Boring By The Sea

GOODBYE

2010-12-09T09:00:00.003Z

Two and a bit years ago I was fresh out of University and back living at home in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. Looking for work and increasingly lonely I turned to the internet for something contructive to do. I decided, as a young journalist, that I would post all of my published work onto a blog and create an online portfolio. Indeed, if you check the very early posts of this blog you will find a review of CSS's second album (where are they now?).

That plan soon mutuated though as I discovered the world of blogs properly and realised I could create my own world with little more than a broadband connection and a keen pair of ears. Running this blog between September of that year and July 2009, posting anything and everything daily, gave me a purpose and was a welcome distraction from the four walls I was increasingly staring at.

Eventually, I moved to London (not by the sea) and found work (not boring). Things became less frequent and more organisation had to be used in order to continue the running of posts etc but still - it was what I wanted to do. I knew then though that the time to wind things up would come sooner rather than later.

So, it is today that I'm quitting the blog game and getting out while I still enjoy it. Blogs are brilliant and bloggers are brilliant but I no longer have the time to post and cover everything I'd like to, aggregating all of the great videos, MP3's and new band links, nor was I ever really someone who would dig something out of nowhere and shine some much needed light on it. My time is now taken up by running a website full time and writing for magazines, neither of which I could do without the skills I learned as a blogger. I don't want to run a half arsed blog, I don't want people to prefer the early work, I don't want to be the blog Morrissey.

I hope any regular readers enjoyed my ramblings on this platform that became way more than I ever expected it too. To quote James Murphy, take me off your mailing list, and (if you don't already) I urge you to spend time on wonderful blogs such as Fucking Dance, Abeano, Gorilla Vs Bear, Transparent, Pinglewood, Disco Naivete, Sweeping The Nation, Surfing On Steam, Nialler9 and Music Fans Mic.

If you're interested in my work then head to my day job PopDash.com or check out my online portfolio on Tumblr. I'm available on Twitter too if you want to get links of funny looking dogs sent your way.

Goodbye,

David xx

TIPS FOR 2011

2010-12-08T20:00:00.003Z

More cliched blog action today in the shape of the ten acts I'd like to see do well in the coming year. For a bit of context, last year I tipped Everything Everything, Veronica Falls, Frankie & The Heartstrings, Dum Dum Girls and Lost Knives. Two have gone on to release superb albums, two have cemented their position as the most exciting new bands in Britain and look set to release brilliant debut albums in 2011 and one band split up - bastards. So, with the chances are that two of these ten acts won't see out the year, here are my tips for 2011...

James Blake

Having spent 2010 making some of the most ground-breaking, heart-swelling music to emerge in years James Blake now finds himself about to release his vocally led, mellow album. If his cover of Feist's Limit To Your Love' is anything to go by then his February due album will be spellbinding. www.myspace.com/jamesblakeproduction

Trophy Wife

One of the leading lights of Oxford's Blessing Force movement, Trophy Wife line up alongside their peers Chad Valley, Rhosyn and Pet Moon as the new face of esoteric indie. Expect many 'boffin' and Morse references to follow them around 2011. www.myspace.com/atrophywife

Odd Future

As likely to implode as explode, Odd Future stalk the internet like the unruly teens they are. Innovative, exciting, controversial and prone to getting grounded Odd Future's stable of young hip-hop artists are just the disruption that the status-quo of music needs in the coming year. www.oddfuture.tumblr.com/

Tennis

Twee? You bet. Beautiful? Even more so. Having written their debut album whilst sailing up and down the West Coast of America, the married couple that comprise Tennis blend the blazing nostalgia of their lo-fi contemporaries with the pretty elegance of Swedish pop. Tennis @ Last.fm

Jai Paul

A relative recluse, Rainers Lane resident Jai Paul takes the crate digging nature of music obsessives and combines it with the patchwork of cultural influences his label mate M.I.A made sound so vital on her albums Arular and Kala. Just one demo exists online right now but these ears have heard more and urge you to prepare for something very exciting indeed. www.myspace.com/jaipaulmusic

Esben & The Witch

Dramatic, windswept and elegant - Esben & The Witch are a band that need to be seen live to believe in. Expect them to spend the next twelve months making headline acts look sheepish and generally be shaking the foundations of everything in between. www.myspace.com/esbenandthewitch

Still Corners

Spectral beauty from this brand new London band. There is very little to go on right now but the elegance and hazy charm of 'Endless Summer' could see them becoming Britains answer to Beach House or Grizzy Bear. www.myspace.com/stillcorners

Echo Lake

Similar to Still Corners, Echo Lake are dewy eyed even in band terms and will hopefully spend 2011 becoming a more assured and confident band. The lacerated grace of their early demos suggest that they could soon become vital. www.myspace.com/echolakeandthestrangeera

Idiot Glee

Shattered doo-wop from Stateside loner complete with heart-warming qualities. Idiot Glee sounds like one mans quest for a hug, you suspect he might have more than a few offers in the next stage of his career. www.myspace.com/idiotglee

Girl Unit

Wut? Heavy loaded bass act from London. With James Blake ditching his pitch-shifter to become the new Gary Barlow, South London's Girl Unit looks set to step into his spot and craft some of the most insistant and heavy, chrome plated sounds around. www.myspace.com/girl_unit

Obviously ten is never enough so do keep ears, eyes and Save Target As fingers primed for the likes of Anna Calvi, Katy B, Whiz Kalifa, Cults, Jay Electronica, Joker, Yelawolf, J. Cole, Wu Lyf, The Neat, Cults, Korralreven and Factory Floor as well as the debut albums from Yuck, Active Child, Summer Camp, Twin Sister, Frankie and The Hearstrings and Veronica Falls.

TRACKS OF 2011

2010-12-07T13:00:00.000Z

Same as yesterday but shorter, the ten best songs of 2010. All of these plus many, many more can be found on the Spotify playlist. Subscribe and validate my OCD list making tendencies...

Big Boi - Shutterbug
Robyn - Dancing On My Own
Gold Panda - Snow & Taxis
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Round and Round
Caribou - Odessa
James Blake - CMYK
Janelle Monae - Tightrope
MIA - XXXO
Blur - Fool's Day
Kanye West - Monster

SPOTIFY

ALBUMS OF 2010

2010-12-06T16:10:00.000Z

It's that time of year again, I could strip this over a week (or even month) but I'll save your RSS feeds and avoid that. Here are my ten favourite albums of the past twelve months. Obviously there are many, many more albums I've enjoyed though and you can find a full list of the best records of the year on this Spotify playlist. Not everything is on Spotify though (damn you Sub Pop) so here are notable mentions to those not being streamed online: Dum Dum Girls, Avi Buffalo, Mount Kimbie, Male Bonding and No Age. Sorry I'm so white.

Albums of 2010

Kanye West - My Beautiful, Dark, Twisted Fantasy
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
These New Puritans - Hidden
Yeasayer - Odd Blood
Sleigh Bells - Treats
Best Coast - Crazy For You
Los Campesinos! - Romance Is Boring
Wild Nothing - Gemini
Foals - Total Life Forever

Cerebral Ballzy Q+A

2010-12-01T14:58:00.006Z

Last week I headed out on a cold Monday evening to watch Cerebral Ballzy play in Camden, thus missing episode 4 of The Trip. I wouldn't normally pass up the chance to see Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon try impression each other off screen whilst eating expensive food but then not every band name themselves after a physical disability. Suffice to say, CB owned the stage and even got a kid called George on stage with them to party - nothing special there besides the fact he was on crutches. An impressive sight if ever there was one. I caught up with lead singer Honor to learn a bit more about his band.

How are you guys finding Britain?

Honor: Well we found it already. The plane brought us here. Its been wicked rad though. Tonsa fun/ super cold.

Is it easier to skip subway fairs in New York or London?

