Not Many Experts

As the inimitable Lt. Aldo Raine once said, ‘arrivederci’.  I’m leaving to become a homeless person in Italy for two weeks in the hope of running into either Porcelain Raft or Silvio Berlusconi, which does unfortunately mean that for fourteen tear stained days you will have to find your new music elsewhere. However, all is not lost, because in this post I’m going to throw at you a load of stuff that I have been meaning to post and would have carefully written about over the next two weeks. Instead, it’s going to be Soundcloud links and a sentence of worthless editorial, but isn’t that what the internet’s all about? Not only that, but this is the perfect chance to mention the Music Robot which launched last week. Put simply, it’s a collective of fifteen fine British music blogs, and scouring the Music Robot each day should more than satisfy your need for new music. And when I return I will have finer taste in wine, more condescending views on art, and more unacceptable pubescent facial hair. I hope you’re as excited as I am.

Gwilym Gold

“Lust For Sale” is a sparse, undulating soundscape from the ex-Golden Silvers frontman. An intensely personal cut, it throbs with real desperation and vulnerability; an encouraging sign for his innovative app-album ‘Tender Metal’ which drops onto the App Store on September 10th.

Let’s Away

Let’s Away are a brilliantly glum duo from the North East, “Brittle Bones” being a good example of their affecting and mournful tales of regret. They’ve just released a new EP entitled The Brittle Bones Of Let’s Away. [via]

ILLLS

Preposterous psychedelic stylings from Oxford, MS outfit ILLLS, who recently released their debut EP on The Sounds Of Sweet Nothing. “Bathroom Floor” is uncomfortable, unconventional, completely restless, and all the better for it.

Idles

In the space of the two months since I last wrote about them, Idles have burst out of their Bristol home and onto some sort of national stage with the barely tethered fury of debut EP ‘Welcome’, due to be released in two weeks. 26/27 is an exceptional showcase for their enraged brand of taut, dissatisfied post-punk.

Death At Sea

Since I first wrote about Death At Sea they’ve been busy continually solidifying their position as one of this country’s finest new bands with ecstatically received gigs, praise from national media, and radio play from Zane Lowe, no less. The stadium-sized abrasiveness of most recent track “Selfless” both justified and perpetuated the hype, and rightly so. Catch them on 4th August at FestEvol Gardens in Liverpool if you have any sense and 1000 of the Queen’s pennies.

MYPET

Our trailblazing amigos over at Luv Luv Luv Records appear to be churning out tomorrow’s alternative heroes with unbelievable consistency; LA duo MYPET being the latest in a long line. The sinister “Pays To Know”, the only track available right now, is exactly three minutes of seductive and scandalous raw talent that has me desperate to hear more.

All We Are

Ethereal folk-pop trio All We Are have also been busy in the past months, namely in saving folk music from the tedium of Mumford & Sons. Having released the hugely impressive ‘We Hunt’ EP on Payper Tiger Records at the end of April, they’ve got all magnanimous on us and released EP highlight ‘Cardhouse’ for free – download above. It’s a restrained, perfectly balanced and executed mini-epic that alternates between hushed contemplation and a floor-tom pounding explosion of emotion. Free is a pretty reasonable deal, too, so you may as well get involved. And watch the still-hair-raising video here.

Torches

On Monday Torches released their latest pained single, ‘Silent Film/Sky Blue & Ivory’.  ‘Silent Film’, in particular, is a swaggering, theatrical, heart-wrought anthem of pessimism that’s driven along by the evocative baritone of vocalist Charlie Drinkwater. It’s life affirming, believable doom pop that avoids the cloying fabrication of White Lies and the sheer misery of Editors; their disillusionment will make you want to live, rather than die. And if you feel like that’s not really saying a lot, then you’ve obviously never heard White Lies.