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Dog Is Dead

Hopefully the name Dog Is Dead is from a movie. If it's a quote that lives within a special part of the band's heart and has emotional significance then it's potentially excusable. This blog should be called 'Good Bands, Bad Names'. Every post seems to feature my initial apology for the bands name followed by my endorsement of their songs. If you've got a good thing going though, right? guys?

Dog Is Dead have a saxophonist! None of us thought we'd see the sax coming back in to popular music for a quite a while yet. I won't mind if this is a one off. It's used well though. The two tracks that I'll stream (Two! Gift upon gift!) have pretty obvious sax melodies which work in tandem with keyboard to give them a smooth sound. Above all that though, the gang vocals make for some cool crescendos.

You may remember that in the last paragraph I promised two songs. I'm here, hat in hand, letting you know that I'm sorry, there's just one. It's great though. To hear a second song (and a third even!), visit their myspace. Bonus: The Zoo is a free download from The Culture of Me.

Dog Is Dead - The Zoo


The new single Young will be out on September 20th through Your Childhood Records

Valar

This is my second "review" of Valar's We Have A Home Among the Trees EP. I write twice because I've somehow contrived to delete the last and because the EP has grown on me like a fungus. A wonderful fungus. Here is the EP streamed in full. Start track 2, Wolf I playing as you read on.



Buy this EP. It costs AUD$10. That's just under £6! That's nothing. I challenge you to think of 7 whole numbers smaller than 6. It can't be done! That's the sort of value we're talking about here. It's barely £1 per track. 1 is the smallest whole number there is! I know!!

With or without my clever numberwork this EP will sell itself. The falsetto can't help but draw attention. It soars between guitar effects like an eagle through ravines. But it's wilder than an eagle. It's a tiger. A haunting, post-rock tiger. Like them on facebook to find out when their next show will be.

Jens Lekman - The End of the World Is Bigger Than Love

A great man once told me that a great lyricist will write what they know. For example:

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

When I hear these lyrics from Snow Patrol I don't feel like they've been months or years in the making. They were probably knocked out over ten minutes in front of a keyboard. They're just so broad and wishy washy. By contrast, Jens Lekman sings about beautifully discrete situations. They're so specific that it's near impossible that they're not based on the real experiences of our friend Jens. He has a new song out (it's been three years Jens, how about a new album big guy?). The melody and the lyrics are worthy of high praise.


Jens Lekman - The End of the World Is Bigger Than Love

The track's available as a free download by clicking the below button.

Zack Hemsey - Mind Heist

Stylistically distant from my last post, this track is the theme from the 3rd trailer for the blockbuster Inception (which was excellent). If I were in a band that played hardcore and I were headlining a show I would walk out to this theme. Actually, I'd enjoy it if this track played any time I arrived at a party. Obviously I'd no longer be able to bring vodka cruisers as my beverage of choice, it wouldn't fit my vibe.

Zack Hemsey has never done feature film soundtracks before so for a first bite at the cherry this 'goes alright'. He's even set up a band camp to publicise this track. I would use my normal player but the band camp player always has the highest quality sound. Turn your volume up before listening.

March of the Real Fly

The Blue Mountains are not just a hotspot for Christian engagements and budding teenage photographers, they're also home to some swell musicians. Some of those musicians are in a band called March of the Real Fly. We may never know what they could do with a decent budget and quality gear. What we do know though, is that with a $50 recording program and $2 mics they can make some pretty, simple (not to be confused with pretty simple) tunes. Here's one such.


March of the Real Fly - Morning Man


I find the production endearing but I've always had a crush on lo-fi recording. If you want to download their live EP or the Morning Man single (for free) then click this link. For a little more info scope out their myspace.

Darwin Deez

In 2009 Darwin Deez was the man/band of the hour. He dropped an album called Constellations and everyone went wild! Of course I told myself I wouldn't post about him because he doesn't need the exposure and there's a thousand other blogs where you could read about Darwin Deez but his tracks have been reverberating through my dome since their release. I recently read an article about the problem with music blogs that touched on this exact idea.



In the liner notes of Constellations we read that all songs were performed, produced, arranged, engineered and mixed by Darwin Deez. D.I.Y at it's finest. I like that. Here is a video of his major single, Radar Detector. If you didn't hear this on Triple J in the last 6 months then you weren't listening properly. Or maybe you were listening to FBi or 2ser in which case you just indie one upped me. Ouch.

The Smiles

Summer anthems in the mid-winter, that's appears to be the way of things. Los Angeles band The Smiles released their debut EP Hermosa in May this year (yep, I know that's not American winter but I'm wearing thermals right now. Don't argue with me.) and it's a pretty solid six tracks of surf pop. I can't stop listening to Cala Cola which is the best of the six. It's available as a free download from The Smiles' bandcamp. If you're not ready to take a risk on this free download then you can stream Cala Cola below.

