Owner: mp3hugger URL:http://mp3hugger.blogspot.com Join Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2006 10:20:37 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: mp3hugger is an indie music blog that features at least one new band per day. Besides describing the music that has shook our world you also get a piece of music to listen to or download. The intention is to spread the world about the underground sounds t Site statistics:Click here
Lali Puna - Grin and Bear 2008-03-26 15:07:00 I’d heard that certain members of Blur were enamoured so decided they’d be worth the punt. So off I headed to explore the music of Munich’s Lali Puna, that was several years ago and although their brand of indietronica is instantly enjoyable I found myself drifting away from it pretty quickly. I’ve returned on many occasions but only for short visits, just seems to work best that way. Perhaps it’s just that Lali Puna haven’t yet nailed the classic they have been threatening for years. I do love this though, it could serve as an ideal entry on the soundtrack to the sequel to ‘Run Lola Run’ if it ever gets made. ‘Grin and Bear’ is taken from the bands last album ‘Faking The Books’ which is now 4 years old. Perhaps they are taking their time on their first masterpiece.
Lanterns On The Lake - Caught On the Way 2008-03-30 14:17:00 This is a turn up for the books, a band from Newcastle to really treasure. Can’t recall a single band of note coming from there, which is rather surprising given its population’s emotive nature (insight gained purely from watching their football fans). Lanterns
on the Lake are a relatively new proposition (they were previously known as Greenspace) but they have already amassed an impressive batch of lush melodic tunes. Led by Hazel Wilde’s free spirited vocals there is something otherworldly about what they offer. There are glimpses of the Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil but ultimately Lanterns on the Lake present a convincing dream pop sound that is uniquely their own. ‘Caught
On The Way’ is sumptuous throughout with Wilde’s vocal fragility matched only by the lightly spray
Unwed Sailor - Aurora 2008-03-30 09:38:00 Don’t worry this isn’t as loud as it first appears and because there are no explosive moments we won’t be casting it off into the post rock category. Johnathon Ford is essentially what drives Unwed Sailor
and ‘Little Wars’ from late last year is the bands 4th long player. While they are certainly prone to moments of ambient introspection Unwed Sailor are generally slaves to the melodic hook and elastic bass line axes. ‘Aurora
’ is quite short but has a wonderful uneven flow to it, which means that the ugly/beautiful parts get a balanced look in. I can imagine its live incarnation is quite spectacular as the swell intensifies and an already wallowing audience surges forward to the stage. KDUnwed Sailor - AuroraWatch The Video To ShadowsMore Info: Official & MyspaceBuy Songs: Un
Annuals - Sore 2008-03-30 03:23:00 By my reckoning Adam Baker is no longer a teenager so we can all stop going on about how young he is. One thing that won’t cease however will be headlines screaming how precocious this fella remains. Yep we’ve entered Annuals 2.0 territory and this time is even more illuminating than our first encounter. A new EP ‘Wet Zoo’ is due out on April 1st and ‘Sore’ is the first indication of how it sounds. The 5-song set contains 3 Annuals numbers and 2 from Sunfold (Annuals rearranged). ‘Sore’ is a change of tact for the band, a lowering of the experimental gears into full anthemic indie mode. Don’t worry they haven’t resorted to Coldplayisms, ‘Sore’ may reveal an aching heart but its nose is far from runny. And what a chorus, if you’ve never blushed now is the time to l
Sigur Rós - Glosoli 2008-03-29 11:27:00 The initial line-up for Ireland’s self-proclaimed boutique festival has just been announced. The Electric Picnic has been in existence for half a decade now and each year the plaudits get louder and louder. To date I have been convincing myself that I haven’t missed out (although not seeing the Arcade Fire's 2005 appearance in front of a bunch of freckled faces does irk). So it has taken an event of momentous proportions to knock me from my self-imposed festival slumber. The occasion in question is the reconvening of shoegaze gods My Bloody Valentine, the band that brought us one of the albums of the nineties in ‘Loveless’. The danger is that it could all go wrong, what happens if Kevin Shields reappears sans bushy mop with a shiny pole instead? Worse still what if the music that h Read more:Sigur
