A great big roundup of stuff

Alright. How've you been? Me, I've been grand. Busy, but grand.

There's been a month of radio silence at 78sDW Towers (not so much if you follow me on Twitter) and that's due to paid work overtaking this silly wee folly of mine. Still, I'm back now you lucky people and you can find out what's been happening by reading on....

I've started writing for the mighty fine The 405, doing the usual reviews stuff, and you can read the first fruits of this venture by taking a squizz at my reviews for S.Carey's Hoyas EP and the debut album from Soren Andreasen, Barefoot Memories.


Back over at my first and true love The Line of Best Fit it's been the usual busy time with an email interview with Canadian surf-poppers Hooded Fang first up, closely followed by a cup of tea and a chat with one of my musical heroes and Teenage Fanclub member Gerard Love about his new Lightships project.

Over in the reviews department, I've taken a close look at the mighty fine Glitter by Dead Mellotron, the promising-if-derivative debut from Citizens! titled Here We Are and the beautiful new album from Marissa Nadler, The Sister.


And if that's not enough for you, then coming up are reviews from The Mynabirds, Visions of Trees, Guided By Voices, Blues Control, Sonny and the Sunsets and Mission of Burma.... and interviews with Dinowalrus and O Children.

Phew. See you all real soon.

EP Review : Paul Thomas Saunders

Here, this new Blogger's a bit pish isn't it?

Anyway, here we are again. How've you been? I'm returning with a review for The Line of Best Fit of the new EP by young Leeds native Paul Thomas Saunders. Descartes Highlands is the latest EP from him, and it's four lovely tracks of expansive yet brooding music that showcases not only Saunders' great voice but also his band's knack for a thrilling and tear-jerking outtro.

As usual, you can read more by making the jump here!

EP Review : CYMBALS

Hmmm, how unfortunate.

Listen to this:

http://soundcloud.com/cymbals/jane

then listen to this:

http://soundcloud.com/tough-love/cymbals-no-bad-decisions-1

CYMBALS decided to make an album, then an EP, mostly in the style of the second track, and I think that was the wrong decision. Just my opinion, which I express in a bit more detail for The Line of Best Fit.

It's all just a bit....disappointing. I don't think they're a bad band at all, I guess I wanted a bunch of tracks that sounded a bit like 'Jane'. At least it's not Metronomy, eh? Anyway, read on after the jump!

Album Review : Bear In Heaven

Bear In Heaven's 2009 album Beast Rest Forth Mouth was so good that I ended up including it in my albums of the year for 2010; a record that melded pop, electro, prog and art-rock together so brilliantly and seamlessly it seemed like a defining statement never to be topped. But the band has persevered, and this time I'm keeping up with what's going down by reviewing new album I Love You, It's Cool for The Line of Best Fit.

Not quite scaling the heights of the last record, it's still a great listen; a layered and textured piece that bears repeated listens and a little bit of patience. You can read a bit more, plus watch a mockumentary put together by the band, at this link right here.

Album Review : AU

I've reviewed a few The Line of Best Fit recommended records in the past year or so, but very few would have a first track that's as explosive, euphoric and downright brilliant as the first track on AU's new album Both Lights.

Starring the elemental saxophone work of Colin Stetson, 'Epic' sets the tone for a wild ride across psych/folk/punk/metal/choral music in the space of the album's 11 tracks. I've always liked AU since I heard their Verbs record, but nothing prepared me for near-perfect construction of this album. It really is quite something.

You can read more by making the jump here, and I'd thoroughly encourage you to do just that.

Album Review : A-Sun Amissa

With a name that makes absolutely no sense to me, A-Sun Amissa probably belong in the realms of experimental music. And that, of course, is where they reside. New album Desperate In Her Heavy Sleep is an instrumental epic: bleak, forbidding and the sound of the end of the world. Lucky me to get to review it for The Line of Best Fit.

To be honest, Godspeed You! Black Emperor got there first and do the whole gloomy thing a lot better, and for the moments where you focus in on the strings, Rachel's do that with a lot more beauty, style and gravitas.

Still, there are some not bad moments to be found, and you can read more by lifting your skinny fists and clicking here.

EP Review : Young Liar

More? You want MOOOOORRRE?

