Good Weather For Airstrikes

Straight outta Jacksonville, it’s the best new American band since Vampire Weekend, the awesomely-monikered Black Kids. I’d say that Black Kids are the only good band to come out of Jacksonville, like, ever, but as a classy-looking fellow who overheard me discussing Black Kids with a friend of mine in the grocery store hastened to remind me, Jacksonville can also be credited with shitting out Limp Bizkit back in the 90’s. So yeah, Black Kids are pretty much the best Jacksonville band ever.

As for the name, there is technically only one “whole” Black Person in the band, as brother-sister vocalists Reggie and Ali Youngblood are half-black, half filipino, but none of that really matters - let’s just get to the music. It’s awesome. Like, really really awesome. Like a less morose Robert Smith meets The Go! Team shouts and some bad-ass 80’s synths awesome. It’s pretty indie-pop, almost twee at times… I mean, “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You” could easily be a Los Campesinos! song with its playful subject matter and instrumentation, and it’s going to make for one hell of a debut single when it inevitably headlines a release in the not-too-distant future. It’s one of the best tracks I’ve heard in a minute and the unquestionable highlight of the band’s Wizard of Ahhhhhs demo EP, which is available for download in its entirety from the band’s MySpace page. The quality isn’t exactly ideal, but there’s no doubt that there’s still something very special that shines through on these demo tracks.

Despite virtually no touring experience and very few shows outside of the Jacksonville area, a sensational performance at Georgia’s Athens Popfest got the blogs buzzing and left Black Kids the toast of the festival. A few important folks in the UK took note - further proof that blogs really can get a band a record deal (*cough* Vampire Weekend *cough*) - and now they’re one of the most sought-after bands on the market. And for good reason - all four tracks on the EP are incredibly impressive, and though “Not Gonna Teach” is the undeniable chart-topper of the bunch, the other three have all spent time in heavy rotation on my iPod as well. “I’ve Underestimated My Charm (Again)” is my current favorite, so it gets the nod for posting along with “Not Gonna Teach” below, but you’d be a fool not to hit their MySpace and download the rest of the tracks. With an EP showing virtually limitless promise and write-ups in both Pitchfork and NME already to their name - not to mention Arcade Fire’s manager on their team - Black Kids are set to do very big things very very soon. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

MP3s:
“I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend…” - Black Kids ((highly recommended))
“I’ve Underestimated My Charm (Again)” - Black Kids ((highly recommended))

Likely heir apparents to the British piano-rock throne, the Rushes’ sound falls somewhere between the Fray and Air Traffic. Now, that sentence alone is probably enough for you to close the page and go back to jacking off to whatever I Guess I’m Floating posted this week, but WAIT - I promise this is actually really good. Better than good, even; their self-titled digital-only debut EP is actually one of my favorite releases of the year.

Featuring four able-bodied vocalists including frontman/guitarist Gerard O’Connell and singer-pianist Dan Armstrong, the Rushes aren’t doing anything terribly new, they’re just doing it really fucking well. O’Connell knows how to use his impassioned, ivory-backed vocals to elicit a significant emotional connection from the listener and said connection is only heightened by Armstrong’s wistful keys work. Basically, this is ideal music for brooding 15 year-olds who omg-just-got-totally-dumped to sneak into their backyards and smoke cigarettes to at night to. That said, these are fucking great pop songs.

“Ripping It Down” is the obvious single and most immediate track of the bunch because, simply put: it’s catchy as shit. Assuming you can get past that incredibly (incredibly) lame 24-second intro, you’re in for a treat: a hyper-addictive chorus, wonderful piano-driven melodies and percussion far superior to that normally found on tracks by bands of their ilk (just wait for that closing drum freak-out at the end). “Will You Won’t You” narrowly edges out “What You Waiting For” as the next best thing here, though both are every bit as good as the A-side (though not as catchy), if not better. All three B-sides come to a distinct emotional climax in which a particularly emotive (and typically fairly cliche) lyric rises above the rest of the verses in an impassioned vocal outburst that generally sums up the entire idea of the song in what appears to have become the Rushes’ signature “moment”, if you will. For example, “Will You Won’t You” revolves around that classic night-out dilemma (Will our protagonist be able to seal the deal with his new love interest?) and the song’s essential climax comes when the instrumentation drops out and all the energy of the track comes to a head with a desperate, “Is it gonna happen?!”. It’s one of the individual highlights of an EP that’s excellent all the way through, with the weakest track - if you can even call it that - coming in the form of “Get The Feeling”, a song that’s nothing to sneeze at in its own right.

Sure, the Rushes will probably go the way of Ghosts and Air Traffic before them after teaming up with a big-shot producer and realizing they could easily access Coldplay-esque stratospheres of fame, but between their debut EP and the tracks on their MySpace (I’m particular, er, taken by “Easily Taken”), there’s more than enough reason to get excited about the Rushes in the meantime.

MP3s:
“Ripping It Down” - The Rushes ((highly recommended))
“Will You Won’t You” - The Rushes ((highly recommended))

I’m still rockin’ it in the UK and with some found time this weekend I managed to pound out a few posts for your enjoyment, so hopefully this week will see things returning to business as usual around these parts. Here’s an especially long one:

Singer-songwriters aren’t really my thing. Maybe it’s because I’m not so into the folk/acoustic scene these days. Maybe it’s because it seems like anyone who’s even the slightest bit musically inclined fancies themselves one. Maybe it’s because – as a result of that last fact – they come a dime-a-dozen and, without the input of other band members to keep it real and let them know what’s up, they’re generally shit. But motherfuck, I love me some Kate Nash. Then again, Nash isn’t your typical singer-songwriter.

Sure, she’s got a proficiency for the acoustic ballad that’s yet to be topped in ’07 and a voice to carry even the most ambitious arrangement, but unlike the bulk of her breed, she’s no one-trick pony. Look no further than debut single “Caroline’s A Victim”. It’s quite the polarizing track, likely to split listeners’ opinions right down the middle, but if there’s one thing everyone can agree on it’s that the track – for better or worse – is… different. It’s spoken word. There’s barely a full verse. There’s a massive synth-based beat in the stead of any acoustic musicianship. In a word, it’s bold. That said, I’m not in love with it, by any means. Far from it in fact; I think it’s a very interesting choice for a debut single for an artist of Nash’s nature, and I find sometime Bjork-collaborator Valgeir Sigurrosson’s production to be of the highest caliber, but it spends most of its time collecting dust on the ‘pod outside of the occasional spin here and there.

