Five For Free #10

Treat yourself to these beauties!


The Rosebuds - Woods

Kicking things off is this piece of mammoth sounding indie-rock from The Rosebuds. Woods is anthemic in all the right ways and a great return after some time away (while the duo got a divorce!). New album Loud Planes, Fly Low is out now on Merge, and was accompanied by an extensive tour of the US.

Free download: Woods

The Rosebuds Website

Buy the album.




Baby Monster - The Fear Of Charlie Sunrise

I've been keeping tabs on LA's Baby Monster since hearing the brilliantly titled single Ultra Violence & Beethoven in 2009. June saw the long awaited release of their self titled debut album. It was definitely worth the wait as this poptastic free sample proves.

Baby Monster- The Fear of Charlie Sunrise by Anorak London


Baby Monster's website

Buy the album.




They Might Be Giants - Judy Is Your Viet Nam

Get the Birdhouse song and the kids album out of your head. In the 29 years They Might Be Giants have been together they've produced many albums and been through many phases. New album Join Us was released last month and is the mid point between Teenage Fanclub and Weezer. Check out the powerpop of Judy Is Your Viet Nam.



They Might Be Giants website

Buy the album.




Niki & The Dove - The Fox

Definite ones to watch. Swedish duo Niki & The Dove are now signed to Sub Pop (I hope this means a rerelease of the sensational Mother Protect) and putting together a debut album. The latest from them is the experimental pop of The Fox.

Niki & The Dove website

Buy the single.




Black Lips - New Direction

Upon hearing the news that US garage-punks Black Lips were to record their new album with Mark Ronson a slight pang of doubt went through my mind. I needn't have worried. This is very much a Black Lips record and is only marginally less shambolic than their previous work. Thankfully not a new direction after all.

Free download: New Direction

Black Lips website

Buy the album.




The Sound Of Confusion on Facebook

The Sound Of Confusion on Myspace

soundofconfusion@hotmail.co.uk

Found Of Confusion # 7 and # 8!

What it do S.O.C fans!

In proper rock and roll fashion Kev has returned from his lost months in the studio with a whirlwind of activity - blog posts crashing in left, right and centre. Over at the Found Of Confusion things have progressed in a somewhat more sedate fashion; the Belle and Sebastian to his Motley Crue if you like. Those of you that have read my previous instalments will know the drill by now, one new band every Thursday for the full year - simple as that. So if you've not popped over to the other side of the tracks recently (and if not why not hmm?*) here's what you've missed.

...................

July

THE SHUTES: The psychedelic 60's are still alive and well on the Isle Of Wight if their 'Noah's Ark EP' is anything to go by.

DAUGHTER: Poignant acoustic reflections from the London girl with a real skill for poetic lyricism.

POLYGON PALACE: Australian sounding, non Australian, Australians, who play Cut Copy at their own game and do it very well.

BLUE LIP FEEL: Sheffield's rock star guitar heroes in waiting ...well provided they cut their hair.


August

TIGER CHOIR: Antipodean dreampop merchants have 'Everyone wrapped up in ecstacy'

PRINCE EA: Emerging MC rhymes his way through a dissection of the human brain and it's functionality - clever doesn't do it justice!

SLEEPY PANDA CLUB: Welsh synthpop collective, who not only write great tunes but were polite enough to stop by and say thank you - lovely pandas.

SPOTLIGHT KID: Shoegaze and 90's alt rock repackaged expertly by Nottingham's best export since...emmm...trees???

....................

So if you think any of that might float your boat, you can read more detail, hear the tunes, get the odd Soundcloud download and peruse the links via The Found Of Confusion Blog which you will find right here.

See you there crew.


*If the answer to that question is 'because you're a **** and your bands are **** then keep it to yourself please!'

Billionaire Baller's Club - Live Demos

This article also appears on www.soundsxp.com

In current musical circles the initials BBC are more commonly associated with Bombay Bicycle Club. Louisiana's Billionaire Baller's Club deal in altogether different sonic textures. The duo of Aaron Atchison and John Carley create a freeform fusion of electro, dub and indie. Wah-wah guitars and hip hop beats meet to generate the kind of atmospheric soundscapes you'd expect from The Orb remixing Pink Floyd – or if you prefer, a less boring Jean Michel Jarre.

The analogue and digital combination (guitar, 5 keyboards, laptop, vocals) integrate to form a laid back yet meaty ambience which can become quite hypnotic. This is sublime, chilled out electronica – their live shows much be entrancing.

BBC Live Clip 4 by Billionaire Baller's Club


More clips and downloads can be found on soundcloud

Billionaire Baller's Club website



The Sound Of Confusion on Facebook

The Sound Of Confusion on Myspace

soundofconfusion@hotmail.co.uk

Out This Week

Five of this weeks' finest new releases.


Fixers - Swimmhauss Johannesburg

For the first time in a while there has been rather a lot of hype about the music scene in Oxford. One of the leaders (including the likes of Chad Valley and Jonquil) are Fixers who are at the more commercial end of the pack. A debut album is scheduled for a release early in 2012, and here's their summery new single Swimmhauss Johannesburg.





Fixers website

Buy the single.





Pocketbooks - Promises, Promises

London's Pocketbooks do a mighty fine job of making the kind of traditional indie-pop that will make fans of Belle & Sebastian, Brontosaurus Chorus and the like go weak at the knees. The delightful sounding yet bitter-sweet new single Promises, Promises can be downloaded for free below and their album Carousel will be available in September.





Pocketbooks website

Buy the album from Oddbox Records.




