PAST ISSUES - 2009
This isn't necessarily about Rage, its not really about sticking two fingers up at Billionaire - YES billionaire Simon Cowell (who won't do another series unless they give him a 3 million pound pay rise. What recession?). Its about the monotony of manufactured music, churning out another cog in the music industry's spinning wheel. Another year and guess what, we get another X Factor winner at number 1 singing someone else's song. Its not even about the so called "talent" of the X Factor winner it is about frightening power and influence of SyCo. However, without these "stars" or "idols" the industry would not be able to afford to take risks on new music, for the money that is generated from these projects often helps fund alternative music's recording and marketing. So let's not get caught up on this.
But let's get caught up on the fact that a young lady without the power of Cowell had enough of listening to someone bleat again about how happy they are that their dream has come true, and would rather that a song that reflects peoples desire to stand up to "the man", and provide us with a choice of what we listen to rather than it being so obvious and put on a silver plate by ITV. So she started a campaign to put Rage Against Machine's 1992 hit 'Killing In the Name Of' in the race as well. Tom Morello of the band said "if you're a viewer of the show you get to vote for one contestant or the other, but you don't really get to vote against the show itself until now."
This is also for a good cause - the people that started this campaign off are asking for your donations to Shelter, they have raised over £40,000 already!! Here is the link if you want to make a donation http://www.justgiving.com/ratm4xmas
I have bought my copy and I hope you will too, tell your friends about the facebook group: www.facebook.com, even The Prodigy have issued a fresh plea to their fans to buy a copy. However being slightly different as always we thought to spice things up we would put a remix up on our exposure site to stream. I'm sure in the next few weeks we will see a lot more, but my favourite one around at the moment is from about a year and a half ago by sebastiAn. Its very French sounding from the offset, think Daft Punk dancing with Justice whilst listening to the Ed Banger back-catalogue, and someone drops RATM in the middle with computer voices singing the lyrics, and you have Killing in the Name of SebastiAn, and a special version here which is the Late Night Laptop Edit.
There is also a fantastic 8-bit cover passing around by Uoki Toki which you should try to find. The Losers (which is actually Eddie Temple-Morris) also did a Remix which is pretty darn good!
[Note from Daniel] – its come to our attention that there is a possibility that this could be a super-guerrilla-cynical-below-the-belt-marketing-strategy-to-get-us-all-to-spend-more-loot-on-sony-music. It may be, or it may not, we love the idea that its for real and have bought our copies... draw your own conclsusions.
Oh yeah and a very Happy Chanukah and a Merry Christmas
22th January - YAWN
Chicago four piece with something of the Vampire Weekend about them did the right thing as an unsigned band and decided that they should give away their brand new 5 track EP in a bid to garner the ever evasive publicity...
It seems to have been working and attention and awareness is on the up, they are booked for SXSW in Texas and nice bits of press stateside, 2010 is looking like an exciting proposition, which is not something many freshfaced newcomers can claim.
Their music is an uplifting business, using intricate percussion, vocal harmonies and often clear cut world oriented melodies (including gospel samples looped and modified with electronics). You get the feeling that this could be huge, the lush sounds take you somewhere you havent been before, a little like Animal Collective, but more accessible...
Download the EP here:
http://yawntheband.com/Yawn/Yawn.html
The Wild Wolves are made up of Alex Cox formerly of Vincent Vincent and the Villains, his brother Olly and a further 5 musicians playing everything from trombone, sax, keys, drums and bass. The Wild Wolves ' songs had been taking shape in Alex's head throughout the entire Villains roller-coaster, sporadically performed onstage in a nameless ramshackle outfit with Olly playing drums and a string of Trombonists coming and going.
After Vincent Vincent and the Villains had at long last made an album, Alex decided that his duty's were over and left the band to scratch around for some members for his new project. A fun, light field journey through ska, folk, reggae and pop.
Even though Alex has been itching to do this for years, he spent time choosing the right assortment of musicians who look incredibly relaxed on stage and enjoy every note change in their songs. The boys and girls are fortunate enough to be playing with our very own Brute Chorus on Thursday 17th at the Stags Head in Shoreditch. It is also going to be the destination of the Tape Christmas party, so come and join us in celebrating a great year!
Tomorrow night (tuesday) Kurt Vile comes to London, you may not have heard of him but you will have heard of another of the bands, War on Drugs, for whom he is lead guitarist. He is on tour, promoting his third solo album, Childish Prodigy, an album that was leaked online just before it hit the shelves, oops, someone at Matador will have felt the pain that day.
HIs tracks are heavy with reverb, beautifully penned with sounds reminiscent of Bon Iver, mixed with a leftfield, woozy Tom Petty. Recording all his material at home, his productions are low fi and minimal, steeped in originality, with a real amerciana rock feel. Anyway, as mentioned, he just signed to Matador, home to label mates Yo La Tengo and Cat Power, so should be well looked after there.
You can catch him at the Lexington on the London leg of a european tour, preceding Paris and Brussells, before he heads back to the US.
This has been the year of the girl - La Roux, Little Boots and Florence and the Machine to name a few. Due to this next year has its fair share of promise for young female artists Marina and the Diamonds, Ellie Goulding, Daisy Dares you, Goldielocks the list goes on and on. But really, it does get a bit dull. So huge excitement hits when on a boring Monday evening you happen to walk into a venue and see a very happy group of people hitting on boxes, playing guitars, wearing horse heads and singing about everything from people they have met, layed, and got legal help from to their favorite shop or food stuff (sexy cup cakes). It was a breath of fresh air, a student of fine art, Erin Kleh has only held a guitar in her hands for a year, and didnt even start singing until 8 months ago, but still she has joined up with Tash and now has a catalogue of over 40 songs, and an ever growing fan base.
This is my tip for the girls of next year, and the year after. The songs work in so many different ways, great melodies, the words seem to fit in so poetically, and at the same time as being nicely layered the songs are very simple. I have attached to very good exapmples of Erin's song writing, some of which she does with her bassist Tash, whom along with the rest of the band, met through adverts on gumtree. The song you can stream is called Crazy and Insane - look out for the twist at the end ;) There are lots of ideas in Erin's creative brain of what she wants her next video to be so watch this space, as I am sure we will be hearing a lot more from this fun filled group! Erin K and Tash will be playing the Florance and Machine official after party on December 14th, in Brixton if you want to catch the band live.
An enticing blend of wee indie pop hooks and crisp electronic beats in the style first perfected by Saint Etienne's Foxbase Alpha, Little Dragon are a showcase for Swedish-Japanese singer Yukimi Nagano, a mainstay of the European downtempo and lounge scenes.
Based in Gothenburg, Sweden, Nagano first broke through in 2000 and 2001 as the singer on several singles by Swell Session, the project fronted by Swedish DJ and producer Andreas Saag. She later sang lead on the club hits "Summer Sun" and "Bright Nights" for the Swedish electronica duo Koop, as well as Hird's house singles "Keep You Kimi" and "I Love You My Hope," along with several contributions to the acid jazz collective Stateless' 2003 album Art of No State and the stylistically similar Sleepwalker's 2006 album The Voyage.
Little Dragon, by way of contrast, are Nagano's own band, featuring keyboardist Hakan Wirenstrand, bassist Fredrik Kallgren Wallin, and drummer Erik Bodin.
Bodin is also the percussionist for Swedish alt-folkie José González; in fact, Nagano sings harmony vocals on González's second album, In Our Nature. Little Dragon debuted in 2006 with the "Test" single, on the Scandinavian label Off the Wall. The following year, Little Dragon signed with the larger British indie Peacefrog Records (Nouvelle Vague, etc.) for their self-titled debut album. Machine Dreams, showing flashes of new wave inspiration, followed in 2009.
New material out soon, check this out in the meantime, and for london residents, they have a gig on monday at the Rhythm Factory...
All the way from Kent and Newcastle, Mike, Jonathan, Jeremy, and Alex now live in Manchester, but are definitely creating a lot of noise in London. With a sell out show at the ICA last month, they have now been invited back to the city to play for the brilliant Dummy Magazine's party at Bardens Boudoir. The band are totaly genre defying, mixing up their influences from Kate Bush, Radiohead, Michael Jackson and apparently Bill Gates. Never ones to be bored, from their videos and photo-shoots its clear these guys have a good sense of humour, but take their music very seriously; changing tempos and styles within a song in a heartbeat.
