A Brief History of Love

'Crystal Visions

'Too Young To Love

'Dominos
'Love In Vain

'At War With The Sun
'Velvet
'Golden Pendulum
'Frisk
'A Brief History Of Love
'Tonight

'Count Backwards From 10

The long awaited album of the much hyped "The Big Pink" finally came out... and its genius. With the stand out popular tracks such as Velvet and Dominos, the rest of the album equally lives up to these , each telling a different aspect of love. Crystal Visions and golden pendulum have to be my favorite with a screeching sirens,distorted beats and guitar, the big pink have really created a new sound in these. Take a fucking listen. Dont expect to love this on your first listen, and especially playing it through your laptop. You need to listen to this album live, through booming speakers, or driving in the car at night to do it justice. The tracks i've put up are only to promote yo guys to get this album. Buy it, its amazing. Buy(whole album)/Listen to: Crystal visions, velvet, golden pendulum

9

The XX album

- haven't blogged forever. Exams next week.

- The XX released their debut album a few weeks ago.
- The reviews for this album have been incredible.
track-list:

1. Intro
2. VCR
3. Crystalised
4. Islands
5. Heart Skipped A Beat
6. Fantasy
7. Shelter
8. Basic Space
9. Infinity
10. Night Time
11. Stars

This band from the heart of the south London dubstep scene have managed to conjure up a whole new sound of atmospheric indie rock. Almost like the big pink, except calmer, more ominous and melodic. Each song is genius i cant really say there's one i don't really like. "fantasy", " VCR" and "Night time"are my least favorite, this in no way makes them bad. As NME says " Towards the end though, that deliciousness can start to become suffocatingly rich. But that's a little bit like complaining about having too many diamonds". My favorite song has to be "the intro", no vocals, yet ripped with mellifluous guitar and melancholic beats. The howling effects and minimalistic use of instruments give the effect of one big story and soundtrack, not just an album. Self produced by 19 year olds this album is the perfect soundtrack for an overcast day , walking through London Town.

8.5

Download: Crystalised, Islands, Basic Space and The Intro

Intro:

Islands:

La Roux

Its all false love and affection. You don't like me you just want the attention.

>So I brought the debut album of the Electro-pop duo La Roux, expecting it to have the few good singles and the rest dull 80's synth.
+ >Not only are there a 1 or 2 good songs, but a 8 possible singles. The first 7 songs and then 'fascination' are all so strong and could easily be released as singles.
>This album is such a surprise for me , i had no idea la roux had it in them. Also watching backstage video's and acoustic performances it's great to see Elly can actually sing and Ben is incredible on the synths. >'Tigerlily' demonstrates another side of La Roux. Its a much more agressive track, with a little less synths. It also has a ghostly spoken voice part at the bridge, by Elly Jacksons dad. Contrasting with this is the love ballad of 'Cover My Eyes' where Elly suposidly cryed during recording as of the personal attachments with the song.
> The use of the london comunity choir really adds to the songs , particularly in ' Cover My Eyes'.
--
Many of the tracks do sound the same. Especially at the opening in tracks such as 'in for the kill' 'tigerlilly' + 'colourless colour'. This is really due to the same synth noise/effect and chords being repeatedly used.

01. In For The Kill

02. Tigerlily

03. Quicksand

04. Bulletproof

05. Colourless Colour

06. I'm Not Your Toy

07. Cover Your Eyes

08. As If By Magic

09. Fascination

10. Reflections Are Protections

11. Armour Love

+ Growing pains (bonus track )

9

Download: Tigerlilly, Bulletproof, Cover My Eyes and my favorite, 'I'm Not Your Toy'

I'm Not Your Toy:

Tigerlily:

Patrick Wolf - The Bachelor

Patrick Wolf- the genius.

>the album , 'the bachelor' came out June the 1st.
>part one of the double album ' Battle'
>features the like of the actress Tilda Swinton, Folk singer Eliza Carthy, electro pop pioneer Alec empire and Tomas Bloch ,the only person in the world able to play the crystal bachet(instrument made of crystal and steel).

TRACKLIST- and a rough outline of what they mean:

1. Kriegspiel- an angry intorduction
2. Hard Times- song about crisis and urging people to act
3. Oblivion - Iraq war, soldiers
4. The Bachelor- old folk poem adapted
5. Damaris - story of one of patrick wolfs ancestors and their story of love
6. Thickets - about hackney wick and the marshes
   
7. Count of Casualty - iraq war casualty, foolishness
   
8. Who Will? - lack of love
   
9. Vulture - when you feel impure and dirty
   
10. Blackdown -father getting cancer
11. The Sun Is Often Out - suiscide of good friend
    
12. Theseus - once you have what you've always wanted and your still not happy what do u do?
    
13. Battle - battle agaisnt conforming to preconceptions
    
14. The Messenger - looking back upon travels
    

- Patrick Wolf is my favorite singer/artist ever so i'll be a little biased on this one.

