Speak & the Spells

First blogged about back in 2009, everything seems to have gone a bit quiet for the London group since then. They've set up a bandcamp, though, and uploaded some catchy surf pop vibes. Hope it's not another 2 years before someone blogs their as of then new material, 'cause this is super good. It's probably perfect for this hot weather, too, but I won't go down that route. Oh shit, did I just? Easy to do by SPEAK & THE SPELLSSpeak & the Spells - Easy To DoUntil her by SPEAK & THE SPELLSSpeak & the Spells - Until HerBandcamp | Faceb...

Read more »

BF Podcast #001

Yeah, decided to make a podcast this afternoon. Pretty slapdash with a big lack of preparation and also a cold, so don't be too critical. There are missed words and poor recordings and all. Fnx. BF PD 001 by basementfever Tracklisting:1. Coke Candy - Heart Siq | Bandcmap2. Marc Desse - Petite Anne | Bandcamp3. Effort - With You | Bandcamp4. Winter Villains - Icebergs | Bandcamp5. Screens - Pop Logic | Bandcamp / via Pigeon Post6. Among Brothers - Bare Teeth | Bandcamp / Facebook7. Time Brings Age - Wake Up | Bandcamp / Facebook8. Joanna Gruesome - Talking To Yr Dick | Bandcamp / Faceb...

Read more »

Marc Desse

Is this good just because it's French? No. Does it help? Maybe, the lyrics could be rubbish I guess. Is this a stupid blog post, but is the music good? Yeeeeeeah. Love the incessant synth keying, and the whole feel of the track. It's kind of like a freshened up 60s sound I reckon, and I certainly want to hear more.Marc Desse - Petite AnneBandcamp | Faceb...

Read more »

David K Frampton

Apparently some sort of bedroom project from a Brighton based electronic musician who has been around for a while, to me this sounds more like some pretty great dark, synthy psychedelic sounds along Arc Light or Red Psalm lines, made by a newbie, weirdo social recluse. In my book, that's a good thing - its eerie, minimal, electro given a dark and odd edge with the spoken vocals. Listen below or find out more at the links underneath the tracks, such as the free 4 track EP over at bandcamp.David K Frampton - Mask 4David K Frampton - Window SeatBandcamp | MySp...

Read more »

Who Says - Selena Gomez & the Scene

'Selena Gomez & the Scene' bands third album is set to hit shelves on June 28, 2011. Selena Gomez confirmed via her official Twitter that their lead single would be titled "Who Says". The single Who Says was previously scheduled to premiere live on On Air with Ryan Seacrest March 10, but was pushed up two days early to March 8. The accompanying music video, which was directed by Chris Applebaum, premiered on Disney Channel on March ...

Read more »

Jewellers

Speed is one of the names of the music blogging game. It's also something I lack. Heard about Newport electronic duo Jewellers a few weeks back, but it's taken me until the last few days to properly listen. What a fool I am. Incredible twinkling synth sounds that seem to me good enough for them to become pretty massive. This is intelligent, brilliant stuff. Don't leave it any longer to listen to these - below or at bandcamp where you can get the entire album for free.Jewellers - You Don't KnowJewellers - WeightlessBandcamp | Facebook | Beaten by: yvynyl, Pigeon Post, Music Fan's Mic, A New Band A Day and probably m...

Read more »

Umber

Sometimes it's the most unsuspecting of things in life that turn out to be some of the best and most refreshing - like an email I got from artist Alex Steward, who also goes by the name Umber. He asked me if I might be interesting in the ambient/folk music that he makes on his own. That's about all the information I got. Turns out that Alex might either be a bit modest or completely unaware at how just how impressive the music he makes is.As This Is Fake DIY mentioned in the First On piece on Umber earlier this month or as Music Fan's Mic echoed, this 'ambient/folk' music is so much more than those two words might suggest. Far from the acoustic...

Read more »

Wyla

Still not 100% sure what bedroom pop is, but I’m pretty sure this is it. Edward Madill is Asheville, North Carolinan musician Wyla, and he’s pretty ace. Deep vocals plod along next to a driving drum beat and synth line in Drive Forever before the song bloats to a satisfying mass of noise and feedback. It’s kind of super chilled out and inventive pop music, perfect on a lazy sunny evening.Grab stuff below, or download tonnes of stuff for free at bandcamp. Apparently there's a full album out this summer, so keep your eyes peeled.Wyla - You're The OneWyla - Drive ForeverBandcamp | Tumblr | Pipped to the post by PastaPrimav...

