K. Flay has a new track up from her imminent EP Eyes Shut which is ready to drop in the new year. You can hear it either on her facebook page or head over to HIPHOP DX to check it out there if you’re not a facebooker. It’s got a big, in your face agressive sound as you can probably guess from the title We Hate Everyone and it’s full of big beats and K. flays usual vocal style. It’s brilliant. Eyes Shut couldn’t come soon enough.
After a strong debut EP back in November and a track featured on Ministry of Sounds compilation Adventures in Dubstep & Beyond, Manchester ambient/downtempo/2 step (I get lost with these genre crossovers sometimes) producer Adam W Flynn, AKA Modepth, has already been busy throwing some new tracks up onto soundcloud for his growing fanbase to devour. This latest one Silence Over the Wadis caught my attention especially as it builds on Modepths sound from the Dusk EP perfectly, pushing the bar in almost every way.
Soaked in atmosphere with crystal clear production and a delicately composed drum track this is one piece of music to turn all the lights off and listen undistracted on some decent headphones. I’m pretty excited to hear what’s around the corner for Modepth and after a live London debut back in November I’m hoping for a full-length follow up that really develops on the solid foundations Flynn’s already laid. Modepth has a habit of chopping and changing tracks on his soundcloud so catch it soon before it’s removed!
http://soundcloud.com/modepth/modepth-silence-over-the-wadis
Modepth – Dusk EP is avalibale on itunes. Highlights: Dusk and Sol.
I’ve had a bit of a Britpop renascence this weekend. It started by seeing Shed Seven play a blinding nostalgia fuelled gig at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on Saturday, supported by the excellent Chris Helme (ex frontman of the Seahorses).
If that wasn’t enough mid nineties reminiscence, Britpop stalwarts Cast have released their first single in over a decade. Fresh off the back of the 15th anniversary gigs celebrating their debut album “All Change”, they have recorded a new LP “Troubled Times” via PledgeMusic. The album will have a physical release in the new year whilst the digital version was available to plegers in November.
The single “See That Girl” has the familiar tone of the bands previous work and jangly guitar sound of vocalist, John Power’s former band, The La’s. Whilst not breaking any new grounds, anyone who is nostalgic for 60s pop or the Britpop sound will enjoy this.
The single is available digitally from iTunes & Amazon and has a live version of John Lennon’s “Working Class Hero” as a b-side.
Just a few short snippets of interesting thing’s I’ve seen over the web this weekend.
This is a great little clip of Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy presenting the news on Chicago TV station WGN’s morning news last week. Watching Jeff Tweedy report the weather was always going to be fun.
http://www.wgntv.com/videogallery/66789435/News/Jeff-Tweedy-forecasts-the-weather
Solar Fields has a new album titled Until We Meet the Sky. The physical edition was out Friday and the digital version follows tomorrow (20th December). I’ve yet to receive my copy through the post but will most likely write some thoughts up after a listen or two.
You can hear samples and pre-order the digital version over at Ultimae records bandcamp page.
Yes, you read that headline right. Mumford & Sons have informed Rolling Stone that their new album, due in 2012, will be a more mature record and that it’s ‘doom folk’. In their words, Black Sabbath meets Nick Drake. I’m struggling to imagine that but definitely interested.
source: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/week-in-review-mumford-sons-plan-doom-folk-album-20111216
Sbtrkt has been doing pretty damn well this year placing high on many critics album of the year lists and gathering a huge fan base in the process. It’s rightly deserved too, with his self titled debut blending smooth basslines, beautiful synths and subtle percussion complimented by Jessie Ware, Little Dragon and Sampha on vocal duties. It was an album that really stood out in an already overcrowded year of releases as a very unique and modern sound, one that could only crop up in 2011.
Check out this slick unreleased mix of Machinedrum’s track u don’t survive. It’s a great reworking and brings enough of Sbtrkts style over while retaining the originals feel.
