Golden Fable - Crossfire

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

As you know, we love a good comparison. That's not so easy when it comes to North Wales duo Golden Fable, but for those of you who like some other artists as a reference in your reviews, these guys, at least on new single 'Crossfire', are something like taking the tired alt-folk scene and breathing new live into it by adding some mystery. Vocally this is almost operatic, maybe a little like Kate Bush at times and very clean and pure, something which may be a turn-off for anyone who likes some bite in their tunes. Other suggestions are easily provided by the team who they're currently working with on their second album.

Producers Jimmy Robertson and David Wrench have previously worked with Anna Calvi, Florence & The Machine and Bat For Lashes respectively. Like those acts? There's a good chance this will appeal to your tastes, although it's much more delicate and incredibly subtle. The backing is very fragile, but the voice is the focal point. The single is an apparent "alternative version", and therefore different to that which appeared on last year's debut album. Very sweet, but not in a sickly way.



Golden Fable's website

Catch them live:

May 4th - Liverpool Sound City Festival, LIVERPOOL.
May 14th - Sound Control, MANCHESTER (Supporting Public Service Broadcasting).
May 17th - The Great Escape Festival, BRIGHTON.
May 24th - Dot to Dot Festival, MANCHESTER.
May 25th - Dot to Dot Festival, BRISTOL.
May 26th - Dot to Dot Festival, NOTTINGHAM.
August 31st - End of the Road Festival, NR SALISBURY.





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Charlie Boyer & The Voyeurs - Be Glamorous

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

We're going to repeat ourselves slightly here, as it's a point worth making. The talk at the beginning of the year included some hotly tipped acts who were borrowing from the past. We even featured some in our Tips For 2013 list, notably teenagers The Strypes who've since become darlings of the NME and a favourite of Jools Holland (plus the usual Weller crowd) and also future psych gods Temples, themselves steadily making good headway. Somewhere in between the sound of these two bands are Charlie Boyer & The Voyeurs. We'd given them a single review, but that was about it. Now, in the lead up to their debut album on May 27th, they too are making some serious headway.

The past couple of tracks we heard seemed like a natural continuation of the psych revival that's been prominent in the past year or two, but they mix plenty of retro garage and even glam sounds to new single 'Be Glamorous'. With a beat from 1972, organs from 1968 and a song that could have been written in 1966; they're offering a tour of the past with this new one. And a quite nice tour it is to. It doesn't quite pack as much punch as some of their other songs, but at least it shows a diversity. It'll be the album that decides whether this lot deserve a seat at the top table or are just another hyped retro act. We're hoping for the former.



Charlie Boyer & The Voyeurs' website

Buy the single

Catch them live:

THU 02 MAY Liverpool Sound City Festival 2013, Liverpool, UK
THU 02 MAY Liverpool Sound City Festival 2013, Liverpool, UK
FRI 03 MAY Live At Leeds 2013, Leeds, UK
SUN 05 MAY Sumday [One May] 2013, Middlesbrough, UK
THU 16 MAY The Great Escape 2013, Brighton, UK
TUE 21 MAY Manchester, UK
WED 22 MAY Nottingham, UK
FRI 24 MAY London Calling Festival 2013, Amsterdam, Netherlands
SAT 25 MAY Field Day 2013, London, UK
TUE 28 MAY Start The Bus, Bristol, UK
WED 29 MAY Jericho Tavern, Oxford, UK
THU 30 MAY Rough Trade East, London, UK
August 2013
FRI 30 AUG End of the Road Festival 2013, Salisbury, UK





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Life & Limb - Fool's Nest

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

Historically, the city of New York has always had a strong connection with Italy (and we're not just talking Al Pacino films). In one way or another, this link continues with Life & Limb, the collaborative project of Italian Andrea Mangia and The Big Apple's own Mike McGuire. 'Fools Nest' is the title-track from their new EP, due on May 7th, and while it's a very good song, it's perhaps not surprising in terms of sound, picking up on some of the other alternative music emanating from New York (our knowledge of the scene in Lecce is sadly lacking).

It would be unfair to lump Life & Limb in with a pack of other bands though, as that all important factor, individuality, rears its pretty head on this song. Keeping a steady pace, 'Fool's Nest' admittedly steals its synth line straight from (we think) Gary Numan, but that's simply one part of a multi-tiered song that also flirts with dreampop and more conventional indie-type music. A good chorus is often the key to a song's success and that's also the case here. Plus the simple guitar solo towards the end doesn't do its cause any harm either. Nicely done.



Life & Limb's website

Pre-order the EP





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Wise Girl - Wise Girl EP

EP review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

If you've not heard of Wise Girl yet, here's the lowdown. The band were formed in 2010 around the vocals of New York songwriter Abby Weitz (if you know your alternative bands from that area, she used to be in The Lookaways who played the legendary CBGBs amongst other achievements). Since forming Wise Girl, success has continued and has included the CMJ Music Marathon two years running and national TV appearances. Despite this you'd have to say they're still a cult band rather than anything bigger. For the time being at least. Currently putting the finishing touches to a new album, they have this self-titled EP available now.

Led by the single 'Set In Stone', 'Wise Girl' takes the spirit of punk and gives it a modern twist. This isn't spit and snot thrashing, these are refined yet ragged songs that are written to a higher standard than three chords and a hook. I guess a better description may be powerpop, it has more depth than you may expect. Buzz-saw guitars are the fuel for 'Wishful Thinking', a song that doesn't forego melody and really is every bit as good as the supposed stand-out. Plus it reminds us just a little bit of Belly and that's never a bad thing. Finally, 'Roles Are Reversed' juxtaposes all these sounds with a big dollop of country. In a nutshell, Wise Girl are worth getting acquainted with.



