Free Download: The Disraeli Gears – “Mother, I”

Set phasers to ‘fuzzy’, Alphabet Band members The Disraeli Gears are back with another slice of deliciously hazy, prog-injected indie rock. Featuring the now trademark guitar jangles and blurred lines, “Mother, I” also comes with additional world-angst and greater urgency than we are used to from the London/Leeds/South African quartet.

Teia Fregona’s vocals float out once more but in a dark, confessional and eerie mood. The track flickers and dances like candlelit shadows on the wall but as it builds so does the tension. On “Back of my Eyes”, the band played with drama that rose and fell like the tide, here it climbs like a tower of blocks just waiting for a toddler to send it crashing to the floor below. Crash it does too; frustration, desperation, anger and the feeling of hitting rock bottom all come wailing out as the song builds to a great Jackson Pollock painting crescendo of sound and emotion.

Read More: ‘D’ is for The Disraeli Gears

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Free Download: Paper Crows – “White Noise”

Thank the stars above, Paper Crows are back. It has only been a few months since we last heard from the London based duo but such is our love for the pair that all new music should be met with a fanfare. A dark, twisted slightly gothic fanfare that echoes and shudders all around you.

After the success of the Rinse and Grey Skies EPs last year, they have returned with a suitably stormy and majestic new track, “White Noise”. Much like a walk through the Tardis, Paper Crows tracks just keep getting bigger and bigger, tight and well lit corridors widen to reveal darkness filled bass, then out further to a drum filled ballroom before continuing down halls and round corners before opening up to an epic atrium of haunting grandiose sounds.

There is a moment of absolute aural deliciousness where, at around the 3minute mark, the track drops to a moment of glistening calm and beauty before rising once again, with tumbling drums and incessant, urgent strings piercing the softness of Panas and McDougall’s intertwining vocals.

The usual reference points and the Paper Crows sound that we have come to adore are there, but on “White Noise” there is also something new. It may be the big dramatic feel, or the agitation of the strings, but the vibe is similar to that of the boy/girl duets that Stars did so well on The Five Ghosts. As well as that, “White Noise” is blessed with a wider pop sensibility that takes you over, gets into your blood and lifts your arms in a glorious embrace of the world.

Grab your free download below and see what we mean.

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Watch – Curxes – “Further Still”

In our original post about the otherworldly soft beauty of Curxes latest, “Further Sill”, we remarked on its subtlety, saying “It is scalpel rather than sledgehammer to the walnut of our ears”.

It turns out that we are kind of maybe Mystic Megs over here as look what’s right there in the accompanying video. Yep, scalpels! Ok, it also features taxidermy a-go-go which we didn’t mention, nor did we refer in any way to the truck load of creepy stuffed animals or the ‘Curxes as installation piece’ ending. And yes, we did talk about brightly coloured stepford-esque holiday camps which don’t feature, but cut us some slack, prophecy is not an exact science. One out of many is still pretty good right?

Ok fine, it’s rubbish and was entirely by accident but let’s not detract too much from what is an understatedly creepy video of simple beauty that perfectly matches the track. Dark without being overt and oppressive, emotional without being clumsy or hackneyed, “Further Still” is instead considered and wistful. Curxes are certainly bringing their A-game at the moment and the more we hear it, the more we love it. We can’t wait for more.

“Further Still” is available for free download here.

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Free Download: Florrie – “Live A Little”

She was in the top five of our artists to listen out for in 2013, she has been seemingly on the cusp of breaking out for ages and now, after announcing in May last year that she was finally signing for a major label, Florrie is back. With an unofficial release that is being used in an advertising campaign.

It’s not exactly what we were expecting either.

Still, that’s not to say it’s not another corker of a pop tune. We honestly doubt she can write anything less than a great tune and “Live A Little” is a great tune. Big brash horn sounds complement her lively, bouncing dance inducing drumming. It’s a jump around the living room like a toddler tune, pure infectious fun and energy, even if the subject matter is a tad more mature than that. “We gotta live a little, be naughty but nice/Just to give a little/A freak show show let’s live a little/I’m gonna get what I want, so give a little”, she sings.

We’re not sure who it is who needs to give a little but we think he should bloody well hurry up and get on with it. Florrie has never seemed like someone who wouldn’t get what they want, especially when in such a feisty and fired up mood.

As mentioned, “Live A Little” was recorded for use in an advertising campaign. Sony in-ear headphones to be precise, which is why the video is full of continuity bothering close-ups of Florrie’s ears and other body parts where headphones tend to dangle when not in ears. The video also features multiple Florries marching, dancing, clapping, drumming and strumming away all at once. At one point we counted no fewer than seven Florries on screen at once, which I think we can all agree is about 3.5 more Florries than any red-blooded male or female could handle at any one time.

While we ponder on that some more, and no doubt leave you doing the same, take a watch of the video below and then click here for a free download of the track itself.

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Free Download – Curxes – “Further Still”

Showcasing their softer side, blog world favourites Curxes have kicked off their 2013 with something of a surprise. Having earned something of a reputation for their excitingly angular and industrial blitz-pop, all metallic and grindy like loads of blacksmiths at work at once, they have returned with a track that has seemingly stepped out of the forge and into the daylight. Well, not entirely.

“Further Still” begins with some operatics, but Andrea Bocelli this is not. It is more like the kind of slightly sinister opera sounds you’d have coming out over the PA during morning exercise at a Stepford holiday camp. Rictus smiles and unnecessarily bright and scary colours all around you. This lasts but a moment though before Roberta’s vocals take over and blend with the suddenly more liquid sound of Curxes. Dark, emotional and subtle, it whispers where you might expect a roar, even as the drama is ramped up it tip-toes. It is scalpel rather than sledgehammer to the walnut of our ears.

“Further Still” is available for free download here.

Stalk Curxes: Website / Facebook / Twitter / SoundCloud