It’s Saturday, no school today, so what you going to do?
Peruse and enjoy a bunch of tracks taken from the Alphabet Bands inbox of course! We tried this a few weeks ago and it seemed to go over quite well so we thought we’d have another bash. Here’s the premise.
Like every other blog, we are inundated with emails from bands and PR companies on a daily basis, asking us to feature their music in some form or another. While this is great and we love hearing as much as we can of what comes in, we just don’t have enough time to feature everything, no matter how late we stay up writing (and believe us, it can get quite late). We really want to bring you as much of it as possible so from time to time will produce this occasional feature that will showcase some of the submissions that we have enjoyed in the past week or so. While we won’t be as verbose in our descriptions of each one, we figured some words were better than none. At least this way you get to hear them too right? And that’s the main thing.
So sit back, relax, get your ears ready and enjoy some remixes, videos and new tracks as we rummage around and find out ‘What’s In The Box?’.
Curxes – “Further Still (Avec Sans Remix)”
We loved “Further Still” to pieces when it came out (and still regularly play it in the car on the way to and from work) and this remix is pretty darn amazing as well. It got a fair amount of love from the blog world at the start of the week but seemed to get washed away by the Chvrches tidal wave that engulfed us all. So we thought we’d start this week’s round up by showing it some love and bringing it back to you attention. It’s much more swirly and ethereal than the original, taking its tone and using some sweet science to give it a dry ice sensation. It deserves to be listened to a lot, and it’s available as a free download too.
Daughter – “Love (Will Bloomfield Remix)”
Another remix and another free download to enjoy now, this time from Mr. Will Bloomfield, who has recently started to share his burgeoning remixing talent with us all on Soundcloud. As the main man of Norwich’s own Port Isla (who will be playing Glastonbury this year don’t forget) we don’t know how he has the time, but after stellar remixes of Phoenix, Lana Del Rey and Alphabet Band, The Disraeli Gears, he has turned his attention to Daughter.
“Love” was already a wonderfully sedate piece of melancholia but Will has somehow managed to turn it down still further, add just the right amount of shimmer and a delicate but forceful electronic beat underneath.
Listen to more of Will’s remixes on SoundCloud
Flash Bang Band – “If You’re Driving”
Something new from Brighton next that our good friends at Someofitistrue sent our way this week. “If You’re Driving” is the debut single from Flash Bang Band, a trio of young indie rockers who appear to have a thing for feet as well as jangly riffs and jump-a-longa choruses. The guys are signed to At The Helm Records and as well as releasing “If You’re Driving” on Monday, their debut album will be out on 29 July.
Swimming Lessons – “Double”
Ben Lewis is a guy whose stock appears to well and truly on the up. Performing as Swimming Lessons, this 24 year old from Leeds has recently been found playing with Blue Hawaii, Chad Valley and Grimes, amongst others. On his latest track, “Double”, Lewis has given us a world of dreamy late night electronica. This is what you play when you get in from a night out and you’re not quite ready for it to end. Soothing and revitalising, it’s the sort of thing that soundtracks a look out across the city skyline in that magical time as the hours become small but before the birds have woken.
Blue & Gold – “Ghost Man”
From Leeds to Brooklyn now as we move from dreamy, atmospheric electronic to something altogether more raw and dirty. “Ghost Man” has all the hallmarks of good old fashioned rock with sharp riffs overlaying cacophonous drums and vocals dripping with bluesy swagger. They say they like the White Stripes, and Led Zeppelin, and Cream and Hendrix and countless others. It shows. Blue & Gold have got it going on and we can’t help but indulge our inner rocker and get down with them.
“Ghost Man” is available to buy on iTunes.
Starkeeper – “Elle”
Evidently, “Elle” by Belgium’s <bStarkeeper has been floating around for a little while now (certainly the video appears to have been online for ages) but it was just this week that the guys popped it into our inbox and we sat up and took notice.
Taken from their debut EP, Find Desire, “Elle” is a hauntingly downbeat piece of pop music. Echoes of Mazzy Star and William Orbit era Madonna filter out from within, as do tinges of electro-folk and melancholic orchestral pop. Songwriting duo Ivy Smits and Dieter Meeuwis share vocals as well as creativity and the duet is sweet and touching. The video is pretty cool as well.
Balah Resort – “Emily Again”
You know how we said that “Double” by Swimming Lessons should be listened to late at night?
Well the same can be said of the debut Balah Resort album, Days In Commonwealth. It was difficult to choose a track to showcase as they are all beautifully relaxed and becalming, but we have gone for the Vangellis tinged “Emily Again”. It’s so delicate it borders on being brittle, you’d be worried that turning it up too loud would actually break the soundwaves, but this isn’t music to be played loudly, this is music that brings about tranquillity. Listen to this and you’ll be inclined to turn off the lights and unplug the phone, not for sexy times mind you, just to unwind and let the weariness and stress of the world wash away from you.
Days In Commonwealth is out now and can be bought via the Balah Resort Bandcamp page.
Wan Light – “Space Canaries”
If you’re anything like us, you are already listening to this for no other reason than its called “Space Canaries”. It’s ok to admit it, we did it too. For those of you who want some words as well, this is the title track from the latest album by Stockholm based duo, Wan Light. As well as an awesome title, it has a very Pet Shop Boys feel to both the synthy, poppy sound (there are flecks of ambient indie in there too) and the vocals as well. All of which makes for a very enjoyable listen. And it has the best title of a song we’ve seen all year…
That’s all for this week, see you soon for more inbox related aural pleasure.
Alphabet Bands 
i like the curxes remix