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Track of the Week: This Many Boyfriends - Starling

2012-02-13T06:00:00.002Z

Released: 20thh February
Label: Angular Records
Get It: Fanzine / MP3

Brilliant!

Not that we've been through a slump over the past couple of years, but we're really being treated to some amazing pop music in 2012. I've said it before and I'll say it again now: golden age. And the pick of the pop pile is This Many Boyfriends.

For the uninitiated: This Many Boyfriends hail from Leeds and last year released the classic debut single 'Young Lovers Go Pop!' on Angular Records before their guitarist tragically passed away. 'Starling' is their follow up to this single and is out in time to coincide with their forthcoming tour. And as you can tell from the singles status as Track of the Week it's ace.

Snappy fun guitar pop it recalls both Art Brut and The Wedding Present whilst sounding distinctly like TMB. The vocals are to the fore and with plenty of memorable and quotable lyrics. Less instant than their previous single, it's nonetheless incredibly catchy and potentially deserving of the same classic status. The “ba-ba-ba-da” backing vocals towards the end of the single ensure that it leaves us on a positive sounding note, which is appropriate for what is a sweet and lovely single.

'Starling' is available on a Fanzine that's to be for sale at TMB's forthcoming shows where they'll support the likes of Allo Darlin' and The Cribs. Go and see them. The dates they're playing are below:

23 February 2012 - Manchester - with Allo Darlin', The Deaf Institute
24 February 2012 - Sheffield - with Allo Darlin' & Standard Fare, Queens Social Club
25 February 2012 - London Popfest - 100 Club, Oxford St
26 February 2012 - Leeds - with Allo Darlin', Brudenell Social Club
28 February 2012 - London - with The Cribs, ULU Live
29 February 2012 - Cardiff - with Allo Darlin', Buffalo Bar
01 March 2012 - Edinburgh - with The Cribs, The Liquid Room
02 March 2012 - Brighton - with The Cribs, Concorde 2
03 March 2012 - Leeds - with The Cribs, Metropolitan University

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Single Review: Freeze The Atlantic - Volcanoes

2012-02-10T06:00:00.003Z

Released: 5th March
Label: Alcopop! Records
Get It: Alcopop! Store

Freeze The Atlantic: making us use the word 'supergroup' since 2011

Oh, this isn't pop. Nope this is very much rock. But seeing as KPL has featured The Darkness it might as well go all in and review the new single from the Alcopop!'s soon to be massive emotive rockers. 'Volcanoes' is the first release from the band since last year's Colour By Numbers EP and has been so long in coming I'd wondered if they'd split. It's also the first taste of what's expected from their debut album which is due this year.

As this laregly falls outside of my area of expertise it's safe to say the reference points for Freeze The Atlantic are possibly somewhat lost on me. However as several of the members have their roots in the British post-hardcore scene of the early-to-mid 2000's this is a good place to start when considering their music. Propulsive and driven there's a crunch to 'Volcanoes' that doesn't come purely from turning the volume up.

Rather the kick that comes from the tight hard rock instrumentation is complimented by the emotive and strained vocals that make the single sound like a venue filler. Of particular note is the growling bass and surprisingly minimal drumming that set Freeze The Atlantic above your common-or-garden variety rock band.

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Single Review: Towns / Damages – Split Single

2012-02-09T06:00:00.000Z

Released: 29th January
Label: Cartoon Records
Get It: Amazon MP3

Two completely different, yet utterly fantastic, slices of noisy pop.

With a decent marketing push behind them and talk of their '90s influences it'd be easy for Towns to be written off as the Viva Brother of 2012. And while it's way too early to say for certain what the band will bring in the long term, it's safe to say that their contribution to this split single is rather fab. 'Gone Are The Days' takes cues from shoegaze acts such as Ride, encapsulating the vibe of pre-Oasis creation. The drums race as splinters of guitar noise and effects shimmer abrasively over amongst the beats. The vocal sounds breathless and yet confident resulting in some exquisite dream-pop.

Of course there is every chance that Towns, from here are going to go on to be an irritating landfil act. However as groups with British 90s influences are hard to come by right now and the period in our pop history being sadly washed over it'd be very nice to have a counterpoint to all of the grunge influenced acts. If the next single is anywhere near as good as 'Gone Are The Days' I'll be sold on Towns.

From the same hometown (Bristol) as Towns come the second contributors to this split release. Damages however couldn't be more different. From the off 'Tie A Ribbon' is scratchy, aggressive art-pop in the vein of Help She Can't Swim or Bearsuit. On the intro, as the fuzzy guitars slot amongst the dance-punk drumming and yelped vocals you could easily imagine this single slaying indie dancefloors in 2004. Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Hot Hot Heat are recalled with a catchy and yet slurred hook – essentially this is undeniably ace fight-pop that although of a recent style rarely gets made any more.

As a split single this gets top marks and is only prevented from taking a Track of the Week spot due to a plethora of very strong releases coming this way over the past couple of weeks. Keep an eye on both of these acts.

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Single Review: The Old Grinding Young – King Canoe

2012-02-08T06:00:00.001Z

Released: Out Now
Label: Self-Released
Get It: Band Website

Two thirds of Ute return with a hazy, creeping download

Oxford three-piece Ute were certainly the strangest of Alcopop!'s roster. Their bizarre amalgamation of folk murder ballads and noisy art-pop ensured that moments such as 'Innocent Tailor' became one of the label's most distinctive tracks. Their split last year however hasn't seen the end of them as Ollie and Michael have returned with new act The Old Grinding Young already.

As creepy and unhinged as their previous material, 'King Canoe' explores the depths of Ute's folksier side, adding in additional jazzy instrumentation to the mix. Opening with an acoustic guitar and the distinctive vocal that we're all used to it's a pastoral opening that's lent an ancient air by the backing vocals. Later when wordless vocal sighs are accompanied by brass and traditional acoustic instruments the listener is quickly transported to somewhere else entirely. So much so in fact that when the song ends it feels rather abrupt.

Any fans of Ute will already be looking forward to a single/EP/album release by The Old Grinding Young now and it's safe to say that the legacy of the Oxford trio will continue in this guise, safely.

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Album Review: Hysterical Injury – Dead Wolf Situation

2012-02-07T06:00:00.000Z

Released: 6th February
Label: Self-Released
Get It: Big Cartel

Meaty and tense art-punk tales of claustrophobia

Hysterical Injury are a brother/sister duo (originally from Wales, but based in Bath & Bristol) that make a DIY rock racket that to start with you could assume sits nicely in the DFA 1979 mould. Bassist/vocalist/sister Annie takes lead from the off with a scuzzy bass riff and a menacingly cool vocal.

This is just 'Halo Alkanes' though, the opening number from Dead Wolf Situation, Hysterical Injury's debut album. And mid-way through this track Annie's bass and Tom's rolling drums are joined by some scratchy guitar resulting in a 90's alt. rock feel. With “ooh's” and “aahs” Annie's vocal is like a grungey Justine Frischmann. And whilst the band never feel as though they're imitating anyone there's multiple points across the record where elements of their sound can be likened to the unlikeliest of sources.

The poppier 'Icebreak's extended instrumental passages occasionally bring to mind mid-00s pop-punks The Automatic thanks to the post-hardcore influenced bass playing and Annie's sneer on 'Cycle One' dips into punk posturing such as that from John Lydon in his PiL days. These sections are always well integrated into the overall Hysterical Injury sound though. Across the fifty minutes their nuances become familiar and a concrete identity is crafted.

Riffy conclusions that utilise Annie's meaty bass riffs and Tom's powerful drumming become the norm and ensure that even moments you initially conceive as missteps evolve into something better. With 'Skyline Interference' Following on from the creepy 'Into The Cabin', which settles into a tense groove and showcases why the band describe their songs as being about “sex, rebellion and claustrophobia.” you worry that they're attempting to repeat the same trick right away. Luckily the song title isn't wasted and the band loosen up, bringing Death From Above again to mind.

Above all however those that stand out as highlights on Dead Wolf Situation are 'Rosetta's Waves' (droney, with a dream-pop floaty-ness to the vocal), 'The Works' (loud-quiet and punky) and 'Vision Of Trees'. It's the last of these that's probably most deserving of mention, recalling as it does the Victorian English Gentlemens Club. With an a'capella intro yr gradually lulled into the song that builds itself up very carefully before coming together for a meaty conclusion.

In all Hysterical Injury may prove to dwell in the dark too much for some, but there's some excellent moments on Dead Wolf Situation that make the band worth investigating.

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Track of the Week: The Darkness – Nothing's Gonna Stop Us

2012-02-06T06:00:00.009Z

Released: 1st February
Label: Self-Released
Get It: The Darkness Website

They're back, they're amazing and nothing's gonna stop them.

Finally, the return of The Darkness. I've been waiting for this moment since they reunited with original bassist Frankie Poullain. And yes, I know that at their peak The Darkness were the least cool band, with the least credibility in the world, but at the time I was but 16 and not concerned with such things. But then neither am I now. Whilst this should be indiepop-tastic and The Darkness are anything but they are at their core an incredible party band with ace tunes. And if Big Scary Monsters can take Andrew W.K. in then so should you all accept The Darkness.

Luckily their new tune 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us' is in the spirit of their tremendous debut album Permission To Land, the record that opened up guitar music like no other album before had and one of the best things they've ever done. It's certainly better than anything from the under-rated One Way Ticket To Hell... And Back and could well be one of the best tracks of 2012.

With the lyrics about cycling around Lowestoft at night with a friend on yr pegs it's not going to give anyone any epiphanies regarding the human condition. But last time I checked neither do The Horrors, and this is certainly more fun. With life as it is right now there's not much to cheer us up. Most Pitchfork music is content to wallow in it's own sense of achievement this is the shot in the arm that punk was to the late '70s but without the pretence of claiming to change the world. It will however make you feel like you can.

Like 'I Can Do That' by The Futureheads, this is a song that can make you get off yr ass and really do something with yrself. It's better than any other big cock rock anthem, but at two and a half minutes long you could argue it's a bit short. Still, it's easy enough to press play as soon as it's finished or, like I did, set the iPod to repeat and let it play endlessly.

On the NME comments section 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us' has drawn comparisons to Art Brut, and although it has their bounce (and an animated video you could imagine visualising one of their earlier singles) this would sit comfortably at home on Generation Terrorists with it's nimble, glam guitar work and driven rhythm section. Still either way, when a song gives you as much vitality as this what can you call it other than vital?

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Album Review: Standard Fare – Out Of Sight, Out Of Town

2012-02-03T06:00:00.002Z

Released: 30th January
Label: Melodic
Get It: Band Website

The second terrific album from the Sheffield indiepop stars

Despite debut album The Noyelle Beat being released in 2010 it's seemed like a long wait for Out Of Sight, Out Of Town thanks to a push-back of over a month. With the label, understandably, wanting to release after the festive season when people are once again interested in new music it's felt as if the CD has been a long time coming. Luckily it has been very much worth the wait and initial listens suggest that Standard Fare may have outdone themselves.

Other than vaguely using the term 'indiepop' and mentioning their three-piece vocals/guitar/bass/drums set-up it's difficult to describe Standard Fare's music. Unpretentious, it's the result of three very talented musicians getting together and playing excellent songs. With the vocal pair of Emma Kupa and Danny How both taking lead the sound remains fresh and varied across the album. Ensuring that these vocals are high in the mix too is a nice trick as it means that the pop nous at the core is highlighted and the songs burrow their way into the listeners head and stay there.

With so many terrific songs on Out Of Sight it's hard to pick highlights. But for the purposes of this review I guess I must. Even aside from the Star Wars reference 'Darth Vader' stands out by virtue of being so extraordinarily pretty. Slower and sadder than most of Standard Fare's songs it features what's likely to be the best opening song lyric of 2012. “I'm not Darth Vader / Luke, I'm not your father / I'm not leaving you for good”.

Sky Larkin-esqe single 'Suitcase' is also rather fab and more upbeat than you'd expect from a song about preparing for a nuclear winter/zombie apocalypse, but in terms of tracks that'll have you bouncing off the walls, 'Call Me Up' wins the prize. It's perhaps Danny's finest lead moment yet and with the chorus of “So call me up, call me up / But I'm not looking for love / It's just a one off / It's only a fuck” that goes absolutely poptastic for the finale it's impossible to resist.

If there's one weak point on the album it's around the middle with 'Bad Temper' and 'Older Woman'. Not that either are bad, but in following 'Darth Vader' their impact is lessened. Stil, it's a small gripe on an album that includes as brave an opening song as 'Look Of Lust' and epic close 'Crystal Palatial'.

Furthermore, the detail that's added to Standard Fare's lyrics really helps make them. 'Half Sister' in particular, which features the line “Do you have the same skin that burns to a crisp when the clouds part?”. But in terms of relating, it's 'Dead Future' that really hits home. “We're all bright eyed on the outside but out hopes are crushed” epitomises how even when we manage to get jobs they're not what we want to be doing and can create as much sadness as unemployment.

But those are just some moments. There's plenty on Out Of Sight to delve into and wrap yourself up in. At only thirty six minutes multiple plays don't take long and reward greatly. In short, this will be one of the best albums of 2012, and with Standard Fare sitting alongside Allo Darlin', This Many Boyfriends, MJ Hibbett & The Validators and Big Wave (not to mention the whole JoFo/LosCamp/etc movement) we're in the midst of a new golden age of indiepop.

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EP Review: Gorgeous Bully - The Young Obese

2012-02-02T06:00:00.008Z

Released: 20th February
Label: Art Is Hard Records
Get It: Bandcamp

Lo fi pop with plenty of added noise and emotive intent

As undergound DIY lables go, Art Is Hard Records is giving Alcopop! some strong competition. The Young Obese EP by bedroom popster Gorgoeus Bully is already their second cassette of the year – the first came from Mazes' Jack Cooper – and comes on top of a bi-weekly download/pizza CD release.

As for Gorgeous Bully; you might remember 'That Kind Of Girl' – a Track of the Week from the end of last year, that set him up as a singer-songwriter type with a warm lo-fi sound that verged on country. Well this demo sound has been expanded on for the full EP that features five tracks that retain his lo-fi appeal but add plenty of noise and pop nous.

From Phil Spector to Yuck there's some disparate reference points for The Young Obese . Opening song, and free download, 'Never Cry', for example buries a festive feel in it's fuzzy wall of sound and comes across as both pretty and bleak, like nostalgia beamed back from an alternative apocalyptic future. Or perhaps someone reconstructing a Pipettes song from a thousand destroyed tapes. This is followed by 'Stamp' which is perhaps the highlight of the release and wonderful from the off.

With a similar faded glamour that we heard from Big Wave there's the echo of a memory and some surprisingly emotive force in the lyrics “I just want to tear it down.”. Like noise-pop acts such as No Age there's colour in the fuzz and the clattering and oddness of arrangement, that's distinctly ant-pop resonates in an oddly striking way.

'Who Do You Think You Are' (unsurprisingly not a Spice Girls cover) is the rocker moment on the release. Although there's a pop song at its core it's buried down there with the guitars dissolving into noise on top for a grungey feel and pounding drums that ensure the head bobs more than slightly. It's on this and 'Quiet House' that the aforementioned Yuck and Bos Angeles are both recalled. With lyrics such as “I just wanna lie in the lounge all day” the listener is instantly transported to teenage days of oppressive summer heat and a broken 90s soundtrack.

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://artishardrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-young-obese"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;The Young Obese by Gorgeous Bully&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

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Single Review: Katie Malco – Sad Eyes

2012-02-01T06:00:00.001Z

Released: 30th January
Label: Alcopop! Records
Get It: Free Download / Buy the EP from Alcopop!

The best track from one of 2011's finest EPs. Outstandingly ace!

Although it was clear upon first seeing Katie Malco play live that she was a fantastic talent, it was last year's Katie Malco And The Slow Parade EP that cemented this fully. Of the five tracks present it was 'Sad Eyes' that made it's way the furthest into my heart and head.

So good news then, it's now available as a free download and there's a video to match.

Right from the start Katie's voice is right at the centre of the sound and delivers memorable and catchy lyrics. On the EP it sits between two much more acoustic numbers and this helps to accentuate the singles excellent pop sound. Although an acoustic guitar still drives the number it's accompanied by pianos, tambourines and multi-tracked vocals. Genuinely, this belongs on the radio and in the iPods of all discerning pop fans.

Malco's instrument of choice has seen her labelled as a folk artist, but really this is just proper indiepop. And when I find an indiepop tune that my girlfriend loves as much as I do then you can guarantee a winner. If you don't own the EP yet then download this NOW.

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EP Review: British Sea Power – BSP EP1

2012-01-31T06:00:00.011Z

Released: 19th March
Label: Golden Chariot
Get It: British Sea Power Shop

First of six rough cut releases that show the core charm of one of the best bands on the planet.

With several previous EP releases under their belts, BSP EP1 may seem like something of a misleading title. It is however the first in a series of six releases in 2012 that will showcase the demos and workings of British Sea Power's fifth studio album. As the last couple of full-lengths from the band have taken three years each the presence of new material so close to the terrific Valhalla Dancehall is cause for excitement.

With lesser bands such a release may be not only offcuts from the previous record that simply weren’t good enough. This EP sees BSP moving forward, albiet steadily. Those that picked up the Valhalla Dancehall demos release will know broadly what to expect. Rough cuts with the core charm of the band but without the finesse that gives their albums their complete magic.

To this end 'French Pornographic Novel' and 'Baby Grey are rather good. The former retains British Sea Power's regal grace, with the vocal and keyboard playing out over found sound in the intro. Joined at the mid-way point by the drums a fuller sound ensues as the collage below expands to include additional instrumentation. This more avant garde feel ensures it's closer to the Man Of Aran soundtrack than any of their full releases. 'Baby Grey' meanwhile is Hamilton's moment and the cousin to 'Mongk II' and 'No Lucifer'. The drum machines are set to motorik and although lighter and of a more measured pace there still feels like some post-punk intent.

The two more refined moments on the EP however perhaps showcase the way forward more. The drums on the intro to 'Lullaby For What You Are' sound like 'Living Is So Easy', before settling into a 'Cleaning Out The Rooms' space. With the delicate but expansive guitar work you can imagine this being what The Maccabees were aiming for with the first half of Given To The Wild. Yan's vocal is at the centre, his croon closer to a less pervy Jarvis Cocker than the howls of BSP's early records. Although currently the ending peters out somewhat, you can imagine this closing a record when the finale is figured out.

The second of these fuller sounding songs is 'A Light Above Descending', the track which was briefly streaming on soundcloud to promote the release. With the huge sonic vista of Open Season and the edge of The Decline Of... it's easy to see how it has been taken into fans hearts already. A hard act to follow, EP closer 'Fiery' is a bit hazy and indistinct. Acoustic lead it's forgettable next to 'A Light Above..' and in need of a bit of kick.

This aside however BSP EP1 is a wise investment and essential listening for anyone already eager for another British Sea Power album.

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Track of the Week: Blood Red Shoes - Cold

2012-01-30T06:00:00.002Z

Released: 19th March
Label: V2

The mighty return of Blood Red Shoes

All at once, and with plenty of notice, Blood Red Shoes have announced their third album, its lead single and all the details you could want about either. Sadly, neither are out properly until March, with In Time To Voices following 'Cold' on the 27th. But as 'Cold' is streaming already there's enough to get us through the next couple of months.

Less poppy than the huge hooks that epitomised Fire Like This's singles 'Heartsink' and 'Light It Up', 'Cold' judders forwards on a propulsive drum attack. The dual vocals of the pair ensure that we're never too far away from what we know however and Laura-Mary's distinctive buzzing guitar work still sounds fresh and crisp.

What's particularly striking is how Rock this sounds. Like Pulled Apart By Horses and The Joy Formidable it's a proper guitar lead assault that pays no heed to fashion or trends, but seems set to make an actual impact on the mainstream. Steven wrote a piece for Drowned in Sound recently about how the big marketing push doesn't work for rock music and how the big alternative bands spend their time paying their dues before breaking.

From the sound of 'Cold' Blood Red Shoes days pottering underground could be nearly over.

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Single Review: Arctic Monkeys – Black Treacle / Richard Hawley & The Death Ramps – You & I

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000Z

Released: 23rd January
Label: Domino Records
Get It: MP3 / 7” Single

With it's heavy rotation on 6Music it'd be easy to get sick on 'Black Treacle', if only it wasn't so tasty. By no means the highlight of Arctic Monkeys excellent fourth album (that accolade surely goes to 'That's Where You're Wrong'), 'Black Treacle' still holds it's own as a single. Nonetheless, despite abstract lyrics and bendy guitar parts, you get the feeling it's only being released as an excuse for the band to team up with Richard Hawley again.

Under the guise The Death Ramps t'Monkeys recorded 'Bad Woman' with Hawley for the Teddy Picker 7”. Where that was spooky however, 'You & I' is ballsy and rocking. Whilst The Death Ramps prove that their time with Josh Homme included plenty of observation Richard takes the lead with a deep and gravely vocal.

This Mark Lannegan-esque drawl glides over Turner and Cookie's meatiest riffs to date while the rhythm thunders underneath. With the backing vocals sliding into a higher register it's certainly new ground for the Monkeys and a track that'd sound amazing live. The solo can only really (and has been) described as face-melting. It's nimble and an absolute cracker.

With Arctic Monkeys being the only mainstream or successful alternative band to be bothering with b-sides, and with 'You & I' being the best of theirs for a while, you know it's something special. All concerned may be several years away from having been a DIY act, but when rock music is this good......

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EP Review: Rose Elinor Dougall - The Distractions EP

2012-01-25T06:00:00.002Z

Released: 10th January
Label: Self-Released
Get It: Bandcamp

It's been difficult to get a full grasp on the solo material of former Pipette Rose Elinor Dougall. Although pretty and perfectly listnenable, there was much about her debut album Without Why that remains sadly forgettable. Or perhaps you need a more finely tuned ear and greater patience. Dougall's songs aren't those that instantly get to you, rather the delicate layers are supposed to seep into yr consciousness over multiple listens.

With that in mind, fans of Without Why won't be disappointed by The Distractions EP, but neither should anyone else be either.

At the start of first track 'The Night' cinematic Morricone-style guitar and stomping steady drums recalls Anna Calvi's dramatic pop as it floats by, anchored only by Dougall's voice. This dreamy intro gives way to the sea spray of some British Sea Power-aping guitar and crashes of cymbal. It's more robust than you might expect with more than a passing resemblance to 'Lights Out For Darker Skies'. Which as we all remember, was excellent.

'I've Always Known' takes it's intro cue from this, before heading in a more pop focused direction. The croon of our leading lady is less buried than previously with a classic stomping drum beat providing a safe bed from which to play off. This more than ever before feels like Rose taking a solo turn from The Pipettes, a more mature solo pop venture and a rather decent one too.

With final track 'Hanging Around' (which at over four-and-a-half minutes it could be argued hangs around too long) Rose provides perhaps the most accurate representation of the EP as a whole. Both pop and rock influences mash together perfectly as the swing of the chorus slides over scratchy guitars. Lyrically it turns some of the themes of unrequited love on it's head with lyrics such as “I know love / I've had love / and it's not what I want from you”. So, although it's perhaps pining it's certainly not mushy.

Although yr left with the feeling that some backing harmonies on 'Hanging Around' could better highlight Rose's incredible voice, the song is otherwise rather solid. Much like the EP as a whole then. For what seems like either a stop-gap, or a reminder of Dougall's existence this is rather enjoyable.

The Distractions Ep by Rose Elinor Dougall

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Single Review: Jumping Ships – Movers And Shakers

2012-01-24T06:00:00.003Z

Released: 24th January
Label: Alcopop! Records
Get It: Free Download / Buy the EP from the Alcopop! shop

Everyone likes Jumping Ships, right? 'Heart And Hope' was easily one of the best singles of last year and their EP, Standard Bearer, is a cracking slice or energetic and impassioned rock music with an ear turned to the intricate and experimental. To remind you all of it's existence the Ships and their wonderful label Alcopop! are re-releasing and giving away this free download of one of the best tracks from the EP.

