Indian Summer by end’s not near [Listen]

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Tom

This is a true gem of a track. About a year ago Bad Panda released a free album with a compilation of music from various artists, which as usual was put onto my iPod and buried away without proper attention. However, like the majority of my loved ambient songs, this one wormed it’s way on my shuffle playlist and happily surprised me.

Japanese minimalist artist, end’s not near, has produced one of my favourite ambient tracks, Indian Summer. I’m a huge Haruki Murakami fan, and for me this song is the perfect soundtrack to his literature. I’m unsure of where the dialogue during the track comes from, or the actual reason for the production of this track, as his other work doesn’t seem to be connected. Either way, it’s a joy to the ears so sit back and relax to it.

Click here to download the track from Bad Panda’s blog.

Indian Summer by end’s not near

Wilco & Popeye – Dawned On Me [Watch]

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Sam

King Features and Wilco’s own dBpm Records have collaborated on the new video for Dawned On Me giving the band the cartoon treatment and placing them in Popeyes world complete with all the classic characters. Director Darren Romanelli has done a brilliant job bringing the band to life as animations beside Popeye and friends, making for a music video guaranteed to bring a smile to peoples faces who remember Popeye and/or have a love of Wilco. Check out the video below.

In other Wilco related news, the iTunes session album I mentioned last week is available now via the iTunes store.

Imminent Releases: Lilacs & Champagne, K.Flay [News]

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Sam

The self titled Lilacs & Champagne debut will be released next Tuesday (31st January). Alex Hall and Emil Amos of instrumental rockers Grails are presenting us with, in their own words, “hip-hop, tape-collage and the darkest creases of 70′s film-soundtracks with their lysergic and perverse style of head-music.” Sounds intriguing doesn’t it. You can hear the superb Everywhere, Everyone taken from the self-titled below. Definitely looking forward to this one.

Head over to Mexican Summer to pick up a copy.

The K.Flay EP Eyes Shut which we mentioned back in December will be arriving on the net on Monday 30th January. Grab it via K.Flay’s site. It looks like it’s going to be a good week for releases.

Hidden Orchestra – Flight Mixtape [Mix]

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Sam

Joe Acheson of Hidden Orchestra has thrown out this rather wonderful mixtape to celebrate the release of the new Flight EP on Tru Thoughts. It’s an extensive collection and expertly woven with some of my favourite artists cropping up through it’s 86 minute run time. It’s also FREE courtesy of Paris DJs (which, by the way, is well worth a regular visit!).

Head here to Paris Djs to download the mix in it’s entirety. Tracklisting is as follows;