I have attached one of my favorite videos this year Photoshop Handsome. A simple concept, and a video that includes platform video games, a rain forest and the moon. May sound like a Destiny Child's video but it was done at a fraction of the price, and looks better for it. Also for your streaming pleasure I have placed the audio of a great remix of MY KZ, YR BF or in other words, my keys your boyfriend. The remix is by Bristol elctro/techno duo portmanteau and really takes the song to a new place. Enjoy and definitely don't miss their live shows!
20th November - TAP TAP
There are sometimes moments where you know you are going to see something special. It may not necessarily be new, in fact a lot of the time it can be something very familiar to you, or something you don't quite know yet but has been around for a while. I think of the first time I saw the Pixies after their 13 year hiatus from London, or seeing Pearl Jam at Shepherds bush Empire, and dreaming about how good it would be to see my first ever live gig - Blur, and believe me it was!
Well next week I am getting a mix between all those feelings. Tap Tap, a band I have been following since their release in 2007 are playing a free show at my favorite pub in London, The Stags Head in Shoreditch.
Unfortunatly Tap Tap dont play live very much as it is Thomas Sanders' creation, and he has to spend a lot of time as lead singer from the incredible Pete and The Pirates, which is not a bad thing either! This is a free show organised by their beautifully formed label Stolen Recordings. Released as Rough Trades album of the week, David Bowie's top 3 songs of the moment, and Plan B magazine's joy, 'A minute into the opening song '100,000 thoughts', and ive lost my heart'. This is why I have included this song on this week's exposure, as I am sure you will loose yours too. I cant find any videos of the band, so instead I have included Thomas' other act Pete and The Pirates. Both bands have a melodic pop tinge, with music that seems in a rush to get somewhere and is elegently pushed and backed by well worked drums and bass. The guitars play off of each other whilst Thomas' vocals are in harmony with themselves and feature influences from Arcade Fire, Belle And Sebastian, Pavement and even the Kinks.
Think LCD soundsystem remixing themselves, being from all parts of Europe and a bit less reserved live shows and I think you will have a pretty good picture of Crystal fighters. The guys have been around just over a year now, infact I put them on around this time last year, and was blown away! However they have already put out one of the best EP's this year with The Xtatic Truth EP, but they are just to release their brand new single 'I Love London' next week, which could even top their previous release. Both songs have been in undated with bands and DJ's remixing them, everyone from soon to be "exposured" L-Vis 1990 to Renaissance Man and even remixing a lot of other acts themselves including CSS and Master Shortie (not together, although I would love to see how that would come out!)
Any how next week has got to be one of the best and diverse line ups of the week, Crystal Fighters headlining their single launch, in association with Levis ones to watch playing along side the incredible Violens and beautiful post punk Wild Palms. I would definitely recommend trying to find tickets for this show at Hoxton Bar and Kitchen. The next single is released on Kitsune, again proving that they are at the forefront of the best new electro outfits. They have a great european, gyspy, Balkan, Basque and African (yes i know thats not Europe) beat feel on top of their glitchy, dirty synths, and some lovely folk break downs. Check out this remix of the new single I Love London - its not an official mix or video but somehow it works really well. Plus for a treat I have added the audio of one of the most listened to songs of the year in clubs.
enjoy and dont mix up with crystal castles, or any other crystals for that matter!!
OK I feel very strange - this is very unlinke me - 3 years too late! I dont know how it happened but the most amazing band seems to have passed me by for three whole years. Another great band from Canada - Timber Timbre can definitely be placed along side other great Canadian acts such as Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade and luckily not along side the likes of Celine Dion or Avril Lavigne. I only noticed them when recently they allowed everyone on the internet to download for FREE, their entire critically acclaimed self titled album last week. It was released in late August to a huge response from American press.
Released on the great Arts and Crafts label - home to Broken Social Scene, Gonzales and the amazing Feist, Timber Timbre create beautiful creepy music which haunts your soul, Taylor Kirk's hushed lead vocals make your ears prick up suggesting he has something very important to say. As it says on the website if you listen over the back catalogue of Timber Timbre songs you will realise that "[over] the years [Kirk and the band] have marked a rapid progression from dusty, low-fi bedroom blues to the sophisticated, cinematic studio work found on his newest self-titled record"
All I can say is sorry I didn't bring this to you sooner as you could have a free album, but to be honest it will be worth every penny buying the record!!
but here is a beautiful track off the new album and what I must say is a very strange short film which I believe is based on the music and the band
Imagine that, a track produced by Ratatat, backing vocals from MGMT and lyrics by Kid Cudi? Imagine no more, for here it is. I hadn't really given Kid Cudi a second glance, but when i saw the dream team behind this track i paid more attention. I am pleased to say that I wasnt disappointed.
For a rapper who has collaborated with the likes of Crookers before, its probably not that surprising that he has moved forwards with such a dynamic production. Check out the glitchy synthy backing track, a little lighter than your standard Ratatat fare, drop in the fairly psychedelic backing vox from sensational MGMT and of course the super smooth and flawless rapping / singing from mr cudi. Its good stuff, as is the Benassi remix.
Anyway, hear for yourself.
The Brutes recorded an album 6 months ago.. "oh" I hear you say. Well, listen up, this album has just been released and it sounds amazing! The best thing about it though is that it was recorded at the Roundhouse in Camden during A ONE TAKE SHOW, yes.
They invited all their friends to come and join in with the recording including Tigs from Chew Lips who sings on 'The Cukoo and Stolen Heart' which you can hear on this page.
They kept in every blemish, and because of that as well as the perfectly formed songs - it really gets you closer to the band, maybe that is why these guys have created a massive buzz around themselves with great fans stretching from BBC1 to Clash Magazine.
To some up their sound is like taking a Cadillac time machine, absorbing all the ruckus bits along the way and spitting out the rest. Mixing in a little bit of country, a little bit of soul, put together through a garage rock sound and stomping beats and bass lines, and finishing up with a fat, heavy brute chorus.
The Brute Chorus are touring through the country as we speak, and are updating twitter on their every move which is often quite comical, twitter.com/TheBruteChorus
Celebrating the release of the self titled album they will be performing at the album launch party to be held at The Bath House, which is a beautiful Victorian theatre restored to its former beauty. Their live shows are as Clash Magazine put it "notoriously rowdy, as if you had somehow stepped into a rockabilly bar by mistake". The songs are intricate stories about love, myth, fairy tales and obviously contain raucous brute choruses.
Rough Trade have summed it all up "there's a mix of pop, circus burlesque and most noticeably rockabilly. this is a debut that you will not be able to stop tapping your feet to. with a nod and a reference to rock n roll, blues, gang of four style post punk and even a touch of nick cave thrown in for good measure it's one of the most impressive debuts of the year"
They dont have much of the way of live footage or video's for singles etc - but they have been very kind to dig this up for us from the previous single 'All the pilgrims'.
This week another difficult decision had to be made on who to expose on the exposure, there is so much good music out there at the moment, a brief peruse around the trusty music blogs yields yet more options from a huge range of genres and artists. So, what to do? Well, how about a cover of a classic.
The Penelopes, a french electro dance rock duo who have already re-released an album on Vitalic's own label are steadily making making a name for themselves on the rock and electronica scenes. Their reputation as frenetic and reliable party-starters has been bolstered by bookings at Dour, Sonar and Razzmatazz (barcelona)...
This track, a cover of the Beastie Boys Sabotage, is way out there... Its amazing, the intro is the same as the original and then it breaks, an absolutely awesome interpretation that will make you wish you were hearing it on some big loud speakers in a warehouse / festival / car / anywhere with bass... Definitely going to keep an eye on these guys.
I thought I would start off my exposure career with a dead cert in my book, and also involve some continuity with former exposure stars.
A close companion and sometimes writing partner of Josh Weller, Paloma was born round the corner from Record-play HQ, this bubbly eccentric lady is not just a great songwriter and singer, she also acts. She has already been in Heath Ledgers last film 'The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus' and 'St Trinian's' as Emo girl, which is quite far from the truth as she has an incredible style mixing up current fashion and 20-50's vintage clothes.
