On The Radar : Fryars

I guessed it was about time I should touchdown on home soil musically, as lately I've been travelling (not literally) the world on a wave of indie-pop from Australia, America, Norway and Sweden.

Into the big smoke of our capital city reigns Radar act Fryars (real name Ben Garratt, 22 years young) a natural poetic genius of the 21^st century gathering speed through an off the cuff bet by the NME and Zane Lowe causing mass hysteria though his next hype.

If anybody remembers Dave Grohl and his keynote speech at this year’s SXSW you’ll remember him grabbing his guitar along with 2 tape decks and recording himself, Fryars is the true example of this. Self recorded and self released, gaining attention far and wide.

Take a metaphorical stirring pot and add the ingredients of the fingers of Gold Panda, the vocals James Blake, the more emotional Jack Penate and the musical dust that Dépêche Mode leave in their absence. You should be left with something that creates Radar track ‘On Your Own’, a plethora of emotion, a brick wall of lust, like that punch to the stomach when you see the person you can’t gather the guts to speak to, yes, that feeling.

You can see Fryars at London’s St Pancreas Old Church on 2^nd of May or Leeds Holy Trinity on 7^th May.

‘On Your Own’ is set for single release on 13^th of May 2013.

On The Remix : George Maple - Fixed (Maribou State Remix)

I spend most of my days scrolling aimlessly (maybe not aimlessly) through blogs, I can only explain it as digging for gold or a needle in a haystack, but on the odd occasion you will find something really quite beautiful, and today I found just that.

Her name is George Maple and their names are Maribou State, both of them are London based. Her single ‘Fixed’ is due for release in the very near future and is a vocal down the scale from Florence Welch, the upper scale, with less shouting alongside the sounds of what can only be described as early Passion Pit meets Gold Panda.

Maribou State spin ‘Fixed’ on its head, by what only seems as playing it back on itself with a twinkling of piano and a Jamie XX-esq re-work, not something anybody could grumble at.

 What bothers me at most about blogging about music is that the brain can comparison everything you hear with something similar, even as it sounds so fresh. Although a comparison is clear with ‘Fixed’ a contrast is also present, and that’s what makes it a gem.