Top 20 of 2012

Wow what a year for music. If you didn't think there was anything decent then you didn't look hard enough cause it was coming out of the woodwork this year. This was truly one of the toughest lists I had to compile. Two Wounded Birds not only released the best album of the year but also broke up. The Maccabees made a statement with their 3rd album that they are only getting bigger and brighter. Beach House made a shimmery, hypnotic beautiful noise that was perfect for summer and fall. Sigur Rós went back to their musical soundscapes with a album that could soundtrack any winter. Tame Impala made a sonically brilliant new brand of psychedelia for a new generation. Martin Rossiter's album was a refreshing return from a voice that made many long for more Gene records. The Helio Sequence was a surprise listen that deserves more praise than it's gotten and more. Alt-J came out of nowhere to capture the Mercury Prize and bring their strange folktronica to the masses. The Chevin made a perfect debut record with not a trace of filler and slipped in under the radar but will hopefully get the attention they deserve. Peace released an EP that leaves the door wide open for them to take 2013 by storm. There's local CD's in there as well so keep your eyes peeled. Sorry if I missed yours. Well I hope you all enjoyed the list and found some new and old favourites. As always share the love of music with those that you know would appreciate it just as much. I know I missed some but that's why you're here.

Cheers!


1. Two Wounded Birds - S/T
2. The Maccabees - Given To The Wild
3. Beach House - Bloom
4. Tame Impala - Lonerism
5. Sigur Rós - Valtari
6. Martin Rossiter - The Defenestration of St. Martin
7. The Helio Sequence - Negotiations
8. Paul Banks - Banks
9. Two Door Cinema Club - Beacon
10. Alt-J - An Awesome Wave
11. Black Pistol Fire - Big Beat '59
12. Silversun Pickups - Neck Of The Wood
13. Neil Halstead - Palindrome Hunches
14. Zulu Winter - Language
15. 22-20s - Got It If You Want It
16. The Raveonettes - Observator
17. Cold Showers - Love & Regret
18. Peace - Delicious EP
19. Tribes - Baby
20. The Chevin - Borderland


Notable mentions:

Alberta Cross - Songs Of Patience
The Soundtrack Of Our Lives - Throw It To The Universe
The Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls
Muse - The 2nd Law
James Walsh - Lullaby
Gotye - Like Drawing Blood
Jack White - Blunderbuss
The Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania
Bloc Party - Four
Spiritualized - Sweet Heart, Sweet Light
The Killers - Battle Born
Mumford and Sons - Babel
Dum Dum Girls - End Of Daze
The UFO Club - The UFO Club
Fractures - Satyr EP
Metz - Metz
Twin Shadow - Confess
Mac Demarco - 2
Beware of Darkness - Howl EP
The Laurels - Plains
The Vaccines - Come of Age
Howler - America Give Up
How To Destroy Angels - An Omen EP
2:54 - S/T
Toy - S/T
The XX - Coexist
Wintersleep - Hello Hum
Motorama - Calendar
Willie Nelson - Heroes
Lawless Soundtrack
Wild Nothing - Nocturne
Life In Film - Needles and Pins EP
White Rabbits - Milk Famous
Whirr - Distressor
Jake Bugg - S/T
Allah-La's - S/T
The Whigs - Enjoy The Company
The Walkmen - Heaven
Walk The Moon - S/T
Savages - Flying To Berlin Single
Violens - True
The View - Cheeky For A Reason
Veronica Falls - Covers
The Vandelles - Strange Girls Don't Cry
Van She - Idea of Happiness
Caspian - Waking Season
Ty Segall Band - Slaughterhouse
Ty Segall - Twins
The Chap - We Are Nobody
Two Step Horror - Bad Sides & Rejects
Twisted Wheel - Do It Again
Black Phoenix Orchestra - A Manics Madness
Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits
Stagnant Pools - Temporary Rooms
Spector - Enjoy It While It Lasts
Trailer Trash Tracys - Ester
DZ Deathrays - Bloodstreams
The Tragically Hip - Now For Plan A
Titus Andronicus - Local Business
Citizens! - Here We Are
The Ting Tings - Songs From Nowheresville
The Temper Trap - S/T
Young Prisms - In Between
Tamaryn - Tender New Signs
Tales Of Murder And Dust - Hallucination of Beauty
Sun Kil Moon - Among The Leaves
Young Magic - Melt
Yeasayer - Fragrant World
Sun Airway - Soft Fall
Stars - The North
SPC ECO - Dark Notes
The Twang - 10:20
Trespassers William - Cast
Soulsavers - The Light The Dead See
The Soft Pack - Strapped
Dark Horses - Black Music
The Soft Moon - Zeros
White Laces - Moves
Soundgarden - King Animal
White Hills - Oddity III: Basic Information
Sleepy Sun - Spine Hits
93 Million Miles From The Sun - Northern Sky
Airiel - Kid Games
Alkatine - Red Silk Jacket
Natural Child - Hard In Heaven
Mystery Jets - Radlands
Moon Duo - Circles
Mono - For My Parents
Drive Soundtrack
And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Lost Songs
Arctic Monkeys - R U Mine/Electricity Single
Aqua Nebula Oscillator - Third
Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas
Bob Dylan - Tempest
Assemble Head In Sunburst Sound - Manzanita
Atoms For Peace - Default Single
Band Of Horses - Mirage Rock
Band Of Skulls - Sweet Sour
Air - Le Voyage Dans La Lune
Lambchop - Mr. M
Bat For Lashes - The Haunted Man
Beacon - For Now
Breton - Other People's Problems
BEAK> - BEAK>
Beck - I Just Started Hating Some People Today Single
Young Galaxy - Shoreless Kid
Shores - Leavening
Shiny Toy Guns - III
Nine Black Alps - Sirens
The Shins - Port Of Morrow
The Sheepdogs - S/T
The See See - Fountayne Mountain
The Cranberries - Roses
Seafoam - Seafoam EP
Sea Dweller - Signs Of A Perfect Disaster
The Rosebuds - Love Deluxe
Robot Monsta - Ghost
Ringo Deathstarr - Mauve
Richard Hawley - Standing At The Sky's Edge
Reverend And The Makers - @Reverend_Makers
The Raveonettes - Into The Night
Rachel Zeffira - The Deserters
Race Horses - Furniture
The Presets - Pacifica
Post War Years - The Bell EP
Post War Years - Glass House EP
Porcelain Raft - Strange Weekend
Pond - Beard, Wives, Denim
Placebo - B3
A Place To Bury Strangers - Worship
Paul Weller - Sonik Kicks
Paul Banks - Julian Plenti Lives
Paper Route - The Peace Of Wild Things
Palma Violets - Best Of Friends Single
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Acid Reflex
Outfit - Another Night's Dreams Reach Earth Again - EP
Other Lives - Tamer Animals
Other Lives - Mind The Gap EP
O. Children - Apnea
No Joy - Negaverse EP
Mirror Lake - The Last Of The Summer Wine
Mind Spiders - Meltdown
Miles Kane - First Of My Kind EP
Metric - Synthetica
Merchandise - Children Of Desire