Her live show is one of the best experiences you will encounter on the gigging circuit often supported by illusionists, fan dancing and a massive stage pressence. Paloma's band is second to none and she will always endeavor to have a visual extravaganza to treat all your senses. A former burlesque performer and ex-magician's assistant, her and her music is different from the current crop of female pop stars, and although she will inevitably acquire comparison to Amy Winehouse, she is the girl that you would like to take home to meet the folks.
The guardian put her singing in to context "There's an idiosyncratic high-pitched quality to her voice, a weird squeakiness and showy inflection, that have led to descriptions of her as "Björk meets Róisín Murphy while possessed by the ghost of Billie Holiday". The music behind her singing encapsulates great music from all pop eras, very rich in soul, great hooks, catchy melodies, which are upbeat as with an essence of madness.
All you have to do is look at this great video from Jools Holland last week, where she stepped in for the flu ridden La Roux. Signed to Sony, and with a huge sound to go with her huge personality I am sure we will be seeing a lot more of this great talent, the album features writing collaborations with Ed Harcourt, Jodi Marr (Mika), Greg Kurstin (Lily Allen, Kylie), Steve Robson (Take That) and Jorgen Elofsson.
21th October - OK GO
OK GO are set to release their latest album, Of the Blue Colour of the Sky, in early 2010, I missed the whole excitement of their debut, infact i missed their whole debut, i heard about the video of them on the treadmills, but never saw it. I'll be checking it all out though, off the back of this.....
OK GO are a 4 piece from Chicago, they formed all the way back in 1998 and have released 2 albums already. However, it was the success of the singles A Million Ways and Here it Goes Again (which won them a grammy for the Best Short Form Music Video (2007) that really set them on fire. Now they are signed EMI and I have no doubt at all that 2010 will be their year. Check out this little number here and see what you think yourself! Big Guitars, Big Rock, Big Electro.... all good.
Remember The Source and Candi Station? They penned the classic early 90's house track titled 'You got the Love', remember? remember? I didnt like it, but I love this, firstly a cover version by mercury nominee Florence and the Machine, which has been remixed by The Xx.
So, a remixed cover, we havent posted one of these before. First of all, its a beautiful interpretation of a seminal dance track, displaying Florence's vocal versatility (much softer than the original), released as a b-side back in December '08, now pick a band with the highest possible zeitgeist and get them to do a remix and you find yourself with a deep, almost downtempo end of the night club track with warm and perfectly formed bass lines, glitchy beatscapes and unpredictable vocal effects.
Good stuff all round.
Borrowed from Pitchfork.....
An Oscar-nominated Hollywood heartthrob and his best friend round up a bunch of instruments-- some of which they don't know how to play-- and a massive children's choir and make a concept album about the supernatural. Seems like a recipe for disaster, right? Guess again.
Meet Dead Man's Bones, a collaboration between actors Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson, The Believer, The Notebook) and Zach Shields.
The duo plan to release their debut album, Never Let a Lack of Talent Get You Down, on their own label, Werewolf Heart, this summer. You might have seen their MySpace page, or a video for their song "In the Room Where You Sleep" floating around the web recently. In the clip, Gosling and Shields lead a bunch of kids, all dressed in Halloween costumes, through a spare acoustic lament. It's creepy and catchy. It sounds like a middle school assembly gone goth. And it's pretty damn good.
As far as celebrity music projects go, the quality level on this one is a lot closer to She & Him than, say, Joaquin Phoenix's rap career. While listening to tracks from the Dead Man's Bones album at the office, I've been asked by co-workers if I'm listening to Bryan Ferry or something by the Arcade Fire. No lie.
Earlier this week, Gosling and Shields gave Pitchfork their first-ever interview about Dead Man's Bones.
The pair were nervous and excited to talk about the band, and they seem genuinely committed to the project, which is a labor-intensive D.I.Y. undertaking. As Gosling put it, "We've worked on it solid for two years. I made a couple movies because I had to, but this is all we do."
Gosling and Shields met in 2005; Gosling was dating actress Rachel McAdams (his co-star in The Notebook) and Shields was dating her sister Kayleen. "Zach was wearing high heels when I first met him, and we were forced to live in the same house on the first day," Gosling explained, laughing. "I thought, 'Who is this guy, what am I going to do with this character?' And then I thought, 'Well, I guess we'll start a band.'"
Check out
Keeping Exposure real with some dirty electro today and moving away from the folk-i-ness that has been following in of late. My friend Dani is staying at the moment, she lives in Ibiza and recently played host to a friend who's boyfriend is one part of electro-rock-clash outfit The Filthy Dukes...
FDs have been creating a huge buzz and are definitely men about town with their dj act Kill 'Em All, indeed, they are residents at Fabric and are about to release a mix on the esteemed Fabric compilations. This year saw them dropping their first LP titled Nonsense in the Dark, on Fiction as well as doing remix duties for Lady Gaga, Bloc Party and Late off the Pier, all very trendy.
They describe their music as electroacidhousenuravetwisteddiscopunkfunk, which is pretty accurate, judge it for yourself...
11th September - BRUISE
I AM ON HOLIDAY THIS WEEK, SO NO ORLANDO EXPOSURE FOR YOU, bye.
Bruise is the coming together of Yorkshire-born Isobel Morris who found her voice in Alaska, and long-time session drummer and music experimentalist Jim Kimberly. Morris brings a varied and cracked vocal style to the duo, equally capable of honeyed tones or hard-edged rock-tinged sounds. Kimberly veers between a supporting role in vocal showcases, where a minimal style leaves well alone, and song-building which rises to a crescendo of samples, beats and additional vocals.
There are traces of pop in some of their music, although the land of gritty, sometimes rowdy, folk seems to be their happiest territory. A recent gig at Climate Camp on Blackheath, London, burst with energy to the delight of a crowd with heads filled with the economics of climate change, the possibilities of direct action and the dilemmas of fostering behaviour change. A weary and challenging audience, no mistake, and local band Bruise did a job they may well be proud of. Like so many good musicians, they understand the difference between the need to goad live audiences into life with a gratifying racket, and the desire to be soothed when sitting at home contemplating the mysteries of human existence.
It has been a busy week, so for a musical antidote here is ‘Silvertown’, which tells a story of a recently demolished part of East London where Bruise once lived, named after the owner of a rubber factory. It borrows some of the best from artists such as Suzanne Vega and Joni Mitchell, complete with snappy, unexpected lyrics, a dynamic rhythm and wistfully affectionate tones. It’s the musical equivalent of someone you love bringing you a coffee and a chocolate croissant in bed on a sunny weekend morning, and that’s never bad.
Just for kicks, this week’s video is Mark Knopfler’s take on the same part of the same town. ‘Silvertown Blues’, live in Munich, a retro-shock number just in case we are ever accused of being too predictable.
Canadian indie pop dream, okay that sounds very weak and un-listen-to-able, but actually you would be mistaken... likened to Pink Floyd and Spiritualized their sound is deep and advanced are signed to canadian label Arts and Crafts...
They were formed in Montreal, 2005 by Stephen Ramsay and Catherine McCandless, The band which is now a four-piece, has toured in Canada, The United states and Europe, opening for The Album Leaf, The Frames, Peter, Bjorn and John, Death Cab For Cutie. They later moved to Montreal, where they recorded their self-titled debut. The album was released on April 24, 2007.
Invisible Republic, from which this track is taken, will be released in August 2009 through Fontana North Distribution. It was mixed by Tony Doogan (Mogwai, Belle & Sebastian, Snow Patrol) in Glasgow, Scotland.
In a genre that can easily become dishearteningly samey, Middleton keeps the heat on and challenges himself and others to invent and evolve, whilst proving that he is capable of heart-thrummingly well-executed traditional performance where necessary. The prolific alternative folkster Malcolm Middleton was once part of Arab Strap and veers from tender lilting updated folk tunes to almost-rowdy rock. Always, though, he manages to inject something intense and arrestingly genuine into his music. It is this that catches us when we listen.
Unashamed of a popish tinge, relentless melancholy, or scents of the 80s, he has a fierce poetic nature and a sometimes doleful and impassive exterior. His creativity is extraordinary, though, and his comforting tones have made him, like so many self-respecting Scots, a valuable and loved member of Anstruther Fence Collective.
