Poppy Family - There's No Blood In Bone

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The Poppy Family - There's No Blood In Bone

This is terrible, but also a little cool and interesting; maybe you'll think less of me, but I was reminded of this song the other day while hiding in the back of a porn film as the soundtrack. They don't put good music on porn films anymore, too much of a distraction. Bangrbros and Brazzers they're all about the nasty... skin flicks used to be about the music maaaaan.

REJOICE! NEW FANZINE EP!

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Low by Fanzine

Rocket Fuel by Fanzine

Running Around by Fanzine

I Wanna Touch Your Hand by Fanzine

Look at that title up there. Full capitals. Full capitals must be reserved for something of significance and this dear listeners/readers is a post of significance. For, Fanzine have delivered an astounding EP to the world this morning with four equally as incredible and irresistible tracks landing on music blogs/sites: Abeano, Line of Best Fit, Double Denim and Transparent - essential music clicks.

The 90s slacker rock thing has been kicking about in plaid shirts for a bit now, perhaps it's beginning to grate. I put a post up the other day with music from The History of Apple Pie, I have no intention to listen to those songs ever again, why would I? I have Dinosaur Jr. and Pavement records that do that better. You could say the same about Yuck (one of the tracks on this EP was produced by a member) but there is a fanatical charm in the way they've drawn together their influences.

What Fanzine have - as can be heard on this EP - are songs that have their own personality, a knowingly slacker tongue in cheek.
Comparatively the EP recalls Catholic Education era Teenage Fanclub with fragile yet satisfying harmonies and occasional bursts of hardcore guitars, early Weezer's capability of making every song life assuringly infectious and of course we got some Dino Jr. lurking around, but who can begrudge trying to emulate one of the greatest guitar sounds in rock?
If you haven't already falling in love with Fanzine, now's the time.

A link to download the EP can be found in the Fanzine Zine PDF here 

Free Digital 7" Download: Cheerleader

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Cheerleader - New Daze
Cheerleader - Dreamer

Had this emailed to me this morning, perhaps it's my mood, but boy did this sun-kissed beach pop hit the mark.

They've just put out their debut digital 7" for free download up on Bandcamp check it here

The Sky Drops - Explain It To Me

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The Sky Drops - Explain It To Me

I could attempt to write this blurb without mentioning My Bloody Valentine but it's pretty much impossible, such are the comparisons of reverb flooded and drench sound that appears on The Sky Drops latest EP Making Mountains. You can rest assured it's not just the ethereal female vocals and noise that accounts for their sound. Beneath the British sound of shoegaze is the warmth of a desert drive, an alt-American pop aesthetic; a touch of sub-pop, a bit of Sonic Youth, The Lemonheads and even The Smashing Pumpkins.

Making Mountains is available to buy now from Custom Made Music or to stream from Bandcamp
Bourgeois Beat their 2009 LP is available to download for free for a limited period - snap it up now 

Celestial Shore - Maps

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 DD006 B1: Celestial Shore // Maps by Double Denim Records

Celestial Shore are a math-rock harmony group from Brooklyn. This blogger doesn't usually get on with math-rock and perhaps this isn't really the purest of math-rock sounds. The jarring signatures and close guitar picking can make everything feel a bit too tightly packed, I need some space for a groove or the after-trails of a guitar sound; the band can sound like they're in a rush to be somewhere else.
Celestial Shore, though, add space with their near perfect west-coast harmonies breathing air into the complex claustrophobic rhythms.

Maps is the b-side to Celestial Shores limited edition and sure to sell out double a-side 7 inch Pals/Place Aux Dames available to pre-order now at Double Denim Records

Wheatstone Bridge - Bad Connection

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Wheatstone Bridge - Bad Connection

Wheatstone Bridge were dangerously ahead of their time. How were they to know that everybody almost everyday would encounter a 'Bad Connection'? This song was released in 1976, mobile phones and internet; that's spaceman stuff, they're shouting down tin cans and strings. Yet, somehow Wheatstone Bridge wrote the official anthem for the cut off call or a slow download speed.
As for the song, it's a 70s rock song and maybe a bit 'meat and potatoes' by today's standard but because it's a rare track I invariably like it because I'm a twat like that. Enjoy.

