Amusia - The Brainlove Blog

Best of 2011: travels in pictures

2012-01-09T15:36:00.001Z

I was lucky to travel a lot in 2011. Life, work and music took me to some amazing places. Here are some photographs of some of my most memorable scenes and moments of last year, many of which will stay with me forever.

BRNLV11: A List of Beautiful Music From the Year 2011

2011-12-31T18:51:00.019Z

Hello! 7:56pm, December 31st, 2011. In a few hours, it's the end of the year. What better time to post an end-of-year list?

So: here are BRNLV's ten favourite albums of the last twelve months. From icy, weirdly spiritual techno to acoustic punk, from Scandinavian alt-pop to homegrown ambient soundscapes, each of these contains something very special.

Each comes with a standout track to listen to, and you can listen to them sequentially here on Spotify if you prefer not to watch video or get mouse-click related RSI. (Note: Gus Gus has been taken down from Spotify - maybe Kompakt were part of that dance music distro who pulled their catalogue. So no Gus Gus on playlist).

(nb. You may notice both albums released by Brainlove are present. That's because they are two of my favourite albums that came out this year. For a lot of record labels, signing and releasing is as much an extended form of fandom as a business arrangement. And if we hadn't released them, I'd still have given them both 10/10. So, I included them here, as seems fair and just.)

1. = Gus Gus - Arabian Horse Spotify
Dark, sensual, perfect Icelandic techno. Sung from the heart. A rare thing: an emotional, moving 'dance' album.

1. = Dad Rocks! - Mount Modern Spotify
Eleven beautifully humane and melodic songs about real life; family, domesticity and the modern world.

3. Austra - Feel It Break Spotify
Ostensibly a dark, danceable pop album, Austra's record reveals lyrical depth and hidden resonance on repeated listening.

4. Sacred Harp - Window's A Fall Spotify
An album quite unlike anything else, Window's A Fall is an elegant tumble of ideas.

5. Blanck Mass Spotify
Benjamin Power's solo album is rich with warmth, emotion and a sense of enveloping kindness.

Blanck Mass by Blanck Mass

6. David Thomas Broughton - Outbreeding Spotify
DTB plays the poet and the clown in a brave and rewarding collection, his best since the seminal "Complete Guide to Insufficiency".

7. When Saints Go Machine - Konkylie Spotify
Several striking high points make this sophisticated alt-pop debut something special. Arthur Russell influenced finale "Add Ends" is one of the songs of the year.

8. Planningtorock - W Spotify
A direct, complete, stylish art-pop album with a pleasingly limited palette revealing a clear vision.

9. John Maus - We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves Spotify
More unhinged, washed out, impassioned earworms from a man who's allegedly a professor of philosophy. In Hawaii.

10. Active Child - You Are All I See Spotify
Pat Grossi's debut is a grower that sneaks in above Future Islands due it's consistency, glossy texture and open-heart lyrics.

JHNBRNLV's gigs of the year:

15/02 - Zebra and Snake - Fisk og Vilt, by:Larm Festival, Oslo
25/03 - Kreatiivmootor - Tallinn Music Week
31/03 - When Saints Go Machine - Ja Ja Ja @ The Lexington, London
20/05 - David Thomas Broughton - Kings Place, London
09/06 - Future Islands - Upset The Rhythm @ Plan B, London
14/06 - Deerhunter - Slottsfjell Festival, Tønsberg
24/06 - Gus Gus - Kompakt Party @ ℅ Pop, Bootshaus, Cologne
24/07 - Portishead - I'll Be Your Mirror, Alexandria Palace, London
14/09 - Battles - Berlin Music Week @ Tempelhof Airport, Berlin
12/10 - Björk - Harpa, Reykjavík

And finally, a double-sided mixtape of BRNLV artists' songs and selections. See the tracklist (and who picked what) here.

Enjoy the music. See you in 2012.

John // BRNLV

David Thomas Broughton Announces UK Dates

2011-12-21T17:23:00.002Z

VIDEO FOR "ELECTRICITY": http://youtu.be/fp-Behi0IXI (Directed by Claire McArdle)

David Thomas Broughton has announced two rare UK live shows in London and his hometown of Leeds, on the 12th and 13th of January.

His mesmerising live show has become the stuff of legend: from his hypnotically strange, mannerism-packed stage presence, to his use of rape alarms, improvised props and unpredictable tactics, always to enthralling effect. His songs appear and retreat through a bed of looped sound both beautiful and jarring. Broughton is an engaging and startling performer truly like no other.

Broughton will play songs from his seminal debut, "The Complete Guide To Insufficiency", and the well-received 2011 follow up "Outbreeding", out now on CD and digital formats via UK indie label Brainlove Records. More information can be found here http://www.brainloverecords.com/outbreeding and here http://www.davidthomasbroughton.co.uk.

FREE MP3 - Ain't Got No Sole: http://snd.sc/tKawp9

Thu 12 Jan Brudenell Leeds
Wegottickets: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/148906

Fri 13 Jan Lexington London
Tickets: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/148954

Björk at Iceland Airwaves

2011-10-18T12:49:00.002+01:00

I reviewed some of Iceland Airwaves Festival 2011 for the Reykjavík Grapevine, one of my favourite music and culture publications in the whole world. It was a privilege to write for them, and my allotment of shows happily included Björk's Biophilia set at Harpa. CLick below to read the piece, and you can read my other two reports via the little author box at the bottom if you'd like to.

Brainlove Mixtape #8

2011-09-19T18:37:00.001+01:00

Brainlove Mixtape #8: sAddEnds by Brainlove on Mixcloud

Brainlove Release Debut Album by SACRED HARP

2011-09-12T14:24:00.009+01:00

"Window's A Fall"
released 05/12/11 on Brainlove Records

"Sacred Harp is an imaginary movie directed by David Lynch, where Billie Holiday, Deerhoof, Earth and Low are picking mushrooms with John Cage."
It's almost hard to believe "Window's A Fall" is the debut album by Norwegian four-piece Sacred Harp, such is the assuredness displayed throughout it's eight kaleidoscopic tracks.

From atonal blues to teutonic prog; from jazz tinged freakouts to delicate lullabies to arena-sized climaxes, the album writhes, seduces and entices, all the time refusing to be pinned down to a signature sound. A surprise hides around every corner, and the imagination and variety of "Window's A Fall" fills the imagination of the listener with colour.

In the past two years, Sacred Harp has inadvertently grown into one of Oslo’s favourite new bands. Their self titled EP, released in 2009, startled reviewers into bewildered praise and set off word of mouth that created widespread anticipation for what was to come next. After developing and polishing their extraordinary sound in the studio, they now present their debut album “Window’s a Fall”. Recorded and mixed by Bjarne Stensli (of Harrys Gym) and by Sacred Harp´s own Juhani Silvola, the record has one foot in the Norwegian rock aesthetic, but that narrow categorization doesn’t begin to cover their sonic breadth.

Sacred Harp is a four-piece band, comprising Jessica Sligter (vocals, guitar, keys), Juhani Silvola (guitar, bass, keys), Øystein Skar (keys) and Andreas Lønmo Knudsrød (drums). All come from the tight-knit community of Oslo musicians embracing experimental, free improvised music, as well as rock and alternative popular music, and they shamelessly blend and combine elements of their collective musical fancy into their endeavours. In fact, Sacred Harp, started out as an improv-trio, without drums, but soon they realized that their strength as a group lay in another direction. With Jessica´s expressive vocals and ability to create unique, strong melodies and lyrics, Juhani´s wide-ranging experience working in genres like noise, rock and folk music, and Øystein´s colorful pallet and versatility on keyboards, the trio found that in bringing together their strongest qualities they could construct powerful compositions and intricate arrangements. Sacred Harp found it’s fourth member in Andreas, the two-metre-tall anchor that creates a rhythmic foundation to their recordings and performances.

The music of Sacred Harp clearly reflects the eclectic mindset of the environment they sprouted from. As the title conveys, “Window´s a Fall” is an ominous record, inspired by the work of greats like David Lynch, Alfred Hitchcock, and also by regular TV, for example the TV series True Blood. Danger is always present, evidently or subtly insinuated, but it’s the uncertainty that it is exciting and enchanting. Their influences also lead to a combination of polished and freakish elements, tied in a highly cinematic and dynamic aesthetic. Needless to say, Sacred Harp´s music has great theatrical potential that makes their live show the ultimate Sacred Harp experience.

"Window's A Fall" comes out via Brainlove on December 5th 2011, in partnership with Trust Me Records of Oslo.

http://www.facebook.com/sacredharpmusic
http://www.myspace.com/sacredharpmusic

BRNLV Loves #2

2011-08-29T14:38:00.000+01:00

BRNLV Loves #1

2011-08-29T14:35:00.000+01:00

The National "APARTMENT STORY" from Banner Gwin on Vimeo.

New BRNLV Band: Bleeding Heart Narrative

2011-08-03T13:51:00.003+01:00

"Vintage tones and instrumentation - a truly enticing sound" - Clash
"Musically sumptuous and highly arresting... pulled off with an enviable sense of beauty and inspired musicality" - The Quietus
"Filled with lush instrumentation" - The Line Of Best Fit
"Satisfying and dramatic" - Breaking More Waves

Bleeding Heart Narrative are a London sextet who weave together beautiful sounds with a haunting intensity. As interested in textures and orchestration as they are with rhythm and melody, theirs is a distinctive and captivating style that never settles on a single genre or approach. In creating their own music, Bleeding Heart Narrative incorporate their more abstract influences into traditional song structures, applying pop sensibilities to them as they go. You might hear the shimmer of Tortoise or Steve Reich built into a song that could be played on an Arcade Fire-sized stage, or pick out a Battle-esque repetition in a Mogwai-sized crescendo - but it'll always be Bleeding Heart Narrative you're listening to.

Live, Bleeding Heart Narrative are inspired. Having been the loudest band at the Shhh! All-dayer (Cecil Sharp House), they attracted the biggest attendance of 2010 at the Daylight Music Sessions (Union Chapel); they've also soundtracked films & readings for the British Film Instute and Whitechapel Art Gallery, and performed at arts spaces like Cafe Oto, The Shunt Vaults and Bristol's Cube cinema, and at festivals such as Truck, Green Man and the Huw-Stephens-curated SWN.

"Bison" is their first release on Brainlove Records, and follows their acclaimed 2010 album "Tongue Tangled Hair". But there are long-standing links twixt band and label: BHN ringleader Oliver Barrett (also of Petrels) is currently working on new material with emergent BRNLV artist Mat Riviere, having played cello with him at Brainlove Festival 2011 and turned in an orchestral reworking of "The Give In".

LIVE:
Aug 7th Fat Out Till You Pass Out @ Islington Mill, Manchester
Aug 11th HOWL presents @ The Others, London
Aug 21st Green Man Festival, Wales
Sept 17th Southsea Festival
Oct 20th SWN Festival, Cardiff, Wales

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bleedingheartnarrative
Soundcloud: http://www.myspace.com/bleedingheartnarrative
EP PAGE: http://www.brainloverecords.com/bhn
Twitter: http://twitter.com/BHNnoise

Brainlove: Label News / New Releases / BRNLVFSTVL Film

2011-07-05T12:17:00.007+01:00

Recent Label News:
-----------------------------------
Three new CDs on Sale: http://www.brainloverecords.com/order
A film of Brainlove Festival 2011: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlS9SK8xveY
A new mixtape: http://www.mixcloud.com/brainlove/brnlv-mixtape-7
An interview in Bearded: http://www.beardedmagazine.com/features/article/label-love-brainlove
John starts an artist management company: http://projekta.co
Follow us on Facebook to get news like this: http://facebook.com/brainloverecords
-----------------------------------

Hello Readers!