‘Fuck It, I Love You’ just says it all. All about the ‘oh, come on, you’re not going to make me say it’ laddish veneer of cool, where self-consciousness over soppiness is hard to banish. ‘Fuck it, I love you, there you go’, Malcolm sings (fingers crossed she won’t ask me to say it again). On the other hand, it’s about the dumb pain that we go through: ‘I’ve been careless with my friends, even harder on myself’. But through the rubbish, we realise in a moment of Zen-ish calm, there is a simple way to make it all just fine, and jeez, well, y’know, it’s kind of simple, after all, isn’t it? Yeah, I’ve been a pain in the arse, you’ve been a pain in the arse but in the end, it’s like this. We’ll let the Dumfries man say it for us.
Much about this song is pleasingly familiar and easy to like; you sit back and smile and the sounds wash over you. But sometimes it takes a while to realise that songs that make you grin almost as soon as they come on aren’t actually as common as you’d hoped. From the warm percussion at the outset, through a middle section which tells a story we can all understand, the track eventually dissolves into gratifyingly digestible light-rock before an entirely unpretentious ending. Waxing Gibbous, out in June this year. Probably worth a listen.
Matt from Memphis Industries sent me this track yesterday. I pressed play, the clouds parted, the sun came out, the day brightened, everything was good and everyone was and happy. See for yourself, go on listen.
The rest of this is from the press release for the Yes! It sums up...
Having met on a commune just outside Oklahoma City, lead singer Ryan Hendrix and axe man Nick Turner (Yorkshire’s representative) corralled Nick Ley (drums) and Colin Fleishacker (bass) into giving flesh to Colourmusic’s collective brainwrongs.
Playing in and around Oklahoma from 2007, Colourmusic’s shows soon became the stuff of local legend – there was the show where, having not shaved or cut their hair for six months, the band invited the audience up to chop off their hair and clothes progressively through out the set. They’ve invited the audience to paint them in emulsion, like a live action Jackson Pollock, and they’ve faked the death of Nick Turner, replete with real coffin and interview with God. All of this with frontman Ryan Hendrix's coming on like a cult-leader - spooky, uplifting and ever so slightly odd.
Allied with a video that comes on like a strange tourist board advert for Oklahoma, Yes!’s AC/DC meets Flaming Lips euphoric heavyism’s serve as a splendid introduction to the world of Colourmusic.
Released 2nd November 2009., this track is set for HUGEs, that is for sure!!
What this music undoubtedly has is life, and a firm grounding in the everyday. From bounce to melancholy we can hear Robin’s enthusiasm: his instrumentals are tight and expressive, his voice soothing and familiar. Mainly this is music to listen to for a celebration of the simple, good things going on in life. And if by some sad chance there aren’t any, then it might help a little on the road to recovery. It is certainly not damning with faint praise to call this offering well-meaning – what higher accolade could there be, if you think about it? And not just well-meaning: well-crafted and well-delivered too.
There is a kind of a theme among new contemporary folk musicians who think, and we have reviewed quite a number of them recently. Living in the same times as them must help a little, since we get the little references. For those of us living in London, we’ll maybe get a few more from Hackney-dwelling Robin Grey’s songs than most. I have never heard Amhurst Road mentioned in a folk track before, but for those of you further afield, don’t feel too despondent, because you’re invited to the party too.
As the tea and cake loving Grey plays out and about, teaches others what he knows and prepares to release a follow-on to last year’s excellent ‘Only the Missile’ LP, we have lots to look forward to. Grey has released his first album, as well as the EP ‘I Love Leonard Cohen’ which preceded it, under a creative commons licence in a brave and probably very sensible move. If you didn’t know, this allows anyone to share and remix his songs free, so long as it isn’t for commercial gain or without attribution. It is an interesting choice, and probably truer to the original nature of folk music dissemination than any other model.
Today, from his EP, ‘Shakes And Shudders’ is a beautiful tune for a bright grey morning, as we slowly awake to the week, this is just the thing to help us on our way.
Steven Ellison, AKA Flying Lotus AKA Flylo is non other than the great nephew of Alice Coltrane, how about that? He produces, he remixes, he DJ's and indeed he is also a "laptop musician'!! Fair play to him.
He has already released an album on Plug Research plus a 6 track ep on Warp, so not exactly a brand new exposure, but when i heard this track i just couldnt resist the temptation to dispatch it in your direction, its a warm fuzzy ethereal mostly instrumental eastern kind of hip hop affair, with gentle piano's and strings and the sweetest female vocals.
Its so appealing and fascinating and hypnotic, plus it shows a real creative breadth, a slight shift from his latest off-kilter dub-step beats that it leads you to think that there's more to his abilities than just fat basslines and glitchy toplines. Oh and did i tell you that i like it?
Here, Aunties Lock, see for yourself:
Don’t forget the dub. Revised and tweaked by the gentlemen from Leeds, here’s music with bubble and bounce, thrilling festival-goers with dance-ready beats. Crystalline sounds abound as the nine-strong troupe displays an uncommon mastery of instruments and effects. Just as nature intended, on the whole, delivering a mesmerising and up-beat blissed-out rush of warming tunes. It is hugely satisfying to find musicians mastering and advancing this genre for another generation of gig hounds. Gentleman’s Dub Club deserve all the success they get.
It might be tricky to find out much about this lot, but they’ve assembled a small but loyal following in the wake of a number of excellent festival appearances this summer, and an encouraging diary of future engagements. In fact they’ve been around since early 2006, and are slowing carving a fat niche for themselves after working the Leeds house party scene in their early days, before graduating to an enviable run of high-profile gigs. They must have been chuffed to play Camden’s Koko, their chilled sound big enough to fill the room with finger-clickin’ awesomeness.
From a launch gig at London’s Cargo in March this year, we’ve included an ultra-slow number for you on video, a goodly summer tune if there ever was one, and don’t let us hear any complaints about the weather, thanks very much. Picture yourself, Red Stripe in hand, in a sunny park listening to this one. ez now.
‘No Misery’, our featured track for you this week, rocks in proper old-skool dance-hall ska style. We’re back in the 80s, comparisons with such greats as UB40 are entirely justified, with the group feted for their high-energy shows where an active crowd is guaranteed. The brass section answers the vocalist’s questions in a laid-back style. Tight grooves and heavyweight sounds, they’re saying. Indeed.
For all licensing queries pls contact harry at:
harry@gentlemansdubclub.co.uk
Theo Bard is a UK based singer songwriter specialising in the genres of folk and reggae, young and fresh faced, he has brought with him something pretty unique to a age old scene, 5 songs, varied, fluctuating between the genres with a maturity and depth in their lyrical content and a catchiness in melody.
Theo learnt his trade on the violin and from an early age was both prodigious and committed, in his late teens / early twenties he shifted his attention to guitar and to writing songs, many of which reflect his integrity and moral position with regards climate change.
His first EP is due to be released on the 24th of September, this is the title track, \'Listen\'.
Roots Union have plenty of American folk influence, from the instrumentals to the gospel-tinted vocals. At one end of the style range is a fairly gritty story-telling folk style, lightly smoked voice and upbeat rhythms. At the other end of the scale Roots Union dishes out epic ballads, for example in ‘Sketches’, at times reminiscent of a Stevie Wonder number. That comparison ought to give them a big head, really, but its just a passing sense of the similar, nothing to read too much into.
The Exeter-based four-piece headed up by Tobias, also featuring Hannah, Michael and Phillip wield a good variety of instruments, from slide to violin, harmonica to splendid harmonizing vocals. And they wield them well.
At Exposure we scour the land for music that makes us tingle, that jumps out and silences us with that awesome sense of something much bigger than us. Roots Union manage; finding this kind is stuff is what brought us to music in the first place.
So, here is ‘Rough Diamonds’ for you, which really is a remarkably excellent track. It’s a very old school take on northern roots, a ballad of a kid from a brown-brick town, contemplating what he’ll become, what job he’ll do – if any – and all that stuff. ‘What d’you want to be when you’re older? Will you be a tramp, a hawker, a tight-rope walker?’ he is asked, ‘Or will you never get your things together?’ A flutter of fear there for those of us dwelling in the skerries of meaningful employment, but the point is, of course, that you should just do something with a good heart and you’ll be fine. And so will we. It’s true, you know.
An old theme, delivered with reverence to the old ways but from a very new-build band. If you don’t like this track, then you probably just don’t like folk music. Which is fine, I guess. With any luck you’ll just see this for what it is, a simple, wistful and charming tale of what a bloke should do with his life. If you’re even luckier you might find it beautiful, or haunting. Songs can do that.
