The Maccabees

An album that I have not been able to get out of my head (or my player) lately has been the new Maccabees album, "Given To The Wild." With its fast paced, intricate songs the album sounds like one hour long composition instead of 13 individual songs, but don't let that keep you from believing in the creativeness of the album. Each song has the same theme, but they do not all sound the same. With beautiful slow beginnings, each song builds into a hard rock bridge that make the listener want to pull out their air guitar.

Probably the best example of this is in the song "Child." The song moves instantly from its predecessor "Given To The Wild," the intro to the album. The next song on the album, "Feel To Follow" begins with Orlando Weeks tenor moving up and down over a thin drum line. When the bass finally comes in it's a deep strong sound that fills the space underneath him, moving the song forward into an explosion of guitar. "Ayla," the fourth song on the album, comes in with a piano line that will knock your socks off. It's probably my favorite song on the album, starting out strong and ending so abruptly you have to kind of sit back in awe for a second. It would be amazing to hear live! "Pelican" is probably the single off the album, if you could give it a single. It's fast and catchy and actually in a major key unlike most of the album. This is definitely a cd that you have to listen to as a whole, however.

While it sounds nothing like their first album "Colour It In," it didn't fail to disappoint me or fans of that album. Bands evolve just like people do, and the trick is to do it tastefully and artistically. Even though they changed their sound, The Maccabees possibly just got better. Their sound is defintely more mature than that of the British pop crooning of songs like "First Love" and "Toothpaste Kisses." They are older and more dynamic as band. "Given To The Wild" takes you on a journey, as Weeks sings in "Forever I've Known," "forever I've known nothing stays forever." The Maccabees have come into themselves and I can't stop listening.

PS: They also have an album that came out between called "Call of Arms" but I can't find it anywhere so...I'm sad about that. I'll try Amazon.

Songs to watch out for:
Child
Feel To Follow
Ayla
Forever I've Known
Pelican
Grew Up At Midnight

Want to check out their first album "Colour It In"?
All In Your Rows
Tissue Shoulders
First Love
Toothpaste Kisses

This is the music video for Ayla! Gotta love guys on bikes...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkcnPnY_2Mk

Bad Veins

Here is the latest video from Bad Veins!
"Dancing On TV"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4nZfjQYgEs

So good.

Two Door Cinema Club

Well yipee! There is a new Two Door Cinema Club single out and it is pretty much the best thing ever. "Sleep Alone" is the first single off of the highly anticipated sophomore album "Beacon" out September 3rd. (Or the 4th for us stragglers across the pond.)
"Sleep Alone" doesn't disappoint fans of TDCC that love their sound and just want more. With it's upbeat tempo and catchy chorus it catches your ear from the first listen. Masked beneath the pop rhythm however, is a dark lyrical world full of Alex Trimble's haunted dreams. He states, "we only know what we see, cause we're always fast asleep. Is it so hard not to believe that we'll never know?" Seeing is believing as many say, but maybe it's ok not to know the answer to everything.
The last few lines of the chorus: "and I may go to places I have never been to just to find the deepest desires in my mind." Freud would have a field day with that one. But isn't that what dreams are all about? Finding out more about yourself than you thought you knew? If we pay attention to them, maybe that will answer the questions for us.
Give it a listen. It will make you think, as well as love the song.

Ta ta for now!

A Silent Film

So a few weeks ago I posted about a song by the band A Silent Film titled "Danny, Dakota, & the Wishing Well." I recently purchased the entire album, thanks to my trusty CD Warehouse, and it hasn't come out of my car's sterio since. Every song is so good! Their sound is so full and rich. The tunes are also all extremely catchy and easy to pick up on. I could eventually see A Silent Film being one of the biggest bands in Britain, already taking after the likes of Coldplay and Keane with the sound of piano along with the rest of the band.
Robert Stevenson's vocals croon about love lost and gained again while taking you on an imaginary journey from the stage, to the ocean, and to a wishing well. "Danny, Dakota, & the Wishing Well" is my favorite song from the album, but not far behind are the next few tracks "Anastasia" and "Harbour Lights." You cannot listen to "Anastasia" quietly and I just think "Harbour Lights" is so beautiful. The lyrics are very poetic and deep. "You were my rock, never my stepping stone."
All in all everyone needs to go out and buy this record. You can get "Sand & Snow" on iTunes or maybe you have a record store near you. It was in Springfield, Missouri (astonishingly) so hopefully it will be. They also have a debut record titled "The City That Sleeps" and that will be my next venture. Love this band!

Songs to watch out for:

This Stage is Your Life
Danny, Dakota, & the Wishing Well
Anastasia
Harbour Lights
Queen of a Sad Land
Thousand Mile Race

Playlist

So this is my favorite playlist that I've ever made myself. I thought I'd share it with you.

Tokyo Police Club - Bambi
UNKLE - With You In My Head (feat. The Black Angels)
The Republic Tigers - Buildings and Mountains
Say Hi To Your Mom - Let's Talk About Spaceships
Broken Bells - The Ghost Inside
Death Cab For Cutie - Soul Meet Body
Calexico feat. Iron & Wine - He Lays in the Reins
British Sea Power - How Will I Ever Find My Way Home?
Fran Healy - Sing Me to Sleep (feat. Neko Case)
Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Dawn of the Dead
Friendly Fires - Live Those Days Tonight
Hot Hot Heat - Middle of Nowhere
Rogue Wave - 10:1
Meese - Next In Line
Bad Veins - Dry Out
Mute Math- Clipping
Oren Lavie - Her Morning Elegance
The Temper Trap - Rest
Radiohead - 15 Step
The Strokes - Red Light
Two Door Cinema Club - Costume Party

Hope you like it!

The Strokes

Ok, this is going to be a really short post, but I just found out that The Strokes are going to be writing a fifth album!! If I could see them play live I would die a happy person. And if it is as good as their last album was, we should be excited.

I. Love. The Strokes.

Tootles!

Haim

When I went to see Julian Casablancas, of The Strokes, play his solo tour a little band called Haim opened for him. Made up of three sisters and Dash Hutton they rocked their way through a really loud and raw show. I instantly loved them and found them on twitter @HAIMtheband. It took awhile for them to come out with any music, however. But they recently released an EP titled "Forever" and you can download it for free on their website haimtheband.com! "Forever" is definitely the most catchy of the three songs and was recently made into a music video. You can watch it here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2012/jun/07/new-music-haim-forever?fb=native&CMP=FBCNETTXT9038
I hope they come out with a complete album soon because these girls can rock.