H: Well it depends: You have to check out on both sides at most stations in London rather than NY's only upon entry. New York has low turnstiles as compared to London's chest high gate thing. New York has twatnugget cops as compared to Londons really nice/ passive bobbies. I've been
caught in both and in London they don't do shit but I've done it a billion times in NY soooooo i'ma give it to NY.

What are the main differences you find between the UK and the US?

H: I feel as if there's this gentile/ humane/ polite/ reasonable reasoning instilled in British culture that America lacks. There is a definite respect and establishment of history in the UK where as the US is full of makeshift pop-up bullshit. America's confrontational and England's really not.

Your live show is pretty full on, what injuries are you all currently
carrying?

H: Abe's got a really bizarre rash (not on his junk), I chipped a tooth the other night, Jasons hand looks like mince meat from play guitar like a fucking nutcase, and Masons hand is swollen after a
fight we had after our release show (he also just got outta jail).

What does a typical day in the life of Cerebral Ballzy entail?

H: Hunger, girls, illegal activities, tonsa giggling, skating if the weathers right, BEER, Slayer at some point in the day.

What's the worst reaction anybody has ever had to your name?

H: Nothing too gnarly. Just alotta "what?" and "really?" customs sucks with it tho.

Your band motto seems to be 'Drink. Skate. Puke.' Would you agree that
is the best order in which to do those things?

H: Depends on the night. If im trying to skate for realz, I'm not gonna trashed beforehand. If I feel like shit from a hangover i might wanna puke beforehand. Sometimes i even puke before drinking.

What are your plans for 2011? ?

H: Finish an album which'll be SUPERRAD. we'll be touring hard (as usual) and be sure to come hang out with us. We just released a single on Moshi Moshi. EXPECT TO SEE US ALOT CAUSE WERE A COMIN.

Cerebral Ballzy's new single 'Insufficient Fare' is out now via Moshi Moshi.

Img: Alex De Mora.

JAMIE XX

2010-11-29T16:10:00.001Z

Music sounds better with a Jamie xx remix.

For The Record: November

2010-11-27T21:22:00.004Z

November is the month that Winter officially bites and all the indie acts hibernate for the year, leaving the big boys to release their stuff. As you might have heard, Kanye West put out his fifth album 'My Beautiful, Dark, Twisted Fantasy'. Suffice to say, it's pretty incredible. With retrospect the over-blown nature of much of the album could well sound ridiculous but I haven't listened to anything else in the two weeks since I was sent the album. Album of the year? It's an instant contender.

November's best releases:

Kanye West - My Beautiful, Dark Twisted Fantasy (Album of the Month)
Robyn - Body Talk Pt. 3
Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday
Chad Valley - Chad Valley EP
Twin Shadow - Forget
Girls - Broken Hearts Club EP
Yelawolf - Trunk Musik 0-60
Rihanna - Loud
Cee-Lo Green - The Ladykiller
Becoming Real - Spectre EP
Mellowhype - Blackenedwhite

SEVEN DAY SLUMP

2010-11-06T16:50:00.005Z

Just a quick one this week, seems to have been a bit quiet one for everyone bar Lil' Wayne anyway.

aaaaaaahhhhhhmmmmm baaaaakkkkkkkkkkless than a minute ago via webLil Wayne #FreeWeezy

liltunechi

Patrick Wolf is back though! Check out his new, optimistic fop-pop on Time Of My Life below:

The very excellent Veronica Falls are offering up their new song 'Right Side Of my Brain' on their official website.
The Drums got remixed by Twin Shadow, remain nice but a bit dull.
Eminem and Nicki Minaj got their alter ego's together to make the offensive head smash that is 'Roman's Revenge'. It's brilliantly brutal.
Warpaint made the cover of NME and also recorded a session for the very great Yours Truly website. This is 'Undertow' from said session.

SMITH WESTERNS

2010-11-03T10:00:00.000Z

To most ears 'Weekend' is still pretty damn lo-fi but having listened to the serrated edges and all encompassing fuzz of Smith Westerns debut album, well this new song sounds positively crystal. The first track to be taken from their Fat Possum debut, 'Weekend' sees Smith Westerns embrace their glam tendencies and adorn them with feather boas and a glittering pair of platforms whilst still retaining a certain slacker charm. Can you be glam and stoned at the same time? If so this is the sound of it.

'Dye It Blonde' will be Smith Western's gift to 2011 and hopefully one of the years first great albums. To have a listen to just what the boys have been spending their label money and studio time on then take a listen below.

RIHANNA

2010-11-01T18:37:00.004Z

So, being light of pocket shall we say means that I have seen a lot of what X Factor has to offer up these past four Saturday nights. I'm far from a hater of the show, it lives in it's own crazy world and it's a fascinating one to peer into. Plus, in the modern age of fractured lives and time-shifting television schedules the very notion of a huge, nation-uniting show blazing a trail is pretty incredible.

The thing about the show however is that it sets its own standard and you forget there is a world outside of it. Thus average performers can 'smash it' and someone like Wagner becomes a fans favourite. It is only when a proper popstar visits the show is the talent gulf made clear. Two years ago it was when Beyonce sang with a then hopeful Alexandra Burke and exuded the 'diva' quality Simon Cowell and co. often talk about but never really see and this weekend it happened again with Rihanna.

Performing her simple but deadly new single 'Only Girl (In The World)' Rihanna asserts herself as the coolest and exciting popstar operating today. This performance, taken from yesterdays Result show, simultaneously shows Rihanna proving why X Factor is such a fun show to watch but also how it is flawed karaoke for amateurs who can only dream of starting a food fight on stage as their fourteenth single crashes into the charts.

SEVEN DAY SLUMP

2010-10-31T10:36:00.006Z

Hello. A bit late again but here goes with another round up of all the new music from the past week you need to get through this hungover Sunday.

First up, the big news. Boring By The Sea is on the long list for Best Blog at the Record Of The Day awards. If you'd like to validate me and vote then the link is here. If not then do consider the far better Transparent, Pinglewood and Abeano. On a side note, I've not been nominated for any of the writing awards which I can only assume means I am getting the Lifetime Achievement award - a bit early some may say but I'll take it.

Lykke Li is BACK. Hear her rather dirty new song 'Get Some' in exchange for an email over at her website.

Diplo has taken a break from making Blackberry adverts to promote this Gallows remix his own gang of young rebels, Rolo Tomassi. Hear that here.

Jessie J could well be huge next year, get a hold of this Jakwob remix and then track down the original because it's a lot better and a whole less 'isn't dubstep cool' if you know what I mean.

Caribou got 'Swim' remixed by a whole load of similarly amazing, technical types. Check it out below...

Girls are releasing an EP as a follow up to their 2009 record 'Album'. It's called 'Broken Dreams Club' which is already a step up from their previously meta titling process.

Esben and The Witch, what a band. Grab their new track 'Warpath' from the bands official site and pencil their album 'Violet Cries' into your best of 2011 list now.

Track of the week for me is Crystal Castles teaming up with Jo Brand, sorry Robert Smith for a remix of their cover of 'Not In Love'. This is just perfect, someone get Ethan producing the next Cure album stat.

Also worth a listen is Girl Unit's new one 'Wut'.

Yuck and La Sera have made new music videos. Both are very nice and viewable here and here respectively.

Trophy Wife, they're from Oxford therefore are a BIG DEAL in late 2010. Nevermind that though, they're great and the acoustic version of their new single 'Microlite' is rather excellent too.

If Katy B isn't having her own X Factor theme week this time next year then something has gone badly wrong, check out her new video below.

Img: Maran Celeste

For The Record: October

2010-10-27T17:27:00.003+01:00

So 2010 feels like it is winding down already. People are planning Christmas parties, end of year polls are being compiled and yet there are two whole months of the year left. October has been a big month for album releases and whilst it lacks the A-List pulling power of November (Kanye, Rihanna) there is more than enough to get your teeth into here.

