2008 looks like being a particularly strong year for music new and old and certain other recommendation lists may be guaranteed to list those that will sell well this year, it`d be damn nice if this lot did well too. Ladies and Gents I give you the Culturedeluxe tips for 2008...
ALPHABEAT
An unashamedly happy-funk group from Denmark, Alphabeat are guaranteed to appeal to the lime green jeans generation, with jumping and hand-waving / singing along, they`re an almost dead cert for the summer festival season. Imagine The Magic Numbers entering Eurovision, and you`re pretty close.
MySpace
Download: Alphabeat - `Fantastic 6 (Radioclit Remix)`
THE BRUTE CHORUS
Combining the backward-gazing blues schtick of the White Stripes with the kooky fantasies of early T-Rex on their debut download only single `Chateau`, brand new UK four-piece The Brute Chorus look set to offer an exciting alternative to anyone sick of glowsticks and ready for a good old stomp-a-long.
MySpace
Download: The Brute Chorus - `She Was Always Cool`
BSOD
Although one half of BSOD (deadmau5) looks set already to claim 2008 for his own, in their own right BSOD bring the correct elements of techno and house together with big huge hooks that have often been missed in the last few years.
MySpace
COMMIX
Bringing some sleek stylings back to drum & bass after the last few years of blunt and gnarly drum & bass.
MySpace
HYSTEREO
Remember when dance music was about structured tracks rather than glitchy electro edits ? Hystereo incorporate best of both worlds and look set to become 2008`s must have remixers.
MySpace
Download: Hystereo - `Validity Revision`
LAURA MARLING
Since popping up on The Rakes` second album, Laura Marling has impressed a lot of people in a short period of time by supporting Jamie T and The Maccabees and putting in an astonishing performance on Later... Her debut album is out in February, followed by a small headline tour with tickets only available with a limited edition version of her album. Oh, and she`s still only 17.
MySpace
Download: Laura Marling - `New Romantic`
LIGHTSPEED CHAMPION
Dev Hynes is nothing if not prolific. Since the Test Icicles went up in smoke he`s given away as much music as he`s released `officially`. He`s also now finished the comic from which he takes his name and produced reams of stream of semiconscious babblings on his blog. Back to the music though his album is excellent and he`s a charismatic performer. Success could well be his but I suspect he`d be just as happy continuing to broadcast tunes from his kitchen to YouTube.
MySpace
Download: Lightspeed Champion - `All To Shit`
MARTINA TOPLEY-BIRD
After her last collaboration with Tricky we were made to wait a few years before Martina`s debut album. Since that was Mercury-nominated in 2003 we`ve had to wait again but she`s coming back strongly. Produced by Danger Mouse (who has also been quiet recently), `The Blue God`, despite being recorded last year, isn`t due until May but it`s worth waiting for.
MySpace
NEON NEON
You just can`t beat a supergroup can you? Well, providing they aren`t called Tin Machine anyway. Neon Neon are a huge project run by Super Furry Animal frontman Gruff Rhys, American producer Boom Bip and a series of guests including The Magic Numbers, Spank Rock and Har Mar Superstar. Last year`s homage to Ms Welch - `Raquel` - introduced their gaudy 80`s pop perfectly and debut album `Stainless Style` will be one of this year`s must-have long-players.
MySpace
Download: Neon Neon - `I Told Her On Alderaan`
PETE AND THE PIRATES
Reading boys Pete and the Pirates may have the worst name since, well Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, but their output thus far (they`re about to release their fifth single and debut album) has been strong enough to support fifteen men AND a dead man`s chest. With a sound that brings to mind recent successes such as The Futureheads and Young Knives there`s plenty to suggest these boys will finish the year in the hearts of many.
MySpace
Download: Pete and the Pirates - `Not a Friend`
PHILIP JEAYS
Jacques Brel reincarnated or Scott Walker`s true heir apparent? You decide. If songs about blind guide dogs, brothels and fallen woman are your bag, dig this!
MySpace
THE PROTAGONIST
Spoken word, beats and bleeps from beat bohemian and critical theorist! Album soon available through Stroboscopic records in the states.
