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Cosmic Rough Riders – Have You Heard The News Today
Poptones never achieved the respect that Alan McGee’s previous venture with Creation had but there was still some memorable music associated with that label. My favourite act was January whose debut ‘I Heard Myself In You’ still gives me shivers but I was also very fond of Scottish act Cosmic Rough Riders. Their ‘Enjoy The Melodic Sunshine’ was actually a gathering of the best tracks from the bands first 2 albums and it worked very well indeed in managing to sell over 100 thousand copies. With figures like that you’d have a number one album on your hands these days but this was the year 2000 when downloading was still very much in its infancy (hi audiogalaxy, still miss you pet). Cosmic Rough Riders were psych heads to the core so it was hardly surprising that their songs included words like Revolution, Glastonbury and Baby. It might be easy to scoff but the Glaswegians wrote some beautiful songs like ‘Have You Heard The News Today’ which out melodied Teenage Fanclub when they themselves were at their imperious best. Precious band. KD
Cosmic Rough Riders – Have You Heard The News Today
More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Cosmic Rough Riders
Year: 2000
Seadog – Around The Corner
I’m sure we could go much further back for inspiration but today I feel like stopping at Cosmic Rough Riders. For that is what I’m hearing in the wonderfully understated ‘Around The Corner’ from Brighton’s Seadog. This sort of stuff is really our bread and butter, slightly lo-fi pop with bright melodies managing to look beyond their dishevelled surroundings. Mark Nathan Benton is the creative force behind the band and has already knocked out 2 EP’s, both of which he fashioned by hand and are being sold as physical objects known as CD’s (imagine that kids, is he mad?). Must say I am with Benton though in his last century pursuit because it is an undisputed pleasure unwrapping something and placing it in a player when the results are as gorgeous as ‘Around The Corner’. KD
Seadog – Around The Corner
New Buffalo – I’ve Got You And You’ve Got Me (Song Of Contentment)
You won’t find much reference to New Buffalo as it seems the main pillar in that act Sally Seltmann has moved on, primarily in a singular direction. Seltmann (best known for co-writing ’1234′ with Feist) released 2 albums under the New Buffalo moniker and ‘I’ve Got You And You’ve Got Me (Song Of Contentment)’ came out on the first one ‘The Last Beautiful Day’ back in 2004. There is so much background to this Melbourne based artist (she’s married to one of the Avalanches, ok, enough) when it is much more arresting to listen to her childlike wide-eyed music. This is as dreamy as slow rambles get, very close to what our own Nina Hynes is capable of, full of off-kilter parts that never distract from the songs main purpose. That’s tonight’s lullaby sorted then. KD
New Buffalo – I’ve Got You And You’ve Got Me (Song Of Contentment)
More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Sally Seltmann
Year: 2004
The Ruby Suns – Cranberry
If I didn’t know this band better I’d be throwing out all manner of accusations at jumping on the zeitgeist but then this is the Ruby Suns and they practically invented this sort of thing. We’ve loved the NZ true blue poppers for a long time, so much so that we’ve resisted featuring them too often for fear of latent fanboyism. But now the dust settled on their last album ‘Fight Softly’ we could avoid the colourful tropicalia of ‘Cranberry’ no longer. Of course the Ruby Suns do pepper their melodic passages with frequent curveballs which has probably frustrated as much as it has enthralled. We wouldn’t change their treasure mapped rhapsody’s for all the tea in China though. Wiggly toes as we climb the wooden hill to leaba tonight. KD
The Ruby Suns – Cranberry
More Info: Official
Buy Songs: The Ruby Suns
Year: 2010
Mylo – Paris Four Hundred
Had to do a double take when I read that Mylo’s ‘Destroy Rock & Roll’ was released in the deeply historic year of 2004. Only seems like yesterday when ‘Muscle Cars’ stole my breath away and it shows no sign of giving it back 7 years later. Apart from a few cover CD’s for the dance magazine mixmag Myles MacInnes (he Mylo) has not exactly been prolific in recording new stuff, even if his remixes for big ticket artists do tend to turn up now and then. ‘Paris Four Hundred’ is my second favourite from his debut, a wheeler dealer of a tune if ever there was one, with huge hooks that Fatboy Slim could only dream of. The Tour De France was made for tunes like this. KD
Mylo – Paris Four Hundred
The Good Ones – Sara
We’ve been beating a path to Dead Oceans door of late so in an effort to find out if we’d missed anything else from their stable we happened upon this track from Rwandan act the Good Ones. And what a story they have to tell having been part of the ravages that tore their country apart in the mid 90′s. Listening to ‘Sara’ you can almost hear their pain but also the joy that playing together affords. The story of their album is also quite remarkable as ‘Kigali Y’ Izahabu’ was recorded over a single night on a back porch with instruments that included a guitar missing 2 strings. Really underlines that the most important thing with recorded music is the talent making it. Makes me sad but somewhat reassured. KD
The Good Ones – Sara
More Info: Official
