Fighting my own prejudices. Thankfully.

I have to say I was a little reluctant at first, thinking 'here goes another model-wife-of-rock-star trying to make it into the limelight by getting rock-star hubby to produce a record for her'. Well, if this live acoustic version of 'The Ghost Who Walks' is anything to go by, I will have to eat my own words and acknowledge that Karen Elson actually does deserve the credit, irrespective of Jack White's magic touch... Earlier collaborations with Cat Power or Melissa Auf der Maur were already hinting there was more to come.

'The Ghost Who Walks' shimmers in its simplicity. Karen's raw yet evocative voice carries the song's poignant lyrics as if it were tailor-made, elevating itself over a pared down melody of one single acoustic guitar...

White also directed the video, whose gloominess adds to the haunting sentiment of the track. You can view it below. You can also download the mp3 from her website in exchange of your e-mail address.

Enjoy!

Why Meth Is Good For You...

One of my favourite albums of 2009 was by Meth Teeth.

Who? Exactly.

Meth Teeth released Everything Went Wrong, an album of ramshackle garage mumblings that I couldn't help but fall in love with. From Portland, the band interplays distinct guitar interplay with sludgy distortion, crisp drumming with shattering cymbal smashing, driving bass with staccato rhythms. The only constant - if you can call it that - are the vocals - a distorted mess that are indecipherable and yet intrinsic to the inner workings of each song. Overall the album exudes fun and warmth, rollicking blues, swampy guitars and drunken howling all combining to create a tres feel good hit of the summer.

Meth Teeth - Never Been To Church

Shelley's Confessional Gold

Just a little aside to let you know that legendary drummer Steve Shelley from a relatively unknown act called Sonic Youth is about to release an album later this year with his newly formed band, The High Confessionals.

Consisting of Shelley, Chris Connelly (Ministry), Sanford Parker (Buried At Sea) and Jeremy Lemos (White/Light), the High Confessionals will drop their debut, Turning Lead Into Gold With The High Confessionals, promising a slab of heavy, psychedelic rock.

Can't wait!

Trash your kit

Trash Kit are a band I've seen live twice, a band who wear face paint, a band who supported Tune Yards, a band who Upset the Rhythm have gotten behind and are putting out their album sometime in March. Trash Kit are primal yet playful. Have at the live review (see below) and listen to their excellent track 'Cadets'.

Trash Kit - Cadets

Gig - Tuneyards/Trash Kit/Think About Life @ Cargo, 15.02.10

As stated earlier, here is last weeks review for the sublime TuNe-YaRdS gig...

Upset the Rhythm kickstart their onslaught of great gigs last month with the likes of Gary War and Vivian Girls, showcasing some of the best from their stable in the process. Tonight at Cargo the juggernaut continues as the feted cracked genius of Tune-Yards gets to show her minimalist wares to a largely unsuspecting public, who failed to shy away from the admittedly commonplace that is the fucking shitty London weather. Sorry, but after a few months of this, I cannot remember the last gig I went to that didn't require me getting either a wet head or wet shoes...

8 years to bundle

The Bundles are a new band, but not a new band. Their new album is in fact based around five songs that Jeffrey Lewis and Kimya Dawson wrote together back in February 2001, over eight years ago. Now those five songs have turned into The Bundles including other band members Jeffery's brother Jack, Karl Blau and Anders Griffen. A antifolk super group.

The album was finally recorded in February 2009, so its taken 8 years to write and a mere few days to record. Basically it sounds like the Moldy Peaches with the weight of a full band behind it. So yes its awesome!

The Bundles - Pirates Declare War

Youth Without Youth Is Still Youth

Your Youth (formerly Graphics) are a 3 piece that produce snotty fuzzed out lo fi garage, and have just released a 4 track self titled EP that can be downloaded for free here - http://yryouth.bandcamp.com/ Its very simplistic, and a lot of fun.

Your Youth - Diamonds (link removed at request)

Christmas comes early

Here's something I havent been able to get out of my head this week. The Sleigh Bells are essentially a boy/girl two piece outfit from Brooklyn who have recently brought out their self titled debut album. It opens with 2HELLWU, a simply orchestrated piece of mostly snare, soft jangling guitar and angelic vocals. Oh, and handclaps. And finger clicks. The human percussion continues throughout the album, but the simplicity does not, as the 3rd and 5th tracks Crown On The Ground and Infinity Guitars attest - the former holding a Yeah Yeah Yeah's style riff before cascading in a cymballic bombtrack highlighted with a synth assault; the latter holding a gritty Kinks All Day and All Of the Night riff, thick bass drums, some ah ah ah's, actual sleigh bells and catcalling with attitude. A/B Machines feels like a bizarre mix of Joan Jett, Peaches and MIA, whilst Ring Ring has a distinctively Beta Band circa 3 E.P.s feel to it, with Alexis' sweet voice melding with the looping acoustic guitar and clicking fingers. Yep - did I hear 2010's Tilly and the Wall? It sounds like a catastrophic clusterfuck of a faux cool disaster. I think its mega rad of death - but will they stand the test of time? Hmmm...who cares, Alexis is fucking hot...

The Sleigh Bells are playing a series of dates in London in March, so make sure you don't miss them...

