28.6.12

Free Download Of The Day #19: And The Giraffe - Darling


Released: 23rd June 2012

And The Giraffe is a project by duo and best friends Nick Roberts and Josh Morris. They blew my mind last year with the release of their first EP Something For Someone, a bedroom recording which has ultimately resulted in thousands of downloads and much needed exposure for the two.

Following on from the astounding Something For Someone EP, the pair have recorded a cover of Darling, originally a track from one of the band’s favourite artists, Magic Man. And The Giraffe keep their haunting, echoed vocals and this time lay it upon pretty mid-tempo, catchy instrumentation to create a new direction the band could take their sound.

This is a beautifully crafted song full of great lyrics and instrumentation which overall creates an emotional yet uplifting listening experience. I cannot wait to hear more from And The Giraffe, and you can download it for free here.

27.6.12

The Wailin' Smithers - Ocean Song


Released: 17th June 2012
Label: Tree Machine Records

It seems that after what has been a rough summer, things may be picking for Tree Machine Records. They have gained access to a studio which will help allow artists to properly record their material instead of their former basement recordings, there’s a second album on the way from anonymous singer-songwriter Hypocrite In A Hippy Crypt, and they have also busted out these demos from The Wailin’ Smithers.

Ocean Song is one of the tracks from this collection of demos, and as well as having quite possibly the greatest band name to exist, the song is pretty good too. It’s full of loud, brash guitar riffs that either produce some explosive moments or some sweet, melodic parts, and with vocals that have a special beach boys vibe about them.

It’s a great surf-rock hit from The Wailin’ Smithers, and I cannot wait to hear how they enhance it with this new access to a proper recording studio. Tree Machine Records will certainly be experiencing some growth and added reputation if they manage to release stellar albums from these guys, and Hypocrite In A Hippy Crypt too.

The Minx - No Friends


Released: 18th June 2012
Label: Queen Street Records

This is definitely the most fun I’ve had listening to a song. It’s No Friends from up and comers The Minx. The debut single from the Manchester band features the best instrumentation, vocals and structure combination ever. It’s ridiculously happy sounding synth intro mixed with punk vocals which fit in extremely well is layered on top of the catchiest drum beats and guitar riffs imaginable, overall creating one of the best debut singles I’ve ever heard.

I cannot wait to hear more from The Minx, as they have already gone off to a great start. To think this is all about having no friends makes this totally and completely unrelatable to me in any way, shape or form (…) also makes this one of the greatest bittersweet songs ever made.

But yeh, it’s pretty good.

Free Download Of The Day #18: Devin Farney - I'm An Alien Too


Released: 2012 (From album Some Were Made Of Gingerbread)

Today’s free download of the day comes from Devin Farney, a musician from San Francisco who has played in many SF-based indie and psychedelic rock bands throughout the years. He is currently the keyboardist in the popular group The Love Dimension, and has released his own solo material too, such as last year’s Ventriloquist.

I’m An Alien Too is one of the tracks from Devin Farney’s new solo album Some Were Made Of Gingerbread, released not too long ago. The album has been described as “Indie for electro-sonic junkies, odd-meter enthusiasts, aficionados of lush melody and thick harmonies, and other subcategories of music dorks.” Which makes it sound like a very niche record and difficult to get into, but if it’s as poppy and easy-listening as this track is, it could very well be one of the best albums of the year.

It’s harsh synth intro gives it a slightly lo-fi edge, and once the odd sounds of what appears to be metal scraping against metal introduce themselves, the listener should expect to start thinking just which direction this track is going to go. But fortunately the instrumentation suddenly brightens up as if somebody has switched on a light; the synths produce this beautifully sweet pattern that instantly lights up the dark sounds of the verse.

I’m An Alien Too has a lot of “out there” elements within it, but it definitely has that defining element of tranquillity which I think we all would like to hear. It’s like WALL-E, it’s E.T, it may be something physically different, but inside it has all of the same wants and needs we have. It’s great, and absolutely free to download which makes it even sweeter.

