Great Albums/EPs and Songs: April '12

Well it’s been another great month of music, featuring many possible candidates for my end of year loved list. But yeah, this is just a list of albums/EPs and songs that I have enjoyed the most in the month of April, and some that you may have missed too. Cool? Cool.

Everything listed below will have a link to their respected reviews/posts, and that means we can spend the final day of April reading and getting into some new quality music. Awesome.

Hypocrite In A Hippy Crypt - Bits

Released: 24^th April 2012

Label: Already Dead Records

The first person to ever send me their music to review was Hypocrite In A Hippy Crypt, the project of a man who chooses to keep his identity hidden. His self titled album was full of brilliant pop-rock acoustic and electric guitar riffs, mixed with relaxed vocals to create the perfect soundtrack for the summer. Now Hypocrite In A Hippy Crypt returns with a cassette full of old B-sides and demos, all recorded in his basement and with a number of USB microphones.

The tape, All I Ask Ya, Alaska, is currently available to purchase for $5 here. Bits is the only track grabbed from this tape to be placed on Bandcamp and is available to download for free too. It’s a real relaxed tune, which is to be expected from Hypocrite In A Hippy Crypt, with a lax guitar riff setting up the slow tempo’d atmosphere, the song is soon joined with the slacked vocals to create yet another great song for the summer. The guitar solo that follows is also wonderful, and I really cannot wait to check out the rest of All I Ask Ya, Alaska.

Free Download Of The Day #17: Cricketbows - Mycocosmic Transmission

Every now and then I think we need a certain album or sound we can put into our record players/MP3s and play it just so we can forget things for a little while. Whether that involves becoming enveloped in certain lyrics or certain songs or a certain psychedelic sound that is hugely immersive and thick with hazy, crazy riffs and vocal delivery.

Cricketbows, a band hailing from Dayton, Ohio is a band that fits the hazy crazy psychedelic sound. They are busy preparing their third album, but you can download and listen to their latest album Mycocosmic Transmission for free on their Bandcamp page.

It’s fantastic. Full of guitar riffs that sound far away yet keep my attention directly on them, vocals that fit in extremely well with the dimension-bendingly futuristic sound. It’s just an impressive album that allows you to let your body go limp and sway with the music, as it will capture you in its creativity. I can’t wait to hear more from Cricketbows and Mycocosmic Transmission is great.

The King Blues - Modern Life Has Let Me Down

Sadly, The King Blues are no more. After eight years and three albums, the band decided to call it a day on the 3rd of April. This news came as a huge shock to fans, especially as the Blues still have an album release due in July, Long Live The Struggle, of which Modern Life Has Let Me Down is the first single to be released from.

Like much of the Blues previous music, the track mixes punky instrumentals with catchy choruses, thought-provoking lyrics and a whole bagful of attitude from lead singer Johnny "Itch" Fox. The song is politically charged with Itch decrying the state of life today.

If you are familiar with other King Blues music, don't expect a vast change from the norm. By no means does this imply that Modern Life Has Let Me Down is a bad song - in fact, quite the opposite. By continuing the style that the Blues devised on Under The Fog, honed on Save The World, Get The Girl and further improved on Punk & Poetry, the King Blues appear poised to bow out in style when Long Live The Struggle is released on July 2 of this year.

Stream the first single from The King Blues' new album, Modern Life Has Let Me Down, below.

Idle Maestro - Dark Horse EP

Dark Horse EP is the latest material to be dropped by British trio Idle Maestro. From North Yorkshire, the band comprised originally of cousins Alex Trewhitt (Vocals/guitar) and Max Trewhitt (drums) while taking on additional members before finally settling down with bassist Charlie Sellers in 2010.

Idle Maestro take influences from The Black Keys, Led Zeppelin and The Doors to create a blues rock sound that is both interesting and exciting. The three tracks featured on Dark Horse EP, Get Along, Dark Horse and Don’t Come Knockin’, are all very good songs with a loud guitar riff and catchy drum patterns to overall create a listen that is extremely entertaining.

The band released this EP last year but is preparing to release their debut studio album sometime this year. Check out Dark Horse EP below and enjoy it.

Gaz Coombes Presents... - Hot Fruit

Released: May 21^st

Label: Hot Fruit Recordings

After putting an end to the seventeen year life of one of the most celebrated Britpop bands of the 90’s Supergrass, Gaz Coombes is ready to release material from his debut solo album Here Comes The Bombs, out on May 21^st via Hot Fruit Recordings. One of the first tracks to drop is Hot Fruit, a track about the wonders of a certain part of lady (heehee).

