popwreckoning

Handsome Furs consistently manage to top themselves. Their last album, Face Control, was fantastic, but Sound Kapital improves upon it in nearly every way.  Face Control often felt lyrically dense, whereas Sound Kapital is a much more streamlined effort. It probably helps that the husband and wife duo of Dan Boeckner and Alexi Perry wrote the album entirely on keyboards.

The other problem Face Control had was that it occasionally seemed too obvious. It was full of massive choruses, and thumping bass, but after twenty or thirty listens the songwriting reveals itself to be relatively by the numbers. Sound Kapital doesn’t have this problem.

The album continues the Eastern European themes, but is more influenced by ‘80’s German Techno. It looks strange on paper, but the sounds work very well. The album opens with “When I Get Back,” a slightly claustrophobic fist pumper. The beats are fierce, and the lyrics let loose a sense of uncomfortable tension that runs through the rest of the album.

A few tracks later, “Memories of the Future” continues the themes of the past colliding with the present. The phrase “nostalgia never meant that much to me” is yelped almost like a battle cry. The song plays like a massive club hit in an alternate universe.

Track five, “Serve the People” begins slowly, with a discordant piano. The song gets thick about forty-five seconds in, with slow bleeps, before the chorus comes in, and turns the whole into an epic anthem. “’Til the cops said move along,” sings Boeckner, increasingly alienated by law enforcement.  He continues: “but they don’t serve the people.” It’s a tense, weighty song that improves with every listen. It feels like there’s a story behind the thing, but leaving it open this way, it builds a sense of intrigue, and makes it feel more human.

After three more songs (including first single “What About Us”), the album ends with the seven minute “No Feelings.” It’s a joyously nihilistic jam full of hand-claps, and sing-along lyrics.  It’s the perfect way to end a fantastic set of songs that is recommended unreservedly to anyone who enjoys indie rock. It’s also probably one of the best new albums that will come out this year.

Tracklisting:

1. When I Get Back
2. Damage
3. Bury Me Standing
4. Memories of the Future
5. Serve the People
6. What About Us
7. Repatriated
8. Cheap Music
9. No Feelings

The KickDrums are comprised of producer/singer/songwriter Alex Fitts, and DJ/producer Matt Penttila. After meeting while working in Cleveland, the two noted their mutual interests and reputations as skilled producers. They united, and soon began to produce records for an impressive list of artists that include 50 Cent, John Legend, and Kanye West. In 2007 they shifted to working on their own songs. Fitts began to focus on his alt-rock roots and songwriting. Penttila focused on his love of electronic music, began to break down records, and flip obscure samples. The eventual result was Meet Your Ghost, their second album, and the first since signing with Last Gang Entertainment.

The album was preceded by a mixtape, The Ghost. That tape might lead the listener to thinking the album would be closer to pure hip hop, which isn’t the case. It’s mostly alternative rock, full of catchy hooks.  Included on that tape was a fantastic Scarface track, a relatively faithful cover of Nirvana’s “Love Buzz,” and a cameo from The Rza on the song “Perfect World.” More on that last song in a moment.

But the hits come quick here on Meet Your Ghost. Track two, “Trouble Coming Everyday” is packed with handclaps, fuzzy guitars, and an insanely catchy chorus. It’s a pop song, and a great one at that.

The album as a whole is full of fantastic pop songs, including the aforementioned “Perfect World.” It’s closer to alt-rock than hip-hop, and the RZA verse is missed, but the song is still fantastic. It’s a love song, full of blaring guitars, over a kicking drum beat. It wouldn’t be surprising if the song is all over radio this summer.

The drums are ubiquitous on this album. Even on a ballad like “Travel Should Take You Places,” it’s impossible not to be drawn in by them. The song has a classical feel that’s compelling. The KickDrums is a group that has perfected the art of crafting an instrumental.

Meet Your Ghost has some great stuff. The songs feel a little monotonous after a few listens, but the huge pop sounds are irresistible. Some of the production sounds a bit like a modern version of Phil Spector’s famous Wall of Sound. The songs are stacked, full of interesting little noises, and compelling chord progressions. There is a lot to take in on this album, it’s more than enough to keep a listener coming back for more.