25.6.12

The Dreaming Spires - Brothers In Brooklyn


Released: 11th June 2012
Label: Clubhouse Records

The Dreaming Spires is a new project started by Truck Festival founders and brothers Joe and Robin Bennett, and this is their new album, Brothers In Brooklyn. Last month I reviewed the lead single Not Every Song From The Sixties Is A Classic and really enjoyed it. Its soft instrumentation comprised of a combination of synthesisers, drums and guitars, quietly complimented alongside the Paul McCartney-delivered vocals overall created a great tune for these summer months.

Fortunately the rest of the tracks featured on Brothers In Brooklyn are really good too. They all have a slightly breathy quality to them, which makes them sound as if the sounds are floating around the listener rather than being shoved in your face, which is nice. This floaty quality makes the songs sound completely natural, and not overproduced or overly-tinkered with in the studio, which is key for songs as intricate as these.

The Dreaming Spires have created a great set of songs in Brothers In Brooklyn, it’s a fun listen and extremely easy to get into despite the band not “dumbing down” their song structures. Brothers In Brooklyn is a great record for the summer and I’ll certainly be playing it for the foreseeable future.

Adzy - The Only One


Released: 23rd June 2012

Hey everybody, I’m feeling pretty awkward posting this but…I made a song! That’s right, the guy that provides you with music I think is good and usually criticises others has made a song that will most likely be criticised too. Oh irony, I love you.

I’m not packing this reviewing lark over in order to “focus on my album man” or anything like that, I just had a lot of free time today and was playing around with my acoustic guitar and eventually came out with this riff. Then the lyrics came along 5 minutes later and then it was all recorded and stuff.

I know it’s a bit quiet and a little demo-y but I recorded it with a microphone and the software that came free with it, and I don’t know how to use it to its full potential yet so yeah. I thought I’d post this song of mine for you to enjoy, it’s free as well so you can send it to your friends and hate it together and bond even more than usual, isn’t that nice?

About the song, the lyrics is my attempt at sounding “poetic” and is about feeling alone and feeling that the people who you’re supposed to be closest with aren’t there to give you that sense of security, so you’re trying to adapt to being “the only one”. The part about the lullaby is my way of making it sound as if it’s coming from the viewpoint of a child, a child needing his mummy and daddy. I also used my thighs and hands to add in some drums, I think they fitted in well with the tone of the guitar riff. Haha.

Hopefully I will be able to learn more about the software I used, and come up with more songs and maybe have an album to release for you guys to enjoy! Though I’m thinking a covers EP would be best for now. I don’t really know where I was going with this post but I just wanted to tell you guys. I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Oh and yeah that’s my dog. 

21.6.12

Poor Lily - Three Songs EP


Released: March 2012

Poor Lily is a punk band from the Bronx, and this is their new EP, Three Songs. Last year the trio blew me away with debut LP Poor Lily, it was full of phenomenal punk riffs, abrupt song structures and undeniably creative ideas throughout. Infact it was so good that it featured my favourite song of2011, and ranked number two on Little Comments’ Top 50 Albums of the year too!

So it’s pretty fair to say I’ve been dying to hear more material from Poor Lily, and that expectations are pretty high when it comes to listening to Three Songs EP. Fortunately, the band hasn’t failed in the slightest at creating more fantastic punk tunes, as this is easily one of the best EPs of the year.

We begin with El Topo, a track that opens the EP in as abrupt a way as humanly possible. The passionate vocals and the manically shifting guitar riff instantly recreating the moment of glee I had when I listened to the debut LP for the first time, it too came with the realisation that punk isn’t dead. The track is once again shifting into A-B-C stages, without repeating itself as it doesn’t need to repeat itself, everything is loud enough for the listener to know how freakin’ great it sounds.