While not sounding as fleshed out as Supergrass or even The Hot Rats, Hot Fruit still maintains a lot of the energy that has been present throughout Gaz’s guitar work and vocal delivery. The guitar riff is memorable here and has a certain slinky quality to it which easily fits in tight with its lyrical counterpart, which is good.

The Supergrass fan in me just wishes for them to have stuck around long enough to complete and release the new album they were working on Release The Drones. But I will listen to Gaz Coombes solo material as it could pretty much just be the same thing. So while (for now) Supergrass has been laid to rest, at least we still have the main man behind it making new music for us all to enjoy.

Choose My Music - The State Of Music Vol 1

Released: January 2012

Label: Choose My Music

The State Of Music is a project featuring a series of compilation albums released by UK label Choose My Music. Originally thought up by Dominik Paczko, The State Of Music project compiles a compilation volume featuring one independent artist from all fifty states of the United States, with all proceeds going to a charity called Camden Calling. It’s a wonderful charity that helps out homeless musicians and other creative people in London, check out their website and donate at www.camdencalling.org

This project has released two compilation volumes in the past, with a third on it’s way in the backend of June. Choose My Music Records became a proper record label with the intention to release the material of the artists they found, and some of these artists have either been signed, or reached their first radio plays in the UK, some have even been nominated for awards. It’s a great project with a great cause, and everybody ends up winning.

There’s strong variety featured on the The State Of Music Vol 1 for everybody to check out and enjoy. If you’re after hip-hop, then you can check out Kendall Elijah and Unsung, both offer some great laid back instrumentations and solid tracks. If you’re after straight-forward indie tunes, then you can't go wrong with Hands & Knees, one of my personal highlights of The State Of Music Vol 1, or Dads’ Dan’s Christopher Walken Impersonation. Heck, fancy some banjo? This volume’s got it!

It also includes one of my favourite artists of the year too. Gomez Addams’ The Backyard offers more of the relaxed atmosphere and sweet acoustic sounds that made me fall in love with latest album Summer Viking. Check out a few of the mentioned artists’ songs in the embedded and purchase a copy of The State Of Music Vol 1! It’s a really great compilation, and once again for a great cause too. You can purchase a copy of The State Of Music Vol 1 here on the official website, or download it via iTunes also.

Submotion Orchestra - It's Not Me It's You

Released: 7^th May

Label: Exceptional Blues

Genre: Electronic/Alt

After coming off a hugely successful sell-out tour last month, London/Leeds seven piece Submotion Orchestra has released the video for new single It’s Not Me It’s You, and it’s pretty ace. It features awesome camera work displaying close-ups of many instruments, a woman covered in tribal stuff, oh and the singer Ruby busting out a few shapes too.

It’s Not Me It’s You has a certain reverb quality to it that makes it sound quite earthy, which I believe is what the band’s sound was on the debut album. This time however, it’s been paired against some addictive bass, catchy synthesisers and sliced up vocals to help it sound nightclub and mainstream friendly. It also features some pretty slinky trumpet action too which fits in really well with the slightly relaxed atmosphere.

It’s a great track and I can’t wait to hear how the rest of the new album sounds, especially if Submotion Orchestra has managed to pull off this progressively radio-friendly sound well.

Dr John - Locked Down

Released: April 2012

Label: Nonesuch

Genre: Blues Rock

Dr John is a veteran of the music industry, and after being inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame (many wonderful congratulations to you Dr John), he has dropped what many people are describing as a throwback album. Locked Down sees Dr John return to his old school New Orleans roots, and with Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach producing it, were we about to witness another Rick Rubin/Johnny Cash masterpiece?

Well, perhaps not. However Locked Down is still a very solid and really enjoyable listen. Auerbach has injected some youthful enthusiasm into the music here, whether that is the catchy blues riffs or the pretty catchy drum patterns, the music helps reinvigorate Dr John’s sound.

Of course what helps make Locked Down such an enjoyable listen is the vocal from Dr John himself. He’s at an age now where his voice becomes raspier to the point of questioning how much gravel and broken glass he’s downed, perhaps alongside Mark Lanegan? Anyway, his voice adds a quality old school feel to Locked Down that makes it sound even better.

