MORE THAN THE MUSIC POST (ALBUM REVIEW): F8stercare Vs. †‡† (RITUALZ) Split LP

September 5^th 2011 is the scheduled date for a spilt LP featuring the newest material from two of dance music’s most innovative, curious and challenging acts – F8stercare and †‡† (pronounced RITUALZ). This new joint release from hip east London indie label Robot Elephant Records features five tracks from F8stercare and four tracks from †‡† (RITUALZ), with some re-mixes of each others work thrown in for good measure.

F8stercare is the synonym for Brooklyn born Marc Jason, a reference to a renowned track by Burial. F8stercare has been producing music since 2007, and has had a wave of great press from the likes of Dazed & Confused, i:D and Word. F8stercare’s music fuses dark-wave, witch-house, dance, industrial and crunk, with lyrics featuring discussions on dark matters such as violence and suicide. Unsurprising then, there is a cold, unnerving vibe to F8stercare’s tracks throughout his side of the LP. There is an urgency in both his musical and vocal delivery with is rather overwhelming at times. Tracks such as Numb are a nervous cacophony of undulating, indefinite, surging aggression, whilst others are more beat heavy, with elements of hip-hop sampling amongst a wash of synth-string swirls.

F8stercare’s half of the spilt is fairly sample-based, which introduces some interesting quirky sound manipulation; sounds which are sometimes cool and even funny, sometimes unnerving and disturbing. The vibe here is also very “urban” – it feels like music expressing the angst, aggression, paranoia and fear of a mass of people, things and energy.

Transversely, †‡† (RITUALZ)’s side of the LP is cold, eerie and sombre. This reclusive man from Mexico here combines dance, shoegaze, hip-hop and drone with post-industrial ambience. His work has a much thicker, saturated sound, and in comparison to F8stercare has much less audible dynamics. It has a vague, more atmospheric feel, more trancey, insistent, ethereal and repetitive. Tracks such as King have definite elements of shoegaze indie, especially within the production of a rare vocal appearance, thick with effects and distant, with almost indiscernible lyrics.

Both these artists very much create intelligent dance music  – there is a cohesion within the general feel of the both their musics that is cold, distant and detached. When listening to this album there is a feeling that both artists are like sonic chemists, balancing the sounds involved in their individual tracks precisely. There are a lot of negative elements at play throughout the recording, and it certainly does not make of an easy listen, but it is an interesting record, displaying some exciting new endeavours into electronica.

See this at MTTM at: http://www.morethanthemusic.co.uk/album-reviews/f8stercare-vs-%E2%80%A0%E2%80%A1%E2%80%A0-ritualz-split-lp/

Amy Winehouse in Retrospect

After the tragic news of Amy Winehouse’s death at the desperately tender of 27, numerous features, articles, television programmes and tributes began to saturate the media. From everyday people on Twitter, to Russell Brands’ poignant, accurate open letter regarding the tumultuous trials of addiction, one of the key focal points for people, apart from her general vulnerability and drug addiction, was that of her voice.

Whilst I do not find it unusual that people would choose to focus on her profound talent, I do find it rather odd how exactly they are determining her vocal abilities. Most tributes I have seen have vaguely sketched over the magnitude of her vocal abilities, providing simple statements such as “she had a perfect voice” or “she displayed such vocal talent”, which in no way reflect the true and unusual style of Amy’s voice that made her so successful and so unique in music.

In actual fact, traditionally speaking, Amy Winehouse did not typically exhibit a fantastic voice. Her vocal timbre, even when she was sober, was often constricted, with an interesting grate. She did not always enunciate correctly, and her higher notes were much weaker than her stronger, more rounded, lower register. But the literal sound of her voice, its literal, dissected sound, is not what made Amy a fantastic singer. Amy knew, probably instinctually, how to make her voice sound real and honest, like her voice was an extension of her soul. Her voice had a true, honest character, real intrigue, and really, truly represented the lyrical content of her songs. Her lyrical writing was beyond perfect – classic jazz riddled with modern-day complex, emotional, harrowing blues. In Amy’s songs she laid bare her emotional struggles, with love, with addiction and with life. But it was in Amy’s delivery of the lyrics, the combination of her poetic and insightful words mixed with her candid, unadorned voice that the crux of her real vocal talent was to be found.