Next up is Pay Me In Heads, which features a jagged, progressive sounding intro that is pounded into the listener’s head via the intense drum beats. We finally hit some vocals and the song suffers from an internal combustion as the band display some expertly performed stop/start pauses at the end of the song. It makes for some strange listening, but goodness me it’s great.

Finally we end with Third Rail, which begins with a never ending guitar lead riff which quickly warps your mind and leaves you feeling disorientated (in the good way). Once again the vocal delivery and the drum patterns fit in extremely well here and produce yet another fantastic song, producing one of my favourite EPs of the year. I would love to see what else Poor Lily releases this year, as they have been a roll with the music they put out. Check out Poor Lily on their website, where you can also download their debut LP for free!


19.6.12

Free Download Of The Day #17: The Lovely Few - The Orionids EP


Released: 19th April 2012

The Lovely Few is a relatively new band, and this is their new EP The Orionids. It is the second instalment in the band’s project known as The Meteor Series. Unfortunately I don’t know what this series is, but I’m guessing it’s going to be a string of releases that offer a pretty atmospheric sound for us to all enjoy.

The Orionids EP is full of just that, great atmospheric sounds created which are crafted alongside the genres of electro, noise rock and post-punk, all blending together to form a set of four songs that help expand just how many paths The Lovely Few can take their sound.

The EP begins with Orion, a slow-paced opener that quickly introduces the listener to the ease The Lovely Few has with creating great atmospheric soundscapes. We are then treated to the quicker paced, heavier sounding Sci Fi Novels, a track that utilises the impact a well produced guitar riff can make in terms of track progression. Following on next is Try Again, The Lovely Few’s effort at creating an atmosphere using electronic instruments, before finally erupting into a gloriously catchy rock song with beautiful vocal and instrumentation melodies.

We close with Hunter, a piano based ballad that perfectly rounds off what has been a stellar listen. The Lovely Few have managed to reveal so many sides and elements to their sound in just four tracks, and have certainly won me over as a fan. You can stream The Orionids EP below, and download it for FREE here.

The Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania


Released: 18th June 2012
Label: EMI

Smashing Pumpkins hasn’t exactly had the best of reputations within the last 10 years, mostly due to band fallouts, the original lineup leaving and sometimes flat out refusing to play live shows. Many people have loudly stated that Smashing Pumpkins should finally be laid to rest so that its career highs within the 90’s could stay at least somewhat respectable. However frontman Billy Corgan has somehow kept the band alive, and with a new cast behind him, they’ve produced Oceania, an album that’s apparently a part of the ongoing FOURTY FOUR song concept album Teargarden By Kaleidyscope.

Let’s face it, the 00’s wasn’t the best year for Smashing Pumpkins music wise, however, Oceania is surprising in that it’s actually rather good. For those who absolutely adored Machina and Ava Adore (who doesn’t?), you will certainly experience some nostalgia when listening to this new record, as well as some new found territory for The Smashing Pumpkins.

Despite the lack of experience in performing in The Smashing Pumpkins, the new lineup certainly do their best to produce their best version of the 90s Smashing Pumpkins sound. Oceania is atmospheric, organic and, more importantly, smeared in towering walls of guitars to create some alt-rock songs that sounds modern while still keeping to the Smashing Pumpkins sound. It’s heavy while also being melodic, and it’s fleshed out enough to believe there’s finally a band behind Corgan this time, rather than the thinly spread sound on last album Zeitgeist.

Billy Corgan wanted to release Oceania in one piece so there’s no singles or previously released tracks for fans to get acquainted with before hearing the whole thing, and I think that’s great. Without the pressures of creating a song for the radio, Corgan’s allowed to show off his most creative side in a decade and Oceania flows really well because of this.

Overall Oceania is a great listen and certainly a step in the right direction for Smashing Pumpkins. It’s a shame that many of the fans who have cut ties with the band since Zeitgeist may choose to not give this album a try because it’s their most nostalgic sounding record yet, while also treading on new grounds. It’s a mixture of Ava Adore and Zero, and if the last ten years never happened, Oceania would’ve helped maintain the credible reputation The Smashing Pumpkins should have at this stage of their careers.