Free Download Of The Day #16: Destroy Nate Allen - We Talk Occasionally On The Internet

Album: With Our Powers Combined

Release: 5^th June 2012

Label: High Endurance Records

Husband and wife duo Destroy Nate Allen will be releasing new full length With Our Powers Combined on 5^th June, so while you anxiously wait for what could be a very fun listen, you can download the first track to be dropped We Talk Occasionally On The Internet for free.

Despite being a two-piece, Destory Nate Allen has recruited Gnarboots as their super fun backing band, and it really works for We Talk Occasionally On The Internet. It features the most energetic instrumentation and vocal delivery I’ve heard in a long while, which is to be expected from a band described as an interactive sing-a-long band.

The upbeat nature of We Talk Occasionally On The Internet gives off a certain Moldy Peaches innocence, and the repeated lyric of the song title is fantastic too. It’s a great song and I cannot wait to hear if there’s more of this on With Our Powers Combined.

Jack White - Blunderbuss

Released: April 2012

Label: Third Man Records

Genre: Blues Rock/Alt

Jack White is back! After bringing closure to fans and questions asking if there were ever going to be new White Stripes material, he has returned, this time without Meg White. Blunderbuss is the debut solo album from Jack White, and well, it’s pretty much just like The White Stripes.

Well, I say that with ignorant white stripes fan goggles on. There’s obviously Jack White’s very distinct voice, guitar playing, octave-infused guitar solos which I’m sure will be welcomed back by fans everywhere. But there’s also a ton of guest vocals, orchestral instruments, and a nice mix between heavy rock tunes and soft, slow acoustic ballads too. I think if I had to compare it to a White Stripes album, it would be Icky Thump. The amount of variety on both albums is roughly the same, and the structures of the songs in Blunderbuss are very similar to Icky Thump.

It’s a solid album that while doesn’t exactly change the world of music, but it’s very good at what it does. I’m just glad to have Jack White back to my ears. I would’ve liked to hear Jack to the more insane end of his vocal range at some point, but maybe that’s for next time.

Death Grips - The Money Store

Released: 24^th April

Label: Epic

Genre: Hip-Hop

With the release of mixtape Ex-Military last year, fans and critics alike have been spending their time trying to grow accustomed to the sound of Death Grips. The Sacramento trio’s abrasive, heavy-synth sound accompanied alongside dark lyrical content has gained a lot of love from those who have heard it, but have they really gotten use to it? Well, with the release of The Money Store, the highly anticipated new album from Death Grips, fans will certainly have a tough time stating how used to it they really are after listening to it.

Above and Beyond - Anjunabeats volume 9

Above and Beyond have settled deep into the dance genre over the last 11 years of production, bringing along with them many artists that have never failed to disappoint. Its general knowledge to dance lovers out there that they began back in 2000 as a trio and eventually began their record label 'Anjunabeats' , aswell as doing a weekly podcast, which is one of the highest listened to podcasts on iTunes as it stands.

They have now released their next compilation album from their label named "Anjunabeats volume 9", and as with all previous compilations, they haven't disappointed. Now, I personally have been listening to dance music for quite a few years now and its awesome to see how its evolved, and this album displays that to the listener very well, especially as the album moves onto disc 2, where we get different sounds not quite expected with Anjunabeats.

As you would expect, the tracks have gorgeous sounding melodies with melodic pianos and pounding synths. There are also spectacular vocals that really draws the listener in and produce emotions while listening. 'In & out of Phase' and 'You Got to Go' are gleaming examples of this, and really show the depths of Anjunabeats, and what they're all about.

Now, as I said about disc two. When I initially listened, I was slightly hesitant. The sounds get more aggressive and more 'techy'. Now, normally I'm fine with aggressive trance without that uplifting, melodic , in fact I normally prefer it. It just caught me off guard on an Anjunabeats album. With artists such as 'Sunny lax' producing these new sounds, It really shows the future of this new sound, and I personally, love it.

Below is a song featured on the album

High On Fire - De Vermis Mysteriis

Released: 3^rd April 2012

Label: E1 Music

Genre: Metallllllllllllll

De Vermis Mysteriis (Also known as The Mysteries Of The Worm) is the sixth studio album from veteran metalheads High On Fire. It’s a sort of concept album, with Mike Pike explaining the whole dealio behind it. “It’s a concept record, a little bit,” Pike offers. “I got this idea about Jesus Christ and the Immaculate Conception: What if Jesus had a twin who died at birth to give Jesus his life? And then what if the twin became a time traveler right then? He lives his life only going forward until he finds this scroll from an ancient Chinese alchemist who derived a serum out of the black lotus—which is actually in Robert E. Howard’s ‘Conan’ stories—and then he starts traveling back in time. He can see the past through his ancestors’ eyes, but his enemies can kill him if they kill the ancestor that he’s seeing through at the time. Basically, he keeps waking up in other people’s bodies at bad times. It’s kinda like that old TV show Quantum Leap. Kurt actually pointed that out to me after I told him the idea. But whatever—time travel is a killer concept.”

