Sorry folks, no confessions of scandalous behavior with an underage lolita to be found here. You’ll have to read my personal journal for trash of that nature. Pretty & Nice are actually a Boston-based band whose new album will drop tomorrow. The effort is titled Get Young and will be the last release Hardly Art will serve us this year.

Fans of quirky new wave bands are bound to love this album. If you’ve ever found yourself staying in on a Friday night and dancing to XTC or Squeeze albums, I guarantee this is going to put a smile on your face. Aquarius was even bold enough to call Get Young “one of the pop records of the year”. Listen and tell me what you think, cos I’m having difficulty thinking for myself lately.

MP3: Pretty & Nice - “Tora Tora Tora”

Bert Audubert (Bass, Guitars), Loz Colbert (Drums), Mark Crozer (Vocals, Guitars), Paul Crozer (Guitar), Steve Coe (Piano), and Fi McFall (Vocals)

The debut release from International Jetsetters will be released via Planting Seeds tomorrow. The Oxford-based band consists of singer and guitarist Mark Crozer (of The Jesus And Mary Chain fame), drummer Loz Colbert (The Jesus And Mary Chain, Ride), lead guitarist Paul Crozer, vocalist Fi McFall, and and bass player Bert Audubert. The British press are raving about the band describing them as,”an amalgamation of everything that was great about indie rock, when that term actually meant something.”

The Jetsetters recently shared the stage with The Inspiral Carpets and The Whigs among others. They have also played the festival circuit. While BBC Radio and the UK press continue to praise their music, the band are making a noise that is being taken seriously.

Look for an interview with the band on the site soon!

MP3: International Jetsetters - “Inside Yourself”

As many of you already know, Radiohead have decided to leave the remixing for their next single up to their fans - much as they did with ‘Nude’. You can buy the stems to ‘Reckoner’ on iTunes (in the plus format, so they can be used with multiple programs). The mixes can be uploaded on RadioheadRemix.com until Oct 23rd, where they will be voted on by the public. They promise that the band will listen to the mixes with the most votes.

One remixer, Brendan Merrick, sent along his take on ‘Reckoner’ for us to enjoy. You can stream it using the widget above or download it below. And be sure to let him know what you think!

MP3: Radiohead - Wreckin’ Er (Smash The Bitch Remix)
MP3: Radiohead - Reckoner

- Sean

It’s out tomorrow, October 7th. I have to say that I’ve been rocking these 5 songs for hours straight while I’ve been sick in bed this weekend. Alternating between wanting to cry & kill useless animals like possums, this music is good.

Honestly, I’ve never listened to them. There is too much music out there as it is & who has time?

Nevermind man, Antony reminds me of a male CocoRosie. Well, CocoRosie sound like men anyhow. Good stuff, Gina likes. So much she came out of hiding to mention Antony & the J’s.

Antony & The Johnsons Website.

-Gina Argentina

Since it’s a rainy Sunday here in Tampa, I figured I might as well make myself a little mix of my favorite songs I’ve found throughout the interwebs this past week. Since I’m already going to the trouble for myself, why not just share it with everyone? Interested? Then clicky clicky below for a downloadable mix.

MP3: This Floridian Life

27 minutes

Tracklisting:

1. Cold Dust Girl by Hey Champ

2. When You’re Around by Frankmusik and Boys Noize

3. Hit The Lights (Rock House) by Millsted

4. Chip by The Real McKenzies

5. Headphones (Logarhythmix) by The Aluminum Group

6. You Haven’t Told Me Anything by Keane

7. Aeon by South Central

8. She’s Not Your Witch by House of Cosy Cushions

Like it? Don’t like it? Wish I put some Deadmau5 in it? Leave a comment below and give us some feedback so we can improve!

- Keath (MySpace)

MONDAY
OCTOBER 6, 2008

FREE! ALL AGES!
Doors @ 8:00 PM

DETAILS BELOW

@ The Ottobar
12549 N Howard St
Baltimore, MD 21218

(410) 662-0069

PLEASE NOTE:

This show is first come and first served.
So get there early and stay in line.

MP3: The Kills - Sour Cherry

- Sean

Here is Kelli’s description:

My new Rocking Horse album is finally finished and will be released on November 24th 2008.

