The Big Pink-Velvet (4AD)

One of the latest signings to wonder label 4AD, Velvet, is The Big Pink’s first release for the people that last year brought us the likes of Deerhunter and TV on the Radio. Its a slow shoegazey build up to a HEALTH-esque noisy climax which is nothing short of huge. However, just when you think you’re ready to file this away into your obscure collection clear, emotional yearning vocals kick in and a late 80s early 90s Manchester influence is added to the mix and the track immediately grabs you. One of the strangest things about this seemingly bizarre combination of influences is how well they work together. A My Bloody Valentine meets Stone Roses sound finished off nicely for today’s audience. Velvet has the droning dirty feel of bands like Crystal Castles and Liars but the clear unaltered vocals give the heartfelt lyrics an instant emotional feel and make the track more accessible than the distorted screams of their peers.

Myspace

Enjoy the Gang Gang Dance Remix!

The Big Pink-Velvet(Gang Gang Dance Remix)

Gavin: A lot happened in 2008. It seems so long ago now. Like any blog worth it’s salt and peppa though, we have decided to put together our best/worst gigs and albums of the year and used our clever little thinking boxes in our heads to have a guess (/dictate?) who will be floating boats in the next twelve months or so. Have a read and put us in our place about your favourite albums and who you think will storm 09…

Albums:

Bon Iver-For Emma, forever ago

Gav: From the brooding, elegant “Flume” right through to the mellow closer of “Re: Stacks”, this is a simple but greatly effecting album of heartbreak and recovery. The choice single, “Skinny Love” highlights what is truly great about Bon Iver: it could have been written at pretty much point in time from the 1920s onwards, but it is this timelessness that strikes such a chord with so many people.

For Emma

British Sea Power-Do You Like Rock Music?

Gav: Released right at the start of 2008, this album is pretty underrated and understated. “Do You Like Rock Music?” is a glorious celebration- equally wistful and triumphant. The way it floats elegantly from storming, epic soundscapes such as “Waving Flags” and “Down on The Ground” to serene, reflective ballads like “The Great Skua” and “Open The Door” will make sure it’s etched permanantly in many music fan’s hearts.

Deerhunter-Microcastle

Lauren: It’s predecessor Cryptograms was exciting to say the least but with Microcastle Deerhunter found a more complete yet simple style which is almost impossible to fault. Their ambient psychedelic sound is executed perfectly on the album especially on tracks ‘Little Kids’ and album opener ‘Cover Me (Slowly)’ which hint a completely overwhelming live experience.

Deerhunter-Little Kids

Goldfrapp-Seventh Tree

McAsh says: If you like Goldfrapp then you should listen to Seventh Tree, as it is rather good. If you don’t like Goldfrapp then you probably won’t like this album, as it is by Goldfrapp.

Goldfrapp – Some People

Los Campesinos!-Hold On Now, Youngster.

Lauren says: An album by music geeks, about being a music geek, written for music geeks. We spend hours online debating the best Sonic Youth ablum, we hate all the bands YOU like and when we fall in love or get our hearts broken it always has perfect musical accompaniment. What Los Campesinos! have captured in this album is everything involved in being a kitsch, pretentious arsehole and put it to music that sounds like Arcade Fire having a go on a play school’s collection of musical instruments, a huge, yet totally twee sound.

Los Campesinos!-My Year In Lists

M83-Saturdays=Youth

J_S_Peach: A surprise topper of one particular music site’s album list, Anthony Gonzalez 5th album took a rather unexpected turn following it’s predecessors Digital Shades Vol. 1 and Before The Dawn Heals Us. Taking inspiration from the films of John Hughes, M83 built on their intense electro shoegaze sound by popping it up to the max. That’s not to say this album is at all for the masses. The second album really pushes the boat out in terms of really minimalist build ups and long, drawn out pieces. The album’s closer, Midnight Souls Still Remain, nods towards the Brian Eno-esque tones of Digital Shades Vol. 1 suggesting that Gonzalez still has more to offer. Sturdays=Youth is one of the most complete albums of 2008, really pushing the boundaries of accessible contemporary music.

M83-Graveyard Girl

Sigur Rós-Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust

Lauren says: To say this album isn’t the Icelandic four piece’s finest piece of work is far from an insult as they are so consistently brilliant that what isn’t their best is better than most bands can ever hope to ahieve. This, the band’s fifth studio release, saw the them explore new directions, most notably with the poppy, tribal wonder that is Gobbledigook which has not only fueled some unbelievable live performances this year but has also got thousands of adults at a time standing perfectly still singing ‘lalalalalalala’ in unison.

Sigur Ros-Gobbledigook

TV on the Radio-Dear, Science

Gav: TV on the Radio returned in 2008 with one of the most exciting and eclectic albums imaginable. “Dear Science,” is the sound of an uncountable set of ideas ricocheting from funk to rock, via dance and electronic music. It’s clever, ambiguous, witty, heartfelt and a million and one other things besides.

