Coldplay Release Their "Magic" At "Midnight"

When Coldplay released their debut album Parachutes, I was young and rather taken by its mood, songwriting, and tonal beauty. The albums that proceeded that debut grew the band's fame into superstardom and everyone became a Coldplay fan -- or made jokes about how you liked Coldplay ("40 Year Old Virgin" anyone?). There seems to be some invisible line that divides bands and groups, and with the release of Coldplay's smash hit "Clocks," they crossed over to the status of "group."

What does that even mean? Maybe I just fashioned these categories in my own mind? Well, for me anyway, it's when a band just seems bigger than anything, bigger than themselves. It's not necessarily related to ego in any way, it's just a status certain bands reach where they become so ingrained in popular culture, so beloved by the masses, that people seem to lose sight of what makes a band so great: the relationship the members share. For the most beautiful, memorable, and meaningful, music that is created is that which is bred in the bond a collection of individuals share with one another. As the great Tom Petty said in Dave Grohl's "Sound City" documentary, "[Music] is all about people relating to each other and doing something that's really from the soul."

WATCH: Brontide Perform New Song for CutLooseTV

In 2011, UK instrumental math rock/post rock/post-hardcore trio Brontide released one of the year's best albums with their debut LP, Sans Souci. That album was consistently strong throughout, playing out like one giant riff-fest with each song connecting to the next; it was a behemoth of musical proficiency and dizzying, exciting arrangements. Naturally, quite a few people around the globe, including me, have been anxiously awaiting the band's follow-up album, one that's been teased since the tail end of last year. No official release date has been offered, but new music has started to surface online.

LISTEN: The Shamefaced Sparrows - "Ride That Seastorm!"

The Shamefaced Sparrows - "Ride That Seastorm!"


When your father is Link Wray and your mother is a Frech Ye-Ye girl, you have a lot going for you. Imagine the melodic hypnotism of yé-yé thrown into a vat of scuzzy garage rock, and, after simmering for some time, you'll come up with something along the lines of The Shamefaced Sparrows. With hints of surf rock cool, their sound is filled with enough instrumental and lyrical melodicism to avoid drowning in a sea of fuzz. It plays out like a film noir, with mystery -- or better yet gloom -- hanging around like a dense fog as our main character tries to keep some semblance of himself. Everything that's good and safe seems worth risking for the temptation of what lies beyond that corrupt, ignominious decision. No one said the ride would be easy, but that's why it's worth it all.

The Shamefaced Sparrows are a duo out of London. More on SoundCloud.

Neutral Milk Hotel/Hip Hop Mash-Up Mixtape? Download It.

You know that classic Neutral Milk Hotel album In An Aeroplane Over the Sea? Well, now it's a lot more hip hop thanks to UK producer/DJ Psycosis. If you haven't already heard it, here is Neutral Bling Hotel's In My G4 Over Da Sea -- yes indeed. Jay-Z and Jeff Magnum? Yep. It doesn't always fit together seamlessly, but it's fun and a good time.

DOWNLOAD: Bandcamp / Mediafire

LISTEN: Ariya Astrobeat Arkestra

Whether you're in a great mood or you're trying to pick yourself up off the floor of melancholy, you can't go wrong with the funk of afrobeat. There's something inexplicably uplifting about afrobeat's soul. I definitely recommend checking out Ariya Astrobeat Arkestra's 2010 self-titled album. The Leeds 9-piece start with a foundation of afrobeat and add in elements of jazz, funk, as well as hints of reggae.

LISTEN: Adam Smith - "Hollow Bones" & "Moon Lake"

There was a time when storms seemed like such ominous things. Shades of gray thrown across the beautiful blue of the sky used to feel rather unsettling, and yet now they bear a sense of redemption or opportunity. Those things that once appeared in a foreboding manner now reveal a light in the dark, reminding us that anything is possible even in the most unfavorable, dire circumstances. There is nothing to worry or fear when standing on an island of hope.

