Stop! Motion

Myspace // "Apples and Pears" [mp3]

I was fooling around on Elle Milano's Myspace page the other day when I stumbled upon Stop! Motion in their top 16 or whatever. While this York/Leeds outfit isn't breaking any new ground, the band has a not too finely polished blend of sharp guitars, precise drumming and anthemic vocals. It's a sound that doesn't sound good with too much studio trickery, and these guys obviously know what they're doing. Not only do Elle Milano know how to write some great tunes, they know how to pick quality bands.

Shugo Tokumaru

Myspace // "Parachute" [mp3] // "Parachute" [Video]

Shugo Tokumaru hails from Tokyo and plays music that most Westerners can easily dub as "exotic," but with most Japanese artists, there is that otherworldly feel coupled with an eye towards assimilation of American culture. If there were a great music library somewhere in the world that housed every record from every genre, this would be the guy that new how to locate each and every title.

Exit is his US debut, which is out September 2nd on Almost Gold Recordings. It's a blend of pop, folk and new music drawing inspiration from such diverse artists as Brian Wilson and Sun Ra. If you don't like anything, but claim you like everything, than this is the record for you.

The Verve Album Title & Tracklisting

Myspace

The Verve's new album now has a title, Forth, as well as a tracklisting. It will be released August 18th in the UK and the following day in North America.

The album's first single, "Love is Noise," is streaming in its entirety on the band's Myspace page.

'Forth' Tracklisting:
1. Sit and Wonder
2. Love Is Noise
3. Rather Be
4. Judas
5. Numbness
6. I See Houses
7. Noise Epic
8. Valium Skies
9. Columbo
10. Appalachian Springs

Tour Dates:
06.27 Cornwall, England - The Eden Project
06.29 Glastonbury, England - Glastonbury Festival
07.04 Werchter, Belgium - Rock Werchter Festival
07.05 Bobital, France - Bobital Festival
07.11 Balado, Scotland - T in the Park
07.16 Livorno, Italy - Italia Wave Festival
07.18 Barcelona, Spain - Summercase Festival
07.19 Madrid, Spain - Summercase Festival
08.09 Tokyo, Japan - Summer Sonic Festival
08.10 Osaka, Japan - Summer Sonic Festival
08.16 Weston Park, England - V Festival
08.17 Chelmsford, England - V Festival

Welcome to Our TV Show!

Myspace

Welcome to Our TV Show recently posted a new webisode for June, featuring three groups off of Moshi Moshi Records--Hot Club de Paris, Wave Pictures, and Slow Club. It's a definite treat to see Hot Club de Paris playing their hyperactive dance punk on acoustic guitars, but I think the highlights of the episode were definitely the opening and closing credits which feature a too-short cover of the "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" theme song. Check out part one (above) and part two (below).

Stars Announce US Tour

Myspace

Montreal indie-pop superstars Stars announced today that they'll be embarking on a three week tour of the United States in September. The release of the tour dates coincides with the premiere of the video for their second single, "Bitches in Tokyo," on Myspace.com.

6/25/08 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Accelerator Festival
6/27/08 – Utrecht, Netherlands @ Tivoli De Helling
6/28/08 – Cergy Pontoise, France @ Furia Sound Festival
6/29/08 – Pilton, UK @ Glastonbury Festival
7/05/08 – Vieux-Quebec, PQ @ Festival D’ete de Quebec
7/08/08 – Ottawa, ON @ Ottawa Bluesfest
8/24/08 – San Francisco, CA @ Outlands Festival
9/16/08 – Boston, MA @ Wilbur
9/17/08 – Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street
9/19/08 – Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
9/20/08 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5
9/24/08 – Chicago, IL @ The Riviera
9/25/08 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pagaent
9/26/08 – Lawrence, KS @ The Granada
9/28/08 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits
10/1/08 – Los Angeles, CA @ Avalon
10/2/08 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
10/4/08 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Rio Theatre
10/6/08 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
10/8/08 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
10/9/08 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox

Santogold Tours with Coldpay

Myspace // "You'll Find A Way" (Switch & Sinden Remix) [mp3] // "L.E.S. Artistes" [Video]

Coldplay has just released another great album and being the smart lads that they are, they decided to bring Philadelphia native Santogold on tour with them on select northeast US dates. Her debut album is out now on Lizard King/Downtown.