Yet it’s still one of the most impressive debuts of the year and one of my favorite records of 2007. Why? Flip it over and take the B-side for a walk. Yeah. “Birds”, while at the complete opposite end of the spectrum from “Caroline’s A Victim” – all heartfelt acoustic balladry and whatnot – is easily one of the year’s best tracks to this point. Showcasing Nash’s wonderfully emotive vocals and her distinctive mastery of conversational songwriting, “Birds” is one of the finest singer-songwriter accomplishments in recent history and even manages to out-cute and out-quirk her closest peer, Regina Spektor; no small feat by any means.

Oh, “Birds” isn’t enough to get you sufficiently excited enough to get your hands on everything and anything Nash touches? How about the small fact that PAUL MOTHERFUCKING EPWORTH (as in, the one and only) is manning the boards on her debut album? It seems that lately Epworth’s been occupying himself with his Epic Man and Phones projects more than anything and it’s certainly been a minute since we’ve heard him making any waves as a producer, but lest you forget: dude played a significant role in more era-defining records in one 18 month period from 2004 to 2006 than most people do in an entire lifetime. Pumped for this Nash record yet? Thought so.

So, let’s keep it moving then, onto her hotly anticipated follow up single, “Foundations”, due out June 8th. No official word yet on whether or not Epworth’s formally involved with this one, but even though none of his typical tricks, bells or whistles are in play here I can’t imagine he’s not behind the boards on this, considering they must be at least knee-deep in the production of the album at this point (Nash has already had her major label deal inked with Polydor/Fiction for nearly six months now). And the verdict? Brilliant! Finding the perfect compromise between the production-fest that is “Caroline’s A Victim” and the acoustic genius of “Birds”, there’s wonderful (albeit subtle) production work at play here and if it’s really Mr. Epworth whose in charge here then I’m immensely excited to see that he’s chosen to test his boundaries and step away from the dancefloor for a bit to explore new horizons. But Nash’s as-yet-untitled debut still promises to bring its fair share of dancefloor heat, as the demo of “Like Maybe” can attest. It’s a bit rough at this point, but you better believe I’m salivating at the thought of how the track will sound once Epworth’s had his way with it and the final mix finds its way into my hands. It could end up being my favorite Nash track once all is said and done (but shit, “Birds” is damn hard to beat), and it’s more than enough to bump Nash’s album up to the top of my Most Anticipated Debuts of ‘07 list. Cheers to that then, and here’s to Kate Nash as the best new artist in Britain.

Oh, and before people start talking shit in the comments - Nash owns Lily Allen. I don’t even want to hear it.

MP3s:
“Birds” – Kate Nash ((highly recommended))
“Foundations” – Kate Nash
“Like Maybe” (Demo) - Kate Nash ((highly recommended))

STREAM: “Caroline’s A Victim” – Kate Nash

Also available for your enjoyment below is Nash’s new video for “Foundations”, which is like way adorable and totally worth your time. Director Kinga Burza employs the simple technique of using solitary shots of individual images to reflect the greater theme of the song and it works really well and just suits the song perfectly.

Video: “Foundations” - Kate Nash
Director: Kinga Burza
Watch: [YouTube]
Download: [Quicktime • 31 MB]

Burza also directed the just-released clip for the Teenagers unexpected anthem, “Homecoming”, another near-perfect clip that scores again thanks to what one can only assume is a collaboration with a top-notch Director of Photography. Just another simple, low-budget clip that just happens to succeed on every level. I caught the Teenagers last week at Electrowerkz and, uh, they were decent. Nothing super special or anything, but “Homecoming” and “Starlett Johansson” sounded really really great. So did the rumor that apparently Johansson has agreed to provide the female vocal on a track called “Homecoming 2″. No word yet on whether it’s a sequel to the original track or just an updated version of the original, but either way that’s pretty awesome. Enjoy these mp3s and then the video below while you ruminate on the matter. As the Teenagers first wrote to me in their first correspondence with me back in September of last year (which came with an mp3 of “Homecoming” attached), “maybe you will love this”.
MP3s:
“Homecoming” - The Teenagers ((highly recommended))
“Starlett Johansson” - The Teenagers

Video: “Homecoming” - The Teenagers
Director: Kinga Burza
Watch: [YouTube]
Download: [Quicktime • 21 MB]

MIKE SKINNER REMIXES THE TWANG
I’m not terribly fond of the Twang. At all. I don’t care what the NME says, they just don’t do it for me, which I guess is a bit strange because bands really don’t come much more quintessentially British then the Twang. But hey, throw Rya’s beloved Mike Skinner into the mix and I’m all about it. On their new single, “Either Way”, the Twang have done just that, and Skinner makes his triumphant return to the microphone with two excellent verses and his signature synthesized strings. The verses from the Twang have been minimized and chopped up into far more tolerable portions and even Skinner-protege Professor Green spits a moderately enjoyable verse that’s far less grating than his usual fare. Long story short: The Streets remix is infinitely better than its original counterpart. Enjoy.

MP3: “Either Way” (Remixed by The Streets ft. Professor Green) - The Twang

VICE RECORDS GOES INDIE; GOD SMILES
Speaking of Vice Records’ hallmark artist, word on the street is that Vice has parted ways with parent-company Atlantic Records and will officially become an indie label later this summer. It never seemed right to think that the records division of Vice, a brand predicated on controversy and throwing up a middle finger to authority, was technically a major label. If the rumors are to be believed, then something tells me we’re going to be hearing a lot more noise (and a lot less Annie) from the Brooklyn heavyweights from now on. Not sure where this leaves Bloc Party though….

