Cross Section Download Album

In an effort to continually seduce your ears, Clash has rounded up the cream of the music that is spoken about in this issue and slapped it on a download album.

We are worried about you. Are you sure you’ve been listening to enough new music? Worry not, as we have a lively playlist of future anthems for you.

Love your ears, love your lobes, love those tiny drums in your head that make you move. Download ALL the best music from this issue of Clash - for FREE - now!

The Phenomenal Hand Clap Band ‘15 To 20’ (Tummy Touch)



Being a New York band is tricky. Being at THE axis of melting music culture it is your job to sound like everything whilst sounding new, replicating cool and not resembling any other New York band. Past or present. And it is a task that’s only getting harder. Yet Collás and Marquand, two NYC DJs turned producers, have managed to twist a psychedelic blend of disco, electro, techno, soul and funk into a coherent party that sounds like no other. And yet sounds like it’s from New York. WTF? Here, the rather dashing Skull Juice cranks up the disco bass to make it sound EVEN more indigenous. Double WTF? Job done.

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart ‘Higher Than The Stars’ (Fortuna POP!)



Harking back to a more naive time when young Morrisseys roamed free in the hills and nibbled on the uncut pages of TS Eliot novels, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart are here as romantic hurl-backs. Standing with their hat in their hands and their blood-red hearts bleeding on their sleeves, these svelte Americans are all about revealing their emotions on a soaring bed of synths and pleading lyrics. Ephemeral indie manna from a heaven that never knew of the vagaries of nu-rave or emo. Sniff.

Kurt Vile ‘Overnight Religion’ (4AD)



This chap has been knocking on our door previously as the guitarist in War On Drugs and is surely set for a fine career as a superhero with a name like Kurt Vile, or perhaps that should be a baddie. Either way we are hooked by his jangled soul, which skips about in whimsical flashes with endless nuance as Kurt employs vocal harmonies, drones, carefree strummings and dark textures to paint a sonic picture that’s at once engaging yet deep, deep, deep in its layers. Bring forth any war you are associated with, Kurt - if it sounds this good we’ll not need drugs.

Teitur ‘Hitchhiker’ (A&G)



This fellow is from the Faroe Islands in the north Atlantic. If you ever see an Icelandic dude meet a Faroese peep then chances are the latter will get a ribbing for being a ‘seasick moaner’. The reason for this is because when Eric the Red was banished from Norway and was rowing around looking for the promised land they stopped at the Faroes, only to find it too small. Always aspirational, they pushed on, but not before they’d left all the moaners and Vikings that had been seasick behind in the middle of the night. So it goes. Teitur sings of isolation and separation, so the abandonment still burns deep. He is, however, growing into a master songsmith and here his majestic talents are completely on show. Just don’t mention rowing boats.

Cate Le Bon ‘Hollow Trees House Hounds’ (Irony Bored)



Hands up who likes Super Furry Animals? Loads of fists on show obviously. Well, Cate Le Bon is the first act to be signed by the Furries singer and melodic hero Gruff Rhys to his new label, Irony Bored (hilarious!), which looks to have a great future if they continue with such great signings such as Cate. This lady is a folkie with flair and records only in the dark. Clearly she’s hard and hard to scare, and she’s been touring with Slow Club who, though not hard, are certainly no fools. Cate, we relish your next moves with French aplomb.

Yo La Tengo ‘Periodically Double Or Triple’ (Matador)



Unique beyond belief, this collective have more facets of fascination than you can imagine. Destined to be a cult band, they reinforced this when they managed to play as The Velvet Underground in the 1996 film I Shot Andy Warhol. Here, they tread an effortless line in chirpy pop, New York observational psychedelia and Hammond hammered cinematic soundtrack. Their name may well mean ‘I’ve got it!’ in Spanish, but this is the tip of their factual iceberg. Dive into this band and you’ll be repaid over the years. And they’ve been going for two decades already. Get involved.

2562 ‘Unbalance’ (Tectonic)



Musical marmite. 2562’s swathe through the dubstep scene has been pretty noticeable, however Dave Huisman’s new album is incisive for a massive spectrum of signifiers. His programming is progressive as fuck, his blending of old strains of garage and new off-kilter percussion is unique and he still manages to cram little reference bits and tip his hat to parallel dance scenes of Detroit and Chicago. He loves space and his strength as you’d expect is in his dub and gaps. He in short rocks - if you like weird time codes and lots of bass.

Hudson Mohawke ‘Rising’ (Warp)



Imagine Timbaland utterly out his tree on ketamine and trips failing around in his studio in his underpants howling at the moon. Fun isn’t it? Well, Hudson Mohawke doesn’t really sound like nor look like this, but he does sound like some kind of strangely altered shiny hip-hop producer whose girlfriend should be painfully attractive. One thing’s for sure: Hudson is here and he’s probably gonna stay, such is the public fervour for the man’s distracted beats and shattered LA signature sounds. Big visions for bigger beats.

Sugar Daddy ‘Love Honey’ (Tirk)



Greg Wilson launches here an original edit of a dance classic after perfecting the art for years. If you don’t know what an edit is then read his fascinating account of experimentation, rejection then triumph in this issue of Clash. It involves getting seriously ‘play-school’ on old reel to reel tapes. If you don’t know what old reel to reel tapes are then DEFINITELY read Greg’s historical account! Here, Sugar Daddy reminds us of halcyon dance culture where tracks came from unique angles and not studios more akin to Big Bertha on E. Patience people.

Royksopp ‘Tricky Tricky’ (Wall Of Sound)



A Royksopp is a lysergic fungi from Northern Norway. Fact. I couldn’t find any when I went this summer. Very annoying fact. Compensation though is never far around the corner, as we enjoy this little gem from arguably Norway’s most successful dance duo and here they show why. Massive electro with quirky vocals from Karin Dreijer, formerly of The Knife and now Fever Ray. Karin does manage to ponder “Is six afraid of seven, cos seven eight nine?” but effortlessly gets away with it, largely thanks to the captivating techno niggles and jiggles that Royksopp pave their dancing path with. Just don’t ask them about their forefathers sneaking away in rowing boats at 3am on small islands.

Twinkranes ‘Fizz Nor Feedback’ (Twisted Nerve)



We love bands that cant spell. It makes our job so much easier. It is a classic case of heavy biscuits here though, as Twinkranes showcase their love of a pounding rhythm. Narcotic in their use of electronics they have been loosely labelled “a more druggy Fujiya And Miyagi”, which aint a million miles from the crack den. They certainly have a Krautrockesque ability to tease out the elements of their song into an epic dance of delectation, which regains ground with every break. They are from Austin, which is great news as often bands from this city prefer convention to anything else and many sound the same. Twinkranes don’t. Bleep fest. Love it. Take me now.

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