Wise Girl's website

Buy the single





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Beach Vacation - Maritime EP

EP review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

So summer is finally on its way then (or it's stopped snowing at least) and you can be pretty sure in assuming that Beach Vacation aren't going to be the kind of band who write songs about ice skating or whatever. It's not uncommon for us to comment on just how quickly some bands get decent material out there. We've had a few bands recently who've released accomplished debut albums within a year of getting together. Well try this on for size. These guys took inspiration from some bands they like (and favourites of ours too) such as Wild Nothing, Beach Fossils, The Radio Dept. and Craft Spells, and thought they'd have a pop at making some tunes. By the next week they were singed to Dufflecoat Records. That has to take some beating.

'Maritime' is the band's debut EP and as you'd expect it's fairly low-budget and DIY in sound. So are lots of other bands, so how come the interest was so quick? With the samples of seagulls and lapping waves of, er, 'Waves' acing as an intro, they then head straight for the beach hut marked "melodies" and recover its contents. 'Washington Weather' will satisfy your jangly-fuzz needs without giving it a second thought; 'Stay A While' graces our speakers with its warm glow for all too brief a period. It's 'Escape' where they score full-marks though. You know what it sounds like because they've basically told you in their list of inspirations, but it's at the top end of the output of those bands. Let's hope nobody gives them time to think, it'd be a loss to alter this remarkably successful approach.



Beach Vacation's website

Stream or buy the EP





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Hey Sholay - WDYRWMTB

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

Well that's a stupid name for a single isn't it. Makes me glad I quit radio presenting. It was hilarious when Crash Test Dummies were in the chart with 'Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm' and Mark Goodier had to try and pronounce it during the weekly countdown for a couple of months. After listening to the song, it seems safe to assume that 'WDYRWMTB' stands for 'Who Do You Really Want Me To Be', which is actually one syllable less than the initials, so it doesn't even shorten the title. Anyway, shall we get to the actual song and whether or not it's any good?

Many bands would be a bit disheartened if they had all their gear nicked along with their van which contained it all. Nothing was recovered. Hey Sholay must have been fuming, but channelled that energy into recording a brand new EP 'Cloud, Castle, _______' (now that's a stupid name for an EP etc...) which is out June 3rd, and they're giving us the first glimpse with this very strong new track. 'WDYRWMTB' takes indie/alt-rock and makes sure that it's created to a high level. There's depth to this track, as well as enough meat on the bones to take a reasonably mid-paced number and give it some real clout. The recent past may not have gone to plan, but the future's looking bright.



Hey Sholay's website

Catch them live:

Tuesday 21st May - Scala, London (Fierce Panda's 19th Birthday w/ The Crookes and The Heartbreaks)
Friday 7th June - Queens Social Club, Sheffield (support from Lets Buy Happiness, High Hazels)





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Saucy Monky - Trophy Girl (Part 2)

EP review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

If you want a handy summary of the music made by this Los Angeles band then take the following acts they've supported and imagine them all mushed together into one: PJ Harvey, Black Eyed Peas, P!nk, Wilco. Now that's quite a range there, from the super credible PJ Harvey to the currently laughable Black Eyed Peas. Yes, Saucy Monky (their spelling) walk a fine line of Wilco-esque alternative rock and P!nk-esque chart pap, but they navigate this route well on new EP 'Trophy Girl (Part 2)' which keeps itself on the decent side of things, chucking in just enough of a commercial sound to give them a fighting chance.

That said, they've already secured spots in films and gained a fair amount of coverage from their first incarnation in 2005. Here, 'Do I Have Your Attention' flits between alt-rock and, well rock, but the song is just about good enough to surpass any genre boundaries, and it's much the same with the more spacious 'Sleepwalking', another song that inhabits this happy middle-ground, it even contains the line "me, I like to straddle both camps" which is the perfect metaphor for their music. Finishing with '(My Girlfriend) Is Alcohol' we're given further proof that Saucy Monky know exactly what their sound is. It may be on a dividing line, but it's there by design.



Saucy Monky's website

Catch them live:

May 25 Los Angeles, CA
Jun 21 Los Angeles, CA
Jul 13 Santa Barbara, CA
Aug 23 Los Angeles, CA





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Presents For Sally - Anything Anymore

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

Listening to this new single from Presents For Sally is like being momentarily transported back to a time when the word "indie" actually still had a meaning. This is prime material for those pioneering labels of the 1980s to have picked up on had it been recorded then. This single represents their first material since the fledgling band released a debut album in 2010, only a year after forming in southern England. Plans are afoot for a second album sometime later this year, so I guess these two tracks are the first indication of where the band are currently at.

You could say this 7" (it's available for digitally too) is what would have been your archetypal single. B-side 'A Thousand Ways To Say Goodbye' is a good enough track; a little noisy, a little melodic and sure to be a hit with fans of bands' less commercial material. It's what would have been a typical B-side back in the day. And following suit, 'Anything Anymore' is typical A-side material; it's flipping ace. There's more melody, there's a lo-fi sound and a retro guitar-pop feel but it's full of hooks, almost barbed so that it gets inside your head and stays there. This blend of shoegaze, indiepop and classic alternative guitar sounds is, purely and simply, a delight.



Presents For Sally's website

Buy the single





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Carousels & Limousines - 17's

Single review by jay@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

With strong inflections of The Gaslight Anthem and John Cougar Mellencamp, Bath's Carousels & Limousines aren't rewriting the music book, but what they are doing with debut track '17's' is delivering strong, passionate, heartfelt blue-collar rock in a timeless fashion. And for once they are not falling into the trap of trying to pretend that they are from some gritty, industrial working town in the States. They haven't plagrised Springsteen and don't haul out the cliches such as singing about "tops down" and the "prom's last dance".

Refreshingly they take their unashamed influences, and produce a mature grower of a track in '17's'. It has a subtle groove and stays with you, demanding repeated plays. Carousels & Limousines show an informed grasp on dynamics, wherein at the '17's' peak, many would of broken loose and pushed into a hurried, messy break, here they show style and restraint by not over playing; staying within the song's flow. They leave with your curiosity piqued and looking forward to more.



