Photographs by Sonny Malhotra

It’s probably ignorant of me to tuck my notepad under my arm and head off to the Old Blue Last to watch The Virgins on a Wednesday evening and expect not to find myself rammed into a sweat box with barely an inch of breathing space to cling to. Clearly, quite a few people like The Virgins quite a lot.

Every once in a while I go to a gig and, despite being of about the average age of most of the crowd I somehow manage to feel… old. This particular gig turns out to be one such occasion; guitarist Wade Oates’ gaffer taped trousers are a sign that despite my grasping affection for youth subcultures, I’ll never truly be able to keep up with hipster fashion. Continue Reading

The Leisure Society at last months TLOBF CLub Night

Friends of TLOBF The Leisure Society need your help, dear reader. Yes, their new single ‘The Last Of The Melting Snow’ has been hand picked by Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie at Radio 2 for inclusion on their ‘Pick n Mix’ feature. Basically - each week, Mark and Stuart pick four of their favourite new tracks and it’s down to you to vote for your favourite. The winning track will be played every day the following week. Exposure-tastic.

The Christmas-y ‘The Last Of The Melting Snow’ is the bands debut single and will get its official release via the awesome Wilkommen Records on December 15th. So being as it’s nearly Christmas time, why not give the gift that keeps on giving and pledge your vote here.

Check out and befriend The Leisure Society at their myspaz page here and if the mood takes you, download our Building With Strings compilation from earlier in the year which features ‘Come To Your Senses’ by The Leisure Society, plus some wicked good tracks by Loney Dear, Sambassedeur and Sons Of Noel and Adrian. Yeah.

Wintersleep

Relatively unknown here in Blighty, Candadian five-piece Wintersleep have been causing modest sized waves over in their homeland and the States. This year alone they have won a Juno Award for Best New Group and a Much Music Award for Best Independent Video (check it out here), they have spent most of the year away from their adopted hometown of Halifax, Nova Scotia, building their growing army of fans touring with fellow Canadians Black Mountain and Wolf Parade, amongst others. Now it’s time for us Brits to get in on the action.. See, this band is something really fucking special. Their album Welcome To The Night Sky has been on regular rotation here at TLOBF Towers ever since they were nominated for Canada’s answer to the Mercury Prize - The Polaris Award, a few months ago.

The album (produced by tony Doogan - Mogwai, Super Furry Animals, Explosions In The Sky) will finally get a UK release in February of next year, and preceeding that the band will play three London dates to whet our appetite.

Stopping off at:
Dec 4th London, Club Fandango @ 229
Dec 5th London, Club NME @ Koko
Dec 16th London, Borderline

You can download the bands brand new single ‘Archaeologists’ for FREE(!) right here. Let us know what you think of it in the comments box below…

No, no. I’m not talking about the legendary Northern Soul club in Manchester. I’m talking about the soon to be legendary (ok, I’m making that bit up) Manchester ‘beat combo’ Twisted Wheel. Yes, if your tastes revolve around classic English R&B a la The Who, Small Faces and The Birds then these guys will be right up your street pop pickers. Ok, I’ll quit it with the Fluff Freeman voice now..

Twisted Wheel release their new single ‘Lucy The Castle’ on November 10th on CD, 7″ vinyl and as a download. The single is the first release from the forthcoming debut album, set for release in early 2009. It follows swiftly in the footsteps of the two previous releases (She’s A Weapon & You Stole The Sun EP) of early rudimentary demos & live tracks both released to critical acclaim and support earlier this year- which picked up records of the week from Zane Lowe at Radio 1 and vinyl of the week in NME along the way amongst other things. You can download their debut single ‘She’s A Weapon’ below..

The lads are also on a brief tour of the UK, check out their myspaz for more details.

mp3:> Twisted Wheel: ‘She’s A Weapon’

Click on the image to download the mixtape

On a day where our American cousins decide on the future of the World at large, or so it seems, we’re your light refreshment. This months Mixtape, cunningly entitled Remember Remember, sees us go a little more left-field than usual. These are some of the greatest new bands we’ve heard in the last month, with a smattering of established favourites (The Wave Pictures), hotly anticipated comebacks (Wilderness) and a new project from an old friend (School of Seven Bells).

So, wrap up warm, it’s cold out there - sit back with a mug of something hot, forget about the disaster of the outside World, and just listen to what we’ve put together.

