If there was ever a band I was desperately missing and didn't even know it, it has to be Kings Of Leon and this track Waste A Moment is the perfect first release. Great guitar sound as always and the classic Caleb Followill singin' drawl to know you are in safe hands. The perfect mixture of Americana roots rock and Indie boy rock. It guarantees to take me straight to the heart of Tennessee and feel like one of the gang. Lets hope for some more bangers from these guys. Enjoy!
August has passed by and left a trail of classic LPs in its wake.You can check out my full favourites HERE. Most honourable mentions go to Lydia Loveless, Dead Gaze, Field Mouse and Big Eyes because the top 3 was a close call between all of these guys:
My third favourite is Impossible Dream by the uber talented Haley Bonar. At my first few listens I heard a great indie rock sound but after a while the power of the lyrics hit me, made me sit up and pay attention. With tracks like Called You Queen, you can really hear the quality of the songwriting alongside the talented guitar and other instrumentation. Just call me 'Mr Stupid' because this is only the first I have heard of her. Apparently she has been busy making 5+ other albums up until now that are a must listen to for me and most possibly you too. Check out the awesome Kismet Kill single below.
Second up is Katy Goodman + Greta Morgans Take It, It's Yours. That's right Katy from La Sera and Vivian Girls fame and Greta Morgan from The Hush Sound and Gold Motel. Together they have produced this chill LP of punk cover songs. My personal favourite tracks are Where Eagles Dare (originally by The Misfits) because they kept the great tempo to it and also the vocal contradiction of the dreamy sounding mildly offensive language, and Ever Fallen In Love (video below) which they turn into a haunting number with its simplicity and sparseness. They could almost be producing an incantation against an ex lover.
And finally, Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not by Dinosaur Jr. I was expecting great things from these boys and they delivered in bucket loads with this LP. Released early on in August, this album is packed with tracks that are as good as anything I have heard from them in the past. Their quality in songwriting and producing has not changed and if anything, has improved with each release they have put out so far. They are one band I can 99.9% guarantee that I will love all their music to come. Stand out track for me for one is Love Is.... It is a bit of a ballad filled with emotion. Love It! Hear another instant classic Goin Down below!
Two weeks in a row for the Don Giovanni label so one major shout out for those guys! This week is the track Crown Royal by Kissing Is A Crime. It starts off fairly steady/simple and when the guitar kicks in, it really pushes the track to another level. The lead vocals hit the sweet spot between a pronounced level without being abrasive and so quiet you cant hear what is being said, which generally sucks. I also wanted to majorly compliment the music video itself for one, for how well it works with the beat of the music, in terms of creativity as well as the timing of the track. You really don't need to have a massive production budget to produce the goods. Looking forward to more crackers from these guys. Enjoy!
A bit of a taster from their upcoming second album is the single Punks In A Disco Bar from my boys Beach Slang, (when I say my boys I mean I have never actually met or even talked to any member of the band, safe to say strangers at best). And this week isn't as much of a video as more of a still image but the music accompanying it is what counts. A brief 2:40 of a song that almost expectantly flies by with punkish charm, PIADB does a damn fine job with the instrumentation levels, not overly prioritising the vocals and truly showing off some sweet ass guitar licks and other great beats for me and you both to enjoy!.
This week has given me an influx of great new music albums. One of the highlights being the WOMPS LP with the great single Live A Little Less on it. The Scottish two piece has created a perfect piece of garage rock that seems to defy the rules of time by being just under 4 minutes long but in my head it is all over in about a minute. Very fast paced and noisy with the classic combination of drums and guitar, bare bones just how I like it. Enjoy!
Fresh out of the gates with a bang is this new track from Dinosaur Jr. Tiny is off of the bands upcoming LP Give A Glimpse of What Yer Not which is out in just over 2 weeks. I have been a big fan of DJ for a few years now and J. Mascis' latest solo album was one of my favourites from 2014. So it is no surprise that I am pleased of the new music from these guys. It is the same great quality that I have grown to expect from their previous work. Enjoy this extremely informative video!
