Tips For 2008 [In Short]

So here are some names in brief that I'm looking forward to hearing from this year

FOALS

MYSPACE / LAST FM

Oxford hipsters tipped by the Pope, aliens and the rest of the galaxy. Album by Dave 'TV On The Radio' Sitek forthcoming...

SEA WOLF

MYSPACE / LAST FM

Recent discovery, I know little about. From LA. Have an amazing track called 'You're A Wolf'

LOVVERS

MYSPACE / LAST FM

Ex-Murder Of Rosa Luxembourg / Tera:Tora guys from Nottingham, play raucous post-punk noise as it should be

THIS WILL DESTROY YOU

MYSPACE / LAST FM

Last year's mini album 'Quiet Mountain was post-rock perfection for me. Lots of free tracks at LastFM

TOKYO POLICE CLUB

MYSPACE / LAST FM

The tipsters choice early last year, off the back of two EPs, the Canadians have now signed to Saddle Creek and an album of indie-pop goodness is expected soon

HELMS ALEE

MYSPACE / LAST FM

Riffing Seattleites, making debut album with Mr Matt Bayles (Isis, Botch, Mastodon, Minus The Bear)

Soundtrack to this post: Youthmovies / YMSS

Bands for 2008 [Part 2]

Ok, apologies for the delay. And a disclaimer, I'm gonna write a big thing about a few more bands (like Youthmovies, whose album I got this week - amazing) and a short thing about a lot of bands. And apologies for the short descriptions, but the myspace links are RIGHT THERE. 

GRAND ARCHIVES

http://www.myspace.com/grandarchives

Another Seattle connection I'm afraid (there's a few more coming up) but this is the new band from Mat Brooke, who played guitar on the first Band Of Horses album. So the sound is kind of like that. Pitchfork put their demo's online last year (get them HERE) and they have an album out on Sub Pop in Mid Feb

JAGUAR LOVE

http://www.myspace.com/jaguarloveband

Alright with Seattle already! Jaguar Love is Johnny Witney, Cody Votolato and J Clark - and if you don't recognise their names, they've played in bands like Blood Brothers, Pretty Girls Make Graves and Kill Sadie to name but three. They sound like a handsome mixture of what you'd expect, toured with QOTSA last year and are currently recording an album for Matador. 

KONG

http://www.myspace.com/kongdom

3 guys from Manchester, who wear really strange masks, play some awesome riffs and played one of the best gigs I saw last year. They're album Snake Magnet is recorded and is all kinds of wonderful and will hopefully be out very soon. They're a bands band, and Biffy Clyro are currently singing their praises from the rooftops. Listen to them and then go and watch them when you can.

Soundtrack to this post: Robert Wyatt

DJ Report #1 - The Mae Shi

I said a few posts below, I had a bit of inspiration when finally deciding to start up this blog in terms of different topics and ideas to talk about. Here is one in motion...

I seem to be spending a lot of weekend time DJing at various Leeds establishments while being home, and I had much fun at Trash on Friday for Art Is Hard - which featured a new band from ex-Komakino fellas - You Animals

But the interesting thing came relatively early on when I played "Run To Your Grave" by LA inhabitants THE MAE SHI. No less than 5 people came up to me to find out what the song was, I don't think I've ever had a reaction like it from playing a song. Maybe it was because people weren't completely hammered yet

THE MAE SHI come from LA and Run To Your Grave is actually from there 3rd album (I think...), but from what I can tell it's the first to get a decent push in the UK - coming out soon through Moshi Moshi. 

The video is above and it reminds me of fun like Deerhoof and Xiu Xiu, and I'm suprised they haven't featured as heavily as things like No Age in the tips for '08 lists. They tour the UK in the next few weeks 

www.myspace.com/themaeshi

Soundtrack to this post: Mogwai / Final Fantasy / Smashing Pumpkins

SSLYBY Album Details!

Unnervingly, following my last post, SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU, BORIS YELTSIN have announced details of their new album, as reported on Pitchfork and Drowned In Sound

It's going to be called Pershing and will be released on 8th April through Polyvinyl. That's a Tuesday and hence an american release date, hopefully it will come out in the UK on the 7th, though it could be sometime after

Glue Girls from the album is available to download via the Pitchfork news story HERE, sounds pretty good!

Soundtrack to this post: Cex / HEALTH (DiS @ rcrdlbl.com)

Bands for 2008 [Part 1]

This post should truely be 'Band I'm Looking Forward To Hearing New Stuff From' or 'Bands That I Hope Do Well This Year.' 

Ok, so not 'Tips For 2008' I don't honestly know how 'big' any of these bands will get this year, but here are some bands that I haven't seen mentioned much that have some hot stuff planned for this year:

PORTUGAL THE MAN

http://www.myspace.com/portugaltheman

Portugal The Man come from Alaska, but seem to spend a lot of time in the North West coast of the US. They released an album last year called Church Mouth which is ace, rocking organ and laidback blues punk... I guess. 

They're going into the studio later this month to start working on the follow-up, which you'd have to expect to be out later in the year. They're coming over to Europe to tour in February as well, but bypassing the UK unfortunately

SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU, BORIS YELTSIN

http://www.myspace.com/someonestilllovesyouborisyeltsin

This band were the 'talk' of the blogs when I was in America a year and a bit ago with their debut album/mini-album, Broom. They spent the end of last year holed up in 'Will's Aunts House' and the album should be out in March they say

NEON NEON

http://www.myspace.com/neonx2

Something I've been looking forward to since I heard Boom Bip & Gruff Rhys collaborate on "Do's & Don'ts" two or three years ago - they now have an album and a fully fledged project on the go. 

The album is called Stainless Style and is out in March worldwide

Ok, so that's my first little blast, I hope to add some more bands I like soon and some more general posts. Apologies for the lack of MP3 links - give me some time and I may figure it out! Until then, enjoy Rupert Murdoch's portal to alternative music

Soundtrack to this post: Portugal The Man / Phospherescent / CocoRosie

Testing, testing - 1, 2, 3

I've had this blog registered since I spent the Summer in Seattle - I thought I'd muse about things while I was hanging around spending a fair bit of time being a bit bored. But it's basically taken me up until now to have the guts. 

I used to review a lot for different things, I always have an opinion on crap. I love finding 'new stuff' as well, and I guess that's what brought this idea into my head in Seattle - that plus wasting time on the internet and discovering some other great blogs through The Hype Machine

My Dad suggested I should start one of these when I got back to the UK, and again, it has taken until now to get it sorted. What's changed is the New Year and new thinking (I hope to change the description up top when I talk about something sensible) as well as some vague inspiration - I'm gonna try and do some kind of Tips for 2008 thing, but hopefully with a twist

Anyway, this post is a test as much as an introduction, so I'm going to stop writing

Soundtrack to this post: Jeniferever - A Ghost In The Corner Of Your Eye