Tracklisting:

1. Meet Your Ghost
2. Trouble Coming Everyday
3. Colors
4. Perfect World
5. Counting On You
6. Naked
7. Had Too Much To Dream Last Night (Feat The Kid Daytona)
8. Love Can Drive Your Mind Wild
9. Travel Should Take You Places

For more on The KickDrums, visit http://www.thekickdrums.com/

Alex Turner is sounding more and more like Carl Barat every year, I swear. The older he gets, the older his voice gets, with a softer, sweeter tone than when the Arctic Monkeys put out their first record, oh… five years ago.

But I’m not complaining, because I do love a good dose of the Libertines. Basically what the Arctic Monkeys sound like now is a mixture of Turner’s side project, Last Shadow Puppets, and all of Barat’s projects. Rather than the garage rock of the mid-00s that the Arctic Monkeys did so well, Suck It And See sound much more 60s, much more classic.

Which is quite ironic, because when I put this album into my iTunes, under genre it listed it as “Classic rock.” I thought, “that’s kind of perfect.”

With such a punchy, suggestive title to their new record, I expected a bit more of a bang from The Arctic Monkeys. I hoped for more attitude than what I got, but the album didn’t disappoint. The easy, sunny, hippie vibe of the album makes it perfect for summertime, and I can only imagine how fun it will be to dance to when they head on tour next month.

Starting with “She’s Thunderstorms” wasn’t the greatest idea, mainly because the whole beginning of the record isn’t nearly as strong as the latter half. At least that’s how it was for me. Several of the songs, “Black Treacle,” “Brick by Brick,” and “The Hellcat Spangled Shalala” all kind of mix together and don’t stand out that much from one another. The one thing “Hellcat” has going for it is the simple “shalalala” hook.

However, “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair” is a spectacular track, one that I would have preferred to open the album, but it is quite heavier than the rest of the tracks on Suck It And See. “Don’t Sit Down” has a driving bassline and a loud and fast “yeah yeah yeah” hook, as well as the most attitude from Turner. And what follows is the frantic “Library Pictures,” which is most reminiscent of vintage Arctic Monkeys, with a bit of dirty Sex Pistols punk rock mixed in. It was definitely a surprise in the middle of this otherwise rather vanilla record, but a pleasant surprise.

This is where the album starts to get really good. “All My Own Stunts” is another great heavy rocker, “Reckless Serenade” is a catchy summer track, “Piledriver Waltz” is a lovely ballad, as is “Love is a Laserquest.”

The final surprise, and another one of my favourite songs on the album is “That’s Where You’re Wrong,” which relies on Turner’s painfully earnest lyrics and very New Order-esque melodies.

So while the album starts out rather flat, the build up to the splendid finale gains plenty of momentum, making “Suck It And See” an album to at least give a listen or two. I know I’ll be spinning it all summer.

Track listing:
1. “She’s Thunderstorms”
2. “Black Treacle”
3. “Brick by Brick”
4. “The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala”
5. “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair”
6. “Library Pictures”
7. “All My Own Stunts”
8. “Reckless Serenade”
9. “Piledriver Waltz”
10. “Love Is a Laserquest”
11. “Suck It and See”
12. “That’s Where You’re Wrong”

It’s taken a long time, but the Postelles are finally releasing their album their eponymous debut album this upcoming Tuesday (June 7). The New York good time rock ‘n’ roll band – comprised of lead singer/guitarist Daniel Balk, lead guitarist David Dargahi, bassist John Speyer, and drummer Billy Cadden – are close friends and this is reflected by the musical harmony heard on The Postelles. Does this sound familiar to you? It should. They consider the Beatles a big influence musically, which should come as no surprise when you listen to the record. Major keys to the Fab Four’s success were excellent songwriting skills, equally excellent musicianship, and enough charm and charisma to send millions of hearts a-flutter. The Postelles already have #1 and #2 in the bag. It’s only a matter of time before #3 becomes a reality for them.

Strong songs and strong music is where The Postelles is at. This is an album that will get your toes tapping and put a smile on your face, because this is a band that excels in crafting the pop tune. It should also be noted that this album was produced by Albert Hammond Jr. of the Strokes, so you know there was good work done behind the scenes. If autotune (um, Kanye West) leaves you cold and you’re tired of style over substance (um, Lady Gaga), than this is the album for you. The most “high-tech” gadgets used on here are the maracas on “She She.” I used to think that this genre of rock was just a throwback to the ‘60s, but giving that label is doing a great disservice to the Postelles. It’s not easy in this day and age to write songs like they did back then. There’s so much pressure these days to use fancy thingamabobs in the studio. Why? Because they are there and you can. But when you’ve got songwriting chops and don’t need all that electronic wizardry, why use it?