Album of the month this month has to go to Warpaint for their stunning debut 'The Fool'. If you're a fan of spectacular melodies and brain frying psych meanderings then I can't recommend it highly enough. To stream the album then do click here.

October's highlights.

Warpaint - The Fool (Album of the month)
James Blake - Klavierwerk EP
Tinie Tempah - The Disc-Overy
Magnetic Man - Magnetic Man
Gold Panda - Lucky Shiner
Kisses - Kisses
Spectrals - EP
Sufjan Stevens - Age Of Adz
Antony & The Johnsons - Swanlights
Belle & Sebastian -Write About Love

CEREBRAL BALLZY

2010-10-25T17:00:00.000+01:00

Putting aside their shlock name for one moment Cerebral Ballzy are one of the most confrontational yet fun bands to emerge in some time, seemingly skating the rail between feral anger and drunken partying perfectly. Based in New York the band have only been to the UK once this year but that stay saw their trip extended when they were invited to play Reading and Leeds festivals in addition to their support slot with Canadian punks Fucked Up. The band return to our shores in late November to play with Trash Talk, probably the best live band I've seen all year.

Cerebral Ballzy have one EP to date which, to quote a source inside the bands camp "sounds like it was recorded in a shed". However, up next for the band is 'Insufficient Fare', a single release via Moshi Moshi. With Boris Johnson raising the minimum spend on the tube yet again this song is about as topical as it gets though I strongly suspect this was not what was not in Cerebral Ballzy's heads when they wrote the track.

To listen to the Black Flag/ Bad Brains style ramshackle carnage of 'Insufficient Fare' have a look below.

SEVEN DAY SLUMP

2010-10-22T18:06:00.002+01:00

Hello and welcome to the new music round up column that will assemble a forty man mob outside your home if you don't like what I've got to say.

Biggest and saddest news of the week is that Ari Up of The Slits has passed away. R.I.P. a true punk icon. (Guardian)

Elsewhere, Laura Marling is apparently the coolest person in the world according to NME. She replied by deciding not to release her planned new album. She's cool like that.

In the world of hyped up Northern bands, D/R/U/G/S hits us with two killer remixes. One for Twin Sister and another for their brothers in arms, Egyptian Hip-Hop.

Pinglewood, one of my favourite blogs, posted this excellent Ariel Pink tribute podcast including covers of the man's songs from blog favourites Echo Lake and Visions Of Trees. Check it out here.

Willow Smith made everyone look very old with her 'Whip My Hair' video/ meme factory.

In the world of embeddable music you can hear right now, Liars have got a remix from Thom Yorke which you can file under 'this will impress bearded critics'

Cocknbullkid is edging ever closer to actually releasing some bloody music with this fine remix/ covers package including Kele and Marina re-works:

Becoming Real gave us a taste of his upcoming EP with this free download called 'South London Congo'.

And finally, one of my favourite songs of the year finally has a video to accompany it. Take a look at Best Coast and her 'Boyfriend'. Have a great weekend.

Img: Dasha Riabchenko

BLESSING FORCE

2010-10-20T10:00:00.002+01:00

Now, I don't like to brag but I first wrote about Trophy Wife waaay before the blogs blew up over his new single 'Microlite' last month. Anyone would think I just followed Foals on Twitter and wrote about their recommendations but I like to think of myself as more like an indie Inspector Morse, snooping out the finest Oxford has to offer.

I also wrote about Pet Moon too and whilst I'm loathe to make this post about some sort of Oxford scene (I'm sure that's been cooked up in a magazine office as we speak) it certainly seems that there are a lot of bands emerging from the sleepy, academic city.

Loosely grouped under the collective name of Blessing Force, these bands are based in Oxford and often writing and recording in the basement/ studio where Foals wrote this years 'Total Life Forever'.

Many of these Blessing Force associated bands, including Chad Valley come from the fall out from mid-noughties bands like Youthmovies and Jonquil. Hugo Manuel is a member of the latter and is also the man behind the samplers and is crafting a very English take on the sepia tinted sounds of Toro Y Moi and Washed Out. Have a listen to his track 'Portugese Solid Summer' below:

Then there is Fixers who combine the floaty, ephemeral qualities of Animal Collective with a broad and epic scope that could see them break out and become a properly big deal. Or sell four albums and play a few Barfly shows, whatever. They're great.

Also tied up in this big collective, creative free for all are Solid Gold Dragons, Neon Pulse and Rhosyn who are all well worth checking out.

Finally, this is the new Trophy Wife track mentioned earlier. Released via Moshi Moshi in November the track got its official video this week which looks like this:

Img: Maran Celeste

SEAMS

2010-10-18T11:55:00.000+01:00

Alongside the likes of Gold Panda, SBTRKT, Dam Mantle and Becoming Real, Seams has contributed to some of this years most interesting and intelligent new music. After cutting his teeth on the 'Juvenile Rush' EP and Nightcycles single, James Welch has at last hit his stride on 'Hung Markets', his new track which is free to download now. Taken from a forthcoming EP titled 'Tourist' Seams looks up to the stars and weaves the constellations together, making seemingly disparate sounds work together as one living, breathing organism.

Made in Berlin whilst James worked as an intern for Soundcloud (Explaining his very smart website) 'Hung Markets' will seep into your conscious and make residence for a long time to come. A mouth wateringly exciting preview of what is to come...

WARPAINT

2010-10-18T11:49:00.002+01:00

SEVEN DAY SLUMP

2010-10-15T19:16:00.004+01:00

Hello, welcome to another dose of new stuff rounded up in a weekly fashion. Am writing this in a bit of a rush as I'm heading off to see HEALTH and Crystal Castles shortly, I have a really bad headache so those two should relax me and make things normal again, right?

So, first up is some news...

Rivers Cuomo has teamed up with Best Coast to work together. Hopefully it will result in some good music and not just a load of stoned jokes about cats and internet memes involving the cast of Jackass 3D. (Pitchfork)

Nicki Minaj has revealed her album artwork, it shows her with no arms. I've always thought she was 'armless enough etc etc.

Robyn has given us a listen to her brand new single 'Indestructable':

Whilst Mount Kimbie are giving a live version of their track Ruby for free, grab it below:
Elsewhere, Kanye West did a 'reverse Skream' by making La Roux's 'In For The Kill' sound a bit shit with his remix whilst Joe Goddard remixed Kisses self titled track from their wonderful new album which is out this week. Be sure to check them out as I believe they're in the country at the moment. That track is available at Stereogum.

Finally, some videos. Warpaint did nothing to stop people assosciating them with Hollywood by getting band sister and actress Shannyn Sossamon to direct their clip for 'Undertow' whilst Holy Fuck joined Klaxons, Wavves and Best Coast by combining indie with cats to great effect on their video for 'Red Lights'.

Video, track, moment and everything about this week has revolved around James Blake. I've prattled on about him enough on here so will just leave you with the spinning fruit in the official video to his Feist cover 'Limit To Your Love'.

Img: Jared Boger

MUSEUM OF BELLAS ARTES

2010-10-13T16:20:00.000+01:00

There are very few constants in the world of music, even Oasis aren't around to claim their new album is "the best yet" anymore. Swedish pop being a giddy mix of sunshine and happiness however is so reliable you could put your house on it. Museum Of Bellas Artes take the chirpy, care-free spirit of their home country and filter it through a bouncy dance filter, eschewing the twee temptations of many of their contemporaries. Released in the UK through Transparent, the bands new single 'Watch The Glow' comes complete with a video directed by Jamie Harley (see below). I got to know Jamie a little recently whilst interviewing him for an upcoming magazine piece. For those who don't know, Jamie is a new music video creator who has made visuals for the likes of Twin Shadow, How To Dress Well and Memory Tapes. His cut n' paste visions alongside MOBA's music is a perfect mix...