15.6.12

Robots With Souls - Watch Out


Released: June 2012
Label: Tache Gallery

Robots With Souls is a brand new solo project for highly praised Oxford based musician/producer Steve Wilson. Steve is one half of noise rock band Phantom Theory and has supported the likes of Pulled Apart By Horses, Johnny Foreigner, Japandoids and many more, and is now receiving critical acclaim for his bizarre solo live shows and the equally bizarre sound of Robots With Souls.

Watch Out is one of the first songs to be dropped by this new project, and it certainly introduces itself in the roughest way possible. It’s industrial, dusty looping bass sample immediately informs the listener that they are about to hear something out worldly, and is soon accompanied with rough drums and distorted vocals. As jagged and as broken as it is, Watch Out is catchy in the oddest way possible, and has a real Bauhaus, old-Prodigy feel to it. It’s extremely interesting and I cannot wait to hear more of this sound soon. The Droids That Bleed//Watch Out AA single is released around the end of June via Tache Gallery Records.

The Longsands - Meet Me In Spanish City


Released: 11th June 2012
Label: Unknown Soldier Records

The Longsands is a five piece band from Newcastle in good ol’ not-so sunny England, and this is their debut album Meet Me In Spanish City. You may remember a little while back when I reviewed their single Shut Your Mouth and enjoying the hell out of it. Its catchy instrumentation mixed with a ballsy attitude in the vocal delivery and backed up with a big booming chorus made it become one of my favourite songs, and excited to check out the rest of the tracks on the new album.

As expected, Meet Me In Spanish is full of big choruses and catchy riffs. Every song comes with at least one memorable guitar riff and is complimented with the same energy and attitude that was present on Shut Your Mouth. The lyrics are also very personal, allowing the listener to be at ease with The Longsands, and this is turn makes the band seem relatable in a way.

While these accessible elements are present throughout, it’s surprising how many emotional, almost ballad-like tracks are on Meet Me In Spanish City. Fortunately these slower paced songs don’t kill the momentum the album gained from the faster tracks, and they all sound really well produced and crafted too. The vocal hooks throughout the album are also really strong, yet another positive trait about this album.

I said before in my review of Shut Your Mouth that The Longsands sounded like an experienced band, mostly in how well crafted the track was. This is certainly confirmed after listening to this album; everything sounds so well fitted together, and despite this being The Longsands first album, it sounds as if it could be their second or third. This makes me excited to hear more from these guys as Meet Me In Spanish City is a great listen. Check out the single Shut Your Mouth below and purchase a copy of Meet Me In Spanish City, out now via Unknown Solider Records.

13.6.12

True Liberty - Marked For Life


Punk veterans True Liberty have certainly seen more than their fair share of hatred, attacks and struggles throughout their career. But the band has always managed to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it appears that the light at the end was in the form of their new album Marked For Life. They’ve produced what people are calling their best record yet, and I can definitely understand why.

It’s aggressive, loud, and full of fantastic riffs and energy. The vocals are packed full of might and help add more force behind the band’s motivation to drive as far as possible away from the low points of their career. It’s got a real early The Offspring quality to it, with shades of classic punk and metal infused into their well crafted sound.

It’s seventeen songs long but honestly Marked For Life flows past extremely well for such a bulked album. Every song is catchy and enjoyable, and somehow the great riffs keep on coming to help prevent the album from losing steam. True Liberty have certainly produced a damn fine album here, and I’m glad they’ve managed to break through the hate and into the light.

Free Download Of The Day #17: Coo Woo - Love Exposure


Released: 2nd February 2012

While I don’t post as many Free Downloads Of The Day as I’d like to, finding an album that makes for fantastic listening and one that doesn’t tap at your wallet at all gives me a rewarding feeling of joy. It means I can not only share it with your guys through simply writing about it, but I can also give it to you for free so you can enjoy it wherever you are. It’s great.

