Five For Free #13

Some excellent free fodder for your iPods!

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Same Mistake

Earlier in the year rumours were circulating that Clap Your Hands Say Yeah had broken up. Those rumours can safely be put to bed with the UK release this week of new album 'Hysterical' (US release next week). CYHSY are very much still with us and on fine form, gathering more of the rave reviews they've enjoyed on previous records. Hit the download arrow for a freebe.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Same Mistake by daftdreamy

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's website

Buy the album.

Howling Bells - The Loudest Engine

The third album from Aussies Howling Bells is also out in the UK this week. After the (brilliant)previous two, expectations were high. As an overall album 'The Loudest Engine' is a slight disappointment, and somewhat patchy compared to its predecessors. It's not without its highlights, though, and the title track is certainly one of them..



08 Loudest Engine by The Girlie Report

Howling Bells on Myspace

Buy the album.




Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - Morning Thought

Yes it is a made up name. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. are Detroit duo Daniel Zott and Joshua Epstein. Their debut full length was released earlier this year, and you can pick up a track it below. Morning Thought is the kind of off kilter indie-pop that may appeal to fans of The Flaming Lips more commercial moments.

Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr - Morning Thought by snipelondon

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.'s website

Buy the album.




The Castillians - I Don't Wanna Kiss You Girl

The Castillians hail from Birmingham but quite frankly they could be from anywhere and just about any era since the 60s. I Don't Wanna Kiss You Girl is a rough and ready slab of raw garage rock 'n' roll. This is the type of thing we were hoping would be on The Strokes new album.

Free download: I Don't Wanna Kiss You Girl

The Castillians on Myspace




Ladytron - White Elephant

It's been hard to escape 80s influenced synth-pop in the last two or three years, from La Roux to Hurts the charts have been full of it. Liverpool's Ladytron have been showing people how its done for over a decade now, with more credibility, originallity and less pastiche than the current crop. Their fifth album hits the shops this week and kicking it off is the excellent slowie White Elephant.

Ladytron - White Elephant [FREE DOWNLOAD] by nettwerkmusicgroup

Stream the album in full on Ladytron's website

Buy the album.




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Will Hanson - Moving A Body

This article also appears on www.soundsxp.com

Will Hanson seems to be a troubled soul. 'Moving A Body', his début album, is comprised of nine sinister tales of murder and loss (sample titles – The Ungodly Hour, The Bats, Deathbed Conversion). Awash with piano and strings, the lack of conventional song structures is to its credit, preferring to meander and stutter through the villainous narratives on offer. The overall effect is that of Broken Records' disturbed older brother.

A welcome moment of light comes in the form of the upbeat In Her Loving Memory which surges along until its mid point when a sudden change of tempo reveals a dark heart beating just below the surface - “you led us straight to a monster's lair...” - and the clouds begin to gather once more, the pretty arrangements belying the lyrical content - “it's a mess, it's a nightmare, there's no guarantee that the angles with bite-marks are waiting for me... I'll eat you alive.”

That this record was recorded at Chemikal Underground studios, the label set up by The Delgados, is telling. The Bats could easily have been picked from one of their later albums, such is the quality of the writing and arranging. The unsettling nature of the songs and lack of any radio-friendly unit-shifters will mean that 'Moving A Body' may not be to everyone's taste, but make no mistake; those that give it time will witness the emergence of a highly accomplished talent.

 

Download The View From Ebury Bridge below.

The View From Ebury Bridge by Will Hanson

The Bats by Will Hanson

Will Hanson's website

Buy the album.



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Five For Free #12

Fill your boots!


Oh Minnows - Another Volunteer

Oh Minnows came from the ashes of the band Semifinalists and were formed in 2009. Their debut album For Shadows was released this summer on the excellent Young And Lost Club label. Single Another Volunteer is the kind of grand, yet bombast free guitar music that so many get badly wrong. Oh Minnows get it spot on.

Oh Minnows - Another Volunteer by youngandhighclub

Another Volunteer can be downloaded from musicglue

Oh Minnows website

Buy the album.





Washed Out - Amor Fati

Sup Pop again. The blog buzz surrounding Washed Out's early recordings was as high as almost any artist of the past couple of years. Chillwave may be old hat now, but the atmospheric synths and laid back beats of Ernest Greene's debut album are still something to behold. Hit the download arrow for a free sample.