+ Even form the album cover you can see this is album that indicates, Wolf's roots back at "lyncathropy" with the demonstration on his electronic influences on tracks such as 'Count of Casualty' and folk sons such as ' the bachelor' and 'blackdown'.
+ huge string sections creating a really big sound, but on 'sun is often out' a song about the suicide of a friend, there are loads of orchestral strings , yet due to the tempo of the piece a possible tune is absent.
+ Quoting from prefixmag.com :

"This is exactly how Patrick Wolf’s music should be listened to -- headphones on and up while in a deep focus as you may normally dedicate to a Sunday crossword puzzle. Without careful listening, the blanket of sound that Wolf lays out on his fourth album, The Bachelor, becomes noisy and oppressive. However, applying the attention it demands, it can become a guessing game that could be called Name That Instrument, revealing moments of true inspiration."

I love this album, its musical genius to me and with each song the story and purpose of it slowly becomes evident the more you listen. Give it time.

9.5

BUY: Oblivion, Theseus, Count of Casualty and the two singles:(Hard times and Vulture)

Oblivion:


Theseus:

Gossip - Music For Men

- 2nd album from punk rock Arkansas band : Music for men.
- the androgynous drummer, Hannah, features on the cover art.
- Made their name, with the track, "standing in the way of control" which featured in SKINS.
- this album is based around the break up which took took place with the lesbian lead singer, Beth Ditto.
- seems more funk, and less punk- but the morals are still there
- alot more tunes and melodies, in this album.
- this album has done reasonably well, and i really love it.
- the more i listen the more i like it.
- there are songs that when you first here you just brush over but hear them again and you begin to love.
8.5
download: Heavy cross, men in love, 2012

MEN IN LOVE:


FOUR LETTER WORD:

The Horrors - Primary Colours

- this album is old news, came out in may but couldn't work the blog thing, so remembered to write about them now.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
- from london
- 5 piece band
- Debut album, "strange house" caught the attention of the public. this is because
+ their songs were loud crazy and had hidden political messages
+ they were a hard band to classify, as they were indie/ screamo but called themselves 60's garage.
+ there out there, dark dress sense, where the only colours worn were black and white, and on a happy day maybe a touch of grey or silver.
+ Spotted with celebs such as Alexa Chung, Noel fielding(mighty boosh) and Peaches Geldof.

New album Primary Colours.
- Huge change.
- No longer heavy distorted guitars, organs and screaming voices.
- Now calmer more snyth bass driven songs with sharp melodies on top.
+ the keyboard player swapped positions with the bass- maybe this is why?
- Album got a 9 out of 10 in NME. WOW.
- I love this album, it so chilled and it's something i listen to while working, it just hangs in the background.
8
download: Scarlet fields( i think this one is the best, but can find a music link for it), mirror image and sea within a sea

SEA WITHIN A SEA:

MIRRORS IMAGE:

Hands Down.

- finally brought the album!
- Track listing:

1. New In Town The Verdict?:
   
2. Earthquake
3. Stuck On Repeat
4. Click
5. Remedy
6. Meddle
7. Ghosts
8. Mathematics
9. Symmetry
10. Tune Into My Heart
11. Hearts Collide
12. No Brakes

- If it was the first time i'd have heared any of little boots' music i would have been blown away. Every song is a single. Except maybe three, which are a little soppy.
-I'd had heard all her songs except earthquake, symmetry,ghost,click ( and the other crap 3 ones)-thought her album would only have a few good songs but the new wones i heard are awesome!
- Every song has a distinct tune with electronic influence's increasing as the album progresses.
- The hidden song " Broken Heart" at the end of "no brakes" is little boots stripped back to how her songs where originally written, just her and a grand piano.
- As little boots says in the hidden track , ' i didnt need any help/all i needed was my hands', all i can say is that is you need hands.
Its a great album full of some great tunes which will always a raise a dance, sing along or imaging you self singing stage.
8.5
Earthquake:

Symmetry:



POP POP POP POP POP POP POP POP POP POP

Micachu and The Shapes

-London
- Makes her own instruments,does loads of weird stuff like sing into a vacuum, sticks card to her guitar to mute the sound, take toms out of the drums, adds extra frets to the guitar. oh and she plays with a kids guitar, with a red shoe lace as a strap. pretty raw.
-half her songs are under 2minutes.
-lots of weird noises,different sound all together.
-indie/punk.
8
-BUY: Curly teeth, Turn me well, Lips,Golden phone

Golden Phone:

Curly Teeth: