient." Certainly I don't think it qualifies as "classical" or "world music." Probably "alternative" is the most accurate category?

AP ) My favorite is "Barajas" , what could you tell about the creation of this particular piece ?

JK ( "Barajas" is named after the airport in Madrid, which is has a quite spectacular design. Musically, I was trying to create an agitated and cinematic atmosphere.

AP ) What does come to your mind with the name Antony and the Johnsons ?

JK ( I am very happy to be a Johnson!

AP ) What was it like to be involved in the process of recording such incredible beautiful songs with Antony ?

JK ( Antony is amazing: he is such a talented and beautiful person and I feel really lucky to have had the chance to work with him.

AP ) You have a long list of brilliant collaborations , Angels of Light, Larsen, Backworld, Jarboe, Devendra Banhart, Angela McCluskey, Leona Naess, Teddy Thompson, Rufus Wainwright , among many others , witch one was more rewarding and why ?

JK ( I always learn a lot through working with other people. I am always particularly enthusiastic to have the chance to do things with Michael Gira of Angels of Light--he is a brilliant producer.

AP ) After being been known in supporting roles , what does it feel like , being the star of the show and having half the world adoring your music ?

JK ( Oh my goodness, I so wish that were true! I have to say that with "Delay" I wanted to make something entirely by myself, and I have found it really empowering to have been able to do that.

AP ) Do you thing that was a big help for your solo carrier to have worked it so much famous people ? i suppose that is easier to promote your music , if your are associated as "Cello of Antony and the Johnsons" .

JK ( I think definitely it helped a bit, though I feel as though the audience for my solo music is pretty different.

AP ) You must have lots of wonderful memories of the times with Rasputina , could you share something special that happened during a tour ?

JK ( I have lots of memories, definitely! I did have a lot of fun touring with them, the most surreal experience being when we opened for Marilyn Manson and the audience threw various objects at us!

AP ) Why did you chose Shayo to release your debut album ?

JK ( Yann has been super supportive from the very beginning and he did an amazing job with the record in Europe. Important Records released it in North America.

AP ) Future plans , more collaborations and new solo album ?

JK ( I am working on a new solo album as we speak and talking to various people about collaborations.

AP ) Any plans to a visit the Netherlands soon , for a concert ?

JK ) I'd love to play in the Netherlands, but no immediate plans.

AP ) Pros and cons for bloggers ?

JK ( I feel as though bloggers have been really supportive of my record and I'm most grateful!
thank YOU very much!!!




" Delay " Shayo Records - 2008
Mp3 | Julia Kent - Barajas


Visit
Julia Kent

Wednesday, 19 March 2008

Blood Red Shoes - Box of Secrets



Blood Red Shoes are a two-piece rock band from Brighton who take influence from the likes of Nirvana, Huggy Bear, Jesus Lizard, The Fall and Mudhoney. The band consists of Steven Ansell (vocals and drums) and Laura-Mary Carter (vocals and guitar) and they formed in 2005 after their previous bands (Cat On Form and Lady Muck respectively) had broken up and they decided to "have a jam". They have released four 7" records on different independent labels (Jonson Family, Try Harder, Abeano/XL, Drowned in Sound) and are currently signed to V2. Their debut album promises to be one of the most eagerly anticipated of 2008 .

"Blood Red Shoes come on like Comanechi with less hair, or them Whites if they'd been raised in gutter punk clubs: totally entrancing." - Drowned In Sound

"For Blood Red Shoes, read Really Bloody Great. A jolting, jagged assault on the senses." - This Is Fake DIY

"Think the White Stripes with the roles flipped over, less blues and an injection of pure-bred punk-rock and you're on the right track" - The Guardian



Box Of Secrets - ( V2 Records 2008 )

Mp3 | Blood Red Shoes - Forgive Nothing
Mp3 | Blood Red Shoes - ADHD


Video | Blood Red Shoes - Its Getting Boring By The Sea
Video | Blood Red Shoes - You Bring Me Down



Visit

Blood Red Shoes

Monday, 25 February 2008

Foreign Island



If we ever were to bust out of our jaded shells and dance (which is about as likely as our passing up a roadside Hardees), but not like 'all out' dance , just kind of like, you know, dance dance (see Juan Maclean or that Rapture band), these guys would be near the top of our DJ request list.