So it sounds pretty cool, right? I’ve never been into High On Fire prior to De Vermis Mysteriis, even during my introduction to stoner rock at age 14/15. However, this album is very good. It’s heavy and full of great guitar riffs that haven’t been copied out of metal riffs 101, and there are also times where the music becomes melodic, making a nice break up of heaviness and injects some needed variety into the mix.

Lead single Fertile Green features an absolutely brutal intro. The drums sound as if they’re close to shattering and the guitar riff that follows is simply unbelievable, and the tempo is pretty much full on with the indent to scare the absolute fuck out of you. It’s fantastic.

Fans of Sleep should obviously be aware of High On Fire (and vice versa) and after listening to De Vermis Mysteriis, I have no idea why I never thought to listen to these guys sooner. 

Gold Motel - Leave You In Love

Not a review of a brand-new single this, but I feel it's relevant given the announcement by Gold Motel today of the release date for their second album, Gold Motel (yeah, their SECOND album is self-titled, what's up with that?)

Anyway, Gold Motel's first album, Summer House, was full of the upbeat, poppy tunes that frontwoman Greta Morgan had previously been known for with The Hush Sound. However, whereas in the Hush Sound Greta shared vocal duties with Bob Morris, on that album and indeed on Leave You In Love, Greta's delicate but powerful voice really shines through on its own here.

It's certainly not the most technical song of all time, but here that's not necessary for an excellent pop song. Close your eyes while listening and imagine you're on a beach in the Caribbean, sun beating down and cocktail in hand.

Fits, doesn't it?

Gold Motel is out July 3rd. Stream Leave You In Love and a teaser for the new album below:

Radio Moscow - 3 & 3 Quarters

Released: 2012

Label: Alive Records

Genre: Garage/Blues Rock

Power trio Radio Moscow has been playing heavy blues-rock since 2004, but it wasn’t until this year that their true debut album was released. 3 and 3 Quarters is the solo effort from one third of the trio Parker Griggs, who recorded this entirely on his own when he was 17-18 years old in his basement after becoming tired of the punk music his then-band were performing.

With superb garage rock energy and slinky blues licks combined, Griggs manages to create twelve songs which hark bark to his influences of The Seeds, Chocolate Watchband, Nuggets and Pebbles (among others) while also creating a really enjoyable listen. I’m sure all fans of Radio Moscow have checked this out by now, but anybody wishing to get themselves into some borderline chaotic blues rock, then you must check out 3 and 3 Quarters.

Captain of the Swedish Team - Brand New Skinny Ghost, Meet Your Brand New Angel Monster

Released: 2^nd April 2012

Label: Desert Island Five Records

Genre: Math Rock/Post-Punk

Brand New Skinny Ghost, Meet Your Brand New Angel Monster is the lengthy album title from the debut of Canadian one man project Captain of the Swedish Team AKA Aaron Corbett. It is nearly an instrumental album full of heavy, loud guitar riffs and crashing drums which is to be expected after reading the above genres, but it is occasionally accompanied with certain parts of a recorded rant by Corbett’s roommate. This was released off of Corbett’s very own independent record label Desert Island Five, and check out its website here.

As I said earlier, Brand New Skinny Ghost… is one hell of a loud listen. The volume behind the recording of these parts (all played by Aaron Corbett) was certainly cranked all the way to eleven, and fortunately the production quality is top notch, meaning there’s no hint of crackling or microphones on their last legs, or that my laptop speakers are about to die. Sweet.

Streaming Lights - Streaming Lights

Released: April 10^th

Label: n/a

Genre: Indie/Alt

Not long after the release of the fantastic Slush Fund Blues EP which I cannot praise enough, Streaming Lights have pulled together a prototype of what their official debut album may sound like. It’s an album comprised of 18 months worth of material, ranging from all the songs featured on the previous EP, as well as even older songs in their discography.