GHOSTHUSTLIN’
In a week attempt to create some semblance of a segue here, does anything sound “more Vice” than Ghosthustler? Sexy synths, dirty basslines, don’t-give-a-fuck vocals, all under the incredibly bad-ass banner of “Ghosthustler”. And the best part? These dudes are from America. Texas, even! Which in turn makes them the best electronic act to emerge from these shores since Ratatat first threw “Seventeen Years” up on the Audiodregs site a couple years back. They’ve been getting mad blog love as of late and they barely had one show under their belt and a scant two tracks up on their ‘Space before Pitchfork was on their shit too, so the future’s bright for the Denton, Texas quartet. The first two tracks had me well on my way to jumping on the bandwagon, but their latest output, “Busy Busy Busy”, is all kinds of ill and I’m now a card-carrying member of the Ghosthustler hype parade. Featuring spooky synths and a downright dangerous bassline, “Busy Busy Busy” is reason enough alone to tout Ghosthustler as the next great hope for American electro. And with the genre looking more and more like the “it” sound in 2007 and major labels scrambling to get in on the game (see: Does It Offend You, Yeah signing straight to Virgin in the UK; Simian Mobile Disco’s rumored signing with Interscope in the US), I reckon you’ll be hearing a lot more out of Ghosthustler in the coming months.

MP3s:
“Busy Busy Busy” - Ghosthustler
“Parking Lot Nights” - Ghosthustler

Nick Reiner is a good dude. I met him at Vice last summer when we interned together, and he was the first to tell me about Girl Talk wayyy before any of the blogs began to catch on later in the summer, so I knew he was mad decent from the get-go. We saw some bomb-ass shows together, had an awesome time at Vice and generally hit it off quite well. And then he’s all, “Oh yeah, I’m the lead singer of this band called Goodnight & Goodnight“, and I’m all, “Awesome, I remember downloading your tracks from Gorilla vs Bear a while back and enjoying them immensely”, so that was just icing on the cake. Then later I found out dude was the touring keyboardist for Union of Knives in 2005, which I find to be at least 1000% bad-ass, considering they’re maybe my favorite electro-rock act in the UK and “Evil Has Never” is like, MY JAM.

So naturally, I was sufficiently pumped when I heard that he’d started DJing in Philly under the name DJ Tanner with a party night called Full House because, I mean, anything referencing Full House is pretty solid in my book. After the realization that there were a shitload of like-minded, musically-inclined kids with a penchant for irony calling themselves DJ Tanner out there, he changed his name to DJ Battlecat and started to get serious. Below you’ll find his masterwork, “Bump It”, an incredible mash up of Spank Rock’s “Bump” and Salt-N-Pepa’s “Push It”, along with a seriously ill dance edit of Grizzly Bear’s “Knife”, the original of which I’m just now starting to wake up to as one of the best tracks of last year. “Bump It” falters a bit once or twice towards the beginning with a few minimally awkward moments, but once that synth line from “Push It” drops it’s just game over. Feel it below.

MP3s:
“Bump It” (Spank Rock vs Salt-N-Pepa) - DJ Battlecat ((highly recommended))
“Knife” (DJ Battlecat’s Can You Feel The Beat Remix) - Grizzly Bear

Meet the best unsigned band in New York City. Vampire Weekend are four kids from Columbia University who write fun, shouty, skinny-tie indie rock songs about summertime, Cape Cod, reggaeton and Lil’ Jon. They’ve got this great, distinctly American sound infused with elements of afrobeat (seriously) and all dressed up in whimsical keys, effervescent pop sounds and sing-a-long melodies. Or, as their MySpace puts it, “[they] are specialists in the following styles: ‘Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa’, ‘Upper West Side Soweto’, ‘Campus’, and ‘Oxford Comma Riddim’.” I caught them live last month at a party at Columbia where they put on a great show despite a less-than-awesome sound setup (frat houses aren’t really famed for their acoustics) and an audience made up of kids who likely wouldn’t know good music if it beat them up and took their lunch money. But what’s most impressive about this band is the incredibly tight production of their demos, considering their unsigned status. Every song I’ve heard so far is great, with “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”, “A-Punk” and, my favorite of the bunch, “Oxford Comma” standing out as their best tracks and showing off a remarkably polished sound for such a young, presumably inexperienced band.

The sound in question is not terribly groundbreaking per se, but at the same time it’s got an extremely unique style about it and is a wonderfully refreshing change of pace in the often uninspired and stale NYC indie-rock scene. One could probably draw comparisons in the vocal stylings of the band to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah if they really wanted to, but I mean, did you read the part where I mentioned the elements of afrobeat? Who the fuck rocks afrobeat in this scene? Seriously, check this out now.

Below you’ll find two of my favorite tracks by the band, “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” and “Oxford Comma”, as well as a surprisingly excellent electro-pop remix of another one of their tracks, “Walcott”. These kids play a ton of shows in the NYC area (I’ll be catching them at Merc a week from Thursday), so hit up their MySpace where you’ll find their complete list of tour dates as well as two more songs for streaming, potential singles “Mansard Roof” and “A-Punk”. It’s time to get very very excited about Vampire Weekend for 2007.

MP3s:
“Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” - Vampire Weekend ((highly recommended))
“Oxford Comma” - Vampire Weekend ((highly recommended))
“Walcott” (Insane Mix #2) - Vampire Weekend

Gotye (apparently pronounced “gore-ti-yeah”?…) is Wally De Backer, a.k.a. one talented motherfucker. Seriously, dude’s stylistic versatility is off the charts, and for proof one needs to look no further than his debut album, Like Drawing Blood. No two songs on the album sound the same, and while I could go into all of the stylistic deviations found on the record, an examination of the vast differences across the LP’s three premier tracks does more than enough to sonically elucidate this point.

“Learnalilgivinanlovin” is the closest thing to a single here, garnering extensive praise and radio play from Australia’s leading alternative station, Triple J (who would later name “Heart’s A Mess” the 8th best track of ‘06), and drawing the LP enough attention to wrangle it a spot on the shortlist for the 2006 Australian Music Prize, the down under equivalent of the Britain’s vaunted Mercury Music Prize. The track opens with some signature Phil Spector drums before roaring to life in a burst of brass and technicolor, and De Backer’s soulful, falsetto’d vocals and motivational lyrics give the whole thing a super retro feel that’s bound to get your feet tapping. At the complete opposite end of the spectrum, “Heart’s A Mess” is the Like Drawing Blood’s best track, thanks to a brilliant chorus that stands out as the album’s finest moment. Stylistically, it couldn’t be more different from “Learn…”, forgoing the hooky bombast of the single for stirring nigh-balladry, all swirling string arrangements and sparse percussion sections. It’s not the single, but when De Backer was given a decent budget for an animated music video, he and animator Brendan Cook agreed that “Heart’s A Mess” was the track most worthy of the cinematic treatment. It appears as if they made the right choice too, as the final product is one of the most breathtaking and beautifully animated videos I’ve ever seen - don’t make the mistake of overlooking it below.

