Filthy Dukes Nonsense

My last post was quite lazily brief, mainly because I was caught up in all the excitement of that incredible new Phoenix album. Recently though, I've begun to tire off listening to their marvellous brand of French indie on repeat, and I've moved on to pastures new for the time being. I got my hands on Nonsense In The Dark - the new Filthy Dukes album - the other day, and it's definitely my favourite electro/club record of the year so far. Fist of God was good, but a bit too hip-hop oriented for my liking; FD manage to get the balance right where MSTRKRFT couldn't.

The album starts with that over-played single of recent weeks, 'This Rhythm', which is a fairly solid place to start, but it then progresses on to one of the highlights of the album almost immediately - 'Elevator' - which has some of the best vocal work on the whole LP. It's a nice kind of electro-indie jam, with a weird ethereal vibe. Definitely a new favourite of mine. 'What Happens Next' comes in after that, another quality track, bringing a nice bit of happy bounciness. The vocals start off slightly whiny, but the chorus has got a cool sing-a-long style to it which is instantly appealing. 'Tupac Robot Club Rock', which comes midway through the album, is EPIC. Although I think I still prefer their own remix version of it.

As a whole, it's a pretty solid debut (I only gave one track less than 4 stars, but that might just be because I love FD), and it ranges nicely from club bangers - to use a Westwoodism - to bouncy indie and electro: sometimes on the same song. There's also a nice handful of instrumental tracks, like 'Twenty Six Hundred', which comes across as fairly soft electro compared to some of their stuff, but still has a nice drive to it, and 'Somewhere At Sea', which is a beautifully chilled out piano-ballad type song.

Overall, it's well worth getting - Filthy Dukes are doing a lot for the London Electro scene.

Filthy Dukes - What Happens Next Buy
Filthy Dukes - Tupac Robot Club Rock Buy

PHOENIX

YES! I HAVE THE NEW ALBUM. HOORAY FOR ME. HOORAY FOR PHOENIX!

It's awesome.

Phoenix - 1901 (Immuzikation Remix)

Dubble Helping

I've just hit a massive backlog of work that should keep me occupied for the next two months or so, but I'll endeavour to keep the blog going just to remind people I'm still alive.

A quick couple of dub/dubstep tracks for today then (hence the clever pun in the post title). First up... The Widdler is someone I came across recently on the Data Sapiens blog, and his track 'Sensi Samurai' is the first thing I've listened to every morning since Saturday. (It actually gave me a slight headache this morning, but in a good way. Because it is immense.) Like all the best songs, it samples a martial arts film (a la the mighty Wu Tang Clan), and uses it to fuel a track that feels like a full-frontal ninja beatdown. Atmospherically, it's sinister and spooky, and very japanese. And if you turn it up high enough, that atmosphere is filled with a huge bass sound which takes it to intense new levels. It's almost High Rankinish, but slightly less demonic.

As for my second song of the day (night, really): it's experimental, if nothing else. The other day, I randomly came across a group called Jah Wobble and The Chinese Dub Orchestra, who are all about fusing traditional Eastern and oriental sounds with modern Western influences and dub/dubstep. In many ways, 'L1' parallels 'Sensi Samurai' in terms of concept, although the execution is less club-oriented. The actual result is fairly good, mostly because I've always had an abiding affection for Japanese sounds (some of the electro coming from Japan at the moment is awesome), but also because of the drums - which seem fairly DJ Shadow inspired, and which set the track off nicely and give it enough pace and variety to keep it interesting. Worth a listen, although most of their stuff is less successful - the concept becomes a little exhausted and forced at times.

The Widdler - Sensi Samurai Buy
Jah Wobble and The Chinese Dub Orchestra - L1 Buy

Take It Easy

Ok, so first up today is a personal friend of mine - Nottingham-based, Devonshire-born student Mr. Tom Dove. I don't want to say too much about him, because I'll probably struggle, even more than usual, not to be overtly hyperbolic. But basically...Tom's awesome. He's just put together a new demo, setting himself up as an independent singer-songwriter in the mould of Damien Rice or Bon Iver -although he doesn't sound particularly similar to either. In fact, comparisons are hard to make... maybe Matthew Gair mixed with Andy McKee? Plus a bit of Damien Rice thrown in?

Who knows...

Anyway, I have (completely without his permission), uploaded the three songs he's recorded so far - links below. 'Phone Calls' starts beautifully - the guitar part is probably my favourite off the EP (although the ending to Ariel is particularly nice) - and although the lyrics get a little bit twee in parts, Tom sings with enough conviction to carry them off most of the time. Like all the tracks, it's worth waiting till the end of it, when he really starts to build and get strumming like a beast. The end of the chorus to 'Last Orders' is awesome - the way it drops back into the verse is a nice touch, and really brings out the guitar. 'Ariel' is slightly softer (not that any of the songs are aggressive as such) and around 2:20 it hits possibly the highest point of the EP - jump to that if you're not convinced by anything else.