And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - Crowning Of A Heart 2008-03-29 08:48:00 This song reminds me why I used to love And You Will Know
Us By The Trail
Of The Dead dearly. Not so much of late, post ‘Source Tags & Codes’ they appear to me at least to be on a downward creative spiral. That album was a true spectacular, brimmed full of anthemic guitar epics and heroic vocal turns. An undoubted bright spot in the aftermath of ‘Source Tags & Codes’ came in the form of 2003’s ‘The Secret of Elena’s Tomb’ EP which included this rip-roaring chimefest. While it may have lacked the glorious bluster of their classic material it nonetheless underlined how Jason Reece and Conrad Keely are such ardent believers in the power of a good tune. KDAnd You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - Crowning Of A Heart
Watch The Video To Mistakes and RegretsMore Info: Official &
The Ruby Sons - There Are Birds 2008-04-02 13:33:00 New Zealand eh, land of supernatural beauty and extremely friendly people. For a bit they punched above their weight in the music department as well by way of a certain Flying Nun. Not so much recently although the Ruby Sons (they used to be called something else) could have something to say about all that if first impressions of their newbie ‘Sea Lion’ is anything to go by. Funny then that much of what appears from the creative orifices of the Ruby Sons can be traced back to a different continent altogether. Yep, ‘Sea Lion’ could yet become an indie ‘Graceland’ for the noughties. There are plenty of shades on this one though, like the coolly detached grace of ‘There Are Birds
’. Imagine Beach House were they to have at least one cup of coffee and you’ll get the gist. Flig
Frazier Chorus - Dream Kitchen 2008-04-01 13:32:00 I’m not sure I ever got a true velvet soft sound from any of the 100’s of cassettes I bought in the mid to late 80’s. Hiss was king you see and even if you could overlook that reptile type tendency you were forever at the behest of the dreaded chew gods. Thank the lord for slowly turning pencils is all I’ll say. Funny then that whenever I ever played ‘DreamKitchen
’ by Frazier Chorus I forgot about all the annoyances inherent in spooled tape. It may have only reached 57 in the UK charts but in the late eighties ‘Dream Kitchen’ sounded like the future. The Brighton based act were led by Tim Freeman (brother of actor Martin Freeman from the Office) and managed ever so well without ever resorting to a guitar or drums. They were signed to 4AD in what would have seemed a logical
All Night Radio - Daylight Till Dawn 2008-03-31 15:10:00 Dave Scher and Jimi Hey had a long and glorious musical association that fermented for the most part in Beachwood Sparks. They also sparked in the short-lived but abundantly creative All NightRadio
. The juice ran out after just 2 years but not before Scher and Hey could make a long player for Sub Pop. ‘Spirit Stereo Frequency’s opener couldn’t have been any more illuminating, it must have been a gas putting ‘Daylight
Till Dawn’ together in the band's sitting room cum studio. This is uncluttered pop with a classic bent which means it could have appeared from any one of four decades. Sadly before talk of a sophomore got off the ground a pesky girl got in the way and ruined it all. KDAll Night Radio - Daylight Till DawnMore Info: OfficialBuy Songs: All Night RadioYear: 2004
Captive State - Mona 2008-03-31 13:28:00 Most of you will probably never heard of Craig McLachlan but I remember the ex-neighbours actor for his 1990 hit ‘Mona’. Flaccid and just perfect for parochial sing-a-along’s it has failed, despite my best efforts, to shift from my consciousness over the years. The very mention of the name Mona strikes up visions of a curly haired, dungarees wearing soap star and his rubbish ditties. Sometimes I think of yoghurt. Thankfully, CaptiveState
