Something Old: The Go-Betweens/ You Can't Say No Forever

This is one of the few songs that completely takes over your faculties as you listen. Visceral, heartbreakingly raw and shatteringly honest; as you listen you momentarily shift and you are left ever-changed past its end. Incredible guitars and a vocal approach perfectly executed.

"You can't say no forever/I've tried"

Five song preview from Coals To Newcastle

Today, a welcome update from Domino on the Orange Juice boxset, Coals To Newcastle. The release date for the US has been put back until November 22nd but the European release remains November 8th.

You can listen on the Domino site here or below. Also, click here to pre-order the boxset.

Something Old: Hurrah!

From Newcastle, Hurrah! were one of the first bands signed to Kitchenware Records. For fans of Close Lobsters, Orange Juice and The Bodines. Which is me.

Something Old: Biff Bang Pow!

Loves Going Out Of Fashion



Biff Bang Pow! were an oddity. Starring Alan McGee, they formed in around 1983 and between then and 1991 released 6 albums and a handful of incredible singles. Love's Going Out Of Fashion, was their third single from 1984. It's carrion call delivery is clearly at the upper limits of it's singer's ability but the strained sadness only serves to haunt your memory of the hook. Clipping, electro-acoustic six strings sounding like Spanish guitars twist in and around the entire song, ill mixed as they are, until it finally gives into a wailing harmonica that it's fought with throughout. "Love's going out of fashion", he sings, almost shouting, and you believe him. You could be in the throes of a deeply passionate romance and, unbelievably, Alan McGee has just made you think twice.
Perhaps this is part of the problem with this bands legacy though, the sticking point that Alan McGee is a fairly unlike-able man and maybe somebody that you wouldn't ask for relationship advice in the first place. He certainly isn't a fashionable influence to name check any more.

That aside, the song that follows is one of the finest pieces of throwaway, half-finished jangle pop that I have ever heard.

Sunny Days

Orange Juice / Coals To Newcastle

Edwyn Collins posted that photo on Facebook today. It is a photo of, surely, one the most overdue collections of all time. The six disks of 'Coals To Newcastle' collates the work of Orange Juice from their first single releases on Postcard Records, the studio albums and right through to a dvd of promo clips featuring the utterly brilliant concert 'Dada with the Juice'. How exciting!

For full play list click here. Released on November 8th on Domino

Foxtrot Echo Lima Tango

For all things Felt, find your way over to Foxtrot Echo Lima Tango. Clearly, a fanzine which is primarily about a band who haven't released an album in 20 years is going to have a limited shelflife and this is reflected in the editor's statment saying that the 2nd edition will be the last. See it, with its full 160 pages, as a useful reference and foil to your Strange idols and Seven cannons.

Felt/Dismantled King Is Off The Throne

New television, direct from Belle and Sebastian HQ

As the release of the new Belle and Sebastian record 'Write About Love' looms, the promotional monster that is B&S HQ rumbles into action with this new video. Although the presenter (Dougie Anderson) is unbearably badly scripted and the hand picked nature of the audience is all too apparent, the short is pretty gorgeous. Nicely shot, looking like a moving Belle and Sebastian sleeve, it includes some interesting cameos from some of Glasgow's finest, including Bjorn from Wake The President and John from Butcher Boy. Oh, and of course, the new songs are showcased and they sound pretty promising.

Afternoon Naps/The Fall Companion

Chiming guitars, ringing organs, skipping drums and all over just before you've had time to realise just how good it is. Afternoon Naps have done pretty well here.

From last years album 'Parade', 'The Fall Companion' performed live.




http://www.myspace.com/afternoonnapsband

'Parade' is available on HHBTM Records

The Coral / Dream In August

Appropriate listening, entirely blissful and utterly effortless. From their new album (released on July 12th), 'Butterfly House'.