Mp3 | Foreign Island - We Know You Know It
Mp3 | Foreign Island - We Know You Know It (Filthy Dukes Mix )

Look out for NYC's Foreign Islands. This excitable and ex-spazzable band has so far managed to stay pretty under-the-radar in this god forsaken town (though they did just open for The Hold Steady), but with a punk-with-synths staccato sound that can be described as Nation of Ulysses meets Les Savy Fav and Thunderbirds are Now!, well, how could they not be destined for greatness... or at least a Frenchkiss
record deal?

Video | Foreign Islands - We Know You Know It
Video | Foreign Islands - Fine Dining With the Future

We've never kept it secret that we're a sucker for songs with hand claps, and, boy, do these guys ever bring out some powerful palms on stage. Go see them now, buy them a few beers, and in a few years you can say to those you want to impress, "No big deal, but I totally got wasted with Foreign Islands once." And they'll be all like, "Awesome." oh my rockness


Visit

Foreign Island

Sunday, 24 February 2008

mY Indie Soul # 21



Electronica | Experimental | IDM | Indie | Alternative | Post - Punk | Electro

Inspired on the pictures by Anne Sulikowski

Download | Listen



Apparat - komponent ( Telefon tel Aviv Mix )

Apparat is a German electronic musician (Sascha Ring) living in Berlin and one of the owners of Shitkatapult records. Starting out with dance floor-oriented techno, he later started to create ambient music and more recently became "more interested in designing sounds than beats". Recent music is closer to glitch or IDM, accompanied with classical string instruments and other sounds.



Morgan Packard - Mink Hills

Morgan Packard’s debut solo full-length, Airships Fill the Sky, finds him folding cello, accordion and saxophone into a decidedly digital context - involving fragmented elements of techno, house, breakbeat oriented microsound and post-ambient tendencies - retaining his acoustic sensibilities in earnest, while taking advantage of his long-time immersion in a variety of electronic genres. While he has further honed the melodic, textural meanderings from some of his past work, here, Packard returns to his rhythmic roots, and continues to filter his jazz and classical background through everything he does. Deftly using his self-made software techniques, he puts these pieces together with a view towards the hypnotic power of the loop, coupled with a distancing from it. Remembering its importance as the structural basis of a musical landscape which has influenced him, he allows his loops to take on new properties, evolving incrementally and moving further from their origins.



The Books - Smells Like Content

We started working together in 2000 while living as neighbors in Inwood, a small neighborhood at the very northern tip of Manhattan, regularly referred to as 'Upstate Manhattan' by New Yorkers. Over the next few years we moved around a lot but always kept the music going through the mail, and occasional recording sessions. Since 2002 we've settled our working studio in the Berkshire Mountains of North Adams, Massachusetts. We do all of our own sample collecting, composing, writing, recording, mixing, and mastering in our home studios using pc's running cheap software and the ragtag equipment that we've pieced together over the years. What you hear on our records is exactly how it left our hands, with no producer, engineers, or sweetening in between. We are completely independent, beholden to no corporations and we have funded all of our music entirely ourselves



Patrick Watson - Mr. Tom

Patrick Watson (born 1979) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, and the name of the band that he fronts, whose blend of cabaret pop and classical music influences with indie rock has been compared to Rufus Wainwright[1] and Jeff Buckley.

Born in California but raised in Hudson, Quebec, Watson attended Lower Canada College. He began his musical career in high school as a member of the ska band Gangster Politics. He subsequently left the band, and released his own solo debut, Waterproof9, in 2001.