Yes, yes, yes, new music from Courtney Barnett. Singing about instant noodles has never sounded so cool as it does in this 2 minute 50 second song of brilliance. It again showcases what she does best, sing catchy songs about everyday mundane life that everyone can relate to. I'm just waiting for the next track about struggling to find the perfect parking space. Another thing about this song that I love is the added harmonica solo which few songs wouldn't be improved by. Enjoy!
Not exactly a underground track is the latest track from Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. With currently over 47 million views on YouTube alone, it is now basically a worldwide banger. I am not an avid follower of hip-hop music in general but I do have a few artists that have always appealed to me, The Cool Kids, Chance The Rapper and amongst others Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. They seem to play the line between humour and credibility beautifully. Downtown being a great example. Enjoy!
Excellent track this week from the Pretenders. I recently purchased the Chrissie Hynde book and as soon as it came through the door I couldn't put it down (without lack of trying). It documents her life, well the earlier years and I was interested to find out that she spent so much of her life outside of the U.S., travelling to the U.K. and France for substantial periods of her life. I don't know why I presumed she still lived in America but I just thought the bands sound had elements of that New York punk era. After completing the book, I have been listening to the first two Pretenders albums, the first one being where the track below (Brass In Pocket) is taken. A classic track that is still a hit to this day Enjoy!
I have totally fallen for this track Make A Man by Estrons. It is the bands first single released from the soon to drop EP (Whoever she was) which should be available on December the 11th. What I love about this track aside from it having all of the standard great rock'n'roll hooks and pounding guitar/drums is the vocals from lead singer Taliesyn Kallstrom. I am not certain of how old she is but she has a way of singing the lyrics that makes her seem older than her years. Like she has lived a past life and is back to recapture the best bits for us to hear. Really powerful singer. Enjoy!
Time can not go fast enough! Waxahatchees latest album will be released in early April and myself for one can not wait. So far Wichita Recordings have released 2 tracks from the upcoming release 'Ivy Tripp'. The first being Air which compared to this track (below) is a lot more haunting and slightly depressing lyrically, and the second song being a lot more fresh and cheery coming in at just over 2 minutes long. Don't get me wrong, I love both the tracks and am expecting equally great music from this wonderful musician in the near future.
Happy New Years Eve to everybody. The track I have chosen is The Shins - Turn A Square. I went shopping for the boxing day sales and picked up this Shins album among others not knowing very much about them apart from the link with Broken Bells but I am glad I made this album choice. The track below is one of my favourites from the album. I have already ordered more of their albums to hear more great music. Check it outtt!:
I wasn't planning on blogging today but I have just watched Pussy Riot - A Punk Prayer and it has really inspired me to promote their cause even in the small way that I can. I have heard about it vaguely in the news, media and in magazines but up until watching this documentary I didn't really understand what they were fighting for or more specifically what they were fighting against. I am now up to date with most of the activities from this group but am still learning more. I am also interested in promoting their cause even further and I am really behind what their fighting for. I may be a little bit behind the wave that is the media storm but with two original members still in prison for just under a year and still things to fight for, any time is a good time to raise awareness and make a change. Do it!
This week my choice for the best video is the latest track from MGMT called Your Life Is A Lie. I heard about it in this weeks NME, thanks! The song is a super catchy track from their upcoming self titled third album. It is quite short and punchy clocking in at just over two minutes long with easily learnt lyrics. It does seem that they have changed into a more poppier sound compared to their second album which isn't a problem for me, I have liked pretty much everything MGMT have released on the whole. As for the video its self its pretty freakin' odd, jumping from one random thing to another with only certain clips fitting in with the music. My favourite part somewhat cruley is the old guy getting hit in the face with a ball in time with what I assume is a cow bell, I dunno why, just seems funny. Anyway I'm loving this track right now, and I know the embedded video doesn't work but it will take you straight to it on YouTube.
