Brightest Young Things

The ongoing fragmentation of the music industry has made it nearly impossible to stay abreast of developments in indie music. The complex array of RSS feeds, subscriptions and frequent visits to the top music websites, blogs and magazines needed to truly stay ahead is simply too…complex for even the most dedicated music aficionado. One of the better mailgroups on the topic, Excellent-Online, has recently decided to revamp their website to attempt to collect and filter down all these myriad spigots of mp3s and news – we’ll see how that goes. In the meantime, and in the interest of everyone getting on the same damn page, here’s some tracks you probably missed during 2007 (and if you’re too lazy to visit their MySpace pages, so am I):

frYars – Madeline. Hotly tipped by a thousand blogger, frYars are the brainchild of London-based Ben Garrett. With one 7” (and an expanded CD-R) to his credit, he’s a talent, and it’s easy to see why. The glam-stomp diary of a schizoid killer on “The Ides” set tongues wagging, but this CD-R-only bside is a twisting, bizarre tale of…I’m not sure what. Commentary on the famous Madeline disappearance case in Portugal? Who knows? Look out for frYars in 2008.

Vampire Weekend – Walcott. This Brooklyn band has finally started to get the attention they deserve – they played DC to a less-than-packed house earlier last year – and are selling out places like the Bowery Ballroom with aplomb. While they mention Ladysmith Black Mambazo among their influences, I can’t help but think they’re the best soundtrack to a Wes Anderson film that he doesn’t quite have the talent to film. Yet. Picking one track is like picking which limb you like best – Mansard Roof, Ladies of Cambridge (was Boston), A-Punk (Svetlana already picked Oxford Comma earlier this year) – they’re absolutely sick with great tunes, and they’re playing the Rock n Roll Hotel February 6. See you there. Thanks Fritz.

Maps – Stay Another Day. I’ve been following James Champan since his first, self-produced 10”, and since then, it’s been a string of genius singles and one perfect album. Maps is the only really legitimately-signed act of the “probably missed” list (on the legendary home of electronica, Mute records), and this is a gorgeous cover song, though I’ve never heard the original. It’s hard to pick just one song, but this will do – sort of Ulrich Schnauss if he got sick of instrumentals, and sang blessed out Spiritualized-esque electronica.

My Toys Like Me – Sick Couple. This is not quite what I expected when I heard the buzz about the band, and then saw a picture of them. In fact, vocalist Frances Noon one-ups the Cranes and Altered Images in the freaky-weird vocals department, singing over bleeping noises and the occasional lush interlude by programmer Lazlo Legezer. Their second single, Barnaby, is a lot cuter, but this song, with its repetitious vocals and droll delivery is slightly superior.

Dan Le Sac Vs. Scroobius Pip – Thou Shalt Always Kill. This track blew me clear out the back of the room the very first time I heard it. Not as emotional as Letter from Man to God (wicked Radiohead Planet Telex sampling throughout) or as jaw-dropping as the hidden remix of The Beat that My Heart Skipped (check the brilliant Interpol sample at a minute in), but immediate and extraordinary. Like an angry cover of LCD Soundsystem’s “Losing My Edge,” Scroobious reads (at one point, losing his place) through a litany of complaints about modern life, with a pièce de résistance in his recitation of a list of sacred cows, repeating “were just a band” after each one. A nice big smack in the mouth to, well, just about everyone, and the announcement of the arrival of a new flavor of hip hop from the U.K. Thanks Marshall.

TV on the Radio – Me-I. Okay, so they’re way bigger than Maps. And, you’ve heard of them, and, if you don’t have cloth for ears, you adore them. If you haven’t seen the video for Province, take off your shoe and beat yourself into unconsciousness. You deserve it. Anyway, Me-I is FAR less emotionally draining – it came out of nowhere, more in the vein of their original sound, from the humorously-titled Okay, Calculator. It’s promoting Adult Swim, and the video kicks the ass of Michele Gondry until he cries like a little Frenchman and swears to stop making shitty movies.

Friendly Fires – Paris. Take everything that Cale likes about music, boil it down to the perfect 3 minutes song, and you’ve got Friendly Fires’ latest single, Paris. Falsettos, cowbells, love, lush keyboards and a propulsive beat. You want more from pop songs? Forget it. It’s out on a limited single on Moshi Moshi, but don’t worry – you just know it’ll all be re-released when they become the !!!-Out Hud-Air-Bloc Party juggernaut they’re destined to be. In the meantime, revel in the fact that you heard it here (or, who was it, Marshall?) first.

Bellman Barker – Molly Maroon. So, we don’t really hate it when our friends become successful. In fact, we are filled with happiness. For instance, I still think Heartattack by Her Daily Obsession is a rip-roaring rock-n-roll party song. I love it. Here’s DC’s own dismantlement of Belle and Sebastian, making a song that dips and weaves its way through a jolly song about a girl that I take it the lead singer doesn’t really like very much. This makes it the best Irish pub-filling sing-a-long hatesong of the year. Brilliant.

Ting Tings – That’s Not My Name. I feel like I’m only doing this blog because Marshall can’t be arsed. Yet another amazing tune, this time with sexy female vocals and a propulsive dance-floor beat, on a long-sold-out 7”. There have been comparisons to Peaches, but this is better than her collective output. Think Karen O drunk and relaxed and having a damn good time, doing a Go-Gos cover to the music of My Sharona and you’re almost there. Fun.

Sky Larkin – One of Two. The comparisons with the Long Blondes are flying fast and thick on the music blogs, and like most comparisons (see above) they’re the product of unimaginative writers butting their heads against the limits of language. There are not sharply witty observations of the lives of women trying to gain control of their own sexuality. They’re great rock and roll songs. Here’s one, again, out of print on pretty sky-blue vinyl. Enjoy.