Video: “Heart’s A Mess” - Gotye
Director: Brendan Cook (interview with SRO regarding the video here)
Watch: [YouTube]
Download: [Quicktime]

Finally, bringing the focus back to the music, “A Distinctive Sound” stands out as the greatest stylistic departure on the album. Truly a distinctive sound among the more pop-minded tracks that surround it, “Sound” is an experimental samplefest that wouldn’t be out of place in the oeuvre of Gotye’s fellow countrymen the Avalanches, recalling and - dare I say - outshining their genre-defying hit, “Frontier Psychiatrist”. Sure, it’s a bit confusing in the company of the more conventional tracks that accompany it on the album, but come on - if there’s one thing Like Drawing Blood will teach you, it’s that expectations and preconceived notions have no place in the world of Gotye.

MP3s:
“Heart’s A Mess” - Gotye ((highly recommended))
“A Distinctive Sound” - Gotye ((highly recommended))
“Learnalilgivinanlovin” - Gotye

Yeah, this would be much more appropriate if it came at the actual dawn of the New Year, rather than a month-and-a-half into it, but this is just how I roll. Anyway, this is the first of two installments in which I will be featuring the hot new bands primed to do big things in 2007. Obviously, some are going to do bigger things than others (see: Klaxons, Mika, The Maccabees, etc.) and due to the late nature of this post, some have already done or have begun to do big things, but either way the following is your complete directory of the bands to watch in ‘07. This is the first of two installments, in which I’ll be highlighting the bands most likely to score big with significant chart success, and the second installment will feature newer artists on the rise and primed to break into the public awareness, but not necessarily ready for radio stardom yet.

And yes, this is the surprise, even though many of you are probably already well-familiar with most of the artists on this list. I didn’t mean to build it up quite so much, but do reserve judgment until the second installment comes tomorrow as it should come chock-full of obscure new artists the likes of which most of you have probably never heard. Thanks and enjoy:

Artist: Klaxons
Location: East London, England

I’d wanted to get this up before Klaxons went ahead and debuted at #2 in the UK and rendered any predictions of their success completely unnecessary, but it was my own inability to finalize that Top Tracks post in time so I can’t complain. Anyway, it’s not exactly a secret at this point, but 2007 will be the year of the Klaxons, whether it’s the band themselves achieving massive, worldwide success (they just inked a deal with Geffen in the US) or the “New Rave” movement they pioneered blowing up to even greater proportions with the help of bands like Hadouken!, Late of the Pier and ShitDisco. Their debut LP, Myths of the Near Future, didn’t turn out to be quite the immaculate LP I’d hoped it would be (which isn’t to say it’s not an incredible record), but the new James Ford-produced versions of the initial singles are hotter than ever, “Golden Skans” is still one of the best tracks of ’07 and “Not Over Yet” is a Top 10 hit just waiting to happen.

MP3s:
“Golden Skans” - Klaxons
“It’s Not Over Yet” - Klaxons

Artist: Lily Allen
Location: LDN

Another obvious pick, as Ms. Allen’s already conquered the UK with ease, but the US remains ripe for the taking. The takeover began two weeks ago with the long-awaited domestic release of her fantastic debut, Alright, Still, two weeks ago on January 30th, and she’s already broken into the Top 20 on the US charts (albeit at #20). There’s not that much more I really need to say about Allen, as her every move has been blogged to death over the past 12 months, but the bonus tracks on the album’s US release are entirely deserving of their own acclaim and fanfare. Lily’s awesome take on 50 Cent’s (CURTISSSSSSS) “Window Shopper” receives a much deserved status upgrade from thunder-stealing B-side to album cut, and Mark Ronson - Allen’s best producer to date, in my opinion - contributes a brassy rework of Allen’s #1 hit, “Smile”. Surprisingly though, of all the excellent cuts on the album it’s the Ronson-produced “Littlest Things” that just might be my favorite of them all, despite the extreme neutrality I felt towards the track my first few times through it. Let’s be honest though, this whole thing is just another excuse for me to post Allen’s cover of the Kaiser Chiefs’ “Oh My God”, a track which - as far as I’m concerned - represents Allen and Ronson at the pinnacle of their respective games.

MP3s:
“Oh My God” - Lily Allen ((highly recommended))
“Nan, You’re A Window Shopper” - Lily Allen
“Littlest Things” - Lily Allen

Artist: Mika
Location: London, England

Listen, I don’t want it to be this way, but there’s no way around it: Mika is going to be massive in 2007 whether you like it or not. He just debuted at #1 on the UK charts after barely edging out Bloc Party’s new masterpiece for the throne, and US chart domination isn’t out of the question either, as MTV is already pushing him extremely hard (for whatever reason I’m not sure). To say his songs are catchy would be an understatement; this shit is like crack with its horrifically sugar-coated melodies and nauseating falsettos. Not sure what the status of Mika’s sexuality is – not that it really matters – but it’s worth noting that Mika’s songs make Elton John and the Scissor Sisters, his two most obvious influences, look like Mr. T and the American Gladiators, but hey, if that’s your thing, that’s your thing. Below is the only track of his I can stand, as well as a remix of his big hit (which is currently chillin’ at the top of the charts in the UK), “Grace Kelly”, by fellow GWFAS tips (see the second installment tomorrow) Pull Tiger Tail.

MP3s:
“Relax, Take It Easy” - Mika
“Grace Kelly” (Pull Tiger Tail Remix) - Mika

Artist: Young Love
Location: New York City

Another one of those major-label-engineered projects we love to hate and hate to love, Young Love (or Dan Keyes to his friends) is the next big thing set to cash in on the Panic! At The Disco fad. His success in 2007 is completely contingent on how sick of this whole dance-emo thing the general public are at this point, but I can’t see a surefire hit like “Discotech” not owning the charts at some point this year. Meet your favorite new guilty pleasure.

MP3: “Discotech” - Young Love

Artist: Maximo Park
Location: Newcastle, England

Maximo Park are pretty much another no-brainer considering the immense success of their 2005 debut, A Certain Trigger, but new single “Our Velocity” is just fucking amazing, and I’d be fairly shocked if they couldn’t ride it to a whole new plateau of success. Also, I’d like to take this opportunity to express my puzzlement at the fact that “Postcard of a Painting”, off their debut, was never released as a single, as it’s easily in my three favorite tracks off of that album. I could very well be all alone on that one though, who knows.