have opened up a parallel Mona universe that I can safely frequent. Their new EP ('Elmore Grove') was produced by Lemon Jelly’s Nick Franglen and his hand is felt on tracks like ‘Mona’ which boasts a undeniably dancey edge. It might ride a 1970’s MOR wave but who cares when the surf is this good. Captive State are normally made up of Tom Boo
The Van Allen Belt - Baby Boomer Backstroke 2008-04-04 03:46:00 First some insight from wikipedia ‘the Van Allen
Radiation Belt is a torus of energetic charged particles (plasma) around Earth, held in place by Earth's magnetic field’. Ok, glad that’s out of the way so on with the music. Pittsburgh's The Van Allen Belt are a seriously interesting proposition, a gargantuan 4-piece with the amalgamated sound of the Polyphonic Spree/Go-Team in their sights. Not only do they somehow manage to recreate what was prevalent when studio’s and big name producers actually affected how a hit record sounded but they also come fitted with a conscience unbowed by conventional thinking (see ‘Slanted To The Left’). The result is a refreshing epic and as much as it sometimes sounds retro I can’t escape the feeling that the Van Allen Belt are somehow going t Read more:Boomer
, Baby Boomer
Noah And The Whale - 2 Bodies 1 Heart 2008-04-03 12:46:00 You may have heard a bit of chatter about Laura Marling. What you may not have noticed is that for the most time she knocks around with 4 geezers who call themselves Noah and the Whale
. Details are particularly sketchy but it seems that the band are at the head of a burgeoning folk scene in London. While a natural reaction might be to scoff, you'd probably better be served listening to this tune and reassessing. ‘2 Bodies 1 Heart
’ is a delicate affair, meticulously crafted and adept at pick pocketing your attention. The musicianship may be rather hushed but it is notable and the culmination of brass and distant glockenspiel is very pretty. Folks deserving of your attention. KDNoah And The Whale - 2 Bodies 1 HeartWatch The VideoMore Info: Official & MyspaceBuy Songs: Noah And The WhaleY
Windermere - Trailer Park 2008-04-07 15:31:00 There I was dissing (sorta) jangling chords in the last post and then Windermere
go and break my heart all over again with this epic. This has many of essential aspects of the Slowdive sound, that hazy pulsing funnel of noise that levitates everything around it beyond the ordinary. In that regard Jakob Skjoldborg’s voice seems out of place but I guess to move forward you can’t be totally fixated with the past. Either way it is near impossible to ignore the overwhelming power of those guitar lines set to maximum reverb. When they hit their stride at 3 minutes in I feel myself getting dizzy at the beauty of it all. KDWindermere - Trailer
ParkWatch The VideoMore Info: Official & MyspaceBuy Songs: WindermereYear: 2004
Mothfight - Hopscotch 2008-04-07 13:50:00 Quite despite myself this blog tends to go through phases where the only music that is being posted is of one variety or another. For a while I couldn’t abide by anything that didn’t sound like Explosions In The Sky, at one stage I couldn't distance myself from all things electro pop and just right now I seem to be going through a mini experimental folk explosion. It feels good to be honest to be away from those sometimes tiresome jangling chords (who am I fooling?) especially when you have a band like Mothfight (I’ve left out both exclamation marks in their name so I can add emphasis about how great they are when the time is right) in melody freefall. Chances are Mothfight won’t be troubling the mainstream any time soon but aren’t the best acts those that can just be our little
Johnny Flynn - The Box 2008-04-06 09:22:00 So maybe there is something to this Folk revival after all. Certainly a few minutes in the company of Johnny
Flynn (and the Sussex Wit) should have you clambering for more. His cites Shakespeare among his influences but thankfully what emerges is altogether less taxing on the grey matter. Perhaps he keeps that particular wordsmith aside for his acting pursuits. Up to now all that has emerged is a couple of fine singles but there is an album called ‘A Larum’ on the way. ‘The Box’ has a freewheelin’ narrative supplied by Flynn’s rich vocals and is ably backed up some softly clattering instrumentation. You are perfectly within your rights to clap along or move about as if in the grip of a particularly euphoric barndance. KDJohnny Flynn - The BoxWatch The VideoMore Info: Official &