Streaming Lights plan to head into the studio around summertime to introduce their new sound to their old material. I think this is a great idea to rerecord some of the older songs because they sound a little too different to be distinguished as a Streaming Lights song. The old sound is a little more indie based, with less electronics and more of a focus on guitar riffs. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that formula, but the songs would sound a lot better with the beefed up sound, fun factor and massive energy consistently present on Slush Fund Blues EP.

However tracks such as Cut Of Your Jib and It’s A Mystery are both great songs and I think they won’t need the recorded treatment as they capture the Streaming Lights’ new sound perfectly. I cannot wait to hear how the album will sound once it’s been rerecorded and officially released, but for now, you can hear it’s prototype below.

Death Grips - The Money Store STREAM

The highly anticipated new album from rap collective Death Grips, The Money Store, is not hitting stores until it's official release date of 24th April via Epic Records. However, you can HEAR The Money Store in it's entirety below.

This is the best news to wake up to, and I'm telling you now, as a music loving teenager instead of a semi-professional reviewer, it's freakin' awesome. I didn't expect this so expect a fully mature, professional and completely unfanboy-esque review sometime this week. But for now, let's enjoy The Money Store.

Johnny Parry Chamber Orchestra - Fields & Birds & Things

Released: 16^th April

Label: Lost Toy Records

It seems that this is the year to take notice of singer-songwriter Johnny Parry. The founder of Lost Toy Records, music producer, teacher, arranger and a form solo artist has never been given the recognition he deserves for the amount of work he has put in to the music industry, but now with an army of a 30-piece orchestra behind him, it’s almost impossible to just ignore what is now known as Johnny Parry Chamber Orchestra.

Now solidified with a band name, Johnny Parry Chamber Orchestra will be releasing debut effort Fields and Birds and Things on Monday. It’s a project that on paper already sounds ambitious, how do you manage to capture the atmosphere of over thirty different musicians at once? Well fortunately Johnny Parry has captured it perfectly, and the ambition has certainly paid off as it’s definitely an album you need to check out.  

Silversun Pickups - Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)

Every now and then I get a nice surprise when it comes to music. Today was one of those times, looking through a Wikipedia article on upcoming albums and I find that one of my favourite bands has an album coming out next month that I didn't even know about!

That band is Silversun Pickups, well known in the music world for producing dreamy shoegaze soundscapes that also have the balls to punch you off your feet at times. In their new single Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings), the band have gone more in the soundscape direction.

It's not the most hard-hitting of tracks, but on the third or fourth listen you suddenly realise how good a song the Pickups have come out with, channeling M83 and the Pixies before adding their own certain brand of frantic instrumentalism. Given the quality of their previous two albums, they can be excused for going in a slightly different direction here, but nevertheless the Pickups stay close to their trademark "fuzzy", ambient sound that they have done so well in the past.

Silversun Pickups' third album Neck Of The Woods is out May 8, and Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings), the first single from it, is available now on iTunes, or streaming below:

OFF! - Wiped Out

After the release of the fantastic First Four EPs in 2010, punk super group OFF! Return with Wiped Out, a song to be dropped from their upcoming self titled album. With OFF!’s skatepunk sound, it only makes sense for the majority of the video to be comprised of skateboard wipeouts, as well as mosh pits, the band playing, oh and a girl with her boobies barely covered up by a jacket as she wields a shotgun.

OFF!’s self titled album will be released 8^th May via Vice Records.

M. Ward - The First Time I Ran Away

So just who is M. Ward anyway? Most people (including me) will know him as the Him half of the acclaimed duo She & Him, but in fact he began his musical life as a solo artist all of his very own.

Real name Matthew Stephen Ward, his eighth (eighth!) solo album, A Wasteland Compilation, came out on April 10, and the first single released from it was The First Time I Ran Away. A lo-fi delight, the song doesn't stray too much from what both old and new fans of M. will expect, both from his old solo material and She & Him also.

Ward has again shown his songwriting prowess, with his frantic but calming guitar-work blending perfectly with his harmonising to create a song that, I imagine, would be best enjoyed in the garden on a cool summer's evening with a glass of lemonade. If this song is anything to go by, the entire album will be one of the delights of this summer.

This song won't have you jumping around your bedroom air-guitaring, but by no means is this a bad thing.

Once I manage to procure a copy of the full album, I will be reviewing it here, but for now enjoy the first single from the album - The First Time I Ran Away.