Carousels & Limousines' website

Pre-order the album

Catch them live:

May 10 Luxe, London, United Kingdom





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Arch Woodmann - Arch Woodmann

Album review by jay@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

Gone is the time when France was seen as a musical backwater. Rather than falling into the dance ranks of Air or Daft Punk, Arch Woodmann are closer to that of Phoenix and have delivered an album that is full of life and colour. Admittedly it would be hard to hear a distinct french influence, but this is no slight upon this album. Opener 'Good God' is all brisk, crisp lines, handclaps, 'Lovecats' bubbling bass and twirls of crisp Marr-like guitar, the song is a bright introduction. Sweet horns lift the song into delicious sunny end. Second track is a shade darker, but not as if plunging into some gloomy goth, it still has a brightness to it. 'I Should Be Fine' is reminiscent of Foals at their lightest. Through the track, flourishes of strong, incandescent guitar ride along, and the song evolves into a rich vibrant track. It has many elements, but none of these ever overpower the song.

'Stupid'o'clock' opens nosier than anything previously, then edges into a quite eclectic track, all stop-starts and varying styles. At points it's almost 'Let's Dance'-era Bowie, then the song locks down a wonderfully fuzzy feel, and builds into a controlled cacophony with a  wild horn taking it to the close. Follower 'Turn Twenty Again' has a more electronic take. A track lead by rhythmic, dashes of bright beats, the song flows along into something quite special and ends too soon. Arch Woodmann show mastership of the song all over this album, and the tracks are rarely too long, and are oft sculpturally concise, but here the song may of benefited from a longer play, allowing you to enjoy it for that minute longer. 'Fangs' is the rawest thing here, and almost the ugly duckling in the brightness. A track lead along in a Pixies-style weird-fi bass fuzz. Stabbing synths and barreling drums, pound along and add a surprising depth to the track and album.

Sixth track 'That Summer' is a quite lovely song in stark contrast to 'Fangs'. A Sunday morning stroll, with a bittersweet under current, where the unexpected declaration of "I'm all fucked up" wakes the listener from the warmth. Similarly to 'Stupid'o'clock' Arch Woodman's deft song editing leaves you wanting for the track to be that minute longer again. 'Sea Precious Sea' is the album's first real disappointment. It has many lovely glimmers, but never quite gels, and ends up just too disjointed to work comfortably. It tries to close out with an Eels-like dark/light turn but doesn't get there fully. 'Parking Lot' fares better, but still it settles into a bitter feel, that has not been present earlier. If the album is an journey then these tracks are the post-break up bitterness. And where the songs revelled in being brisk, bright and concise, these two wallow and over stay their welcome.

After the wallowing, 'Dark Dark Clouds' rebuilds on Arch Woodmann's strengths. While not as bright as the album's first half, it is a strong, rich track that balances the grey of the two tracks preceding. 'What Did You See' is an album stand-out, showing glimpses of Daft Punk noise-control tied into an driving, urgent, spiraling piece that begs you to dance around with it. 'Employment' sees a step back into the bitterness, but this time it is a more controlled step. Here the vitriol is more eloquent, with a Jarvis Cocker-style prose of spitting out "you're an asshole" but never letting it fall into simple uncouthness. Similarly the song controls the spite until the end where it lurches into a loose, stumbling feel concluding in a wash of feedback and "asshole" being spat out. 'Coupe Gorge' is a lovely track with a strong Vampire Weekend feel, but as a closer it doesn't quite work after the loose beating of 'Employment'. It is the first time you clearly hear a French inflection, in the raw female lyrics. And it works, but perhaps it would of fitted better prior to 'Employment'. Arch Woodmen have delivered a rich, colourful album that rewards with many listens, and stands strongly alongside it's any of its peers.




Arch Woodmann's website

Stream or buy the album

Catch them live:

Saturday, May 25 - Space Icarus - Paris - 18.00
Saturday, May 25 - Space Icarus - Paris - 18h30
Friday, May 31 - EMB Espace Michel Berger - Paris - 20h30
Friday, June 7th - Lake Baron Desqueyroux - Montendre - 17.00
Saturday, June 8 - Lac Baron Desqueyroux - Montendre - 17.00
Saturday, June 22 - Park citadel of Bourg - Bordeaux - 2:57 p.m.





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Sonic Hearts Foundation - Northern Lights

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

Glasgow's Sonic Hearts Foundation have been on our radar since the release of their debut single last summer, although we have to admit they fell off it for a while as we had a long pause without hearing from them. The good news is that all is well in their camp and they will be releasing a new EP on June 10th, with single 'Northern Lights' acting as an enticing free gesture to lure you into sampling the whole EP. So from today (29th April) this song is available for you to download for naff all from the band's website.

That's something of a bargain really, as 'Northern Lights' is a step forward from their debut release and would be worth parting with your cash for. They've mastered the fine balance of big, booming anthem and discordant, lo-fi alternative pop/rock/shoegaze track. This is rich in atmosphere and flooded with thunderous drums and drawn-out guitars, the vocals shining through like the beam of a lighthouse through the thick fog of the music. It's sounding very big and very ambitious. An EP full of these should see them right.



Download 'Northern Lights' for free from Sonic Hearts Foundation's website





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Out This Week - 29th April 2013

Guided By Voices - Flunky Minnows

Following eight years of inactivity by alternative legends Guided By Voices, they've now managed to release four albums in two years. Prolific by anyone's standards. Following last year's trio comes new offering 'English Little League' which contains a whopping seventeen tracks, including the typically melodic guitar-pop of single 'Flunky Minnows'.



Free download: 'Flunky Minnows'

Guided By Voices' website

Buy the album





The Earth And Everything In It - Future Fears

They may not be the most cheerful band going, but The Earth And Everything In It can turn subjects like fear and uncertainty into very evocative and powerful songs. This week they release their album 'We Wander At Night' and you can probably expect more grandiose misery on an epic scale, much like the undeniably atmospheric recent single 'Future Fears'.



The Earth And Everything In It's website

'We Wander At Night' will be available to stream and buy on April 30th from Bandcamp





!!! - Syld

Livening things up somewhat, those US East-Coasters with the ridiculous name are back with a new album this week too. !!! (it's pronounced "chk chk chk" in case you didn't know) release their fifth full-length 'Thr!!!er' which contains plenty of their dancefloor oriented disco-punk experimenting. Having a penchant for odd names, they've called this single 'Slyd' (pronounced "slide").