Buy Songs: The Good Ones
Year: 2010
Code Pie – North Side City View
Nothing to do with the fact that every morning we draw the curtains there is a northside city view looking back at us, more to do with the brilliance of the music from the latest Indiecater recruits Code Pie. ‘Love Meets Rage‘ has just been released on our sister label and it is not an overstatement to say that we’ve been head over heels with it since it came to be in our possession about 4 months ago. Is it not beautiful that a gorgeous record that was made in a faraway city (Montreal) can somehow appear via a small homebaked label in Dublin? Of course we’re biased but listening to ‘North Side City View’ causes such extreme goosebumpery we’ve been googling to see if we’d pull through without any ill effects. The song is a grand example of epic indie complete with lush orchestral backing. As the jaunty vocals die things really get interesting as the backdrop builds to a climatic conclusion that threatens to explode but somehow, quite unexpectedly, manages to hold its emotions in check. It doesn’t get much better than this, unless you’ve heard the album it comes from that is! KD
Code Pie – North Side City View
Sun Airway – Put The Days Away
This could actually be U2 were they still relevant. I loved that band more than most, in fact up to and including ‘The Joshua Tree’ I was a true disciple. I think the turning point was Bono’s hair at self-aid, a chink of weakness that slowly revealed itself to be cracks on their later albums. Of course they’ve had some great tunes along the way but as creators of collections of songs they’ve blown their load a long time ago. Ok, got sidetracked a little there but ‘Put The Days Away’ has that swagger that had me thinking. The duo from Philadelphia put out their debut ‘Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier’ last year so sorry for being so tardy. Sooner or later this song was going to infiltrate my heart however, impossible to resist such shimmering distortion set to endless repeat, it’s just got that edge. KD
Sun Airway – Put The Days Away
More Info: Official
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Year: 2010
Rökkurró – Sólin Mun Skína
Even if the voice didn’t sound like Jonsi from Sigur Ros you could probably have guessed that Rökkurró were from Iceland. As it happens the album this is taken from ‘Í Annan Heim’ was produced by Jonsi’s partner and partially recorded in their studio Sundlaugin. Should be enough to give Rökkurró a decent chance at multiple ears and in return there should be unrestrained love returning from the holders of said reciprocals. The reason being that ‘Sólin Mun Skína’ and its ilk are so precious, unsullied by takked on extras, just the kernel of the idea played with naked fragility. It’s at times like this that we generally find ourselves perched on the nearest sofa peering skywards as if someone is filming us for closing edits of the coolest indie flick. KD
Rökkurró – Sólin Mun Skína
The School – I Want You Back
Can’t add an awful lot to what you are already thinking really. Yes, they sound like Camera Obscura and no they don’t aren’t just a pale imitation. The School are the real deal, an indie pop sensation from Wales who released a fab album called ‘Loveless Unbeliever’ last year. So flush was it with memorable ditties that we’ve already visited once and will undoubtedly do so again before too long. ‘I Want You Back’ is utterly adorable and even finds time to sport B&S-esque brass to ice what is already a gourmet sonic delicacy. Doesn’t get much better than this. KD
The School – I Want You Back
More Info: Official
Buy Songs: The School
Year: 2010
The Donkeys – I Like The Way You Walk
In astroturf footie parlance being labelled a donkey often means the accused is generally last to get picked. Not only that but the offending clodhopper is also likely to be a thorn in the shins of the opposing team. Not that San Diego’s the Donkey’s probably gave it much thought when dreaming up a name for themselves. And a mere cursory listen to their laidback indie jangle dispels any thoughts of awkwardness for these gentlemen have the craft and melodies to soundtrack our summer. We’ve been making lots of trips down California way lately, perhaps it is the advent of summer or maybe there is a mini creative indie explosion going on there. Whatever’s happening the Donkey’s will be leading the way with their upcoming LP ‘Born With Stripes’ the undoubted midfield general. KD
The Donkeys – I Like The Way You Walk
More Info: Official
Buy Songs: The Donkeys
Year: 2011
Dirty Gold – California Sunrise
2011 has already been an extraordinary year for music, a day hardly passes but we’ve found another song to swell our hearts. And given that today we’ve mostly gone bleep crazy it’s really nice to nod off to the lo-fi wholesomeness of California’s Dirty Gold. With an album about to appear on Autumn Tone any day now this song has been making serious waves in the build up to release day. And on the face of it works from such a simple premise. The altogether chilled out demeanour is spiked by several moments where it appears as if the lid is going to blow. Of course it never does and in the process perfectly accomplishes the mission in the title. A delicate charm that could prove itself capable of sticking around until sunset. KD
Dirty Gold – California Sunrise
More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Dirty Gold
Year: 2011