Radkey - 'Cat & Mouse' EP

Radkey are the NEXT BIG THING because:

- They are from the US (St Joseph, Missouri to be precise) Brits love US guitar bands. See: Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Interpol, QOTSA, KOL, The Strokes, The White Stripes... Springsteen?
- They're black but don't rap
- They're 3 brothers.(History tells us that this combination work: see Hanson)
- They are young. 15-19. People love it when 'youngsters' produce guitar music.
- Every song has at least a 15 second epic lead guitar solo. DIDDLY DIDDLY DIDDLA.
- THEY'RE FUCKING GREAT

I have to admit that i've featured Radkey more because I love their music than because of the EP artwork.

THE COVERART

A selection of samurai swords overlaid with text in an A-Team style font. It's definitely consistent with their image of casual eighties, punkness.

THE MUSIC

Really hard to place the music. The guitars are undoubtedly punk in all their four chord, distorted charm. The drums come across as fairly lo-fi, no stabbing snare or syncopated fills that filled the songs of pop-punk. This is pure guttural punk music. Misfits, DOA stylee. But the vocals... they're not so punk. They're sung what perhaps lazily but fairly accurately can only be described as Strokes-style. There's definitely more than a hint of Julian Casablancas in there. Not just just tone but the melodic, I  could be humming to myself in the shower, casualness of the lyrics.

Song number 4 on the EP, 'Red Letter' gets the most visceral with a nice bit of energy in the screamed vocals.

In my book, a good band must do one or both of the following; 1) make music that is so surprising in its innovativness that you can't help but listen again, tell a friend, Google them and become a fan. 2) make music of a sound and genre that has been done before, but do it better than it's ever been done. Radkey are the later.

This EP is good. They've been Guardian 'New Band of The Day', played by Zane Lowe on Radio 1, played Download Festival and just played Camden's BarFly with A&R from Island Records in the audience...

Best live band in London tonight? Quite possibly... @radkeyrock @simonmcculloch had good taste!… http://t.co/ZyhXcegCOB
— Olivia Mee (@OliviaMeeLDN) June 19, 2013

Like I say...NEXT BIG THING!

Boards of Canada - 'Tomorrow's Harvest'

Ok let's get things straight. They're not from Canada and have not much to do with boards (other than The National Film Board of Canada from which they take their name).

Formed in 1986, the Scottish duo of Mike Sandison and Marcus Eoin create music in its purest form. Largely instrumental like their fellow countrymen Mogwai they create epic soundscapes. Enormous, gaping, resounding, sneering, jagged soundscapes. This continues in Tomorrow's Harvest. As I listen through headphones at home I am I a film. As I listen in my car, I am in a film.

THE ARTWORK

A series of overlaid images with a silhouetted San Fran skyline traversing left to right.

Look beneath the city. Is that a glaring sun with mountains and a plain? One thing's for sure the cover art matches the music. It draws you in with its bright blue before sending you lurching in the shadows and darkness. This cover gives me a sense of optimism but also of apocalypse. Does the glare come from a sun or is it the light of a nuclear explosion. The sparse landscape and grey city alluding to despair and emptiness. I prefer to consider it, like I do the music, as hopeful and looking to the future whilst accepting the past.

You can watch the video to the AMAZING 'Reach For The Dead' below:

Crystal Castles - 'Crystal Castles (III)

Guess which number Crystal Castles album this is. Go on, I bet you can't? Well, cunningly woven in to the subtleties of the name is the fact that it's their third studio album, released on Fiction records this week (12th Nov).

THE ARTWORK

 At once inciting a sense of innocence with a sense of danger. A sense of separation/conflict (black vs light) and a sense of monochrome intimacy. Why does the chap have his head buried in the burka wearing form. Are they comforting or, with a gloved hand around the neck, strangling. Are they at rest or struggling and lashing out.

This sense of danger, of conflict and darkness pervade all Crystal Castle's music and this artwork is certainly 'on brand'. No words, no name, just an image that is stark and speaks for itself - the perfect mirror of the band's music.

UPDATE:  It is a photo of a Yemeni child being cradled by his mother after a tear-gas attack.

Crystal Castles (III)

THE MUSIC

This is a band who, as you may have gathered and if you've heard or seen them before, don't delicately patter on the peripheral of your vision or hearing. Alice and Ethan like to make sure you're paying attention and from album opener 'Plague', to closing track 'Child I Will Hurt You' you get a sense of the world you're entering in to upon hitting play.

www.crystalcastles.com

As a duo they're as complementary as Simon & Garfunkel, Paul and John and pie and mash. Ethan's sometimes subdued and pulsing, sometimes distorted and peaking music is the perfect accompaniment to Alice Glass's shrieking soul. At once trapped and racing, her vocals wouldn't be out of place in the dungeons of a medieval torture house but they work with the music to deliver melody as good as any well crafted, perfectly sung pop song. 

