Carousels #2 - Stay With Me

Facebook / selscarou.tumblr.com/

Last summer a lot of us blogs got excited by Guildford / Cambridge duo Nick Benton and Lucy Wilson's Carousels, three debut recordings emerged highlighting stomping, buzzing chain-saw guitar riffs, layers of feedback and gorgeous, hazy vocal harmonies, the exhilarating fizz of "Sleep" especially getting us shoegaze lovers a bit hot under the collar.

The band though were not as content as the armchair critics, for despite glowing praise in columns such as NME Radar and The Recommender after a less than a handful of live shows as a duo Carousels decided to disappear behind the scenes and re-write themselves as a 'real' band, where laptop and looping pedals had previously made distortion and beats, three news members (Danny, Danny and Angela) joined the ranks to make up a new and improved Carousels, slowly returning earlier this year with a handful of shows played under an alternative name (the first at one of my Beautiful Strange nights), the band are now ready to launch themselves once more into the spotlight with their new demo "Stay With Me" and return to the live arena under the Carousels banners (on Thursday with Savages and O Children at Hoxton Bar & Kitchen - unmissable - details).

"Stay With Me" does not disappoint and certainly does not fuck around, instantly penetrating your brain with a huge wall of sound from swathes of droning, spiralling guitars and a punishing drum beat, which fully intoxicates when interwoven with Nick and Lucy's dual, melodic vocals "Stay With Me" retains the energy and blistering pace of Carousels earlier demos, commands to be played loudly and seen live, do so on Thursday, you won't regret it.

Seapony #7 - What You Wanted

Facebook / seaponyband.tumblr.com/

Back when the UK was basking in an early summers glow I was posted summery flavoured indie-pop on a daily basis, the return of rain and grey clouds stopped that for a while but after a long weekend of ignoring the dismal weather and trying to enjoy time away from the office what better than a new track from a band who define bright, blissful pop better than most, Seapony, who return with the lead single from their forthcoming second LP 'Falling' (due September 11th via Hardly Art).

The track "What You Wanted" is exactly that, a beautiful, care-free buzz surrounds a catchy guitar / keys melody, almost impossible not to like, the track stays pretty close to the Seapony formula thus far, dreamy, breezy and overwhelmingly delightful.

Their debut LP 'Go With Me' was one of my albums of the year last year and there is every indication that 'Falling' will follow suit, one album I'm definitely excited to hear.

Beautiful Strange Update

Is there better time for a bit of self-promotion than a double bank holiday weekend? Yes, that's probably the short answer. Half of this blogs normal readership (I naturally assume most people who read this thing are about my age group, 30 (ish) - do tell me if I'm wrong) are probably in the pub for the third consecutive day by now.

Hopefully as a result avoiding what looks like a nationwide mass BNP rally in your town centre. I'm not actually anti-monarchy, they serve the country well in some ways but waving flags to celebrate them is a little bit out of my satisfaction level, arguably less than a three week (and continuing) propaganda campaign about the Olympic fucking flame but that's a whole different issue (and one I won't be bothering with here)...

I've four incredible shows lined-up billed under my promoting name 'Beautiful Strange' to talk about (head to beautifulstrangepresents.tumblr.com/ to miss the spiel and see whom), I have actually been asked a few times why I didn't continue with the blog title for the promoting... simply, I don't think it translates too well and I like the name Beautiful Strange, it actually sums up the sort of music I seem to like pretty well (and it's also the name of a Prince song). Right, less waffle, more plugging.

I've got two events coming up in the next couple of weeks, pretty different sort of shows but equally amazing. First on Tuesday June 12th at The Old Queen's Head, Islington a single launch for the wonderful Brighton / London five piece Shrag. Their new single 'Show Us Your Canines' is due via WIAIWYA / Fortuna POP! on Monday 4th and after a false-dawn of a release show, Beautiful Strange was delighted to jump in to host the event. Support comes from label-mates Evans The Death and Chips For The Poor and tickets are just £5 from wegottickets - it'd be great if you could come and say hello.

Then the very next day, Wednesday 13th June in the gorgeous St Margaret's Chapel at The Gallery Cafe (pictured here at the last night I hosted there, a sold-out This is the Kit show) the incredibly talented Shura playing a very special acoustic, unplugged show.

This one is going to be incredible, listen to her 'Nght flk' EP for proof, on record it gives you that spine-tingling sensation, live it's going to be a whole different level. The chapel room is gorgeous and intimate - fitting no more than 45 people, gigs there offer 'one of those moments'.  Support comes from the amazing Worry Dolls, another band I've had my eye on for a while and can't wait to hear live.

Tickets for this one are just £4 and available here.



Further ahead I've got Tender Trap, one of my favourite new bands September Girls and Cosines for an Indietracks warm-up show on July 4th and another event with a clean sweep of acts previously blogged on July 10th (at The Old Queen's Head again) Just Handshakes (We're British), Alloy Ark and Curxes. Further details and links to facebook events etc can be found via tumblr. There's also news of a release with Fountains for those of you interested in that sort of thing...

I'll leave the plug there, I understand people don't visit this blog to get events chucked down their throats, but they are the sort of thing that perhaps those of you London based are interested in, after all this is a music blog about music I like and my events are exactly that. Now where was I, oh yeah, Rule, Britannia!