Menomena - Moms
Memory Tapes - Grace/Confusion
Melody's Echo Chamber - S/T
Maximo Park - The National Health
The Mary Onettes - Love Forever
Mark Lanegan Band - blues Funeral
Marilyn Manson - Born Villian
Man Without Country - Foe
The Magic Castles - S/T
Mac Demarco - Rock N Roll Night Club
The Luyas - Animator
Lower Dens - NooTropics
Lotus Plaza - Spooky Action At A Distance
The Lost Rivers - Sin and Lostness
Blood Red Shoes - In Time To Voices
Graham Coxon - A+E
Lost Left - Levollinen
Little Comets - Life Is Elsewhere
Litmus - Slaughterbahn
Laurence and The Slab Boys - Lo-Fi Disgrace
Last Dinosaurs - In A Million Years
The Futureheads - Rant
Counting Crows - Underwater Sunshine
The Dandy Warhols - This Machine
Kent - Jag är inte rädd för mörkret
Father John Misty - Fear Fun
Keane - Strangeland
Garbage - Not Your Kind Of People
The Hives - Lex Hives
Passion Pit - Gossamer
Blur - Under The Westway/The Puritan Single
Imagine Dragons - Night Visions
Grizzly Bear - Shields
Mumford and Sons - Babel
Green Day - Uno!/ Dos!/ Tre!
Godspeed You Black Emperor - 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
Deftones - Koi No Yokan
The Big Pink - Future This
Birth of Joy - Life In Babalou
Black Market Karma - Cocoon
Black Market Karma - Comatose
Black Market Karma - Semper Fi
Black Market Karma - Easy Listening
Black Mountain - Year Zero: The Original Soundtrack
Black Tambourine - OneTwoThreeFour
The Blue Angel Lounge - Ewig EP
Born Blonde - What The Desert Taught You
The Boxer Rebellion - B-Sides & Rarities Vol. 1 & 2
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Aufheben
British Sea Power - EP 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
Brother Sun, Sister Moon - S/T
Candlebox - Love Stories and Other Musings
Carina Round - Tigermending
Castratii - Eora
Ceremony - Safranin Sounds
Chad Valley - Young Hunger
Chairlift - Something
Christian Bland & The Revelators - Pigboat Blues
Clinic - Free Reign
Clock Opera - Ways To Forget
The Cloud Room - Zither
The Cribs - In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull
Crocodiles - Endless Flowers
Cursive - I Am Gemini
Daniel Land & The Modern Painters - The Space Between Us
Delay Trees - Doze
DeWolff - DeWolff IV
DIIV - Oshin
Dirty Ghosts - Metal Moon
Disappears - Pre Language
Django Django - S/T
Echo Lake - Wild Peace
Eight And A Half - S/T
Elbow - Dead In The Boot
The Enemy - Streets In The Sky
Engineers - S/T(2012)
The Entrance Band - Fine Flow
Eternal Tapestry - Dawn In 2 Dimensions
Evil Eyes - Over My Shoulder
Evil Eyes - Keep Your Mind On Me
Evil Eyes - S/T
Exitmusic - Passage
The Flaming Lips - The Flaming Lips & Heady Fwends
The Fresh And Onlys - Long Slow Dance
Frightened Rabbit - State Hospital EP
The Ghosts - The End
Giant Drag - Twosie To Losie
Gliss - Hunting
The Growlers - Beach Goth
Guillemots - Hello Land!
Hacienda - Shakedown
Happy Hands Club - Parking Lot
The Heartbreaks - Funtimes
Ian Skelly - Cut From A Star
Ice Choir - Afar
Imperial Teen - Feel The Sound
The Invisible - Rispah
Jason Lytle - Dept. Of Disappearance
The Jungle Giants - She's A Riot EP
Kadavar - S/T
Last Days Of April - 79
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Magpies On Fire/Victorian Machinery Single
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Never Is A Long Time / Love Of Your Life Single
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Strange Man ⁄ Long Progression Single
Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Sunset Sleeps / Hometown Gypsy - Single
Hot Chip - In Our Heads
Mark Lanegan - Dark Mark Does Christmas 2012
The Deadlight Messenger - Demo EP
Egyptian Hip Hop - Good Don't Sleep
Smoke & Jackal - EP1
The Black Waves - First EP
Swim Deep - Honey
Mammoth Grove - EP 2
Neil Halstead - Palindrome Hunches Tour EP
Taken By Trees - Other Worlds
The Suppliers - S/T
Ancestors - In Dreams and Time
These United States - S/T
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Here
Flowshine - Mountain Queen
Wayfarer - Wayfarer EP
The Black Angels - Watch Out Boy/I'd Rather Be Lonely
Ty Segall & White Fence - Hair
+++(Crosses) - EP ++
A Place To Bury Strangers - Onwards Towards The Wall
Milk Music - Beyond Living
DZ Deathrays - Brutal Tapes

