Make Another World

I've only really become an Idlewild fan in the last few months, having become a bit obsessed with Roseability and When I Argue I See Shapes, which are both classic jump around your room indie anthems. Then hearing If It Takes You Home, the first single from their new album Make Another World, i was extremely excited about the release. Its a rip-roaring track with a punk attitude and sound that is reminisant of the 'Wild's early days.
Its a shame that the album couldn't carry this off throughout the whole album as If It Takes You Home is definately the most accessible and standout track on it, it just burst out of your speakers after a couple of mundane numbers. The rest seems quite standard, in a music industry that is flooded with ordinary sounding indie bands. Its not a bad album at all, its just i've heard most of it done so many times before that without an amazing quality or something a bit different it all just merges into one.
There are plus points tho. If It Takes You Home is such a quality track that i will just listen to the album for that sometimes, and A Ghost In The Arcade also emits that same sort fo energy and brings a bit of tension to the msuic, while still kepping an indie-pop touch.
I'd have to say this album was a bit of a disappointment. It wasn't the all out punk sound that Idlewild promised us after Roddy released his folk album or that i was expected after hearing the first single. Although its a hell lot better than their last album.

Idlewild - A Ghost In The Arcade
Idlewild - Everything (As it Moves)

Preorder album here

No Need For A Compass. Got Maps And Atlases

I get lost in Maps And Atlases. Their take on progessive indie has so many routes and paths to follow that my mind just boogles at the prospect of trying to find the end of a song and on the way time seems to decelerate so that as many ideas as possible can be squeezed into 4 minutes. Take Every Place Is A House for instance, that intro is from somewhere of the map, somewhere alien to the listener but it seems just right, almost comfortable in its delivery, like an unknown foreign dish served in your own living room. There's so many nuances and subtleties in one song that you would think the rest of their debut ep, Tree, Swallows, Houses, would be lacking in ideas, all of them being used up in this one track, but no, these guys must have been shitting amazing ideas when writing this record coz its all extraordinary and technically amazing. Definately worth a very good listen.

Maps & Atlases - Every Place A House

Oh and check out their website coz its really pretty

:) about :(

Aberdeen's :( (pronounced colon open bracket) have been making odd, twee, electro stylee music for just over a year now. It sounds a bit like someone singing over the music for the really hard levels of Sonic The Hedgehog, or a much better analogy than that. Its just fucking good music. Cute has the great repeated refrain of "You're not the cutest guy in here" over some frantic synth melodies and 8-bit bleeps, sounding a bit like Hot Chip on a sugar high and Twin Chevron Action Flash is more of the same, with programmed beats a plently and some heartfelt vocals, it almost makes you think the computers actually have feelings and emotions. Thats quite a scary prospect if you've just watch Terminator 3 - The Rise Of The Machines like me. Anyway their debut ep First Blood is out now on Must Destroy Records and there will hopefully be a full length appearing sometime this year.

:( - Cute
:( - Twin Chevron Action Flash

Check out more of their tunes on their myspace

Lovvers

I heard about Lovvers through the all knowing internet place, DrownedInSound, who raved about them with passion, similar to that of a fat person talking about dinner, and after listening to the tracks up on their myspace i can see why, coz they are tasty. Forming from the ashes of The Murder Of Rosa Luxemburg, this Nottingham four-piece fuse blues and punk to awesome effects. Its angry, aggressive, frantic and quite often messy but there's an energy and an attitude behind the music thats so engrossing it takes over your body and before you know it, you're in the middle of the room, arms flailing everywhere and things are getting broken. I've heard they're intense live too and they're playing Nottingham's Junktion 7 in Feb, i will be there.

Lovvers - White Lines
Lovvers - A Good Book

Blank Party

I've just listen to Bloc Party's new album, A Weekend In The City, its given me exactly the same feeling as the first one did. That feeling is described in one word, meh. I don't hate it, i can listen to it all the way through, but i just seem to drift off halfway through, usually finding something better to do or my mind just goes blank. I really don't know what it is about this London 4-piece that just doesn't interest me. It might be the inconsistency of their songs, i loved Helicopter, Little Thoughts, So Here We Are but the rest of Silent Alarm just bored me completely and the same has happened here. Hunting For Witches is a really good tune, catchy and uplifting, as is Waiting For The 7:18, and i like the way they're experimenting a bit with their sound but it still doesn't do much for me. I'm gonna try and give it a few more listens and see if it grows on me. I'll let you know when i've given it a really good listen (that means through headphones, while walking to uni)
What do you think about the new album? Let me know coz i heard some people raving about it but still i can't understand why. Here's a couple of tracks for your contemplation:

Bloc Party - Hunting For Witches
Bloc Party - Where Is Home?

and a golden oldie
Bloc Party - Little Thoughts

The First Great Pop Song of 2007

This track is a bonafide choon! The Ellis-Bextor is back after 3 years of hibernation with a belter of song. Initially sounding a teeny bit like Since You've Been Gone with its guitar intro, Sophie disspells all thoughts of a rip-off, when she soars into the catchiest of choruses. I love Ms E-B's vocals, they're so pretentious, but knowingly so, filling the song with a comic sense of irony. Its just a brilliant pop song, which makes the new album alot more exciting, and if this single doesn't make top ten when it comes out in February - not that that really matters these days - me, and probably Sophie, will be pretty pissed off.

