One of my tips for 2011, Toronto duo Memoryhouse took a little longer than I expected to gear up for their debut full-length but we now know its name and release date, 'The Slideshow Effect' is due 28th Feb via Sub Pop (track-listing and full details here) and last week we were treated to the first sample from it...
A progression from 'The Years' EP, "The Kids Were Wrong" sees them in more upbeat, poppier form, a galloping drum beat and shimmering guitar textures combine with the soft, beautiful vocal of Denise Nouvion's to gorgeous, dreamy effect. The duo seem to be able to effortlessly create hazy, sumptuous beauty's that are warm and endearing, that album is very much one to look forward to.
Memoryhouse play, to my knowledge, their debut UK shows in March including a date at London's Cargo on Wednesday 28th March - details.
Listen / Download for the price of an email below:
Toronto duo Memoryhouse sent aural bliss through the blogging world back in 2010 with a series of outstanding tracks that were dreamy, soothing and beautiful, in March it was announced that Sub Pop had signed the duo (at the same time that they snapped up fellow tips for '11 Still Corners) with a release promised this year.
The release turned out to be an expanded vinyl re-issue of their debut EP 'The Years' with two additional tracks, the achingly beautiful piano ballad "Quiet America" and the slow-burning "Modern Normal", both continued to insinuate incredible promise for the ambient, dreampop duo but I was a little disappointed we weren't treated to a full album instead, though of course that's just me being impatient and hopefully 2012 will see that very thing (as well as European shows on the back of their US October shows). Edit - 2012 will bring that exact thing, yesterday saw the official announcement of 'The Slideshow Effect' due 28th Feb, more on that once I know it I'm sure.
Another band seemingly in no hurry to get their debut album out are 2:54 who like Memoryhouse above spent much of the year out of the blogging eye, though perhaps in hindsight I am being over critical, in the digital / internet would it's sometimes expected that when a band release a couple of demos that produce some buzz and positive reception that an album will follow the next day and impending stardom is just around the corner and that's not really fair or realistic.
March saw the girls release their first 7", the fantastic "On a Wire" as well as play a wonderful and very sold-out gig at The Lexington where the girls were brilliant, their live show has really developed from the first time I saw them and they've quickly developed a sound that just as brooding and menacing on stage.
A quiet summer followed before announcing a string of November dates and an EP through Fiction, the EP 'Scarlet' (order) is a similarly excellent sultry and moody vein of dark atmospheric pop. Take the title-track for instance, where a sharp, reverb drenched guitar, chugging bass and Colette's gorgeous, seductive misty vocals pour out, wrap around you and won't let you go. If 2:54 follow up on these releases 2012 is for the taking.
The year started quiet for news with Ramona who it seemed were happy to spend their days split between recording in New York and lead singer / songwriters Karen's modelling career, I (thought) things were picking up with news of the release of "Tell That Girl", a song I believe has the potential to reach Blondie sized proportions, it's an indie-pop sizzler that should have troubled the charts, but it didn't, as far as I can tell it never ended up actually being released, in July the band played the iTunes festival and shared a few acoustic versions of new tracks but now it's all gone, vanished.
What's happened? I've no idea. Will they return in 2012? I'm not sure though if they don't, I doubt it's the last we've heard of Karen Anne, her gorgeous looks and sultry voice are surely destined to fulfil its promise.
I first came across the enigmatic and mysterious Gazelle Twin (Elizabeth Walling) around the release of her debut, digital release "Changeling" back in November 2010, it was backed with a Prince cover of "I Wonder U", it remains in a small handful of covers of the Purple One that I can listen to, a warped cover that perfectly introduces the twisted vision and alter-ego of Walling.
In April it was followed by the mesmerising "I Am Shell I Am Bone" where pulsating machine-gun drums, metallic synths and distorted, ethereal vocals create the sort of intense, unnerving and yet beautiful atmospheres that provide the perfect backdrop for the apocalyptic dystopia that some might say the World finds itself in now.
July saw the release of her soundtrack like debut 'The Entire City', the final result of Elizabeth's self-funded endeavours doesn't disappoint at all, I did one of my meandering reviews here so I won't repeat myself, just remind you to snap it up (you can buy it here), for of fans of chilly, dark artistic electronica it'll be amongst the best buys of the year.
There have been a small handful of shows this year, hopefully more are to follow next, if there is any justice in the world someone with the financial clout to allow Elizabeth to create something visually on stage worthy of its recorded backdrop will come forward. It'd be one of the best live experiences of the year.
What can I say about this band without sounding like a fanboy? Hmm, nothing, so I'll just stick with sounding like a fanboy... The Joy Formidable weren't so much a tip for the year, they were a guarantee. Whilst some Scrooges (which I'm known to be sometimes) could argue that their debut album 'The Big Roar' is a mere rehash of the debut EP with a few added tracks (it does contain four tracks from the EP) it's an unfair tag, the version of "Whirring" on the album is far removed from the original with the added 'live' ending it's a true testiment to the band, they take their most commercially successful and appealing song (some could argue that is "Austere") and they turn it into an absolute monster that's not at all suitable for radio (though a radio edit does exist). The Joy Formidable are my band of 2011 hands down.
The album came out in January picking up a steady stream of positive reviews and saw the band play a host of gigs in February cumulating in a sold-out Koko show, spring and summer saw the media storm really kick off, radio one airplay US shows galore followed by a sensational festival season leaving many audiences blown away (I know - I was at quite a few of them) before being tagged by Dave Grohl as the hottest band around and hand-picked for Foo Fighters support dates around the US, another UK tour later (this time selling out Kentish Town Forum) and the band are, for those in the know, the best live band in the UK right now.