A rather \'matter of fact\' exposure today from me as slightly short on time and its friday and looking at the computer is less and less appealing as we grapple through the last hours of a heavy week.
Taken By Trees is the solo project from Victoria Bergsman who was the former leadsinger of the Concretes. She has been snapped up by Rough Trade supporting in the release of her first album (from which this track is taken.
You may also recognise Victoria\'s voice from Peter, Bjorn and John\'s whistley \'Young Folks\' - Here, have a listen to Watch The Waves... Oh yeah one more trivial fact, the band name stems from Bergsman\'s love of nature, oh.
Small Town Boredom sound like some of the best known international superstars of their genre you could name. But I’ll not lead you in any particular directions, you should make your own associations if that’s your bag. This is ponderous and dark but mesmerizingly poignant and beautiful. Without a hint of hyperbole, this is monumental music which deserves to catapult its creators to modest financial security, pleasing non-obsessive recognition and a proportionate sense of being really quite chuffed with themselves.
Some of their stuff is so slow you think it might stop. There are haunting laments, woefully melancholic ballads. Odd that this kind of introspective music should leave us feeling elated and light, some unfathomable excitement bursting from our breasts, but so it goes. You might not find that, though. But I did.
STB hail from Paisley, on the outskirts of Glasgow, and they are Fraser McGowan and Colin Morrison. With few live gigs going on that we’re aware of, they are a mysterious entity. A vinyl-only album, Autumn Might Have Hope, has been released by London-based Trome Records, and there are rumours of another one coming up at some stage.
This tenderly crafted tune, ‘Void Lighting’, features rich bass singing and a fine range of slow, atmospherically wielded instruments. ‘I’d trade my secret life with ghosts, just to hear you breathing’, sings Fraser. Do we even want to know what his secret life is? I’m not sure that a night can get late enough for this stuff, or if any of us could drink enough whisky or smoke enough cigarettes.
The music doesn’t sound sad, because there’s hope, and there’s memory, both of which can sustain us. There may be regret and longing though; STB’s trick definitely seems to be give the impression of something important going on. See if you can hear the drama in ‘Void Lighting’. I could. I’m pretty sure it’s there.
This needs no introduction, plus it breaks the whole ethos behind Exposure (that of presenting new musicians), since its a well established artist covering a really well established artist.
Oh well, however i am posting it cause i love it, its a remix of No Love Lost by Joy Division by good old LCD Soundsystem, its short punchy and punk. This weekend is Field Day down at Victoria Park, I was there last year and this would have been a good little intro...
Last week the wonderful Stoke Newington International Airport was the lucky host to Sam Carter’s rather excellent folk songs. Sam goes to great lengths to keep his music current, and he sings tales about the here and now. They are not always happy tales, for example his second track of the evening, ‘Yellow Sign’, is about domestic violence. But that’s what makes him a folk singer, after all.
It’s a busy year for Sam, with an album tour coming up in September which will see him all over the country, with plenty of regular gigs in the meantime. It is a promising start to a career, and with a knack for song-writing and flair for performance, he’s on the way up, no doubt about it.
There’s no obvious winners among the tracks from his latest EP ‘Here in the Ground’, but ‘Bones’ does the trick for showcasing Sam’s authentic folk music. Originality whilst following the traditional forms is not easy, but (not surprisingly, since we’ve chosen him for this week’s Exposure) it is evident here in abundance. ‘Bones’ is a sea-faring fantasy ballad. There is a hint of roughness in the vocals; just right - any more would be overdoing it for the sake of it. The track is all about a ship in all kinds of trouble, and revolves around the theme of perishing at sea, lightly delivered with pretty male/female vocal harmonies adding a powerful depth.
No surprise whatsoever to find that this peddler of competently original gear is also a guitar teacher (the teacher of none other than some bloke that used to live with my flatmate in Sheffield who approached us at last week’s gig. Extraordinary!) All the same, Sam’s technical finger-style guitar playing is exemplary, a proper treat to those of us trying to get our heads around it ourselves or for those who just like the noise it makes.
There is no way that i am going to reveal the source of much of the music on exposure, but yet again, said source have demonstrated an amazing ability to present a diverse selection of consistently amazing music, picking this weeks track wasnt easy...
Say hello to Discovery, a collaboration between Rostam Batmanglij (vampire weekend) and Wes Miles (Ra Ra Riot), they are based in the US and have just signed a deal with XL to release their first album from which this track, Its not my fault (its my fault) is taken.
This is interesting and fresh, and the two musicians who have been so successful in their own indie genre have branched out into a sound thats new and will no doubt feature pretty regularly on bloggers yearlys and summer playlists.
ps
No video yet so here is a completely unrelated video, an education in how not to interview, the protagonists are Busy P (daft punk manager/ed banger records boss) and a budget presenter.
Self-styled Chamber Pop band Left With Pictures have made something rather fresh for us. The relentlessly English-accented trio grab a fantastic range of instruments to produce light and technically proficient tunes.
They sing in harmony with bounce, aren’t afraid to introduce a xylophone to the mix and seem remarkably comfortable with their sound. ‘Secretly’ is reminiscent of much traditional English folk.
Folk? Well, it’s the story of the times, isn’t it? It’s where you find someone without much pretension telling a story. And trying not to sound too naff in the process. But the truth often sounds a bit cheesy because it’s the essence of things, the root.
The sap in all its heady fullness comes rushing forth, and of course we’ve heard it before because it’s our story too. So we learn to revel in it, and some folk manage to grab our attention and sooth our paranoid, shifty natures for long enough to deliver something beautiful, arresting, true and worth writing from home about.
\'Secretly\' is a sweet song about a fella that kind of likes this girl and it’s all quite nice really. There may be a hint of something a tiny bit darker than that going on, but we’re not quite sure what it is, so best ignore it for now and move on. It has a banjo, a violin and what sounds like that xylophone again.
The shy affections of the song’s hero might resonate with some of us, as Left With Pictures tell us a story about non-spooky infatuation. Leaving aside hints of something not quite right, it’s got a happy ending. Maybe happy endings are always silver clouds with dark linings, but with the help of this lot we can keep the darkness at bay for a while.
Musicians, social workers, artists and lawyers. Different band names and outfits each gig, covering faces and remaining hidden and then finally calling themselves the Phantom Band, consolidating the mystery and going mainstream, well, relatively speaking.
This is yet another excellent debut from a Scottish band, Glasgow this time, it seems that there is an infinite amount of amazing music springing relentlessly and diversely from north of the border, assuming many guises and always managing to impress.
The Phantom Band released their Debut LP on Scottish indie Chemikal Underground earlier this year and this Throwing Bones is taken from the Debut....
19th June - ICHI
In a reassuring pots-and-pans kind of a way, Ichi, from way out East (or West), is a one-man band brimming over with originality and a peculiar bonkerishness.
Ichi is from Nagoya, Japan, and has been touring in Europe this year, well received by characters along the way. Indeed, the Fence Collective’s Homegame 2009 was veritably lit-up by Ichi’s zesty appearance, and heaven knows those discerning Scots put on some tricky acts to follow.
It may be the downright oddness of his music which works so well. But it would be nothing if he wasn’t able to back it up with technical precision, with excitement and a highly developed sense of fun and of not taking himself too seriously. No problem here, luckily.
‘Otonoha tonbi’, this week’s track, is full of unexpected sounds. When the vocals kick in, we do slightly wonder what is going on, this strange mixture of Cypress Hill and a squawking Monty Python old lady, but after a moment or two it seems entirely normal and we can settle into the track nicely in all its excellence. A steel-drum interlude a little later on transports us magically to the high street where a busker regales us with upbeat, if not entirely welcome, sounds. Just as we are preparing ourselves to forgive him, Ichi has found his way back into the groove. No sooner that than he is off with water-based percussion and a semi-ritualistic chanting business.
Kicking, bouncy, danceable percussion rules the day here, with the strong of scent of the unexpected to keep us on our toes. There’s all sorts of mad sounds in here. Birdsong, splashing and flowing water, a washboard and, seriously, is that a flock of duck? And is Ichi gargling at the start? Could well be, and all the better for it.