Savages #3 - Flying To Berlin

Facebook

Hello again Savages, it's not been that long since I was talking about you ("Husbands" last week) but a few things have happened since, firstly the release of their debut digital single (Buy 'Husbands / Flying to Berlin' on iTunes) and secondly my third live viewing of the band at The Shacklewell Arms on Tuesday evening.

The live show in a sweltering London backroom venue signals why the buzz around the four piece is so intense, yet again, they are incredible. A nine song set met with nods of approvals from all those around, "Husbands" commands the attention early but it's new song "No Face" that is possibly my favourite. Savages live show is almost faultless, driven by uncompromising basslines and tom heavy ponding drums, with brutal guitar lines adding distortion and noise while Jehn's shrieking vocals command and possess their sound brims with repressed energy which explodes with a juddering climax on the searing "City's Full", it's hypnotic and terrifyingly beautiful. The audience leaves to more head nodding, more food to feed the Savages flame.

I like the way the band have decided to make themselves a 'live band' first and foremost, the focus on perfection and live atmosphere translates to their recorded output, while "Flying to Berlin" isn't as in your face and fierce as "Husbands" the ominous, repetitive bass groove is equally intoxicating and progressive, dark intensity from a clearly talented band that the music world has instantly taken a shine too, 2012 is already theirs.

Sure to be a collectors item the 7" of the 'Husbands / Flying to Berlin' single is now available to pre-order (for release on June 28th) from the band's Pop Noire label here.

If you can't wait to see them for yourselves, you are in luck, Savages support O Children at Hoxton Bar & Kitchen this Thursday, 7th June - tickets

Maud in Cahoots - New Music "Introducing"

Facebook / maudincahoots.com/

This is a post I've been wanting to do for ages, in fact given Maud in Cahoots played at one of my Beautiful Strange nights (at The Gallery Cafe on May 19th) I perhaps should have given this priority to some of the other blogs, but sometimes I don't like to rush out posts and good things come to those who wait...

Maud in Cahoots is primarily the work of Maud and Zoe Reardon, sisters from Dublin, the pair spent a while in New York but now reside in London, with the able assistance of a band of talented local musicians they've recently started performing live around the Capital (after doing the same in New York in 2010) and now with their forthcoming EP streaming online are ready to showcase their abilities to a wider audience, to put it simply, they're all kinds of wonderful...

I can't think of another band that sound anything like MiC, apparent is the classical background, wrapped around their heavenly string-laden tracks are bits of soul, folk and pop, not chart fodder pop but contemporary pop written and delivered by truly talented musicians. The EP highlight is the sumptuous "Further I Go", opening with a lone, sombre organ, amongst restrained drum rolls and glockenspiel twinkles Maud's soulful voice enters, it's sad and affective, the tracks slow pacing gradually building with the addition of tuba and cello, exquisitely structured and delivered, "Further I Go" is a powerful, emotive and beautiful experience, one you'll want to saviour again and again.

Similarly drenched in melancholia are the opening bars of the EP's first track "Make Me Right", this time the intensity is almost immediately increased, bursts of dramatic orchestration duel with Maud's smooth vocals, dancing keys and tuba blasts, soaring and dazzling, I could similarly wax lyrical about the haunting "Breakdown" or the poppier "Push Me Under", where upbeat melodies surge and ignite. Throughout the EP you can't help but get the feeling that you're listening to an act with that 'something' which will propel them to the hearts of many around the world.

I can't recommend their live show highly enough either (for a band who've been performing for a few years there are relatively few youtube videos that do them justice, I've picked one from a recent session for the wonderful Sofar Sounds below), The Gallery Cafe show I promoted saw Maud in Cahoots perform semi-acoustic (though with tuba, glockenspiel, drums and keys alongside Zoe on Cello and backing vocals, Maud on Violin and main vocals it's hardly the definition of acoustic), a full band setup adds guitar and bass to the mix, I'm certainly looking forward to catching that soon. Aside from the obvious ability I've thrown an overbearing number of superlatives at above, Maud was as natural and charming a performer as you could ask for too.

Your next chance to see MiC (probably appealing to the non-England fans) is Monday 11th June at The Dublin Castle - details.

Years Away - New Music "Introducing"

Facebook / years-away.tumblr.com/

One thing pretty much everyone is agreement in, Sweden know how to do pop better than just about anyone. From Abba to Robyn, Lykke Li to The Cardigans, the Scandinavian countries influences has swept through the planet, in more recent times Swedes have increasingly become renowned for electronic music too, with The Knife and more recently Jonna Lee's infamous Iamamiwhoami (oh and of course Eurovision winner Loreen!) taking acclaim for critics and fans alike.

On Tuesday a new hat was thrown into the ring, Years Away (Stockholm duo Anna Berglund & Simon Eriksson), whose initial two tracks are as strong as any I've heard in a long time. "Starting Fires" is an incredible debut, a classy pure pop treat, beautiful, bright keys shine amongst subtle beats and to-die-for vocals, delicate and ethereal, sumptuous and uplifting, "Starting Fires" deserves to be heading to radio-waves around the world.

The slightly more electro-pop "Eraserhead" impresses too, edgier, retro synths provide the electronic heart-beat of the track with afro-beat rhythms and Anna's emotive, intimate vocals literally melting your heart along the way, the sweet, pulsating track is vibrant, soothing and always quite gorgeous.

Quite the start then. Listen below: