Banger of the Week (25/07/11): Dream Dream Dreaming - Glasvegas

Dream Dream Dreaming: 5:17

Taken From: Euphoric Heartbreak (2011, Columbia)

"I know you're out there somewhere"

Scottish Marmite-esque 4 piece Glasvegas are an acquired taste. Their pretentious yet painfully obvious lyrics and Jesus & Mary Chain inspired rock music gets on a number of people's tits. Shamefully, I was briefly obsessed with their debut release, but it took me a while to have a listen to their sophomore release, 'Euphoric Heartbreak'. Receiving hugely varied reviews, I doubt Glasvegas gained any new fans. Addressing acceptance issues from the homosexual perspective of a couple of friends was an odd yet interesting concept on two of the tracks from the album. 'Dream Dream Dreaming' is my personal favourite from the initially solid yet tiring release, bringing in all of the classic Glasvegas traits; echoy organs, prominent basslines and pained, off-kilter vocals. Lovely.

Listen HERE

Banger of the Week (18/07/11): Still Life - The Horrors

Still Life: 5:21

Taken From: Skying (2011, XL Recordings)

"The moment that you want is coming, if you give it time"


After Clash magazine's raving review of the 3rd album from art-goth-noise/punk outfit, The Horrors, I thought I had better check out what all the fuss was about. Finding myself listening to an 80's drenched feel-good Summer album was unexpected. In a good way. Nodding heads to bands such as Simple Minds, Joy Division and Echo & The Bunnymen, the album's first immediate highlight 'Still Life' has it all; a catchy chorus, cheesy synth lines, a horn section and a driving bass. I love a bit of 80's synth pop so this track is awesome. Shame it wasn't released in the 80's eh?

Listen HERE

LP of the Month (June 2011): Pictureplane - Thee Physical

Pictureplane - Thee Physical (2011, Lovepump United)

Following on from 2009's 'Dark Rift', 'Thee Physical' has crept out with little media coverage. Dark Rift was a hugely accomplished album, combining electronica with straight up 90's dance/rave music. Offering bangers such as 'Goth Star', and giving mind blowing live sets opening with a remix of Enigma's 'Return to Innocence', Travis Egedy, the man behind Pictureplane, has been a favourite of mine for the last few years and so I was eagerly awaiting this release. Initially I was disappointed. Tracks were more straight forward pop songs and embraced the 90's influence even more; some of the female vocal samples could be (and might be) straight from rave compilations I had when I was a kid; lots of 'ah ah yeah's and 'oo's. The 90's style magic eye cover should have been a clue. This isn't necessarily a bad thing; this is an album that provides nostalgia with new and better songs than those kicking about in the 90's. Travis' vocals are again noticeably weak, showered in reverb and hidden by stock synth sounds, but this takes nothing away from that fact that every track is a massive tune. Classic rave pianos, female vocal samples, synth licks; all that is missing is a rave horn. Not as enthralling as 'Dark Rift', but it is still time to chew on your cheeks and dance wide-eyed like a fool. I love thee Pictureplane.

Walter-High: 'Post Physical', 'Techno Fetish'

Listen HERE

Banger of the Week (04/07/11): Hyetal - Phoenix

Phoenix: 5:25
Taken From: Broadcast (2011, Black Acre)

Now I realise this album was released back in May, but I have only just been able to get hold of a copy to pass judgement. The album is a well crafted and solid piece of Bristolian techno-electronica (think dirty dubstep crossed with Massive Attack's eeriness and Vangelis' Blade Runner era synthesisers). It features a number of absolute bangers and some less interesting atmospheric low points but 'Phoenix' is not one of these. 'Phat' beats, crisp production and light synth work make a definite dancefloor filler. Get involved.

Listen HERE

Live: Junior Boys @ XOYO (30/06/11)

I was so not up for this gig. There were a number of reasons for this;

a) It was a Thursday night and since becoming a teacher I am beyond tired.

b) Getting home past midnight having had no time to eat and after a couple of drinks means I would buy fried chicken from one of the two hundred grimey fast food joints in East London on the way back. This can never be a good thing.

c) Newest release 'It's All True' was a bit of a disappointment for me; a flat and depressing album with no real stand-out tracks.

But... Junior Boys won me over. This is a band that has to be heard live over the record. Whether this is simply down to the sheer volume in the venue or whether they add a certain energy that is lost in the recording studio is debatable. What I do know is that each track played from the new album was transformed into a 80s inspired banger, with subtle guitars and whispered vocals resting behind pacey synth lines. The new found immediacy of the tracks may be down to my numerous forced listens of the album prior to the gig, but Junior Boys really did have something about them. Their blatent 80s sound almost reminds me of New Order but with tracks occasionally breaking into long minimal techno passages. These are welcomed with whoops and finger pointing from the crowd, adding to XOYO's club-like atmosphere.

Now for the real reason the Canadian duo earned a place in my heart. Not only did they play the exceptional 2006 single 'In The Morning' but also my personal favourite 'Teach Me How To Fight' from debut album 'Last Exit'. I'm not sure of the details but this was possibly originally written with previous member Johnny Dark. Either way, this song is mint. The live rendition added another level, combining a dubstep inspired wobble to the backing. Glorious.

It was definitely worth popping into the city on a Thursday night.

8.0

Banger of the Week (27/06/11): tUnE-yArDs - My Country

My Country: 3:42

Taken From: W H O K I L L (2011, 4AD)

"The thing about living a lie, is just wondering when they'll find out"

Opening track on new(ish) long player from tUnE-yArDs is a lot of fun. Initially reminding me of Vampire Weekend, before realising the vocalist is a woman, the track offers a driving bass line, energetic vocals, big synths and strangely not out of place saxophone solos. Undeniably catchy, yet quite odd. Great stuff.

Listen HERE

Honorary Mention: King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Diamond Mine

King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Diamond Mine (2011, Double Six Records)

"It's your young voice, that's keeping me holding on to my dull life"

If an album has made a big impact on me before the existence of this blog, I will occasionally just have to talk about it. Folk legend King Creosote's collaboration with electronic producer Jon Hopkins is one of those albums.

I have been a long follower of anything released by Jon Hopkins. His 2009 release 'Insides' was fantastic, mixing lush Ulrich Schnuass style soundscapes with Aphex Twin-esque IDM. As a live experience it was incredible, turning a bunch of indie loving scenesters into bouncing club goers as Hopkins dropped banger after banger. Hopkins is known for the variety of his releases; scoring underground movies (Monsters, 2010) and even making an appearance on a Coldplay album with a haunting section from 'Light Through The Veins'. That last one actually made me die inside a little. However, this latest release is none of the above.

Described by KC as a "romanticised version of a life lived in a Scottish coastal village", one would forgive you for assuming that this is going to be some kind of pretentious concept album. In some ways, you would be right. Consisting of the same emotive, lyrical and celtic vocals we have come to expect from KC but now supplemented with Hopkins' soundscapes and atmospheric samples, it is an odd sounding combination but it works seemlessly. We have haunting vocal harmonies, simplistic yet effective acoustic guitar lines, and subtle, soothing piano lines. This is all soaked in Hopkins' luscious production; this really hits home on the last phrase of second track 'John Taylor's Month Away', as chilling female vocals surge back and forth effortlessly.

At a mere 7 tracks, this album is over before you know it. But the journey is exceptional. Every track is heartbreaking and essential, each encapsulating an emotion of a certain period of time in one's life. I cannot wait to see these guys live in September.

8.0

Walter-High: 'Bats In The Attic'

Listen HERE