IF THE KIDS. Their sound is too cool. Way way too cool. If only more bands sounded like them.
'Life Is Now' features on a very pink Lacoste perfume advert, full of ribbons, a car and Alexa Chung, oh how I'm sometimes envious of the Chung. Everything about the advert I enjoy. You've probably seen it somewhere, sometime, some place. The song itself opens with a beginning that fades in, with a beat already 'pumping' and perhaps the sound of a car speeding up to something. Not all too sure on that one. It's full of simple electronics, and great guitar melodies. The chorus is crazily catchy, repeating the title of said song; 'Life Is Now'. I enjoy the foreign sound coming out in the vocals, it gives the song a different sound to it, a different feel almost. The song is most definitely perfect for the advert. It brings to mind a bright day in Paris, with a roaring and spontatious night life in the evening. Mazing.
Their other song 'Tell Me What You Want' opens with a chunky bassline, such a cracker. It drones on in the background for the rest of the song. It's got attitude, a roaring guitar in the pre-chorus and chorus, and it sounds completely different to 'Life Is Now'. Exactly what you'd want from a band, songs that are still great but oh so different to one another. Perfect.
I think KLAXONS coming back in 2010 perhaps made my year so much better. Including better live sets (not sure how they could've gotten better but they did), an addition to the band (the wonderful Andy Rossomando) and oodles more songs to chew on, it was like christmas came in August instead of December. I can't imagine where my year would've gone without Klaxons in it.
One of my favourite performances of 2010 must be Klaxons & Everything Everything at Bristol Anson Rooms, part of the Radio 1 Student Tour (21/10/10). Listen, enjoy. Can't get much better than this: Part 1 -
MURDERMOSTFOUL. First thing that popped into my head when I saw the band name was definitely interesting. Original and interesting, I like it.
When taking a listen to WRANGLE, what hits my ears first is the really catchy guitar that is heard throughout, and if i paused it then I would've thought that it would kick into some great indie tune. I'm glad I didnt pause, and I'm glad it didn't go into something so normal and so 'indie'. Very playful and fun electronic Metronomy-esque noises jump in bit by bit, defintely exciting stuff. What I mostly enjoy is the way it all fits together. Guitar, drums, melodica etc. It all goes so well so perfectly. I'm amazed how one man can put this all together, even with the help of one other. It impresses me greatly and makes me want to be able to make music like this myself...somehow some way.
TERTIAL. I'm not sure what it means or if it even has meaning. I'm sure it does though, just what I'm not sure of right now. The synth-y sound that goes on continously reminds me of a melody I once heard on an MTV advert, but this sounds soso much better. Yeah, take that MTV. Now from this song I also get that Metronomy influence coming through, definitely nothing bad about it though, especially if you're a big fan of Joseph Mount & co. This track is much calmer compared to WRANGLE, but still as exciting and as playful. I absolutely love it when it hits 2:38, it kicks back in from being all soft and a little quiet. I can't find one fault with TERTIAL, only barrels of win.
I would say that there are so many bands that have the word 'Crystal' in the band name, but I can only honestly think of two. Crystal Castles, who have that very reputation of being absolutely mental live because of the exciting lead singer Alice Glass. Then, there's CRYSTAL FIGHTERS. Strange, slightly dubstep-y, but extremely fresh. I like them alot. They remind me a bit of when Late Of The Pier first appeared on the music scene, where everyone enjoyed their different take to music, dragging in various genres. Both 'Follow' and 'Swallow' also have different sounds to them. No song on CRYSTAL FIGHTERS album 'Star Of Love' sounds the same I can tell you that. 'Follow' has such a catchy feel to the chorus, just something about it is so bouncy and flows so well with the rest of the song. 'Swallow' on the other hand, has eaten and forced down whole a little piece of 'Follow' whilst chewing on a bit of dubstep in there too. It's interesting, I haven't heard a track like it before, honestly. CRYSTAL FIGHTERS are a tough band to (if you had to) point a finger at a group of people who would like them, it's all a bit unpredictable really.
THE KABEEDIES have done it again. The lovely band from Norwich, signed to NRONE Records, are an energetic, buzzing and, in my opinion, the most exciting upcoming band around lately, gaining fans day by day, hour by hour. Their debut album 'Rumpus' always gets me out of my seat, I cannot get enough of it. Every song so individual to one another, so jolly and has such a chirpy mood to it.
