Thursday MyFriend Feature

Yes the feature I started last Thursday is back, when I take a well known band or artist (to me) look at their Top friends on MySpace and see if I can discover a new band or artist that sounds good to my ears. Anyway today I looked at Maximo Park's profile, a great band who not only are absolutely mind-blowing live but also in my opinion produced one of the finest albums of 2005 (and I can't wait for their follow up), so I looked at their top 8 which mostly had people profiles rather then band profiles on, but there was one band namely De Novo Dahl, so I clicked on that profile and once again (like last week) I was surprised to find a band that I hadn't heard of (although considering that at one point Stereogum, CMG, Pitchfork and Spin have talked about them before now, some people probably have heard of them) anyway I liked their style, very indie pop (in the best sense of the genre) with more then a hint of experimental leanings. Or if you want a clumsy comparison as I usually do imagine a collaboration between The New Pornographers and Super Furry Animals combining the complex yet catchy song structures of the Canadian oufit with the grand experimental vision seen from those Welsh wizards particularly in their more recent albums. Also vocally take a drop of David Bowie mix it with some A.C Newman and a dash of Morrisey and you'll have an odd cocktail which might sound like lead singer Joel J. Dahl. So enjoy this music and remember the Breakfast Session is on tommorow morning 8-9am GMT, so make sure to tune in to the best radio show in the universe (and thats scientific fact).

MP3s:
De Novo Dahl-Subject Of The Kill
De Novo Dahl-Market Place

Buy:
see their MySpace for any details
Maximo Park-A Certain Trigger (go on you know you want to its only about 5 quid used&new)

Thats it I'm going to Sweden

Propts once again to ace Swedish dedicated blog swedesplease for posting about Pernilla Anderson, a jazzy pop singer from Stockholm who is hot and frankly makes some damm catchy music which really has to be labelled under 'guilty pleasure', its got a seriously polished sound slightly akin to KT Tunstall although the guitar in 'Alright' (the single out now) makes me think of Dire Straits for some reason. In other news the new Of Montreal album is as excellent as could be expected from that brilliant Elephant 6 band and you can hear the whole thing on a stream right here, its released on January 23rd and if you pre-order right now you can get their E.P for an extra $3, its just so damm funky (and now I'm going to the U.S after I go to Sweden).

MP3s:
Pernilla Anderson-Alright
of Montreal-Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse

Pre-Order:
of Montreal- "Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?"

Pull the other one

No seriously Rough Trade Digital has been launched and they have shared with P'fork their track they are giving away free to anyone who signs up from Pull Tiger Tail (imagine a cool english CYHSY and your half-way there) for a limited time only and its excellent so here it is for a limited time only. Also in response to Anoymous person's comment I have not got Yellow House yet it's on my lengthy to do list at the moment.

MP3 (from Pitchfork so for a limited time only):
Pull Tiger Tail-Loki(demo)

Classic Video Day-The Beatles - Rain

Well its a classic for sure (also quite appropriate as its been raining virtually non-stop here in Reading)one of my absolute favourite Beatles songs, and I guess they did invent the music video in a way as opposed to just having a video showing the band playing the music. Some of Ringo's finest drumming as well.

MP3:
The Beatles-Rain

Buy:
The Beatles-Past Masters Vol 1&2 vinyl

Sunday Cover

So I wanted to post about something today, and couldn't really get any inspiration so I cast my eye round the various blogs and music websites searching for something interesting or cool to post about, what did catch my eye was on largehearted boy and this was a cover of Whole Lotta Love by Tim Reynolds a bluesy type singer with an excellent voice. So what you the reader gets is this pretty lazy post about a cool cover version.