Washed Out - 's mor Fati by subpop

Washed Out on Myspace

Buy the album.



Brilliant Colors - How Much Younger

Listening to the second album from Brilliant Colors, you'd be forgiven for thinking you stumbled apon a long lost British indie band from the mid 80s rather than three San Francisco natives. Such is the ramshackle, melodic jangle they create, it's impossible not to include 'C86' when describing their delightful sound. Superb.

Brilliant Colors - How

Younger by Slumberland Records

Brilliant Colors on Myspace

Buy the album.




Elite Gymnastics - Omamori

]here's an air of mystery surrounding Elite Gymnastics. They're from Minneapolis, that much we know, and they have a new album out called Ruin, which is released in the UK this month. Omamori is from it, and is a dark, brooding, post-punk influenced gem of a tune. No more details needed.

elite gymnastics - o m a m o r i by Szabom

Free download: Omamori

Elite Gymnastics on Myspace




Baxter Dury - Leak At The Disco

Musicians with famous parents who also made music will unfortunately always draw inevitable comparisons. Baxter Dury's half spoken cockney drawl is mightily similar to his father Ian, but this should be no reason to write him off. Happy Soup is a solid, inventive album that shows Baxter isn't just hanging on to his dad's coat-tails. You can swap an email address for this album taster.

Sign up to Baxter's mailing list for a free download

Baxter Dury's website

Buy the album.




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Out This Week

Five of the best tracks hitting UK stores this week.

Male Bonding - Bones

It's been a good year for bands taking a step up on their second album, and a great year for the resurgent Sub Pop label. London trio Male Bonding's sophomore effort Endless Now is out this week and showcases a slicker side to their gritty punk rock. Hit the download arrow below for a free sample.

Male Bonding - Bones by subpop

Male Bonding on Myspace

Buy the album.




Gold Leaves - The Ornament

From the home of Sub Pop - Seattle - come Gold Leaves, with a sound not unlike the city's recent heroes Fleet Foxes. New album The Ornament is full of grand American 'canoeing music'. The title track sounds like Phil Spector producing the aforementioned Fleet Foxes, and that's a very good thing indeed.

Gold Leaves - The Ornament by hardlyartrecords
Gold Leaves on Facebook

Buy the album.




Grouplove - Tongue Tied

Grouplove seem to have been preparing their debut album for years (although according to wikipedia they formed in 2009) but it's finally with us. Never Trust A Happy Song injects a healthy dose of upbeat fun into the autumn. Check out the joyous Tongue Tied.

Grouplove's website

Buy the album.




Mister Heavenly - Mister Heavenly

Supergroup Mister Heavenly are also on the Sub Pop roster and comprise of members from Man Man, Modest Mouse, Islands and The Shins. These guys clearly know what they're doing. Mister Heavenly starts of in a fairly unassuming manner before transforming into a melodic mini epic. Great stuff.

Mister Heavenly - Mister Heavenly by subpop

Mister Heavenly's website

Buy the album.



OBLIGATORY RECORD OF THE WEEK

Okkervil River - Your Past Life As A Blast

Talking of which - the new single from Texans Okkervil River (taken from lastest album I Am Very Far) seems unassuming and pleasent enough upon first listen, but bear with it. Your Past Life As A Blast is a classic example of what is known as 'a grower' and it's every bit as gorgeous as anything produded by Will Sheff's side project, Shearwater. In fact it should sit along side Lost Coastlines as the band's finest work. Pick up the mp3 for free below.

Okkervil River - Your Past Life As A Blast by Pretty Much Amazing

Okkervil River's website

Buy the 7"




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Buchanan - No Photo EP

This article also appears on www.soundsxp.com

Since forming as a duo in 2009, Buchanan's ascent has been steady. The Australians released a low-key single and EP in 2010, now expanded to a four piece they've spent this year gigging across their homeland and gaining much support from alternative radio stations and blogs.

Available in the UK as an import, the No Photo EP is the band's first widely available release and is the work of a band with a fully formed sound and a clear indication of the musical direction they're taking. The Australian Turin Brakes anyone?

Although there is a tendency to veer a little too close to the middle of the road on occasion, the majesty of tracks like Teachers and Mr Keeperman are enough to keep the listener on side and make this a very worthwhile, if slightly polite listen.


