Ex Hex - Rips OA

October Album

My album from October is Ex Hex with their debut Rips. October has been a slow and steady month for me in terms of good albums that have been released. They have been put out here and there all through the month with a slight surge of great ones right at the end. Other great albums from this month include: Johnny Marr, The Bots, Bass Drum Of Death and Ultimate Painting and more.

I have been a fan of Mary Timony from her time with Wild Flag and that band is the reason I found out about and got into Ex Hex. Rips is a more old school rock sounding record and seems to speed through in terms of length. I think I prefer it to the Wild Flag stuff because it all seems a bit more dirty, scuzzy and straight forward with no pretending which is all things I admire. I hope you like this track and more.

Double Hitter YTV

28/10/14 YouTube Video

A brilliant Aussie band with a brilliant lead singer. Her voice really is a piece of magic especially when it is coupled with something so natural like two strumming acoustic guitar. The raspy tone has elements of country singer Gretchen Wilson and probably numerous other artists and it is just something that has a special place in my heart. Enjoy this tune!

This week was just going to be one video but after seeing this epic performance by OkGo I just had to include these guys. They are known for being really creative and innovative in their music videos as I first learnt in their Here It Goes Again video. The amount of timing and precision that has gone in to making this is truly incredible. As for the music, it is nothing too crazy. It has a vibe of a Jackson 5 tune that has been remixed in the late 90's but it probably is a good tune if you like to have a bit of a dance. Enjoy!

Wasters - Bloodshot SCS

SoundCloud Song

Wasters latest is a really exciting track. I have recently been listening to a lot of British guitar bands and this song is another cracker for the genre. As you can see from the photo, they are four young boys that are fresh on the scene. It sounds like they have roots in  Britpop and general Indie from the recent past but they have taken it and modernised it totally. They have a truly unique sound which I am really into at the moment. Hopefully they produce more tracks of this quality. Enjoy!

Kid Wave - Gloom YTV

21/10/14 YouTube Video

Kid Waves latest video Gloom is my favourite choice for this week. The whole video has such an English vibe which I adore. Not many hip young guitar bands like to promote their Englishness which isn't anything to be ashamed of. The video story line is kept fairly simple with a girl looking after and raising a cloud which is as random as it sounds. As for the music, the guitar sound is quite nice, gentle and doesn't really show off but the thing I like the most is the vocals from the leading lady. She has quite a unique accent and it works quite well with the sound of the whole song. Enjoy!

Animal House - Sour SCS

SoundCloud Song

This track sounds so so American (which is no bad thing), with hints of The Strokes and Kings Of Leon so it was quite a surprise that the band were initially from Australia then recently moved to sunny old Brighton. Sour is their first release since forming in early 2014 and it is full of happy snappy guitar riffs, and bouncy vocals sang with such a drawl that will keep you coming back to listen to it again and again. Enjoy!

 

The So So Glos - Diss Town YTV

14/10/14 YouTube Video

Last night I went to see The Hold Steady live and supporting them was the So So Glos. It was a close call but in my opinion the So So Glos put on a better performance. They have so much energy on stage especially the front man who was bouncing around pretty much the whole show. This track is their latest release from the Blowout album and it has that same great pop/punk sound that is pretty much carried all the way through the album. So if you like this track, you will love the rest of the LP. Enjoy!

Telecaster DIY Kit DOTM

Design Of The Month

I am currently learning how to design and make electric guitars and in doing so I recently purchased the Telecaster DIY kit (pictured below) from Ebay. I had such a good time customising the main body and headstock, varnishing the wood to a nice shiny finish and soldering all the components together and that is why it is my design of the month. It helped me understand the process of wiring a guitar, how a whole guitar gets built up and I also learnt where some mistakes can occur like how to varnish the wood in nice smooth coats without scuff marks. If you are in any way interested in guitar design, I would definitely suggest picking up one of these kits. You can pretty much get all the major model shapes out there so go pick one up.

The Hold Steady - The Bear YTV

07/10/14 YouTube Video






I'm going to see The Hold Steady later on this month and this is getting me pumped up ready to go. The band recorded it for the popular TV show The Game Of Thrones. Initially I thought the lyrics were nonsensical and just for laughs but after looking into it, the words remind me of something like an old story that Vikings would tell their children to keep them out of the woods with a romanticised edge. Full of energy and speed, this track will be a big sing along if they choose to play it live. Enjoy!

Shy Nature - Birthday Club SCS

SoundCloud Song

Shy Nature have been around for a little while now, still no whole album but we patiently wait. This latest track Birthday Club is another soon to be classic. There is a slight retro element to the song but it also has similar elements to current bands like Beach Day and other slightly chill/spaced out artists. It may not be my absolute favourite track of theirs compared to the more fast paced Strokes esque Lie Back but it is enough to grow my want of the oncoming album. Come on Boys!!