Alessi’s latest track is a beautifully tender cover of Leslie Gore’s pop classic.
April, 2011
Shells – Pastels EP
Download the ‘Pastels’ EP from Shells – the perfect soundtrack to the heatwave that we appear to have just entered.
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour – The Golden Age EP
Mette Lindberg’s fluorescent voice radiates and dominates and the title track, rereleased to helm a new EP, is this Danish duo’s perfect calling card. Ska-pop meets space-rock: what’s not to like?
UNKLE – Only The Lonely
While Only The Lonely offers us some magnificent glimpses into what Lavelle and his slew of guests can produce, it’s ultimately doomed before it starts. Well over a decade into UNKLE’s career; we’ve been here before, and we’ve heard better.
Panda Bear – Tomboy
Slowburning and distant on first encounter, but gaining hypnotic pull with each subsequent listen, ‘Tomboy’ soon proves underwhelming first impressions to be wide off the mark. “Just as special as its much-feted predecessor” writes Janne Oinonen.
Barbara Panther – Empire
Barbara Panther is a fascinating individual who makes fascinating music. The video for ‘Empire’ is the perfect antidote to the washed-out, found-footage montages that seem to be everywhere, still.
Record Store Day: TLOBF meets New Noise presenter Jon Hillcock
As the sun sets on our Record Store Day Week coverage, we talk to ex NME/XFM radio DJ and New Noise presenter Jon Hillcock about alternative music, Record Store Day and the risk independent record stores run of pricing their passionate fans out of the market.
Cloud Control – XOYO, London 13/04/11
Cloud Control celebrate a successful UK tour with a gloriously bright and uplifting show at XOYO. Francine Gorman checks out how the band are sounding in the run up to the release of their debut album, Bliss Release.
TLOBF Interview // Prefuse 73
New album The Only She Chapters marks a change in direction for Prefuse 73, with the record a textured, compositional work that calls to mind avant-classical composers like Philip Glass and John Cage. We caught up with Guillermo Scott Herren to talk about the new album, and how it feels “weird” compared to other Prefuse 73 releases.
Brontide – Matador
‘Matador’ by Brontide is so tightly wound that it sounds like it’s going to pop straight out of the speakers. Wonderfully intricate, and impossible groove-laden.
Santigold ft. Karen O – Go // Song Of The Day #238
After stumbling around in the wildnerness for what seems like forever, Santigold makes her triumphant return with ‘Go’, assisted by Karen O, for today’s Song Of The Day.
Orwell – Continental
Armed with myriad instrumentation, Gallic baroque pop outfit Orwell aim for the symphonic on third album Continental. Does the anything-goes approach work for them? Unfortunately not, it seems.
Jeniferever – Silesia
Although Silesia won’t break Jeniferever into the mainstream territory it strives for, Heather Steele finds that it certainly strengthens their back catalogue and ensures the Swedes’ inevitable future success.
Guillemots – Walk The River
The most mature sounding Guillemots record to date, full of tender songwriting and stingingly poingnant lyrics. Francine Gorman takes on the ‘difficult third’ album.
Crystal Stilts – In Love with Oblivion
The Crystal Stilts don’t strike me as a band to take criticism to heart, but there’s a definite levelling out between mood and melody on their follow-up In Love with Oblivion.
Austra – Beat And The Pulse (Vondelpark remix)
Vondelpark completely rework Austra’s ‘Beat And The Pulse’, recasting it as a two-chord Lost In Translation swoon. A strong contender for remix of the year.
