the new beat x100000... thank you.

Epitaph Records announced yesterday that the label will re-release the 1998 classic/one of my favourite albums of all time—The Shape Of Punk To Come: A Chimerical Bombation In 12 Bursts by Refused—on June 8. The re-release will come in an awesome three disc Deluxe Edition that will include the original album, a never-before-released live album (omg!), and the documentary Refused Are Fucking Dead on DVD! Really Epitaph? I already own The Shape of Punk on both CD and vinyl... now I have to get the Deluxe Edition as well (this is just like when Sub Pop reissued Diary last year!).

cover song of the moment

Patrick Wolf recorded a cover of Kate Bush's "Army Dreamers" for Peace: By Amnesty & Buffetlibre—an ambitious project/compilation featuring more than 100 new songs by artists from 50 countries. You can stream a handful of songs over at Buffetlibre's site.

Patrick Wolf: Army Dreamers (Kate Bush cover) (web-rip)

oml!

Old Man Luedecke is playing a FREE in-store at Criminal Records in Toronto this Thursday (8th) at 6:30 pm! Here's a photo from the last in-store at Criminal.

OML just released a new record called My Hands Are On Fire and Other Love Songs, hear a few songs from it here. And if you haven't already, make sure to check out OML's fantastic 2008 release, Proof Of Love.

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!