The Postelles specialize in straight-forward rock ‘n’ roll: guitars and drums paired with lead vocals, augmented by tight harmonies. Seriously, how often do you go to a gig and not see a Macbook or synthesizer hooked up somewhere? The Postelles don’t need them. Take for example the single they released last year, “White Night.” Balk’s voice slinks up and down the notes effortlessly, with Dargahi’s backing vocals in response and in harmony just sound so sweet. If you’re like me and think Please Please Me was one of the Beatles’ best albums, this should be music to your ears.

And “Sleep on the Dance Floor” (watch the video below), the song that immediately follows “White Night,” is even better. This, along with so many others on the album, has a great singalong chorus. The Postelles want to entertain you, but they also want to engage you. Listen to this a couple times and before you know it, you’ll be crooning “fell asleep…on the dance floorrrrr…” along with Balk. Same goes for “Hey Little Sister,” featuring a rare lead vocal from lead guitarist Dargahi; and “Stella,” Balk telling off a girlfriend, finally leaving her, his bandmates shouting with gusto, “Stella, you’re on your own!”

Most of all, I encourage you to listen to The Postelles closely. The bass line in “Can’t Stand Still” can’t be beat. “Hold On” (acoustic, pared down version above) demonstrates the band’s deftness with the ballad; it’s a good break from the other songs of a pretty brisk pace. And by the way, “brisk pace” and “good-time rock ‘n’ roll” do not mean these guys from New York City are lightweights in the topical sense. A fact-based account of a former girlfriend of Balk and Cadden’s, “Boy’s Best Friend” is the realization that the girl you once went out with has now come out as a lesbian. “Whisper Whisper,” echoing Stephen “Tin Tin” Duffy’s “When You Go to Bed” more than Aerosmith’s “Janie’s Got a Gun,” provides insight into an abusive relationship.

Fifty years ago, the world was infatuated with the Beatles. Now it’s the time the world became infatuated with the Postelles.

The Postelles’ self-titled debut album will be released on July 7 in America on +1 Records. The band will be touring the U.S. and Canada in June and July.

Tracklisting
01. White Night
02. Sleep on the Dance Floor
03. 1, 2, 3 Stop
04. Boy’s Best Friend
05. Can’t Stand Still
06. Hold On
07. Stella
08. Hey Little Sister
09. Whisper Whisper
10. Sound the Alarms
11. Blue Room
12. She She

Tour Dates
Jun 07-08 – Mercury Lounge / New York City
Jun 10 – Kung Fu Necktie / Philadelphia
Jun 11 – Red Palace / Washington, DC
Jun 15-16 – NXNE / Toronto
Jun 17 – Schubas / Chicago
Jun 18 – Summer Soulstice Music Festival / Milwaukee
Jun 20 – Tractor Tavern / Seattle
Jun 23 – Popscene @ Rickshaw Stop / San Francisco
Jun 28 – Echo / Los Angeles
Jul 07 – T.T. the Bear’s / Cambridge, MA

The Postelles: website | myspace | interview with | @ Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel | The Postelles Premiere First Promo Video, “White Night” | The Postelles Announce Fall North American Tour | @ Red Palace

You know those Target commercials? The summery ones that feature flowing floral skirts, sprinklers and lemonade stands? I know you know which ones I’m talking about. The Sleepy Rebels’ new album Yellow Tree is basically the soundtrack to those commercials. I’m not kidding. When I turned it on, I feel like the sun became brighter outside and the sky became bluer.

Not that it’s a bad thing. It is almost summer, after all, so it’s the perfect soundtrack to a day at the beach or a long car ride through the woods, with sunlight peaking through the trees. Okay, I’ll stop using sunlight analogies.

But seriously, once I got to the second track, “Let’s Take the Day Off,” I got a lot of Simon and Garfunkel vibes, only in this instance, Garfunkel is female.  Sleepy Rebels’ harmonies are pleasant and easy to listen to without being cliché or overly cheesy (think Colbie Caillat, that’s some cheese right there).