Black Kids – I’m Not Going to Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance. The Next Big Thing might be just a band, but they’re just a band from Florida, and they have both one of the most uncomfortable-making band names of the year, and one of the best song titles of 2008. From their Wizard of AHHHs EP, I present yet another dancefloor guitar classic, this time with little flecks of Sarah Records reverb-y guitars, echoed, Robert Smith-ian vocals and more winning moments than the first half of the season at the City of Manchester stadium. Buy their single as soon as it goes on sale or regret it at your leisure.

Cut Off Your Hands – Still Fond. Bands from New Zealand hold a special place in my heart. Good ones, all the more so. This oddly-named band is two eps into their career, and they’ve yet to put a foot wrong. Label Fandango (not to be confused with the Washington, DC-based label, Fandango) has made their niche stealing the best tracks off new bands’ EPs, so, nicking Still Fond from the Blue on Blue EP was a wise call. Here’s some pictures of the lads from the NYC debut – they look like fun. Now if I can only get to see them. It’s more hyperkinetic pop-punk (trend, anyone?), and you might say it’s same-y to a lot of the above, but then again, if you’re the type to say that, then fuck you. I didn’t really mean that – let’s make up, shall we?

Ra Ra Riot – Each Year. I wish I’d listened to BYT. How many times do I have to say that? Too many. Ra Ra Riot are simply fabulous, and BYT was ALL OVER THAT SHIT when they played RnRH back in December. Where was I? Stupidly, stupidly missing out. The vocals are fragile and beautiful, breaking with each refrain; the song is wonderfully composed (reminiscent of New Rhodes) and washed with gorgeous cello (a la Ride’s Vapour Trail or Oasis’ Wonderwall), and, once again, Label Fandango plucked this o’re ripe fruit from their debut EP (a 7” is also available of “Dying Is Fine,” which is not quite as good. Oh, and the Daytrotter session is also not as good – but I mined their own website to find the EP version. HA! SCIENCE! Horrifyingly, the drummer died earlier this year in circumstances that I have yet to hear explained.

Assembly Now – Left Hand Right. I should just buy stock in Label Fandango. They did it again. They did it again – plucking two songs out of the limited roster of yet another amazing band, out of nowhere (and it’s already sold out). So, here they are, three 7” singles in, yet another of this incredible crop of amazing 2007 bands that are making guitar indie in the best way possible. This is a special treat, being a demo not available on the proper records (the other two tracks from that demo appeared on their debut single). The toured with the Wombats (I can see that) and the Noisettes (that must’ve been one hell of a tour) in the U.K. Here’s to hoping they cross the pond to visit us.

Cajun Dance Party – Amylase. I ignored the early warnings about this band, frankly, because I thought the name was daft. Stupid old me. Amylase kicks off with an intro nicked from the Go! Team’s fabulous Huddle Formation before settling down into a winning and winsome tune, with gorgeous English rainy-day keyboards over a driving song that comes into a rapturous conclusion, starting about a minute from time. Enjoy.

Yeaysayer – Sunrise. Cale and Marshall worked overtime this year uncovering marvelous music. I’ve detailed many of Marshall’s fine finds, but this one belongs solely to Cale. It’s a strange song, with falsetto vocals, bizarre digressions, handclaps and a childrens’ choir, but somehow it all hangs together with grace and beauty – and it’s the b-side of their first single. The a-side, 2080 (Svetlana’s pick of the week in September), and the self-titled album continue in the vein of weirdness to the point of distraction. In fact, their label’s website points to BYT for track samples (though the above link is the complete tune). They play the Black Cat Backstage on Wednesday, January 16. Expect a crowd.

There are some other tracks I would recommend, but I think you should have a feel for by now. They include Beirut’s luminous A Sunday Smile, Jens Lekman’s A Postcard to Nina and
Kanske Är Jag Kär i Dig, Patrick Wolf’s (Let’s Go) Get Lost, Gravenhurst’s Trust, LCD Soundsystem’s Someone Great, Franz Ferdinand’s cover of All My Friends, Shout Out Louds’ Hard Rain, Apartment’s 10,000 Times, Wombat’s Let’s Dance to Joy Division, Duke Spirit’s Masca, The Rakes’ We Danced Together, 1990s’ You Made Me Like It, Bloc Party’s I Still Remember (Music Box and Tears Remix), British Sea Power’s Atom, Teenagers’ Homecoming, Kate Nash’s Caroline’s a Victim, Los Campesinos!’s You Throw Parties We Throw Knives, Bat for Lashes’ What’s a Girl to Do?, Maxïmo Park’s Girls Who Play Guitars and Our Velocity, Jack Penate’s Second Minute or Hour and Torn on the Platform, Malcolm Middleton’s Fight Like the Night, Editors’ Smokers Outside Hospital Doors and An End Has a Start, Grinderman’s No Pussy Blues, Sarah Nixey’s Strangelove, Björk’s Earth Invaders, Ulrich Schnauss’ Look at the Sky (Rob McVey Remix), Long Blondes’ Five Ways to End It (Erol Alkan Remix), Caribou’s Melody Day, Zach Condon’s Venice, Shrag’s Hopelessly Wasted, Oohlas’ Small Parts, Cut Copy’s So Haunted, Clientele’s Isn’t Life Strange, Radiohead’s 15 Step and Sigur Rós’ Hjómalind.

I was particularly looking forward to sharing Good Shoes – Small Town Girl, but I can’t find a link to the original demo version, and, to be frank, the 7” version on Brille was a huge letdown, only to be surpassed in crap-ness by the Stephen Street remake. I understand the need to make money by putting out chart records, but taking the “fuck” out of good songs is wrong.