Anyway, this is Coo Woo’s new album Love Exposure. It’s a mixture of punk/indie elements with a touch of pop accessibilities included as well. Most of the tracks are short, but they make up for it with sugary sweet harmonies, and catchy melodies that become instantly favourable upon first listen. Tracks such as instrumental opener Amanda Knox and The Fave provides the listener with the answers to the questions they might ask whilst listening “Can Coo Woo create interesting instrumental tracks?” and “I wonder what these sweet instrumentations sound like with vocals layered on top?” and I can tell you that both those answers are YES and FREAKIN’ EXCELLENT.

Love Exposure is a great album and it’s made even better from how much money you have to spend to acquire it (NONE!) so you might aswell give it a go. You can stream it below and if you like it, then buy it here

12.6.12

The Tallest Man On Earth - There's No Leaving Now


Released: 11th June 2012
Label: Dead Oceans

There’s No Leaving Now is the new album from Swedish singer-songwriter Kristian Matsson, also known as The Tallest Man On Earth. Ever since the release of 2010’s The Wild Hunt, Matsson’s acoustic ability and vocal rawness has captivated me enough for him to become one of my favourite artists around today. The Wild Hunt is a great album that was followed with a very nice EP titled Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing Bird, and it seems that Matsson’s scored a hat trick of great releases with this new album.

The instrumentations sound fleshed out this time around, and given a few layers added on to help expand the skill of Matsson’s abilities. While this slightly detracts away from the vocals, it is a welcome change and a nice, steady progression into the sound of The Tallest Man On Earth. The production as always sounds phenomenal and the songs all flow extremely well against eachother.

1904 is still the highlight of There’s No Leaving Now for me, it sounds most like a track from The Wild Hunt-era, and it’s optimistic guitar chords and innocent lead diddy compliments it really well. It’s also here that Matsson’s best vocals are too, the passion behind his voice and the high pitch parts sounds simply amazing. There’s No Leaving Now is full of vocal hooks, though it’s pretty impossible to not become hooked on every word Matsson’s sings with his unique voice anyway.

There’s No Leaving Now is a fantastic album. It displays how comfortable Matsson is with this sound, and how well he has managed to craft songs out of it. It has a steady progression from The Wild Hunt and the EP, but it’s yet another great release from The Tallest Man On Earth, also known as The Most Consistent Man On Earth.

8.6.12

Run Dan Run - Normal


Released: 10th January 2012
Label: Hearts & Plugs

Run Dan Run is an indie rock band from Charleston, South Carolina, and this is their new album, Normal. The band released debut album Basic Mechanics way back in 2007, and has released a couple of acoustic EPs since. Normal looks to take the fans back to the sounds introduced on Basic Mechanics, as dark subjects are spoken about over rich, well produced instrumentations.

Normal is a shining display of a band that’s certainly become settled and comfortable with one another and their sound. What we’re given here is songs that progress at their own pace, with ideas performed effortlessly to help balance the eccentricity and normalcy that floats throughout it. Even with the band’s DIY recording technique, all eleven songs sound fantastic. Each layer of sound is captured perfectly and compliment eachother extremely well to produce some pretty psychedelic sounding indie rock music.

Lead single Lovesick Animal is a wonderful listen. With its Cure-like guitar riff and steady pace, the track quickly expands into a thick wall of different elements and becomes one of the catchiest songs on Normal. The slightly breathy vocals fit in well with the out-there and echoy nature of the instrumentations. The chorus is definitely the highlight though, the addition of horns really adds an extra layer of depth and unpredictability to it; it’s glorious. Normal is a great album by Run Dan Run, and will certainly be played throughout the rest of the year. Hear the lead single Lovesick Animal below, and stream and purchase the entire thing here.