I'm not going to do small talk, for once. Big talk only.

Brainlove tends to make only 5 or 6 physical releases a year, at most. I kind of think of them as special little artefacts, not just CDs like any other. Each one is brimming with magic, in it's own way, and each one means something. The manifesto of the label has long been "to support musicians exhibiting creativity, spirit, intelligence and imagination, regardless of genre, commercial potential, or technical ability. As such, Brainlove is a record label with artistic values at it's core".

I am certain that all of these releases fulfil these criteria, and I'm very, very proud to be releasing each of them.

Three new ones are now out to buy, here - http://www.brainloverecords.com/order

-----------------------------------

1) David Thomas Broughton - Outbreeding. A stunning proto-folk collection, with a 12 page lyrics & illustrations booklet by DTB himself.
LISTEN: http://www.brainloverecords.com/davidthomasbroughton

2) We Aeronauts - Chalon Valley EP. Four ambitious constructions, bright-eyed and bristling with youthful optimism, earthy folk and grand post-rock. This one is a short run of card wallets with very pretty artwork.
WATCH: http://www.brainloverecords.com/weaeronauts

3) Bastardgiest. A very very limited run of his album, on CD in hand-stamped card cases with lace and string decorations. Beautiful drones, a spine-tingling one-off voice, and bass-heavy melodies... gorgeous stuff.
LISTEN: http://www.brainloverecords.com/bastardgeist

-----------------------------------

Please do buy them. Postage is free in the UK and it's a huge help for our continued activities.

Thanks

John / Brainlove

-----------------------------------
Join / Follow / Friend Us:
http://facebook.com/brainloverecords
http://myspace.com/brainloverecords
http://twitter.com/brainlove
http://vimeo.com/brainlove
http://mixloud.com/brainlove
-----------------------------------

New BRNLV Cloudcast

2011-06-13T02:26:00.001+01:00

BRNLV Mixtape #7 by Brainlove on Mixcloud

DTB NYC

2011-03-16T23:56:00.001Z

Napoleon IIIrd: The Unknown Unknown

2011-03-16T08:43:00.001Z

As premiered at http://www.myspace.com

More: http://www.brainloverecords.com/unknownunknown

David Thomas Broughton - Outbreeding

2011-03-09T22:22:00.002Z

New Album Released May 23rd 2011 via Brainlove Records
May 20th London Show at King's Place Announced

"Dazzling" - Pitchfork
"Layer upon layer of musical quality" - The Guardian
"Haunting, fragile, full of tension" - Drowned In Sound
"Enthralling" - CokeMachineGlow

Experimental folk artist David Thomas Broughton will release a long-awaited new album, entitled "Outbreeding", via independent London record label Brainlove Records on May 23rd 2011. Featuring eleven songs that will be familiar to his loyal and ever-growing live audiences, "Outbreeding" brings together compositions written over the last couple of years into a compelling new collection.

As seen at festivals such as Primavera, End Of The Road and Green Man, and at his sold out 2010 ICA show, Broughton's famous semi-improvised live show baffles and beguiles; starting songs with beautiful refrains, he then engulfs them in feedback and noise, removing the layers one by one to reveal once again the beauty beneath. Elements of physical comedy and surreal interludes complicate things further. He will headline a special album release show at King's Place in London on May 20th, with further UK dates to be announced soon.

"Outbreeding" is at once raw, honest, playful and poignant, leaving the listener unsure of whether to laugh or weep - the exact kind of divergent response that has made David Thomas Broughton inspire such devotion in his fans and followers. For converts, "Outbreeding" is essential listening; for the uninitiated it's a perfect entry point yet into this magical body of work.

Album page: http://www.brainloverecords.com/davidthomasbroughton
DTB site: http://www.davidthomasbroughton.co.uk
Wiki Biog: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Thomas_Broughton

Hi-res Cover: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5140/5512576537_948eac0378_o_d.jpg
Hi-res Portrait: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5298/5513214656_10befa7274_o.jpg

Press Contact: john@brainloverecords.com

Five show-stopping moments I'll never forget

2011-03-05T14:16:00.005Z

From an unexpected ass-wiggle in a London Student Union, to a dazzling multimedia stadium pop show at a castle in rural France, to a band breaking bits of furniture over each other in Dudley, these are five performances that have stuck with me over the last decade.

1. David Thomas Broughton, Bandstand Busking, Arnold Circus, 02/08/09

David Thomas Broughton is a startlingly unpredictable performer. He's come up with a unique kind of performative improvisation, in which he impishly, self-destructively misbehaves throughout his set - starting out on Buster Keaton style skits such as walking over the back of a normal dining-room chair as a it falls to the floor, or undermining the seriousness of his songs with bouts of beat boxing and rapping, or throwing dramatic Elvis-style shapes at the front of the stage while his loops slowly deteriorate in the background.

At a Bandstand Busking session a couple of years ago, Broughton was on brilliant form. He chased the cameraman around the bandstand mid-song in a game of cat of mouse, coiling his guitar wire around the mic in doing so; stopped mid-song to self-consciously rub imagined dust off his clothes; started a dictaphone running, but had nowhere to put it down, and so grasped it between his chin and shoulder as he played. It was never going to work, and he knew it - the tape machine clattered to the floor and smashed into pieces. It was a moment of intentional self-sabotage that snapped the crowd out of the soporific trance that acoustic music can create. With the crowd's full and focussed attention, it's even easier for DTB to break hearts with the imperfection and poignancy of his songs.

2. Michael Gira / Angels Of Light, ULU, 26/05/05

I'd never heard Angels Of Light before, and was in fact at this show to see the first UK performance by the support. Michael Gira, the band leader and frontman, sat in a chair front and centre playing acoustic guitar and giving a gravitas-laden, growling performance. At the peak of one song, he started gurning and grinning and stood up from the chair. In a manoeuvre that was surreal and discomfiting, he stumbled to forwards a step or two, turned his back to the crowd and started shaking his ass from side to side, like some drunken uncle at a family event that clambers onto the table, three sheets to the wind. For all of the seriousness and weight of the music, it was this simple act of inappropriate mischief that brought the performance into the moment, punched through into my memory, and illuminated Gira's attitude towards being on the stage, somehow.

3. Kevin Blechdom, OUR AURA HOUR, Berlin, 12/07/05

A truly strange and brilliant show in Berlin. Kevin Blechdom put together a night of all-stars from the Berlin art-music community in a lean-to DIY space to celebrate the release of her weird but wonderful album "Eat My Heart Out". It was the first time I saw Planningtorock, who would later release a 7" on Brainlove, towering over the crowd like an operatic mannequin come to life. Max Tundra played a set of breakneck speed pointillist pop. Kevin Blechdom came on last, and played a set of bizarre, hysterical songs about breaking up and breaking down, desperation and obsession. At the finale, she stripped off from the waist up and produced from a huge animal heart, proceeding to caress it, hug it, hold it up and ultimately cast it into the crowd. In turns horrific, surreal, funny and gauchely confrontational, it was an unforgettable moment that successfully communicated the insane emotional turmoil the show and the album were based around.

4. The Flaming Lips, La Route Du Rock, France, 15/08/10

The Flaming Lips have built their career around providing a huge live spectacle. At La Route Du Rock, their incredible show clicked somehow - the right time of the night, the right mood in the crowd and maybe the alignment of some faraway suns; from Wayne's entrance in an inflatable bubble to the eye-shattering digital show, jets of smoke, giant balloons and plume of streamers and confetti throughout, this was, put simply, the gig of a lifetime. The best film I found of it is shaky, distorted and shot through the crowd, but it fully captures the full noise and thunder - The Flaming Lips is about being there and surrendering yourself to what's happening, and this is as close as you can get on YouTube.

5. Queen Adreena, Dudley JBs 15/11/02

Katie Jane Garside of Queen Adreena became quickly infamous for her strange performances. Set against buzz-saw guitar lines and heavy bass, she writhed onstage, tearing at her clothes, smudging her makeup into a rictus clown face, thrusting the microphone between her thighs, teetering on chair and barging into her bandmates and audience members, dripping with wine and sweat. At one point she seemed to lose it completely, breaking a chair over the back of her guitarist, who tried to hide his shock. It was hard to tell if this was over-the-top theatre or genuine cathartic emotional trauma, and the combination of overt sexuality, vulnerability and unhinged ferocity was strange and unforgettable.

We Aeronauts Take Flight

2011-02-13T08:31:00.002Z

"Larger than life orchestral, hymnal masterpieces." - The Fly
"Dazzling" - Clickmusic
"Joyful" - Drowned In Sound
"A genuinely exciting find" - CMU Music Daily
"Fun, positive, uplifting... they leave the audience with smiles outside and inside." - Simon Raymonde, Bella Union

Oxford 8-piece folk arkestra We Aeronauts are pleased to announce their debut release on Brainlove, "The Chalon Valley EP", to come out on a beautifully artworked ltd. edition gatefold CD this April 4th.

The story of this EP began when the eight old friends piled all their instruments into a car and took off into the French countryside for a holiday together. Inspired by their blissful surroundings and the once-in-a-lifetime moment they found themselves in, they started writing songs about the area - from the endless bike-rides they took around the Chalon Valley, to the days spent in the sun down at the nearby lake, to the foothills of the Alps on the horizon.

The EP came together slowly over the two years since then, as the band's endlessly itchy feet dispersed them as far afield as Serbia, Spain, India, Mongolia and Canada; but recording sessions and rehearsals happened when the Aeronauts landed in the same place. The final piece of the puzzle was the addition of a choir to "Alpe d'Huez", recorded in Oxford's spectacular Christchurch Cathedral.

There have been other victories along the way: the band won the Green Man Poll in 2009 with over 90,000 votes cast, and a panel stage judged by industry luminaries including Simon Raymonde of Bella Union. As their prize, the band opened the festival's main stage, introduced by Huw Stephens of BBC Radio 1. The band played three times at the Iceland Airwaves festival in 2010, and brought down the roof with a headline performance at London's legendary Shunt Vaults. We Aeronauts are also the first band ever to be asked back to Oxford's BBC Introducing for a second live session after winning the "Best Track of the Year by a Local Artist" award.

This EP is where the story is up to just now: but as everyone who's engaged with this most special of bands knows, the past is prologue, and their story is just beginning.