The Very Best is a truly global collaboration between French - Swedish production outfit Radioclit and Malawian drummer and singer Esau Mwamwaya. Their mixtape released at the end of 08 was a massive blog sensations and featured remixes of a diverse range of artists including the likes of Architecture in Helsinki, The Beatles and Vampire Weekend.
The story goes that Radioclits Etienne Tron met Esau in a second hand shop somewhere in londons charming Clapton, where the later sold the former a nice bike. Tron\'s studio was on the same street as the shop and the pair became friends and began the musical production called The Very Best.
To kick things off and raise awareness the duo began remixing tracks by high profile buzz artists, the results of which became the bands mixtape. Next thing you know, they are the toast of the town and are back in the studio working on their very own album, due for release at somepoint this year.
This track, Warm Heart of Africa, features Ezra Koenig from Vampire Weekend, and is going to be a big summer festival hit, no doubt about it.
Imagine a more accessible Animal Collective, music still rich in its sonic diversity, electronic, low-fi and strikingly original and you have Toro Y Moi. There is of course more to Toro Y Moi than an Animal Collective reference.
The sounds you hear are all produced by Chaz Bundick as a complete solo project, you may recognise him as the frontman for The Heist and the Accomplice (though i would be lying if I said that I did, I\'ve never heard of them/him). Anyway, his music is a kind of ethereal folk affair, experimental and featuring Chaz voice, distant and vaguely familiar.
You get the picture, better just listen for yourself...
This week, from Edinburgh, a man who has rediscovered folkish pleasures sings to us of none other than the devil’s weed, this 8,000 year old weakness of ours. But, it turns out, as if rejecting the final psychological support available to a man all alone in the spotlight, there’s no cigarettes here at all. Down with that sort of thing.
The sounds and the words are insecure, diffident, but laid bare for us to judge or not, we are made to feel the masters of his destiny. Hopefully we won’t be disappointed to find him carrying on in spite of us.
Completely failing to hold back from comparing his voice to Neil Young is midway between annoying and rather flattering; it’s just to say that it’s a fine performance and a fine project.
At first listen Withered Hand sounds, well, a little withered perhaps, rather waifish and frail. Persevere, though, and the strength of Dan’s Wilson’s project becomes more apparent. He is singing with an authentic intensity: ‘...every song I sing is in a minor key, I have to write it down, I don’t remember, then I get it wrong’. Familiar territory for anyone who has tried to commit their life to music, and we should be behind him all the way.
Not so strange to say, there’s a whiff of Kenny ‘King Creosote’ Anderson here. And sure enough, the kindly Anstruther man has struck again to safely commit Wilson’s latest to print for posterity.
It’s impossible to tell where this man is going, this lonesome minstrel, who sounds utterly lost and as if he might fade away. But he isn’t fading away at all, and is fast becoming a favourite on the Scottish folk scene. Not to be sniffed at, this. There is no doubt at all that if you are following contemporary folk then this is an important marker stone for the urban-folk movement or, as Wilson called it in one interview, ‘anti-folk’.
Penttila and Fitts, 25 and 26 respectively, both born and raised in New York State are rapidly making a deep impression on the contemporary hip hop scene. Very quickly they have made their mark as absolutely dedicated and hardworking studio producers, the efforts are paying off and everyone, including the likes of 50cent and Kanye want to work with them.
The Kickdrums trademark has become genre-busting experimentation, achieved by their long hours in the darkened studio bunker (sometimes up to 100 a week), this experimentation stems from their diverse taste in music that extends way beyond rap and which will ultimately push them yet further into the public domain.
With accolades flowing in as fast as collaborations, it wont be long til The Kick Drums are a household name. Check out Things Work Out for some flash back motown-esque soul.
Rain’s coming, so they say. So, something easy on the stomach, with agreeable celtic-folk melodic undertones. ‘Oh you want to be a writer.. fantastic idea’, sings Glasgow-born Tracyanne Campbell in ‘Swans’, the latest in the current sometimes-Scottish Exposure series.
Her encouragement is welcome on a day like today, the bright sunshine now faded to grey. Well, the clue’s in the title of their latest album release, ‘My Maudlin Career’, invoking the foolish sentimentality of the drunkard, but the delivery is squeaky-clean, the vocals deeply controlled and spot on throughout. Sometimes a little Beach Boys, a kind of retro-pop adventure, sufficiently dead pan and self-aware to get away with it.
‘French Navy’ seems to bounce along in a slightly twee manner. But scratch a little, listen a little and it’s all about trying to keep a grip on the giddy delirium of the start of a relationship. Nailing jelly to a wall, in other words. A bit like making a full-time career out of being a musician, most likely.
So, a gratifying story of a band putting in the hours and getting what they deserve in the end. If that’s not something to lighten up our Fridays, then I don’t know what to do.
Jari Haapalainen produced the band for the albums and sealed their fate as a band acclaimed by mainstream critics, after John Peel’s determined showcasing efforts over the years. Deservedly so, all in all, and a degree of mainstream acceptability is nothing to hold against them.
There are some moments where they threaten to disappear into female-vocalist-pop-horror land, and some lyrics that shake us from our reveries for their sheer unacceptable nature (‘I look deep within myself, I got scared at just how hard I fell’).
More often, though, their lyrics resonate. ‘Oh James, you broke me, I thought I knew you well’ captures perfectly the painfully mysterious nature of love and relationships and Campbell reassures us that she’s living in the same world that we are.
Bowtie wearing bohemian dandy Josh Weller has a very interesting background, born to a Mauritian mother and british father he spent his formative years living in Borneo (yes, i know this sounds like some sort of fairy-tale, but it says all this in the guardian). Much of his time was spent listening to his Dads Elvis records.
Skip a few years and find Josh studying at Leeds College of Music where he learnt guitar, keyboards and sax. Fast forward a few failed bands and find Josh performing as a one man band performing acoustic showtunes inspired by Mel Torme, Tom Waits and Irving Berlin.
You can catch Josh playing in Londons bar and grill on the 10th of June. By the way thanks Dan Garber for telling me about Josh, and thanks to the guardian for all above which i pretty much plagiarized.
Stornoway describe themselves as ‘a living, breathing Mark Twain novel’. Truly a band of boffins, this one, hailing from Oxford and unashamed about their relentlessly upbeat approach to performance. It is impossible not to be uplifted by their hillbilly-ish celtic folk.
Technically they are immaculate, with enviable vocal harmonies making it entirely believable that at least one of them has had classical choral training. The tracks are tight and never overworked. Approaching their music with wit and a lightness of touch, Stornoway will almost certainly become a favourite on the live circuit with a good number of refreshingly entertaining gigs already behind them.
Just as comfortable sporting a horses’ head costume or farm-boy tweeds and checked shirts, Stornoway are enjoying themselves. This nature-loving scholarly lot make bouncing music, with an effortless melancholy that only the best bands can muster. Telling stories of the everyday these men of letters and music are entirely original, building unashamedly on the long tradition of popular folk. Banjos and bluegrass accompany witty observations of modern life, brilliantly exemplified in ‘We are the battery human’ where they lament office live and their burial ‘under a pile of A4 snowflakes’. Really they just want to get out into nature, and I’m sure that they’ll be pleased that their music makes us feel the same way – this is restorative stuff and the green fields of Albion are but a flick of the off-switch away.
With merry tales of their university days, a musical style which happily leaves acoustic merriment behind for distorted electronics when the feeling takes them, the eccentrically bantering Stornoway rue the day spent in front of a computer when the world is so much more. And it is, too. So get out there. But first, have a listen to ‘Zorbing’, a fine reminiscence with sweet, clear vocals.
The Lone Pigeon’s songs are melodic, often melancholic, with a playfulness and surreal character to the lyrics. Sparkly stuff, this, filled with energy and a forthright spirit.
The song-writing gives the impression of being born of a powerful confidence, and the sheer quantity of output over the years – one source cites ‘over-10,000 songs’ – is staggering.
Gordon Anderson, brother of Kenny (aka King Creosote) invites comparisons with some of the great performers and song-writers of all time. Unsurprising, maybe, that he has had such a troubled passage through life, leaving The Beta Band quite a few years ago in order to mastermind his recovery.
During these eight musically quiet years his brother released some of his solo tracks on Fence Records under the name of Lone Pigeon. The story ends happily with Anderson forming a new band, The Aliens, together with his undeterred former band-mates, and luckily for him – and us – is alive and well.