I doubt the band have had much time to breathe, at least 100 shows in the calendar year and also the release of a new EP, 'The Big More' which finally brought the release of fan favourite "Anemone", a perfect portrayal of the bands effortless ability to combine beautiful, ethereal melody and maelstroms of intense, incredible noise. The year ended with news that the band are writing and recording the follow-up due for release in 2012 and contributing a song to a soundtrack to something called the Twilight movies, the track "Endtapes" one of the bands earliest tracks and although its placement maybe caused a bit of talk amongst the bands fanbase, it's the perfect way for the band to reach new audience, the track is wonderful too, of course it is.
I've been to three gigs this week and at every single one of them I saw at least one TJF t-shirt. What that tells me is that the gig going public fucking love this band as much as I do. My only concern about TJF? The fact that they'll be so much demand that I'm going to have to get used to arena shows.
Bloggers favourite (and one of my picks for 2011) Memoryhouse have taken their time following up their second 7", the woozy, delicate beauty of "Caregiver" but have now unveiled a new track off the first physical pressing of Memoryhouse’s first EP, 'The Years' which is available September 13th on Sup Pop.
Rather a simple re-issue, the band have re-recorded, "Sleep Patterns", "Lately", and "To the Lighthouse" and have added two new tracks entitled "Modern, Normal" and "Quiet America", the two tracks don't deviate from their ethereal, ambient whispers. The fleeting "Quiet America" is a sad piano ballad of slow-burning, loveliness and "Modern, Normal", with its achingly beautiful dreamscapes and luscious melodies. Gorgeous.
A bloggers favourite in 2010, and one that appear to fulfil the hype after their three or four releases so far. Ontario based dreampop duo Memoryhouse encapture a woozy yet beautiful sound. Highlighted best on their 'Caregiver' single. The title track is a dreamy wonder and b-side "Heirloom" is the most up-tempo song we've heard from Memoryhouse so far, and also one of the best.
You can download a free EP from the band and also check out the 'Lately EP' which is also wonderful. They've also done some wonderful covers including My Bloody Valentine and Grizzly Bear.
2:54 received a flurry of blog attention in the summer and are yet to release any further material. I saw them a couple of times in the autumn firstly supporting Blood Red Shoes where I thought they were good to ok but not unlike anything I'd seen before, then again with Warpaint and I thought they were excellent.
Their sound is a moody, dirty shoegaze / grunge full of reverb, distortion and noise. Hopefully they've been building on their solid base and will come back in 2011 with a new set of songs as good as the first three.
Will Ramona be 2011’s answer to Blondie? Yes. That's a very simple answer, and a truthful one. Their punk-influenced indie-pop songs are strong enough that even without the striking good looks of lead-singer Karen Anne, Ramona would be big news. Infectious guitar riffs mark their energetic live show.
Highlights of their material so far are "Gorgeous Garbage" a wonderful ballad with shimmering guitar lines and beautiful vocals, the first song that got my attention "Steve McQueen" with it's anthemic uh-uh-uhs and "Tell That Girl" an electro tinged, indie-pop smash hit in the making.
Signed to Columbia, managed by Sharleen Spiteri; what it all adds up to is that Ramona are gonna be a big, big news in 2011.
The newest discovery on this list. Gazelle Twin is a musical artist from Brighton who creates some sublime, eerie electronica with a gorgeous ghostly vocal which add up to a hauntingly beautiful yet freakily disturbing twist on electronic music.
Her debut single "Changelings" and it's B-side Prince cover blew me away. It's brooding synths and ethereal vocals are very much my thing and they were done to perfection here and the demos on her myspace site demos hint at massive sounding Fever Ray styled gothic masterpieces to come.
I've got a feeling her shows in 2011 could be some of the most visually stunning of the year.
As if I was going to do a tips post and not mention The Joy Formidable!
I really don't need to add too much on this post, if you've read this blog you'll know from the 50 previous posts that TJF are my band to watch.
If you are new here, then listen up, The Joy Formidable are going to blow the cobwebs off 2011 on January 24th when their long overdue Debut LP 'The Big Roar' arrives.
Make sure you've got it on order now and see them on their UK tour in Feb, European tour in Feb / March. I'm sure the states will get them again afterwards.
So that's my list. 11 out of the 15 are from the UK, go us! I had another ten bands or so that I could have included, but I've gone with these (all fifteen are female vocalists - sorry boys! Not sure if I can be accused of anti-sexism - does that even exist?!). A lot of these fit within a similar genre too, so sorry if you are not massively into indie-pop / indie-rock / electronica! I guess this is the style of music that is exciting me most at the moment...
I've kind of ignored the folkier side here. There are some great upcoming acts I've featured recently such as Daughter / Stealing Sheep / Georgia Ruth / Escapists who I'm looking forward to seeing and listening to their next releases.
I've compiled a mix-tape for you to download of one of my favourite tracks for each artist. Feel free to download share around with your friends / blog (just put a link to this post). Hope you enjoy it:
Who are your tips for 2011? Let me know in the comments box below and I'll promise to give them a listen, as long as they aren't Hip-Hop / R&B / Rap acts!
Canadian duo Memoryhouse release their second 7" “Caregiver” on December 7th - Link -
It is a gorgeous piano led ballad with quiet thrusting guitars, delicate beautiful and picks up nicely from their first single release 'Lately'.
You can download a free EP 'The Years' from this link
...and a live cover of My Bloody Valentine 'When You Sleep' link
