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.

On The Radar : MO

As the month of January closes we are all still sat firmly on our seats still waiting for the first movements from the bands tipped to make 2013, but there are always that fair few diamonds in the rough. Channeling somewhere between Gwen Stefani, Lana Del Rey and Azelia Banks sits MO, hailing from everyone’s favourite European musical export Sweden.

Radar track ‘Glass’ partners the elements of 2012 breaking band Alt-J with the vocals of previously mentioned Lana Del Rey (think ‘Breezeblocks’ v ‘Born To Die’), a duel vocal chorus with a sing-a-long of native noises with added addictive guitar riff churn together to make an instant pop gem.

News Hit : The Strokes release new track 'One Way Trigger'

Earlier this week I found myself reading NME’s ‘Album A&E’ featured was The Strokes album ‘First Impressions Of Earth’ the angle grinder of the 5-pieces masterpieces, bring us back to real time 25^th January 2013 at around 7pm and new track ‘One Way Trigger’ bursts into a life, out of the blue.

Casablancas vocal are somewhat missing from the track, taking the prince approach, hitting the higher notes. The influences of the bands last release ‘Under The Cover Of Darkness’ is present throughout with a keyboard ensemble, Hammond Jr’s ever present guitar strum partners a Moretti drum beat on the backline at fast pace.

What can we expect from this, recording was in motion but a release so soon?...We await word from The Strokes camp to confirm more.

EP Review : Biffy Clyro : Black Chandelier

The calm before the double album storm has been brewing in a settled sea just off of our fair coast, and it’s debatable if the double edged storm will cause any damage at all. Many will be holding doubt around the release of Biffy Clyro and their now imminent outing with ‘Opposites’ but for now we can sit and watch it brew nicely on the horizon with the EP release of ‘Black Chandelier’.

The rock 3 piece come sailing in gently with EP opener and title track ‘Black Chandelier’, everything we expect from the ever existent badge of approval we continuously hold for our flag baring Scottish counterparts. Spinderley (even if that isn't a word) guitar riffs we expect of Neil are present throughout, the bass build and drum break, the gentle ease and final all round smash...It’s all included within ‘Black Chandelier’, the perfect Biffy Clyro song. Lyrically Simon Neil is still driving us around the houses, plucking verses of confusion then translating them into simplicity. ‘Black Chandelier’ is the perfect medicine to follow their epic previous return of ‘Stingin' Belle’.

Following the opener is ‘The Rain’ a ballad of sorts, the expected bubble wrapped commercial based X factor chart pleaser, the most simple of songs which is a complete disappointment but not what we shouldn't expect of the only out and out rock band in the UK (minus Band Of Skulls and a few others). For if it wasn’t for a certain Matt Cardle and the over filling wallet of Simon Cowell, the ever growing plethora of fans from previous album release ‘Only Revolutions’ would cease to exist and the hardcore would still remain, for what thanks we have.

 The subject of weather continues to dawn on us with ‘Thundermonster’, which wouldn't have been out of place on the ‘Infinity Land’ track-list  A thrashing riff-driven rock track of which we expect from Biffy of the past, something that some still long to return. It’s nothing short or long of acceptance and if this is what is expected in the contents of ‘Opposites’, those fans who have just got a ticket and joined the Biff bandwagon could soon be in for a shell shock. The final track on the EP is a live version of ‘Many Of Horror’, the track plucked from ‘Only Revolutions’ and propelled into the public eye, the EP filler and fan collectible  We all know the real lyrics, sit down Cardle.

In a rocking chair on the front porch of a city somewhere non-existent, we all sit and wait with baited breath, a 90-minute storm named Biffy Clyro is waiting to hit land. We can all batten down the hatches or lovingly embrace, ‘Black Chandelier’ is the tornado taster which causes minimal damage, sit tight as the blackened sky approaches.