!!!'s website

Stream the album in full

Buy the album

Catch them live:
MAY
2 Budapest, HU @ A38
3 Vienna, AU @ Donau Festival
4 Berlin, DE @ Gretchen
5 Nijmegen, NL @ Dutch Liberation Festival FREE
6 Brussels, BE @ Chapiteau Botanique
7 London, UK @ Village Underground SOLD OUT
10-12 Camber Sands, UK @ All Tomorrow's Parties
16 Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
17 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom SOLD OUT
18 Washington, DC @ Black Cat
19 Durham, NC @ Motorco
20 Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
22 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
23 Birmingham, AL @ Bottle Tree
24 New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina's
25 Austin, TX @ Mohawk
26 El Paso, TX @ The Lowbrow Palace
27 Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
28 Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
29 San Diego, CA @ Casbah
30 San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
31 Sacramento, CA @ Cesar Chavez Park
JUNE
1 Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
3 Portland, OR @ Bunk Bar
4 Vancouver, BC @ Fortune Sound Club
7 Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe
8 Chicago, IL @ The Bottom Lounge
9 Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
10 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
11 Montreal, QC @ Le Belmont
12 Burlington, VT @ Signal Kitchen
13 Portland, ME @ Port City Music Hall
14 Hamden, CT @ Spaceland Ballroom
15 Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
JULY
20 Lisbon, PT @ Super Bock Super Rock
26 Benidorm, ES @ Low Cost Festival
27 San Sebastian, ES @ Jazzaldia
AUGUST
15 St Malo, FR @ Route du Rock





Hands - Trouble

These guys don't mess around. LA band Hands only formed last year and have made an incredibly accomplished start, no dodgy bedroom demos here. This week sees them put out debut album 'Synesthesia' which is an eclectic mix of electro-pop, indie and a few other bits and bobs that they feel like chucking in to add extra layers to their songs. Check out 'Trouble' for a prime example.



Hands' website

Stream the album in full

Buy the album

Catch them live:

UK Tour Dates
5/2 FREE SHOW!!! @ Shacklewell Arms Doors @ 8pm  Presented by Eat Your Own Ears
5/3 Liverpool Sound City
——–
US Tour Dates
5/19 San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar  Doors @ 8:30pm
5/20 Phoenix, AZ @ Sail Inn  Doors @ 7:30pm
5/21 El Paso, TX @ The Lowbrow Palace Doors @ 9pm
5/23 Dallas, TX @ Club Dada  Doors @ 8pm
5/24 Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Jr.  Doors @ 10:30pm
5/25 Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s  Doors @ 8pm
5/28 Atlanta, GA @ The Drunken Unicorn  Doors @ 8pm
5/29 Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
5/30 Washington, DC @ DC9  Doors @ 8pm
6/1 New York City, NY @ Glasslands
6/2 Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie  Doors @ 8pm
6/3 New York City, NY @ Pianos  Doors @ 7:45pm
6/4 Allston, MA @ Great Scott  Doors @ 9pm
6/5 Montreal, QC, Canada @ Il Motore  Doors @ 8:30pm
6/6 Toronto, ON, Cananda @ The Drake Hotel  Doors @ 8pm
6/7 Pittsburgh, PA @ 6119 Penn Avenue
6/8 Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s Tavern
6/9 Madison, WI @ The Frequency
6/11 Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
6/12 Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews  Doors @ 7:30pm
6/14 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge  Doors @ 8pm
6/15 Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court  Doors @ 7pm
6/17 Portland, OR @ Bunk Bar
6/19 Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
6/21 San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar Music Hall  Doors @ 8pm
6/22 Davis, CA @ Sophia’s Thai Bar & Kitchen  Doors @ 9pm





OBLIGATORY RECORD OF THE WEEK

Mr Little Jeans - Oh Sailor

Hurrah! It was back in 2010 that The Sound Of Confusion started banging on about this amazing new pop starlet from Norway, we even had her in our tips for 2011 list. Since then not much has happened. A couple of female popstars we've tipped since have done reasonably well (Charlie XCX, Alex Winston) and others we're still waiting on (Yadi, The Good Natured), but my personal favourite was Mr Little Jeans. Following a couple of sensational tracks in 'Angel' and 'Faking Gold', word was that she'd moved across the Atlantic to get working on an album. Three years on from first hearing her it could finally be on the way. Recent single 'Runaway' was good, but was a little too close to the music of other artists than we'd hoped. Now we get 'Oh Sailor', and it's a bloody cracking pop song! Featuring the Silverlake Conservatory of Music Youth Chorale adding some gorgeously sweet backing, this is far closer to what we were hoping for. Maybe 2013 will have an amazing new popstar after all. Come on public, she's better than the crap you're buying at the moment by miles! Make it happen!



Mr Little Jeans' website

For some reason you'll have to wait until Friday to buy the single





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New Gods - Klipse

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

More genre-dodging. Everyone's at it at the moment. New Gods are an Australian band who've recently released their debut EP, also called 'New Gods'. Perhaps what's driving the collision of styles here is the fact that this is a secondary band for all its members, as they're all with various other groups (Little Red, Eagle and the Worm, Ground Components). So perhaps this coming together of ideas stems from that, it works either way, and that's what really counts.

It's something of a little journey for your ears too. Beginning with piano that it soon becomes apparent is the prelude to an R&B track, until the song changes direction to a chilled and slightly unusual form of synth-pop. The vocals could be from soul or disco, other parts from trip-hop; they seem to throw everything they can think of into the melting pot. The result is that it sounds like a remix of a remix of a remix of a remix, until the song has become remixed so many times that something entirely new is created. Weird, but very good.



