Lets make time.

Its been raining dogs for three weeks, can't do anything but work and latch on to whatever warmth each and every weekend brings. Lets try to make time. Warmth usually found when we tip that edge down our guzzling throats and look upon yet another empty husk. Haahh, holiday seasons almost come and gone. What super realistic resolutions would we conjure up only to turn to smoke a month later. Haahh, lets try to make time.

The Maccabees ▼ Color it In

I first came across Color It In, on the ever reliant train system, where tons of people contort into makeshift sardines for however long their journey demands them. A friend offered me a listen and wham I couldn't stop shaking my leg to the beat. Might be due to the earlier intake of coffee & red bull but i can't pinpoint for sure so wot the hell wot the hell. Me & friend were immediately transported back to 2007 where clear cut indie rock; The Kooks, Killers, Bloc Party (and the occasional Menomena) nostalgia hit us hard. So here I am rediscovering our first loves ; lost loves ; so we say its only love. Refreshing respite from the countless chillwave//witchhouse//garabe sounds or, how our fucked up minds can't make our fucked up minds up.

Color it In jumps beat off with X-Ray, man can't resist that bassline and unruly guitars, it just melts with Orlando Week's lyrics. Up on to All in Your Rows, they show more control and a religious dogmatic criticism. Mehh thats what it sounds like to me ;

City-scape and country-side
We've got local boys, they're going nationwide
So here's your church and here's your steeple
And you're locking your doors to keep in all the people

// Let them go.

The opening of the next track Latchmere creeps me out to no end. I get goosebumps when theres people screaming at each other at the pool. Like something bad's happened while you were swimming, just before you resurface you notice they're shouting AT you, and a glance down you see a fucking shark had bitten off your fucking legs off or, something along those lines. Precious Time lies more towards traditional relationship reworkings, no sharks to be had here guys. Still, its lyrically impressive and stands out from the other tracks of Color it In. Tissue Shoulders; strikes a chord with me. Recent events, maybe they've predicted what would happen in three years and made this song just for me? I'd like to think it as such.

The song Lego is by far the saddest song on Color It In. Lego has very dismayal lyrics, I can only guess that its about the death of three children, or growing up, or both. The drums are very persistent, almost hammering that fact home. All in all, Color it In has depth in character, given life by Week's vocals, the guitar's + basses + drum's dances. Get it.



The Maccabees ▼ Color It In [2007]
Try it,
Buy it.

Jeff Pianki

These days, youtube seems to be brimming with potential like a small pond full of tadpoles. Ever seen one of those? At times, there may be up to a million of them swimming, squirming and jostling each other for the little breathers they have. Hard to pick and individual taddy and squeeze it out from the rest. Not to sidetrack too much, we have virutal unknown (aside from youtube) Jeff Pianki, and the way he's going it wouldn't be too surprising to see his name pop up here and there in the future.

Jeff has released an EP called Hello Scones, and aside that, a 13-track demo series, which, surprisingly packs alot of punch. I get a strange Sufjan-meets-Andy Hull vibe from his work, and his lyricism is really commendable. Up on both Demos and Hello Scones, Jeff puts his banjo / guitar / harmonica combo into good sparing use. Plus, the song progression is noticeable it takes alot to grovel new fingerpicking riffs that brings out different emotions, from 13 other tracks.




Most of the tracks on the Demo, are bare- like in the track Buried in Winter- there is certainly room to add. But somehow its feels complete, like a newly constructed house, with little furnishings and a whole lot of space to fuck around. Throwing Coins is clearly thought out, with the harmonica & glockenspiel skitting across the background.


Enough words i think; I am hooked.
Follow Jeff on his Bandcamp! (Buy them)
There are a couple of tracks on his last.fm page.

Dark Dark Dark - Bright Bright Bright / Wild Go (50th Post)

The sextet, Dark Dark Dark from Minneapolis revolve around Nona Marie Invie and Marshall LaCount, producing chamber-folk with Nona's flitting haunted voice. Dark Dark Dark dabbles in strudy old instrumentation that'd prove fitting with Nona's vocals time and time again. And the desired effect comes through as though the sextet are tapping into some arcane, ancient melodies brought back. They play songs, with a driven narrative of soulsearching, finding and being found, basic human emotions blown out of proportion. And fittingly, the rag-tag bunch travel alot, keeping on their toes like a group of touring troubadours.