Introducing itself with some odd drum work, the stabbing guitar and strained vocal join in for an enticing taster. If yr new to Jumping Ships at this point it's as good a point as any into understanding their sound. In particular the interplay between the cleaner lead guitar and more aggressive chugging rhythm one. With an excellent lead part that sounds intricate whilst un-showy and a drummer that flits easily between styles it's not hard to understand why JS are picking up fans from heavier publications such as Rock Sound.

Movers and Shakers. by jumpingships

What's crucial for this however is that these tenancies never over-take the band's capacity to write massive sounding tunes and 'Movers And Shakers' is easily one of their bigger ones. With everything working together to propel the song into a pit-friendly realm we're treated to a fist-pumping chorus and post-hardcore shouts on the backing vocals that ensure this is a memorable single.

Along with tour-mates Gunning For Tamar, and other groups such as LightGuides, Jumping Ships are signpost for where one of the best labels in the country area headed.

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Track of the Week: The Scholars – This Heart's Built To Break

2012-01-23T06:00:00.001Z

Released: 23rd January
Get it: Free Download

Pop exactly how we like it. Dramatic, ambitious and catchy

The Half Rabbits are not the only well-kept post-punk secret down in Oxford. The Scholars have been buzzing away for a while now, steadily releasing songs and EPs that have their roots in the darker rock of Interpol as well as the glam edge of Suede. All of that has now come together on their best song to date, 'This Heart's Built To Break', the video of which is unveiled today.

For anyone around in the mid-00s, The Scholars bear a similarity to The Departure. Although sadly said band disintegrated after a slightly disappointing album, in their single 'Be My Enemy' they had a certifiable classic. 'This Heart's Built To Break' is in this vein.

Getting off to an immediately racing start, the guitars accelerate off before dropping out for the introduction of the , low Bowie-esque vocal. Throbbing throughout is a Futureheads-style bass riff that hints at the band having developed with a love of similar art-pop groups as myself. The real flourish that elevates this number however is the dramatic strings, provided by Chris Leslie of Fairport Convention. It contrasts with the night-time city ambiance of the rest of the number lending a great amount of pace and scale, but at the same time does not dwarf.

Easily kicking the ass of White Lies (what ever happened to them?) this is excellent and epic indie rock that's clearly ambitious but without bowing to commercial concerns. For a free download it is essential and certain to get you interested in The Scholars.

The Scholars - This Hearts Built To Break from The Scholars on Vimeo.

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Album Review: MJ Hibbett & The Validators – Dinosaur Planet

2012-01-20T06:00:00.001Z

Romance! Dinosaurs! Giant Robots! The charming Lincolnshire town of Stamford, in Lincolnshire!

That's no moon, it's a … Dinosaur Planet!

Ah ooh! Ah ooh!

Label: Artists Against Success
Released: 23rd January
Get it: MJ Hibbett's website

The best indiepop concept album about dinosaurs from space that you will ever hear.

As a long-time fan of both MJ Hibbett and dinosaurs I've been waiting to hear this album for a fair while. Yet for some reason when it first arrived I was slightly nervous about listening to it. What if it didn't live up to my expectations? What if there wasn't any tunes, and instead it was all story? Well, I'd need not have worried.

It is GRATE!

The tale starts, as you might not expect, in Norwich. And, locations aside, follows brilliantly the beats of all great alien invasion stories. Done with heart and direct reference to its influences Dinosaur Planet never slips unknowingly into cliché. It revels in it's theme.. Wonderfully it at the same time creates it's own cannon, taking ideas and running with them throughout the entire story. For example we're told that 'Dinosaurs Talk Like Pirates' and presented with evidence to prove such. Rather than being a one line gag about their agape expressions this is becomes part of the Dinosaur Planet mythology as well as ensuring the different species sound different on tracks performed entirely by the voice cast.

In terms of songs too, there's plenty of highlights. 'Theme From Dinosaur Planet' is the obvious one, sounding excellent as a stand-alone single with a massive chorus and instant, novel memorability. On a personal note however, it is 'The Battle Of Peterborough' that begs for particular mention. With the full Validators ensemble (plus added bugle) and Hibbett's narration the city is expertly trashed. Not only by remarks about the wider country not caring (or even knowing about it's existence) but by an army of dinosaurs that flatten it. Well, flatten it more. Peterborough is already pretty flat.

Perhaps having lived in Peterborough is an advantage here (that could possibly be the only time that this sent ace has ever been written) but when is said about Queensgate shopping centre post-missile “It was nothing but a crater / A million pounds of improvements had been made” it's hard not to have a massive grin on yr face. (Strangely during the Battle it seems that the dinosaurs passage from March to Peterborough completely bypasses Whittlesey, which leads me to assume that the small market town that I come from completely escaped devastation).

As he does brilliantly, Hibbett also finds time for a little bit of wider social commentary. On 'Wither The War Room?' our General asks about the location of the large map of the country with all of the flashing lights. Her aide responds by informing her that it had been decided that this particular need of the military's could have been provided best by the private sector. “We've got an AA road atlas now”.

There's not an awful lot more that I can say regarding the plot of Dinosaur Planet without giving it away. The fact is I've probably already given you too many of the punchlines. But suffice to say that as well as dinosaurs there's giant robots (also from space) and much death and destruction. With the completely contrasting themes that each of the dinosaurs and robots get (a nautical jig for the former, electro-tinged punk for the latter) you may guess there'll be conflict between Earth's two visitors and from 'Strangely Attractive' that there's some bizarre goings on. But that's as far as I need to go for now.

What is worth a mention briefly however is how the voice cast of Dinosaur Planet are simply excellent and that the production is top-notch. With the title track being aired at MJ Hibbett's acoustic sets as far back as 2007-ish this album has been a long time in gestation. But it's worth the wait and so much more. It's rare that you can hear an album as an artistic vision fully realised, but this is what Dinosaur Planet is.

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Album Review: The Maccabees – Given To The Wild

2012-01-19T09:36:00.002Z

Label: Fiction Records
Released: 09th January

The big breakthrough that only just misses the mark but is easy to get lost in.

With Given To The Wild already a big hit and talk of a Mercury nomination a dead cert, it's probably superfluous to review The Maccabees' third album as anything other than them reaching their potential with a true crossover masterpiece. The only problem is that the album doesn't quite reach the lofty heights for which it aims. And although very good, and occasionally wonderful, it's not up to the standard that The Maccabees set on 2009's Wall Of Arms.

Still, with the expansive pallet and windswept sonic vistas it's entirely likely that Given To The Wild is 'a grower' and that come the end of 2012 this review will seem unecessarily harsh and presumptuous. But one of the great strengths of The Maccabees previous material has been it's ability to grab the ear and make you pay attention. Orlando Weeks' fragile voice still managed to cut right to the centre and their instrumental swells had real emotional pull. The nearest this album has to a 'First Love', 'Love You Better' or 'Dinosaurs' is by far single 'Pelican'.

But what a single it is. Drums that announce themselves strongly before leaving huge spaces in the sound. Vocal harmonies that are tighter than a Tory purse and enough textures swirling around to make your head spin. But with an album that's as impeccably structured and crafted as Given To The Wild it needs more than just the one stand out moment. The whole movement needs to enthral. In the first half the only track that really can be said to stick in the mind after the first half-dozen listens is the elegant 'Ayla'.

Luckily on the second side The Maccabees really get fired up. 'Pelican' stands back to back with 'Went Away' as the album builds up layers and textures, ramping up the excitement and engaging the listener more. With it's superb guitar work that's at once epic and jittery 'Go' is an album highlight. More worth pointing to however is 'Unknown' likely to be forever known as the moment where they throw caution to the wind and allow themselves to turn into a euphoric dance outfit. Weeks' vocal gives way to a female lead whilst the rhythm section play some drum and bass. Somehow this still sounds like The Maccabess though, such is the bracing build across this side of the record.

The more subdued closing pair of 'Slowly One' and 'Grew Up At Midnight' end the album nicely (with the former seeing the band do their best British Sea Power impression). It's a warm and immersive finale that you feel more of the opening numbers could have done with. If all of this sounds harsh then I apologise, for it's not meant to. Given To The Wild is still a record to get lost in, and as such is easily the British equivalent of Real Estate's Days. Smooth, elegant and tender it's a display of ability, ambition and emotion.

Like The Horrors, Wild Beasts and Bombay Bicycle Club, The Maccabees have developed into a modern 'indie' sound that's completely opposed to the compressed electro-rap of the pop charts. That's it's finally paying off for them on their third album (as it has for the other three) means that it's easy to see all four acts as part of the NME alternative mainstream, which is a shame as The Maccabees have previously been so much more.

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Single Review: Sleigh Bells - Comeback Kid

2012-01-18T09:11:00.003Z

Safe and solid return from the aggro-bubblegum duo

With their debut album Sleigh Bells managed something approaching the impossible. The painfully hip duo completely bastardised many of the most awful sounds and techniques in contemporary pop, compressing the completed sound into within an inch of it's life to make something so borderline unlistenable it became pretty awesome. From the subtle-as-an-AT-AT distorted drums through to the bratty cheerleader chants Treats was full of magic pop moments.

So does the first taster of album number two stand up?

With Sleigh Bells clear aesthetic there's difficulty in altering what they do too much and as such 'Comeback Kid' could be accused of playing it somewhat safe. With the interest they've had and with the cash from lending songs to adverts they've been able to go for a clearer pop sound which is instantly noticeable when the drum machine on the intro isn't cranked all of the way up. Indeed it's more of an electronic song than much of their debut.

Nicely highlighting the current crossover between indie and R&B is Alexis' vocal which seems to flit between the two without changing too much. Cleaner and towards the front of the mix they also ensure that the hook is more apparent. Perhaps a sign of more confidence on the group's part. The trouble is, it feels like a safe choice to return with.

'Comeback Kid' is no 'Infinity Guitars' and is clearly an evolution from Treats. There's definitely potential to get on board those that enjoyed 'Rill Rill' or perhaps even those whose tastes veer towards the more electronic sphere. If your mind was already made up against Sleigh Bells however nothing will change. The rest of us will have to wait and see what the full length record brings before saying the band are anything other than a one album wonder.

Comeback Kid by Sleigh Bells

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Single Review: Olympians – The Great Gatsby

2012-01-17T06:00:00.008Z

Released: 13th February
Label: Barely Regal Records
Get It: Bandcamp

Barely Regal continue to deliver excellent music in an innovative format

The first in a series of book themed releases, the Olympians book club will see four CD singles which can all be ordered in one subscription. The first is 'The Great Gatsby', an epic and emotive swell of a single that combines whooshes of keyboard, snappy intricate guitar work and tons of vocal interplay. If Foals decided to regroup after assimilating The Futureheads songbook, it might have come out something like this.

A synthesiser runs under the several-part vocal on the introduction, before we're introduced to a rhythm section that plain refuses to sit still. Progressing through passages that play with simple instrumentation, seemingly played on a child's instrument, and more aggressively guitar driven ones, 'The Great Gatsby' is difficult to pin down. Yet despite this tendency to fill the song to it's brim with ideas Olympians still manage to ensure that hooks are plentiful and the song easily stays in the mind.

Proving also that they're capable of stripping the music back, b-side 'Tiny House, Tiny Mind is performed almost entirely on an acoustic guitar for the first minute, with Olympians trademark singing accompanying. When additional instrumentation does enter it's much more organic sounding, with percussion wooden and earthy. A twinkling of keyboard beneath highlights the nursery rhyme rhythm of the lyrics and we're left with an almost lullaby feel.

Last bonus track for 'The Great Gatsby' comes in the form of a remix of 'You Don't Have To Be A Prick', done by Mantid SNiP. Whilst not as worthy of yr attention as the studio numbers it adds further to the textures already present with a jittery rhythm, sparse urban implications and a focus on the guitar. Not essential perhaps, but a nice addition for those wanting a deeper understanding of the construction of Olympians songs.

BOOK CLUB 1 // THE GREAT GATSBY by Olympians

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Track of the Week: The Shins – Simple Song

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000Z

A more than welcome, if somewhat delayed, return from the US Indie megastars

At. Bloody. Last. New material from The Shins. I can't be the only one who feared that it would never come.

With Broken Bells material being merely OK, there was always the possibility that James Mercer had lost the magic touch. Combine this with some big line-up changes in The Shins camp and the stage was set for disappointment. Luckily 'Simple Song' is every bit as triumphant a single as Wincing The Night Away's 'Phantom Limb', with the usual tender vocals and a sensibility turned to POP.

Wordless backing vocals and minimal sound usher the song in, but as soon as Mercer's voice joins the bouncing bassline and girl-group drums it's clear that it's The Shins and they're on form.

The slick production thankfully doesn't smother, but allows for a luxurious sound. From the electronic elements in the drumming that show their modern touch to the pianos that are sprinkled across the chorus there's more than enough to get immersed into, to pick apart and enjoy. Although the neat little guitar solo and the Super Furry-esque bridge are certainly highlights it's Mercer's voice and the accompanying harmonies that really steal the show.

If on first listen it's easy to drift off towards the end of this four minute-plus single multiple listens rectify this and get the song wedged firmly in the brain. Port Of Morrow can't arrive soon enough.

Simple Song by theshins

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Single Review: The Kabeedies – Eyes

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000Z

Released: 30th January
Label: Fierce Panda
Get It: iTunes Pre-Order

Norwich's finest bounce their way into brilliance with a joyful single

The first real exposure I had to The Kabeedies didn't impress me very much. This wouldn't matter, only I was writing for a semi-popular music website at the time and reviewing their début album Rumpus. I'm sad to say that I gave it a bad review. Having visited the record since I will freely admit that I was wrong and am sorry. If it makes anyone feel any better I did exactly the same to Let's Wrestle.

Fading the song in with a whoosh, 'Eyes' is an instantly gratifying pop smash that recalls the Britpop heydays without once seeming like it intends to. The driven and jittery indiepop rhythm section and vocal harmonies on the choruses are fleshed out by a big production that gives the song the chance to both breathe and soar. Brass peppers the song, which when lifting up through the arrangement brings to mind summers and so much joy.

Like the best numbers by Supergrass this mines all of pop's past to come up with three minutes of brilliance that you'll just want to lose yourself to. Play on repeat and you'll pogo yrself into dizziness. 'Eyes' may not be quite as good as last year's 'Santiago', but that's pretty difficult to manage. Providing both numbers are included on the forthcoming Kabeedies album it will be one to look forward to very much.

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EP Review: Joyce The Librarian – The Weight Of The Line

2012-01-12T06:00:00.002Z

Released: 9th January 2012
Get It: Bandcamp

Unexpected and understated delights from a band that stand apart

With a name like Joyce The Librarian you could easily have a stab at what to expect. In likelihood it would involve jangly C86 guitars and a twee female vocal. If that is what you tought then you're a fair way off.

Although there's a distant sonic comparison to some of the recent solo material from Darrey Hayman, Joyce sit comfortably outside of the traditional indiepop template. Their acoustic pop is clean sounding and very ably played. So confident are the band that they open track number one, 'When The Wood Comes Down' with a long instrumental intro. Although without any spectacular flourishes the song brings a memorable vocal hook to the table and the additional twinkling in the background is enough to make you think of Christmas.

'From The Foot Of Troopers Hill' is better yet. The distant snare drum is tapped to a marching beat and a small chorus of backing harmonies ensure that the tenderness of the hook “You're on my side” is emphasised. A cello is a lovely addition to the arsenal and is deployed only when needed across both this and 'Land'. Surprisingly this number manages to bring British Sea Power's Man Of Aran soundtrack to mind, albeit with vocals. The interplay of the trumpet and cello means that the gentle melody soars. With a coastal feel it's certainly the highlight of the release and a good introduction to Joyce The Librarian for those unfamiliar.

The Weight of the Line by JOYCE THE LIBRARIAN

The Weight Of The Line ends with it's title track which commits the Bristol band's sound to memory. Again we see the folk beginnings but without some of the the grander embellishments. Relying less on the lyrical repetition ('Land' hypnotically goes over the line “Your day will come”) the song shines more and, as you might expect from a song that doen't go over two-and-a-half minutes, flies by. The lyrics about sails reflect the nautical theme which sonically appears in the form of a buzzing cello.

Although it is perhaps a bit sparse and seated for some indiepop tastes, Joyce The Librarian bring something new to the table for those seeking a real alternative.

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Single Review: Dad Rocks! - Battle Hymn Of The Fox Father

2012-01-11T06:00:00.004Z

Released: 3rd January 2012
Label: Big Scary Monsters
Get It: Bandcamp

A beautiful single and a great excuse to revisit Dad Rocks!

As a member of Mimas and in his solo guise Dad Rocks!, Snævar Njáll Albertsson is responsible for some of the most gorgeous music that you may never have heard. Forget the melancholic folksy stuff from the US, Albertsson is the one that everyone should really be getting excited about.

As demonstrated by current single 'Battle Hymn Of The Fox Father', the central piece to last year's critically acclaimed Dad Rocks! album Mount Modern. Beginning with an acoustic guitar and a simple rhythm, delicate instrumentation is built upon layer by layer with Albertsson's voice becoming the gorgeous central focus. There's a folk root to the song, but with the bass part moving around in the song and quiet brass assisting in the swells, Dad Rocks! creates his own sound and completely inhabits it.

Marching drums accompanied by a trumpet and fleshed out by twinkling pianos give an almost festive feel, while the overall arrangement is warm and inviting. Like watching the snow fall on a dark evening from the safety of yr kitchen window, listening to 'Battle Hymn..' allows you to feel better being on the inside.

Battle Hymn of the Fox Father - Single + Remix by Dad Rocks! + Snow Kite

Accompanying the single for free download is a remix by Snow Kite. Burying the vocals beneath fuzz, the repetition of the piano line is bought to the fore and accentuated. If the studio version is watching the snow fall from the window, the introduction to this remix is like trudging through the flakes. Prior to the end of the first third the fuzz is cleaned up, leaving the vocal distant and hazy. An electronic beat replaces Dad Rocks! arrangements with fragments from the original occasionally intruding. At over six minutes the remix is arguably overlong but saved by progressing through different textures to a more than satisfying conclusion.

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Single Review: Bos Angeles – Days Of Youth / Beach Slalom

2012-01-10T06:00:00.003Z

Released: 21st November 2011
Label: Roundtable Records
Get It: 7” Single / Amazon MP3

This is a record label you should really be keeping your eyes on over the next twelve months. The first four releases on Roundtable Records have included two singles by ace indiepopsters The History of Apple Pie, and this AA-side from future stars Bos Angeles.

Marked out from the lo-fi pack through their excellent name, better tunes, Springsteen referencing artwork and the feel that they could actually go the distance and release a decent album, there's already excitement building around the trio based on songs such as these two. And it's unsurprising really. Although at a stretch you could link their sound to the revival of early '90s indie rock, or possibly the more organic elements of the 'chillwave' (*shudder*) scene thanks to their unsettling and hazy textures Bos Angeles are really their own band.

With first song 'Days Of Youth' their sonic template is set out with ringing surf guitars and Phil Spector drums. This is before everything kicks in with a drawled vocal sounding as though it's leading the band from down a wind tunnel. It extracts Sonic Youth's noisy pop from the aggressive mould in a similar way to The Go! Team, but with the aforementioned cut-and-paste replaced with “wooo-wooo-hooos” and and a stripped down aesthetic.

But for all the sludginess of 'Days Of Youth', 'Beach Slalom' manages to blow it away. An earthy bass riff gallops around alongside the tinny guitars whilst the splashes on cymbals and distorted drums smash away underneath. The vocal maintains a disinterested tone as if to keep itself from falling apart and the whole track comes together with a delightful sense of melancholic defeat and coastal loneliness.

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://bosangeles.bandcamp.com/album/days-of-youth-beach-slalom-7"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Days of Youth / Beach Slalom 7&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; by Bos Angeles&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Although they hail from Bournemouth it's unlikey that Bos Angeles will stay hidden down there for much longer. Expect to hear the name again on Keep Pop Loud before very long at all.

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Track of the Week: Allo Darlin' - Capricornia

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000Z

In case you missed it; Allo Darlin''s debut self-titled record is a sublime indiepop masterpiece. Released in 2010 it's definitely something you should go back and check, with singles such as 'Dreaming' and 'My Heart Is A Drummer' being as good a place to start as any. And you should investigate quick as next month they're touring the country again in order to promote the forthcoming second album, Europe.

Released on Fortuna Pop! in the UK and Slumberland in the US, Europe is preceded by this weeks' top track Capricornia. Which as you can hear from the embedded Soundcloud player below is a streamlining of everything that made Allo Darlin' special on album number one into a song that's so pretty that it feels as though it's been around forever.

Allo Darlin' - Capricornia by Slumberland Records

Referring to an area of Queensland it aptly reflects shimmering sun and wide open skies. Jangly guitars hit their mark and the influences of Kirsty MacColl and The Go-Betweens, that were apparently key touchstones for Europe as a whole really do shine through. But there's only really so much that can be said about 'Capricornia', it's such an immersive and perfectly pop experience that listening is the only way to do justice.

After you've done so and want to see them on tour you can check out the dates over at Fortuna Pop!s webpage. The Manchester, Sheffield, London and Leeds dates are also due to feature the AMAZING This Many Boyfriends, whilst the also AMAZING Standard Fare are on board also for the Sheffield one. It's three of KPLs favourite indiepopsters together on one bill! Don't miss it.

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Single Review: You Animals – The Strangest Disease

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000Z

Released: 12th September 2011
Label: Self-Released
Get It: Bandcamp

Despite having released the best debut album of 2011, You Animals managed to sneak this new song out at the end of last year without me noticing. The cheeky little scamps. Whilst not a single 'The Strangest Disease' is very much worth your time as it brings a different element to their sound, not present on Crimes, Creeps & Thrills.

Building from a semi-acoustic ballad to stadium-aping hugeness, 'The Strangest Disease' is even bigger than the songs from their excellent debut, albeit not as instantaneous or driven. It's different enough in sound that it's easy to see how, it missed the cut for the album from simply not fitting in. Eschewing energetic indie, powered by the combination of guitars and keyboards the foundations of the song lay in the rock realm. The purposeful drumming is bought to the fore whilst the song builds to massive peaks on Ryan's strained vocals.

It does sound huge and ambitious, but occasionally said vocals do veer into the emo territory that's usually best to avoid. This feel is exacerbated by the slick production and overall arena ambition. It's not a problem, per-say, but not what you'd necessarily expect from You Animals right now.

The Strangest Disease by You Animals

Still, it's likely that album #2 isn't going to appear for a while yet, and 'The Strangest Disease' is evolved and strong enough that if it points to where You Animals are headed we can expect very big things.

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Single Review: Kate Jackson – Wonder Feeling / The Atlantic

2012-01-05T06:00:00.005Z

Released: 09th January
Label: Sleeping Star
Get It: Amazon MP3 / Ltd. Edition 7”

Solid return from one of the 00's best pop stars. It lacks a little magic, but there's still time to fix that.

In the three and a half years since The Long Blondes split singer Kate Jackson has been remarkably quiet releasing only demos and last year's 'Date With Dawn' download under the name Kate Jackson Group. What's happened to the Group for her first proper single is unclear but with a widescreen sound and borrowing the feel of counter-cultural films of the '70s we're not in Sheffield any more.

It's not simply a case of having sanded down The Long Blondes artsy edges, it's more of a complete reinvention of her character. Where Kate was previously charity shop retro glam, this is Kate the chart aping pop star. Her voice is much cleaner, losing the shrill wail of 'Separated By Motorways' and never going as quiet as the whisper of 'Heaven Help The New Girl'. Musically we're moving close to Killers territory. Blame the producer for this perhaps, but the main problem with this single is that it's just too ordinary. Put simply, 'Wonder Feeling' is a straight down-the-line rock song with Jackson belting out the chorus.

But not being her former band doesn't mean that it's all bad. With the fuzz guitars and background washes of synth 'Wonder Feeling' has a BIG sound. Jackson's backtracked vocals provide girl-group harmonies to her own lead whilst this is emphasised with the handclaps and Butler's wall of sound. If it doesn't impress on first listen give it another go because more so than anything Kate has ever lent her vocals to 'Wonder Feeling' is a grower.