New Gods' website

Buy the EP





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The Phuss - The Phuss

Album review by karla@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

What do you get when you combine the influence of '60s British beat-groups (think The Beatles, The Kinks, The Who, The Small Faces) with the added effect of an aggressive blues base? Officially, as of the '70s, you’d have yourself a whole new genre of garage-rock, better known as punk-rock.  Held with the mostly underground notion that bands making garage-rock were young and inexperienced groups dwindling away time in their garages, the popularity of this genre (or lack thereof) had been sparse throughout the decades that were due to follow. This is where we welcome the late '90s/early noughties, when garage-rock linked arms with post-punk revival and bands like The Strokes, The Hives and The White Stripes and broke into mainstream airplay and commercial success that had been previously unheard of.

Also to reap the benefits of garage-rock revival came the second wave of 'indie' bands such as The Libertines, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Arctic Monkeys, The Datsuns and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs among many other popular names. Cue hard rock & rollers The Phuss, formed in Fort Worth, Texas in 2008, adding a third member to complete the line-up in 2010. Signed to indie label Do For It Records and consisting of front man and guitarist Josh Fleming, Trey Alfaro on drums and bassist Forrest Barton, does their 2012 nine-track, self-titled LP, have the potential to boost them into the throngs of the best of the garage-rock bands? I’d take bets on it being a high possibility. Here are my four top tracks: the opener,'You Oughta Know'; with, throaty, glam-rock-esque power vocals and melodies, shrill guitar riffage, precise drumming and dominating bass, we’re catapulted into the album with a screamy, pure rock intensity that's dripping in as much as energy as it is in the sweat I would assume was lost during the recording of the album and their live shows.

'The Romantic' follows with a bassline that wouldn't be lost on a White Stripes track, it's a bluesy, kinky, sexy little number where Fleming's vocals are so seductive it's hypnotising. During 'Something To Die For' the guys experiment with a union of roaring punk/heavy metal/'70s rock and roll; a punchy track with a sporadic rhythm. And last but not least, the closing track '21 Ain't What It Was' reminds me a whole lot of the Arctic Monkeys, although, dare I say it, a lot more enticing. Overall The Phuss’ sophomore album doesn't have a bad track out of the bunch and these guys have given it 100% to make a record worth listening to whilst being stylistically bold enough to churn out more than just pretentious modern indie. Formerly unaware of them, I can tell you with confidence, I’m now a fan, and I'm glad to have found out what the fuss is with The Phuss. Rock on!

Learn how to place music on itunes at ReverbNation.com

The Phuss' website

Buy the album





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Skriet - Shanana

Album review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

There aren't an awful lot of bands around who are quite like Skriet (it's Swedish for "scream"). The duo began by messing around with a floor tom, a guitar and a synth. So you'd expect the range to be fairly limited, despite the numerous sounds a synth can create, but since that point they've progressed from messing about in their attic. They began adding lyrics (in Swedish) about birds, decay, friendship and love, until eventually they accidentally arrived at a point where they actually had some songs. A few years and a couple of albums on and we arrive at 'Shanana', an album quite different to any other.

Take the album's first song 'Ignoramus et ignorabimus' (yes, we'll be using copy and paste a lot in this review). It begins simply with, as noted above, guitar and drums. Then piano is added, then female opera singing, all at a mundane pace, until strange and orchestral sound effects begin to appear half way through. It's odd how such classical and old fashioned instruments can create a song that sounds so strangely futuristic; this is a space age song. Cosmic sounds proliferate this album, somewhat paradoxically considering the equipment used in its creation. 'Det kommer en våg' could be a translation of Bowie during his space period. Despite what could be conceived as a confused approach, this is a record that works excellently, and it's surely down to the pair's unusual introduction to the world of songwriting.

These are majestic and ambitious songs; 'Wir werden wissen' may start with surf guitar, but it ends like the soundtrack to interplanetary exploration. These otherworldly, cinematic sounds continue through 'Epigram' and the stomping, tribal epic 'De enklas dag', each building towards grand endings. There's a spookier start to 'De kosmiska mörka åren' but it soon lightens up. 'Godnattvalsen' seems to be a version of 'Auld Lang Syne' of all things. An album like this deserves a grand finale and this is done with the mysterious and incredibly slow-burning 'Kärlekspriset'. There really are exceptionally good tracks on 'Shanana', you could say they were as much art as music, but that would make them seem pretentious and overly self-important which they're certainly not. This is a quite special album.



Skriet's website

Buy the album





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The Black Widows - Love & Lust

Album review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

Stoke may not be the first place you'd look to for some good, stomping rock tracks, but that hasn't stopped The Black Widows from releasing an album of them. Heavily influenced by the sounds of country, Americana, blues and rock 'n' roll, 'Love & Lust' is something of a mixed bag. When it's good it's very good, but when it's not that good it's reasonably inessential. Don't let that deter you though, as this quartet do have some good tunes, apparently written over a four-year period and mostly pertaining to that age-old songwriter's source of inspiration: heartbreak.

Opener 'Post Golden Gate Blues' (like we said, they're heavily influenced by all things American) is the good, stomping, bluesy rock that you'd expect and is a fine tune. On second track 'Arkansas Sound' we get the first indication that 'Love & Lust' might be a hit and miss affair. Its tales of drowning your sorrows with whiskey seem a little forced and fake; it doesn't quite feel right. They redeem themselves instantly on slowie 'Find A Little Soul' which is given a wonderful boost by the gospel-influenced backing vocals. It's difficult to work out exactly who or what this band and album are, as they skip between so many different sounds and ideas, but then four years is a long time, so perhaps a cohesive story is a bit much to expect.

This could be summed up on 'Lust', a track that's not bad, but you will have heard others do the same thing to a higher standard. That said, the end section is pretty darn good. This is much the same for the rest of the album. As heartfelt as it is, 'I'd Give You My Heart' doesn't have the emotional power it should until the orchestration joins in; 'What Might Have Been' isn't an essential track and the same goes for 'The Light'. There are more tracks of interest though. 'Small Town Queen' works well despite more US cliches about girls called Jolene and so on; the upbeat 'Move Right Along' is a decent alt-country track and closer 'Back Home' is also a good tune. The Black Widows have a reasonably good album here that would be improved with the discarding of a couple of songs that don't quite work, and a few less borrowed ideas; it's worth a look though.