The End...

Round And Round We Go

The name may evoke a hardcore or punk band but Go For The Eyes is anything but. Not to say they don't pack a punch. They have been around the local scene for some time now and are making waves with their brand of self described "circus rock". Go For The Eyes has had several incarnations to date but currently consist of Jeff Turner (vocals/guitar), Elise Roller (vocals/keys) and Nathan Raboud (drums) and their newest addition, bassist Scott Perrin.

Hot on the heels of their self titled CD released March of 2011, which had a record breaking attendance for a local show, the band unveils the One Through Four EP. Released in September 2011 the EP is a self produced and released effort that was mixed and mastered by former bass player Eric Svilpis. Starting off with a very strong track in "I Guess We'll Never Know" followed by "Two Storey Lies", "Esmeralda" and finishing with "Leave Me With Today", the 4 tracks are another showcase of the band's solid output so far. The influence of bands like Queens Of The Stone Age, Arctic Monkeys is undeniable but instead of sounding like a tired retread of those bands instead GFTE takes the best parts and infuses some of their own flavour into an exciting new sound.

"I Guess We'll Never Know" starts off with some jagged guitar and Jeff Turner's unique vocals that hook you from the first note. If you're toes aren't tapping before the first chorus then step away from the music as you may need to have your hearing checked. A rollicking kickstart to the EP, it sets the tone for those who have never heard of the band by letting them know that GFTE are here to have fun and rock your faces off at the same time. The second track on the EP "Two Storey Lies" showcases Elise Roller's singing abilities. Smoky and haunting vocals that draw you in and keep you entranced throughout the entire song. There's no denying that the interplay between singers is something that sets GFTE apart. A slow burner of a track that doesn't stall the EP but instead keeps an even pace and shows the band is more than a one trick pony. The bass is an unsung hero in this song and throughout. Three tracks in we find "Esmeradla", with it's hooky guitar line and thundering drums, it gallops along and features the dual vocals of Turner and Roller. What starts sounding like a another easy going track quickly changes pace when the punchy chorus comes ringing through backed by Raboud's signature drum smashing and the bass that subtlety guides you along with it's thick groove. Finally we have "Leave Me With Today" which ends the EP in strong fashion. Starting off with Roller's keys and slowly adding each instrument into a sludgy mix that is infectious from the get go, it builds into an all encompassing swirl of squalling guitar, haunting backing vocals, crushing drums and keys ringing throughout the chorus. It leaves the listener with a satisfied taste in their mouth and is a great closer for the EP. This could easily fit alongside any radio friendly song currently being played and in some cases even better those on the radio. The only drawback on the EP is the production which isn't as strong as their previous effort. Other than that you couldn't ask for more in an EP from any band.

To wrap up all that can be said is to keep your eye out as these guys continue to make waves. All around a great group of people to boot and that's never a bad thing to have going for you. Go For The Eyes will be releasing more new material soon so stay tuned...

Besides all being great musicians, they're also great humanitarians. In the next couple of weeks they will be releasing a new single, with all of the benefits going to their charity of choice, Women In Need Society. Do yourself a favour and help out a great cause. Read the article below for details:

http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/music/Local+rock+Eyes+giving+back/6850687/story.html"/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c

Plus they were just featured on Ok Go's page as well:

http://okgo.net/news/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c


They just recently released a video for "Leave Me With Today" directed by Dave Wallace. A great concept and video. Have a look for yourself:



Here's their Facebook page for updates:


https://www.facebook.com/gofortheeyes/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c


If you like to tweet you'll find them here:


https://twitter.com/#!/goforthetweets/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c


To listen to some of their tunes go here:

http://soundcloud.com/go-for-the-eyes/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c

For their videos check out:

http://www.youtube.com/gofortheeyesband/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c

You can also purchase their music on Itunes at:

http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/go-for-the-eyes/id441371075/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c

2011 Year End Best Of List

Ok everyone after toiling over the list I have come to this my final decision. It was tough as this was another exciting year for music. Not including any of the bands in the Top 10 does not denote their music at all and again this is just my own personal list. Do not miss the notable mentions for some other great music by bands that will probably not make the Rolling Stone or Spin Top 10.