Au - RR vs D 2008-04-06 05:09:00 Thank you Animal Collective, for without you we would unlikely have ever traipsed upon Au. When I’m listening to Au though I’m thinking of them in their ‘Banshee Beat’ phase (the best one). Au for people who prefer real names is Luke Wyland (although he frequently calls upon the luxuriant charms of Becky Dawson’s voice), for those who don’t he used to call himself Luc (in a previous musical incarnation). With a self-titled LP already down cool hand Luke is preparing himself for the release of ‘Verbs’ wherein he and his collage of alter egos and friends should go interstellar. ‘RD vs D’ is a preview of the action and it is knockdown perfect, full of wispy drifting vocals and piano lines dispatched with the accuracy of a tap dancers best moves. And right where you think i
Pikelet - A Bunch 2008-04-05 12:35:00 For some reason this tune reminds me of ‘Shadow Falls’ from Hello, Blue Roses. Not exactly sure why but there's something indescribably addictive about the sparseness. There is no semblance of chorus (or generic song elements for that matters), just lightly pounding (often indiscriminate) drums and the fanciest of dual layered ethereal vocals. Pikelet (aside from being a tasty pancake) consists of Evelyn Morris who comes from Melbourne. Her self-titled debut came out last year and was the product of her vision alone. Besides the glacial vocals she puts the generally sidelined instrument the accordion to much use. And despite what you might think the result is both illuminating and magical. Rampant experimentation on this scale normally sets sail from Icelandic shores. KDPikelet - A Bu Read more:Bunch
The Pernice Brothers - My So-Called Celibate Life 2008-04-08 11:55:00 Ah yes the Pernice Brothers
, perennial underachievers and sweet purveyors of gleaming pop jewels. If only the world would sit up and take heed it would quickly realise that easy on the ear melodies don’t necessarily have to come packaged with blandness. The Pernice Brothers (of which there are 2, Joe and Bob) are well into their second decade and have half a dozen albums to their name. ‘My So-Called Celibate Life’ should help you discover a lovelier you with its Teenage Fanclub vocal mannerisms and effervescent playing. You might also notice that it is shorn of the countrified pop that the band are best known for. There is a shimmering sun somewhere that has this song stuck on endless repeat. KDThe Pernice Brothers - My So-Called Celibate LifeWatch The Video To SomevilleMore Info: Of
Storkboy Choons - Rockfield Symphony 2008-04-09 13:59:00 More electronica from Ireland, this time from 2 sources of which I know precious little. Darragh McCausland and the fruity loops that come from his laptop are called Storkboy Choons. He and the as yet unidentified Colours Move seem to have struck up a particularly potent electronica partnership, which has already seen them support Casiotone For The Painfully Alone earlier this year. Both ply a similar sound, a brand of bleepage that should appeal to anyone who thinks ‘From Here We Go Sublime’ could yet become the future of machine generated audio. ‘Rockfield Symphony
’ and ‘Winters’ are both hypnotic, near impossible to dance to I’d imagine but that’s what the visuals these two are dreaming up were made for. 10 years ago this may never have leaked from the imagination but me
Super Extra Bonus Party - Mushie Shake 2008-04-09 10:08:00 At this moment in time SuperExtraBonusParty
are about as adventurous as you’re going to get from an Irish band. Like with all eclectic propositions it doesn’t always work and I must admit I found myself in fast-forward mode quite regularly during their eponymous debut. Probably down to my own blinkered tastes but by the finish I had come away with 2 absolute gems in ‘Softly’ and ‘Propeller’. Another one that lightly grazed my buds was the title track from their latest EP ‘Everything Goes’. The EP includes remixes from Jape (superb) and Cadence Weapon and a track I completely missed from the album called ‘Mushie Shake