He has toured with John Cale, The Cinematic Orchestra, Amon Tobin, The Dears, Feist and James Brown.
He co-wrote and performed on several songs on The Cinematic Orchestra's 2007 album Ma Fleur including the opening track "To Build a Home". His "Missing You" remix of Champion's "Guy Doune", from Champion's 2006 album The Remix Album, reached #1 on CBC Radio 3's R3-30 chart in early 2007.



James Yorkston - Woozy With Cider (Original Version)

Born and brought up in a house in Kingsbarns, Fife in 1971, Yorkston lived in Edinburgh for many years, before returning to the East Neuk. He started out as bassist for punk band Huckleberry who recorded a number of independently released records. In 1996 he played his first acoustic concert as support for Bert Jansch following a recommendation by a friend. In 2000 he recorded a demo tape under the name J. Wright Presents which was played by John Peel and led to him securing a support slot with John Martyn. The same year he released his debut single Moving up Country on the independent label Bad Jazz.

Subsequently he signed to Domino Records, recording music with a number of friends and associates credited as The Athletes on his records. None of them, however, are actually athletes; indeed, the accordion player - the renowned Scottish musician Reuben Taylor - has been seen smoking a pipe. James Yorkston is an associate of the group of musicians working as the Fence Collective, having worked with members of the group both live and on record.



Ane Brun - Wooden Body

Ane started her musical career fairly late. It wasn't until she had turned 21 she took up acoustic guitar. Her first official live appearances were on 1998 on the streets of Barcelona and San Sebastian playing to anyone who would listen.

After this corner had been turned she returned to Norway but now moving to Bergen. She started composing her own material and for a while she joined the Norwegian band Damsels in Distress. In 2000 Ane moved to Stockholm and started really venturing out on her own, set on making a living of performing her music live. She has worked together with several other artists, such as Norwegian popgroup a-ha, Ron Sexsmith, Madrugada and Koop.



Antony And the Johnsons - Man Is the
Baby

Antony's second full-length album, 2005's I Am a Bird Now, was greeted with positive reviews and significantly more mainstream attention, winning the Mercury Music Prize for the best album of 2005. Rival Mercury nominees, and favourites for the prize, the Kaiser Chiefs suggested that Antony got in on a technicality; despite the fact he was born in the United Kingdom he spent much of his time in the US - although they later apologised for the suggestion that he wasn't a deserving winner.



Fink - little Blue Mailbox

“With the last album, I was very conscious about making my emotions public, and it crossed my mind that I may have had a problem taking that forward. At first, I hoped my writing would become more abstract, in that I would be able to imagine scenarios and write about them, but I think that writing from real experience has to come from the heart, and that’s what people relate to. It’s not that I’m unlucky in love or anything,” he adds, laughing, “I just think that you go through so much when a relationship breaks down that there may be a song for each tiny nuance of emotion that you feel.” There’s a pause, as Fink takes a long drag on his cigarette, “Maybe I just think too hard.”



Autolux - Capital Kind of Strain

Los Angeles noise trio Autolux formed in 2000. Singer/bassist Eugene Goreshter met ex-Ednaswap drummer Carla Azar while collaborating on the score for Dario Fo's play Accidental Death of an Anarchist, and following the addition of former Failure guitarist Greg Edwards, the group made its live debut that summer at the noted L.A. area club the Silverlake Lounge. Upon releasing the self-produced EP Demonstration in the spring of 2001, Autolux signed with producer T-Bone Burnett's fledgling DMX label and began writing material for their upcoming debut LP -- however, in May 2002 Azar fell from a stage and shattered her elbow, making a complete recovery following an experimental surgery that required the implementation of eight titanium screws. At year's end the group finally entered the studio, and while recording wrapped in early 2003, Autolux spent more than a year refining the final mix and Future Perfect did not hit retail until October 2004. Tours in support of the Secret Machines and Nine Inch Nails followed, as did an appearance on the Vincent Gallo-curated All Tomorrow's Parties festival.



Sonic Youth - Tokyo Eye
One of my all time favorites , there more concern with their music than stardust.



