Delphic Promo New Album – Collections

So here we are, breaking all our own rules and dropping some news almost as soon as it is announced. Well what are rules for, if not for breaking? Especially when the news is this exciting…

Having spent a thoroughly enjoyable evening last week grooving to both old and new material from Delphic, we were very excited to receive an email this morning formally announcing a new album, Collections. In the mail, sent out to mailing list subscribers, the guys discuss the time they have taken to write and record the album, and their relative change in musical direction.

“We didn’t want to make an album that replicated ‘Acolyte’, that more-of-the-same-again approach seems all too abundant at the moment and it doesn’t interest us in the slightest, so we set out to challenge ourselves. In many ways this album has been a process of re-learning what we thought we knew”.

Collections will be released on 28 January 2013 and you check out a video trailer here and the tracklist is below.

Collections
1. Of The Young
2. Baiya
3. Changes
4. Freedom Found
5. Atlas
6. Tears Before Bedtime
7. The Sun Also Rises
8. Memo
9. Don’t Let The Dreamers Take You Away
10. Exotic

While we are talking Delphic, treat yourselves to a free download of “Good Life” (Lone Remix).

Watch: New Spring Offensive Video – “Carrier”

Oxford has a rich history of producing quality music and the latest band to emerge from the UK’s education epicentre is Spring Offensive. The guys are getting ready to hit the road and if you scroll down you can find out when and where you will be able to catch them.

Before that though, you should check out their brand new video for the soft and emotive track, “Carrier”. It’s a lovely little number and the video is similarly haunting and melancholic, it’s also a B side. That’s right, it’s not even the main focus of their forthcoming release; that would be the more upbeat and sharp single, “Worry Fill My Heart”, which is out on 17 March.

Spring Offensive Live Dates

March
16th – The End, Birmingham
29th – Electricity Showrooms, London
30th – The Green Door Store, Brighton
31st – Secret Location, Oxford

April
01st – The Castle Hotel, Manchester
02nd – SOYO, Sheffield
03rd – The Head of Steam, Newcastle
04th – The Shipping Forecast, Liverpool
05th – Gwdihw, Cardiff
10th – Schon Schön, Mainz
11th – MUZ, Nurnberg
12th – Häll, Heidelberg
13th – Parterre, Basel

Watch: Blood Orange – “Forget It”

We love Blood Orange, you don’t even need to look back at our albums of 2011 feature to know that. So naturally, we look forward to anything new from Mr Dev Hynes and, in lieu of new tracks, a new video is good enough.

We’re not sure if releasing a video that shows Dev clearly loving his guitar more than his intended date (not like that, perverts) on Valentine’s day was an intentional piece of irony or not, but we love it. We also love the fact that he puts down the guitar just as the Prince-eque solo kicks in, and brushes his teeth instead.

Check it out below.

Free Downloads from The Good Natured & Exlovers

It’s Valentine’s day, which means loved ones are hurriedly buying last minute gifts for other loved ones, knowing that if they forget again, they could well cease to be loved ones soon (this is supposed to be an humourous analogy by the way, not representative of real life). The best gifts on Valentine’s day are the ones you weren’t expecting and amongst the many bands who have offered free downloads today, these two unexpected gems really stand out.

“Raindrops” by The Good Natured stands out, not because we expect them to be anything less than great, but because it is a departure from the high energy power pop they usually put out. In fact, “Raindrops” is anything but high energy. The track, which was made available today on the band’s Facebook page, is slow, atmospheric, remorseful and overflowing with heartbreak. It swirls like mist across an autumn field at daybreak; the wrought emotional breathing buried within and the ice cold vocal send shivers up and down your spine. It is beautiful, just beautiful.

Take a listen below and head over to Soundcloud for the free download.

There was a mini craze a while back, where a number of musicians recorded cover versions of the Chris Issak classic, “Wicked Game”. We don’t quite recall what started the craze but it was a heck of a lot more fun and interesting than planking. Anyway, one of the bands to cover the track was Exlovers, who recorded it whilst working on their forthcoming album, Moth (to be released on the Young & Lost Club label on 14 May 2012). We are suckers for a bit of “Wicked Game” and really dig this version, which is even more stripped down than the original and even manages to give it a slight Gothic feel.

Take a listen below and check out Soundcloud for the free download.

Listen: Look, Stranger! – “One For The King”

London four-piece Look, Stranger! recently made it to the hallowed ground of the Alphabet Bands list, and when they did, we mentioned their forthcoming EP, One For The King. The guys have made “Following The Leader” available for free download, but it is the title track that is the real killer.

It’s a post disco, electro funk fest with what sounds distinctly like some sound effects from old Mario games thrown in. If listening to this doesn’t make you want to get your groove on then its likely nothing will. Check it out below and be prepared to break out the white suit and glitterball.

The EP is due out on 9 April but you can hear it over at their bandcamp page right now.