swanton bombs: mumbo jumbo and murder

Happy Easter!

I first heard of Swanton Bombs late last year when I got my hands on the Mammoth Skull EP—I really enjoyed the Beatles/Blur sounding track "Moth And Moon Song"... and I guess the EP was decent enough for me check out the duo’s new full-length, Mumbo Jumbo And Murder. While Mammoth Skull had that very distinct British indie-pop sound, Mumbo Jumbo And Murder is a more raw and noisy garage rock album. Although I do love the cheeky indie Brit-pop sound, I am in favoured of the louder approach—as there can never be enough noisy garage-punk album to rock out to! Mumbo Jumbo And Murder is sweet in that not only does it feature some killer drum rhythms, but the distorted garage riffs are often mixed with blues and classic rock melodies. Sure, there are a few misses with Swanton Bombs’ debut, but Mumbo Jumbo And Murder is in general a very entertaining album!

Who's Asking?
If You Will



visit Swanton Bombs' MySpace here
buy Mumbo Jumbo And Murder here

this is attack music

Yet another incredible video by These New Puritans for their song "Attack Music".



It's about three and a half months into the year now and Hidden is by far my favourite album of 2010 so far!

you’re more talented than you know

The Soft Pack's "Down On Loving" and "Answer To Yourself" are two great songs to wake up to on a sunny morning! In fact, the band's S/T album is just perfect music to begin the day with!

there’s a place in my brain where I’d like to meet you

One of my favourite records of last year (#12), In The Court Of The Wrestling Let's by Let's Wrestle is getting a North American release through Merge Records tomorrow! Make sure you pick it up here! Read my original review of the album here and go here to check out the band's favourite 5 records of 2009.

In Dreams [wicked-cool song]

ps, Everytime I hear the last/title track, I can’t help but think of Hüsker Dü’s "Reoccurring Dreams"... anyone else thinks that also? ...or is it just me?

blood red shoes: fire like this

Blood Red Shoes are back with Fire Like This, the band’s follow-up to the delightful debut, Box of Secrets. The duo from Brighton once again deliver a raw and fast tempo garage rock album. But the album’s highpoints for me are not the typical sounding Blood Red Shoes tracks. "When We Wake" and "Colours Fade" certainly hit me by surprise—I was not prepared to hear a Yeah Yeah Yeahs-like ballad in the former while the latter consists of 7-delicious-minutes of loud melodic drum smashing! Nevertheless, Fire Like This is still full of those energetically noisy and catchy riffs; and the always-entertaining and brilliant vocal exchanges are still split between Laura-Mary Carter and Steven Ansell (just listen to songs like "It is Happening Again" and "Heartsink"). While I highly enjoyed Box Of Secrets, Fire Like This is a far better, more complex release by this amazing band!

visit Blood Red Shoes' MySpace here
buy Fire Like This here

book of kells

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Instead of getting drunk tonight, why not watch a film from Ireland... if you haven’t already, watch The Secret of Kells—the best/most gorgeous animated film I have seen in the last five years and it is slowly becoming one of my favourite animations of all time!

we spoon like 50s housewives buzzing like a hive

With the expansion of Moshi Moshi Records into North America, The Wave Pictures’ Instant Coffee Baby is finally… and I mean FINALLY getting a release in North America next month! Instant Coffee Baby has been available in the UK for about two years now (please my original review here) and it was my 9th favourite record of 2008!

Moshi Moshi will release Instant Coffee Baby along with If You Leave It Alone as a double CD bundle on April 27th, make sure you pick them up then!



The band started their North American tour last night in Miami, visit The Wave Pictures' MySpace here for the rest of the tour dates!

don't ever meddle with emily's heart

Check out Jamie T's new video/new version of "Emily's Heart":



"Emily Heart" is the next single taken from the brilliant Kings & Queens. Jamie T recorded this new version exclusively for the single release, out on March 14th. In addition, it includes a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s "Atlantic City".

Tracklisting:
1. Emily's Heart (Single Version)
2. Emily's Heart (Instrumental)
3. Atlantic City
4. Atlantic City (Instrumental)

Emily's Heart (album version from Kings & Queens) [wicked-cool song]

visit Jamie T's MySpace here

cover song of the moment

Suckers recently released a cover of The Raveonettes' "Boys Who Rape (Should All Be Destroyed)". The Brooklyn four-piece have a handful of appearances at this year's SXSW and their new album, Wild Smile is set for release on June 8th. Visit Suckers' MySpace for more details.

Suckers: Boys Who Rape (The Raveonettes cover)

the room seemed dizzy and dirty

As if their wonderful sophomore, No Hope, No Future isn’t enough, Good Shoes will be releasing another single—"The Way My Heart Beats"—on April 19th. It will be a mini-EP with three b-sides that weren’t finished in time for the album. In the meantime, the band are giving away a bundle of songs & videos on their website. The audio tracks include the b-side "Easier Easier" and an acoustic version of "The Way My Heart Beats". The bundle also includes two videos: a strange short by the band entitled Chasing Gulls and a live cover of Daniel Johnston’s "Despair Came Knocking" (OMG!)

To give you a taste of this awesome audio/video package, I have converted the cover of "Despair Came Knocking" into mp3, download it below!

Good Shoes: Despair Came Knocking (Daniel Johnston cover, live @ The Premises Studios)

Get the full goodness of the bundle by going to Good Shoe’s website and sign up for the band’s mailing list!