Beau Hanson - Who's Got The Right of Way

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Beau Hanson - Who's Got The Right of Way

Taken from a hit and miss comp of forgotten bands.
Jagger impressions.
Fuzzy guitars.
Primitive beats.
Outsider lyrics.
Cheap production.
Garage punk innit.

Dead Rabbits - I Think I Know

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 I Think I Know by Dead-Rabbits

Man, I've been trying to write something journo-like for this band for what seems like an eternity (45 minutes). Dead Rabbits are a rock n roll band, you can make of that what you will, there's a song up there to help you and there's a non-precise ton of tracks they've just uploaded onto seemingly every digital medium (youtube, soundcloud, facebook).

They've shared a bill with Yuck; you could say they share a decade with the band but with Dead Rabbits we're looking at Spacemen 3, Spiritualized, JAMC, Primal Scream et al rather than... well you know what Yuck are into... it's just rock n roll really innit?

Download and stream more Dead Rabbits track on their soundcloud here

FREE EP: Jess Futerman - Super Basement EP

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Here's a free EP from Toronto beat maker and sample digger Jess Futerman: spiritual jazz horns and strings; 70s blaxploitation and far out beats, Super Basement is a 6 track EP built for the setting of a late sun.
Heavily digging this small collection and definitely a name to keep an eye out for.

Jesse Futerman - Black is the Colour

Download Super Basement for free from bandcamp 

The Giant Jellybean Copout - Awake in a Dream

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The Giant Jellybean Copout - Awake in a Dream

Word has it that Gian Jellybean Copout were a secret side-project for sunshine pop group The Critters, you'd be forgiven for thinking that perhaps this was a front for another Californian harmony group.

Picked this gem from one of Sir Psych's compilations, his essential collections can be found here 

Free Beat Tape: Vanilla - High Life

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Vanilla - The People 

You don't need to know much about Vanilla; maybe because there ain't much to know but what I do know is that he's a producer from Oxford who samples soul, R'n'B tracks and makes beats for beat tapes like this 27 track delight High Life. The names Dilla and Madlib have been dropped as inspirations to how High Life sounds and Vanilla's sonic aspirations, this is all I needed to get me interested and I haven't been let down.

High Life is available for your free listening pleasure up on bandcamp and to download from Mediafire.

Download: Vanilla - High Life (Mediafire)

Mixtape: Senior Thump. (Northern Soul/R'n'B/Funk/Blue Eyed Soul)

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New World - We're Gonna Make It

There's a Northern Soul special going on at my weekly DJ'ing haunt Cassette Player in Swindon's Suju Nightclub (FB event), here is a quick comp I through together in anticipation of the night.
Not strictly northern soul; there's some funk, library, R'n'B, rock n roll, breaks and blue eyed soul, it's all good for a dancefloor and has the same 'can't help but dance' quality that all good soul night's deliver.
Nothing really particularly rare or obscure here, I just fancied throwing together some tunes and here they stand for for your listening pleasure.

Download: Senior Thump (Mediafire)

Tracklisting
Jimmy McGriff - I Got A Woman
Bonnie St. Claire - I Surrender
Big Mama Thornton - They Call Me Big Mama
New World - We're Gonna Make It
J.B. Troy - Live On
Marsha Hunt - Hot Rod Poppa
Spanky Wilson - Sunshine of Your Love
Alan Hawkshaw - Senior Thump
Anthony Lamont - Benny the Skinny Man
Lord Sausage - Funky River
Jerry Washington - Set Your Soul on Fire
The Electric Express - It's The Real Thing
Barbara Howard - I Don't Want Your Love
Compass - Her Sadness Primer
The Blenders - Nothin' But A Party (part II)
Alan Hawkshawk/Mohawks - Rocky Mountain Roundabout

If There Is Hell Below Podcast... Rocket Salad

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Rob & Callum present the If There Is Hell Below Podcast. A world where we discuss Menswe@r inventing email, Wesley Snipes prison method acting, rock n roll racing and the three horsemen of music capitalism. Musically we have jams from J. Cole and Inc, Boris bring the heavy, some psych rock/sunshine/baroque pop from 1969 and some more.