Her voice was expressive, perfectly indicative of her problems, and by extension perhaps the human condition in general. We might not all be addicted to drugs and alcohol, or live our lives under an uncomfortable limelight, but we have all felt heartbreak, distress, despondency and fatigue. Amy conveyed these feelings for us, as all good poets, artists, writers and musicians do. She was an emotional conduit, from her awkward and impossible problems into the music, then out into the world. In her voice, its every inflection, every faultlessly positioned pause, every vocal crack, every change of timbre, Amy added more meaning, more expression, conveyed her point more resolutely, displaying her troubles and her emotions perfectly.

That is what made her voice so good, why she has been so popular, and why her and her music will be remembered. It is not the literal style and sound of her voice that is most vital, it is the chain of events, from her life, to her lyrics, to her performing them that made her voice work. It is impossible to synthesise such vocal character, you have to live those words. Amy did just that, and whilst her death is a tragedy to her family and a great loss to the world of music, without the problems or fragility that perhaps ultimately lead to her demise, she would perhaps not have been able to hone her voice/lyrics matrix in such poignant ways.

MORE THAN THE MUSIC POST: Interview with Oh My!

Oh My! have just hit the music scene with their own style of clever pop music. We caught up with one half of the duo – Jade – to talk about their sound, their recent schools tour and girl power.
MTTM: How is the album progressing and how would you describe its burgeoning sound?
Jade: The album is coming along great! It has got great personality and really reflects us as Oh My! The sound is fun pop with a dose of attitude, which sums us up really! We wanna make every song we do have meaning and show our personalities off!
MTTM: You are self-professed 90s pop fans, citing the Spice Girls, TLC and Destiny’s Child as important influences on your music. Do you take influence from any other genres or decades at all?
Jade: We love 90s pop because it was all about Girl Power and we think it’s about time there was a ‘girlband’ that really came across strong and independent! But we love lots  of genres; I love garage music as I grew up with it. My favourite garage track
is Sweet Female Attitude ‘Flowers’! Alex loves oldie soul music, one of her favourites is Michael Jackson! At the moment we love Tinie Tempa, Example and Katy B!
MTTM: You have been described by Example as “more Bananarama than The Saturdays”. Do you think Oh My! could be the cool, hip injection that is significantly lacking in today’s girl groups?
Jade: We don’t just want to be seen as pretty, jazz-hands girls we want to be known as being fun and having our own personalities! There is definitely space for Oh My!, but we still like alot of the other girls bands out there.
MTTM: Both of your promo tracks (Run This Town and Kicking and Screaming) have a notable attitude – you seem a bit cooler, slicker, maybe a bit more real and jaded than your contemporaries. Is it important for your guys to retain a realness and authenticity with your work and its presentation?
Jade: Yes definitely that’s a big part of us! We wanna come across real and just normal girls, which we are! We don’t need to pretend to be anyone else but ourselves and I think that comes across in the music and when we perform.
MTTM: You two seem pretty intelligent, and are clearly into music generally. How much input do you guys have in your music – do you write lyrics or contribute to the production or instrumentation of your tracks at all?
Jade: We really love getting stuck into writing lyrics. With our music we have the confidence to speak up and if we don’t like something or aren’t comfortable we will say, no one makes us do it!
MTTM: You’ve just started a monthly club night in Shoreditch, do you prefer doing DJ sets or live performances?
Jade: They’re very different! We LOVE djing because you get to see what everyone is into at the time, its immediate and it’s great to see everyone enjoying themselves! Performing is one of the most amazing things in the world, it’s hard to explain what it feels like but to see people there for us and the music is great!
MTTM: You have just completed a large run of school tours –do you think such a move represents your key demographic?
Jade: The schools tour was great. It allowed us to share our music for the first time, and deal with every circumstance that was thrown at us! It’s was the first time performing to a crowd and kids have this amazing thing that they tell the truth no matter what, or at least their faces tell you, haha! So it was great – every school we went to was such an experience.
MTTM: There is a lot of dry humour and quirkiness in your music and promotions that could very well appeal to older audiences – I’m 24 and not exactly a pop nut, yet I really like your work. Will you try to retain this idiosyncrasy and cool kookiness as much as possible as your music career develops?
Jade: Yes definitely – we’re planning on being here for the long run. We want to make songs that stay around for years. Songs that people can pull out and play to their kids in years to come. What you have heard so far is a good taste of what’s ahead from us. That is Oh My! – no falseness, just attitudey pop all the way!