July
20 New York, NY Central Park SummerStage (headlining)
23 Chicago, IL United Center (supporting Coldplay)
25 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center (supporting Coldplay)
29 Montreal, Bell Center (supporting Coldplay)
30 Toronto Air Canada Center (supporting Coldplay)

August
2 Hartford, CT XL Center (supporting Coldplay)
3 Washington DC Verizon Center (supporting Coldplay)
4 Boston, MA TB Banknorth Garden (supporting Coldplay)

The Ting Tings "Shut Up & Let Me Go"

Myspace

The Ting Tings are a funny band and it really has nothing to do with them, but moreso with the people that listen to them: indie kids. I suppose this duo is sort of "indie" sounding (whatever that means), but they are basically disposable pop, and there is nothing wrong with that. We're not judging, especially considering that we've covered Girls Aloud and Sophie Ellis-Bextor numerous times.

This is the band's latest single, a song you'll more than likely remember from an iPod commercial. Like Feist before them, could they hit it big with all of the exposure? I doubt it -- this song skews a bit young, but they are already nabbing more fans than most Brit imports, so you never know.

So So Modern

Myspace // "Vulture Kisses" [mp3]

So So Modern is a great electro-punk band from Wellington, New Zealand. And by band, I actually mean a "four-person collective interested in creating a more fun and meaningful future through performance and music" (at least, so says their ridiculous bio). I'd much rather call them electro-punk, synth-core or something of that nature, as their music basically consists of yelping vocals, thrashing guitars, and pounding drums all complimented by a tornado of synthesizers. Their vocalist and general punk weirdness evokes the best of Q and Not U or The Javelins, but only with more of a British influence. So if you're feeling a little adventurous, definitely check So So Modern out.

Heels Catch Fire

Myspace // "Smile" [mp3]

Heels Catch Fire played two shows last month at the Great Escape, but sadly I missed both of them due to the fact that the Brighton band and their shows weren't listed in the festival booklet. Since I probably won't have an opportunity to see them play any time soon, I'll have to bide myself with recordings of their slightly off-kilter math-influenced brand of indie rock. The band comes highly recommended by Elle Milano and Dany, so you know they must be good. Make sure to check out their fairly new video for "Smile" (above), as it offers a wonderful look at the dreadful practice of speed dating.

Grammatics "D.I.L.E.M.M.A."

Myspace // "D.I.L.E.M.M.A." [mp3] // "D.I.L.E.M.M.A." [Buy]

I think this video might be OLD NEWS by now, but it's new to me! I did not like these guys at first, but the more I hear from them, the more I think they are getting way, way better. This is their latest single, which is on Dance to the Radio.

Still Life Still

Myspace // "Knives in Cartoons" [mp3]

Much like Pop Montreal last October, NXNE had me in a "kid in a candy store" mindset. I had three days and nights ahead of me that was all music, friends and beer, and what's not to like about that? While there were some big names playing, like These New Puritans, French Kicks, Swervedriver and We Are Wolves, I was more interested in the hidden gems as most of the bands I had on my schedule I only discovered a week or two prior.

East York, Ontario band Still Life Still was the weekend's anomaly because I only found out about them the night of their set at Cameron House, as they played to a rambunctious packed house on a stage that was way too small to fit the indie rock mess that they had going on. These guys are young, making noise similar to Annuals, but a whole hell of a lot more interesting. Outside of The Books Elusive, this group put on the best performance of the weekend.