The first single “Unbelievable” is so delightful, heavy on the hand claps and trumpets, and highlights Erica Driscoll’s comforting soft voice along with her brother Bruce and bandmate Jeremy Adelman’s multi-instrumental talents. Later on the in the album, particularly on the last track “Something,” not only do we get some Simon and Garfunkel hints, but that song reminds me of early Belle and Sebastian, and that’s never a bad thing.

Not only do we get some lovely acoustic guitar throughout the album, but plenty more strings – including mandolin, banjo, violin, viola, cello, and possibly some ukulele – and I caught a bit of French horn and ocarina on “Day Off” and a flute on “Elegy.”

A flute. Really.

Let me elaborate a bit on “Elegy” – it’s such a beautiful ballad that’s reminiscent of Shakespearean tragedies. I can just picture a man sauntering around on a stage in tights and puffy sleeves swooning over a princess or something. It’s definitely something we haven’t heard much of since….well…Shakespearean times.

“Beautiful” and “We’ll Wake the World Up” are also easy flowing ballads, “Crystal Ball” is a slightly bluesy track with slide guitar, “Shoot the Breeze” is another one of the Target commercial songs, or maybe one for fabric softener. Either way, it’s bright and sunny. I’m repeating myself, aren’t I?

Well I think you get my point, but I’ll just end on this – the New York trio Sleepy Rebels leaves no room for pessimism on their latest album Yellow Tree. It’s the perfect soundtrack to summer, so I suggest you get it now while the weather is still lovely. Simple as that.

Track listing:

1. To the Hollow
2. Let’s Take the Day off
3. Unbelievable
4. You Can Make the Sunrise
5. You’re the One Thing
6. Better Day
7. The Language of You
8. Elegy
9. Beautiful
10. We’ll Wake the World Up
11. Take it Easy
12. Only One
13. Crystal Ball
14. Shoot the Breeze
15. Castles Out of Sand
16. Something

http://www.sleepyrebels.com/

“These are my famous last words!”

That’s how the new Foo Fighters’ record Wasting Light begins.  It’s a rather stark and haunting coincidence, since the record comes out April 12, just a week after the 17^th anniversary of Kurt Cobain’s death.  Plus, Dave Grohl’s other former Nirvana bandmate Krist Novoselic was a guest musician on Wasting Light. Whether or not that was planned is beyond my knowledge, but it certainly added another layer to an already great album.

This being the Foo’s seventh studio album, a question of longevity rather than innovation is what’s at the forefront of Wasting Light. The innovation came in the marketing strategy, which played out like a game of Clue, with Easter eggs hidden all over the Internet, and short clips of songs leaked to their own website, giving the fans just a taste of what was to come on Wasting Light.

In true Foo fashion, the album begins with a swift kick to the stomach with “Bridge Burning.” And it doesn’t slow down much from there. “Rope” has more attitude than a lot of the rock newcomers with their precisely quaffed hair. I guess the attitude comes with age, at least in Grohl’s case. A slick intro partnered with a driving rhythm makes it a perfect second track (and I can only imagine how awesome it will be live).  “Dear Rosemary” is a lighter track, with a heavy pop hook, but is still signature Foo.

Honestly, the greatness of the Foo Fighters comes from their performance. I’ve only ever seen recordings of their live shows, but their albums are meant to be performed, not over-mixed in the studio to make certain instruments sound better than they naturally would. Whether it’s a softer song like “I Should Have Known” or a frantic metal-tinged hit like “White Limo,” the Foo Fighters sound like they do live – energetic, passionate, and like they’re having fun. Grohl may be one of the best drummers of our time, but he’s also one of the greatest front men.

“Arlandria” and “Back and Forth” are two of the catchiest tracks on the album, easy to sing along to, and “A Matter of Time” hints at older tracks like, “Times Like These” off One by One and “Monkey Wrench” off Colour and the Shape. By the far the darkest track on the album, “Miss the Misery” brings in some of the influences Grohl gained from his time with Them Crooked Vultures and mixes them with the Foo Fighters’ undeniable energy.

Sure, the album doesn’t necessarily break any new ground for the Foos, but it’s a perfect example of what they do best. The Foo Fighters need no prefixes to their brand of rock music; they just rock.

