Flashguns

Aiming to try and catch this London&someBrighton-based quartet as part of Camden Crawl 24 April in a 'before they got huge' stroke of luck.

Steve Lamacq's unfortunately spotted them as well and they've got >187k profile views on their MySpace so I'm thinking the odds of £5 gig tickets for much longer are slim to none...

Earnest, edgy, emotive vocals, my favourite tracks are 'Ro Shambo' and 'Good Witch/Bad Witch'.

Skunk Anansie

In honour of their Monto gigs this week (sold out super-fast, didn't get a ticket :( ) I thought I'd post links to a few of my favourites from the powerhouse brit-rockers that are Skunk Anansie ...

• Weak
  
• Brazen (Weep)
• Hedonism
• Twisted
• Lately
• Charlie Big Potato
  

I didn't know Skin's real name was Deborah until I looked at their MySpace just now. There's that gig-envy rearing its ugly head again...

Audioslave - Cochise

Turn the stereo up loud and dust off your air guitar for the most kick-a*** intro ever written:

Audioslave - Cochise

I think this was used on a trailer for 'Iron Man' but haven't been able to find it - one of Chris Cornell's finest post-Soundgarden flashes of genius.

the Lodge

Am experiencing some serious gig-envy for anyone who has seen this band perform live. I came across them in the line of duty (well - as a precursor to it becoming my duty) and was instantly smitten.

Here's their myface and last.fm - some of my favourite tracks are:

Piece of Cake
Noose (youtube link)
My TV (youtube link)
Whatyamakermadeya (on the myspace)

...but actually pretty much all of them. Anyone who reads this...bombard them with messages asking for a take that-style comeback gig.

a "...rather sleazy slice of fuzzy garage rock" - Lonely Wolf Records

Muse - Showbiz

Xfm's Richard Skinner reminded me of this track this morning when he played 'Muscle Museum' (my favourite Muse track) on his show this morning.

'Muscle Museum' was released around the same time as Lit's 'Miserable' and Creed's 'Higher', which all became my anthems of that year (1999), even though the melancholy, fairly dark tones of the first two contrast completely with the happy, hopeful vibe of the latter.

Muse - Showbiz

This one's even darker and featured in the closing scenes of episode two of BBC3 series 'Being Human' - no longer on iPlayer but it is available on DVD from April 20 if you're interested in the blackly comedic 'lives' of a werewolf, vampire and ghost living in a flat in Bristol....

Vast - Don't Take Your Love Away

My trusty friend Shazam didn't recognise this one so I had to do a bit of digging, during which I came across this site. If you click on that, you'll discover I heard this song on one of the final scenes of episode 8.10 of Smallville - "Bride" (not linking because I don't want to spoil it for you too much if you haven't seen it - but maybe don't read on after the song description):

Vast - Don't Take Your Love Away

Looks like it's been used quite a lot; I've managed to find references to One Tree Hill, Scrubs and Veronica Mars as well as some manga...? But it's a really emotive, angsty, US-atmospheric-rock-highly-suitable-for-teen-dramas track. And yes, I love it.

There's no audio on the Last.fm page but it's up on their MySpace at the moment.

SPOILER (a bit): *Not sure how I feel about this episode...it's a decent morality story with some cool superpowers and futuristic themes but brainiac-infested Chloe Sullivan just wasn't as scary as the wicked wicca Willow Rosenburg...*

Cruel Intentions - Soundtrack

One of my favourite movie soundtracks of all time, from 1999 (I'll do a 'Garden State' post some other time although the Shins gave a taster), featuring tracks ranging from eerie to poignant to rawk with a bit of tongue-in-cheek thrown in for good measure. I'll point you to a few gems and try and steer clear of the (minimal) turkeys:

• Day One - Bedroom Dancing: the album version of this track gets a bit cheeky towards the end so don't listen to it too loud in public...really funky beat.
• Placebo - Every You Every Me: no match for 'Nancy Boy' in my mind but still a fun rock track.
• Craig Armstrong - This Love (feat. Elizabeth Fraser): this is the eerie I mentioned, and quite atmospheric.
• Counting Crows - Colourblind: from my favourite scene in the movie, Ryan Phillipe coming up the escalator to meet Reese Witherspoon at the train station. Leads to some 'Ahem' moments.

and finally...

• The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony: anthem.
  