No Photo - EP by Buchanan

Buchanan's website

Buy the EP.




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Five For Free #11

Another batch of free downloads to wrap your ears around!


Soft Metals - Psychic Driving

This woozy piece of synth-pop is taken from LA duo Patricia Hall & Ian Hicks - AKA Soft Metals - self titled debut album which was released in July on Captured Tracks and is one for fans of The Cocteau Twins or Chapterhouse. Is 'dream-gaze' a genre? If it is then this must be what it sounds like.

"Psychic Driving" - Soft Metals by forcefieldpr

Soft Metals on Myspace

Buy the album.




Boris - Hope

Next, everyone's favourite genre - Japanese shoegaze. Boris have been making records since the early 90s and so far this year have released three albums (take that Klaxons!). Hope is taken from April's Attention Please and begins in blistering My Bloody Valentine fashion before sludgy metal guitars come in towards the end. Best served very loud.

Boris - Hope by Cargo_Promo

Boris on Myspace

Buy the album



Memory Tapes - Wait In The Dark

Chillwave don Memory Tapes doesn't stick to the same sound for long. New album Player Piano was snuck out to little fanfare earlier on in the year and is more song based. Wait In The Dark is less immediate than some of his work, but blossoms after a few listens. Grab it for free below.

Wait In The Dark by Memory Tapes

Free download: Wait In The Dark

Memory Tapes on Myspace

Buy the album.




Howler - I Told You Once

The current hype band in guitar music circles (next year's Vaccines?) are Minneapolis based Howler. Unlikely to set the charts alight but almost certain to get the press and blogs foaming at the mouth. They've already signed to Rough Trade and put out their debut EP last month and for the price of an email address you can get this free sample.

I Told You Once is free to download from the band's website

Buy the EP.




Race Horses - Benidorm

Race Horses continue in the line of great Welsh indie bands, sounding like a hybrid of Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Super Furry Animals and Topper. Unfortunately, given the current musical climate they may only achieve the cult status of the latter. The reviews for last year's Goodbye Falkenburg album were excellent, as is new single Benidorm.

RACE HORSES Benidorm by FANTASTIC PLASTIC

Race Horses on Myspace

Buy the single



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Out This Week

5 of the best new releases.

Big Troubles - Sad Girls

Another Brooklyn band. Big Troubles second album is due out in October, preceeded by this single which shows the band taking a step up sound-wise. Gone are the rough edges of their debut in favour of a mid-90s, almost Britpop sound. Just as good as new single Sad Girls is another album taster - Misery - which is available for free on soundcloud. Sad Girls is out now on 12" or download it free below.

Big Troubles - Sad Girls by Slumberland Records

Big Troubles bandcamp

Buy the single.




Theme Park - A Mountain We Love

Almost everything you read (which I'm guessing will be quite a lot fairly soon) about Theme Park will compare them to Talking Heads. Have a quick listen to debut single A Mountain We Love and you'll see why. The London four piece could have big things ahead of them.

A Mountain We Love by Theme Park

Theme Park's website

Buy The Single.




Beirut - Goshen

This slow burner from Beirut's third LP The Rip Tide is one of the sweetest songs to grace our ears for a while. It would be easy to over-do it here, but the restrained production and simple arrangement of piano, horns and military drums provides the perfect backing to the Anthony Hegarty-esq vocals. Absolutely beautiful.

Beirut's website

Buy the album.



Butcher Boy - Imperial

Let's look at the evidence: a seven piece band, from Glasgow, includes a cellist, an album of twee indie songs that are as fey as you like... the words 'Belle' and 'Sebastian' spring to mind. They make a good job of things on new album Helping Hands though. First single Imperial is good enough to grace any B&S album.

Butcher Boy: Imperial by alisoneales

Butcher Boy's website

Buy the album.




OBLIGATORY RECORD OF THE WEEK

Dum Dum Girls - Bedroom Eyes

Dum Dum Girls second album Only In Dreams has become one of the most anticipated of the year. It's goodbye to the fuzzy monochrome of their debut, and hello to technicolour power punk-pop. Latest single Bedroom Eyes is equal parts Blondie and The Pretenders, it's big without being pompous and it pisses over most other singles released in the past few weeks. Download it here and crank it up.
Dum Dum Girls - Bedroom Eyes by subpop

Dum Dum Girls website

Pre-order the album.




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