Track listing:

1. Bridge Burning”
2. “Rope”
3. “Dear Rosemary”
4. “White Limo”
5. “Arlandria”
6. “These Days”
7. “Back & Forth”
8. “A Matter of Time”
9. “Miss the Misery”
10. “I Should Have Known”
11. “Walk”

Go to http://wastinglight.foofighters.com/

There are a few bands that I take an unnatural pride in, and being a big advocate for local music, I hold the Lonely Forest near and dear to my heart. A band hailing from the Puget Sound town of Anacortes, Wa., The Lonely Forest has come quite a long way since winning the EMP Sound Off! Competition back in 2006. They’ve released two full-length albums with Burning Building Recordings, played countless shows all around the country and around Puget Sound, and gained a huge local following of young indie rock fans.

With their new release Arrows, The Lonely Forest worked with fellow Washingtonian Chris Walla as the first band signed to his Trans Records, and they put together a fantastic album full of hometown love, epic melodies and passionate performances.

Arrows begins softly with “Be Everything,” a lovely ballad that showcases frontman John Van Deusen’s tender vocals more than any other track on the record, and then it jumps right into the catchy and triumphant “Turn Off This Song And Go Outside.” The catchiness of the song is only matched by its irony, seeing that there’s no possible way that I’d want to turn off the song.

The divergent melodies and messages of “(I Am) The Love Skeptic” and “(I Am) The Love Addict)” are a nice addition to Arrows, but in the scheme of the whole thing, they’re nothing special. I prefer the “Love Skeptic” to the “Love Addict,” for the feisty hook and simple message, “We became too good of friends, and the bullshit, it never ends.” I mean, haven’t we all had one of those?

I feel that the strongest points of Arrows lay in the middle, with “Coyote” and “Tunnels.” The former is a dark and moving track with a killer bass line, and again a seemingly simple chorus line, “I wish you’d come back home, I want to hold your hand.” That’s one of the things I really love about the Lonely Forest – their songs are extraordinarily relatable. The lyrics aren’t overwrought, because the emotion behind them comes from the performance, not the pretentious prose that some bands can fall victim to.

Before I delve into the beauty that is “Tunnels,” let’s talk about “I Don’t Want To Live There.” It’s a song I’ve heard before on the EP that the Lonely Forest released earlier this year, but I have to reiterate how nice it is to have a song that’s so obviously rooted in the Pacific Northwest. It makes me feel proud to be a Washingtonian.

I’ve waited until now to talk about “Tunnels,” because I needed to build up to it, just like the song does so well.

Seriously, this song makes me so excited every time I hear it.  The fact that I get to sing along to the lyric, “obvious contradictions, childish self-afflictions,” is already good enough for me, but the every-growing energy of the song and wall of sound – especially the percussion – exemplifies how good each member of the band is at their craft. But the best part of the song comes in the last minute and a half, where it moves smoothly into the outro of “Ramshackle House,” which isn’t a track on its own on Arrows, but it was on the EP. Honestly, hearing the transition from “Tunnels” to “Ramshackle House” for the first time gave me goosebumps. It’s so perfectly done, and it makes so much sense. That was one concern I had when the EP released, “Where is this song going to go?” That concern flew out the window when I heard the entirety of “Tunnels.”

Arrows closes out just as strongly as it opens, with “Woe Is Me…I Am Ruined,” old hit “We Sing In Time” and the title track. “Woe Is Me” is far different than previous live versions, which were more acoustic, but it’s a perfect example of how good a producer Chris Walla is. He is another reason why I’m proud to be a Washingtonian.

Even though some people might find it weird that the Lonely Forest would put “We Sing In Time” on this album seeing that it was on their last release We Sing the Body Electric, I find it refreshing. The Lonely Forest doesn’t need to follow all the rules. The fans love the song. . And it was a completely different version, with deeper, richer recording and mixing.

The closing track, “Arrows” brings the album to a complete circle, with a softer song showcasing Van Deusen’s vocals and piano. It makes for a quiet close, rather than going out with a bang.

But really, Arrows reads more like a book, with the gradual rising action, the epic climax (“Tunnels,” duh), the much quicker falling action, and then finally the resolution.

And this is definitely one I’ll want to read over and over again.

Tour Dates:

For more information on the Lonely Forest, go to http://www.thelonelyforest.com/

Jesse Lacey had it right with the lyrics “I know that you’re a sucker for anything acoustic.” But we’re not talking about Brand New. This is William Fitzsimmons. This is the man famous for delicious, acoustic-y folk music and one amazing beard. His fifth full-length album Gold in the Shadow will soon be gracing your ears, and believe me. It’s great.