Death Grips - I've Seen Footage

Released: 10^th April 2012

Label: Epic

Genre: Experimental Rap/Hip-Hop

With thirteen days to go until highly anticipated album The Money Store from hip-hoppers Death Grips, the group from Sacramento have dropped I’ve Seen Footage, a track that follows on from previously dropped track Get Got and adds to the psychedelic atmosphere the band have crafted their sound out of.

A hugely catchy beat complete with slightly lo-fi production crunches the many layers of samples and synth together, while continuous yelling of barely audible words ties it up into an explosive package. With Salt N Pepa’s classic Push It’s out of breath heaves also added to the mix, it creates one of the most interesting and exciting listening experiences I’ve had in quite a while.

Get Got and I’ve Seen Footage are both very good tracks that leave me (and quite a lot of other people too) very excited to experience The Money Store. With the standard of these two being very high, it’s looking more likely that Death Grips could very well be releasing one of the best albums of the year.

The Ends - Hellraiser

Released: 7^th April 2012

Genre: Rock/Alt

Following on from the release of the fantastic Talk Of The South EP last year, The Ends return with new single Hellraiser, the first piece of material to be dropped by the four piece from Essex this year. It was officially released at the gig they played on the 7^th April at the Hoy & Helmet in Benfleet, where you could have grabbed a copy of the single for free. However, for those who were unable to attend the gig, the band will be uploading the single this Sunday at 6pm to download. Sweet.

Hellraiser contains the in-your-face guitar intro that was a staple on Talk Of The South, with a guitar riff and drum combo that instantly grabs your attention and sits you down while tearing your eardrums apart. Obviously with a name such as Hellraiser, the listener should expect to witness an instrumentation that is chaotic and full on from the get go, and lyrics which perfectly describe the relentlessness and heaviness it has.

Jon Vautier - The Sale Is On EP

Released: February 2012

Label: n/a

Genre: Alt/Indie/Rock

The Sale Is On is the debut EP from singer-songwriter Jon Vautier, a man from the south west of England who produces some sweet acoustic songs and the occasional ear-busting rock song as well.

We begin with opening song The Sale Is On. It features a quiet yet noticeable percussion that continuously beats the same drum throughout the track, sounding as if it is the centrepiece of the track. What goes on around this beat however are a number of instruments introducing themselves. Starting with the acoustic guitar, the song soon blooms into a sombre atmosphere with pianos and what I think are horns boosting the tension that stems from the strict drum beat. It’s also here that we witness the very distinct voice of Jon Vautier, to me it bares some similarities with Arcade Fire’s Win Butler in some parts, but it’s a soft voice with a nice tone.

Leave The City Dead follows and it kicks tempo and momentum into high gear after the slow, progressive sound of The Sale Is On. The production quality is fantastic, allowing the layers of guitars and drums to be heard perfectly without muddying up the sound at any point. It’s an anthemic sound with a lot of passion and drive behind it, and is a nice surprise in terms of what I was expecting to hear on this EP.

The following two songs revert back to the acoustic, slower-paced sound we heard on the title track, which is unfortunate because it was a nice surprise to hear such a rocking tune. However, these songs are both beautiful in terms of songwriting, instrumentation and singing abilities. I can definitely say that I cannot wait to hear what Jon Vautier has in store for his debut album; The Sale Is On is a great EP.

Sigur Rós - Ekki Múkk

After a four-year absence from our ears, Sigur Rós return on May 28 with a new album, Valtari. Sure, Jónsi has been mucking about with solo projects and things, but this is the first thing we've heard from the band as a whole in a long time.

The first song to be released from Valtari is the second track on the album - Ekki Múkk. Clocking in at seven minutes long, it's one of Sigur Rós's slightly longer songs, but this extended length shows the slightly new direction Jónsi and the boys have moved in when compared to their previous album, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust.

Whereas Með suð was a slightly more accessible album for newcomers to Sigur Rós, Ekki Múkk shows a more "retro" sound, evoking memories of Takk.. and (). Starting low and not really getting much higher, this is nevertheless an awesome piece of music that shows that you don't really need to make a lot of noise to make a quality song. I can't wait for the new album.

Valtari is out May 28, stream Ekki Múkk below:

 

Rick Reid - Reid Sings Loree

Released: 4^th April 2012

Label: Clamour Records

Genre: Alt/low-fi

Reid Sings Loree is the new 4 song EP from The City Streets’ Rick Reid. It features four covers of songs specifically created/produced by Canadian legend Steve Loree, three of which are songs from Greyhound Tragedy and the last is from Jr. Gone Wild, both classic Edmonton bands.

