Electric Guest

Some great sounds from LA band Electric Guest. The beginning and the end are almost two different songs, but blend seamlessly together….

[Album Stream] Still Corners – Creatures Of An Hour

If, like me, you’ve been waiting for Still Corners debut album for what seems like an eternity…..rejoice – the time has come. Creatures Of An Hour is streaming now over on Paste. FINALLY.

[Album Stream] Teeth – Whatever

LOOK AT THIS it’s Teeth’s album available to stream. It seems like an age ago that I first heard ‘See Spaces’ and fell in love with Teeth, now that their debut has finally arrived it’s good to see that they’ve carried all of the energy of those first demos into the full record (I’m especially happy to see that ‘Pill Program’ made the cut!). This is an album for partying hard and dirty; blast it loud and have the time of your life. (And if you enjoy that you probs should go ahead and order it)

Ears Full #4 [Florence + The Machine / Alex Winston / Teenage Mothers / Fitz & the Tantrums / The Left]

These tracks are either new to the world, or new to my ears. Tracks falling into the latter category have generally found their way into my brain through listening to Vancouver station The Peak. If you’re not familiar with this particular radio station, I suggest you SORT IT OUT as they play an incredible selection of songs.

My favourite new track here comes courtesy of Florence + The Machine. By the end of Lungs‘ seemingly never-ending run I was honestly bored of Florence and all her yelling/shouting/hollering. Here however, there’s less of the heightened decibels but all of the power, with building vocals and lush instrumentation and harmonies. If her new album is more of this (as well as the other new track to surface, ‘What The Water Gave Me’) I will be impressed.

Niki & the Dove – The Drummer

NEW NIKI & THE DOVE SONG!

Huw Stephens sat in for Zane Lowe last night, and played a new Niki & the Dove song which you can stream via this link (skip to 1hr 15).

The track has much more of dance vibe than what we’ve heard from the band so far, it focuses more on an upbeat tempo and less on the atmospheric instrumentation found on ‘Under The Bridges’ or ‘Mother Protect’. Not that this makes it any less great, it still sounds like Niki & the Dove and still makes my heart beat a little faster with excitement.

[Music Video] Marina & the diamonds – Radioactive

Marina & the diamonds just premiered her new single ‘Radioactive’ on Radio 1, and the accompanying video on her official site.

Marina had already said this single would be different to her previous material, and well…it is. It’s electro-pop at it’s best, and has much more of a dance feel than anything on The Family Jewels. In true Marina style though, the lyrics reference heartbreak and emotional turmoil…perfect.

Little Green Cars – Witching Hour

This is rather lovely. The first I’ve heard from Dublin’s Little Green Cars, this song has tons of charm, and sparkling harmonies that at times recall Fleet Foxes. There’s more power here though, with guitars that riff around thrashing cymbals. Definitely ones to look into further…

Beast Make Bomb

Beast Make Bomb are a four-piece from Brooklyn who describe their music as garage/rock/punk. Tracks like ’1, 2, 3, 4′ and ‘Rough It Out’ fit this description, with fast drums and guitar riffs to match. However there’s definitely a pop melodic-ness to their songs, and tracks like ‘Coney Island’ will probably remind you of Best Coast, with a more cathartic approach and vocals that roll rather than attack. These 3 tracks are found on the Sourpuss EP, the older Skinny Legs EP is equally as enjoyable. Both are available for free via their Bandcamp.

[Album Review] Thomas Tantrum – Mad By Moonlight

On Mad By Moonlight, Southampton’s Thomas Tantrum offer up addictive melodies, vocals that charm and captivate, and instrumentation which invokes dreamlike musings. This faraway imagery is a device rather than an accidental outcome: the band based the album on sleep, and the problems that a lack of it can create. With guitar riffs that recall The Cure’s lighter moments, and vocals with the intonation of an early Gwen Stefani mixed with the tones of Chew Lips’ Tigs, these songs are light-hearted yet laden with emotional tones, drawing the listener into a world that is meaningful even in its light-hearted moments.

Die Jungen

I’ve gone back to my old hobby of Bandcamp Surfing. It’s still has the power to amaze me, within seconds you can be listening to some incredible music. Tonight, with a few careless clicks I found myself enjoying the lo-fi tones of Southampton’s Die Jungen (German for ‘the young’). It’s retro, it’s hazy, it’d be perfect for lazy summer days (or in this case, lazy London nights). The songs sound like Tennis at half speed, or Spectrals with added layers of fuzz. Recommended listening for those times when you need to escape for a few moments….