The Away Days - Your Colour

Single review by KevW

I was having a discussion a couple of weeks ago with some fellow music nerds enthusiasts and we were talking about whether or not the protest song is dead - or if not dead, then at least less prominent. You could argue either side until you're blue in the face, but one fact remains, and that's that there are less protest songs enjoying commercial success than there have been in the past. Delving into the reasons for this opens up a whole different can of worms, so we'll leave that for another time. Turkey has seen its fair share of problems recently, not least some vicious riots, and it's Istanbul that The Away Days call home, so their songs are often based on the volatile situation their country has found itself in. Being situated in the mid-point between the current crisis in Ukraine and the ongoing battles in the Middle East can only add fuel to the fire.

You may not notice that their music has such a political slant or is informed by the ongoing troubles, as singles like 'Your Colour' are bright and breezy, Americana-infused shoegaze filtered through the shimmering haze of sunkissed psychedelia. Vocals aren't angry, they're more heavenly and velveteen than that, especially the backing, plus, the guitar rings and chimes like all the best bands who also dabble in associated genres. Perhaps this form of dreamy indie acts as a form of escapism, or at least does so musically. Their country's problems may have been overshadowed by events elsewhere for the time being, but songs with a sound as heavenly and lush as this should get maximum exposure. Given the industry's preference for making a quick buck this is perhaps unlikely, but they're already becoming stars in our eyes.





The Away Days' website

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Video Beast - Season's Greetings From Video Beast EP

EP review by ethan@thesoundofconfusion.com

Video Beast: Queens grunge. Bizarre song titles, strange voiceovers, angsty lyrics, big drums, big aggressive, but still sort of wonky guitars. They just put out an EP, 'Seasons Greetings From Video Bitch', three songs. It is more than grunge though, it doesn't sound like it was made in 1992, i'ts contemporary, almost a spoof on grunge. There is a psychedelic-stoner thing happening too.

The vocal delivery is almost cartoonish, switching into fake voices and going back again, and jumping all over high and low. It seems like songs using humor to address serious things, in an off-color, irreverent way. The melodies are reminiscent of Nirvana songs. They are all upbeat headbangers. While a lot of it seems silly on the surface, if you actually listen, it's actually quite depressing! The album cover is the drummer Dave Weinstein with a fake beard and poop on him. Fabian Jimenez on guitar and vocals.





Video Beast's website

Stream or buy the EP

Catch them live:

Aug 15th - Palisades - Brooklyn
Aug 23rd - Mr Beerys - East Rockaway
Oct 31st - Halloween Show as Misfits





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Obligatory Record Of The Day! The Sunday Reeds - Jean-Luc

Single review by KevW

Not being much of a movie person, I can only say I recognise the names. However, the film buffs amongst you might be able to garner a little more information from the fact that "Jean-Luc is about the tumultuous relationship between French New Wave film director Jean-Luc Godard and actress Anna Karina". One would assume that, with all the talk of guns and the fact that the EP from which the track is taken is called 'Amour Tragique', that the relationship may have been a bit tumultuous. Melbourne group The Sunday Reeds are putting this tune out as the first from the EP, which is set for release on August 1st. Originally formed as a duo back in 2009, they soon expanded to a trio and this has served them well.

There's a slightly unusual juxtaposition about 'Jean-Luc' and their music in general, one that traditionally comes from more of a band set-up than a pairing. With a bassline and atmosphere borrowed straight from post-punk, the addition of heaps of guitar - the kind that could have graced a rougher '70s rock number - prevents the song from falling into the seemingly bottomless pit of post-rock and new-wave that seems intent on taking over the world. So having a signature sound like this could be the making of them. Plus, they manage to maintain a certain elusive coolness whilst allowing musical proficiency the space to wow fans who know their way around a fretboard. A dark gem, but with a few surprises in store.



The Sunday Reeds' website

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The Raveonettes - Pe'ahi

Album review by KevW

It wasn't us missing the boat that led to The Raveonettes' new album 'Pe'ahi' arriving without any fanfare; the band chose not to go for much in the way of advance promotion or a release date, opting to put out their latest as a "surprise" album. Storming first single 'Sisters' dropped out of nowhere a week before, and that was the first that the outside world knew about the record. That track with its mixture of grace, fuzz and mild orchestration means it remains one of their more impressive and easily absorbed singles. The line "smiling faces always pretend" could be a metaphor for 'Pe'ahi' itself. Named after a popular surfing spot in Hawaii, boasting a cover that's a little less black than normal, incorporating a lusher sounds (including choirs and harps) and a new producer in Justin Meldal-Johnsen, this could be The Raveonettes bidding farewell to their seedy, nocturnal existence and heading for the beach.

