Album Review : Pixie Carnation - The New World Record

First there were Iceland’s Of Monsters And Men, then came Sweden’s MO and following just behind are Pixie Carnation, there is just something about northern European pop, electro, rock or folk that really gets me.

On the cusp of releasing their debut album 5 piece Pixie Carnation are to play London’s XOYO, hailing from Malmo (that’s in Sweden) they play the middle ground between ‘Because Of The Times’ Kings Of Leon and ‘Sigh No More’ Mumford & Sons, a great combination, faultless even. The last 3 years has been a culmination of hard graft, touring, band members coming and going and a re-recording of soon to be released album ‘The New World Record’.

For anybody that has ever seen The Beatles ‘Yellow Submarine’ you won’t forgive me in saying the opening seconds to ‘The New World Record’ is Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band just before the Meanies decide to mute, a wonderful matrimony of sounds flows into opener ‘When Did The Lights Go Out’ which gently pushes you into the journey beyond, the indie/rock influences begin to bubble on the surface. A southern American guitar twang chimes ‘We Can Lie’ into the mix, the vocals of Ola (Lead Singer, Guitar) pierce the versatile composed musical ensemble that contrasts to early Mumford crossed with Band Of Skulls, A slow building indie/rock hit.

Three tracks in and the strong Kings Of Leon/Mumford similarities begin to inch its way into the Pixie Carnation sound, ‘Speed Up Your Heart’ is ‘On Call’ meets ‘Winter Winds’ though the burden of the sound surrounds the band, the influence of either bands could well be vacant and be a complete act of innocent genius. ‘Keep It Coming’ takes Arcade Fire to the next level, a journey within a 5 and a half minute track, a weaving ride through long country roads on a mid-Sunday afternoon.

The ebbing flow from track to track in a prominent feature within ‘The New World Record’ as well as the never ending ability to pin down the exact sound of the band, from one track to another different sounds and influences arise but not one exact pigeon hole is available. ‘From The View Of A Gun’ puts us in the middle of the album, looking backwards at a now darker light and forwards to the next single ‘Young And Free’ the definitive Pixie Carnation sound at its strongest, the track to make you stamp your feet and sing at the top of your voice, a sure fire crowd pleaser a la ‘Little Lion Man’.

A celebration of life and everything it includes ‘Dreaming Still’ flows from ‘Young And Free’ with a positive resonance, Pixie Carnation take the traditional ensemble of musical creation, every track included within ‘The New World Record’ begs no less a duration of 4 minutes, inviting you in to feel every lyric and chord, something of which some artists and bands lack, throwing tracks out thick and fast than throwing their arms around them to create the spectacular music that can be appreciated.

Into the last quarter of the album ‘Little Sister’ throws a much later radio friendly type spanner into the works, the long dulcet tones of Ola collaborates pleasantly beside the bass of Lars and drums of Kristoffer, the collective as a 5 piece come together throughout to create brilliance. ‘Smile’ is the penultimate build-up to the drop and all out ballad that closes ‘The New World Record’ that is ‘Easy Love’.

There is a musical niche that surrounds Pixie Carnation, lots of ‘not quite...’ but ‘really likes...’ if you are a fan of certain bands and a certain genre then this is the band for you, there is also a certain success that will surround the sound that they own and will see them through to chart around the world.

‘The New World Record’ slips itself into one of the best albums I have heard in 2013, alongside Justin Timberlake’s ‘20/20 experience’ Biffy Clyro with 'Opposites’ and Bastille ‘Bad Blood’. A possible outside runner for Novembers Mercury Music Prize, young and free Pixie Carnation keep it coming.

Pixie Carnation play London's XOYO on April 22nd, Tickets are still available. Single 'Young And Free' is set for release on May 6th with the album 'The New World Record' being released on the same date.

On The Remix : HAIM - Falling (Duke Dumont Remix)

I didn't get the hype, I could not understand how this 3 girl pop group had got themselves to the top of the BBC shortlist of ‘ones to watch’ in 2013, and it has taken me until now to perk my ears up and take notice, but not by the way of original outing.

HAIM are a 3 piece who do what Niki & The Dove were doing early 2012 but with added dance moves (you tell me, I don’t understand) add to that everybody’s favorite remix artist and soon to be number  1 in the UK charts Duke Dumont and you've got something quite special.

On the remix is HAIM track ‘Falling’ an infectious pop (it’s not indie) hit that’s been reworked to feel summer.

On The Radar : BOY

It snowed today, in April. I don’t have any real solution to the weather or anything currently going on in world relations, I just keep my ear to the ground for new music and it just so happens that I’ve stumbled across the German equivalent, they are called BOY.

BOY were formed in 2007, a two piece partly from Hamburg, Germany and Zurich, Switzerland. The pop-folk paired alongside catchy lyrics were enough to get them signed back in 2011 and debut album ‘Mutual Friends’ reaching top 20 in the German album charts. This then led them onto movie soundtracks and multiple uses on German television adverts and TV shows (we’ve heard this story before).