Kate Jackson - Wonder Feeling / The Atlantic by KateJackson

'The Atlantic' does a fine job as b-side, but is otherwise fairly unremarkable. Fading both in and out it's difficult to see how this would fit on an album, instead seeming suited to a side of vinyl. Kate's vocals are more distant whilst the swells of keyboards are responsible for giving the chorus it's lift. Everything about the song seems done to emphasise the chorus vocal hook; “Flying over the Atlantic”. It's the aural depiction of clouds and the picture of flying when there was still romance in the idea. Unlike the meat that's on the bones of the a-side, 'The Atlantic' is decent but somewhat ephemeral.

With a debut album hopefully coming out this year it'd be easy to expect far too much from Kate Jackson. I, personally, am trying to manage those expectations and simply hope for a collection with a few killer tracks. Still, it'd be nice to be pleasantly surprised, wouldn't it?

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EP Review: The Half Rabbits – Machine Triumphant

2012-01-04T06:00:00.002Z

Released: 18th November 2011
Label: Self-Released
Get It: Bandcamp

Sneaked out at the end of last year, Machine Triumphant was the second EP of 2011 for Oxford's post-punk outfit The Half Rabbits. With previous release Optimists making the Keep Pop Loud Top 5 of the year, and lead single 'Gasoline' being released on the KPL CD it's only right that the first EP Review of 2012 tackles this nearly neglected release.

Across the three tracks on Machine Triumphant, the band admirably display progressive tenancies without every going into pompous territory. Simultaneously they revive the post-punk genre and move it somewhere new. Owing to the past but not leaning on it as a crutch or actively mimicking. Even if it doesn't quite have the WOW-factor of Optimists, it'll only take one listen for you to realise that this is an excellent and ambitious release.

Machine Triumphant EP by The Half Rabbits

Opener 'Burn' brings to the table shimmering Bloc Party guitars and metronomic snappy drums. Once Michael's vocals enter they're joined by extra rhythms, drum machines that interrupt the guitars with everything building towards a heavier chorus than you might expect. With distorted guitars and apocalyptic textures it feels more Smashing Pumpkins at this point with a chugging guitar working against the more melodic lead. With the lyrics “We will watch the world burn”, it's evident that The Half Rabbits have constructed an immersive number that ably stitches together all components to take the listener on a journey through a scorched landscape.

More uplifting is track two, the appropriately titled 'Uplift'. The personal highlight of the EP too for me. There's something about it that reminds me of my teenage years around 2003/4, but I can't say exactly what that is. Much cleaner than 'Burn', 'Uplift', perhaps unintentionally recalls wide open skies with the vocals and guitars dancing around each other over the steady drum beat. Here the vocal recalls Interpol's Paul Banks and when they're joined by the backing harmonies of bassist Alice, bring the song to an epic climax.

'Aviator' closes the Machine Triumphant and again goes back to the rockier and more progressive leanings after a intro of chopping guitars and steadily pounded drums. A much bigger feel is leant by both the vocal reverb on the aggressive chorus and the nimble guitar work on the later peak. Said guitar playing feels as though it's intentionally reigning itself in, opting for complex and intricate rather than obvious virtuosity. When the vocals strain here as they often do, we see The Half Rabbits as much more of a rock band than in the past, but with their diverse influences and brilliant range they're capable of being more than whatever you had them pegged down as.

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

2012-01-03T06:00:00.003Z

Released: 1st January
Label: Oddbox Records
Get It: Free Download

Boy/Girl indiepop with offbeat and memorable hooks. There's nothing not to like... Oh, and there's bonus points for including old Frank Grimes on the artwork.

London indiepopsters The Give It Ups are already low key DIY heroes. With their stripped back timeless pop, a penchant for geeky subject matter (they've a song about/from the perspective of Scott Pilgrim character Knives Chau) and some fab releases on Odd Box Records under their belt they're a dead cert for cult fandom in 2012.

So what better way to kick the year off then than coming right out of the blocks with a brand new single? 'Let's Be Frank' sums up all of the appeal of The Give It Ups into under two short minutes. Buzzy guitars and an odd vocal are accompanied by twee keyboards and a slightly shouty backing. It's all of the ingredients that make up classic indiepop, and makes no bones about it. Rather it's appeal lies in it's simplicity, not dissimilarly to The Lovely Eggs. And like said Eggs, the lyrics are a bit offbeat.

Starting with the title they then go through various names before ending up with "Let's be Ahab / We can get the fucking whale". For what's almost the punchline the guitars go quiet and we're left with the wobbly vocal, clacking drum sticks and the ever-present keyboard. "I'm glad that I quit work / I'm glad it didn't rain / When they give me a new job, I hope I drive a crane".

<a href="http://thegiveitups.bandcamp.com/album/lets-be-frank-if-everything-ends">Let's Be Frank / If Everything Ends by The Give It Ups</a>

B-side 'If Everything Ends' is shorter yet, only just breaking the one minute mark. It's quieter too with more of a jangle and a slower, gradually building pace. It's lead by Cary's vocal rather than Ben and features all of the "ba-ba-ba"s and "do-do-do"s that the classic C86 numbers had. Starting with the positive, "When my favourite programme ends, I'll buy it on DVD and watch it all over again" as the track gets quicker the negativity sets in with Carys asking "If everything has to end, can we still be friends?". Well, seeing as this single ends in under three and a half minutes I think so. In fact I think that Keep Pop Loud would very much like to be friends with The Give It Ups in 2012

And if you're new to them then this should make for a rather decent introduction.

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Track of the Week: MJ Hibbett & The Validators - Theme From Dinosaur Planet

2012-01-02T06:00:00.002Z

2012 is looking to be another hot year for pop music with the promise of new albums from Franz Ferdinand, Pulled Apart By Horses, Allo Darlin', Best Coast and loads of others. But first out of the blocks are two records that were originally promised for 2011, but due to various delays didn't make it out in time.

Standard Fare's Out Of Sight, Out Of Town is of course the second of these, but what better way to kick off a year then a moment of bonkers pop genius from our favourite indiepop LEGEND, MJ Hibbett?

The forthcoming Dinosaur Planet album has been described by Hibbett as "an indie War Of The Worlds" and as containing "more explosions than any other concept album ever", but there's a full review to follow. What's important now is the title track and it's eruptive aplomb.

Opening with the sound of a storm brewing, the Validators kick in following Mark's narrative introduction. As well as being as catchy as you could hope and more epic than you'd expect, (free download) 'Theme From Dinosaur Planet' also asks all of the serious questions.

"What could make a Tyrannosaur scared?"

"Could a crazy kind of love ever exist between a human and Velociraptor?"

Find out when the album lands on Janurary 23rd.

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Track of the Week: Unextraordinary Gentlemen - Open Arms, Empty Air (2011 Version)

2011-12-26T06:00:00.045Z

Los Angeles based Unextraordinary Gentlemen are a band that I've intended to feature much more prominently on Keep Pop Loud this year, but have sadly fallen through the net. With this being the last Track of the Week of 2011 now is the time to remedy this and introduce yourself to a really unique act in time for their debut album which I'm hopeful should land in 2012.

Although a post-punk and steampunk tagged act, the UXGs warrant comparison to the violin and electronica textured elements of Pulp's '90s output and the warped storytelling of Nick Cave. There's gothic elements as well as examples of proper pop genius. In short they could be the best band that you've yet to hear.

Open Arms, Empty Air by Unextraordinary Gentlemen

Originally released on 5 Tales From God Only Knows 'Open Arms, Empty Air' has long been the highlight from their repertoire and this year has seen new life with a fuller sounding re-recording that you can hear above. The steady drum machine is swiped straight from alternative 80s pop music whilst the tension in the narrative echoes that from Pulp numbers such as 'Space' and 'Sheffield: Sex City'.

Where often such high-concept music can seem po-faced the Unextraordinay Gentlemen have a capacity for humour that's witnessed on the b-side to this digital single. 'Goodbye 1870s' reworks the Yazoo song 'Goodbye Seventies' to brilliant effect that contrasts nicely with the more imposing A-side. It retains the sense of fun that you might expect whilst referencing elements from the Gentlemen lore.

A great pair of tracks to end the year with, whether you're doing so hiding from the cold and feeling fragile or celebrating what's passed you can't go wrong here.

(Unfortunately the Unextraordinay Gentlemen are only available in the UK digitally right now, but if you head to Amazon there is some copies of their CDs available on import. Otherwise head to CD Baby to import it yourself.)

See you in 2012

Keep Pop Loud

Album Review: Emmy The Great & Tim Wheeler – This Is Christmas

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000Z

Label: Infectious Records
Released: 21st November

It's clear that right from the stringed intro through to the acoustic closer 'See You Next Year' that the sonic template of This Is Christmas is set for the heart of the festive. But despite songs about marshmallows, snow and Zombies it's never naff, never cloying and full of genuine sentiment.

Take 'Home For The Holidays' for example, a track that I've already highlighted as being a standout of not only the album, but the sub-genre of festive pop songs. The heartache and melancholy that comes through is far more festive than anything that's heard on radios over December, and a key reason why someone such as myself who's fairly anti-Christmas has taken this album so close to my heart. It's not the only such moment either; Emmy takes charge on both 'Christmas Moon' and '(Don't Call Me) Mrs Christmas' which reference and expand upon the same retro styling that competitors She & Him specialise in.

The latter of these two particularly is worthy of mention, telling the tale of Santa's wife being left cold and alone in the ice at Christmas whilst her husband spreads joy to all of the other's in the world. One for anyone who feels abandoned this winter. It's not all sweeping melancholy, though. Not with Tim Wheeler on board. He brings the massive pop sensibility of Ash in for anti-festive treats 'Christmas Day (I Wish I Was Surfing)' and 'Zombie Christmas'.

'...Wish I Was Surfing' combines Tim's surf guitars with sleigh bells for a song about escaping somewhere warm, and simultaneously keeps with his tradition of having one song about surfing on each album. 'Zombie Christmas' on the other hand tells of the dead rising over some gonzo pop-punk with a wobbly Peter Hook-esque bassline. No matter how good festive music gets it's going to take something rather special to make a better lyric than “Well, I don't wanna have my last Noël / We're gonna kick those zombies back to hell!”.

Yes it's silly, but so is the whole concept of Christmas. Some might argue that nonsensical 'Jesus The Reindeer' is one step too far, whilst others may say that it's a commentary on the appropriation of the meaning of the season. I just reckon it's a great pop song.

Despite Emmy being an arguably more 'current' artist and the higher profile that Tim has enjoyed over the years, neither one dominates on the album. They receive roughly equal time and both get solo numbers, lead vocals and some time on backing. For Ash fans who needed further persuading This Is Christmas is a further demonstration of why Emmy deserves further investigation. It's a true collaboration and has done wonders already to boost the profiles of both involved. If Ash decide to go back to releasing studio albums, and they're as good as this album then we'll be in for a real treat.

I'm just disappointed that I'm going to find it hard to listen to such a good album in 11 months of the year.

Keep Pop Loud

Festive Pop Drop

2011-12-20T06:00:00.007Z

There has been so many Christmas tunes this year that a post hoping to catalogue even a percentage of the relevant DIY-Pop would take until New Years to read. But even so, just covering the Tim Wheeler / Emmy the Great album isn't going to cut it. So without further ado, here's some of the festive pop tunes that have been getting spins at KPL Towers.

First up there's the song that MJ Hibbett & The Validators have recorded for Mr Darren Hayman's Christmas In Haworth advent calender. Entitled 'Thank Goodness For Christmas' it's a bit rough around the edges, but contains the entirely agreeable sentiment that the festive season has appeared just when we need it most - right in the middle of the darkest and coldest time on the calender. Weather or not you agree with seeing corporately coloured Santas and advertising everywhere, you can't deny that sometimes you just need a break from work.

Mr Hibbett isn't the only KPL approved artists to have got in on this advent calender though. Standard Fare's über talented singer Emma Kupa has recorded a song called 'Channua' to tie in with Channuka. Nice and acoustic, it's rare that we get a festive song from a different sphere and any song with Emma's vocal is guarenteed to be worth a listen.

Tellison now. With The Wages Of Fear being easily one of the best albums from 2011, it's good to hear something new from them to close the year. A stipped back recording, there's not an awful lot going on, but Good Luck It's Christmas is a pleasant and tender downbeat song.

Good Luck It's Christmas by Tellison

On the fuzzier side of things there's 'I Want You Back (For Christmas)' from Dublin based indie-popsters September Girls and The #1s. September Girls (who used to be Talulah Does The Hula) formed from the ashes of incredible forgotten pop band The Chalets and are worthy of note on that basis alone. What's more interesting is that this is a great little catchy ditty that'll be stuck in yr heard for ages.

On a much crisper note, Sunturns have recorded a double A side that's available to stream thanks to the ace chaps at Lazy Acre Records. A Norwegian indiepop gang who are "dedicated 100 percent to the joys and frustrations of CHRISTMAS", have members who are otherwise in groups including mylittlepony, Little Hands Of Asphalt and Honeytraps.
With a busy heart-warming sound and a myriad of influences it sounds just like taking shelter in a really good pub when it's dark and cold outside.

Sunturns - Christmas Is Here / Season Cyclics by lazyacrerecords

One of my favourite Christmas songs now. Covered.
Originally by The Long Blondes, The Vichy Government have had a crack at it, with their trademark spoken word vocals and cheap keyboards. They fit in a cheeky Pulp reference and get a bit aggressive towards the end but is essential Christmas listening and available for free download along a Vichy Government version of 'Stop The Cavalry' and an Eddie Argos/Keith TOTP take on Cliff Richard (as well as MANY MORE) from the Filthy Little Angels site.

And last of all we'll return to Paintings Of Ships. The band gave us an amazing single early in 2011 with 'Love Will Always Follow You Around' and now have a festive track that you can listen to right here. 'Forward Planning' is much more subdued than their previous number but with gentle bells and the bare bones of indiepop it's like sitting by an open fire after a hard day preparing for Xmas. It's good to hear from them again.

Merry Christmas
Keep Pop Loud

Track of the Week: Emmy The Great & Tim Wheeler – Home For The Holidays

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000Z

With so many new festive tunes coming our way this year it's difficult to know which way to turn. There's a Pop Drop coming later in the week of the ones that didn't quite make this slot, which is to say that this week's top track is what I reckon to be the greatest Christmas track of 2011.

It's not surprising to see that indie power-couple Emmmy The Great & Tim Wheeler have collaborated, the proof that their voices complemented each other perfectly was evident on last year's acoustic version of Ash song 'Tracers'. What is surprising is how good their Christmas album is. There's a full review coming later in the week, but for now the focus in on the utter highlight of This Is Christmas – 'Home For The Holidays'

Without any cloying cheer, 'Home For The Holidays' encapsulates perfectly the Christmas liminal period, where visiting the family provides respite from the hard-ships of the year, but also time to reflect on life going wrong. Through the eyes of teenage sweethearts we see the one who never made it out of the hometown eager to see the one that got away and the pair to reminisce about how it could have been.

Whether or not you've something similar to go home to, it's easy to relate to the nostalgia that comes with taking time out at Christmas, and there's more accurate depiction of the season for the 20/30 somethings in the line “Did you ever write that book? / Did you ever make it out of here?” than you'll ever find in a number by Slade, Wizzard or Wham!.

Keep Pop Loud

Best of 2011 - Top 25 Albums (#5 - #1)

2011-12-16T06:00:00.008Z

So, onto my Top Five albums of 2011. Obviously I'm wrong and you are right, but that's the point... right? Anyway, these five are merely my favourite albums of the year and they're all pretty much there for different reasons. Either way, I've connected with them all.

If you want to check out the other parts of the End of Year coverage then feel free to at the following links:
Top Five Gigs
Top Five Compilations
Top Five EPs
TheTrack of the Year.

Part One of the Albums Countdown (#25 - #16) is here.
And Part Two (#15 - #06) is here

Cheers
Lee
KPL

05) British Sea Power – Valhalla Dancehall (Rough Trade)
In stretching the songs from Valhalla Dancehall into all kinds of shapes British Sea Power have shown how robust they truly are. Complimented by a remix CD, a disc of alternate versions and last years' Zeus EP the fourth (proper) album from one of our top bands rewarded all that kept faith. Obviously not as incendiary as their debut (released nearly 10 years ago), neither do the band tread water. Each song is worthy of exploration. Beautiful and ponderous, 'Cleaning Out The Rooms' is the sort of stately sweep that Elbow would be proud of while 'Living Is So Easy' wears a Pulp influence on it's sleeve. 'Luna' is so good that it's possible to double the length (as BSP have done) without it losing any of it's power. A very singular band solidifying their position is a wonderful thing to come across.

Key Tracks: 'Who's In Control?', 'Luna'
Read the review

04) Tellison – The Wages Of Fear (Naim Edge)
Clean-cut indie rock, with the slightest hint of emo, Tellison could easily be terrible. Instead they're incredible. On the surface The Wages Of Fear sounds like a straightforward guitar driven record, but over multiple listens little bits start appearing around the edges and a long-term appeal presents itself. Still, that's not the reason it's been on heavy rotation this year. Emotive moments and excellent songcraft ('Collarbone' in particular) have provided just the pick me up that's needed by a struggling sentimental such as myself, whilst punchy, heavier moments such as 'Horses' have provided the physical drive for me to actual move on occasion.

Key Tracks: 'Collarbone', 'My Wife's Grave Is In Paris'
Read the review

03) The Answering Machine – Lifeline (Heist Or Hit Records)
The Answering Machine were one of three bands to have released cracking second albums in 2011, only to split soon after. It's a signifier of how it's impossible for underground acts to trully earn a living more than it is a comment on the music. Still, you can't help but feel The Answering Machine would have found it hard to top Lifeline. When 'Animals' arrived at the tail end of 2010 it felt promising that the band had refined all of their impulses into streamlined pop, but with the title track and skyscraping moments such as 'Anything Anything' and 'Video 8' they sounded like they could take on the world. That's not to say that there's no edge to Lifeline; 'Romantic And Square' retains jagged corners and the sadness at the core of 'Hospital Lung' kept this very much left of the middle.

Key Tracks: 'Lifeline', 'Anything Anything'
Read the review

02) The Go! Team – Rolling Blackouts (Memphis Industries)
As great as Thunder, Lightning, Strike was and is, the third album from The Go! Team has got to go down as being their best. Distilling everything that I love, not only about The Go! Team, but about music is damn-near impossible to do, but has been done here. 'Buy Nothing Day' stands out as the prime example of this, but thanks to the cut and paste, magpie nature of mainman Ian Parton all potential areas and sounds were covered without the record descending into a mes. Whatever yr after there's a track on Rolling Blackouts that fits the bill.

Key Tracks: 'Apollo Throwdown', 'Buy Nothing Day'
Read the review

01) Johnny Foreigner – Johnny Foreigner Vs Everything (Alcopop!)
2011 was Johnny Foreigner's own. It doesn't seem that they've seen it that way, after being blackballed by the NME, generally having no money and trying to combat leaks. But against all odds they succeeded and released the album of their career on the best record label in the country. From the numbers that sound like classic JoFo ('If I'm The Most Famous Boy You've Fucked, Then Honey Yr In Trouble', 'What Drummers Get') to completely new territory ('200X', 'Don't Show Us Your Fangs'), it distilled their essence, their combative nature and outsider status into an ambitious and brilliant full length album. An album to get lost in, that comforts and energises. It's one to take right into yr heart.

Key Tracks: '200X', 'New Street, You Can Take It'
Read the review

Keep Pop Loud

Best of 2011 - Top 25 Albums (#15 - #6)

2011-12-15T06:00:00.006Z

Day two of the album countdown, and again there's not an awful lot to say really. Again, these are the Top 25 Albums of the year according to myself at Keep Pop Loud. It's a personal opinion, but you knew that already. I'm happy to accept all bile in the comments section.

If you like this list feel free to check out the other End of Year coverage such as the Top Five Gigs, Top Five Compilations, Top Five EPs, and the Track of the Year.

Part One of the Albums Countdown (#25 - #16) is here.

Cheers
Lee
KPL

15) Dum Dum Girls – Only In Dreams (Sub Pop)
With a full band and melding of Phil Spector and C86 Dum Dum Girls kicked the tinny lo-fi of their debut into the long grass. 'Bedroom Eyes' may dominate for the first few listens, but that's not to detract from the longing of 'In My Head' or the emotionally heavy swirl 'Coming Down'. It's that deceptively simple sounding combination of girl-group vocals and guitar reverb that refuses to grow old.
Key Track: 'Bedroom Eyes'
Read the review

14) Los Campesinos! - Hello Sadness (Wichita Recordings)
There's not a huge amount to say about Hello Sadness that's not already been said. Not quite up to the very high standards of Romance Is Boring, it still packed an emotive punch with the title track and gave them their catchiest ever song with 'By Your Hand'. It's great to see that they can do big pop moments still, and with their productivity rate as high as it is, you just know they'll be building on this very soon.
Key Track: 'Hello Sadness'
Read the review

13) Young Knives – Ornaments From The Silver Arcade (Gadzook)
Coming back to Ornaments... feels like listening to an album made by a band with a theoretical knowledge of pop music, but no first hand listening. In reality it's more of a sideways take on the genre, smoothing off the rough edges and playing with bass synths for a slicker finish but singing about nuns and transsexuals. Still smarter than your average but very fun too.
Key Track: 'Sister Frideswide'
Read the review

12) Dananananaykroyd – There Is A Way (Pizza College)
There's little in music, or life for that matter, that's as fun as Dananananaykroyd. But sadly the Danas split this year just as it felt like they were on the cusp of taking over the world. There Is A Way was much bigger and snappier than their debut ever hinted that they could be and they capitalised on all the record promised with some excellent live shows. They'll be very much missed.
Key Track: 'Muscle Memory'
Read the review

11) Kaiser Chiefs – The Future Is Medieval (Fiction)
Believe it or not, Kaiser Chiefs fourth album is actually rather great. Easily their best since Employment and possibly their career high. More refined and engaging with a plethora of pop sounds, it seems to hark back to what kids born in the '70s would figure music to really be about. Although, if you've already decided against them you're unlikely to change your mind. It's your loss, as this is endlessly listenable.
Key Track: 'If You Will Have Me'

10) Ghostpoet – Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam (Brownswood Recordings)
Although impossible to pigeonhole, most people seem to have settled on calling Ghostpoet 'trip-hop. Whichever way it goes, no other album in 2011 was as good at creating an atmosphere as Peanut Butter Blues. As easy as it is to get lost in, it's perfectly possible to appreciate the record completely just by letting it wash over you. The lyrics resonate deeply with anyone stuck in a difficult place during this never ending economic cluskterfuck.
Key Track: 'Liiines'

09) Pete And The Pirates – One Thousand Pictures (Stolen Recordings)
Pete And The Pirates don't do filler. If they're releasing a song then it's of the highest quality. One Thousand Pictures arrived over three years after debut Little Death and understandably showed us a band evolved. Not beyond recognition thankfully, with the motorik rhythms of 'Come To The Bar' complemented by the heart-in-moth vocal of Thomas Saunders. 'Cold Black Kitty' was more familiar and the album hangs together as a fantastic whole.
Key Track: 'Half Moon Street'
Read the review

08) Arctic Monkeys – Suck It And See / Alex Turner – Submarine (Domino)
They have absolutely nothing to prove now, and I doubt ever will have to again. Older folks may baulk at the suggestion that Alex Turner is up there with Morrissey, Ray Davies et al in the list of greats, but that's their prerogative. The Submarine soundtrack provided a wonderful taster of what was to come on the Monkeys fourth full album but, even so, the band surpassed all expectations, crafting some of their strongest melodies yet. It's been noted that Turner's lyrics are becoming more abstract, but there's not been a line this year as evocative as “She looks as if she's blowing a kiss at me / And suddenly the sky is a scissor”.
Key Tracks: 'That's Where You're Wrong' (AM) / 'Piledriver Waltz' (AT)

07) Yuck – Yuck (Fat Possum)
Not quite the debut of the year, but damn close. From opening radio hit 'Get Away' to closing epic 'Rubber' there's not a moment where the excitement drops. Acoustic numbers are handled as well as the full blow grunge anthems and with 'Georgia' Yuck have one of the purest shimmers of summery indiepop that has ever come this way. It's so difficult to pick a favourite from this album and more can't come soon enough.
Key Track: 'Georgia'

06) You Animals – Crimes, Creeps & Thrills (This Is Fake DIY)
There's an extraordinary hit rate on Crimes, Creeps & Thrills which belies the fact that nowhere near enough people have been getting excited about You Animals this year. On release Keep Pop Loud was quoted as saying “It's brilliance will slay you!”. I stand completely buy that and will guarantee that anyone after pop thrills will not come away disappointed from this record. Fizzy, anthemic and definitely awesome.
Key Track: 'Halfway To Heartbreak'
Read the review

Keep Pop Loud

Best of 2011 - Top 25 Albums (#25 - #16)

2011-12-14T06:00:00.001Z

This list pretty much speaks for itself, I believe. These are the Top 25 Albums of the year according to myself at Keep Pop Loud. It's a personal opinion, but you knew that already. I'm happy to accept all bile in the comments section.