Remember, Remember

1. Wilderness - Strand The Test Of Time [download mp3]
2. The Pack A.D. - Making Gestures [download mp3]
3. Frightened Rabbit - Old Old Fashioned (Live) [download mp3]
4. The Wave Pictures - Long Island [download mp3]
5. Sarah Siskind - Lovin’s For Fools [download mp3]
6. Women - Black Rice [download mp3]
7. School Of Seven Bells - Connjur [download mp3]
8. Over The Wall - A Grand Defeat [download mp3]
9. Jay Reatard - See/Saw [download mp3]
10. Slag Rabbit - The Summer Sun [download mp3]
11. Ace Bushy Striptease - Panda Love Unit [download mp3]
12. Popular Workshop - Villains Who Twirl Their Moustaches Are Easy To Spot [download mp3]

[DOWNLOAD ALL TRACKS] - right-click and choose save-as to download complete .zip file

A double whammy ‘Introducing’ feature this week. Monday saw us bring Arrows Of Love to your attention and today sees a very special band indeed get the TLOBF treatment. We already told you how awesome Fireworks Night are back in July when we were lucky enough to catch their live show at the Wireless Festival. We were so impressed with their curious take on folk music in fact, that we even invited them to play at our club night ‘ILL FIT’ which just so happens to be taking place this Monday, 20th October at The Old Blue Last boozer in Shoreditch EC2. Full details and lineup can be found here - but for now we’ll just say that it’s free entry, there WILL be free shots and quite possibly, free love. You should come, really. It’s going to be great.

Fireworks Night are James, Nick, Rhiannon, Neil, Ed and Tim. Some of these questions were answered by James alone at the computer but they were all subjected to group discussion at dinner after an evening rehearsal. You can download an mp3 from their forthcoming EP A Mirror, A Ghost at the bottom of the page. Continue Reading

FatCat records’ signing of Meredith Godreau was actually a happy accident. Whilst on business in NYC enjoying a few sociable drinks, Meredith appeared on stage with her band and captivated them in seconds. Although she’d been going under the moniker of Gregory and The Hawk since 2003 and achieving cult success on the blogosphere she had in fact no record deal and no manager. That soon changed after the performance, FatCat had her in a recording studio a month later which resulted in the staggeringly beautiful album Moenie & Kitchie. If you’ve not discovered the kooky charm of Meredith, wander over to her MySpace page for a listen - the songs will have you in their grasp in seconds, and whilst you’re listening you can get to know Meredith a little better below. She doesn’t give too much away mind you. But when trying to explain her own sound she couldn’t have said it any simpler or truer… Continue Reading

Fuck me. It must be an easy life being an A&R man these days. The thought process must be something like:

1. Is there a market for it?
Yup, bored EMO kids with skateboards, thousands of the little buggers….Nice bonus….. I could get me one of them new Skodas, they are made by VW these days, don’t you know?

2. Does it sound like any of the market leaders?
Yup, uncanningly like Lost Prophets…..Should keep me in a job…..I fancy a Volkswagen instead.

3. Ok, got a market, they fit nicely into the “scence,” but is it actually any good?
Hmm, well its not bad, a bit of decent production on Home Again and I’m sure Jo Whiley will give it a spin….Might get that Audi after all

4. Where are they from?
This is looking really promising, South Wales! All my mates have been hanging out in South Wales Tom signed Lost Prophets, Bob FFAF, Steve Kids in Glass Houses and now me I have Attack! Attack! They all have Audi’s maybe, I can join the gang again.

5. Anybody else taken the name?
Oh shit, someone has. But its a cool name. Slip in an extra exclamation mark and it’ll be fine.

If it was that easy we would all be in the music business right? Unfortunately the rest of us have to work for a living and spend our spare time reviewing the A&R mens dross. Sure there is a market for this and most likely Attack! Attack! will enjoy a decent amount of success, the songs are well crafted and have monster sing along choruses. However this must rank as one of the safest record label signings of all time, it sits so snuggly into the South Wales Rock scence, that it has donned its warmest slippers and is having an afternoon nap. Come on kids push the boundaries give us something new and challenging to rant about.
35%

Attack! Attack! on MySpace

Much as it’s well established that anyone who asks and whose demo he judges good enough can record at Electrical Audio Studios, there’s still a frisson attached to seeing that phrase ‘recording engineer Steve Albini’ on a new record. Although he’s more eclectic than popularly supposed, when it’s applied to a band such as hard gigging Artrocker approved London trio Popular Workshop you know the sonic spectrum you’re about to encounter - coruscating guitar, mammoth buzzing bass, battering drums, yelped vocals. All are, by and large, present and correct. Continue Reading

Thirteen may be unlucky for some, but not for us this month as we bring you the best new music we could get our greasy mitts on. And it’s a great mix as well. From the Can-tastic rhythms of Fujiya & Miyagi to the rock ‘n roll of The Dudes, we’re also featuring some of the most promising new acts around, including New York’s Crystal Antlers, Cambridge’s Victoria & Jacob and Brighton’s The Leisure Society. We honestly think this is our best Mixtape yet… Click, download and enjoy.