See this at MTTM at: http://www.morethanthemusic.co.uk/interviews/oh-my-interview/

GOD IS IN THE TV POST (Single Review): Tall Ships - Hit the Floor

‘Hit the Floor’ is the recent single release from complex alt-indie trio Tall Ships. These three guys from the south coast play a lot of instruments and are renown for creating a huge sense of space with their dynamic and changeable tunes. ‘Hit the Floor’ is therefore a slight departure from the group’s typical fair, featuring little of the in-song tempo or timbre changes often present in their work.

‘Hit the Floor’ is probably the group’s most upbeat, dance inspired track, with a fast, frenzied mesh of guitar sounds based around the repetitive rotation of a simple guitar riff. This guitar riff continuously develops as the track progresses, mutating into a very clever, pleasing interplay between a number of guitar and bass parts, moving through the track in a relentless fashion. Because of the strong guitar presence throughout ‘Hit the Floor’, Tall Ships exude more of an indie pop vibe, rather than their archetypal loop-based math rock. The track is in fact very reminiscent of early Bloc Party, and the nature of the guitar parts are not dissimilar to the famous ‘Helicopter’.

Lyrics in this track are disappointed less poetic and do not have the same degree of subtly than Tall Ships usual work. However, the lyrics are incredibly distorted, and actually rather infrequent; clearly they are not the key focus within ‘Hit the Floor’. The single’s B-side, however, is a much slower, more sedate song, with mellow, subtle instrumentation. ‘Safe as Houses’ contains some beautifully heartfelt and complex metaphors, as well as interesting instrumentation. Within this singe release are two clearly very different tracks, but both exhibit separately the variety of Tall Ship’s music.

I really like Tall Ships' music generally, and ‘Hit the Floor’ is a fine release, but there is less dynamism or musical intrigue than is typical on their previous work. Both A and B-sides maintain a steady pace, whether that pace be sedate or manic, and neither particularly stray into any notable tempo or instrumental flourishes or anomalies. For me this single is therefore slightly disappointing, and perhaps not up to their best work, although the relative simplicity of ‘Hit the Floor’ will undoubtedly make it more commercial.

See this at GiitTV at: http://godisinthetvzine.co.uk/index.php/2011/07/25/tall-ships-hits-the-floor-bsm/

MORE THAN THE MUSIC POST (ALBUM REVIEW): Song of Return - Limits

Song of Return determine their music as post rock, but in reality there is little evidence of the intelligence, depth, subtly and complexity exampled by archetypal post rock acts such as Mogwai and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Essentially a development from prog-rock, post rock harbours elements of jazz, classical, musique concrete and the avant-garde, none of which are particularly evident in Song of Return’s debut album Limits. In reality Song of Return’s work would appear to be more like dark indie rock flirting with post rock aspirations.

There is a diversity to their work however, and Limits is certainly an interesting take on the indie rock genre. They use complex effects and synth timbres and the programming work, especially on tracks such as The Story of a Cell is good, engaging even. Their work is also rather dynamic, both throughout the album as a whole and within self-contained tracks. For example, where some songs border on triumphant and anthemic, with thunderous tom leads lurching into life, others give way to cold, eerie ambience and indeterminate, low-key sounds. The production of the album is spot-on, with seamless transitions between tracks and within the layering of the individual sounds in each track. With quieter pieces such as One Million Hertz, this high quality production is vital to any success, as the sedate array of sounds, woven together create a beautiful aural tapestry.

There are glimmers of innovation and genuine bleakness within Limits; Trajectory in particular has a cool nonchalance highly reminiscent of Bloc Party circa A Weekend in the City. But this album is essentially a disparate body of work, with only some tracks aligning with the band’s desired post-rock allusions. There is subtly, variety and interest present, but many tracks also have a dated, turn of the centaury indie rock vibe that at times even borders on relating to that heavily contested label – emo. Simple elements such as misplaced synth timbres or guitar techniques affect the whole aspect of certain songs for the worst.