Feb
15 The Social, London, Huw Stephens Introducing w/ Young Buffalo
24 Cellar, Oxford w/ Cat Matador

March
01 Purple Turtle, Reading w/ Cat Matador
04 Labour Club, Northampton w/ Cat Matador
19 Mr Wolf's, Bristol w/ Cat Matador
22 Dublin Castle, London w/ Cat Matador
25 Cellar, Oxford *EP Release Party*
26 Central, Nottingham w/ Cat Matador

April
22 Bullingdon Arms, Oxford w/ A Hawk and a Hacksaw

http://www.myspace.com/weaeronauts
http://www.facebook.com/pages/We-Aeronauts/13443086965
http://twitter.com/weaeronauts

Bastardgeist - Cabbageheads

2011-02-07T15:24:00.001Z

Iceland Airwaves Festival, October 2010. We set out towards the lava plains from central Reykjavik to film a session, in the soaking rain. A friend had emailed us the bus route to take. There was an old American couple at the bus stop, going the other way. They seemed so relaxed and happy, absorbing everything around them - that unique, inexplicable feeling of peace that falls over you in Iceland. We were on the bus for an hour, watching the buildings come and go and the landscape distorting through the watery windows. Ours was the final stop, just past a row of low bungalows at a half-finished commercial park, piles of bricks and lean-to sheds sticking out of the mossy black lava. A small child on a bike weaved in and out of the spots of colour - this was his back yard. We walked for a couple of minutes, into the part of the map that is blank, and set up the camera. Joel and Ruth's voices sounded beautiful and vivid, with the rain getting heavier and crackling onto the ground around us. Afterwards, we saw the hourly return bus pull up on the gravel road, and ran towards it, waving wildly, like three soaked mad people running out of the wilderness towards civilisation.

http://www.brainloverecords.com/bastardgeist

Albums Of The Year 2010

2010-12-20T13:20:00.011Z

2010 seemed to me like a year of cult bands, for me. The marquee releases didn't really shine. The Arcade Fire's third album was flabby and overwrought, underlining again their inability to properly follow up their classic debut. Kanye West? I didn't listen, and can barely bring myself to engage with it despite the critical frothing. But it was easy coming up with a list of twenty brilliant albums, several of which are debuts. Including Brainlove albums is unsporting; so no placing for Mat Riviere's Follow Your Heart, Napoleon IIIrd's Christiania or Pagan Wanderer Lu's European Monsoon, all of which would be in the top ten otherwise, of course.

10. Darwin Deez
NYC guitar-pop, like a doe-eyed Strokes with a drum machine, a sweet disposition and a sense of fun. Lightweight stuff, but done so perfectly that you can't help but adore it.

9. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
Bradford Cox dips into his songwriting memory box and pulls out a series of songs that read like a muso's tribute to his favourite music of the previous 5 decades. HIs body of work keeps getting better. Bradford Cox is a musical icon developing before our eyes.

8. Caribou - Swim
Caribou went electronic, exploring the ground between the mechanical rhythms of dance music and the organic, shimmery analogue sound of Andorra. Cropped down from hundreds of contenders, each song became an artefact, the set characterised by a scholarly attention to detail.

7. Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me
Following up her iconic album "Ys." was never going to be easy, but Joanna Newsom pulled it off with this sprawling collection of kindly, poetic melodies.

6. Field Music - Measure
A brilliant accomplishment of a record that sounded like a lost AOR classic. Inventive, engaging, sprawling, and practically perfect in every way. So good, I'm freshly surprised on each listen on the sheer musical quality on display.

5. Trouble Books - Gathered Tones
Radiating sonic warmth and character, Trouble Books' second was another engaging and endlessly likeable series of heartstring-tugging short stories and reassuringly familiar everyday scenes. The polar opposite of punk rock.
Trouble Books - Parking by snipelondon

4. Meursault - All Creatures Will Make Merry
Lo-fi emotional folk (lolemolk) music with electronic flourishes, autobiographical lyrics and spellbinding vocals.

Meursault - Crank Resolutions by snipelondon

3. Beach House- Teen Dream
A caring, understated record full of mild poetry and enticing melodies, made great by the seam of human warmth that runs through every song.

Beach House - Norway by sxeseis

2. Future Islands - In Evening Air
A theatrical, histrionic vocal delivery fronts songs that cover the ground between Joy Division's tense basslines and Xiu Xiu's cracked keyboard sounds. A singularly odd and brilliant band who've pulled off something really special with this album.

Future Islands - Walking Through That Door by snipelondon

1. Sam Amidon - I See A Sign
American folk songs and murder ballads made humbly brilliant by Amidon's inimitable, reedy, cracked voice. Arrangements and accompaniment by Valgeir Sigurðsson and Nico Muhly certainly don't do any harm, and the curveball R. Kelly cover is a stroke of genius, bringing the past-and-present element into sharp focus. Like Future Islands, Amidon mixes a healthy sense of absurdity with subject matter of gravity, and in doing so manages to bring to bear the perfect everyday heartaches of the great American blues singers.

Daily MPfree: Sam Amidon - How Come That Blood by snipelondon

Honourable mentions

Yeasayer - Odd Blood
One of the alt-pop records of the year from the contrivedly on-trend NYC quartet.
Ariel Pink - Before Today
More acid-fried retro oddness.
Jonsí - Go
An Inspiring collection from Jonsí, much of which is in Nico Muhly's handwriting.
Everything Everything - Man Alive
Most of the catchiest songs of the year were on this tightly written indie album.
Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
A mature album from a very young band. Great songs in the surf & shoegaze mould.
Zola Jesus - Stridulum II
Alt-pop queen in waiting with a huge voice and an artistic sensibility.
Best Coast - Crazy For You
Loveable, fuzzy, feel-good guitar-pop from Beth Cosentino.
Liars - Sisterworld
Now veterans, Liars latest is a tense, explosive record.
SALEM - King Night
Epic, oppressive, gothic dance music.
Marnie Stern - Marnie Stern
I somehow haven't listened to this yet. I bet it's gonna be awesome though.
Warpaint - The Fool
A grower. Low key, minimal, post-XX tunes.
Perfume Genius - Learning
A beautiful, vulnerable autobiography of a debut record.
Sufjan Stevens
Mind-bending, disorientating brilliance shot through with memorable moments.
The National - High Violet
Sometimes sublime, sometimes drab as hell, the National's high points are worth the perseverance.

Napoleon IIIrd - MTFU / Rough Music Session / Koko Shot

2010-11-20T22:23:00.001Z

Napoleon IIIrd - MTFU by brainlove

Bastardgeist album Airwaves release on Gogoyoko

2010-10-12T00:26:00.002+01:00

Get it exclusively from the Icelandic download site.

BRNLV article in Reykjavik Grapevine

2010-10-11T10:29:00.000+01:00

On The Stereo

2010-09-12T12:57:00.001+01:00

Written for The Music Magazine

Future Islands
Post-The Wire, Baltimore is probably more famous for heroin and corruption than it's alternative music scene, but Dan Deacon's Wham City Collective (of which Future Islands are a part) are putting the city on the map for other reasons. Their 2010 album 'In Evening Air' is one of the records of the year; broody, simmering art-pop that nods to Joy Division and Xiu Xiu, but with a histrionic vocalist that come across like a desperately heartbroken cabaret singer. Brilliantly strange, and UK-bound this month.

Future Islands - Walking Through That Door by snipelondon

Sam Amidon
NYC folk singer Sam Amidon released an album of timeworn American folk songs this year named "I See The Sign". Appalachian murder ballads, ruminations on life and death and unusual takes on the love song are all present, and in Amidon's hands seem to take on extra dimensions, partly due to some fantastic production and arrangements by Bedroom Community's Valgeir Sigurðsson and US composer Nico Muhly. But, as always with Amidon, there's a gleam in the eye and a spanner in the works - "Relief" turns out to be an R.Kelly cover, plucked out of context and made just as beautiful as the rest.

Sam Amidon - Saro by snipelondon

Active Child
One of those acts ubiquitous in the blogosphere but pretty much unknown elsewhere, ex-choirboy Pat Grossi creates a rich mixture of 80s-derived synth-pop with shimmering production and live harp and keyboard. But the main event is his voice - a high falsetto that manages to be both camp and other-worldly. His Curtis Lane EP is doing the rounds now, available on MP3 or as a handsome 10" record.

Active Child - She Was a Vision by snipelondon

Former Ghosts
An underground supergroup of sorts, Former Ghosts consist of Xiu Xiu frontman Jamie Stewart, Zola Jesus originator Nika Roza and former This Song Is a Mess But So Am I member Freddy Ruppert. You can probably imagine what it sounds like from that: dark, harrowing, minimal electronic backdrops with a lead vocal that borders on hysterical. Brilliant.

Former Ghosts - In Earth's Palm by snipelondon

Darwin Deez
Darwin Deez are an implausibly fun NYC indie-pop four-piece fronted by one Darwin Smith - a gangly, good-natured party dude with an ear for a catchy melody and a gift for endearing, simply-crafted pop songs. The debut album seems to consist entirely of potential hits - you want to cheer each time another song begins. Live, the band take breaks to have dance battles and carry out routines to disco classics, making each performance half live and half DJ set. Great stuff, and mainstream-bound.

Darwin Deez - Deep Sea Divers by LuckyNumberMusic

Bastardgeist
I've been glued to the (as yet unreleased) debut album by our newest siging at Brainlove, Chicago-based Bastardgeist. Spooky chimes float around heavy, pulsing bass, with Midden's spectral falsetto in the foreground. Some songs are built around orchestral loops, but layered up and echoing with live accompaniment to magical effect. He's playing at Iceland Airwaves this year, and hopefully we'll have him heading to the UK soon.

Bastardgeist - COPS by brainlove

Fang Island
Yet another NYC-based band, Fang Island perhaps fill the space left by recently split funcore merchants The Mae Shi, presenting technicolour, anthemic rock-slash-pop fun with electronic squiggles and plenty of breathless shouting and ridiculous harmonized guitar noodling. Euphoric.

Fang Island - Daisy by snipelondon

Zola Jesus
I wrote about Former Ghosts, but I have to cover Zola Jesus as a solo entity. Mercurial 21-year-old Nika Rosa Danilova sttarted to learn opera singing as a kid, which might go some way to explaining her explosively emotional voice - seeming channeling more than she knows what to do with, Nika paces the stage relentlessly during live performances, barely looking up from beneath her mop of bleach-blonde hair. Her gothy art-pop sounds oddly familiar, like a collection of lost 80s number ones. Entitled Stridulum II, a collection of her newer songs is out now.

Zola Jesus - Night by snipelondon

Introducing: Bastardgeist

2010-08-30T20:03:00.001+01:00

INTRODUCING: BASTARDGEIST

New Napoleon IIIrd Album

2010-08-03T18:26:00.001+01:00

Hear a snippet from Napoleon IIIrd's new album "Christiania" and sign up to get the opening track for free here.

BRNLV MPfrees!

2010-08-01T14:44:00.000+01:00

CAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

2010-07-26T15:56:00.004+01:00

Lots of good music in the new Snipe...

2010-07-26T13:36:00.001+01:00

Grum

2010-07-07T16:08:00.005+01:00

Written for The Line Of Best Fit

Anyone who grew up with 1980s chart music is going to find something familiar in the feelgood pop sound of much-hyped Scottish producer Grum. His brilliant debut album "Heartbeats" is a devoutly retro twelve song collection of 1980s revivalist should-be hits, with traces of 90s big-beat influence and squiggles of 00s Ed Banger synth bringing it up to date.

