DATE ARCHIVES : September 2015

Door To Door Sales Will Save The Music Industry: Anderson tries selling his debut album door to door to Dubliners

 

This Friday, September 18th, Anderson will release his long-awaited debut album Patterns; self-recorded and arranged the record in a studio he built himself in the back of his garden.

The Dublin musician and songwriter has long been a firm favourite around these parts, and with good reason; his beautiful and meticulously crafted lush folk sounds, with classic ‘60s/’70s pop melodies, are simply irresistible. Unfortunately not everyone is acutely aware of Anderson’s talents, so with the album done and dusted, and in keeping with the DIY approach, he decided on a novel approach to selling his new record. Armed with vinyl copies of Patterns, Anderson took to the streets of Dublin, going door-to-door to try and sell the album to the public. The result is a heartwarming and very entertaining (and very amusing) eight minutes – and worth every second. The video is by Colm Russell, who’s also responsible for previous Anderson videos, including the wonderful ‘Patterns’ below.

Anderson is playing a special launch show in Tower Records, Dublin on Saturday, September 19th@ 1pm. He’s also playing Coughlan’s in Cork on October 9th, and the Unitarian Church in Dublin on October 16th. You can check out a snippet from when Anderson came to Newbridge, video by Stephen Connelly.

 

 

Tuff Love Share New Single ‘Duke’

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Completing a triumphant trilogy of introductory EPs, Glaswegian scuzz-pop aficionados, Tuff Love, have announced their new EP Dregs, which is due Nov 6th via Lost Map Records.

Having already graced us with the wonderful Junk & Dross EPs, as well as the Record Store Day 7” single ‘Groucho’, bit-by-bit, Julie Eisenstein and Suse Bear are cementing their status as one of the most exciting new bands around. The pair’s forthcoming EP Dregs, is proceeded by new track ‘Duke’. A song about “roots and growth”, it is a compelling and consummately brilliant cut of grunge-tinged, exuberant melodious jangle fuzz. All scuzzy guitars & woozy hooks, sweet cascading vocals and crashing percussion, ‘Duke’ is solid gold and irresistible listening from Tuff Love. Hopefully we’ll be seeing a full length from the duo sometime very soon!

The new EP Dregs is out on Nov 6th via Lost Map Records. Listen to ‘Duke’ below:

Gulp vs Miaoux Miaoux – ‘Tour de France’

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Last year Gulp, the side project of Super Furry Animals’ bassist Guto Pryce with Lindsay Leven, released their wonderfully inspired and bewitching debut record; one of 2014’s finest. This year, for the most part, the pair have been pre-occupied with recording album number two, along with the not so small matter of a busy SFA reunion schedule.

Somehow finding time, Gulp have teamed up with Glaswegian producer Julian Corrie, aka Miaoux Miaoux, for a reworking of Kraftwerk classic ‘Tour De France’. Paying homage to both the ‘Tour De France’ and the classic track, combined, they have found a perfect balance of respecting a classic, while also adding a freshness that brings it right into the 21st Century. Gulp & Miaoux Miaoux’s reworking slickly injects more aggressive, more hi-tech and beat-heavy electronics that is ultimately recognisable. Some classics should be left alone but not in this case. A fabulous and worthy re-imagination done with a touch of class and brilliance, it has been on constant rotation all summer.

Gulp are currently working on their second album, which will be released at the start of 2016. Miaoux Miaoux meanwhile, released his excellent second album, School of Velocity, earlier this year and it is out now.

Gulp vs Miaoux Miaoux’s ‘Tour De France’ is out now via Elk Records. You can stream it below.

 

Introducing: Avid Walker

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Vancouver duo Jared Langerud and Brendan Bleker, are Avid Walker, a couple pals making sun-soaked, melodic lo-fi pop in a bedroom studio.

