By: Larm 2009 - Manatee Racket

So, last week BD went to Norway and the By: Larm festival. It was brilliant, and we haven't recovered fully yet, this whole week has been tough.

We saw lots of bands there, some crap, some fantastic, lots of average ones. One bunch that stood out were Norwegians Manatee Racket who came across a bit like a Norwegian version of Bombay Bicycle Club. They were young, shambolic and had lots of charm. We'll definitely keep an eye on them, they had lots of charm.

Here's "Sarah went to cinema" from their EP "Play in the backyard":

Manatee Rackets - Sarah went to cinema

Go G G... Go G G...

Bugger x1,000... Don't you hate it when you find out about a gig at the last minute (due to being lazy) and it clashes with something else.

Not only are Wavves playing a gig about 2 mins walk from BD's front door but they're also playing with PENS (who are supporting them on tour but who we've missed every other time they've played). Maybe we'll just have to book them for a gig like 2/3s of PENS old band LOOK LOOK (Dancing Boys).

Anyway for the uninitiated Wavves are the kind of fuzzed-out stoner rock anyone that likes Sonic Youth (i.e. anyone with taste) will love. PENS featured on a single of G G Allin covers... need we say more?

Here's some stuff to occupy your eyes & ears including the stunning track "So Bored" by Wavves:

Wavves - "So Bored"

PENS - "Freddie"

... and as a bonus here's the inimitable G G Allin on Jerry Springer:

That's why Mums go to Finland

Finland's Le Corps Mince de Françoise have been on the ol' hype-radar for some time now (ever since Vice Germany blogged about them back last summer) and we fell in love with their debut(?) song "Cool & Bored".

We caught them last Autumn when they played at Proud Galleries here in London but came away a bit perplexed. They were really good live but for some unknown reason they played every song they've written except "Cool & Bored"... WTF? Not sure if they wanted to distance themselves from the song which gained them so much attention but it's not like it was used on a world-famous McDonalds advert or something...

Anyway, they've just released their new song "Bitch Of The Bitches" and to celebrate the fact here's a remix by Limping Boy (who we think is producing their album) and any song that references Twin Peaks is *ahem* damn fine in our book!

Here's some LCMdF goodies for you:

Le Corps Mince de Françoise - "Bitch Of The Bitches" video:



Le Corps Mince de Françoise - “Bitch of the Bitches (Limping Boy remix)" - removed by request

Le Corps Mince de Françoise - "Cool & Bored" video:

Now there a name I haven't heard in a long time...

Sorry for the lack of posts but one half of BD had folks in town last week and the other half of DB has been at By:Larm in Oslo. 33 bands in 4 days aparently!

Anyway while we weren't posting Obi Best's debut album "Capades" was released on Social Science Recordings. Singer Alex Lilly is best know for her vocal work with Blue Note's "The Bird And The Bee" but now she has her own band.

While some of the early singles have been a bit hit and miss the track "Swedish Boy" is brilliant so here it is:

Obi Best - "Swedish Boy"

and as a bonus here's the great Peaches remix of The Bird And The Bee's track "F*cking Boyfriend":

The Bird And The Bee - "F*cking Boyfriend"

No more snow, but Thermals are back.

Oh my, oh my! The Thermals are back! Did they ever disappear? Not really, but interest in them kind of waned after their second album "Fuckin A" from 2004. Their first album "More parts per million" from 2003 is pure gold! We love the whole American lo-fi thing they've got going, and wish there were more bands sounding like this (maybe this will change thanks to Let's Wrestle - Britain's own future megastars of tomorrow).

We didn't really get into their last album, but now they've gone and left one legendary record label (Sub Pop) for another one almost equally great (Kill rock stars), which might mean a re-ignition. They just finished a tour with The Cribs (ho hum!), and they also did some solo shows that we totally missed. We've seen them live countless times already though (check us out!!!), and they seem to come over here and play all the time, so we're sure we'll get the chance to see them later this year after they've released their new album "Now we can see" (out in April). Download the title track below.

The Thermals - Now we can see

Get my drift?

We've got a guilty secret... we're big fans of grime.

As a genre it was always set to fail as for every success like Dizzee Rascal, Wiley and Lethal Bizzle there's been money thrown at (commercial) failures like Shystie and the ever trying Kano.
In-fighting, jealousy and label fuckery have always stopped the all but a few of the best emcees from taking that final step and hitting the big-time.