Golden Age

Youthmovies-Good Nature

Phil: With Youthmovies having been around for a good part of this decade, it’s hard to imagine that last year saw the release of their debut album. Good Nature is their most accessible work to date and Youthmovies bring their take on progressive rock into the mainstream, with one of the most poetic and stunning albums of the year.

Youthmovies – Archive it Everywhere (Live at ATP)

Why?-Alopecia

Phil: Based around songwriter Yoni Wolf, Why? manage to put some of the most vivid imagery concocted on to record; their third LP, Alopecia, is no exception. Despite not quite reaching the bar they set with Elephant Eyelash, they have returned with a more immediate album that still delivers a highly unique listening experience.

Why? – These Few Presidents

Gigs:

British Sea Power/Rescue Rooms/22.01.2008

Gav: Without this great gig, The Courteeners would have been the last band I saw for around three and a half months. Obviously not an optimal situation to be in at all. As it was, the bunch of English eccentrics that British Sea Power are blew the roof off Rescue Rooms in one of the best barn storming gigs of the year. Showcasing most of their excellent third album, “Do You Like Rock Music?” as well as a delving into the old back catalogue, this was an event of great fun and celebration between band and fans. The gig finished with a thrilling climax as guitarist Noble left the flag draped stage to climb the balcony and then drop onto the heads of the crowd as numerous musicians flooded the stage to create a fist pumping and emotional finish.

British Sea Power-No Lucifer

The Mae Shi/Dot to Dot Festival/24.05.2008

Gav: The combination of a bunch of LA punks shouting and slamming their instruments into overdrive whilst mostly positioned in the crowd as a big sheet envelops everyone made for one of the best sets of this years dot to dot. Fast and intense but also big and fun. Kind of like the Flaming Lips on crack (*insert other lazy music journalism cliche at your own disposal*).

Heartbeeps

Jay Z-Glastonbury Festival/28.06.2008

Gav: After Signor Eavis’ clever little trick of telling us something along the lines of “a New York hip hop star will headline Glastonbury…but it’s definitely not Jay Z…” *winks* and Noel Gallagher saying it just wasn’t cricket to have rap music at the festival, there was something of a buzz around this performance. Almost every band that performed on the Saturday urged their crowd to go and see Jay Z that night and it seemed it was either going to be utter shit, on the scale of the Fiddy bottling at Reading, or it would be amazing. Of course, it was amazing. The fact is, it felt like you were part of something people would talk about for years and just seeing the endless crowd of the Pyramid stage all singing along to “99 Problems” was worth the ticket price alone.

Dirt Off Your Shoulders

Interpol/Sheffield Academy/09.07.2008

Lauren: Interpol are a band who’ve never afraid to admit there are times when their live shows are for nothing but the Benjamins but this warm up show for Latitude festival this summer seemed to be all for the fans. A more than generous set, some rarely played songs and some even rarer smiles from the band all made the show one that you couldn’t help but walk out of on air rather than sticky Sheffield Academy floor.

Interpol-NYC

Sigur Rós/Latitude Festival/18.07.2008

Lauren: Just as with their albums, Sigor Ros’ live shows are consitantly brilliant but below a setting sun melting into a clear night sky surrounded by the woods of Latitude Festival they delivered a life changing performance. Dressed in the splendor of what looked like mythical woodland creatures the four piece were backed by twenty or so similarly attired backing musicians it was like witnessing a party from another world.

Sigor Ros-Festival

Dananananaykroyd/All over the country/2008

Phil: I think it’s pretty apparent that us folk at INFTC like to dip our toes into the world of Dananananaykroyd from time to time. Without trying to kiss ass, I think it is safe to say that they are the best band I saw live last year. If you have seen them you will know what I mean, if you haven’t then go see them, now.

Dananananaykroyd-Some Dresses

Worst Gigs:

These New Puritans/The Bodega Social/15.02.2008

Lauren: Just because you’re pretty and your photos been in the observer doesn’t mean you no longer have to give a shit.

Glasvegas/Dot to Dot Festival/25.05.2008

Phil: After people were queuing out the door for Santagold, it was hard to believe that a half empty rescue rooms were waiting “the most important band” of this generation and the “best band out of Scotland for 20 years“. Glasvegas played for only 20 minutes but this was enough for a significant amount of people to leave. That really all that needs to be said; they were just poor.

Remixes: We wont write so you wont read, lets both just dance!