Fitzsimmons had me at “Please Don’t Go” many years ago, and he still has me enraptured now. It was back in the days of the tv drama “ER” when I first heard him. It was such an intense song at the end of an episode and I made it my mission to find out who it was. I frantically typed bits and pieces of lyrics into my phone, saved them as a drafted text message, and Googled until the name William Fitzsimmons came up, and I had found a Youtube video of the song. I probably watched it ten times in a row and may or may not have shed a few tears. Maybe that sounds a little ridiculous.  But that song really struck a chord deep within me. So much passion. It made me feel something that I can only describe as a hopeful sort of melancholy, and I was in love with it.

I pressed play on Gold in the Shadow with nervous fingers. Can you ever go wrong with a soft, crooning voice and delicate acoustic guitars? And then I breathed a sigh of relief. Because it’s William Fitzsimmons. There’s no way this would be a flop. And I couldn’t have been more right.

The album starts out with “The Tide Pulls From the Moon,” a perfect intro to a solid album. It’s catchy and it pulls you, but doesn’t overdo it. My favorite on the album would have to be “The Winter from Her Leaving” and lucky listeners, it’s the third song! I like instant gratification and there’s nothing better than finding the gem just three songs in. The fifth song, “Psychasthenia” immediately brings up thoughts of The Postal Service, to which I was very pleased. There’s a tinge of electronic noise throughout and it’s moody and desperate with the repeated line “cut me open please.” I may have an interest in psychology, but by no means is it my forte. So I had to consult my handy dictionary for the precise definition of  psychasthenia. Here’s what I found: a psychological disorder characterized by phobias, obsessions, compulsions, or excessive anxiety — which makes a lot of sense. Fitzsimmons has a master’s degree in counseling and worked as a mental health therapist for many years. it was at this time when he began recording music. It certainly makes for great song material. His lyrics are personal and that’s what makes his music so compelling. He speaks to you. He speaks right to your soul.

“Let You Break” is a nice change of pace, as we get some female vocals from Julia Stone, of Angus and Julia Stone. I’ve never been a huge fan of her voice. It’s a little too whiny for my taste. But in this situtaion, it works. And it’s been steadily growing on me, so much that I find myself humming her melodies instead of his.

“Wounded Head,” “Tied To Me,” and “What Hold” round out the album and give it a solid finish. It’s hard to keep a steady flow when you’re ten songs deep on your fifth major album. But Fitzsimmons finishes strong. My only qualm? The last song ends so abruptly and leaves me with a “that’s it?” feeling. But then again, maybe that’s the point. Because I find myself going back to the very beginning and starting all over.

Track Listing:

1 The Tide Pulls From the Moon
2 Beautiful Girl
3 The Winter from Her Leaving
4 Fade and then Return
5 Psychasthenia
6 Bird of Winter Prey
7 Let You Break (feat. Julia Stone)
8 Wounded Head
9 Tied to Me
10 What Hold

Spring tour starts soon, so be sure and check out dates here and pick up a copy of Gold in the Shadow. Just $7.99 on iTunes plus 2 bonus tracks.

It’s unfortunate, but electronic music doesn’t really get a fair (mainstream) shake in America. You can see this by the cities most electronic acts and DJs choose to play: New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, and maybe some lucky others in between. My hope, specifically, is for English electronic bands, who traditionally do extremely well in European and Asian markets, to do equally as well here in the U.S. In 2009, I was pulling for Dan Black. Last year I was stumping for Delphic. This year it’s Fenech-Soler, four guys from a little town called Kings Cliffe, who get my vote. When I say little town, I mean that the band (comprised of brothers Ben and Ross Duffy, Daniel Soler, and Andrew Lindsay) is the only thing from there I’ve ever heard about. I had to look the place up in Wikipedia to find out exactly where this was.

This is not a dig. Not at all. Actually, the fact that they wrote their self-titled debut album, released in the UK last fall, in what Fenech-Soler singer Ben Duffy describes as “a little corner of Northamptonshire“ and their “hideaway” makes it all the more unlikely. Their name came up often in conversations I had with friends, but it wasn’t until I heard that the band were chosen as support for Delphic (at an important Manchester Warehouse Project gig in Delphic‘s hometown) that I really took notice.