MP3:
Tim Reynolds-Whole Lotta Love (live)

ZZZZZZ

Something of a current buzz artist amongst the blogosphere (see IGIF, Stereogum, Nbgl and StG) is Sleeping States all thanks to a post in Grizzly Bear's blog (although playlouder have been championing his cause before now) describing this London based singer-songwriters music as "So gorgeous and beautiful" which is quite true, I'd like to add to that that Sleeping States is an incredibly appropriate name for the music he produces not in the sense that you listen to it and you fall asleep, but that you listen to it and it relaxes your mind and can in affect put you in a state ready for sleep, this is highly experimental folky type music as Markland Starkie the lead singer uses various different noises spliced together at points in the songs so not exactly a dead cert for mainstream success but gorgeous and beautful nonetheless.

MP3s:
Sleeping States-A Trip To NYC
Sleeping States-December
More here

Buy:
there are plenty of record available to buy all listed at his MySpace

Show Time

I begin right at the start of todays show, although I had the backing music up a bit too loud, so here is the tracklisting:
Substitute-The Who
Go-Danielle Duval (mp3)
Ticket To Immorality-The Dears
Turn On Me-The Shins
Picture This-Blondie
Cold Wind-The Arcade Fire
Back To Back
Panic-The Smiths
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out-The Smiths
Chelsea Dagger-The Fratellis
Oh Shoplifter-The Stills
Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands-Elliott Smith
Hold On, Hold On-Neko Case (mp3)
This Isn't Farm Life-The Essex Green
choose an album track
Cut Your Hair-Pavement
You can download this lovely show here or just listen here. Oh and to all readers from the U.S Happy Thanksgiving for yesterday.

Dear Friend or the new MySpace feature

Ah MySpace don't you just love it (or not) especially the politics and many mind games that take place all revolving around the Top 8 friends basically why am I not in your Top 8 (or 4 or 16 etc) and so and so is. Anyway it made me think I wonder how many lesser known but great bands or artists are on the Top friends list of the more well known great bands, and thus we have the new MySpace feature (which I will try to do every Thursday). For todays first MySpace Friends feature I chose Canadian Indie-Pop/Rock Superheros The Dears. So I took a look at their Top Friends (at this point with more then a little apprehension as this feature could just die on it's arse if they don't actually have any bands or singers on their top friend list) and as luck would have it happened to find an excellent Canadian Singer-Songwriter who I had not heard of named Danielle Duval, she hails from good ol'Montreal and is currently based in Toronto and has been writing and making music since she was 14, and from what I have heard of her music thus far it at points has a certain disjointed catchiness that is quite reminicent of alt-rockers Pavement, however this also veers into some more conventional indie-pop melodies similar to that which Rilo Kiley and others use, or if you want a 'quote' I would say alt-rock meets indie-pop and explodes on the hot bed of talent that is Montreal. She certainly could well be set up for greater things with support from The Dears for one thing, but also Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo who helped to mix her album, and Jim Creeggan of the Barenaked Ladies who plays bass on "Go" her 'single' which has been picked up by a local Canadian radio station (and may well get a play on a certain Junction 11 show tommorow hint, hint Breakfast Session, 8-9am GMT, www.1287am.com), so watch this space as it were this music could well be set to be the soundtrack to all drinking games and road trips though not both at the same time. Go have a listen. Going back to The Dears MySpace another one of their top friends is Kramer so Giddy Up.


MP3s:
Danielle Duval-Go
Danielle Duval-Stay Another Day

Buy:
more info here and here
The Dears-Gang Of Losers (brilliant album)

The Struggle

My Internet connection is terrible, at the moment which has made posting an uphill stuggle. All I have to say is that the BBC Radio 1 Unsigned Podcast is rather excellent and certainly worth a listen so go to it, more coming up hopefully if my connection gets better.

MP3:
BBC Radio 1 Best Of Unsigned Podcast

Classic Video Day- Cat Power (live)

Any excuse to show this rather sublime live performance of 'The Greatest'(on Later with Jools Holland) quite possibly the most achingly beautiful song of the year, off of the album of the same name which in turn is one of the best of this year, really worth getting.