Sophie Ellis Bextor - Catch You

More 2007 Excitement

Situationists
I stumbled across these guys at a Hot Renault Traffic club night at Junktion 7. I had an urge to see some live music and just paid to get into the first thing i came across. The support acts were your pretty standard affair, not really that tight or together but when Situationists hit their first note, it made everyone look up. They were everything the other bands weren't, fun, urgent and damn talented. Their sound may not be that original - there's similarities with The Futureheads, Hot Club De Paris and Bloc Party - but its just sounds fresh. They've captured that sound on their recordings too and if they keep producing tunes like this, they'll be heading for the big time for sure. Oh yeh, almost forgot, you have to check out their cover of Daft Punk's Digital Love thats up on their myspace. Genius!

Situationists - We Are Weightless

Meet Me In St Louis
Caught these guys supporting These Arms Are Snakes back in August and i remember me and Neb turning to each other at exactly the same moment with a look of "fucking hell these guys are good" on our faces. Although their eps don't contain the same intensity as their live show, where their frontman sets up camp in the front row of the crowd for their whole set, there's still unpredictability, urgency and amazing musicianship galore. This 5-piece from Guildford aren't scared to push boundaries and experiment but they still keep their music enjoyable. Hopefully releasing a full length this year if they can raise the funds which will be produced by Alex Newport (At The Drive-In, The Mars Volta, The Locust), things are looking bright and sparkly for the future of this awesome band.

Meet Me In St Louis - Why Thank You, Suzie

Findlay Brown
I missed this guy when he played support for Jeffrey Lewis and Danielson back in December. I didn't think much of it at the time but now having listened to a few of his tracks, i'm sure he'd have been a captivating performer because he grabs my attention through my speakers. His music is sorta psychedelic and folky and it still has a very accessible quality to it. Its even been used on an advert, which i'm sure has already has gotten Findlay a handful of listeners and i'm sure this year, with the release of his album, Separated By The Sea, out in February, he will catch lot more fans.

Findlay Brown - Separated By The Sea

Idlewild
After a good few years of wallowing in the murk that is bland indie rock, Idlewild have gone back to their punk roots. Not since the days of When I Argue I See Shapes and Roseability have this Scottish quintet produced such a exciting and vitriolic tune as If It Takes You Home, which was available as a free download just before Christmas. It makes me want to jump around my bedroom withotu a care for anyone, not even Becky, who's in the room below me. This teaser of a song, clocking in at just over two minutes, has left me gasping for more and they are, fortunately releasing a new album, Make Another World, on 26th Feb. So excited!!!

Idlewild - If It Takes You Home

I'm using a new server now, no yousendit links anymore, Woo i hear you say. So you just have to right click and save as. Simple innit?

I'm Excited About 2007

i really am! Happy New Year, by the way, i've been a bit slack with posting recently. Got exams in a couple of weeks so trying to revise hard. Anyway back to the year to come and the huge amount of anticipation i have for it. Last year was great year for music with so many quality records coming out and 2007 should be no different. Here's a few artists that i feel you should look out for in the next twelve, i'm sure they'll be making waves.

Los Campesinos!
This 7-piece from Cardiff have already been given the glowing accolade of being called the British Broken Social Scene, thats quite a big expectation to meet but from the bouncy, catchy and fun tunes up on their myspace it seems like they might be on their way. I've heard from reliable sources that they put on a hell of a live show, and with their upcoming UK tour in February and recent signing to Wichita Records, we'll all get a chance to see what all the fuss is about.

Los Campesinos! - Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks

I Was A Cub Scout
Hailing from the musical graceland that is Nottingham, this electronic punk indie duo make pop music that is clever, inventive and pretty good fun to dance to. With two 7" releases in 2006, the band are hopefully going to be putting out some more records and hopefully a full length this year. I saw them live last year actually, supporting The Research, and despite some technical difficulties put on a really good show so i'm gonna try and catch them early on this year before they explode.

I Was A Cub Scout - Pink Squares

Emmy The Great
Already a firm favourite here at funfunfun, Emmy had a great year last year, releasing her first single, Secret Circus, and playing with some wonderful people, such as Tilly & The Wall and Diane Cluck and the success is sure to continue with the release of a single on Moshi Moshi, hopefully it will be Edward is Dedward. I love this lady very muchly, as much as spending a Saturday in front of the tele watching all your favourite childhood movies. Ahhhh bliss.

Emmy The Great - Edward Is Dedward

Slow Club
This folky duo from Sheffield have been playing everywhere recently. They must have covered every inch of the land on their travels last autumn and this continues into 2007, as they spread their beautiful sounds, supporting Hot Club De Paris and The Noisettes, in Jan and Feb. There's just a guitar as backing while Charles and Rebecca play around with witty lyrics and playful melodies, sounds like very clever playground songs, if everyone in primary school like Neil Young and Bright Eyes and could sing like an angel. I'm sure you'll be able to catch them live somewhere near you this year.

Slow Club - Biology Hearts

Other things in 2007 that i'm excited about:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together
Southland Tales
Spiderman 3
The Golden Compass
Finishing my Physics degree
Hopefully going to my first Glastonbury