April 2010
20 posts
5 tags
Sebastien Tellier - Politics →
To celebrate the end of the exciting election debate season in the UK and mark the start of the final run in to May 7, here’s an album by a Frenchman. I’m sure we can all learn a lot from Monsieur Tellier. Zut alors, hotspotmusic has gone all political! Bring on the euro!
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Cornershop - Judy Sucks A Lemon For Breakfast →
Brimful of Asha on the 45! Yes folks, Cornershop have returned for only their second album in 13 years (the last being 2002’s also recommended: Handcream For A Generation) and it’s great! The sound remains pretty much the same - a combination of laid back Velvets-influenced indie pop spruced up with sitars and a wry sense of humour. The title track is a cool mix between Loaded-era...
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Archie Bronson Outfit - Coconut →
Coconut is a very strange record but a very unique one nonetheless. At its heart it sounds like post-punk record, maybe something like Gang of Four or Wire would’ve created if they were making music in the 21st century. But over that simplistic backing there are layers of distorted futuristic sounds, fuzzy vocals and synths. It’s an incredibly inventive album and shows how far this...
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David Bowie - Lodger →
Sunday Sermons
It only took a week for Mr Bowie to make an appearance on the Sunday worship sessions. I thought I’d listen to one of his less-popular works (is that still possible to say?). The final installment in the Eno-produced “Berlin Trilogy” (following Low and Heroes) it has obvious influences of Kraftwerk and other elements of art-punk infiltrating the Thin White...
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Washed Out - Life Of Leisure →
If one band could define the whole emerging chillwave scene then it would probably be Washed Out. Hazy, blissful rhythms on repeat reviving visions of a post beach-party party. It’s taken a while to appear on Spotify but this is the perfect summer soundtrack. File next to Neon Indian and Beach House.
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Caribou - Swim →
Wow. After 2007’s successful Andorra, Caribou has come back with another fantastic album. Moving away from the 60s pop-influenced sound, this one picks up the percussion and electronic beats and goes to town. The effortless effects add crazy layers and unexpected twists all over this record and the result is something quite energetic and entrancing. This is already my go-to party album.
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Lightspeed Champion - Life Is Sweet Nice to Meet... →
It’s been a very folky week on hotspotmusic and Lightspeed Champion takes that and adds a little slice of pop with the excellently titled new album, Life Is Sweet Nice to Meet You. It’s a more polished and well-rounded record than his debut which was enjoyable but at times too saccharine and sounds somewhat skeletal next to this. Luckily this one retains his smart lyrics and wide...
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Seabear - We Built A Fire →
Seabear is a band that crafts quiet, unassuming songs. Led by Sindri Már Sigfússon, whose solo album was one of the highlights of last year, this album has the distinctive sound and experimentation of an artist happily creating records to please no-one but himself. But that works well on We Built A Fire - a warm and lush record. If you’re feeling mad at Iceland this week then stick this...
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Goldheart Assembly - Wolves And Thieves →
Yesterday I mentioned King Of Spain was one of my favourite songs from the Tallest Man on Earth album. And the first (and standout) track from today’s featured artists, Goldheart Assembly, is called King Of Rome. There’s a lot of royalty claims in today’s indie music scene. Yes, Goldheart Assembly are beardy and, yes, they make harmonious folk-tinged indie but they are...
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The Tallest Man On Earth - The Wild Hunt →
Is the word troubadour used enough these days? I think not. Henceforth, The Tallest Man On Earth is one of my favourite troubadours out there. Singing simple folk songs with an honest and gravelly voice he (and this might be a little clichéd) really evokes a young Dylan. Lead single The King Of Spain (which much like his wild moniker claim is probably a lie) is a particular highlight.
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A Tribute to Eyjafjallajokull
A special playlist in honour of the volcano that everyone knows and nobody can pronounce.
Click here: A Tribute to Eyjafjallajokull
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The dB's - Stands for deciBels →
Sunday Sermons
This is absolutely one of my favourite new wave albums. Recorded in 1981 it was the first album by North Carolina natives the dB’s but remained unreleased in the US until 1989. It combines elements of post-punk and power-pop to create an album full of jangly classics that pre-empted and defined much of the college rock that succeeded it in 80s America. Its twisted,...
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Sunday Old School
Yes folks, it’s new feature time.
With an always on, eternally streaming, ever-expanding music scene it’s becoming more and more confusing to keep up with new music. There’s simply so much more of it out there. And that’s AWESOME.
But, in the midst of all this new music sometimes you forget to go back to the classics. Or even to give some albums a second listen. Some...
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Darwin Deez - Darwin Deez →
I saw a review of Darwin Deez that described his music as an ‘upbeat Julian Casablancas’ and I can’t do much better than that (note how hipster definitions have changed in the past 10 years). On first glance, this has all the elements of a great summer record - light, fun and eminently danceable with memorable tunes such as album opener Constellations.
7 tags
Pavement - Quarantine The Past →
Quarantine The Past is the ultimate (and only) Pavement retrospective album, the release of which coincides with the group’s reformation and worldwide tour. I won’t patronise hotspotmusic readers by suggesting this as a introductory album but it does provide a great dip back into their work for anyone who’s left their records on the shelf for too long. The compilation has a...
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MGMT - Congratulations →
From everything that I’d read about MGMT’s bewildering, experimental odyssey - Congratulations - I was expecting the worst. Maybe setting my sights so low, despite the eclectic and ecstatic highs of their first album, worked because this record, although it’s dark and weird has intrigued me. We’ll see how it unfolds after a couple of listens…
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Jonsi - Go →
First solo album from Jonsi is a blissful, beautiful, complex record - everything you’d expect from the Sigur Ros frontman. Freed from the shackles of the rest of the band, when others might be tempted to indulge in some obscure genre fascination, Jonsi sticks to what he knows and produces a really compelling album. This will rank highly in the end of year charts.
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Dr. Dog - Shame Shame →
Dr Dog have created some of the most consistently excellent retro-sounding rock and roll music in the last few years and latest album, Shame Shame, might just be their best since breakthrough record We All Belong. It has that classic yet immediate sound to it that makes you think you’ve heard it before. Beautiful harmonies soaked into sepia-tone backing tracks make for excellent tunes.
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Rufus Wainwright - All Days Are Nights: Songs For... →
It’s been a while since Rufus made amusing, heartfelt and wry indie songs having transitioned into the grandiose thatrical style that really showcases his incredible voice. This album strips away the glossy production a bit so that only piano backing remains and that leaves an emotive, but perhaps a little dry, album.
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March Playlist
Click here: hotspotmusic - March
It’s that time of the month again - highlights of the last month on hotspotmusic. Not quite as strong as February in terms of amazing new releases but a pretty good month nonetheless. The ones that have particularly caught my eye include Broken Bells, Blood Red Shoes, Pantha Du Prince and The Kissaway Trail. I’m sure once the dust has settled on...