But whilst there are perpetrators such as Shackles that let the album down, others (Anniversary, Trajectory, The Blizzard) really lift it, with a palpable edge of subtly and intelligence present. Limits in certainly an uncertainty, with areas in need of significant development. But there are also slices of transcending charm and intrigue, which are not to be derided.

See this at MTTM at: http://www.morethanthemusic.co.uk/album-reviews/song-of-return-%E2%80%93-limits/

MORE THAN THE MUSIC POST (ALBUM REVIEW): One Sixth of Tommy - You're in My Head

You’re in My Head is the up-and-coming debut album release by emerging girl group One Sixth Of Tommy. This trio of ethereal, budding beauties hail from Stourbridge in the Midlands, and through their new album they have created a natural, comely style of music that well replicates their humble, quasi-rural developmental backdrop. Jordan, Joanna and Jorja are all guitarists, and have written and performed on each track on the new album, demonstrating subtle, competent song writing abilities, which are especially impressive when it is considered that not one of this trio has yet left their teens.

You’re in My Head is essentially a delicate blend of pop and indie, anchored by acoustic guitars and beautiful female vocals. There is a bit of keyboard and drums included on occasion, but the album is mostly made up of the guitar/voice combo, which has a clean, timeless quality to it. These tracks such as For Always that are more stripped down, with little effects and simple guitar parts, are to my mind the most successful, as they leave space for the perfectly euphonic female vocals. Almost angelic at times, the combination of the girl’s voices throughout this album is its real selling point – the trio create superbly dynamic and interesting harmonies, which has a sedating effect, soothing the listener with expertly executed dulcet tones.

One Sixth Of Tommy have stated a number of influences on their work, but the most audibly recognisable are probably the likes of Bon Iver, Norah Jones and Newton Faulkner. There is a definite alternative pop-folk vibe to the girls work, but it is also heavily accessible and non-threatening. It is also interesting to point out that although these girls are very English in their general vibe and demeanour, much of their music has a notable American essence. Tracks such as The Pact in particular have stylistic similarities to Avril Lavigne or Kelly Clarkson, in both vocal delivery and backing instrumentation. In truth these more American-pop inspired tracks are less successful that the effortless charm of simpler tracks; they sound slightly more dated, and put simply they to a degree squander the beauty of the collected female vocals, where the band’s major talent lies.

You’re in My Head is in general however a youthful, heartfelt album with an enchanting beauty and innocence. The album is due for release on 29^th August 2011 on Helium Record, and the girls are also doing a number of live promo dates across the country that month.

See this at MTTM at http://bit.ly/nYfM8C

HERE COMES EVERYONE POST: Playlist of the Week - Guitar Heroes

It seems that at present an awful lot of contemporary indie and alternative music is severely lacking a significant guitar presence. The cool music du jour often features synth timbres as the main instrument, and although guitars are present they are often heavily affected, with large amounts of flange, oscillations and other such effects that make the traditional old guitar sound very unusual and synthetic. We at Here Comes Everyone do not want to criticise this current trend; in fact we utterly love the indie music scene at present, and really enjoy the mellow contemplative vibe it exudes. But we were also bought up on guitars, and do experience withdrawal symptoms on occasion. So here is this week’s playlist, full of guitar centric songs old and new, with no synths in sight!

1. cKy – “96 Quite Bitter Beings”
“96 Quite Bitter Beings” is probably cKy’s most widely renowned song, and was featured heavily on the TV show Jackass. It has a thick, distorted, overdriven guitar sound, which (as it has little other effects or modulations) has dated fairly well, especially for turn of the centaury commercial metal. It also exhibits a surprisingly complex layering of guitar parts, which lend the track a slightly prog-metal edge, creating what only be described as a bitchin’ guitar riff.

CkY - 96 Quite Bitter Beings by J0H.Z!

