Flashback Friday.. Phoenix - '1901'

And here was me thinking that this stellar performance had fallen into the BBC abyss of space and time!

I have recently developed an intangible love for Phoenix! However, I am rather loathe and ashamed to admit that prior to seeing them live at Reading as they headlined the NME/Radio1 stage on a Sunday night, that I had not really listened to a lot of their music. I had given their fourth album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix a casual listen when it first came out in 2009, but hadn't delved any deeper in the time since then.

But that all changed with seeing them live at Reading! They were absolutely fantastic, the band were totally on point, the light show was impressive, and singer Thomas Mars had absolutely no fear in regards to diving into the crowd!

The song I've chosen - '1901' - is one of their most well known singles and was an absolute riot live, even this TV performance on Jools Holland was good, and you're guaranteed to be humming it for the rest of the day after. Recently, I've really enjoyed listening to their recent fifth album, Bankrupt!, which is far more electronic than anything they've done previously. If you ever get the chance to see Phoenix live, take the opportunity! The band are currently touring the US before heading over to Mexico, Europe and Australia, with Haim (also spectacular live!) joining them over in Europe.

http://wearephoenix.com/
https://www.facebook.com/wearephoenix
https://twitter.com/wearephoenix

New Waves.. Kate Nash - 'OMYGOD!'

Almost a month a go I found a preview of this video and wanted to write a post, but to my utter frustration it was only available in America, grr! Anyway, the fact that you're now reading this means that this is is obviously no longer the case, therefore I present you with 'OMYGOD!' by Kate Nash!

Over the past year, my opinion of Kate Nash has undergone a bit of a renovation, along with her sound. Gone are the days of plinky plonk piano of 'Mouthwash' and in is the gritty sound first displayed in 2012's surprise release of 'Under-Estimate The Girl', however - despite the change in direction - the acerbic wit of 'Foundations' era Nash is most definitely still present. Her current album, Girl Talk, carries a lot of new wave influences and is easily her best effort yet, and 'OMYGOD!' follows suit. 

As the second single taken from Girl Talk, 'OMYGOD!' is an accessible radio friendly hit, which is by no means a bad thing. The song appears to discuss missing someone even though the relationship has ended, with the tempo of the song swinging like a pendulum between the plodding verse and energetic chorus. An unfortunate and often aggravating side-effect of the internet press for me is the invasion of privacy of notable relationships of musicians given coverage by the press. One such relationship was that of Nash and The Cribs' Ryan Jarman, and as a result I can't help but read into the lyrics of songs such as this, ultimately presuming that this was written about said ex. Such invasions of privacy are highly frustrating in the listening of subsequent music, though by no means as frustrating as for the people involved. Damn the Internet!

Anyway, if you've yet to hear Nash's new album, give 'OMYGOD!' a listen. I currently can't find a release date for the single, however the album is available in different mediums and downloadable via iTunes, Amazon and GooglePlay.

Nash is touring the UK in the autumn (click here for tickets) , with dates in Norwich, Birmingham, Cardiff, Belfast, Glasgow and Manchester.

http://www.myignorantyouth.com/

https://twitter.com/katenash

https://www.facebook.com/katenash

New Waves.. Superfood - 'TV' (Demo)

The somewhat mysterious 'B-Town' band Superfood are back with a new demo for their song 'TV', proving the band are not merely a one-hit-wonder of the underground world.

Whilst 'TV' does not capture quite the same charm as the aforementioned song, it is most definitely a grower in the same manner as 'Superfood' previously was, and with Blur-esque guitars and lyrics that practically beg you to sing along, the band are certainly tapping into their own interpretation of the current '90's revival.

Only the second song to ever surface from the band, it will no doubt add momentum to their rippling wave of national recognition following the debut of their first self-titled demo.

The band are currently touring the UK with a mid-tour stop in Amsterdam.

Do you like Superfood? What do you think 'TV'? Do you prefer it to their first song, 'Superfood'?

www.superfoodjunk.com
https://www.facebook.com/superfoodjunk
https://twitter.com/superfoodjunk

Flashback Friday.. Yeah Yeah Yeah's - 'Heads Will Roll'

What's this? A post? A Flashback - for Friday!?

I know, shocking isn't it?