Having toured with WHY?, they'd just released their newest album yet, Wild Go, earlier last month up on Supply & Demand. I've been trying to get into Wild Go, but I'd have to admit, it hasn't been getting much plays with me. Hopefully its a grower, but as of now, I just can't put Bright Bright Bright down. Kinda felt that with 6 short songs, they'd pack more punch. Like a blow to the Jugular.

Bright Bright Bright, their 6-song EP includes Something For Myself which was redone in Wild Go. They also have a movie inproduction, not too sure when it'll come out, but the title's Flood Tide, here.



I don't know bout you, but she blows me away.
Just realised it's my 50th blog post. So yay~

Dark Dark Dark - Bright Bright Bright / Wild Go
Try them here.
Buy them here, and here.

Crystal Castles (A-sides Ft. Robert Smith)

Yes the title doesn't lie. I came across this here @ vaudevillevillain's. Thought I'd give this more love, since its well -dare i say it- maybe one of the best collaborations of 2010. Robert Smith's distinguished vocals seemingly snatched from the 80's inhere with Crystal Castles electro-goth fat bassy-beats in Not In Love ; Originally a Platinum Blonde song injected with a healthy dose of Duran Duran vibes. Other B-sides would include Celestica // Suffocation. Also, Crystal Castles will be in Singapore for on the 15th Jan the year ahead. Won't it be divine if they dragged Robert's fat(sexy)ass along?



Not in Love ;
Consider this my Halloween Gift, Candy for all!

Not in Love will be out - December 6th 2010 on Fiction Records

Jordaan Mason And the Horse Museum

Don't tell anyone, but as of late, I've been slowly losing interest in the normal Guitar+Bass+Drum routine. It feels as if I needed a well prolonged time off from overly-used Bread & Butter instruments. You could say it goes parallel with me wanting a break from my drab status-quo lifestyle. So for these few weeks, odd voices, accordions, brass instruments and banjos will dominate these follow-up posts !



Jordaan Mason And the Horse Mueseum - Divorce Lawyers I Shaved My Head



Thats Jordaan. With an extra A. Having an album name which looks like 2 completely isolated phrases fused together, Divorce Lawyers I Shaved My Head finally came together after three stolid years founded by complete unknowns Bryar Gray & Jordaan Mason. According to last.fm, the album "tells the story of a failed marriage between two people of confused genders and identities. the album takes place during a glandolinian war and includes horses, shotguns, carnival horn sections, religion, male birth, sickness, semen, haircuts, and an eventual apocalypse in 1990." And I couldn't come up with a better sypnosis, had I tried (and I did.)
All I could come up was :

"The album to me is, about a kid watching two horses gallop across muddy fields against the oncoming rain sleet, like they were symbolically fighting the rain, batting their lily-like eyelashes each time it struck a furious rainblot, the ones which are as big as golf balls. Despite that, or more accurately; because of that, they (the horses) seemed happy, to be free of reins, of human contact ; how ever long their faces might seem. And seeing the horses happy made the child, now stuck indoors really, really angry. The kid works up a tantrum, screaming at two patches of slick fur ;lightning speed. He knows the horses can't actually hear his screams, that only drives more fury into his child-like skull."


Musically speaking though, Bryar & Jordaan's vocals are emotionally compelling, track after track. Some might be put off by his exceedingly screechy voice but I personally like. With banjos, soft-clad thumps sounding like horses hooves in mud, Bird's Nest literally reverbs with the beat, vocals and that bass trumpet gently cruises along the background.

With Racehorse : Get Married! they take it up anotch or two, with vocals reaching their peak, it showcases what one can accomplish with vocal chords by locking oneself in a toronto hotel for three years. It opens with a huge "YOU FUCK LIKE A RACEHORSEEEEE" (listen to it here). I mean, how can you not take notice. The song goes on to proceed about bags of blood, hunting with shotguns, swallowing shotguns and private conversations. Currently, they're on tour with Oh Foot, Shelby Sifers, and Tinyfolk. Man I haven't heard from Tinyfolk for quite awhile now.

