This week Win a Pair of tickets to Beach Break live- the UK’s Biggest student festival …
Plus new music from Blood Red Shoes, New Young Pony Club, LCD Soundsystem, Johnny Flynn, Run Toto Run, Scary Mansion, Kids On Bridges , Half Man Half Biscuit,
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Blood Red Shoes– Don’t Ask
[vodpod id=Video.3426122&w=425&h=350&fv=]
Out on May 10th on limited 7″ vinyl and download.
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New Young Pony Club-‘We Want To’
“We Want To” will be released at the end of May, here’s the video the band describe as “the best video we’ve ever made”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfX2LwlQr2M]
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LCD Soundsystem– Drunk Girls
[youtube= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdRaf3-OEh4]
“Drunk Girls” is a pulsing & pounding electronic rock stomper that has reawakened the resurgent fan base, who have been eagerly clamouring for any and all new material since 2007’s “Sound Of Silver” opus. It is distinctly the sound of LCD Soundsystem – often imitated, never bettered.
“Drunk Girls” is taken from the album, “This is Happening”, which will be released in the UK on May 17th.
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Johnny Flynn-Free Download
[soundcloud url=”http://soundcloud.com/stayloose/johnny-flynn-kentucky-pill-free-download” params=”show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=188644″ width=”100%” height=”81″ ]
‘Kentucky Pill’ is an exclusive free Mp3 from Johnny Flynn’s forthcoming new album ‘Been Listening’ (out 7th June through Transgressive).
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Run Toto Run –“Hater”
[soundcloud url=”http://soundcloud.com/vonpip/01-hater” params=”show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=d3e70c” width=”100%” height=”81″ ]
Billed as one of XFM’s top 20 artists to watch in 2010, Manchester’s Run Toto Run release their new single ‘Hater’ via download this May. It comes backed by remixes from Midi Midis and the band’s explicit alter-egos Dance Toto Dance and competition winners TallZombi.
‘Hater’ follows on from February’s ‘Catch My Breath’ which was the second release from the band to have XFM’s playlist backing, also collecting plays at Radio 1 and 2 as well as 6 Music, Galaxy and Absolute, making Run Toto Run one of the most exciting leftfield acts to make the pop crossover this year.
Run Toto Run begin a UK tour on May 9th at the Big Issue’s Big Noise event and end up at the Secret Garden Party in July. Having already played with the likes of Ellie Goulding, The Noisettes and Miike Snow, their live set is celebrated as an elegant, tight electro performance, drawing comparisons with Passion Pit and The Knife. Run Toto Run parade what are, at their heart, charming and warm pop songs built around vivid melodies.
Download the Midi Midi remix below.
[soundcloud url=”http://soundcloud.com/vonpip/03-hater-midimidis-vs-run-toto-run” params=”show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=af006c” width=”100%” height=”81″ ]
The UK tour unfolds like this:
9 May- The Big Noise @ Soundcontrol- Manchester
14 May- Future Everything Fest – Manchester
15 May- The Golden Lion- Ripon
18 May – Madame Jojos – London
21 May- Liverpool Sound City- Liverpool
28 May – Port Mahon – Oxford
29 May – Lennon’s – Southampton
11 Jun – Nation of Shopkeepers – Leeds
23 Jul – Secret Garden Party – Cambridge
18 Sep – Southsea Fest – Portsmouth
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Scary Mansion–Make Me Cry
Release Date: 29th March 2010
Label: Talitres Records
Review By Catshoe
Coming from Brooklyn and fronted by Leah Hayes, the vocals on this album are for the most part truly yearning. It’s like sitting in the back room of a cafe in a climbing town somewhere, way after closing, drinking malt and being unexpectedly treated to some prodigious late night talent. Not just Leah’s vocals though, the whole album is redolent with brush snares, piano, banjo and other good things. It’s more than just an acoustic fest, there is plenty of use of reverb, even vocoder at times, layers of lovely noise like varnish and paint on an old door. You might be getting the idea that I’m slightly hooked and you would be entirely correct.
Speaking of reverb leads us back to the songs. Opener No Law belts in with layers of buzz, and is heavily and explosively guitar driven. It’s quite some feat to get Leah’s voice up to the top of the mix but it’s achieved with aplomb. “How can you say there’s no law” she asks as it builds from the chorus to the bridge. Is it an insult these days to say that shoes can be gazed upon as this rocks out to a crackling whining feedback finale? No insult at all in my book, this is just lovely.
It segues straight into second track Over The Weekend, sounding for a moment like a reprise of what went before. That tiny cry of “maybe you just don’t know what it’s like” and even more so “make myself cry every week” – that notion really gets under the skin of how this album feels, percussion and instrumentation grows and fades, leaving emotions in a minor key. The rest of the band – it’s a four piece – consist of Leah’s twin sister Vanessa on backing vocals, Bradley Banks on bass and Benjamin Shapiro on drums.
Yer Grif (sung as ‘your grief’) starts with upbeat drums, bells and banjo – like pretty cajun music with thumping rhythm. It works, especially with Leah’s words coming over like a cry. Fatal Flaw and 1% carry on almost like a single track, a story told in segments but holding together as one late night tale of life, one that you’d like to get to know more of. Scum Inside is anthemic and choral despite it’s worry about about all the, err, scum. Repeated guitar motif leading out into that comforting feedback. On My Mind is a change down in pace and mood, just Leah and piano, joined eventually by a tapped hi-hat. It stays wistful right through till the end. Curiously this track ends with 2 minutes and 18 seconds of silence, or was that just my review copy?
Closing track Look Through Your Eyes has a slightly syncopated feel and this is the one with vocoder. In normal circumstances I’d advise anyone to avoid such a device, but here it works to lovely effect, where Cher made it horrible, Leah makes it charming.
I’m usually a bit reluctant to make comparisons, too easy, too trite, but if you were to think of The XX with some occasional and righteous punch, soaked like a Christmas cake drowned in brandy, that might come somewhere near. I’ve listened to the album half a dozen times and it keeps getting better
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Kids On Bridges – Free download
Recent Wall Of Sound signings Kids On Bridges offer a free download of Y Don’t U (F*ck Right Off)
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WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS TO UKS BIGGEST STUDENT FESTIVAL- BEACH BREAK LIVE-14th-18th JUNE 2010
PEMBREY COUNTRY PARK, SOUTH WALES
To win said pair 0f tickets simply answer the following question, what is the name of Elly Goulding’s debut album.
A. The Unbearable Lightness Of Being
B. The Light At The End Of The Tunnel
C. Lights
D. Strike A Light
Tough eh ! E-mail your answers HERE
Comp ends Monday 3rd May 2010.
Beach Break 2010
14th-18th JUNE 2010
PEMBREY COUNTRY PARK, SOUTH WALES
www.beachbreaklive.com
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Retro Track Of The Week
“Trumpton Riots” By Half Man Half Biscuit
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao19eROwu_c]
Ha!
Anytime is a good time for a bit of Half Man Half Biscuit.