MySpace
Download:The Protagonist - `I Superbrain!`
RINGO DEATHSTARR
When one of Ringo Deathstarr`s demos was passed on to me very early on I thought that finally found perfection. Their following self titled EP has rarely been away from either my mp3 or cd player this year. and I hope they get the exposure they truly deserve in 2008. With MBV and JAMC reforming, their stage is set.
MySpace
Download: Ringo Deathstarr - `Sweet Girl`
THE WHIP
Indie-electro-dance quartet from Manchester The Whip have been quietly infiltrating the underground dance scene for a while. However, with their debut single `Sister Siam` out during December, and the hotly anticipated album produced by Arctic Monkeys fella Jim Abbiss some time this year, we could see these guys rocketing to stardom in the new year.
MySpace
Download: The Whip - `Sister Siam (Justin Robertson Remix)`
THE WILD SWANS
Seriously! They have arisen from the ashes of decades past, purveyors of what Bill Drummond refers too as the greatest single ever made `The Revolutionary Spirit.` Not a reformation but a recontinuation of scholarly erudite pop.
MySpace
WOOG RIOTS
Italian-German boy-girl act Woog Riots have built up a sizable following around Europe with their own brand of `twee-rave` and `riotpop` successfully combining the sound of The Wedding Present and Television Personalities with their unique observations. John Peel would almost certainly have approved.
MySpace
Download: Woog Riots - `King of Pop`
YEASAYER
If nothing else they deserve an award for Least Annoying Use of Kids Singing. Brooklyn`s Yeasayer have a sound that`s not easy to categorise - there`s folk, rock and psychedlia in there and an Eastern influence too - but genres are artificial devices anyway. Let`s just say they make good music - certainly they`re collecting strong reviews wherever they go. They`re coming over to Europe soon and will be making a couple of appearances in the UK in March.
MySpace
Download: Yeasayer - `Final Path`
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
Following tours with MGMT and Beck, psychedelic New Yorkers Yeasayer are to play a one off gig at Club Uncut at King's College London on August 20th as a warm up up to their Reading and Leeds appearances.
Yeasayer will play Leeds Festival on 22nd August and Reading on 24th.
Don't mind me folks...I'm just popping up here as this article is so short it's fucking up our news page. But seriously, go and see these guys...they're pretty awesome. - Ed.
Nick Foster (View Original Article)
Anyone still looking for tickets to this year's T in the Park at face value will need to know that the organisers are putting up a very small number for sale to the public on Monday 16th June at 9am through
Ticketmaster.
Although this year's line-up is on the lean side (particularly the open air stages) there's still plenty to excite you from the likes of The Futureheads, Chemical Brothers, Los Campesinos!, Rage Aaginst the Machine, dEUS, Erol Alkan, Sons & Daughters, The Stranglers, Band of Horses, MGMT, Lightspeed Champion, Little Man Tate, Aphex Twin, Justice, DJ Hell, Miss Kittin & The Hacker, Rob Da Bank, Primal Scream, Echo & The Bunnymen, Vampire Weekend, The Ting Tings, Interpol, Hot Chip, Seasick Steve, Battles, 1990s and Yeasayer among others!
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
That big list in pink above this article represents all the acts that CDX readers should find enjoyable if any of you are lucky enough to be heading Austin-wards for this year's SXSW music conference and festival. It runs from Tuesday 11th March until Sunday 16th March and features every band from around the world that are worth their salt and on the way up to fame.
Some more famous, yet interesting, inclusions are R.E.M., Daryl Hall, Was (Not Was), Hanson, The Presidents of the United States of America, Tia 'Wayne's World' Carrera and Dolly Parton.
The list is, naturally, subject to change and can be viewed in its entirity here. As always the site will expand with exact dates, venues and times and, hopefully, a considerable collection of free MP3 files to download.
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
This sounds as if it were recorded on a remote Greek island by the entire population playing, banging and shaking every instrument, no matter how rudimentary, that comes to hand. Not only that, it sounds effing marvellous - call Demis Roussos and tell him his days in the Kaftan are numbered!
Richard Brown (View Original Article)