Tracklisting
Bozmo - Milksnakes
Inc. - Swear
J. Cole - Work Out
The Whines - Shootinhead
Wyla - You're The One
Green - Green
White Boy and the Average Rat Band - Maybe I'm a Fool
Boris - Jackson Head
White Fence - The Pool
Boy Without God - Of Cowboys & Other Beautiful Men
Ryan Adams - Oh, Charles

Rocket Salad by Ifthereishellbelow on Mixcloud

Midnight Lion - All Greatness Stands Firm (A JD Twitch Optimo Remix)

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 All Greatness Stands Firm (A JD Twitch Optimo Remix) by Midnight Lion

Midnight Lion are a Glaswegian two-piece who join the long queue of 80s revivalist, a never-ending line celebrating and relaying sounds, ideas and aesthetics for arguably the most vapid of times. The 80s revival has lasted longer than it's original ten-year decade allocation.
They weren't entirely bad; Talk Talk were ace, grunge, indie, hardcore and house music were it's saving graces: it's breath of fresh air. JD Twitch and Optimo blow some freshness into Midnight Lion's debut release 'All Greatness Stands', taking the big synths with aspirations of stadiums and throwing it into the club, with this acid house remix.

Flying Lotus' broken biscuits feat. Bjork, Stereolab, Massive Attack remixes

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 Flying Lotus - Stereolab - GalactagonFINAL2rMX by Flyinglotus

What's it been, like a week since we last posted a Flying Lotus jam?  Seems as though he's been routing about the corners of his hard drives and placed up some works he's had floating about.
The gravity of remixes of tracks by Stereolab, Massive Attack, Bjork and Mr. Oizo will move people to investigate these nuggets, but it's also worth checking some of the discarded ideas, half songs and broken biscuits he's put up here.
You can listen to all of the cuts on his soundcloud account here 

Where Are You Jackson (and your Computer Band)?

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Where are you man?
Been a few years now.
Got a Tom Vek album out.
Yup, he's doing the old 'releasing music' stick.
Smash was a decent wee album.
It's what, 6 years old now?
Not like it was shit, still sounds good now.
You listened to that first Justice record again?
You're lucky Smash ain't aged like that.
Maybe, time to do a follow up?
Let me know.

Jackson & His Computer Band - TV Dogs (Cathodica's Letter)

Buy Smash

Free EP: Drifter - Drifter EP

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Drifter - Please Stay

Here's a thing I first found on No Fear of Pop, they're a blog bigger boy. They don't put old shit up like me; they dig out some good new nuggets and deliver to me, to you, to anyone with internet. Maybe we wouldn't have found it otherwise - praise these blogs.
Now what to say of Drifter? Well the man is from Helsinki in Finland, and I could say that the darkness of the tracks: the draw the curtains and drift off with your headphones tone of the EP is clearly the sound of a man from a country with merely the odd few hours of winter sunlight.
But I'm worried someone may think I'm a xenophobe and I'm a lazy music writer, I don't want that.



This is out for free on bandcamp so download it here

If There Is Hell Below Podcast... Spinning Hot Plates

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Avoiding the elephant in the room, spinning hot plates while completely "smashing it" Rob and Callum are back with the If There Is Hell Below Podcast. With Spanish garage rock, Hudson Mohawke, Hotel Mexico, the olde guard of Thurtson Moore and Steve Malkmus, some minimal r&b jam from Rochelle Jordan and more wonders besides.

Tracklisting to last week's episode

Spinning Hot Plates by Ifthereishellbelow on Mixcloud

S.C.U.M. - Summon the Sound (Grimes Remix)

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 S.C.U.M Summon the Sound (Grimes remix) by Mute UK 

This Grimes remix of SCUM's Summon the Sound is like entering into some sordid dark dub disco sex dungeon. Don't fight it, take in those popper vapours, you've finally found an excuse to wear non-jacket leather in public.
Sounds good doesn't it?