JORDAAN MASON AND THE HORSE MUSEUM - ____ is Water from Mitch Fillion (southernsouls.ca) on Vimeo.

You know you want this.
Try it here.
Buy it here.

Piriki (Ukulele Special!)

Hallo goede mensen! This week's special would be towards Piriki, a dutch song (hence the dutch greeting) cause I've just gotten a new Makala Tenor Ukulele with courtesy of the UkuleleMovement in Singapore. So woot, it sounds do-able with Aquila strings, and man am I addicted to it's glossy veneer smell. Makes me think of Horchata for some reason. Anywho! Here's to an adorable weekend, hope you guys get laid ! (with people who don cat-outfits, how hot is that huh.)





Also, any ideas to naming my ukulele?

An Horse ▼ Rearrange Beds // Live

Lovely show last friday by the australian duo, An horse (Kate Cooper & Damon Cox) they've garnered critical attention with Rearrange Beds. Their simple yet catchy vibes are the respite I need from the recent flush of post-this/that, chillwave, surf rock that's been dominating my headphones the past few months. Good to cut back to basics. With An Horse, Kate drives the distortion up a few thousand notches or so, while Damon keeps the momentum going. From the first listen, you might pick up traces of Sleater Kinney's The Fox, or Tegan & Sara's harmonising vibes. Camp Out emits vibes ranging from sexual fustration to borderline desperation with, "You want to camp out, / I want to fuck around in the dark. " I could give a thesis on each song, but that'd be no fun, better leave things to yr imagination.

So yeah, the only thing that bugs me is that some of the tracks haven't really have any progression on them, you wouldn't know when one song begins/ends for the 1st few album plays. But fear not, they've included a couple perks in their re-released album, one seeing Damon play the melodica (an old hohner, he told) on the track, Listen. Pitchfork mentions Kate's lyricsy being unremarkable on paper, yet so very affective when she puts her mouth to use. Like she sings with such conviction that you end up nodding to her. Whatever it is that makes them sound what they sound like, this is an album that's worth plugging into.


And yes, Kate Cooper is a sexy beast.



Get An Horse's ▼ Rearrange Beds

Las Robertas - Cry Out Loud

I hope everyone's doing good.
Reading Murakami's book, one after the other was a bad idea. Now my dreams are being plagued, by meaningless (or so it seems on the surface), random lucidity that barely has any semblence to reality. I was visitied by a snake who wanted to nibble my feet, flying locomotives and the like. When not reading, sleeping ; (simultaneously), I'm glued to the computer. Time to get Norwegian Wood.

And that was how I came across Las Robertas. The four adorable girls might be mistaken for yet another Au Revoir, but you can't deviate further from the truth. They deliver gritty garage-rock along with a dont-you-fuck-with-me-because-i-will-cut-you-down drumline. Really, the drums were what that made me take notice of them. It's prominent throughout History is Done (and various other songs), yet not overused.

Cry Out Loud has an almost uncanny resemblence to Best Coast/Vivian Girls sounding guitar & bass, though you can hardly sue them for plagiarism. The gritty distortion & sweet, almost confectionary vocals makes the LP a go. Did I mention I loved the drums?




Catch them at : Bandcamp // Last.fm

Julian Lynch - Mare

These past few summery (I use summer-y, because its summer all year long where I'm from) days have been fine, the weather off-kilter recently, alternating between stark hot sunshine to gloomy churning anvil clouds within minutes. Under stress? Fear not mother nature, just plug in Julian Lynch's Mare, and your mind will float out above those dark clouds, and into the fine bright sunshine. Not too much vitamin D though, you don't want to get skin cancer (nevermind you left your body down below, better safe than sorry) The sun extends its warm comforting rays upon you. With closed eyelids, you stretch out your hand acast, partially covering the sun. It dances upon your eyelids providing a sort of free cheap lightshow. Still, somehow you're amused.

