Out This Week: 25th June 1012

Stars - The Theory Of Relativity

Over the past decade or so, Toronto's Stars have given us some truly wonderful alternative rock/pop songs and the stage is now set for more, with the announcement that their new album 'The North' will be released in September. We don't have to wait until then to hear the first fruits though, as the band are kindly giving away a free download of the rather decent new track 'The Theory Of Relativity'.



The free download of 'The Theory Of Relativity' is available from Stars' website





Ty Segall Band - I Bought My Eyes

Ty Segall is pretty much the busiest man in music. As well as being a member of several bands including Sic Alps and The Perverts, he's recently been collaborating with White Fence on the 'Hair' album and has a solo album due for the Autumn. Then there's the small matter of squeezing in new LP 'Slaughterhouse', which is out this week. Here's the ragged garage rock of 'I Bought My Eyes'.



Ty Segall's website

Stream the album in full

Buy the album





Jesca Hoop - Born To 

Eclectic songstress Jesca Hoop is also giving the world her latest record 'The House That Jack Built' this week. Free single 'Born To' distils her many influences and vast experience into a delightful song-shaped package. You can hear folk, indie, pop, electronica and rock in the mix, and while she may be a hugely respected artist, she really deserves to be a household name by now.



Jesca Hoop's website

Buy the album





Beachwood Sparks - Sparks Fly Again

A full decade after they last released any music (barring free single 'Forget The Song' from this very album), the reunited Beachwood Sparks return with their hugely anticipated third album 'Tarnished Gold'. Lovers of alt-country and indie-rock are certainly in for a treat, and to get you in the mood here's another free track, 'Sparks Fly Again', which recalls The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and The Flying Burrito Brothers.



Beachwood Sparks' website

Stream the album in full

Buy the album





OBLIGATORY RECORD OF THE WEEK

Chains Of Love - I'd Rather Be Crying

Although it's been available on import for a while now, one of our favourite new bands have finally given their awesome debut album a proper UK release. Chains Of Love channel Ronnie Spector, 60s garage, soul, pop and Motown and their album 'Strange Grey Days' contains some of the finest songs we've heard all year. They already bagged themselves an OROTW spot with single 'In Between', but the issuing of a physical product in British stores demands to be marked by another. There were several candidates of course, but we've gone for the stunning retro-pop stomp of 'I'd Rather Be Crying'.


Chains Of Love's website

Stream the album in full

Buy the album





For more news, reviews and downloads follow The Sound Of Confusion on Facebook or Twitter

soundofconfusion@hotmail.co.uk

No Colour - Stranger

Single review by KevW

"Ragged DIY indie" is what their website says. It's a rare moment of unpretentiousness in a world of bands determined to give clever, pompous and downright false descriptions of their music. No Colour are true to their words too, with new single 'Stranger' (their second) being a delightfully messy clatter through a three-minute indie/punk track. It's a superbly unrefined sound, you can hear the rattle of the drum kit and the buzzing of the amps, it's the perfect level of production to bring the best out of a dishevelled pop song that's loaded with spirit and tinny, reverberating guitars. Apparently these guys are based in London, but the cover photo and the singer's accent suggest they may not be born and bred cockneys.

They're not part of the current fad for lo-fi, Jesus & Mary Chain guitar-pop either, because although these songs are scruffy and unkempt they're bursting with vigour and sound as though they're trying to be your friend rather than sitting in the corner, wearing shades and being all aloof. B-side 'Agree In The Dark' isn't short of energy and willpower either. It's not as good as the lead track but it is snapping at its heals, and the overriding impression is that No Colour are hungry, determined, enthusiastic and have an ear for a decent pop tune. All of which should stand them in good stead, we look forward to hearing more.
 
