Not Cool

Wed 23 Sep 2009

Gang of Three

Scuzzy 21st century post-punks, these Londoners are destined for fame. Creating a raw, energetic, screeching belch of guitars, oily drum beats and a cloud of dusty bass lines, Not Cool take cues from the likes of Gang of Four, Pavement and Dinosaur Jr. Not since the Arctic Monkeys’ debut record has a British band displayed the charisma and shimmering dissidence needed to charm the ageing ’80s post-punk generation. They’ve self-branded their music as ‘gutter pop’ to appeal to Generation Y, but Generation X is where these guys truly belong.

They only formed in 2008 and are slowly gathering momentum to crash the British indie scene. Their first release, out now, is a limited edition (200 copies) 7″ vinyl containing their debut single ‘Wonderful Beasts’. It’s backed by a double b-side, with the tracks ‘The Bell Curve’ and ‘Um, You Didn’t Do That In Soundcheck’. It is also the first release for Sleep All Day Records.

Not Cool- Um, You Didn’t Do That In Soundcheck: MP3

Not Cool- Myspace

Posted by Nick Fulton under London, UK
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PRE

Wed 9 Sep 2009

Speed Freaks and Skin Grafts

They’ve released split 7″s with AIDS Wolf, Comanechi and Crystal Castles, so how could we not love them? PRE has also released two full-length albums, the second of which came out in June this year. They’re a noise making, obnoxiously crazy, hardcore punk machine from the UK who has a reputation for erratic new-wave post punk and playing chaotic live shows across the world (for their very first show in London they locked fans outside and made them watch through the windows).

Led by spastic, bratty Japanese front-woman Akiko ‘Keex’ Matsuura, who jumps around and screams like a creature from the underworld, the band creates a twisted wall of noise that foams at the mouth. Electrified drones meet rocket-fuelled bass riffs, lightning guitars, rumbling drums and ear-piercing screams; a combination of four enthusiastic young dudes and one wildly erratic young woman.

The band is signed to Skin Graft Records, which was originally founded in 1986 as a comic book label. The first record released by the label was in 1991, a split 7″ with Dazzling Killmen and Mother’s Day. Most of the bands on the label have a similar noisy appearance to PRE, making it a very suitable environment for them and their label mates. It has helped PRE team up with a selection of like-minded bands and has led to the flurry of 7″ vinyl releases.

PRE has also released two full-length albums, both via Skin Graft Records. The first, titled Epic Fits came out in late 2007 and can now be purchased in four different formats (limited edition metal box CD, standard CD, digital downloads or gatefold vinyl) from the label’s website. Their second album, Hope Freaks, recorded with Steve Albini in his Chicago studio, was released in June 2009.

PRE- Haircut Tacos: MP3

PRE- Fudging On Our Folks: MP3

PRE- Drool: MP3

PRE- Myspace

Posted by Nick Fulton under London, UK
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The Clientele

Mon 7 Sep 2009

The Dream Academy

London band The Clientele has just given fans a taste of their upcoming album Bonfires On The Heath. The new song, from the band’s fourth album out on October 6th, is a wonderfully lackadaisical dreamy pop number titled ‘Harvest Time’. It was previewed a few days ago via Stereogum. The song is the second track to hit the blogs from Bonfires On The Heath, the first was the slightly more upbeat, jazzy number titled ‘I Wonder Who We Are’.

‘Harvest Time’ displays the band’s softer side, sounding like a sweet summer lullaby sung by a band camped on the beach. The vocal harmonies make the song especially mesmerising; with such flawless timing they could easily go back 40 years to appear on Pet Sounds. It’s very slow and very chilled out, and with the New Zealand summer approaching The Clientele will probably get plenty of play on my stereo.

Bonfires On The Heath comes out on October 6th via Merge Records.

The Clientele- Harvest Time: MP3

The Clientele- I Wonder Who We Are: MP3

The Clientele- Myspace

Posted by Nick Fulton under London, UK
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The XX

Fri 7 Aug 2009

Meet Me In London

On August 17, The XX will release their debut album XX, through Young Turks Records. On the same day, August 17, the band will play its first headlining show in London, the city the band live in. One month later they will go on tour throughout the UK supporting Florence and the Machine.