The sound is low-fi, especially on the heavier tracks such as Money Tree, but the poor production boosts the intimate feel of the album. You can tell by listening that Reid was recording these songs on his own, and it works really well here. It’s a very raw sound, with Reid’s vocals sounding very poignant and full of emotion which work really well with the soft instrumentation during the acoustic tracks.

New blogger alert!

Hello!

So I've been roped in by Adzy to write a few little bits (or comments ahahaha..) for the blog over the next few months.. or longer, or until you all get tired of me!

The plan is for me to continue the fine traditions of Little Comments by talking about my favourite not-too-old and upcoming music, and hopefully introduce you all to some new stuff! It's an exciting summer of music for me, with a lot of albums coming up from bands I'm already into and would love it if you were as well.

Follow me on Twitter, or become my friend on last.fm.. Hopefully this can be the start of a long and beautiful friendship.

Party on.

Captan, Obvio - La Mala Hierbre Nunca Muere

Released: 2012

Label: N/A

Genre: Folk/Punk/Alt

All the way from Caracas, Venezuela is La Mala Hierbre Nunca Muere, the fourth album from Captan, Obvio. This is the fourth studio album created, produced and distributed entirely by the band as they strongly believe in making independent rare music, which has got to be respected.

Fortunately for us British folk and for the people overseas who may not speak the same language, Captan, Obvio has recorded the majority of the tracks in English, and accompanied them with quite simply the best song titles. I mean, who wouldn’t want to listen to a track called How’bout Just The Tip (Balls Deep)? Or a track called Faster, Pussycat Drink, Drink?

With all immaturity aside these are some good songs. There is a ton of instruments used throughout the album, allowing each track to have their own personalities without appearing too similar to eachother. The genres are swapped from country/folk to high energy driven punk rock, making this album very stop-start and completely unpredictable. The chaotic nature of the record makes it easy to forget about the language barrier in the songs written in Captan, Obvio’s native tongue, and even easier to enjoy it.

You can download La Mala Hierbre Nunca Muere here, but with the miracle of discovering Podsnack, you can stream it below too.
 

Great Albums/EPs of 2012: January - April

It’s the month of April, which means that there’s been a whole load of new material released in the world of music, but below will be a list of the albums and EPs that I would personally recommend to you. I’ve enjoyed every album/EP posted on Little Comments this year, but the ones featured in this list are just the ones I’ve enjoyed the most and still listen to this day. Each album/EP will be linked to their respected reviews if you wish to delve deeper, many of them will include links to download the music for free too.

This could be a long post so let me post a link to one of my favourite songs of 2012 too. Gorillaz – DoYaThing.

BADBADNOTGOOD - BBNG2

Released: 3^rd April 2012

Label: N/A

Genre: Experimental Jazz/Hip-Hop

BADBADNOTGOOD return with second album BBNG2, another collection of instrumentals which are either original material from the trio or covers ranging from the likes of Odd Future and James Blake. The sound is dark and twisted, but the tight musicianship and the odd saxophone solos give it a certain quirk that makes it almost impossible to not enjoy.

BBNG2 is currently free to download here, and it’s certainly up there with BADBADNOTGOOD’s debut, if not higher than it. There’s nothing to lose from checking it out, they’ve even described it as ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ , which is awesome. Check out the opening track Earl below, and bask in its dirty bass.  

The Sea - New York

Released: 9^th April

Label: Lusty Records

Genre: Indie/Alt

THE Sea is back with new single New York, a track written for the stage. Since the release of debut album Get It Back, the duo from London have achieved critical acclaim and success in the UK and overseas too, heading shows and festivals and sharing the stage with the likes of Muse and The Kills.

New York is an anthemic number complete with catchy lyrics that are just destined for fans to sing a long to. With solid riffs and a strong drum beat, there’s even a horn infused chorus to further interest you. It’s the first single to be released in anticipation for second album Rooftops, which is out on 7^th May. 

Free Download Of The Day #14: Helium Robots - Taster EP

Released: NOW

Label: This Is Music

Genre: Experimental/Electronica

LONDON duo Lidia Jones and Ewan Willmott make some pretty intense electronica. They have formed together the project Helium Robots and will be releasing debut album Voltopia on 28^th May. Right now though they have released a taster EP of what’s to be expected from the full release, and well, it’s going to be bloody good.

