LoneLady

beautiful Factory influenced post-punk, dark pop....

Music

LoneLady

March 2nd, 2010

Self styled, flame haired, penchant for sounds of days gone by…. inevitable La Roux comparisons out of the way, and with no disrespect to the wonderful Elly Jackson – and of course Ben Langmaid, LoneLady, is an altogether different beast. Julie Campbell, a Manchester based singer, songwriter and guitarist, harks back to a slightly different 1980s to that of Heaven 17 or Yazoo… LoneLady’s inspiration is clearly a darker, jerkier, tighter and altogether more Factory Records 80s, with more than a hint of the Bunnymen from just down the East Lancs. Produced in an abandoned mill on the outskirts of town in just a few weeks with Breeders, My Bloody Valentine and Stereolab producer Guy Fixen, we’re sure you’ve an already an idea of how Campbell’s nervous, awkward debut will sound…. well you’re wrong, it’s even better than that. An early rival for These New Puritan’s hold on record of the year, ‘Nerve Up’ is a truly brilliant record… we’re positive you’ll be hearing more from this unique talent.

Yuck

ex-Cajun Dance Party kids adore music as old as themselves...

Music

Yuck

February 12th, 2010

We like our bands reasonably embryonic here at We Heart… after all, everyone’s heard them by the time they release an album – or sometimes even a single – and that’s just no fun at all is it. Four London-based 20 year olds who know a thing or two about embryonic status – half the band were in underage popsters Cajun Dance Party – are early 90s alt-rock admirers, Yuck. With no more than two recorded tracks to their name, Yuck are certainly at the fledgling stage of their new band, the style they ply however is not so youthful… with their single ‘Georgia’ coming over all chugging and poptastic, like Lemonheads at their best, a self confessed adoration of Dinosaur Jr and Silver Jews and the beautifully sparse, boy/girl tenderness of ‘Automatic’ having shivering echoes of Pixies or Sonic Youth. You can stick your ‘grunge revival’, this early 90s homage is much more our cup of tea….


Yuck: Automatic


Yuck: Georgia

Dumbfoundead: Jam Session 2.0

8 people, 5 instruments, 4 Continents, 3 languages, 1 song....

Music

Dumbfoundead: Jam Session 2.0

February 5th, 2010

Very little information around as to exactly how this was put together, but one thing’s for sure, is that the end result quite simply demands your attention. LA based emcee, Dumbfoundead – aka Johnathan Park – fronts an 8 person multinational collective, who with some magic from LA’s interactive media agency, Cain Mosni, have created a unique online jam session that pays homage to Galt MacDermot’s 1966 ‘Coffee Cold’ and Handsome Boy Modeling School’s MacDermot sampling 1999 track, ‘The Truth’. Just another example of how today’s technology, when used in the right hands, can create original and truly inspiring art.



Factory Floor

aptly named art rockers relive 80s dancefloor gloom....

Music

Factory Floor

January 18th, 2010

Aptly named, Factory Floor have more than a passing resemblance to Factory Records’ early 80s outfits or maybe the likes of Cabaret Voltaire, Neu! and Suicide…. so not new, nor original, but if your sort of dancefloor is dark, beer-soaked and gloriously somber, then you’ll understand their undeniable potential for cult status. Incendiary live performances that transform the dark metallic disco of their studio work into raging industrial noise, via guitar strings abused with violin bows, are already causing somewhat of a demand for their pulsating anti-melodies and intense Joy Division-esque rhythms, if you’re in London this week then catch them on Thursday night at Shoreditch’s brilliant Cargo venue…. If not, then look forward to their first release for Blast First (Petite) in February, or indeed listen to a preview of said release right now…..

A New Decade: 2010 in Music

a new decade, the radio plays the sounds we made....

Music

A New Decade: 2010 in Music

January 6th, 2010

Well, it’s this time of year again, the previous year’s retrospections are out of the way, desks are clean, as is your living… almost. Yes, January is the time to look forward to all the good that the remaining months will bring… new beginnings, new horizons! We’ve got a few posts lined up to bring you our, and others, thoughts for the new year, and first up, it’s our predictions for the sound of 2010…. We won’t be boring you to death with The Drums, Ellie Goulding or Everything Everything like everyone else, we’re even shying away from Delphic, no matter how good they are, because we’re sure you’ve heard it all before, we’ve broken it all down into five very rough movements that we think will shape alternative music in the coming 12 months…. and please, don’t take the names for said movements seriously….. it’s only a little bit of fun…..

We’re gonna say this quietly, but ‘grunge’ is looking an early contender for the revival story of 2010. Electronic music, and the wonderfully dirty bass of dubstep/wonky/aquacrunk/[insert this weeks sub-genre], may be continuing it’s relentless ascendancy from underground to overground, but the outrageous uninhibitedness of ‘Pulled Apart By Horses‘ and pop-rock sensibilities of ‘Dinosaur Pile-Up‘ certainly look set to take a grip on the nation’s playlists in the coming 12 months. No better time then to reminisce one the fabulously gritty late 80s to early 90s Seattle and it’s grubby assortment of disenfranchised youths who would go on to change the face of modern rock music. Celebrated rock photographer Michael Lavine showcases his work from the time whilst Sonic Youth legend Thurston Moore writes fondly of the movement and the bands involved. Whether you’re looking to the future or just want to relive a bit of your heady youth, this beautifully presented book is a must-have.

Michael Lavine x Thurston Moore: Grunge

Highlife: “F Kenya Rip”

Music

Highlife: “F Kenya Rip”

September 18th, 2009

Long time admirers of the traditional Ghanaian guitar music known as ‘Highlife’, it was with great pleasure to stumble across a modern artist, a Londoner living in New York at that, plying the trade with sincere authenticity. This is no Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon or even dare we say, Vampire Weekend, this is the traditional sound of free, loose, summer jams at their very best. Possibly better known as the frontman of New York outfit ‘White Magic’, but more than likely not, ‘Sleepy Doug Shaw’ recently supported Animal Collective on their UK tour under his ‘Highlife‘ pseudonym and with a little help from his friends in ‘Gang Gang Dance’ and ‘Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti’, ‘Highlife’ are the MP3 bloggers wet dream, we on the other hand are just truly captivated by Shaw’s stunning recreation of Ghana’s most beautiful export.

Highlife: F KENYA RIP

Warp20 (Box Set)

a deluxe special edition of music and art

Music

Warp20 (Box Set)

August 27th, 2009

There’s nothing that makes you feel old like an electronic music label turning 20, and that’s just what one of the most reliably underground labels of the last, well, 20 years is doing. Warp Records, the Sheffield based label that has brought us seminal releases from the likes of Aphex Twin, Autechre, Black Dog, The Orb, Squarepusher and Boards of Canada, whilst single handedly defining the sound of a generation of bleeps and beats artists, is now two decades old, and to celebrate they’re releasing a typically well designed box set on 25th September. Comprising of a series of 10″ vinyls, CDs and a beautifully produced book showcasing the label’s rich design history, Warp20 features new songs, older previously unreleased material from their artists, a personal selection by co-founder Steve Beckett and the top ten pieces voted for by Warp Records fans on Warp20.net.

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