Gordon Anderson has had considerable success in the music world, but wears it lightly. A series of comparisons would be unhelpful applied to such a diverse figure whose music is that very rare thing – original. As the Fence Collective’s entry on him comments, he is ‘Beguiling, fragile and bereft of ego, vanity or spin [and] crouches almost alone in a popular culture in which he has no interest and little understanding’.
Energetically eccentric band performances, in other words, sit alongside subdued solo appearances from a modest character quietly working at the coal face of musical culture.
Here he is, as the Lone Pigeon, with ‘Boats’, a characteristically listenable track which hopefully captures some of the charm of the man.
The live performance of ‘Unknown Yesterdays’ is a masterpiece of folk performance: consistent, competent and haunting. Even the best efforts of home-recording technology fail to take the edge off an awesome musician’s stirring contribution.
Luke Temple has garnered not an unreasonable amount of fame from releasing music under his own name, a couple EP\'s, and a couple of albums, one of his tracks even found its way onto Grey\'s Anatomy. He is now recording under a new name, with a new sound that is a bit of a departure from his singer/songwriter roots. Now I think he is about to make it pretty big, here is why:
The new songs are amazing.
He and his band are embarking on a US wide tour with Grizzly Bear.
Their sound is a bit Paul SImon / Vampire Weekend, but next level.
Have a listen to Only Pieces, kicking off with trance inducing polyrhythms and multi layered vocals...
Deep, emotional, melancholic and uplifting may sound a bit contradictory, but these are the words that spring to mind when listening to some of the tracks from Mr Hopkins third studio release, titled \'Insides\' to be released on Domino this month.
An experienced and very highly regarded producer, Jon has worked with a wide range of musicians and bands, including Coldplay, Imogen Heap, (our favourite) King Creosote, Massive Attack, Chris Coco and Brian Eno. Based in London, his musical life officially kicked off at 5 when he started to learn the piano, by 12 he was studying at the Royal College of Music.
On this track, Drifting Up, try not to be stirred by the minimal intro breaking into the bass heavy body of work... it really is epic stuff.
Two guys who seem to have known each other a pretty long time fire a few tunes out at us. Laid back and careless seems just about right, but with consistency and effort. That the instruments are not, it is fair to say, played with earth-shattering precision is really not particularly important. The band have made tools of them, all the better to further their mission of bringing upbeat tunes to the world at large. ‘We love to play’, they tell us – Phil and Kevin on a mission to entertain.
And with this curious offering, catchy and infectious, they do just that. Rough? Amateurish? Yes, both of those. The boys can be funny, and their music is an agreeable answer to over-worked or self-conscious alternatives; unpretentious music which has an ability to penetrate to the depths of what music is for. Pick up something that makes a noise and entertain someone with it. It’s not easy, when you think about it, and all credit to them.
The online universe of Phil and the Osophers offers a slight glimpse into what might be going on, with rather random videos and the most frightful web design ever, an ironic twist, perhaps, on the I’ve-got-a-mate-in-web-design trend of the moment.
We Have All Summer is an upbeat and original song with a good solid intro and if you listen carefully there are lyrical gems and things to make you smile. The un-cooked character of their music gives it a punkish twist, but without the shouting. ‘Band size/shape/ideology subject to change’, they tell us. Could be describing any one of us. Refreshing, really.
Hailing from Australia, this brother/ sister act seem to really get on. They play and harmony together with astonishing sympathy. The music is ambient folk, simple and acoustic. The sound is gentle and melodic; voice, guitar and percussion sometimes upbeat, sometimes shy. The technique is comfortably excellent and it is no surprise that they have grown up with music.
The pair got popular in their native land before shipping out to London. There they were quickly noticed on the open-mike circuit and began a number of collaborations with established artists. A series of EP releases over the last couple of years has culminated in the very lovely full album A Book Like This. A home-spun enterprise, Angus and Julia Stone have enlisted friends and family for their musical adventures.
If you’ve been listening to too much electronic lately, then this is just the thing for you. ‘Paper Aeroplane’ bobs along at a pleasing place, Angus’ vocals reminiscent of innocence, of intimate small venues and nothing too advanced. Mmm, indeed. It’s a story about a love letter. You remember those, don’t you?
Angus & Julia Stone are certainly a pair to keep an eye on in the coming years if this sort of thing is your bag. A girl who’s not afraid to grab a harmonica must have her head screwed on right, frankly. In ‘Hollywood’, from their recent album, she sings ‘They all would have been killed in The Sound of Music... Cinderella would have scrubbed those floors until her hands grew old and tired... cos life’s not a happy ending’. You could have fooled us, though. Too good to be true? Well, it does all seem rather too perfect, the happy pair singing and playing and touring together seemingly without mishap; beautiful, talented and confident. But it could just be simple. Maybe everything really is going very well.
I had some trouble selecting this weeks exposure. First i found out that Burial and Fourtet have collaborated on 2 tracks, decision made. Then, I stumbled across some alt rock genius called Cass McCombs who is about to drop a new release on Domino.... who to pick. Then, whilst downloading the tracks my attention was caught by a band called The Big Pink, and that was it. Strong competition no doubt, but a hands down winner.
The BIg Pink are a London based electro-shoegaze duo of Robbie Furze and Milo Cordelle. An impressive duo whose past is deeply rooted in pioneering new music (Milo runs Merok, original home of the klaxons, Crystal Castles and Teenagres). They were tour support for TV on the Radio in the UK and have just released their latest single, Velvet, on 4AD.
With influences in the shape of Spiritualised, Spacemen 3 and School of the Seven Bells, they are very much now, so much so bookings are in from ATP and Bestival and remixes from Warps own Gang Gang Dance.
Have a listen to Velvet...
Exposure 58
As BIG fans of Whitey it has been a challenge to hold off blogging about this track, but we were waiting for its general release so as not to spoil the labels fun. Finally this has happened and we can now tell you all about his latest masterful creation complete with trademark electric grooves, dirty bass and carefree vocals.
Whitey sound pretty much kicked off the electro/rock cross over style that is so much on the scene at the moment. Pioneering the genre hasn\\\\\\\'t left his resting on his laurels and his new material is fresh, innovative and totally catchy. This track, titled individuals is dedicated to those who are simply too cool. I could write more about this, but cant be bothered.
How could you not love the nonchalant way he sings, how could you not love the dirty dirty bass and beats?
Just listen to it, listen!
It’s always slightly tedious to bang on about how some prodigy set an unassailable standard many years ago and if you really really try then you might achieve something reminiscent. Well, let’s not get caught up in all that elitism. It’s terribly dull really. To our constant delight there are musical wonders around every corner, whether in the archives or last Thursday in some dark and not-so-smokey bar (Health Act 2006 (c. 28)) somewhere as we clutched our pint and discovered what’s happening in our times.
And that’s what we plan to do with this new addition to Record-Play’s weekly exposure. We’ll find wonder here and there. We’re not always going to have to do anything especially clever, or find anyone amazingly special and new. Sometimes simple and good is going to be enough, something to distract us for a moment and, without being too grand about it, make everyone’s life a tiny bit better. What’s wrong with that? Let us know if anything comes to mind, otherwise we’ll just carry on.
But there’s no harm in launching a new musical adventure with a nod in the direction of a musician of old, though. This exquisite track just jumps out of the pages of the Dylanopedia, quintessentially him. If you wanted to parody him you’d sing it like this. What’s it about? You can find quite a few theories without looking too hard... God? Hell? Joan Baez? Van Gogh’s sister-in-law? But muse on it for yourself, it was made for you, after all.
Here’s a decidedly fresh-faced Bob Dylan. Picture the alien creature that just landed in the village green, making its first tentative moves in a strange new world. It’s time to tell it “well, this is a pretty good representation of the Dylan sound, and you might as well get familiar with it, ‘cos it’s going to come up later on…” Well, something like that, I guess. Right, hush up everyone, and listen.
Exposure 57
...and now (and i love this description) "an above average modern rock band" from Dallas, who apparently "play with passion and a healthy use of keyboards". Well thats all very interesting, but what about their music? its a lively upbeat alternative vocal mix of various rock styles, and its definitely above average.
This track, 'Pat Mayes Lake' mixes elements of punk with americana and folk rock, its pure fun and has a real DIY feel about it which completely works and leaves us wanting to hear more, so we just downloaded the rest of their free EP from their
website you can have it too.