Nine Inch Nails - Hand That Feeds ( Dfa mix )

Nine Inch Nails has influenced many newer artists, which according to Reznor range from "generic imitations" dating from NIN's initial success to younger bands echoing his style in a "truer, less imitative way." Following the release of The Downward Spiral, mainstream artists began to take notice of Nine Inch Nails' influence: David Bowie compared NIN's impact to that of The Velvet Underground. In 1997, Reznor appeared in Time magazine's list of the year's most influential people, and Spin magazine described him as "the most vital artist in music." The RIAA certified sales for 10.5 million units of the band's albums in the United States, which accounts for roughly half of the band's reported sales worldwide. Bob Ezrin, producer for Pink Floyd, Kiss, Alice Cooper, and Peter Gabriel, described Reznor in 2007 as a "true visionary" and advised aspiring artists to take note of his no-compromise attitude. During a rare appearance at the Kerrang! Awards in London that year, Nine Inch Nails accepted the Kerrang! Icon, honoring the band's long-standing influence on rock music.



Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus ( Boys Noise Mix )

Depeche Mode's origins can be traced back to 1977, when Vince Clarke and Andrew Fletcher formed a band called No Romance in China, with Clarke on vocals/guitar and Fletcher on bass. In 1979, Clarke played guitar in an "Ultravox rip-off band", The Plan, with school friends Robert Marlow (vocals) and Paul Langwith (drums). In 1978–79, Gore played in an acoustic duo, Norman and the Worms, with school friend Philip Burdett (who now sings on the folk circuit) on vocals and Gore on guitar. In 1979, Marlow, Gore, Clarke and friend Paul Redmond formed a band called The French Look, Marlow on vocals/keyboards, Gore on guitar, Clarke and Redmond on keyboards. In March 1980, Clarke, Gore and Fletcher formed a band called Composition of Sound, with Clarke on vocals/guitar, Gore on keyboards and Fletcher on bass. The French Look and Composition of Sound once played live together in June 1980 at St. Nicholas School Youth Club in Southend-on-sea, Essex.

Soon after the formation of Composition of Sound, Clarke and Fletcher switched to synthesizers, working odd jobs, including carpentry, to buy them, or borrowing them from friends. Dave Gahan joined the band in 1980 after Clarke heard him perform at a local scout-hut jam session, crooning to a rendition of David Bowie's "Heroes", and Depeche Mode were born. When explaining the choice for the new name (taken from a French fashion magazine, Dépêche mode) Martin Gore has said,

“ It means hurried fashion or fashion dispatch. I like the sound of that. ”


Anne Sulikowski

The Presets - I Go Hard I Go Home (Ascii Disko Mix )

The Presets are a Sydney-based electronic duo, consisting of Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes. In September 2005 they released their debut album, Beams, to positive critical response. That same year Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes also toured with The Dissociatives, which is co-fronted by Daniel Johns of Silverchair and Australian dance producer Paul Mac. Johns also played guitar on Presets single "Cookie". Hamilton and Moyes are also members of Sydney instrumental group Prop.

Sunday, 17 February 2008

Atlas Sound



One of the most exciting aspects of Deerhunter’s recent Cryptograms was its schizophrenic approach to sound: bone-rattling noise rock one moment, placid, electronica-driven instrumentalism the next. There’s much more of the latter on Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox’s debut as Atlas Sound, a solo album awash in a vaguely psychedelic haze that masks lyrics about being drowned (in love), waking up with bite marks on your back and being so zonked on tranquilizers that you sleep until you feel drunk. While Cox’s narratives make little sense (much of the time, he’s not even singing so much as wailing wordlessly), the music is surprisingly accessible. There are hints of laptop electronica (“On Guard,” “Winter Vaca-tion”), the mesmerizing repetition of bands like Windsor For The Derby (“Recent Bedroom,” “Ready, Set, Glow”) and the gentler side of shoegaze (“Small Horror”). But Cox is at his best when he doesn’t skimp on melody, particularly on the sweet “River Card” and the slinky “Ativan,” which is replete with Velvet Underground-style echo on the guitars and vocals. Kudos to Cox, who could’ve easily just turned up the volume. By keeping things mostly quiet, he’s conjured a sonic universe all his own. Jonathan Cohen - magnetmagazine