Haley Bowery and the Manimals - Born Strange

  Haley Bowery has balls. Not, like, man-balls, but balls as in attitude. On this, her debut album, the 10 tracks fizz and spit with Haley's Juliette Lewis-esque vocals and buzzing background track.

The combination of Haley's vocal talents and the musicianship of the Manimals remind me of a slightly more lo-fi Juliette and the Licks (as I said earlier), or, if any readers are familiar with the US reality show The Voice, second-placed finalist Juliet Simms' band Automatic Loveletter.

The album is only ten tracks long and yet packs an enormous amount of variety in such a short time. Tracks like "Born Strange" and "Blitzed" come at you in a storm of guitars and fiery lyrics, whereas "Jukebox Dive" shows off Haley's softer side. Either way, this shows off the impressive vocal range of the singer - whether in an upbeat punk song or a slow ballad, her voice provides the perfect complement to the music.

Speaking of the music, the Manimals' backing music is, while nothing mind-bending, absolutely ideal for the kind of music that they are playing. The playing is tight and the composition works very well with Haley's vocals to produce some excellent pieces of pop-punk music. I'd recommend any fans of bands like Juliette and the Licks and Paramore to give this a listen.

"Born Strange" is released on June 19. Stream the second single from the album, "All Lies", below:
 

7.6.12

Jump Ship Quick - Where Thieves Cannot Tread

Jump Ship Quick play punk music. From that sentence you'd think that you've heard everything this band has to offer already - not so. While not being the most mould-breaking band in the world, JSQ do mix a few modern influences into their music, at times evoking Rise Against or, strangely, Sum 41.

Having said that, people who are fans of punk music will not find anything to dislike here. The musicianship is solid, and the vocalist's frenzied, spitting lyrics are classic punk. The songs are well-written and seem well-suited to being performed in a live environment.

Where Thieves Cannot Tread is Jump Ship Quick's first album, containing 16 balls-to-the-wall, roaring punk songs. This debut is of a higher quality than most new punk bands' first albums, probably due to the fact that most of the members were in other bands before joining JSQ.

If you're looking for a decent punk album, look no further than this one. However, I will be looking forward to JSQ's second effort, as I feel there is a lot of potential in this band. Where Thieves Cannot Tread was released on June 5 on Thumper Punk Records and Punk Roxx Records. It can be bought from here and here.

Stream "Hollywouldn't" below:

Geva Alon - In The Morning Light


Released: 16th July 2012
Label: 2B Vibes Music/ADA Global

Geva Alon is a singer-songwriter from Israel, and this is his new album In The Morning Light. It has a gentle, dream-worldly start but eventually erupts into this all-powerful being with the additions of the electric guitar, solos and heavy, almost 80’s like drums beats. Taking influences from the likes of Band Of Horses and Fleet Foxes, In The Morning Light is a shining example on how to create beautiful music.

The opening track The Great Enlightenment is the lead single and it features a Neil Young/Paul Weller styled instrumentation. It’s slow tempo and hazy drawn out strums of the electric guitar against the acoustic guitar and drums creates the perfect soundtrack to any relaxation session. The track is uplifting, and Geva Alon’s similar vocal delivery to Neil Young fits in really well with the soft music, it’s a great song and a fantastic start to In The Morning Light.

The rest of the album delves into darker and heavier territories and produces some standout moments, but it still retains the soft, relaxed nature of the first half. Geva Alon has a wonderful voice and he has accompanied it with the best instrumentations possible. In The Morning Light is a great album and will certainly be played all year round.

5.6.12

The Hives - Lex Hives


Released: 5th June 2012
Label: Disque Hives

After spending a good FIVE YEARS away from the music scene, Swedish rockers The Hives returns with new album Lex Hives. It is released on the independent record label they created called Disque Hives, and well, it’s as if these guys never went away at all. I’m not a fan of hiatus’, but Lex Hives makes it seem worth the wait. Now I’m just hoping Dinosaur Jr.’s and Queens of the Stone Age’s new albums will be worth the wait too.