Today I spotted that the Yeah Yeah Yeah's are doing a three date tour of the UK (Manchester O2 Apollo, Leeds O2 Academy, and London at Alexandra Palace), having recently announced the forthcoming arrival of their fourth album, MOSQUITO. As of yet, there doesn't appear to be an announcement in regards of a single, though Karen O has shocked my soul by bleaching her hair to a platinum blonde (!), so let's refresh ourselves of how AWEsome the Yeah Yeah Yeah's were in the years prior to their sabbatical!

Aside from Karen O's collaboration with Atticus Ross and Nine Inch Nails maestro Trent Reznor in their contribution  for the soundtrack for the western re-hash of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (they covered 'Immigrant Song'), the last we heard of the YYY's was 'Skeletons', the final single from It's Blitz!. The album was a departure from the YYY's of old, with Nick Zinner exchanging his guitars for keyboards on some of the tracks, and my favourite track from the album has to be a song where these aforementioned keyboards were used to full emphatic effect.

'Heads Will Roll' was a stomping indie dance-floor anthem, poppy, and perfect for club remixing (the A-Trak remix is very good!), and unlike anything that, at the time, they had done before. It's one of the standout tracks from the album, for me, along with 'Zero' and 'Soft Shock'.

Anyway, if you haven't heard 'Heads Will Roll' before, check out the creepy music video, and if you have - reminisce!

A reminder of the 3 UK dates:

1 May
Manchester
O2 Apollo

2 May
Leeds
O2 Academy

4 May
London
Alexandra Palace

New Waves.. Everything Everything - 'Cough Cough'

Catching our to attention with their highly catchy single 'MY KZ, UR BF' in 2010, Everything Everything still managed to slip under the majority of peoples musical radars.

Their latest single, 'Cough Cough' picks up the momentum; as wonderful as 'MY KZ, UR BF' was, this is better. The breakdown to the drums for the chorus turns the usual chorus crescendo  on its head, the verses, bubbling electro-pop. Singer, Jonathan Higgs easily has one of the most unusual voices of recent years, he definitely reminds me of The Maccabees frontman, Orlando Weeks in his quavering delivery. If Weeks fronted MGMT whilst he and said band were attached to electrodes, it would result in this band!

At the moment, I'd go so much as to say they have real potential to fill the lull in my iPod as of late; 'Cough Cough' has definitely made me excited to hear their second album, Arc, which is to be released on 14th January 2013.

'Cough Cough' is out now, and Everything Everything go on tour in February 2013.

Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms, 6 Feb 2013
Brighton Concorde 2, 7th Feb
Norwich Arts Centre, 8th Feb
Bristol, Tekhla, 9th Feb
Cambridge, Junction, 11th Feb
Birmingham, HMV Institute Library, 12th Feb
Oxford, 02 Academy 2, 14th Feb
Sheffield, Leadmill, 16th Feb
Liverpool, O2 Academy, 17th Feb
Glasgow Oran Mor, 20th Feb


http://www.everything-everything.co.uk/
http://www.facebook.com/EverythingEverythinguk

New Waves.. The Joy Formidable - 'Cholla'

Well, new for me any way, I swear these days that I must live with my head in the ground because, once again, this had totally passed me by. I was aware that the band were playing two small shows prior to the album being released but wasn't aware of a single. I sure keep up to date!

'Cholla' is what could be described as typical of The Joy Formidable; their name certainly encompasses their sound, as the band manage to juxtapose ferocity with somewhat soaring guitars and Ritzy Bryan's innocent sounding vocal; a far more grittier voice would be expected of her in order to compliment the aggression, choosing to compliment the softer elements is far more interesting.

The song would have been right at home on the band's début album, The Big Roar, and with this as the lead single, their follow up, Wolf's Law seems very promising!