MP3s:
“Our Velocity” - Maximo Park ((highly recommended))
“Postcard of a Painting” - Maximo Park

Artist: The Maccabees
Location: Brighton, England

Though I’ve been tracking them since first stumbling across their head-turning Latchmere EP last spring, it wasn’t until latest single “First Love” was released last October that I realized their true brilliance and abilities. Ever since, I’ve been following their every move and eagerly anticipating their as-yet-untitled debut album, due for release this April. Interestingly enough, there’s nothing terribly groundbreaking about their sound yet they still manage to carve themselves a unique niche in the crowded British indie-rock scene with tight guitar-pop songs marked by searing, serrated guitar riffs, quirky lyrics and fun, sing-a-long hooks. They’ve also proven to be surprisingly remixable, with debut single “X-Ray” yielding not one but two incredible remixes, courtesy of South Central and Filthy Dukes Society. While it doesn’t quite match the brilliance of “First Love”, upcoming single “About Your Dress” only further augmented my love for the band, and I’ve got extremely high hopes for this lot in 2007.

MP3s:
“First Love” - The Maccabees ((highly recommended))
“About Your Dress” - The Maccabees
“X-Ray” (Filthy Dukes Society Remix) - The Maccabees ((highly recommended))
“X-Ray” (South Central Remix) - The Maccabees

Artist: Patrick Wolf
Location: East London, England

Patrick Wolf isn’t exactly a new artist, having already won over legions of fans on the strength of his first two impressive releases, 2003’s Lycanthropy and 2005’s Wind In The Wires, but with a new deal with Polydor-subsidiary Loog Records and an incredible new album, The Magic Position, slated for release later this month, 2007 could see Wolf break into the mainstream in spectacular fashion. While his first two releases carried a dark intimacy and morbidity about them, lead-off single “Accident & Emergency” (which came in at #38 on my Top 50 Tracks of ‘06 list) announced a new, poppier (and more mainstream friendly) Patrick Wolf with its unbridled optimism and sprightly instrumentation to match. The new album’s not all bouncy melodies and upbeat messages however, as is evident on his latest single, “Bluebells”, released on New Year’s Day of this year. The track is a haunting masterpiece, featuring dark piano work that recalls the intimate morbidity of his earlier work and soaring fireworks and explosions comprising a significant portion of the percussion, serving as a harrowing reminder of the dangers of modern society just as the sirens of “Accident & Emergency” did before it. Also breathtaking is album-opener “Overture”, which announces itself with booming drums and a beautiful strings section that underlies the track for the first three minutes before swirling and soaring into the spotlight in the song’s final minutes. Thus, with the strength of a major label behind him and an excellent LP due out this month, 2007 could very well be the year that Patrick Wolf achieves the massive mainstream success he’s always seemed destined for.

MP3s:
“Bluebells” - Patrick Wolf ((highly recommended))
“Overture” - Patrick Wolf

Artist: Air Traffic
Location: Bournemouth, England

Here we have Air Traffic, straight outta Bournemouth and primed to blow up the charts with their irresistibly catchy brand of piano-based indie-rock, the best thing to come out of that genre since Ben Folds and the Five were blowing up the spot back in the mid-90’s. Not only do they appear ready to do some serious damage on the charts across the pond on the strength of their music alone, but they’ve got the support to make it happen, as the quartet inked a deal with EMI last fall before the release of their brilliant Never Even Told Me Her Name EP. The title track off that effort succeeded in eclipsing their debut single, “Just Abuse Me”, an excellent track in its own right, which came backed by B-side “Charlotte”. That B-side has since gone on to bigger and better things however, as it’s set to be released as the band’s next single on March 26th and is available for download below as a Good Weather For Airstrikes exclusive. Sure, they’ve got potential to devolve into the UK’s answer to The Fray (see: “Shooting Star” below for proof), but for the time being they’re doing just about everything right.

MP3s:
“Never Even Told Me Her Name” - Air Traffic ((highly recommended))
“Shooting Star” (Demo) - Air Traffic
“Charlotte” (Single Version) - Air Traffic [exclusive]

Artist: Union of Knives
Location: Glasgow, Scotland

Whereas the artists above are all pretty much locks for mainstream success and further fame and riches (with the possible exception of Mr. Wolf), Union of Knives are a dark horse to reach the upper echelons of the British charts, but lord knows they’ve got the songs to make it happen. Angular guitar riffs drenched in undulating synths and pulsing drum beats create a unique dark electro-rock sound that’s a welcomed refreshment in the UK’s crowded (and played-out) dance punk (er, new rave?) scene. All in all, this adds up to what it might sound like if Sigur Ros and Radiohead got high as shit together and invited the Faint over for drinks and a synthesizer jam session, and then liked the results so much that they went ahead and released an album together. The closest thing we’ll get to that album is Union of Knives ‘2005 debut, the awesomely-titled Violence & Birdsong, and the undeniable highlight is dancefloor burner “Evil Has Never”, which will finally see release as a single next month. With a disco-ready BPM, that addictive “evil has never loved you” refrain, and catchy boy-girl verses courtesy of Jenny Reeves (who also appears on “Opposite Direction”), it seems like the track most immediately ready to roar out the gates and get the indie kids moving, and is likely the band’s ticket to mainstream success. However, an impressive deal with Virgin UK means that major-label-level chart damage is by no means out of the question, and don’t be surprised if U of K become one of the most buzzed-about electronic acts in the UK in the coming months. Oh and hey, it’s also worth mentioning that in a fairly surprising turn of events (considering the band’s rather low profile), “Opposite Direction”, my second favorite track from the group, was recently played on Grey’s Anatomy, which is, uh, interesting I guess.