No Colour's website





For more news, reviews and downloads follow The Sound Of Confusion on Facebook or Twitter

soundofconfusion@hotmail.co.uk

jj - High Summer

EP review by KevW

Are they chillwave? Are they Balearic-beat? Are they dreampop? It's always been difficult to categorise Swedish enigmas jj and it's not only their music that's unconventional. Their whole approach is refreshingly obtuse and individual, as if they don't really understand the meaning of the word "rules". So their new 'High Summer' EP is, unsurprisingly, a surprise release to coincide with the summer solstice, and as is commonplace with this pair, the EP is yours for the meagre price of a computer and some internet access. And you have those already, because you're reading this.

Musically they're still inhabiting their own world, sounding something like a Mediterranean version of The xx remixing Beach House. The songs are minimalist yet rich and give off the warm radiance of sunlight with each lazy beat and hazey sample. '10' even manages to borrow lyrics from 'I Think We're Alone Now' by Tiffany and not sound ironic. Elin Kastlander's voice is as adorable as ever and the crisp acoustic guitars are offset with a gentle background glow. As always jj's music is overflowing with youthfulness and the sense of an endless future disappearing over the horizon. They may sound nonchalant and like they don't give a damn about anything, but there must be some effort put in to sounding this effortlessly, casually fantastic, surely?





Free download: 'High Summer EP'

jj's website





For more news, reviews and downloads follow The Sound Of Confusion on Facebook or Twitter

soundofconfusion@hotmail.co.uk

Imaginary War - The Tide Has Turned

Single review by KevW

In 2004, Welsh new wave veterans The Alarm conned their way into the top 30 by disguising their new single as the debut by a fictional band called 'Poppy Fields' which came with a video of a much younger band miming along. The hoax was eventually revealed but the question remains; would the song have achieved that level of success had it been released as The Alarm? The answer is almost certainly not, and proves that , although it shouldn't matter a jot, age is unfortunately a factor. The reason this example is relevant to the release of this new single from the forthcoming debut album by German synth-pop group Imaginary War is that the accompanying eyeliner-heavy video reveals them to be no spring chickens themselves.

Had 'The Tide Has Turned' been the comeback single from Two Door Cinema Club then Radio 1 would be all over it. As it stands, it'll probably fizzle away into nothing, and that's both unjust and superficial. 'The Tide Has Turned' is made up of post-punk guitars, retro electronics and owes a debt to Depeche Mode and New Order. It's also a consummate example of classy, radio-ready pop music with an arena-sized chorus. By rights it should be everywhere right now and well on its way to becoming one of the anthems of the summer. But the band aren't 21 and don't look like they've just been dragged through Topman's 'indie' section, so it will probably go largely ignored. And that's just not right.
 

Imaginary War's website

Pre-order the album





For more news, reviews and downloads follow The Sound Of Confusion on Facebook or Twitter

soundofconfusion@hotmail.co.uk

Joachim De Lux - Le Rondo Des Sirènes

Single review by KevW

'World music' is a horrible, almost insulting term. Its purpose is to describe virtually any sounds that aren't derived from western rock/pop/blues/folk/soul music. So that's pretty much all other music on the planet then, which stretches far beyond Europe and North America. Such a sweeping generalisation makes you wonder if there is such a thing as 'world music' after all. Surely, unless it's beamed from outer space, it has to be 'world music'? Well if there is such a genre then maybe this new track from Frenchman Joachim De Lux would be a perfect example. 'Le Rondo Des Sirenès' pulls in strains of genres from across the globe and intertwines them wonderfully.

What would, broadly speaking, be considered electronica, is pieced together using vocal samples, a variety of beats and percussion and eclectic instrumentation plucked from different origins and different continents. It's high on melody too, making for a song that's accessible to ears used to different styles and different cultures, truly spanning international boundaries whilst staying familiar. It's an inspiring approach and one that is hoped will inspire others thanks to the remix competition which is running until July 8th, when the winning entry will be included on the final release along with a handful of other official remixes. You'll have to go some to better the original though, consider the gauntlet thrown down.



