The Cold Cut

One of the things I most enjoy about the burgeoning popularity of this blog is the band submissions. A couple of months ago I started to receive a trickle of emails from up-and-coming bands, which has now developed into a proverbial torrent of emails in my inbox. Its a great feeling when people start to value your input, and unfortunately I haven't really gotten around to listening to the majority of the music that's been sent to me. A bit of time has passed, and smaller bands like Destroy Cowboy (see here) have all of a sudden become bigger, supporting Stars and Cold War Kids. Living proof that music is a rapidly changing thing. Anyway, here are a few of the tips that grabbed me:

Synthar
Silky smooth. Those were the words that came to mind when listening to Synthar's new album, 'Evenings And Weekends'. A digital composition, including contributions from musicians all around the world, this album is more of a composition than a series of separate tracks. There are a few wonderful moments- such as on '047' and 'The Robots Among Us'- where a track-to-track transmission occurs, without any indication. The latter song is blessed with a brilliant, choppy guitar riff and some old-school synths. My other recommendations would be 'Beating Drum', a rumbling bass-scape, and 'Hurricanes', which probably walks away as the best track on this album. For a debut, this is impressive stuff, and if true, its a travesty that they are still unsigned. Check out their MySpace!

Synthar- Hurricanes

Tubelord
In short, Tubelord are a bit of a crazy band. On the face of it, they don't seem that different to the dirge of other 'alternative' bands fighting for the podium finish. However, once things kick off (take 'Obstacles'), things go a bit mental. For the first time in a while, I can't quite place my finger on what makes them different, but they are most definitely alternative, stuffing discordant screaming contests and lovely harmonies into cohesive songs. Visit their MySpace here, and listen to Propeller. You won't be disappointed.

Tubelord- Obstacles (link expired...)

Nancy
Css, Bonde De Role... what more has Brazil got to offer? Nancy, that's what. It makes me shudder to mention Nancy in the same sentence as the admittedly psychotic CSS and Bonde De Role. No- Nancy are placed miles away at the other end of the spectrum. Whereas CSS/Bonde De Role play high octane songs at 1,000,000 beats per minute, Nancy are a bit more subdued, less in your face, but no less intriguing. And as much as I love Lovefoxx's lyrics ("music is my beach-house!"), I'm not sure they're a full representation of what Brazil has to offer. Head over to their MySpace and take a listen.

Spitzer
A french dance duo. You don't say? Bringing a noticeable hint of originality to this familiar premise, brothers Bregere were indie musicians by trade, but traded that in for the 'animal beats' of the techno world. The two producers (not musicians, by their own admission) are already a big hit in their native Lyon, crossing over into the blogosphere, and this attention has even found Kylie Minogue request a remix (which still hasn't seen the light of day). I can't really say it better than they themselves: 'Spitzer creates a new map without boundaries nor rules, frenetic and grandiose techno music set in between Nathan Fakes grandiloquence and the rhythmic scathing of Trentmoller'. Their first EP, 'Roller Coaster', is pretty damn good, and whilst individuality is rarity in the techno/dance genres these days, Spitzer do more than enough to keep it fresh, and keep us moving. Visit their MySpace for a few more tracks...

Spitzer- Kaspersky
+Danger
Not really a submission, but Danger is tied to Spitzer in that they're both playing live together at the Local Heroes gig in Lyon on 18th January, and they're both bloody good. Regarding the nature of this post, he isn't getting a full write up, but check out the track below and his MySpace if you're interested.

Danger- 11h30