Scratch your itch

I had a weird dream last night and it should've been accompanied by the soundtrack of Tickley Feather. The talented female that is Annie Sachs has just released a 12" filled with aquatic, echoey, tones and warped vocals called 'Hors D'oeuvres' on Paw Tracks. There are a few acts around deeming a similar guise, stemming from Ariel Pinks' offerings, but Tickley Feather holds her heads above the rest. The album sways you around in a euphoric fug from start to end, highlights are 'Don't Call, Marilyn' and 'Trashy Boys'. You can grab her self titled debut album too.

Tickley Feather – Trashy Boys
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/buy

Day Glo

I saw Brazos support the mighty White Denim last week. They eased us into the night nicely. The three-piece also come from Austin, Texas, but their sound however, is quite different to the Denim's. It's much softer, and less Hendrix, but their musical ability is definately on par. Their sound drifts between southern country music, through spanish guitar, between upbeat and melancholy, and wanders Grizzly Bear style through different arrangements. They've just released a wonderful album entitled 'Phosphorescent Blues'. It's a treat from start to end, you can almost feel the Texan sun stream onto your face when you listen to it. Here's a couple of tracks off it to get you going. They play a couple more dates with the Denim and you can download the album from the iTunes link below.

Brazos – Day Glo
Brazos – Tell
/myspace
/buy Phosphorescent Blues

Chansons pour la tête

Le Tetsuo are about to release a belting new single on the 23rd November. 'Sometimes I'm walking around I feel like I'm going to open up and crack' is minimal, stripped back post punk with Delta 5 style vocals on it. I love the strong bass line and angular guitars. You can hear the single on their myspace page, and put yourself on pre-order for the limited edition 7" and download from the Parlour Records shop below. Well worth the pittance of £3. the London 3-piece will be celebrating the launch of the single at The Wilmington Arms on the 25th November too, so get yourself down there to hear more of their work, including stuff from their previous release 'Your Elbow'.

/myspace
/pre-order 'Sometimes...'

Happy Christmas

The Hornblower Brothers have possible made one of the best Christmas songs in the past ten years, which they're set to release as a single in December. I think I'm going to create a campaign to get it to number one. It basically verbalises what we all experience in the rapidly approaching shitstorm that prevails before Christmas itself (which is ace). The Brighton based Yorkshire lads have also graced an EP with the same upbeat twee flavour, again with refreshingly well written lyrics. I really like this band. Their EP 'Adventures In The National Geographic' is up for grabs now from decent record shops and iTunes. It's four solidly great songs for your ears. They're playing a couple of live shows around December too. The dates are on their Myspace. Other good news is that they've got loads more songs up their sleeves, so let's hope to hear more of the brothers in the new year. Here's the Christmas song and my favourite off the EP...

The Hornblower Brothers – Christmas Song
The Hornblower Brothers – Shooting Star
Buy Adventures In The National Geographic EP
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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
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/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
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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
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