These New Puritans

These New Puritans are another band out of the UK who are making sizeable blips on my music radar. The small collection of tracks so far circulating on the cyberweb have me screaming for more. Taking references from seminal Manchester post-punkers The Fall, but infusing with art-rock and experimental influences, TNP are creating buzz and set to release debut album, Beat Pyramid, in January 2008.

Undoubtedly in the cool camp, and already known for pushing a hybrid of art/music/fashion, a style-over-substance tag could easily be attached (erm, they recorded a set for Christian Dior's runway show...). But, unlike their contemporaries and Southend neighbours, The Horrors (for instance), These New Puritans have artistic merit to match their uber-haircuts and will hopefully be propelled globally so us here in Sydney can see the live version some time soon.

"Elvis" Video Clip

These New Puritans - Numbers
These New Puritans - Elvis
These New Puritans - Swords of Truth

Myspace
Website
Buy Colours/Numbers 7" Single and Pre-order Beat Pyramid

Foals

Admitted in to buzz band territory this year has been Oxford, UK's Foals; who, in 2007 have gone from bedroom parties to Bloc Party support. Formed 17 months ago, this 6 piece brandish an eclectic form of sometimes post-punk, sometimes electronic-minded-but-guitar-driven indie-pop, and sometimes contemplative but dance-infused rock. Confused? Well, that's how they like it. Originally setting out to blend "clinical techno with raucous rock", Foals are a forward-thinking act with a wish to breakdown sonic barriers while ticking off their creative goals (working with TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek for first their album) and winning over legions of fans in the process. Oh, and they released "Hummer" on uber-cool French record label Kitsune (part-time home to Digitalism, Klaxons, et al, and complete with remixes from French scene-stars Surkin and Passions). (But, to be honest, screw the remixes, it's all about the original).

Their above mentioned debut full-length will be based around an afrobeat sound, and true to their genre-melting attitude, will feature less of the abrasive, synth-filled, strobe-fulled dance-able live show (displayed in "Hummer") and more, as a whole, fixed on generating a progressive, sparse and memorable body of work. In their words, "we don't want to keep repeating ourselves". Maybe not repeated, but, *fingers crossed*, as exciting and truly invigorating as the three tracks featured below.

For now, feast your ears on Hummer and Balloons (two of their singles), and Big Big Love (an impressive b-side to another single "Mathletics").

Foals - Hummer (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)
Foals - Balloons
Foals - Big Big Love

Foals Myspace

BUY BUY BUY

Stricken City

I caught Stricken City at Bloomsbury Ballroom in London when I was in the city for a work trip last week. I had been drawn to see Friendly Fires (we posted them here) who were amazing.amazing.amazing....But, appearing first on stage were Stricken City, who, before the night, were unknown to me. Lucky I was punctual.

Fronted by future pin-up Rebekah Raa, Stricken City were all melodic, pretty indie pop and were in ownership of a charm that had us early arrivers engaged. OK fine, drooling.

At one point, bouncing from indie scattered hi hats to ska and back again they were immediately catchy but kept things interesting. Rebekah's vocals at times verged on Bjork-esque and held nothing back on stage creating a live show that incited humming and hearts fluttering.

Perhaps the full live effect isn't quite captured on these demos so get your mits on their proper release on label Adventures Close to Home

Stricken City - Five Metres Apart
Stricken City - Better as a Girl

Stricken City Myspace

Last Night's Party

Photo: The Cobrasnake taken from his recent Aussie tour

After 2 weeks absence from the Nude DJs starting line-up for myself (I was in London, but more from that later), Lach & I were back playing Sydney's best Friday bash !MUM! at Woooorrrlllld Bar last night. We also ventured next door to Candys and played an impromptu set for the 6am stragglers before straggling home ourselves and dutifully passing out on the sofa with half full beer in hand.

Here's some new cuts that featured in the set(s).

First up, a nice funked-up disco groover recently released on DFA by New Yorkers, Holy Ghost! This one cuts deep.

Holy Ghost! - Hold On

Next, a french electro take on the new one from Glasgow's indie outfit, Shitdisco (the video for the original is a must-see too with it's genius kiddie pop-up book ripoff). Try to stop yelling ooooooookkkkkaaaayyyyyyyyyyy!!! in the middle when this one takes off.

Shitdisco - OK (Yuksek Remix)

And lastly, Sydney's darlings The Presets give us a sneak preview of what's to come from their soon to be released second album (much of the same??). While this newbie doesn't deviate greatly from some of their storming first album's highpoints, you can't help but go spastic to this one and there has been flying limbs whenever this has been dropped.

