LISTEN: black channels - "Oracles"

Finding beauty in comforting, welcoming sorts of things is all well and good, but finding beauty in darkness, in the haunting aspects of life, is a rather remarkable thing. That unexpected discovery of warmth in a seemingly unsettling void of nothingness makes beauty all the more enrapturing, inspiring, and lovely. Hanging on the fence between light and dark, you can see the true nature of both sides and how the contrast between the two defines all that surrounds us.

LISTEN: Lapalux - "Guuurl"

Lapalux, aka 25 year old London-based electronic/IDM musician Stuart Howard, will release his debut album, Nostalchic, on March 26th via Brainfeeder. For a look into Howard's trippy, hip hop-leaning work, check out Nostalchic's "Guuurl" below.

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.

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.

SEE & HEAR: Lana Del Rey - "Video Games"

Sometimes, you click play on something without any preconceived notions of what to expect. Moments later, you're swept up in something you weren't prepared for. The space around you fades away, and all that matter is that moment. Each passing second more important than the last. This past weekend, I came across a song simply titled "Video Games" by a singer named Lana Del Rey. After I hit play, I lost track of time.

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"

VIDEO: The Chap - "We Work In Bars" + Teengirl Fantasy Remix

London/Berlin-based experimental electro poppers The Chap released a new album this year entitled Well Done Europe, their fourth overall full-length. We've already learned how catchy of a song album standout "We Work In Bars" is, and now we finally have visual accompaniment for the track. Check out the song's stop-motion video below, which sees the band well-animated inside a bar.

You can download "We Work In Bars" right here.

The band is also releasing Teengirl Fantasy' remix of Well Done Europe's "Even Your Friend". Check it out below.

LIVE REVIEW: Sleigh Bells

The last time I was at a show this loud, I was nine. I had gone with my dad to see Weird Al Yankovic at Hershey Park (the sweetest place on Earth) and left sobbing halfway through the second song; I could feel my eardrums about to explode. Plus, I was a wimp. At any rate, my response to Sleigh Bells's ludicrous, cramped, free show in the attic of a pub in London Saturday night was slightly more positive; it was pure euphoria.

Loudness suits Sleigh Bells very well. As the band themselves have remarked, their music is a mess; a wreck of sounds and genres that by the laws of musical logic, simply shouldn't work. But it does, especially in a live setting; Derek Miller's rough-edged guitar sounds best when cranked all the way up. The violent snare and bass fury of 'Infinite Guitars' filled every corner of the 100-some capacity room, infectious; everyone dancing, grinding, pushing, shoving, seething in the tiny space.

Singer Alexis Krauss went above and beyond her reputation as a great frontwoman; constantly moving, playing off of Derek's swoops and spins around the stage. In the crowd, her face in yours, a great example of a singer who understands a concert isn't supposed to be watched like a movie; it is something to be shared. Best of all, somehow you could still hear her voice. Never piercing, never overdone.

Their set was short, to the point. No encore. Everyone left soaked in their own sweat, positively beaming. Or they just stayed around to keep dancing, keep drinking, keep the fun going.

Note: Not sure how to fit it in the article, I still want to acknowledge opening act Teeth, who brought all the energy of their successors. Singer Veronica So's vocals were unfortunately lost in the mix, but the excitement was there; the band all goofy smiles, having the time of their lives, a pleasure to watch.

Sleigh Bells on MySpace
TEETH on MySpace