CSS - La Liberacion

New Rave survivors CSS put out their third album this week. It's had mixed reviews but from what I've heard so far it seems pretty good to me! Have a listen to the title track and grab a free download of Hits Me Like A Rock (feat. Bobby Gillespie) and see what you think.

CSS - La Liberación by capv86

CSS website

Buy the album..




I Break Horses - Winter Beats

Off to Sweden we go again. Stockholm duo I Break Horses have a new album - Hearts - out this week. It's another one of those that sounds both familiar and inventive at the same time and seems to inhabit a different, more dreamy world. Check out the free track below.

I Break Horses - Winter Beats by Bella Union

I Break Horses website

Buy The Album.




OBLIGATORY RECORD OF THE WEEK

Young Galaxy - B.S.E

Canadian shoegazers Young Galaxy have undergone something of a reinvention for new album Shapeshifting, choosing to head down a more poppy route. The gamble seems to have paid off and the album was released a couple of months back to much acclaim. This highlight may not be released this week but it's more than worth bending the rules for as we get caught up with things. I'd stick it in my top 10 of the year so far.

Young Galaxy on Myspace

Buy the track.




The Sound Of Confusion on Facebook

The Sound Of Confusion on Myspace

soundofconfusion@hotmail.co.uk

The Heart Strings - Flap Your Crazy Wings

This article also appears on www.soundsxp.com

It's that time of year again – The X Factor is back! I'd imagine that, as usual, the total number of episodes I'll watch will be a big fat zero. But while the industry trots out the next batch of mechanically recovered, mass produced music substitute, destined to meet its end clogging up a charity shop near you this time next year, it's heartening to know bands like The Heart Strings exist.

Inhabiting a world of sunny optimism where even the-morning-after-the night-before is something to sing about (Nice Hangover). One of many highlights (Five Minute Wonder Boy) is seemingly about a lack of prowess between the sheets, yet manages to be one of the cheeriest songs you'll hear all year.

Flap Your Crazy Wings is a refreshing batch of brilliantly penned tunes to which much care and attention has been made. The combination of sweet melodies and intricate layers sound both inventive and strangely familiar at the same time, whereas the immaculate production never sounds too polished or cluttered. Somewhere Brian Wilson is nodding in approval.









The whole album is available to download on The Heart Strings bandcamp, you can name your price or even get it for nothing - but really this is worth a few quid so don't be so tight!

The Heart Strings website



The Sound Of Confusion on Facebook

The Sound Of Confusion on Myspace

soundofconfusion@hotmail.co.uk

Five For Free #9

The Sound Of Confusion's summer holidays are over. Have we been anywhere nice? Well if a week in Penzance counts as a holiday, then no. LOADS of free tunes and new releases to catch up on. To kick things off here's a brief run down of 5 fine free downloads.


1) Handsome Furs - Repatriated

Another couple making sweet music together. Montreal's Handsome Furs released their new album Sound Kapital on Sub Pop last month. It's had some stellar reviews. Check out this electro-rock freebe by hitting the download arrow or streaming it below.

Handsome Furs - Repatriated by subpop


Handsome Furs website

Buy the album.




2) Seapony - Blue Star

If it's buzzing indie-pop you're after then you may find a new favourite band in Seattle's Seapony. They only formed last year and have already put out a top notch debut album. This track is Blue Star and it's rather good.


Seapony - Blue Star by hardlyartrecords


Hear more at the Seapony bandcamp

Buy the album.




3) Bodies Of Water - Open Rhythms

Back to the day job after a spell making great 70s pop as Music Go Music, Bodies Of Water offer us their third full length in Twist Again. Wrap your ears around the chilled out funk and lush strings of Open Rhythms.


Free download of Open Rhythms

Bodies Of Water website

Buy the album.




4) Kindest Lines - Strange Birds

I know little about Kindest Lines. They're a trio from New Orleans and have just released their debut album. I like it, I thought some of you might too. This track is called Strange Birds and it packs a mighty Joy Division-cheer-up-and-go-electro punch.


Free download of Strange Birds

Kindest Lines on Myspace

Buy the album.





5) La Big Vic - Musica

We may be set for a week of rain and generally miserable weather in the UK, but hopefully afterwards we'll still have a good dose of summer sun to enjoy. The perfect chilled out soundtrack to lazing around on the beach/garden/park comes from New York trio La Big Vic.

La Big Vic, "Musica" by The FADER


La Big Vic on Facebook




The Sound Of Confusion on Facebook

The Sound Of Confusion on Myspace

soundofconfusion@hotmail.co.uk

Sergeant Buzfuz - Danny's Room/Molly's Bar

This article also appears on http://www.soundsxp.com

The latest from Sergeant Buzfuz showcases the quintet at the top of their game as they reel off another two effortless tunes. Danny's Room is situated somewhere inbetween Simon And Garfunkel and The Beatles at their most maudlin, it's a gorgeous lament.
Molly's Bar is more upbeat with a chorus which impales itself in your head from first listen. The Anglo-Irish roots of the band are in evidence both musically and lyrically.
'I don't know what the question is, but Guinness is the answer.'
Like Belle And Sebastian with the 'twee' trimmed off, perfect for the summer, and one of their best singles to date.  

                                                                   
Sergeant Buzfuz - Danny's Room by rocketpr

Sergeant Buzfuz - Molly's Bar by rocketpr


Sergeant Buzfuz website

Buy the single.



The Sound Of Confusion on Facebook

The Sound Of Confusion on Myspace

soundofconfusion@hotmail.co.uk