In an effort to continually seduce your ears, Clash has rounded up the cream of the music spoken about in it’s June issue and slapped it on a download album.
Read about the acts included then download your free 13 track album.
Phoenix
‘1901’
France is applauded nowadays for producing a handful of really great bands, but it really is only a handful: Daft Punk, Air, Cassius and Phoenix. This quartet of acts has been collaborating closely for years, both pre and post the worldwide takeover of French electro-disco. But whereas the others have long been superstars over here, Phoenix are only now ready to cut into the British musical consciousness in the same way, armed with a razor sharp new album of future smashes. This lead single has been smashing dancefloors since its first download release on their site. Magnifique!
Super Furry Animals
‘Inaugural Trams’
Operating for over a decade, the Furries have lost none of their quirky pop freshness. In amongst the piles of CDs that get dropped on Clash every month, their new release, ‘Dark Days/Light Years’, has stood out in its ability to leave heads bopping away in the sunshine. A bit of German spoken-word thrown in on this track is a hint at the band’s initial techno influences, though this obscurely themed, bouncy pop song from the over the hills and far away is the exact opposite of sparse and moody. It’s bloomin’ great.
Bleech
’Mondays’
It’s a well-studied rock ‘n’ roll fact that women who front good bands are quickly idolised by both sexes. Point made, let’s not spend so long staring at guitarist/singer sisters Jennifer and Katherine O’Neill that we overlook the tight garage rock sound that’s propelling this three-piece towards bigger things. Let’s not dwell, also, on the Elastica comparisons; rock ‘n’ roll of this calibre needs little contextual introduction. Prepare to be transported back to your bedroom circa age sixteen, in a good way.
Royal Bangs
’Brother’
Garage rock revivalists are all well and good, but can people please start pushing the boundaries? This is 2009 after alll everybody’s had enough time to do their homework and listen to ‘Kid A’. Take note of the exemplary progress of Royal Bangs. Other bands could learn from this, and maybe put in a bit more effort with their guitar hooks, awkward time signatures and sequencers, huh? Just let’s remember not to get lost in the k-hole; Royal Bangs rightly understand that guitars are still our best friends.
Kill it Kid
‘Day It The Day’
The Kill It Kid moniker comes from an old Blind Willie McTell blues record, and although something of Antony Hegarty haunts Chris Turpin’s vocal style, when Steph Ward adds in her contribution the American rock and blues roots come through like a month-old peroxide dye job on a truck-stop waitress. Unexpectedly they’re from the South of England, so there is a nice touch of the cider drinker’s carousing in there as well, ultimately forging a trans-Atlantic relationship that is rather special.
The Dø
‘On My Shoulders’ (Chamber Version)
If the aforementioned quartet of Francophile success stories were ever to look for a fifth to join their elite society of discerning and too-cool-forschool music makers, then The Dø’s application form would probably be at the top of the candidates’ pile. And not just because it would provide the club with its token gorgeous female… The Dø is Paris-based Olivia B. Merilahti (Clash’s latest crush) and Dan Levy, and this track is a gorgeous sugar-sweet plea of forgiveness from the city’s latest elfin hopes.
Dear Reader
‘Great White Bear’
Cherilyn MacNeil is a South African singer-songwriter with a tendency for musing on the magical. Not just those all-too-familiar girl-meets-boy moments (though that’s a part of it) but also the magical darkness that lingers on from spooky childhood fairytales. Here, we are invited on a bear hunt that goes beyond the world of bedtime stories, into the unsettling caves of death, loss, love, over-reaching adventure, failure, change and growth. Cup of tea needed afterwards then…
The Acorn
‘Crooked Legs’
Bella Union have an uncanny knack at picking up brilliant, blissful, folksy, Americana acts like The Acorn. Fitting in comfortably with the likes of Fleet Foxes and Midlake, the band delivers on the promise in their name – from little acorns, mighty acoustic tracks grow. Hailing from Ottawa, Canada, their music carries all the spirit of fresh mountain air, epic journeys along ancient trails and cultures long gone but not forgotten. The perfect soundtrack for springtime.
Lindstrom and Prins Thomas
‘Rothaus’
Lindstrom is Hans-Peter Lindstrom, Norwegian producer extraordinaire. The little red house referenced in the track name appears to be caught in a spacey bubble of beautifully crafted, kraut-influenced disco-dance. It’s the familiar sound of collaborations between Lindstrom and fellow Norwegian Prins Thomas. The journey is nine minutes long, during which time we pitch our ears against a tide of sound, only just avoiding the pull of a sonic whirlpool into another dimension.
The Virgins
‘Rich Girls’ (A1 Bassline Remix)
All that edgy, up-and-coming chic and they still can’t get their rocks off? Only joking, we’re sure The Virgins are up to their armpits in action, what with being New York’s version of The Kooks and all -they’ll be beating it off with a stick! It’s a sure-fire sign of impending indie domination when the blogs are suddenly flooded with sick remixes of your track, and this A1 Bassline wonder is the sickest. Lo, feel the awesome power of the bass wobble.
Man Like Me
‘London Town’ (Rudimental Remix)
Braps! This is what we’ve been waiting for. Enough of this half-arsed grime rubbish, what about a bit of smart song writing with a polished pop edge? Enter Man Like Me, the London bass scene’s answer to the dire awfulness of Just Jack. The kids like it, the hard-core ravers like it, generally it’s hard not to like the bubbly, cheeky, down-to-earth sound of this man like, er, us. London’s Rudimental crew add a bit of not unwelcome club bounce to this remix.
Kingbastard
‘The Captcha’
Would you like more glitch with that? Er, no thanks, we think this track is quite fucked up enough. It might just be an exercise in knowing, techno awkwardness, but it’s certainly an enjoyable one. The King is on fine form, stuttering through an understated blip-barrage that veers close to both Mouse On Mars and Aphex Twin, and then turns round to casually flip them both off. If this music is fatherless, some meddling pervert has instead brought it up.
DJ Hell
‘Electronic Germany’
Electronic artists everywhere share a common debt to one band – Kraftwerk. If you need evidence of their influence take a look at this DJ Hell cut, a deliberate homage to the German electronic titans, as well as a few others who have made Germany the electronic music hub of the world. It has a tasty, updated bass kick, but otherwise it’s a dead ringer for the synth sequences of the good old days -an appropriate meeting point between the sounds of the past masters and the innovation of new legend, Hell.
Download Now! Simply click onto the link to enjoy all the tracks for free.
Click here to download June’s Clash Cross Section Album
(On a Mac hold Ctrl +click and select ‘Save link as…’)
(On a PC right click and select ‘Save link as…’)