To explain why I decided to give The Horrors and Bombay Bicycle Club top honours along with the rest of the Top 10 well it's due to the fact that both these albums surprised me with how good they were. Both bands released solid previous efforts but nothing prepared me for the sheer brilliance of the new albums. The Horrors recorded and produced the album by themselves which also gives them extra points in my books. Bombay Bicycle Club made a poppy/sad/dancey album that demanded your attention and brought you back for more. Kasabian has had solid releases so I expected the new album to be as good as West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum or better. Also Radiohead at first surprised me with their choice for the direction of the new album but after repeat listens there was no way not to appreciate the subtle nuances that crept out upon multiple listens. S.C.U.M. are a brand new band and I have to say their album caught me off guard and remained in constant rotation for good reason. White Lies made a perfect 2nd effort and hopefully they keep the momentum going because they have only continued to get better. Glasvegas definitely took a risk releasing such a strange follow up to their highly successful 1st album but it paid off in a heartbreakingly honest record that shone through the strangeness and revealed the beauty underneath. Ryan Adams again did an about face and made one of his best albums in a while. The Vaccines made a bold statement by making guitar bands cool again and harkening back to old school rock n' roll to shake up the current blandness of pop music. Finally The Arctic Monkeys "Suck It And See" saw the band mature and write some love songs along with some psychedelic numbers that came from working with Josh Homme on previous album Humbug.

I have been doing this for a while now and always like the feedback and the reminders of things I might have missed cause it's so hard to keep up with all the great music out there. I hope you all can concoct your own lists cause I would be interested to see what everyone else's Top 10's were. Until next year ladies and gentlemen keep your ears to the ground and your eyes on the skies. Cheers all!!

1. The Horrors - Skying
2. Bombay Bicycle Club - A Different Kind Of Fix
3. Kasabian - Velociraptor
4. Radiohead - The King Of Limbs
5. S.C.U.M. - Again Into Eyes
6. White Lies - Ritual
7. Glasvegas - Euphoria ///Heartbreak\\\
8. Ryan Adams - Ashes & Fire
9. The Vaccines - What Did You Expect From The Vaccines
10. Arctic Monkeys - Suck It And See


Notable mentions:

Beady Eye - Different Gear, Still Speeding
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Friendly Fires - Pala
Coldplay - Mylo Xlyoto
Brett Anderson - Black Rainbows
Hard-Fi - Killer Sounds
Big Talk - Big Talk
British Sea Power - Valhalla Dancehall
The Boxer Rebellion - The Cold Still
And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Tao Of The Dead
Cut Copy - Zonoscope
PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
The Dears - Degeneration Street
Yuck - Yuck
Elbow - Build A Rocket Boys!
R.E.M. - Collapse Into Now
The Suzukis - The Suzukis
The Strokes - Angles
The Pigeon Detectives - Up, Guards and At 'Em!
Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
TV On The Radio - Nine Types Of Light
Explosions In The Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
Gorillaz - The Fall
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
The Antlers - Burst Apart
Matthew Good - Lights Of Endangered Species
Sons & Daughters - Mirror, Mirror
Battles - Glass Drop
Bon Iver - Bon Iver
Adele - 21
The War On Drugs - Slave Ambient
Washed Out - Within And Without
The Airborne Toxic Event - All At Once
The Young Knives - Ornaments From The Silver Arcade
Young Rebel Set - Curse Our Love
ZAZA - Sacred Geometry
Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You
Zola Jesus - Conatus
Fool's Gold - Leave No Trace
Bjork - Biophilia
Kill It Kid - Feet Fall Heavy
Young Galaxy - Shapeshifting
Young Brother - Young Brother EP
Yellowbirds - The Color
Wu Lyf - Go Tell Fire To The Mountain
Wooden Shjips - West
The Wombats - This Modern Glitch
The Wild Swans - The Coldest Winter For A Hundred Years
Silversun Pickups - Seasick EP
Wilco - The Whole Love
White Fence - Is Growing Faith
White Denim - D
The Whip - Wired Together
Wet Paint - Woe
We Were Promised Jetpacks - In The Pit Of The Stomach
We Made God - It's Getting Colder
Waylayers - Weightless EP
Viva Brother - Famous First Words
The Violet May - TV EP
The Vines - Future Primitive
The View - Bread and Circuses
The Victorian English Gentlemen's Club - Bag Of Meat
The Veils - Troubles Of The Brain EP
The Tunics - Dabbler's Handbook
Troubadour Dali - Let's Make It
Tribes - We Were Children EP
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Soundtrack
Torpedo - We
Tom Vek - Leisure Seizure
This Will Destroy You - Tunnel Blanket
Thirteen Senses - Crystal Sounds
Tennis - Cape Dory
Surfer Blood - Tarot Classics
Sug(r)cane - It's Like A Monday But It's Not
The Subways - Money and Celebrity
Subrosa - No Help For The Mighty One
The Strange Boys - Live Music
Still Corners - Creatures Of An Hour
SPC ECO - You Tell Me
Sparkadia - The Great Impression
Sons & Daughters - Mirror, Mirror
The Soft Province - The Soft Province
Soft Kill - An Open Door
Snow Patrol - Fallen Empires
Smith Westerns - Dye It Blonde
Smith and Burrows - Funny Looking Angels
Skint and Demoralised - This Sporting Life
Sisters Of Your Sunshine Vapor - Spectre Spirit
Sin Fang - Summer Echoes
She Wants Revenge - Valleyheart
A Second Of June - Psychodrama
Say Hi - Um, Uh Oh
The Sand Band - All Through The Night
Royseven - You Say, We Say
Royal Bangs - Flux Outside
The Rifles - Freedom Run
Real Estate - Days
The Ravenonettes - Raven In The Grave
The Rapture - In The Grace Of Your Love
Puscifer - Conditions Of My Parole
UFO Club - UFO Club/Night Beats Split 10"
Night Beats - UFO Club/Night Beats Split 10"
Vacant Lots - Confusion/Cadillac
Pete And The Pirates - One Thousand Pictures
Parlotones - Eavesdropping On The Songs Of Whales
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Belong
Our Ceasing Voice - When The Headline Hit Home
One Night Only - One Night Only
Neon Indian - Era Extrana
My Morning Jacket - Circuital
Mutemath - Odd Soul
Moving Units - Tension War
Moonbeams - The Daisy Chain
Monogold - The Softest Glow
Mona - Mona
Mogwai - Earth Divisions EP
The Moderns - Descartes
Model Morning - Model Morning
Minks - By The Hedge
Mind Spiders - Mind Spiders
Miles Kane - Colour Of The Trap
Metronomy - The English Riveria
Mammoth Grove - Mammoth Grove EP
M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
M.A.G.N.U.S. - Transformations EP
Lowline - Lowline
Lower Heaven - Today Is All We Have
Low - C'mon
Locksley - Locksley
Little Comets - In Search Of Elusive Little Comets
Little Barrie - King Of The Waves
Blackout Lights - Blackout Lights EP
Lily Of The Valley - Aquatree
Let's Wrestle - Nursing Home
Le Albatross - Monticello
Le Albatross - Farmington
Ladytron - Gravity The Seducer
The Kooks - Junk Of The Heart
The Kills - Blood Pressures
Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds - Gorilla Rose
Kele - The Hunter EP
Kaiser Chiefs - The Future Is Medieval
The Joy Formidable - The Big Roar
Jónsi - We Bought A Zoo Soundtrack
Iroha - Iroha
Incubus - If Not Now, When?
IAMX - Volatile Times
I Break Horses - Hearts
Hyde And Beast - Slow Down
Howling Bells - The Loudest Engine
Howler - This One's Different
Gypsy & The Cat - Jona Vark EP
Guillemots - Walk The River
Gruff Rhys - Hotel Shampoo
Gruff Rhys - Atheist Xmas EP
The Nix Dicksons - Red Fox EP
Black Phoenix Orchestra - Black Phoenix Orchestra EP
Go For The Eyes - Go For The Eyes
Go For The Eyes - One Through Four EP
Girls Names - Dead To Me
Ganglians - Still Living
Frightened Rabbit - Frightened Rabbit EP
The Fresh And Onlys - Secret Walls EP
Frankie & The Heartstrings - Hunger
Foster The People - Torches
Flying Fox And The Hunter Gatherers - Hans My Lion
Florence And The Machine - Ceremonials
Flashguns - Passions Of A Different Kind
The Flaming Lips - Gummy Song Skull
Five Seconds To Leave - SoundScapeLandTracks
Final Days Society - Ours Is Not A Caravan Of Despair
The Features - Wilderness
Falcon - Disappear
Esben And The Witch - Violet Cries
Eleanor Friedburger - Last Summer
Efrim Manuel Menuck - Plays 'High Gospel'
Echo Lake - Young Silence
Dutch Uncles - Cadenza
Dum Dum Girls - Only In Dreams
The Duke Spirit - Bruiser
The Drums - Portamento
Dreams - Forgotten Thoughts
Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Don't Say We Didn't Warn You
DJ Shadow - The Less You Know, The Better
Disappears - Guider
Dirty Beaches - Badlands
Digitalism - I Love You, Dude
Devotchka - 100 Lovers
Delay Trees - Before I Go Go
The Decemberists - The King Is Dead
Death In Vegas - Trans-Love Energies
Death Cab For Cutie - Codes And Keys
Dead Skeletons - Dead Magick
Dead Electric - This Mind Of Yours
A Dancing Beggar - Follow The Dark As If It Were Light
Cut Off Your Hands - Hollow
Cults - Cults
Cuba Cuba - Where Else Is Safe But The Road?
Crystal Stilts - In Love With Oblivion
The Crookes - Chasing After Ghosts
Cold War Kids - Mine Is Yours
Cold Cave - Cherish The Light Years
Chikini - Bitten
Charles Bradley - No Time For Dreaming
Chapel Club - Palace
Cat's Eyes - Cat's Eyes
Cast - Troubled Times
Cage The Elephant - Thank You, Happy Birthday
Bush - The Sea Of Memories
Black Pistol Fire - Black Pistol Fire
Black Lips - Arabia Mountain
The Black Keys - El Camino
The Beets - Let The Poison Out
Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2
Bass Drum Of Death - GB City
Austra - Feel It Break
Asobi Seksu - Florescence
Art Brut - Brilliant! Tragic!
The Appleseed Cast - Middle States
Alexander Ebert - Alexander Ebert
Alex Turner - Submarine EP
Alberta Cross - The Rolling Thunder EP
Acrylics - Lives And Treasures