With Mare, the pieces here flits from emotion to emotion, but most being calm and collected. Plenty of smooth Jazzy ambience on Ruth, My Sister. Theyalso offer Julian's seemingly fleeting falsetto accompanied by reverberating strings, folksy guitarstry on Still Racing, ending with a psychedelic new-age track, In New Jersy, that could have came out from a vegan-buddhist's adobe (complete with incense and parquet flooring for those barefeet). I haven't found a track I didn't like on Mare, Enjoy.




Julian's Bandcamp. Buy it.

Portishead - Roseland NYC Live

Hey again guys. The lack of posts is due to me getting a summer job, and therefore having little to no time to get on routine music hunt. So, to counter that I've been rummaging my old music cd's, and came across Portishead's Roseland Live in NYC; which was handed to me for my 14th birthday by my awesomely awesome aunt. It's an old keepsake, and I hope you guys would spend as much time on it as I had.

Roseland NYC Live saw the band's first ever live gig in New York. It features the New York Philharmonic along side their contemporary partners. Despite the genre gap, their expertise gave rise to musical highs for the two co-op. Gibbon's saturine soaked vocals is a crucial consideration for transitions between these vasts and clearly talented bunch; like lubricant to .... dark squeezy spaces. Barrow , Utley and Deamer are tight, and deliver the goods seemingly at ease in their own element; Be it chewing gum, smoking or scratching records.

The record's 51 min playtime feature 11 complete pieces.



The descending melody of the bass, the shimming strings, the distortion completely blows me away. I love this.

Try it here. (Hosted by La Musique)
Buy it here.

Star Slinger ▼ Volume 1

Darren Williams who goes by the alias of Star Slinger, has brought fresh beats to the hip-hop scene all while releasing an LP titled Volume 1 up on his personalized page. The album evokes the vivid feel of the 90s where, you spend carefree days chillin round basketball courts, play till your feet ache, then go for drink all without worrying about the day; You had none. Days where time stood still, where innocence still had meaning, where life was just fucking peachy. Take a step back in time with tunes like May I Walk With You? or Gimme. This album is trippin with feel-good vibes, it is a definite grower. Much love.




Grab his stuff // contact him up on his site here.

Reading Rainbow ▼

**** This post isn't about the American Children's television series aired by PBS from June 6, 1983 until November 10, 2006 that encourages reading among children. Looking at bros on the internet shows us how well that turned out. Bros4liaf!




Reading Rainbow is what you get if you locked Rob, Sarah, a couple of bros and imagination, in a room. This pair makes reverb-worship seem cal-i, for their bleached vocals are like the direct communion between creator and creation. Feral Kids and In the Forest, both go all out; on tribalistic bass drums, reverb drenched guitars + vocals on rage. Be Who I See has inducing synths which remind me of triangulary Saw-Tooth wave-forms, in textbooks. Love how these bros make simple catchy tunes. Keep them tapes rolling.




Get their 4-Track Demos here !

** the saw-toothed wave form came up on my exam paper today, I aced it. Thank you Reading Rainbow.

Sweet Bulbs ▼

Well there seems to be a resurgence of noise and fuzzyness. Mostly fuzzyness. Up fresh on the list is Brooklyn's Sweet Bulbs, who're about to release a self-titled on Blackburn Recs. What few samples that have been drifting the interwebs, I've greedily gobbled up. Om nom nom. Featured guitars jacked up on echoes plus reverbs (Polvo-esque); your hearing the equivalent of after a half-day jam session. I'm almost tempted to say they sound like Sonic Youth, but with heartrending vocals (prominently on Eyes Feathers). They deserves as many Thumbs, Likes, Reblogs // any other cheap attempt by Man to measure awesomeness.