The Black Widows' website

Pre-order the album





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Josh Record - Bones EP

EP review by karla@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

If you've ever been to Brixton, or live near Brixton, or have heard of Brixton, it's probably not exactly a place of dreams to you is it? Well, meet 25 year-old Josh Record, based in Brixton, who I've now deemed, the angel of Brixton! It's rare that I stumble across an artist who has the vocal ability to send shivers through me. Josh Record, should take a well deserved bow because he has done just that with his stunning, folk-infused four track EP 'Bones'. The opening track 'For Your Love' is piano-based and has seen support from radio legends such as Zane Lowe, Annie Mac and Steve Lamacq and I can completely see why.

Josh Record has painfully heart-wrenching tone to his voice and reminds me of Bon Iver, and I don't say that lightly, because Bon Iver is, well, Bon Iver! 'Wonder' is not only a song but awakens a very special and strange feeling that you're being lead through a spiritual journey through the eyes of the artist  Pleasantly hopeful, Josh Record sings with a quieter, deeper tone to his voice and there's an overwhelming sense of pureness and honesty. 'Alaska' evokes nature lyrically and sonically with the simplicity of an acoustic guitar supported by emotional harmonies. 'Bones' is a cracker of a song that is almost gospel in its sound and reminiscent of Ben Howard. From the confines of his bedroom, Josh Record has thrown every part of his heart and soul into the recording of his EP which is described as an extension of his entire being. The depth to this statement is striking, haunting and authentic. Just like the EP.





Josh Record's website

Stream the EP in full

Buy the EP

Catch him live:

18th MAY - BRIGHTON, GREAT ESCAPE
20th MAY - LONDON, THE BORDERLINE
29th JUNE - PILTON, GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL
30th JUNE - LONDON, HARD ROCK CALLING
04th JULY - BRISTOL, LOUISIANA
05th JULY - BIRMINGHAM, RAINBOWS
06th JULY - CHELTENHAM, BARN ON THE FARM
12th JULY - STOCKTON, THE GREEN ROOM
13th JULY - NEWCASTLE, THINK TANK
14th JULY - BALADO, T IN THE PARK
17th JULY - LEEDS, NATION OF SHOPKEEPERS
18th JULY - MANCHESTER, CASTLE HOTEL
20th JULY - LONDON, FOLKFEST
21st JULY - SOUTHWOLD, LATITUDE
25th JULY - GUILDFORD, THE BOILEROOM
26th JULY - SOUTHAMPTON, JOINERS
27th JULY - HUNTINGDON, SECRET GARDEN PARTY
10th AUG - NEWQUAY, BOARDMASTERS





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Jane Woodman: From Poéme Èlectronique to Teenage Red

Article by wayoutwest@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

When I first recommended a friend of mine to check out San Francisco DIY artist Jane Woodman, who we previously wrote about here, her reaction was “OMG, I’m such a huge Lori Anderson fan and it’s as if you were reading my mind” - what she was referring to was not so much Jane’s music, but her incredible talent for several performing arts - video, live performance and the music itself, blending genres such as shoegaze, dreampop, experimental and darkwave. This has helped her to establish a strong local following in her native San Francisco and to win the hearts of a growing number of online followers.

Now just days away from the launch of 'Teenage Red', her first full-length, we are sharing news of her crowd-funding campaign on Indiegogo, which was launched to help her cover the costs of the mastering, manufacturing, and distribution of the new album. This campaign winds up on April 30, the same day that the album is to be launched, so time is of the essence to help make this a reality.



To give you an idea of what you may expect from this album, we're previewing tracks from the forthcoming release (above) and also including several from her debut EP 'Poéme Èlectronique' (2011) and the remix she did for Ummagma.



“I went into this album wanting to make it sound like what I heard in my head, only better. The lush, industrial sweep of sound is exactly what I was after.” Monte Vallier of Ruminator Audio is helping her to evaluate the final mixes and masters and Josh Bonati is mastering the album. “They both come from a long line of amazingness: The Soft Moon, Weekend, Wax Idols. Some of my favorite bands,” explains Jane.



Jane handles all her own recording, video production and management. She independently produced this album and is releasing it independently, with additional performances by drummers/producers PC Muñoz (on Reticulata) and Jon Weiss (on Anthropocene).“This full-length album has been a long time coming, and I am so psyched to finally release it ”.  I’m just as psyched to be able to finally download the finished product.

Jane Woodman's website

You can find Jane’s Indiegogo campaign page here





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Misty Miller - Next To You

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

Teenage garage sensation Misty Miller is dropping tunes like nobody's business at the moment. Whether this is her determination to throw out as many tunes from her vast setlist as possible or simply a record company blitz attack to ensure she's never far from our minds, we don't know, and to be honest we don't particularly care unless it's harming her career in any way or placing undue pressure on her shoulders. It means we get a ton of good music. Misty seems to be made of stern stuff though, debut EP 'Girlfriend' proved that.

'Next To You' is the title track from her forthcoming second EP (you may well already have heard the first song released from it, 'Anything For You') and is another corker made of thrashing guitars and a tempo that switches from tender moments to full on rock 'n' roll. She can certainly pen a fine tune, even more remarkable when you learn that much of her material was written at age 15. Fingers crossed that the hectic schedule is her own choice and that she builds the superb career she has the ability to. It would be a crying shame for her to burn out too young.



Misty Miller's website





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DogGone - Lilith

Demo review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

We first heard about London quartet DogGone a few weeks back after they sent in a demo track. We said at the time that it had been sitting around doing whatever the computer file equivalent of gathering dust is for a while before it grew on us enough to write about. Much the same has happened with this new track from the band, an unmastered song called 'Lilith'. It didn't really register much on first listen, but like the one before it grew over time. So now we're sharing it for your listening pleasure!

There's currently very little that's truly remarkable about DogGone as they're at the very beginning stages of their career (or life as a band or however you want to describe it) but it should be noted that although the songs lack a bit of studio punch and a few tweaks here and there, what we've heard so far has the potential to become great, rather than being great in its current form. 'Lilith' is no exception, and it's exciting to be following the birth of a band who could have a bright future ahead. We await more updates...