Lex Hives sounds like what everyone should expect when they listen to The Hives. It’s fun, energetic, loud and incredibly catchy. Right from the pulsating drum intro to opener Come On! You know you’re about to delve deep into having a fantastic time. The opener is fantastic, and explodes in ear-shredding guitar riffs and the brilliant vocals from Howlin’ Pelle.

Go Right Ahead is a great single with a catchy vocal hook, ELO esque talk box beginning and progresses at a nice, fast pace. It’s easily up there in terms of accessibility with other great Hives’ singles such as Walk Idiot Walk, Hate To Say I Told You So, and Tick Tick Boom. Its explosive chorus featuring guitars and horns gives it a thicker wall of noise that just sounds phenomenal.

There are many highlights scattered throughout Lex Hives, and it’s just a great indicator that The Hives aren’t running out of steam when it comes to making great records. Lex Hives is a great listen and certainly takes you on the funnest journey imagineable. Welcome back Hives.

1.6.12

Meursault - Something For The Weakened


Released: 16th July 2012
Label: Song, By Toad Records

Something For The Weakened is the third album by Meursault. The Edinburgh based band has taken a chance and changed up their sound for this record. Instead of the synths and samplers, Meursault has replaced them with orchestral instruments to give off a much more intricate and natural sound rather than the electronic sound they used to produce two albums.

This is a big change for Meursault and their fans, as this previous sound helped the band achieve critically acclaimed albums and helped build up their reputation, but Something For The Weakened is a beautiful listen. Each song is allowed to expand in its own pace, often resulting in four or five minute tracks. The instruments are allowed to introduce and blend themselves in with the others without any force, making everything sound incredibly natural. The way the tracks start off pretty much silent and end with an explosion of sound is always surprising. Vocals are a driving force and really inject emotion into the songs too; every lyric is a reason to stay hooked on to this record, as everything about it is wonderful.

It takes a lot of balls to replace synths with orchestral instruments in this current state of music where everything seems to have synths in it, but the result is ten songs that are simply breathtaking, and so delicately crafted that it seems more rewarding listening to something that’s so down to earth rather than mechanically built through a computer. The likes of Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Johnny Parry Chamber Orchestra have proved in recent years that there is more to music than just samples and synths, and with the release of Something For The Weakened, it’s pretty easy to add Meursault to that list as well. Something For The Weakened will be released on July 16th via Song, By Toad Records.

Neutral Bling Hotel - In My G4 Over Da Sea


Released: 31st May 2012
Label: N/A

Neutral Milk Hotel’s In The Aeroplane Over The Sea is one of the most celebrated independent releases ever. It’s just a soundscape of beautiful melodies created using an acoustic guitar, horns and also includes an appearance of some phenomenal rock tunes too. All of these magnificent songs are coated on top with Jeff Mangum’s seemingly endless lung capacity and incredibly passionate vocal delivery. It’s emotional, it’s fun, it’s poignant, it’s perfect.

That is, it’s ALMOST perfect. Have you ever finished listening to it and gone “you know, I really wish there was at least some hip-hop and rap mixed together with these songs!” Well today is your lucky day! Artist Psycosis is known for “accidentally putting one song over the other” and he has done so with Neutral Milk Hotel and various rap songs! Yep. It’s called In My G4 Over Da Sea, and has been recorded by a Neutral Bling Hotel.

It’s uh….surreal at least. There’s a bit of Kanye West in there, that song about a yellow Lamborghini is in there too, certainly creating a topic of conversation for fans of these songs and fans of Neutral Milk Hotel I guess. It’s all a bit too strange. But my favourite thing about this mashup is the cover. The boobs, the aeroplane engine for a head, the wad of cash, and the parental advisory label all makes this a little strange for me.

You can hear In My G4 Over Da Sea in it’s entirety below, and even download it for free if you really enjoyed it that much.