The pair’s gentle, laid-back and calming sounds marry summery guitar grooves, effortless melodiousness and gently undulating, atmospheric effects. Latest single, ‘Sun In Eyes’, captures this Avid Walker aesthetic perfectly. It’s bright and breezy, yet there is an air of melancholy woven in, adding an emotional depth as it washes over you with a pleasant ease. ‘Conversations’ is a similarly bright and sunkissed tune, imbued with the same easy-going vibe and is just as alluring. They explore their way through an elegant sound, with a woozy, summery vibe, owing much to the majestic combination of gentle, soft instrumentation and hushed, whispering vocals. Playful but sincere, vulnerable yet confident and simplistic yet stylish; both tracks are catchy as, and will have you reaching for repeated plays.

Having released two sublime singles with nbd label this summer, a debut EP is expected through the Vancouver based soon, but there’s no confirmed release date as yet. Until then? Well, there’s ‘Conversations’ & ‘Sun In Eyes’. Check them out below.

Hinds – ‘Garden’

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Madrid quartet Hinds – Ana Perrote, Carlotta Cosials, Ade Martin and Amber Grimbergen – have been charming listeners with their strain of gloriously ramshackle and instantly addictive lo-fi garage pop, for quite a while now.

Now, Hinds have announced they will release of their debut LP, Leave Me Alone, on January 8th, 2016, via Lucky Number. While the release date seems like a long way away, accompanying this news, is a taste of things to come with the opening track from the album, ‘Garden’. An utterly infectious, sun-drenched lackadaisical garage rock meandering, ‘Garden’, carves out a joyous, carefree identity. A bright and breezy blend of swaying surf-rock and whimsical ’60s garage combine with rumbling drums, scratchy guitars, sunkissed reverb, allure and melody for a brattish indie psych sound. While, dual vocals from Ana Perrote and Carlotta Cosials add an extra touch of infectious exuberance and inherent sassiness. What’s not to like?

You can check out new track ‘Garden’ and some other choice cuts from the Madrid quartet below. Their debut LP, Leave Me Alone, on January 8th, next year and on this evidence at least, we should be in for a treat.

Hinds have a pile of live dates across Europe and N. America, including Vancouver – they play The Rickshaw Theatre, on October 10th w/ The Black Lips and Ariel Pink – check the full list of dates here.

Freedom Fry – ‘Tropicana’

 

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Freedom Fry have a remarkable and innate ability for crafting smile inducing tunes – when it comes to cheery, infectious, feelgood indie-pop – no one quite does it like Freedom Fry.

The creative chemistry between duo Marie Seyrat and Bruce Driscoll is such that, from the outside at least, ideas and songs seem to flow with an effortless ease. Freedom Fry really are in a class of their own, something gallantly paraded with their latest single. ‘Tropicana’ offers a feast of upbeat, bright and chipper vibes, with a nostalgia-laced groove, infused with bursts of mild psychedelia and interspersed with beautifully irresistible female/male vocals combos. It is an unbelievably smiley, happy jam with an alluring aura of eternal summer. According to the band, “Tropicana is about taking a trip away from your problems to your happy place. Wherever that may be …” – successfully done in anyone’s book.

Freedom Fry are out on tour at the minute, with quite a few dates across North America – check ’em here. For now, you can stream the wonderful ‘Tropicana’ below, and repress the fact that summer is all but over.

 

Millions Like Us: A New Podcast In Conjunction w/ 604now.com

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Delighted to announce Millions Like Us, a new music podcast in conjunction with Vancouver news & culture site 604now.

Hosted by myself & craft beer, pastie and fast-food safari enthusiast, Justin Beats, we’ll be sharing great new music, some musings and general chit-chat, with a Vancouver slant, on a fortnightly basis. This is the first of what we hope is many, many podcasts and we’re looking forward to developing it further over the coming weeks and months. Not much else to say really, aside from thanks to 604now and we hope you enjoy the show (all feedback, good or bad, is most welcome).

You can read more on it here and listen to episode #1 below, and the tracklist (with links) is after the jump.