DogGone's website





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The Beardy Durfs - Bitcoins

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

We hope The Beardy Durfs haven't invested to much time in actual bitcoins, because in the last couple of weeks the value of this imaginary currency has plummeted. Mind you, technically all forms of currency can be seen as imaginary creations with no actual worth whatsoever, but this isn't a philosophy debate, so back to the tune. We reviewed this Danish duo's debut album not long ago, and found it to be a bit experimental, a bit noisy at times, quite unorthodox, and generally a bit bonkers. But it's a great listen for anyone who fancies taking a leap out of the norm for 45 minutes or so.

It almost seems as though 'Bitcoins' is the worst possible choice for a single they could have picked, but maybe that's all part of their skewed vision of music. It's not that the song is bad by any means, more that it lacks any of the traditional attributes you'd normally associate with tunes that would be fitting to be heard on their own. 'Bitcoins' doesn't do much; it's a weak drum machine, some muffled vocals and distorted synths with the odd bit of melody peeking through on occasion. Just like the the way they went about making their album sound, The Beardy Durfs have their own view of what a "single" should be. And for this we salute them.





The Beardy Durfs' website

Buy the album





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Nouveau Vélo - Daze EP

EP review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

The odd Dutch band makes its way onto The Sound Of Confusion, but probably not as many as we should cover, simply down to not hearing about them. Maybe a playlist like our recent post-Soviet scene report could be in order? After all, Netherlands isn't far from our own UK scenes, or those of the Scandinavian countries we repeatedly feature. A little of that dreamy magic has drifted south though, and it can be found in this new EP from Nouveau Vélo (I haven't checked and can't speak Dutch, but does that mean "new bike"?) which is shoegazey, dreampoppy indie that cites its references as past bands The Feelies and Galaxie 500, as well as modern bands Real Estate and Diiv. So that's two modern bands who are heavily influenced by the two defunct bands they mention then; you should be starting to build a mental picture of the sound of this record.

And you've probably got it spot on. Guitars are sharp but distorted, drums are buried in the mix, the whole thing is enveloped in a shroud of mist, including the vocals which entwine themselves in the sound instead of being pushed out front. This is only opening track 'Asleep' by the way, they have more. The wonderful 'Kite' follows and takes us back in time, showing us why they mentioned The Feelies. It's livelier and a definite highlight. Another instant hit is the brief 'Surfing Her wave (Reprise)' which gives way to the heavy echo and jangle-powered 'Like A Sun', another splendid tune, but they're still not done. The final pairing of 'Nostalgia' and 'Aurora' continue this fine vein of form, the former in particular showing that Nouveau Vélo are staring at the stars just like the rest of us.



Nouveau Vélo's website

Stream or buy the EP

Catch them live:

10 May - OT301 / Amsterdam (SOTU Festival)
18 May - ACU / Utrecht (Le Mini Who)
23 May - Hall of Fame / Tilburg (with Reiziger)





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Blindness - Last One Dies EP

EP review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

By all accounts London quartet Blindness have been going down a storm live, but then they do have Debbie Smith adding her guitar wizardry to their set (if the name isn't familiar, she's been a member of Curve, Echobelly, The Nuns and more). If we have a listen to their new EP, 'Blindness', we find that they're not to shabby on record either. 'Humming Song (Intentions)' begins with a sampled voice and a solid, steady bassline and beat. But that's not the end of the story; it's not long before those barbed-wire guitar licks transform the atmosphere to something with much more punch.

'Serves Me Right' has a more industrial feel, and the clang of the sharp end of post-punk takes charge. They sound like they mean business. That distorted guitar again lifts the song somewhere else, it's a useful tool to have. And we haven't even mentioned the lead-track yet. 'Last One Dies' is just about the pick of the bunch and is a very modern sounding alt-rock/punk/indie number with a driving beat, bellicose lyrics and a chorus that could be made for radio. Essentially this is what the Garbage comeback should have been like. Bit it wasn't, so that makes it one-nil to Blindness then.



Blindness' website

Stream or buy the album





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Huntronik - Huntronik

Album review by karla@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

Formed in 2010, beginning as a duo and then adding a bassist into the mix, Huntronik are a power-psych rock trio from Brooklyn who merge the genres of electronics and rock on their 9-track, self-titled debut LP, and that my friends is pretty much all I know about them. There seems to be a deceiving hush following the electro/krautrock scene where quite often the artists are nameless and faceless hidden behind bright lights and synthesizers allowing the music to do all the talking in the truest, computerised form.

Keeping their comparisons within the folds of the modern New York experimental scene, Huntronik give an insight into their sound being an "edgy" version of Battles, and a more melodic and structured Black Dice which, when looking at the album from the point of view of progression, is apt in its futuristic and contemporary expansion beyond the roots of '70s kraut without letting go of those foundations entirely. When I saw that the opening track was entitled 'Rabies', I prepared myself for what I guessed would be a manic epidemic of overwhelming, infectious sound. While the sound is catchy, it's not overpowering and after a relatively long and steady metronomic intro, the vocals, ironically in my circumstance, kick in with “we’re gonna tell you how it’s gonna to be”. Good on you lads, no one likes an assumption do they!

'Everyone is A Website' makes a fair amount of use of psychedelia to give the impression that every fibre of your being is being fed into a computer and then regurgitated back out again. The track leaves a scan-like imprint charging you up and then bringing you back down again. 'Baldy' is a good 'un, with an underlying eccentric '70s flare. There's a quirky electronic splurge full of funk and fun and is definitely one of the richest tracks on the album. Beginning with quirky organ 'No Deceiver' makes full use of instrumental, literally bubbling off in all kinds of racy directions and is without a doubt my favourite from a charmingly eclectic album. Nice work, Huntronik.