Let's Dance Like We Used To

If someone told me like 10 years ago that the 80's would make a comeback in any way, shape or form I would have called them liars. Well here it is now 2011 and they have indeed made a comeback over the past couple of years from fashion to music. You can't deny it, every where you look it's back for better or worse. Why might you ask am I ranting on about the 80's well take a listen to bands nowadays and the amount of synths being used. The kids who grew up on 80's music are now making music of their own.

For example White Lies who hail from London are awash in synths and vocals that recall Tears For Fears, Talking Heads or Talk Talk from the 80's. That's not saying there's anything bad about that. I am grateful that synths have become more prominent again and White Lies are doing a damn fine job of making themselves known as purveyors of the revival. They formed under another name Fear of Flying around 2005-2006. After writing some darker material that wasn't suited for the band they decided to put Fear of Flying to rest and begin White Lies. Before breaking up as their previous incarnation they recorded a couple of A-sides with Stephen Street (who produced Morrissey and Blur) and toured with The Maccabees among others.

White Lies was born in 2007 and took on a darker tone then their previous incarnation. They played as White Lies for the first time in 2008 and delayed release of their debut to gather some attention with the press. Their debut album was originally titled To Lose My Life Or Lose My Love but was eventually shortened to To Lose My Life... before it's release. For 2009, White Lies were first British act to have their album reach number one and to debut at number one. Quite an achievement for a debut album. After touring the album extensively and playing several festivals along with opening slots for Coldplay and Kings Of Leon, the band returned to the studio to record their sophomore album. They went with Alan Moulder as producer whose extensive credits include Nine Inch Nails and Smashing Pumpkins to name a few. In January 2011 Ritual was unleashed upon the masses to favourable reviews once again. Despite the band being compared to such bands as Joy Division, Interpol and Editors the band cite Talking Heads and Secret Machines as their influences.