Mp3 | Atlas Sound - River Card
Mp3 | Atlas Sound - Recent Bedroom

Watch | Atlas Sound: live @ The FADER/AT&T Sideshow
Watch | Atlas Sound - River Card


Visit

Bradford Cox

Sunday, 3 February 2008

Fink @ Paradiso 17 Feb



Fink's recording career began with Ninja Tune's release of his debut album Fresh Produce in 2001, a well received chill-out set that fitted neatly with the output of the label. However, it was his second release, 2006's Biscuits For Breakfast, that defined his style and began to bring his name to a wider audience.

“We’ve played some great shows in the last year,” enthuses Fink from his home in Brighton. He’s not kidding, having performed live with his band at the Birmingham and Manchester Academies, Brighton Dome, Colston Hall in Bristol and a string of other venues in support of Zero 7 in the Spring of last year, before hitting the festival circuit with shows at The Big Chill, Bestival, Green Man, and Fruitstock to name but a few. Fink’s debut album for Ninja Tune, “Biscuits for Breakfast,” marked a seismic shift for the label - shelving samples and turntablism in favour of an acoustic guitar and great songs. The record, distinguished by its squeaking fret boards and disarmingly autobiographical lyrics, caught the attention of audiences worldwide. Over a hundred Fink shows across Europe, including dates at the Electron and JazzOnze festivals, were followed by an intense tour of North America, where Fink, together with bassist Guy Whittaker and drummer Tim Thornton, jetted between seven cities in nine days after having received the Single of the Week slot from iTunes US. Since then, Fink has made special appearances with Nitin Sawhney at the 2006 Electric Proms, the 2007 Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, and throughout a 6-night sold-out run at London’s Jazz Café last December.


Video | Fink Live at Motel Mozaique, Rotterdam

While the lyrics on Fink’s follow-up album, “Distance and Time,” retain his trademark tension and honest lines of observation, the record feels more sophisticated and somewhat larger than the last, book-ended by the strung out, softly spoken anger of “Trouble is What You’re In” and the grunting power chords of “Little Blue Mailbox.” Fink feels that was a direct result of this experience on the road. “We did ‘Biscuits for Breakfast’ completely backwards,” he explains. “It was recorded before we’d ever done a gig, while bands normally have to gig for a while before they get a record deal, then get into the studio. This time around we’ve been on the road for a year and the whole experience has given us some insight into what it takes to headline these places.” If you live in the UK, chances are you’ve heard lead single “This is the Thing” as it recently graced a primetime TV ad campaign for MasterCard. “It was weird to hear myself on telly,” Fink admits. “To think that three or four million people have hard your voice during Coronation Street is certainly a bit strange!”

Visit
Fink
Ninja Tune
Paradiso

Friday, 28 December 2007

Best of 2007

2007 was an excelent year for the music makers and listeners , here some of my pics. Nina Nastasia & Jim White was my favorite of the year , Jim is totally class on the drums and Nina is magical, simply amaizing.
for 2008 low expectacions , but like everything in live , " Expect Less , Enjoy More "