Radar track ‘Little Numbers’ is a catchy pop gem with a clap and piano ensemble, vocals slightly contrast Lykke Li with a touch of Zooey a la She & Him. 

On The Radar : Ace Bushy Striptease

It was only a matter of time before those of us that were influenced by the mid noughties uprising of blunt indie pop-punk were going to rear our ugly heads, and tell everyone how it is once again. Ridiculously brilliant titles to songs with lyrical misogyny dabbed in a sherbet of lust, utter brilliance I would say, coming in the form of aptly named Ace Bushy Striptease (not even google will show you the search answer, go on and try it).

A five piece from the center of the country, distracted in university making 1 album per year, and lately highly influenced by football references. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, but it is really not. Why I've not stumbled upon Ace Bushy Striptease before is beyond me, but I know in my better mind that knowing they exist, I can sleep at night.

If I was going to try and tell you what they sound like, I’d fail, but I can tell you what you can listen to which will make you think ‘Oh..Yeah’...think Art Brut, Jarvis Cocker at the brit awards, the middle class honesty of The Young Knives and Test Icicles, you’re onto a winner.

Radar track ‘More Parts Milijas’ from their 5^th album ‘Outside Its Cold Just Like Inside Of Your Body’ is a clanging, football referencing, brutal but brilliant cataclysm of indie greatness. I really do hope that other than the independent labels they are signed to, someone takes a gamble that will pay off.

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.

On The Radar : The Colourist

It’s been a while since I have indulged into writing anything music related, but I heard this band, while looking out into the grey of Great Britain and suddenly all was well.

Coming in somewhere between Vampire Weekend and Owl City with a twinge of Beach Boys pop, currently touring with Metric are The Colourist, a 4 piece from Orange County, California.

Throw yourself in around the southern hemisphere and the same musical uproar is on the horizon and has been bubbling for just under a year, these tight guitar pop riffs and summer licks could be the ones to replace the current folk stamping indie that is dominating the airwaves.

Radar track ‘Little Games’ is a slow burning sunshine intro with a love/lust lyrical back story, duel male/female vocals make out the Owl City contrast while the guitar and bass cohort with the drums equaling a sure song for 2013’s ‘soundtrack of the summer’ playlist.

Album Review : The Shutka Champions - Chaos,Mutiny & Magic

I’d have forgiven myself for what felt like I was falling knee deep into the brain of Julian Barrett mid-writing of the second series of cult classic TV series The Mighty Boosh. If we work this sound through an old boot, a crab in pain and somewhere between A and G with added oaky timbre is the ‘Shutka note’, something I’d completely made up, but that’s what this feels like, this feels like ‘Chaos, Mutiny & Magic’.

Opening and album title track ‘Chaos, Mutiny & Magic’ is a drumbeat and a bass line straight out of the deep house handbook, a dim lit spinning room of sounds that graciously align with each other, lyrically leading you down into the rabbit hole. Still reeling ‘Hand In My Pocket’ weighs in with early 90s grunge guitar with a baggy indie twist a la Stone Roses, the monotonous lyrics recapitulate but part of me still feels like I’m searching for ‘the new sound’.

The spouse of a world war spy, clinically insane, most successful, James Dean admiring long distant relative of a folk legend has a song written after him. ‘Dennis Hopper’ could be the man that you try to motivate for more or people you watch from a distance, continuously unraveling  There is a Jimi Hendrix twang to that ever evident baggy synth/drum conglomerate with enough Derren Brown to take you under.



Into the middle ground of ‘Chaos, Mutiny & Magic’ is covered by a ‘Beetlebum’ meets Babybird, ode to a lady friend or companion of a Friday night. ‘It’s You’ is deeply introvert of looking into a pint glass, looking up in admiration, looking back down with every thought flowing through and then delving deep for the confidence then it flowing on. Take it or leave it, no matter where you are. ‘DB5’ is a shoot down, for your wants and needs, in a Bond track motion picture, walking along the street, Richard Ashcroft like down a backstreet to every spaghetti western you could think of.

‘Prenzlaeurberg’ (say that when you are drunk) pronounced Pre-nz-ler-berg is a borough of Berlin, steeped in history.  One can only assume after a visit to said city the Shutkas brought out experience which subsequently painted this picture of a journey and what they had visited in the exile. Back up and out of the rabbit hole is ‘Glorious’, the light shining brightly in the wonderland that Shutkas spin you through closely followed by ‘The Shutka Shanty’ a self-proclaiming confessional of where they've been and where they are going. A social commentary, pushing you back out of the door, into the bright lights of the current day.

The Shutka Champions aren't what you’d find in your top 40, but place them somewhere between 1991 and 1891 and you've got the drift. A nice listen of a sunny Sunday afternoon on Southsea seafront.