Definitely a band that will only get better over time and their second album proves that they have staying power. Some lies are alright if nobody gets hurt and so a little White Lies never hurt anybody:

"Death" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c

"Farewell To The Fairground" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Orl42Y-c4I

"To Lose My Life" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c

"EST" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c

"Bigger Than Us" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c

"Strangers" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c

"Holy Ghost" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Orl42Y-c4I

This is best listened to loud, so turn it up!!

Blowin' Cool

I know the name will probably turn most people off but once you get past it then there's some really good tunes waiting to be heard. A forgotten band of yesteryear Kitchens Of Distinction, name aside, are a real band with real songs and to their credit were doing things that a lot of others weren't comfortable doing. Lead singer Patrick Fitzgerald was openly gay and some of his lyrics pushed the envelope in the 80's when gay was still taboo for the most part. Fitzgerald was even a medical doctor but put that on hold to focus on the band. They released first album Love Is Hell in 1989, followed by Strange Free World in 1991, The Death Of Cool (in reference to Miles Davis passing away and his album The Birth Of Cool) in 1992 and finally Cowboys and Aliens in 1994. Sometimes the band would play secret shows as Toilets Of Destruction and dressed in drag playing ABBA, Bowie and Bauhaus covers. Jonny Greenwood even cited Cowboys and Aliens as an influence on Subterranean Homesick Alien. Sadly in 1996 the band split with Fitzgerald going on to create music under a new moniker Stephen Hero and Julian Swales moving on to compose music for films and theatre. Their name is taken from a company at the time that specialized in kitchen and bathroom fixtures, that one of the band members saw an advert for on the side of a bus. Heavily influencing many bands even if not being recognized for it from Interpol to Editors the sound they created will definitely live on. Get down to the sound:

"Drive That Fast" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c

"The 3rd Time We Opened The Capsule" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c

"Quick As Rainbows" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c

"Smiling" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c

"4 Men" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c

"What Happens Now" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c

"Sand On Fire" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c

"Here Come The Swans" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c

Relax, Don't Think About The Way I Treat You

Ambulance LTD started with Michael Di Liberto and David Longstreth who were later joined by Marcus Congleton. They signed with TVT records and recorded their only album to date LP. All the members left the group in 2007 leaving Congleton to be the last one. He received rights to the name and began recording with John Cale (of Velvet Underground fame) in 2008 but to this day nothing has come out of it. Some demo's did appear on their Myspace but nothing in the form of a physical release. After a legal fight with TVT ,who prevented the band from releasing new material, after filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy, the label was taken over by The Orchard. They were influenced by everyone from Spiritualized to My Bloody Valentine to The Rolling Stones and their music definitely reflected a band that wasn't ready to be pigeon-holed in any genre. Such an amazing debut and subsequent EP's that it's a shame if they don't release anything else. Here's hoping:

"Sugar Pill" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c

"Primitive" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c

"Ophelia" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c

"Stay Where You Are" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c

A band that deserves to be heard so spread the tunes with everyone you know who would dig them. Always share what you hear!

Hanging Out With Scheme Eugene

So after a very long hiatus I am returning to writing about what I love best...music. Obscure music to put it best. I really appreciate everyone's support and hope that out of everything that maybe a couple of these bands have ended up in your music collection. If I've done that then I'm doing my job. Anyways onto the music and to kick things off I'm starting with an unknown (surprise) UK band (surprise) by the name of Red Light Company. They are from London, England and in their short time together gained some success with singles "Scheme Eugene" and "Meccano". NME touted them as one of the hottest bands of 2009. Since then the band has failed to capitalize on this other then releasing the great debut Fine Fascination in 2009. Nothing heard from the band since then until lead singer Richard Frenneaux posted a blog about his new project Anothers Blood in July 2011. Here's hoping the band isn't completely finished but Richard's trademark voice still lives on in Anothers Blood. Red Light Company drew comparisons to bands such as Arcade Fire and that is not too far from the mark as their music is infectiously catchy and easy to sing a long to. There is/was something about Red Light Company that just makes you want to listen to it over and over again. Always great to find a band that you've never heard and now can listen to repeatedly. Cheers to that:

"Scheme Eugene" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c

"Arts & Crafts" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c

"With Lights Out" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c

"Meccano" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1nC-uyhg1c