Known to his mum as Graeme Shepherd, the 24-year-old Scotsman's nom de guerre apparently comes from his grumpiness during his university years. But there's a simple joy in these razor-sharp productions that suggests his downbeat demeanor might have come from too many hours spent in front of Fruityloops. Shepherd is on the record saying that he's more music geek than club kid, and as a result his record is melody-based in a way that many dance producers neglect, packed with super-catchy motifs and perfect key changes. Title track "Heartbeats" is an exhilarating 3-minute rollercoaster of beepy saccharine dance. Hyper-retro pop song "Turn It Up" could be lifted directly from the opening credits from a John Hughes teen movie, seemingly taking pleasure in the absolute lyrical clichés it employs.

Grum is less self-consciously mainstream than Frankmusik, less of a work-in-progress than the mercurial frYars, and less arch than Chromeo - it feels like he has genuine love for the canon he's drawing on. Every song on this album is fully formed enough to be released as an anthemic chart-storming single in it's own right.

"Heartbeats" is an intoxicating sugar-rush of dance-pop mini-anthems. I'm not sure if this kind of pop music actually manages to communicate that first-love feeling more clearly than any other genre, or if it's just my teenaged former self perking up his ears, but this record brings to mind first-date butterflies, pounding hearts and summer-night excitement more clearly than anything else I can think of. This is 'going out music' that's way better than anything they'll be playing at the club.

Snipe Machine

2010-06-27T00:59:00.000+01:00

The Snipe blog is on Hype Machine now :)

Get this widget →

Amusia paused / RSS Feed for the Snipe blog

2010-06-25T16:16:00.003+01:00

Hello dears. I'm mothballing Amusia for a while, as all my attentions are currently going into daily articles for Snipe.

Add it to your RSS feed with this: http://snipe.at/rss/?section=music.

Thanks darlings.

JBX

Out Today: Pagan Wanderer Lu - European Monsoon

2010-06-14T17:26:00.006+01:00

THE NEW ALBUM!

MP3: iTunes / Amazon / play.com / 7digital

CD: BRNLV shop / Amazon / play.com / Norman Records

Out Today: Stairs To Korea - Paul, Is This How You Wanted It?

2010-06-14T15:57:00.010+01:00

The New Single - Out Now On iTunes

Also available on: Play.com / Amazon / boomkat

On Snipe: Daily MPfrees selected by meyourhost

2010-06-09T11:17:00.003+01:00

The ol' blog has been slightly quiet of late, you may have noticed if you're a regular reader. Well, it's because I've started a feature called Daily MPfree over at Snipe and it's taking up what little time is available for writing...

But the upshot is, you can get a free song a day from now on, with a playlist for songs that go live during each issue of the paper. Bookmark it...

Snipe MPfrees - Issue #1 by snipelondon

Snipe MPfrees - Issue #2 by snipelondon

Daniel Bjarnason - Processions

2010-06-02T18:40:00.004+01:00

Written forThe Line Of Best Fit

Okay, I'm gonna come clean: I volunteered to review this record because I love the Bedroom Community label, and I'm interested in all things Icelandic. Little did I realise I'd be signing up to spend hours staring at a blank screen as I slowly realised the depth of my ignorance on the subject of contemporary classical composition. Sure, I know a little about some of the big hitters - Xenakis, Reich, Messiaen. I listen to bands that flirt with classical style if not structures; Final Fantasy, Sufjan Stevens, Simon Bookish. But the lack of words forthcoming after listening to Daníel Bjarnason's unarguably accomplished "Processions" felt... a little like vertigo, to be honest.

Which is probably quite fitting, as Processions is a thoroughly uneasy affair. The composer, who shares the Bedroom Community label with the mercurial Nico Muhly, has a knack for twisting arrangements into counter-intuitive, teetering structures that never afford the listener time to get comfortable. The sounds seem to jar against each other, creating a nervy tension that permeates the album. The first two tracks of the first movement (entitled 'Bow To String') could soundtrack Jack Nicholson creeping around that huge abandoned hotel in The Shining slowly losing his shit.

The second movement, Processions, starts with a grand flourish but still maintains an awkward tension, reeling and spinning, punctuated by dizzying smashes of percussion. I can only imagine the imagery going on in Mr Bjarnason's head at this point, despite the inherently cinematic feel of his music. Moments of calm creep up but don't last long, creating a constant sense of disorientation; danger, even. When a motif does recur it's in fractured, twisted shapes and shadows that continue to restlessly explore - there are ever more possibilities within this utterly impressive work.

The final piece, Skelja, is based around plucked string harmonics, groaning undertones and feedback; it sounds almost like Hitchcock exercising his gift for building tension, via the harp instead of the screen. Feeling both entranced and endlessly disturbed, I don't know whether I'd rather throw this nervy album into a lake or buy it on super heavy vinyl. Maybe you'll have more luck deciding yourself.

Ain't no party like a

2010-06-02T18:13:00.002+01:00

Brainlove Release Party! All the info is right here on Facebook.

Brainlove Festival Headliners DRUM EYES offer a free download from their album GIRA GIRA

2010-05-25T13:02:00.001+01:00

MP3: 50/50

An exclusive track from the forthcoming Drum Eyes album Gira Gira! The accompanying spiel says it pretty well: "It’s a real triumph of an album and finally sees DJ Scotch Egg make an album deserved of attention not only from his loyal fanbase but far and wide across the metal, ambient and electronic worlds of modern music, it’s an album that obliterates genres with pride and grace, whilst remaining true in it’s identity and ability to lodge in your mind."

Drum Eyes headline Brainlove Festival 2010 this weekend.

Drum Eyes - 50/50 (Upset The Rhythm Records) by brainlove

How Many Boyfriends?

2010-05-25T13:01:00.004+01:00

MP3: I Don't Like You (Coz You Don't Like The Pastels)

To-cool-for-art-school indie-pop upstarts This Many Boyfriends have released a taster from their forthcoming EP "Getting A Life With This Many Boyfriends". It's a song with a massive possible double-meaning in the chorus that singer Richard says was unintended, so we're left not knowing whether the song's protagonist likes it's subject or not. You'll have to guess.

Order the EP, with badges and a fanzine, from Thee SPC here.

You're at your best in casual evening wear

2010-05-18T12:26:00.004+01:00

Released on Brainlove June 14th.

"Your New Favourite Band Is Here" - BBC Introducing

Live
14th May - Cargo, London (w/ Left With Pictures)
27th May - The Camp, London (w/ Napoleon IIIrd)
30th May - Brainlove Festival @ The Windmill (w/ Drum Eyes, David Thomas Broughton etc)
15th June - The Old Blue Last, Single Release Party (w/ Pagan Wanderer Lu)

Stairs To Korea, aka Anglo-Icelandic singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Will Vaughan, is to release his third single this June 14th. An earworm ditty that's perfect for the onset of summer, "Paul, Is This How You Wanted It?" continues the drip-feed of accomplished, memorable pop songs from the vaunted Stairs To Korea live show.

Under the sunshine of the tune and the sparkling production "Paul.." tells a gradually unfolding story, but Vaughan is keen to state that it's not documentary. "I used to live with a Paul but this isn't about him, for the record," Vaughan explains. "This Paul is a personification - he's a man who's slowly losing his identity and self-esteem in a whirlwind of misappropriated blame."

As with Stairs To Korea's previous singles, it's the juxtaposition of light sensibility and subtle substance that adds meat to the juicy bones of the song. "I guess it's one of the darker songs but at the same time the most bubblegum song I've recorded," he muses. "I think those two qualities bolster each other - the melodies lay bear the kinda nihilistic angst of the lyrics. Sort of pop with a point."

Introducing: Snipe

2010-05-16T23:33:00.002+01:00

http://snipe.at/music
A new free newspaper for London.

Brainlove Festival In Two Weeks! First Outdoor Stage Announcement!

2010-05-14T12:44:00.007+01:00

BRNLVFSTVL 2010's first outdoor lineup has been released - featuring a sunset performance from Oxford's We Aeronauts, a rare and precious UK performance from Icelandic troubadour Svavar Knutur, an improvised cello performance from Bleeding Heart Narrative's Oliver Barrett, Norwich's twee DIY duo The Middle Ones, arch pop from the Woe Betides, acclaimed Oxfordian blues man David G. Cox, DIY uke hero Jam On Bread, comedy from Chris Boyd (who we saw just before Josie Long at last year's Green Man Festival) and lots more...

Tickets: http://www.wegottickets.com/f/1515
Facebook: bit.ly/brnlvfstvl

Saturday May 29th

Indoors:
DAVID THOMAS BROUGHTON
BLEEDING HEART NARRATIVE
GOLD BLOOD
RATFACE
TRADEMARK
MAT RIVIERE
THE BEAR DRIVER
GODZILLA BLACK
APPLICANTS
A SCHOLAR & A PHYSICIAN

Outdoors:
WE AERONAUTS
JAM ON BREAD
DAVID G. COX
THE MIDDLE ONES
GREG STEWART (We Aeronauts)
CHAD MASON SONGBOOK
SLUSHY GUTS

DJ: RICH THANE (The Line Of Best Fit / Ill Fit)
DJ: ANTHONY CHALMERS (God Don't Like It)

Sunday May 30th

Indoors:
DRUM EYES
STIG NOISE MMX
NAPOLEON IIIRD
SUDDEN WEATHER CHANGE
TRASH KIT
STAIRS TO KOREA
SVAVAR KNUTUR
ABI MAKES MUSIC
ETHICAL DEBATING SOCIETY
FOLLOW YOUR HEART

Outdoors:
THE WOE BETIDES
SVAVAR KNUTUR
CHRIS BOYD (Comedian)
OLI BARRETT (Bleeding Heart Narrative)
THE FIRE ENGINES
+ more TBC

DJ: JOHN BRAINLOVE
DJ: GUESTS TBC

Tickets: http://www.wegottickets.com/f/1515
Facebook: bit.ly/brnlvfstvl

Fight For Me

2010-05-13T13:52:00.005+01:00

MP3: Fight For Me

Chilly churchy vibes on the new Wildbirds & Peacedrums EP, Retina, out May 24th on The Leaf Label. Reminiscent of Vespertine-era Björk and Bat For Lashes doing her best Kate Bush impression. Which is, I guess, all the time.

They play London on Saturday, too:

Saturday 15 May
Bishopsgate Institute, LONDON (with Choir Of Young Believers)
230 Bishopsgate, EC2M 4QH
Doors 7.30pm
Tickets £12.50

♥ LABEL LOVE ♥ : Brainlove, Good Tape and Kimi Records hit the SPOT

2010-05-13T10:28:00.018+01:00

Three independent record labels have joined forces for a very special show at Denmark's urban festival and industry hoedown: SPOT Festival. English Brainlove Records, Icelandic Kimi Records and Danish Good Tape Records will each present a band from their roster at the afternoon event, which takes place on Friday May 21st at the ArcHauz venue in Åarhus.

"It was Airwaves where the idea started," says the event's instigator Kamilla Hannibal of Danish label Good Tape. "There were Kimi and Brainlove showcases there, but no Good Tape one. So I was wandering around, getting inspired by all the off-venue activites. It was driven more from passion and creativity than business, with good, creative people supporting it and standing behind it, and having fun doing so. I was thinking the world is pretty small when it comes to music so maybe bringing us closer to work together more and play with open cards. Not worry about borders so much. I think a lot about the... collaboration, internationally. It makes so much sense."

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.