[00:00] 01. Hidden Orchestra - Flight
[00:01] 02. Shake Keane - One a Week with Water (excerpt from poetry recital)
[02:44] 03. Hamalais-Osakunnan Laulajat - Prelude – Kesa (by Matthew Whittall)
[02:48] 04. Origamibiro - Dissect Ephemeral
[02:51] 05. (interview) – Marke’s favourite sound pt.1
[05:19] 06. Hidden Orchestra - The Windfall (Drums-Only version)
[05:42] 07. Hidden Orchestra - Out of Nowhere (No-Drums version)
[06:01] 08. Björk - Hidden Place (acapella)
[07:03] 09. Hidden Orchestra - Stammer (Drums-Only version)
[08:06] 10. Hidden Orchestra feat. Julia Biel - Footsteps (Lost Twin Remix)
[11:40] 11. Nils Frahm & Anne Muller - Long Enough
[11:53] 12. Jeru the Damaja - War (acapella)
[13:51] 13. Origamibiro - Womb Duvet
[14:20] 14. Phuong Dung - Do Ai (Riddles)
[15:36] 15. Joe Acheson - Riddles
[16:59] 16. Long Arm - After 4am
[18:13] 17. The Pharcyde - Runnin’ (acapella)
[19:20] 18. DJ Cam - Free Your Turntable And Your Scratch Will Follow
[20:41] 19. Lewis Parker - Shadows of Autumn (acapella)
[23:40] 20. Guru - The Revolutionist (acapella)
[23:41] 21. Madlib - Distant Land
[27:34] 22. Linton Kwesi Johnson - Reggae fi Dada (live poetry recital)
[27:37] 23. Boards of Canada - Everything you do is a Balloon
[27:38] 24. Gorodisch - Omaha
[30:08] 25. Madlib - Episode VI
[31:16] 26. Billie Holiday - One, Two Buckle my Shoe
[31:25] 27. Madlib - Slim’s Return
[31:31] 28. Björk - 107 steps (acapella)
[34:02] 29. Madlib - Episode XI
[34:40] 30. Ol’ Dirty Bastard - Shimmy (acapella)
[35:03] 31. Quasimoto - Put a Curse on You (acapella)
[35:04] 32. Controller 7 - Untitled Demo 2
[35:44] 33. Mu-ziq - Hasty Boom Alert
[37:16] 34. Hidden Orchestra - Dust (Drums-Only version)
[37:28] 35. M.O.P. - Pounds Up (acapella)
[40:13] 36. Hidden Orchestra - Dust (Floex Remix)
[43:08] 37. Street Smartz feat. O.C. and Pharoahe Monch - Metal Thangz (acapella)
[45:51] 38. Jaga Jazzist - Real Racecars have Doors
[47:42] 39. Chali 2na - Comin Thru (acapella)
[49:54] 40. Madlib - Static Invazion
[50:22] 41. Talib Kweli - Some Kind of Wonderful (acapella)
[50:39] 42. Controller 7 - Untitled Demo 1
[51:10] 43. Thelonius Monk - Caravan
[52:21] 44. Radiohead - Paperbag Writer
[52:21] 45. Four Tet - Cload
[55:00] 46. Wu-Tang Clan - Chessboxin’ (acapella)
[56:25] 47. Peruvian Marching Band - Memphis Soul Stewed
[56:42] 48. Elvis Presley - Suspicious Minds (acapella)
[58:22] 49. Madlib - Funky Blue Note
[59:52] 50. Kuljit Bhamra & Orlando Consort - Tabla Talum
[62:38] 51. Origamibiro - Remnants
[62:48] 52. (interview) – Marke’s favourite sound pt.2
[63:39] 53. Xploding Plastix - Kissed by a Kisser
[66:11] 54. Dizzy Gillespie - Jambo
[68:36] 55. Radiohead - These Are My Twisted Words
[70:03] 56. Shake Keane - Poetry and Jazz (excerpt from interview)
[72:04] 57. Amon Tobin - The Killer’s Vanilla
[73:03] 58. DJ Shadow - Going Nowhere
[74:39] 59. Shankles - Branches
[75:00] 60. Nils Frahm & Anne Muller - Reminds to Teeth
[75:16] 61. Shake Keane - Soufriere (poetry recital and flugal horn solo)
[78:32] 62. (radio documentary excerpt) – Angel Horn – produced by Matt Thompson
[78:44] 63. Hidden Orchestra - Flight (Drums-Only Version)
[78:58] 64. Igor Boxx - Last Party in Breslau
[80:26] 65. Nils Frahm & Anne Muller - 7fingers
[80:57] 66. Profisee - Welcome (acapella)
[83:56] 67. Four Tet - The Butterfly Effect
[86:12] 68. Hidden Orchestra - Flight (No-Drums Version)

Hidden Orchestra’s Flight EP is out now on Tru Thoughts and if you’ve never heard their stellar debut Night Walks, I implore you to check it out.

The Gertrudes [News & Listen]

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Tom

“The Gertrudes sound like a ol’ time saloon party in deep space … experimental noise beds with down home folk passengers, frolicking through original material, played by a veritable orchestra of instruments.”

I feel like that quote pretty much nailed it on the head. Here’s a band you tell have a lot of fun while making their music. The Gertrudes is a mishmash of folk, rock, and pop. There are nine members, and they play a wide spread of instruments, including the theremin! You can imagine the songwriting process to be them all in a room together and suddenly someone goes, “I know let’s try this!”.

They’ve very recently released a new album, Till the Morning Shows Her Face to Me. One of my favourite tracks on the album, Dreams is one of their softer, slower paced songs. I love the vocals and banjo in it, I have a soft spot for girls who sing country music, so this sits nicely for me.

Check out their two albums here. Their first is as enjoyable as the second, I highly recommend you give them both a listen. Here’s a track from the 2010 album, Dawn Time Riot.

Enjoy!

Good Luck Mountain [Listen]

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Tom

Good Luck Mountain is a new start for Mike Ferrio. The Brooklyn based artist was once known as Tandy, but 2008 brought an unexpected and tragic death to one of the band members. Two and half years later Mike launched himself into a new music project with a collective of respected artists including, Konrad Meissner (The Silos, Matt Nathanson), Jason Mercer (Ron Sexsmith, Ani DiFranco), Sibel Firat (Pavement, Giant Sand, Fab Faux), Matt Mays (The Guthries, Matt Mays and El Torpedo), David Chernis (Star City, The Damnwells), and Ana Egge (Ana Egge). They released their first album in 2011, called Good Luck Mountain.

