Making Trophy Lovers Out Of Old World Vultures

We have been pretty supportive of Canadian instrumentalists Old World Vulture, and we're pleased to announce the release of their album Trophy Lovers. Still playing with creating synergy between synthetic and analogue instrumentation, the quartet have created some interesting hybrids that successfully allows them to continue to further themselves from the post-rock trappings that they managed to vault on their breakout self-titled EP. Personal favourites include the opener 'Slave Traders, Horse Thieves & Other Villains' which strikes me as the perfect Rock Action cross between Mogwai and Errors (a collaboration I'd sell my new born to see) and the groove-laden bruiser 'Last Kicks Of A Dying Horse'.


You can grab Trophy Lovers from their website for a free download - well worth checking out. Then if you like, you can head here to get yourself a limited edition gold vinyl copy

Old World Vulture - Slave Traders, Horse Thieves & Other Villains
Old World Vulture - J.R. Flood
Old World Vulture - Last Kicks Of A Dying Horse

Condre Scr Are Genius

I have been listening to this album for months and thought Id already posted about, but alas this has not been the case. I love me some ace post-rock, yet new good stuff can be hard to find. You Are Genius, German band Condre Scr's 2nd LP (and 1st in six years!), certainly isn't anything new - in fact for the majority of its playing time the album could be outtakes from the early days of Scottish gods Mogwai. But that is the kicker, right there - whilst still an amazing band, Mogwai killed in the early days. As does You Are Genius. 'Boca' could be offshoots from the Ten Rapid and Young Team sessions respectively (with a little Mono thrown in for good luck); 'Remo Boys' could be 'Cody's long lost cousin. But it doesn't feel pilfered at all; far from it, which is the miracle and majesty of the band's work. Nothing feels bloated, overwrought, full of its own importance. In fact, none of the eight songs exceed six minutes.


You Are Genius is exactly that - genius. Make sure you pick up this amazing record (put out by Oxide Tones) here.

Condre Scr - Boca
Condre Scr - Kong Me

Drowners Never Go Away

Take a moment to meet Drowner, fittingly from Space City USA - Houston, Texas. Their press ticks off influences that colour each corner of the shimmering guitar rock spectrum - Ringo Deathstarr, My Bloody Valentine, Mogwai, Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, The Cure... And whilst the shoegaze elements are inherent in their self-titled debut LP (out March 13 on Saint Marie Records, a niche label that specialises in this sound and have also added SM faves Bloody Knives to their roster), making such connections is a little too safe. Case in point is second track 'Never Go Away', at just under eight minutes a creeping track that is Siren-esque in its gossamer, eerie calls. The washes of guitar are actually delicate, meticulously balanced, even in the stronger rock numbers such as 'Point Dume' or 'Written'. After bringing Fonda's comeback to our attention last year, Crash Avenue are responsible for pushing this release, and with good reason. This reminds me of when I heard Whirr (the band formerly known as Whirl) for the first time. Seeing as their Distressor EP is one of my favourite releases of its kind in the past few years, that is saying something. Get on board.



Drowner - Never Go Away
Drowner - Point Dume

Old World Vulture - Lovers, Not Losers

Toronto-based instrumental band Old World Vulture really impressed me last year with their self-titled EP - here me waxing lyrical about its shiny twists and turns here. Well, clearly I'm not the only one impressed with the band, as 2011 has seen the quartet play alongside some great acts. The greatest highlight though was snaring the support slot for Mogwai's Toronto show in April.

Now they have a single that precedes their debut LP, called 'Trophy Lovers'. There is a noticeable difference in that the squalling guitar/bass double-barrel assault is dialled right back, with shimmering synths coming to fill the gaps. Not as much a departure as that sounds, though - it feels like they may have been watching a little bit of countrymen Holy Fuck... Thus, still uber excited about this release.

Old World Vulture - Trophy Lovers

Have Some Faith In Errors

One of the most innovative instrumental bands in the world now is Glasgow based Errors. On one of the most influential instrumental bands of the world's label (Mogwai's Rock Action Records), the four-piece have exploded since releasing their second LP Come Down With Me in 2010. They are preparing to release another hybrid meta-beast upon the quivering masses in the form of Have Some Faith In Magic, off which the single 'Earthscore' leaps from - and they threaten to rip the time-space sontinuum even further by providing more dominant vocals! Agh! Before this release though they have spent the past few months supporting label mates (and bosses) Mogwai in the US, then support Mogwai again in Glasgow just before Christmas, before planning to assault the UK's senses in February.

HAVE SOME FAITH IN MAGIC - Tracklisting:
1. Tusk
2. Magna Encarta
3. Blank Media
4. Pleasure Palaces
5. The Knock
6. Canon
7. Earthscore
8. Cloud Chamber
9. Barton Spring
10. Holus-Bolus

Errors - Earthscore

I Love Laura 1200 Times Over

Here is an album that I didn't even know I was looking forward to!

Melbourne instrumental act Laura put out two great albums in the mid-2000s, Mapping Your Dreams and Radio Swan is Down, as well as live album (re)Capitulate. I came to the band from this last release and fell in love with these ambient rockers, quickly working backwards through these two albums. I then promptly went overseas and thought that was it - all was quiet on the Laura front. It appears that life got in the way - but Laura didn't disappear into the ether. Releasing EP Yes Maybe No in 2008 (obviously I missed that one), its taken over five years (or as band member Andrew puts it, it'll have been 191 million heartbeats) but a new longplayer is on its way - Twelve Hundred Times.


As complex and cinematic as ever, Laura are bringing forth their best album to date, and they are bringing it north to Brisbane, playing Woodland on Saturday November 19. Some of you may recognise the date - that is also when the massive Harvest festival touches down, featuring the likes of Flaming Lips, Mogwai and Portishead amongst its many amazing artists that will be on board. This really hurts for us Laura fans, but the band are intending to go on as late as possible in case you want to catch one more stellar performance that evening. There are efforts afoot to get em to play an early all ages instore on the Sunday - I will keep you posted on that venture. In the meantime, if you aren't going to Harvest, this is THE show to get to. Twelve Hundred Times is available now.

Laura - This Grey Earth