#21 Dinosaur Pile-Up are finally back + our SXSW platter widens

YAY! Everyone knows the feeling. You’re favourite band has had to take some time off. Money doesn’t grow off trees and time can be a great thing for an artist to develop and make sure they come back with impact. I always knew Tom Vek would come back for example. But I didn’t appreciate how damn good it would sound after a 5 year wait. Luckily Matt Biggland hasn’t made us wait so long for Dinosaur Pile-Up #2.

‘Nature Nurture’ is the name of the forthcoming second album, and trust me, from what I’ve heard it’s sounding ‘fucking amazing’, (thanks to my good colleague for getting me into that phrase). I must admit I’m a little bias, but Biggland’s nailed it. You’re going to love it. You can get one of the tracks ‘Lip. Hook. Kiss’ as part of a free download now from www.dinosaurpileup.com.

The actual new single ‘oh my god it sounds killer, soundtrack to spring’ is coming this week. Tune in to my show: Alive And Amplified Thursday evening from 7pm to hear ‘Arizona Waiting’.

And that’s the only thing you need for this week. Thanks for clicking by.

(maybe….see below)

Well, there is other music in the world this week. Yeah, spoze so. What about …And So I Watch You From Afar. They’re back with ‘Like A Mouse’, which someone told me reminds them of cartoons and has a childish theme to it. I hear that a little a the beginning. Still heavily instrumental with chanting vocals added at parts. 1min 30 into this track it completely turns on it’s head into a White Denim scuzz fest sound. It’s a good indication that the forthcoming album ‘All Hail Bright Futures’ – out May 19th. I’m down for that party!

Remember a little while ago I introduced PIERCE THE VEIL. San Diego’s finest post hardcore with the singer that had a hint of Conor Maynard at points? Well, they’ve just come back with a riot of a track with ‘Hell Above’. The Kerrangsters of you out there will love it. I can image when they come over to the UK on tour in May it’s going to be scenes of carnage. Sweaty thrashing pits of rock lovers.

Ok – the SXSW 2013 feed continues. There really is all sorts taking to Austin, Texas this April. Dark Folk, to ukelele batters to cello players rocking out to metal drumming beats. Everything’s welcome.  Sadly, since I’m not rolling in the notes I won’t be out there in person, but my eyes and ears out there will be living it for me. We can have a look and see what’s going on though ahead of time. Pick A Piper. Caribou is not only the name of a famous Pixies tune, and a deer, but a place in Maine where these fine trio of musicians come from. Electro rock shines in this track ‘All Her Colours’. And look – they’ve scheduled their self-titled debut album for April release too. Our ears shall be busy checking this out.

This is more like it! Garage Hymns. That’s a name for a garage rock album if I ever heard one. Well done Chicago for breeding this calibre of musician. Empires sound fun. And ‘Surrenderer’ is quite a tune.

It’s taken me a bit of time to accept this…but I think I’m just about to recommend to you a shoegazer track. Yeah, I’m gonna do it. Dead Gaze ‘It’s Not Real’. Not as ‘naff’ as the rest of it’s genre in my book. Maybe it’s a hybrid of some surfer punk and that’s what I’m feeding off. Not sure. What do you think?

So if this style of music takes your fancy, and you want to find out what Al Kershaw from The Computers puts forward for his ROCK REVIVAL track and you want to hear brand new Dinosaur Pile-Up  join me from 7pm on DIY Radio for Alive And Amplified.

Elise x

#20 The new year begins to awaken some fresh talent

2013 will undoubtedly be the year of some great returns to music – the likes of Queens Of The Stone Age, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Bring Me The Horizon and even Justin Timberlake, (because admit it, we’re all a little bit curious to hear what’s happened to ol’cry me a river face); but the emerging talent is starting to get it’s name out there. Heard of Bonjour Machines? F y f e? Well…you’re about to learn.

Starting with a great heads up courtesy of KROQ FM in America. If you like Arcade Fire, The Killers and a good American rock out you’ll be very interested to hear Papa. An L.A. duo who as yet have only popped this song up on Soundcloud. I’ve only heard one other track of theirs and it’s promising. Debut is album due this year and the track ‘Put Me To Work’ is quite a stand alone triumph of music by itself.

Tel Aviv. Not the hotspot in the world for indie, post-hardcore, emo infused band right? But there is at least one that’s got some killer riffs. They’re called Bonjour Machines and with their introductory self-titled EP I can hear the early painful screams of Kurt Cobain mixed with the intelligent math rock sound we hear in various bands today. It sounds beautiful. ‘Rendezvous’ is the lead track to my ears.

Trap and crunk. Not genres I’ll dare to suggest I have a deep knowledge of by any means, but the buzz around this track combined with the fact I hear it and it registers as a TUNE in my ears means it’s worth you listening to. Not as underground sounding as Burial, but with the same sub-dub beats you’d expect from the leaders of the trap clan. If you want to hear more check out the Laid Out EP. Who says you need a real human voice to have emotion eh?

Now. If you look her up on facebook, Verity Susman is sporting a moustache. Which is brilliant news, but it has nothing to do with her music. London via Brighton with an indie, electro spin and you’ve got this refreshing sound. Would love to hear more, so I’ll see you at Electrowerkz later this month when she’s playing yeah?

f y f e is a 23 year-old Londoner. He’s also male. And he sounds like this. (For now this is all we know). But I hear speckles of Tom Vek and alt-J  in this and that is a great combination in the current music scene.

And one last track for you this week. You remember The Neighbourhood right? ‘Sweater Weather’ was the amazing track followed by some well made, but less impacting tracks throughout the year. Well, they could very well have opened the door for others to follow their sound. Sir Sly is one of them: another L.A. based artist taking influence from indie, hip-hop, beats and electro-pop. And melding it quite successfully.

And there you have it. A hopefully enjoyable round-up of the best of the new this week. If you like your music alternative and particularly fancy listening to an interview with Mallory Knox then come and join me for Alive And Amplified, every Thursday from 7pm on DIY Radio or on listen-back straight after. We have a ball.

Elise x