Huntronik's website

Stream or download the album





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Five For Free #177

Georgian Waters - What Is In Your Heart

I was recently assured that the charts in Sweden are just as awful as in the UK, but regardless of this their underground scene is stunning. Georgian Waters are another terrific example of the kind of dreampop the country has become world leaders in. 'What Is In Your Heart' ticks all the right boxes for anyone who likes their music fuzzy and ethereal.



Georgian Waters' website

Buy the single





Rare Monk - Sleep/Attack

Another oft mentioned location for music of the highest order is Portland, Oregon. So here are another band from that scene, Rare Monk who released their latest album in February. Titled 'Sleep/Attack', it contains some very good guitar-pop tunes that are sometimes smooth and seductive but still retain an alternative edge. This is perfectly exemplified by the title-track.



Free download: 'Sleep/Attack'
(Right click, save as)

Rare Monk's website

Buy the album





TV Girl & Monster Rally - Average Guy (Blame)

It's always great to hear from our favourite sample-monkeys TV Girl. Following last year's free album the guys said they'd be moving away from the samples and focusing totally on original material (this will help with clearance problems of course), but here they've teamed up with Monster Rally to add some of their magic to this collaboration, 'Average Guy (Blame)'.



TV Girl's website

Monster Rally's website





Gdansk - Atlas

Ontario quintet Gdansk deal in experimental, ambient alternative pop songs, and in new single 'Atlas' they've managed to use Autotune as an asset rather than a annoyance. The song has a great build-up, and rises from humble beginnings into something far more impressive and powerful. All this is done to a rich and warm backing which makes this song even more lovable.


Gdansk's website

Buy the single

Catch them live:

May 10 The Corktown, Hamilton, Canada





Spacelaw - Electricity

Newcastle's Spacelaw were formed by university students in 2010, they subsequently split up, only to reform again with a slightly different line-up. They've just released their first EP which is self-titled. Taken from it is 'Electricity', a slightly lo-fi indie-punk track that recalls bands like The Buzzcocks as well as more modern acts. It's raw and sharp, just like a song of that title should be.



Spacelaw's website

Stream or buy the EP





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Moritat - I Forgot To Kiss Her

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

This delightful psych-pop track comes from Chicago band Moritat who released their debut album 'Clill Blanzin' last year. Maybe they have their own language, as both band name and album title contain words that we're not familiar with. Thankfully the song lyrics are in boring old English so we can make out what this harmony-laden track is all about. You will have guessed by the fact that it's called 'I Forgot To Kiss Her' that we're dealing with a love song here, so we're on familiar ground in this respect.

The strange, wonderful and very colourful psychedelic video suits the song down to the ground too. While there are psych leanings, Moritat could be seen rather as a continuation of bands such as The Byrds, Big Star, later-period Teenage Fanclub and The Flaming Lips when they did pop songs for a few years. 'I Forgot To Kiss Her' isn't particularly outlandish; what makes it work is that simple trick of good melody, attention to detail, a stamp of originality and maybe even some slight innovation, all carried out perfectly. And as you can hear, that's something they've achieved with flying colours.




Moritat's website

Stream or buy the album





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Macrobukkake - Landscape Of Your Brain

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

First off, let's not even go there with the band name. Macrobukkake are an experimental duo from Barcelona who successfully fuse trip-hop, indie, hip-hop, alt-pop, prog and much more to make songs which don't fit any scene or even any particular pattern. 'Landscape Of Your Brain' chops and changes as it progresses through its near seven-minute duration, moving from twinkling dreampop to exotic chillout with guitars and half sung, half spoken vocals that are treated so it sounds as though they're quivering, then the whole thing drops into a peaceful mid section before sparking up again.

There are a lot of ideas to be found in this one song, and hearing experimentation of this kind is encouraging for the future of music in general. B-side 'Diverparty In Detroit, Michigan' is something entirely different; far shorter at under two-and-a-half minutes, it has a solid tempo that gets stronger towards the end and incorporates ragga into it's tropic indie stylings. This may seem like an obvious statement, but Macrobukkake are one of those bands you'll either get or won't get. If you do "get" them then further investigation may open up a whole new sonic world to explore.





Macrobukkake's website

Buy the album





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Young Rival - Two Reasons

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

OK, we'll come to the video in a bit, but first the song. Canadian trio Young Rival released their latest album, 'Stay Young', back in October. But as ongoing promotion for a very decent powerpop record, they're releasing one of the album's highlights as a single. 'Two Reasons' doesn't bother with an intro, it just launches straight into the song full-on. Why waste time messing around? Likewise the rest of the track barely pauses its combination of pop/punk guitars, melodic vocals and catchy hooks. It's essentially perfect single material; difficult not to like, and no needless flab.

It's not often that a good song is overshadowed by its video (many bad ones are of course), but what they've done here is quite incredible and should probably win an award. No, sod it, it should win loads of awards. And the make-up artist behind it (James Kuhn) should receive whatever the Canadian version of a knighthood is. It's impossible not to be transfixed by the images, and trying to work out exactly which part of the head or which angle you're viewing it from. It's not something that's easy to describe. So watch it and see, and them be thankful that YouTube has that little replay button.



Young Rival's website

Stream or buy the album





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Pirate Sons - 233U EP

EP review by Marcus Leyton

Since the end of The White Stripes, indie-rock has been missing something. There was something irreverent about their approach, something rough and ready, yet well produced, that lent energy to their sound. Pirate Sons, a new Three-piece based in Scotland, have done an excellent job of capturing that feel on their new EP. Built around snarled vocals, clashing guitars and huge drum beats, '233U' is as close to rock and roll as has been heard so far this year. The tunes are up-tempo and loud, but controlled so the song doesn't get lost in all that distortion. There are even hints of The Strokes in their track construction.

The highlight, arguably, is closer 'Long Gone'. Often, rock bands round off their releases with something introspective, to show they have the ability to tone it down a bit after all. And perhaps there is an introspective song in here somewhere, but it's hard to notice when there so much crashing distortion and rhythm switching to enjoy. It sums up the EP and The Pirate Sons’ approach perfectly. Great fun.



Pirate Sons' website

The '233U' EP will be released on June 2nd via Bandcamp





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