JAMIE WOON

2010-10-11T17:02:00.000+01:00

The last thing the world needs right now is a discussion about the future of dubstep and the genre's various forays into mainstream culture. One thing that is interesting however is the way in which soulful vocalists are increasingly being drawn towards the genre and finding their rich voices complimented by what can be a very technical style of electronic music. One of my favourite songs at the moment is 'Night Air' by Jamie Woon, a slick and impassioned plea of a track which sees Jamie almost crying out for help. The original song is great but the remix, courtesy of London's Ramadanman is something else. Somehow turning a series of clicks and pulses into a fully fleshed out emotion capable of standing against Jamie's excellent vocal it sees the perfect marriage between man and machine. Next year looks set to be big for Jamie too, despite first cropping up in 2007 the next twelve months will see the release of his solo album which comes with production from scene overlord and influential Yoda like figure, Burial.

SEVEN DAY SLUMP

2010-10-10T15:13:00.003+01:00

'Sup bitches, so looks like I failed to keep up with the new blog format after just one week. Too bad, so sad. Here is the best of what I've seen in the past week. Enjoy...

Warmest Chord, the clever new London label are releasing their second record with the very excellent Slow Talk. Coming complete with a limited edition screen print courtesy of Micah Lidberg this is an essential purchase, if only for the fact that 'Fashion Statement' contains the dinner party hating line, "I don't want to get to thirty because that's when I'll die. " which is pretty ace.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://warmestchord.bandcamp.com/album/treehouse-politics"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Treehouse Politics by Warmest Chord&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Second up, Willow Smith a.k.a Rihanna meets Avatar has had her track remixed by a fan to include a verse from Nicki Minaj. This is not official but is pretty much the most zeitgeist thing in the world right now.

Kickball Katie of the very excellent Vivian Girls has gone solo (for a bit, new VG album due in 2011) and is calling herself La Sera. This is her very, very lovely new single 'Never Come Around'
Jarvis Cocker is doing Disco like it's 2000 with this new Discodeine collab.
Zola Jesus has ANOTHER new EP coming out, this one is called 'Valusia' and is a US only release. Here is a track from it called 'Poor Animal'

These New Puritans have teamed up with Main Attraktions, giving them '3000' to rhyme over. It's great.

Finally, this video pretty much goes to show why I'm more excited by Katy B than anyone else in the world right now. Her solo album can't come soon enough...

Img: Charles Negre

IDIOT GLEE

2010-10-06T14:50:00.000+01:00

When I first heard James Friley, aka Idiot Glee I thought "Another Grizzly Bear rip-off" and ignored the double A-Side single I was sent. It wasn't until a chance encounter with Glee's cover of the classic 'Ain't No Sunshine' that I realised my error and subsequently dived head first into his back catalogue. With a sound indebted to doo-wop and desolate heatrbreak, Friley bends his wonky vocals around a songbook of modern classics which ramble around at a pace slower than a stroll. The magic lies in their confidence as a one man barbershop quartet melts away your stress. Having releases the 'All Packed Up' single on Moshi Moshi, Idiot Glee will be back in the UK in November. Most exciting of his dates looks like the Nov 23rd show at White Heat with Cloud Nothings though he has many other London (only, sorry) shows booked which you can check out on Myspace.

Here is the aforementioned double a-side to stream and then below, grab the essential Bill Withers cover via the increasingly great The Line Of Best Fit.

MP3: Idiot Glee - Ain't No Sunshine

JAMES BLAKE

2010-10-04T14:51:00.002+01:00

Later on this month James Blake will release his latest EP 'Klavierwerke', though it is available to stream on Spotify now. Seemingly not content with being one of the most forward thinking, boundary pushing producers in music today however - James also boasts one of the most soulful and fractured voices too. Combining the two is where his sweet spot lies such as on the track 'Measurements' from earlier in the year and again on 'Limit To Your Love' - the Feist cover which burrowed overground last week. Where Blake sees his future lying is anyone's guess (he is notoriously difficult to track down for press) but you can't help feel that an album of this sparse, stripped down vocal tranquility mixed with the warped, futuristic bass music he's so well known for could be a magnificent treat in a Burial meets The xx kind of way. Listen to Blake's take on 'Limit To Your Love', everything about it is perfect.

For The Record: September

2010-10-02T13:00:00.001+01:00

September has been a weird month in that a lot of very credible and interesting albums have been released but not one has shone brighter than anything else. So basically what we have here is a list of albums set to feature in the end of year lists but none that will get anywhere near the top spot. The best thing I've heard this month though has to be Summer Camp's debut EP 'Young'. Showing that there is more to the boy/ girl duo than the previous tales of anonymity and Swedish holiday pursuits - Young takes nostalgia as a launch pad and crafts a host of pop gems around it. Just as soon as you get one nagging chorus removed from your brain another will come along and replace it, resistance is futile.

September's Recommended Releases:

Summer Camp - Young (Album of the Month)
Twin Sister - Vampires With Dreaming Kids / Color Your Life
Robyn - Body Talk Pt. 2
Interpol - Interpol
Les Savy Fav -Root For Ruin
Weezer - Hurley
Grinderman 2
Abe Vigoda - Crush
Glasser - Ring
No Age - Everything Inbetween
Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest

Also worth a listen: How To Dress Well, Edwyn Collins, El Guincho, Chromeo, Of Montreal, Teengirl Fantasy, Salem, Egyptian Hip-Hop, Mark Ronson, Lil' Wayne, Magic Kids.

Seven Day Slump

2010-10-01T16:20:00.004+01:00

So here we go with the first of a new weekly feature set to run every Friday (Until I forget/ can't be bothered). Hopefully the list below contains something you like, something you hate and something you're not quite sure about yet. To me, it's just the best and most interesting things I've seen online in the past seven days.

Friendly Fires and Azari III teamed up to record some music, are giving away 'Stay Here' for free.

John Legend and The Roots did a cover of Arcade Fire's 'Wake Up'

Jamie xx revealed his first solo single, Far Nearer

In the world of remixes, Four Tet reworked The xx whilst Diplo got his hands on Deerhunter's 'Helicopter'
Justin Timberlake showed his rap chops with this run down of Hip-Hop history with US chat show host Jimmy Fallon.
Yuck debuted their epic new single 'Rubber'. Stream it below:

New York's finest lined up to cameo in the new Duck Sauce video for irritating/ catchy/ dumb Barbra Streisand.

Img: Tyler Smith

THE HEARTBREAKS

2010-09-29T18:00:00.000+01:00

The Heartbreaks are a very old fashioned band in more ways than one. For a start they're an unashamedly open indie band. They don't hide by diluting their sound with another genre, their sound is made up of jangly guitars and anthemic choruses last heard circa 2006. Hailing from Manchester, the four piece will receive numerous Smiths comparisons but their sound owes far more to the polar geographical points of Glasgow (Orange Juice) and London (Elvis Costello). They've claimed in interviews to be too young to have properly lived in the eye of both The Libertine's and even Arctic Monkey's stratospheric rise to the top of the indie disco scene but in lead singer Matthew Whitehouse they have a sweet and slender icon in the making.

His deep baritone soars above his band mates aged but classic rhythms in a way that is likely to cause as many girls wanting to mother him as it will have frothy pints spilling from their gig friendly plastic cups. And there in lies the catch with The Heartbreaks. Where they could be another Frankie & The Heartstrings full of literate references and iconography however, you can't help feel that The Heartbreaks may follow their hometown predecessors and become The Courteeners smarter cousin or, God forbid Glasvegas mk. 2.

Far be it for me to predict the future, The Heartbreaks have already released two singles one of which was through Fierce Panda's new imprint so their credibility is strong for the time being. If the same can be said as they hype rolls in, the label offers hit their doorsteps and a series of dates supporting Carl Barat (oh dear) subside then we will see.

