Splendid Spook Houses Of America

This song has saved my life today. After a heady weekend at Splendour In The Grass (working on reviews and publications, seeing some great sets from Explosions In The Sky, Father John Misty, Mudhoney and Dirty Three, but mainly having a hazy blast with friends and "acquaintances"), travelling back to Brisbane from Byron Bay at 6am wasn't conducive to a happy Uncle Masala. Then I stumbled across New Jersey quartet Spook Houses and their track 'American' that is on their upcoming LP Trying. That flat vocal when he drawls "I'm drunk and I feel like shit" says it all, let alone the fat bass line and the explosion of happy noise halfway through the blistering track. It's an anthem towards the inane beauty inherent in being young and dumb, which is usually what going to a festival is fuelled by. I know nothing else about this band AT ALL, but this is enough. They saved my life - now I am indebted to Spook Houses.


Trying is out soon on Philly label Evil Weevil. You can pre-order it here.

In The Glow Of Arbor Lights

Arbor Lights are an instrumental four-piece from Birmingham, England. They brought out a five track self titled EP (with great cover arearlier in the year which is pretty good, with some real cracks in their opening and closing tracks. There are elements of And So I Watch You From Afar, some Explosions In The Sky, and the young quartet pull it all off.


You can grab Arbor Lights here.

Arbor Lights - El Aborlito
Arbor Lights - Codat)

VIDEO VACUUM - Explosions In The Sky, Joe McKee, Nikko, Fever Fever

Hectic personal life and hectic working life means my social life is taking a battering this week. As in, I don't have one. SO I'm locking myself away to reach deadlines and save cashola, all the while knowing there are at least four great shows on this weekend, three of which are one-offs (Eat Laser Scumbag! Nova Scotia! Keep On Dancins! Concentric Circuits! Erm...The Sips!) ARGH! So I really need encouragement. Here are some videos that are perking up my downward spiral...

No surprises that the first cab off the ranks is one of my all-time favourites, Austin gods Explosions In The Sky. This video for the brilliant 'Postcard From 1952' is their third from their latest record Take Care Take Care Take Care. Reminiscent of the also-stellar video for Youth Lagoon's 'Montana' in my opinion. Check it out (and, in my case, over and over...)



Joe McKee used to lead the darkly brilliant and sadly defunct Perth via London act Snowman, whose third album Absence made out best of lists last year. He hasn't been sitting idle - his first foray in solo guise is ready to drop! It's called Burning Boy, and will be available through Dot Dash/Remote Control on Friday May 25 (the day a certain music blog is hosting its best live lineup yet - coincidence? I think not! Actually, it is.) Here is the understated first single, 'Darling Hills'.



Another SM fave is Brissie Australian Gothic western marauders Nikko, and they too have a new LP in the wings. Gold & Red isn't out for a while yet (July 3 to be exact), but it sounds suitably apocalyptic. Yet it ain't all doom and gloom, as 'Smoke Alarms' (from their 7" precursor) attests. Here is the slick video:



Finally, some teething from Norwich, England's "finest" Fever Fever. 'The Chair' doesn't necessarily have the bombast and bite that 'Teeth' had, but the menace pervades this track. It's a gentle reminder that not all is well - and that I'm not going softly into the dark, dark night people...



NOW GET BACK TO WORK!

Recreating A Papier Tigre

French outfit Papier Tigre (pronounced “Papyeah Teegrr”)'s third album Recreation (out on Africantape) has an element of surprise to it. The band teamed up with John Congleton (Explosions in the Sky, the Roots, Bill Callahan, The pAper chAse...) in order to push the limits of their their unit into a devastatingly efficient performance. It is intriguing, and although the vocals grate on me a little, the musical interplay offers some fervent schizophrenia that I like a lot - plus the lack of a bass means they have to work harder to achieve that bottom-end. They just supported Explosions In The Sky in Paris last month, so things are certainly on the up and up.

Recreation is out March 1.

Papier Tigre 'Home Truth' by Murailles Music

Ding Dong, Post Rock Is Not Dead!

Pan hail from South Carolina, and are all about claiming post-rock back. The much maligned genre is the dumping ground for basically any band that plays without vocals nowadays, and a lot of bands are quite vocal about not wanting it tagged to their creative outlet. So I'm all for Pan claiming it, even if its tongue in cheek. Their debut EP is titled Post Rock Is Not Dead, and it finds an amazing middle ground between the ebullient, effortlessly fun sounds of Fang Island with the grandiose sounds of obvious touchstones Explosions In The Sky - and there isn't much in the way of grandstanding, posturing or pilfering to be found. Its a solid release all round, and seeing as I love me my instrumentals, that is an infinitely good thing!

Pan - Seeking (the Sea King)

Grab Post Rock Is Not Dead here!