FREE THREE-TRACK LABEL LOVE COMPILATION:

Link: http://soundcloud.com/brainlove/sets/label-love-spot-festival-2010

THE SHOW:
21st May 2010
LABEL LOVE @ SPOT Festival, Åarhus, Denmark
Benni Hemm Hemm (Kimi Records)
Murder (Good Tape Records)
Mat Riviere (Brainlove Records)
Venue: ArcHauz
Street: Valdemarsgade
Time: 3pm-4.30pm
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=110943038946733

-----------------------------

THE LABEL LOVE BANDS:

Benni Hemm Hemm is a band from Reykjavik, Iceland consisting of anything from one to forty members. Benni Hemm Hemm play delightful songs about hills, snow, ships, blood and norwegian kings, written and orchestrated by Benedikt H. Hermannsson. Benni Hemm Hemm just released an EP called Retaliate.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bennihemmhemm
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/bennihemmhemm
Video link: http://www.vimeo.com/10800460

Kimi Records is an Icelandic label based in Reykjavik and Gent (BE). It was founded in 2007 and focuses on the vibrant Icelandic alternative music scene. Kimi Records has released albums with bands such as Sin Fang Bous, Hjaltalin, Benni Hemm Hemm, Reykjavik!, Sudden Weather Change and kimono.
Link: http://www.kimirecords.com

Mat Riviere is a solo performer from Norwich, UK. He creates strange and memorable songs from old synthesizers, overlapping loops, clanking rhythms and cryptic lyrics sung in a distinctive, plaintive voice. His debut album "Follow Your Heart" is out now.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mat-Riviere/167391852373
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/matriviere
Video link: http://vimeo.com/7199494

Brainlove Records is a UK label working to unearth and present exciting new music. The philosophy of the label is to support musicians exhibiting creativity, spirit, intelligence and imagination, regardless of genre, commercial potential, or technical ability. As such, Brainlove is a record label with artistic rather than commercial values at it's core.
Link: http://www.brainloverecords.com

Murder consists of long-standing friends Jacob Bellens and Anders Mathiasen. Their music flits moodily between genres, currently residing somewhere amongst brooding blues and neo-folk, always shot through with melancholy and melodies of murderous intent.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/murderdk
Video link: http://vimeo.com/3348262

Mads Vraa and Kamilla Traberg Hannibal started Good Tape Records in 2006 over a shared love of melody and the mixtapes. Their first release, Murder's genre-defining neo-folk album "Stockholm Syndrome", was the starting point on a winding path that weaves between singer-songwriters, bright-eyed indie-pop, alternative rock and experimental electro.
Link: http://www.goodtaperecords.dk

Sick bruv

2010-05-12T13:34:00.000+01:00

Well. Uhm. Here's the new video from Xiu Xiu :(

Cry, Cry Baby

2010-05-10T08:54:00.002+01:00

For those who were expecting a different result, here's an anthem for the start of a glum post-election week. Nina Nastasia's new single "Cry, Cry Baby" is a typically beautiful ballad, filmed here with live strings. And, as always, Nastasia mines something fresh and uplifting from under the downbeat contents of the song.

The single is out today, and Nastasia plays Dalston's Café Oto on May 23rd and 24th, touring the UK afterwards. Find out more on her MySpace.

22nd May: South Street Arts Centre, Reading
23rd May: Café Oto, London
24th May: Café Oto, London
25th May: St Margaret’s Church, Manchester
26th May: Cluny 2, Newcastle
27th May: Nice and Sleazy’s, Glasgow
28th May: The Folk House, Bristol
30th May: Talking Heads, Southampton
31st May: The Freebutt, Brighton

Future Islands - In Evening Air

2010-05-05T15:36:00.011+01:00

Written for The Line Of Best Fit
MP3: Tin Man

Future Islands are a particularly odd pop proposition. With their grumbling keyboards and galloping drums, wind-in-your-hair tunes and triumphant chord sequences, they sounds almost like some great lost 80's pop band, like they could maybe be included in the prom scene in a John Hughes movie.

But something isn't right. Like the stray ear in Blue Velvet, there's a spanner in the works. There's a certain awkwardness in how the sounds scrape together. The keyboards have an abrasive edge that tips Future Islands away from Depeche Mode and towards Xiu Xiu. Singer Samuel T. Herring's vocals come with a trans-Atlantic accent that seems to be influenced by both Ian Curtis and Vegas-era Elvis. At times genuinely unhinged, he's reminiscent of a drunken mid-breakdown Kurt Wagner doing karaoke as some alternate-reality synth-pop Meatloaf, kicking drinks from the tables as people look on aghast.

When the emotion spills over into theatrical mania and when distortion overwhelms the synthetic sound of the keyboards; this is when Future Islands blossom. They take the syrupy sentimentality of pop love songs and run riot with it. The Hollywood pink-sunset endings are blighted with belching black smoke as the whole thing tumbles off the rails like a suicidal teen movie hero Thelma-and-Louiseing off the Golden Gate bridge.

It comes as no surprise that they met in art school. There's a conceptual edge to what Future Islands do. It's just that step too far to be entirely earnest. But J Gerrit Whelmers' carefully balanced music carries the weight of the desperation in the vocals. The emotional exhibitionism inherent in Future Islands is a heartfelt cabaret that is more affecting than affected, and plumbs unexpected depths as a result.

Belated Moon Jam

2010-05-04T15:56:00.004+01:00

MP3: Icarus

Totally missed the boat on this dreamy pop album from White Hinterland as it was out in January, but I'm getting into it now. Gorgeous, shimmery goodness that Beach House fans will trip over themselves to fall in love with.

Born Free

2010-05-04T11:55:00.006+01:00

Written for Snipe

This is the new M.I.A. video. It's by the chap who made the censor-baiting "Stress" video for Justice, and it's equally unsafe for work. The song itself is a direct lift from Suicide's "Ghost Rider", down to the the reverb-ridden vocals. And it's great.

There's always gonna be a time when we don't know the answer

2010-05-03T00:51:00.004+01:00

MP3: Dancing (via Brooklyn Vegan)

I've been pretty hung up on Sheffield three-piece Standard Fare's heartfelt indie-pop lately. What initially seemed simplistic has been revealed as smart and engaging, via strikingly honestly lyrics on the topic of relationship woe. Their debut record 'The Noyelle Beat' is out on Thee SPC, and they support Allo Darlin' at the Lexington on June 15th.

www.myspace.com/standardfare

How Come That Blood? Slight return.

2010-04-28T13:48:00.001+01:00

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

What Can The Matter Be?

2010-04-26T10:57:00.004+01:00

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?

2010-04-23T08:37:00.007+01:00

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

2010-04-22T18:25:00.003+01:00

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

2010-04-21T15:03:00.006+01:00

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!

2010-04-09T10:40:00.010+01:00

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.

2010-04-07T15:13:00.010+01:00

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

2010-04-06T14:47:00.003+01:00

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

Stairs To Korea @ Bandstand Busking

2010-03-29T23:14:00.004+01:00

Stairs To Korea played four songs for the Bandstand Busking guys one cloudy day last October, with the backing track playing on cassette from my gran's old tape machine. A jolly fun afternoon out. Check it out here.

Breathturn

2010-03-29T22:27:00.007+01:00

According to last.fm, US 2-piece Hammock are my eighth most listened to band EVER (between of Montreal and Magnetic Fields). They make music of the pretty, sleepy, dreamy, gliding variety. If you're into MBV, Slowdive, Sigur Ros, Growing, M83, Belong, Grouper, Mark Kozelek, July Skies etc, then this might just be your thing.

The new album is out in May.

www.hammockmusic.com

Bark like a dog, walk like an Egyptian

2010-03-29T19:34:00.007+01:00

A sneaky preview of Banish Negative Thoughts, the opening track of the forthcoming Pagan Wanderer Lu album "European Monsoon", which will be out this summer.

Pre-order now and receive a free MP3 compilation of PWL rarities!

Feeling Without Touching

2010-03-25T07:11:00.002Z

In which Glass Candy's hippy-hipster frontlady continues her pioneering work in disco pilates.

Nimbus Noise

2010-03-20T16:32:00.010Z

It's Mat Riviere week on the wonderful Cloud Sounds podcast. It also includes tracks by Stairs To Korea, Thee Oracle, Bastardgeist, and Jam On Bread and The Middle Ones. Good stuff.

Oslo & E8

2010-03-16T17:09:00.004Z

New BRNLV column on Drowned In Sound featuring by:Larm Festival, Xiu Xiu, Stairs To Korea, Efterklang, Altaar, Giana Factory, Bodebrixen, Megaphonic Thrift, Trouble Books and loads more.

Feel Like Dancing

2010-03-15T02:54:00.004Z

Thin Ice is the second single from Gus Gus's 24/7. It's another soulful spin on techno that pulses and gleams it's way into your mind and then won't quit. Gus Gus repeat their triumphant Airwaves perfomance at NASA in Reykjavik next Friday. Anyone wanna to buy me a ticket and a plane ride? Feel free...

HRTBPS ECG of FYH, FYI

2010-03-13T14:57:00.005Z

Internet Forever guitarist Heartbeeps has recorded a cover of Mat Riviere's FYH. It's part of a project for awesome indie blog Sweeping The Nation. Which I believe is linked over there somewhere --->

BRAINLOVE FESTIVAL 2010 ANNOUNCED

2010-03-12T13:05:00.006Z

29th & 30th May 2010
@ Brixton Windmill, Blenheim Gardens, London

Day and Weekend Tickets On Sale Now at £12/£20

16 of the final 40 bands announced including headliners: David Thomas Broughton and Drum Eyes

Brainlove Festival 2010 is go! Your essential glimpse into the thriving UK underground is back with another packed bill of pop oddities, brand new talents, breaking leftfield acts and cult stars.

Having rammed Brixton's Windmill to the rafters in 2009, Brainlove Festival continues to go from strength to strength. Distinguished by a carnival atmosphere, a packed out crowd and a cavalcade of sonic creativity, the festival has doubled to two days for 2010 with 40 bands packed into the lineup on indoor and outdoor stages.

16 acts were announced this morning exclusively on new online festival hub http://www.thisfestivalfeeling.com, including the two main stage headliners - the extraordinarily talented DAVID THOMAS BROUGHTON, and DRUM EYES, who's lineup includes DJ SCOTCH EGG and members of BOREDOMS and POWER UP.

Tickets are on sale now via Wegotickets. Weekend tickets are just £20, working out at 50p per band, and day tickets are priced at £12.

Previous BRNLV events have featured early shows from the likes of FUCK BUTTONS, SCROOBIUS PIP, BISHI, THE RESEARCH, INTERNET FOREVER, GAGGLE, GAY AGAINST YOU and AGASKODO TELIVEREK, so you can try and spot the bands on the lineup who are on their way to wider acclaim and appreciation in 2010.

In the run-up to the festival, Brainlove will be blogging a band a day, with MP3s and videos for you to check out, on the Brainlove Blog. The logo and artwork will be by CHAOS vs COSMOS, and will be unveiled next week.

BEST*BRNLV*FSTVL*EVER!

