ghoulish gaiety - you're a bit late.

...

There's an urban legend in South Korea that an electric fan can cause sudden death by suffocation, hypothermia or poisoning. No, they don't believe the fan morphs into a monster and slays them, just, simply, that the electric fan can chop up oxygen molecules, leaving none to breathe; that it create a vortex that sucks all the oxygen out of the air; that it use up the oxygen and create more carbon dioxide...mental.

So, out of the manga-fuelled madness saunters Fan Death, the protégés of the Erol Alkan, to deliver a whole load of synth slaughter. Last year, out came 'Veronica's Veil', and now a new offering of 'Cannibal' that is every decent drag-queen's dream. It's downcast-disco with an upbeat tempo; they sing like all the greats did, with nonchalance, and yet it's a diamond tear you'll find on their cheeks.

Fan Death - Cannibal (y.s.i.)

.x.

a truncheon to the head, a hammer to the heart.

...

Do you ever wake up in a day? A blaze of life overwhelms you; it's no longer a day that's merged, slipped and stretched from one to the next; it's no longer a day where nothing really starts nor ends - when it seems the night got caught up in the day and the day’s fallen asleep. BOOM! with a spread of synth, if you like it that way, Cold Cave will be that match for your fuse. Oh so 80s and oh so infectious, I was mesmerised by them when I spectated in person. It's music for the kids who want to feel a purpose when they realise they haven't seen daylight in 48 hours. This is all very paradoxical since Cold Cave is the genius of Wesley Eisold, who spouts vast quantities of nihilism and misery; however, he has brought together Caralee McElroy, Dominick Fernow and Max G Morton to create darkwave music that is hooky enough to relate to, and could it almost be disco?

Spoonful:

Cold Cave - Life Magazine (y.s.i.)

.x.

a sweet slap in the mouth.

...

Moody and nonchalant, The Cheek is a five-piece band from Suffolk who seemingly would far rather suit Paris, yet the way they shout in harmony, in an apathetic punk kind of way, requires them to be Mancunian or of the like. Vogue love ‘em; it must be the “je ne sais quoi” of Rory Cottam on vocals, Charlie Dobney on guitar & vocals, Thom Hobson on bass, Christian Daniels on guitar and Ali Bartlett on drums. They recorded their album in Belgium and it is now due to be released in early 2010 - produced by Ed Buller, who’s collaborated with Pulp in the past; it adds greater weight to The Cheek’s sense of Britpop days, where solid, catchy, punchy guitars is accompanied by sullen vocals, oft complaining. With these surly smiles The Cheek have moved from their name of Cheeky Cheeky and the Nosebleeds to a band worth looking at, and maybe pretending to dislike...:

The Cheek – Hung Up (y.s.i.)

The single's out and available from Puregroove.

.x.

I miss. have I missed?

...

haunting and beautiful, it caresses and pinches your insides; Warpaint are a four-piece L.A. band that's girl power harmonised with drums. They all sing; Jenny Lee Lindberg plays bass, Emily Kokal plays guitar, Theresa Wayman also plays guitar; then there's their drummer, a man, Josh Klinghoffer. Apparently they were once Heath Ledger's favourite band...and they've toured with Strokes' Fabrizio Moretti's band Little Joy. Besides, besides, they released an EP, 'Exquisite Corpse', but a month ago on the label, Manimal, which once put out Bat for Lashes; so have a little try:

Warpaint - Billie Holiday (y.s.i.)

Jenny's the sister of that girl [Shannyn Sossamon] in 40 Days & 40 Nights and A Knight's Tale; she used to drum for the band, but had to stop for her acting schedule...

.x.

p.s. The last DODOS show in the UK this year is this Sunday at Scala and you can get tickets here.

fragmented tales, pt. 2.

"...

Bent-over, typical, and hobbling, the patron appeared out the shadows, raised his glasses and eyes off his drooped nose. His stare, despite being glazed over by cataracts, peered right into my gaze; telling me all I wanted to know. The lock clucked and a flash of light from the dimming sun clothed the shop, highlighting. His shuffle and mumble contradicted my stumble and shout; he turned back into the remaining shadows and I followed, demanding still more. The swathe of luster did not last as the door creaked shut and the darkness returned, leaving me there, with swollen curiousity. Books and knick-knacks lined the walls, yet dust was in a greater quantity. What lead me here grew in appearance as my eyes adjusted to the remaining light, and an open book on a lectern collected my focus."

Huzzah!

...

In a flicker and a shimmer, Flashguns will become your favourite band; a band you'll treasure, a band you'll show off to your friends, a band you'll quietly absorb in your headphones while all around you is chaos.

They've played at Reading and at KOKO, but they've grown and vined their way up to a place where I'd like to think they might be able to have some more permanent and physical success. They're aiming big, with desires to fill the kind of places two of their contemporary idols, Killers and Biffy Clyro, could.