I wrote the album whilst traveling across California and Mexico after leaving London in 2004.

The songs were inspired by our journey, sacred canyons in Mexico, the vast wilderness of California, time spent in San Francisco and L.A. listening to new music and were written over our time spent on the open road, hitching rides with Mexican truck drivers, sleeping under the stars and watching the flames of the campfires shape stories and dreams to be made into songs.

The only instrument I had taken on our journey was a small acoustic guitar, which I named El Nino. It came everywhere with me, and I wrote all of the songs on the album on this guitar. I was also most excited to explore a new sound and found that I was naturally writing songs which required a different vocal approach.

On returning to England, I asked Max Richter to produce the album and we began working together in Scotland In Spring 2008. The album was completed at the end of summer.

My Rocking Horse album is very different from my earlier records and is a collection of songs which resemble dark modern nursery rhymes at times. Odes to the magic of nature and dreams and reflections on my journey are at the heart of these songs.

Acoustic guitars, flute and cor anglais, violins, cello, organ and piano are just some of the instruments we used to interpret the dreamy, folk and modern classically inspired songs.

I believe that we have created a tapestry of enchanting music and haunting melody in the Rocking Horse album, and I am very excited to share this new record with you.

I will be publishing a journal which I kept whilst making the Rocking Horse album on my www.kelliali.com website over the coming weeks.

I am now rehearsing with my band and we will be playing songs from the Rocking Horse album all over London and the UK this winter. The band consists of Jane South on flute and Peter Shoulder on acoustic guitar and for headline gigs, we will be joined by Alex Beamont ..o and Stef Pilcher on Violin.

I’m so very excited to be playing with such talented musicians, it feels amazing to be playing live again after three years of being adrift and wandering.

MP3: Kelli Ali - One Day At A Time

Reviews

Experimusic.com: At its best, ‘Rocking Horse’ plows the noir-ish and poignant depths of candle-lit leftfield folk.

Wound magazine: “Stunning - it is immense. A sprawling lament to lost innocence”

Kelli Ali ”Rocking Horse’ Tourdates:
Wed Oct 8 - Hoxton Bar and Grill - London (w/Hjaltalin and The Loose Salute)
Wed Oct 15 - The Slaughtered Lamb - London (headlining w/Chris Bathgate and Bethia Beadman)
Mon Nov 3 - Madame Jo Jo’s - London (supporting Jessie J)
Tue Nov 4 - The Bedford in Balham - London (free gig)
Fri Nov 28 - The Hare and Hound - Birmingham (supporting Greg Weeks from Espers)

- Mark

House of Cosy Cushions
Animal Dreams

House of Cosy Cushions have an almost fragile darkness about them, like a brittle chocolate that’s breaks apart on touch. With the closest analogy being a three-way collision between Muse, Placebo, and PJ Harvey, Animal Dreams lives in the unorthodox songwriting of Richard Bolhuis, who was apparently never told songs aren’t supposed to sound this way so, unaware, he went and made it work.

And yes it works - and works well. Each song is a delicate collection of elements which shouldn’t go together but somehow are a darkly beautiful mix that you’re afraid to touch for fear of it shattering. It’s not an album to put on at your next house party - rather, it’s an album to put on in times of introspection and deep thought. It’s challenging to be sure, but rewarding.

Me being me, my favorite off the album is the more uptempo She Dances, which sounds positively Peter Murphy-ish, but I’d be remiss in my album-reviewer duties if I didn’t point out the beauty of the opening chord progression in “Come Dance,” the ethereal backing vocals in “Angel Glow,” the deranged Western feel of “Animal Dream,” the menacing playful horn in “She’s Not Your Witch,” the weaving violin riff in “Good Old Love.” Animal Dreams is filled with such moments - little snapshots of an upside down world gone right, mismatched parts that, in one unpredictable instant, become a complete and beautiful picture. A worthwhile listen.

MP3: House of Cosy Cushions - Animal Dreams

Millsted
Umm … Yea

Bands like Millsted are why I listen to music - accomplished musicians who take skillful songwriting chops and use it to fucking rock your life upside down. They’re a band still playing with their sound, cycling between straight out modern rock like Kaiser Chiefs (”Hit The Lights (Rock House)”), technically-challenging rock like Living Colour (”The Black Anger”), classic punk like Minor Threat (”The Anticipation Station”), and jazzy Big Beat grooves like Fatboy Slim (that hidden track 8 minutes after “The End”).