If you like this list feel free to check out the other End of Year coverage such as the Top Five Gigs, Top Five Compilations, Top Five EPs, and the Track of the Year.

Cheers
Lee
KPL

#25) Guillemots – Walk The River (Geffen)
Lengthy shoegaze textured numbers may not have proven to be Guillemots most commercially viable move, but it pulled the band back from the slick territory of Red and gave them a real shot at the long term. With less additional instrumentation than we're used to, Guillemots created huge walls of sound without losing any pop nous that earned them the love and affection they deserve. A rewarding listen.
Key Track: 'I Don't Feel Amazing Now'
Read the review

#24) H Bird – Operation: Fascination (Corporate Records)
Glitter and glamour made Operation: Fascination the sort of surprise record that KPL started up to promote all of those years ago. By mining a pop niche that's completely unoccupied at the moment H Bird found their way onto regular rotation and deserving of infinitely more press than I've been able to provide. Classy and catchy.
Key Track: 'Violet'
Read the review

#23) The Lovely Eggs – Cob Dominos (Cherryade)
Cob Dominos was somehow the album to take The Lovely Eggs from underground curios to indiepop institution. Brilliantly bonkers and completely unique. When they write a song that's over two minutes long you can guarantee it'll make you want to jump around like a lunatic. Plus they swear like sailors.
Key Track: 'Don't Look At Me (I Don't Like It)'
Read the review

#22) Art Brut – Brilliant! Tragic! (Cooking Vinyl)
Four albums in and Art Brut actually evolved in a tangible way. It was to no detriment. Although Eddie does something that more closely resembles singing on side 1, Brilliant! Tragic! was at it's core a disc of shout along numbers. With subject matter taking in rock icons, space travel, off-shore principalities and being sexy it's worth mentioning that absolutely nobody else does this.
Key Track: 'Axl Rose'
Read the review

#21) The Joy Formidable – The Big Roar (Atlantic)
Although perhaps cursed with mainstream over-compression nothing could hide the strength of the songs that The Joy Formidable have got together for this debut. The best moments from A Balloon Called Moaning were present and beefed up with newer tracks adding in an extra dimension. Still, it feels more like the start of something than the peak....
Key Track: 'Cradle'
Read the review

#20) Mazes – A Thousand Heys (Fat Cat)
Although eclipsed by more famous acts mining the same early '90s territory, slacker-popsters Mazes made a real name for themselves with a solid debut of fuzzy, snappy little tunes. Hummable from the off A Thousand Heys should, by rights, be the album you're all seeing on end of year lists and going out to buy.
Key Track: 'Most Days'

#19) Emmy The Great & Tim Wheeler – This Is Christmas (Infectious)
This Is Christmas really had no right to be as good as it is. A brilliant and eclectic collection of festive songs that hasn't been out of the KPL Office stereo all December. From the Ash-like rockers to subtle retro-pop there's a huge heart at the centre and no cloying naffness.
Key Track: 'Home For The Holidays'
Review coming soon

#18) Noah And The Whale –Last Night On Earth (Universal)
Not content with sitting still after masterpiece First Days Of Spring Charlie Fink got his band together and manage to weld Big American Rock to British synth-pop )and the sort of folk that Noah and the Whale made their name with) into one big chart-dominating whole. How they did this I couldn't tell you, but there's really not a duff track.
Key Track: 'Tonight's The Kind Of Night'
Read the review

#17) Slow Club – Paradise (Moshi Moshi)
We need to stop being surprised by bands evolving well beyond expectations. Moving from their ramshackle roots Slow Club broke through and created some of the most subtle and refined alt. pop that I've ever come across. It's proof that Rebecca is a massive pop star waiting to break out and that pop duos need not be refined to electro stuff.
For a bonus, pick up the 2CD edition where ex-Arab Strap men Malcolm Middleton and Aidan Moffat reunite to cover album highlight 'Two Cousins'
Key Track: 'Two Cousins'
Read the review

#16) Frankie & The Heartstrings – Hunger (Pop Sex Ltd./Wichita Recordings)
For any discerning indie-rock fan it wasn't The Vaccines that took 2011 with a cracking debut, but rather the North East's very own pop saviours Frankie & The Heartstrings. With hints of Dexys, The Futureheads and Orange Juice Hunger was a debut that popped and fizzed all over the shop. The only 2011 buzz band left standing from what I can see.
Key Track: 'Don't Look Surprised'
Read the review

Keep Pop Loud

Best of 2011 - Top Five EPs

2011-12-13T06:00:00.004Z

As each year passes it becomes increasingly feasible to enjoy, across the spectrum, as an artistic work without having to invest the time in a full album. EPs are certainly the dominant force in the DIY indiepop sphere, and we've seen many bands release cracking little statements of indent that have captivated, intrigued and enthralled. The album is not, and never will be, dead but there's more than one way to go about releasing a cohesive and complete piece of work.

Where most of the best albums in 2011 came from better established or more successful acts, this list of EPs acts as a showcase for some of the newer and more underground acts that have soundtracked 2011 at KPL Towers.

#5 Johnny Foreigner – Certain Songs Are Cursed

It would get a placing on this list if only for coming on a frisbee. That its the perfect precursor to JoFo's most ambitious album yet ensures that the songs live up to the format of its distribution.
Key Track: 'Johnny Foreigner Vs You' (Cursed Version)
Read the KPL Review
Frisbees are Sold Out. Buy MP3s from Alcopop!

#4 Among Brothers – Homes

The first KPL review of the year and an introduction to Barely Regal Records. Among Brothers even landed a slot on the KPL CD. This EP is a remarkable achievement and a very promising start to their career.
Key Track: 'Bare Teeth'
Read the KPL Review
Buy from Barely Regal

#3 The Half Rabbits – Optimists

Another unbelievable find, Optimists breathes fresh life into 2011 post-punk. Smart and arty and with tunes to spare, it needs to be heard. Another band that was snapped up for the Keep Pop Loud compilation.
Key Track: 'Gasoline'
Read the KPL Review
Buy from Bandcamp

#2 Katie Malco – Katie Malco & The Slow Parade

Just missing out on the top spot to another Alcopop! release, Katie Malco & The Slow Parade only really suffers in comparison to #1 from being much newer, and therefore having less time spent with it. A great talent.
Key Track: 'Sad Eyes'
Read the KPL Review
Buy from Alcopop!

#1 Elephants – I Won't Forget You, You Won't Forget Me

As the title suggests, this closing statement from the Alcopop! band is unforgettable. I've been returning to it all year and will continue to do so. I've nothing more to add than I've already said.
Key Track: 'Little Thoughts'
Read the KPL Review
CDs are Sold Out. Buy MP3s from Alcopop!

Keep Pop Loud

Track of the Year: The Go! Team - Buy Nothing Day

2011-12-12T06:00:00.002Z

(There will be no End of Year list of tracks/songs this year due to the release of a compilation on Keep Pop Loud Records and the conflict of interests that could be assumed)

The fifteen songs from the Keep Pop Loud CD aside there has been three songs this year that have really stood out as being both the highlights and the soundtrack. The first of these was a Track of the Week in November 2010 when it was originally released as a single (Read: Tellison 'Collarbone'). The second I have already written at length about (Read: British Sea Power - 'Who's In Control?'). But even so, of the three 'Buy Nothing Day' by The Go! Team comes out on top.

The Go! Team released their third album Rolling Blackouts right at the beginning of the year, and it was clear from even first listen that 'Buy Nothing Day', with vocals supplied by Best Coast's Bethany Cosentino, was the highlight. Nothing could more sum up what I love about and want from pop music. In truth there has never been any doubt that this would end up as the Single Of The Year.

Despite many layers and noises, it's distinctly a pop song. Beth's vocals lending it a '60s pop feel, whilst the guitars recall underground noise-pop artists. The jangles and cymbol splashes mean that it feels slightly wintery, but in such a way to make sense in the height of the summer. The melody is fantastic and the recording flawless. Just a perfect song really.

Keep Pop Loud

Best of 2011 - Top Five Compilations

2011-12-09T06:00:00.006Z

Whether it's a 'Various Artists' mixtape or a 'Best Of' CD from a legendary band, I've always found that the best way to find great songs is through compilations. Even with any song that we could possibly want at our fingertips, having a collection of songs put together by someone as an endorsement still means something to me. That's why I went and put my a Keep Pop Loud compilation CD out this year. Obviously, I think the Keep Pop Loud CD is AMAZING. That's why I put it out. It's not on this list though. You'd think me biased.

#5 Big Scary Monsters - 5-a-side Football Tournament CD

Rarities and whatnot from the Alcopop!/BSM stable. Johnny Foreigner, Stagecoach, Tubelord, Tall Ships, Talons etc etc. And all for charity. Couldn't ask for anything more really.
Key Track: The Xcerts - 'I Am Home'
Read the KPL Review

#4 Franz Ferdinand - Covers EP

If it ever needed proving that Franz Ferdinand are an incredible pop band then this did the job. With everyone from ESG to Stephin Merritt doing (fairly faithful) renditions of tracks from the least-favoured FF album, they showcased the breadth of its songcraft and influences.
Key Track: LCD Soundsystem – 'Live Alone'
Read the KPL review

#3 Art Is Hard Records - Dry Route To Devon

The map that this compilation came on provided us with a literal overview of what's going on in Devon right now. There's not a duff track and it introduced us to Hysterical Injury, Gorgeous Bully and of course, Big Wave
Key Track: Big Wave – 'Wild Strawberries'
Read the KPL review

#2 Alcopop! Records - We Were Raised On A Diet of Jurassic Park and Sensible Soccer (and all we have left is this lousy record label)

A summary of five years worth of incredible indiepop. Ute cover Elephants who in turn provide the unofficial World Cup anthem of The Ivory Coast. There's a newbie from The Attika State and a gem from My First Tooth. An oldie from Johnny Foreigner and the PoP 3” CD from long lost Encyclopedia. Endlessly playable. Mighty fun.
Key Track: Stagecoach – 'We Got Tazers'
Read the KPL review

#1 Manic Street Preachers - National Treasures – The Complete Singles

The Manics may have an unfair advantage here, thanks to soundtracking most of my life, but thanks to their recent purple patch I'll take any chance to give them the credit they deserve. Across the two career-spanning discs there's everything on National Treasures from the decade-defining anthems to the classy numbers rescued from mis-firing albums. All are superb on some level and imbued with a level of magic and glamour that is never seen in the modern pop charts. On top of this (and the stunning artwork) there's also the feeling that the title was an attempt to be self-aggrandising or confrontational. Wonder what it must have felt like for them to have been repeatedly told that they've under-sold themselves.

Key Track: Any

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Best of 2011 - Top Five Gigs

2011-12-08T06:00:00.004Z

It goes without saying that all 'End of Year' lists are a) subjective b) published too early. And none more so than this one.

These five gigs are merely the five from this year that stand out the most in my mind. It is of course only personal opinion and my memory is not perfect. There's still gigs to come, and I've not been to every event this year. (Obviously)

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#5 Art Brut, The Plug, Sheffield (Thursday 6th October)
There's no reason why being solid and reliable should mean that bands fall off of these lists. Art Brut are always amazing live, and even if the crowd was smaller and less jumpy than in the past the set-list and Eddie's on stage banter speaks for itself. Four classic albums and Art Brut are a proper indiepop institution.
Read the KPL Review

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#4 Best Coast, The Queen's Social Club, Sheffield (Thursday 28th April)
Although Mazes and Spectrals supplied VERY strong support, it was Best Coast and Bethany in particular that dazzled the old working mens' club. They played so many songs and all of them were great. The sort of gig that moves a band up from a 'like' to a 'love'.
Read the KPL Review

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#3 Alcopopalooza III, The Windmill, Brixton (Saturday 09th July)
A celebration of all things Alcopop!. I may have primarily travelled down to London to watch the AMAZING Johnny Foreigner, but it was Katie Malco who left the most impact. Unforgettable even before we mention The Attika State, Jumping Ships, Delta/Alaska, LightGuides and My First Tooth. Phew!
Read the KPL Reviews: Part 1, Part 2

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#2 Tramlines Festival, Sheffield (Thursday 21st – Sunday 24th July)
Ash having support from The Futureheads, Johnny Foreigner and The Crookes. Los Campesinos! headlining above Dananananaykroyd. Guillemots playing at the Leadmill. It was as if the Sheffield festival was catered to Keep Pop Loud. With local stars Standard Fare, Screaming Maldini, Kate Jackson and Nat Johnson also making appearances Tramlines stamped it's undeniable mark on 2011. And it was ALL FREE.
Read the KPL Reviews: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

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#1 The Darkness, Sheffield Academy (Monday 21st November)
Despite The Darkness being, in many ways, everything that I should abhor they were one of the formative musical experiences of my youth. Their live set this time around was flawless and so much fun to watch. Other gigs may have had more great acts, but nothing else this year had The Darkness, and that counts for a lot.
Read the KPL Review

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Track of the Week: Darren Hayman - Photos Like Postcards

2011-12-05T06:00:00.027Z

It's been a incredibly prolific year for the former Hefner frontman. With a song a day in January, full length album The Ship's Piano, working with The Wave Pictures and curating this advent calender, it's a wonder he's had the time to sort out a reissue of his old band's last album and get together an EP of Christmas themed songs.

It's from this EP, Christmas In Hawoth, that 'Photos Like Postcards is taken and is, in my opinion, the highlight.

As the video below suggests, whilst there is a Chrismassy feel to the gentle track, the overriding imagery is focused on the harshness of the winter months and beauty that it can bring with it. By not being explicitly about Xmas it has a much longer and wider appeal and makes me simply want to curl up in front of the fire. It's just gorgeous.

Photos Like Postcards from Darren Hayman on Vimeo.

You can purchase the EP from BandCamp on one of my favourite formats - 10" vinyl. As well as coming with a download code there's a recipe for Christmas Cake and "a tea bag of loose leaf lapsang souchong" that comes with it. But you'll have to be fairly quick as the run is limited to 300 and they're already mostly gone.

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As a side note: if more artists and bands operated like Darren Hayman in terms of productivity, creativity and in interacting with his fans then we'd soon stop hearing about the "Death of CDs/music/etc".

Album Reviews: Los Campesinos! / Wild Flag / Future of the Left / Dum Dum Girls

2011-12-02T10:41:00.000Z

Los Campesinos! - Hello Sadness (Wichita Recordings)
Four albums in as many years is impressive no matter how you look at it. The fact that Los Camp! are yet to put a step out of place gives them bragging rights as one of the best bands in the country. The straightforward pop of 'By Your Hand' is easily their catchiest number yet and the title track ranks up their with their most powerful, emotive moments. Initial listens suggest a dip in the middle, but these songs come into their own after a few listens, with 'The Black Bird, The Dark Slope' being a particular highlight. It's safe to say that they're tighter and more guitar focused than ever, but they're still Los Campesinos!

Wild Flag – Wild Flag (Wichita Recordings)
Although standing up very well to repeated listens, it's still lead track 'Romance' that's the most memorable moment. It's something of a surprise, given the pedigree of the women involved, how conventional many of the tracks on Wild Flag sound, with tracks such as 'Boom' being just ace little rock numbers. The musicianship is ace (check out the drumming on 'Electric Band') the tunes are awesome and it's played to have a sonic impact. There's much worse that'll appear on end of year lists this year.

Future of the Left – Polymers Are Forever EP (Xtra Mile Recordings)
It's always good to have Future of the Left around. Not only is their spiky rock an antidote to everything that we're force-fed, but the very presence of Falco means that there's someone out there who's not afraid to hold us all to account. The new line-up means that there's more keyboards than we heard from the band on Curses, with the title track being closest to 'Manchasm' than anything else in their repertoire. 'My Wife Is Unhappy' is enjoyably menacing, whilst 'With Apologies To Emily Pankhurst' bridges the void between FotL and mclusky.

Dum Dum Girls – Only In Dreams (Sub Pop)
With many of the songs on Only In Dreams being so classic sounding, as to be almost familiar, it's easy to take the album for granted. We shouldn't however, as it's one of the real surprises of the year. A mile away from their fuzzy lo-fi debut this is luscious and stunningly crafted. 'Bedroom Eyes' is one of my personal songs of the year and lyrics from both 'Heartbeat' and 'In My Head' deeply resonate. That's before we even get to the swirling late-night feel of 'Coming Down'. Simply excellent.

EP Review: Big Wave – Another Year Or Two

2011-12-01T09:04:00.001Z

Released: 25th November

Fresh from featuring on the Art Is Hard Dry Route To Devon compilation/map, Big Wave have managed to nab a support slot with this year's crossover stars Metronomy at their homecoming show. With this new three-song EP available to stream it's easy to see how the two bands both compliment each other.

Whilst on The English Riviera Metronomy have captured the long faded glamour of the South Coast, Big Waves music feels more like an encapsulation of the last of the halcyon days of the English seaside. It's as though their music comes on a dusty postcard from the tail end of the '60s showing young families and couples enjoying the late afternoon.

But I won't say 'borrowed nostalgia', because Big Wave are at least a thousand times better than even the best of your 'chillwave' acts. Their perfectly crafted, sweet little pop tunes may be completely unseasonal but everything about them is completely heart-warming and endearing. Take 'Wild Strawberries', for example (track three here and the one from the aforementioned map) with all of it's “ba-ba-da-ba”s and jangly guitar. It's a perfect example of how indiepop continues to appeal while providing a individual and geographically unique twist on what the listener might expect.

'Another Year or Two EP' by Big Wave

Although it's safe to say that 'Wild Strawberries' stands out through familiarity, the two new numbers, 'Another Year Or Two' and 'The Rosenbergs' are easily as good and ensure that the EP feels balanced and complete rather than just the first three songs that the band had ready. The title track should please fans of She & Him, with Ella's lead vocals out in front and a classic indiepop chorus. Of course, fuzzy guitars lead the chorus (but unlike their '80s counterparts this feels deliberately restrained rather than weedy or tame) and are pulled back for the keyboards to provide a sumptuous melody in the verses.

'The Rosenbergs' is, of the three, the least instant. Jesus And Mary Chain-eque reverb claimes Big Wave's place in with more established contemporaries such as Dum Dum Girls and Veronica Falls, whilst the prominent and steady drumming sits this more in the indie vain than the other more pop indebted numbers. That it sits in between the others on the tracklisting means that the EP flows better and better demonstrates the talents of the group.

Aside from saying that Another Year Or Two is an absolute gem of a find, and that Big Wave are one of the key indiepop acts to look out for in 2012, it's worth mentioning how great this actually sounds. Wonderful and spacious it even sounds good on my crappy laptop speakers.

It seems that you can have everything.

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Track of the Week: Edwyn Collins - Down The Line

2011-11-28T06:00:00.000Z

Dangerously close to being the greatest pop star that Britain has ever produced, it's always wonderful to hear something new from Edwyn Collins. Last year's Losing Sleep managed to showcase the breadth of what the man is still capable of, after a career that's been going for 35 years.

Now it appears there's another record on the horizon, and as a teaser (and excuse to release an iTunes compilation of singles) a new song has been unveiled. And it's gorgeous.

EDWYN COLLINS - Down The Line by Analogue Enhanced Digital

With a slight country tinge, 'Down The Line' is far removed from 'Blue Boy' or any of the other tracks that made Orange Juice so hugely influential. However as it's a cousin to moments such as 'North Of Heaven' or 'Searching For The Truth' it has a place in the superb body of work that Collins has built up over the years, and more than likely a place in the hearts of any discerning indiepop fan.

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Live Review: The Darkness @ The Academy, Sheffield

2011-11-24T06:00:00.019Z

If you can forgive this momentary aberration, this drop in the indiepop facade, then I'd be grateful. For whilst indiepop is of course my heart now it hasn't always been this way. My teenage epiphanies were not with The Smiths and Belle & Sebastian but with The Darkness and The White Stripes and whilst the latter are perennially cool, I understand the former are just seen as perennial. Nonetheless, I'll put the case forward that when we disregard genre and anything deeper than the moment and the show The Darkness are a GREAT band.

That's not something that I'll say about support band Foxy Shazam however. So over-the-top as to make even Do Me Bad Things seem understated they unleashed a torrent of glam pop-rock that is either an abortion of all of the worst moments in rock history, or a deconstruction of all of the values and styles of glam. It certainly wasn't any good. Or at least it wasn't tasteful. But I think I'd see them again. Because, boy, were they entertaining. Imagine if Noel Fielding formed a spoof glam rock band.

The Darkness put on a show at least ten times that however, and have so many tunes to back it up. Of course they are in a much smaller venue than I last saw them. But that was a long time ago. Bass player Frankie Poullain is back in the fold, and unsurprisingly the set draws heavily from Permission To Land. In fact they play the whole damn thing. Starting with 'Black Shuck'. As you do.

The venue is pretty busy, especially when you consider the prices that are being charged, with large swathes of the audience being like me. Men in their mid-to-late twenties going to see one of their favourite bands of their late teenage years. It's quite nostalgic, but that's not to say that newbies fall of deaf ears. There's three or four aired tonight including 'Cannonball which sounds likely to be a single at some point in the future. They sound good and go down well with Justin commenting that the crowd are his favourite of the tour thus far. But it's safe money that he says that to all the venues. He claims his moustache is wilting from the heat nonetheless. Ace!

Old b-side 'Best Of Me' is given an unexpected (but welcome) airing. It feels like I'm one of the only members of the crowd who knows it, but everyone seems to enjoy. Singles such as 'Growing On Me', 'One Way Ticket' and 'Love On The Rocks' get the crowd excited and receive some of the best responses, but it's the unexpected moments that stick in my mind particularly. An acoustic 'Holding My Own' is a delight and their cover of Radiohead's 'Street Spirit (Fade Out)' puts a massive grin on my face. Half way through I start to worry we won't get 'Friday Night', but it's in there.

At the end of the main set the stage lighting gets a bit festive with greens and reds dominating. Justin responds to a chant of “Yorkshire! Yorkshire” by saying that his favourite thing about the county is that it's Christmas already. Yes! They play 'Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)'. I'm a Scrooge, but this is a fantastic moment. I might even find it in me to enjoy the season this year.

The encore is flawless. Instrumental 'Bareback, a cover of 'Tie Your Mother Down' and then the REALLY big guns. So confident are the band that 'I Believe In A Thing Called Love' isn't saved until last. Everyone still claps in the air for it though. 'Love On The Rocks With No Ice' is a stormer to close, with Frankie and Ed's rhythm section having been, throughout the night, as tight and thunderous as tank manoeuvres. Dan's at the front of the stage showing off and Justin rides someone's shoulders through the crowd. He's grinning, there seems to be genuine affection there. I'm grinning, I've had a great night. I love The Darkness.

Sorry.

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EP Review: The Social Club - For Drinking

2011-11-22T06:00:00.017Z

Label: Alcopop! Records
Released: 01/11/11

For Drinking is the first in a series of four EPs to be released by The Social Club on Alcopop! Records, a label that, lest-we-forget, was named after a mini-album by Midget. Appropriate then to find that The Social Club are indeed successors to Midget's upbeat pop-punk, specialising in clean-sounding, sing-along choruses and all-round fun-times.

Although the release is themed around boozing, it is thankfully much more subtle about it's subject matter than you could reasonably expect. Looking instead at the thoughts of the drinker rather than the inebriated actions it's not 'Tubthumping' five times. Also, although describable as pop-punk The Social Club are thankfully not short-trouser wearing American Pie-soundtracking knuckle-heads. In fact those who enjoy Supergrass circa I Should Coco and Life On Other Planets or The Hold Steady's Boys And Girls In America should find familiarity in For Drinking.