Friendly Fires-Paris (Aeroplane Remix Feat. Au Revoir Simone)

M.I.A.-Paper Planes (DFA Remix)

Metronomy-A Thing For Me (Breakbots B-live Miami Mix)

Dizzee Rascal-Sirens (Wargames Remix)

Bloc Party- mercury (herve_is_in_disarray_remix)

Tips For 2009:

Calories-Myspace

Phil: What more could you want from a band? Huge pop hooks, noisy riffs and more energy then three people should ever have. Last year they played shows with the likes of Tubelord and Johnny Foreigner, this year they have a debut album out in March. Expect to see the name Calories a lot this year.

Calories – Adventuring

CFCF-Myspace

J_S_Peach: Mike Silver, better known as CFCF, spent a lot of ’08 remixing for artists such as HEALTH, Crystal Castles and Genghis Tron but 2009 sees the release of his first EP-Panesian Nights. Having already recieved positive reviews in his native Canada it can only be a matter of time until you find yourself dancing to his beats at a club near you.

Bathtub Clash (CFCF Remix)-CFCF

Dananananaykroyd-Myspace

Gav: I’m jealous of anyone yet to see this band live becuase they will be instantly, repeatedly and joyously blown away. This six piece are charismatic yet refreshingly unpretintious, combining great wit and ridiculously exciting crowd participation. Most of all though, they have tunes which tear you apart, put you back together again, give you a little cuddle, push you around a bit then leave you sweaty, deaf and grinning like a tit. I’m pretty sure for some of their more Shoreditch oriented fans, their gigs are probably the first time they’ve had genuine fun in a long time. Details: Album, “Hey Everyone!” out in April, lots more tour dates (including supporting Kaiser Chiefs at the likes of the o2 Arena, mental etc) and hopefully some insane festival appearences.

The Greater Than Symbol and the Hash

Dolby Anol-Myspace

Lauren: Take one sixth of Dananananaykroyd (we quite like them if you hadn’t already guessed), a lovely man names Graham Peel and a shit load of wires and you’ll find yourself listening and throwing yourself about to the bizarre electro of Dolby Anol.  They’ve remixed everyone from The Futureheads to Beyonce and like their Danana friends their performances result rooms full of sweaty chaos. Definitely to dance outfit to look out for in 2009.

Dolby Anol – Dolby & Gabbana (Cuz we are Dolby Anol)

Passion Pit-Myspace

Gav: From the beautifully ambient, same-cooking-pot-as-Postal-service “I’ve Got Your Number”, to Holy Fuck bumping uglies with Prince to create “Better Things”, Passion Pit are a genuinly great little five piece of nerds from Massachusettes. “Sleepyhead”, meanwhile, is just biding it’s time before it becomes a globally accepted classic and a must for any indie disco DJ to put on at the end of the night for everyone to dance/slip around in beer to while hugging each other and crying slightly.

Passion Pit-Sleepyhead

Pulled Apart By Horses-Myspace

Gav: Riffs/melodies/riffs/shouting/FUCKING RIFFS. Ignore the fact that the singer can sometimes, ever so slightly sound like Jimmy from South Park having a screaming fit, Pulled Apart By Horses are a rough, raw slaying machine combining metal with something slightly more fun and accessible. And RIFFS, obviously.

Pulled Apart By Horses-I Punched A Lion In The Throat

Tubelord-Myspace

Lauren: A band we’ve never been afraid of showing love for in the past, Tubelord are a trio of oddballs who, through what we can only assume was a bizzare sequence of events, got themselves into a band to play to the world their own brand of pop-punk as loud as anyone will let them. 2009 will hopefully see the release of an album so pretty soon you can play it as loud as you parents/neighbors will let you.

Tubelord-I Am Azerrad (Huw Stephens Session)

Youves (Formerly Mirror!Mirror!)-Myspace

J_S_Peach: Following successful performances at events such as Dot to Dot and shows with the likes of INFTC favourites such as Dananananaykroyd in 2008, Nuneaton punk-funkers Youves have put in the groundwork for an exciting 2009. With a name change and new EP Cardio-Vascular on the way through Holy Roar Records in May these boys are a hot tip.

White Lies- m’space

Just like how porn keeps sex pests, miserable old men and horny teens happy in a legal and safe way, stadium/pop rock should serve to keep little cretins off our music. White Lies will be big. Probably huge. This is fine.

Women-Myspace

Lauren: Despite their self-titled debut being released last year INFTC predict 2009 will see the rise of Canadian four piece Women. The band create lo-fi dreams that float out of your speakers somewhere in between Black Lips and Deerhunter, the latter they were set to support if it weren’t for illness.  You can still catch them with Wavves around the country in March and, in what is fast becoming my favourite London venue, The Lexington on the 3rd.

Women-Black Rice

Sonic the Hedgehog has been popping Chaos Emeralds all night and has spent the last 3 hours sweating PowerRings out all over the hip new club, GreenHillzzz.

Rayza – Green Hill Zone (Euro Club ’95 Mix)

Hattip: OverClockedReMix