Good Luck Mountain has an ‘alternative’ tag attached to it, but it has a more country western feel, with very subtle electronic tones – think Bruce Springsteen meets The Eels.

They were touring before Christmas, but I rather annoyingly missed them play. I wish this band the best of luck, this song, Heaven in the Haze is a stunning example of great songwriting, the instruments are as atmospheric as the lyrics. You gotta love those Western strings.

Check out their website where you can get your hands on their album: www.goodluckmountain.com

Heaven in the Haze by Good Luck Mountain

Dodgy Reunion – new album, single & tour dates [listen]

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Martin

90s band Dodgy have reformed and are releasing a new album. Stand Upright In A Cool Place will be the first release that includes the original line up of Nigel Clark, Mathew Priest and Andy Miller for over 15 years. The band, who are best known for their hits Staying Out for the Summer, If You’re Thinking of Me, and Good Enough rose to prominence during the Britpop era.

The new material has a more developed and mature sound, reminiscent of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. As with all Dodgy songs, they would make a superb accompaniment to a warm summer festival field. The excellent lead single What Became Of You is out on February 13th.

Watch the video to What Became Of You

Listen to Tripped & Fell

The album, Stand Upright In A Cool Place, follows on February 20th and is available to order from http://strikebackrecords.sandbag.uk.com.

The band have also announced a string of tour dates:

Feb 17 The Box – Crewe, United Kingdom
Feb 18 Eric’s – Liverpool, United Kingdom
Feb 22 Bush Hall – London, United Kingdom
Feb 25 Eiger – Leeds, United Kingdom
Feb 26 Bullingdon – Oxford, United Kingdom
May 19 Lakefest 2012 –Tewkesbury, United Kingdom
Jul 06 The Court Theatre – Tring, United Kingdom
Jul 07 Nibley Festival – Dursley, United Kingdom

Visit the band site: http://www.dodgyology.com/

New Wilco iTunes Session [News]

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Sam

Wilco have announced a new iTunes session featuring eight songs recorded at Wilco’s Chicago loft in December last year. The session features five new versions of tracks from last years outstanding album The Whole Love as well as two Wilco classics and cover of Nick Lowe’s “Cruel to Be Kind“ featuring the man himself. Pre-orders are available now over on the iTunes Store.

Tracklisting is as follows.

1 – Dawned on Me
2 – Born Alone
3 – I Might
4 – Black Moon
5 – Whole Love
6 – War on War
7 – Passenger Side
8 – Cruel to Be Kind (feat. Nick Lowe)

The Mars Volta to release new album in March [News]

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Martin

Fresh off the back of last weeks At the Drive-In reunion news, The Mars Volta have announced that their sixth studio album Noctourniquet will be released on March 27th.

The album, the bands first new release since Octahedron in 2009 will tell the story of a character inspired by the Superman villain Solomon Grundy and the Greek myth of Hyacinthus. The press release issued by the band describes “hypnotic melodies and borderline electro-ambient washes”. The track listing for Noctourniquet is as follows:

‘The Whip Hand’
‘Aegis’
‘Dyslexicon’
‘Empty Vessels Make the Loudest Sound’
‘The Malkin Jewel’
‘Lapochka’
‘In Absentia’
‘Imago’
‘Molochwalker’
‘Trinkets Pale of Moon’
‘Vedemalady’
‘Noctourniquet’
‘Zed and Two Naughts’

Band Website

Young Fathers – Tape One [Listen]

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Martin

2012 is set to be a busy year for the Edinburgh based rap/hip-hoppers ‘Young Fathers’. Two years since releasing their debut single ‘Straight Back On’, the group have enjoyed a steady rise in popularity; given a boost when they were featured by the BBC as part of the ‘Introducing…’ series.

After spending the summer playing the various ‘Introducing…’ stages on the festival circuit and collaborating with ‘Simian Mobile Disco’, the group have offered up the mini album ‘Tape One’ for free on their Bandcamp page.

The sound on this mini album blends a dense mix of electro-inflected hip-hop and rap with African music influences and great fuzzy lo-fi production. MCs Ally Massaquoi, Kayus Bankol and Graham Hastings – otherwise known as ‘G’ all bring a distinctive voice and clever lyrics to each track. The interplay between the tracks is reminiscent of early ‘De La Soul’ and the whole thing has a great energy to it. The album seamlessly moves between hook-laden heavy hip-hop to subtler moments with melodic/pop tendencies. It’s these elements that could see the ‘Young Fathers’ propelled towards mainstream awareness very soon.

Watch the video to ‘Rumbling’ here.