'The Remedy' is undoubtedly a highlight, and it's no surprise to find it being the moment that the band have chosen to promote in the form of a video. It condenses down everything that the band have on offer on this release into a 3 minute 15 second pop tune. Should the tides ever turn again so that guitar bands have the shot at success that they did in the middle of both the '90s and '00s then 'The Remedy' is good enough argument for The Social Club having a proper chance of a big chart hit. It's not the only stand out however, the meatier 'Rock Bless You' is a satisfyingly riffy and the piano bounce of 'Song Contest' comes across as a lost britpop number.

Still for all it's bounce and aplomb For Drinking can sound a little samey. Each track contains the upbeat chorus, ace drum fills, racing keys and punky riffs. Sure, they are all rather catchy but the lack of variety could put off those wanting something with more depth or longevity. Still, this is enough to grab yr attention and, if you're the sort of person who's more interested in music that's fun and catchy than you are in self-important dirge, then you could do worse than investing in this.

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Track of the Week: The Neat - Good In Bed

2011-11-21T06:00:00.001Z

It's been a long time since we've heard anything new from Hull's The Neat. This year's tour supporting Young Knives showed us that they were indeed still active, and in conjunction with this month's Artrocker Magazine they've unleashed a new free download to tempt us all back into the fold.

'Good In Bed' is by no means as instantly brilliant as last year's essential debut single 'In Youth Is Pleasure', it is however much more intriguing and expansive. There's a similarity in their spacious sound to a pre-prog These New Puritans - thanks in part to the shared influence of The Fall. But whilst the vocals retain this spoken blur the guitars are now decked out with some nifty reverb that imbues the track with a sense of urban night hostility.

If you've not come across The Neat before but rate jittery art-pop then follow the below link to the soundcloud player. If you have heard The Neat before then you simply need to download.

The Neat - Good In Bed

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The Pop Drop: Some songs you might've missed

2011-11-15T06:00:00.003Z

As much as we all love the Track of the Week feature some songs inevitably fall through the gap. Either they're online just after the feature is published and therefore a week old by the time their chance to nab the spot comes again or I'm just too late in coming across them.

So here's some of the tracks that fell through the gaps. Take some time to listen because, unusually for this time of year, there doesn't seem to be an end to great acts putting new songs up.

And for those of you who like yr reviews in bite-sized chunks: I apologise for dropping all of this pop on you at once.

MJ Hibbett & The Validators - Theme From Dinosaur Planet
After a couple of years absence MJ Hibbett has re-unieted the Validators in order to bring to life his 'indiepop War of the Worlds' Dinosaur Planet. Lead track and free download 'Theme From Dinosaur Planet' is a taster of what to expect. A massive pop tune about dinosaurs, it is (as Hibbett would say) GRATE! After hearing acoustic renditions of this years ago it's awesome to hear it in its full glory.

It's also one of the best videos you'll see this year too.

The History Of Apple Pie - Mallory

It's not been deliberate, but I've neglected The History Of Apple Pie since first writing about them. New single 'Mallory' (out this week) is beefier than you might remember them being with walls of fuzzy guitars and sweet vocals. Second album Pains of Being Pure At Heart is a fairly close reference point (but fans of Yuck will also love) and it sounds like the start of what's going to be a very big 2012 for THOP.

Olympians - Wake Up Old

Another band that I can't belive I've forgotten to post more about. Olympians have singed to the ACE Barely Regal Records and released this fabulous slice of epic & intricate pop. As pretty as British Sea Power's most glacial moments but with jerky Foals-like bits thrown in. The trumpet part is just Christmassy enough that you'll be listening to this throughout the festive season. It's also a free download - so what are you waiting for?

Frankie & The Heartstrings - Everybody Looks Better (In The Right Light)

The DIY pop success story of the year. Frankie & The Heartstrings have sacrificed none of their credibility for chart success and have looked rather dapper whilst doing it. 'Everybody Looks Better (In The Right Light)' sounds pretty much like you'd expect a post-first album single to sound like from the band (Dexy's meets Franz with '50s vocal harmonies), but a little more stripped down. Not something that you'd expect from a Bernard Bulter production but as ace as you'd hope from Frankie and co.

Frankie & The Heartstrings - Everybody Looks Better (In The Right Light) by Wichita Recordings

The Pipettes - Boo Shuffle

With last year's Earth Vs The Pipettes sadly turning out to be rather forgettable it's great to see the band so quick off the mark with new material. And it's even better to see that they've returned to their polka-dot pop roots. 'Boo Shuffle' is a bit of a grower and turns out to be as catchy as anything else they've done. However it does highlight how much the group misses the excellent vocal talent of Rose Elinor Dougall (and also how well suited to this material her voice was).

Little Boots - Shake

This return on the other hand has been a long time coming. With her (excellent) debut album a distant memory for the pop charts it seems that Victoria Hesketh has decided that this time around the electro is more important than the pop and has delivered a tune that's the dubstep influenced cousin of 'Stuck On Repeat'. I can't say that I'm completely on board with 'Shake' at the moment but am sure that Little Boots has got some killer pop moment up her sleeve for the first single proper. Failing that a radio edit to remove the long and repetitive intro wouldn't go amiss.

Fanzine - Roman Holiday

Fanzine are a band that I came across supporting someone (The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart possibly) earlier in the year and have been keeping half an eye on since. They've recently put out a video for their new single 'Roman Holiday' which is out on Fat Possum records at the end of the month. That they're sharing a label with Yuck makes it even easier for me to compare their ace slacker-pop to their more famous label mates and anyone who's been enjoying the album by the aforementioned are urged towards this tuneful fuzz.

Roman Holiday from Fanzine on Vimeo.

Pulled Apart By Horses - V.E.N.O.M

And lastly some nice meaty rock music. You're probably familiar with Pulled Apart By Horses Now. They've made plenty of waves and lots of people are really excited for album number two. Which makes sense and their debut was ace. 'V.E.N.O.M' is a smack around the face that rocks harder than the latest Mastodon record. It sounds like you expect but better.

Track of the Week: Gorgeous Bully - That Kind Of Girl

2011-11-14T06:00:00.039Z

This week I'd be lying if I said that I'd been keeping my ear that close to the ground with regards to new tunes hitting the web. Most of my listening has revolved around the latest albums from Johnny Foreigner and Los Campesinos!, neither of which am I coming anywhere near tiring of.

Still, even with that, interviews and potentially arranging another move some new stuff has trickled through. Although to be fair you'd have to be living under a rock to have missed the fact that Pulled Apart By Horses have unleashed a new number.

But as riotous as that is, it's 'That Kind Of Girl' by Plymouth based singer-songwriter/fuzz-popster Gorgeous Bully that has made most impact at KPL Towers. The name rung a bell after he appeared on the excellent map compilation Dry Route To Devon that Art Is Hard Records released in September. And like 'I Think' this newbie is an excellent hazy pop gem. Although where that one begged to be tagged with 'surf pop' and 'nostalgia' this one feels as though its inception involved listening to some very old country records. (Always a worthwhile past-time for my money)

The end result however is lo-fi blog pop of the best kind. And testament to the Art Is Hard team for bringing Gorgeous Bully to my attention in the first place. (And a timely reminder to pick up the aforementioned map). A talent worth keeping an eye on.

If you like what you hear - and why wouldn't you - you can download more Gorgeous Bully material from his Soundcloud page.

That kind of girl by gorgeous bully

Album Review: Johnny Foreigner – Johnny Foreigner Vs Everything

2011-11-10T06:00:00.003Z

Label: Alcopop! Records
Released: 07/11/11

It's difficult to heap too much praise on Johnny Foreigner... or any of the bands in the pop underground. Over-analysis of what they say and mean or in depth dissection of their musical chops will just lead us down the über-serious road that far too many pop writers at institutions such as NME and Pitchfork try and take. And if there's something that we've learned this week it's that we're not like the NME. Their petty vindictiveness shown in this review draws a clear line in the sand.

All of that said, Johnny Foreigner Vs Everything is as close as I feel that it's possible to get to the perfect DIY pop album. It's the sound of a band utilising everything that they've learned. It's determined and honest. It has real depth and variety whilst maintaining focus and it hangs together as a complete piece of work. It's also got some of their best songs yet.

With 'What Drummers Get' and a new recording of 'Johnny Foreigner Vs You' making return appearances from the Certain Songs Are Cursed Frisbee EP, Johnny Foreigner's 2011 campaign is nicely tied together whilst ensuring yr not going into a 17 track 'Musical Catastrophe in Three Parts' completely cold. Not that you particularly need this entry point, two interludes of musique concrète break up the running and add further to the sonic variety. The spoken word samples follow on again from the 'cursed songs' theme of the previous EP and are well chosen, although with their emotional openness potentially uncomfortable for those unaccustomed to the concept.

With no moments of filler it's hard to pick out highlights. Even 'With Who, Who And What I've Got' (a live highlight that many have been waiting for a long time to hear the “Standard Rock” recording of) doesn't overshadow tracks such as 'Doesn't Believe In Angels' or opener 'If I'm The Most Famous Boy You've Fucked, Then Honey, Yr In Trouble. But if my arm is twisted then I'd have to single out the left-field pop of '200X', epic communal sing-along 'New Street, You Can Take It' and single '(Don't) Show Us Yr Fangs' as personal favourites. At the moment.

But it's worth saying that I've only been living with this album for a short while. The closing pair of 'The Swell/Like Neverwhere' and 'Alternate Timelines Piling Up' are much more subtle and honed than anything we've heard on Johnny Foreigner's previous two albums with the latter disappearing in a patter of drum machine at close. This feels like a wind-down after the hearts-on-sleeve intensity of the rest of the record, but perhaps in time and with a focus on the album sections individually these moments will come to have their own impact.

Conversely, maybe the opposite will be true and the impact this album has will dull over time. Perhaps to get the most from Johnny Foreigner Vs Everything you need yr life to be that bit screwed up so that you need pop music to fulfil an emotional need. (Maybe this is more opinion piece than it is review.) But right now as 2011 starts to draw to a close this is the Album Of The Year.

Because of their excellent lyrics, because it feels like we're in this mess together but, most of all, because as long as there's Johnny Foreigner there is hope... and that's not something anyone's ever said about the NME's continued existance.

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Track of the Week: Johnny Foreigner - 200X

2011-11-07T06:00:00.000Z

The past week has been a clusterfuck of PoP releases. Both Los Campesinos! latest Hello Sadness and Johnny Foreigner's eagerly anticipated Johnny Foreigner Vs Everything dropped onto the doormat at KPL Towers. Both in extraordinarily sexy bundles. Lovely stuff.

Thus far the record that's been spinning between my ears most isJohnny Foreigner Vs Everything and this week's top track reflects this. Whilst it's early days at the moment it feels like it could be the album of the year and early highlight 200X sounds like it could be the nearest JoFo have got yet to replicating the awe-inspiring heights of 'Salt Peppa & Spinderella'. Saying that '200X' doesn't seem set to be a live behemoth in this vein, as down-beat as it is.

As you can listen (and watch) there's little point in hosting a description of the sound. Brilliant. Special. Life affirming. Johnny Foreigner.

EP Review: Katie Malco & The Slow Parade

2011-11-03T09:10:00.012Z

Alcopop! Records
Released: 21st November

It's clear from what's been written on Keep Pop Loud over the past few months that I'm fairly smitten with the excellent acoustic pop of Katie Malco. From her captivating performance on the Alcopopalooza patio through to the recent split threEPeople release, she's been an artist that has been worth keeping a close eye on. Now she's released her first full EP for Alcopop! Records, encapsulating everything nice that's been said about her.

With a band fleshing out her creations, Katie Malco & The Slow Parade is the sort of record that is only ever made by an artist that's a complete one-off. Being a young lady with an acoustic there's been comparisons to Laura Marling that here simply don't ring true (especially if we're talking Marling's most recent releases). Monkey Swallows The Universe are a closer act, but still don't sound all that much like Malco. Whilst her voice doesn't discernibly have anything 'other' about it she doesn't sound like anyone else. Musically there's moments that recall fellow PoPsters My First Tooth, but again it's not the full story.

Katie Malco - Johnny by alcopop

You'll know 'Johnny' by now. It's the lead track that's been up for streaming for the past week or so. And depending on how closely you've been reading KPL you might have glimpsed 'Florence Nightingale's House', a Track of the Week that I was raving about post-Alcopopalooza. Likewise if you've been subscribing to Big Scary Monsters '11 Collection you'd have heard 'Get In The Car'. In this respect coming to this EP is like coming to the debut album of a band that you've been following from the singles. These existing tracks still sound great, but it's the collection together with the new ones that really confirms what you've been thinking all along.

The best of these newbies here is, for my money, 'Sad Eyes'. It's the poppiest of the bunch, with the most going off musically, but still it's Katie's voice that really carries it and transports the listener into the song. With a mega-catchy chorus it's easy to just sing along if you don't want to think and just get carried away. It's like it's being beamed in from a place where everything's not totally fucked, and just for four minutes it takes you there too. A brilliant song.

But that's just a personal favourite. Each of these five is going to stand above the rest in the ears of a listener, and deservedly so. This EP is a wonderful and unique little musical artefact that is hopefully only the start of a fruitful career for Katie Malco. How Alcopop! finds so many artists of such a high quality I really don't know, but I'm bloody glad he does.

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Track of the Week: The Spills - Summer Vibes

2011-10-31T10:27:00.002Z

The Spills sound like a lot of your favourite bands, and despite the lead track from their new album being unseasonally named you really want to listen to it.

As a taster from Occam's Razor (which is released today and available from their bandcamp page) The Spills are letting you download 'Summer Vibes' for free, and it's a great demonstration of their crunchy indie rock that's sure to make you want to pick up the album. Those band that you love - Pavement, Johnny Foreigner, Mazes, The Cribs - well there's elements of what makes all of those groups great in the sound of The Spills.

Summer Vibes by The Spills

And what's more - the artwork for the album is fantastic. Easily one of the best of the year:

There's a tour starting next week too, that takes in Sheffield (Monday 7th) as well as dates in Leeds, London and Preston. It's likely to be worth catching.

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Album Review: The Juliets – A Perfect Season

2011-10-28T06:00:00.000+01:00

Released: November 5th

You don't get an awful lot of indiepop from the US. At least you don't get a lot of decent indiepop. America is better at giving us 'serious' acts and it's probably why a lot of British bands struggle across the pond. Our bands have a tendency for self-deprecation and a sense of humour that can easily translate as being disposable. American acts meanwhile can seem a bit pretentious over here and British acts who take themselves as seriously as their counterparts over the pond are quickly shot down.

So why mention this. Well, The Juliets hail from Detroit and yet have moments on new album A Perfect Season that can only really be described sonically as indiepop tunes. But ones with a hefty classical influence. 'Chamber Pop' is no doubt how it's described elsewhere, but we're going to think of them as the American My Life Story. Only taking themselves a little more seriously.

It opens really well with 'The Loon' which through having an electric guitar at the front of the mix concentrates the attention of the song as opposed to the production. The additional layers add to the cinematic quality and it sums up all of what makes The Juliets an intriguing proposition. It is by a long way however the best song on A Perfect Season, if not the only highlight. 'Heart In Heart' recalls the arrangements of The Beach Boys whilst 'Hey Stars' and 'It's Simple' are epic and uplifting. Instrumental classical piece 'The Lost Memory' is also worth a listen as a complete counterpoint to The Juliet's song-focused achievements.

Here's the issue however. Unlike British bands who might have a similar sonic template (Belle & Sebastian for example) The Juliets seem a bit oblivious to the absurdity of it all. They know their talents but in being keen to highlight them can sometimes become a bit single paced and over serious. The title track is arguably the epitome of this on the record and whilst cinematic it lets the layers overtake the song and ends up a little bit too close to the middle of the road.

That's not to say it's fatally flawed however, what they sometimes lack in spontaneity they make up for in sheer scope. Cinematic is the key word, and if you like your pop to contain lots of intricate and tinkling piano parts and orchestral flourishes The Juliets will definitely appeal. It's easy to see the big break coming for the band when they inevitably get picked up Temper Trap style for a film soundtrack, and like the Aussies it'll be hard to begrudge their success when it comes. This is good and it's pretty, but whether you'd take it over My First Tooth is another matter.

Live Review: British Sea Power @ The Leadmill, Sheffield

2011-10-27T13:22:00.003+01:00

Date: Wednesday 26th October 2011

During a break between songs Yan, the nearest British Sea Power has to a frontman, thanks Sheffield for coming out and says something along the lines of “This is the first date of the final leg of our final tour”. I sincerely hope he meant either for a while, or in the current line up. The prospect of a world without British Sea Power in it simply doesn't bear thinking about. Over their four studio albums, multiple EPs, soundtracks and singles they've demonstrated repeatedly how they are one of the greatest bands in the world, and fully deserving of the 'national treasures' tag that's frequently applied when they reappear.

First support act The Kontours seem unlikely to ever be described as such. Decent musicians (especially considering they look REALLY young) but far too indebted to mainstream hard rock to break out of the 'local band' feel, they do nothing really more than pass the time. Unlike main support Seize The Chair who're from Sheffield but prove to be rather good. Throwing bits of everything in the mix, at times they seem to have the post-punk obtuseness of The Futureheads and the punk drive of The Undertones, whilst at others they come across like a lost '60s beat group. Fun, interesting and worth further investigation.

If this does turn out to be the last time I see British Sea Power (admittedly it's also only my second, with the first being Spring 06 when they put Open Season to bed) then it's a excellent summary of their career that's on display. A friend reports that their Jodrell Bank set over the summer leaned too heavily on Valhalla Dancehall to the point of excluding The Decline Of.... That's not the case tonight, although plenty from their latest is aired, as is only appropriate for a tour to promote the release. 'Who's In Control?' opens the set with all of the ferocious aplomb that you'd expect, with extra member/multi-instrumentalist Phil Sumner adding a third guitar to the din. 'We Are Sound' and 'Lights Out For Darker Skies' are both aired early on complemented brilliantly by the viola of Abi Fry, who seems to glide across stage left in contrast to the tumbling of the guys.

Visuals on side of stage screens accompany the Valhalla Dancehall tracks whilst the older numbers receive a strobe and blinder heavy light show. The crowd aren't as animated as I've known them to be for BSP in the past but it's not to say they're not involved. The Hamilton lead 'No Lucifer' gets an “EASY! EASY!” chant going and 'The Lonely', 'It Ended On An Oily Stage' and 'Fear Of Drowning' all receive tremendous applause. Also woth a mention is 'Oh Larsen B' which sounds particularly wonderful tonight fleshed out with the full six piece. On my previous live encounter with BSP they'd just lost Eamon to Brakes and were operating as a stripped back four. With Open Season quite the sore thumb in the British Sea Power catalogue it was great to see such a moment given the airing it deserves.

'Remember Me', despite being the one that most people seem to be waiting for, doesn't stand head-and-shoulders above the rest of British Sea Power's set tonight. With it being arguably the greatest rock song of the 21st century it shows something about the rest of the Sea Powers set. It's played towards the end, but the encore is saved for 'Waving Flags' and 'Carrion' which is then taken into 'All In It' before finally we get the traditional closer 'Rock In A', the last strains of which echo around the venue after the band have left the stage and audience have started to file out.

Superb.

Keep Pop Loud

PS: If anyone from BSP HQ read this – please re-issue 'Spirit Of St. Louis'

Keep Pop Loud Update

2011-10-26T06:00:00.001+01:00

Well, it's been a while since I posted at any length about what Keep Pop Loud Records is up to right now. So sorry if it seems like things are a bit quiet. Thankfully there's quite a bit of great news that you may well have seen if you're following either the Twitter or Facebook feeds. There's also plans afoot for the next stage in KPL Records existence... but I can't tell you about that just yet.

Firstly the Keep Pop Loud CD is selling pretty well (so if you've not got your copy yet then you might want to now) and has recieved a pretty big boost by getting reviewed in the current (Nov 2011) issue of Artrocker Magazine. As well as sitting in between the reviews of the latest Coldplay and Florence + The Machine releases they only went and gave the CD 5 STARS! That's full marks. Obviously I knew it was that good - as do those of you who've already got your copies - but the fact that such a major publication thinks that we're heading in the right direction has been a massive morale boost.

If you're interested you can read the review right here:

The other big piece of Keep Pop Loud Records news that you might have missed is the interview that I did with Katie from Better Weather in Britain. As a fellow Sheffield citizen it was really great to meet with Katie and discuss all kinds of pop stuff. The interview is available to listen to at that aforementioned link with the show being a special dedicated to all things KPL. You can hear some of the tunes from the CD and get to listen to me talk about the inspiration behind what we're doing. So listen to it now and follow Better Weather on Facebook to keep abreast of what's going to be featured in future shows. GREAT STUFF!

As well as Better Weather in Britain on Tranquilizer Records Radio Katie is also responsible for putting on ace pop shows in Sheffield. And coming up at Christmas is something rather special which all Keep Pop Loud fans and friends should come to.

The 5 Bands of Christmas will be at West Street Live on December 20th and is headlined by none other than Keep Pop Loud CD stars Bordeauxxx. This is sure to be a FAB night and as it's free entry there's no excuse! Travel from far and wide and we'll drink to a poptastic year!

See you there!

Keep Pop Loud

Oh, also if you check out this interviews tag you can get an insight into some of the bands on the CD. There's chats with Bordeuxxx, The Half Rabbits, Pris and Aug Stone from H Bird.

Album Review: Kutosis – Fanatical Love

2011-10-25T06:00:00.000+01:00

Released: 14/10/11
Label: Barely Regal

Spending time with records is wonderful. Sadly it's not something that's often afforded to someone who attempts to run a whole reviews section on their own. But with unemployment and a (very) slow job market records such as Fanatical Love by Cardiff based Kutosis can find themselves the subject to the amount of time and effort that allows them to unfurl and reveal their otherwise glanced-over facets. Y'see, what initially appears to be a fairly straightforwardly art-punk assault becomes a more complex beast whose little joining stitches achieve prominence through familiarity.

That's not to say that Kutosis deal in something completely unfathomable. There's plenty of entrance points into what they do. Influences such as mclusky, Future of the Left and Les Savy Fav are worn on the sleeve and provide the base template for the band (Ben, Ian and Jim) to throw themselves into. Which they do (after the ease in of the instrumental intro '#asongtostartarecordwith') with the minute long burst of 'Salton Sea', which throws in Kutosis' lot with their aforementioned Cardiff brethren.

It and 'Shadows' are certainly highlights of the first half of the record, screeching along at breakneck speed and with the FotL-isms surfacing in their gnarly bass and ear-splitting guitars, but across Fanatical Love as a whole it's the more progressive leaning elements of the second half that stay in the mind. Specifically 'Lights To Lead Us' an undoubted album highlight that brings to mind the underrated dalliances of The Cooper Temple Clause, whilst transporting the listener to a grubbily unreal industrial landscape. Like if Kick Up The Fire... had been recorded on Coruscant. Maybe.

'Battle Lake' meanwhile features guitars that sound like alert klaxons and drums like falling artillery. It's certainly more epic than the bands sales would have you indicate, but rather than achieving this with glossy dynamics it comes at you relentlessly, but unforced and uses space as much as sound to immerse. That it exists alongside 'House Sounds' (think of The Automatic's heavier moments) without either jarring too much is a testament to how the band have created and inhabit their own sound.

Elsewhere there's 'Skin' with an intriguing spoken word section, and 'Devo' which sounds as though it'd be one hell of a live highlight with its obvious chorus and stabbing riffs. The latter is as close to filler as the record gets in terms of actual songs, and this aside it's only 'Islands vs Oceans II' a reprise of earlier instrumental ('Islands vs Oceans I' – obviously ) that could be described as superfluous, sounding, as it does, like a disappointing album outro.

Fortunately it's not. Kutosis are better than that and they instead close with the cracking 'Breeders'. With a beat that you can dance (or at least go apeshit) to and wind tunnel guitars it races to the finish and ensures that Fanatical Love leaves a good taste in the mouth and encourages you to play the record again and again. Which, as mentioned, only benefits its sounds, oddities and layers. In a year remarkably short on decent rock albums Kutosis have delivered one that's vibrant and forward thinking, primal and exciting.