Wolf's Law itself is expected on 21st January 2013. The band recently announced that they would be touring in the new year in support of the album. Dates as follows:

January
Tuesday 22nd Liverpool, Kazimier
Wednesday 23rd Norwich, Waterfront
Friday 25th Belfast, The Limelight
Saturday 26th Dublin, Academy
Monday 28th Cardiff, Solus
Tuesday 29th Bristol, Fiddlers

February

Sunday 24th Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
Monday 25th Leeds, Cockpit
Tuesday 26th Glasgow, Oran Mor
Thursday 28th Manchester, Ritz

March

Friday 1st Wolverhampton, Wulfrun Hall
Saturday 2nd Sheffield, Leadmill
Monday 4th Brighton, Concorde 2
Tuesday 5th Exeter, Phoenix
Wednesday 6th Portsmouth, Wedgewood Rooms
Friday 8th London, The Roundhouse

http://www.thejoyformidable.com/

http://www.facebook.com/thejoyformidable

https://twitter.com/joyformidable

New Waves.. FIDLAR - 'AWWWKWAARRRDDD' (feat. Kate Nash)

Recently, it would transpire that Kate Nash is not the 'Kate Nash' of old, especially after the recent riot grrrl experimentations of 'Underestimate the Girl'. However, somewhat unexpectedly for me, I found myself liking this new track that FIDLAR (Fuck It Dog Life's A Risk) debuted this week, on which she guested.

It's catchy enough in a manner that plods a long, a lazy day summer song (wrong time of year!) and kind of reminds me of Presidents of the USA and Weezer, although the song itself is somewhat repetitive.

Nash's contribution is less brash than her vocal on 'Underestimate the Girl', talking in the verses and screeching in the chorus.

FIDLAR themselves are doing a short UK tour in December, and their self titled debut is due for release in February 2013.

London Dingwalls (December 4)
Manchester Soup Kitchen (December 6) 
Glasgow Cathouse (December 7)

http://fidlar.bandcamp.com/
http://www.facebook.com/fidlarLA
http://fidlar.tumblr.com/

Elsewhere, Nash will play a Buffy the Vampire Slayer Halloween show in London's Hackney Picture House on October 31!

Her third album and an EP are due in the coming months.

Flashback Friday.. Maximo Park - 'Apply Some Pressure'

Last night I went on a night out to see some friends and, as per usual, we ended up in Planet - a rock/metal nightclub for those of you who don't have the (dis)pleasure of living in Wolves.

I remember three things.

1. My friend going to the toilet and mysteriously disappearing into the abyss of space and time.
2. The DJ playing a really strange alternate version of The Smiths 'This Charming Man', which I now can't find.
3. This song being played for the first time in an age and my re-realising of what a belter it is!

Maximo Park are one of those bands that are capable of producing some really fantastic songs, yet still manage to pass under the radar of being memorable. Especially, it seems, in recent years, as I can account for myself not investing time and effort into their music since their second album, 2007's Our Earthly Pleasures (I'm beaming 'Listen. Now' into your subconsciousness!), and their following albums, Quicken the Heart and The National Health passed me by completely (cue a task for later!), but odds are that, whether you realise it or not, you probably (really) know the ins and outs of at least one Maximo Park song.

Which, in regards to that, is most likely this one, seeing as 'Apply Some Pressure' is probably the most known of Maximo Park's songs back in their heyday, as it pretty much encapsulates all that puts Maximo Park in the higher tier of 00's popular indie bands. The song is catchy and punchy, the lyrics - witty and confessional, and it becomes apparent in some of Maximo Park's other songs that singer and lyricist, Paul Smith is an intelligent poet.

Maximo Park are currently on a European tour, to support The National Health, before coming back to the UK and then jetting off to Australia!

http://maximopark.com/

http://www.facebook.com/maximopark

https://twitter.com/maximopark
http://soundcloud.com/maximo-park-1

New Waves.. Charli XCX - 'So Far Away'

At last, I can post this! I first wrote it when Charli XCX's You're the One EP came out in the UK last month and contained the full version of 'So Far Away'. It's been on loop on my iPod since, and now it's got it's own video (after waiting a feed that I could link in this post'.

'So Far Away' made its debut on the Charli XCX mixtape, 'HEARTBREAKS AND EARTHQUAKES', and was easily one of the standout tracks for me! It's a moody lament to love and it ebbs and flows darkly. It was highly addictive and Charli's spoken word/semi-rapping segments have a greater outing here, taking up the verses - and it's a rather unique quality that I've not found under her contemporaries.

The track made a full length appearance on the You're the One EP, and judging from her posts on he Facebook profile, will be accompanied by a music video in the upcoming months!

Charli XCX is still on tour, currently with Coldplay (!) and will then undertake her first UK headline solo tour in November! Another outing I need to be at!

