First Glance - Rumer

Okay, I think I need your help. Who is Rumer? I do not know. I am not one to listen to the radio, but upon getting a lift in a car with a friend who likes Chris Brown (who likes him anymore?), radio 1 played a little gem by her by the name of 'Slow'.

It is the kind of song The Last Shadow Puppets were hoping to write but failed to reach the tender spots that 'Slow' does. I really cannot wait to see where else she goes with her sweet voice that echoes the very best of Dusty and even our very own Adele.

Watch the video for 'Slow' by clicking on this sentence and come back to thank me.

First Glance - Fenech-Soler

Fenech-Soler have been glanced upon by many, but I thought it was my turn. I first came across these wonderful lads upon the first release of 'Lies', and now is the turn, after killer single 'Stop and Stare', of a re-release.

Live, these guys take on a fashion sense I can only describe as Glam Of The Rings (geddit?) due to their love of tunics and gold, but musically they are as tight as a nun (I stopped close of any other detail. You know where I was going...) and really set the bar high for any other electro music act hitting the festivals this year (are you listening La Roux?).

Look them up and love them lots and lots. You can view the brand spanking new video for lies by clicking on this lovely coloured sentence.

ta ta xo

MFM - Whitest Boy Alive - Rules

Posted upon Music Fans Mic in April 2009

Whitest Boy Alive - Rules



The Whitest Boy Alive hit us with a brand new album “Rules” with shots of minimalist arty pop from Erlend Øye and co. Unfortunately, each song seems to come and go with a blur and without a second thought. Unfortunately, the album fits in nicely as nothing more than background noise with a failure to grab you.

Filtering through, you get patches of funk and recurring riffs that, every once in a while, make you tap your foot and take notice, but the latter is less of a occurrence. “Keep a Secret” is bass led until a background synth and chance chords battle through. “Intentions” is bouncy and, if thought about, makes for a good nod of the head. “Courage” possess’ more energy and sweats more effort but seems all too predictable by this time. “Timebomb” resembles a bedroom jam to themselves and amounts to nothing more.

“Rollercoaster Ride” slows the tempo down into a melodic love song with simple edgy guitar lines in the style of The Whitest Boy Alive and if doubled in length you could foresee it going somewhere but instead it bumps into “High On The Heels” leaving it to please the ear. Beginning like a 90’s cheese dance anthem and actually makes you want to dance and is the first song that seems to provoke any natural reaction. “1517” spins in like a long lost cousin of Daft Punk, but somehow they never met and it ends before it has the chance to grab you.

“Gravity” blends with the rest of “Rules” like beige to the desert and gives no case to stand out at all despite the odd lyrical wonder and chiming guitar. “Promise Less Or Do More” jumps in like the older brother of Shitdisco but peters out to nothing more than unwarranted funk. “Dead End” in the verses’ actually gets you excited and everything fits into place. “Dead End” fuses “Rules’” normal fusion of bass and flickering guitar but adds dirty guitars to the mix along with a voice to die for from Erlend Øye showing how close the rest of the album is to doing something. It doesn’t overstay it’s welcome either and then announces “Islands” nicely. “Dead End” and “Islands” are what you hoped “Rules” would sound like, with “Islands” gearing itself to be a indie dance floor hit if given the chance. It bounces, it floats and gives you no reason not get up and dance, but it‘s too late.

But unfortunately “Rules” falls underneath “Dreams” and misses topping it by some length. It still has the odd riff and the funk fused with the minimalist sound which makes them so well loved, but many songs finish before they start and filter into nothingness. You feel a struggle to get to the end but when you do, you get a nice surprise. “Islands” is the best song on the album and the only one that has seemed to have progressed from on from “Dreams“ but even that copies “Burning“ in a riff halfway through. It‘s just a shame that you have to wait that long to feel that you got something from it. If you lined up the contents of ‘Rules’ with tracks like “Burning” and “Golden Cage” of “Dreams” you would see the gaping hole. It is worth a few listens for the odd bit of brilliance, but not much more than that.

5.5

MFM - Calories - Adventuring

Posted Upon Music Fans Mic in March 2009

Calories - Adventuring



Ballsy guitars, infectious hooks and harmonies to kill, think you’ve heard it all before, eh? Think again. I present you Calories. ‘Adventuring’ gives a sense of urgency which becomes clearer when you realise the foursome are barely a year old in its current state as Calories. The longest song (Forests of Varg) barely passes 3 and a half minutes and most do fall short of 2 minutes, but length is not the key nor of importance, it’s how they use it. And use it they do.

