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Indie archive

New Caribou album Swim and free track

Dan Snaith’s last album as Caribou, Andorra was described here as “nine songs of beautifully crafted melodious vaporous pop”. It looks like the followup Swim out on City Slang on the 16th of April (19th – UK,Europe / 20th – US) is a massive diversion from that sound.

Judging by the opener and free download track from the album, ‘Odessa’, Snaith is on a dance music tip. There are ravey bits and lots of funky percussion underneath it all. Luke Lalonde of Born Ruffians appears on a track from Swim as does a quartet of Toronto jazz musicians. Snaith says the album is: “Dance music that sounds like it’s made out of water rather than made out of metallic stuff like most dance music does.” Exciting. Tour dates are also forthcoming.

Download the track.

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Video: The Drums – I Felt Stupid

Nostalgic soft-focus black and white video for The Drums‘ 80s-tastic ‘I Felt Stupid’. It was directed by Chris Moukarbel and Valerie Veatch.

Two Door Cinema Club – I Can Talk

twodoor I covered these Bangor boys back in May when they appeared on the Kitsune 7 compilation.

This is the brilliant first single proper which is released on 23rd November through Kitsune. Containing taut rhythmic Foals-esque breakdowns and a guitar wielded like a blade, it’s an extremely accomplished debut single.

If I had to pick one Irish band to watch in 2010 right now, it would be this lot. Look out for the debut album in February 2010.

THAT’S THE NEXT DECADE FOLKS.

Two Door Cinema Club – I Can Talk

New Vampire Weekend – Horchata

vampireweekend Vampire Weekend today released ‘Horchata’ a new song from their upcoming album Contra to be released in January through XL.

It’s no great change from their debut really but you’d hardly want them to go electro or something. It’s still the same old ‘perfect for a Wes Anderson’ soundtrack buzz going on here except with some added marimba.

This song is the opening track from Contra and Horchata is a Mexican/Latin American drink made with rice and nutes with origins in Ancient Egypt. See, you learn something new every day.

Vampire Weekend – Horchata

Video: Fanfarlo – The Walls Are Coming Down

There’s not nearly as much buzz for this band and their album Reservoir as there should be.

Buy Reservoir at their site for cheap.

Video: Harlem Shakes – Strictly Game

WATCH CLOSELY…. All is not what it appears..

Attention spans FTW!. The band’s album Technicolor Health has been mentioned here before..

Magic Wands – Magic, Love and Dreams EP

magicwands I’ve been following Magic Wands for about a year or so now. Their track ‘Black Magic’ was one of my favourite finds of last year yet they seemed to have stalled for a while. Now, they are cranking back into gear with a new EP Magic, Love and Dreams EP with the lead track ‘Warrior’ with the obligatory cool remixes from The XX, Crystal Fighters and Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head.

Apparently, the were awful at SXSW 2008 so hopefully they’ve improved since. They certainly seemed to have bolstered their sound with some decent beats. You have to give bands a chance to develop in this over-accelerated market. Maybe now, I can stop thinking their name is ‘Black Magic’. Note to self: the band is MAGIC WANDS. Thank you brain.

Magic Wands – Warrior (The XX remix)

Magic Wands – Warrior (Defend Moscow remix)

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Introducing: Apricot Rail

apricotrail On my last night in Perth a few weeks back, I neglected to mention that the last band I caught on the whole blog Oz trip was Apricot Rail. Coming on like the child of Halves and The Jimmy Cake at the gig we caught in The Velvet Lounge @ The Flying Scotsman, a beautifully nuanced and subtle instrumental band who have just released their self-titled and excellent debut album on Hidden Shoal (someone recently called the label – “This generation’s 4AD”, tall order).

The album is full of gentle sunshine largely-instrumental tunes which are working really well right now as the sun is indeed shining (apart from ‘Car Crash’ which has lyrics wishing someone would die in a.. you get the picture) . At the gig, we met Hidden Shoal’s Cam Merton who we chatted to briefly. As it turns out Hidden Shoal have a roster from all over the world which includes the ambient wing of Belfast’s Space Dimension Controller – RL/VL. Check out the full roster and there are sampler albums too.

Here’s a dark video of the band playing ‘If You Can’t Join Them, Beat Them’ live at the gig and their free single ‘Pouring Milk Out The Window’:

Apricot Rail – Pouring Milk Out The Window

If you like it, buy the album: Hidden Shoal / eMusic / iTunes.

Buy Fanfarlo’s album for $1

fanfarlo

It’s worth a lot more but until Saturday (4th July) you can buy the mighty Reservoir for one dolla. They’re even throwing in a 4-track EP for nothing on top of that. Fanfarlo are lucky that Arcade Fire are on a hiatus because they share the same kind of epic heart and there’s probably only enough swelling emotion in the world for one of these bands at a time. ‘Drowning Men’ even gets off on a near-carbon copy piano/bass motif as ‘Rebellion (Lies)’.

Despite the similarities in tone, Reservoir has plenty to recommend. It’s flush with great tunes with sweeping autumnal strings, crescendos, boisted by violin and trumpet and dashes of cellos, mandolins, ukeleles and melodicas. All of this is drawn together by the voice Simon Balthazar who Maldini reminded me how much he sounds like the pithy-voiced Alec Ounsworth of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!. Despite all the comparisons, Reservoir could be one of this year’s best and it’s only a dollar for the next two days so buy it! I did.

Fanfarlo – I’m a Pilot

Fanfarlo – Harold T. Wilkins

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HWCH launch vids

Popped along to the launch of Hard Working Class Heroes yesterday for their whistle-stop tour of indie record shops with a band playing in each venue. Biggles Flys Again, The Ambience Affair and the amazing And So I Watch You From Afar all played in The Secret Book and Record Store, Road Records and Tower Records respectively. Live videos courtesy of Handjob and Road. Info on applying to the festival after the jump.

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