The Presets - My People

Holy Ghost! Myspace
Shitdisco Myspace
Yuksek Myspace
The Presets Myspace

CRYSTAL CASTLES HIT OZ

Crystal Castles have been around the electro scene for a few years now and the duo, Ethan and Alice, have finally decided to make their first trek to Australia to play a few shows round the country. They will be playing a gig in Sydney this Sat December 15 at the Oxford Art Factory, as well as shows in Melbourne and Brisvegas. Tickets are still available through moshtix

I've posted one of their newish tracks which is... well when asked what their music sounds like their reply was , "It's like snakes fucking"... and yeah, i guess it has a certain reptile fornicating zing to it...... this complete randomness of Crystal Castles is why I'm pretty pumped to see what they pull out of the bag in a live setting, that and the fact they are named after She-Ra the Princess of Power's fortress in the sky. I've also included a couple of remixes; a recent Bloc Party one and an old favourite from The Little Ones that everyone should have in their collection.

Crystal Castles - Crimewave (Crystal Castles vs Health remix)

Bloc Party - Hunting for Witches (Crystal Castles remix)

The Little Ones - Lovers Who Uncover (Crystal Castles remix)

Crystal Castles songs are available through iTunes

It's attached to ya rod mutha-licka

THE BLOODY BEETROOTS

The Bloody Beetroots are two Italian DJ/Producers who are taking over the electro world at the moment. They recently completed a very successful tour of Australia, and I'm spewing I didn't catch any of their shows, because they apparently went off the fuckin chart. I did, however, catch a live set they did for a local radio station and the amazing synthy, dirty sound they were able to produce throughout the whole set gave me a colossal reccy.

They have also been hard at work in the studio, churning out an abundance of remixes for a number of big names including Timbaland, Goose and Etienne De Crecy to name a few. But they are also starting to release a few of their own carpet-tearing tracks, all with the BB's hard, trashy electro sound. I have included some of these below, along with my favvy Timbaland remix, which is a bonafied dance floor filler in any club. Fingers crossed these two will be back in Australia soon...

The Bloody Beetroots - Ill To Destroy

The Bloody Beetroots - Ezekial Eats Red Hoodie

The Bloody Beetroots - Butter

The Bloody Beetroots - I Love The Bloody Beetroots

Timbaland - Miscommunication (Bloody Beetroots Remix)

The Bloody Beetroots tracks are available for purchase on iTunes


choze for thote

THE GOSSIP REMIXED

The Gossip are currently touring the country, playing in Sydney at the Metro on Tuesday Dec 11, and then on to headline Meredith Music Fest in a couple of weeks... They are also the product of some fuckin awesome remixing by some of the world's best producers. I've posted some of these special treats below...

The first and newest, YR MANGLED HEART, is by LA duo Guns N Bombs and has an awesome French-electro-daftpunkdiscovery-guitar sound to it. I've also included a couple of LISTEN UP remixes, the first by Canadians MSTRKRFT, which is about as funkalicious as Bootsy Collins playing slap bass. The second is by Punks Jump Up and is a little more up-tempo, but still involves a fair bit of funk. The Soulwax Nite Versions remix of STANDING IN THE WAY OF CONTROL is also here for anyone who hasn't been to a club or listened to the radio in the last two years.

The Gossip - Yr Mangled Heart (Guns N Bombs Trashbags Remix)

The Gossip - Listen Up (MSTRKRFT Remix)

The Gossip - Listen Up (Punks Jump Up Remix)

The Gossip - Standing in the Way of Control (Soulwax Nite Versions Remix)

The Gossip tracks are available for purchase on itunes

sankyoo vewy marsh

PNAU, PNAU

Nick Littlemore and partner Peter Mayes, otherwise known as PNAU, have just released their latest, self-titled album after a 3 year "busy doing other shit" wait from their last album AGAIN (Nick of course was tied up with his other two-piece TEENAGER).

The album was actually released about 3 weeks ago, but I've only just listened to the whole thing so I thought I'd do a post on it now. It's pretty much like their other two albums, in that they have a few songs which are really fun and dance-floorable, but the rest are very self-indulgent - A lot of the tracks have a bit of a 90s dance-rave feel to them, which granted is very "funny" and "ironic", but I'm not sure if it's actually that "good"... I've posted some of the goodies below. The first was produced with the help of Michael Van She, and you can really hear that come out in the track.

Pnau - Come Together

Pnau - Wild Strawberries

Pnau - Embrace



Fanks