2. Bloc Party – “Banquet”
Arguably their most successful, guitar-driven track, “Banquet” exhibits all of Bloc Party’s usual intelligence and subtly, coupled with a renowned guitar riff. On first impressions the guitar part appears deceptively simple, but it is actually two guitar parts combined perfectly. “Banquet” is a good example of how Bloc Party are a great guitar band as well as an innovative alternative band.

Banquet - Bloc Party by sergeproductions

3. Everclear - “Amphetamine”
US band Everclear are a great example of how American rock and guitar-based music was really fantastic in the 1990s. Grunge, post-grunge and its various predecessors were just so much more interesting and forward looking than our archaic Britpop counterparts, with more insightful lyrics and generally more musical dynamism. This track is speedy and snappy, (as you might expect), and has attitude whilst retaining a fragile and vulnerable quality.



4. Foo Fighters – “Everlong”
There are few bands that do simple American rock better than the Foo Fighters. With a simple, repetitive guitar riff and a building, euphoric chorus section, “Everlong” is typical Foo Fighter’s fare, and well loved for it.



5. Dinosaur Pile-Up – “My Rock and Roll”
A newish band here. Originating from Leeds, Dinosaur Pile-Up released their debut album in 2010, and are part of a new wave of UK grunge acts that are becoming popular, such as Pulled Apart By Horses and Mother Vulpine. “My Rock and Roll” has a dark and brooding air to it at times, but it also has an intelligence, with exacted musical phrasing and deep dynamic peaks and troughs.

GROWING PAINS by DINOSAUR PILE-UP

6. AC/DC – “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”
It would be very difficult to have a guitar based playlist and not include some old school heavy metal, and AC/DC and their music are arguably the best value in terms of humour, quality, and sheer colossal riffage. Not only does this track have the iconic main ”DDDDC” riff, but it also exhibits some mean solo guitar skills.

03- Dirty deeds done dirt cheap by miubu

7. The Joy Formidable – “Cradle”
This track does not have a particularly obvious riff, but the guitar features heavily and well throughout, pulling a variety of shapes. There are short-lived, punchy solos, thundering chorus sections and ambient backing parts within “Cradle”, all created by the first and only female guitarist on this list, Ritzy Bryan.

The Joy Formidable - Cradle by NapaIndie

HERE COMES EVERYONE POST: Single of the Week

Beastie Boys feat. Santigold – ‘Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win’

This year has seen the Beastie Boys return with an outstanding new album, Hot Sauce Committee Part II. This new single from the album, featuring the sultry, versatile vocal talent of Santigold, continues the group’s excellent return to form with a mellow, chilled-out, summery track. Heavily influenced by Santigold’s music style, the track not only features her vocals prolifically, but it also has the smooth yet hip reggae/R&B crossover rhythms and instrumentation evident in her debut eponymous album. The Beastie Boys mainly provide their idiosyncratic vocal stylings as backing, but they have also thrown in some fantastically merged samples, and the track still has that genius Beastie Boys vibe.


<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CdnYzIxQUWE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


See this at HCE at http://t.co/PtSuXAN

Great Indie Artists – Great Indie Labels

It is a widely perceived fallacy that there are very few properly independent labels active in the contemporary music industry. Whilst it is true that many historic independent labels have become consumed by the four majors (EMI, Warner, Sony and Universal) over the past 25 years or so, numerous new independent labels have proliferated or emerged, developing an interesting, new, parallel domain of genuine indie artists. These artists have developed in a flourishing, partially underground indie scene, full of fragmentarily observed artists with half-known tunes, smaller but furiously passionate fan bases, and genuinely innovative, eclectic and curious sounds. This strong, literally independent scene often seems to exist autonomously to the major label industry, only sometimes selling artists to the majors, committing much of its energies instead to nurturing robust new talent in a genuinely considered way in relation to fans and artists. Whilst major labels struggle against the changes in the music industry, chastising music consumers and crippling artist creativity, these new indie labels forge a path of innovative musical sounds, free downloads, appreciative consumers and productive musicians, creating a positive yet commercial grassroots industry.

This burgeoning appeal and workability of the independent label approach is not just for small time artists; it is clearly also apparent in the recent chart triumphs of artists like Adele, who is signed to indie label XL. Therefore, in celebration of this renaissance for independent labels and independent artists, I have decided to write a series on some of the best independent labels around, discussing the ethos and history of the labels themselves, and revealing some of their successful up-and-coming artists. Vive la difference!