Episode #1 Playlist:

Faith Healer – ‘Cosmic Troubles’
White Poppy – ‘Confusion’
Sales – ‘Big Sis’
Danny Diggs – ‘Wino’
The Expert – ‘Devine’
Open Window – ‘0013 (Riot Tape)’
Villagers – ‘Courage’
Anderson – ‘Things We Have In Common’
Django Django – ‘Shake and Tremble’
Energy Slime – ‘Star On The Ground’
Hot Chip – ‘Started Right’
James Deen – ‘An Unwritten Love Song To Summer Roberts’
Sh-Shakes – ‘Little To Life’
Zen Mystery Fogg – ‘Pale Horse’
DRINKS – ‘Hermits on Holiday’
If you would like to get in touch? Email at millionslikeuspodcast[at]gmail[dot]com or on Twitter.

Slow Riot – ‘Demons’

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Irish post-punk trio Slow Riot – Niall Clancy, Aaron Duff & Paul Cosgrave – follow up their debut single, ‘City Of Culture’, with an equally mesmerizing new track, ‘Demons’.

Although ‘City of Culture’ was a ferocious, tense and searing blast of sardonic post-punk, ‘Demons’ is more of a slow burner. Gradually it builds, slowly introducing itself with pounding drums, rumbling bass, chiming guitar and singer Niall Clancy’s deadpan delivery, before injecting greater urgency and bluster, as scorching riffs and thunderous percussion hurtle toward an an epic climax. Their debut single set the bar pretty high and while ‘Demons’ is different, it is also quite similar too. Most importantly, it is an impressively epic song which decisively demonstrates Slow Riot’s considerable promise.

‘Demons’ is taken from Slow Riot’s forthcoming EP Cathedral, out October 23rd. It was recorded in the Manic Street Preachers’ FASTER studio in Cardiff with producer Kevin Vanbergen (The Pixies, The La’s, Dinosaur Pile-Up) – check ‘Demons’ out below.

Boxed In – ‘False Alarm’ & Ghost Culture Remix

 

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What’s not to get excited about a coming together from the creators of two of this year’s finest albums? Well, it has happened.

London-based quartet Boxed In – headed up by Oli Bayston – released latest single ‘False Alarm’ last month, and much to our delight, Ghost Culture has chipped in on remix duties. ‘False Alarm’ typifies Boxed In’s DFA-tinged and propulsive piano-pressed electro-pop, with an undeniably infectious groove. Although wonderful in its own right, Ghost Culture’s rework enhances these tenancies, while introducing a touch meatier percussion. Opening with a drawn-out and epic build leading toward the two-minute mark, where lively hi-hats, a touch of piano-house and mesmerizing, heavy synths conspiring to enthrall with a unique spin on dance, electronica and electro-pop. Straddling such an assortment of influences, from techno to Krautrock, describing this one is as arduous a task as it is an enjoyable and dramatic listen.

You can check out both Boxed In’s original and Ghost Culture’s rework of ‘False Alarm’ below. Both their respective, self-titled debut album’s, should be checked out too.

Villagers – ‘Hot Scary Summer’

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Villagers have released a brand new, wonderful animated music video for new single ‘Hot Scary Summer’.

Taken from Conor O’Brien’s stunning third album Darling Arithmetic; a more stripped back affair to the two previous records, it is Villagers’ most personal album yet, and one of 2015’s finest. Recorded over eight months last year, with O’Brien putting in eight-hour days, at a barn by his home in Dublin, it is an intimate experience as O’Brien bares his soul on its nine songs. ‘Hot Scary Summer’ captures this aesthetic perfectly, beautifully tender with a gentle harmonic undercurrent that permeates the entire record itself. The accompanying animated video was directed by Hi-Sim and it’s colourful, rich and suitably, it too is wonderfully crafted. If you haven’t already acquainted yourself with Darling Arithmetic, this is a good an introduction as any.

Villagers kick off an extensive North American tour in Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom, on September 29th, with Paul Weller – I had a chat with Conor before his visit here in July, you can read it here (if you want to, that is).

You can watch the video for ‘Hot Scary Summer’ below & the album, Darling Arithmetic is out now.