Author: David Allison

I’m a self-confessed Hot Chip fanboy. So there. I said it. And I can’t wait to hear their new album and see them play live in June. This is Flutes, the new single from their upcoming album, In Our Heads, which sounds like vintage Hot Chip from the few listens I’ve had.

I know they’re not everyone’s cuppa, and the wilful geekness can get up some people’s noses, but for me they make really lovely, sometimes wistful, often dancey, always interesting electronic pop. I’ve seen them 6 times now, and I can’t wait to do it again in London and at Sonar. One Life Stand is still a thing of synthy beauty.

Listen, digest, comment.

 

And if you don’t like that one, then delight in this one.

 

Right. First things first. I love Grizzly Bear. I mean, *love*. I cannot fully express my admiration for the Veckatamist album. I think Daniel Rossen has a voice and a singular and peculiar ear for melody that make him stand out a mile from his contemporaries.

So I’ve been waiting for a new album. And waiting. And waiting. Apparently this year. Or maybe not.

And then suddenly I hear a song on the radio yesterday and I was like – that HAS to be Grizzly Bear. Well, it is. And it isn’t. It’s Daniel Rossen on his own, who’s just released a solo EP. And wow, what a piece of work it is.

Here’s the single:

And here’s him doing an astonishing live performance of one of the other tracks.

Tell me you love this. I think I’ll be sad if you don’t.

So how do we feel about pop? Yes, I mean the lightweight throwaway variety, the bag of sweets, the box of popcorn, the fizzy drink. Built for the immediate impact, the bang in your face, the instant hit. And perhaps for a sugar crash afterwards.

This new Ladyhawke single is such a beast in my humble opinion. I love it, Caroline loves it, the kids love it. We all love it. I nearly posted the video, but that criminally changes the amazing guitar at the end into another chorus.

Pop? Yes please!

It seems that Hot Chip offshoots are the done thing these days. Not content with the brilliant The 2 Bears, Al Doyle and Felix Martin from the band, and Tom Hopkins. Their album, yesterday was Lived and Lost, is out on Monday and I’ll be seeing them on the 9th at the Corsica Studios in Elephant and Castle, supported by The 2 Bears.

It’s an interesting prospect, and from the first singles I’ve heard (head here for a preview) they sound pretty epic and electronic. The usual talk of Depeche Mode, Arthur Baker et al influencing them is a bit cliche but judging by their alumni I’m really looking forward to hearing the album. 

They’ve started up their own label, Lanark Recordings, to release it all as well, so it’s always nice to have new independent imprints popping up.

 

Have a look for yourselves:

 

http://newbuildband.com/

Right then Brothers. This album is on it’s way to you. I have a dispatch notice for David’s copy but Guy and Nolan, Amazon seem to have left you until tomorrow.

So what are you getting in the post? An album that crept up on me big style. It was release in the Autumn of 2010 which is when Silvia was born. I think I say it crept up on me as we played it a lot but we were living such a whirlwind of new baby and very poorly mother that I don’t think it sunk in for some time. But then it did. I find this album hugely infectious. I think it is likeable. Very much so.

It owes huge nods to 80s new wave pop and much more. One point sounds like depeche mode, some points sound like Morrisey but all of it heard through quite a spacious production of simple synth sounds and rhythmn guitars. It sounds fresh and old fashioned (I am avoiding saying retro cause I don’t think it is) at the same time.

Brother David has a ‘but where are the tunes’ test for music that I think is admirable. For me, the answer to that question for this album is ‘everywhere Brother David’.

Anyway, listen without prejudice, in its entirety, preferably in the evening or whilst walking with headphones on! Thats my favourite environment to listen to this.

Enjoy Brothers.ow

In no ways an instant first-listen-love (for me) but this album has really grown on me. I’d suggest it to you all. There’s some lovely Electronica on here.

Here’s a few reviews …

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16249-fin/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/x4m5

http://www.residentadvisor.net/review-view.aspx?id=10382

Just want to see if this’ll embed within posterous. Bear with me…

Im really intrigued by the notion that a lot of ‘old’ music is really tough to get into if you don’t have some connection to the music through family or friends etc. I’ve been thinking loads about the ‘old’ stuff that I listen to as I don’t think much of it sounds ‘old’ … but of course that’s because I have that connection? So, I’ve come up with ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’. I bought this about 7 or 8 years ago so I lived a long time without it. No friends introduced me to it. I bought it off the back of endless references to the album from bands i liked (Sonic Youth, Pavement, The Strokes etc). I never found that it sounded old or found it tough to get into. Anyone else have an opinion on this album or other examples of ‘old’ albums that don’t sound dated and therefore tough to get into?

An album arrived on my doorstep this morning. The 2 Bears’ Be Strong. I know there’s been a lot of hype about it, but what I really like is that it’s not tryig to be ‘cool’, and with Joe and Raf in ill-fitting costumes I’m not sure they could be. It’s just modern four-four house music that nods to the past, and I can’t really fail to just enjoy it. It’s not ground-breaking, earth-shattering cutting edge stuff, but then it doesn’t have to be sometimes. Just two people making music they really love and that’s refreshing sometimes with all the hipsters hanging around trying to tell us what’s supposed to be the next ‘cool’ thing to listen to in Dalston.I’m also biased as I’m a proper Hot Chip nerd, but with Greco-Roman and Gabrielle last year it’s clear that Joe Goddard’s more than just the cuddly guy on the keyboards.

Work’s probably my favourite at the moment, and I love the video as it’s shot down my way.

 

 

I’m looking forward to getting to know the whole album much better over the next few weeks. You?

It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and I will admit that I don’t ‘get’ all her albums. Some of them are a bit too musically difficult to penetrate for me (yep, and I don’t mind saying that), and I lean towards the ‘softer’, more acessible songs. I love Stories From The City Stories From The Sea, which is mesmerising. But her latest album is better than even that. Summing it up as a ‘concept album about a very English view of war’ is hardly going to prick some people’s ears up, but it’s a beautiful whole, and the time invested in it is worth the wait in my opinion.

There’s not really a weak song on it, but my favourite is probably Let England Shake.

 

 

There’s something very British about it, its subject thrown right across the battles in the past, not just recent ones, that are fresher in the memory, and easier to grab attention, but back to the First and Second World Wars, and it was a subject I was fascinated in (in a macabre way as much as anything) when I was a kid. I’ve met as many people that like it as don’t, die-heard PJ fans included, but I think it’s a worthy Mercury winner. There’s something vital about a record that is about such an emotive subject, and also seeks to cast back into history rather than just pitch for Iraq or Afghanistan.

I’d be really interested to hear what people think of it.