James – Indie Music Filter

Holy Fuck vs Foxy Brown

With a current tour schedule opening for !!! (Chk Chk Chk), Deerhoof, Wolf Parade, playing the John Peel stage at the Glastonbury Festival and a resume of recent tour mates including Do Make Say Think, Clinic, Mouse On Mars and Cornelius, you would think Holy Fuck would be a household name by now. Ok… maybe not household but at least entertaining a bidding war from every cleverly progressive indie label out there! Their latest self released EP is one of the most impressive Canadian releases this year and the limited edition pressing is almost sold out. Their reputation as a must-see live band is well deserved… So check out their tour dates and make sure to show up early!

Check this MP3… Holy Fuck vs Foxy Brown

Speaking of great indie labels and bands selling out of stock… Kranky’s Deerhunter are on tour and have just released the Fluorescent Grey EP on the heels of their Cryptograms debut. Label mates Stars of The Lid have also recently relesed the minimal electronic And Their Refinement of the Decline. Both the double LP (Crytograms w/ Fluorescent Grey EP) and the triple LP version of STL are already sold out. Kranky are “overwhelmed” with vinyl orders and promise a new shipment the second week of May.

Check this video… Benoit Pioulard – Triggering Back (Kranky)

And finally Casiotone For The Painfully Alone is on tour!

The Sunshine Underground : Raise The Alarm

It feels strange to think of The Sunshine Underground‘s Raise The Alarm as a new record. I’ve been listening to these songs develop since 2004 and watching the buzz grow in the UK. The first two demos by the three-piece from Leeds (Demos 1 and Army EP) only showed a hint of their developing disco punk sound. The following two vinyl singles released on City Rockers (Put You In Your Place/They Got A Hold of Us and Commercial Breakdown/The Way It Is) showed a huge leap forward. Who Called The Dandy? (Ain’t Losing Any Sleep single) is a great Stone Roses circa The Second Coming influenced jam. Borders is another great song with anthemic guitar antics and feverish vocals that should mark their breakthrough. Although named after The Chemical Brothers track, their sound can be described as the psychedelic dance vibe of The Happy Mondays and the no-nonsense swagger of The Clash. With all their new remixes coming out that weigh heavy on the MSTRKFT and LCD side a better introduction are the original SU songs. There is no word on a North American release or tour dates but any label would be smart to take interest. It seems Germany is the only other place picking up on their vibe… it’s a good one!

Currently listening to :
Deerhunter Cryptograms
Deerhoof Friend Opportunity

Looking forward to :
The Boggs Forts
Holy Fuck limited edition EP (I’ve heard it… HOLY FUCK!!!!!)

Hot Club de Paris / Tarwater

While most of the UK is dancing to Pro-Tools Punk, Hot Club de Paris offer up an upbeat live sound with influence ranging from Faraquet to Bloc Party. Think The Futureheads meet early Police and then take away all the spot lights and load it with Mike Watt’s ethics and craftsmanship. Your Face Looks All Wrong is a good place to start, but the entire Drop It Till It Pops record is worth repeated plays.

The CD is only available for now through Moshi Moshi in the UK. Their upcoming SXSW shows should change that. If you’re lucky enough to be in Austin you should add it to your list.

Revisiting…

Over the years Berlin’s Tarwater have experimented with electronically inspired pop and minimalist electro. While they currently can be found on the Morr Music label, it’s their time on Kitty-Yo where they made their best album to date (Silur 1998) and where they evolved their sound (Animals, Suns & Atoms 2000 / Dwellers on the Threshold 2002). They mix Massive Attack, the Velvet Underground with Silver Apples and create an electronic post-rock style that can be placed just before The Notwist and leading to Fujiya & Miyagi.

Looking forward to…

The Ponys Turn the Lights Out on Matador.
Thee More Shallows on Anticon.