Alright then, here's another review I've done for The Line of Best Fit in March, it's been a rather busy month all told, and I'm off to do an interview later today as well. The fun never stops round here....

So, EP2 is the latest release by a bunch of young Geordies by the name of Young Liar. It's a short instrumental EP, heavy on guitars and the post-rock vibe, but with some small surprises: you might be able to have a wee dance to a couple of the tracks. File alongside Explosions In The Sky, (Neu!), Mogwai et al in the quiet/loud section of your record collection, but it remains to be seen if Young Liar's career is a brief one - they could go on to release more fine records, or they could disappear like a slew of similar bands before them.

To read more, head on over to TLOBF.

Album Review : The British Expeditionary Force

Alright then? It's been a busy old month so far here at 78s Don't Wobble, and it's not letting up with at least two more reviews due in the coming weeks after this here one. Still, always nice to get the work, and who knows, you might eventually see an original post from me rather than a link to The Line of Best Fit.

But not today! This time, you can read my review of the new album by The British Expeditionary Force, Chapter Two: Konstellation Neu over at TLOBF. For fans of post rock, electronica and shoegaze, the album is not too bad, and you can read more by making the jump.

I'll be back real soon, with more post-rockin' nonsense to come next week. Pip pip!

Album Review : White Rabbits

I saw White Rabbits live in King Tuts in Glasgow one Valentine's Night, supporting the wonderful Spoon, and was blown away. The band were excellent, thriving on rattling percussion from two, sometimes three, drummers and there was plenty of the same to be found on second album It's Frightening. Well, the boys from Brooklyn are back a couple of years down the line with new album, Milk Famous.

Over at The Line of Best Fit you can read about the studio trickery learned at the knee of Spoon's Britt Daniel that's resulted in a record with a different sound to the previous rattling White Rabbits experience. It's still pretty good, and you can read more in my review, available right here!

EP Review : Daniel Rossen

I bloody love Grizzly Bear. What a band they are. Yellow House and Veckatimest are two of the best albums in recent memory, wonderfully layered excursions into chamber pop and just a sheer joy to listen to.

So, when one band member releases a solo record I've really got to take an interest. To be honest, we already know how good Daniel Rossen is away from GB through his work with Department of Eagles, so it's hardly a surprise that his new EP Silent Hour/Golden Mile is really rather brilliant.

I've written about it over at The Line of Best Fit, it might be the finest 20minute passage of music you'll hear this year outside of a full-length album so it really could be worth clicking here to read more.....

Album Review : Kevin Tihista's Red Terror

You may not know this, but Kevin Tihista's Red Terror released a wonderful record in 2001 by the name of Don't Breathe A Word. Since then, very little indeed. Until, that it, this month when we find Kevin back with his new album On This Dark Street.

Back in 2001, his work was classed as soft pop and the influences of The Beatles, America, Bread, Bob Dylan etc etc were obvious, but without boring mimicry. This time, he's toned down the electrics but his darkly comic wit is still intact.

You can read more over at The Line of Best Fit or make the jump direct to my review by clicking here!

Album Review : Team Me

Most of the time I find myself drawn to downbeat and depressing music, I can't really say why, but sometimes I do come across a record that's sunny and upbeat and it doesn't want to make me run to the hills. The Flaming Lips are one of my favourite bands, and I'll always have time for the likes of Teenage Fanclub and anything that sounds a bit like The Beach Boys. So, it was with great delight that I realised after listening to the opening two tracks of Team Me's debut full-length To the Treetops! I had another band to add to the happy list - maybe one day it'll balance out....

The band are from Norway (which means we automatically love them over at The Line of Best Fit) and won an award for the best pop album at the country's version of the Grammys, but the important thing is that they make multi-layered,multi-instrument music that has hook upon hook upon hook across its running time.

If you like the sound of that (and you should, it's TLOBF recommended) then click here to read more.....

Album Review : Masaki Batoh

So, to cut a long story short, Masaki Batoh's solo record Brain Pulse Music is music made from brain waves, via a specially commissioned piece of equipment called the BPM. Fuck yeah!