LISTEN: Fixers - "Another Lost Apache"

MP3: Fixers - "Another Lost Apache"

If Animal Collective is the 22nd century version of the Beach Boys, then this Fixers song is what the Beach Boys might sound like if they debuted in 2012. With crisp, honeyed harmonies crossing paths with soft additions of blaring distortion and wild synthesizers, "Another Lost Apache" is a colorful adventure.

LISTEN: Jonquil - "It's My Part"

Jonquil - "It's My Part"


Like a cross between Foals and Wild Beasts, this is both danceable and relaxing. Outside of its gentle but distinguished chorus melody, "It's My Part" is propelled by math rock-meets-afropop styled guitar riffs. It almost sits on the dividing line between winter's chill and summer's warmth.

LISTEN: B U I L_D I N G S

B U I L_D I N G S - "E Y E S O N S U N R I S E"


From the name alone, B U I L_D I N G S evoke imagery of immense structures, things that can affect how we feel -- humble us with their stature -- despite being inanimate and rather distant. There's a great awe that floods through us when we, such small creatures, stare up at the motionless giants that meet the sky and detail the horizon. This London quartet takes winsome, washed out vocals of shoegaze style and floats them into an ether of dream pop, post-punk, and post-rock.

If Foals, Wild Beasts, and Doves all ventured into the open forest, just on the outskirts of some skyscraper-congested city, it would sound something like this.

LISTEN: Delusionists - "The Low"

Delusionists - "The Low"


It goes without saying that there's a lot of great music that goes undiscovered, especially on the internet. Take for example a song like "The Low" from the Delusionists' Prolusion Plus LP. Delusionists are a London-based hip hop trio, but outside of the accent, you'd think that this was some East Coast hip hop, specifically '90s-era New York. And while the idea of new music mining the past for a convincing, fresh sound seems like a step backwards -- something bound to falter in some way -- Delusionists prove to be a confident, forward-thinking group that's wise, conscious of both intellect and aesthetics. It's been said that the word "RAP" stands for "rhythm and poetry," something that stimulates both mind and body to move.

WATCH: Bravestation Release "Beyond the Scenes" Documentary

Toronto indie pop/new wave/afropop band Bravestation have had quite a year, beginning with the release of last year's fantastic 2010 EP and ending with their first trip overseas on a May 2011 tour of the UK. The year is documented in this self-produced mini-documentary -- inside the recording studio to filming a music video to tearing a hole in the roof of their tour van. With everything they've been up to, it's all the more exciting to see where the guys head next, not to mention what they do next. They're currently working on their debut LP which I feel will probably be one of my favorite releases of the year -- assuming it does see release this year. Watch the documentary below as well as the music video for EP track "White Wolves."

LISTEN: Niteflights - "Coney Island 1912" + "It's Not A Problem"

Photo by Ella Nash

Niteflights are a band from London that attract and charm with the infectious sound of indie pop and ensnare with the twisting, sharp rhythms and arrangements of post-punk. The band draws their name from the Walker Brothers' great, dark beauty of a final album, 1978's Nite Flights. Although the band's music doesn't actually contain any of the dark undertones of their namesake, Niteflights certainly shares a bit of the urgency found in album tracks "Shutout" and "Fat Mama Kick." There's an interesting balance between the playful and the heartfelt in their music that gives a bit of depth without sacrificing a sense of glee. This is indie pop that's unwilling to sit still, buzzing with excitement and ready to ride the directional rollercoaster of post-punk.

Niteflights - "Coney Island 1912"


Niteflights - "It's Not A Problem"

IN THE GARAGE, VOL. 4: Thee Ludds

Talk about authentic garage rock. This is raw, unforgiving music that punches into your ears and flows through your veins; this is infectious. Blaring, distorted electric guitars and bass, a drum kit that sound like it consists of buckets and trashcan lids, the piercing punch of organ, and snarling, basically unintelligible vocals.