23 March - White Heat @ Madame JoJos
24 March - Cargo (supporting Islands)
25 March - Notting Hill Arts Club (supported by Widower)
26 March - Koko (supporting fun.)

Sleigh Bells - Crown on the Ground
Sleigh Bells - Guitars Infinity

Not cold but hot, warm, muggy pumas

Forgive the rubbish title (I'm getting quite good at those!) but according to my brother Pumas aren't cold. He's out in Bolivia looking after injured pumas in the jungle at the moment and apparently it is hot! Oh so hot! Yep my link is that tenuous!

Cold Pumas are a band from Brighton, I got excited about their first e.p. 'Jela'. They've got a new track kicking around the web, 'Tropical Guilt', it's like falling down a tropical waterfall with dancing fruit or, in their own words “motorik for partying.” Good stuff.

Cold Pumas - Tropical Guilt

And, yes, that is a picture of a Puma my brother is "Walking".

Dum te dum...

We're off to see Dum Dum Girls on Friday at the mighty Lexington, courtesy of White Light, should be good. A good dose of "blissed-out buzz saw" on a Friday night.

Anyway thought I'd pop up a taste in the form of their 'first' single, Jail La La, out on 7", buy it! Of course other Dum Dum Girls 7" and e.p. tracks have been floating around the web for a while but this is the first track from the forthcoming album 'I Will Be' out on Sub Pop at the end of March, one for the wish list then.

Are you lucky enough to be seeing them tomorrow at the The Old Blue Last or Thursday at Barden's Boudoir? There's also dates on Saturday - The Rest Is Noise, Brixton and Tuesday - Madame Jo Jo's.

Dum Dum Girls - Jail La La

Any clues?

A few weeks ago The Decibel Tolls dropped a couple of tracks from The N.E.C's album 'Is' and I've been smitten ever since. The N.E.C. (Natural Extension Concept) is a Psychedelic, Shoegaze, Noise, Rock band from Atlanta.

'Its Right' is a 1 minute 37 second head first plummet into a tunnel of swirling noise, where Dead of Night is a more measured beast, but a beast all the same, growling in shadows, waiting to pounce. Rest assured, these guys are the real deal. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of the album, I've just got to own it. I'm sure Double Phantom Records are on to a winner!

The N.E.C - Its Right
The N.E.C - Dead of Night

San Francisco hack up

Bit behind on this one but I'm enjoying Mi Ami's 12" 'Cut Men'/'Out at Night' at the mo. Out on Thrill Jockey. Last years album 'Water Sports' didn't get anywhere enough attention, in my opinion. Can't wait to see them live in June thanks to Upset The Rhythm.

Mi Ami - Cut Men

Love will tear us apart...

I thought long and hard about what would mark my 1st inclusion to Sonic Masala. Would I open with a review of the year that was, and what great things I expected of 2010? Would it be a review of the first of many brilliant gigs or albums of the year? A top Ten? A diatribe on the black dirge of musical talent that mainstream record companies throw their money at whilst pure musical geniuses toil away in the dark, and just like mushrooms delve in the shit and grow because of it?

No.

I’m going to write about something far more ‘arbitrary’. The killing of a song.

Everyone has been witness to the moment when, after bleeding your eardrums of all its moisture from replaying that new favourite song over and over again, you hit the play button and after a few moments think, ‘I fucking hate this shit.’ Or something to that effect.

Get Knifed Anew

The Knife's soundtrack to a musical opera on Darwin? Hey, makes sense to me. And it makes even more sense to spend the rest of your evening listening to it - so do it.



http://drownedinsound.com/news/4138961

Caribou back, on form and layered

I have to admit I've always had a bit of soft spot for Caribou, something to do with the awesome set they put in at ATP vs Pictchfork a few years ago. So when their new track 'Odessa' turned out to be just plan awesome, I was chuffed. 'One of the best songs of the year' I've read else where, I for one would not disagree...

...and top it all off Video Marsh have put together a gorgeous new video.



Caribou - Odessa from video marsh on Vimeo.

To get your mits on the mp3, for free, go here

Thank you, no really

The new E.P. from Thank You is a bit of a fave of mine at the moment so I thought I'd share. If 'Pathetic Magic' below isn't enough to make you want to buy the wax, then the B-sides, including the Dan Deacon remix, must tempt you.

Thank You - Pathetic Magic

Growing Pains

Awesome new video for Growing’s “Hormone” from their new album PUMPS, out April 6th.

Tune my Yards

We were court Tune Yards on Monday, we were very impressed, full review to follow soon from Brendan. But here's some photos...

Click on the pics to see them massive.

Grind your face under a sole of gold

Woven Bones, hailing from Austin, Texes make dark, fuzzed, primitive, foot-stomping garage rockabilly. Like being beaten in the face with a slab of Stooges or Damned style granite. Well worth your time.

If You're Gold, I'm Gone - Woven Bones

Shut up and pay attention

A couple weeks ago I was lucky enough to see Islet put in one of their awesome live shows at the Lock Taven, Camden way. Although the crowd that night seemed to be more interested in themselves than the performance that was unfolding in front of them (god knows why) it was amazing. What little I had heard about the reclusive Islet proved to be true, they will blow you away!

It was one of the most energetic and enthralling live sets I've seen in ages, so here's a rather rare mp3 to wet your taste buds. Definitely ones to watch out for.

Sign for Home - Islet