Keep Pop Loud

Track of the Week: Standard Fare - Darth Vader

2011-10-24T06:00:00.001+01:00

There's a lot of love for Standard Fare at KPL Towers, nearly as much as there is at Hibbett HQ ("THIS is a band with LOADS of TUNES"). But this shouldn't come as a surprise, Standard Fare are a proper modern indiepop band with excellent musical chops, and that's enough in itself to make me wrap my ears around any new material with excitement. But the fact that the song debuted this week has a big old Star Wars reference... well you couldn't keep me away.

But don't worry, it's not actually about Star Wars ('Darth Vader', as a title, makes sense in terms of the excellent opening lyrics) and musically it's a noticeable evolution from their debut album. Slower and more confident in itself. The three piece sound is bolstered by the additional instrumentation (violin and trumpet) that's supplied by members of One Happy Island and Nat Johnson & The Figureahds and brings the sound towards Los Campesinos! territory.

Out Of Sight, Out Of Town the forthcoming second album on which 'Darth Vader' is to feature is out on Melodic Records on December 12th. With the band now working with a label based outside their home city (The Noyelle Beat came out on ACE Sheffield label Thee SPC) it's hopeful that some more recognition should come their way.

Although sadly with their album coming out this late in the year it seems destined to be missed off many End of Year lists (The Fly have already compiled theirs it seems). But with Standard Fare, Los Camp! and Johnny Foreigner still to come it seems 2011 has saved the best for last.

Listen to 'Darth Vader' at This Is Fake DIY

EP Review: My Pet Monster - Soundtracks

2011-10-21T08:51:00.000+01:00

Download from Bandcamp

How one thing leads to another. I can't feature a band on Keep Pop Loud without hearing from another, and although I do try and listen to as many as I can it's inevitable that some slip through the net. My Pet Monster stand out however, having got in touch following on from the Joanna Gruesome EP review.

Although they sound little alike; both My Pet Monster and Joanna Gruesome hail from Cardiff, have self-released these EPs on Bandcamp and, broadly-speaking, fit into the lo-fi category. Whereas JG specialise in a more traditional indiepop MPM are much closer to what you'd think of as a 'noise pop' act with their listed influences reflecting as such (Sonic Youth, No Age, Times New Viking etc). But it's not all noise; their ear for a hook and willingness to deploy is demonstrative of a healthy influence from The Cribs.

Track One on the free download opens with a sound that's akin to the artowrk. A cross between static and distant roaring waves, it paves the way for some slacker, Copy Haho-esque guitar work. Titled 'TheDanielWall' it's covered in a No Age fuzz with vocals that have the same American ring as Yuck. At over four minutes, 'TheDanielWall' is arguably a little overlong, but doesn't drag – after all this is only the band's first number.

With 'Radio' and 'Soundtracks' largely delivering the same kicked back distorted pop noise – solidly, but without too much surprise – it's closer 'Whatdafugbug' that deals the real puch, being by far the best song on Soundtracks. A bit slacker, a bit rock and roll and all fuzzy it opens with a sample and kicks straight into gear. A Cribs-meets-Strokes riff adds to the feel of abandon and the quicker pace means ensures that it's exactly the sort of song that you can feel yourself singing along to loudly at a gig. Good stuff in other words.

Yes, there's a lot of clear reference points at this early stage in the life of the band. It's easy to draw a direct line to their influences and given the time and chance it's something they may transcend. However, as their influences are impeccable and well combined it's churlish to slate them based on this. My Pet Monster have songs – good ones – and for now that's more than enough.

Keep Pop Loud

"They were seriously planning on setting three of the band on fire" - an interview with The Half Rabbits

2011-10-18T14:00:00.001+01:00

For the latest interview with acts from the FIVE STAR Keep Pop Loud CD we sent some questions over to our favourite Oxford post-punk types The Half Rabbits. With there being so much going off in their home city and with their various projects it was hard to know where to start, so we thought some introductions may be in order....

Hello, The Half Rabbits. Any chance of a quick introduction to the band, the members and your history for those who don't know ?

Michael: Hi Keep Pop Loud. We’re the Half Rabbits from Oxford, UK. I sing and play guitar, Chris plays guitar too, Alice plays bass guitar and sings, and Sally plays drums. We formed a few years back in Oxford, after Alice, Chris and I met at school. Actually, Chris is the only original band member and the only one who really knows the story behind the band name. Something to do with a Japanese folk tale, I think. We’ve been playing live all over the country ever since.

Outside of music where does the band draw it's influences from? Are there any films, books, TV shows (etc) that we should really check out?

Michael: Absolutely. For books, let’s go with the novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. As for films, I’ve always loved movies with amazing soundtracks –think The Crow, 28 Days Later, Oh Brother! Where Art Thou, and Donnie Darko. A more recent favourite of mine is the movie There Will Blood and the related Upton Sinclair novel Oil!. For why There Will Be Blood is on the list, listen out for news around our track 'Gasoline'…

From the outside it seems The Oxford scene is pretty amazing and eclectic right now, how does it feel to be a part of that/do you feel that you're a part of that community?

Michael: It’s pretty amazing from the inside too! Such variety, quality, and passion. Every time I check out my favourite music blogs and sites it seems another three Oxford bands have broken through.

I’ve just been asked to contribute vocals to a Tiger Mendoza track. Given the superb job they did with our track 'When The Rain Stops' (which you can download free from our site and Reverbnation), I’m really looking forward to it.

You have to remember that this is made even more amazing by the fact that Oxford is so small. Most bands are concentrated in the Jericho and Cowley districts of the city. It’s very common to see very well known musicians picking up a coffee right by your house on a Tuesday morning. Oxford music packs a punch bigger than most cities two or three times the size. Maybe even five times the size.

What bands/artists from your area right now should we go and investigate?

Michael: There are lots of different styles of music doing the rounds at the moment, and you’ve probably heard of some of them already. Trophy Wife seem to be doing well, as do Chad Valley. Foals of course. It’s a shame that Ute split up recently, and I thought they were great. If you’re looking for tips for 2012, my favourite Oxford bands at the moment are The Scholars, Tiger Mendoza and The Cellar Family.

Michael, you've been playing in The Winchell Riots too this summer. How did that transpire?

Michael: Hell yeah! We played at Reading and Leeds festivals, plus an awesome headline show in Oxford. It was great fun. There were a thousand people at Reading and they punched the air as we played all the anthems.

I used to live with two of them – Phil and James – and we’re all great friends. The Half Rabbits and the Winchell Riots put out a double A-side single to celebrate Christmas one year. We’ve even played covers as a supergroup on New Year’s Eve at the Oxford O2 Academy. I was Dizzie Rascal. Sorry.

As for how I teamed up with them, the Winchell guys had just parted ways with their previous guitar player and suddenly found out that they were playing at Reading and Leeds. It was pretty short notice, but absolutely exhilarating. I was living in London at the time, so used to come back for late night rehearsals with both bands. The first rehearsal with the Winchell Riots was in a disused shack in a farm in the middle of nowhere. We just opened all the doors and windows and blasted the songs out into the night.

The Half Rabbits played a monumental show for the BBC at the O2 Academy in August, then the next day I had to memorize a whole new set with a completely different band. It was a bizarre experience, but a wonderful one. Hopefully I’ll be playing my own songs at the festivals next year.

On top of that, Punk Elvis (your record label) is coming up to it's tenth release. What do you have planned for it and do you have any lessons from the first nine that we need to bear in mind at KPL Records?

Michael: We do indeed. People usually ask me about the band and less so the label, even though the whole project has gone very well.

We’ve got to PELVIS007 (our Optimists EP) and the Half Rabbits are releasing PELVIS008 at a live show at the Jericho Tavern in Oxford on Friday 18 November. We’re recording that new EP with Pat Collier, the awesome guy who recorded our Optimists EP, who you’ll know for his work with such megabands as Primal Scream and Jesus & Mary Chain. And Katrina and the Waves’ 'Walking on Sunshine', which I think he’s quite bored of people asking about.

With the label in mind, we’d like to use this opportunity to announce our Punk Elvis winter extravaganza, taking place on Saturday 3 December at the Phoenix Picture House in Oxford. It’s going to be amazing. We’re playing, and so is Phil from the Winchell Riots. Plus an awesome new act named Gert Lassitude, who’s got a great thing going on with a classical guitar, a sampler, and some amazing lyrics. I challenge you not to like his track 'By Stealth, By Forc'e. We’re planning on putting that out for free as PELVIS010. So proud.

You've used terms such as post-punk and art-rock to describe yourselves on your various sites. What do those terms mean to you and why do you think that less and less acts seem to be identifying with such sub-genres?

I think the important thing is more what they mean to people who’ll be interested in our music. Someone recently describes us as sounding like the Smashing Pumpkins with Ian Curtis from Joy Division on vocals. I think terms like post-punk and art-rock help to get that message across.

'Gasoline' is on the Keep Pop Loud CD (and there's a video in the works). What might we not know about the song, it's inception or recording that you can tell us?

The song was the lead track off our Optimists EP. It’s probably the one that most people associate with that release, probably because it’s first and is the most accessible track. Pat added an awesome drum machine sound to it, which gave it a really driving but almost detached feel.

Michael: I mentioned that we played a BBC show in summer. It went so well that we got speaking to Sam and Tim from the BBC about doing a video for 'Gasoline'. We’re recording it in November at an abandoned airfield. The last time I spoke to the BBC guys, they were seriously planning on setting three of the band on fire (!), so make sure you look out for that.

Incidentally, we were interviewed and filmed by Oxfam yesterday. Chris and I played them an acoustic version of 'Gasoline', so check that out here

You seem to have had a pretty good year as a band especially with regards to becoming better known nationally. What's next for The Half Rabbits?

Michael: We’ve had a very good year as a band. We’re going to see where the new EP takes us, as well as continuing to promote our album and Optimists. We love playing in cities like London, Reading and Bristol, and are also traveling further afield, as always. Perhaps a show in Sheffield, Keep Pop Loud?

Quite possibly, I'll have to see what I can do...

Who is your favourite pop star of all time? And crucially, why?

Sally: I’ll take this one. I’m going with Freddie Mercury because he wrote such great songs and was also such a good performer.

Michael: My choice is Johnny Cash, who somehow I’d accidentally avoided until a month or so ago. He could get more emotions into one song than most people get into a whole career.

Is there anything else that you want to rate/slate/promote/etc?

Michael: I’m pleased you asked. We’re co-headlining Oxford’s Oxjam festival this year. It takes place across five venues in the city centre on Saturday 22 October. We’re playing acoustic set in a brand new venue, named the Turl St. Kitchen, which as its name suggests is a food and wine place during the day. I went there the other day and it’s a really nice place. We’re really looking forward to it, especially as we headlined last year’s Oxjam event and helped to raise over £400. It was great fun.

Thanks Guys!

Visit The Half Rabbits site, where you can get ahold of their ace discography which includes the stunning album From The Horizon To The Map and this year's Optimists EP

Keep Pop Loud

Track of the Week: Los Campesinos! - Hello Sadness

2011-10-17T06:00:00.002+01:00

(Please keep in mind that this was written a few days ago as I'm away right now. Some things may have changed)

Things are looking so good from Los Campesinos! right now. Even those of us feeling a little peeved that Heat Rash isn't quite as quarterly as promised (10 months in and only one issue) are expecting the fourth album from the Cardiff gang to be one of the best albums of 2011. Gareth's promised that it'll be more direct than previously, and the first video that appeared seemed to confirm this (watch the excellent 'By Your Hand' here).

But initial album tasters can be misleading. So the unveiling of song number two, and title track from the record was a bit of a big moment in KPL Towers. And, as you've heard by now - IT'S GREAT! Expectation for the album really could not be any higher, especially following their career thus far.

Devasatingly undervalued by the major British printed music press, Los Campesinos! have exceeded expectations at each turn. That handful of decent demos evolved into an excellent debut, that was soon kicked into shape by second release We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed. Last year's Romance Is Boring basically has claim to being the indiepop album of it's generation. Now Hello Sadness promises to at least meet it.

Chuffing hell! Talk about it being a great time for pop music.

Stream 'Hello Sadness' this week's Track of the Week over at Pitchfork

Keep Pop Loud

EP Review : The Dancers – New Chemistry

2011-10-13T19:49:00.000+01:00

Out now
Available here

Let's not beat around the bush. The Dancers Twitter profile half-jokingly describes them as “the pop band you've been searching for years”. And before we go any further, I'll be honest and say that this is about right. New Chemistry is a six song EP that's got the biggest catchiest choruses since The Wombats and delivers them with the slick new-wave cool of Phoenix. If you like pop, I mean genuinely like POP then The Dancers are for you

It's both odd and completely appropriate that The Dancers have just finished a tour with The Subways. Where their sounds are completely different there's some core similarities. Both are trios of two boys and a girl and both are brimming with the youthful exuberance that makes music as fun to listen to as it sounds like it was to make.

There's something to recommend every song. Each has a disjunctive flavour that gives away this EP's intention – showing the world what The Dancers have to offer.

Opener 'Eyes Closed' is all jerky guitars and disco grooves that's covered in boy-girl vocals. If Alphabeat's second album had got anywhere close to this then they'd be the best pop act in the world right now, no question. 'Running' on the other hand is more of a post-punky number with a throbbing bass riff underpinned by glistening keyboards and a chorus that YCHISMB-era Franz Ferdinand would arch an eyebrow in appreciation of.

Elsewhere they prove that they can add more traditional indiepop elements - jangly guitars, handclaps, chorus that you know every word to by the second play - to their template (see 'Dancing Game') or keep it really simple – 'Lights' in it's rhythm and structure recalls 'Raoul' by The Automatic and 'Not A Wanker' is a sweary gem that would have been a Top 40 hit in the mid-00s. In all it's hard to pick a favourite. I said there's different flavours and you really do feel like a child in a sweet shop. If pushed I might well go for 'Dirty Evening', a song where they keyboards are allowed to dominate and usher in a 'driving at night' feel. There's some lovely adolescent yearning and nostalgic glamour that twinkles like light from a mirrorball. Lovely.

So many references then, but that's what happens when you sit and pick apart something that's as instantaneous as this. It recalls all the good time that you've had with fun music. This is easily accessible and mighty fun. Given the chance these three could get really big.... So are they the band you've been looking for then..?

Keep Pop Loud

Gig Review Round-up:The Crookes & The Whip / Art Brut / Mayor McCa & Hot Club de Paris

2011-10-11T06:00:00.004+01:00

It's easy to forget that September/October is gig season. At least it's easy to forget that if you're me. That's to say it's easy to forget if you've become something of a recluse of late.

We begin the round-up the day after the previously reported Subways/Computers/Dancers gig in the very same venue. The Foundry at the Students Union. My old haunt back in the University days when I was a lighting technician. After meeting up with some of the current crop of volunteer upstarts a few days previous I found myself working the first 'Jack Daniels Live' event at the Students Union on the old site and day that the legendary Fuzz Club was held. Which is appropriate as the main band I'd given up my whole day for was The Crookes.

Like me, The Crookes were old Fuzz regulars. I caught them on at least one occasion (supporting Art Brut) gracing the stage there but never really took much notice. As you may gather from the coverage they've been getting on KPL this year this has changed somewhat now following a wonderful evolution in their sound and two fantastic releases (EP Dreams Of Another Day and album Chasing After Ghosts) and I'm paying so much attention I'm at the venue at 11am to help set up the stage, load in the bands, build barriers and engage in all kinds of manual labour. Fun times.

Whilst realising that I'm not as strong as I once was (that front of stage barrier is HEAVY, kids) I got to catch bits of the opening two acts soundcheck. Local acts both and sounding like it. Despite there being no publicity for it these days, I'm sad to report that Sheffield is still full of bunches of lads replicating the sounds of Oasis/Libertines/Arctic Monkeys. I can't remember exactly which two it was this night but the names Mabel Love and The Velotones ring a bell. Either way, I had my dinner whilst they were on.

The Crookes however, were ace. Still breaking in a new guitarist after Alex Saunders left they're still finding their feet with this new line-up but exude all of the charm and presence on stage that you expect from proper pop stars. They open with (possibly my favourite of theirs) 'Chorus Of Fools' and play a short, but hit-packed set. 'Backstreet Lovers' and 'Bloodshot Days' are highlights and that the crowd mostly leave after their set ('Yes, Yes, We Are Magicians' being the closer) despite there being one more act to come shows how The Crookes follow on from acts such as The Long Blondes in being the truly beloved hometown heroes.

So, onto headliners The Whip, who I'm sad to say provided a somewhat unengaging set. I'm sad to say it of course because they seem like thoroughly decent people and play their songs flawlessly. The light show is spectacular (as it has been throughout the night)but with their being backlit and sounding so precise it's almost as if it's a DJ set. And with the room slightly too empty it doesn't have the atmosphere to make it work. They do of course close with 'Trash' which is again superbly executed.

I finally get home just before 3am. A good few hours after the music stops.

-----

Venturing back down the hill a few days later, I'm a properly paid up punter for the Art Brut gig and a little disappointed to find, when I get there, that they're playing the small room. Obviously this isn't anywhere near as bad news as that which emerged a week previously concerning This Many Boyfriends who were due to support.

Still, as I've said before; Art Brut are one of the most consistently brilliant live acts on the planet. You know when you see them that you're going to get plenty of hits and a fair amount of Eddie Argos talking nonsense. Still, he can talk as much nonsense as he likes when he's wearing a Keep Pop Loud badge, as he does for 'Formed A Band'. Star!

To report on everything of note that Eddie says during the set would take up a full review in itself. Suffice to say, he's on top form. During 'Formed A Band' he follows the Israel/Palestine lyric with "and then Kele and the NME", whilst classic single 'Modern Art' sees him in the crowd, getting the audience to sit down whilst he improvises himself into a corner. "Modern Art! Makes Me! Want To Buy A T-Shirt" he sings for the final chorus of the song once he's back on stage.

With album #4 Brilliant! Tragic! having come out this year the set features some choice cuts that show just how well it holds up in their strong discography. 'Lost Weekend', 'Axl Rose' and 'I Am The Psychic' are strong contenders but it's 'Sealand' that (if memory serves) closes the main set that's my fave.

Some songs are missed out ('Direct Hit', 'Moving To LA') but we're treated to a punky new one that perhaps hints at more material sooner than we'd expect from the Brut. 'DC Comics And Chocolate Milkshake' is played after a vote for requests and 'Emily Kane' gets the crowd loosened up a bit. Which brings us on to a slight nag, that (admittedly) I'm partially to blame for... When I've seen Art Brut in Sheffield in the past the whole crowd has really gotten into it. Whether it's because we're all a little older now or because there's less of us there's much less of that jumping around malarkey. It's a shame, but no reflection on the band. In fact, one chap I met at the gig said it's the best he's ever been to.

----

Which just about brings us up to date, apart from Monday night of this week when I ventured down to SOYO to see Hot Club de Paris and Mayor McCa. A three band bill (Mad Colours are in between) for free is not to be sniffed at, especially when the acts are of this standard.

Mayor McCa, the Duke Of DIY, as he introduces himself is a smashing bearded Canadian one-man-band who writes bluesy rock and charming indiepop ditties. Using a variety of peddles and samples he sits on his kick drum and plays keyboards, a guitar and a ukulele. Frankly it's amazing that he's opening here and not getting masses of press, combining as he does the best bits of the Pitchfork-approved indie scene and the quirkiness that's often paraded on Jools Holland. If that doesn't sound appetising then trust me, he's great and you should watch this video.

The aforementioned Mad Colours are next and provide an interesting arty punk attack and feature a bass player that looks like an MFI middle manager from 1988. Still, they're good but not done any favours by the sound system. There's a bit of Young Knives going off in what they're doing but they're much less rural. Worth checking out if that sounds like your bag.

And finally it's Hot Club de Paris the most criminally underrated band in the UK. They play songs from their three album career whilst eschewing the singles (no 'Hey! Housebrick' or 'Sometimesitsbetter...') in their far-too-short set. The sound means that the vocals, and specifically the crazy harmonies that Hot Club lather their songs in are mostly inaudible, whilst between-song banter remains unheard by pretty much all of the audience.

It's been far too long since I've listened to the first Hot Club album and it shows. I can't remember hardly any of the words and was constantly reminded that I need to change this. The highlight was, as expected 'Free The Pterodactyl 3', a song that I raved about last year. Other great moments came from 'I'm Not In Love And Neither Are You' and 'My Little Haunting'. Give it a few years and people will be talking about these songs the way that they now do about mclusky's 'To Hell With Good Intentions'. They may not sell loads but Hot Club de Paris are keepers.

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EP Review: Bonjour - Motivational Suicide

2011-10-11T06:00:00.001+01:00

Out Now
Available from Bandcamp

Fans of Johnny Foreigner rejoice. Bonjour are a band from Philadeplia that sound a little bit like our Brummie heroes, with a little bit of those other pop scamps Mazes thrown in for good measure. What's not to like? Their downloadable EP Motivational Sucicide is available now, and an excellent demonstration of how 'fight-pop' has translated rather well over to the other side of the pond.

'I Tried It I Liked It' may open with a brief moment of Arcade Fire like epic, but this is merely misinformation as guitars and straining vocals come a-crashing in. The song itself is a crashing of guitars and drums that could instrumentally pass for JoFo's more straightforward earlier moments. There's multiple vocal parts that overlap and threaten to confuse each other and the general air of a band that are at once tight and threatening to fall apart.

&amp;lt;a href="http://fuckingbonjour.bandcamp.com/album/motivational-suicide-ep-2011"&amp;gt;MOTIVATIONAL SUICIDE EP (2011) by Bonjour&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

All of which are things that I'm pretty sure I've said about JoFo before. And I'm sorry to keep making the same comparisons, but take a listen to the above embed and tell me I'm wrong. It'd be easy to read JoFo as an influence on these guys, as would it to draw links to Hot Club de Paris (see the zinging guitar lines that spiral all over each other on 'Football Hero') and The Blood Brothers (the yelped vocals over the more aggressively punk 'Trenton Makes The World Baked'), but in all likelihood it's that we're living in a realm of ever decreasing circles where lots of bands are drawing from fairly similar influences. Either way, Motivational Suicide is certainly worth your time if any of the above comparisons take your fancy.

After all, the EP is barely over 10 minutes long and in that time traverses all of the above as well as the slacker punk of 'Many Things Are Destroying Me'. With more of a jangle and a looser grip on the reigns it's bit freer in itself and with the emo leaning vocal the potential to bring in a different audience - all the while packing a kick.

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Track of the Week: Asobi Seksu - Little House Of Savages

2011-10-10T06:00:00.000+01:00

Since the re-vamp and indiepop focus Keep Pop Loud has been unforgivably neglectful of music from outside of the borders of the UK. Great if you're an Anglophile, but not so fantastic if you've an international appreciation of The Pop.

Specialising in the swooning 'dreampop' variety of indiepop is Asobi Seksu, who I have to admit have passed completely under my radar until this past week. With five albums under their belt there's no justifiable reason why this should be so, as by all accounts they've very much the sort of thing KPL is here to champion. Dense swirly shoegaze pop that pre-dates Ringo Deathstarr by far and takes influence from legends such as Galaxie 500.

Strange then that the two piece from New York had to cover The Walkmen to grab my attention.

As with all great covers, this version of 'Little House Of Savages' puts a fresh mark over the song, whilst retaining it's spirit. It's distinctly Asobi Seksu and guarantees that you'll not hear the original in quite the same way again. The revving guitars echo those of the original, whilst Yuki Chikudate's vocals float over maelstrom of sound. The moments where the drums don't come back in to meet the bass are truly terrific, in a floor-dropping-out way. And the minute from the uplift to the crackling climax is amongst the best of the year.

You can download 'Little House Of Savages' from RCRD LBL for free. And you should. If (like it has with me) you find that it piqued yr interest in Asobi Seksu you can find out what you need at their website.

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EP Review: Joanna Gruesome – e.p.

2011-10-06T06:00:00.002+01:00

Out Now
Self-released. Available from Bandcamp.