Even with my speakers turned all the way up, the floor shaking from the bass, it’s still not loud enough. You listen to tracks like “Hit The Lights (Rock House)” and wonder if it’d be possible for Millsted to rock any more, then they hit you up with “The Fucking Bronze” and you’re blown away all over again.

We’ve shared “Dirty Elvis” with you before (it’s still wicked good) but this is our first chance to see the range of Millsted on display. There’s something here for everyone, although perhaps not everything here is for everyone. I think the common reaction will be a collection of tracks you love, many you’ll listen to, and a couple you’ll skip. What those tracks are, of course, will vary depending on each person, which makes Umm … Yea such a treat. I love “Hit The Lights,” “The Culprit,” “The Fucking Bronze,” and “Dirty Elvis” - check it out and see which ones you can’t live without.

MP3: Millsted - Dirty Elvis

- Keath (MySpace)

Our friends in Heads We Dance sent over this nifty DJ Mix they made for their new residency in Leeds called Nailgun. It’s chock-full of delicious dancefloor goodies, a few of which I’ve included individually below. Download the mix, and by all means check out the night if you happen to be in Leeds on a Thursday night. The band also encourage you to contact them with song requests as well as for spots on the guestlist!

The band also have a new single coming out next month called ‘The Human Touch’/'You Are Never Alone With Model 21′ through Gold City Records. The single includes remixes by Charlie Fanclub, Louis La Roche, Harris Robotis & more TBA.

DOWNLOAD THE MIX: HWD Nailgun Mix

NAILGUN TRACKLISTING:
Daft Punk - Fresh
Le Knight Club - Nymphae Song
Simian Mobile Disco - Hustler (Joakim Remix)
MSTRKRFT - Bounce (Felix Cartal Remix)
Treasure Fingers - Cross The Dancefloor (Lifelike Remix)
The Presets - Talk Like That (Miami Horror Remix)
Cut Copy - Hearts On Fire (Knightlife Remix)
Public Enemy - Harder Than You Think (NeOn Remix)
The Kills - Cheap and Cheerful (SebastiAn Remix)
The Black Ghosts - Any Way You Choose To Give It (Boy 8 Bit Remix)
A-Trak - Say Whoa
Ladyhawke - Dusk Till Dawn (Linus Loves Remix)
Chromeo - Tenderoni (MSTRKRFT Remix)
2pac - California Love (Big Na$ty Remix)
MGMT - Kids (Soulwax Nite Version)
Black Affair - Tak! Attack!
Madonna - Into The Groove (Sidechains Remix)

- Sean

I first got wind of Tom Vek through my buddy (and now fellow blogger) Elhaam. She sent me a StarTime sampler that had ‘CC (You Set The Fire In Me)’ on it. My interest was piqued, and I noticed there was quite a buzz building around the Londoner. Not only because of his catchy tunes, but because he was such an accomplished multi-instrumentalist (he played most every instrument on his debut record himself).

Then we had two great remixes by Paul Epworth - a.k.a. Phones - for ‘Aint Saying My Goodbyes’ and ‘Nothing But Green Lights’ (that latter of which I still have on 12-inch green vinyl) that solidified his popularity on dancefloors the world around. His debut was subsequently hailed by the likes of Pitchfork, URB and Blender, which is a motley crew of critics if ever I saw one.

So nearly 4 years on, where’s he been?

Working on the follow-up to We Have Sound, apparently. At least according to his official website - Tom himself hasn’t said so much as a peep about it. He was also in the - from what I can tell - short-lived Naked Babes with Devonte of Test Icicles fame. Naked Babes never seemed to have much by the way of output, and their Myspace hasn’t been logged into since Dec of ‘06. So in this instance, I don’t have a very definitive answer for ‘Whatever Happened To’ Tom Vek, other than he’s holed up somewhere working on new material and someday we’ll hopefully hear that material. In the meantime, here are some classics from the recent past to keep you going.

MP3: Tom Vek - Ain’t Saying My Goodbyes
MP3: Tom Vek - Nothing But Green Lights (Phones Madchester 90’s Mix)

- Sean