Sleeping States

Myspace // "Call Me" (Throwing Muses cover) [mp3]

Sleeping States is the pseudonym of Markland Starkie, a Midlands born multi-instrumentalist who now calls London home. Sleeping States' music offers up a wave of contradictions with Starkie, at times, juxtaposing lo-fi minimalist song construction and recording techniques with lush instrumentation and layers and layers of sound. You can almost expect the unexpected with Sleeping States, as songs sometimes start out mellow but slowly evolve into something quite different with the addition of a few instruments and a quickened tempo. The end result is interesting, compelling, and just gorgeous sounding music. Though I think the delicate pathos of "The Next Step" evokes the best of Red House Painters, I think fans of Rogue Wave and even the poppier Ra Ra Riot could easily find reasons to love Sleeping States.

Prototypes: New Album

Myspace // "L'Amour" [mp3]

French electropop group Prototypes are back with a new album, Synthetique. This latest record sees the Parisian production duo of Cosmo Vitelli and Julien “Tekel” Briffaz taking their weird yet accessible dance madness and elevating the band to new and inspiring levels. Previously featured on The L Word and an iPod commercial, this is music that is sure to pop yet again on your TV set.

Look for the album this summer on Minty Fresh in the States.

Dragonette

Myspace

Here's the video for Dragonette's new single, "Jesus Don't Love Me Anymore." Though I love the naughtiness and decadence of the video, I don't really think that the song lives up to their past hits "Take It Like A Man" and "I Get Around." To quote a friend of mine last night, though in a completely different context, hopefully it's a grower.

Fox Cubs

[Photo Credit: Nathan Jerome]

Myspace // "Beasts of England" [mp3]

I don't really go out drinking to get crunk anymore, but if I did the song "Beasts of England" would be my Saturday night anthem right now. Released a few months ago by a young five piece from the UK called Fox Cubs, the song is a punchy ode to drinking to excess that offers both a great motto to live by ("no mercy, no regrets") and a great overview of youth ("I'm dying on the inside, at least I lived before I died"). Though I'd wager that few party songs offer such a deep commentary on modern society, the song is nevertheless wonderfully catchy and fun.

Fox Cubs is currently unsigned and has been releasing singles on their own label, Kuko Audio Recordings, since forming in July 2007. After a short tour with Pull Tiger Tail and support slots for Forward Russia and Future of the Left, it seems like the band is poised to break out this summer when they play the BBC Introducing stage at Glastonbury. I imagine that fans of bands like The Pigeon Detectives, Delorentos, Editors, and White Lies will go crazy for Fox Cubs, so get on board now.

NXNE 2k8 Preview: The Books Elusive

Myspace // "Conspiracy" [mp3]

Things in the office of Exitfare continue to buzz along at a rapid pace. The music is good and plentiful, but life is quite busy. It seems as though we are out of town every weekend -- I'll be in Toronto this weekend for NXNE, plus we'll be heaving our stacks of CDs and laptops to a new apartment soon, but more on that later. You only care about the music, right? I don't blame you.

When I first heard The Books Elusive (just last week, I might add), my first thought was "Oh, fierce indie rock two piece! Just like Blood Red Shoes!" Umm, not so fast. The Toronto-based TBE are less math rock and more garage rock, bringing to mind Patti Smith and the Arctic Monkeys. One thing that does connect these two bands are a fiercely DIY spirit, a need to do things on their own and to get their hands dirty all for the love of rock n' roll.

Perform is out now on the band's own Overdue Records. You can catch them at this year's NXNE on Thursday, June 12th at Holy Joe's -- they go on at 8 pm.

Mystery Jets

Myspace // "Half in Love with Elizabeth (Demo)"

I saw Mystery Jets play last month during the Great Escape and it was an experience. A group of university students next to me were mixing pills with copious amounts of booze, while others were hurling half empty beers on the audience. I got shoved twice nearly to the point of falling over when separate groups of boys tried to inch their way closer to the stage. Incredibly, these experiences were not the most memorable parts of the night by a long shot. For once, a band overshadowed a bad crowd (and not the other way around).