Nina Nastasia & Jim White - " You Follow Me " / Fatcat

Apparat - " Walls " / Shitkatapult

Andrew Bird - " Armchair Apocrypha" - / Fat Possum

Black Strobe - " burn your own church " / Playlouder

Lcd Soundsystem - " Sound of Silver " / DFA

Vladislav Delay - " Whistleblower " / Huume

Trentemoeller - " The Last Resort " / Poker Flat

Meg Baird - " Dear Companion " - / Drag City, Wichita

The Cinematic Orchestra - " Ma Fleur " - / Ninja Tune

ILIKETRAINS - " Elegies to Lessons Learnt " - / Beggars Banquet

Electro Group - " Good Technology " - / Clairecords

PJ Harvey - " White Chalk " - / Island

Film School - " Hideout " - / Beggars Banquet

Jose Gonzalez - " In Our Nature " - / Mute

Angus & Julia Stone - " A Book Like This " - / EMI Australia

Blonde Readhead - " 23 " - / 4AD

Radiohead - " In Rainbows " - / XL Recordings, TBD Records

M83 - " Digital Shades Vol. 1 " - / Mute

Unkle - " War stories " - / Surrender All

Stateless - " Stateless " - / K7

The National - " Boxer " - / Beggars Banquet

Magnet - " The Simple Life " - / Hermetix Records

Eluvium - " Copia " - / Temporary Residence

Digitalism - " Idealism " / Kitsune

Boys Noise - " Oi Oi Oi " / Boyz Noise

Justice - " Cross " / Ed Banger

Supermayer - " Save the World " / Kompakt

Air - " Pocket Symphony " / Astralwerks

Sunday, 23 December 2007

mY Indie Soul # 20

dedicated to the wonderful danielle from Music is Art , go visit her awesome blog and you will love it for sure.
She shares her music , words , ideas , feelings and loads of positive and beautiful energy and has a large contribution to my happyness.
take this opportunity to invite Danielle to share her indie soul with this side of the planet.

would like to wish everybody a happy Christmas and a new year full of love and happy feellings.

Listen / Download


Tindersticks - She's Gone
Tindersticks are a rock band from Nottingham, England. Their sound is characterised by a synthesis of orchestral backing, lounge jazz, and soul; the lush orchestrations of multi-instrumentalist Dickon Hinchliffe and the smoky baritone of lead vocalist Stuart Staples are the band's hallmarks. Tindersticks have employed electric guitars, as most rock bands have done, but augment their instrumentation with a wide array of instruments: Rhodes piano, glockenspiel, vibraphone, violin, trumpet, trombone, clarinet, bassoon, Hammond organ, and many more are prominently utilised in the music of Tindersticks. The band has a cult following in the United Kingdom and continental Europe, although the eclectic and unique sound Tindersticks possesses never made significant inroads in the mainstream.

Pj Harvey - The Devil
Offstage, Harvey has cultivated a reputation for eccentricity to match her music; for example, Steve Albini claimed she ate nothing but potatoes while making Rid Of Me. Harvey describes herself as "an extremely quiet person, who doesn't go out much, doesn't talk to people", and rejects the notion that her songs are autobiographical. She told The Times in 1998, "The tortured artist myth is rampant. People paint me as some kind of black witchcraft-practising devil from hell, that I have to be twisted and dark to do what I am doing. It's a load of rubbish". She later told Spin, "Some critics have taken my writing so literally to the point that they'll listen to 'Down by the Water' and believe I have actually given birth to a child and drowned her." In 2006, Blender included her in their list of the hottest women of rock, calling her a "blues-rock sorceress trafficking in social politics and dark, tormented songwriting." In a recent interview, Harvey stated that she would like to reunite with fellow artists Tori Amos and Björk, as all three were featured on the cover of Q Magazine in 1994.

Clinic - Visitations
Clinic formed over easter in Liverpool '97. First single 'IPC subeditors dictate our youth' appeared that October, on their own Aladdin's Cave of Golf label. As an opener it set the stall out for how their unique sound would progress; pounding rhythms, heavily distorted organ and intense vocals, a cryptic mix of surf punk with a mutant house beat. The single was top ten in John Peel's festive fifty and ironically in both NME and Melody Maker. In an indie sense, the band had arrived (despite their ambitions lying elsewhere).