Info on the remix competition and other mixes can be found here

Joachim De Lux's website

The single and winning remix will be released through Nero Plastic Records





For more news, reviews and downloads follow The Sound Of Confusion on Facebook or Twitter

soundofconfusion@hotmail.co.uk

Proto Idiot - Idiot Proto

Album review by KevW

Fidelity: the degree of exactness with which something is copied or reproduced. In musical terms it would be used to describe the level with which the sound of a recording is produced. Music that is note perfect, crystal clear, precision engineered and refined, well, that would be high fidelity. It can be truly amazing, but more often than not it's sterile and soulless. On his second album as Proto Idiot, Hipshakes man Andrew Anderson doesn't seem bothered about sound fidelity of any kind. 'Idiot Proto' goes beyond styled low fidelity, the preferred production technique of hispsters everywhere, and does away with the whole concept almost entirely.

We're not taking the manufactured no-fi scree of Times New Viking and their ilk, the songs on this album are presented as they are. Not made to appear warts-and-all, and not given any make up either. These dozen tracks are au naturale, and without wishing to sound like some kind of musical perv, this naked approach suits them well and it would be difficult to imagine them any other way. There's an personal, almost intimate quality on tracks like 'Breaking Up' or the garage stomp of 'Not Responsible'. 'Explain Yourself' is about as simple as rock 'n' roll songs get, in fact there's virtually nothing adventurous to be found here at all.

Had, say, 'Nothing Inside Me' been included on an album by a lo-fi/slacker group from twenty or thirty years ago it would probably be considered an important forerunner to the low budget D.I.Y bands of today, but as it is, it remains simply a decent, dirty and ragged alternative guitar tune. Much like the rest of 'Idiot Proto', its wearing the emperors new clothes but is neither new in design or likely to become a ruler of anything very much. But don't let that detract from what's great about this album, and that is raw, impassioned and simple indie/garage/fuzz tunes of the variety that will hopefully always have a place  in the world, whatever 'fi' bracket you wish to stuff them into.





Proto Idiot's website

Buy the album





For more news, reviews and downloads follow The Sound Of Confusion on Facebook or Twitter

soundofconfusion@hotmail.co.uk

Five For Free #90

Stepdad - Must Land Running

With a brace of EPs to their name already, this month sees the release of the first full-length from Michigan electro/pop/indie mashers Stepdad. Taken from it is free download 'Must Land Running' which treads similar ground to TV On The Radio or Maps & Atlases in its anything-goes approach to alternative pop, adding just a hint of a more commercial edge and a bellowing chorus.



Stepdad's website

Stream the album in full

Buy the album





Lace Curtains - Bedroom Honesty

Formed by Micheal Coomers of American garage rockers Harlem, Lace Curtains will be releasing their debut album 'The Garden Of Joy & The Well Of Loneliness' next month and if we're going off this early indicator, they could be sliding towards slightly more indie/pop territory than his other band. 'Bedroom Honesty' is lo-fi but catchy with it.



Free download: 'Bedroom Honesty'

Lace Curtains' website





Icons Of Andria - Icons Of Andria

At the start of the month we introduced you to the excellent new dreampop band Icons Of Andria (well, you may have known them already, but you know what we mean) and you can check out what we had to say and download a few tunes by checking that article. Well they've now posted another gorgeous piece of winsome loveliness in the form of this eponymous track.



Icons Of Andria's website





W. Pontonen - Come Smile

The name W. Pontonen might not be instantly recognisable, but once you've listened to this track you probably won't be too surprised to find that it's the alias of Miike Snow man Pontus Winnberg. 'Come Smile' follows his main band in their journey through experimental but accessible alternative pop, stitching together tracks by Lykke Li and Smile to great effect.



Free download: 'Come Smile'

W. Pontonen's website





K-Holes - Frozen Stiff

We'll finish this batch of quality freebies with a nice piece of adventurous garage-punk from New Yorkers K-Holes. Their second album 'Dismania' is out now on Hardly Art Records and taken from it is the raucous,  sax-fuelled thrash of 'Frozen Stiff'. It's a splendid mix of 60s beat groups and angry new wave experimenting, and it's yours for the measly price of a computer and some internet access.



K-Holes' website

Buy the album





For more news, reviews and downloads follow The Sound Of Confusion on Facebook or Twitter

soundofconfusion@hotmail.co.uk