Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will

When I first discovered this band back in late 2008 (yes I did spend the first 18 years of my life beneath a rock), the first thought that crossed my mind was whether Mogwai knew the derogative nature of their title. It's a pretty sweet original name for a band nonetheless, but being a British expatriot who grew up in Hong Kong, I've always been fully aware of the (desensitized) term Gweilo which some locals refer to Westerners by; roughly translating from Cantonese to mean "foreign devil" or "ghost man". HOWEVER, after doing a bit of homework it turns out that the term Mogwai comes from the fictional furry creature from the Gremlins films. So a slap on the wrists, and shame on me for making such ignorant assumptions.

Anyway, this Mogwai is far from being fictional or furry. The Glaswegian five-piece released their 7th studio album Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will in February earlier this year, which is filled with tunes of the same delicate chaos as ever before. This most recent album continues to commemorate Mogwai's dynamical beauty that contrasts loud, thrashing distortion and drums against softer, more pensive sections of ambience that are impeccably free to be explored through their long-length tracks. While there is a darkness to their sound, Mogwai continue to give a sense of predetermined improvisation to their melodies as if telling an instrumental story that, without fail, leads to an orgasmic musical climax of emotional power that feels joyous and elegiac at the same. 

Courtesy of TLOBF

A Different Kind of Fix - Bombay Bicycle Club

There's a definite sound to the current climate that is British indie music. It's a very distinct mix of indie meets pop meets rock, which subsequently meets contemporary-influenced folk, and ultimately leading to very bouncy musical composition of upbeat rhythms and twiddly guitar riffs, peppered with underlays of electronic effects. Bombay Bicycle Club have conquered that sound, and with the release of their third album A Different Kind of Fix, I can't help but feel a little disheartened by the overt similarities between this and their previous releases. However, what can be said is that the musical arrangement of this album has been clearly composed with love and an undeniable amount of effort. As recognizable with Bombay Bicycle Club, there's a brilliant fusion between folk-influenced guitar parts with a modest use of synthesizers that slide subtly behind their melodies and thicken the atmosphere that surrounds each track. 

Bombay Bicycle Club as seen on their Last.fm page

The first impressions I had for this album were particularly positive. The opening song, How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep cements the folkiness of this album, while the shaky vocals remind me of a more upbeat, rather happier Conor Oberst who's given in to the contemporary trend of electronic influences. The great thing is that this opening track is so different to their previous sound that when followed by Bad Timing, there's an admirable sense of change and distinction - particularly how this second track has more of a dreampop feel to it, drawing upon musical similarities to ethereal bands such as The Daysleepers and the likes.

Austra: An Overview

It's a marvellous feeling to stumble across an artist that you fall instantly in love with. It's exactly what happened to me this morning, when the wonderful music cataloguer Last.fm, provided me with my daily dose of artist recommendations of potential musical companionships. Thank you, Last.fm, for enlightening me with Austra.

For the avid listeners who enjoy expanding their musical horizons, this band deserves the opportunity to fill ear cavities with a taste of new wave electronica that feels heavy and light at the same time. The sound of Toronto-formed Austra, bears positive familiarity with artists such as Zola Jesus, Esben and the Witch, and The Knife through a contrast of intense melodies against powerful female vocals that although delicate, hold underlying energies that persistently threaten to break through. While this association may sound generalizing; the reality of this is that Austra sets itself apart from neighbouring artists with a uniquely tailored tone, as lead-vocalist Katie Stelmanis' classically-trained voice feels beautifully strained beneath the pressure of emotional retention.

Austra's Katie Stelmanis

SONOIO Review on Red

It's obvious what my musical niche is. Hadn't I known of SONOIO prior to listening to Red, I would have thought the mastermind behind the solo project was a woman. Not because I'm a strong feminist or anything like that (although you can quiz me on my suffragette knowledge), but because of the incredible vocal range that Alessandro Cortini presents in his tunes. 

Bells might ring with Cortini's name, having toured and recorded with industrial-rockers Nine Inch Nails in earlier years, as well as contributing to another two bands; Modwheelmood and Blindoldfreak. However, SONOIO (the name comes from the Italian phrase "Sono io" meaning "it's me") is Cortini's most recent project and - as the name suggests, he's been producing it solo.

SONOIO - Red

Ladytron's Back!

Now for me, this is the long awaited good news that I've been dreaming to hear. Ladytron's new single, 'White Elephants' has been made available for online listening. God bless, free music streaming! Along with three other tunes; 'Mirage', 'Ambulances' and 'Ace of Hz', these single releases are the teaser tasters fuelling the hype to Ladytron's fifth studio album, 'Gravity the Seducer' that will be released in September this year.

Ladytron's fifth album, 'Gravity the Seducer' will be released on September 12th 2011

Them Little Dragons

I've had a hankering for new music recently. When I can't remember the last time I updated my iPod or whether or not it even has battery left in it (damn the generation that requires USB cables to charge, DAMN THEM), that's when I know it's time to tune back in to the wonderfully diverse realm of contemporary music.

Vocalist Yukimi Nagano and her dragons.

 Little Dragon, have given birth to something beautiful 'Ritual Union', that's so new and fresh from release that it's still piping hot. The electronic music group from Sweden (I sometimes wonder if this country is my true calling - once again luring me into a pleasurable Swedish vortex of dark electronica) compile their tracks with the best of synthetic beats, electronic sounds and vocals that fit soundly within the realms of trip-hop. 

Now Little Dragon are fairly new to me, having only discovered them about two months ago with their previous 2009 album, Machine Dreams so to receive news of Ritual Union's release I was a rather happy bunny. To my delightful surprise, Ritual Union greatly differs in style and influence to their previous albums, feeling more toned down on the experimental side with greater focus on syncopated melodies. Don't get me wrong, experimentation with sound is never a bad thing, but it seriously requires far more concentration to appreciate the beauties that hide within layers of sometimes unnecessary sound.