Thee Ludds are a band out of Leicester, UK consisting of Daniel (organ, guitar, vocals), Robin (guitar), Jack (bass), and Emily (drums). The band is a relatively young one, but they sound like they've been around for ages. The spirit of garage rock is what gives them life, but it's the conviction of punk that gives them their true grit and attention-snatching attitude. Check out two tracks after the jump as well as a live performance filmed on 16mm.

LISTEN: Finglebone - 23

Finglebone - "Befuddled"

(Hear more below)

Imagine the times you’ve stood in a crowd, surrounded by flashing lights, advertisements, chattering voices, and all other sorts of ambient noise from bustling city life. Despite the sea of distraction and noise, there are moments where you find yourself elsewhere. You’re still firmly set in the center of this commotion, but instead of drowning in it all, you drift off to someplace devoid of outside influence. It’s these transportive moments that offer up a meditative clarity, bringing forth a humbling awareness of what you may have previously overlooked or what particular things mean. Picture yourself seated in a small paddleboat on the sea, and you realize how miniscule you are against the infinity of the horizon.

Finglebone (aka Adam Varney) manages to capture this inward journey with 23. Through headphones, this nine-track album eliminates tangible surroundings and forces you to venture into a mentally constructed world. Through a mix of field recordings, loops, drones, and acoustic guitar passages, Finglebone constructs a tranquil yet intensely pensive sort of head trip. Whether it’s the sinister drones and unintelligible, field-recorded chatter on “The Picture Became Alive” or the birds chirping beneath the almost heavenly-sounding notes from the acoustic guitar on "Lucid," the emphasis is clearly on the negative space in the overall sound. Finglebone’s intent with 23 is helping us to discover that melody is not strictly something that must be manufactured; melody is something that exists all around us. It’s an album of ambient exploration that highlights the natural music of our world.

Stream/download all of 23 after the hop.

LISTEN: Spectrals - "I Ran With Love But I Couldn't Keep Up"

Spectrals - "I Ran With Love But I Couldn't Keep Up"


One of the few things in life we devote the most time and effort to is love. Some go with the flow, saying they love one another despite an unspoken disappointment -- one that reveals the half-hearted love that holds the relationship together. Others find their relationships to be rather one-sided, pouring every ounce of themselves in only to find that the one they love is not as committed to the relationship. It's moments and scenarios like these that are the most difficult to face in dealing with the end. The difficulty lies with the reality that the one thing that meant the most to the person in the world is now just a fading memory. What's difficult is rebuilding after the dissolution of such a thing as life must now be defined in a completely different way; in a way, the heartbroken must learn how to live all over again.

"I Ran With Love But I Couldn't Keep Up" is slow-burning surf rock meeting the comforting character and emotionally rich detail of alt country. With slide guitar and subtle touches of vibrato lightly shaking each guitar chord, the song is rather dream-like despite its melancholic acknowledgement of love lost. Louis Jones sings with a croon over the reflective mood of the shimmering, almost vulnerable-sounding instrumentation. Each chord drips with a sustained longing for what was as he confronts the cold hard truth presented in the movement of slide guitar. Jones bravely faces heartache as he enters the fadeout, swallowing his pain as he accepts the fate of love and admits that maybe it was all for the better.

LISTEN: Art Is Hard Records Releases Split 7" with New Years Evil & The Black Tambourines

I think the most exciting thing about running your own record label would have to be the joy in discovering bands before anyone else does -- that is, of course, in addition to having some power to help this music reach a wider audience. You can use your label as a treasure chest, mining all sorts of new bands out of relative or absolute obscurity; bands that the world is unaware of or, God forbid, bands that the world has overlooked altogether.

Art Is Hard Records, a small independent label run by two friends based in Plymouth and Portsmouth, is one of those personal labels built on creativity and true passion for music. Proof of this is best exhibited in the label's first release, a compilation entitled Brink of the Clouds. It featured the label's favorite alternative/indie/lo-fi bands from their area and was released via t-shirt (no really). Yes, a wearable comp! It was a limited run of 50 and came with a unique download code and a zine put together by the nine featured bands. Of the release, the label says,

We're trying to give people something they couldn't get just from downloading whilst also reflecting the fact people buy cassettes, cd's and vinyl without even listening to them so is there any real need to release music on a musical format?

