top photo: kyracee
Midlake tug at you, they remind you of your sadness, they force tears out of you. Soft sonically but in meaning, they have the ability to produce the most frighteningly low songs, ‘Acts of Man’ being one of them. This is melancholy’s last words; “When the acts of men cause the ground to break open, oh, let me inside, let me inside, not to wait“. This inclusive use of “men”, it speaks volumes, the idea of every ounce of strength being put towards one thing. The idea of everybody crumbling, the ground breaking open…
The first indication of next year’s follow up to ‘Trials of Van Occupanther’ really reaches in at your guts and soul. It brings out emotion, just like the last record did. Acoustic guitar upon acoustic guitar, Tim Smith’s vocals telling of fear and promise. When his bold voice sounds vulnerable, you take notice.
Listen to ‘Acts of Man’ and ‘Rulers Ruling All Things’ at We All Want Someone To Shout For
via Paper Tissue
Neon Gold’s next target and now a Guardian Band of the Day (back off Paul Lester, we saw him first), Chris Glover aka. Penguin Prison stands out in the crowd as an electronic, gadget-based artist that won’t be shadowed out by a dying scene.
This is like a US version of Calvin Harris only with more integrity and brighter ideas. He compliments feel good vibes with really punchy rhythms and killer choruses. ‘A Funny Thing’ has a optimistic outlook above some pretty negative lyrics – “It can’t be done. It’s never done…” If ever bouncy dance-pop can be made to sound haunting (ok, maybe The Knife have already achieved this), Penguin Prison are capable of doing so.
Glover’s previously come desperately close to “making it”. He’s been signed to Interscope and one other label before, very recently infact. He’s made albums that have never ended coming out but now, under the praise of Girl Talk and with every blogger on the planet about to sing his praises, “make it” he will.
mp3 - A Funny Thing
ENTER THE NEW: Harlem
words: Jamie Milton
top photo: moominsean
“They are the colour of a rainbow”
What’s the subject here? Have a good, long guess… Nope, it’s ‘Psychedelic Tits’. There’s some of the 60’s in all of us still, even me, someone who was born thirty years after the decade ended. Harlem, who you shouldn’t whatsoever confuse with Salem are another American band turning heads with their nostalgia-led, lo-fi melodies. But don’t be put off with that word ‘another’…
And so maybe nobody else is doing quite with Harlem are doing but don’t go thinking their music isn’t authentic. Basic, it might be, but think Black Lips basic, teetering on the brink of terrible but keeping it real. They’d be welcome over here in the UK, rejoiced like the way we swept towards Jack White when him and Meg did their first European tour.
Immerse yourself in spiky chords and merciless sun rays.
mp3: Harlem – South of France (zshare)
['free drugs' is out now]
MFM @ HYPEM