MP3s:
“Evil Has Never” - Union of Knives ((highly recommended))
“Opposite Direction” - Union of Knives

Artist: WinterKids
Location: Peaslake, England

Odds are WinterKids will be a pretty polarizing group once they break into the public consciousness, what with their twee/indie-pop-meets-punk/emo sound, but you’ve got to admire them and all their self-sufficient, xylophonic glory. As an ambitious group of 18 and 19 year-old kids, the Peaslake collective started an indie club night in their tiny home town that rapidly became popular and immensely successful and eventually afforded them enough capital to pass on offers from countless British major labels looking to make them the UK’s answer to Fall Out Boy and start their own Little House Records imprint. They’re currently one of the UK’s best-kept secrets, but with more and more praise coming in from the British press and an imminent SXSW showcase likely to rocket them into a frenzy of buzz and hype, that likely won’t be the case for long. There’s definite backlash potential here due to the band’s Blink 182-gone-indie pop sound, but with two fantastic singles under their belt and an extremely impressive debut album, Memoirs, on the way in March, you should get ready to hear a lot more about these buzzworthy teenagers. I mean, xylophones, synthesizers, irresistible melodies, sing-a-long choruses, a hot female vocalist… there’s really nothing more I can ask for.

MP3s:
“Tape It” - WinterKids ((highly recommended))
“Two Nights, Two Days” - WinterKids

Artist: Cold War Kids
Location: Long Beach, California

From WinterKids we go to Cold War Kids, a band whose progress I’ve tracked from Day One on this here blog. I’ve covered them extensively in this space before, so there isn’t much more for me to do here than to state my prediction for them to see a significant amount of UK success in 2007 and maybe even break into the American mainstream. With the same label that engineered Gnarls Barkley’s rise to superstardom last year, Downtown Records, behind them and a sound favorably comparing to the raw soul and energy of the White Stripes, anything could happen for Cold War Kids in ‘07.

MP3s:
“We Used To Vacation” - Cold War Kids ((highly recommended))
“Hang Me Up To Dry” - Cold War Kids

Artist: Dead Disco
Location: Leeds, England

As their MySpace headline won’t hesitate to inform you, Dead Disco have been “slaying dancefloors and breaking hearts” since August 2005, and you need only spin their songs a few times and take a glance at the picture above to know they’re not lying in either regard. The dancefloor-slaying and heartbreaking should only continue on a much larger scale in 2007, as the ladies of Dead Disco prepare to force their way into the hearts and minds of the general public with an upcoming debut LP on the horizon and a hotly-anticipated third single due to be announced any day now. Unlike the rest of the bands on this list, however, Dead Disco do not [yet] have the luxury of a major label deal to ride to pop stardom, but with a sound that falls somewhere between the catchy angular riffs of Bloc Party and shamefully-addictive choruses that wouldn’t be out of place in a song by even the poppiest, most mainstream girl group, it can’t be long before you’re seeing Dead Disco’s name in lights every where you turn.

MP3s:
“Automatic” - Dead Disco ((highly recommended))
“The Treatment” - Dead Disco
“The Treatment” (Metronomy Remix) - Dead Disco ((highly recommended))

So there you have it: 12 big reasons to love 2007, assuming you haven’t already been loving 2007 for the past month-and-a-half. Be sure to check back tomorrow for 12 more great bands to watch for in ‘07, but maybe reserve your comments regarding who I overlooked until tomorrow, as I may well get to whatever band you think is the next big thing in my second installment.

WHOA. HOLD UP. STOP. ONE SECOND.

What’s that you say? “Ed Banger Records Volume 2 just dropped? And it’s got a shit ton of new unreleased hotness from the Ed Banger collective?”. More exciting words have not graced these ears since those 11 Bloc Party B-sides surfaced. Here are the two tracks that jump out at me right off the bat, though I have to say I wish one of them was the extremely intriguing “Golden Skans To Interzone” mix by So-Me, but well, it doesn’t really do anything, so yeah, maybe he shouldn’t quit his day job (as Ed Banger’s video artist-on-site) just yet. Anyway, below you’ve got NEW FIRE FROM SEBASTIAN in the form of “Greel”, as well as “Phantom”, the new Justice ish, which has been floating around for a while now but sounds better than ever at a sparkling 320 kbps. “Greel” features more of SebastiAn’s usual techniques (frenzied samples, lots of crazy-ass shit bouncing around the mix, piercing synths, some rapidfire percussion parts, etc.) and a newfound expansiveness borrowed from the Erol Alkan bag of tricks that lends it a supermassive quality not achieved in his previous work. “Phantom” can’t touch “Waters of Nazareth”, but it’s about as bad-ass a track as you’ll find and further validates Justice’s role as trailblazers in the field of electronica, and the new upgraded quality puts the track in a whole new light.

MP3s:
“Greel” - SebastiAn
“Phantom” - Justice

PREFACE: So I’ve had a few days to get my shit together and I successfully drove a car today (and remained earthbound the whole time!), so I figure it’s time to get things back up and running around here. Onwards and upwards then, and what better place to start than with my favorite band to come out of the UK since Guillemots (and yes, I know I’ve been giving that tag out a lot recently, but I promise I really mean it this time).

The Wombats have seized my very mind. Seriously, I absolutely cannot get enough of them. Falling somewhere on the spectrum between the accessible riffs and addictive hooks of We Are Scientists, the harmonizing prowess of the Futureheads (their album’s even got a closing a capella track) and blissful, indie-pop perfection, the Wombats write fun pop songs about cars, weddings, strippers and Sunday night TV (among other things). While the We Are Scientists comparison is a direct product of their guitar-rock trio status and the sheer immediacy of their songs, the bands have also followed similar career paths, releasing a flurry of self-released EP’s before dropping excellent (if a bit top heavy) debut LP’s. In the case of the Wombats, however, said debut LP is a 12-track stunner, though it’s been released by the band not as an official album, but as a mini-LP of sorts, the reason being the fact that nearly all of the material on the record has been previously released on either those four aforementioned EP’s or the band’s two recent singles. It was the more recent of those two singles, “Moving To New York”, that Lizzy first sent me last month, hailing it as the best thing ever. And fuck if she hasn’t done it again; sometimes that girl just gets things so right it’s ridiculous. So yes, “Moving To New York” just might be the best thing ever, at least if my iTunes Top 25 Most Played list is any indication, which “New York” has topped after only a month in rotation. Seriously, it’s like “Trains To Brazil” all over again.