Independent Label Number 1: One Little Indian
London based One Little Indian rose from the ashes of former punk label Spiderleg Records. Formed by members of Flux of Pink Indians, the label quickly moved away from its punk roots, housing a variety of acts including The Sugarcubes and Sneaker Pimps, and in more recent times they have also managed to acquire artists like Bjork, and Paul McCartney’s back catalogue. The label do not have a niche genre that they select artists from (they currently have punk, indie, classical and electro artists on their roster), but they do pride themselves on choosing to work with new and unsung artists as much as possible, and in particular musicians that are creative, innovative and interesting within their chosen field.

There is a very hip, knowing vibe to One Little Indian and its artists. They have the up-and-coming, intelligent/creative vibe that is so enticing to the Hoxton cool kids, and their roster of acts are often prolifically apparent at key new music festivals such as The Great Escape and Offset. There is also an introspective subtly in One Little Indian’s releases that is especially evident in their promotional artwork. Album sleeves and promo posters are typically beautiful or classic, filled with soft-faced youngsters, amber lights and ironic clothing. It is all very Hipstermatic, and naturally cool.

In many ways One Little Indian is perpetuating an example of an older style of record label, in that they focus on nurturing and developing artist creativity as opposed to purely being a hit-making machine. They even offer multiple album deals, a very unusual occurrence in the industry today. They certainly give off a vibe of being very focused and concerned with musicians who value the power and importance of artistry, inspiration, and truly accomplished music, and allow them to realise that potential. Without notable pretentions, the label seems to be making a tangible attempt to regress to an often lost, pre-1985 golden age of music, where development and creative innovation still had an important place in the record production business.
http://www.indian.co.uk/

Key Label Artists:
The Computers
Originally from Exeter, this all-male four-piece have just released their debut album, This is The Computers. The album was recorded in four days live, directly to tape, without any overdubs or (ironically) computer involvement. Such recording techniques are not simple gimmickry however; it adds a fresh degree of urgency, and is a perfect example of OLI’s willingness to nurture legitimate creative ideas. The Computers make “punk & roll” – a curious mixture of hardcore punk vocals ala Black Flag and Circle Jerks mixed with bluesy rock & roll. This music is no psychobilly however – The Computers are beginning to experiment with a whole new hybrid genre.
http://thisisthecomputers.com/
 
Flats
Flats are an emerging east London group who subscribe to an ideal of belligerent music on material formats. Taking influence from old school monsters including Black Sabbath, Iggy Pop, ATV and The Fall, this foursome are trying to regain some of music’s nastiness, with their own brand of fast, heavy, nihilistic aggression. They have an antagonistic mentality, and with a dirty, lurching, snotty sound, these snarling, thundering punks have released a number of EPs and singles, typically restricted to vinyl, and have had a lot of buzz floating around them in the BBC Radio 1 and 6 Music camps.
http://www.myspace.com/flatsofcourse
 
Hauschka
Hauschka, real name Volker Bertelmann, is a pianist and composer from Dusseldorf, Germany, who is expanding classical music into fresh new territory. Fusing elements of house, techno, pop and industrial with orchestral elements, Hauschka is as much a sound artist as a composer, using gaffer tape, foil, ping pong balls and even vibrators placed strategically inside his piano to alter and warp its traditional timbres. This innovative post-classical artist has been active for six years, and in that time has released an impressive eight albums, five of which have been released on OLI’s subsidiary label FatCat.
http://www.hauschka-net.de/
 
My Jerusalem
Originating from New Orleans, Louisiana, this band collective is made up of members from The Polyphonic Spree and The Twilight Singers amongst others. With a succulent background of horns and strings, My Jerusalem create genre mixing, bittersweet alternative Americana, which switches from spiked scorn to chilled transcendence seamlessly. They released an EP, Without Feathers, in 2009 and an album, Love for Good in 2010 on OLI. 
http://thisismyjerusalem.com/
 