’ which turns out to be as fruity as an autumnal orchard. Quite like its creators there is something altogether bonkers going down but the madness does n
Vanilla Swingers - Goodbye Lennon 2008-04-09 08:46:00 Thought the Ting Tings were this years underground success story? Well then you probably haven’t peered into the very near future and witnessed what VanillaSwingers
are about to achieve. With their debut release and first live performance both happening next month now might be the time to start dropping their name in front of impressionable friends. Believe me by the end of the summer you’ll be feted for your uncanny ability to spot the next big things. To help you on your way, here are some facts. The Vanilla Swingers are Miles and Ann (nope I don’t know their surnames either), a London duo with an uncanny ability to sound like certain great bands like Ultra Vivid Scene (‘I’ll Stay Next To You’) and Talk Talk (‘The Way’) who have been lost in the mists of time. Right now Read more:Goodbye
, Lennon
Iarla Ó Lionáird - Cu-Cu-Ín 2008-04-11 15:06:00 This is about as far away from the normal hugger choice of song that you’re likely to hear this year but I am still besotted with it. It comes from Cork sean nós Iarla Ó Lionáird (also Afro Celt Sound System) who I discovered on a trip down to Galway last weekend (thanks bri). At first I thought it was Sigur Ros but the vocals as gaeilge gave the game away. ‘Cu-Cu-Ín’ is taken from Ó Lionáird's 2005 LP ‘Invisible Fields’ which was recorded in his home studio in Kilkenny and a lavish affair it turns out to be. There is something altogether natural about the way the song plays out, as if it was recorded in the middle of a frozen forest as its inhabitants go about their business undisturbed. Ó Lionáird successfully marries the old with the new to create an entrancing middle
Ludlow Lions - Other People's Ghosts 2008-04-11 14:24:00 I was hooked on this straight away for the simple reason that it employed the jangliest of Byrds riffs. The best part is that the Ludlow Lions
’ ‘Other People's Ghosts’ has much more than that to offer, once you’ve let the tunes multi-faceted approach bed down. As with most things bright and new at the moment Ludlow Lions come from Brooklyn. Aside from the riproaring music they have another ace up their sleeve in the shape of singer Brendan Coon. This ain’t your average, bog standard, common, so-so indie vocalist. No our Brendan has a voice with character and we should be thankful that he has a found Ludlow Lions to showcase it to maximum effect. If you are guided by voices then the Ludlow Lions self-titled debut could become your new head coach. KDLudlow Lions - Other People's Gh
Rubies - I Feel Electric 2008-04-10 16:48:00 Storkboy Choons has reawakened my electro glands so I am eagerly lapping up anything danceable that comes my way. ‘I Feel Electric
’ fits the bill perfectly as you’ll gather yourself from the opening sequences which come complete with some perfectly arranged synths. The song may never quite build on that auspicious beginning but Simone Rubi and Terri Loewenthal present a good case for a return to days of disco. I’m thinking Donna Summer were it not for this year’s love Feist on guest vocals. Rubies
also prove they have a talent for ingenious collaborations as none other than the Studio have remixed the b-side to ‘I Feel Electric’. Rubies debut album ‘Explode From The Center’ is out now. KDRubies - I Feel ElectricWatch The VideoMore Info: Official & MyspaceBuy Songs: Rubies
Born in the Flood - Anthem 2008-04-12 09:55:00 If blogs did segues then this one would probably be the best. Born In The Flood come from Hermann, Missouri you see. I suppose the question you gotta ask yourself when you listen to the quartet is whether you can believe in them or not. ‘Anthem’ is quite capable of sending the listener down the pro or anti route. For me Nathaniel Rateliff successfully pours his emotions into his fiercesome delivery banishing any doubts one might have about his intentions. Ok, he may only be defending the tune he just wrote but isn’t it refreshing to hear some anger instead of the same old snotty nosed emotional fretting. The spiralling guitars heighten the tension and in parts I am reminded of the Mclusky’s red-hot ‘Alan Is A Cowboy Killer’. If you find yourself in the anti brigade let ‘Low F