All three tracks featured revel in displaying a whole spectrum of sounds and creating quite the fruitful atmosphere. So yeah, check it out below and download it (via their official website) to get yourselves as excited as possible for Voltopia.

Zammuto - Idiom Wind EP

Released: 2012

Label: Make Mine

Genre: Experimental/Electronic

IDIOM Wind is the new EP from Zammuto, a solo project created by Nick Zammuto while fans mourned over the demise of The Books, who broke up after the release of the fantastic LP The Way Out in 2010.

The EP is full of experimental sounds comprised of samples, loops and original instrumentation. It’s an organic sound that’s thick with peaceful vocal harmonies, sleek percussion and samples that swoon in and out of the tracks. Check it out below, and it’s free to grab too.

Death Grips - Get Got

GET Got is the new song from experimental rappers Death Grips. Coming off from the huge success of mix tape Ex-Military, the collective return with the first song dropped from highly anticipated album The Money Store, out April 24^th.

This song has all the qualities to become a huge hit for Death Grips. There’s already the GET GET GET GET GOT GOT GOT which is surprisingly quite fun to repeat over and over, and the almost-spoken word vocals which create a nice contrast with the psychedelic instrumentation. It’s insanely catchy and leaves me wanting to hear The Money Store now, as if Get Got’s anything to by, it’s going to be yet another quality release from Death Grips.

The Shins - Port Of Morrow

Released: 19^th March 2012

Label: Columbia Records

Genre: Indie

IN a lot of reviews I’ve read for this album, the first paragraph always talked about what has happened in the past five years. Five years ago, I was thirteen years old and experiencing what many people refers to as puberty. In those five years I’ve suffered many awkward classroom boners, numerous voice breaks, and presentation breakdowns so severe with heat, sweat and what I call “redface”, people have suffered second degree burns if they were within 10 feet of the pulsating tomato that was previously my face.

Anyway, the reason why the past five years are documented so fondly in these reviews is because it is also the same amount of time since we last heard an album by The Shins. But now they are back with new album Port Of Morrow, and it’s really very good.

Guest Review: Adam's Lego Blocks Number 2 :D

This is the second installment of what is becoming the great lego ferry saga... after an epic adventure and a bucket of KFC chicken IT WAS TIME... time to re visit Adam and BUILD THE LEGO FERRY :D

I was met with initial surprise when Adzy had managed to retain the glory that was lego ferry 1 THIS WAS GOOD ...i had a base next i needed the lego.. HE GAVE ME LEGO... also pretty good... NOW ... build time, what was to come? i did not know.... So now we embark on the adventure that saw a hard fought lego ferry battle and a lot of imaginary dead people in Adzy's sink.

I commenced the build. I added a better back buoyancy this would mean less sinking! I added lego blocks in the shape of a REAL FERRY HULL this seemed sensible as this is what is used on... you'll never guess... REAL FERRIES :O .. i then added a seat for the imaginary people... they needed to be comfortable.. i then moved the captains bridge and added superior front buoyancy. AT THIS CRUCIAL MOMENT...  A CHALLENGER APPEARED... Mr J Miller took the gauntlet HE PLACED HIS HAND IN THE LEGO BOX AND REMOVED HIS FIRST BLOCK OF LEGO... challenge accept rung through the minds of the challengers... the competition BEGINS.. this was to be won or lost in ADAMS NOT SO NEW (ANYMORE) SINK.

We built with fury and passion... i finished, Miller finished SUDDENLY NEW CHALLENGER... Adzy himself has got involved he took THE TURF and a YELLOW BLOCK.. this was his ferry, simplistic but deadly, i could tell.

TOO THE NOT SO NEW (ANYMORE) SINK

Adzy fills the sink with sea temperature (cold) water, about 3/4 full we decided this was enough!

THE TESTS BEGIN

Miller places first as guest to Adams house and new comer, he placed his ferry in the sea temperature water.. It floated, no deaths so far... Adzy placed his contender Floated again no deaths... I placed ferry mark 2 Unfortunately.. an unforeseen mishap and a hole in the hull meant dying people EVERYWHERE it was like the titanic :( a horrifying moment in the memories of all those there to experience it.

Next the CAP SIZE TEST all boats were flipped to see who would save most people FERRY MARK 2 prevails! a real ferry shaped hull meant they could escape the opther two sank like bricks and many were lost this day!!!

This concludes easter building and testing too many lives were lost so serious improvements will be made when i return from UNI in the Summer.

Lazy Bear Out... for now.