Mystery Jets are a rare band that can straddle the line between numerous genres with the utmost of ease. I swear their second album, Twenty One, runs the gamut between 80s synth pop ("Two Doors Down"), percussive indie rock ("Hand Me Down"), grander ballads ("Flakes"), and even minimally orchestrated indie pop ("21"). Somehow, it all works and the album comes together as one cohesive artistic statement. I think the only common elements between the songs are the musicians playing on them and the fact that they're so infectiously catchy that you can't stop listening.

Twenty One is quickly becoming a contender for my favorite album of the year. I wish that the band would come to the US for a tour soon, because I'd love to hear their electrifying set one more time and have a sweaty dance party in the crowd. Mystery Jets will be playing the Rockness Festival in Loch Ness this weekend, which should prove to be a great time because you can 1) listen to some great bands play like Editors, CSS, Noah and the Whale, and Late of the Pier and 2) search for Nessie. I'm totally jealous.

The Scaramanga Six "Walking Through Houses"

Myspace // "Baggage" [mp3]

I met Steven Morricone from The Scaramanga Six at this year's SXSW, but little did I know that he was in a band that I had worked with, Kava Kava, or that he was in yet another band, Eureka Machines. The guy keeps himself busy! And speaking of the Eureka Machines, when I was in England last month, I caught the band in Hull. It wasn't my choice of places to visit, but Steven and his brother Paul offered me a ride, so I thought it would be worth the trip. And it was. It was a great night; lots of beer, billiards and a bit of getting locked in the loo, but we won't go into that.

But onto the Scaramanga Six, which features the Morricone brothers and the lead singer of the Eureka Machines, a band that embraces the over-dramatic epic English rock sound that I love. If I had to give you similar bands, I'd say Muse, JJ72 or Ultrasound. The best thing about these guys is that they exist in a world without the NME -- there is no rollercoaster ride of hype here, it's just music made in the way they think is right, and everything they drop on the world is utterly and brilliantly memorable. And if you blink, you'll miss their sly sense of humor.

The band's latest opus, A Pound of Flesh, will be out later this year, but for now, you can enjoy the lead single, "Walking Through Houses," whose video I can't get enough of right now. It's creepy, but in a good way.

Alphabeat "10,000 Nights"

Myspace

I am sort of curious to hear the Alphabeat album now. Of course I love "Fascination," and I wasn't really feeling "Boyfriend," but the band's latest single is great.

Why does all of the good pop music come from Europe?

Dizzee Rascal: Second US Leg Announced

Myspace // “Where’s Da G’s” (f/ Bun B) [mp3] // 4 minute freestyle on AOL’s 16 Bars [Video] // Maths and English [Buy]

Although Dizzee is back in Europe now doing the whole festival grind, he'll back for round two this July for select dates. His third album, Maths and English, has been out in the States since April 29th (through Def Jux), which contains four bonus tracks not included on the UK version. Digital versions on iTunes, eMusic and Amazon each contain an exclusive remix not on the physical disc.

July 18 NEW YORK, NY Highline Ballroom
July 19 CHICAGO, IL Pitchfork
July 20 TORONTO, ON Rogers Picnic
July 21 AUSTIN, TX Emo's
July 22 DENVER, CO Cervante's
July 24 LOS ANGELES, CA Echoplex
July 25 SAN FRANCISCO, CA Mezzanine

MGMT "Electric Feel"

Myspace

As 2007 ended, MGMT seemed to be the band of the future, creating music that was slightly reminiscent of the Flaming Lips gone electronic, but I wasn't really feeling it. Oracular Spectacular seemed to be a collection of pop nuggets thrown into our lives from the future with lead single "Time to Pretend" rocking every dance party.

The track that hit me right away happens to be the band's latest single -- "Electric Feel." The video is another effort that was no doubt made on drugs, and while I won't ever be partaking, I can sit back and enjoy the results, especially now that I am into the entire disc.