S.C.U.M. have a single Amber Hands out within the next couple of weeks followed by an album in september on Mute records.

S.C.U.M - Amber Hands by Mute UK 

The History of Apple Pie - You're So Cool

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Bit of interactivity for you. Grab a felt tip and just cross off and leave how you think this post should be written to describe The History of Apple Pie. Listen to each song and decide.

 Some Kind by The History Of Apple Pie 

Their name is: shit / clever / pretty fucking cool, yeah? / an important advert for the flagging sweet pastry industry / doesn't matter really does it? Commenting on a band's name? That's the lowest form of music writing.

 You're So Cool by The History Of Apple Pie 

They sound like: everything that was good about late 80s to early 90s guitar music / another pavement, dino jr, sonic youth, MBV-a like / they're tweaking my brain nerves marked 'nostalgia' and it's working

 Tug by The History Of Apple Pie

The History of Apple Pie will: change your life / be blogged about a bit, maybe get an NME thing, sell a couple of records and be forgotten about when everyone realises Brother took the correct 90s route / justify me sporting my outgrown bowl cut, open lumberjack and outgrown stonewash denim look / remind me to dig out my 90s Sub Pop records again.

As it goes, I like these lot, I wear fucking flares for god sake who am I to criticise harking back to the past.

You're So Cool is out on Roundtable Records soon. Keep an eye out for that.

Godley & Creme - Art School Canteen

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Godley & Creme - Art School Canteen

Is this how most bloggers work? You see that you ain't posted in a couple of days and then throw up the one old song you've had on repeat for download? Got meet your quota innit.

Well, as there is a gap between pods I thought I'd spare your ears the burden of me expressing furthermore my love of 10cc and Godley and Creme and just post this.

Track comes from their second album L pick it up from discogs here

The 45 King - The 900 Number

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The 45 King - The 900 Number

No fucking about, it's a Friday, here's some jam, go take it back to that happy place.

Monster Rally - Deep Sea EP

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Monster Rally - Siberian Girls

Mad Men has a lot to answer for: teens and 20-somethings walking around with Dax'ed hair, a side parting that any mum would be proud to see at Sunday service and trying to perfect that cold glare that says 'my woman knows her place'.
Don Draper may seem cool but he's an Ad Man; a snake, a manipulator, a liar, a bullshit shifter - him regularly cheating on his wife* isn't his worst quality - it's his job.

While, he may have the beautiful blonde wife, the smiling kids and the suburban dream home, his perfect life is seemingly held together by blue tack and tape.

Monster Rally has a sheen of the 50's kitsch; the borrowed sunshine pop has that Pleasantville nostalgic innocence, but it doesn't have the steel to keep it's dark side locked up like Draper. Rhythmic glitches are like cracks on the picture of the model family enjoying a refreshing Coca Cola and hip hop breaks are a loosening of the collar ready to 'let it all hang out'.

You will be able to get Monster Rally's latest EP Deep Sea from Robot Gold Records on 7" vinyl in the next few weeks here... or can download from the Monster Rally bandcamp here.






*I haven't seen past half of season 2. He may have committed worst sins, but what's worst than advertising?

Bonnie St. Claire - I Surrender

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Bonnie St. Claire - I Surrender

Being a mod is far too much effort to be fun; too many rules, too many guidelines of what is 'mod' and who wants to be in their 20's or teens having to follow some worn out ideals?
Saying that, they dig some tunes, always wear good shirts and they know how to dance; so there's always some reason to keep an eye on them.

Here's something I was gonna pick up on vinyl a while back but ran out of cash and the other disks in my hand were wooing me over. Came to my attention again courtesy of a neat little blog called La Caja Del Diablo who post up some cool mixtapes, this track was nestled amongst some surf rock, garage rock and 60s pop - check them out.
This Dutch girl pulled some killer Northern Soul out the bag here, one of those tunes that at times can sound a bit Austin Powers but at others exactly what you need to get your feet moving the same beat as your ticker.