Sweet Bulb's Myspace for more nomnoms.

eyes feathers (demo) by SWEET BULBS

Twin Sister ▼ Color Your Life // Vampires with Dreaming Kids

Wizard hats and capes make good shadows and shapes. Picture that. Then picture them dancing to Twin Sister's Lady Daydream, on their Color Your Life tape. My imagination's way out there, so you wouldn't believe the shit im conjuring up. Anywho ~ Twin Sister are new-york natives producing psychedelic dream pop, and they're pretty good at it. The few songs they've released via Bandcamp, evidently show much promise to further the growing dreampop scene. Color Your Life prominently parades their use of various synthesisers, a much fuller sound as compared to Vampires with Dreaming Kids. Twin Sister is getting much exposure at the moment, what with touring with Memoryhouse and making their way towards Montreal. It seems like with Vampires with Dreaming Kids, they have taken a lo-fi approach - more acoustical ; toying more with minimalist snatches of sounds, quelling it up with a up tempo beat, usually pulsed by a maraca. Summer sunshine-y vibes, and lots of it. Perfect for a day at the beach (or anywhere else for that matter).

(Lady Daydream, available on Color Your Life)


Twin Sister ▼


Try it.
Buy it.


Try it.
Buy it.

Great Empty ▼ Desire the Creator

'Desire is a trap.' //' Desirelessness is moksha'
'Desire is the Creator' // 'Desire is the Destroyer'




Great Empty,

; Zu - drums, Din - bass, Rupak - guitars, Dir - guitars ;

are new act to have churned out of Singapore. They've just released their EP called "Desire the Creator" up on bandcamp. Riding chill-Buddhistic sounding spoken word, Desire the Creator encompasses a weird mix of philosophy and music. Their 6-track album, features fuzzed out echo-driven guitars that cruise the background, plus good acoustics.




Great Empty ▼ Desire the Creator
Bandcamp ;

Grimes ▼ Geidi Primes

Eccentricity, some of us love it. If you do, this shit will blow your mind. Claire Boucher, going by the name of 'Grimes' is a new psychedelic act from Montreal, Canada (canadians, go figure, eh?). Grimes procure sounds, fusing electronic wizardy with unorthodox contemporary instrumentation. It being unorthodox-ed, since she hasn't had any musical training. And rightly so, Claire has taken genres and bent, twisted, manipulated them into something ; else.


Grimes calls her music post-human liturgical majesty, well I can't agree more. She seems to be riding on the Witch House wave ; Having similarities surrounding synths, deep basses and vibes. Enough chit chatter, she'll be big. Please, hype this like a enraged monkey hurtling through space at the speed of light. 'Beast Infection' is going to be played en'loop for a few days.



Grimes - Caladan by Arbutus Records

Grimes ▼ Geidi Primes
Try it.
Buy it.

Antoine Dodson ▼ Bedroom Intruder

I AM 12 AND WHAT IS THIS?


Itunes.

Your Ten Mofo ▼ [Things Change While Helium Listen to Everyone]

Hey again guys. I'd like to bring out Your Ten Mofo this weekend because, 1) Attending Migrant Sounds last night had me going an urge deep within my bowels, for experimental/ambient music. 2) Because I can. Mwah har har har ! Pardon the evil cackle. Sometimes the Madvillany (yes guys, terrific album, i'd come to posting about it soon enough) in me springs forth unconditionally. Right, before I derail from my train of thought, and go tumbling to the Mountains of Madness (terrific book, i'd- oh FFFFU, there I go again.)

Your Ten Mofo is a post-rock quartet from Vienna. Okay take a chill pill and before you dismiss them as another generic post-rock band that has gone aboard fuckwagon, have a listen first. Might I suggest picking up a book/coffee duo, and pop them headphones on. We all set ? These guys clearly have their roots tied closely to the post-rock scene, having started in 2004. You can expect atmospheric bliss, sidelancing violins, vibraphones and everything inbetween. Kinda sounds like if Mogwai were to have unprotected sex with the guys from Sigur Ros. And they had babies (genetically impossible, but hey), their babies would sound like Your Ten Mofo. The little vocals the quintet offered is used to enhance the ethereal near-bliss state. Plus, recently made it to the ViennaShorts annual showcase, so props up to them. For fans of Ef, Youth Pics, Gregor Samsa and the like. Enjoy.



Your Ten Mofo ▼ [Things Change While Helium Listen to Everyone]
Try it. (Last.fm offers free downloads, make use of it.)
Buy it.