The label just released a split 7" featuring New Years Evil and The Black Tambourines. Check it out after the hop.

Hear New PJ Harvey Song "Written On the Forehead" Right Now

By Seamus Murphy

The one and only PJ Harvey is set to release her eighth studio album, Let England Shake, on February 14, 2011 in the UK through Island/February 15, 2011 in the U.S. through Vagrant Records. The album was recorded in a 19th century church in Dorset with long-time collaborator Flood, who co-produced the album along with Harvey, John Parish and Mick Harvey. Hear a cut from the album entitled "Written On the Forehead" below (via pjharvey.net).

PJ Harvey - "Written On the Forehead"


Harvey sings gently, beautifully from the clouds, backed by a small but soulful choir and reggae-style chants of "blood and fire!" It's hypnotic with its ambient warmth and synthesizer flourishes and oscillations. The haunting ambiance is a perfect backdrop for Harvey's sweet and tender vocals. With its embracing atmosphere and well-arranged instrumentation, "Written On the Forehead" would suggest that Let England Shake is definitely one album to look forward to in 2011.

Scope the album tracklisting after the hop.

LISTEN: Sex Beet

MP3: Sex Beet - "Sugar Water"

"Sugar Water" is a quite telling title for a song that pairs the reverb jangle of surf and the fuzz and grit of garage rock -- all played underwater. Initially all the noise comes across as rather cacophonous, but swimming deeper into the sea of fuzz reveals a sugar-coated pop hook. It's a blast of '60s garage rock glory, searing distortion and all. It makes for a beautiful racket that, through its tornado of noise, captures the frustration of love and lust. At one point, it even sounds as though the whole thing is about to explode out of your speakers -- and that's just raucously awesome. For a band that started as a drunk private joke, Sex Beet are competent garage rock torchbearers.

If "Sugar Water" is a bit too rough for you (or you need more Sex Beet in your life), you can download the band's "I'm In Love With You (So Shut The Fuck Up)"/"Cocaine Dan" single below. Much like "Sugar Water," these songs are fun, honest, and rambunctious.

DOWNLOAD: Sex Beet - "I'm In Love With You (So Shut The Fuck Up)"/"Cocaine Dan"

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REVIEW: Gold Panda - Lucky Shiner

Gold Panda - Lucky Shiner
MMM1/2

So much electronic music is cold, with its humanness buried under synthesized sounds and textures. It results in art that comes across as stale – more uniform than unique. UK electronic artist/producer Golda Panda (aka Derwin Panda) eschews such classification with his creative use of sampling and non-electronic instruments. On his debut, Lucky Shiner, Panda has crafted an exciting, distinct, and very personal auditory autobiography built upon samples and loops of vocals, mallets, strings, synthesizers, xylophone, Japanese music, and various other instruments and sounds. It all comes together to form an album that is warm and organic, despite its electronic construction.

After living and studying Japanese culture, language, and history at the School of Oriental and Asian Studies in Japan for two years, the country naturally became a significant influence on Gold Panda – and helped to shape the sound of Lucky Shiner. By fusing elements of various genres – from the sample-heavy grooves of hip-hop to the repetitious, entrancing drones of ambient – and crossing cultural sounds (e.g. Japanese music in “Same Dream China”, religious Indian chants in “India Lately”), Gold Panda winds up with a sound that imbibes his songs with a universal appeal and flavor. In “Vanilla,” a hum resonates underneath a jittery loop and works towards an emotional peak marked by beautiful, almost sacred-sounding, string passages that recall Panda’s time in Japan. “You” runs on a manipulated vocal sample that works as both a melody and a rhythmic accentuation.