Read more »

Weekly Gig Guide: 18/4 - 23/4

Yeah. Weekly round-up of gigs from Brighton and Cardiff that I reckon will be good and that. Is this the worst gig guide ever?Cardiff19/4: My First Tooth - Ten Feet Tall | Buy tickets21/4: Jamie xx - Clwb Ifor Bach | Buy tickets21/4: Metronomy - Clwb Ifor Bach | Buy tickets24/4: Bijou Fest (H. Hawkline, The Method, more) - Gwdihw | Buy tickets24/4: Loose Easter Fest (H. Hawkline, Threatmantics, more)- 10FtTall / Undertone | Buy ticketsBrighton19/4: Metronomy – Digital | Buy tickeys19/4:Jeniferever / Speak Galactic / Among Brothers - Green Door Store | Buy tickets21/4: A Hawk And A Hacksaw – Ballroom | Buy tickets21/4: Asobi Seksu - Audio | Buy...

Read more »

Releases: Best of the Week

Yeah, I know today's Record Store Day and there are some brilliant, exclusive releases at indie shops around the UK and indeed world today, but next week has some decent releases too, I reckon.Week starting April 18:tUnE-YarDs – w h o k i l l (4AD)tUnE-YarDs - PowaFreeze The Atlantic – Colour By Numbers EP (Alcopop)The Slits – The John Peel SessionsBass Drum Of Death – GB City (Fat Poss...

Read more »

Joanna Gruesome

What to say about new Cardiff 5-piece Joanna Gruesome? A comment on the name? A comparison to the gazey, jangly twee pop of the likes of The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart or Yuck (or countless other earlier bands)? A reflection on the brilliantly distorted bending guitar work or the top driving bass lines? A thought on the sometimes slightly iffy (hey, it's still early days) saccharine vocals? Joanna Gruesome - Talking To Yr DickJoanna Gruesome - Pantry GirlBandcamp | Faceb...

Read more »

Hear Hums

From one side of the Animal Collective coin of influence - yesterday's "world"-y World Map - to the other, with the glitchy experimental pop noise of Hear Hums.Hear Hums are a two-piece from Gainesville, Florida, and consider themselves an experimental and visual band. It's pretty easy to see why this would work, Hear Hums music is driving, complex, kaleidoscopic soundscapes that brings forth visions of colourful and swirling shapes even without the actual visual accompaniment. Bubbling electronic sounds, crashing cymbals, clicking rims and rickety snares, woo-and-ahh-ing vocals, and often bending or looping guitar strums all coming together...

Read more »

World Map

So-called ‘world’ music has seen a huge revival in recent years, at least partly thanks to Animal Collective. The African influenced sound is pretty well known for its ‘tribal’ feel; layers of vocals, a gaggle of percussionists and generally stuff taken on by a group of people. Where Brighton-based artist Calum Bowen, aka World Map, differs is that he ambitiously attempts the sound alone.Surprisingly it comes off incredibly well. Often sample heavy with plenty of brilliant Afro-influenced chinking and gliding guitar work and also supplemented by drum machine topped off by Calum’s unusual but effective vocals, it all comes together quite brilliant....

Read more »

Zuper Zine: Drunken Werewolf

Drunken Werewolf is the work of Tiffany Daniels. She's a Bristol based writer who freelances for the likes of The Line Of Best Fit and God Is In The TV Zine, but she also does what many bloggers and writers aren't quite brave enough to do - publishes her own zine. Up to issue 16 at time of writing, and spread around the country as quickly as Tiffany can, it's a refreshing, honest and enthusiastic look at new and exciting music. I emailed Tiffany some questions about herself and her top zine and she answered them. She also suggested some new music listening, which can be found throughout the post.How did Drunken Werewolf start out? It was an...

Read more »

Weekly Gig Guide: 11/4 - 17/4

Doing a gig guide. It covers three whole cities. Wow.Cardiff11/4: Earth - Millennium Music Hall | Buy tickets13/4: Pete & the Pirates - Millennium Music Ball | Buy tickets15/4: Brontide - Undertone | Buy tickets16/4: Jeniferever / Among Brothers - Buffalo Bar | Buy tickets16/4: Future of the Left - Clwb Ifor Bach | Buy ticketsBrighton12/4: Pete & the Pirates - Audio | Buy tickets15/4:Her Name Is Calla - Green Door Store | Buy tickets16/4: Architecture In Helsinki - Concorde 2 | Buy tickets17/4: Brontide - Druids Arms | Buy ticketsBristol11/4: Cloud Control - Cooler | Buy tickets12/4: Lykke Li - Trinity Centre | Buy tickets16/4: Her Name...

