Here We Go Magic - "Pigeons" - reminds me of Feelies family

Here We Go Magic is yet another in the seemlessly endless succession of bands out of Brooklyn. Just what is in the water there! This track is "Collector" off the album "Pigeons" and it really reminds me "Crazy Rhythms"-era Feelies and that is high praise indeed. But it's another Feelies-related act that springs to mind when listening to the rest of the album, the almost entirely forgotten Speed the Plough,  a brilliant band featuring various Feelies folks which released quite a few good albums and two spectacularly wonderful ones ("Speed the Plough" 1989 and "Wonder Wheel" 1991). I'd really recommend these if you ever see them (sadly they are long out of print). In the meantime  check out Here We Go Magic's album - it's definitely one of my faves so far this year.

ADDENUM 7th Aug 2010: I changed the Speed the Plough link above after John from the band informed me they were very much still going and have a current website with info on their activities.




MP3 - Here We Go Magic - Collector
MP3 - Here We Go Magic - Casual

Joy Orbison - "The shrew would have cushioned the blow "

I had my doubts about Joy Orbison's Hyph Mngo single last year which was the subject of much hyperbole. It had a decent filtered synth hook but the drums sounded too mechanical and quantized to me. I was also amazed that no-one seemed to suggest it owed a fair bit to Todd Edwards with it's cut-up vox. But I do love this latest EP which sounds much more organic to me. The wierdly titled "The shrew would have cushioned the blow" does suggest this chap might have "it" after all. Great stuff.

Crate digging: Sandy Nelson "Drums A Go Go"

This is a scrumptious little vinyl find from junk-shop crate in Norwich. I only really bought it for the ace cover (and vaguely knowing about Sandy Neslon as a top-notch 60s drummer). I paid a quid and didn't even haggle (though any self-respecting crate-digger should have - even at that price - must have been the sunny weather:-). The sleeve is near perfect but the vinyl looks scratchy. But it's one of those wierd ones that actually plays really well (sometimes it goes the other way - looks great - plays terrible). It's actually a cracking record - particularly the title track. Because it's a drummer's record the beats are mixed really high up so in that sense it has a modern sounding power. Anyway - look at the sleeve and delight.

Note to self Maschine and Kore

Bit of beat this but I want to rember how to do this trick with my new Maschine sequencer.

Hot Chip's "I feel better" video

Generally not a big music vid fan but I love this from Hot Chip who by the way were so brilliant when they played the O2 in Bristol in Feb that even that awful venue was bearable. This video is hilarious.

Hot Chip - I Feel Better

Hot Chip | MySpace Music Videos

"Dreaming" by Allo Darlin'

A sugar-rush of indie-pop sweetness this, that really puts a spring in the step of thoughts of Spring. It's as catchy as a summer cold but it's real killer punch is that it's a boy girl duet, in the grand tradition of Sonny and Cher or Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra. Out on Fortuna Pop home of fellow C86 flag bearers Pains of Being Pure at Heart - in fact the vibe of this song echos POBPAH's yummy little nugget "Young Adult Friction".

No more Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy, my favourite band of last year is no more! A cause for consternation you might think? Well not really. Owen Pallett has simply decided to release his music under his own name rather than FF (which was always more well known as a computer fantasy game anyway). Truth is it was a slightly naff name anyway. I'm really looking forward to the new album, "Heartland", now by Owen Pallett, which is out on January 11th.