With Coldplay – 19/09 - Warsaw

With Coldplay – 22/09 - Hannover

Parklife – 29/09 – Brisbane

Parklife – 30/09 - Sydney

Parklife – 01/10 - Perth

Parklife – 06/10 - Melbourne

Parklife – 07/10 – Adelaide

- - -

UK Tour

- - -

Headline Tour - 05/11 - Nation of Shopkeepers, Leeds

Headline Tour - 06/11 - Stereo, Glasgow

Headline Tour - 08/11 - HMV Institute, Birmingham

Headline Tour - 09/11 - Shipping Forecast, Liverpool

Headline Tour - 10/11 - Bodega, Nottingham

Headline Tour - 11/11 - Deaf Institute, Manchester

Headline Tour - 13/11 - In:Motion, Bristol

Headline Tour - 14/11 - Green Door Store, Brighton

Headline Tour - 15/11 - XOYO, London

https://www.facebook.com/charlixcxmusic

https://twitter.com/charli_xcx

http://charlixcxmusic.com/

Rapid Review.. Lostprophets - 'Jesus Walks'

I follow Ian Watkins on Twitter. Fact. Yes, the twee fangirl in me appears to be persisting even in my impending evolution into adulthood. I began to make the transition into 'alternative' music around the age of 10-11 and, along with other bands that flirted with the mainstream (eg. Linkin Park, Evanescence, MCR, etc) Lostprophets were one of the first bands that I could definitely say that I was an utter fan of!

But anyway! a few Watkins-Re-Tweets in my Twitter feed later and I found myself watching this video, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised! I regard the first two Lostprophets albums, The Fake Sound of Progress and Start Something, with a sense of nostalgia, and The Liberation Transmission was a good pop album however, I wasn't amazed by their fourth album, The Betrayed. I found the lead track 'It's Not the End of the World..' rather weak so I didn't really put any effort into The Betrayed, and as a result, Lostprophets just slipped off my radar. I vaguely recall fifth album, Weapons being released a few months ago, but that was all.

'Jesus Walks' on the other hand, is a pleasant and surprising return to form! It's pure pop, a late summer anthem, and containing the great euphoric sing-a-long's that Lostprophets are known for. Everything is working here - the melody, the lyrics, it's all good! The song talks of having the strength to stand on your own two feet and the solidarity of believing in yourself, and flicking through some song teasers on iTunes, there appears to be some other tracks on the album that are growers too, so I may write a review up soon, which will be somewhat interesting for me as Lostprophets developed their sound taking a variety of influences in their first three albums (FSOP - new metal and experimental, Start Something - differed from song to song, Liberation Transmission - pop rock anthems), although the singles that I have heard from The Betrayed and Weapons seems to show them settling more definitely on a signiature sound.

On the other hand, check out the vid! Lostprophets tour the UK starting November 1st at Wolves Civic (hometown gig for me, should I go, should I go?)!

Wolverhampton Civic Hall (November 1)
Preston 53 Degrees (2)
O2 Academy Sheffield (3)
Edinburgh HMV Picture House (5)
Inverness Ironworks (6)
O2 Apollo Manchester (8)
Portsmouth Guildhall (9)
London Alexandra Palace (10)
Norwich UEA (12)
Lincoln Engine Shed (13)
Newport Centre (14)

http://lostprophets.com/
https://twitter.com/lostprophets
http://www.facebook.com/lostprophets

Rapid Review.. Pure Love - 'Handsome Devil's Club'

'Handsome Devil's Club' is the second single by Frank Carter's new outfit, Pure Love. This was released in late May (!) apparently but totally passed me by and I only found it about a week ago after my friend told me that their Reading festival set was pretty awesome!

As I said in a previous Pure Love post, this is the complete opposite of what was occurring in the original Gallows; this is Carter showing his versatility as a songwriter and performer, and I really cannot get over what a surprisingly good singer he is! 'Handsome Devil's Club' is as poppy and catchy, if not catchier than 'Bury My Bones' was. I know that even if I tried to dislike this song, I would still end up liking it, and when Pure Love's debut album is released before the year is out, I will definitely be getting it. The only thing that I'm not so keen on are lyrics such as "Give me a good girl / The kind that wants to please / Give me a good girl / Down on her knees" - I know, I know, cue the feminist in me, and cue much eye rolling from male readers over picky modern females. Sexism will always exist to some degree, and I suppose I'd rather have fun singing it in a good song, rather than in some semi-R'n'B derogatory chart hit rapping about 'bitchez' and 'hoes' and the like.