Unlike most Joanna Gruesome aren't afraid to describe themselves as 'twee'. At lest they're OK with it on their Facebook page. Which is good enough for me, and as the chorus to opening song 'Sugarcrush' prominently mentions a cardigan (at least it sounds like it does - everything is pretty fuzzy and indistinct), a good place to start when describing the sound of the Cardiff five-piece.

But don't be put off, because as with anything half decent there's much more to it than you'd gather from a stereotype of a 'genre'. Helpfully there is much of late 80s/early 90s indiepop about the band but to this base is added the energy of garage bands, a contemporary lo-fi grubbyness and the throwaway bubblegum hooks, that when done right (as they are here) that allow bands to wriggle into our less-than-cynical hearts. If proper indiepop is what you're after then Joanna Gruesome are the band to find it in.

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://joannagruesome.bandcamp.com/album/e-p"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;e.p by Joanna Gruesome&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

As a side note, it's an excellent band name too. Both punny and distinctive, it sets them against the wishy-washy-ness of much of the press-favoured alt. scene and hints at both humour and independence. Excellent, so about the music then...

The aforementioned 'Sugarcrush' is a mesh of boy-girl vocals and guitars that sound like the (great) title. 'Madison' is noisily tuneful with spades of distortion that's perfect for shaking yr hair to when you're dancing around yr room whilst 'Pantry Girl' is their most tuneful number with a side of melancholy and the sprinkling of 'Be My Baby' drums that no self-respecting band can be without in their early days. For reference points in relation to other groups: 'Lemonade Grrl' is like having Bordeauxxx in one ear and Ramones in the other, whilst 'Yr Dick' could be a feral Los Campesinos! playing with My Bloody Valentine. Excellent news all round then.

This early in the game Joanna Gruesome aren't going to be setting the world on fire. However, tn the strength of this EP I can tell you that they are bloody good and deserve the chance to create something truly fantastic. Be the audience that they can share this with.

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Album Review: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Hysterical

2011-10-04T06:00:00.001+01:00

Label: V2
Released: 12th September

Let me start by talking about The Killers. You remember them right? They came out of nowhere with a barnstorming album in Hot Fuss, full of chart-slaying singles, and then went a bit... well... off. It was clear that they wanted a new sound, which worked for some singles, but generally destroyed what had gone before. This reviewer even walked out of their headline Leeds Festival set around the release of Day & Age as they'd lost the dancing, arms-in-the-air side of their performance that had drawn many in before (although Hot Club De Paris and Young Knives were on another stage)!

So why mention The Killers at this junction? This is a Clap Your Hands Say Yeah review after all. Well, several years after The Killers experimented with a change in sound, CYHSY have actually followed them down the route of that same sound, but here the results actually work. Comparisons will always exist, as if you squint your ears on Hysterical's longest track, 'Adam's Plane', or on 'Siesta (For Snake)' you may even think you're listening to Mr. Flowers. That illusion soon disappears when other tracks follow.

Despite this, to pin this album down to one sound actually does it a disservice. Hysterical marks a step change for a band who's first record was undoubtedly “indie”, whilst their second felt like they were trying to be deliberately obtuse at times and certainly not mainstream. This third record, ambitious at 55 minutes, actually broadens, refines and cleans up their sound. Songs still feel distinctly CYHSY due to Alec's vocals (more on that later), but of their three, it feels like this record has had the most care in its composition. The contribution of strings and piano, in particular, at times feel so beautiful that the music to these songs would happily stand alone of the vocals as an enthralling instrumental.

And this of course is where most people's love affair with CYHSY would immediately come to an abrupt stop, the vocals. To my ears the voice of Alec Ounsworth actually perfectly complements the music, particularly on tracks like 'Hysterical' and 'Ketamine And Ecstasy', but to others his voice will sound whiny or moany. It is fair that his vocal style is the reason that so few lyrics are referenced in this review, as they can often be indecipherable, but personally that is not a reason to avoid this excellent and wide ranging album.

Hysterical offers something that few other albums do, in that every song feels like it has its place. Strangely, despite its length, this record doesn't feel long, with the evolution of the sound as the record progresses being the likely cause of this. From the really “big” opening tracks of 'Same Mistake' and 'Hysterical' to quieter numbers like 'In A Motel', there is certainly no room for filler. A good example of this is 'Maniac', which sounded rather ordinary as a free-download release in advance, but between 'Misspent Youth' and 'Into Your Alien Arms' it's place is clear. I've not tried it myself, but I'm certain this LP would sound at its best through the largest speakers possible to truly appreciate the breadth of the audio.

Many will say that they don't like CYHSY in much the same way as Marmite, however if you think you know Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, I can certainly say that with the release of Hysterical that it's worth not jumping to conclusions. In short, buy this record and give them a second (or possibly third) chance.

9/10

John Wilkins

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Track of the Week: Two Wounded Birds - Together Forever

2011-10-03T08:49:00.000+01:00

To describe 'Together Forever' as "a blast of youthful exuberance with fuzzy hooks at every turn, that points as much to rock and roll's past as it does to the mainstream future of indiepop" probably won't do it much favour. It will also make me sound like I write for the NME. However, it is an accurate description of the new Two Wounded Birds single. Another accurate description would be for me to say

It sounds like Ramones

Because it really does

Like the Ramones, Two Wounded Birds (and singer Johnny Danger in particular) are informed by an in depth knowledge of the history of pop music. This results in a single that's instantly memorable, youthful and fun. It makes you want to jump in piles of Autumn leaves or swagger around with a bass guitar.

Along with The History Of Apple Pie, Two Wounded Birds are the band most likely to take our version of indiepop towards the alternative mainstream. This may well mean that in six months time over-NME-exposure will mean that we don't give a hoot about the Birds. But right now this is GREAT!

'Together Forever' is out on Moshi Moshi Records soon.

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Live Review: The Subways / The Computers / The Dancers @ The Foundry, Sheffield

2011-09-29T06:00:00.000+01:00

It's been a long time since I last saw The Subways. The last time would have been in 2005, around the time of the first release of 'Oh Yeah'. I'd seen them three times within six months, which at 17 was a big deal. And travelling all the way from Peterborough to London to see such a small act play in a tiny venue (downstairs below The Astoria) was a big commitment. Over the years since this my attention to The Subways waned. I grew away from their youthful rock'n'roll and as such when I decided to go see them again in Sheffield (to promote an album I've still not heard) I really didn't know if I was going to get it or if the show would see me stood like an old man at the back watching teenage memories played back on stage.

But before The Subways there's the small matter of support acts. First on are The Dancers, a three piece from France who begin their set very soon after doors open. Luckily The Foundry is filling up fast and the crowd seem relatively attentive. Bouncy and poppy The Dancers manage to recall a wave of mid-00's Scouse pop that didn't get the attention it deserved. With the hooks of The Wombats, energy of goFASTER>> and slight otherness of Elle S'appelle they're a three piece that pack a pocket sized punch. Definitely ones to investigate further.

The Computers are second and are ones that you've more chance of being familiar with, seeing as it is they've made a bit of an impact with their recent album This Is The Computers and its mix of classic 50's rock n roll and contemporary hardcore. To the unfamiliar the set probably sounds a bit samey, but thankfully is delivered with excellent showmanship that sees the frotnman playing from both the front barrier and middle of the crowd. For me it's the rock n roll piano playing that punctuates the punk racket that makes it. It just begs the question: why more bands don't use this excellent sound?

And so onto the main act. There's a decent crowd at least. In fact from where we are it seems like a rather brilliant turnout. Still, there doesn't seem to be much lingering anticipation. Looking around there's the feeling that everyone knows exactly what to expect. Me aside, of course. I'm still wondering if I'm going to get this. Then the band come on.

Charlotte's a ball of energy from the off, bounding across to her bass. Billy gets a roar from the crowd simply from a wave of his arms. Sheffield clearly loves The Subways. Then they OPEN with 'Oh Yeah'. And bugger me, if it doesn't all come gushing back. This is phenomenal. This is everything that used to excite me about rock music and still does today. The crowd are instantly on fire and it's been a long time since I've seen a band on this size stage looking like they're having so much fun.

Although drummer Josh is the powerhouse that propels The Subways it's Billy and Charlotte's show. He's red of hair, shirt and guitar. She's a blur of blonde mane and sparkling gold top. Between his spinning of guitar around his torso and her command of the stage they're two flames burning through hit after hit. It's tracks from the debut that please the most, with 'Young For Eternity' and 'City Pavement' having aged very well and 'Mary' being the out-and-out highlight of the set. “This is a song I wrote about my mum” says Billy introducing it, but it's the look on his face when the whole crowd sing every word back that makes it. Superb.

I'm not sure why it is that Sheffield has such an affinity with this originally Welwyn Garden City based trio. Perhaps it's because Charlotte has recently made the Steel City her home after splitting with Billy. Or maybe it's because Sheffield knows a good thing when it hears it. Songs from this month's under-performing Money And Celebrity album are greeted as well as those from Top 10 All Or Nothing. 'We Don't Need Money To Have A Good Time' particularly gets the crowd into a frenzy. It's memorable if slightly dumb, but all the better for it. This is party rock and roll of the sorts that deserves to be played on pub duke boxes alongside Thin Lizzy, The Runaways and chart-slaying Ash. 'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang' in particular from the new ones sounds fantastic.

'Obsession' sees Billy encouraging an enlargement of the circle pit. “I wanna see the biggest hole you've ever seen in Sheffield” he commands. And aside from the crater on Northumberland Road the crowd succeed. The pit is the full size of the dancefloor. I don't participate though. It may finally be clicking that these early Subways songs were as much love letters to rock and roll itself as they were to his childhood sweetheart/bassist and that running through these is keeping the band young for eternity just as my decent into old-man-hood has been caused by listening to Elbow and drinking too much tea, but that doesn't mean my ankles can leap back into the pit. Not just yet at least.

The fairly straightforward encore consists of 'At 1am' (still their finest moment on record), 'Kalifornia' and recent single 'It's A Party'. It's a great close and I can't help but wonder if Andrew WK feels slightly jealous of The Subways impinging on his territory with a glam-dirty stomper about partying. Either way, it's a more than satisfying close to a set that leaves me with something to think about. I may have gone along trying to recapture some of my younger days, but never would I have expected to have learnt from The Subways.

I had some Monster Munch when I got home.

I feel younger already.

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Album Reviews: Mariachi El Bronx / Howling Bells / Scroobius Pip / Mastodon

2011-09-27T06:00:00.006+01:00

Mariachi El Bronx – Mariachi El Bronx II (Wichita Recordings)
More of the same from the LA Punk band, turned Mariachi wonders. The songcraft is arguably more finely tuned than on Mariachi el Bronx and everything's just that bit more special. With a wonderfully produced, luscious sound this is probably the most uplifting album that you'll hear all year. A real treat if you're willing to go off the beaten path. Whilst it's a shame that this has hit after the summer has finished it's a sure-fire way to bring the sunny vibes into your desolate winter.

Howling Bells – The Loudest Engine (Cooking Vinyl)
Despite a cohesive sound and some deft flourishes (such as the keyboards on 'Charlatan' and 'The Wilderness's whirlwind outro) The Loudest Engine fails to scale the same heights as Howling Bells previous work. Their guitar work is mighty fine, but vocalist Juanita Stein occasionally forgets to use her voice with the seductive subtly that makes the band truly great. 'Into The Sky' is brilliant, however the album just lacks a little magic. More fairy dust and less production next time, please.

Scroobius Pip – Distraction Pieces (Speech Development)
With a more aggressive live sound (blink-182's Travis Barker provides drums on one song) than on his Dan Le Sac collaborations Scroobius Pip has made his finest album since Angles. The less pop-focused structure betrays Pip's beat-poetry origins and there's some really special moments when the inspiration strikes just right (a sample of The Lovely Eggs for example). 'Broken Promise' and 'Introdiction' are easily among his best songs with the former captivating utterly and the latter containing, arguably, some of his best lyrics yet. Across Distraction Pieces the subject of death (murder and suicide) looms large, but Pip always provides a twist and in doing so ensures his place in our music collection.

Mastodon – The Hunter (Roadrunner)
Eschewing the lengthy prog structures of Crack The Skye, Mastodon's fifth album condenses the bands experimentation into 13 digestible chunks. Although this is still clearly an album birthed from metal there's plenty of other touchstones to give it appeal outside of the sub-clture. The awesome 'Curl Of The Burl' features a wicked QOTSA-esqe southern rock groove whilst 'Stargasm' is home to some gloriously spacey keyboards. There's much more going on across The Hunter ('Thickening' is particularly weird) than there's time to go into on an indiepop site such as this, but the record is proof enough that Mastodon are the only contemporary metal band worth bothering with for anyone but the hardcore.

Track of the Week (Part 2): Dum Dum Girls - Bedroom Eyes

2011-09-26T13:58:00.001+01:00

I was asked in an interview recently why it is that Keep Pop Loud focuses on indiepop. Well, there's no easy answer to that, but one key reason would be that it has always formed to core of what I've listened to, it's the music that I enjoy the most and it's where I find solace.

Noise is great, although I tend to go there when I'm feeling upbeat. When I'm glum, as today I can only really smother myself in something with a gut-wrenchingly beautiful melody. Preferably something with yearning lyrics. And more than likely something with a lady singing on.

At various points in my life I've become immersed in albums by The Pipettes and Those Dancing Days when feeling this way, and I daresay unless my employment situation improves somewhat Only In Dreams (the second album from Dum Dum Girls and the record that 'Bedroom Eyes' is lifted from) will join these ranks. But then again, 'Bedroom Eyes' is so wonderful, so life-affirming, so fucking amazing, that it's almost worth feeling shit, so that in the long run such a wonderful song can mean that bit more.

/moping

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Track of the Week: Among Brothers - Loved

2011-09-26T13:15:00.001+01:00

After much anticipation, the follow up to Among Brothers Homes EP, the single 'Loved' is released today and claims the band their first Track of the Week spot on Keep Pop Loud.

If you've bought the Keep Pop Loud CD you'll be familiar with the band from their contribution 'Bare Teeth' and this is as good a primer as any to prepare you for what you're about to hear on the new single. Intricate and unique it's a giant swell of strings and electronic orchestration that's enough to lift even the glummest of spirits and calls to mind the bracing winds on the edge of a cliff.

If you, like me, miss Grammatics then Among Brothers are very much for you. A wonderfully contemporary take on indiepop and the promise of so much more to come.

Loved by Among Brothers

'Loved' is available from the usual digital retailers, but you're probably best off getting it from their bandcamp page.

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Compilation Review: Art Is Hard Records – Dry Route To Devon

2011-09-23T12:02:00.002+01:00

Label: Art Is Hard Records
Released: 26th September (Map) / Now (download)

I'm consuming at lot more compilations at the moment. More, I think, than I ever have done in the past. Although I hate to add more fuel to the 'album is dead' fire I think this change in my listening habits is merely a reaction to the fact that despite me being out of a 'proper' job I'm busier than ever. Compilations are just easier to dip into and out of. Get the right one and it allows you to sample a bit of everything that you're after at that point in time.

And so we come to Art Is Hard Records an their Dry Route To Devon. Very much 'the right one' for this point in time. Like Alcopop! Records annual Alcopopular releases (and to a lesser extent our very own Keep Pop Loud CD) this release has sought to make music available in a way that's both physical and collectable whilst innovative and novel. The physical side to the release comes in the form of a large map of the South West of England with QR codes embedded representing the location of the bands featured – with the idea that you can scan them with your smart phone and access the music as soon as you've purchased the map. Great!

Of course instant access is only worthwhile if the songs are any good, and at the end of the day that's what you're wanting to know. Or at least you would be had you not already gathered that I think this release is pretty special.

My personal highlight is Big Wave and their song 'Wild Strawberries' which I wrote about as Track of the Week on Monday. Big Wave represent Torquay on the map and supply what is a sublimely pure slice of pop that would not sound out of place on the seminal Rough Trade Shops Indiepop 01 CD. But say indiepop, in the traditional sense, isn't your thing? Well then, how about the brother/sister noise pop duo of Hysterical Injury? Abrasive but melodic they come across as a bit DFA 1979 with a female vocal that's a bit Elastica meets Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Listen to it. You'll know what I mean. And even if you don't you'll like what you hear anyway.

Now, it'd be really easy for me here to go through every single song on the album, outlining a vague description, and if it were the case that you'd have to go to great lengths to hear the music, that is what I'd do. Good for you then that you can listen to it right here. At only 35 minutes (and a few seconds) it won't take you long to get an overview of what we're looking at. If more pointers are what you're after however then fans of scuzzy rock n roll should go straight for Lost Dawn's 'Blog Baby Blues' whilst those who like their lo-fi need to look at Yrrs whose 'Gravel Pit' is a barely decipherable mess of guitar fuzz and melody. It works, but only just.

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://artishardrecords.bandcamp.com/album/dry-route-to-devon"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Dry Route to Devon by Art Is Hard Records&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

On the more electronic side of things there's a few examples of the sort of 'blog pop' that I normally won't go out of my way for. As Art Is Hard have demonstrated, this is very much my loss. Both Rock Hudson (Bournemouth) and Adjust Your Set (Portsmouth) produce the best examples of heard of this all year, with the latter edging out ahead by combining the gloopyness that we expect with a crisp guitar line and euphoric edge. The appropriately titled 'In Motion' will make your train journey (be it to Devon or not) feel that much more epic than you'd expect.

As this is such an excellent compilation I feel remiss now for not mentioning everything. Gorgeous Bully, Safari Park, WeMakeNoises, Fire Island Pines and Olo Worms are all worth your time and are probably even better than my words can do justice to. Basically you should do your ears a massive favour and listen to this. When you like what you hear you can order the map.

More than a compilation of 'local bands' Dry Route To Devon is a love letter to its locality, a taster of what's AMAZING about underground pop and something pretty to hang on your wall.

Keep Pop Loud

Album Review: Slow Club – Paradise

2011-09-22T06:00:00.000+01:00

Label: Moshi Moshi
Released: 12th September

From opener 'Two Cousins' right through to the album's 'hidden' title track it's clear that Paradise is the sound of Slow Club surpassing all expectations.

At the time when Slow Club were first starting up in Sheffield I was working at the Students Union where they used to play. A sound engineer friend remarked to me, about the band, that he was glad of their existence because otherwise they'd be two 'boring singer-songwriter' types rather than just one band. Always having found Slow Club to have been, at worst, rather pleasant I refrained from commenting. However that there was a grain of truth in what this sound engineer was saying shows a lot about what the band used to be.

As much as they hated it, it's really no surprise that they've been called 'twee' a lot in the past. Charles was a stereotypical indiepop boy, whilst Rebecca used to play percussion on an old chair. They wrote ramshackle melodies with titles like 'Come On Youth' and 'Let's Fall Back In Love'. They were, and sorry if you're reading this guys, twee.

Fast forward to 2011, Slow Club, no longer particularly affiliated with Sheffield have released what feels in every respect to be a classic pop record. Refined, but retaining the quirk and spirit the duo have always possessed it's something of a treasure with many disparate highlights coming together to form a satisfyingly complete record.

Whilst 'Two Cousins' is a personal favourite there's every chance that when you approach Paradise there'll be another that you just won't be able to shake. 'If We're Still Alive' takes the more clattering approach of some of Slow Club's early material and is all the more charming for it, whilst 'Where I'm Waking' comes onto the listener in a way that's guaranteed to prick up a few, shall we say, ears. More subdued moments such as 'Hackney Marsh' and 'You, Earth Or Ash' make it feel as though sitting through Paradise is a rifle through some long lost collection of old vinyl LPs. It's new on the ears but feels very much like it could have been around forever.

Whilst it's not a complaint, as such, Charles' vocal plays much less of a part on Paradise than it did on Yeah, So?. Clearly Rebecca is the central focus now and with pre-release publicity mentioning her split with Gareth Campesinos! she's clearly on her way to becoming an indiepop icon. It's not a takeover of the sound though, with Charles' musical compositions and textures proving to be the factor that keeps us coming back time and again to the album.

So, yeah... time will tell if Paradise becomes the classic (cult or otherwise) that it promises to be. However if you've any sense you'll get in there now. For not only is this one of the best albums of 2011 but that way you'll still have chance to grab the bonus disc which is essential for the Arab Strab men (Malcolm Middleton &a Aidan Moffat)'s version of 'Two Cousins'. It's brill!

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"Good books and nice cups of tea" a chat with H Bird's Aug Stone

2011-09-20T06:00:00.002+01:00

For part three in our series of email chats with acts from the Keep Pop Loud CD we sent the multi-talented Aug Stone a series of quick questions. As songwriter and founding member of H Bird you'll be aware of his excellent synth-pop creations that have been featured on Keep Pop Loud over the past year. But like the wider popscene there's a lot more going on that's just below the surface...

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First off, for anyone who might not know, who are H Bird?

H Bird are Kate Dornan, Kasia Middleton and myself, Aug Stone. We’re a synthpop trio from London. We like good books and nice cups of tea.

How did the band come about and where is the name from?

I had been wanting to do a project like this for years, combining my lifelong love of 60s girl groups and synthpop. I don’t think I’ve ever publicly said where the name came from but since you asked, I’ll tell you. Back in Boston, MA around the year 2000, before Paris Hilton started using it, my friends and I were throwing around the word “hot”, usually to describe songs by Depeche Mode and the Pet Shop Boys. It soon got shortened to just “H”. “Oh, that’s H!” we’d say. Anyway, fast forward to September 2003 when I’ve just moved to London for the first time and I’m sitting at an internet café in Kentish Town emailing one of my best friends back in Boston, Rick Webb. I thought it would really annoy my friends back home if I immediately started using British slang as soon as I got to London. So I’m sitting there typing and this gorgeous French girl sits down at the computer next to mine, so I typed to Rick “There is an H bird sitting next to me.” And Rick wrote back “H Bird would make a great band name.” I decided there and then that would be the name for this project. I like it because if I hadn’t told you that, you wouldn’t have any idea where it came from. It could be someone’s first initial and last name, it could be anything. And that’s why I like it as a name for a pop group – it’s enigmatic, open to interpretation, and it sounds cool.

So anyway, I wrote all these songs and I met Kate around that time because her band Fosca and my old band Lifestyle were supposed to tour the States together, but sadly that never happened. When I moved back to London in 2005 I was still writing and I asked Kate if she’d like to collaborate on some songs and I was hoping she would play keyboards in the band when it came together. I had no idea she could sing. You don’t think someone who can play every instrument will also have a great voice. I was really trying hard to find a singer at that point and I went to see Scarlet’s Well at Water Rats one night and Kate, as well as playing synth for them, also sang lead on one song and I was blown away. I knew she should be the singer of H Bird. I gave her the demo of “Pink Lights & Champagne” at the Luke Haines gig at the ICA later that summer and she came over and sang on that and a few other demos and then we recorded 4 songs with Ian Catt as sort of a sampler. Then Ian from HDIF heard “Pink Lights” and offered us a gig so we formed the live band. Kasia was the obvious choice as she was a good friend of ours and she also can play any instrument. We played every two weeks after that, writing “Violet” and “Allodynia” then too.

There's an element of H Bird's sound that rooted in early 90's British pop, why do you think no-one else is going there at the moment?

Hmm, I never really think of our sound as early 90s but I can see that, that’s when Saint Etienne started. Yeah, those years seem to have been skipped over and it’s gone straight to the Britpop revival, hasn’t it?

This may not have been how it actually was, but how I remember the early 90s was there was really a lot going on, a freer time before movements started to form again and the word ‘alternative’, and how can that possibly describe a sound?, came to label just about everything. It might’ve been different over here but this is how I remember it as an American who has always been in love with British music. ‘120 Minutes’ was great back then, more things were being given chances in the mainstream because, as usual at any given time in the music industry, no one had any idea what was going on. Then “Alternative”, then “Britpop” came along and more and more boring clones were getting signed and pushing the more interesting bands out of airplay slots. What I was listening to back then – the Jesus & Mary Chain (buying Honey’s Dead was a life-changing experience), Dinosaur Jr., Fugazi, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Chainsaw Kittens, Lush, Daisy Chainsaw, Smashing Pumpkins, Fishbone, Ned’s Atomic Dustbin – I don’t really see a lot of similarities between. So to answer your question, maybe because there’s not as much of an identifiable early-90s sound?