MP3:
Cat Power-The Greatest

Buy:
Cat Power-The Greatest (UK) (US)

Always a pleasure

As anyone who listens to my show or reads my (and pretty much any other blog) blog, Bishop Allen are a rather excellent charming band who decided to release an EP for every month this year, and pretty impressively they are managing to follow through with this so far as the October EP is out now, and Clementines is the free sample offered from it, so sit back, dim the lights or switch them off if you don't have dimmers and enjoy.

MP3s:
Bishop Allen-Clementines
Bishop Allen-Butterfly Nets (from May E.P)
Bishop Allen-Corazon (from January E.P)

Buy:
all E.Ps and their full-length album from their shop

Hey Mr DJ

I come in at about 5:30 into the hour, I thought I did ok today really, with some excellent music.
Race For The Prize-The Flaming Lips
Little Wing-Jimi Hendrix
Hunting For Witches-Bloc Party
Giddy Stratosphere-The Long Blondes
O Valencia-The Decemberists
Back To Back
A Shot In The Arm-Wilco
Kamera-Wilco
20 To 9-Tiny Dancers (mp3)
Suspicious Character-The Blood Arm
Wasted Little DJs-The View
We're Here-Guillemots (at least most of it)
Choose A Cover Version
Here Comes Your Man-Kate Rogers

You can listen here (click open) and download here. The last bit is here.

Really very small

Tiny Dancers everyone, heard of them? Well you have now. Not a band that has exactly caught fire on the Blogosphere for some unknown reason, because this band are going to be big (certainly in the UK at least, and maybe to a certain extent in the US being much more difficult to break). They fuse the intensity of folk-rock with the melodic sound of 60's-70's pop (Low meets The Beach Boys perhaps) and bring off a sound of their own into the bargain. The song available to download (for a limited period so get it while its hot and cooling on the proverbial window sill) demonstrates this sound perfectly kicking off with almost tribal drums and building up first with a big guitar melody (taken from the earth itself if you want to get fancy) and then vocals which sound a bit like Brett Anderson, which all build up to a stomach-shaking chorus line. It's a song that grabs you straight away and doesn't let go until four minutes and thirty five seconds later.

MP3:
Tiny Dancers-20 To 9
hear more at their MySpace

Pre-Order:
Tiny Dancers-Lions And Tigers And Lions E.P, released 20th November (UK) (US)

R.I.P

No ones dead, its just a post about a band named Dave Is Dead a band who found their way on to the Channel 4 slashmusic podcast. Vocally they are a mix of Damon Albarn and Morrisey, musically they are quite close to Belle and Sebastian. Essentially imagine and indie-pop outfit with a heavy Britpop vibe about them. There are a whole heap of other bands which could be counted as influences though they manage to sound fresh and catchy so defintely worth a listen.

MP3s:
Dave Is Dead-21
Dave Is Dead-Question
more at MySpace

Not like one of those fake freakshows

Yes they are A Genuine Freakshow, who also happen to be the first band from Reading (where I am currently) , and I've got to be honest I was finding it difficult to find a genuinely good unsigned band to post about today (I've been writing an essay until recently which has played havoc with blog posts, also I've had a cold which hasnt been helpful). They have got an excellent and different sound going on, think shoegaze meets folk in a pressure cooker, or if you can't imagine a group that manages to sound like Mogwai, Bob Dylan and Radiohead sometimes all at the same time and you might be some where there. If you still need some help have a listen to some MP3s.

MP3:
A Genuine Freakshow - The Horrible Truth
more at MySpace, and their site

Buy:
Their E.P

Its...

I had a cough today, and just wasn't quite at the races, best to listen for the music and a jazzy new jingle, the show starts after a couple of songs.
Australia-The Shins
All Along The Watchtower-Bob Dylan
Answering Bell-Ryan Adams
Inaction-We Are Scientists
Elevator Music-Beck
I Walk The Line-Johnny Cash
and now for something...
Numb-Portishead
Pumping On Your Stereo-Supergrass
Click Click Click Click-Bishop Allen (mp3)
5-22-02-Golden Smog
Part-Timer-The Young Knives
Walking With A Ghost-Tegan and Sara
choose an album track
Grace-Jeff Buckley
listen here just click open) or download here

Erupt!