Early Crystal Castles was reminiscent of playing space invaders at 4am in a dark room whilst on mood elevating chemicals. (III) retains this energy however twists the dial from goth-pop-witch-tech, to something far deeper, fuller and all surrounding. Playing early CC on full blast may have put you in mind of an epileptic Robot where as close your eyes whilst listening to (III) and you could be standing in a cathedral of the future with epic noise resounding hugely, pulling your senses to the spire of exultation.

Definitely worth a listen and should by rights bring the Canadian two to fame and fortune. Order via their website

Bos Angeles - 'Pretend For You'

Gah how much do I love the music Bos Angeles make. Seeing them on tour with Fear of Men last year further enamoured me with their tremeloy / slash / reverby tones. On paper they could be deemed 'just another buzzband' - one more band described as east coast-fuzzy-pseudo beach boys-surf pop...  etc etc etc. However, fortunately, unless you're a moron we DON'T judge music purely by whats written about it, we judge it by the emotional response our brains feel when those wonderous, carefully considered and expertly played soundwaves hit our inner ear. This emotional response is GOOD when it's Bos Angeles' music hitting your ear.

They're a trio from Boscombe in Bournemouth although sorry boys, the music is so considered, so utterly and recognisabley unique that to my mind the songs must be written in the main by one member of the band. I'm betting the singer. Further inspection their Facebook page confirms that there indeed is a central figure, supported by other band members that seem to have been bought in recently!

THE ARTWORK

The thing about the artwork used for Pretend For You is it looks a little like you typed in the description of their music to Google images and picked the first thing that came up. I actually just did this with the description above and the reults are some amazing bands! The Beach Boys, Surfer blood, Boy & Bear, Beach Fossils all appear, confirming that 'east coast-fuzzy-pseudo beach boys-surf pop' is indeed a great genre.

Three ladies in 50's swimsuits, three different coloured surfboards, all on the beach. Simple and most importantly an accurate representation of the music contained within (or upon clicking in the modern age). This continues the theme of recent songs 'All I Do Is Dream' and 'You're The One That I Want', both awesome.

THE MUSIC

Evoking thoughts of romance and not being yourself in order to win the heart of someone you love, this is a lot more laid back than much of the rest of Bos Angeles current EP and previous singles Beach Slalom and Days of Youth (both ace). It may be more relaxed but it still includes a heartfelt vocal and haunting melody thoughout as well as something which Bos Angeles do best - the catchy chorus. To coin a cliched term, the guitars, vocals and drums are, the varying extents 'drenched in reverb', however not in a 'ooo lets turn the reverb up on Pro Tools so we can sound really current', kind of way. In the same way the Beach Boys used reverb to add a sense of hauntingness to Brian Wilson's melodic yet, in places achingly sorrowful lyrics, so too this works for Bos Angeles.

The rawness of guitars in parts sounds Joy Division-esque with those fairly simple but hugely impactful melodies swinging the song along.

Listen here

Jonquil - 'Point Of Go' (Blessing Force)

When I last saw Jonquil in May 2010, they were on just before Foals at Bristol's Anson Rooms and they were incredible. Loads of energy on stage and, it's all a bit hazy, but i'm sure they have a kind of tropical sound going on. Then I think one of them came out and hit drums during Foals' set. Great night.

Oxford has such a good pedigree for music, from band like Radiohead (technically nearby Abingdon), Ride and Supergrass in the 90's to the slightly less well known but equally impressive Youthmovies, Foals, Young Knives, Stornaway, Trophy Wife and Chad Valley and Pet Moon. The recent surge is thanks in part to the oraganisation/community calling itself 'Blessing Force' (such an awesome name) and it's Blessing Force who put out this album from Jonquil - see an explanation for what BF is on the BBC website Couple these amazing bands with Oxford based festivals OX4 and Truck as well as labels such as Big Scary Monsters and the now 99% defunct Vacuous Pop and you'll see that this is a town with a prolific musical output.

Enough with the geo-musico lesson...

Jonquil - 'Point Of Go'

THE ARTWORK

I only ever select artists to feature here that have put thought in to their artwork. After all, this is meant to be a celebration of the blood sweat and tears behind making that all important cover art...

It's people, in water next to a cliff. Look closer and you'll see that it's a mixture races all carefully represented - one can only guess at the link between the album title and this image.But that's the fun part! Trying to work out what the artist had in mind and what he'd aiming to portray through this artwork. Given that Blessing Force is an art collective as well as a musical one, you expect it to be good.So what does it mean? We're all drowning slowly in this modern, multi-cultural British society? Birds of a feather swim together? It certainly gives a sense of oppression and containment. The contrasting blue of the sea and the pink of the cliffs then gives it a dream like quality. Most of the people seem to be heading towards the shore. This is one of those ones where I hope someone at Blessing Force or Jonquil reads this and tells me what it stands for. I'm intrigued!

**UPDATE**
This artwork was created by the very talented Sebastian Thomas and you can see more of his amazing work and paper collages at http://sebastianthomas.tumblr.com/

THE MUSIC

We're very lucky on this occasion as they kindly have it streaming for free on Soundcloud!