Such a transformation would never suit Denmark's finest musical pairing though, and when you delve a little deeper you realise that, aside from the more sweeping production, staccato touches and bigger electronic beats found on, say, 'Wake Me Up', all is not well in paradise, however glorious the music sounds. Following the death of his father last year, frontman Sune Rose Wagner decamped to California and took to surf culture as a way of dealing with the sudden grief. Final track and highlight 'Summer Ends' tackles this subject head-on. The guitars still twang, the melodies are still sweet, Sharin Foo's combined vocal is still there, but a somewhat fractured relationship is revealed, despite the fact that his father is now "chasing angels up in heaven". Their sometimes difficult relationship is documented further on 'Kill!', a beat-heavy, screeching number that shows the band at their most electronic, and statements like "one time I saw my dad fuck a redhead whore, I never ever thought I would" paint a less than homely existence, as the music edges closer to the harder end of trip-hop (the more tender 'Wake Me Up' sticks to that genre, but chooses its more majestic elements). Despite this, there's something touching about the simple line "never gonna see you again".

So 'Pe'ahi' isn't 'The Raveonettes Do Summer!' then. Opening with 'Endless Sleeper', a song that takes their retro influences (it's Buddy Holly meets JAMC, as they've done so many times), and adds lyrics about the time in 2008 when Sune was nearly drowned in an accident. This may all point towards a morbid and perhaps even off-putting album, but the music is stunningly beautiful at times, especially the breaks for piano or vocals to shine as the scuzz clears for a few seconds. Raveonettes albums have always talked about life dealing you a bad hand, and this is no different, but with a slightly altered musical approach, the monochrome sound often associated with their output lifts more often, and while distortion and classic melodies are the order of the day, this does have a fresh feel and the new additions mark it out as a potential change of direction (if only by a couple of degrees). The upbeat 'Killer In The Street' is more layered and gives us a splash more funk in the beat and the bass; you could nearly call it baggy-noir; 'Z-Boys' and 'A Hell Below' could both make for classy singles. With so little time for most people to have got to know any of these songs, 'Pe'ahi' is continuing to grow in stature, and it stands out as perhaps one of the best in their now sizable canon. The fuzz remains the same, but those personal touches and that extra sprinkling of magic lift this album that little bit higher than you may be anticipating.

https://soundcloud.com/the-raveonettes/sisters





https://soundcloud.com/the-raveonettes/endless-sleeper-1

The Raveonettes' website

Buy the album

Stream the album in full

Catch them live:

Sep 22 Bimbo's 365 Club, San Francisco, CA
Sep 23 The Observatory, Santa Ana, CA
Sep 24 El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
Sep 26 Double Door, Chicago, IL
Sep 27 Midpoint Music Festival, Cincinnati, OH
Sep 29 Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
Sep 30 Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
Oct 01 Black Cat, Washington, DC





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Obligatory Record Of The Day! I Heart The Monster Hero - Toni Bailey

Single review by KevW

With a name like I Heart The Monster Hero it's likely that you're already guessing that this Dublin band are purveyors of twee indiepop. Well, you're kind of right. They prefer to describe themselves with words including dance and psych thrown in as well, and this paints a more accurate picture. The quintet have just released their debut album 'Rhythm & Pals', and 'Toni Bailey' is a single from the aforementioned record. This song fits all of the above descriptions, but you can probably get rid of the whole twee thing, there's not much cutesy about this tune.

It is a hectic track though, one with a rampant beat and vintage electronics as a constant undercurrent, and on top of this is plenty of spangly guitar and some mildly distorted vocals that are also full of beans. You could dance to this indiepop; it's constant, never breaking down, and also seems to get more and more urgent as it progresses. The psychedelic side they speak of can also be detected, although you'd hardly compare it to most people's idea of what that word may describe in musical form. 'Toni Bailey' is moreish and catchy, and it could also appeal to a broad section of the listening public. Let's hope they get the chance to showcase their music as far afield as possible.



I Heart The Monster Hero's website

Buy the album





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Let It Flow 4: Free MP3 Playlist, 25th July 2014 - 7 Days, 7 Downloads!

Here are the best free downloads to land in our inbox this week. For a continuous playlist, scroll to the bottom of the page.