Listening to their track “Lies,” there’s no surprise why the Manchester trio chose them for a famed rave event like Warehouse Project. The great thing about dance music is (and more than any other genre I think), it doesn’t matter who wrote it or where the band is from. If a song is well-written and has a good beat, you can bet your bottom dollar that it will get people on the dance floor and bodies moving. This is the feeling I get from Fenech-Soler‘s debut release in America, the Demons EP.

The title track of the EP first grabbed me because the chorus reminded me a lot of Dan Black‘s “Alone.” But lyrically, it’s more dense, in a good way. While I give that the words “I’m the one / you’re the drug to ease my pain / I was wondering / if you ever / see me again” isn’t Shakespeare, they work because this is dance music. When you’re on a dance floor, you want a song that has amorous, yearning lyrics and a monster backbeat paired with clean, bouncy synths, so you can sway your arms in the air and move your hips. At least that’s what I look for. Sexy spoken words on a breakdown are always a plus too. “Demons” ticks off all those boxes admirably.

“Stone Bridge” with solid piano chords and equally solid vocals from Duffy shows that the band knows their way outside the stereotypical dance track. The song has a darker, sultry edge that would appeal to people who usually run from dance albums. If I had to compare this song to another band, I’d probably name Keane, who have turned to dance and synth beats for their last two releases (2008′s Perfect Symmetry and 2010′s Night Train). Except for the fact that two-thirds into “Stone Bridge,” Fenech-Soler‘s electronic soul is fully realized. Also included on this EP is the “White Version” of “Demons,” where the band strips down the original track to a slower pace, with Duffy’s gorgeous voice showcased as the beauty that it is. (The band are so nice that they’re offering this song, along with other stripped-down versions of other album tracks “Stop and Stare,” “Battlefields,” and “Contender” for free download on their official website.)

Besides Delphic, Fenech-Soler have recently toured with the likes of White Lies and Kelis, so they’ve got friends in high places. And if you still aren’t convinced about this band, I suggest having a listen to the Groove Armada track “Paper Romance,” featuring Duffy on vocals. All I can say is there must be something in the water in England that somehow makes practically every English electronic band sound fantastic. I’m so glad the Demons EP is finally coming out on this side of the pond. America, get ready. Fenech-Soler is ready to rock your world. Let’s go dancing. And put St. George’s crosses on your cheeks while you’re at it.

Fenech-Soler‘s Demons will be released in America on March 29.

Track Listing
1. Demons
2. Stone Bridge
3. Lies
4. Demons (White Version)

Fenech-Soler: website | myspace | “Demons” video

There aren’t a huge number of Welsh bands that have achieved worldwide superstardom.  But if I had to place a bet on any active UK band, I would put my money on the Joy Formidable.

The band is fronted by a woman, the blonde, beautiful, and irrepressible Ritzy Bryan, and normally even I would be dubious of a woman out front of a indie rock group, but there’s something different here. The brilliant rhythm section of Rhydian Dafydd (bass / vocals) and Matt Thomas (drums) bangs on with equal authority to Bryan’s banging guitar and lead vocals. In May 2010, the trio released an EP in America called A Balloon Called Moaning, eight songs showcasing the band’s sound, mixing up pop, punk, grunge, and rock in an engaging way. This week, the Joy Formidable release their debut album in America called The Big Roar, and this is the kind of album that should make you take notice of this band.

At the start of “The Everchanging Changing Spectrum of a Lie,” the first song on the album, you can hear the sound of balloons being blown up and then being popped, no doubt a nod to their previous EP’s title. When Bryan asks emphatically, “can’t you see I’m good?” you can feel the lyric dripping with her emotion. It’s rare that I come across a female vocalist whose singing sentiment I can relate to; with Ritzy Bryan, you know this is a woman who wears her heart on her sleeve, for our benefit. The aforementioned banging guitars usher in and fill in around the words of “A Heavy Abacus.” The strangely titled “Llaw = Wall” allows Dafydd to take lead vocal duties; the first half of the song is as gentle as a lullaby before the guitars return to snap you back into the reality that is a Joy Formidable album.