Jonsi & Alex ▼ Riceboy Sleeps

Riceboy Sleeps is the methodical love child of Jonsi (Jón Þór Birgisson, of Sigur Rós) and Alex Somers (Parachutes). The said album, features more of Jonsi's killer falsetto, prominently in Atlas Song and Boy 1904. They feature Alex's largly harmonical piano playing, with a fuzzy, dozed out ensemble. This is one of the best albums to have come out of the ambient stock recently. Perfect for reading, or contemplating life. And they do make a cute couple, no?





Jonsi & Alex ▼ Riceboy Sleeps (2010)
Try it here.
Buy it here.

Efterklang ▼ Magic Chairs

It's danish giants, Efterklang, back with a new album called Magic Chairs recently released earlier this February, via 4AD records. They've had up to 3 years to come up with a new album, ever since 'Parades'. Magic Chairs doesn't quite make the cut their previous two albums Parades and Tripper have set up. They have clearly taken steps to embrace English wholeheartedly, and the result is, well, less than pleasant. I'd have love if they kept to their mysteriously jumbled, and un-uniform lyricsy, which forces the listeners to keep guessing. Plus, it seems like they've made a move towards being an orchestral ensemble, cutting back on the electronics which made me notice them in the first place. Songs feeling like 'Swarming' and 'Prey and Predator' are nowhere to be felt in Magic Chairs. Its the little effects that add to the whole atmosphere, and well the feeling is still there, but less noticeable. That's enough ranting from a disappointed/loyal fan. Who knows, maybe after a few odd listens my impression would change. Lets hope so, and a to a new album too ~!

Modern Drift (available in Magic Chairs)



Efterklang ▼ Magic Chairs [2010]
Buy it.





Efterklang ▼ Parades [2007]
Buy it.

Belleruche ▼ [Turntable Soul Music]

Nu-jazz (despite the stigma caused by anything tagged 'Nu'/'Neu'), is really a decent sub-genre, one which doesn't cause Jazz listeners to run headlong into walls (intentionally). Its rising in popularity too, maybe because its so much easier to get into, as compared to true Jazz, what with their long improvisations, would be abit dry to the untamed ear, mine included. Add in butter-smooth vocals, which is ever prominent here (see Yukimi Nagano (Koop/Little Dragon) but we'll touch on the swedish-jap a little while later, she deserves awhole section to herself ha-ha.

Enter Belleruche, a UK 3-man (and woman)- combo, formed half a decade ago, is worth looking into. Karthin, vocals, delivers her lines well, accompanied by beats by DJ Modest, and his counterpart - Ricky Fabulous (no, I didn't make his name up). They'd be releasing a highly anticipated third album, titled - (270 Stories) via the Tru-Thoughts label, of which the three have been meticulously producing with for the past few months. What more can I say, they're good. Meanwhile waiting for 270 Stories, go listen to 'Turntable Soul Music'.



Belleruche ▼ 'Clockwatching'
(a single from their newest, (270 Stories), scheduled to be released on 11th October 2010)




Belleruche ▼ [Turntable Soul Music]
Try it.
Buy it.

Beirut ▼ [Lon Gisland]

I've been given an ukelele to play with, so in accordance to it, I've been playing much of Beirut.
Beirut is largely Zach Condon, and his rag-tag crew of friends (of which includes "Hawk and a Hacksaw" duo, Jeremy and Heather.) His music ranges from album to album, a risky move no doubt, but Zach manages to pull each one off. Extensive touring has its benefits ey? In my honest opinion, I find Lon Gisland to be an instant earcatcher ; Indefinately short and sweet; as opposed to his other, Gulag Orkestra or The Flying Club Cup. So right now, I'm taking a break from the uke, prolonged playing causing me to nurse it :/ Have a nice day y'all.

▼ Lon Gisland

Try it.
Buy it.

