Do you find yourself pining away for the halcyon days of dance-punk? (Like say, 4 years ago). Are the heavy electro sounds of Justice & Boyz Noize confusing your dance legs? Do you cry yourself to sleep every night, praying you’ll wake to the angular guitar of a new Franz Ferdinand album?

Fear not! The Fashion have decided to answer your prayers as well as the plaintive cries of your neglected dancing feet!

Hailing from Denmark, these 4 lads sound something like a combination of the aforementioned Franz Ferdinand, Hard-Fi, and possibly Blink-182. Sounds like an odd combo, I know. Yet, they manage to pull it off.

Their debut album is already available in Denmark, and will be coming to the US this Spring courtesy of Epic. In anticipation of the release, we’ve been given 3 copies of an EP - that serves as a sort of prequel to the album - to give away to our readers. All you have to do is leave a comment including your email (don’t worry, only we can see it), and the first three entries will get a copy of the EP, including a poster & stickers. That’s not too difficult, is it?

The Fashion EP Tracklisting:
1)Like Knives
2)Solo Impala (Take The Money And Run)
3)The Funeral Dept.
4)Solo Impala (Take The Money And Run) - Music Video

WINDOWS MEDIA AUDIO STREAM: The Fashion - Like Knives

Video: The Fashion - Like Knives

- Sean

The debut effort from Los Campesinos!, Hold On Now, Youngster…, will release via Arts & Crafts on April 1. The album will feature the single, “Death To Los Campesinos!” as well as the acclaimed “You! Me! Dancing” (Rolling Stone’s Top 100 Songs of 2007). The Cardiff based septet recorded the album outside of Toronto with producer David Newfeld.

Tracklisting:
1. Death to Los Campesinos!
2. Broken Heartbeats Sound Like Breakbeats
3. Don’t Tell Me To Do The Math(s)
4. Drop It Doe Eyes
5. My Year In Lists
6. Knee Deep At ATP
7. This Is How You Spell “HAHAHA, We Destroyed The Hopes And Dreams Of A Generation Of Faux-Romantics”
8. We Are All Accelerated Readers
9. You! Me! Dancing!
10. … And We Exhale And Roll Our Eyes In Unison
11. Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks
12. 2007, The Year Punk Broke (My Heart)

Click here to stream the album on Rhapsody.

Download: Los Campesinos! - “You! Me! Dancing!”

Let It Bleed (1969), the Rolling Stones

Let It Bleed is the grandfather to albums such as Wilco’s Being There and Ryan Adams’ Gold (with Neil Young as the connecting father in the rock world). It mixes acoustic country-tinged songs with sinister bluesy electric songs without thinking “career” album. Career albums are made in the moment after all, and pull from a moment in time.

Recording the album immediately following their first tour of the United States in three years, one cannot help but think that the country music influence took solid shape based on their travels. Though he doesn’t appear on the album, Gram Parsons had just left the Byrds and was also a strong influence on the country elements that the Stones were exploring at the time, hanging with Keith Richards and lending the group his collection of country LPs. “Country Honk” is the acoustic predecessor to the more popular electric version of “Honky Tonk Women”. Complete with fiddle, this one sounds like it was recorded on a front porch deep in the American South.

The honky tonk influence continues with the title track, which probably could have used a more lyrically familiar title. The lyrics should bring it to mind: “Well we all need someone we can lean on- and if you want it, you can lean on me”. The stripped down Robert Johnson-penned “Love In Vain” includes pedal steel guitar as well as Ry Cooder on mandolin. Not just a note-for-note rehashing as so many artists have done with songs by Robert Johnson, the Stones truly make this one their own.

The political landscape of America in the late 60’s may have also influenced the dark electric material. Arguably one of the best songs in rock, “Gimmie Shelter” practically personifies the dark underbelly of the 60’s. From Mick’s overblown blues harp to the blood curdling screams of the word “murder”, the word never sounded so much like the act itself. “Monkey Man” shows Mick preening and paying homage to blues metaphors; screeching and hooting to find his monkey woman.