Relative newcomers to the London indie music scene, The XX has already been hyped as one of the bands to watch in 2009 (if you take notice of that sort of stuff). I first heard their song ‘Crystalised’ a few weeks ago and dismissed it pretty quickly, but since hearing more from the band and giving the song another go, I’ve been hooked. Mixing girl/boy vocals, dark bass rhythms and channelling an ’80s guitar sound, The XX produce a similar vibe to bands like The Cure, Secret Knives, and more obscurely, Of Montreal (listen to the bass lines, especially in ‘Blood Red Moon’). Their songs rely on minimal instrumentation, purposefully dropping repetitive guitar riffs and bass notes, creating a dreamy atmospheric mood that pulls the plug on daylight and surrounds you in a metallic darkness. If you’re sick of drone, bored with synths and just want something that sounds beautifully clear, then hopefully you’ll like The XX. I do.

The XX’s debut album can be pre-ordered through Rough Trade Records’ online store.

The XX- Crystalised: MP3

The XX- Myspace

Posted by Nick Fulton under London, UK
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The Big Pink

Thu 23 Jul 2009

Into The Velvet Garden

Coming out via 4AD on September 14 is A Brief History Of Love, the debut album from young London band The Big Pink. Recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York with the help of Rich Costly (Rage Against The Machine, Muse, New Order), the album could yet prove to be one of the best UK releases of ’09.

Blending rich dance beats, continental tribal rhythms and blinding shoe gaze guitars, the duo of Robbie Furze and Milo Cordell have created a very polished first album. The band cite a number of psychedelic influences, including Alejandro Jodorowsky’s cult film The Holy Mountain and Andy Warhol’s Exploding Plastic Inevitable, and it’s quite evident in their overall sound. If you want even more to go by, The Big Pink blend Spiritualized’s intense distorted guitar riffs, Gang Gang Dance’s ethnic dance rhythms and Chairlift’s crystalline synth pop.

Both men come from impressive musical backgrounds, Furze used to be a member of Alec Empire and both have been involved in various record labels over the years. Cordell’s label Marok Records put out some early work by The Klaxons and Crystal Castles, well before either band hit the big time. More recently they have released 7″ vinyl records for Rainbow Arabia and Telepathe.

The Big Pink recently won NME’s Philip Hall Radar Award for best up and coming act and it won’t be long until we all find out why. Their first single from A Brief History Of Love, titled ‘Dominos’, has been made available for free download. It will also be released as a limited edition 7″, with the b-side being ‘She’s No Sense’, a song the band recorded with Florence and the Machine. ‘She’s No Sense’ will not appear on the album. Keep an eye on the band’s website for more news.

The Big Pink- Dominos: MP3

The Big Pink- Myspace

Posted by Nick Fulton under London, UK
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Publicist

Thu 2 Jul 2009

Chain Gang

The man that made the lisp cool, Ian Svenonius from The Make-Up/Scene Creamers/Weird War/Nation Of Ulysses voices Weird War bandmate Sebastian Thomson’s latest project’s first release. Thomson, also drummer of Trans Am, produces a funked up disco dirge with the ‘Momma’ 12″ b-side ‘Stone Age’, a song that glistens with all the life and virility of a sleazy sex addict. With Svenonius replacing Publicist’s usual anonymous vocoder vocals, the law-breaking grooves on ‘Stone Age’are instantly catchy and entertaining, frothing with a fruity, frumpy bassline, Svenonius’s echoey rap verdicts and Thomson’s wobbling melodies. Disco drum machines keep the tune in check, pummeling it to a righteous end. Definitely one to watch, Publicist’s members are staples of the freak funk garage scene, and they just keep getting cooler and cooler. If any of you caught Weird War’s show in Auckland a few years back at Schooner Tavern, then you’ll know what I’m talking about when I say Svenonius is one of the friendliest guys in the bizz – the dude went round the bar hugging everyone after their performance. Publicist’s songs are a super fun branch off of these guy’s already massive musical tree, sprouting off from where Trans Am and The Make-Up left off.