Archive for Introducing
Introducing: Maker
February 5th, 2012 • Introducing
Tags: BRIGHTON, Danny McGurn, Lana McDonagh, Maker, Missing, Secret Heart, We Got It (All Worked Out)
From the ashes of a number of former Brighton bands (amongst them The Agitator and The Perils) comes Maker, a brand new quartet from the seaside town who are turning the clock back to 1977 or so with their revved up MOR power pop (and also their appearance, although we assume the two are intertwined).
Fronted by singer Lana McDonagh, it’s her sweet and melodic vocals which take centre stage on their songs (at least the three they’ve posted online so far). Bearing a striking resemblance to those of Stevie Nicks, Cyndi Lauper or latterly Lissie Maurus, you could quite easily imagine her getting stuck into “Go Your Own Way”, “Time After Time” or “In Sleep”, the standout track from Lissie’s 2010 debut.
Of the tracks they’ve shared with the public, “Missing”, with its upbeat pace, striking hook and three-and-a-half minute duration, is a pre-packaged hit just waiting to soundtrack a million (or more) five o’clock drives home. That’s not to dismiss it as mere Radio 2 fodder, however, we’re simply saying that the potential reach of this group is quite considerable.
Neither of the other two songs, “We Got It (All Worked Out)” and “Secret Heart”, display a dip in their quality control gauge, suggesting a band who already have a keen ear for what makes a viable, concise pop single (or have simply listened to Rumours a few times). No gigs have been announced at the time of writing, although with the interest in the band sure to reach palpable levels in the next month or two, we expect live appearances to be imminent.
Introducing: Redspencer
February 4th, 2012 • Introducing
Tags: Glen Innes, Gold Coast, Happy Slow Riverbends, Redspencer, Sally Forgets Good Times, Triple J Unearthed
Rummaging through the Facebook page of the last band we featured, Woe & Flutter, we came across Redspencer – another Gold Coast group who look likely to be making waves over the the course of 2012.
The band are originally from down the road in Glen Innes, Northern New South Wales – population of 5,944 – and it’s perhaps an isolationist existence here in their formative years that informs their beautiful, sunny and tripped out psychedelia, which references everyone from fellow Aussies Tame Impala to The Beatles to Fleet Foxes.
Certainly, it’s not a brand of music you’d expect to be made by a band in a heaving metropolis, and with their lo-fi production and hazy vocals, you’re really whisked away to a place where the pace of life is significantly slower that what you’re used to (assuming you live in London, like us).
“Sally Forgets Good Times” and “Happy Slow Riverbends” are the two tracks in the public domain – and both, with their real throwback feel, conjure up images of Woodstock, the early Isle Of Wight festivals and Vietnam War movies. The latter isn’t short of mean pop hooks, either, and could well be a major calling card for the band as they bring their laid back and soothing sounds to the world at large – which, on the current evidence, would be most welcome indeed.
Introducing: Woe & Flutter
February 1st, 2012 • Introducing
Tags: Cities Of The Red Night, Gold Coast, Ivy League Records, Triple J, Winterman & Goldstein, Woe & Flutter
Over the last few years, Australia has really cemented its reputation as a fertile breeding ground for new and exciting indie bands, particularly in light of the current commercial success of groups like The Temper Trap, Cloud Control and The Jezabels (following on from The Vines, Jet and Wolfmother, of course).
Next in line are quite possibly Woe & Flutter, a youthful quartet from Gold Coast who play an infectious and alluring brand of scuzzy, lo-fi garage rock and have been recently snapped up by the great Sydney based label Ivy League Records (also home to Cloud Control, Alpine and LFC live favourites Deep Sea Arcade).
An immediate comparison would be to their fellow racket-making Aussies Bleeding Knees Club (who they’ve toured with at home), but on “Cities Of The Red Night” – an apparent Triple J favourite – they give off the raw energy of Nirvana, Queens Of The Stone Age or The White Stripes.
It’s not all breathless stuff – on tracks like the beautiful “Can’t Move The Sun” and the three-minute power pop of “Why It’s So” they hint at The Lemonheads circa It’s A Shame About Ray or Blue Album period Weezer. All these songs are taken from their debut EP (out in October last year), which suggest, as well as an already impressive versatility, a frightening level of potential and a very bright road ahead.
