Plaid Dragon - New Music "Introducing"

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I apologise to my introducer of Plaid Dragon (if any). A link to their EP, which I'm about to talk about, was simply saved in my draft folder over Christmas, my amnesia is sufficient to mean I'm not sure where it came from. Checking back over the folder though led me to discover a four track EP bristling with shimmering melodies, twinkling keys and heart-warming vocals.

Opener "SoND" a perfect example of that, which from its opening uke chords is beautifully endearing, the type of track that lets your mind slip off to somewhere endlessly rewarding. "Bird Years" similarly starts with Ukulele plucks but here is brighter and more energetic on a luminescent, up-lifting melody.

The highlight of the EP though is the title track and closure, which spends three minutes of its duration as a blissful folk-ish tune, with languid instrumentation and mellow vocals before exploding in a cacophony of noise. A wonderful signal of intent with the five piece from Missouri due to release a follow up early this year.

Download Dog Physics via bandcamp on a pay-what-you-like basis.

Big Deal - Teradactol

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I saw Big Deal play over a year ago now, they were *ok*, a duo with delicate acoustic instrumentals combining with entwined male/female harmonies, it should perhaps have ticked my boxes a little more than it did but sometimes it just doesn't, for little or no apparent reason.

This though, their latest single, does that and more. If you'd have told me this was the same Big Deal I saw perform live (I think at The Lexington) I'd have laughed at you. The track "Teradactol" is a completely different beast with Big Deal now a four piece, a colossal, fuzzed-up monster with galloping drums and distorted guitars howling around the ethereal harmonies.

"Teradactol" is the first track taken from the bands forthcoming second album and certainly has me salivating for more.

The Blog Sound of 2013: Final Five

Just before Christmas this blog (alongside a whole host of other UK blogs listed in the original post) revealed the fifteen acts which made up The Blog Sound of 2013. (Head to the same post for the full details of the acts and artists in the long-list).

Today's follow up posts is to share with you the final results, the top five acts as voted by the blogs involved - I posted my initial thoughts on the artists that made the long-list already and if you cross-reference that post you might be able to work out the two acts I voted for that made the final five, which can be revealed today:

5th The Neighbourhood - Website

3rd= Pins - Website
3rd= Savages  - Website

2nd Chvrches  - Website

1st Haim  - Website

So, as with so many polls, there is no real surprise with the winner of the Blog Sound of 2013. Haim are one of three acts (Savages and Chvrches the others) who also made the BBC Sound of List (for which this alternative list was - for good and worse - born to compliment) and the US sisters are surely good value to top that list too.

The Blog Sound list veers more to the alternative/indie side of things with little to no impact from rap artists in its lists. Of course there are more criticisms you could level at theses lists. I read one comment on the BBC Sound of forum (perhaps it was at The Guardian) which stated the list was rubbish because "I've never heard of these acts". A nonsense comment if you've ever heard one, surely that's the reason for such things, to share new bands with a wider audience. Not that Haim need any help, their music does more than enough.

A playlist of the top five artists is below (you might want to turn it off before track five!)...

Fifteen Tracks for 2012 - Part Two

The final part of (some of) my favourite songs of the past year. From tomorrow it's all looking forward as per usual...

Part One can be found here.

7. Woodpecker Wooliams - Sparrow

"It seems someone has really pissed Gemma off, "Sparrow" takes those tired Joanna Newsom comparisons and rips them up with a brutal storm of bleeping electronic drones and god knows what else, pulsating through the oddness and rip-roaring hysteria "Sparrow" is one of the singles of the year". From Sparrow post August 22nd.



6. Wilsen - Dusk

I could spend hours deciding between "Dusk" and "Anahita" and this time I've gone for the former. Dusk" is deliciously sad and unbelievably gorgeous, Tasmin Wilson's ethereal whispers are soft and comforting and remain at the forefront of delicate, stripped back instrumentation throughout where gently picked chord patterns and light brush strokes combine to haunting, heartfelt results.


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5. Lana Del Rey - Million Dollar Man

A difficult pick to choice just one track from my favourite album of 2012, I've gone with "Million Dollar Man", a song bathed in sleek production which adds a woozy, shimmering ambience along with Grant's siren calls and haunting, immaculate tones. Delicious.



4. Caitlin Rose - Piledriver Waltz

Caitlin Rose covers Alex Turner and turns the indie crooner into an instant country blockbuster, a slow-motion pedal steel groove and Caitlin's effortlessly sophisticated, compelling vocal, as good a cover as you'll hear:



3. Embers - Hollow Cage

Embers mix the epic with the colossal, their best track so far is "Hollow Cage". A ground-breaking seven minute journey beyond comprehension that is truly, truly stunning:



2. The Joy Formidable - Wolf's Law

My personal favourite of the three aperitifs heard from The Joy Formidable's forthcoming second full-length, it's title track (though not on the album) starts with a humble, subtle approach at the outset, with the addition of harp and driving key twinkles it gently, beautifully builds to a rushing crescendo of stadium sized proportions.