Listen to Pay Mayes Lake.
Exposure 56
Tom has been releasing records in the UK on brighton indie Fat Cat. An LA resident, Tom was born and raised in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He comes from a family background steeped in music - growing up in a house with instruments lining the walls, and learning to play at an early age.
He was taught guitar by his grandmother, whilst his grandfather played in a band called Buck and the Bucanneers, that included fiddle and double bass. His grandfather also had a great collection of records, and Tom's early influences included Guy Lombardo and The Inkspots.
Its a simple warm folk sound that you first find appealing, the stripped back melodies and youthful lyrics hypnotize and ultimately fuel the anticipation of the release of his latest EP, Posthumous Success, again on Fat Cat.
Here is 'Favourite Colour Blue from his forthcoming album...
Exposure 54
This is what exposure is all about, finding new musicians and spreading the word. This week its an unsigned 5 piece from NYC who call themselves Twin Sister.
To be honest, we don't know much about them except that they make a really amazing blend of folk/rock/experimental music. We don't even know if the band has any twins in it.
The track posted here titled Ginger Kids features beautiful, worn down vocal melodies alongside some jangly math rock guitar and layers of shoegaze style synths. You can download their new EP for free from their website: www.twinsistermusic.com
Hope you like it.
Exposure 52
One year old today, more or less, this is the 52 edition and its weekly so after some heavy brain computing we realised its our birthday.
To celebrate this monumental occasion we are going to send anyone who asks a CD containing all the tracks featured this year. Yes, you heard it right, thats what we are going to do. So, if you want a copy, email us and we will send it over.
Here is a band called Acorn, canadians, folk rockers, however, their track 'Crooked Legs' has been remixed by the amazing Jeremy Gara from Arcade Fire and its his first remix under the guise 'Lessons'.
its a lush folk/electro journey, think Fields ambience layered with uplifting found percussion building up and swelling hypnotically, yes its just like that, what you imagined in your head.
Anyway, listen for yourself...
Exposure 51
In the car last week driving through Austria we were listening to a radio station called FM4, a mainstream station that is unique in so far as it allows the DJ's employed to play whatever they like (within reason and with their necks on the line).
Anyway, a couple of times we heard an amazing prog rock track heavily doused in electronica, frustratingly, on both occasions, the DJ failed to say who it was.
Upon returning to London, i sent the station an email and asked who it was, amazingly they replied:
----
hi,
you heard "bullets" from archive.
next time you can use our trackservice
FM4
----
So, they are back and about to release their 4th studio album, (the last under contract from warner) and its claimed this is their best work to date.
'Bullets' the track here is the first single from the new album 'Controlling Crowds'....
2nd March - ESSER
Exposure 50
This isn't the newest song ever but the artist, Esser is on the up and I really like this track so thought i would post on it.
First signed to London 'indie' Transgressive and then picked up by Warner, Esser has released a handful of singles of which there have been many remixes, and excitingly, the first album is pending.
Essentially, his sound is pop, but not of your laboured processed variety, this is original, catchy and layered with interesting electronic features.
Of himself he says "Esser is a person not a band. I use a computer machine and some instruments to make popular songs. Most of my songs are in the key of E. When I was fairly young I managed to wear two ties to school. One on top and one underneath my shirt. But look at me now!"
So, without further ado, here is 'Headlock' its great.
Exposure 49
This weeks Exposure is all about a scottish dub producer, called Architeq.
Last night we had the pleasure of witnessing the mighty Architeq playing at a launch party we had arranged in Soho, we booked them after being put onto their sound via an EP released on London indie Tirk and his live show didn't disappoint.
Made up of Fife born Samual Annand, who writes, produces and performs alongside a drummer, the sound is mostly heavy electro dub paired up with glitchy guitar and synth samples. Drumming adds to the live performance of the songs which are often epic and progressive affairs.
It was a treat to behold and the rabble present even managed to temporarily turn their attention away from the bar long enough to enjoy the set. Well done Architeq, we wish you luck and look forward to your next show.
listen to 'Into the Cosmos'....
Exposure 48
With so much attention, hype and column inches being dedicated to the talented and charismatic blues man Seasick Steve its a real delight to discover that there's much more action going on in the blues genre if you dig about a little bit.
So, after not much digging about we found a certain 34 year old australian by the name of C.W Stoneking. HIs story reads like one of his Hokukm blues songs.... Born in '74 (thats 1974, not 1874) in Australia and raised in an aboriginal community until 9. By the age of 11 he was playing guitar, moved to Melbourne, practiced and then not long after kicked off performing in his super authentic 1920-30's style (complete with weird australian/deep south drawl).
He now performs, tours and records with the Primitive Horn Band, with whom he has just released his newest LP, titled Jungle Blues, from which this track 'The Do or Die' is taken....
Exposure 47
This is the solo project of 31 year old Owen Ashworth, heavily influenced by trad americana, 80's synth pop and commercial hip hop - or at least thats what it says on his site. We'd be more inclined to say singer-songwriter wonky folk.
Mr Ashworth has also just released a new album (his fourth, the first three being "cassette recorded two minute exercises in pop minimalism"), called Etiquette and its been getting some very good reviews.
The album is a collaboration with a range of other producers and mixers including Jherek Biscoff (of The Dead Science and Degenerate Art Ensemble) and Jason Quever (The Papercuts and Pan American Recording Studio) and the resulting sound is fuller and more dynamic.
Anyway, enough waffle, you know the facts, just have a listen to this, low-fi in the extreme, "its a crime"
Exposure 46
Signed to Fat Possum (home of Black Keys), this Cincinnati rock outfit were originally a five piece now just a three piece but still in possession of, I quote, more rocking songs and fat hooks than most bands can dream of! Heartless Bastards are just about to release their third album and its going to be huge.
This track is taken from the forthcoming release, The Mountarin, lead singer Wennerstrom lays her soul bare with her straight up and earnest blues voice (at points somewhat reminiscent of Joplin).
Spin Mag have already given the new album 4/5 and they are about to embark on a huge US tour, with any luck they'll be over to the UK soon.
Check out Sway, here.
23th January - FREDRIK
Exposure 45b
Meet Fredrik, a swedish duo of Fredrik Hultin and Ola Lindefelt, producing understated folk infused electronica.
The results are atmospheric and totally charmingly lo-fi. The pair employ a wide range of instruments including guitars, accordions, bells, 'cello and minimal electronics.
Comparisons can definitely be drawn to the gentle, textural experiments of Silje Nes, or the fractured folk of Animal Collective, Tunng and even Sufjan Stevens' off kilter indie pop.
Anyway, here is the opening track from their new, lovingly produced debut....
Exposure 45a
"try to speak but i can only swear, open up my mouth but I can only swear, swear this is the last time you will see me here"
thats the opening line of this frantic moody blues folk punk garage (yes yes!) track.
Sleeping in the Aviary's second full-length album pushes the amalgam of screaming vocals and clangy guitar rock into fuzzy, spacey territory. Fans of the early American proto-punk sounds of such Detroit bands as the Stooges and the MC5 or Ohio-based rockers like Rocket from the Tombs will find an energetic little brother with Sleeping in the Aviary.
The way their tracks often build from a slow contemplative melodious musing to a screaming fit redolent of any pre-90s indie band, SitA new LP Expensive Vomit in a Cheap Hotel packs a punch taking the listener on one wild ride through what could quite possibly be the mind of a schizophrenic.
Listen here.....
13th January - PARLOVR
Exposure 44
Take 1 cheap Kmart guitar with its guts ripped out,
A two-piece drum kit
A keyboard with a mind of its own
Stir up with Montreal 3 piece PARLOVR
Leave for a 2 years in a garage somewhere in Canada.
Listen to the result below.
Reacting against the multi-instrumental, many-membered orchestral bands that crowded the local Montreal scene at the time, PARLOVR was started with the intention of blowing amps and streamlining pop melodies, bringing back the power-trio of the 90s with an off-the-wall twist.
Their upcoming self-titled debut LP (Independent, 2008) was produced and recorded by Martin Horn at Digital Bird Studios over the course of six weeks.
This track here, Pen to Paper, is the title track from the debut album, kicking off with a lo-fi rock intro, it stabilises with lead singer Jackson's voice before launching full tilt into Pixies-esque alt rock mayhem.
Amazing, listen here.