Introducing: Dozens
January 30th, 2012 • Introducing
Tags: Chicago, Dozens, DreamBait Recordings, Sounds Of Your Lovers
Back in June, we tipped you lot off about a promising Chicago outfit called Merlin Wall. We’re back in the Windy City with our latest discovery, electro-pop three piece Dozens, who seem to have been doing the rounds in their hometown for just under a year now, and suggest there’s something quite exciting going on in the underground of the USA’s third most populous city.
One of their tracks, “Sounds Of Your Lovers” (which was released on 7″ last summer via US indie DreamBait Recordings) has been on repeat all weekend – on the laptop, in the car, or wherever else we were able to plug the iPod in.
Coming across all Foster The People, Empire Of The Sun, Passion Pit and a little bit Miami Horror, this is an exuberant, arms aloft – and ultimately summery – noise, that wouldn’t have been out of place on the The OC back in the day. In any case, it’ll leave an indelible mark in your consciousness after just one listen, so insistent is its chorus.
We’re in familiar territory, of course, and this certainly won’t have any music theorists scratching their heads in bemusement any time soon. But it will have a lot of fans of the genre, like us, turning our heads and wondering what might come next from the band.
Introducing: Jake Mattison
January 28th, 2012 • Introducing
Tags: Emeli Sande, Gil Scott Heron, Home Is Where The Hatred Is, Jake Mattison, Manchester
Jake Mattison is a Manchester based singer-songwriter with one of those drop-what-you’re-doing kind of voices. Not since the first time we heard the likes of Marcus Mumford, Damien Rice or Ben Howard have we been so startled, and indeed, dropped what we were doing to stare at the device from which the arresting sound was emanating.
Mattison’s vocal does possess the raw beauty of these successful artists, albeit perhaps with a rawer edge, that really suggests he’s got a story to tell.
We assume he’s been penning songs and performing them to people for at least a little while, perhaps mainly in his native North West, but a short run of dates with Emeli Sande in November last year has brought this rather exceptional talent into the public limelight, and has set up 2012 as a potential breakthrough year.
There are a handful of demos online at present, which hint at something much bigger, but in the meantime check out this wonderful cover of Gil Scott Heron’s 1971 classic “Home Is Where The Hatred Is”, where Mattison comes off complementing, rather than aping, the late great.
Introducing: Fast Years
January 17th, 2012 • Introducing
Tags: Brooklyn, Cameo Gallery, Fast Years, Howler, Young Heart
There’s not a huge amount to say about Fast Years at this moment in time, given that they’re yet to appear live in any setting and have just two tracks available online.
What we do know is they’re a garage rock quartet from Brooklyn (another day, another Brooklyn band indeed), and that one of the said songs, “Young Heart” is a mile-a-minute, hook-a-plenty, good time jam that’s got us hot under the collar just now.
It’s essentially the sound of The Mooney Suzuki and The Von Bondies joining each other on stage at a heaving, sweat filled venue circa 2002-2003, say, after a Caesars DJ set in between the bands (where they play Jerk It Out). One hell of an evening, in other words.
Of course, with this genre of Ramones-aping rock being heavily popularised by The Vaccines, and now Howler (who the band are actually supporting for their first ever show, at Brooklyn’s Cameo Gallery, this Friday 20th), we’re guessing that Fast Years will slot right into 2012′s indie rock landscape without anyone so much as batting an eyelid. Which from what we’ve heard so far, can only be a good thing.
Introducing: Pete Hickman And The Divers
January 15th, 2012 • Introducing
Tags: A Little Better, Pete Hickman And The Divers
One thing we love about the internet is the ability to find a great bands from all over the world every day, without the hassle of even putting shoes on. Sure, there’s a hell of a lot of mediocrity out there, but amongst the plethora of acts trying their darnedest to get heard, the law of averages suggests there’ll be diamond in the rough every now and again.
And it’s very exciting when something comes out of the speakers that isn’t total drivel. You know, actual songs. Ones that don’t try to do too much, and possess some great instrumentation and a juicy chorus. Most of the time, it’s all we ask for. You’d be surprised at the number of bands who shy away from this formula.