1. Young Romance - Follow On Your Own

"One of the main reasons why I still enjoy running a fan-based blog after a couple of years is that you're still capable of finding something new that makes you go "wow"... One such moment happened at the start of last week when I listened to the track "Follow On Your Own" by Young Romance and got that tingling sensation that signals something like 'I've found one'... "Follow On Your Own" is incredible, switching from big and bold choruses with strong drums and fuzzy guitar to pure, sweet pop verses at the flutter on an eyelid, it's instant and incredible." From my Young Romance 'introducing' post on July 13th.

Fifteen Tracks for 2012 - Part One

Here are my belated tracks of the year for 2012, though I think one or two of them could be argued to be from 2011, they came to my attention in 2012 and that's good enough for me! In order below but not really in any order of preference of such and naturally, there are many more songs than the fifteen I rate equally highly.

Split into two posts due to size. Second coming later on.

15. Hannah Cohen - Don't Say

Beguiling and beautiful, there's no finer introduction to the exquisite debut from New York's Hannah Cohen than the bewitching, poignant "Don't Say", heartbreaking:



14. Bec Sandridge - Over The Sea

I may have excluded Beautiful Strange releases from this little chart but that doesn't mean I can't include some of my favourite acts to play at the nights over the past year, up there was a breathtaking performance by Sydney's Bec Sandridge, "Over The Sea" from her debut EP a perfect example of her strong, emotive lyrics and hauntingly beautiful vocals which glisten like the sun on morning dew, just overwhelmingly gorgeous:


Bec Sandridge - "Over The Sea" from Lo Fi Music on Vimeo.

13. Chelsea Wolfe - Flatlands

Chelsea Wolfe's trademark bleak and eerie tension is replaced with something simpler and achingly beautiful on the stunning "Flatlands". The finger picking of Chelsea's acoustic guitar is delicate and soft, the backing violins devastating whilst Chelsea's hushed whispers are truly gorgeous, the introspective beauty in her words sure to bring goosebumps to many.



12. Haim - Forever

Sure to be one of the bands of 2013, "Forever" was the song that catapulted the sisters' to the worlds' attention, an absolute firecracker of a pop track, they'll be more to come this year, of that I have no doubt:



11. Pins - Say To Me

The Mancunian quartet quickly followed up a stunning sell-out debut tape with a four track EP that showcased a death-waltz or dark guitar led menace and brooding vocal cries, "Say To Me" perhaps the pinnacle of their recorded output thus far, astound me, you already have...



10. Alice Jemima - Far From Here

I'm losing count of the times I've been sweetly serenaded by the exquisitely soft voice and delicate guitar patterns of Alice Jemima in 2012, "Far From Here" exemplifies the relatively simple song-craft of Alice, instantly melting your heart with her prettier-than-words vocal, overwhelmingly charming and wonderful.



9. Savages - City's Full

The debut track by Savages, you all know them by know, "City's Full" was the perfect introduction to their raw dark art, a bucket load of intensity with rumbling bass lines, menacing drum rhythms and Jehn's venomous vocals Savages hit you like a ton of bricks and make you want to play them louder and louder, again and again. In 2013 thousands more will sure to so.



8. Fever Dream - Glue

"Glue" on of the stunning tracks from Fever Dream's debut EP hypnotises with rambling rhythms, spiraling around Adrian's vocals before exploding in a whirlwind of beats and guitar abuse. An awesome blend of noisy dissonance and dreamy vocal harmonies.

Pulp #2 - After You

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Hello, welcome to 2013. I've enjoyed a brief blogging holiday over Christmas and New Year. I hope you all had a good one and got everything you wished for. One thing I've quickly discovered I missed as I start a week long worth of blog catch up is as good as any Christmas present I did receive (boots, socks, whisky and a cardigan - a sure sign of age!), a new Pulp song!

As one of my favourite ever bands I've been pretty spoilt with the half dozen or so times I've seen the bands since the end of their hiatus and with the new track, "After You" hinting at new material and possibly further shows in 2013 it's certainly an exciting start to the year for yours truly - Jarvis had previously ruled out new Pulp songs (according to the bloody nme anyway!).

Though not an entirely new track (it dates back to the We Love Life album sessions in 2000), this new version of After You is produced by James Murphy and is all kinds of awesome. The LCD Soundsystem influence is apparent with the addition of a disco infused, funk-laden groove to Jarvis's signature vocal mannerisms. I oh so hope this is a welcome back to one of the greatest bands the UK has ever made - or if it's just a sign of songs still in the archives, we'll have some more please!