Still, any band who sing about small town escape and the drudgery of it all with an air of passion, romance and intelligence will always do for me.

Check out The Hearbreaks latest single now and be sure to pay them a visit on Myspace.

ECHO LAKE

2010-09-27T18:00:00.000+01:00

There will come a point at which the hazy, dream like aesthetic that is en vogue in 2010 is going to tilt over from laid back to horizontal. Hoping to give the smudged edges a sharper sense of clarity are Echo Lake, a band who mask their spikes amidst clouds of fug and icy detachment.

Using distortion as a glacial spear, Echo Lake to a cold punk squall and blend it with heart-swelling pop sentiment coming out with a mongrel sound equal parts beauty and brutality. Unike so many bands, what Echo Lake use to bury their charms is just as interesting as what lurks beneath. Take a listen to 'Young Sience' to hear the the pastel shades in amongst the hissing sting.

Having formed at University, the London based five piece are currently unsigned but have a host of Capital gigs lined up including dates with the likes of Still Corners and Abe Vigoda, you can find a full list of dates and more press cuttings over at their Myspace.

The Dawn Of A (slightly) New Era

2010-09-27T17:30:00.002+01:00

So, as mentioned a few weeks ago this whole blog thing is a bit tricky for me at the moment given that I am no longer unemployed (yay) or gifted with lots of free time (boo). So I'm revamping the format of Boring By The Sea a little bit so I can still post regularly but in more depth than the last few weeks. Basically I want this to be a place to find something new and hopefully come away with a clearer idea or a fresh perspective on a band and avoid the bottomless echo of buzz band's and virals that blogs can easily become as everyone re-hosts the same video, MP3 or stream.

So, from today there will be three posts a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The first two will be profiles, they could be new bands or just acts who are about to release albums/ EP's/ singles that I want to shine a light on. The last post of the week will be a round-up of the week in music packed full of links and tracks.

The first band to kick this 2.0 version off is London's Echo Lake who I hope you all enjoy...

David x

P.S. If you're interested in my new job then please visit www.popdash.com to catch a glimpse of me selling out and should you care for my writing then pay some attention to my journalism portfolio over on Tumblr

Clare Maguire - Ain't Nobody (Memory Tapes Remix)

2010-09-17T17:45:00.001+01:00

One of the 'Voices of 2011' (Bluuurgh) gets a bouncy makeover from Memory Tapes who is most likely sitting pretty in a Hollywood mansion, sippin' on Cristal and browsing yacht catalogues off the back of all his remix commisions this year. The man is prolific though and this is another intergalactic anthem to add to the mixtape. Grab it now via Neon Gold.

MP3: Clare Maguire - Ain't Nobody (Memory Tapes Remix)

Korallreven - Honey Mine

2010-09-16T21:32:00.004+01:00

Last time I spoke to Korralreven they were watching the World Cup obsessively and evading the police. In the intermittent time they've hooked up with Taken By Trees lady Victoria Bergsman and created this slive of heavenly house-pop called 'Honey Mine'. Check it out now.

Twin Shadow - Castles In The Snow

2010-09-15T18:49:00.002+01:00

Freshly signed to 4AD and produced by Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor, the time is now for Twin Shadow and his excellent moustache. Directed by Jamie Harley.

Warpaint - Undertow

2010-09-14T18:00:00.001+01:00

Brand new, free to download track from the hypnotic LA ensemble Warpaint. Full review to come as and when The Fly is published next month but suffice to say, this is one of the best albums of the year and 'Undertow' is a jewel in its crown.

Download now at Stereogum.

Lykke Li Returns

2010-09-13T12:55:00.002+01:00

First UK shows since 2008 in London, November 4th.

Wild Beasts - Two Dancers (OneOhTronixPN Remix)

2010-09-10T17:23:00.000+01:00

Whether they deserved the Mercury or not, Wild Beasts 'Two Dancers' remains a stunningly rich and rewarding album of eccentric, lusty British pop. Later in the year the band will release a 12" of remixes including this ONO Point Never remix of the albums title track. Bringing some tech into the archaic lyrical wordplay this is just one of four excellent remixes available to stream now.

SBTRKT - Step In Shadows

2010-09-09T17:21:00.003+01:00

Brand new single from the Young Turks signed SBTRKT. Nice.

Gold Panda - Lucky Shiner

2010-09-08T20:05:00.001+01:00

Stream it now, buy it after right? Good good.

Belle and Sebastian - Write About Love

2010-09-07T21:22:00.004+01:00

Brand new Belle and Sebastian single featuring An Education actress Carey Mulligan. Get a copy for free in exchange for your email adresss below.

Metronomy 2010 Trailer

2010-09-06T17:11:00.001+01:00

First glimpse of new material/ stuff from Metronomy since 2008's cruelly overlooked jerk-pop classic 'Nights Out'.

Internet Radio: A best of...

2010-09-03T13:30:00.000+01:00

So this blog has been a bit quiet of late. There are two main reason for this I suppose. 1. I'm really busy working at the moment so the blogging has taken a back seat 2. I've started a new Tumblr to put my journalism portfolio on thus losing about half of the stuff I used to post on here. The Tumblr URL (since you asked) is: http://davidrenshaw.tumblr.com/

Anyway, I try to post a bit more and there has still been stuff from No Age, Warpaint, Kanye and Zola Jesus this week so let's not moan too much. I just don't have the time to go too in depth about things right now.

Some people that do however are a crop of people making amazing internet radio shows. I'm not sure where a podcast ends and these broadcasts begin but suffice to say there are a horde of these shows cropping up and each one contains loads of great chat and even more brilliant music. I've rounded up a handful of the best for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!

1. Bloggerheads (Abeano)

2. The Digest (Neu Magazine)

3. John Hilcock's New Noise

4. Pingcast (Pinglewood)

5. The Line Of Best Fit Podcast (TLOBF)

If you can't find a new favourite band out of that little lot then good luck to you.

Img:Nathalie Weisswasser

Warpaint - Undertow (Live)

2010-09-03T11:30:00.000+01:00

VIDEO: Zola Jesus - Sea Talk

2010-09-02T20:08:00.001+01:00

As described by director Jacqueline Castel: "Inspired by the acts of sleepwalkers, caught in their own separate, solitary dream reality, locked into cycles of actions every night." Link

NO AGE

2010-09-01T19:52:00.002+01:00

As if it needs saying but, this album is brilliant.

Kanye West + Co. - Monster

2010-08-31T17:55:00.003+01:00

Sorry this is a tad late - only just torn myself away from Nicki's verse to post properly.

For The Record: August

2010-08-27T21:18:00.004+01:00

Wow, what a month. Starting with a sweat-inducing Best Coast gig and ending with an even hotter Libertines reunion August has been one of the biggest of the year to date with brilliant albums released every single week. Far ahead from the crowd for me though is 'Treats' by Sleigh Bells. Aggressive, bold, anarachic and ultimately a whole load of fun Treats is an instant classic and one to add to Fever To Tell in the pile marked 'Party Starters'.

August's best albums:

Sleigh Bells - Treats (Album of the Month)
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Klaxons - Surfing The Void
Skream - Outside The Box
Zola Jesus - Stridulum II
Best Coast - Crazy For You
Everything Everything - Man Alive
Count and Sinden - Mega Mega Mega
Wavves - King Of The Beach
Yu(c)k - Weakend (EP)
Los Campesinos - All's Well That Ends (EP)
Sky Larkin - Kaleide

Also reccomended: Maximum Balloon, Magic Kids, Rose-Ellinor Dougall, !!!, Midnight Juggernaughts, Tame Impala.