Anto Dust - Traitor's Gate



London dreampoppers Anto Dust kick-off this week's freebies with 'Traitor's Gate', a "psychedelic ballad" that follows on nicely from the relaxed wonder of recent single '1955' and is once again pure floaty escapism. The good news is that this time the track arrives in the middle of glorious sunshine, not the worst storm in years: a far more fitting environment.

Anto Dust's website


Luckless - When You Asked her To Stay



Providing us with a more upbeat tune to celebrate the (possibly) fleeting moments of glorious weather with are New Zealand band Luckless. OK, so it may be winter there, but they can be safe in the knowledge that single 'When You Asked Her To Stay' is just the kind of indie-rock with a pinch of electro that sounds perfect for long sunny days. It's from their new album 'Vindication Blues', out now.

Download 'When You Asked Her To Stay' for free by heading here

Luckless' website

Buy the album


One Finger Riot - The Sea 



Less than a month on from recent free download 'Give Me A Drug That Works Forever', L.A. artist One Finger Riot releases his album 'The Sea' and simultaneously offers the title-track as another free download. Following less of an indiepop line with this track, 'The Sea' is a maudlin piece of lo-fi psych that's high on the melody front.

One Finger Riot's website


El Xicano - La Grande Paura



It's all turning a bit psychedelic this week. Perhaps the heat is getting to everyone. Facts on El Xicana then? Well, there probably are some, but none that we know of. We know not who they/he is or where he/they reside, or even if there are more songs. We think it's in Spanish though, or Italian. Maybe. Anyway, it's a lovely, twangy, trippy song that drifts right through you.

El Xicano's website


Pacific Horrific - You And I Alone



Dutch band Pacific Horrific are a bit more forthcoming on the information front, having just released their debut EP 'Vol. 1' of which each song is yours for nothing. We've picked out 'You And I Alone' for its modern take on mellow synth-pop that gradually transforms itself into a melee of fizzing guitars and energetic beats, traversing genres as it does so.

Pacific Horrific's website


Cokemosa - Finale



Specialising in lo-fi, experimental post-punk sounds is Chicago's Cokemosa who has a brace of songs streaming on his site, both for free. 'Finale' shows a clear Suicide influence and combines cluttered percussion with minimalist production and sharp guitar that wraps and contorts itself through the song. It'll be interesting to see where he goes.

Cokemosa's website


Field report - Wings



With their second album 'Marigolden' due out in October, US trio Field Report take us on a bit of a journey with new single 'Wings'. Beginning as a slightly gritty yet mellow Americana track, it soon starts to develop into an epic alt-rock song as it gradually builds into something that's more universal without ever even considering selling out.

Field Report's website









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PREMIERE: Escapists - Only Bodies + Album Preview

Article by KevW

The release of your debut album is often crunch time for a band; the moment when we start to learn whether they've lived up to any hype they've had or produced the goods that earlier tracks may have promised. Things started well, and with the release of 'Breaking It Up' at the start of the year we said ourselves that London guitar band Escapists could well have what it takes to become big. With 'Only Bodies' released next week, it's not only a pleasure to be able to bring you the premiere of the album's title-track, but also to report that expectations have been lived up to. The band say that the song is a very collaborative effort, and this shows in the way that it all gels so tightly. Lyrically the song talks of the strange rituals that people partake in, often without even realising why. This is experimental indie with a driving rhythm section and a chorus that smoothly glides by as if it has the wind in its sails.



As well as the aforementioned 'Breaking It Up', singles 'Blood' and 'Eyes' show a neat diversity, the kind that can make or break a band. Having a clutch of songs that are all the same make and model may work well over the course of an EP or in some cases an album, but for longevity more is needed. 'Eyes' is a nice contrast to 'Only Bodies', slower and more emotive, it's one of those tracks that creeps up on you, leaving you pleasantly surprised by just how much thought and feeling can be encapsulated in a piece of music. Towards the other end of the spectrum, 'Blood' fires up the guitars a bit more and teeters on the brink of indie-rock and pop; there's a catchiness to this one that lends itself well to radio play and more instant gratification. The harder chorus adds a more dynamic touch. Frontman Simon states that the band wanted to make a diverse record, and this they've done. What's more, when you allow these songs to sink in and fully ingrain themselves into your psyche then the lyrics, which talk of life and death, spirituality and science, and the relationship between the head and the body amongst other things, should provide plenty of food for thought. A good job well done.





Escapists' website

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