Success Is A Warm Tommy Gun

Starting the year with some hip-hop – this is about the best thing I’ve heard so far in 2012. It comes from an Atlanta artist named Bugus, who released his debut album 2020 in 2011 and he’s been winning some pretty decent praise from my favourite hip-hop blog, Earmilk. A true up-and-comer, 19-year-old Bugus is associated with the DIEMON label, who house a roster of young artists, including Russ and Musa SB. With a mature voice that sounds well-weathered in the hip-hop game, Bugus has the skills and will power to turn first-time listeners into believers. Blending the soul rhythms of New York giants The Roots and Ma$e with the awareness and sincerity of Chicago’s Common, Bugus has his influences down and his own voice well and truly focused. DIEMON released 2020 as a free download and they’ve just dropped a new Bugus track titled ‘Success’. You can grab both from the DIEMON website, along with a load of other free and legal downloads.

Bugus- Success: MP3

‘Like’ Bugus on Facebook

Posted by Nick Fulton under Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A
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Loose Lips

Atlanta’s Turf War make cheap-thrill rock ‘n’ roll packed with fun catchy hooks and drunken vocal choruses. They can be grouped in with fellow Georgians The Black Lips and Florida’s Jacuzzi Boys; joy riding through life without caring much about what the general public think of their reckless attitude. Their music’s got that spit-in-your-face style abrasiveness that makes fans go wild, and evidently they’re gaining a bit of a reputation in their home town. The band originally began in 2008 as a bedroom project for vocalist John Robinson but quickly evolved into a full band, picking up Brian McGrath on drums, Cecil Moss on guitar and Bradley Morris on bass. They recently gained fifth member Ian McDonald, who was so impressed when engineering the band’s debut album that he decided to permanently join.

Turf War just released their debut album titled Year of Living Dangerously, which was produced by Black Lips guitarist Ian Saint Pé Brown. It was released on October 18 through Old Flame Records (Letting Up Despite Great Faults, Millionyoung, Cloud Nothings), and can be purchased from the label’s website.

Turf War- For The Last Time: MP3

Turf War on Facebook

Posted by Nick Fulton under Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A
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Kids Like You And Me

I’ve never really enjoyed The Black Lips’ brand of spastic rock ‘n’ roll, but the first single off their forthcoming Mark Ronson-produced album might have just changed my mind. ‘Modern Art’ is a sweaty garage toe-crusher, with a raucous rhythm section leading a 2-minute debauched drunken rock ‘n’ roll sing- along. It’s simple and tacky but it’s super infectious, and there’s a certain beat-up production value that gives the song a sense of freedom and an unpretentious looseness. Arabia Mountain, The Black Lips’ sixth studio album is due for release on June 7 via Vice Records.

The Black Lips- Modern Art: MP3

The Black Lips online at Vice Records

Posted by Nick Fulton under Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A
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Scarlett Summer

Today I got the news that bassist Carlos Dengler has decided to leave Interpol, presumably to pursue his interest in the film scores, occasional acting work and academia that is said to have taken his interest between the band’s tours and albums in the years gone by. The news came as saddening, as Interpol, a favourite band of old, have grown increasingly uninteresting, and this could be the final blow. But I was inspired to check out what the other Interpol guys get up to in their down time. There is, of course, Paul Banks’ project Julian Plenti, but what surprised me was drummer Sam Fogarino’s Magnetic Morning. Previously named The Setting Suns, the group comprises Swervedriver singer/guitarist Adam Franklin, The Album Leaf’s Jimy LaValle on keyboard, Josh Stoddard on bass and FA Blasco on guitar. Pulling together droney shoegaze, eerie dream pop and the heavy post rock inflection of Fogarino’s doomy drums, their sound is cloudy, subdued and murky. Franklin’s singing is slightly regal and imposing, backed with careening guitars and a slow, plodding rhythm. MM released a self-titled EP in late 2007 and debut album A.M. in 2008, but they seem to have since slipped into dormancy. Their music has divided critics and can at times drag in a sleepy stupor, but the punchy percussion and sunnier melodies of song ‘Cold War Kids’ gleams with hope.

Magnetic Morning- Cold War Kids: MP3

Magnetic Morning- Myspace

Posted by Sarah Gooding under Georgia, U.S.A
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Georgian pop group protest Putin in an act of “disco defiance”

I’m not usually one to celebrate hilariously cheesy and derivative disco pop, but Stephane and 3G’s blatant protest against Vladimar Putin in their Eurovision Song Contest submission is too entertaining to ignore. The group disses the Russian President, who has been integral in the repeat Russian invasions of Georgia, in their song “We Don’t Wanna Put In”, which sounds like “We Don’t Want Putin” when sung in the chorus of the song. The song includes the lyrics “the negative move is killing the groove” and “you better change your perspective”. 3G also mime shooting themselves in the head and falling to the ground, dead. The song was heavily favoured by the public as it is seen a good excuse to embarrass the Russian hosts of the competition. The song, chosen by Georgian television viewers, will be performed live again on May 12 in Moscow at the first semi final of the competition.

Posted by Sarah Gooding under Georgia, Russia
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