Its been a bit difficult getting the blog posts in recently as I have had a right stinker of a cold (on and off) for the past two weeks also I've had a lot of work to do, anywho todays post is about a band quite popular on NME.com's New Music section and with good reason i.e. they are actually good and have potential. So what do they sound like? I hear you cry (or possibly moan)...Well now imagine those Arctic Monkeys and Kings Of Leon meeting in a large hall and proceeding to knock the crap out of each other whilst writing some music, there are also some other influences floating around there, their music certainly grabs you by the jugular with many a fast-paced opening, basically its some good ol' rock 'n' roll. I've just realised I haven't mentioned their name yet they are Volcanoes they are currently unsigned, they are from Sheffield and Leeds and they are good as I mentioned above.

MP3s:
Volcanoes-King Of The Hill
Volcanoes-Black and Blue
more on their MySpace

Buy:
all details found on their website

Classic Video Day- Here Comes Your Man

Monday is classic video day here on Sessions, and todays pick comes from seminal college rock band Pixies. I would certainly argue that although this song isn't their best known it is probably their most accsesible (mostly because it sounds less like their usual output), definitely benefiting from the start chord which is almost exactly the same used in 'Hard Days Night'. The video itself is also a classic, at first seeming to be fairly normal (the band just playing the song) but then they chose the simple but effective technique of simply opening their mouths rather then actually miming, its brilliant really in it's very odd way.

Back To Back

Yes indeed, West Ham now have back to back victories against Blackburn and Arsenal, come on this is the reverse of the season (from the living hell its been since the Villa match). Now we go on to Boro who we hopefully should beat. In other news if you would like to hear my show which I did on Friday with guest star Joe, here is the tracklisting:
Blues Are Still Blue-Belle and Sebastian
Rain-The Beatles
Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby-Islands
King Of Carrot Flowers Part 1-Neutral Milk Hotel
Disco 2000-Nick Cave
Phantom Limb-The Shins
Waiting To Happen-Super Furry Animals
Bones-The Killers
Some Kind of Chill-Arizona
Eeany Meany-Jim Noir
You can download the show (with link at the bottom) or just listen here (click open). Finally I'd thought that I'd give a mention to In Civilian Clothing a band featured on P'forks free downloads page, who make some elegant and intriguing Ambient-Indie. See you in another life brothers and sisters.

MP3:
Breakfast Session Show
In Civilian Clothing-Current Therapist

Ye-Haa

Well its been two days since my last post so I thought I'd get up off my ass and post today about a rather excellent electro-indie three-piece by the name of Cowboy Racer who are the current band of the week on Channel 4's slashmusic pages. Their sound is a mixture of various bands from classic (Blondie) to fairly current (Hot Chip, Goldfrapp) all put into a blender and set to liquidise resulting in a nourishing electronic-indie-female vocal smothie. Probably best if you don't read that and just listen to the music.

MP3s:
Cowboy Racer-Yellow Horse
Cowboy Racer-Hey Cowboy

Buy:
all details on shop section

Buzzing with excitement

Hooray for our buzz bands, we just get so many and The Wombats are a buzz band (who hail from Liverpool) of the moment with praise raining in from all quarters from Radio 1 to Drowned In Sound, and frankly they deserve it for playing really exciting pop-punk (imagine if the Buzzcocks formed in 2006 and you might be close) with oodles of charm, some seriously catchy and punchy guitars, some keyboard melodies and a sense of madness that at any point of any song they could just start going ape. If you don't know about The Wombats yet you will soon they could well be the Next Big Thing, they are currently touring their guts out across this island here, more details on their MySpace.

MP3:
The Wombats-Dr Suzanne Mattox
more here

Buy:
The Wombats shop