Though Shrag, not to say they’re doing it, sometimes remind me of early Lush at points, which is great.

You've got your comic (The Beekeeper) too, what's your involvement with that and what prompted it?

I write The Beekeeper scripts and Steve Horry draws it. They’re free downloads on the site if anyone’s interested. I’ve gotten really into comics the past couple of years. I always loved Asterix and Tintin when I was growing up and whenever I’d read an interview with Alan Moore he’d always sound so right on. But it wasn’t until the past few years that I’ve started reading more comics. I just finished Grant Morrison’s The Invisibles, which was amazing. I’m also loving Jacques Tardi’s work lately.

I had an idea for a comic and I was talking to Steve about drawing it and he suggested that since I was new to all this that we start slow and that I should write some short, 3 or 4 page stories before diving into something huge. A few days after he suggested that, I had a fever and couldn’t sleep so I got out of bed at 3 a.m. and wrote the very first Beekeeper story, which has nothing to do with my original idea and is really quite bizarre. I came to really love the idea though and I’ve written a bunch of scripts now, there should be a new one up on the site soon. I’ve got plenty of ideas for comics, have been working on a bunch of different scripts for other stories too, if there are any artists out there reading this.

So, it's 'A Millionairess In A Ruby Ring' that we've got on the Keep Pop Loud compilation. Is there any story behind this or anything that people might not know about the song?

This is actually an AUNTIE song (another project of mine), though I’ve not actually got around to finishing the AUNTIE version. Sean Drinkwater from Freezepop and Lifestyle covered it and we used his version as the theme to The Oxford Dons - (a comedy short film that Jamie Manners and I made - . I play an ex-CIA agent and Jamie is a professor of 18th Century Albanian Poetry. Together we solve crimes.) When we played the last H Bird gig before Kasia moved to L.A. we were going to cover it too as I always liked to make each H Bird gig special and play unique set lists, but we had to cut it due to time. We did cover Lifestyle’s “Are You Coming On To Me?” at that gig and we later recorded both of those songs for the Danger Makers EP, a free download from Corporate Records.

I wrote “Millionairess” at the time I was reading Ulysses and I always keep a running list of good song titles. Somewhere within Ulysses Joyce uses the word “millionairess” and he might mention a ruby ring too but it would take forever to go back and check ; )

14 A Millionairess In A Ruby Ring - H Bird by Keep Pop Loud

When I was writing the song, the lead synth line reminded me of something Sean Drinkwater would write so I put in a little homage in the lyrics as well, the “fly your spaceship into the sun” bit. Sean used to tell me that Duran Duran’s Seven And The Ragged Tiger would be the perfect album to listen to if you had stolen a space shuttle and were flying it directly into the sun. He even made up special cd which changed the track order a little and included “Is There Something I Should Know?” which he felt (and I agree) was wrongfully tacked onto the cd issue of their first record, when chronologically it belonged with SATRT. That has always stuck with me and whenever I interview a band now, my standard final question is “What would the soundtrack be if you had stolen a space shuttle and were flying it directly into the sun?”

The Danger Makers EP (on which 'Millionairess' features) was released as a free download, what stopped you from doing a physical release?

It’s tough doing physical releases these days, having to pay for pressing copies and then storing the inventory, especial if you’re just going to give it away for free. So much easier just to make it a download. I would love to have the H Bird stuff released on 12” vinyl, the covers would look awesome that way, but it just doesn’t make financial sense. I’ve put up almost everything I’ve ever released on Corporate Records (The Indelicates internet label), lots of it for free. It’s great.

You also recently put up the music you recorded with The Soft Close-Ups as a free download too.

I love The Soft Close-Ups stuff, I’m very proud of those songs. And it’s great working with David Shah. He’s a brilliant lyricist and has an amazing voice. Luxembourg were one of my favourite bands so I was really excited when we started working together. “In Retrospect” is a collection of everything we’ve done so far. And we’ll be recording a new EP in October with a full live band, I’m really looking forward to that. I think these new songs coming up are some of the loveliest pieces of music I’ve ever written.

I also put out an AUNTIE EP this year with two of my favourite singers each taking a song, Goolkasian from The Elevator Drops and Mikey Georgeson from David Devant & His Spirit Wife and Mr. Solo. I think they’re two of my best songs and I’m thrilled they agreed to sing on them. And I’ve been releasing free downloads as Eiscafe of collaborations with different people. The plan was to try and do a song a week, I’ve got a ton of music stockpiled and am looking for people to write lyrics and sing them, but I’ve had TONS of computer and studio trouble this year and I’ve only just got that fixed so hopefully we’ll get some more out.

The underground pop scene is pretty vibrant over in the UK at the moment, what's your favourite part of what's going on?

I like that people just seem to be doing stuff, like they get an idea and they make it happen. People like David Barnett, who allegedly retired from show business almost 2 years ago, has been on like 5 albums this year, we did “Slag To Love” together, and has been playing tons of gigs with different bands, and even has a new band where he’s playing new songs and old favourites. Or Trev Oddbox is always doing something, putting on and putting out records by bands he likes. You wanted to put out a cd and you’re doing it. It’s awesome. There’s a lot of great bands around at the moment, and the only one I can think of that has a proper record label behind them is Art Brut. But there’s a ton of good bands playing gigs and putting out great records and it’s awesome that I keep discovering more.

Are there any new bands that you can recommend us

My two favourite bands that I’ve heard this year are Pris and The Hall of Mirrors. Pris are set to take over the world, they’ve got the right idea about what pop should be. Their songs are fantastic, like a Kenickie-style burst of energy. And The Hall Of Mirrors make really lovely, dreamy pop songs. Both are all about huge amazing songs that that just make you go YES! Paisley and Charlie are excellent as well, their record just came out. They make Saint Etienne-esque pop like we do. Mary-Anne from The Kid, who were a great Swedish band, I once described them as “like New Order and Throwing Muses thrown into a dangerous amusement park ride”, has a new free download single out. With David Sundqvilst of The Kick who are also very good and have a bunch of free stuff out. May Roosevelt makes scary but beautiful electronic pop. Jonny Cola & The A-Grades know how to glitter up a pop song. And David Shah’s other project, The Melting Ice Caps, is really really lovely. I really like Hong Kong In The 60s’ spacepop as well. Gwenno from The Pipettes’ solo stuff is ace.

Who is your favourite pop star?

After finally seeing Pulp in July, after 17 years of trying, I think Jarvis is the best popstar in the world. It was just amazing to watch him perform. He had the moves, the energy, the intensity but he’s incredibly sincere about it all too, which really comes through and feels like it’s the most important thing. He’s really just himself. He doesn’t put himself up there to be idolized, he’s there to make everyone feel a part of and share this truly wonderful experience which is what pop is all about to me.

David Bowie too, for his incredible body of work, how he managed to move between styles and master them whilst also being enormously innovative.

Mikey Georgeson (David Devant & His Spirit Wife, Mr. Solo) is also an amazing popstar. A spectacular performer (literally) and fantastic, prolific songwriter. His songs are shining glimpses of another universe where everything is pure pop.

Cat from Pris is gonna make a great pop star, actually she already is. She’s got a very clear idea of what pop should be and the sass and style to pull it off.

Siouxsie is another of my favourite pop stars. How in every image of her, and there were tons, she always looked impeccable and evocative, matching the mood of the music the image represented. All her records were very physical visual artifacts as well as sonic ones.

Pop is a very special wonderland and a true popstar is a magician with the powers to bring you there.

What's next on the cards for you and for H Bird?

Kate and I did an Eiscafe song, “Apricot Lipstick”, back in February that I really love and we recorded another one called “Pale Green Eyeshadow” right before my computer and studio collapsed. But I just need to mix it so hopefully that will be ready soon. I think we’re all open to future H Bird stuff it’s just we’ve all sort of gone off in different directions for the time being, but no need to rule anything out.

I’ve got a ton of music written that I’m looking for people to write lyrics to and sing. There’s the new Soft Close-Ups single coming up and hopefully there’ll be a lot more music there. I’ve been doing solo gigs which have been a lot of fun. More gigs all around would be nice. Yeah, so there’s plenty more music to come.

Cheers! And good luck with it all.
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So there you have it. H Bird's 'A Millionairess In A Ruby Ring' joins the rest of the amazing talent on the Keep Pop Loud CD. Talent that includes Pris and Glam Chops (which features Eddie Argos and Mikey Georgeson) that if you feel so inclined (and we'd be ever-so-grateful) you can buy from the KPL store.

If it's any extra incentive the artwork features cats! Look >>>

Keep Pop Loud

Track of the Week: Big Wave - Wild Strawberries

2011-09-19T06:00:00.000+01:00

If you're wondering (quite rightly) why it is that utterly sublime releases by Dum Dum Girls and Los Campesinos! have yet to attain Track of the Week status then it's probably down to them coming my way early in the week and therefore too late to take this slot. Plus you've already heard them anyway.

Hopefully this week's top pick is something that you won't have come across however. It's by a band called Big Wave and is available on an excellent compilation on Art Is Hard Records. But you can listen to it right now.

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://wearebigwave.bandcamp.com/track/wild-strawberries"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Wild Strawberries by Big Wave&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

'Wild Strawberries' sounds like it's been unearthed from a time capsule. A long forgotten gem from the eighties when indiepop was all new. Not retro or contrived it's simply a sweet and pure piece of pop music. Stripped to its bare bones the song could have just as easily crept out of the 1950's with "ba-ba-ba-baa"s and a gently woozy melody.

Big Wave hail from Devon and can be found on said aforementioned compilation. Titled Dry Route To Devon the release comes with a lovely screen printed map with embedded QR codes that allow you to listen on yr smart phone. It's an innovative idea if ever there was one, and KPL will be brining you a full review of the compilation during the week.

In the meantime if you want to delve into the waters beforehand, Big Wave is absolutely perfect for you to be getting on with.

Keep Pop Loud

Album Review: Grouplove – Never Trust A Happy Song

2011-09-16T06:00:00.000+01:00

Label: Atlantic
Released: 5th September

It's one of the great pop injustices of the year that Foster The People's plodding (if catchy) 'Pumped Up Kicks' can be heard coming from every single radio and television in the UK, where fellow LA residents Grouplove and their excellently giddy 'Colours' remains a hit only amongst the listeners of 6Music. This says much more about the general singles purchasing population than it does about Grouplove.

Beginning very well (with handclaps) 'Itching On A Photograph' kicks off the record, and instantly it's obvious what we're dealing with. Grouplove deal in big pop tunes with everything-and-the-kitchen sink thrown in. Jangly guitars, semi-wild vocals, multiple-part harmonies and the sort of massive sounding drums that make you want to throw shapes around the sticky dancefloor. Despite any allusions to mid-decade mainstream indiepop it's genuinely exciting and when paired with current radio single 'Tongue Tied' forms an unbeatable opening pair.

With a (Hot Fuss era) Killers-eqsue bassline it sounds like a proper hit. The underpinning synthesisers bring a different element to Grouplove's sonic pallet than we witnessed on their first recordings resulting in an amalgamation of MGMT cool and Black Kids exuberance. Every time this comes on it's impossible to resist the urge to pogo like a loon. You've been warned.

'Lovely' cup suffers from some lyrics that are bound to grate on some people (“You're such a lovely cup / Why don't you fill me up”) but as it fronts a tune that's in the vain of R.E.M.'s Green there's every chance that you can let it slide. Plus it exists between 'Tongue Tied' and 'Colours', the latter of which is easily one of the best singles of the year. It's just sheer brilliance!

I mean will you just clock the drumming on that. It's track four on what's as strong an opening salvo as you're likely to hear on a pop album this year.

Midway 'Naked Kids' makes a surprising return from the EP/mini-album. With a more slacker vibe it sits in much better than expected, slowing the pace and giving some breathing room. As much as it smacks of privilege (“Cruising on the highway with my friends, top down / And we're all on our way to the beach”) there's an element to the delivery that suggests a more subversive undercurrent. Be it a mockery of the rich kids or a comment on the 'missing generation' that have no work to go to either way it's alright by these ears and British class-conscious sensibilities.

Elsewhere Grouplove show off their versatility with this pop malarkey. 'Slow', with it's looser structure, swirling keyboards and backing vocalist Hannah Hooper taking the lead, feels more like an interlude than full blown single and 'Cruel And Beautiful World' is their country number. Well, obviously it's not country in the modern day, tacky Nashville, dress up sense, but rather a foot-tapper that's lead by some neat twanging guitar and Hooper and (front man) Christian Zucconi's joint vocals. Further variety is added by 'Spun' which features a drastically different vocal style. It's been described as their radio rock hit with good reason. Plus it's a little bit shouty.

Perhaps 'Betty's A Bombshell' and 'Love Will Save Your Soul' are fillers, but Grouplove are still a young band. So whilst Never Trust A Happy Song isn't a great album it's at least two thirds of the way there. An emotional counterpoint to the anthemic pop tunes (perhaps the swooning 'Get Giddy' from the aforementioned EP) would have proved the simple push it needed. As it stands Grouplove's debut is simply great fun and a sure-fire hit with discerning indie fans who still like a good old dancefloor filler. It's just that there's occasionally the nagging feeling that this album is meant to have only a transitionary impact on it's audience but when the sugar rushes are this great then we need not worry about our long term dental health.

Keep Pop Loud

EP Reviews: Katie Malco/Matt Emery/Warren Mallia - threEPeople

2011-09-15T06:00:00.004+01:00

Released: August 22nd
Label: Alcopop! Records

Despite the rain it's been something of a dry summer this year. When we look at new releases that have come our way over the summer months noteworthy stuff is few-and-far-between. And while this has given me the chance to ensure that all of the sleeves for our very own compilation have been made prior to release date, it's also had the side-effect of making for a very slow blog. Sorry about that.

And now, like with the old bus analogy, many have come along at once. With this near-insurmountable pile of records to review it's Alcopop!'s split EP that's made its way easily and gracefully to the top of the pile.

Limited edition and in a hand painted sleeve the threEPeople EP marks Katie Malco's debut release on the label and backs her up with new contributions from old hands Matt Emery (drummer in Stagecoach) and Warren Mallia (guitarist from The Attika State) with each contributing one acoustic number each. As usual, with this being Alcopop! it's a different way of getting this music out there and expertly highlights the talents of the three musicians.

'His Face Is A Map' is the opening number of the three and comes from Katie Malco. Definitely a cult artist in the making, it'll still be really great to see Katie break out from the underground pop scene and get wider acknowledgement of her talents. From the bare bones of the acoustic guitar Katie's multi-tracked vocals provide subtle harmonies which along with a swell of additional instrumentation brings the track to a nice climax. Her voice is incredibly pretty and gives the release an essential feminine touch.

Matt Emery's contribution is the biggest surprise on the CD due to the previously reviewed Pulled Apart By Matt Emery download. Said EP of Pulled Apart By Horses covers focused mainly on Matt's vocal and classical sounding piano work. 'Ghost Dreaming', like Katie's song feels suited to a rainy afternoon, it's reflective and gentle sounding but with a strong tune. If on paper this sounds a bit too MOR then fear not, this sits in nicely with the indiepop that we're used to from Alcopop!, if somewhat contrasting to the catchy slacker-tunes of Stagecoach. Lovely!

Rounding off the EP is '6 Shots', Warren Mallia's song. As Warren provides some vocals for The Attika State anyway this brings a more familiar voice to proceedings. A rawer cut than the previous two numbers '6 Shots' comes across very much like an acoustic track from his band. It's easy to imagine the acoustic riffs coming from a fully amplified guitar and backed up by the full might of the five piece line-up. Catchy with an up-beat tune that's nicely juxtaposed with the darker lyrics. This is classic pop songwriting.

Autumn is by far my favourite season, and as currently I'm unemployed I'm looking for the perfect soundtrack to get me out of the house and job hunting on the wind-strewn and leaf-blown streets. Last time I was in this position Those Dancing Days debut record wormed it's way into my heart to become one of my favourite albums of the decade. There's a place again for a record to get under my skin in this way and the threEPeople stands a very good chance of being that.

Keep Pop Loud

"Spread the indie butter on the toast of love" a chat with Bordeauxxx

2011-09-13T06:00:00.003+01:00

You might have noticed that Keep Pop Loud has a CD out. It's fifteen of the finest slices of pop madness that we've heard over the past year, and in order to persuade you to part with (only) five of your hard-earned pounds we're catching up with some of the acts that feature.

So far you'll have heard the contributions from The Winter Olympics, MJ Hibbett and Glam Chops. Hopefully you'll also have seen our Kidnapper Bell interview. Today however it's the turn of ace indiepopsters Bordeauxxx to run through some of the KPL questions.

...and it seems that they've had a bit fun with the answers...

So then, to start with can you introduce the band for anyone who might not know?

- Martin: We're four boys and a girl in a pop group called Bordeauxxx

- Nat: Jon is hairy, Charlie is a cat, Martin has the tiny eyes, Amy is apparently a female and I'm the charming one with the massive willy

- Jon: Nat is the one who comes across drunk in interviews.

How did Bordeauxxx come about and how long have you been going?

- Jon: We all met at Uni, and we've been going just over a year and a half. Me, Martin, Amy and Nat were thinking of starting a band, and then Amy got drunk and invited Charlie to join because he had cool hair.

- Martin: I was in the toilet at the time, and when I got back I thought she'd pulled.

The song on the Keep Pop Loud CD is 'Every Holiday Is A Disaster', is there anything about that song you can tell us that we don't already know?

- Nat: If you play it backwards it's actually an old episode of Changing Rooms

- Martin: From conception to completion it actually took us almost a year to write - finding a structure that worked was difficult with this song. You think with all that time, I'd have managed to get some decent lyrics done too, but they were still being chopped and changed right up until I was actually in the vocal booth. Luckily I think I stuck with a good set... Also, Changing Rooms.

- Amy: It’s my favourite song we have written so far!

- Jon: One of the vocal takes that got left on the cutting room floor includes me overdoing the shouty bits and ending up sounding like Chewbacca...

Every Holiday Is A Disaster by bordeauxxx

You've been self-releasing in the past. How has that been working out and would you ever consider working with a label?
- Jon: I think our music video for Heartstrings is something that I'm really proud of, since it literally cost us £16 (inside scoop: we spent all of that on balloons). Having no label support or budget means we have to work harder and be smarter, and I think those are good things for any creative project.

- Martin: Our EP has been out about a year now, and I think we're all surprised at how well it's done. We do enjoy the whole DIY thing and how personal it is - though it's tough work. If we were fortunate enough to be offered a label release of our next EP then we'd welcome it with open arms! Especially Amy...

Amy: Yeah, being the Bordeauxxx CD making and distributing factory is pretty demanding so some help on that front would definitely be appreciated!

There's a lot of really exciting stuff going off in the pop underground at the moment. Lots of bands doing lots of different things. Is it a good time to be in a group right now?

- Nat: No, cos back in the day, before I existed, you could probably just say 'I'm in a band' and get loads of chicks, and not even feel bad about it. Now if you say that you sound like a nobhead.

- Martin: Chandler Bing to Rachel Green "I go to college, AND, I'm in a band". It worked.

- Charlie: Try going to Brighton and saying you're in a band. Chances are you're talking to someone who is also in a band, or knows someone that's in a band that are more famous than you.

- Jon: I think it's a great time to be in a band, mostly because it's a fucking terrible time to be alive. If you can channel all of your social-networking-derived-longing and recession inspired ennui into something that actually resonates with other people (instead of just being 'that guy who complains about everything') then it's a good time to be making art.

Who is your favourite Pop Star?

- Nat: In the TV show Popstars my fave was Noel cos he had a nice face and a funny mum, though I fancied Suzanne.

- Martin: Danny, cos he loved his nan. Also Darius because everyone hated him for a while, then he cut his hair and became really good.

- Charlie: I never watched it. I feel like I missed out now.

Is there any gossip that you can let us in on?

- Amy: living with 3 out of 4 of the guys last year made for interesting housemates but I daren’t share any of their strange antics for fear of being kicked out of the band…

- Charlie: I heard Martin and Amy got off once?

- Jon: I heard Martin and Nat got off once…

- Martin: Not usually one to kiss and tell, but I'm working my way around the band.

- Nat: Did you know there's actually a place in France called Bordeaux?!?!?

What's next on the cards for Bordeauxxx?

- Martin: EP 2 and as much gigging as possible! I love visiting new towns for shows, we're currently planning a tour, so hopefully that happens so we get to go exploring in different jungles every day...

- Amy: Yeah I am super excited to record again, and getting some new music out to shove in peoples ears!

- Charlie: I still have one more year of university to plough through. But band is a high priority too! I just want to get a decent grade as well..

Is there anything you want to achieve with the band long term, or are you just happy taking each thing as it comes?

- Martin: As long as people listen, we'll be out there playing. I guess it's lucky that we're getting the chance to gig at such an exciting time for pop, and to be involved with such rad shows. We've been fortunate enough to share the stage with loads of bands we admire already... I think onwards and upwards is the plan, and it'll be fun seeing where we end up and who we get to meet.

- Nat: I want us to create a whole new genre of music that somehow physically reduces the atmosphere's concentration of greenhouse gases with each play.

- Charlie: That's so Nat.

- Amy: As much as Nat’s idea could potentially save the planet I do feel it is a little out of reach… but yeah what Martin said, ha.

- Jon: The environment can look after itself. I want to write my name on a hot girl's boobs without getting slapped in the face.

Why should fans of Bordeauxxx buy the Keep Pop Loud compilation CD?

- Martin: Glam Chops

- Nat: Cos spending money is good for the economy.

- Amy: To spread the indie butter on the toast of love.

- Charlie: Cos now putting a CD in a CD player and listening to it is well retro and cool and so you should probably do it.

- Jon: So they can check the tracklisting on the back whenever they forget how to spell our band's name.

Cheers!

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So there you have it. Bordeauxxx join all of the aforementioned talent (plus others including Pocket Satellite, Dogs Die In Hot Cars and Pris) on the Keep Pop Loud CD, that if you feel so inclined (and we'd be ever-so-grateful) you can buy from the KPL store.

If it's any extra incentive the artwork features cats! Look > >

Keep Pop Loud

Track of the Week: MJ Hibbett – 2000AD Nan

2011-09-12T06:00:00.001+01:00

It's no secret that MJ Hibbett is one of the all time favourite songwriters at KPL Towers. If you're reading this and somehow haven't heard the incredible album We Validate! then you can be excused from reading the rest of this to go and buy yourself a copy.

This means that all of you now know who MJ Hibbett is and no more introductions are needed for this indiepop legend.

Well, I'm absolutely chuffed here to bring you an exclusive new MJ Hibbett song, '2000AD Nan' that you can buy from us on the Keep Pop Loud CD... which is released TODAY!

But rather than me banging on about the track I'll give you some words that Mark himself has written on his own blog, regarding it's inception and meaning.

“A few years ago there was a spate of very similar letters appearing in the 2000AD letters page, from people who wished to pay tribute to their NANS. All over the world there were, and doubtless still are, people whose Nans had bought them their regular weekly comic as a special treat, and had then kept doing it when they left home. People talked about Nans stockpiling back issues until their next visit, or sending them all around the world, with the exchange becoming a constant symbol of their relationship. As 2000AD readers move into their thirties and forties the league of Nans gently declined in number, and it really touched me to think of all these lovely relationships which had, as a small but vital part, an incredibly violent, anarchic slice of weekly punk rock.

It probably helped that my own early comic buying years had involved my Nans - Nan Bertie used to get me The Beano (which I read while she read The Weekly News) and Nan Bike gave me the pocket money which bought Whizzer and Chips, Starlord and then 2000AD. I stirred in my own story to all the other stories I'd read and came up with some words which, invariably, got me a bit weepy whenever I sang them.”

So to get your hands on this BRAND NEW MJ Hibbett song, go and pick up a copy of the Keep Pop Loud CD

It's only £5 for 15 songs. Limited to 100 copies and comes in a sleeve made from second hand clothes!

03 2000AD Nan - MJ Hibbett by Keep Pop Loud

To read more about the other bands involved (including Dogs Die In Hot Cars, Art Brut's Eddie Argos and The Winter Olympics) go here!