Twisted – Stockholm 7″

3 tunes from a relatively new, revolution summer emo band from Leeds doing it right. This EP clicked with me a lot more than their previous 7″ Daydreams – catchier tunes and guitars are smoother.

buy//try

Joy Orbison – The Shrew Would Have Cushioned The Blow (2010)

Joy Orbison is the brainchild of Croydon based producer Pete O’Grady. I find it hard to pin down O’Grady’s sound, but it floats between deep house, garage and dubstep. With last year’s release of his first official record, the dubstep magnum opus  HYPH MNGO, O’Grady made major waves on the electronic music scene and he looks set to blow up this year with the possible release of a full length album. But in the meantime O’Grady brings us this digital release to keep the seat warm as it were. The Shrew Would Have Cushioned The Blow has a similar flavour to HYPH MNGO, with claustrophobic synths undulating around choppy vocal samples and deep bass, but there is definitely a more garage feel to this compared to the previous release. The same can also be said for the B-side So Derobe, which carries on in a similar vein. However there is no denying O’Grady’s compositional prowess and ability to make music that just sounds right for what it is…if that makes any sense at all – i hope it does when you listen to it.

download//

Fair Ohs 7″

Fair Ohs are three chipper young lads from London. This record shows an almost metamorphic sonic transformation from the snotty punk of previous releases to what i hesitantly would describe as afrobeat pop – jaunty rhythms and keen-edged guitar melodies which ripple away like the pacific ocean. I think it suits them and by the sounds of “Hey Lizzie”, a track taken from the soon to be released split with Spectrals, they are sticking with the tropical vibes.

Try it//Buy it

Blood Orange

Back in Manchester now and revising half-heartedly. My room is just a little green box but i love it dearly. Anyway, on with the music.

Devonté Hynes has built himself a rather handsome reputation in indie pop as part of 3-piece dance punk novelties Test Icicles and later under the moniker Lightspeed Champion as a sincere folk singer songwriter. Now (well since summer…i’m very late on this) he’s back with solo project Blood Orange. Dev builds soulful pop oddities from delicate, breathy vocals and gleaming guitar melodies draped over drum machine loops and tight basslines. With the release of sophomore Lightspeed album Life Is Sweet! Nice To Meet You imminent, we could see an official Blood Orange release later this year. Fingers crossed as it’s lovely stuff.

Here are a few of succulent demo mp3s

//Get on.

Loops Haunt – Impact Omnihammer 7″ (2010)

I’m not going to lie, i don’t know much about Loops Haunt. All i know is that he is from Dundee, his beats warp my mind and i’m going to see him at this in February. This is his first physical release – luckily we only have to wait until next week for another one in the shape of a 12″ EP called Rubber Sun Grenade, but more on that next week. This 7 is glitchy and wonky and it’ll melt yr fucking face.

In the vein of// Hudson Mohawke, Rustie

Try//Buy

Fresh Legs – Julian EP (2009)

Ok so i am done with blissed out dream pop for a while…it’s time for something with a little more get up and go… joie de vivre if you will. Enter Fresh Legs and one of the most apt band names i’ve come across. Julian is a brisk, rambunctious record. It whistles by in 12 minutes of unadulterated titillation, complete with angular guitars and anthemic shout-alongs. If it doesn’t get yr head bobbing and yr heart beat racing i don’t know what will.

In the vein of// Dananananaykroyd, Johnny Foreigner, Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Try//Buy

deep sht – weird you (2009)

Deep sht a.k.a Tom Watson is a beacon of British lo-fi pop. Weird you erupts in a flurry of anodyne scuzz, its 5 songs whirling by with rambunctious vigor. It sweeps you off your feet for 13minutes and then ends as abruptly as it began. A masterclass in effervescent noise pop.

Get on this.

Mala – Discography

And so we come to my first dubstep post. Mala is well known for being one half of influential dubstep duo Digital Mystikz, but he is also a phenomenal producer in his own right. He takes reggae and dub influences and works them seemlessly into his bass-dictated music. Really nice, melodious dubstep – no bullshit.

Here is a healthy selection of releases by him, consolidated into one, easy to manage zip folder. It’s probably not his full discog, but it’s close enough.

Link

Three Trapped Tigers – EP & EP2

I got a request for a Three Trapped Tigers EP, but i couldn’t pick a favourite so here’s both. I first saw this band at the Transgressive records night on the really quite intimate alternative stage at Leeds Festival 2008. I had planned to go to this night anyway as the line up was pretty rad – Hot Club De Paris, So So Modern and TTT – but in a classic drunken festival stupor i had completely forgotten about it. Luckily the gleaming glitter ball of the transgressive logo caught my eye on my way out from watching a sub-standard bloc party set. Tom Rogerson and co. had the sparsely populated crowd transfixed from the minute they started playing. It was really one of those moments where you feel you are witnessing something quite different and – for want of a better word – special. Plus there was a really hot girl next to me.

EP

EP2

VIDEO: Gentle Friendly – Lover’s Rock

If i could find a decent rip of their debut album Ride Slow i would be posting that, but i’m afraid this disconcerting music video for Gentle Friendly’s Lover’s Rock will have to suffice for now. One day i will get some decent equipment for ripping vinyl to my computer but i steadfastly refuse to buy a shitty usb turntable.

You can purchase the LP Ride Slow from UPSET THE RHYTHM RECORDS here.