The Organ ▼

The Organ, now defunct, was an admirable post-punk outfit from Vancouver (fuck yeah canadians). They grabbed my attention with their only Full length - Grab That Gun (fuck yeah puns). The Organ is largely Katie Sketch with her dual wielding Mic/Scotch combo, on toned, guarded vocals. Then you have Debbie on the guitar, producing 80's Smith's riffs. Shmoo on the pre-suicide Joy Division bass and Jenny on synths. They're all total hotties to boot. It's too good to be true. Which is probably why they broke up (and they're lesbians), God didn't want queer guys like me stalking their every live show.



**shakes fists towards the sky with unrelenting anger** Curses!

Post breakup Organ saw Katie start her new band; Mermaids. Debbie with hers; Lovers Love Haters (aww, couldn't she have thought of a better name like, Vawwes?) I would love for them to come back for just one more album. Cause I've a feeling they could have made more. Lets not end this post with a bad note: Katie and Jenny Smyth got together, managed to hitch up a kitschy bar, called the Henhouse. It's supposedly really popular now, but I guess I wont have a chance to drop by.



**shakes fists towards the sky with unrelenting anger** Twice for your malice!
The Henhouse is located at 1532 Dundas W. and is open daily from 5pm-2am.

The Organ ▼ Grab That Gun
Try it here.
Buy it here.

Hooray! ▼

Like many obscure experimental/electronic sentient beings coming out of the wood work, Ben Wagner, is an outsource of sounds, noise, + whatever junk (not all junk is necessarily bad) that sounds good to him. Hooray! is an project, just the tip of the icecap for Ben's future / upcoming endeavors. Sounds vaguely like mellow dreampop, less on the pedals, more going on the background. Snippets of sound adding on to the overall feel. The track Daydreamm conjures images of summershine during winter. Does that make any sense at all? I'm sure it doesn't, I may have to make yet another appointment with my psychiatrist, but that's the vibe I'm getting. And hell do I love it. Thanks to [Stratosphering] for getting Hooray! to my ears.

Try It here.

▼▼Bedroom Adventures http://wonderbeardtapes.tumblr.com/

▼▼Shade http://hooray.bandcamp.com/album/shade-ep

▼▼Puddles http://hooray.bandcamp.com/album/puddles-ep

▼▼Snow Daze http://www.mediafire.com/?oqhzl1z0ztm

▼▼Read more: http://www.myspace.com/hooray4blue#ixzz0u8xCTKBp

Scary Mansion ▼

It's been raining for days on end here. My face is caked with god knows what, having a hookah/shisha induced migrane. It's a wonder I can even crawl out of bed (granted, I slept for ages) to review the latest, Scary Mansion ▼ Leah Hayes - who just released a brilliant brilliant album called Make Me Cry. Just had to share it with ya'll, else it'll nibble at the back of
my thoughts like a corrosive acid drop going 'plop', 'plop', 'plop'.



Enter Make Me Cry. The album is distinct, very melancholic driven, with the fragile tinges of almost - but not quite - slipping to a nervous breakdown. Even so, the tracks here are so ethereal and downright haunting, you just can't let go. The vocals for one, personally reminds me of a mix of Chan Marshall (Cat Power) and Anna-lynne (Lotte Kestner/Trespasser's William), she's got one heartwrenching voice that'll smear yours to bits. The track, On my Mind is exactly that, seeing Leah take to the piano. There's also radio friendly(-er) tracks, say Over the Weekend + The Scum Inside. That said, go get her album. Me, now I shall take to the shower, where I'll freeze my butt off.

Buy It here.
Try it here.

A b-side that wasn't released on Make Me Cry. Mmm those lips !

E And E ▼

The half naked guy is Elijah Thompson, adopted the moniker "E&E" for his solo work aside Luna is Honey, where he fiddles with the keyboards. I do know this newcomer is one worth noting. Props up to the Fun Fact crew for producing "Number Mix" on which I stumbled upon E&E. Funk beats on cue with cutesy (its the most accurate word I can rack my brain to cough up) vocals - courtesy of Angelica Olsen - and squeaky synths sounds oddly therapeutic. Perfect for relaxing after world-cup-induced hangovers. Viva la Spain!

**edit, I was right, Spain won.

E & E ▼ "Gate"