And if you are convinced, Tom'll probably be playing open mics and so on around Nottingham so get down there and show some support, or give him some Myspace hugs and kisses.

I mentioned in my last post that I went to see Gaslight Anthem the other night. Before the gig, I had only heard their second album, which gave me a slightly warped perspective on them - good as it is. Happily, I've managed to get my hands on the first album since then, and I thought it might be good form to post one of the softer acoustic tracks off it, partly because it sounded particularly good live and partly because it means this post has a well-formed running 'acoustic' theme. Hooray. 'The Navasink Banks' should give you an idea of their versitility, and while it's fairly average as far as such songs go, its got some lovely atmospheric electric bits over the top which make it stand out for me a bit.

Gaslight are a punk band who occasionally go a bit soft (which I love), and the same could probably be said of heavy metal group Dream Theater. Obviously the fact that I just called them heavy metal will put off most people, but 'Hollow Years' is probably closer to Coldplay than Judas Priest. (Although when I say that, I'm definitely not comparing them to either band, just illustrating a point.) To be succint: the guitar is quite nice -with a bit of a Spanish vibe - the drums are chilled and not overbearing, but his voice isn't the strongest... Altogether the song is pretty easy listening and shows a nice variety of style from a metal outfit. Skip to about 3:30 in to hear the best of it.

And finally, 'Little Baby Pines' by SUNBEARS! - whose album is called Dream Happy Dreams. A great album title, which pretty much sums them up for me. They sound kind of like a cross between Phoenix and Death Cab For Cutie - happy but fairly quiet. Dreamy, I suppose. Little Baby Pines is one of my favourite songs of the moment, and has been all the better for the few rays of sun we've been getting this week in England. Of the last three tracks I'm posting, it's the one I'd most highly recommend - as I would their album.

Cheers.

Tom Dove - Ariel
Tom Dove - Phone Calls
Tom Dove - Last Orders Myspace

The Gaslight Anthem - The Navasink Banks Buy
Dream Theater - Hollow Years Buy
SUNBEARS! - Little Baby Pines Buy

Drop, Listen, Bounce

I saw Frank Turner and The Gaslight Anthem last night, and they were both incredible. So much so that they seem to have satisfied my hunger for punk/rock/indie music temporarily, and pushed me back towards pulsating electronica again. Which is probably a good thing.

First up, then, some cracking stuff from Etienne dé Crecy. Namely, the first tune of his Myspace: 'Welcome'. To be honest, the main reason I liked this tune originally is because it starts off with that incredibly threatening alarm, sampled from Goldeneye (I think). But the song eventually builds up to a point, about 4:30 in, where it turns into an incredible, fierce, driving piece of french electro. Without wanting to scare anyone off, it sounds like ideal music for a brutal and aggressive murder - aside from a particularly cool dance breakdown in the middle.

Next is my second favourite tune of recent weeks - George Lenton's remix of 'Weekend Wars'. MGMT are best known for their catchy electro-pop-indie hybrid awesomeness, but Lenton manages to turn them into something altogether more sinister (in a good way). His remix is a powerful piece of dubstep madness: all heavy bass and slow, epic drums. Sort of like Skream's mix of La Roux but with a lot more going on (although I'm not suggesting it's better). The vocals are made a lot more haunting and interesting, and there's still enough of the original track to remind you what a banging remix it is.

Speaking of banging (in both senses of the word, when you consider the song title), I want to talk about my recent favourite: Primecuts' remix of 'Hit That Gash'. Because it is amazing. Now I obviously say that pretty frequently, but this time I feel justified. The first beat of the song is like a sonic boom, and it stays at the same level throughout. Play it loud. (Big shout to Pelski for posting it).

And last, but not least, is 'Bounce Up', off Kyle Watson's Fresh & Bouncy EP. Watson's sound is like a combo of funky house, techno and dubstep, and it gives you pretty much whats promised in the EP's title - bounce. The lead track sounds a bit like something by Dubbel Dutch or, maybe more accurately, Fakebeat - but with a thumping rhythm and some slightly more polished production. 'Right Now' - off the same EP - is slightly more tech house, and gets more laid back towards the end, but is equally funky and worth getting hold of.

Enjoy.

Etienne dé Crecy - Welcome Myspace
MGMT - Weekend Wars (George Lenton Remix) Myspace
Foreign Beggars - Hit That Gash (DJ Primecuts Re-Rub) Buy
Kyle Watson - Bounce Up Buy

No Joke

I've posted about Joker before on this blog, although that post is now lost to the annals of history, and I have ignored him since. However, thanks in chief to the ever-reliable Pelski, he now makes a dramatic return. 'Stuck in the System' pretty much defines epicness for me. It's huge - the snare is as crisp and punchy as you could want, and the bass is so grimy and modulating it scares me. On top of it all, Joker throws on some classic strings, horns and weird synthy sci-fi bits and pieces which take the track to another level. A level of incredibleness.