The Hermit Crabs - Friend's Folk Festival 2008-04-12 09:02:00 Although the name might summon up awkward questions there is denying the Hermit Crabs
way with a swish tune. Led by Melanie Whittle (ex of California Snow Story) this Glaswegian band have found a nice little sponsor by way of the irrepressible Matinée Recordings. Hermit Crabs peddle that distinctive Glaswegian twee pop sound, nothing sounds overcooked and the ingredients are organic in nature. ‘Saw You Dancing’, the bands debut, came out late last year and includes the chipper ‘Friend's Folk Festival
’. Bouncy and flush with adolescent themes it would likely fog up every thick-rimmed spectacle from here to Northern Scotland. KDThe Hermit Crabs - Friend's Folk FestivalMore Info: Official & MyspaceBuy Songs: The Hermit CrabsYear: 2007
Competition Time! 2008-04-14 07:23:00 Fancy winning yourself a Snow Patrol DVD signed by the band? I have one and want to give it away to anyone who can design a beautiful new banner for this site. mp3hugger has been on the road for almost 3 years now and it's time it got itself a distinctive image. In letting your creative juices flow please bear in mind what goes on here. So, for example, if you can somehow recreate the notion of an mp3 being hugged then you'd probably be in with a good chance of scooping the grand prize. I'll leave this open for about a month or so and remember I'm not expecting miracles so sloppy DIY efforts of all shapes and sizes will be accepted. This DVD is going to be offloaded no matter what so if your crayon inspired effort is the sole entry Gary Lightbody's handy work will be winging its way to you
The Seascape - Person Place or Thing 2008-04-13 14:27:00 ‘We started when we were about 13 playing Christmas songs at school, and then we decided to write our own songs. The first ones were about hobos, boxes, and foxes.’ Ok, let’s draw a collective ahhh. These are the words of a bunch of 17 year olds from Connecticut who call themselves the Seascape
. Pretty neat name I think you’ll agree and the good vibes continue to flourish as you listen to the perfect little tunes that they produce. It’s early days but already the potential is there to see. ‘Person Place
or Thing
’ is one of 2 new tunes that they sent me on and it highlights Seascape's willingness to experiment and change tact at every stage of a songs life cycle. It may sound like it is going to fall apart at any minute but believe me that is a precious art in itself. ‘Perso
VHS or Beta - Burn It All Down 2008-04-13 08:51:00 So perhaps Beta won the format war after all with VHS rapidly going the way of the dodo and Beta sites appearing all over the place. Oh you know what I mean. VHS or Beta are a collective from Kentucky who peddle a not terribly original brand of electro rock. But then a lack of originality doesn’t always equal music that is surplus to requirements. ‘Burn It All Down’ sounds familiar, like something from a dusty 80’s compilation, but there is no denying the fun that can be had when it pours from the speakers. The monstrous guitar riff is undoubtedly primeval but it is given a contemporary lease of life by the unrelentless pumping beats. Like Daft Punk if they’d forgotten to pack their vocoders. KDVHS Or Beta - Burn It All DownMore Info: Official & MyspaceBuy Songs: VHS Or BetaYear:
The Very Most - Good Fight Fighting 2008-04-15 13:55:00 When I think of Teenage Fanclub I think happy thoughts. These same happy thoughts have started to appear of late and it has nothing to do with the Glaswegians. The object of my affections is actually from the other side of the Atlantic, Idaho to be precise. The band are called the Very Most and are driven by the melodic machinations of one Jeremy Jensen. ‘Congratulations Forever’ is only the bands second LP and it has been several years in the making. And it is probably unfair to tag them as the U.S. Teenage Fanclub because they also do a pretty mean Camera Obscura impression. Exciting isn’t it but don’t just take my word for it, sneak a peek at ‘Good Fight Fighting
’ and start counting down the days to April 26th when ‘Congratulations Forever’ is officially unfurled. Hooray
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