Everything (everything) about this song is perfect – from the moment those rolling drums crescendo with a cymbal crash and the song roars to life to the closing seconds with that out-of-nowhere one-second twinkle noise that somehow rounds things out perfectly. That there are so many individual things to like about this song says a lot about the ability of the band’s three members – bassist Tord (The Fox), frontman Dan (The Rat - who also rocks the keys), and drummer Murph (The Dog), all of whom steal the show at one point or another in the song. The Fox’s adventurous bass line establishes its independence from the rest of the song by straying left and right, up and down and all over the map, while managing to remain a cogent part of the greater whole. The Dog breathes life into the track and sets the energetic pace for the entire song with that opening crescendo, while the Rat takes everything to new heights with that brilliant, soaring chorus (my favorite of the year? just maybe). Furthermore, all three contribute vocals on the song, evident in the group’s signature “ooh-ooohs” that underly the chorus, and it’s this three-headed vocal attack that make the Wombats so fucking good at what they do (more on that later, though).

In fact, everything is executed so perfectly on the track that it’s a wonder that it’s only the band’s second formally-released single, and one can’t help but get excited about the bright future the Liverpudlian trio have ahead of them. My only gripe with the track is that the version I fell in love with (which may be the demo – I’m not certain) is not actually the single version, rather the band went with a rougher mix that actually sounds more like a demo than my original version. I really can’t complain – it’s a brilliant song either way – I just prefer the polish of my version to the one found on the single.

While “Moving To New York” is the real show-stopper, it’s debut single “Lost In The Post” best exemplifies what the Wombats are all about. It opens with a hyperactive synth line reminiscent of the New Pornographers on a sugar high, and doesn’t let up until that shouty “signed! sealed! and lost in the post!” chorus hits about a minute in. But it’s neither the hard-hitting chorus nor the candy-coated synth lines that are the main attraction here. Rather, it’s that “Go to silent, go to silent, go go go!” bridge where the rest of the mix dies down to bring the trio’s heavenly three-part harmonies to center stage that seals the deal. And it’s on these three-part harmonies that the group really separate themselves from the rest of the pack. It’s like they’ve unlocked the secret to indie-pop perfection and are just showing it off in every way possible, and their debut mini-LP, Girls, Boys & Marsupials, is only further evidence of this principle in action.

Obsessed with “Moving To New York” before it even finished, I immediately began the search for more material from them, but was able only to turn up “Lost In The Post”. Thirsting for even more, I learned of Girls, Boys & Marsupials and let out a girlish yelp of glee, before discovering that it was released only in Japan and was available on import exclusively through Rough Trade in the UK. Thus, I got creative and convinced Jamie, one of our more awesome UK readers, to keep an eye out for it next time he was in the vicinity of one of the Rough Trade shops (and by “I convinced” I really mean, ” I sent him ‘Moving To New York’ and let it do the convincing for me”, which didn’t take long at all). He came through for us, and thus we have him to thank for this next track, which further shows off those killer back-up vocals at their very best. “Backfire @ The Disco”, as it’s called, revolves around the tried-and-true subject of dating woes, recounting a date that went horribly awry and and “backfire[d] at the disco” after our hero made an ill-conceived remark about his date’s “whorish dress”. It’s a great, if unremarkable, guitar-pop song for the first minute or so, before a lethal dose of “ooh-woo-ooh-ooh-ooh”s comes out of nowhere to smack you in the face harder than the protagonist’s female adversary herself. This pattern is continued to similar success throughout the rest of the album, and it’s one of the absolute best debuts in a year thats seen a lot of great, young UK bands fighting for the spotlight. It’s hard to imagine the Wombats not coming out on top - or at least doing some serious chart damage - in the new year though, as they’ve got their eyes on the prize and a flawless recipe for indie-pop success in their collective back pocket. Color me un-fucking-believably excited for their debut LP proper in 2007 and enjoy the mp3s below if you know whats good for you.

MP3s:
“Moving To New York” - The Wombats ((highly recommended))
“Lost In The Post” - The Wombats
“Backfire @ The Disco” - The Wombats

Yeah, I know I’m long overdue for my Christmas compilation this year, but it just seems a bit played out with every blog posting a reshuffling of the same few songs every year. Thus, I can’t really make any promises that 2006 will see a Christmas M3 come to light, but here’s an adorable little Christmas gem from the Boy Least Likely To. Seriously, just try to keep from tickling it’s stomach, it’s that cute.

MP3: “Little Donkey” - The Boy Least Likely To

Thinking back to the 1960’s (or in my case, thinking back to the early 90’s when all I listened to was the oldies I was subjected to by my parents in the car), one remembers the perkiness and bounce of American girl-pop bands like The Ronettes and The Crystals (for the purpose of this post, let’s get specific and keep “Be My Baby” and “My Boyfriend’s Back” in mind for reference points). However, fifty years later it’s an electronic-based duo whose sound best harkens back to the days of sock hops, drive-in movies and soda jerks (alright, The Pipettes do this pretty fucking well too but just go with it). In essence, Johhny Boy takes everything that made 50’s girl pop great and spiffs it up with modern bells and whistles, a slickly-produced glossy finish, some blissful boy-girl harmonies and a nice dose of Brit Pop thrown in there for good measure (the latter of which is no doubt at least partially attributable to Manic Street Preachers’ James Dean Bradfield’s production work on the album).

Johnny Boy first stormed onto the scene seemingly out of nowhere in February 2003 with their incredible debut single, “You Are The Generation That Bought More Shoes And You Get What You Deserve”, which proved to be as immaculate as it is lengthily-titled and even garnered the #94 spot on Pitchfork’s Top 100 Singles of 2000-2005 list, and it was said list that brought the track to my attention two years ago. An impossibly catchy fusion of soaring firework synths, church bells, those “Be My Baby” drums and dangerously anthemic choruses, “Generation”, managed to sound like nothing before it despite it’s fundamentally-derivative aesthetic. The track was re-released by Vertigo in 2004 to even more hyperbolic praise, and Johnny Boy - thought by many to be a flash in the pan and a surefire one-hit wonder - surprised critics with the remarkable quality of their follow-up single, “Johnny Boy Theme”.