The Smiles - Cala Cola

Hotspa - Kiola Beach

Hotspa are probably going to be a big deal. Remember that time I told you Jinja Safari were going to be big and now they're bigger than U2? ACT LIKE YOU KNOW IT! It'll happen again. I'm making this call on the back of a single song with a film clip. It's a nice film clip though. It's a compilation of clips of people that (I assume) are the band's family and friends doing all sorts of Aussie, summery things. The song rules though. Here is that song.

Hotspa - Kiola Beach


It's available as a free download from Triple J Unearthed. Thanks Triple J, you are a swell guy.

Gypsy and the Cat - Free Download

Gypsy and the Cat's new single 'Time to Wander' has been made available as a free download from the Triple J Website. Get amongst it!

Supergroups are IN.

There's been a swathe of supergroups popping up over the past 6 months so here is a completely inconclusive and subjective guide to a few of them. - Retrospectively, after rereading what I'd written here, I've realised that this is neither subjective nor a guide.

GAYNGS

Noteworthy members:
Justin Vernon (Bon Iver)
Joe Westerlund (Megafaun)
Phil Cook (Megafaun)
Brad Cook (Megafaun)
Michael Lewis (Andrew Bird)

Gayngs - The Gaudy side of Town

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MT DESOLATION

Noteworthy members:
Tim Rice-Oxley (Keane)
Jesse Quin (Keane)
John Roderick (The Long Winters)
Tom Fiddle Hobden (Noah and the Whale)
Ronnie Vannucci (The Killers)
Country Winston Marshall (Mumford & Sons)

Mt Desolation - State of Our Affairs

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TIRED PONY

Gary Lightbody (Snow Patrol)
Richard Colburn (Belle & Sebastian)
Peter Buck (R.E.M.)

Tired Pony - Point Me at Lost Islands

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MONSTERS OF FOLK

Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band)
Jim James (My Morning Jacket)
Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes)
M. Ward (M. Ward)

Monsters Of Folk - Dear God

Cee-Lo Green - No One's Gonna Love You

Cee-Lo Green (of Gnarls Barkley fame) very recently released this cover of Band of Horses 'No One's Gonna Love You'. I don't love this version but it's always interesting to hear a track I love done by another artist. Also, I'm no film critic but whoever directed this must have pitched it a little like this: "Look, this is what I'm thinking for the video. We have a really nice American road trip style thing. You know, diners, swimming, car scenes, all that crap. But here's our angle. Amid all these scenes we'll make sure we slot in some unnecessary boob action! Guys will love it. They'll be enjoying the scenery when BAM! Breasts! This is going to work. Bigtime."



Just in case you've not heard the original, here it is.

Radical Face

I'll share with you an old favourite of mine. His name is Ben Cooper but in musical circles he is known as Radical Face. I won't write a description of his music. Not a letter of it. His sound speaks for itself. According to the Radical Face blog a new EP will be available on July 6th (within the week!). I'm keen. You can get ahold of his first full length Ghost (which absolutely rules) on iTunes or from CD Universe (which is quite literally a universe worth of CDs. What a selection!) Here's the most well known track from Ghost, called Welcome Home.

Radical Face - Welcome Home

Valar

Valar were pitched to me as a combo between Radiohead and... I guess it was suggested that they just sound like Radiohead. I don't like Radiohead. I must be one of a kind if the Last.FM charts are to be believed. While older material may have somewhat, slightly, a little bit, maybe resembled Radiohead barely, the new tracks don't really have that vibe.

Valar pride themself on a cracking live show and an attention to production detail so it's worth taking the time to appreciate the solid ambience of their music. It's staggering that a three piece can produce music with this sort of weight. Listen, then go see them play. They're a Sydney band so chances are friends of friends are friends with them.

Here is the full five track EP for your aural pleasure. I recommend track two, Wolf I.



You can catch them on the 3rd of July at the Excelsior or on the 5th of July at the Annandale.

Francis and the Lights

Francis and the Lights should probably just be called Francis. It's all about Francis. Full name Francis Farewell Starlite, he sounds like a dreamer. I suppose it's also a fair bit about the Lights. Wikipedia tells me that there are two drummers who play in conjunction with sequenced percussion. That sounds pretty cool.

I think the most interesting thing about them is that instead of signing a record deal they became a small business and received a $100,000 investment from Normative Music. With 100,000 big ones in the pocket you'd hope they could create something brilliant. They did. I mean, it sounds a lot like Phil Collins so it's not hugely groundbreaking but I think it's pretty poignant music.

Francis and the Lights - For Days


I know right? It rules. That song is available as a free download from RCRDLBL. It's from there upcoming release It'll Be Better which comes out on July 20 through Cantora Records.

Appreciate this clip of Francis being a sweet dude. The song is from his 2008 record A Modern Promise (which isn't great) so don't judge his future music by this. Make sure you watch on, up until the point where he takes a solid run up into an epileptic fit around the 2 minute mark. I like this guy. He reminds me of a white, male, Janelle Monáe.