Alex Winston

2010-08-27T21:09:00.004+01:00

A pet hate of mine is bloggers telling you to listen to something because A&R men are loving it at the moment or that 'big things' are expected of a certain band or artist. So take this with a pinch of salt because 2011's Tips seem to be taking shape already and Alex Winston seems destined to be another Ellie/ Marina/ Little Boots style thing. What all these girls have had in common in the past is that compromise has ultimately stunted them with a need for commercial clout getting in the way of creating something unique. Alex has that je ne sais quoi at the moment, fingers crossed she holds on to it and veers as far away from processed electro pop as possible. Listen to her cover the much underrated tropical-pop of Jack Penate and completely make it her own complete with shivering vocals and just the right dose of quirk.

Matthew Dear - Put A Smell On Me

2010-08-26T21:01:00.000+01:00

To put it simply - this is the sound of very bad things happening very late at night. Complete dirt and the perfect underbelly to the jump-pop remix MD gave The xx earlier this year.

Colleen Green

2010-08-25T17:28:00.001+01:00

I'm the worst in the world and listening to/ understanding song lyrics but I get the feeling this song is absolute filth and for that reason (plus a load other, it sounds like Best Coast but way sleazier etc etc) you should hold Colleen close and never let her go. As a comment on the picture above stated: This is what heaven looks like.

Cee-Lo Green - Fuck You

2010-08-24T21:29:00.000+01:00

Dropping out of nowhere to claim that Smash of the Summer title, Cee-Lo Green builds anticipation for his forthcoming solo album to boiling point with this classic funk-driven gem. Taking on the character of a poor loser (it's been a long time since he couldn't afford a Ferrari) Cee-Lo brings the charm in abundance to a song that's sure to be one of the years best.

Real Estate - Out Of Tune

2010-08-23T20:00:00.000+01:00

I kind of missed out on Real Estate the first time around and this brand new song makes me wish I hadn't been so foolish. Shimmering in he sun-kissed river bed ripples it inhabits, 'Out Of Tune' is a beautifully sedate ode to kicking back and just existing making the desire to escape the rain sodden streets and long routine hours that much more desirable.

Still Corners - Don't Fall In Love

2010-08-20T15:37:00.003+01:00

More of a challenge than a song title really.

Img: Alannah Ahsworth

Esben and The Witch - Marching Song

2010-08-19T10:26:00.002+01:00

Congratulations today for Esben and The Witch who have signed to Matador and announced plans to release a brand new EP in November. Here is a new video for the old track 'Marching song which sees the pretty Brighton three piece get well and truly battered.

Dominant Legs - About My Girls

2010-08-18T19:55:00.003+01:00

First emerging last year, Dominant Legs are returning with a solid here - releasing their very first EP 'Young at Love and Life'. 'About My Girls' is typical of the EP, jangle heavy and shimmering in the late Summer sun the track showcases the magic between these two San Francisco natives. Reportedly written when guitarist Ryan Lynch was laid off his job it certainly beats what I did when unemployed (sleeping in and crying mainly). Dominant Legs support Mystery Jets in New York and Los Angeles in September with the EP available via Lefse Records now.

MP3: Dominant Legs - About My Girls

Veronica Falls - Staying Here

2010-08-17T21:22:00.002+01:00

Captured Tracks, the label that brought you Wild Nothing (who today announced another new EP: incredible) and many, many more are set to give 'Beachy Head' by Veronica Falls a Stateside release. One of the singles of the year by a mile over this side of the pond, the Americans won't know what's hit them when those sounds cross the Atlantic. They'll probably even put their guns down for a minute to dance. 'Staying Here' is set to be the B-Side to that single and is a dainty and melodic peach of a song as pretty as it is tender. Check it out over at the bands Myspace now...

Img: Robin Silas

Kisses - People Can Do The Most Amazing Things

2010-08-16T19:46:00.002+01:00

Grammatically incorrect disco-pop FTW.

Interview with Kele

2010-08-14T14:54:00.002+01:00

My interview with Kele on DrownedinSound, kindly described as 'bland' in the comments section. WAY TO BOOST MY CONFIDENCE GUYS!!1! LINK.

Egyptian Hip-Hop - Moon Crooner

2010-08-13T12:49:00.003+01:00

Taken from the forthcoming 'Some Reptiles Grow Wings' EP. Until Late Of The Pier return, spend some time with their scruffy Northern cousins...

MP3: Egyptian Hip-Hop - Moon Crooner

Gold Panda - Snow and Taxis

2010-08-12T16:57:00.004+01:00

From the enigmatic producers debut album 'Lucky Shiner' due in October of this year. Now his music doesn't sound like an explosion in an Indian restaurant I don't just like it, I love it.

Still Corners - Wish

2010-08-12T16:54:00.002+01:00

If you have any sense then do go see this band tonight at London's Old Blue Last. On stage at 10.45 I hear...

Summer Camp - Jake Ryan

2010-08-11T11:00:00.001+01:00

September is packed full of big new releases (Deerhunter, Interpol, Les Savy Fav) but one of the most exciting is the first EP from Summer Camp. Following on from the success of the single 'Ghost Train' comes 'Young' a more-upbeat, danceable set of tracks from the London based duo. Last week you saw an acoustic version of 'Was It Worth It?' from the back of a cab and here is another track from the EP. 'Jake Ryan' is typical of 'Young' being that it's drenched in nostalgia but with a keen eye on future romance.

*Note to self: Don't plan a blog three days in advance of posting. The internet will make you look stupid. Here is what I should have posted - Summer Camp's brand new video.

Grinderman - Heathen Child

2010-08-10T11:00:00.000+01:00

The welcome return of Nick Cave's side-project and the first time I've ever had to put a big, fat NSFW on this blog. Oh well...

Miss Banks - Slow Hands

2010-08-09T17:22:00.003+01:00

Normally, Miss Banks (aka Azealia) is an uzi-tongued girl a la Nicki/ Dominique et al. This however is a smooth and sleek cover of Interpol's hit single from 2008. Taking the cold aesthetic of the NYC band and giving it a seductive makeover Banks (no relation to Paul obvs) totally reinvents the track and hints at a very exciting future indeed. Find her Myspace here and wait patiently for the debut album due later this year on the ever amazing XL.

Perfume Genius - Your Drum

2010-08-09T17:12:00.002+01:00

Brand new from Perfume Genius. As has become custom this is desolate, end of days stuff from Mike Hadreas. Keep your eyes peeled for my interview with him coming some time this week.

Lonely Galaxy - Nutts

2010-08-06T13:34:00.003+01:00

What better way to enter the weekend than with the latest statement of intent from the lone-star Lonely Galaxy. Taking the template for his stark but beautiful EP1 and injecting it with optimism and a sense of the carefree 'Nutts' is Lonely's most uplifting and stand out moment to date.

Sleigh Bells - Treats (review)

2010-08-06T13:27:00.002+01:00

One of the albums of the year? I think so. Check out my full 9/10 review on DrownedinSound now.

Trophy Wife - Take This Night

2010-08-05T17:02:00.003+01:00

Following on from the stunning Pet Moon comes more twisted pop from Oxford. Trophy Wife craft pretty models of escape and drench them in a lost sense of romance and lush strings. Take This Night is them at their most direct, combining classic craft with modern technology to create something both new and timeless. Similar in a way to Mount Kimbie these downcast tales seem to broadcast optimism from their dark corners of woe. Catch the band on tour with Foals later in the year and be sure to check out their Myspace now...

Vivian Girls - Two New Songs

2010-08-05T16:54:00.001+01:00

Last week in my review of the Vivian Girls bandstand busking gig in London I mentioned how great the new bands new tracks are sounding. Now, via the medium of creeps filming girls at gigs, we can get a sneak peek of said songs. Below are the short and sweet 'Dance If You Wanna' as well as the super long 'Other Girl' live from Madrid and London respectively...

Lil Wayne Ft. Drake - Right Above It

2010-08-04T21:55:00.003+01:00

Great song and good to have everyone's favourite inmate back but really this is just a thinly veiled reason to post that amazing picture.

Clare Maguire - Strangest Thing

2010-08-03T17:52:00.004+01:00

'I'm Clare Maguire, Let's Begin' reads the promotional banner adorned over much of this young singers online activity and it's a sentiment that has been rattling around for a while. Closely linked to London based producer Primary One and spoken of in hushed corners for a time now, the wheels are finally rolling on Clare's career and 'Strangest Thing' seems like the perfect place to start. Uniquely confident for a first single this feels more rounded and complete than many singers do three albums into their career. With pipes as powerful as a certain Machine combined with a sense of restraint, Maguire's power remains raw in it's newness but polished in every other sense of the word. Grab a quick listen to the gleaming clout of 'Strangest Thing' now...

Summer Camp Black Cab Session

2010-08-03T15:30:00.003+01:00

Nice Ray-Bans guys.

Hot Horizons - 6AM

2010-08-02T19:20:00.004+01:00

Some low-key, fragile musings from Notts based brothers Hot Horizons here. Subdued but not quite beaten '6am' has the feeling not of an early morning through staying up all night but more from waking up before the crows and assesing life from amidst the gloomy first hours. The band played the Underage festival this past weekend and will be supporting Active Child in their native city at the end of the month. Find out more info on their charmingly sparse Myspace.

For The Record: July

2010-08-01T08:43:00.004+01:00

Whilst everybody was out and about playing festivals, getting sunburned and generally enjoying the Summer they appear to have forgotten to release any decent albums. Still, we did manage to get a stellar third album from a band fast emerging as one of Britain's finest, the UK release of one of pops most engaging new stars and the solo debut from Outkast's Big Boi - one that sees him emerge from Andre 3000's shadow and possibly even usurp him as the true star of that duo.

Mystery Jets - Serotonin (Album of the month)
Health - Disco (2)
Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot... The Son Of Chico Dusty
Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid
M.I.A - Maya
Mount Kimbie - Crooks and Lovers

Klaxons @ Village Underground 27/07/2010

2010-07-30T17:07:00.003+01:00

Great gig. Read my review over on DrownedinSound now.

The Fly - August 2010

2010-07-30T17:03:00.002+01:00

The new issue of the free magazine is out in shops now. In amongst great features on Wavves, Best Coast and Zola Jesus are my reviews of Midnight Juggernauts, Savoir Adore, Minus The Bear and the latest Avi Buffalo single. To read the magazine online click here.

MAGENTIC MAN

2010-07-29T21:55:00.001+01:00

I'm somewhere between having nothing and far too much to post so in the mean time just let me say that I really, really hope Magnetic Man crash the top five this weekend. 'I Need Air' is bottled euphoria and the start of something very exciting indeed.

Les Savy Fav - Let's Get Out Of Here

2010-07-29T21:30:00.001+01:00

Brand new Les Savy Fav taken from their forthcoming new album 'Root For Ruin'. You can grab this track for the price of an email address. The album might have leaked but don't be a dick, have some patience and wait for the September release.

Pet Moon - Superposition

2010-07-27T17:19:00.003+01:00

Coming out of an Oxford basement is the first rumbles of post Youthmovies material from Andrew Mears. Still in pretty rough, demo form the tracks on Pet Moon's Myspace sound typically adventurous and boundary bordering but with a new found pop lilt. Foals main man Yannis has described his long time friend Mears new music as being "Like really pop Phil Collins r’n’b but through his brain which makes everything warped" and invited Pet Moon out on tour with his band in October. Listen to Superposition below and get a glimpse of the twisted pop skills coming your way.

Wavves - King Of The Beach

2010-07-27T17:07:00.003+01:00

My 8/10 evaluation of the quite excellent new Wavves album. Even the hard to please commenters seem to agree with me...

Disclosure - Offline Dexterity

2010-07-26T21:57:00.003+01:00

In the week that Magnetic Man look set to take dubstep to it's inevitable chart dominant peak Moshi Moshi announce their first foray into the genre by bringing Disclosure into their singles club. London duo Disclosure are brothers Guy and Howard, children of the nineties and musical minds of the now. Together the duo create cut up two-step with a serious kick akin to James Blake or Joy Orbison. Offline Dexterity will be released on September 6 and is available to stream via Myspace.

Sky Larkin/ Vivian Girls Bandstand Busking

2010-07-26T21:27:00.003+01:00

Early Sunday afternoon I wandered down the road to see two of my favourite bands playing in a bandstand. Sky Larkin and Vivian Girls were both superb and the whole atmosphere was very polite and calm. The organisers mentioned that they are doing another one over August bank holiday so I'd urge you to go along and have a look. The pic above is available here and my review of the show is over at The Fly.

Felt Drawings - In My Room

2010-07-23T23:04:00.002+01:00

Of all the ways The xx have been twisted, embedded and implemented in music over the past eighteen months this is by far the most original and possibly the most accidental. If Dominic Tibero is sampling 'Basic Space' then he does it superbly, if he hasn't well then there must be some sort of magnetic pull on that melody only accessible from dimly lit rooms using a cagey sense of solitude. There is not much to go on with Felt Drawings right now bar this Myspace, three free tracks on his site and the info that he is lining up a split 12" with Former Ghosts. That release is due in July and will see Tibero hooking up with his brother from another Mother Jamie Stewart.

Wu Lyf - Spitting It Concrete Like The Golden Sun God

2010-07-22T20:57:00.004+01:00

I've never actually written about Wu Lyf on here before which seems vaguely unbelievable given that they're pretty much the most vital and intriguing band in the UK right now. Based in Manchester and currently giving Southern A&R men a taste of their own runaround medicine the band are setting fires in every heart and mind they incept. This brand new track just emerged on their site and typically comes accompanied by barely any additional info. Strung up tight yet playing fast and loose 'Spitting It Concrete...' comes on like Wild Beasts living up to their name, tearing down cage walls and ripping shreds from raw meat. Music rarely sounds this primal and practically never, ever sounds this good.

Check out the track now http://wulyf.org/

Img via Dan Heron

Tennis - Baltimore

2010-07-22T20:43:00.003+01:00

Carrying on from the song of the year contender 'Marathon' comes the first official release from the best married-couple-sailing-in-a-boat-and-writing-songs duo in like, ever. Baltimore is a more basic, garage rock track and lacks the wall of sound swell that Marathon pulls off so sweetly but one thing remains - the cutest vocals around. I always thought there was something distinctly Scandanavian about the way the cooed female vocals smooth sharp corners and then it struck me that Tennis are doing something very similar to what Those Dancing Days did two years ago. Long may this floating voyage continue.

VIDEO: The Count & Sinden - After Dark

2010-07-21T18:05:00.001+01:00

The song of the Summer now has a video. Nobody rocks pastel shades quite like those Mystery Jets...

GUARDS

2010-07-21T18:00:00.000+01:00

It's odd that so many tiny bands in 2010 have numerous side projects (Princeton I'm looking at you) but it's cool nonetheless. Richie James Follin is guitarist in garage punk band The Willowz but he spends his spare time on Guards, a skittering collection of love-lorn surf-rock (for a change) featuring guests such as Caroline Polachek of Chairlift (for a Stop that- sarcasm ed) and swoon tastic duo Cults. As is the way, Guards EP is available for free via Bandcamp and is well worth a listen.