Beach House - Gila
Baltimore's Beach House are singer/organist Victoria Legrand and guitarist Alex Scally. Because they come from such a well-defined tradition-- the boy-girl duo making lovesick, narcotized rock with lots of depth and sweep-- it's pretty much impossible to listen to this, their debut, without making certain connections. Bands like Mazzy Star, Galaxie 500, Spiritualized, and Slowdive will come to mind, but this is neither pastiche nor homage. While a lot of their sounds and shapes are the same, Beach House's recipe of fairground waltzes, ghosted lullabies, and woodland hymnals feels more intimate than those of their forerunners. The Hope Sandovals and Jason Pierces of the world mostly wanted to make their songs bigger than their heartaches, to rub out messiness with beauty; Beach House play their songs for a much smaller room, and aren't afraid to stare down a mistake if it comes bounding back in echoes.

A weather - Spiders snakes
“Like Ida with a little more blood in its veins or Red House Painters cut with edgy bits of noise and smoky female vocals, A Weather achieves something unsettling yet warm, a richly textured sound that's as charming as it is totally depressing.” -Amy McCullough, Willamette Week

Yo La Tengo - Fourth Time Around
The band's name comes from a baseball anecdote. During the 1962 season, New York Mets center fielder Richie Ashburn and Venezuelan shortstop Elio Chacón found themselves colliding in the outfield. When Ashburn went for a catch, he would scream, "I got it! I got it!" only to run into the 160-pound Chacón, who spoke only Spanish. Ashburn learned to yell, "¡Yo la tengo! ¡Yo la tengo!" which is "I have it" in Spanish. In a later game, Ashburn happily saw Chacón backing off. He relaxed, positioned himself to catch the ball, and was instead run over by 200-pound left fielder Frank Thomas, who understood no Spanish. After getting up, Thomas asked Ashburn "What the heck is a Yellow Tango?".

The band wanted a name that sounded foreign in order to avoid any connotations in English and Kaplan is a devoted baseball fan. However, it still irks them when they are asked the origin of the name. The band once performed a cover of the Mets theme song "Meet the Mets" during a benefit appearance on radio station WFMU's pledge drive. A track on I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass is called "The Story of Yo La Tango" in apparent reference to an all-too-frequent misspelling of the band's name.

Kevin Drew - Cocaine Skin
Spirit If… is the first in a series of "Broken Social Scene Presents" albums. This solo effort from Kevin Drew unfolds like an emotional comic book. Drew's songwriting addresses all his favourite topics: fucking, fighting, fearing and hope. Both Drew and Brendan Canning, the two co-founders of Broken Social Scene, decided to approach making records as solo projects. In the process, the social scene community participated, playing key supporting roles, returning to the creative process that was the initial spark for BSS and giving birth to this new series.

Magnet - volatile
His debut album ‘On Your Side’ further confirmed what we has suspected all along about Johansen, that his songwriting was not only rich and unique, but that he had the ability to tap into the human vein; of life, love and loss...picking up rave reviews along the way, yet more appreciation in the world of dance, became a major star in his native Norway, soundtracking teen angst on the O.C, weird adult angst on Six Feet Under (and infact many other TV shows/films) and having one of the sleeper hits of the year with his cover of Dylan’s seminal ‘Lay Lady Lay’, a duet with Irish songstress Gemma Hayes (Itself currently soundtracking the Hollywood smash hit Mr & Mrs Smith). Not content to just invade your world gently, he decided to rock your world too, and spent much of the last three years on tour both on several European, UK and US headline tours, and as special guest support to bands and artists as broad as Doves, Phoenix, Ed Harcourt, Hayes herself, Zero 7, A-ha outdoors to 30,000 people in his hometown and countless others. These experiences have helped paint new Technicolor flow into the B&W and pastel shades of his songs.

Union of Knives - Opposite Direction
The music of Union of Knives is a meld of analogue riffs, beautiful voices and guitar abstractions over a dirty backbeat of programmed drums. It was designed to hypnotise and offer a true ode to life in all its dark beauty.