With their most recent single 'Come Out Of The Blue', they've created something so upbeat, so melodic and bubbly that you can't help but dance to it, like most of 'Rumpus' but with something different, something with heart, something that will no doubt get you movin' & groovin'. I just can't help but wiggle those hips and sing along when it comes on. 'Come Out OfThe Blue' gives us beautiful harmonising and a definite catchy and cracking track to sink your teeth into, listen to continously and to wack on every playlist and/or CD for all to hear. From the very start of the song I can't imagine anyone not enjoying every part of it. The addictive and thrilling chorus of 'Come out of the blue, come out of the blue, and I will glue my arms around you' sticks in your head like superglue to your hand. Katie's vocals are strong and neat as are the rest of the band that sing perfectly alongside. The rhythm is infectious, so much so that you have to move your knees about and wriggle your whole body around to every bit of the song. This is a favourite, I fell in love with it from the very first listen and can't help myself but want to share it with anyone and everyone.
The b-side to 'Come Out Of The Blue' is a contrast. A slow, gentle and gracious song 'Milk'. Soft vocals accompany the kind and pleasant guitar melody. One word that sums it all up is just so utterly and so completely beautiful. The alternate harmonising of 'I grew, and still I grow into these shoes...' is delicate and delightful, elegant and exciting, graceful and grand. Too many verbs? The Kabeedies are worth every wonderful word that is written in that big book we call the dictionary.
Everything about this single brightens up my day, makes me smile. Makes me dance along to the fabulous beat of 'Come Out Of The Blue' and admire 'Milk's magnificent melody. Big big love for The Kabeedies, big big love.
KLAXONS. Well. What more can you really say? Most people know them for their 'day-glo' and 'nu-rave' days, the times when glowsticks were coming out of everyones ears and Klaxons debut was just about everywhere and exceedingly popular amongst young buzzing people. You can tell that album has definitely influenced many popular and upcoming bands that're around lately. But are they really over all that 'day-glo' and 'nu-rave'? You can't really tell by their recent new album 'Surfing The Void' but it's most definitely alot mature-er. They've gotten better; alot better I'd say.
Those 3 years since their debut album release, 'Myths Of The Near Future', have somehow passed so very quick. 'Surfing The Void' was way worth that 2-3 year wait for it though. I'm sure many people forgot about them or wondered whether they were still making music, but they doing just that. Klaxons were hid away making the wonderous and exciting new tracks that feature on said album, like a group of wizards cunduring up some mystical new potion for us all to love.
From the very first track you can tell that it's special. Their previous single, 'Echoes', left many people singing 'Echoes, from another world, turn horizons...' when pretty much no one knows what it means. I doubt the band even know themselves...maybe it just doesn't have a meaning? But it was damn right catchy, every single bit of it.
The second track which follows on is 'TheSame Space' which features lots of 'Ahhhhh's to begin with and in the chorus, then goes into a lovely James & Jamie alternating singing kind of thing. The bassline and drums together complete the song perfectly and it gives the song a somewhat undescribable sound, kind of like an average 'do do do do' pulsating sound however with the rest of the instruments and vocals it makes it so much more, so much deeper, so much greater. Definitely a favourite.
'Surfing The Void' is the third song on the album with the same name as the album. Personally, I think it should have been the very first song on the album to start it up, open it up with a bang with it's vicious and repeated shouts of 'Take in Mystica!', then going onto a higher sung 'Surfing the void, light as the guide, surfing the void' which goes together hand in hand with the shouts before. This song is definitely a powerful one, literally shouting at you, grabbing your attention. To say I love it is an understatement.
This soft, gentle and calm sounding song 'Valley Of Calm Trees' is just a trick. And by trick I mean that it sounds 'calm' at the start with the soft vocals accompanied with guitar, drums and simple keyboard notes but once it get's into it, it's a right cracker. Drums everywhere, the guitar melody is big, and the simple keyboard notes are still there, and that's just the chorus alone. It has that same 'do do do do' pulsatious feel to it like 'The Same Space' but it adds something different to it, something dangerous, something so utterly cool that only Klaxons would be able to come up with a track so extraordinary yet sounds so simple and only slightly ordinary.