Saturday May 29th
DAVID THOMAS BROUGHTON
BLEEDING HEART NARRATIVE
MAT RIVIERE
THE BEAR DRIVER
GODZILLA BLACK
A SCHOLAR & A PHYSICIAN
FOLLOW YOUR HEART
+ 3 Acts TBC

DJ: RICH THANE (THE LINE OF BEST FIT / ILL FIT)
DJ: GOD DON'T LIKE IT

Sunday May 30th
DRUM EYES
STIG NOISE MMX
NAPOLEON IIIRD
STAIRS TO KOREA
RATFACE
ABI MAKES MUSIC
ETHICAL DEBATING SOCIETY
+ 3 Acts TBC

DJ: JOHN BRAINLOVE

See you there!

Photos from BRNLVFSTVL2009 by Sonny Malhotra

Tomorrow, In A Year

2010-03-09T13:06:00.001Z

A roundtable conversation with The Knife (Olof and Karin), Planningtorock (Janine), Mt. Sims (Matt)...

Keeping Up With The Jonsi

2010-03-08T00:07:00.004Z

Jonsi of Sigur Rós has a solo project coming. And from this film, it sounds spectacular...

Lewis Takes Off His Shirt

2010-03-03T15:59:00.004Z

A pretty, uplifting song from T.A.F.K.A.F.F.'s new album "Heartland".

If you're reading on Facebook, click to watch.

Roomy

2010-03-01T12:25:00.004Z

A new track from The Twilight Sad. The chiming piano reminds of Johnny Cash's 'Hurt' and the simmering tempo builds over scratchy black and white film a la 'Paris, Texas'. Nice.

Brainlove Announce New Mat Riviere EP

2010-02-23T17:38:00.007Z

Mat Riviere is to release a new EP, 'Evening Drive', on March 29th 2010. The song is a bleak, cryptic tale set over malevolent, gunning synths and a stark rhythm. It is the second single to be taken from Riviere's debut album 'Follow Your Heart', which is released nationally on CD this March 8th on Brainlove Records.

Riviere is already a breakthrough artist for 2010. NME call his music "genius bleak pop", and the blog and webzine response has illustrated an international appeal. His last single FYH received 1500 downloads in just a few days via the RCRD-LBL site, and was debuted on Radio 1 by Huw Stephens. Riviere also supported Memory Tapes at his packed-out debut London show, and plays in London with Jookabox and Maria & The Mirrors this Thursday 25th Feb.

The EP contains a stunning orchestral reworking of live favourite 'The Give In' by Bleeding Heart Narrative, and two reworkings of the title track by electronica wizard Levyashin and post-rock stalwarts The Monroe Transfer. Also included is a new track entitled 'Stars Hollow'. The video, by Michael Page, is due soon.

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mat-Riviere/167391852373
MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/matriviere
WEBSITE: http://www.brainloverecords.com/fyh

I Remember This Thing About You

2010-02-14T20:38:00.004Z

Thanks to That Kate for the art.

Flee To The Hills

2010-02-14T12:34:00.002Z

Happy Valentines Day from Brainlove... a beautiful free track by Chicago's Bastardgeist.

Album to follow in 2010.

Shut up, Bobby Lee. It's no real pleasure in life

2010-02-14T10:44:00.004Z

MP3: Stand

Gowns have split up.

They were an odd, intense, dark band with some truly thrilling songs. More than a little nihilistic, seemingly a bit dysfunctional in general, and pretty fuckin' emo truth be told, but at full tilt, able to set yr body alight with adrenalin. Beautiful, really, like a Velvet Underground for the 00's (in European Son mode, that is).

They left a goodbye of sorts and a final new track on their blog, and, of course, have already embarked on other projects.

The amazing "White Like Heaven" appeared on a Brainlove podcast, here.

BÆ BÆ GOWNS

Oh My Love

2010-02-11T15:12:00.009Z

MP3: Oh My Love

John & Jehn, aka French couple Nicolas Conge and Camille Berthomier, are a beguiling pair. Their first album was a smouldering collection of heavily stylized, dark pop songs gleaning influence from The Velvet Underground, Sugar and Suicide. Jehn plays a Farfisa organ and John a clanging, resonant guitar. They are stick, thin, spidery, and beautiful.

Tonight is the first time I've seen them in a year, since they relocated from London to Paris. They've expanded to a four piece in the meantime, playing with a bassist and drummer - a move that might have warped their dynamic, but in fact fleshes out their sound into something that could easily fill a festival arena. It helps that the four seem beyond close as friends, easily switching between instruments and joking throughout. They play a set comprised almost entirely of new material, but it sounds just fantastic, and the audience are suitably transfixed.

They swap instruments throughout, and towards the end of the show Jehn ends up on bass guitar. She puts up a foot on the bass drum as she starts playing. John turns around and sees drummer Raf getting an eyeful of her underwear, and laughs as he spins around and starts to sing. It's a moment that characterizes the band's performance - love, enticing warmth, overt sex appeal, easy friendship, beauty and exhuberance. John & Jehn as a band are as irresistable as ever.

Bedroom Community Head Out

2010-02-04T11:32:00.006Z

MP3: Samamidon - I See A Sign

Amazing Iceland-orientated contemporary classical label Bedroom Community have announced a tour of Europe in April 2010. The Whale Watching Tour will feature performances from label founders Valgeir Sigurðsson, Nico Muhly, Ben Frost and Sam Amidon.

The tour follows a spate of new releases, details of which can be found on their website. Everything on this label is worthy of your attention. For real.

They say: "In 2006, Icelandic producer Valgeir Sigurðsson founded the Bedroom Community record label with Nico Muhly and Ben Frost, soon adding Sam Amidon to the intimate roster. After three years of concerts, collaborations and acclaimed album releases, the Bedroom Community is heading out together for a trek across Europe: The Whale Watching Tour.

More than just a series of concerts, this tour is an extension of the ongoing musical exchange between these diverse artists. Disparate musical backgrounds will coexist and collide as Valgeir, Nico, Ben and Sam perform music from their catalogues, as well as introducing new and previously unreleased material (and a surprise or two along the way). "

bedroomcommunity.net
www.myspace.com/bedroomcommunity

Beach House Take Care

2010-02-04T10:53:00.003Z

MP3: Take Care

Daytrotter have put up four live Beach House sessions. The tracks are from the amazing new album Teen Dream, out now on Bella Union, and you can hear the rest here.

Brand New Trademark

2010-02-03T15:41:00.006Z

Trademark have been around the block. They self released their first 'proper' album, and signed to Truck for two national releases; they've toured large UK halls with The Human League; they've had national radio airplay and big league press acclaim. You could say Trademark are veterans of the whole being-in-a-band thing.

The band actually started decades ago, when two of the members were children, but the longer they run, the better they get. There's a feeling on their new "At Loch Shiel" EP of a band that have become absolute masters of what they do. Each and every Trademark song is a highly refined, polished, textured and stylized pop gem.

And so it is with "Brand New", the lead track from the new EP, performed live in the footage below at lead singer Oli Horton's Dalston recording studio, DREAMTRAK. It's fantastic. Long live Trademark!

Free MP3s
http://www.trademark-online.com
MySpace
Twitter

Of Mice & Frightened Rabbits

2010-02-02T13:19:00.010Z

MP3: Nothing Like You (Live @ The BBC)

Good little song, this. Respectable, solid, exciting, feels-like-first-love indie music, wahey.

Twilight Sad have also had a go at remixing Errors latest - hear the results here. Sounds a lot like a certain melodic noise duo that have been on the up in recent years.

(If you are reading this in Facebook, it might appear to be an empty post. Click here to see the video. Also, sorry about the awful MUZU player with blobs of menu over the picture :/ ... it's just what I was sent.)

BRNLVLVSY

2010-01-23T18:18:00.002Z

Couple of new BRNLVish things on t'internetz...

2 free BRNLV MP3s on 7digital this week: here.

New BRNLV Facebook 'page': here.

somNew

2010-01-21T01:08:00.001Z

Peace & Bitches

2010-01-20T20:53:00.009Z

MP3: Can Not Love

Staz and Blake are Bitches. They are two people from Oxford who like swimming and Nintendo and live in an old hotel in East London. They make battering, brutal fuck 'n' roll with two arched eyebrows and four swirling eyes. It is exciting and solid, which makes it sound like something rude. It probably is like something rude.

Tzjek 'em out.

www.peaceandbitches.com

Everything Falling Apart

2010-01-20T11:46:00.006Z

MP3: Ark Drum

New Warp Records signing Nice Nice have released a video for "Everything Falling Apart" from their forthcoming debut album "Extra Wow". If you're reading this on the Facebook feed, the video won't be visible so click here to see. It's great stuff. Swirling psychedelic noise, at times reminiscent of No Age, Lightning Bolt or Boredoms. The new single, "See Waves" is out Feb 8th.

Reactivated Swans

2010-01-18T23:43:00.002Z

Young God Records instigator Michael Gira is to work again under the Swans monicker. He sent out a stement today.

"Hello There,

I have decided to focus my energy on Swans once again. I'm reactivating that project. A new album is in the works, and touring will follow in fall of 2010. In order to help raise funds / help defray the considerable costs of recording and promoting the new album, I have made a special CD/DVD limited edition handmade package called "I Am Not Insane" available exclusively at the YGR website. You can read about the CD/DVD, and my decision to reactivate Swans at this link:

http://younggodrecords.com/Releases/Detail.asp?C=2326

Thanks Very Much, and God Bless You,

Michael Gira / Swans / Angels Of Light / Young God Records"

I Wanna Bend Your Spoons And Make Your Silver Shine

2010-01-13T23:14:00.004Z

MP3: Astronaut

Has there ever been a love song that captures the feeling of those butterflies in your stomach like this one?

Epilove

2010-01-11T22:11:00.003Z

The wondrous Laura Snapes from Bristol's student newspaper Epigram interviewed me about Brainlove (alongside the Ill Fit boys) this month. Click below to read.

So Hot Right Now

2010-01-10T11:27:00.012Z

We gave the hysterically contested BBC new bands list a spin in the office on Friday to see what everyone is getting so worked up about. For those who don't know: a bunch of pundits and industry types each pick out 3 bands they think are gonna do well this year, and the votes are aggregated to a shortlist of 15, then narrowed down to 5 Next Big Things. The five winners each get a resoundingly crap short film made about them. Even the allegedly easy going and profoundly easy-on-the-eye Ellie Goulding (the eventual winner, incidentally) is somehow made to look like a special needs jogger.

So: the list. There' s a lot of stuff that sounds precisely like it belongs in the pop mainstream, which is maybe the point. Marina & The Diamonds for example - nice looking and dynamic sounding but basically entirely unchallenging, soulless and tuneless, a bit like the vacuous braying of Florence & The Machine, who probably topped the list last year. There's some half arsed 80's style pop from the seriously average Hurts, who apparently made their video for £20 (at the time of writing we don't know what the £20 was spent on - catering, maybe). Delphic are achingly dull. There's an execrable MC on there who's name I forget. And a bunch of other Actually Really Not At All Good stuff. Daisy Dares You I mention only in case it brings people to this blog via Google searches. If so: Shizer Minelli bruv, can you not search for something better?

But anyway, enough bitching. The list contains some exciting bands, and a few good prospects.

MP3: The Drums - Let's Go Surfing

Painfully hip NYC-based guitar pop band The Drums apparently played at Airwaves, so I'm bummed out to have missed them. Let's Go Surfing is a good natured little pop song that had me whistling along before the end of the first bar - a new record for catchiness. It's blank and repetitive, in a good way. Harmless, simple, sweet Americana. I went and bought a 7" on eBay after three listens. Two thumbs fresh!