Anyway, looking forward to both the Pure Love album, and the new Gallows stuff, and if my memory doesn't fail me then, as far as I'm aware, Pure love should be supporting Pulled Apart By Horses on their UK tour this autumn!

The 'Handsome Devil's Club' single, including 'Bury My Bones' and the videos for both songs, can be purchased for £1.99 on iTunes!

http://therealpurelove.com/
http://www.facebook.com/therealpurelove

New Waves.. Marina and the Diamonds - 'How to Be a Heartbreaker'

'How to Be a Heartbreaker' was recently revealed to be the third single taken from Marina and the Diamonds' second album, Electra Heart. Don't worry, if, like myself, you were a tad confused as to this song's whereabouts within the album; the track was apparantly written a week after the UK edition of Electra Heart was finalised and was, therefore, included on the US version of the album.

The song is fresh and catchy, a perfect summer track (unfortunately, the weather doesn't seem to be complying as of late!), and is again keeping in with the Electra Heart theme of  the rights and wrongs of love and relationships and female empowerment, and despite the song being very good, the theme feels a little tired.

It is a shame the song didn't exist before the Electra Heart UK was finished, as it would provide a bit more 'oomph' if placed strategically within the album. However, it is a much stronger song than 'Power and Control', which I was surprised to find chosen to be a single.

Marina is still on tour (!) and starts a UK jaunt in October; she's playing my hometown so hopefully I'll be able to cajole someone into joining me!

'How to Be a Heartbreaker' is due for release in September (unfortunately couldn't pin down the date) with a video to follow.

Check my review of Electra Heart here :)

http://www.marinaandthediamonds.com/

https://twitter.com/MarinasDiamonds

http://www.facebook.com/marinaandthediamonds

Leeds Metropolitan University (September 30)
Dundee Fat Sam's (October 2)
O2 Academy Liverpool (4)
Preston 53 Degrees (5)
Manchester Academy (6)
O2 Academy Leicester (8)
Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall (9)
London HMV Forum (11)
Lincoln Engine Shed (14)
O2 Academy Oxford (15)
Dublin Olympia Theatre (17)

Rapid Review.. Purity Ring - 'Shrines'

I mentioned that Purity Ring's debut album, Shrines, was released a few weeks ago, and after eagerly waiting for it to come out for what felt like ages, I finally purchased it!

Was it every bit as amazing as the singles that preceded it? I'm glad to say that, yes, it really was! But it was in a different way than I expected. It was more subtle than I anticipated, being delicate and dreamlike, but also confident and dark, like the musical fluctuation of dreams and nightmares intertwined. The childlike vocal of Megan James only adds to this effect, spouting somewhat grotesque lyrics pertaining to the fantastical and longings of love. 

Purity Ring's penchant for merging and creating new words (or 'neologisms!' - hooray for the English student in me!) continues here, for example, 'Crawlersout', the opening track for the album, striking the perfect balance between moody and epiphanous, although, after looking up the lyrics (here, bottom of the page) I can confirm that even my metaphorical and poetic mind struggles to decipher any deeper meaning from this! All of the previous singles, 'Ungirthed', 'Berlispeak' and the viral hit 'Lofticries', are present on the album, and rightly so. The first and second singles from the album, 'Obedear' and 'Fineshrine', both polarise Purity Ring's musical spectrum, the first being more subtle, the second practically the most upbeat track on the album, and both equally as fascinating. And that's a word best used to describe Purity Ring, as the sound they create and the lyrics they write are nothing if not unique and usual.

I'd definitely say that Shrines is one of the most hyped and anticipated albums of the year, and rightly so! It's definitely worth a listen, and even if (somehow!) this is your first time hearing of Purity Ring, I  would definitely recommend you give it a try! As for touring, the band are currently on a tour of the States, Canada, UK and Europe, hitting the UK for London, Brighton, Bristol, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and Glasgow dates in late November!

http://purityringsongs.com/

http://www.facebook.com/purityringmusic

http://thepurityring.tumblr.com/