But as a consumer, we don't really mind that. We can get all the music we want even if these artists aren't on major label as the internet plays such a big part in the scene and the fact that it stays bubbling under the radar keeps it... well, "punk".

Anyway here's a wicked little video featuring in our opinion the best UK grime emcee, JME. It was filmed while the UK ground to a halt under a huge 6 inches of snow a week ago.

Brrrap! etc.

I'm afraid I'm out

BD, along with most of the underground music press, predicted big things for Elle Milano a few years ago. We thought they had real promise as a less-Northern Arctic Monkeys and a less-Guy Ritchie character Jamie T.

But as with all up-and-coming bands sometimes they split before they make it. And so it was with Elle Milano who called it a day last Autumn. Sad.

We hear however, that frontman Adam Crisp has gone all glitchy and started producing some interesting stuff under the moniker Entrepreneurs. Will be interesting to see how this pans out and hopefully that will include some live show soon.

Here is an example:

Entrepreneurs - Offensive Coordinator

... and for old times sake:

Elle Milano - Believe Your Own Hype. Always.

10,000 spoons

To be honest, the first time we heard "If I Had A Heart" by Fever Ray (aka Karin Dreijer Andersson) just before Xmas, we didn't exactly fall off our chair with surprise. As achingly beautiful and haunting as it is, it's hardly a departure from the music she produces with her brother Olof as The Knife. Don't get us wrong, as a piece of music it is amazing, we just assumed it would be different.

The video for the track has just come along directed by long-time The Knife-collaborator Andreas Nilsson. He has somehow managed to perfectly encapsulate the enigmatic beauty of the piece and we're struggling to think of a music video that has held us captive in this way.

Enjoy.



and the song is here:

Fever Ray - If I Had A Heart - removed by request

RIP Lux Interior

Although the death of The Cramps' Lux Interior will no doubt be covered more eloquently (and most certainly in more depth) in other places on the web than on this blog, BD couldn't let the passing of this music pioneer go unmentioned.

With the death last month of Ron Asheton from The Stooges 2009 is turning into quite a sucky year for punk music. Anyway we think the best way to celebrate Lux's life is through his music.

Although the track posted below was written by 60's garage band The Green Fuz rather than The Cramps we love their version and the fact that it was the opening track for The Cramps seminal album "Psychedelic Jungle"

The Cramps - Green Fuz

Not Chris - JAMES!

Ok, BD thinks it's safe to say it's not very hip anymore to sound like Elvis Costello. Maybe because Jack Penate never got really famous, or maybe because it's just not a very hip sound (sad, but true). Anyway, there's this guy from Birmingham called James Rea who's got a nice Elvis Costello thing going.

Check out the song below for example:

James Rea - Quit hanging around

Most of the songs on his Myspace are quite charming, and this is why BD is going to see him play some place called The Miller tonight in London Bridge, of all places. When was the last time we were at a gig in London Bridge, you wonder? NEVER! That's the answer. We've never been there for a gig! We feel like such vagabonds! Maybe we'll have a drink we've never had before, to enhance the whole experience. Make mine a ... shandy!

Why so angry?

EXCLUSIVE: The internet is brilliant, isn't it? It allows us mortals instant reaction and interaction with the world around us but LA nice-guys The Mae Shi have taken that shit to the next level!

In case you missed it a recording surfaced yesterday of Christian Bale (aka Batman) going nuts on set of the new Terminator movie. It's well known Mr Bale has a very short fuse but most of his previous melt-downs have happened behind closed doors.

The latest incident however was caught on audio and was leaked yesterday:





So what has this got to do with The Mae Shi? Well, less than 24hrs after the recording surfaced they've written a song about it!! They're a really tight band so we guess Bale's request for the people around him to "act like f*ckin' professionals" must have struck a chord (or three):

The Mae Shi - R U Professional?

LOLZ

Blogger's do it online

Italians Do It Better is one of our favourite DIY labels with a great roster (which includes Glass Candy and Chromatics) and always release consistantly beautiful music.

One IDIB artist who had previously intrigued us but not quite convinced me was Farah. The demo she just put up on her Myspace page (which might be a re-visiting of themes found in her track "Law Of Life") just blew us away though. Maybe it's a little simplistic for some palates but we quite like the mystery the (almost lack of) lyrics leaves the listener with.

Make up your own mind , we guess:

Farah - Die (demo version)

... and as a special bonus here's an track called "Farrah" from Swedish pop artist Action Biker (aka Sarah Nyberg Pergament). We know it's spelt differently but it's an old favourite of ours:

Action Biker - Farrah