Wednesday 24 June 2015

Pesky! - Keep Me


So many acts dream of being signed to the ultra-hip Fierce Panda indie record label, which is good news for Ulverston, Cumbria septet Pesky!, who are due to release their first E.P with them next month. What's even more remarkable however is just how young the band are - none of the members of the band are older than 12.

Their debut single "Keep Me" shows that the band are both more talented and with influences more broad than you would expect for a band of their age. The song mixes indie-pop and shoegaze elements, calling to mind some of the later, less sample-based songs from The Go! Team. The scary thing is, if they're sounding this good on their debut release, just imagine how fantastic they're going to be like a few years down the line. They're going to be world beaters.

"Keep Me" is taken from their debut E.P, the wonderfully titled "Smells Like Tween Spirit", which is released on July 24th.


Monday 22 June 2015

C Duncan - Garden


Glasgow singer-songwriter Christopher Duncan (who records under the name C Duncan) first came to this blog's attention last month after hearing his song "Castle Walls" on Alcopop! Records' Record Store Day compilation album, being floored by the wonderful wall of voices that it contains (that version seems to only be available to people who buy the E.P, although there is a video of him performing it in session with BBC Radio Scotland).

It would appear that we're not the only ones enamoured with Mr Duncan at the moment, seeing that his new single "Garden" has already been playlisted on BBC 6music, and with good reason. It might be a little premature, but "Garden" is an early contender for our song of the year. Like "Castle Walls" before it, its bedrock is wonderful multi-multi layered vocals that just sump out of the speakers, but this time it's been augmented with a 60s psychedelic pop sound to create something both ethereal and fantastic. Plus, it reminds us a little bit of Geneva, which is always a good thing. C Duncan has hit on something good here, let's hope he can continue to deliver.

"Garden" will be released on July 10th, with his debut album "Architect" out on July 17th.

Sunday 21 June 2015

The Cadbury Sisters - Sarah


Bristol trio The Cadbury Sisters are an act we've been aware about for some time without really delving deeply into their music. I've heard bits of pieces of their music which I've liked, and I'd hoped to catch them on their most recent tour whilst I was in Edinburgh recently, although unfortunately a gym-related incident put an end to that plan (kids - always stretch before doing any strenuous exercise, especially if you and working out have a very tumultuous relationship).

So with a new E.P out, it's never been a better time to check them out, and wouldn't you know it, they've released a real thing of beauty in "Sarah", the E.P's title track. It might be a bit easy to compare its sound to both Haim and The Staves, two other bands made up of sisters, but in the case of "Sarah", it's an apt comparison, with the song taking cues from the former's alt-pop aesthetic and the latter's close harmonies to create something simultaneously captivating, accessible and otherworldly. They're heading to Glastonbury this weekend, and if they can deliver more songs like "Sarah", The Cadbury Sisters could win over quite a lot of people.

"Sarah" is out now.

Saturday 20 June 2015

HAWKING - Books On Tape


Hailing from Vancouver, 4-piece HAWKING have been entertaining crowds for the last few years with their combination of indie-rock and math-pop. They've got a new E.P coming out next month, and taken from it is the great "Books On Tape". The song calls to mind Two Door Cinema Club, albeit with a harsher edge to it and a more technical approach to their guitar lines. And unless my ears are deceiving me, it has one of the strangest opening couplet of any song released this year.

"Books On Tape" is taken from the band's self-titled E.P, which will be released on July 14th.

Saturday 6 June 2015

The DŁX - Let Go


There were a few songs that we came across over the past few months that we loved, but didn't get around to posting due to our own semi hiatus-y state, so it's time to get around to doing just that now that we're ramping things up again.

Hailing from Mississippi, The DŁX are a trio who describe themselves as making 'off-the-wall pop' music. They released their debut single "Let Go" a few months, and if it they ever find the mathematical equation for fitting as many good vibes into a 4-minute pop song, "Let Go" will probably be used as its benchmark. Its group vocals and somewhat sunny disposition call to mind a scaled down version of The Polyphonic Spree. It might come off as a bit saccharine for some tastes, but we've never been ones to shy away from the twee, and who in their right mind could say no to a song that uses the ukulele as its base?

"Let Go" is available to download now.


Tuesday 2 June 2015

Hibou - Dissolve


It's funny, it was only the other day that we were thinking to ourselves that it's been a while since we'd heard from Seattle native Hibou, whom we featured a few times on the blog back in 2013, and he goes and drops a new track on us out of the blue, with the promise of an album to follow in due course. Three epizeuxises for the power of positive thinking!

If you'd forgotten about Hibou in the intervening period, them "Dissolve" should bring you right back up to date, seeing as it follows the same jangly, surf-rock sounds that brought him to so many people's attention, whilst adding something a little bit different to the mix - just listen to the last minute of the song, where it appears the guitars have entered through some sort of wormhole and come out the other end it a weird yet somewhat pleasant manner.

"Dissolve" will be the lead track of Hibou's debut album, which is due for release on September 18th.

Monday 1 June 2015

Girls Names - Reticence


Two years after the release of their largely liked 2nd album "The New Life", Belfast quartet Girls Names (a band whose name I still think is missing an apostrophe somewhere) have announced the release of a new LP near the end of the year, following the release of a mammoth 11-minute single a few months previously. The band have premiered the lead track  from the album, which acts as a welcome return for the band.

Oddly enough, once you get over the elongated krauty intro, "Reticence" gives way to what is quite possibly the most upbeat Girls Names song to date. There's still the same post-punk influences that the band have been known for, but this time it's a little less Joy Division, a little bit more Franz Ferdinand, but still unmistakably the same of GL. Whether this means that the band are going for a more 'mainstream' sound isn't clear yet, but it is enough to satiate the appetite for anyone awaiting its eventual release.

The third album from Girls Names,  "Arms Around a Vision", will be released on October 2nd.