How Come That Blood? Slight return.

From what remained of the post-volcano Whale Watching tour.

What Can The Matter Be?

Some days you really do just want to start worshiping the internets, and today is one of 'em. For one of the best music blogs there is, Delicious Scopitone, has released another fantastic free compilation of hazy, dreamy lost-pop songs. It comes with the strangest feeling that we've heard these songs before, a kind of creeping, nostalgic, washed-out déjà-vu...

Get it here.

Whale Watching Cancelled; How Come That Blood?

Written for Snipe

MP3: How Come That Blood?

NYC-based proto-folk innovator Sam Amidon is one of the many with touring plans grounded by the volcano Eyjafjallajökull in recent weeks; but Amidon, unlike some English tabloids, could never see Iceland as a villain. Amidon is one of the key players in the Bedroom Community scene, led by esteemed producer Valgeir Sigurðsson. The label's Whale Watching tour (also set to feature mercurial composer Nico Muhly, Ben Frost, and Sigurðsson himself) was due to arrive at London's Barbican last week but has been ashed off after months of meticulous planning.

Lucky then that we have Amidon's latest album "I See The Sign" to chase away the volcano blues. Another wonderfully natural combination of traditional folk music and striking contemporary arrangements, "I See A Sign" is one of the essential records of 2010 so far. Opening track "How Come That Blood?" is a dark tale of murder and confession told over shuffling rhythms and wandering string arrangements, and a perfect introduction to Amidon's world.

Listen to works by the Bedroom Community on their MySpace.

Incoming Transmissions

Download: www.thenationalstudent.co.uk/incomingtrans2

The National Student Newspaper have released their second free Incoming Transmissions MP3 compilation. This one features a wide selection that includes Brainlove artists Stairs To Korea and Bastardgeist and a host of weird and wonderful bands from all over the world. Good stuff.

Colorloss Record

MP3: Late Night

An eMusic find over a year ago, this particularly blissed out EP has continued to haunt and hypnotize me ever since. Reverby, shimmering melodies echo behind a fog of hazy noise, gradually phasing and rippling. Apparently, it's made up of four covers, although they're so deeply buried you'd be forgiven for not noticing. Late Night is right - when the blinds are down and things get still and quiet, this record comes to life like dreams in sleep.

Brainlove Festival Update! 5 Amazing Bands Added To Lineup!

Brainlove Festival 2010 offers a choice selection of the most exciting & creative new bands around. Here are five more reasons that you can't miss it.

Day tickets £12 / Weekend tickets £20 / on sale now!
Wegotickets: www.wegottickets.com/f/1515
Facebook event: tinyurl.com/brnlvfstvl

TRASH KIT www.myspace.com/trashkit

Colourful DIY new-nu-no-neu-tidal-wave band, on Upset The Rhythm, and fresh from playing Matt Groening's ATP Festival!

GOLD BLOOD www.myspace.com/goldbloodband

A ferocious genre-smashing musical bloodbath as seen in lots of too-cool-for-art-school magazines lately, as well as tearing it up all over London...

TRADEMARK www.trademark-online.co.uk

A rare live performance from one of the finest synth-pop bands ever to exist, playing classics and new stuff from their awesome At Loch Shiel EP.

SUDDEN WEATHER CHANGE www.myspace.com/suddenweatherchange

All the way from Reykjavik, Iceland, impassioned & awesome post-hardcore-post-emo-whatever-rock on the legendary Kimi label.

APPLICANTS www.myspace.com/applicants

Brainlove cohorts and purveyors of the finest cartoon pop'n'roll. And inventors of the reverse stage invasion manoeuvre.

Day tickets £12 / Weekend tickets £20 / on sale now!
Wegotickets: www.wegottickets.com/f/1515
Facebook event: tinyurl.com/brnlvfstvl

Brainlove, Kimi and Good Tape team up to hit the SPOT.

So. It's spring! And we want to get away from our desks and computers and worship what we're all about: music.

Three labels have a spring crush on each other.

Rising UK indie label Brainlove Records has teamed up with thriving exporters of Icelandic music Kimi Records and Danish champions of all things indie Good Tape Records and put together a showcase of independently released music at Denmark's Spot Festival 2010.

Spot is an annual festival that plays host to the best new music from across Scandinavia, with international guests. Bands playing this year include FM Belfast, Chimes & Bells and The Kissaway Trail, amongst many others. Previous years have seen early performances from breakthrough bands like Sigur Ros, Mew, Múm, Junior Senior and Raveonettes.

Each label has put forward one of their key acts to play live, culminating in a three-way showcase that will take place on Friday May 21st in Aarhus, Denmark.

Brainlove Records (UK) present:
Mat Riviere
www.myspace.com/matriviere


Kimi Records (IS) present:
Benni Hemm Hemm
www.myspace.com/bennihemmhemm


Good Tape Records (DK) present:
Murder
www.myspace.com/murderdk


More information on the festival's lineup, tickets, details etc can be found at: www.spotfestival.dk

Dark Poem

Phil Elverum of celebrated US cult act The Microphones plays London's Scala tonight under the guise of Mount Eerie. Formerly a side project, this incarnation has become his main focus following the release of their acclaimed black-metal influenced album "Wind's Poem" in 2009. This headline show at the Scala is the first chance UK audiences will get to hear the new set played in full; now touring as a full band, Mount Eerie have a show that allegedly involves an array of instruments, including gongs (yep, plural).


Support comes from No Kids and Bristol noise wunderkind Team Brick. Find out more or buy tickets on the website of the promoter - the ever-reliable Upset The Rhythm.

Listen: Stone's Ode