MP3: Everything Everything - Photoshop Handsome

Also pretty uplifting: Mancunian indie band Everything Everything's exciting, happy pop songs. Really quite lovely. They remind me slightly of Super Furry Animals high points. They don't sound like them really, but Photoshop Handsome shares the sense of abandon found in songs like The Man Don't Give A Fuck. I defy you not to fall in love with the chorus.

MP3: Gold Panda - Back Home

Gold Panda is a producer and electronica guy from LDN. His stuff reminds me a bit of Alexandroid, Cursor Miner and the Lo Recordings sound of a few years ago, but a bit faster and a bit more catchy and dancefloor friendly. Back Home particularly features a pounding rhythm, choppy bassline and some expertly cut up violin and guitar samples. Compelling stuff.

Of the rest, folky-songbird-gone-electro Ellie Goulding stands out for her post-Frankmuzik production values, and Joy Orbison's populist take on garage/dubstep is okay. But not as good as a bunch of other good bands. This has made me want to write an alternative list. So, I will.

Ample Alp Ramble

2010-01-06T17:27:00.005Z

MP3: Ambling Alp

Yeasayer have unveiled their New Exciting Electronic Direction. The forthcoming album "Odd Blood" touches on the naffly retro at times, looking back as it does to the electro/dance/indie crossover explored in the long-gone noughties by bands like The Rapture and Radio 4. But/but/but it's good stuff, on first listen. The jury: it's out...

Your Friends Are Made For Great Things

2010-01-06T11:18:00.011Z

MP3: After You Die (Dreamtrak Session)

Brainlove's own Stairs To Korea (aka William Vaughan) releases his second single on Monday January 11th, 2010. It's a soaring, impassioned indie-pop anthem called "All Of Your Friends". The Sweeping The Nation blog describe it thus: "a fiercely intelligent chronicle of the human condition by means of dialled down anthemics, DIY electronics and a smart guitar line.... Vaughan has already demonstrated he has enough ideas to make an extended go of bringing fresh life to man-with-guitar ideals."

The home-made video, above, was premiered over at The Line Of Best Fit this week, and features Will cavorting around Iceland, Primrose Hill and London Zoo with his twin brother Magnus.

The cover and artwork feature a photograph by Internet Forever's Heartbeeps.

The single is out January 11th via iTunes, eMusic, 7digital etc. You can keep up with all things S2K via his Twitter or Facebook, or by following Brainlove.

"Your New Favourite Band Is Here" - BBC Introducing

"Still hanker after the glorious days of Postcard Records? We might have just found you your new Edwyn Collins. Sunshine filled ramshackle indie-pop at its very best" - The Line Of Best Fit

"Equipped with a tender voice and pure talent in creating so many sounds with only one pair of hands, this man is the latest in our eternal hunt for shonky heartfelt interesting pop music." - Muso's Guide

Final Final Fantasy

2010-01-05T16:26:00.004Z

MP3: Lewis Takes Action

Final Fantasy has changed his monicker to his given name Owen Pallett ahead of the worldwide release of his new album Heartland, his first on the Domino label. The album sees Pallett emerge entirely from the self-imposed restriction of his one-man show, employing arrangements for an orchestra to offer an altogether more ambitious synthesis of his songwriting.

He says of the name change:

"Friends,

I began playing solo violin shows in 2004. Although it was essentially a solo project, I named the band Final Fantasy, as the experience--and the tone of the material--was reminiscent of the hours and hours I had spent as an adolescent playing those epic JRPGs.

But the laws of trademark infringement exist for good reason, and so I am voluntarily retiring my band name. In the new year, my record Heartland is coming out, and it is my first to be released in many territories, including Japan. With this in mind, I feel it is in my own best interests to definitively distinguish my music from Square/Enix's games.

So, I am no longer playing shows as Final Fantasy. Subsequent releases, including Heartland, will be issued under my own name, Owen Pallett. Prior releases will sometime soon be re-packaged and re-issued.

I thank Square/Enix their kindness and support, and I thank you all for your understanding.

Salud!

Owen Pallett"

Far North: adventures in Leeds

2009-12-17T13:33:00.005Z

Idioteque @ Subculture - 11/12/09
Tiger Trap @ The Common Place - 12/12/09

So, I somehow find myself on a Megabus to Leeds, tearing up the M1 through blankets of pale fog jaundiced yellow by motorway lights. I'm excited to be going: I'm meeting someone at the other end, so I'm listening to a bunch of Detroit rock 'n' roll to stay awake. Two of the best records of this millennium came out of Detroit in the early noughties - the incredible pre-major-label Von Bondies punk-blues album "Lack Of Communication" and the incomparable soul covers record "Ultraglide In Black" by The Dirtbombs. I'm three hours into the journey with an hour and a half to go, stiff and cramped and surreptitiously sipping from a Reyka vodka miniature. But I'm happy. I feel a weird sensation passing through me... so much music at my fingertips in this 8gb phone, a pair of big old headphones on, tearing up the motorway towards exciting times. I feel calm, excited, buzzing, sleepy... and I feel lucky. Lucky to be alive, and lucky to be able to listen.

I pour off the coach into the freezing northern air and spark up a Marlboro Red instantly. Lauren Marie meets me shortly, and at 1am we tumble into Idioteque, in the grimy basement that is SubCulture, for the last couple of hours. A crowd of boozed indie kids cheer every song, and there's a nice atmosphere and a good mix of music. Nothing like comparable indie clubs in London, where stiff limbed posers stand around looking at each other, or clueless, foaming MDMA kids dance ironically to the awful pop music of the moment. This is a proper indie disco. Pavement, Grandaddy, Pixies. A flow of shots and pints. An argument with the bouncers, some taxi queue lols with random drunk lads, a ride home, a sleep, a morning in bed reading the Guardian and watching the snooker. A day spent hardly even peeking past the curtains.

Then to Tiger Trap. It's is a DIY indie night run by a bunch of friendly indiefied kool kids. TT has taken place in various venues around Leeeds, but tonight it's in The Common Place, an endearingly shabby social club tucked away just inside the city centre ringroad. The Common Place smells vaguely of lentil curry and Marxism. It's a friendly kind of place. The assembled indie kids and vaguely lairy lads make a great, receptive crowd. Makes me feel like I've been in cynical London for way too long.

IMP are first up. Brainlove have put these guys on before, at the request of their biggest fan, HRTBPS from Internet Forever. They play what sounds like blutacked together college-rock, with a sat down keyboard playing frontman. It's great - like a less twee Research chasing their own twisted song structures down the street on a clapped out bicycle.

Continuing the DIY vibes are This Many Boyfriends (pictured above), a Bearsuit / Los Campesinos style lean-to indie-pop supergroup that are getting a lot of attention of late. And deservedly so - they positively gush excitement and enthusiasm, expressing plenty of joy-of-being-in-a-band-ness and infusing their enthused mini-anthem singalongs with a sense of enjoyable onstage chaos. The playing is loose, the songs are catchy, the banter is fun and the spirit of the whole thing is completely great. TMB FTW.

Piskie Sits are positively slick by comparison. They play nice enough post-Pavement indie rock, to a high standard. I don't remember the tunes too well, though. Finally, Brainlove's own Napoleon IIIrd. I've been watching James play for five years, but his development in 2009 has been amazing to watch. He was always great, but after the sold-out tour with fellow Northerners Wild Beasts this year, things just clicked together better than ever, culminating in his current mind blowing collection of twisted pop, skronky, soulful indie and woozy psychedelia. Napoleon IIIrd totally bosses the show tonight, skipping from loops to keys to guitar to tape machine with acrobatic ease. He's writing now, and from the crowd's reaction tonight it's pretty eagerly awaited already.

Later, the throng descends on the dancefloor, and I escape outdoors to sit and smoke and stumble and shoot the shit. It's nice to be out of London. Leeds rules. Might just make the trip for the next Tiger Trap...

Tiger Trap Facebook

Written for The Line Of Best Fit

Pagan Wanderer News - EP / Internet Forever Remix / New album in 2010

2009-12-10T15:38:00.007Z

To wrap up an amazing 2009, Brainlove Records is to release a final EP by one of the label's mainstays, Cardiff's Pagan Wanderer Lu. The lead track is one of the closing trilogy of songs from Pagan Wanderer Lu's "magnum opus" (Plan B Magazine) album, "Fight My Battles For Me".

"Pockets In Shrouds" is an acoustic folk song, on the very Christmassy subject of death. The song features Laura and David from PWL's sometime backing band The Volunteers, who add scratchy Dirty Three inspired violin, and angelic backing vocals. Piano, violin, plucked strings and pretty harmonies carve out an oblique and engrossing story. "Pockets in Shrouds is a song about betrayal by someone who has died," explains Regan, "and how their death freezes all that went before into a narrative with a happy beginning, not so happy middle, and an ambiguous end. From the point of view of the person at the coffinside there's no more closure to be had, no reconciliation other than through the fantasy of bringing the person back. It is based on true events."

As part of the activity around "Fight My Battles For Me", Pagan Wanderer Lu recorded videos and live sessions to accompany each song on the record. For "Pockets In Shrouds", Pagan Wanderer Lu went to Tinkinswood Burial Chamber to record a live session out in the Welsh countryside. The results can be seen here and the rest of the films are here.

PWL also recorded some live sessions at the London's legendary Dreamtrak Studios. An impromptu band was put together featuring Oli Horton from A Scholar & A Physician, Laura and Chris of Internet Forever, Will "Stairs To Korea" Vaughan, and John from Thee Oracle and Brainlove. Those sessions are included on the EP, along with an Internet Forever remix of "2.0///The Bridge Of Sighs".

A new album "European Monsoon", is currently being mixed and mastered, and is set for release in Spring 2010.

Follow Your Heart

2009-12-08T15:23:00.012Z

MP3: FYH
BUY THE EP: iTunes / Emusic / PLAY.com / 7digital / Amazon

Mat Riviere's first single is out this week on Brainlove. It's an amazing track called FYH.

FYH is up for free over at RCRD-LBL, linked above. And if you like it, there's an EP on sale with three tremendous remixes by Napoleon IIIrd, Pagan Wanderer Lu and Dreamtrak, a rather lovely b-side entitled Resist, and an amazing live track called The Garden recorded at Iceland Airwaves earlier in the year.

People have been saying nice things about it, I'll paste 'em in below...

The album, Follow Your Heart, is out in January.

"Genius bleak pop" - NME

"One of the most haunting and mesmerising spectacles you will catch... simply fantastic" - Artrocker

"Doom laden pop with reverb strings" - Drowned In Sound

"Sparse but intense songs, heavy on atmosphere and melody... a pop maverick for the future." - The National Student Newspaper

"If Interpol's bid for artistic recognition had failed and they decided to go their separate ways and just carry on being miserable alone, they might sound something like Mat Riviere... synths that sound like sherbet but taste like warm tears." - RCRD-LBL

"Glitchy, lo-fi, minimal pop heartaches... the newest signing to Brainlove Records bears his soul with a gorgeous collection of laconic, tragic songs" - The Line Of Best Fit

"Delightfully doleful drone-pop." - Pinglewood

"Solo eccentrica from the UK's DIY mecca, Norwich" - Plan B

"Apocalyptic, atonal drone." - Reykjavik Grapevine

"Mat Riviere is the best thing to happen to Norwich since that damn castle was erected. He straddles the honesty that Yoni Wolf created with Why? whilst firmly taking a stand for thoughtful and creative lo-fi music. He makes us swoon." - The 405

"'FYH' resembles Why? with its gothic atmosphere and stark vocal delivery. It's an attention-grabber." - Muso's Guide

More Mat:

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/matriviere
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mat-Riviere
Last.fm: http://www.last.fm/music/Mat+Riviere

Brainlove Released Two Albums This Year.

