JJ

I just picked up on this band this morning. They are featured in The Guardian’s excellent New Band Of The Day column on the newspaper’s website – http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/apr/12/jj-new-band. JJ’s most recent release is titled, No 3. It their second full length album as the first release, No 1, was actually a single.

Although the paper bemoan the fact they have no Facebook or MySpace page, they do have a Wikipedia entry,  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jj_(band), which gives links to various web resources. But, even better, well for Spotify users like myself, the band has all their releases on the service.

So, I’ve put together a playlist – http://open.spotify.com/user/toxicmusic79/playlist/00HNlDVxMIs0NfsIs8DjMP

If you want to check out similar artists, try the following:

• The Tough Alliance
• Air France
• Memory Tapes
• Washed Out
• Boat Club
• Girls
• Lake Heartbeat
• Taken by Trees
• The Embassy
• Neon Indian

Live – Owen Pallett / Final Fantasy

 

Owen Pallett, aka Final Fantasy, played last night at St. Matthew’s Church, Halifax, Nova Scotia. I was there with my family and was also able to record some clips of the performance using my recently purchased Flip UltraHD. Here is one of the clips that I’ve so far uploaded to YouTube.

Owen Pallett entry @Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owen_Pallett

Owen Pallett stuff on Amazon

Artists To Watch 2010: Ellie Goulding

 

Info:

• Singer-Songwriter, born in December 1986, Hereford, England.
• Writing songs since she was 14.
• Genre(s): Folktronica, Indie pop, Electropop, Synthpop.
• First live show: University talent show.
• Next gig: UK tour starts 25th March 2010 @ Thekla, Bristol.

 

Releases:

• “Wish I Stayed” demo, downloadable from website.
• “Under The Sheets” single 15 November 2009

1. Under The Sheets
2. Fighter Plane
3. Under The Sheets – Jakwob remix

 

 

 

Upcoming Releases

• The first single, “Starry Eyed”, from the debut album, Lights, is due for release on 22nd February 2010.
• The debut album, Lights, is due for release on 1st March 2010.

 

Links

• Website – http://elliegoulding.co.uk/
• Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellie_Goulding
• BBC – http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8442389.stm
• The Guardian – http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/dec/02/ellie-goulding-review

 

Neon Indian – Psychic Chasms

Track listing:

1. (AM)
2. Deadbeat Summer
3. Laughing Gas
4. Terminally Chill
5. (If I Knew, I’d Tell You)
6. 6669 (I Don’t Know If You Know)
7. Should Have Taken Acid with You
8. Mind, Drips
9. Psychic Chasms
10. Local Joke
11. Ephemeral Artery
12. 7000 (Reprise)

Neon Indian’s Psychic Chasms manages to still sound distinct while drawing from a wide variety of sounds. I hear a whole number of similarities to other things vying in the tracks, like  M83, MGMT, Maps, Daft Punk, 80’s Synthpop, 70’s glam, 8-bit Nintendo sounds, and disco all wrapped up in a trippy psychedelic haze. To sound both retro and futuristic at the same is a pretty amazing achievement. Say, are you boys on drugs?

Reviewed at:

Allmusic – http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:wxfwxzwaldke

Drowned In Sound – http://drownedinsound.com/releases/14886/reviews/4138421

Pitchfork – http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/13510-psychic-chasms/

Spin – http://www.spin.com/reviews/neon-indian-psychic-chasms-lefse

The Onion – http://www.avclub.com/articles/neon-indian-psychic-chasms,36707/

Prefix Magazine – http://www.prefixmag.com/reviews/neon-indian/psychic-chasms/33465/

PopMatters – http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/115054-neon-indian-psychic-chasms/

cokemachineglow – http://www.cokemachineglow.com/record_review/4992/neonindian-psychicchasms-2009

The Postmarks – Memoirs At The End Of The World

Track listing:

1. No One Said This Would Be Easy
2. My Lucky Charm
3. Thorn In Your Side
4. Don’t Know Till You Try
5. All You Ever Wanted
6. Run Away Love
7. For Better… Or Worse?
8. I’m In Deep
9. Thorn In Your Side [Reprise]
10. Go Jetsetter
11. Theme From “Memoirs”
12. The Girl From Algenib
13. Gone

The Postmarks’ second proper full-length album, Memoirs At The End Of The World, transports you to a 60’s spy movie via it’s epic, cinematic and multi-instrumental arrangements. Lush, mysterious and smooth pop orchestrations and vocals help impart a film score ambiance.

Reviewed at:

No Ripcord – http://www.noripcord.com/reviews/music/postmarks/memoirs-end-world

Pitchfork – http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/13355-memoirs-at-the-end-of-the-world/

All Music Guide – http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hnfyxzr0ldke~T1

Under The Radar – http://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/memoirs_at_the_end_of_the_world/

The Onion (A.V. Club) – http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-postmarks-memoirs-at-the-end-of-the-world,32081/

 

Hidden Cameras – Origin:Orphan

Track listing:

1. Ratify the New
2. In the NA
3. He Falls to Me
4. Colour of a Man
5. Do I Belong?
6. Walk On
7. Kingdom Come
8. Origin:Orphan
9. Underage
10. The Little Bit
11. Silence Can Be a Headline

The Hidden Cameras‘ fifth studio album, Origin:Orphan, is its first on the Arts & Crafts label. There is a ominousness in the harmonies that does relent over the course of the album, tempered by the sweet melodies, while orchestral and brass blasts add to the drama of the musical feast on offer. With synth, flutes, guitar and drums also vying in the mix Origin:Orphan offers up a sumptuous feast indeed!

Reviewed at:

musicOMH.com – http://www.musicomh.com/albums/hidden-cameras-2_0909.htm

The Guardian – http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/dec/04/the-hidden-cameras-origin-orphan

New Musical Express – http://www.nme.com/reviews/10954

PopMatters – http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/111547-the-hidden-cameras-origin-orphan/

cokemachineglow – http://www.cokemachineglow.com/record_review/4829/hiddencameras-originorphan-2009

The Onion (A.V. Club) – http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-hidden-cameras-origin-orphan,33117/

NOW Magazine – http://www.nowtoronto.com/music/discs.cfm?content=171295

Pitchfork – http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/13488-origin-orphan/

Drowned In Sound – http://drownedinsound.com/releases/14959/reviews/4138545

Girls – Album

Girls - Album

Track Listing:

Lust for Life
Laura
Ghost Mouth
God Damned
Big Bad Mean Mother Fucker
Hellhole Ratrace
Headache
Summertime
Lauren Marie
Morning Light
Curls
Darling

Released in September 2009, the debut Girls album echos with reminders of Elvis Costello, Buddy Holly and the Beach Boys. Sonic diversity is the order of the day here, although, there is definitely a strong twangy rock ‘n’ roll undercurrent on the album which breaks through the surface of the more shoegaze and dreamy sound.

Reviewed at:

Allmusic – http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:dpfuxztaldje~T1
Drowned In Sound – http://drownedinsound.com/releases/14644/reviews/4137816
The Guardian – http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/sep/25/girls-album-review
NME – http://www.nme.com/reviews/girls/10844
Pitchfork – http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/13477-album/
Rolling Stone – http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/29924136/review/29951403/album
Metacritic – http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/girls/album