Who needs vocals?

I realise that sounds like me being my usual hyperbolic self, but it's definitely an essential tune for anyone who likes dubstep, hip-hop, or electro. And speaking of electro, I was browsing Myspace music the other day and came across a Swedish/Japanese electro kid called Fujasaki. Most of the tunes on his myspace are fairly good, but his Cruise Control verison of 'What I Look Like' particularly caught my attention. Now, I'll confess that I have no idea what the phrase cruise control has to do with anything, but it definitely means good things. The tune has a pretty classic Bag Raiders' type vibe, using the same kind of piano sounds and biting synths, with a few good tempo changes and builds. I've had it on repeat for at least three days. So it must be quite good.

During the same myspace trawl, I came across DJ Falcon, whom i confess I should probably already have heard of. But whatever, I got there in the end. Anyone who likes standard house (I'm thinking Armand Van Helden, Eric Prydz, maybe Louis La Roche) will probably like his take on the classic 'So Much Love To Give' (it doesn't sound all that much different at all really), which features Daft Punk's Bangalter. It gets a little repetitive, quite possibly a lot repetitive in some peoples eyes, but its pretty standard rave material: piano refrains, heavily reverbed breakdown sections, long bass notes and a crotch-thrusting drumbeat. Worth a listen for anyone who calls themself a 'clubber', or who secretly thinks they might be one.

Finally, I came across 'Emergency Broadcast System', who are intesely difficult to google but are worth the effort of looking up if you're into atmospheric, dark intensity followed by pacey beats. EBS are Rob Dougan-ish, but with a less classical, more straightforward electronic vibe. They're essentially what he would be if he was a Romanian vampire who enjoyed trips to the beach. At night. Good soundtrack stuff, with a slightly hallucinogenic feel.

Joker - Stuck In The System Buy
Fujasaki - What I Look Like (Cruise Control version) Buy Website
DJ Falcon - So Much Love To Give (Feat. Bangalter) Myspace
Emergency Broadcast System - Wolfdrone Buy

Indiecision

Marina and the Diamonds is great. I first heard 'Obsessions' a few weeks back and thought 'awesome'. Then 'Mowgli's Road' turned up in my inbox and I thought the same thought again, with a vengeance. The other two tracks on her myspace are equally good. Turns out she's signed to the same label as Passion Pit, so that might give you an idea of the popular, sing-along quality of her music - although she is much less electronic and can sing a whole lot better. I'm sure she'll be huge. Check out electrorash for a bit more info... and for tuneage.

But as for who I think should be huge: Malajube! I've posted about them before, but suddenly realised just now (during a Marina and the Diamonds inspired indie-listening phase) that my personal favourite of theirs, 'Dragon de Glace', has yet to grace my page. A terrible oversight. The song starts beautifully, with a simple but gorgeous bit of acoustic guitar work, and then the breathy french vocals come in, rubbing the beauty of their language in my english face. The build at the end is also incredible, and well worth waiting for.

I got Fanfarlo's album recently, and while it's not particularly outstanding, it is pretty solid all the way through. 'Fire Escape' (below) and 'I'm A Pilot' are the most attention grabbing tracks. They've got a pretty cheerful sound, kept from overt popishness by occasional trumpet solos, and by a slightly melanchonic singer (in terms of sound, not necessarily lyrics). Employing a similar kind of upbeat, head-nodding drum pattern is the Pains of Being Pure at Heart song 'A Teenager in Love'. In fact, both bands sound vaguely similar, although Pains are a bit more melodic and acoustic in general.

In fact, they're not that similar when you get right down to it. Because if you're getting down to it, why would you be mentally comparing bands?

Aha, aha...

Finishing up are the Rogues, already remixed by Feed Me - which has pretty much sold them to me - who are probably the most obviously 'indie'. 'Not So Pretty' is almost impossible not to sing along to, and has a nice little riffy guitar bit and some solid, danceable drumming.

My next post will probably be a bit more electro and dubsteppy (I don't know if anyone's got the Primecuts remix of 'Hit That Gash', but it's huge), but I was feeling in a pretty indie/alternative mood after listening to those new Phoenix and Doves singles for an entire day - can't wait for the respective albums. Anyway, enjoy. Four decent songs from four decent bands.

Malajube - Dragon de Glace Buy
Fanfarlo - Fire Escape Buy
The Pains Of Being Pure at Heart - A Teenager in Love Buy
Rogues - Not So Pretty Buy


Just realised my 'Feed Me' post got pulled. Twice I think. Maybe third time lucky?

Rogues - Not So Pretty (Feed Me Remix) Buy

Speaking of posts being pulled, my 'Power to The People' post was also removed. Sigh. Another casualty with that cruel mistress that is the Blogger hegemony. Of the tracks that were on there, Mansion - 'Body' and the Jimmy2sox remix of 'We Are The People' are the ones worth looking up.