The album finishes with “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”, complete with French Horn, B3 organ and choir. Real artists are too busy being artists to think of the legacy they’re leaving behind, but the set of perfect conditions influenced the Rolling Stones in making Let It Bleed a career-defining album.

- 1kHz

Download: The Rolling Stones - “Gimmie Shelter”
Download: The Rolling Stones - “Country Honk”

Washington DC’s These United States crash landed my inbox today. The band’s debut long player is unleashed upon the world March 4th…it is entitled The Three of Us at the Gates to the Garden of Eden.The band describe it as a wide eyed amalgamation of psychefolk with a punk rock ethic. What is not in question is the bands determination to get the music out there, having played over 300 shows in the last two years. Not just stateside, but self financing themselves through Europe last year. This year, they have been invited to play probably the daddy of all music festivals, Glastonbury UK. in June.

The band are looking for more dates through June in the UK so any would be promoters/venues contact me or the guy’s direct. On the limited material I have heard so far, I think the album is destined to spin for a while with me. It’s seriously good stuff, especially the kind of off the wall radio friendly “First Sight”. Jesse Elliott is a great songsmith in the making. Before they hit the UK the band are playing numerous dates in the States. Go check them out!

- Mark

MP3: These United States - “First Sight”
MP3: These United States - “Sun Is Above And Below”

The Razor Cartel are a Melbourne based trio who wear their Clash influence on their sleeves. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, folks. I had never heard of the band prior to receiving a copy of their EP this week. It was released in 2006 and received positive press in the land down under, but was virtually ignored Stateside (until this post, that is).

The 4 songs are reasonably fuss free and provide the listener with a little over 13 minutes of listening satisfaction. If you like the song I’ve shared blow, make a point of visiting their Myspace page to check out a few of the other songs that are available to stream. The band has posted a few live performances that are available for download as well.

“…”The Shakedown” is a reminder that it’s often simplicity in music that can elicit the biggest things” - Forte Magazine

Click here to purchase The Razor Cartel EP from iTunes.

MP3: The Razor Cartel - “The Shakedown”

The first time I listened to The Kills‘ new album Midnight Boom, I came away surprised and slightly confused. The overbearing crunchy guitars of No Wow have been replaced with a minimalist sensibility akin to that of The Blow; on songs like “Getting Down”, where guitarist Jamie Hince mumbles over a dirty electronic groove, I was shocked by how effective The Kills can be even when they are quiet.

Their post-punk edge is present in spurts but takes a backseat to a more dancy sound overall. “M.E.X.I.C.O.C.U.” clocks in at a limber 1:37 and rocks harder than almost any song on the album thanks to Hince’s unrestrained shredding. Alison Mosshart’s sultry vocals are still in place, quick and cathartic on the album’s more stripped down songs. Cheap and Cheerful starts out with a scratchy cough from Mosshart, who seems eager to let her listeners know that she isn’t taking the band’s shift in sound too seriously. By the time the song ambles into its groovy breakdown, I didn’t miss the amped up guitar whine of The Kills’ earlier releases.

As Midnight Boom progresses, the songs become dirtier and more addictive. The ramshackle stomp of “Sour Cherry” is probably the most effective on the album, propelled by Mosshart’s monosyllabic coos and Hince’s well-timed licks. “What New York Used To Be” opens with a drone that fades to reveal Mosshart’s staccato vocals, lamenting the gentrification of the Big Apple over electronic glitches. Even the downbeat album ender “Goodnight Bad Morning” manages to be charming and spacey without any elaborate instrumentation. This is a sharper, cleaner The Kills, and I don’t miss the old days.

- Andrew

MP3: The Kills - “U.R.A. Fever”

I had the pleasure of seeing Holy Fuck again. Last time I saw them they opened for Wolf Parade. This time? They were the headliners.