Wild Palms
This London band create a very hip, very attractive style of electronic post-punk revival. With varied influences, from Captain Beefheart to Sonic Youth, Wild Palms’ subtle yet formidable depth has been nurtured by OLI, who have granted the band a three-album deal. Combined with the complete creative control granted by OLI, Wild Palms have been able to developed their music with a real degree of concentration, elegance and intricacy. Their debut album Until Spring was released in March. 
http://wearewildpalms.com/

HERE COMES EVERYONE POST: Playlist of the Week - Top Notch New

BRAIDS – “Plath Heart”
“Plath Heart” is the spectacular recent single from Canadian art-rockers BRAIDS, released on 8th May 2011. The group released their debut album Native Speaker back in January, and have recently completed some outstandingly accomplished live performances in the UK. Their breath-taking and beautiful work is a curious mixture of indie-pop and the avant-garde, with hints of Bjork, Animal Collective and Yeah Yeah Yeahs quirkiness. “Plath Heart” is subtle and sharp, with a quietly incandescent charm.



Jai Paul – “BTSTU”
Signed to XL records (the independent label that also houses Adele), Jai Paul is a notable new talent from the hipper end of the current UK hip-hop/dance cross-over trend. “BTSTU” has an interesting mix of dubstep’s dirty, grating synth timbres alongside soft, delicate falsetto vocals. Jai Paul’s music has a huge degree of edge, but his work is also clever and well-executed, with a very discerning approach to the whole sound and production of this track in particular.

Jai Paul - BTSTU (Edit) by Jai Paul

EMA – “Milkman”
EMA is the stage name of Erika M. Anderson, the Dakotan-born singer/songwriter who started her musical career in the cult drone-folk band Gowns. EMA has continued her work from these initial musical activities, creating her own jarring, mulchy, pugnacious sound; part noise rock, part ambient, it is both aggressive and contemplative. “Milkman” perfectly characterises her curiously amalgamated style, with grungy female vocals, oppressive guitar timbres and uncertain samples. Challenging, but in a good way.


EMA - Milkman by souterraintransmissions

James Blake – “Lindisfarne”
Wow, what can I say about James Blake that hasn’t already been said? He is certainly a fantastic new British talent, creating electronica composed in a layered, classical style, full of innovation. Blake has a knack of presenting arrestingly complex music ideas in a stripped down, minimalist fashion, like all good ambient musicians do. James Blake’s work is the perfect 101 in post-dubstep, and “Lindisfarne” is his fantastic new single.

James Blake - Lindisfarne by Alan Williamson

Patrick Wolf – “House”
Combining romantic folk with electronica, alternative pop and classical music, Patrick Wolf is the master of the innovative and the diverse. “House” is his most recent single from his fifth album Lupercalia, which examples well his current, slightly more pop based music. It still exhibits an interesting sound, not unlike some of Arcade Fire’s work, and has a wonderfully sweet and universal sentiment in the lyrics, based around the how peaceful and safe it feels to be in your home with the one(s) you love. It’s great that this stupendously talented artist is finally getting the commercial success he rightly deserves.

Patrick Wolf - House by alienhits

Bon Iver – “Calgary”
Bon Iver’s eponymous new album has had even better press than the acclaimed debut, For Emma, Forever Ago. “Calgary” is the first single of the new album, released on 20th June 2011, and is for the most part typical Bon Iver fare – sparse, quiet, and sombre, with a wash of sweeping, sedate soundscapes. Gentle, percussion and soft overdubbed vocals are again present, but “Calgary” does also enter new musical territory for Bon Iver. There is much less of a folk vibe in this track than previous work, and there is a slicker, heavier feel to the general production. There are new timbres introduced too, including oddly eerily brass pad sounds, which make this track ultimately darker and colder their previously released work.

Bon Iver - "Calgary" by blatanti

Love Inks – “Wave Goodbye”
Female fronted trio Love Inks hail from Austin, Texas, and create minimal, delicate and enchanting dream-pop. Simple, repetitive melodies are the group’s modus operandi, and the result is gently poppy and quietly appealing tracks such as “Wave Goodbye”. There are hints of Camera Obscura and Best Coast in this ditty, with its soft, textured vocals and calm melodies. It is a lovely lullaby of a track, about whisking yourself away to somewhere and anywhere.

Love Inks - Wave Goodbye by NME Radar