“Theme” draws the listener in with a borderline creepy intro sampled from Mean Streets before hitting them with a barrage of percussion that comes in from seemingly every direction at once, overwhelming one’s aural pleasure centers like it ain’t no thing. Vocalist Lolly Hayes’ sugary vocals and precious delivery are remarkably endearing, and Hayes and band mate Davo share guitar duties as well as loop supervision, making for an extremely busy sound on most of their tracks despite their limited as a band. All this adds up to a decidedly-futuristic sound that somehow remains wholly retrospective at the same time, a unique blend of influences coming together to create a surprisingly cohesive whole. I could go on all day trying to peg Johnny Boy’s sound, but the band does a pretty good job describing it themselves, as “Church bells, boy-girl vocals, loops, twists, warps, walls of sound and edgy guitars combined to rekindle the idea of Sandista-era Clash having an, erm, shootout with Phil Spector”, an it’s exactly that Spector-tastic “wall of sound” effect that takes “Generation” and “Theme” to the next level as incredible singles. While their debut LP, which finally saw the light of day this past Spring, failed to live up to the ridiculously high standard set by the two initial singles, it’s still a great record and indicates that the duo have a bright future ahead of them.

MP3:
“You Are The Generation…” - Johnny Boy ((HIGHLY recommended))
“Johnny Boy Theme” - Johnny Boy ((highly recommended))

The most awesome thing about Johnny Boy? The fact that they have such a mastery of their sound that they can take their two greatest accomplishments as a band, completely remix and reinvent them, and still have them succeed on every level. Where the fuck did I get these? I really have no idea, but I can’t find them anywhere else, so think of this as an exclusive of sorts, even though I’m not going to formally tout it as such. Impressively, both remixes are really quite incredible and rival the originals to the point that they almost surpass them; either way they’re still highly recommended and you’d be wise to download them here as I’ve no idea where else these are available. If anyone can shed any insight on the source of these remixes or confirm that these are indeed self-remixes (I can’t see how they’re not though) I’ll be immensely grateful; let me know in the comments.

Bonus MP3s:
“Generation…” (Consumerismo Mix) - Johnny Boy ((highly recommended))
“Johnny Boy Theme (Dub Mix)” - Johnny Boy ((highly recommended))

UPDATED with a new bonus mp3 at the bottom of the post. It’s good; get on it.

Yeah, it’s finals week again. You know, that time of the semester when I actually have to buckle down and usually end up forgoing sleep for days at a time. Yeah, fun. Anyway, logical thinking would lead you to the conclusion that I would post less during this time, but I end up spending so much time listening to music in front of the computer while I work that I generally end up posting more, most likely because it allows me to take breaks from studying whilst tricking myself into thinking that I’m still being productive. I’ve got my History of Film final tomorrow at 2 PM, a ten-page German film paper due Monday and a six-piece digital art portfolio due the following week, so it’ll be a busy few days for me. Thus, this is just a preface to let you know that you’ll probably be getting a lot of posts in immediate succession today followed by a bit of a lull tomorrow, before things pick back up again on Sunday and Monday. So, without further adieu, I introduce to you my latest UK fixation, GoodBooks.

GoodBooks find themselves consistently tied to an “electronic” tag that’s a bit curious once one actually hears the band’s sound. The members do perform surrounded by a veritable fortress of synthesizers, keyboards and rhythm machines, but their sound remains one firmly rooted in guitar-based pop-rock. There’s also the misnomer that “electronic” means “dance” these days, so GoodBooks’ lack of immediate dancefloor compatibility is sure to throw some off as well. That’s not to say you’ll never hear GoodBooks on the dancefloor, as their electronic leanings and upbeat pop songs have proven to be highly remixable, evidenced by the excellent remixes of “Leni” that fluokids have thrown up over the last few days (here and here).

“Leni” happens to be their newest single, released last month as the title track of a three song EP-single, and it’s their most polished offering yet. While previous single, “Turn It Back”, remains my favorite track by the group to date, there’s a definite lo-fi feeling about it that prevents it from truly maximizing its potential and really affecting the listener. “Leni” avoids that problem, as do the rest of the tracks on that EP, with far more refined production that best makes itself known in the chorus’s fantastic ability to grab your attention as it drops away from the rest of the song trailed by that spiraling synth line. It’s that chorus that truly makes the song, and both of the aforementioned remixes frame it as the center of their respective focuses. “Leni” fails to match this excitement throughout the rest of the song, however, and ultimately suffers as a result. It’s this inconsistency that currently prevents GoodBooks from reaching their true potential, though each of their three singles have all hinted at an elusive excellence that’s yet to be fully realized. Thus, for the time being we must wait to see the direction that GoodBooks will go. “Leni” hints at a more refined, polished sound that suits the band well, but they need to establish a better consistency throughout their tracks and settle on a sound for themselves on which to concentrate their creative energy. As things stand now, GoodBooks find themselves in a tug of war between genres, with accessible vocals and a guitar-pop sensibility fitting of a mainstream hit like the Kooks or Air Traffic clashing with electronic tendencies and an undeniable remixability typically found in a dancier rock act. For now, enjoy “Leni” and their debut single “Walk With Me” below, along with free download-only second single and my favorite of the bunch, “Turn It Back”.

MP3s:
“Leni” - GoodBooks
“Turn It Back” - GoodBooks
“Walk With Me” - GoodBooks

GoodBooks teamed up with Mystery Jets earlier this year to release a special 7″ for the ‘Jets hit single, “You Can’t Fool Me Dennis”, on which the A-side was actually GoodBooks covering the Mystery Jets original. I can’t find this anywhere, so if you’ve got it I’d be forever indebted to you if you’d pass it my way. It’s available in the UK iTunes catalogue, but due to my entrapment within the United States I can do nothing more than to preview the song over and over again, hoping it will somehow wriggle free of iTunes grasp into my open arms. We all know that’s not going to happen though, so if someone out there can hook it up I’d be extremely grateful. Hit me up on AIM (screen name = DerekDavies) or shoot me an email if you’ve got it. And while I’m begging, I might as well see if anyone has an mp3 of Assembly Now’s “It’s Magnetic” out there. I can’t find this one anywhere either (except on UK iTunes of course), and I’ve got the AA-side to the single and the Luke Smith remix of the track, but I’m dying to get my hands on the original. (Thanks Sarah!)

Official reader of the month Sarah hooked me up with that Assembly Now track I asked for, so I might as well pass it on to you. It’s only the demo, but there’s really only a neglible difference between this and the final version as far as I can tell. Assembly Now have that Bloc Party urgency I love and some great lyrics on this track, so check it out.

MP3: “It’s Magnetic” (Apollo Control Demo) - Assembly Now