Geographer

Geographer are a three piece outfit that balance pretty vocals with nintendoesque beeps. The vocals remind me a little of The Whitest Boy Alive/Kings of Convenience. It's pretty chill, you'll like it. Remember when I first played you Kings of Convenience in my car and you were all, "it's straight-up chillfest 07 up in here!". Of course not. You were so drunk that night, you spewed all down the side of my car and didn't even clean it off. I used a whole can of Armourall to get that goop off. So I think that sums up why you'll like Geographer. Enjoy.

Geographer - Kites


Animal Shapes EP is available from eMusic and iTunes. It's probably available elsewhere too but those are the only two anyone should ever use.

Gypsy and the Cat

This Melbourne duo is yet another quality group that's benefited from the exposure that Triple J Unearthed can provide. They exploded onto the scene late last year with a simultaneously awesome sound and woeful name. "Gypsy and the Cat"? Yuck. Despite the terrible name, Sony picked them up and they're now based in London so you know they're a big deal. They have a new single available which sounds pretty good. It's called Time to Wander.

Gypsy and the Cat - Time to Wander


Trust me when I say this (because I'm yet to steer you wrong) but the other songs on their myspace are actually better than Time to Wander, particularly The Piper's Song and Jona Vark. Jona Vark is available as a free download by clicking here.

Shugo Tokumaru - Rum Hee

Shugo Tokumaru takes the idea of the multi-instrumentalist to another level. Exit, his most recent full length release, features over 50 different instruments, most played by Shugo himself. He even records it all himself. His music is a little left of center though Exit will appeal to Western audiences more than his earlier work. It reminds me a little of Jonsi's solo album Go.

He has a new three track single out, though apparently in Japan they call that a 'mini album', but I'm not fooled, I know value for money when I see it. The three track 'mini album' doesn't seem to be available here but a single can be streamed on his myspace or you can watch the video immediately below.

Shugo Tokumaru - Rum Hee

Jinja Safari - Peter Pan

One of the merits of my internship is that I get to spend hours looking through the artists on Triple J Unearthed. As a result of this, I came across an artist called Jinja Safari who seem to have come out of nowhere. They Created their myspace on the 28th of February this year, so they probably only formed as a band in the month or two prior. Now watch as they explode. They have a solidly defined sound for a band of such recent beginnings. I'm pretty sure there's a sitar somewhere in the chorus of Peter Pan (their only recording) and that's an inclusion I don't think anyone can take lightly. You can never overestimate the importance of a sitar. One time I failed to recognise the presence of a sitar and developed a pretty serious fungal infection. Friends have tried to tell me that the sitar had no bearing on my infection but I think the evidence is pretty compelling.

Jinja Safari - Peter Pan

(CLICK HERE to visit Jinja Safari's Triple J Unearthed page to download Peter Pan for free)

Afro-pop. Is it cool if I say afro-pop? I hope so. I think this is afro-pop. I couldn't list the features of afro-pop but it's popularized by artists like Paul Simon and Vampire Weekend. That's the kind of vibe Jinja Safari give me. Their artistic output seems to be centered around ideas of youth and adventure. Spec a few of their photoshoot images if their sound alone doesn't convince you:


"So what if I'm wearing a monkey hat? It's only weird to you because you don't understand what it really means to be a musician"



























"I don't know how we ended up with this camera effect. I swear we didn't photoshop it. I think my dad's SLR must have had dirt on the lens"


"Dude, I think she's seen us"


If you're keen to find out more, check out their myspace or facebook page. They have their debut show coming up soon in support of Miami Horror at Manning Bar on the 12th of June. A pretty big slot for an artist who have never done a live show if you ask me. They must have some serious connections.

Isbells

Isbells is definitely angling for a Bon Iver-esque mythology. Their artist bio reads as follows,

After 15 years of playing, making and recording music with several rockbands (Soon, Ellroy,...) Gaëtan Vandewoude felt the time was right to start creating his very own songs. Mostly writing & recording during nighttime, in a shabby old stable, this resulted in a collection of introspective yet observing songs, inspired by his immediate surroundings. Somewhere in that proces a band was formed with Naima Joris, Bart Borremans and Gianni Marzo, allowing each one of them to give their own colour & contribution to the music. Zeal records came to notice Isbells and got them on board. So, Isbells now presents their debut album. We hope you will enjoy our music

What made Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago such a celebrated record was Justin Vernon's extended period of isolation in a rural setting. Did Isbells really write and record the album in a stable? Probably not, but I'm going to pretend that they did.
The songs are very simple. A few layered harmonies, some acoustic guitar and you've got any song on the album. Maybe some hand drums. I really like it.

Listen to a track from Isbell's self titled debut album and let me know if you're won over as I am.

Isbells - Reunite


Isbells on Myspace
Buy the album on on Emusic
Buy the album on itunes