Heartless Bastards - Parted Ways

Single Review by KevW

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

Ohioan Erika Wennerstrom has one of the most distinctive voices in the business and it doesn't hurt that she knows how to pen a decent tune or two. The cast of her bluesy garage-rock band Heartless Bastards have changed over the course of four albums, but the current line-up (with Spoon's Jim Eno manning the desk) easily live up to past expectations on this first single from forthcoming new record 'Arrow'.

'Parted Ways' is a reasonably conventional track, but add those warming, gutsy vocals and some blistering guitar work and the result is more addictive than it has any right to be. There's a kind of raw, world-weary soul on display here, and this kind of authentic passion can't be bought. The Black Keys comparisons may begin to dwindle now that duo have their sights set on bigger venues and bigger sales, but you hope, too, that Heartless Bastards' long-overdue wider recognition isn't too far away either.

Heartless Bastards - "Parted Ways" by rockedition

Heartless Bastards' website

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Five For Free #43

La Sera - Please Be My Third Eye

Katy Goodman's other band, La Sera, (she's also a member of Vivian Girls) follow up last year's self-titled debut album with a second long-player in March. The new album will be called 'Sees The Light' and the first song to be lifted from it is the short, sharp and very sweet punky buzz of free download 'Please Be My Third Eye' which you can pick up below.

La Sera - Please Be My Third Eye by hardlyartrecords

La Sera's website

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The Twilight Sad - Another Bed

Scottish indie-rock band The Twilight Sad are gearing up for the release of their third album 'No One Can Ever Know' at the of beginning February and on the strength of free download 'Another Bed' are sounding much more upbeat than usual whilst retaining a certain air of misery that's become their trademark. 'Another Bed' will also be out on 7" on February 27th.

Another Bed-The Twilight Sad by vick

The Twilight Sad's website

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Opposite Sex - La Rat

The trio that make up Opposite Sex formed in the remote town of Gisborne on New Zealand's North Island and have recently released their self-titled debut album which is an unusual mix of experimental punk, pop, indie, waltzes and shanties akin to an indiepop version of The Coral's early work. The album is available from bandcamp where you can get a free download of 'La Rat'.


Opposite Sex's website

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White Rabbits - Heavy Metal

Brooklyn's White Rabbits are back with third album 'Milk Famous' in March and ahead of that they're sharing this new track as a taster. 'Heavy Metal' doesn't do what it says on the tin, being more along the lines of spiky, funky post punk and may appeal to fans of both Gang Of Four and The Rapture. Stream it below of download it for the price of an email address.

White Rabbits - Heavy Metal by Consequence of Sound

White Rabbits' website

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Patrick Rodger - Your Eraser

I have to admit we know virtually nothing about Patrick Rodger other than he's possibly from Glasgow and has possibly recorded under the name Fractures (not to be confused with the London band of the same name - possibly). 'Your Eraser' is a track from his EP 'Drink, Fun, Blank - Repeat' and is a rather good piece of instrumental post rock. So here it is!


Patrick Rodger's website

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Flowed - Flow EP

EP review by KevW

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

With the recent glut of bands in Europe and North America turning to the alternative guitar heroes of twenty years ago for inspiration, it's pleasing to see that the passion for early 90s noisemakers is alive and well elsewhere too. Influence wise, Brazilians Flowed tick all the right boxes for people seeking more new bands to file next to Yuck in their record collection (they list Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, Swervedriver, Pixies, Jesus & Mary Chain etc.) and 'The Flow EP' successfully marries grunge and shoegaze, keeping things unrestrained and sharp with minimal production. Another clear influence is Nirvana, but think the primal energy of 'Bleach' or 'Incesticide' rather than the stadium sheen of 'Nevermind'.

In keeping the studio side of things relatively simple, tracks like 'Glow' and 'Fool' have an almost live feel which makes the EP more engaging than if it had been tweaked and airbrushed. 'Lucifer Rising' has a swathe of noise running over it that harks back to the shoegaze pioneers of the 80s (before the unfortunate term was coined) and swampy closing track 'Sometimes I Think About His Death' has a dirty, Mudhoney dirge to it. The six tracks here are good rather than great, but are carried off with a vivacity and passion that gives them an extra edge. Flowed are a band with great potential that they maybe haven't quite fully realised yet. Flawed, but in a good way, and worth the attention of anyone who prefers their guitars to be served raw.

Lucifer Rising by Flowed

Fool by Flowed

Flowed's website

Download the EP for free from Flowed's bandcamp page






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Out This Week - 9th January 2012

Diagrams - Tall Buildings

'Tall Buildings' is the lead single from 'Black Light', the debut album by Manchester's Diagrams. This track has been available from Amazon as a free download for a few weeks, but today sees the physical release of the single, ahead of the album launch next week. It's a song that sits comfortably in the gap between electronica and indie, a bit like Hot Chip producing a single for Everything Everything with Gruff Rhys on vocals.

Download 'Tall Buildings' free from Amazon

Diagrams' website

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Dear Reader - MONKEY (You Can Go Home Now)

The new album from South African singer Dear Reader (Cherilyn MacNeil) gets its full UK release this week and is written about the doubts and questions that have arisen from her loss of faith. Documenting this religious confusion in the form of an album written about animals may seem unusual, but makes perfect sense when you hear it, and the sublime 'MONKEY (You Can Go Home Now)' is one of the highlights.

Dear Reader - MONKEY (You Can Go Home Now) by cityslang

Dear Reader's website

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AU - Solid Gold

It might seem that every other resident of Portland is in some band or other, but the fact is that an unusually high percentage of these bands are really very good. AU return with a new album in March and taken from it is new single 'Solid Gold', out today. At first seeming awkwardly choppy, it soon becomes clear that 'Solid Gold' is a terrific piece of jittering experimental pop.

AU - 'Solid Gold' by theleaflabel

AU's website

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Laura Gibson - La Grande

Countering this boundary stretching approach is fellow Portland resident Laura Gibson, who has kept things rather more conventional across her four albums so far. Conventional maybe, but equally good. Her fifth album 'La Grande' is out this week and you can download the gorgeous, spooky country-folk of the title track for free by clicking the arrow below.

Laura Gibson - La Grande by cityslang

Laura Gibson's website

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OBLIGATORY RECORD OF THE WEEK

Frankie Rose - Know Me

Having already been a member of Crystal Stilts, Dum Dum Girls and Vivian Girls, it looks like Frankie Rose has got rid of another band (The Outs) and changed direction slightly. 'Know Me' is the new single from her forthcoming album 'Interstellar' and sees her ditching the girl-group sound of old in favour of a slightly more early 90s dreampop feel. The result is another wonderful track with plenty of her trademark melody. Vinyl junkies will have to wait till next week but the rest of us can download it free below.

Frankie Rose - Know Me by memphisindustries

Frankie Rose's website

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Five For Free #42

Brothertiger - Lovers

Retro synth-pop which is, for once, not totally obsessed by the 80s. Brothertiger (real name John Jagos) is from Ohio and makes chilled out (but not chillwave!) electronica with a poppy edge and has released a handful of singles so far, plus remixing for Keep Shelly In Athens and Tecla. 'Lovers' will appear on his debut album, 'Golden Years', which is due out at the end of March on Mush Records.

Brothertiger - Lovers by MushRecords

Brothertiger's website

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Good Dangers - So Unkind

We brought you another track, 'Abigail', from London five-piece Good Dangers earlier this week, and after further investigation it's become clear that they've got plenty more where that came from. 'So Unkind' is the band's debut single, released last year on Cosine Records and you can download it below and enjoy another piece of great indie/pop complete with cowbells.


Good Dangers' website






Gabriel Bruce - El Musgo

Formerly the frontman with Loverman, Gabriel Bruce recently released a debut solo single and made this separate track available for free download. 'El Musgo' ('The Moss' in Spanish) is bleak and heartbroken but at the same time moving and beautiful, with Bruce's gravelly voice offset by a gentle choral backing. It's equal parts Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits. Very good indeed.



Gabriel Bruce's website






A Lull - Some Love

From their 2011 album 'Confetti', Chicago quintet A Lull are set to release the 'Some Love' EP to coincide with their winter tour. Right now the EP (and a couple of others) are available for free from Mush Records - hit the link below to grab the whole thing - which includes a remix by the aforementioned Brothertiger and the experimental psych-pop of the original.

Some Love by A Lull

Free download: Some Love EP

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The Give It Ups - Let's Be Frank/If Everything Ends

This free digital single is the first of the year from London's Odd Box Records (who have plenty more to follow) and comes in the shape of two excellent lo-fi indiepop tracks from The Give It Ups. The snappy 'Let's Be Frank' has a punky, DIY pop sound and 'Everything Ends' is reminiscent of fantastic 90s also-rans Salad. Two top tunes, in other words.


Download both tracks free here

The Give It Ups' website






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Trailer Trash Tracys - Ester

Album review by KevW

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

I bet you're all thinking "oh god, not another album recorded using the solfeggio scale...". No? Us neither, but if you're wondering, it's an ancient scale that's based on seven musical syllables and is the tonal system with which 'Ester' was recorded. Apparently. Trailer Trash Tracys are not averse to a bit of myth making, their name is supposedly that of a troupe of strippers from the Stalin-era Soviet Union, although it doesn't sound particularly Russian. (A quick play on a translation site reveals Trailer Trash Tracys translates to Russian as 'хлам трейлера tracys'. I can't see Stringfellows rebranding any time soon.)

If you ignore any superfluous mystery surrounding this band and dive into their music instead, you'll find there's plenty of mystique to be found within their songs. A blend of influences from a mix of eras are on show, often all at once, and this brings a dark and murky edge to their brand of dreampop (dreampop-noir?), one that recognises that those strange visions we get when asleep aren't all washy sounds, hazey images and angelic vocals. Some of them are just plain weird and often quite scary, which is why this album is laden with eerie Twin Peaks guitar twangs and awkward sound collages along with more traditional Cocteau Twins shimmering.

'Wish You Were Red' and the gorgeous 'Dies In 55' fall very much into the latter category, dragging Liz Fraser's lot through a 50s jukebox that's been wired up to Clinic's drum machine. Before things are allowed to become too comfortable, the squiggling guitar overlaying 'Engelhardt's Arizona' reminds us that things could take a turn towards the unsettling at any given moment. The reverb soaked 'Los Angered' sounds ghostly and forlorn and it's not a million miles away from something Esben & The Witch may produce. 'Candy Girl' takes the girl-group format and reimagines it as the soundtrack to an unnerving David Lynch movie, before the upbeat 'Strangling Good Guys' (despite its sinister name) lightens the load once more.

'Ester' combines a wealth of ideas that, alone, are not in the slightest bit original. However, combined in this way they create something new and unique, whilst at the same time the familiarity of the sounds used makes this a quite welcoming album that veers from one emotion to the next; from dark to light and back again, and sometimes both together. There's a thoughtful, cinematic feel to the record which comes from the attention to detail that must have arisen from it's lengthy creation. Where the journey will take them next is difficult to predict, but for the time being we've got an excellent and interesting debut album to explore.

Trailer Trash Tracys - Dies in 55 by abeano

Trailer Trash Tracys - You Wish You Were Red by DominoRecordCo

Trailer Trash Tracys - Candy Girl by Double Six

Trailer Trash Tracys 'Strangling Good Guys' by DominoRecordCo

Trailer Trash Tracys' website

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My Tiny Robots - Zut Alors

Single review by KevW

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

The series of winter singles from Edinburgh's My Tiny Robots is turning out to be a cracker. When they began the run with a free download late last summer, I said it would be a tough challenge for the upcoming releases to match it. Well, not satisfied with bettering it once (November's 'Guild Of Defiants') they've upped the ante again and surpassed both tracks with superb new single 'Zut Alors'.

The quartet possess a changing sound that thwarts any attempt to pigeonhole them, they use the term 'oddpop' and to be honest that's as good a description as any. With its slightly ridiculous lyric of "Je t'adore, baby, zut alors!" this track positions them somewhere between the madcap genius of Super Furry Animals and the oddball strumming of The Beta Band, and makes for a song that is at once hopeful, serious, sweet and humorous. With another single still to come in this set, we're likely to be in for another treat soon. My Tiny Robots are the band that keeps on giving.

Zut Alors by My Tiny Robots

My Tiny Robot's website






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