Electronic Surgical Words

1. The Dudes - Fist [download mp3]
2. The Standard - Hotel [download mp3]
3. Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue [download mp3]
4. Dungen - Sätt Att Se [download mp3]
5. Fujiya & Miyagi - Dishwasher [download mp3]
6. Victoria and Jacob - Clash [download mp3]
7. Shoreline - Daybreak [download mp3]
8. Micah P Hinson - Tell Me It Aint So [download mp3]
9. Crystal Antlers - A Thousand Eyes [download mp3]
10. The Leisure Society - We Were Wasted [TLOBF Exclusive] [download mp3]
11. The Spinto Band - Pumpkins and Paisley [download mp3]
12. The Miserable Rich - The Knife Thrower’s Hand [download mp3]
13. High Places - From Stardust To Sentience [download mp3]

[DOWNLOAD ALL TRACKS] - right-click and choose save-as to download complete .zip file

Hungry for more? Delve into the mixtape archive HERE.

British Country music has been a bit of a weird genre. How can a bunch of kids in the centre of London know how to play country music? Can they “live” country music like their American cousins across the pond? To be honest, up until relatively recently, the thought and sound of British Country had sent shivers down my spine. No one’s really stood out as a banner holder for this burgeoning scene. Especially when it’s compared to what the “real” country guys are making… Fleet Foxes anyone? However, this might all begin to change. Grantura have been playing live for a number of years now and their debut album has been sometime in the making. Can they finally banish the embarrassment of UK Country? Continue Reading

The fairly bizarrely-named Foreign Slippers, AKA Gabrielle Frödén, is a Swedish singer-songwriter – and currently, a pretty obscure one. But on the basis of this EP, Oh Death, I for one wouldn’t bet against her fragile arrangements and beautiful voice helping her become more widely known.

These five songs are sparse – small, fairly brief tales of heartache, dreaming, and meditations on (unsurprisingly) death. These tales are heard from that aforementioned voice, and wrapped up in delicate piano, subtle acoustic guitar, gently brushed drums, and intermittent washes of strings, along with all kinds of other fragile instrumental touches. The pace is steady across the EP - a kind of slow, meditative journeying feel, although “Don’t Go” does have a curious, waltzing lilt to it. This isn’t a record that makes big, bold statements – neither lyrically nor musically – but it does have an intoxicating, quiet appeal. This is the kind of music that should given the fullness of your intention, so that its uncomplicated, pretty instrumentation and Frödén’s warm, versatile voice can shine through. Continue Reading

Photographs by Sonny Malhotra

The dance floor at Koko seems rather empty tonight, but as the giant white screen in front of the stage begins to lift, more and more people emerge from the bar sides to hear the latest Glaswegian alt rock offering. Following a successful performance at T in the Park last year, Attic Lights struck up a five album deal with Island Records the first of which will be out on the 13th of October.

Attic Lights take to the stage with an air of drunken confidence. When they launch into their first single ‘God’ it sounds as though the rattling guitar harmonies of 1960s California and all the surfing melodies of the Beach Boys have been filtered through a more modern, gloomy world view. At first lead vocalist Kevin Sherry’s vocals seem somewhat strained, but he settles into the music pretty quickly giving a rousing version of album opener ‘Never Get Sick of the Sea.’ The guitar is as energetic and catchy as the songs hook, with harmonised vocals from bassist Colin McArdle, guitarist Jamie Houston and drummer Noel O’Donell singing “bah-bah-bah-dah.” Continue Reading

Recently, Canada, after years of Alanis Morisette, Bryan Adams and Shania Twain, has suddenly become the ultimate go to place for good music. They’ve got The Acorn, Broken Social Scene/Feist, The New Pornographers… And Ten Kens. So no pressure then, when it comes to their debut album, determining whether it’ll achieve the dizzyingly high standards set by their incredibly talented contemporaries, or the embarrassing skid mark made by the more dubious end of Canada’s musical spectrum. Continue Reading

Earlier this year, High Places, aside from touring to great effect with Liars and Deerhunter and picking up a good slice of Pitchfork hype, released (and I did a pretty rubbish review of, because I liked it but couldn’t think of anything significant to write) 03/07-09/07, essentially an expanded EP collection and precursor to this, their debut album proper, only admittedly one that is only 2 minutes longer than its ‘not quite proper’ cousin, just scraping the 30 minutes mark with 10 (same number as 03/07…) tracks worth of simple, cooing dub-pop songs.