Off the back of the absolutely fantastic The Year of Hibernation (released last month in the UK ), Youth Lagoon has announced a spring tour with dates in the US, Australia, Japan and Europe. The album ranked #21 on SPIN magazines best 50 albums of 2011 and for good reason. It’s been a good year for music and this was one of the highlights for me. Tour dates are as follows.
01-19 Seattle, WA – Neumos
01-20 Vancouver, British Columbia – Biltmore
01-21 Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge
02-15 Melbourne, Australia – The Toff in Town
02-16 Sydney, Australia – Oxford Art Factory
02-18 Tokyo, Japan – Hostess Club Weekender
02-23 Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paradiso
02-24 Koln, Germany – Gebaude 9
02-25 Paris, France – Point Ephemere
02-27 Brussels, Belgium – Botanique
02-28 Munich, Germany – 59 To 1
02-29 Berlin, Germany – Postbahnhof
03-02 Stockholm, Sweden – Debaser
03-03 Copenhagen, Denmark – Vega
03-06 London, England – Electrowerkz
03-10 Salt Lake City – Urban Lounge
03-11 Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge
03-12 Lawrence, KS – Jackpot Music Hall
03-18 Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s
03-19 New Orleans, LA – One Eyed Jacks
03-20 Tallahassee, FL – Club Downunder
03-21 Orlando, FL – The Social
03-22 Atlanta, GA – Drunken Unicorn
03-23 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
03-24 Washington, DC – Rock N Roll Hotel
03-26 Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
03-27 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
03-28 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
03-29 Cambridge, MA – Middle East Downstairs
03-30 Montreal, Quebec – La Sala Rossa
03-31 Toronto, Ontario – Lee’s Palace
04-02 Indianapolis, IN – Radio Radio
04-03 St. Louis, MO – Firebird
04-04 Chicago, IL – Metro
04-05 Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall
04-08 Mexico City, Mexico – Indie O Fest
04-11 San Diego, CA – Porter’s Pub
04-12 Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour
04-13 San Francisco, CA – The Independent
http://soundcloud.com/youth-lagoon/cannons
If you’re interested in grabbing the album (which I highly recommend) you can find it at Lefse Records The Year of Hibernation.
Whether or not the swedish film “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” needed an english language remake is another matter – it’s been done and I won’t pass any judgement until I’ve seen it.
The new film has been directed by David Fincher and as with his previous film “The Social Network”, he has enlisted the talents of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross to produce the score.
The lead track is cover of Led Zepplin’s “Immigrant Song” featuring Karen O on vocal duties. The accompanying David Fincher directed video fits very well with track and tone of the story. Visually it has all of Fincher’s trademarks and I wouldn’t be surprised if the film’s opening titles follow this same visual style.
The film is released on December 26th and the soundtrack is available digitally now. Get the soundtrack here
I’m a big fan of charity, especially when it’s for a really good cause. Four Tet has posted the track Moma which is his contribution to the We Are The Works In Progess compilation to raise money for Japan and it’s recovery post-tsunami.
As with most of Kieran’s music under his Four Tet monicker it’s a colourful and bright track with plenty of charm that builds beautifully.
The compilation drops on the 10th January 2012 and all proceeds benefit JAPAN SOCIETY EARTHQUAKE RELIEF FUND & ARCHITECTURE FOR HUMANITY. It’s a more than worthy cause and just look at that list of contributors! You could do a lot worse than having this compilation in your collection.
more information can be found on the we are the works in progress tumblr page
Manchester based singer/songwriter Thom Stone has dropped a superb Christmas single in time for the holidays. It’s a mellow four and a half minutes but full of soul and you know what, if there’s one christmas single I recommend from this year, it’s this one. Enjoy!
Fresh off the back of the TKOL remixes, Radiohead have announced the release of a new single featuring “Live From the Basement” sessions of “The Daily Mail” and “Staircase” on December 19th.
The track “The Daily Mail” was premiered on Zane Lowe’s Radio 1 show this week, listen below (via We All Want Someone).