Their sound's a guitar-driven, soul-striven, synth-rhythm that won't offend the majority of ears.

have some acoustic:

This should please a few, and satisfy others.

.x.

all clapped out.

...

i love unknowing encounters.

(Name Drop) At the launch party for Mr. Hudson's album, 'Straight No Chaser', I sidled/bumped into an awesomely dressed girl, with an awesomely smiley dad. I was merry, she had a bag = conversation starter. This girl was Kitty, Kitty Durham, from the outfit Kitty Daisy & Lewis, which also comprises her brother, sister, mum and dad. A*.

Their trans-generation mixup harks of the 50s - good hand-clapping, closed eyes, head-nodding with a quiff, leather and frills; a time-warp. They're on the Rob Da Bank label Sunday Best, using analog recording equipment to produce rock 'n' roll the way the phrase is meant. They're multi-instrumentalists of banjo and ukelele, creating the sound the way it was meant totoooo.

example, maam : Kitty Daisy & Lewis - Mean Son of a Gun (y.s.i.)

not all's cup of tea, maybe it's a bit too Assam for some.

.x.

a cheat - to pass the time, comfort the heart.

You told me a secret, one that I knew,

and our embraces tightened; the truth was our glue.

I drew on your cheeks with my finger,

a note of love, which I hoped would linger.

The giggles and laughs,

stifled by the glass, echoed in sweet surrender;

who could have said it was not forever

when the kiss-stamps of possession

took a momentary digression -

the door broke open and the lights barged on

as the pretender to your heart,

stood there aghast.

out every night, to a different fight.

...

Kick, Jump; Stutter; Push, Shove; Flutter.

We opened this year's book with 'Something Good Can Work' from Two Door Cinema Club that seemed to scream from the rafters "have a cracking year!" and now, with the light dimming surprisingly early, they're popping up and about through the country on the Kitsune tour, along with Delphic - see here for details.

Without a drummer, but a machine, TDCC carve a refreshing sound, juicy with hooks and catching bass lines. The Northern Irish threesome do better than most could ever manage, mixing electro-pop and indie-rock, two great hyphenated genres; yet shying away from the typical stereotype of either.

Here's their soon-to-be-released song, 'I Can Talk', remixed:

Two Door Cinema Club - I Can Talk (French Horn Rebellion Remix)

you can see them in London on 31st October at Hearn Street Warehouse, and 12th November at The Lexington.

.x.

schtum.

...

there's been minimal music on Newfangled without a single use of electronic software stuuuff for a while, so here's a mug of tea-ful and a nice little fire of it: Heather Woods Broderick is just like the ideal camping trip in the woods; one where everything glitters, even the company, and clocks don't mean a thing.

Heather Woods Broderick - Old Son (y.s.i.)

Sister to Peter Broderick, there's a fair bit of sibling help, but that doesn't diminish the glare of her voice and the layers of it, which sparkle the lyrics off.

'From the Ground' is the debut album, out now on Preservation.

.x.

cheers to the dears.

...

The Rest is a cracking band from Canada who have flown over with a bunch of presents for us:

Firstly, TODAY Something In Construction (Loney Dear, Memory Tapes, Air France) is releasing their album 'Everyone All At Once' in Rough Trade shops, where the first fifty are selling for a shocking 50p, and only after that do they double with the next 50...and so on;

their second present is a little stream of gigs to partner it -

12 Oct 2009 @ The Old Blue Last W/ SEBASTIEN SCHULLER, 13 Oct 2009 @ The Lexington W/Kill It Kid and 14 Oct 2009 @ 229.

If that weren't enough, here's some colouring to the rainbow:

they're busy-beeing on a new EP, which will be accompanied by an illustrated novel - The Cried Wolf Book, adorned by MLXNDRSC. You can catch the first section and first song here; they will be releasing another section every month on Auteur Recordings, but for now enjoy their cover of Robyn's 'With Every Heartbeat'. The next section's out November 1st, check back for more details.

.x.

coco-pop stained sheets.

...

did I ever talk about Blind Man's Colour? - that band that Kanye "I ain't gay" West had a mini rave about: Chromatic Flights is the solo project of one key member, Kyle Wyss.

I'm not one (maybe I'm two) to make band-wagon assumptions, but this COULD be one of those solo projects that are a flash of beauty and not much more, or who knows - isn't that more beautiful? who cares?

Wyss released an EP called 'Favourite Cat' back in May, and here's a little toasting to it:

Chromatic Flights - Sunset Bell

acoustic-experimental electronic beats.

there's more to come, I think I'm just jumping the gun.

love is easy to write -

if your heart is full/empty enough,

it will bleed onto paper.

life is easy, enough, to write –

if your eyes are wide/closed enough,

they will guide the pen.

but,

when the two co-mingle,

and feelings float – heavy and empty,

pencil-lead snaps and clouds brow-furrow.

.x.