Continue Reading

A band that are currently making many a TLOBF staff writer weak at the knees; Left With Pictures‘ new EP Secretly is an enchanting stroke of chamber pop genius. The band have actually been around since 2005 and have previously self-released two EP’s, plus a single ‘Bows and Arrows’ from last year. It wasn’t until last years End Of The Road festival though that Left With Pictures were eventually picked up by a label. Organ Grinder records first saw them perform at the festival and couldn’t believe they weren’t already signed. That soon changed though, and almost to a year to the date of their first meeting Secretly gets its release on 29th September.  To give you a bit of a taster of what to expect you lucky so and so’s can download an exclusive track ‘Super-8′, available on our current September mixtape here..

We recently caught up with the East London based trio to find out a bit more about their background and what makes them tick.

Continue Reading

Imagine yourself as a member of an up-and-coming band, on the brink of releasing a shiny new EP. Full of excitement and optimism, you’d be talking with record company people, talking to your existing fans, talking to everyone you know about the momentous event. You’d have made sure that the meagre five songs you can release would be exciting, interesting and vibrant, so as to wow the reviewers on discerning music websites. You’d do anything but squander the opportunity, right?

Out of the five tracks Swimming have to wow us with here, there are two that begin to push the envelope. One of the songs in question is “Panthalassa”, a propulsive slice of electro-rock sandwiched in between “Pretle Pane” (an instrumental noise-dirge which serves no purpose whatsoever and you will never, ever listen to again) and “There’s A Mountain (Henry & Clare)” which is a barely passable slow-builder which at least has some mildly interesting guitar work going for it. Continue Reading

Sometimes it’s the little things that make you fall in love. Like a fumbled backing vocal on a Beatles track, or the Undertones’ tank tops. From the moment I heard the sonic ‘bump’ of a lead being plugged in during the airy intro to ‘Gone Gone Gone’, something seemed to click. These West coast slacker country-rockers are too busy having a good time (bong induced or not) delivering on Gram Parsons vision of ‘cosmic American music’ to bother to iron out that blip. And to paraphrase Spinal Tap, their vintage sounding amps must go all the way up to about, say, 6. On this their second album, The Donkeys deliver a warm loose-fitting sound that is all enveloping in its comfortable loveliness: tick-tap drumming, subtle electric organ, delightfully weedy sixties electric guitar, sweet harmonies. Gorgeous. Continue Reading

Previously leader of the New York-based experimental jazz-folk collective Wooden Wand & the Vanishing Voice, James Jackson Toth’s solo debut is a lush take on alt-country informed by blues, soul and, occasionally, punk. Whereas Wooden Hand … was very much an avant-garde concern, Waiting In Vain is comparatively conventional, meandering improv conspicuous only in its absence. No twenty minute excursions into free jazz territory here but dreamy, harmonious pop bedecked with gorgeous semi-acoustic guitar and piano. For the most part Waiting In Vain creates a somnambulant drift at odds with Toth’s gritty lyrics about the kind of seedy, low-life characters that inhabit the corners of bars in Charles Bukowski novels. Like Lambchop’s Nixon, minus the orchestral embellishments, Toth turns his blue-collar tales of ordinary madness into breezy, soul-tinged country. In the wistful, sometimes romantic mood I also hear similarities to Richard Hawley’s retro dream pop, but the textural sweetness belies Toth’s more transgressive lyrics. Continue Reading

Well, the nights are drawing in, the mornings are getting colder, it can only mean one thing; Autumn is just around the corner. But, with that depressing thought starting to circulate (though Autumn is one of MY favourite seasons) we’ve got something to take your mind right off it. This months Mixtape features a whole array of great talent, from the quasi-anti-folk of Polly Scattergood to the return of a TLOBF Fav, Of Montreal. Can we also recommend, even if you don’t download anything else, the rather fantastic Woodpigeon track, who rule.

Also, on an unrelated note, our Mixtapes are getting some attention outside the blogosphere. We were featured last week in the London Metro as a site to download free music. The word is spreading!

September, and the Tragic End of Summer Like So Much Lost Love

1. Frida Hyvönen - Enemy Within [download mp3]
2. Blitzen Trapper - Furr [download mp3]
3. Dianogah - A Breaks B [download mp3]
4. Of Montreal - Id Engager [download mp3]
5. Passion Pit - Sleepyhead [download mp3]
6. Walter Jones - The Odyssey Sound (Mogg & Naudascher Edit) [download mp3]
7. Polly Scattergood - Nitrogen Pink [download mp3]
8. Left With Pictures - Super-8 [download mp3]
9. Marnie Stern - Transformer [download mp3]
10. Woodpigeon - Home As A Romanticized Concept Where Everyone Loves You Always And Forever [download mp3]
11. Benjamin Blower - Holy Smoke [download mp3]
12. Fireworks Night - You, Holding [download mp3]
13. Los Campesinos! - How I Taught Myself To Scream [download mp3]

[DOWNLOAD ALL TRACKS] - right-click and choose save-as to download complete .zip file

Hungry for more? Delve into the mixtape archive HERE.