Baby Birds Don't Eat Burritos

I’ve been bewitched by the beguiling cerebral charm of Kansas-via-New York band Baby Birds Don’t Drink Milk before, especially 2013's Think Tone. The band are back with their fourth album, Burritos. For some reason, with a title like that I expect something much more in the vein of Wavves or Black Lips to pour out of the speakers – but the pastoral Animal Collective-meets-Akron/Family-meets-Fleet Foxes on a spectral bender aesthetics at play here are far more mesmeric. Opening track ‘Kid Margot’ floats in and around you, a percolating miasma of cavernous echo and flow. There is hazed acoustic strums, silken guitar washes, haunting-yet-inviting choral vocals, with lots of aural quirks flitting in the shadows, like insects pinging off the window on a tepid summer evening. This is somehow much lighter and freer than previous BBDDM releases, yet just as arresting in its joyous expanse.

Fire Talk are bringing out Burritos in March – you can pre-order it here.

Play Father John Misty For Me

Father John Misty isn't the new cult leader on the blocks, although from his sounds his would be a killer cult to get tied up in. No, it is the new name for J Tillman, one time Fleet Fox and now chillin on his own dime. He has a record coming out on Sub Pop called Fear Fun. Now, I never hated Fleet Foxes - I thought their last two albums were OK, and they still go down as the first band I ever saw at a Glastonbury, and I was stoned, and they delivered - but I've never understood the avid fandom that surrounds these guys, nor other of their ilk (that said, I'm a Bon Iver sap, but whatcha gonna do?). Tillman stepped away from the skins of Fleet Foxes, which some may gawk and scratch their noggins over, but this moniker he has given himself surely has done wonders. Not that it's exactly an inexplicable notion that Fear Fun is great - Tillman has released seven previous albums under his own name, and his four year tenure in a band renowned for intricacies and massive-scale harmonies would have given him new ideas. No, the real surprise on this album is how much fun it all is - which then points to the album's title. There really is nothing to fear when tracks such as the great 'I'm Writing A Novel'. Also, the film clips for the singles off this album are pretty amazing - expect another in our next Video Vacuum, but I just couldn't resist the Aubrey Plaza starring 'Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings', of which you can download at your leisure below. God she's awesome. Lucky it's a brilliant song too.


Fear Fun is available here in sexy pink vinyl and with a rad tee too - get in there!

Father John Misty - Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings
Father John Misty - Nancy From Now On

Go To Cashier No 9 For A Sale On Gold Stars...

Belfast five piece Cashier No 9 have just signed to Bella Union (The Low Anthem, Explosions In The Sky, Fleet Foxes) and whilst their first release for the celebrated indie label, To The Death Of Me, a little way off, they are giving out a taste of what to expect on the EP Goldstar. Fitting that there is a star in the title, as there is a little bit of Alex Chilton in these tracks, along with the likes of Grandaddy and other far-reaching indie pop maestros. There are enough sumptuous hooks here to make a full length release one to really look forward to.

Goldstar is out May 2nd on the band's own CN9 Records.

Cashier No 9 - Good Human