Cyann And Ben - Words
CYANN & BEN release their first album for Ever Records on September 11th. SWEET BELIEFS is an epic and yet intimate album that gives the space rock template a Gallic makeover by adding a much needed romantic grandeur. CYANN & BENs Paris is not the one you see in Amelie its dirty, dark and stressful as much as beautiful and SWEET BELIEFS, with its multi-layered and ambitious sweep, sounds as unsettling as it is irresistible. "a slow motion hurricane ripping apart your temporal lobe" Magnet

Film School - Plots And Plans
"Film School must have had a goth-shoegaze epiphany, because from beginning to end, Hideout is layered, dark pop bliss. It’s quite reassuring to know that a genre that’s been exploited to the bone can still come out this sick."-XLR8R magazine

iLIKETRAINS - Twenty Five Sins
iLiKETRAiNS released their first two singles at the end of 2005 to credible acclaim. However, it was their stunning mini-album ‘Progress Reform’ ( Fierce Panda) that truly captured the media’s attention and propelled them into cult status. They have been covered widely in publications ranging from the NME to the Financial Times, The Sun and Daily Mail to art magazine Aesthetica and the peculiar magazine that is Bizarre; and on radio, from Radio One to The BBC’s Politics Programme. An extensive network of RAiLCARD HOLDERS help spread these compelling history lessons across the UK, over seas into Europe and now America. They have performed at major European festivals and made personal appearances at regional railway events; they have been mentioned in the House of Commons and given talks at universities.


Autolux - Subzero Fun
In November 2002, Autolux entered the studio to record their first full-length album, Future Perfect, and finished primary recording in January 2003. In contrast with the 8-track recording method employed during the making of Demonstration, Burnett wished to capture the band's live sound on the album. Following the initial recording, the band continued recording and overdubbing additional music at their rehearsal space/studio (Space 23) to flesh out the songs. The song "Asleep at the Trigger" was completely recorded at Space 23 from the ground up. At the beginning of 2003, the album was mixed numerous times, with Dave Sardy, former front-man of Barkmarket, creating the final mix. The album was released September 21, 2004 and was generally met with critical praise.

Land Of Talk - Sea Foam
It’s late August, and on the porch of her home in Montreal, Elizabeth Powell is using one hand to swat away pestering bumblebees, and holding a telephone to her ear with the other, telling the story of her group, Land Of Talk. “We’ve been away for so long, on the road,” she laughs, a malevolent buzz audible in the background. “I come back, and there’s bees everywhere… Killer bees! It’s awful…”

‘The Road’ has latterly become Powell’s second home, or maybe her first, since Land Of Talk began to enjoy a nuzzling acclaim in Canada; she estimates they’ve played over 300 shows since they formed, criss-crossing the country and enjoying well-received sorties across the border in a rickety van. “I didn’t used to enjoy ‘The Road’, and now I do,” she offers. “You have to relinquish a certain amount of your expectations, about your privacy or your daily routine. It’s hard to feel grounded, when you’re always moving somewhere else. But then you let go of that need to feel grounded; you feel settled, once you forego that need for stability.”

The Little Ones - Lovers Who Uncover
In the land of White Noise, there lay a vast corporate landscape, which seasoned every major highway and small backcountry road for as far as the eye could see. The world itself tilted off its axis while all the powers that be played an eternal game of tug of war. The Little Ones felt so insignificant against the bigger picture. There were no new tales to tell and they felt stuck right where they started. Until one day there was a spark. They found it right outside their window. It was the branches that pointed them in the right direction. Although insignificant as it seemed, it reminded them what if felt to forget.

Electro Group - Panzer Treat
Beautifully melodic indie-dream-pop goes toe-to-toe with wall-of-noise sonic dissonance.
Ethereal vocals are woven into a tapestry of distortion and catchy pop wizardry. Reminiscent of "Loveless" and "You Made Me Realise" -era My Bloody Valentine, this trio takes the late 80's shoegazer sound a step into the future with driving, off-timed drumming (think more recent Unwound), and electronic loops, moog and surrealistic samples mixed into the layers. Falsetto vocals and intermittent guitar jangles tip a hat towards the solo albums of Syd Barrett. Seriously gorgeous music from Northern California's new noise pop kings.