Read more »

Releases: Best of the Week

This week looks pretty ace. Pretty sure a good few of these will be on quite a lot of end of year lists. Could be tough on the wallet/purse though.Week beginning April 11:Mazes – A Thousand Heys (FatCat)Mazes - Bowie KnivesPanda Bear – Tomboy (Paw Tracks)Metronomy – English Reivere (Because)My First Tooth – Sleet And Snow (Alcopop)Vivian Girls – Share The Joy (Polyvinyl)Crystal Stilts – In Love With Oblivion (Slumberland)Hauschka – Salon Des Amateurs (Fat Cat)Holy Ghost - Holy Ghost (D...

Read more »

Paper

From one genre that many will have had enough of (Deadbeat Beat's garage rock blogged yesterday), to a whole new one todayl the surf rock sound of Paper. Same rule applies - if surf's not your thing, you might not want to bother. If it is, and it arguably should be, then this is for you.Paper are a little bit like a Los Angeles based, scruffier sounding version of North Wales' Y Niwl. It's largely summery fun surf music with long periods of instrumental (although at times also a little bit punky, see: Surfing In Mexico), executed in a highly naïve and lo-fi way. Whether out of necessity or choice, I'm not too sure, but this is good, even if done...

Read more »

Deadbeat Beat

Has anyone had enough garage and 60s pop inspired lo-fi alternative rock kinda stuff yet? If not, and there’s every reason that that be the case, continue reading. If so, this isn't for you. Deadbeat Beat are from Michigan. They make music along said lines – catchy, scruffy, semi surf-ish, garage-y poppy rock, if that's not too many musical genres to include in one sentence. Comparisons to the likes of Surfer Blood and Cloud Nothings are perhaps a little predictable but fairly justified I’d say. I can imagine this being slightly cleaned up and sounding ace on a full-length. Apparently they have an upcoming split single with Secret Twins on Sneaky...

Read more »

Bos Angeles

Bos Angeles are a band from Boscombe (just by Bournemouth on the south coast of England) that nobody seems to know very much about, other than that they’re from Boscombe and that the members met through making ice cream. It’s a pretty apt way for the three-piece to have met if the only recording of theirs around at the moment – Beach Slalom – is anything to go by. It’s music that deserves to be played by groups of friends pissing around on hot summer days; surf-infused post-punkyish vibes with a good helping of catchy pop. A spoonful of this will help the proverbial medicine go down – these are definitely worth keeping an eye on. Check out Beach...

Read more »

Hayden Panettiere – Vegas Magazine Photoshoot

See More Hayden Panettiere – Vegas Magazine Photosh...

Read more »

Effort

Cardiff's new fuzzy pop-punk-ish duo. First they played in a kitchen, then they supported Abe Vigoda, and now they've gone and recorded some demos. Listen below, or download all three for free over at bandcamp.Effort - With YouHearts and Glass by Effort Effort - Hearts and GlassBandcamp...

Read more »

Releases: Best of the Week

So some of these releases are a little bit iffy, but the week also has the odd ‘cracker’. You can’t have it all, eh? Week beginning April 4:Cold Cave – Cherish The Light Years (Matador)Cold Cave - The Great Pan Is DeadThe Kills – Blood Pressures (Domino)The Raveonettes – Raven In The Grave (Vice)Glasvegas – EUPHORIC /// HEARTBREAK \\\ (Colombia)Young Knives – Ornaments From The Silver Arcade ([PIAS] ...

Read more »

Gallops: New Single

Wrexham-based electro post-rock four-piece Gallops have stuck their upcoming single, due to be released through Holy Roar and Blood and Biscuits on May 23, up onto bandcamp for streaming.Their self-titled debut EP was good (read me waxing lyrical about it over on The 405 here) but this new material could be another step up for the band. Listen below.Joust/Eukodol by GallopsBandcamp | Facebook | MySp...

Read more »

Heavy Ghost

As much as the noisy and whirring shoegazey sound has been done to death, I still find it pretty difficult to resist. Heavy Ghost are another group opting for this musical route; heavily distorted and bending guitar sounds, a pounding and clicking drum machine, and some coo-ing synths come together to make sounds wholly unoriginal but still pretty captivating. Check out stuff below, or grab the Chicago trio’s entire Ten Thousand Years EP over at bandcamp for free.Heavy Ghost - LucidHeavy Ghost - 10,000 YearsBandcamp | MySp...

Read more »