2 Good Things

Back to some electronic sound with London's Entrepreneurs (AKA The Super-ego). Into the hip-hop style bass, fucked up glitches and warped beats. The track below is awesome. Well into the dirt fuzzed bass line. The solitary man of talent according to Last.fm has the real name of Adam Crisp. He is also responsible for a numerous amount of great remixes and other material, some of which you can hear on the soundcloud link below. He's just done a sweet remix for a great new act by the name of Al Cool and the Stranger Wines. You can check out the original track below. The remix is to be released soon. Double whammy!

Entrepreneurs – Good Things 2
/myspace/super-ego
/myspace/entrepreneurs
soundcloud downloads

Al Cool and the Stranger Wines – Celine
/myspace/alcoolandthestrangerwines

Ólöf some of that

To ease you in to a Monday in the right fashion, you should listen to Ólöf Arnalds. The beautifully talented Icelandic songstress has a new album out entitled 'Við og Við' (translated as 'With and With'). Her previous musical style in the band Mùm is relatively unnoticed, as she strips back to an album of Charango (a small guitar made out of an Armadillo) and her beautiful voice, to create some traditional folk music. It's really beautiful, and I wish I could understand the lyrics, but nevertheless it's a lovely listen for a fragile day. If you're lucky enough to be in New York tonight, she is playing at the Rockwood Music Hall, and she also has a show in Copenhagen in a couple of days. 'Við og Við' is out on One Little Indian records now and is available on iTunes.

Ólöf Arnalds – Klara
/myspace
/buy

Ray of light

The Light Rays infectious fuzzed fifties style surfer rock will cut through all the crap and wake you up. The brain child of the band is Jeff Kile from Costa Mesa, California. He creates more accessible stuff than the like of Wavves, and has a bit more of an sci-fi electronic affectation at times which I'm into. The band are sadly unsigned, but the cracking concoctions on the demo tape that I recieved will hopefully mean that the wait won't be too long. You can catch the band in their homestead at a couple of live shows in November. The dates and more good tracks are on their Myspace. Get on it.

The Light Rays – Surf Song
/myspace

Show your bones

London based band La Shark have made an ace lazy day track called 'Bones'. Lo-fi decadent dandy rock is how I would describe their sound. Their releasing a great free single called '1958' which you can download by clicking the link below. The band are also releasing another single in January 2010 too! You can catch them playing a few dates around the South East through November. Rumor has it that they're a sight to be seen... in a good way. Enjoy...

La Shark – Bones
Free single download
/myspace

Follow this

Followed By Static are about to release a new single 'Lullaby' in the UK through Rough Trade Records. The Austin, Texas boys create fuzzed up noise version of Girls-esque songs, without some of the prettiness. This band are more raw. Check out the b-side to the single below. The a-side is a better listen too... but you should buy it to listen to that. It's well worth £1.58. It's out now and available on iTunes. Link is below for your clicking ability. The band are slso doing a few dates around Austin. Dates are on the Myspace...

Followed By Static – AADC
Buy on iTunes
/myspace

Reasons to listen

I had the delight of seeing Clare And The Reasons last week. The Brooklyn based ensemble created a warmth of french jazz orchestrations with the whistful laments of Clare Manchon's sweetly sung songs. If Grizzly Bear were French, more pop, and got one of the Coco Rosie girls to sing, you'd roughly have the sound of Clare And The Reasons. The band have just released their second album 'Arrow' in the US which is due for European release on November 4th. I like the more electronically lead songs off the album. including this one below. I'm also a big fan of the track 'Pluto' off their previous release 'The Movie'. It sounds like music a mermaid would make. The band are doing a few dates around the states to celebrate the album, so get yourself down to one of the shows for some Parisien allure.

Clare And the Reasons – You Got Time
Clare And The Reasons – Pluto
/myspace

Logos

Atlas Sound's latest album 'Logos' is as beautiful an ethereal listen as his previous album 'Let The Blind Lead...'. Washing through echoed guitars, glitchy electronic drones and softly sung melancholic melodies you're brain will become numb to any problems. Completely encapsulating. A couple of people make an appearance on the record, including Animal Collective/Panda Bear's Noah Lennox on a decidedly upbeat track 'Walkabout' and Stereolab's Laetitia Sadier. All together 'Logos' is a highly recommended purchase. So wrap your ears around these and go and buy it...

Atlas Sound – Sheila
Atlas Sound – Walkabout
/myspace

Simply Darling

So, now I'm in NYC, I may as well start telling you about some of the homegrown acts that I've had my ears on. First up is Darlings. The upbeat garage four-piece lit up the dreary downstairs of Cake Shop at Terrorbird's CMJ showcase yesterday. They belted out a few tracks, all equally as catchy as the others. They have an album out right now for you to buy called 'Yeah I Know' on Famous Class Records. These are two tracks off it so you know what you're in for.

Darlings – Eviction Party
Darlings – If This Is Love
/myspace

Three things...

Here's three good bands all in one hit. My internet has been down all week so I can only tell you now about some of this week's highlights. Ready? OK.

Emil & Friends
Great French pop/disco influenced pop outfit from Massachusetts. They've got a cracking single out with two excellent songs on it, out on Transparent. 'Josephine' which is actually the B-side is the happiest relaxed electro disco track ever. Love it. It's like when Elton John was good, fused with YACHT or something. The other track is a bit more MGMT in it's nature but still a great little number. Well worth a purchase of the limited edition from Pure Groove.

Emil & Friends – Josephine
/myspace

The Fiery Furnaces
Saw them last night. Amazing. They stripped their sound right back with simply a guitar, drums, bass and and enigmatic Eleanor Friedberger on vocals. Many of the (can I call them) classics were played in a monster set. A few new ones of the latest album 'I'm Going Away' were played too. Matt Friedberger, what a man. Definatey get yourself down to see them on the rest of the tour as they travel across Europe and the US.

The Fiery Furnaces – I'm Going Away
/myspace

The Sweet Serenades
The band from Stockholm have just released their album 'Balcony Cigarettes'. It's a mix of sick and sweet surf rock in the form of 'Mona Lee' and more indie stuff. Mix Good Shoes, Peter Bjorn and John and put some echo on it and you've got the The Sweet Serenades. There are some good little songs on there, all of which you can listen to on their myspace page. Favourite of mine is the track 'On My Way'. Link to the myspace is below, so click it to listen to all the rest.

The Sweet Serenades – On My Way
/myspace

Brute force

The decadent rumbustious music of The Brute Chorus is about to fill your ears in a big way. The four London lads are releasing their debut album 'The Brute Chorus' on the 19th October and to celebrate are having a single launch for the track 'Send Me A Message' on the 7th October at London's Old Blue Last. Not only that but their heading up a tour too! Busy boys. The album is a great concoction of theatrical tales, fifties garage rockabilly and folk. Highlights off the album are the aforementioned 'Send Me A Message which you can hear below, 'The Cuckoo and The Stolen Heart' which features Tigs from Chew Lips gets some great Ukulele action on it. There's an ace vid of the practice sessions below. It shows how good the band are live. I saw them a few months back and was blown away. The best live track for me was another highlight off the album, 'The Ransom', which sounds like an amazing pirate sea shanty or something. A great diverse debut. So get your grubby mits on a copy when it comes out.

The Brute Chorus – Send Me A Message
/myspace
/amazing video