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Japandroids – Wet Hair – Live on Jimmy Fallon

Want to know what makes Japandroids so special? It’s everything up there: the interaction, the shared sense of triumph, the genuine love of what they’re doing, the idea of power coming through sound, their basic, naive ideas on girls and fucking around shaping into a wall of noise, something that completely takes you a-back. That’s Japandroids.

mp3: Wet Hair // alt

Cold War Kids – Behave Yourself EP

Words: Gareth O’Malley

It’s safe to say that these Kids have never been alright. Having always dealt with weightier issues since their formation in 2004, the Whittier, California-based four piece have been remarkably consistent throughout. Their sound has in recent years skirted rather close to blues-rock territory, but one thing that must be admired about the band is that they’ve never been afraid to push themselves and unsettle their listeners. 2008’s bleak second album, ‘Loyalty to Loyalty’, was quite far removed from their 2006 debut ‘Robbers and Cowards’, in that the focus shifted away from melody and towards frontman Nathan Willett’s lyrics, which became even more filled with despair than they had been before – ‘Robbers’ wasn’t exactly a cheerful listen (it brought up such topics as alcoholism and its effects on a family (‘We Used To Vacation’) and terminal illness (‘Hospital Beds’), but ‘Loyalty’ was even more arresting and despondent. Willet’s voice had much in common with the sound of nails on a chalkboard at times. Despite all this, the album grew on you if you gave it time, and is regarded by quite a few as better than the debut.

The ‘Behave Yourself’ EP was recorded during the sessions for ‘Loyalty’. The band say themselves, as you can see in the cover art, that ‘they didn’t belong there [on the album], but they kept hanging around, starting trouble; made friends and insisted that their story be heard’. Indeed, the songs that make up this five track EP – three brand new, one that’s sort of new, and a ‘rough idea’ – wouldn’t have fit in, but offer an interesting glimpse into what might have been.

First off, they’re writing pop songs again, but when we say pop, we mean Cold War Kids’ version of pop, of course. ‘Audience’ gets things off to a fine start. A driving backbeat and stirring piano line are soon joined by handclaps (?!) and tremolo guitar. Lyrically, Willet is on fine form: ‘She will go down with her ship, like a good captain / Sitting on the dock playing for an audience of one’ is just one of many cutting couplets.

The guitar-driven ‘Coffee Spoon’ follows, yet it is in this track that the rhythm section of ‘the two Matts’, drummer Matt Aveiro and bass player Matt Maust, shine, each turning in a brilliant performance. The EP’s highlight is the last of its new tracks, ‘Santa Ana Winds’. Maust’s bass work once again is worthy of note here, in a song that’s on par with what up to now has been the band’s high-water mark, ‘Hang Me Up To Dry’.

Track four is a souped-up re-recording of old demo ‘Sermons VS The Gospel’. Now known as simply ‘Sermons’, it boasts a fantastic chorus and bridge section, and helps to end things on a strangely positive note, despite its lyrics: ‘I’ve got this idea in my head, and I can’t get it out / That all the money in the Mint couldn’t water a drought’. The EP ends with ‘Baby Boy’, a song that could either be seen as a forty-second throwaway, or an intriguing indicator of where the band are next headed. We’re in the latter camp, as this track sees CWK getting their funk on. Surprising? Definitely, but also quite interesting. Hurry up and get that next album out, guys; you’ve thrown us a real curveball here.

8.2

[mp3: Audience]

Gigi – The Old Graveyard (Karl Blau)

words: Jamie Milton

It’s called an “experiment”. Well, it sure doesn’t sound like one. Gigi is the project of Nick Krgovich, whose aim is to forge an album that makes old-skool pop – quick-fire recording, reverb plates, the authentic stuff. The result is something of a potential trend-setter: on evidence of the Karl Blau featuring ‘The Old Graveyard‘, pop should soon be returning to these winning ways.

“It may be hard to believe, but I’m as happy as can be, in love with no-one and no-one in love with me” – simple lyrics, a basic, whistle-blowing tune and a one-step recording technique. The results are mighty impressive in this progressive, memorable song.