‘A Bear A Bison’ crashes in with immediate effect, throwing you to the floor and breathing all over you before ‘Caught in the In-Between’ spits in your face. They stop next to kick you into oblivion with ‘To Encounter A Dear’ before proclaiming “Adventuring is dangerous, but danger can be funnnnn” in album highlight title track ‘Adventuring’.

Then up comes ‘Fragile Numbers’ a grungy number followed by ‘Oh K.S.S.T’, and both these clock in at 1 minute 48 but make such a impact and seem to fit so much in and appear so much longer, in a good way obviously. ‘Drugged’ lets you fall into a false sense of security starting slower than any other song on ‘Adventuring’ before it but then flies into a hands-in-the-air chorus moment and later going back to a more solid noisy climate created on the album. ‘Same Ideals’, the shortest song on the album, hits you again like a train, carrying on the relentless pace. ‘(See You on the Expedition)’ also shows the hints of British hardcore that peeps through on the entire album.

The climax ‘Forests of Varg’ starts off recalling earlier Arcade Fire than Biffy Clyro and proceeds to an elongated crescendo, well as long as one would get on ‘Adventuring, and ultimately stops dead.

‘Adventuring’ is a album that deserves its place in your record collection for years and years. It leaves you wanting more, much more. Calories push you over, throw you up and leave you hanging. But for once, you don’t mind it at all.

9.2

I Be Back

"Whatever hatred saves the number"

So, I am back to blog musically and excitedly and better than before. Fun shall be had, yes? Yes.

xo

Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band

I give you two tracks from the forthcoming album 'Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band'. As well as appearing at Reading and Leeds this year, Conor Oberst is to play a handfull of U.K. shows, including:


Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms///(August 26)
London Electric Ballroom///(27)
Manchester Academy 2///(28)
Belfast Spring And Airbrake///(30)

Souled Out!!!
Danny Callahan

Somewhere In My Heart

Today I give you a rather nice cover special. The covers are performed by a range of bands from Klaxons to The Rifles. Have fun, and I’ll be back soon.


Klaxons - The Night (Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons Cover)
Florence and The Machine - Hospital Beds (Cold War Kids Cover)
Mechanical Bride - Umbrella (Rihanna Cover)
The Rifles - In Between Days (The Cure Cover)
Lightspeed Champion - If You Want My Love (Cheap Trick Cover)

First Glance: Dash Delete

http://www.myspace.com/dashdelete

“We are Dash Delete, from Aylesbury. We play upbeat death metal without the distortion.”

Dash Delete make pop music how it used to be, before Eurovision came along and ruined it all. Fresh from Aylesbury, they have just come off the back of performing at The Great Escape festival.

Drug Poetry

First Glance: Little Boots

http://www.myspace.com/littlebootsmusic

You might just recognise Little Boots’ vocals. She was once the frontwoman of Dead Disco, otherwise known as Victoria Hesketh. She’s due to release her debut single ’Stuck On Repeat’ in the very near future which was produced by Hot Chip's Joe Goddard.

Stuck On Repeat

First Glance: That Ghost

http://www.myspace.com/thatghost


That Ghost is the moniker for Ryan Schmale, who makes lo-fi pop music in a minimalist form. We know he hails from Santa Rosa, California, but his mysteriousness entails us to know only as much. What we can hear is hazy, but sensational and soothing nonetheless.



Open Windows (Mediafire)
Never Had Fun (Mediafire)

Laura Marling

Laura Marling created, arguably, the best album to come out of England this year. Alas I Cannot Swim was released this year to massive critical aclaim, and despite her dislike for big venues, Alas I Cannot Swim could possibly make her the sensation of this year.

'Alas I Cannot Swim' is produced by Noah And The Whale mainman Charlie Fink, and besides its warm, sweet arrangements for guitar, trumpet, brushed drums and even a male choir, the album is infused with a real intimacy.

The next single to be taken from Laura's debut album 'Alas I Cannot Swim' will be 'Cross Your Fingers' on 2nd June. The video can be seen here.


The Reading songstress has also announced a short tour, calling at these churches in The U.K.:

Glasgow///Upstairs At Oran Mor (June 9)
Manchester///St Phillips' (10)
London///St James' (11, 13)
Birmingham///St Pauls (12)


Failure (Z-Share).

Buy Alas I Cannot Swim - HMV.

The Wombats Do The La's

The Wombats took time out from attempting to concur Britain to do a acoustic cover of The La’s cult hit, There She Goes, and don’t butcher it (too much). They are readying themselves to re-release yet another single, this time Kill The Director, with the b-sides including a cover of Leona Lewis’ Bleeding Love, as-well-as The La’s cover.


There She Goes (The La’s Cover) (Z-Share)