This debut album smartly features some of the strongest songs from A Balloon Called Moaning. “Austere” features a thudding, relentless bass line from Dafydd and Bryan’s evocative lyrics. It’s one thing to just bash the hell out of your instruments, but this trio from North Wales seems to have figured out the formula of appropriately balancing guitars and drums to create a compelling soundscape to pair with dreamy lyrics. “Whirring” has Thomas’s military-style drumming, Bryan’s vocals spat out in a similarly staccato fashion. She repeats, “all these things about me you never can tell / you make me sleep so badly, invisible friend.” My guess is that the song is about how something haunts you, like a secret you can’t tell anyone else and how it’s eating you up because you can’t be honest with yourself, let alone other people. Whether your secret is big or small, I think everyone can relate to this.

Then there are the less successful numbers in this collection of 12 songs. “I Don’t Want to See You Like This”; I find the nearly spoken lyrics dry and not at the same high quality of the backing instrumentation. “Maruyama” is a Japanese-flavored dream pop track that doesn’t go anywhere interesting. The guitars and drums fight with Bryan’s voice for authority in “Buoy” and unfortunately the unconvincing instrumentation wins out.

But I can overlook these because there are some real gems in here. “The Greatest Light is the Greatest Shade,” also borrowed from A Balloon Called Moaning, closes The Big Roar in fine fashion: the rhythm is hypnotic, and I love the way Bryan’s voice is soft and angelic despite the crashing guitars around her. It’s inspirational, yet also sad; truth be told, it makes me cry every time. I read it as someone saying goodbye to a lover: what comes after you’ve accepted that the relationship is over is the healing of your own heart, the recognition that brighter days ahead, and the cognizance that you can look to that other person not with hate or regret, but with the acknowledgment and remembrance of something wonderful that you once shared with that person. Which is what I think speaks to me most about the Joy Formidable: somehow they’ve managed to write compelling rock songs that allow you, the listener, to headbang to heavy but complex guitar rhythms, yet have strong lyrical, emotional content. So it shouldn’t be surprising that frontwoman Bryan has named the Smiths as an important musical influence. Get this album, you won’t be disappointed.

The Big Roar by the Joy Formidable is available now from Atlantic Records. Catch the band on their huge tour in North America in March and April, including appearances this week at South by Southwest and next month at Coachella. Support for the tour will be from Mona and the Lonely Forest.

Track Listing:
01. The Ever Changing Spectrum of a Lie
02. The Magnifying Glass
03. I Don’t Want to See You Like This
04. Austere
05. A Heavy Abacus
06. Whirring
07. Buoy
08. Maruyama
09. Cradle
10. Llaw = Wall
11. Chapter 2
12. The Greatest Light is the Greatest Shade

Tour Dates
Mar 17 – Parish / Austin
Mar 17 – Mellow Johnny’s / Austin
Mar 18 – Waterloo Records (in store) / Austin
Mar 18 – Buffalo Billiards / Austin
Mar 19 – Brush Square Park / Austin
Mar 19 – La Zona Rosa / Austin
Mar 22 – Earl / Atlanta
Mar 24 – Coffeehouse @ Duke University / Durham, NC
Mar 25 – Black Cat / Washington, DC
Mar 26 – Valentine’s / Albany
Mar 28 – Met / Providence
Mar 29 – Brighton Music Hall / Allston, MA
Mar 30 – Johnny Brenda’s / Philadelphia
Mar 31 – Terrace Club @ Princeton University / Princeton, NJ
Apr 01 – Abbey / Harrisburg
Apr 02 – Horseshoe Tavern / Toronto
Apr 04 – Basement / Columbus
Apr 05 – Lincoln Hall / Chicago
Apr 06 – 7th Street Entry / Minneapolis
Apr 08 – Larimer Lounge / Denver
Apr 09 – Kilby Court / Salt Lake City
Apr 11 – Mississippi Studios / Portland
Apr 12 – Crocodile / Seattle
Apr 14 – Bottom of the Hill / San Francisco
Apr 16 – Coachella / Indio, CA
Apr 19 – Rhythm Room / Phoenix
Apr 20 – Launchpad / Albuquerque
Apr 22 – Luminary Arts Center / St. Louis
Apr 23 – Riot Room / Kansas City
Apr 26 – Grog Shop / Cleveland
Apr 27 – Smiling Moose / Pittsburgh
Apr 29 – Webster Hall / New York City

The Joy Formidable: website | myspace