&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://guards.bandcamp.com/album/guards-ep-mastered-version-up-as-of-7-21-10"&amp;amp;gt;resolution of one by guards&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

Img: Ashley Vaughan

Still Corners - Endless Summer

2010-07-20T20:59:00.004+01:00

Caught between the glare of the light and that difficult to find breeze lie Still Corners, a band who know the difference between laid back and laid out. 'Endless Summer' takes Beach House's floating aesthetic and give it a sense of purpose, the resulting melodies gallop and scratchy guitar lines echoe throughout. Combining cross-cultural references with timeless pop sensibility Still Corners could be on to something very special. The band have three new tracks due for release in the coming weeks and a full length album due by the end of the year. They are playing live this week too, first supporting Wild Palms at The Lexington (Thurs July 22) and then on Saturday at Shoreditch's tribute to lo-fi: The 1234 festival.

Dazed

2010-07-19T17:05:00.004+01:00

The latest issue of Dazed & Confused it out now featuring a piece I wrote about one of my favourite new bands of the year, Visions of Trees.

Boringmix 002: Summer

2010-07-16T16:59:00.004+01:00

So not too long ago I made a little playlist and it went down fairly well so I've had another go at it for the Summer season. There is no rhyme or reason to these songs, just a handfull of things that I think fit well together and should sound good at anything you might be getting up to over the next few months.

The tracklisting is as follows:

Hercules And Love Affair – Blind (Frankie Knuckles Remix)
Kelis – 4th Of July (Fireworks) - Club Version
Delorean – Stay Close
Rusko – Hold On
Kele – On The Lam
Major Lazer – Pon De Floor
Lil Wayne – A Milli
JJ – Ecstasy
Animal Collective – My Girls
Yeasayer – Ambling Alp (Memory Tapes Remix)
Janelle Monae – Tightrope - Feat. Big Boi
The Very Best – Warm Heart Of Africa (Feat. Ezra Koenig)
Mystery Jets – Dreaming Of Another World
LCD Soundsystem – All My Friends
The Tough Alliance – Neo Violence
Phoenix – Rome - Neighbours with Devendra Banhart
Caribou – Sun
Sébastien Tellier – La Ritournelle

and the link to listen to the playlist is HERE

Cut Copy - Where I'm Going

2010-07-16T16:39:00.005+01:00

Hmmm, perhaps the slightly deflated feeling I got when listening to the brand new Cut Copy track (from an album due out in 2011) came from expecting something that bit punchier. Or is it that 'Where I'm Going' is just a bit weak? There are certainly some lolling, Flaming Lips style melodies and lush textures going on here but at the same time it all feels a bit flat and Radio 2 for a band who can channel that purest rush of euphoria. Judgement wil be held until next year on the album but this is an underhwelming introduction if ever there was one.

Stream Best Coast's 'Crazy For You'

2010-07-15T16:49:00.003+01:00

Here it is: the best lo-fi, slacker sunshine guitar pop album with a cat on the cover this side of Wavves. Stream and beam to your hearts content...

Mount Kimbie

2010-07-14T15:35:00.004+01:00

Supporting The xx last night (see earlier post) were Mount Kimbie. I'm not entirely sure their music was fitting to a big stage like the one they played on last night and they certainly struggled to capture the attention of the post-work crowd, however there were signs of briliance there for sure. In a smaller venue, more fitted to their specific needs I'm sure they could do their clever and inventive debut album 'Crooks and Lovers' justice. I reviewed the album for the July issue of The Fy and gave it four fly's out of five. That's a good thing apparently although generally I think the fewer flys around you the better. Anyway you can read the Fly online here and stream Mount Kimbie's album exclusively via the excellent FACT.

Vivian Girls - John, I'm Only Dancing

2010-07-14T15:30:00.002+01:00

It's been a busy day for Vivian Girls. First up, drummer Ali has left to join Best Coast and has been replaced by fellow Brooklynite Fiona who also bashes skins for Coasting. Secondly the band have announced their part in a forthcoming Bowie tribute record alongside the likes of Warpaint, Soulwax and French first lady Carla Bruni. Vivian Girls opted to cover the classic John, I'm Only Dancing and it sounds a lot like this:

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://manimalrecords.bandcamp.com/track/vivian-girls-john-im-only-dancing"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;VIVIAN GIRLS- John, I'm Only Dancing by Manimal Records&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

The xx @ Somerset House.

2010-07-14T15:28:00.004+01:00

Last night was The xx playing an open air show at Somerset House and I went along to hear all my favourite TV background tunes. Read my report over at Spinner.

Count and Sinden Feat: Mystery Jets - After Dark

2010-07-13T17:00:00.003+01:00

I don't like to think of a song being 'the song of the Summer', surely music can make you feel like the sun is shining when winds are howling and toes are biting and vice versa? Having said that, sometimes a song comes along that is just Summer in crystaline form and this might just be it. Loopy, trip-heavy pop courtesy of Count & Sinden and featuring Mystery Jets guitarist William Rees, 'After Dark' is a relentless romp through sweaty fields and bouncing tents and hopefully set to feature on many a sunburnt playlist. Also, Mystery Jets - share out the pop hooks with your friends, nobody likes a greedy guts!

Weird Dreams - Where'd I Go Wrong?

2010-07-13T16:43:00.002+01:00

A rhetorical question if ever there was one, no new band has positively strutted their way into action quite like this in a long time. There is precious little to go on with Weird Dreams other than the fact that there are two of them and they're based in London. Sometimes I like to think a lack of detail is better though, letting dreams and flights of fancy fill in the gaps. Listen to this track and conjure up your own images.

Img: CoolhandLuke

Big Boi

2010-07-12T21:04:00.003+01:00

Writing about Big Boi on the same day as Janelle Monae? What. A. Rebel. Still, over half way into the year I'm begining to think that we won't see a better single than 'Shutterbug' for a long, long time. Hip-hop certainly won't until Rikers Island frees its most famous inmate, that's for sure. Big Boi's supermely titled debut solo record (his first totally seperate from his Outkast brother Andre 3000) is called Sir Lucious Left Foot... The Son Of Chico Dusty and is available to hear on Spotify now.

Janelle Monae

2010-07-12T17:34:00.006+01:00

As much as I love The National (see post below) it's a fucking nightmare trying to find a good picture of them. Janelle Monae has the opposite problem, there are too many great images of her online to choose from. I went for this one because everyone loves a good hat.

There is not much to say about Monae that hasn't been said elsewhere but suffice to say 'The Archandroid' is an album you must hear at least once this Summer. Yes it's heavily in debt to the past and the 'concept' is a tad flimsy but as far as pop in 2010 goes this is as classy, clever and fun as it gets. Below is a little widget where you can sample the two stand out tracks from the record alongside a slightly unnecessary but not unwelcome remix.

The National @ The Roundhouse, Camden

2010-07-12T16:59:00.003+01:00

I went to see The National on Saturday. It was face-meltingly hot and they played a bit too much 'Boxer' era stuff for my liking but it was still a knock out performance. No band mix the primal with the stately quite like Matt and The Dessner's, I can't wait to catch them again when they return to London in December. Read my report on the gig over at Spinner.

Best Coast, Vampire Weekend + Kid Cudi - All Summer

2010-07-09T19:00:00.002+01:00

This Summer jam courtesy of a well known baseball shoe manufacturer is meant to conjure up images of sun-blasted afternoons and long evenings in the heat. So why does it make me think of Christmas so much? Maybe it's the use of the chiming around Best Coasts part. Either way, this isn't quite what many had hoped for from these three but still a great opportunity to listen to Beth Consetino letting rip on a big pop chorus. Surely it's only a matter of time before Xenomania hire her as a top-line writer...

She & Him - Thieves

2010-07-09T16:20:00.001+01:00

Wavves - Post Acid

2010-07-08T22:39:00.001+01:00

When he's not turning festival appearances into minor emotional breakdowns or fighting with Atalanta's greatest punk band Black Lips, Wavves like to write super catchy, scratchy anthems like this. Only he's never written anything half as good as 'Post Acid' and chances are he won't again. So live in the moment and turn this up loud because, and make no bones about it, this is Wavves hitting his peak and it sounds glorious.