Indietracks Festival 'Preview'

Honestly? I'm not so sure that the Indietracks line-up is particularly exciting this year. It is my absolute favourite festival in the United Kingdom but it's collection, this year, just doesn't grab me. However, that isn't to say that there arent some great bands playing. To my taste, these are the (perhaps rather obviously) ones that you should go and watch if you are headed to Riply this weekend.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - slightly over rated power pop band with two, maybe three types of song but are stil very, very good and you will leave their show feeling 15 years old.

The Primitives - because you know one of thier songs and it was a hit and it'd be fun to see them play that...just much older now than when the single was released.

Tender Trap - Brilliant pop band with a rich heritage.

Everybody was in the French Resistance...Now! - Art Brut's lead singer, Eddie Argos (returning to Indietracks again) in his current side-project.

David Tattersall - Lead singer of The Wave Pictures. A master of the delicately poised but cutting quip and a guitar hero (until he solos for too long).

Slow Club - Beautifully, summery, sunny (insert nonsense seasonal/musical comparisons here)

Standard Fare - Genuinely exciting, free of pretension and poise, stringy rock, errr, pop.

White Town - 'That single' plus others. Seems like a nice person.

Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - New Video!

Ok, so it wasn't a music video and it begs the question, why did they agree to do that?! American community television strikes again.

Myspace, pains
thier own site, pains

Something Old: "there's nothing to worry for, things will look after themselves". Stereolab - Ping Pong

Since first hearing this song when I was perhaps, fifteen years old, this song has been constantly relevant. Of course, that is the point; that war and peace and boom and bust perpetuate and are inextricably intertwined. What I love about this song is how the less than subtle lyric is set to a piece of beautiful, swinging pop music that you'd be forgiven for being distracted by, and from the meaning of the song. If you care to listen again, and this time listen more closely, you'll hear that everything is not quite right. We have economic stability and we quickly forget how it came about. A new flat-screen television and 'ipad' and we are happy, oblivious. A pop song that bears repetition and close inspection? Sacrebleu!

Ye Gods, I'm Simply Thrilled! Pop Club

Jens Lekman's European tour

Self imposed exile in Australia (or so I've been told) has meant that Jens Lekman doesn't really play in Europe too often these days. Now he is. This is good news.

Here's why:



Here is when and where he will be playing:

Aug 13 - Göteborg, Sweden - Way Out West
Aug 11 - Berlin, Germany - Lido
Aug 10 - Hamburg, Germany - Kunst
Aug 9 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega
Aug 7 - Stockholm, Sweden - Strand
Aug 5 - Amsterdam, the Netherlands - Paradiso
Aug 4 - Paris, France - Nouveau Casino
Aug 3 - London, UK - Union Chapel
Aug 2 - Manchester, UK - the Deaf Institute
Aug 1 - Dublin, Ireland - Whelans

From: http://www.jenslekman.com/

Cocoanut Groove - Huckleberry

In the northern Swedish town of Umeå, Olov Antonsson has been recording fine pop music since 2007. Under the name Cocoanut Groove he released the album Madeline Street in 2008 which was preceded by the stunningly beautiful single 'End Of The Summer on Bookbinder Road'. He has set his bar high.

His latest release utilizes all that is great and good about self-production. His new single 'Huckleberry' (backed with 'A Saturday In April') is available for free download on the badly named but aesthetically pleasing and fully functioning website Bandcamp.

Consistent with his rich sounding ethereal pop, Huckleberry opens with a classic Harrisonesque guitar figure which serves only to introduce you to a sound that is all his own. The beautifully toned violin, the haunting percussion and harmonica give way to Olov's commanding yet self reflective vocal. Everything about this single is perfect and then the best reverb-laden guitar solo you've ever heard plays you out.

He has described his music as 'Baroque Pop', folk and sunshine pop; all of these things and more; this is just beautiful and timeless pop music.

Download the single from Bandcamp and take a look at his Myspace page too.

http://cocoanutgroove.bandcamp.com/

http://www.myspace.com/cocoanutgroove