I'm going to leave it there before I end up reeling off the whole track list - left Skunk Anansie out of it because I don't think 'Secretly' is one of their better tracks. Let me know if you disagree.

Happy weekend!

Hipslinky - Natural

Caught these guys at 93 feet east last night with some other great bands:

• the Vibrants - seen them live a couple of times now but keep going back for more...check out 'First Move' and 'I Won't Sleep (Terrify)' from the 'Retaliate EP'
• Scarlet Harlots - came 3rd on Orange Unsigned Act 2009, the tags on Last.fm say dub, soul, indie, hip hop, dance but they came across as odd but interesting drum n bass-style indie rock for me. Awesome and unexpected cover of Montel Jordan's 'This is How We Do It'!
• Anison - new single out this week, this was the launch gig. Really atmospheric, moody, indie rock.
  

But the reason for this post is to bring you:

Hipslinky - Natural

This track really stood out for me in their otherwise also fantastic set; think the OC. Here's their MySpace.

City and Colour - Love Don't Live Here Anymore

Potentially my favourite cover ever, Dallas Green's version of the Rose Royce classic is heartfelt and broken, if that makes sense.


City and Colour "Love Don't Live Here Anymore"


There's more on the MySpace

Band of Horses - The Funeral

Back to the rock or I won't be able to sleep:

Band of Horses - The Funeral

Starts so peaceful and then just suddenly kicks, this track is incredible. For me, it's about treasuring every moment, but have a listen and reach your own conclusions.

Recommended by the same person who told me about the Temper Trap

Dishwalla

Some good, solid American rock this morning....If you only buy one album of theirs, 'Opaline' would be my pick, being the more mellow album but the others also have some gems on them which I will point you to below:

• So Blind - my personal favourite, it's on 'And You Think You Know What Life's About'
• Healing Star - from the same album, it's an 'I'll make everything ok' tune
• Collide - I think this was the first Dishwalla track I heard, on Smallville. It's on 'Dishwalla'

and from 'Opaline':

Opaline - the title track
Angels or Devils
Every Little Thing

Here's their MySpace - looks like J R Richards is releasing a debut solo album this year...

Silversun Pickups

I think this band are a bit like marmite - I was crazily enthusiastic when I heard them for the first time but my brother's reaction was more like 'hmm. bit weird'.

Brain Aubert's vocals are strangely robotic and perhaps a little Billy Corgan at times (that's meant as a compliment).

There are mainly samples on their MySpace and the only full track on their last.fm page is a weird dance-style remix of Lazy Eye. But www.silversunpickups.com has a full-length of 'Well Thought Out Twinkles' on the mp3 player right now.

Favourite tracks on Carnavas (if you can find them):

Well Thought Out Twinkles
Lazy Eye
Future Foe Scenarios
Common Reactor

And it would seem they're releasing a new album, 'Swoon' on 14 April on Dangerbird Records....looks like 'Panic Switch' (on the MySpace) is a taster...?

Radiohead - Talk Show Host

Quite an old song (1996?), I recently re-discovered the 'Romeo + Juliet' soundtrack and this is my favourite track on it (although Des'ree - Kissing You comes close)

Radiohead - Talk Show Host

It has quite an eerie, menacing feel to it and the riff running through the track is so simple but somehow manages to give me chills every time I hear it.

Turin Brakes

People tend to remember this band for 'Pain Killer' - a hit in 2003 it reached number 5 in the UK Singles chart (the only one of theirs to make it to the top 10) - but there's so much more to them than the upbeat pop appeal of this one track.

Take a listen to:

Long Distance
Rain City
Dark on Fire

- much more emotive and self-deriding/wistful/passionate, respectively. The last track reminds me of Radiohead a little.

Here's their MySpace.

Blind Pilot - Go On, Say It

Re-blogging a track I heard on Insomnia Radio UK's Daily Dose MP3 Blog. I could easily spend all day on their website. Every day :).

There's some fantastic music up there and they transmit a fair few podcasts, but the track I wanted to post is today's free mp3:

Blind Pilot - Go On, Say It

and this is their MySpace. Kind of Shins-esque but not as quirky.

Cherry Brakewells

http://www.myspace.com/cherrybrakewells

I can't get over this group - late 60s/early 70s-style guitar rock but in no way dated.

My favourite track on their myspace site is "Hey Fiddely Dee" - could completely see it as the backing track on a Levis or Diesel ad.

Rocking.