Not much more else than ‘HOLY FUCK’ can be said about the band. Listening to clips of their music does no justice, you must go to a live show - it’s how you get the full effects. Something like your brain popping out of the socket, coming back in to rescue your heart & then both these organs dancing together.

Brian Borcherdt of Holy Fuck.

Next up? The Clips. A great great band from Vancouver.

Edo Van Breemen of The Clips.

Without sounding too cliche, they’re a good mix of poppy indie dance music. One of my new favorite bands. They have a good stage vibe, they get into the music & make the crowd crazy. Look for an interview with Edo in late March, where I’m going to be having an actual sit down interview. Awesome.

Oliver Ackermann from A Place To Bury Strangers.

A Place to Bury Strangers played after The Clips. Lots of awesome distortion & fuzz. You can totally hear the different influences of bands that they list on their influences off their MySpace page.

-Gina Argentina

One quick way to my posting heart is to recieve an e-mail from a band who’s happy to share their latest release with our readers. T’was the case tonight when Northwest UK’s Exile Parade allowed me to share their new single,”Fire Walk With Me”, with you. The song was produced by Owen Morris (Oasis/The Verve) and will be released on limited edition 7″ vinyl. The track definitely has shades of The Cult, doesn’t it?! Having given it several plays tonight (much to my wife’s annoyance) I’ve grown quite fond of it.

The band are heading back to the studio to finish their debut album with Morris in March.

- Mark

MP3: Exile Parade - “Fire Walk With Me”
MP3: Exile Parade - “Life of Crime”

The first single from the forthcoming Martina Topley-Bird album, The Blue God, will be released March 3rd. “Carnies” can be heard by pressing play on the video player:

The Blue God was produced by Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley, The Grey Album). The two met when he was in London recording the Gorillaz album in 2004.

The first 50 customers to pre-order the CD Single will also be sent a free “Carnies” hand-stamped white label 7″ vinyl record.

Tracklisting:
1. Carnies
2. At Sea
3. Trust Me

Also from The Blue God (which will hopefully be released before I die):
MP3: Martina Topley-Bird - “Valentine”

From Quixotic:
MP3: Martina Topley-Bird - “Sandpaper Kisses”

I’ve said it a million times before and I’m going to say it again…the British Invasion played an important role in my formative years. While my listening preferences have twisted and turned over the years, I’ve always found myself drawn to anything with the pop sensibilities that made cutting teeth a more pleasurable experience.

France’s My Raining Stars seem to have spent a significant amount of time listening to many of the same albums that I hold near and dear. I save albums like their debut From St Saviour to Quickwell for days when the outside world makes me wonder if my heart hasn’t once again been torn through my sternum. I’m pleased to report that with headphones firmly in place I can feel said heart beating in time…and the smile on my face grows bigger with every song that plays.

From their Myspace page: My Raining Stars is a story of 2 friends and former members of Nothing To Be Done, who were keen several years later to get together again to work on a shared musical goal.

First, there were new songs written by T.Haliniak and recorded on an old, four-track recorder. These fresh, spontaneous titles revealed the quality of the compositions which seduce from the first time you listen to them. However, inadequately dressed to make their way out into the open, E-grand and Mathea took on the mission to strip them down and to re-clothe them with the best garments. They weaved them from gold string and velour, ornating them with pearls and precious stones, and crafting them in the finest art of ideal, Indie Pop. E-grand and Mathea, already accomplices in the production of “Elsewhere” from Dynamo, added their experience and Pop fibre to the vocal melodies of T.Haliniak. The lead voice is brilliantly comforted by intermingled, background vocals. The abundance of crystal and lively yet meticulous guitars authentically solidify the force of From St Saviour to Quickwell, an album filled with passion and which resurrects the 3 protagonists of My Raining Stars and rekindled friendship.”

MP3: My Raining Stars - “Head Over Heels”
MP3: My Raining Stars - “Riding For A Fall”