The Cold Cut

I'm going to keep this as short as possible: this post is acting as one of my 'breaks'... let me just fill you in. I'm at school at the moment, on study leave, and doing exams (every other day, it seems). To be honest, I'm wiped out. There is something sad about the existence that all final year students have at this point: much partying lies over the horizon, but at the moment all I do is sleep, get up, work. Rinse and repeat. It's boring, and at this moment, I'm severely tired of maths, chemistry and physics.

A few things to clear up: I apologise to all of you who have been sending me nice emails with music at the moment. I know I've been shit... Let me explain: I'm at school, and when I'm here I can't access MySpace or many other similar sites, so as much as I would love to listen to your music (trust me- I always listen to submissions... always), I can't post tracks unless you send me mp3 files. This wont be the case for much longer- I'll be out of here in 3 weeks. Oh, and please keep filling up my inbox. I love it, and promise to catch up when I'm free.

Okay, so just going to rattle out some of the great stuff from my inbox, and a few new tracks that I completely missed.

The Subways are back. Who, you might ask? Well, back in 2004, this three-piece were a huge indie hit: their songs were featured in various TV ads and also the O.C. (always a sign of success... sic). They're due to release their new album on 30th June, 'All Or Nothing'. Early signs show that the four year break has been very beneficial. Download the two new album tracks below. Myspace

The Subways- Alright (Link 2)
The Subways- Girls And Boys (Link 2)

I'm not entirely sure about this Justice remix of 'Electric Feel'. It's a little bit of a clanger, and the pitch change takes the retro vibe from the original. Regardless, it's a Justice remix, and whilst I'm beginning to think they need a break, it's another remix to add to their pile of inventive re-tools.

MGMT- Electric Feel (Justice Remix) (Link 2)

Okay- I'm starting to run out of steam (the little I even have left):

The Brakes- Into The Ground (Link 2)
Wow. Please bear in mind that this is live. Unbelievably tight. That's the kind of bond formed by a band who all went to middle school together, and have been recording since then. Myspace

CHAINGANG- Holiday (Link 2)
I eagerly await more news from this Australian group. Crunching bass, some urgent vocals and a new sound (very rare these days) have already set these guys apart. Impressive. Myspace

Roses, Kings, Castles- Sparklin Bootz (Link 2)
If you had told me that Adam Ficek from Babyshambles has a better voice than Pete Doherty, I wouldn't know what to make of it. And I don't. Oh, and his music is a little more tame that 'Fuck Forever'. Myspace

I'm starting to get snowed under by all the emails- if I don't mention you, I apologise... it's not because I don't like you, just time issues!

Delorentos- Any Other Way
Catchy tunes abound with this Dublin based 4 piece. They particularly caught my eye through their painstaking attention to detail- as well as taking this approach with the music, it also extends across to their home page/Myspace. Oh, and their album titles- latest offering 'In Love With Detail' received extremely positive reviews, being hailed as 'the sound of a band realising their potential'. True dat- How many other bands can actually pull off indie-pop?

Situationists- This City Holds Us All
Their introduction comes in the form of a four part harmony, arresting as it is: 'ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba'. The message is clear: this is a band that will not be ignored. Musically located somewhere between The Futureheads and The Kooks (amiable qualities only!), their brilliant new EP- 'This City Holds Us All'- is excitingly, only a taste of what is to come. Head over to Myspace for a listen to three of the four EP tracks...

Thos Henley- Bleeding Love
A cover of Leona Lewis' 'Bleeding Love' really shouldn't work. Deprived of the powerhouse notes, and that voice, this should fall flat on its ass. It doesn't- not in the able hands of Thomas Henley (band spelling intentional). Instead, the song is stripped right back to its emotional roots. Who needs X-Factor?

His Myspace contains many more gems ripe for discovery... (Thomas just left Rival Joustas- a popular band in their own right- to go solo)

Of Fate And Chance- Bravery

The Sweet Serenades- Coming Closer
What musical steroids are they giving the Swedish these days? Another Jens Lekman appears every week! The latest band carrying the torch are The Sweet Serenades, a duo throwing a mix of 'whoos', folk tendencies and that little gritty bit of garage together to create some catchy tunes. The result= pop music that never verges into the 'you can have too much of a good thing' territory. Sweet, but never sickly...

I'm feeling really uninspired today- creativity is out of the question- and a couple of great bands have been literally festering in my inbox for a while now. Well, today, your time has come.

The Mission District- An interesting one, this. Canadian 6-piece The Mission District sound as if they know exactly what they're doing, and where they're going, mixing the best bits of textbook rock and pop into some infectious tunes. Their debut EP, 'Youth Games', is due any day now (March 1), and you can take it from me, its fairly impressive. For an up and coming band, the production blows most of the competition out of the water, with clean cut vocals, catchy riffs and some cool electronic effects. David Rancourt also holds a place deep in my heart for his distinctive voice, one day destined to be heard on a radio near you.

The Mission District- Heartbreaker (removed by request)

Replaced by: The Mission District- Anchor

Check out their MySpace page for more tracks and info...

The Hysterics- Another band, another distinctive voice. About halfway through 'Mostly Untitled', the band unveil 'Good Vibrations'-esque harmonies and some mature musicianship. March 4th is a date to mark in your diary, when their long awaited debut EP is finally released. They've had a hard time of it, after being picked up by V2 just as it fell apart; the album was finished though, and this time around its being released on their own label.

The Hysterics- Mostly Untitled

Hear more on thier MySpace page

The Black Hollies- Retro is the word that first comes to mind, and whilst the band might dislike the comparisons, they are unmissable. If you like Cream, Pink Floyd or other classic groups, then the Black Hollies are most likely for you. 'Paisley Pattern Ground' sounds like the 90's never happened, taking you back to your heyday (I'm a bit young for it)... They've taken the music right back to its roots, and then developed into something familiar, but fresh.

The Black Hollies- Paisley Pattern Ground

More tracks are available on the MySpace page

The LK- My favourite, and most unexpectedly awesome submission of the week was this unknown band from Malmo, Sweden. 'Private Life Of A Cat', the only track that has yet graced my ears, is a beautiful song, emanating a real sense of warmth and happiness. For a few minutes, I really felt quite warm and fuzzy, an emotion which music doesn't generally elicit in me. Under label The Kora Records, the band- a collaboration between Lindefelt and Frederik, both popular artists, I'm informed- will be releasing 'Vs. The Snow', and touring, including dates at SXSW and The Kennedy Center.

The Lk- Private Life Of A Cat

Check out their MySpace page for some more tracks