In summary it's vibrant and upbeat and brilliant. It speaks of summer and being alive - far removed from early mentions of music made in the basement of The House Of Supreme Mathematics AKA Foals HQ. soulful yet with enough staccato oomph to make your feet twitch while your heart soars.

For a full review of the music, visit the excellent BBC Reviews page for this album.

Flats - 'Country / Moonwalk' (One Little Indian)

Flats - Country / Moonwalk

First of all I'm definitely not going to mention the fact that Dan Devine of Flats is currently in Pentonville Prison on a drug rehab programme. And the fact that he's the son of Creation Record's founder, Alan McGee. Because it's all about the music and the artwork. OH SHUT UP! Everyone loves a good rock and roll story; how else would Pete Doherty have been able to elongate his post-Libertines career with the shite that Babyshambles produced - it's all about the back story.

THE ARTWORK

It's a viscous, snarling, threatening dog framed in black. Which is pretty much a mirror image of the music. Black and white for added starkness and hinting at an age where the voice of the suppressed clamoured to be heard by the privileged, ruling few - through the medium of guitars and guttural vocals, infused with pain and pride.

THE MUSIC

Wendy Roby manages to capture the essence of Flats in one phrase, which i'll steal quote here, "look at the waveform on that!" Indeed. No peaks and troughs here, just an all-out 4minutes 5seconds of rage (unfortunately I can't show you this as it's not letting me embed at the moment!) Following two EP releases in 2010, Country (backed by Moonwalk) is the London band's third single and continues their punkish outlook. Actually, the word outlook suggests that their is a strategy or contrived side to their music. Music with this much rawness can only be the product of pure, unadulterated heart-to-fingers/throat playing. This band has a chip on their shoulders and they don't just want you to know about it, they want you to take that fucking chip, shove it down your throat (or in your ears) until you get the fucking message that they are really, REALLY pissed off about stuff.

Listen here

All the best to Dan and here's to their postponed tour going ahead in the near future.

Perfume Genius - Put Your Back N 2 It (Matador Records)

by Matt Holliday of Rapids!

Seattle singer songwriter and balladeer, Mike Hadreas, followed up his critically acclaimed début LP - " Learning" two months ago, exploring a wider range of topics, ranging from homophobia to abuse and suicide.  

With praise coming from the likes of Michael Stipe and Bryce Dessner of The National, as well as the music press in all its forms, Mike has created a body of work that is akin to The Cure's masterpiece - Disintegration - in the way that it turns melancholy into gut wrenching beauty, so delicate in its craft that in teeters on the edge of absolute loss, but clings on with the very tips of its fingers.

THE ARTWORK

Mike is a Fine Art student and created the nude toned, self deprecating self portrait that adorned his first album. On the sleeve of Put Your Back N 2 It, Mike has taken an old photograph of a high school gym team, and worked his magic with scrunched up canvas and tissue.

I really like the hand made quality of the sleeve, and the way he manages to cover so much of the records themes in the artwork. By concealing the face of the two central figures he hints at a secret that the rest of the team are not aware of, which could be seen as sinister, in case they were to react with anger and disgust at the feelings between the two men, however there is a tenderness there that I find captures the album perfectly. The rest of the team are out of focus, drawing the attention to the two key figures and almost begging the onlooker to not let slip their secret. The canvas that covers their faces is textured on the CD sleeve format, which I thought was a nice touch!

THE MUSIC

Mike is a homosexual musician. The romance in his songs is between two men. For that reason I am going to go as far as to say that Mike Hadreas is a modern day Harvey Milk for the on-line generation. Youtube recently banned an advert for the first single off the record, 'Hood', as it was too explicit in its content. It features two men hugging. Its 2012. If it is okay for music videos involving the latest chart princess to parade about in bugger all, then Mike is challenging the Jeff Blogs out there to try and look beyond their prejudices and question what it is they are so frightened of. Gay people need someone out there like Mike to look up to, and to reassure them, in a similar way that the Mayor of Castro Street inspired a movement in 1978. 

The songs themselves are fuller than those that featured on Learning, but are still so gentle and beautiful that they challenge the listener to attempt to find the silver lining during the hard and dark times. The most powerful aspect of Put Your Back N 2 It is its honesty. At times you feel wrapped up in its emotions, on tracks like All Waters, the sentiment engulphs you, but on tracks like Sister Song, Mike allows the track to take a deep breathe and let out a sigh, and he does a wonderful job of capturing the feeling of release and tranquillity after a difficult moment. 

Put Your Back N 2 It Tracklist:
01. Awol Marine
02. Normal Song
03. No Tear
04. 17
05. Take Me Home
06. Dirge
07. Dark Parts
08. All Waters
09. Hood
10. Put Your Back N2 It
11. Floating Spit
12. Sister Song

Buy from Matador Records here

*NEW MUSIC VIDEO* For the second single - Dark Parts.