The start of 'Venusia' sounds like something has come and landed, like a spaceship almost, which clearly goes with the album cover perfectly. The chorus sounds like they're all calling out, crying out infact for this 'Venusia' girl, thing, object? No one will know that's for definite. One thing that we may know though, is that it may be 'peculiar' whatever it is, as it states quite plainly in the lyrics. It's interesting though. Everything about the song is interesting, but it's not a strong track on the album that leaps to me, even if they're all crying out. Not great, but not terrible but it's one I may skip.
The siren. Yes. That siren then accompained by another mystical noise and then the racket of everything coming in to then quieten down. Yes 'Extra Astronomical'. Everything about it I love. Not a bad word to say. The chorus is vibrant and catchy with the repeated words of the very song title 'Extra astronomical', but that's not even the best bit. Oh my oh my. 'Approaching systems now visible, heading for no where near home'. It's got everything. It's my favourite part of this album. It's fisty, it shouts at you to listen and it does just that. It just leaves me wanting to listen over and over and over again.
Their next single, 'Twin Flames' is tres fantastique! Chorus as upbeat, catchy and normal for a single, it's not a song that I could imagine anyone hating. It's a song that I can imagine listening to over and over, never getting bored with it. I dont feel that love is a strong enough word for how much I enjoy 'Twin Flames'. The way James Righton sings 'Visible love' and 'Conducted love' just leaves me with oodles of goosebumps jumping out onto my arms. It leaves me almost speechless. It's got so much umph and power to it, it's just THAT good, but I think that's the way with his voice. Drawing you in, so you're just wanting to hear more. Spectacular sums up this track perfectly.
'Flashover'. It's big, it's bold, it's got gut. When it goes all quiet in the middle of the track, the vocals jump out at you saying 'Here comes the flashover' then going into it all again. All the noise, all the roaring, great big sound that is this song. 'Never seen before, others bring new dawns, imaginations opening, inviting us on board' when infact they're letting us into their imagination, opening the door to let us have that sneaky peak.
The second to last track on 'Surfing The Void' is 'Future Memories'. The title itself is quite confusing as you can't have memories of the future, but Klaxons are confusing, that's what makes their music so amazing and criptic. The chorus states that 'The futures in our memories, our past is just a guess'. This just shows us that it's all gone a bit backwards, on purpose of course. I mean isn't the past in our memories and our future just a guess? But no, not in the world we live in now, a Klaxons dominated world where upside-down is right way up and left is now the new right and so on. I like it though, it mixes it up a bit, makes it unexpected and new. At the beginning of the song, it almost sounds like they're giving you directions 'From a starting point, at the present time, follow a straight line, eventually we know that you'll end up behind.' Different. I like this alot too. Not bad Klaxons, you've successfully fried my brain with your backwards lyrics, feels like an opposite game.
Oh my gosh 'Cypherspeed' I love you. So undescribably good that it stands out from all the rest to me and is just too amazing for words. The upbeat chorus is so exciting and excellent, it sounds like Klaxons are taking you on a journey, even though they totally do with this album. The beginning of just the bass and the tap on the hi-hat is leaving you in suspense slightly, but only for a mear second. It builds up to something so big, so utterly thrilling that literally makes you wonder why hasn't something so pumping and electrifying been created until now. The keyboard leads it all in my opinion. I absolutely love it. Love it all! 'See, speed's set to PSI, to cypherspeed' also suggests that there's a journey being taken which goes completely with the speed of the music. I enjoy when it breaks down into the two syllable per beat section. It sounds quite like how you'd imagine robots to talk, but makes you think is it building up to something giant, something great when the answer, with Klaxons, will always be YES. It's a shame that's where the album ends. This song makes me want more, so much more.
They have literally pulled the cat out of the bag with this one...and dressed it up as an astronaut too. The artwork goes perfectly, hand in hand infact, with the many space themed tracks on this album. Klaxons are clever; too klever.
FICTION are my new (yet not really that new) favourite band lately. Hailing from south-east London and only existing for roughly only a year, they've spat out tracks that would make your knees wiggle like never before. 'Curiosity' talks of killing cats and putting them in boxes 'just to see what happens' because 'it's just a curiosity'. The lyrics are simple and catchy but still pretty gosh darn amazing which goes with the funky chunky bassline and the guitar waving in an out. Their other track on the single 'Curiosity' is 'Zebra Crossing' which is full of ringings of cowbells, beeping and buzzing and just everything you'd ask for baked into one delightful song at a perfect temperature. One thing i know is; I want to be in Fiction.
