Frame #2 - Only Other

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Frame returned earlier today with a new track "Only Other", a glistening soft-pop beauty that takes the Brooklyn based project of Caitlin Frame to smouldering highs, here an 80's influenced melody, heartbreaking R&B vocals and jagged guitar patterns combine to make the sort of track that would have sold in its millions if recorded by Fleetwood Mac.

Like "Run Around" before it, "Only Other" is taken from the Frame's debut album Polarizer due later this year.

GOSPEL - New Music "Introducing"

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Whilst it may not quite be time to say RIP to Creatures of Love, the band have been on 'hiatus' for a little while now and one of its member Chris Willsher has seemingly had enough of watching DVD boxsets and returns with a new project, GOSPEL, a duo alongside Beth Anderton-Allen.

Their debut track "Disasters Running Wild" will instantly find home with fellow CoL fans, a dark, brooding masterpiece of slow release emotion which sees Beth's soft, considered vocals weave themselves around a bed of sparse, hypnotic electronic beats, down-tempo piano chords and guitar textures. The track explodes half-way through as the percussive beat and guitar shimmers step up a gear, the increase in tempo allowing Beth's vocals to soar higher and with compelling result. A mighty fine introduction indeed.

"Disasters Running Wild" is released July 7th via Not Like That Records.

ATTU - New Music "Introducing"

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ATTU are a London based quartet who yesterday shared the title track from their debut EP We Are Ordinary People, due in August through exciting new label Beatnik. It's a release that instantly perks interest and emotion, choral, euphoric and beautiful.

I recognise three of the four from Delta/Alaska and many of the the characteristics I recall from their earlier band return during "We Are Ordinary People's" stunning four minutes, a shifting quiet/loud dynamic, starting humble with fragile, pretty vocals and a blissful melody before rising to a wholesome barrage of noise with percussion of paramount importance amongst kaleidoscopic rhythms, swirling guitars and rousing climatic vocal harmonies.

If there's more like this to come, you can imagine it'll soon be filling arenas.

Tennis #7 - Never Work For Free

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A couple of weeks ago after seeing Tennis at The Great Escape I said something along the lines of the stand-out of their set being a new track; this is it...

"Never Work For Free" is a track from a band that have come along way since their debut; the cute, sea-faring set of tracks that made up Cape Dory. Here we're treated to a slice of infectious, 80's leaning pure candy-pop propelled by a repeating drum beat, breezy guitars and shiny synth lines, it gives Alaina Moore's the freedom to soar with her timeless sounding vocal. The result is instant love and smiles.

You can download "Never Work For Free" for free(!) via Tennis Music now. The album Ritual in Repeat is due in September via Communion.

Don't Cry Shopgirl #2 - Boy You Can Tell Me

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I'm going to post about a track that's eight months old now because I missed it first time around and the band, the Swedish indie-pop duo Don't Cry Shopgirl just came back to my attention thanks a picture on Tape Waves' Facebook page, taken at a show from last weekend's NYC Popfest where both bands played...

"Boy You Can Tell Me" is similar in mood, melody and charm to the two demo tracks I mentioned last year, a toe-tapping, smile inducing track to instantly fall in love with thanks to the combination of home-recorded beats, shimmering Pains-esque guitar riffs and the beautifully pure vocal of  Astrid Wiezell.

It makes you want to dance around your room - I won' t do that because I'm writing this blog on my lunch break at work and collegues will perhaps look at me a bit strangely, but you get the idea. There's a 7" due soon via Cloudberry Records too. One to keep an eye out for...

Wildest Dreams - New Music "Introducing"

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I've got Robin over at Breaking More Waves to thank for this post, he not only was the first to post about the London / Porstmouth based duo Wildest Dreams (Holly Mullineaux and Zoe Mead) but he also sent me a text message urging me to check them out... About two weeks later I finally have and he was right.

Their debut track "Dark Matter" is gorgeous, a lovelorn, dream-inducing tapestry of pretty as a flower vocals, softly cooed harmonies, chiming guitar riffs and drum machine beats. The soothing, ethereal quality instantly makes me think of the sublime "Don't Fall In Love / Wish" release by Still Corners, that's definitely a good thing.

If this is the quality of their bedroom demos, consider me excited to hear the results of real studio session.