It's a requiem for those affected by 2011's tsunami and earthquake in Japan, and the Ghost frontman adds traditional Japanese instrumentation to the BPM to make a truly unique record, which I've reviewed over at The Line of Best Fit.

So to read more about the construction of the record and how it actually sounds, click along here.

Album Review : Earth

Ah, Earth. I'm always happy when Dylan Carlson's band release a new record. It makes the year complete already. From the skull-crushing drone of Earth 2 to the gospel of The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull, they just don't make bad records. And now they've only gone and dropped a new one on us.

Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II, is the second album in twelve months and furthers Earth's desert-noir sound by adding some English folk into the mix (subtly, mind you, it's not Fairport Convention) and it's bloody marvellous. So I wrote about it for The Line of Best Fit.

The band might have lost some of their more metal following over the years, but to read about why I think they're more interesting than ever, make the jump!

Album Review : Amanda Mair

Round these parts there's always going to be a bit of love for music from Sweden, and despite my love for the obscure and difficult I've always got time for a cracking pop tune. So, when Sweden and pop combine I'm a pig in....etc and so on.

Today, I bring you the precocious talent of the 17-year-old Amanda Mair who releases her self-titled debut album on the wonderful Labrador label. Signed at the age of 15, she's getting songs written for her by the label boss and the singer in The Mary Onettes, and she's got a belter of a voice. And as it's Swedish, my review is over at The Line of Best Fit.

Popjustice is all over this, but should you need another opinion on what really is a fine record, click along here!

Album Review : Neal Morgan

It's not often I advocate that music not be made, but listening to Neal Morgan's new album In the Yard for the first couple of times made me question ever listening to music again. The first draft of this review contained an unrepeatable character assassination of the clearly talented Mr Morgan (he drums for both Bill Callahan and Joanna Newsom) but luckily for him (and me), that will never see the light of day.

The final draft does appear at The Line of Best Fit, where I do uncover small nuggets of hope and loveliness, and to read more just click here!

Sorry Neal, it's not for me....

Album Review : RM Hubbert

It's not often I get to review a Scottish, or even Glaswegian, artist on this site and when I do it seems to end up being dross like Kassidy. Ugh. Three cheers, then, for the mighty RM Hubbert and his new record Thirteen Lost & Found.

Signed up to Chemikal Underground now, the former El Hombre Trajeado man once again showcases his marvellous acoustic guitar skills along with guest spots from the likes of Aidan Moffat, Alex Kapranos and Alasdair Roberts. It really is an excellent record, reminding me (perhaps not stylistically but certainly in spirit) of Papa M's Live From a Shark Cage. You can, of course, get the review at The Line Of Best Fit.

It's nice to know that when you click here, you'll be able read a positive review and hopefully go out and seek out the music.

Album Review : The Soft Hills

As any regular passers-by to the site might now, I love a bit of country rock. If it sounds like Neil Young and Crazy Horse, I'm in. So, on listening to The Bird Is Coming Down To Earth, the second full-length from Seattle's The Soft Hills I was delighted to hear echoes of Laurel Canyon and psych rock, and of course old Shakey himself.

You can read more about the album over at The Line Of Best Fit, or do the clicking thing on this lovely link.

Album Review : Milagres

In the continuing saga of bands with one word names, enter Brooklyn's Milagres. Signed to Kill Rock Stars yet not possessing a hipster swagger to speak of, Kyle Wilson's band are a gang of indie traditionalists with an ear for a little experimentation.

Debut album Glowing Mouth is out this coming Monday via Memphis Industries in the UK and veers between quite lovely and occasionally dull. You can read more via The Line Of Best Fit.

There's echoes of Wild Beasts, Jeff Buckley, Grizzly Bear and Coldplay, and should that pique your interest, click over here.

Album Review : Canyons

In a day for reviews of bands with short names, I turn my attention to Aussie duo Canyons, and their debut album Keep Your Dreams. A production and remix team, they've created a record of dance/rock moves, mixing techno and house with some indie and soft rock, and it's an interesting record, with some great and not-so-great moments.

As always, head to The Line Of Best Fit to read more. If you like Cut Copy and M83, you're in roughly the same ballpark, but Canyons are a wee bit more clubby, a wee bit more danceable....

Keep on clickin' on.