Deerhunter – Rainwater Cassette Exchange EP

Deerhunter - Rainwater Cassette Exchange

Modern musicians tend to get a bit of a bad rap for not being as prolific as their counterparts of years gone by. Bradford Cox and his mates in Deerhunter, however, give massive lie to this reputation. By my reckoning, since the start of 2008, they have released four albums between them (two under the Deerhunter guise, one as Atlas Sound and one as Lotus Plaza). As well as this, dozens of songs, virtual singles and EPs have been given away for free download on Bradford’s blog.

In spite of the accusations of a lack of quality control which have been slung at the band, their prolific outlook is welcome, as is their relaxed attitude to giving their music away. It’s exciting to be able to chart an artist’s progression so readily. And, as anyone’s mother would tell you, it’s a bit churlish to turn your nose up at something that’s being handed to you for nothing

The latest ‘proper’ Deerhunter release is the Rainwater Cassette Exchange EP. It opens with the title track which is an immediate example of the impact of Bradford’s recent Animal Collective fixation. The band take the underwater production feel of some recent Animal Collective songs and enhance it with a bassline which creates a real groove, making the song both woozy and stirring at the same time.

There’s something a bit child-like and heart-warming about the way Bradford’s influences seep into his band’s music. He’s clearly as much a fan as he is an artist. Where the genius of Deerhunter lies though is in their ability to create something completely original, in spite of wearing their influences firmly on their sleeves. … Continue Reading

Eels – My Timing Is Off/Fresh Blood

Eels - My Timing Is Off/Fresh Blood

Hurrah! Eels are back! In that respect it has been a long four years since the release of the epic Blinking Lights and Other Revelations.

In the vein of the afore mentioned Blinking Lights… and Daisies Of The Galaxy rather than the more distortion heavy Souljacker period, ‘My Timing Is Off’ tells a tale of bad luck and unfulfilled love familiar to most Eels fans from tracks such as ‘If You See Natalie’ and ‘It’s A Motherf**ker’.

The clean electric guitar and soft drumming make you feel immediately welcome, and E spins his yarn as if he’s the slightly drunk man on the bar stool next to you in a quiet bar.

He is unabashed in his lament however – “My timing is off/Sometimes that’s how it all works/Believe it or not/We don’t have choices in matters of the heart” … Continue Reading

Royksopp – The Girl And The Robot

Royksopp

For a short while there, it was looking as though Röyksopp may fall into that “band from that car/phone advert” category.

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Hockey – Learn to Lose

Hockey

You know when hip new bands get used in the soundtrack of US teen televisual waffle; you might for instance have seen Death Cab for Cutie make a fleeting appearance on The OC, or heard Paramore spring up for a few seconds on The Hills when Heidi dumps Spencer for the twentieth time? Well now it appears that a whole genre of generic indie is coming through to fill those ten to twenty seconds where a dash of music is needed to add to the ‘drama’.

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Banjo Or Freakout – Upside Down EP

Banjo Or Freakout

According to his MySpace, Banjo Or Freakout allows himself to record all his songs only once and then carries out post-production with cheap Mac software. It shows, in that all his songs have a certain ramshackle charm buried under the layers of ghostly fuzz and noise.

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The Breeders – Fate To Fatal

The Breeders - Fate To Fatal

Happy days: the Deal sisters certainly seem to have rediscovered their enthusiasm for music. Last year’s impressive Mountain Battles was only the second album the band had released since the breakout success of 1993’s Last Splash, but now hot on its heels comes this self-released four-track EP.

Much like Mountain Battles, it’s a mixed bag with no real overarching aesthetic. The title track is the most classically ‘Breeders’ track: a shambling, dizzying blast of lo-fi riffery which threatens to collapse in on itself, with the Deals alternating between drowsy crooning and tuneless bawling. It’s good fun to a point, the sense of disorder emphasised by the way the guitars seem at odds with the rhythm, but ultimately it’s not likely to stay in the memory long after the final note rings out.

Which is a pity, because things don’t get any better. ‘The Last Time’ has the distinction of featuring Mark Lanegan on vocal duties, but it won’t go down as one of his better collaborations: his contribution sounds almost phoned-in, which is no real surprise considering what he’s given to work with – little more than an unremarkable, ambling backing track that sporadically threatens to break into something heavier, but quickly retreats to its comfort zone. It’s more than a little reminiscent of the Jesus and Mary Chain’s ‘Sometimes Always’ – another track that featured a heavyweight vocal talent (Hope Sandoval) guesting with indie-rock royalty – but nowhere near as enjoyable, and that comparison is somewhat telling: much like the previous track, it’s as if the last 15 years didn’t happen. … Continue Reading

Wave Machines – Keep The Lights On

Wave Machines

This new single from Wave Machines annoys me, it really does. It seems to be an exercise in “how much can I make a song sound like it’s from an 80’s soundtrack?!” and the answer is, quite a lot, the song just isn’t very good.

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Fenech Soler – The Cult Of Romance/Airbrushed

Fenech Soler

I suspect that King’s Cliffe is lacking in great electro bands, but at least they have one, Fenech Soler. Incidentally, putting Fenech into your image search engine brings up a lot of pictures of a 1960s erotic actress, so just be careful if you’re at work.

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Tucker B’s – Jungle

Tucker B's

A new release from Tucker B’s, this lo-fi Australian band who, though formed in the last century, have not been massively prolific over the intervening years between 1994 and today. They have ramped things up a bit this side of the millennium though with two albums and an EP coming out in the last seven years.

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The Mission District – Heartbreaker

The Mission District

If image is nine tenths of a band, then The Mission District are truly a gift for record executives looking for the freshest faces around.

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