secret catwalk.

this time next week (Friday 30th) i'm going to be preparing to 'rock the house' down at The Victoria, near Bethnal Green with my debut DJ set (don't laugh too hard).

Jehan over at Shattered Satellite is putting on a night of "Arthur Russell tinged pop revelry" featuring live sets from Django Django, ColouringIN, and his own band, Al Cool & The Stranger Wines. they're all very good so you should probably come along, it's only £2.

Al Cool And The Stranger Wines - Céline

blending together hints of the now seemingly defunct Thamesbeat/Larrikin Love scene, a handful of funk-infused rhythms, alongside the ethereal sounds of a chill-wave/blog-wave synth, Al Cool seem to be hitting the nail on the head. i've also been privileged enough to get a listen to the remix (fixed up by Entreprenuers) of this track and it is a bit phenomenal.

facebook event page.

mess.

:( bye bye.

obsessed with this. they're like what Magistrates should have been/Prince meets Soft Cell. "big in 2010" without a doubt.

Fenech-Soler on myspace.

wings of wax.

hailing from Philadelphia, Sun Airway are Jon and Patrick, a two piece making dreamy, shoegaze-tinged pop. EP 'Oh, Naoko' is like the musical equivalent of the sun coming in through your curtains on a beautiful morning. self recorded, self produced and they do their own artwork, bundles of talent don't usually come this perfectly wrapped.

Sun Airway - Swallowed By The Night

you can get more free tracks from their website here, expect a full length album sometime soon.

you'll be gone.

Yes Giantess. the audio equivalent of halloumi? amazing in every way, shape or form, this is cheese that deserves it's own league. with Starsmith on production there's a silky, and futuristic vibe to 'Just Another Step', taking Yes Giantess from almost boyband-esque to laid back, incredibly cool purveyors of pop. synth heaven.

blog hexclusive for you right here.

Yes Giantess - Just Another Step

see Yes Giantess on tour, click here for details. catch them before they go supernova.

pray for me.

usually, having to go and see your friends' bands play is a tedious affair that involves you having to clap over enthusiastically to compensate for the lack of people in the room, and nod zealously when said friends ask if their performance was good.

rarely does going to see your friends' bands involve an A&R feeding frenzy and Peaches Geldof swishing her hair in every which way to the music whilst twittering about it. this is what happened to me yesterday. weird, but all the attention is completely deserved.

Chapel Club make atmospheric, brooding, new-wave indie. from the screech of guitars to the haunting sound of frontman, Lewis' vocals to the clatter and rhythm of the drums, it all comes together in a very romantic and bleak way. last night was their second performance together as Chapel Club and they've already got their band charisma down to a tee and mastered the art of engaging their audience. it's hard to look like stars in The Shacklewell Arms but they did it with ease.

Chapel Club - After The Flood

they're pretty bloody great so i suggest you keep your eyes firmly on them in the future.

crackle.

lurking in a dark dark (yet rather large) place in my heart is an unfaltering love for almost anything that could even vaguely come under the description "post-punk". hence why i was so bloody excited when i came across Italian three-piece General Decay. they make scuzzy, brooding, fast paced noise that is rammed full of shouty vocals, screeching guitars and plenty of dirty reverb. good stuff.

General Decay - Pyramid (Enjoy The End)

get more free tracks from here.

true romance.

being typically (and fashionably) late as usual, i went and caught Golden Silvers playing live for the first time on Tuesday.

it's been almost 5 months since 'True Romance', the band's debut album, came out and they’re still riding high on a wave of success that looks unstoppable. from supporting Blur earlier this summer to a spot on the coveted NME Radar tour it was no surprise then that the lovely lovely Flowerpot was absolutely rammed by the time i arrived.

arriving onstage under a dreamy glow of midnight blue lighting, Golden Silvers’ catchy brand of multi-faceted pop instantly wowed, and within a few minutes of playing, the entire audience was captivated and under the spell of charismatic frontman, Gwilym Gold.
slaughtering albums tracks left and right, there was barely time to pause between dancing and singing, and with the crowd reaching fever pitch, Golden Silvers launched into 'Arrows Of Eros' for their final song of the evening. piercing synths, the slap of a cowbell and a funk-infused bass line made it a blinding way to end. i can’t quite believe it took me so long to go and see this band.

Golden Silvers - True Romance (Penguin Prison remix)

you can catch them on the NME Tour (along with Marina & The Diamonds, Yes Giantess and Local Natives) starting from today! and you can pick up the album here. it's on lilac vinyl.

boo.

some bad stuff happened this weekend. there was that X Factor double bill and the Sugababes became.. well, they became NOT the Sugababes anymore, not to mention it rained for the first time in ages.

but allow all that because the Wiley version of 'Who's There' has just dropped. i posted it on the Phantasy Sound blog earlier but here it is again for all you lazies.

Riton & Primary 1 - Who's There (featuring Wiley)

buy 'Who's There' on ltd edition sexy white vinyl here.
artwork by Robjoe.

here come the drums.

went to see The Drums last night for their first UK show. it was epically awesome. lots of London's music industry twitter kids were out in force. as was Boy George and a man dressed head to toe in sequins. special times.



you can't deny how good this is. check them out if you haven't already.