Tall Ships are a band that had previously gone under the math-rock radar for me but with the band getting ready to release a new single during a hectic UK tour, they definitely deserve a bit of acknowledgement. Hit The Floor is a frantic and whirring 3 minute forward driven blitz and comes along with B-side Safe As Houses.
A lot of the imagery surrounding this band consists of archive clips and washed out pictures of mountain ranges and this comes through in the music. Unlike the math-rock big boys Foals, Tall Ships’ tracks remain gravelly and bring a welcomed dose of crunch distortion to the math-rock scene. The tracks are incredibly tightly performed but there’s an element of graininess to the sound; this is a band who aren’t afraid to leave a bit of mud on their mushrooms.
You might be wondering how a three piece band producing a track with so many layers and complex driving rhythms could possibly recreate the sound live. Well Tall Ships seem to have mastered the art of live tape looping in Hit The Floor. Don’t believe me? See for yourself whilst they tour the UK extensively this summer supporting Three Trapped Tigers or at Bestival.
With 2 EPs and another single ‘Plate Tectonics‘ now in their back catalogue, I’m now eagerly awaiting their debut album.
A band I’ve been meaning to feature on this blog for well over a year now, Hong Kong In The 60s finally released their debut album ‘My Fantoms’ digitally on the 2nd of May and will also release it physically on June 6th. Influenced by early electronic pop, 1960s Chinese music and European film soundtracks, the 12 tracks include bittersweet pop songs, dreamlike instrumentals and even excerpts from a mouse opera for children.
Hong Kong In The 60s have made a song from the album ‘You Can Take A Heart But You Can’t Make It Beat’ has been made available for free download from here.
get-ctrl is in my opinion, the hottest, free tool for unsigned bands at the moment. A one stop shop where an artist can build a professional-looking, official website using a simple content editor complete with media players, galleries, news feeds and a gig calender. A bit like MySpace you’re probably thinking but get-ctrl have really gone the extra mile with this service without feeling the need to ruin your bands all important public image by cluttering your page with cumbersome adverts.
This music platform is also offering you the ability to simply make both iPhone and Facebook apps as well as maintain a digital and soon to be physical store (12% commissions) along with mailing lists. Oh and not to forget the real-time statistics get-ctrl is supplying on their services, possibly the most entertaining and dangerously addictive invention of recent times. Also, get-ctrl make it possible and actively encourage you to attach a private domain name to your site with a simple tool in the settings section giving your band’s web presence that added edge.
get-ctrl has been produced by a wide array of people who’ve been making band websites for 10 years; they know exactly what you want in a service like this. And don’t forget, all of this is free, get-ctrl’s business model is based around a relatively low 12% commission on the online stores they provide to you so they only make money when you do.
Still not convinced? Check out the new official website of the IMF regulars Reachback. And have a listen to their new single ‘No One Else’ while your at it.
In recognition of this loathed/loved occasion, Oxford’s unique and eclectic Spring Offensive have released an intimate EP entitled ‘Between Me & You’, which will be extremely limited in its length of availability – for a period of just one week starting from today!
Throughout the next seven days the special release, which demonstrates a rare acoustic side to this often diverse indie quintet, is being offered for free (no email required) and on a pay-what-you-like basis before it will be removed from their website – so if you don’t want to miss out on this limited-time opportunity be sure to go and download your copy now!
Known and critically acclaimed for their extraordinary creativity and attention to detail after showcasing their 14-minute “mega-single” which is currently still available for free download, Spring Offensive have not only created another brilliant piece of art for their loyal fanbase, but have also taken the pay-what-you-like model one step further. Their proposal states that listeners who contribute an amount above just £4.00 will, in return, see their full names credited on all physical copies of their upcoming full band single ‘A Stutter & A Start’. That single is due out for release in April- of which each and every contribution for ‘Between Me & You’ will help record, release and promote.
Between Me & You’ showcases five tracks in all: stories of companionship, guilt, confrontation and decisions. A record that deals with the realisation of two people growing slowly apart and the increasingly emptier void between them.
Whether you choose to pay-what-you-like and have your name included on their upcoming single or even if you just download it for free, make your decision quick because it’ll only be available for this one week!
Rapids, a tight, upbeat, Bournemouth based four piece are definitely one to look out for. After releasing a self produced DIY EP earlier in the year, they quickly got snapped up by the Heist or Hit label and are now set to release their debut single.
Fuses, along with B side The Elitist, is a precision engineered track. The music sounding like it was written from a mathematical formula; in a good way. With clear influences from Foals and Bloc Party, Rapids have definitely thrown something new into this relatively new sub-genre that is somewhat affectionately referred to as ‘math-rock’
See them at the Hoxton Bar and Grill on the 27th of October supporting The Answering Machine.
Indie Music Finds was started in April 2009 as a place for people to find something new. I try and keep it quite diverse so rummage around a bit and I’m sure you’ll find something you like to take away with you.