‘Maintenant‘, the project, also features Owen Pallett and Mirah.
mp3: The Old Graveyard [alt]

His Clancyness – Mistify The Ocean

img: Carl W. Heindl
words: Jamie Milton

Dream-pop professor His Clancyness has already found himself at the end of our affections. It’s easy to see his smooth-talking, reverb drones taking the pedestal from Beach House as the aforementioned move on to bigger things.

‘Mistify The Ocean‘ is the ideal pre-autumn-evening companion; the last time you brave to put your feet in the sea, the last time you see the sun set. A set of shoegaze guitar riffs arrive at the songs climax, you picture images of children running as fast as they can, of waves breaking the coast. Believe you me, when we have something physical in front of us to compare His Clancyness’ songs to, that’s when he’ll blossom.

Jonathan Clancy is on the brink of a release with Mirror Universe Tapes. Keep your eyes peeled.

(via GvsB)

mp3: Mistify The Ocean /alt

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Incoming: Love & Disaster Compilation – #1

Press, buzz, “the things in the air”, all seem to suggest that Manchester, UK is returning to its buzzing best. When you have three of the finest new bands (Lost Knives, Egyptian Hip Hop, Hurts) all sharing the same studio space, you know it’s more than a coincidence – something’s in the water.

Manchester’s obviously had its status as a fine up bringer of local talent for some time, but since the unfortunate run-down of the superb music show on Channel M, a little hesitancy was amidst. The man who ran that visual-spectrum (Dan Parrott) has taken a determined stance however, and is brining out a stunning collection of songs, all made by those Manchester folk.

Included in ‘Love & Disaster‘ is two BBC Sound of 2010 tips: Delphic and Everything Everything, one remixing the other. Keeping to an on-the-door position of “intelligent bands only”, Dutch Uncles also make a stunning appearance with the cacophonous ’Ocduc’. The accelerating Airship and the truly affecting Jo Rose also feature. This is right on the ball in terms of spotting the Manchester acts making waves. Have a listen for yourself via. the medium of widget!

Pre-order a 10″ vinyl, released next Monday via. the official website or Piccadilly Records.

We Are Wolves – Holding Hands

img source//
words: Jamie Milton

Welcome readers, to 2010. Music publications get off their bottoms this Monday. We’re starting the year new-music-wise by bringing you a band set to release their third studio album next month: We Are Wolves.

Their sound, have you yet to come across it, is instant and choking. The opening chords of ‘Holding Hands‘ attack you without warning, with a Fucked Up-esque venom, grappling the rims of your throat, squeezing tighter. Confidence comes in heavy surges through Alexander Ortiz, his voice tickled with a thin backdrop of reverb. It’s a relentless, short-lived number, rewarding from the off.

‘Holding Hands‘ is taken from ‘Invisible Violence‘, which reaches the US on February 2nd via. Dare To Care.

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mp3/ alt

UK Music Releases: January 2010

January 4th
Madness – Complete Madness
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – The Road OST

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11th
Adam Green – Minor Love
Delphic – Acolyte
Major Stars – Return To Form
OK Go – Of the Blue Colour of the Sky
Vampire Weekend – Contra (mp3: Horchata // alt)
Woodpigeon – Die Stadt Muzikanten
You Me At Six – Hold Me Down

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18th
Cold War Kids – Behave Yourself!
Eels – End Times
Final Fantasy – Heartland
Fyfe Dangerfield – Fly Yellow Moon
Lindstrom & Christabelle – Real Life Is No Cool
Lostprophets – The Betrayed
One Republic – Waking Up
Spoon – Transference
Surfer Blood – Astro Coast (mp3: Floating Vibes)
These New Puritans – Hidden

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25th
Animal Collective – Campfire Songs
Basia Bulat – Heart of My Own
Beach House – Teen Dream (mp3: Norway)
Charlotte Gainsbourg – IRM
Chew Lips – Unicorn
Clipd Beaks – To Realize (mp3: Blood //alt)
First Aid Kit – The Big Black And The Blue
Fool’s Gold – Fool’s Gold
Four Tet – There Is Love in You
Fucked Up – Couple Tracks Singles 2002-2009
Gigi – Maintenant
Good Shoes – No Hope, No Future
Hadouken! – For The Masses
Harvey Milk – Harvey Milk
Husky Rescue – Ship Of Light
Laura Veirs – July Flame
The Magnetic Fields – Realism
Tindersticks – Falling Down A Mountain