2009-12-05T22:37:00.001Z

Kippi Kaninus - Happens Secretly
Woven organic textures and electronic sounds, with a quick mind and a big heart. LISTEN / BUY

Pagan Wanderer Lu - Fight My Battles For Me
An epic summation of Andy Regan's work over the last few years, this is an indie magnum opus, teeming with ideas and memorable melodies. LISTEN / WATCH / BUY

I <3 Lists

2009-12-05T17:46:00.014Z

The BRNLV Best of 2009

1. Micachu & The Shapes - Jewellery
Micachu's incredible debut is a smashed together musical shantytown that seemed to spring up from under the concrete of east London. It contains as many influences as you care to name, from chittering mobile phone music heard on buses to dubstep rhythms to Waits-ian instrument invention to blistering noise outbursts and atonal yelps. A creative, open, joyful record brimming over with ideas, spirit and personality.

2. The xx - XX
These indie-darlings-du-jour actually turned out to be totally amazing. The xx play musically economical, stripped down torch songs that sound wise beyond their tender years. They managed to perfectly convey love and intimacy and emotional honesty, without ever sounding cloying or clichéd. And that's a pretty huge deal in these cynical times.
MP3: Crystallized

3. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
This is a full on 'quality' album that Mojo and Q might stick in their top ten as well as the hundreds and thousands or blogs and zines that worship the ground they walk on. But musicianship aside, Grizzly Bear really found their songwriting stride on Veckatimest. 'While You Wait For The Others' is one of the songs of the year, and just jaw-dropping live.

4. Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport
A masterful slab of wide-eyed, hopeful, dancey noise-tronica that sanded off some of the harshier edges of their earlier stuff thanks to producer Andrew Weatherall, gaining some more accessible moments. Inspiring, energizing, evocative music that conveys a surprising amount using no words whatsoever. Listen c/o The Decibell Tolls

5. The United Colours Of Trouble Books
A deeply beautifully album, embracing twee folk vocals, blankets of drone, ambient post-rock sections and even some dense noise passages - all laced with pretty, soft-focus vocal meandering and a very human warmth. Listen on last.fm

6. Peter Broderick - Home
A heartfelt collection of genuine, sweet and sad acoustic songs. Listen on Spotify

7. Fever Ray
Karin Dreijer Andersson peeled back the surface of domestic and suburban life to reveal loneliness, neuroses and a strong heart full of solitude and doubt.

8. Gus Gus - 24/7
Techno reinvented the Icelandic way. Daniel Agúst takes his komrades' compulsive flat-beats and pulsing synths and adds glamor and sex appeal via a towering soulful vocal contribution. Utterly brilliant.
MP3: Add This Song (truncated version)

9. Skeletons - Money
Dark, fucked up, jazzy alt-everything from these awesome muso-nerds who reinvent themselves (band name included) for every record.

10. Telepathe - Dance Mother
Telepathe seemed to develop before the eyes this year... from a cool but introverted duo muttering over plaintive backing tracks, they found themselves a lush, mature sound via the production input of TV ON The Radio's Dave Sitek. Listen On Spotify

11. Frankmuzik - Complete Me
Pop music reworked, by punchable hipster Vincent Frank. 'Complete Me' falls somewhere between Max Tundra and Robbie Williams. Shame about the shit ballads and the sulphurous smell of marketing spends, but there are some real pop gems in here.

12. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion
Much feted at the time, but repeated listening revealed the patchy nature of this rich audio tapestry. Still, there are some amazing moments amid the fog of sound - 'In The Flowers' and 'My Girls' are themselves enough to make it essential.

13. Horrors - Primary Colours
An awesome return from the bargain bin - Primary Colours saw the flamboyant garage rockers digest the history of krautrock and shoegaze and come out with something perfectly formed but oddly detached. A highly successful exercise in musical study and synthesis. Listen on Spotify

14. Casiotone For The Painfully Alone Vs. Children
Following on the wall-to-wall amazingness of 'Etiquette' was never going to be easy, but this was a sweet and careful album placing American lives under the microscope. Listen On Spotify

15. Bleeding Heart Narrative - Tongue Tangled Hair
Euphoric post-rock crescendos tied together with anthemic singalongs... big things to come for this lot.
MP3: Colours Turn Colours

16. Sufjan Stevens - The B.Q.E.
Sufjan is pretty clearly out of his gourd, as illustrated by this densely orchestrated, neurotic and expansive album. "Traffic Shock" provided the surprise-attack jaw-dropping listening moment of the year. Listen on Spotify

17. Helios - Unleft
A subtle record of rippling ambient electronica. Get it on Emusic

18. Atlas Sound - Logos
Bradford Cox's latest was less awesome than his recent output, but who the hell could keep up the standard he's set himself? Logos is more like a collection of songs than an album, so pick out your favourites. MP3: Walkabout

19. Mt Eerie - Wind's Poem
This album opened with a ferocious black-metal pummeling. No fucking about. Massive riffs, tumbling drums, and those heart-piercing vocals from the Microphones lynchpin Phil Elverum. Flags sometime. But worth having.
MP3: Wind's Dark Poem

20. Antony & The Johnsons - The Crying Light
More top-drawer stagey, heavyweight emotional angst for Mr Hegarty.

MILL-ENN-I-UMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

2009-12-05T13:25:00.006Z

Here's a list of the albums I loved most this millennium. From the expansive poetry of Joanna Newsom to the brutally, mind-meltingly fierce metal of 80's MBD, the heartbreaking sadness of David Thomas Broughton to the revelatory intimacy of Bjork's Vespertine or The XX, the late-night introversion of The Knife to the Dirtbombs all-time-best reading of garage rock 'n' roll to the arch, intellectual pop of Simon Bookish and the wide-eyed optimism of Fuck Buttons' euphoric noise... these are the very best albums I've heard in the last ten years.

1. Joanna Newsom - Ys.
2. The 80's Matchbox B-Line Disaster - Horse Of The Dog
3. David Thomas Broughton - The Complete Guide To Insufficiency
4. Björk - Vespertine
5. Boredoms - Vision Creation Newsun
6. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
7. of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? / Skeletal Lamping
8. The Knife - Silent Shout
9. The Dirtbombs - Ultraglide In Black
10. Simon Bookish - Everything/Everything
11. Micachu & The Shapes - Jewellery
12. Arcade Fire - Funeral
13. Radiohead - Kid A
14. Mice Parade
15. Sonic Youth - Sonic Nurse
16. Beach House - Devotion
17. The xx - XX
18. Burial - Untrue
19. The Microphones - The Glow Pt. II
20. Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Etiquette
21. Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing / Tarot Sport
22. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell
23. Why? - Elephant Eyelash
24. Final Fantasy Has A Good Home
25. Patrick Wolf - Lycanthropy
26. Clinic - Internal Wrangler
27. Tom Waits - Real Gone
28. The National - Alligator
29. Hammock - Maybe They Will Sing For Us Tomorrow
30=. The Streets - Original Pirate Material
30=. Skeletons & The Kings Of All Cities - Lucas
30=. The United Colours Of Trouble Books

BRNLV 10

2009-11-27T10:38:00.011Z

Happy November! Here's a little MP3 mix tape for you. Some of my favourites this year. So far...

1. Mount Eerie - Wind's Dark Poem MP3
2. Beach House - Norway MP3
3. The xx - Crystalised MP3
4. Wild Beasts - All The King's Men MP3
5. Hudson Mohawke - Joy Fantastic MP3
6. Max Tundra - Which Song MP3
7. Gus Gus - Add This Song MP3 (harshly edited version: all I could find)
8. Mat Riviere - FYH MP3
9. Micachu - Vulture MP3
10. Atlas Sound - Walkabout MP3

We've seen them all, and we've chosen you.

2009-11-26T12:01:00.007Z

MP3: All The King's Men

Well, this is an absolute beauty of a performance from Wild Beasts. I've had these guys on the periphery of my music radar for a while, since Napoleon IIIrd supported them on tour this year. They're one of those bands that are obvious real quality, but it didn't quite click. The sticking point was the occasionally yelping, histrionic delivery of the vocal, recalling Sparks perhaps with a touch of the Jeff Buckleys.

But when something is good, it gets through eventually. "All The King's Men" is an evocative song with a humid, exhilarating feeling to the instrumentation, bringing to mind the excitement of a party on a steaming summer night. Lyrically, it's a cryptic treatise on seduction, sex and procreation. The first verse draws out some strikingly non P.C. positions, such as casting women as attention loving wallflowers and men as predators. It goes on to talk about what men and women want from each other, and what they end up with, in broad, sweeping terms. It's tricky to untangle the intent of the lyrics, in which nobody comes out particularly well. But it's fun trying.

A genuinely rich piece of music, and a highlight from the album Two Dancers.

WATCH: Live at Hoxton Hall
LISTEN: MySpace
BUY: Vinyl with download code from Norman Records

And here's a video made by some dancers the band apparently met at SXSW.

Darkest Before Dawn

2009-11-24T15:39:00.012Z

MP3: Oppressions Each
Tickets: Here

Awesome hella-hippy duo Brightblack Morning Light leave their natural Mid West habitat (via a show at All Tomorrow's Parties) for a one-off evening at London's lovely Luminaire this December 7th, playing songs from their acclaimed third album "Motion To Rejoin".

Naybob Shineywater and Rachel Hughes say of the band's wigwam-inhabiting Alabama roots: "We feel like Southern music should be played by Southern people, and don't dig it when other folks imitate accents. Posturing is a disease, awaken the inner self! We both grew up in Alabama, yet we both left for the same reason. The environmental degradation due to corporate development is staggering and unchecked, it makes us disgusted. However, in the Western USA we are gathered with the many folks to protect wilderness, rivers and oceans."

Brightblack's take on rootsy americana absorbs blues, gospel and folk traditions to create a lush, pastoral, slow-motion world. Don't miss it.

Collected Flowers

2009-11-18T15:59:00.001Z

Animal Collective's album-highlight "In The Flowers" get a single release.

Moving to a Beach House, gonna eat a lot of peaches

2009-11-18T10:44:00.009Z

MP3: Norway

Awesome Baltimore chamber-pop duo Beach House have revealed a taster of their new album "Teen Dream". It's called "Norway". It's free, which they seem to find odd from their use of inverted commas around the word "single" on the band Twitter. But I like free singles. Makes a lot of sense. People will take a punt on a free MP3 innit. And more people should like Beach House.

In keeping with recent live shows, it's more upbeat that the swirling, laconic sound of their 2008 breakthrough album "Devotion"; this one's an exhilarating few minutes of breathlessly infatuated, dreamy pop music. "Teen Dreams" indeed.