Anyway, step forward Pete Hickman And The Divers – our latest discovery fitting the above criteria. They’re a London four piece who take us on a massive nostalgia trip back to our early teenage years with their blend of US alt rock that was popular in the early to mid-nineties. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Bush, Dinosaur Jr – that sort of thing. Bands whose albums you probably bought on the day of release, before super-glueing their badge onto your backpack.
The band haven’t done an awful lot so far, apart from some rudimentary London gigging, but they’ve just posted a studio video of them playing a track of called “A Little Better”, which might open the door to bigger and better things. We think it’s superb, and can’t wait to hear more where it came from.
Introducing: Monogold
January 14th, 2012 • 1 comment Introducing
Tags: Amazing Radio, Audition, Brooklyn, Monogold, Spirit Or Something, The Softest Glow
Another day, another Brooklyn band: Monogold are the latest three piece from the NYC borough starting to make a noise loud and exciting enough to be heard outside of their hometown. From what we can see, they’ve been doing the rounds at various local venues (and Willaimsburg rooftops) for a year or two, lending support to the likes of YACHT and Bear Hands along the way.
Just now, they’ve been picked up by the ever-on-it Charlie Ashcroft at Amazing Radio, who’s giving initial UK spins to their “Spirit Or Something” track on the station’s “Audition” show, which is lifted from their 2011 full length “The Softest Glow”, available via their Bandcamp page.
The aforementioned track is four minutes of psychedelic, tropical infused indie-pop that recalls the colourful, free spirited experimentalism of bands like Animal Collective, Yeasayer, MGMT or The Go! Team. It’s also a track that we imagine would go down an absolute storm live. We’re picturing crazed, face-painted fans and plenty of dancing, and as such are eagerly awaiting the announcement of some UK dates.
Introducing: Princeton
January 14th, 2012 • Introducing
Tags: Hit City USA, Jesse Kivel, Kanine Records, Kinema, Los Angeles, Matt Kivel, Princeton, To The Alps
Los Angeles based quartet Princeton are new to our radar, but seem to have been around for at least a little while – upon investigation it appears they’ve already had a full-length out; “Cocoon Of Love” through Brooklyn’s Kanine Records in 2009, which spawned a UK 7″ single in early 2010 (through Jodie & Victor) with their summer friendly track “Calypso Dreams”.
We came across them just the other day, thanks to the tip off from their producer Andrew Maury in the interview below. “To The Alps” is the first track we heard, and like all great music, hit us for the proverbial six. It’s a song that post dates the aforementioned LP, and is set to appear on the band’s second album “Remembrance Of Things To Come”, out in the US through Hit City USA shortly. It’s a laid back, and understated slice of electronica fused indie-pop, which reminds us of bands like The Whitest Boy Alive, Hot Chip and Royksopp – and possesses a melody and hook that is hard to forget after just a couple of listens.
Perhaps their apparent operating under the radar to date is down to lead singer Jesse Kivel’s moonlighting with side project Kisses, who were the subject of a fair amount of industry hype in the UK in 2010. However with more songs of this undeniable quality (and immediacy) there should be no shortage of plaudits for their sophomore effort – something that in an ideal world, will translate to commercial success.
MP3: Princeton – To The Alps (Radio Edit)
MP3: Princeton – To The Alps (Kinema Remix)
Introducing: Little Racer
January 2nd, 2012 • Introducing
Tags: Brooklyn, LAISSEZ FAIRE CLUB, Little Racer, Split For The Coast, Young And Lost Club
Avid followers of our live nights are likely to be familiar with Brooklyn’s Little Racer already. The three piece were in London last month to promote their debut UK 7″ (“Split For The Coast”) released by Young & Lost Club, and we had the pleasure of hosting two shows for them – one at The Social on 28 November with The Static Jacks (which was the band’s debut UK performance), and one at The Macbeth a week or so later with Channel Cairo.
Their breezy, lo-fi surf pop has drawn comparisons to The Beach Boys, The Drums, Vampire Weekend and early Strokes, and none of these are too far of the mark. This is indie rock in its purest form that’s very much a product of it’s NYC surroundings, and is also the type of noise made to be heard solely on vinyl format.
The buzz they created whilst in town wasn’t insignificant, with some healthy blog coverage and well received shows, which from our experience, were tight, energetic and thoroughly entertaining.
It’ll be interesting to see where they go over the course of 2012. Check out the aforementioned single below, and download their rather nifty self-titled track below that.
